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[It's cool he's just building up for the inspirational speech anime style. Atsuro smiles slightly.]

Eheh... I guess something did.

I found it was pretty hard living like that. Or... someone ended up showing me. You have to weigh the costs, right? If the net gain of a friendship is positive, then it's still worth having in the end. It's true that you won't ever get hurt if you never let yourself get close to anyone. But... you won't ever be as happy as you could be, either. You won't make any fond memories or share any laughter. They say that about love - 'it's better to have loved and lost than to never love at all' or... something dumb like that. But it's true about most things.

[That lets Yurick relax somewhat. He's a bit envious that Atsuro can pick himself up out of a funk, though the mage knows his own attitude is better than it used to be.]

Is that why you've been so considerate toward me? You see someone worth befriending, then?

[He finds himself hoping it's true. Maybe it will prove that Zael's friendship isn't just a fluke, that the rest of the mercenaries aren't just confusing familiarity with true camaraderie.]

Oh...! Well.

[Atsuro looks faintly embarrassed.]

...I try not to think of it that way. What I said about the calculation is more the logical reason, but when it comes to friends...

Everyone is worth befriending, really.

[Yurick doesn't say anything for several moments. Then, finally, Atsuro sees a somewhat shy but genuine smile trying to form.]

Thank you, Atsuro. This means more to me than I can say.

[He coughs, a bit self-conscious, and glances around.]

If we come across an open area, I can show you my powers. I know you're still interested, right?

Hah... Don't mention it! I'm just... passing it on, in a way.

[Atsuro flashes a quick smile before suddenly regaining his interest in architecture, now for Yurick's sake as well as for his own was that a Ionian column right next to a Doric one geez what a mess]

But, uh, yes! I'd like that, if you don't mind. ...I think I know a place nearby; it's a bit out of the way, too, so we won't get gawkers.

That sounds perfect. I'm less worried about gawkers than I am risking someone panicking when they think they'll be hurt by my spells.

[He looks thoughtful for a moment, touching his chin.]

My magic circles empower my allies' weapons with fire as a secondary effect. I wonder if it would work on your demons without harming them.

I fight with my fists, usually, and my demons have... varying elemental affinities, already. Maybe the ones who are already resistant to fire?

[He was pretty sure Laksmi wouldn't appreciate the gesture at all. Atsuro glances around and turns down a side-street.]

Why don't I stay out of the way of your magic for now, just in case? We can do a little test afterwards.

That's probably a good idea.

[Yurick follows Atsuro down the side street, his mage senses on high alert for anyone that might try to sneak up on them. He trusts Atsuro, it's the rest of the city he's not certain about yet. If he feels hostility, he'll be ready for it.]

If we can find a target no one will miss, that would be perfect.

...I'm not sure anyone's going to be too happy to let anything be incinerated, but let's see if we can grab some cardboard boxes from a dumpster.

[Because that's where they were going. There's a small open space behind a set of buildings with a few dumpsters scattered around. Evidently where some of the residents disposed of their trash.]

Card... board?

[As they approached, Yurick wondered what those big metal bins were, at least until they got close. His nose wrinkled.]

Something back here smells absolutely horrid. I hope nothing died in one of these.

[About now he wished he had Zael's inability to smell anything.]

...

I don't think anything died in here. It was probably all dead already before. I hope so, anyway.

[Atsuro gingerly locates the least offensive-smelling one and glances inside. A stack of cardboard is duly recovered and dumped on the floor.]

Er, actually, how about I go first with the Persona? I'd like to wash my hands.

[Yurick nodded.]

I'm curious to see how it works. Perhaps I can learn from watching you?

[He backs up to give Atsuro room to summon, not sure how much the Persona will need. He's not sure what effect its powers will have on his own.]

Is this enough space?

Yeah, it's fine! I'll just... call him really quick.

[There isn't too much to see. After glancing around for no particular reason for a few moments, Atsuro holds out a hand unnecessarily and awkwardly calls out the name -- ]

Enki.

[There is the sudden sound of shattering glass, and in the blink of an eye, there stands two people where there had formerly been one. A dark-haired youth dressed in robes steps lightly through the air towards Atsuro, a jug held in his left hand. He would look essentially normal were it not for the streams of water cascading around him, vanishing as they strike the ground.]

...Do you mind sending some water my way?

[Yurick was expecting something, but it still startles him into taking a step back. Just how did Atsuro do that? He felt no change in the air, no surge of magic. It's... amazing.

He finally moves closer to the Persona, curious, reaching out to see if the being called "Enki" is solid or merely a ghost.]

[Enki is entirely unperturbed by Yurick's approach and indeed, Yurick will find that Enki is solid enough to the touch. For the moment, anyway. Being the full representation of Atsuro's soul, Enki is fully aware of what Yurick and Atsuro are up to at the moment and largely ignores Yurick.

The jug of water is duly upended and a crystal clear stream of water gushes over Atsuro's hands.]

...Thanks. That's good, I think.

[A slight pause. To Yurick, now - ]

Do you want to see any more?

Ah... n-- not if it's draining for you to summon him.

[He can't recall if anything like this exists on his world. They're not sure exactly what the Outsider is, and beyond that Yurick can't picture anything close to this power called Persona.

He still has no idea how to summon his own, if he really does possess one now.]

How do you do that?

It's not really. Only when he uses magic or some other skill... Then it feels like he's drawing energy for his attacks straight from me.

[Atsuro gives a small shrug as he shakes off his wet hands.]

It's hard to explain before it happens for the first time. But after it does, you can sort of... feel for it.

It's likely he's drawing something like mana from you. In magical theory, we're taught that everyone possesses it, that it's what gives us life, but only some can use it to cast spells.

[Even though Enki is a part of Atsuro, Yurick still feels the need to incline his head politely at the Persona. After all, he was polite to Atsuro's demons....]

Thank you.

[Yurick was quite right, of course, but Atsuro had never received magical theory classes. Enki nods back with a vaguely amused smile before fading from sight.]

Awakening the Persona happens under times of stress - usually, it's the first time you fight a demon here. I've seen it happen a few times now; sometimes people even try and artificially induce it.

[actually just fumi]

That explains why I've not yet seen it. I was attacked here one night when everything went strange, but because I'm so accustomed to fighting I simply used my own magic.

[Or he lacks a Persona because he already has his magic to protect himself. But Atsuro has his demons and yet he still has a Persona... ah, this is so confusing! Yurick frowns.]

I don't enjoy the thought of putting myself in danger just to test an unfamiliar power. I can't imagine why others would do something like that.

[A slight shrug.]

Let's just say some people are reckless and desperate, for one reason or another. But... yeah, it's a good idea to let it happen more... naturally.

When I first came to Hinoto-Ri, there was an Anoli attack the very first night. They were pretty tough customers - you'll probably feel the same way if you ever met more than a few demons at a time.

There were only a few when I encountered them, and luckily they underestimated me. Most people do because of my stature.

[He turns to focus his attention on the stack of boxes.]

It's why I learned magic in the first place. I can fight with a dagger if I need to, but I'm not front-line like Zael.

[Taking a deep breath, he glances over at Atsuro, a small grin finding his lips again.]

Ready to see what I can do, then?

Yeah! Absolutely.

[Atsuro backs up a few steps at this point. Considers. ...Backs up a few more. When he is quite close to the dumpsters, he'll throw Yurick a thumbs-up and turn his attention back towards the stack of cardboard he had thrown on the floor.]

Go ahead whenever you're ready!

[Yurick brings his hands up to chest level, as if he's holding a ball between his fingertips. The air between his hands begins to shimmer at the same time pale wisps of energy rise up from the ground around him. That energy actually lifts him off the asphalt until he's floating a few feet off the ground.

Five seconds he holds his charge, when he suddenly raises his hands over his head and in an instant the shimmer between them ignites into a massive fireball. He rears back and flings it at the stack, blasting it into a shower of burning fragments and ash. The energy of the spell melts into the ground and spreads into a circle of fiery light more than ten feet in diameter, sending up smoke and wisps of flame.

The mage drops to the ground with the magic charge gone from his body, landing without so much as a stumble.]

...

[Atsuro is glad he stood back.]

That's... very impressive.

[After facing assorted demon lords and angels launch their attacks, Atsuro generally wasn't surprised by very much anymore. Maragidynes were old news; even Megidolaon had become something he had grown used to taking straight in the face. But for Yurick, professing to be a mere human mage, to possess that level of power on his own without contracting with demons was admittedly surprising.

After a few moments of watching the smouldering flames (it was very hypnotizing), he shakes his head and ventures forward a few steps.]

I expect your mercenary group doesn't have to do much. They can stand back and clap while you incinerate everything in a mile radius.

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(I can't wait for Yurick to be in a situation that draws Balor out.)

gasp look it's a mysterious demon falling from the sky right at Yurick oh no someone do something

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