Early April 2030 A.D.

Paris, France

Through the bustling city of Paris, Adelle walked the city streets still in her attire reminiscent of Pearl, which caught the attention of many eyes. Of course, how she styled it beckoned back to a more ‘Victorian’ era now, closely following Pearl’s own. Yet, despite this attention, she happened to be in a hurry. Walking towards a rather old building that overlooked the Eiffel Tower from a distance. She was greeted by foundation clerks at the front desk when she walked through its doors.

“Hello, How may we help you?” One of the clerks asked.

“I’m here for a meeting with Madam Romilly and Sir Travere.”

“Just one moment.”

The clerks started to check the registration list and the guest names allowed in the building. After about a minute of waiting, Adelle was given a response.

“Why, yes, right this way.”

One of the clerks moved from behind the desk and escorted Adelle to a private room upstairs. As they were leaving, the other workers took out their phones, attempting to snap photos of Adelle. Of course, they could have asked, but this was likely due to nervousness since Adelle happened to be a favorite within the nation and the successor of the national champion many predicted.

The clerk knocked on a rather lavish door.

“Ms.Desjardins has arrived.”

The clerk opened the door revealing an extremely expensive-looking room adorned with jewelry and luxurious furniture. Two individuals are seated by the window, eating a few snacks, such as bread, cake, and fruits. The female adorned in a stylish white and blue uniform almost akin to that of the military ate a few miniature cakes, her hair as sweet as caramel and eyes a piercing green gazing upon Adelle with her mouth stuffed. Her overall body fit, whereas the male across from her had a handsome face, dark brown hair, and a rugged beard. Even though he wore a similar outfit to the female, only he had a red jacket over his shoulders. His eyes were dark brown, and he also looked upon Adelle. The male was Gustave Travere, and the female was Nicolette Romilly. The two waved and smiled as the clerk closed the door behind Adelle, returning to their post. The male finally spoke up. His voice is mesmerizing and stern.

“Glad you could make it, Adelle. How was America?”

“It twas… Ahem, entertaining. But, I had fun even if there was a hiccup along the way.”

“Oh? Do tell, but first. I hear Clarice has finally found two people for her little team to face us soon. You fought one of them, correct?”

“Yes, Alexandria Winchester. Though, at first, it was to help them get stronger at the request of my mentor.”

“Oh, the german. Schnider, was her name correct?”

“Correct, but as for Alexia. At first, she wasn’t extraordinary apart from having a unique ability, just like me. I defeated her and two others on their team in a single match alone.”

“That’s our Adelle.”

Gustave looked forward only to see Nicolette still stuffing her face. The woman already went through several mini-cakes. He was about to speak -- until Nicole herself talked; the woman's voice sounded rather sweet, even if it was a bit raspy at first. She’d clear her throat for a moment.

“Ahem~! La~! La~!”

Suddenly, her voice started changing as the woman let out a high hum that shattered a nearby glass cup. The sound of a suppressor began to beep over and over until she completely stopped the hum.

“Hey, that’s expensive. Don’t get us kicked out of this place.” Gustave looked more concerned.

“Sorry~. But, Adelle. Do you still think you can win against them?”

“Um, I believe I have a chance, but as they are now… It’s up in the air. But I’m not part of the national team, Ms.Romilly.”

“Oh, Just call me Nicole, as I said, and as for the team. We made some… arrangements. You’ll be joining us for the world tournament~.”

“Wait, when was this decided? I’m not old enough yet.”

“Ah~. 16 years of age, it doesn't matter… Besides, you won’t be the youngest there anyway. I hear China also has its own little dragon participating. Seems rules are going to be rather lax this year.”

Gustave placed his hands up against his chin.

“We’ll worry about China another time. Either way, I'm more interested in which will prove to be stronger, your [Pure Reflection] or that American Star.”

Adelle looked indifferent at Gustave and Nicole, thinking about her brief time with Alexia. It was fun giving chase and fighting the Dragons that they fought and trained together. However, she only showed some of her power during training; depending on the opponent, she couldn't go all out. One thing Adelle knew was that Pearl set her up to fight Alexia, Cheveyo, and Roy. While her mentor took up the reins to train Heidi and Deveron before the nationals. Even now, she still wondered why she could not fight the others similar to her in power. Deveron’s own ‘reflection’ certainly had its own unique qualities. Still, even she wanted to see where she stood among the few in the world that shared a power like hers.

What was done was done. Adelle approached the table, picking up some cake in the process.

“I’ll do my best… Vive La France~!”

“Vive La France~!” Nicole followed after, shattering yet another piece of glass with her voice nearby.

Adelle bit into the cake while Gustave turned to look at the populace go about their day on this relatively bright and sunny day. Only for the exact words to utter out of his mouth.

“Vive La France~.”

The sound of nearby church bells began to ring throughout the city.

___

Mid-April, 2023

Yunnan, China

Light streamed across the open valley, mountains cascading against the sides of the earth in harmony. Between the hills lay a dirt road that leads to the top of one. There were two travelers on this off-beaten path, two grown men in their mid-20s. Despite their casual clothing, both wore orange and red robes over t-shirts. They were walking down this dirt road leading to a shrine at the top. The journey up was taxing on the body, but the two of them were assigned a mission. One they couldn’t reject; doing so would disgrace them and the one waiting at the very top.

One of the men adorned in the red robes, whose black hair flowed down to his waist, his face chiseled, yet handsome. Piercing orange eyes, accompanied by a suppressor wrapped around his wrist. His name was Sun Huiqing. Next to him, walking up the now stone stairs to the shrine, was a more muscular man adorned in orange robes, his face more rigid and rough clearly. This one saw more fighting than the one to his left. His green eyes kept forward on the path ahead, his suppressor wrapped around his leg. This man was Xu Wencheng. Two members of China’s national team, famous throughout all of East Asia. Sun gazed upon the scenery throughout the path they were walking up; the beauty of this place was otherworldly.

Devoid of any futuristic tech tampering in this part of the world. Even the air they breathed in was crisp and clean, abnormally so. It was refreshing. When the two men made it to the top, where a dazzling shrine stood, cleaned and refurbished, Sun, in particular, noticed two red-crowned cranes roaming the shrine.

Xu thought nothing of it, but to Sun, it was odd; what are cranes doing at the top of a mountain? Especially in this region. The two were soon met with an older man adorned in purple robes, who caressed his white mustache to examine the two. Then the older man spoke.

“Ah~. You two are the ones that shall take my granddaughter? Was this ordered by the council?”

Sun and Xu looked at each other for a moment before bowing their heads in respect to the older man. Xu then leads the conversation.

“You’d be correct, Sir. We’re here for Lady Xiao.”

The older man turned, walking towards the shrine.

“Please follow me.”

Xu and Sun followed the man into the shrine; before entering, Sun looked back to see the cranes only to find they had vanished without a trace. He found it odd, but such thoughts quickly passed as the group stood before a small chamber room.

“Xiao, you have company.” The older man said, entering the chamber.

The smell of incense burning in the corner filtered parts of the room as they entered and upon stepping foot in. Xu and Sun were met by a teenage girl about 15. Her hair in the back was tied up into two buns, with the rest allowed to flow down to her waist and two bangs braided down in front down to her neck. She wore purple robes adorned in jewelry, and in her left hand was an elongated red staff with golden trimmings that stood tall above her body. It even looked cumbersome, yet the girl was unphased by such. The girl's eyes were closed for the time being, and she looked to be in a trance.

“Xiao… Xiao!” The older man shouted before examining his granddaughter closer. “Ah… I apologize. She gets like this sometimes.”

Xu took a moment to observe the rest of the room, but nothing interesting. His mood is more so annoyed that they came all this way out here to babysit. But orders are orders. The man approached the young girl towering over her. The only thing rivaling his height would be the staff she held.

“Does she sleepwalk around this place?”

“Xiao just gets tired at the extended use of her powers….”

“Well, whatever powers she has, she should know the people call.”

Xu reached out his hands, attempting to grab hold of Xiao. The older man made no sudden movements, anticipating Xiao’s own actions. The girl slowly began to open her eyes as Xu placed his hand on her shoulders. Her eye’s glistened a purplish hue; Xiao gazed upon both Xu and Sun.

“Come on, Child. You’re nee-”

Xu’s words stopped completely, and the man suddenly collapsed. The older man let out a chuckle as Sun looked confused.

“Hey! Xu! You’ve disrespected them with your actions! Get up and apologize no-”

Then, it hit Sun as well. An intense headache caused him to kneel on the ground before Xiao. The girl approached him and held out her hand for him to take. Sun held his head, and the pain hitting him was highly intense. So much so that his vision began to distort; only out of the instinct of someone seeking to ‘aid’ him did his other hand grab hold of Xiao’s. Just as the two made contact, the pain went away.

A silvery, sweet voice left Xiao.

“I’m being summoned… Yet, they never bothered to come greet me… Only bringing strangers to the mountains.”

“W-We’re not strangers… in fact… We’re your teammates.”

“Teammates? The last ones I had, I drove off…. “

Xiao’s mood was that of annoyance mixed with a hint of sadness. The vexation went away, and a bored expression followed as the girl tapped her staff against the flooring. The moment the pole hit the floor, the pain shooting Sun and that rendered Xu onto their knees subsided. The older man was unharmed through all of this.

Sun stood up once again, rubbing his head.

“Urgh…Who was your last teammate? We’ll try not to… Hold you down.”

“Lingxin… But, it’s fine… I’m needed for the world tournament?”

“Ah… That would be correct. We’ve gathered the other two members…Me and Xu…When he wakes up. We are here to gather you… The final member, our captain.”

Sun suddenly held out his hand and began to Kowtow towards Xiao. For once, Xiao had been given a sense of respect, a rarity for someone like her. But, despite this sign of respect, the girl did not care. Boredom had taken over, and the sound of being the last to go for the Chinese national team felt more like an insult. But she couldn’t argue. She didn’t want to.

“Captain…”

Xiao tapped her staff once more. Whatever she did, the sound of a suppressor, no two suppressors were beeping over and over. Eventually, she held out her hand, dropping both attached to her right arm onto the floor. The older man quickly went to pick them up.

“That makes the eighth and ninth ones this month..”

“Sorry… Keeping my powers suppressed all the time is hard.”

“Powers? I assume your power is an area of effect?” Sun inquired.

“Yes, but... It’s more than that… It’s easier to show later than explain… For now… Let’s depart.”

Xiao began to move past Sun. This girl carried a rather intense air around her. Sun knew from observing some past drama that he didn’t feel like breaking open.

“So, what’s your full name? The council only gave your family name.”

Xiao tapped her staff halting in place.

“It’s Xiao Qiu.”

____

April 27th, Tokyo, Japan

12:30 PM, Ota City, Tokyo - Near Denenchōfu

It was another brisk day in the Tokyo Metropolitan, the current overcast acting as the only offset to a regular sunny day. Seated in a rather enclosed home within a miniature garden overlooking the high-class district of Tokyo, "the princess" waited. Her silvery eyes gazed out as a butterfly perched on her shoulder. Her lengthy, silk-like black hair flowed down a bit past her waist, with a few strands resting on her shoulder. If it weren't for her current attire, a rather noticeable school uniform consisting of a long black skirt and white buttoned-up top edged with gold highlights and a gold tie, one would've easily mistaken her for someone above her age which seemed roughly around 18 or 19. A hand slowly rose up to lightly flick at the wanderer resting on her shoulder, her eyes slowly falling onto the creature's wings with a silent gaze. The girl seated at a table in the garden had no indication of a suppressor on them. The girl seated at a table in the garden had no indication of a suppressor on them.

A nearby door opened up to the outdoor garden, and a woman with golden eyes and strange amulets around her neck came out. Specifically, a deformed fox with a missing tail stood out the most about this woman. This deformed fox amulet was, in fact, a Kamuy. Her skin was almost pale, but it fit with the short brownish-black hair that accompanied her. The woman’s attire resembled that of an office worker. However, it was clear as day that the uniform symbol represented the Foundation's enigma branch. She looked to be in her late thirties and wore two suppressors on each wrist.

Her eyes loomed around the garden until they came upon the ‘princess,’ and the woman spoke.

“Kira. I have the papers… Make sure to put your FULL name this time!” Her voice is a bit deeper yet still retains a soft feel.

“Sorry, Iekami-Sensei.”

“Where’s Tsukino?”

“Went to grab something from the store.” The princess’s voice was soft, a bit on the shy side. At times it was rather hard to hear her.

“Fine, she can register later. Here.”

Iekami placed a sheet of paper down on the table. This was a registration sheet to join the Japanese National Team. The princess released a hefty sigh, looking down at the sheet only to see Iekami handing them a pen.

“And remember… Real name. I don’t need your fake.”

“Right, Right~. Real name…”

Butterflies began to assemble in the garden, and Iekami waved her hand at a few that annoyingly got in her face. The ‘princess’ took the pen and jotted down her name to begin the process.

“My name… Huh.”

The ‘princess’ then etched in her name.

Kirana Ikitake.

With her name finally etched in, the world turned as the World Tournament approached. However, the pendulum would shift back. For the time had come to reveal the tale within the Far East.