Ellie: ...how's this?
Dress reveal!
Suzuka: I was expecting you to look good in that dress and I'm still surprised!
Ellie: Thanks. This dress is so light, your designer friend is amazing. I could probably wear this all Fes time.
Suzuka: Aww, cute. But you're only trying it on for today.
Ellie and Suzuka carried on with their stuff after Sphinx left.
Ellie: I'm gonna walk down the hallway with it on to see how it feels.
Suzuka: Sure, whatever you want Queen.
Ellie sure likes that dress. Suzuka smiles wryly as she opens the door for her.
Suzuka: Why'd you order a white dress anyway? I figured you'd go all dark colors as a vampire.
Ellie: A lady in a picture book I saw once wore this dress and I wanted to wear it as a costume. She was frail and dainty, lonely and always thinking about someone she walked together with.
Suzuka: Well that's adorable. So I helped your dream come true?
Ellie: I guess. Next time I'll show you a place that sells lit cosmetics and clothes as payback.
Suzuka: Wow, thanks. Don't tell anyone else!
Ellie: Hmm~
Suddenly the floor shakes!
Suzuka: Earthquake! Ellie, you okay?
Ellie: Yeah, I'm fine. But was that really...
BIG FLASH
Suddenly the castle has changed!
Suzuka: wait what
Suzuka is surprised as she looks out the window, then hurries to open the door. Ellie is only mildly perturbed.
Ellie: I don't think we're in Kabukicho anymore, Suzu. Is this projection mapping or whatever? Wow it feels so real.
Suzuka: STOP BEING STUPID
Suzuka shows Ellie what used to be the clothing room.
Suzuka: We were just in there and now our stuff is gone. That means we're probably in another world now...we should go look for anyone else around. Can you move?
Ellie: Yep. This dress is tough enough that I can run in it.
Suzuka: Good. Then let's head for the teachers' off--(suddenly stops)
Ellie: What's going on Suz--
Suzuka puts her finger up to her mouth to signal Ellie to be quiet and indicates that someone is there.
Sphinx: OH NO I DON'T KNOW WHY THIS HAPPENED! Did MC lie to me!? No, no wait. Gotta chill. Deep breaths, calm down, take it slo--huh?
Ellie: Baby. Baby boy.
Sphinx: AAAAAAA
Suzuka: D-dammit Ellie, stop scaring him so much!
Ellie has snuck up behind Sphinx and hugged him.
Ellie: Oh, sorry. I didn't think you'd react that much. I'll put you down, so don't run okay?
Sphinx: I-I wasn't scared or anything! Who are you anyw--AAH! It's the monster strong pharaoh!
Suzuka: Her name is Ellie...oh wait we never told you our names earlier, huh? I'm Suzuka. So why are you here? You got stuck in this crap too? Why don't you tell us why you're panicking so much?
Sphinx: ...fine, I guess I can tell you if a queen and her attendant are asking me.
Ellie: Wait little boy, what's a pharaoh anyway?
Sphinx: I'm Sphinx, not a little boy! And do I really have to explain!? You go to this shrine, right!?
Ellie: Suzuka, why is he calling the school a shrine?
Suzuka: ...maybe we should explain Tokyo to him first.
Elsewhere, Tsukuyomi and MC have been plopped in front of the transformed school castle.
MC: Where are we!? / Weren't we just at school...? / Oh did the Fes start?
---
(C) Tsukuyomi: Heh, you used to bloodbaths like this if you can joke like that?
---
Tsukuyomi: I know for sure we went through the Kabukicho school gate, but somehow we're in another world now. Well less we went to one and it shifted itself over this world. An overworld shift, you could say. You've been through those, right?
MC: Huh... / Yep / (wait for an explanation)
Tsukuyomi: Okay class, an overworld shift is when some other world's area overlays itself over somewhere in Tokyo using someone's memories as a core. And usually, no one can get out until it's resolved. Since this one includes the whole Kabukicho Academy, it could be a student from there. And if the theme for the Fes is vampire castle, then...
MC: A vampire did this? / Ellie!? / But isn't Ellie--
---
(B) Tsukuyomi: Hmm. She's still a native though.
(C) Tsukuyomi: Same brain! Yes, she's still a native even if she's a vampire.
---
Tsukuyomi: I doubt she has the memories causing this shift, but I can't say it's impossible... But anyways she and Suzuka should be here already. They're probably inside if they got caught up in all this.
Inside
Sphinx: Ooh, I get it now. So in order to make Tokyo natives and otherworld people get along better, there needed to be a way to socialize everyone towards the same social rules, so the app was called a game for everyone to play. And since Transients needed to learn how things work anyway, they put them together with the educational systems. Put needing to manage Transients and educate them together and that's why this school is so big.
Ellie: ...did we say all that?
Suzuka: No, he just figured it out from the bare basics we told him. He's crazy smart.
Ellie: Wow, so you're not just a cute little boy.
Sphinx: Stop calling me a kid, you're all just stupid.
Ellie: ...so anyways, why were you panicking here earlier?
Sphinx: Oh that. Somebody named MC showed me how to use the app and I tried it out, and suddenly this is my life now...OH NO!
Sphinx: T-this isn't my fault! Probably! My power can't do all this! I know it happened when I activated my artifact, but it's all a coincidence! I'M INNOCENT!
Suzuka: Relax, we aren't going to judge you. And even if you did do it, it doesn't explain you panicking.
Suzuka: (Yeah, he can't have intentionally done this or else he wouldn't be acting like that. What did Tsukuyomi say before...?)
Outside
Tsukuyomi: Welp, how about we get searching. Maybe there's other people besides Ellie and Suzuka?
MC looks around. The school gate is now a tall lattice gate. The grounds look rough with dead trees, and there's a lot of water surrounding the castle. A blood moon shines in the sky.
MC: (check the gate) / (check the lake) / (look for an entrance) / (talk to Tsukuyomi) [only after choosing at least one of the other options]
(A) MC shoves the gate. It doesn't budge an inch. Nothing that could open the gate can be seen nearby.
Tsukuyomi: Oh. The whole fence is the border that enclosed the whole school and that's why it all shifted.
(B) MC looks into the water.
Tsukuyomi: Whoops. (gently pulls MC back) You're brave, but you best stay back from that ocean. It's deeper than it looks, and you might get attacked in there.
(C) There's no bridge anywhere to get into the castle.
Tsukuyomi: Hmm, blocked by an ocean if we want to get in. Oh, you thought it was a lake? That's understandable, but I recognize it as an ocean, even if that's impossible for Tokyo. Maybe I just see it that way because I'm believed to be an avatar of the moon and night in Takamagahara. Maybe I'M the core, haha.
He jokes, but he looks coldly at the moon and water.
Tsukuyomi: (I sense something in that ocean similar to something back home. Which means that down there must be--)
Earthquake! A water pillar slowly rises!
MC: WHAT/ What is that!? / wait what
???: HAHAHAHAAA
Sphinx turns up with a bunch of rocks!
Sphinx: I am Sphinx Elet! Eret! I dunno! I am the guardian of the world!
MC: WHAT / Didn't I just bump into you? Did you get caught up in this too?
Eret: FOOL! This is my first time meeting thee!
Tsukuyomi: ...so stranger, can I ask you something? How'd you get here and what do you mean by guardian of the world?
Eret: Allow me to dumb it down for you simpletons! I am Sphinx Initiative Defense!
MC: WHAT / ooh cool / (stare)
(BC) Eret: ...thou could stand to look afraid, thanks.
Tsukuyomi: Sooo, you gatekeeping us from the castle then? If you could let us in that would be real easy nice, thanks.
Eret: I abhor violence, so I shall grant thee passage...IF thou can solve mine riddle! Make a bridge with these stone steles!
MC: what / I love block puzzles! / meeeeh, I'll swim
---
(B) Eret: inorite!? I came up with this totally awesome puzzle so--(violent coughing) Ahem.
(C) Eret: Wha, b-b-but no... (shakes)
Tsukuyomi: ...why don't we play along, MC? If he'll lower a bridge for us, than that's convenient for us. (Also we should avoid getting into the water. It's gonna be a bad time if something down there pulls us under.)
---
Tsukuyomi: Welp, I don't like working much, but I guess I can't complain right now. Puzzle time!
BATTLE(?) START
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