The crowd?s attention remained fixated on the puppeteer?s story, their gazes following the dolls? dance intently. Children, their eyes alight with excitement, awaited the story?s finale with baited breath.
Alice smiled faintly as she continued on to the next arc of the story.
A green-haired doll clad in red, called ?The Youkai? fought a tense battle with a blonde doll wielding swords called ?The Maid?. The puppeteer gave a small smirk, signifying the approaching climax.
The purple haired one, referred to as ?The Priestess?, came to a stop, as if she had reached a dead end. The doll glanced around before looking upward. There hovered a white haired doll, dresses in red robes, which the puppeteer titled ?The Goddess?.
With just a moment?s pause, the dolls engaged. They moved vigorously, even Alice?s own hands were swooping through the air, directing the dolls? wild dance with astonishing precision and dexterity. The purple haired girl wove in, out, and around the goddess? attacks valiantly as the white-haired doll gained six large, purple wings. However, the priestess did not falter, the goddess? assault becoming heavier. The crowd silently cheered on the hero as she continued to advance on the goddess. Further and further, until the goddess was on her final attack.
Alice smiled as her fingers orchestrated the climax of the story.
With a swift, final retaliation, the priestess struck down the goddess.
Alice swung her arms high into the air, holding them there for a moment, before bringing them down into an elegant curtsey.
The crowd was awestruck for but a second before erupting into cheers and clapping. Praise was shouted out to the puppeteer, making her give a modest smile. Some even whistled for the girl. The children jumped about enthusiastically, wanting the story to continue further.
?That?s the end of the story.? Alice said to the children who looked at her expectantly.
The kids vocalized their dissatisfaction with this fact, to which the puppeteer only gave them a sheepish smile.
Within a few moments, the crowd that had surrounded Alice to watch her performance begun to disperse.
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---Hanzo
After what felt like twenty minutes or more, the purple-haired rabbit exited the schoolhouse. She glanced around for a bit, before spotting Takuma and hurrying over to him.
?Sorry about that. Let?s go shall we?? She said as she gestured towards a road that lead away from the village center.
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---Orphea
The magician listened to the girl as spoke, having an emotionless fa?ade about her the entire time. It was only when the girl finished speaking, that the magician gave her a small, albeit very faint, smile.
?You said something about recalling anything you have read instantly?? Patchouli asked with intrigue. ?So you are blessed with a photographic memory then??, she said, leaning in a bit and resting her chin on her intertwined hands in a way that made her appear to be contemplating something thoroughly.
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---Crow
As Kisei exited the room, she heard nothing. Seconds passed in silence, but nothing happened. Puzzled, the girl turned to look.
Nothing. No pink haired ghost lady, no anybody for that matter. Strange. Perhaps this place really was haunted?
A faint wisp of sound, too faint to be made out from the thief?s current position, can be heard coming from the room Kisei has previously been in.