Nostalgia

Like in a manga, here's the updated character profile ^^

Kagami

Just turned six, looks like a small version of Hitomi, with round face and short eyebrows

119 cm / 3 ft 11 in

30.5 kg / 67lb

Light brown hair, shoulder length

Timidity as camouflage, shy smile

Plain beige long clothes

Arashi (Honorable older sister Arashi = Arashi Oneesama)

(Arashi Senpai is what other students call her)

11 years old, looks alike a younger version Rin, slim face with elongated eyebrows

153 cm / 5 ft

Long black hair, straight, waist length

Haven’t seen her smile. Cold stare with narrowed eye.

Black kimono with swinging sleeves (furisode), golden swirling pattern on the lower part resembling aurora borealis. Straight sword with black sheath in her left hand.

Akishi (Dear older sister Akishi = Akishi Onee-chan)

15 years old, round face but with pointy chin, green eyes

170 cm /5 ft 7 in

Blonde hair, straight, slightly longer than shoulder length

Warm radiant smile

Indigo long dress with silver floral pattern on the bottom portion. Matching elegent lady's hat.

Lapis lazuli necklace and earrings, sapphire ring on right middle finger, rose gold bracelet on left wrist.

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Chapter Three

Nostalgia (Natsukashii koto)

“The genius of Kageyama?” “Arashi the prodigy is offering a personal invitation to Kagami...” Kagami heard the crowd whisper.

(“Clearly, Rin has made a name for herself here, though under the name Arashi.”) Kagami pondered. (“But I cannot be a hundred percent certain that this is Rin. She looks like Rin in her childhood photos, and yet on the other hand, I didn’t feel like she knows me. Her voice was rather cold. So either Rin didn’t recognize me, or maybe that’s actual another person entirely. I will probe with some harmless questions later on.”)

“Thank you for inviting me to Kageyama. I will gladly accept the offer. I’m Kagami, please take care of me.” Kagami said with a slight bow.

“I’m Arashi. Glad to meet you.” She gave a short reply, and turned to resume watching the rest of the children take their test.

Kagami saw that Arashi was a little bit aloof. Not wanting to make a poor impression, she walked to the side and asked the other representative from Kageyama for some information first, before deciding on how to interact with Arashi.

“Excuse me, I’m Kagami. I heard that Arashi is quite famous, being called a genius. Could you please tell me some stories of hers, if that’s acceptable?”

“With pleasure. Even though Arashi is the youngest by age, we all call her older sister in our grade, for she was the first one in many ways.”

“At Kageyama, students can specialize in swordsmanship, alchemy, or magic matrix and spells. I’ll just call that ‘magic’ for short. Students enter the academy without specialization, and take general instruction. Everyone gets to learn some introductory basics in the three subjects.” The girl continued.

“How you designate a specialization is by ‘resonating with it’. Some years after you start studying, usually two or three, you will feel your heart being drawn by one the arts. So you will know by then where to direct your efforts. Upon watching demonstration from instructors, your spirit will be moved and you will every now and then fall into a brief trance. Really brief, like two or three seconds. That’s when you ask your instructor for more lessons in the subject.”

“Eventually, your heart and spirit calls to the art, and it responds. A sword, a crystal, or a matrix, will resonate as your whole being longs for it. That’s when you are ready to take on a specialization, usually around the age fifteen.”

“Arashi made a sword ring for joy the moment she got one in her hand, at age six. So she’s the first one in this generation to have a specialization, and she entered advance studies after speeding past general courses. She’s now eleven. She has already had more advance courses than anyone attending the academy, and that’s why we students all call her ‘older sister’. Without a doubt, she will be in the history books in the future.”

“I’m Akishi, by the way, ” the girl smiled warmly, “I just got my specialization in magic last year, at age fourteen.”

“Congratulations. Akishi.” Kagami smiled back, “You must also be quite talented. I am only six, so I’ll need your help a lot when I arrive in Kageyama.”

(“Hmm...”) thought Kagami, (“being eleven years old, she’s still five years older than me, so it is possible that she is Rin. I will get closer to her when the selection test has concluded, and ask some questions.”)

Kagami saw that the “grade one entrance exam” of this world is just about half way through. All the six year old children had completed their turns, with four of them succeeding, out of a total of ten. Leftovers from previous years had been trying their luck, and then older teens lined up to give their last best shot at living outside.

Most children avoided choosing Kageyama. Swordsmanship, alchemy and magic, though magnificent in name, were difficult subjects. Academies that taught metal work, carpentry, pottery, glass work, agriculture, construction, nursing, bookkeeping, business management, machinery repair... were infinitely more popular than Kageyama.

In the end, there was just Kagami who joined.

(“Guess there won’t be a crowd around Arashi when I try to talk to her”) Kagami made her way toward Arashi as the tests drew to conclusion, “Older sister Arashi, may I hold your hand, please?”

Arashi looked down at Kagami, and didn’t say a word.

“Sorry if I...” Kagami was about to apologize when Arashi took her hand and led her to start their trip back to Kageyama.

(“*Giggles* it’s just like in a manga, maybe Arashi is a tsundere! Seems cold, but in fact is full of kindness.”) Kagami rejoiced inside herself.

“By the way, Older sister Arashi, what do you like, please?”

“My sword.”

“Do you like stories and plays and songs? My favorite story is Kannazuki no Miko, and my favorite actress is Shindou-Naomi, while my favorite singer is Nakashima-Mika.”

“Sorry but I am not familiar with any,” came the cold short reply.

(“Okay then. This is not Rin, at least not the Rin that I have met before. Even if for some reason she didn’t recognize me, she would have known these names had she come from the other world like me. No point telling her I’m Hitomi, then.”)

“Ah, no worries. My apologies for the small talk. I aspire to become talented with swords, just like you. I want to learn a lot from you, Older sister Arashi, please take care of me.”

The group climbed into a vehicle, which had the driver’s half looking like a Model T’s front half, with the passenger compartment resembling that of a horse drawn carriage.

(“It’s very comfortable”) Kagami was pleased with the vehicle’s design. (“it is nice that I don’t have to bend down to get in, and I can stand straight when moving around.”)

The carriage drove into a nearby town, which resembled a lovely small town in Europe that had been mainly built in the 1800’s.

“Ah.” Kagami sighed with nostalgia, remembering her summer vacations with Rin. (“This world is filled with familiar things. From food to architecture, it’s like a parallel universe.”)

The carriage drove into a public square, and onto a transporting magic platform with spells chiseled into the stonework.

Akishi got off the carriage to activate the spells, and after some brilliant display of illuminated magical elements, the carriage was transported to Kageyama.

Everyone got out of the carriage. “Kagami, how are you doing with your first day being outside?” inquired Akishi. Akishi is the stereotypical warm older sister indeed.

“Aww, thank you for taking care of me, Akishi Oneesama. I can feel the magic elements breathe with me as I inhale and exhale. The air still feels thick and dense, but I am breathing more or less effortlessly.”

“Don’t be that formal with me” Akishi chuckled, a light cheerful laughter, “Oneechan is good enough. I’m happy to see you join Kageyama. Don’t be afraid to ask me for help. I volunteered to bring in the new student because it’s my pleasure to give a helping hand, however small the task might be. Feel free to ask me anything!”

“Thank you, thank you, Akishi Oneechan” Kagami then turned her head,

“Arashi Oneesama, if I may inquire, could you please enlighten me on the reason for inviting me to Kageyama? Thank you for believing that I may possess some degree of talent, yet I am unable to understand how my performance could, in any way, differ from others’.”

“You were not watching intently, then. Kagami, others copied the exact movements from the demonstration, and were satisfied as long as they could now breathe outside air.” Arashi’s examining eyes were piercing through Kagami with severity, that Kagami felt uneasy standing there.

“You, on the other hand, were trying to gather the principle behind the movements, and worked to produce your own. On top of that, you were striving aimlessly to subdue the swirling elements without any instruction; I am uncertain on whether I should commend you on your effort or your blind faith in your luck. You are very fortunate you didn’t end up as tangled bloody mess.” With those words, Arashi turned her back and started walking toward the academy.

“Don’t be discouraged. Arashi is actually a very kind person.”

“I am not troubled, Akishi Oneechan. She’s rightfully concerned about my safety when I try things while being unprepared for the possible outcome. Thank you, Akishi Oneechan.”

“Um, let’s go.”

(“Telling me about tangled bloody mess, just like Rin. How nostalgic... Though without any amorous intention this time, and I don’t know if she’s enjoying herself...”)

After passing through a pleasant wood with mostly pine and cypress, Kagami was able to see the main building of the academy.

(“Why do I have a feeling that I’m staring at a ten Yen coin...”)

Standing beside Kagami, Akishi offered some brief introduction, “This is the Phoenix Hall.”

(“The ten yen coin, Phoenix Hall at Byodo Temple! [Byoudou-In HouOo-Dou] Though this is a greatly enlarged version built with masonry.)

“The central tower is the library. Even magic books considered forbidden elsewhere are open to all students here at Kageyama. Forbidden books on magic may cause come extensive damage, but they all require a greater price that backfires on the magician, so we don’t worry very much about it.”

Akishi then points to the sides of the building, “the left wing is for alchemy, while magic is taught on the right. Behind the library tower is the Inner Hall for swordsmanship.”

“Long ago the academy had villas on the mountain for instructors to teach and to conduct research, but then it was deemed to have caused students to become idle, so now all teaching is delivered at the Phoenix Hall to uphold the learning atmosphere.”

“What are those little houses on tall stilts behind the building, please? Akishi Oneechan?”

“Those are the treasure storage for the three departments. We should all aspire to reach the uttermost limit in our studies, like those treasure houses that look like they are as high as the clouds!”

(“Izumo Taisha shrine! In original design!”)

Kagami was very certain by that time that she was in a parallel universe. (“Next thing you know, they will serve hanpen for lunch...”)

“By the way, the square fluffy fish cake from our cafeteria is very famous, you can try it later, Kagami.”

(“Hanpen...”)

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Chapter Three is done ~

I do enjoy letting Kagami see things that she’s familiar with in the parallel universe. I imagine her speechless expression would be perfect for Discord emotions.

Thanks for reading, and please take care of me!

Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu~~

Hitomi