Return of the Tests

"Can I have a little of your time?" Just as Allen made his New Year's wish, a shrine maiden that he recognized as the one that tried to stopped the run away priestess, approached him while Ayaka was busy tying her wish "Guuji-sama is requesting your presence."

'Guuji-sama?' Allen thought about it 'I'm curious about her reaction at the funeral and even if she is hostile, I really doubt that she would do anything to me so openly.'

"Okay, guide me" Allen finally asnwered.

"Follow me" Miyuki bowed a little and guided Allen inside the Shrine, letting him just outside a big room, signaling to enter as she started retreating.

Entering the room, Yae Miko stood standing while looking directly at Allen, her eyes fixed over him as she tried to analyze him.

'I need to be wary of her' Yae Miko as the head of the Grand Narukami Shrine was an incredibly influential figure, almost important as a commissioner, plus the mere being of being a long-lived youkai, made her a potentially dangerous person.

"Who are you?" Yae Miko asked.

"I am Niwa Allen. It's a pleasure to meet Guuji-sama" Allen said with an impeccable bow.

"I'm not talking about your name. Who are you truly?" Yae asked again "No. What are you?"

"Sorry, but I can't understand the question, could you be more specific?"

"For you to know, my eyes are a little special" Yae explained "I am able to see the ley lines over the world and in some extend the destiny of the people tied in them. But you are not connected at them at all, why?"

"I don't really understand anything about ley lines, but could it be it's because I'm not from Inazuma? I came here only a year ago."

"That could explain some distance, but not to this point. You are like a black hole that is completely avoided by destiny" Yae explained "It's not about Inazuma, it's about the world."

'The world? Might be some effect of my reincarnation?' Allen thought about it 'So there are ways to reveal me.'

"I can't think anything to ex-" Allen's words stopped still as Yae pointed at him with her wand, manifesting next to him two fox spirits made completely of electro that threatened him.

"That pause and breath. You thought about something." Yae read Allen's body language "Say it or you will end bad."

"Okay" Allen gulped "I'm not from this world, I came from a different one" 'I would have prefered to keep as a secret, but it's not like it matters much. I don't want to return until Ellen is fine and I'm not sure if there's exist the possibility to return, that being far below in the list of priorities. Moreover, I'm not the first one that came from another world, the Traveler being an exemple, world jumping not an impossibility here.'

"Ah? So it was so!" Yae withdrew the spirits and her face relaxed, all her demeanor changing, the heavy environment completely disappearing as she smiled "By some change, there are light novels in your world?"

"What kind of question is this after threatening my life?" Allen asked shocked.

"I didn't threaten your life, it was only a light push" Yae explained "Also, you are not the first otherworlder that I meet. The one that I met taught light novels as a mean of entertainment, helping me establish the Yae Publishing House as a mean to extend light novels all over Inazuma. So I'm curious if you are from the same world."

"There are in my world, but it's not like I'm very inside that world, so I don't know many of them." Allen answered.

"Could you write some?" Yae's eyes shined brightly looking at Allen.

"I can summarize and explain some of them, but unfortunately, I suck at writing, I tried before, so I might find it impossible to write decently." Allen explained.

"It doesn't matter, I have quite the talent in the art, any idea would be very appreciated" Suddenly Yae's ears twitched and she stopped for a second "It seems that someone required my help. New Year is a very busy period for the Shrine and your little partner is also looking for you." Yae quickly said as she pushed Allen away from the room "Let's continue our conversation at another day more calmly, I'll send you a invitation."

"B-!" Before Allen was able to answer, he found himself outside, having completely being caught by Yae's flow 'Certainly a particular woman, but luckily it doesn't seem to be against me, but...' Allen sighed 'she would be very tiring to talk, she seems like that kind.'

"Allen where have you gone?" Ayaka walked over "I've been searching for you."

"Sorry, Ayaka." Allen looked behind at the main building "Someone wanted to talk with me."

"Anything wrong?" Ayaka asked worried, seeing Allen's face.

"No, nothing." Allen shook his head and changed the theme "Let's go to see the fireworks, I heard that they were really pretty."

"Yes!" Ayaka nodded taking Allen's hand.

"Hi~" Just as Allen and Ayaka reached the cliff, they found Sayu sleeping next to it. She waking up and lazily saying hello.

"Sayu!" Ayaka hugged the sleepy ninja that after the crisis quickly returned to her usual slacking-off self. "Let's see them all together!" Ayaka dragged Allen towards them, hugging him and Sayu while laying on the ground.

*Boom* *Boom* As the fireworks exploded, Ayaka's eyes shined brightly while showing an amazed expression about it.

These weren't even the main event of the festival, the biggest and more spectacular ones being at night when she won't be able to see it as she needed to mourn her dad. But for Ayaka they were more than enough, the beautiful sight plus being with her friends with her brother watching over a distance, she couldn't ask for more.

'Dad, mom. I will be happy, don't worry about me' She smiled a little nostalgic as she looked the fireworks, hugging her friends tighter.

As they were seeing the fireworks, Yae was looking at them while hiding her presence, her eyes fixed on Allen as she looked at him with a cold and calculative look.

'Otherworlder? That's not enough to explain it. I'm not sure what he is, but I'm sure that he also is unaware of it' Yae thought as she looked at Allen 'But I am sure of one thing, he is an enemy of eternity.'

'Better for Ei to not be aware of it, some changes could be good for her and if he truly becomes a danger for Ei' Yae's eyes shined with killing intent 'I'll take care of him myself.'

...

Over the Zapolyarny Palace, at the throne room, the Tsaritsa sat on her throne with a chessboard next to her, lightly touching a pawn that was glowing with a little purple light.

"It seems that your plan had gone well, Pantalone." The Tsaritsa said looking at Pantalone who was kneeling in front of her "You've done well."

"It's an honor" Pantalone answered "This Tartaglia had always had a soft side for orphans, he wouldn't negate an orphan like Allen who also aligned with his purpose. And knowing the two, they should surely link together, the crafty child that hates craftiness and the direct young man too protective of children."

"There's certainly have been some changes" the Tsaritsa said playing with the pawn "But he is still unmoved."

"Now that the two are together, they will move together and I know how to move Allen." Pantalone answered "Do not worry, your majesty. I have already started my plan or I should say Allen's opportunity?" Pantalone said smiling.

"Good" The Tsaritsa lifted the pawn and put it in front of her eyes "Would you change for the better or lose yourself in it?

...

At Ritou, Allen was at the harbor looking at the sea, more concretely at a ship approaching the harbor.

2 months had passed since Tomoki's departure and today was the day of his return.

After a short time, the ship finally docked, Allen's gaze fixed on it, seeing people and wares leaving it before he finally found the one he was looking for.

With his usual scarf and unruly hair, Tomoki left the ship "Master!" Allen couldn't help to smile, his body unconsciously running towards him and giving him a hug.

For all this time away, Allen couldn't help to have a bad feeling about Tomoki as if something bad would happen to him, so seeing him in one piece brought Allen a great relief.

"How strange of you Allen" Tomoki Allen "Did you miss me?" Tomoki returned the hug.

"Welcome home" Allen said, separating a little.

"Thanks" Tomoki said unbrushing Allen's hair "Everything went well?"

"Yes, no problem at all" Allen nodded "After that day-" Allen was about to start explaining his days, but stopped seeing Tomoki more attentively "Master, your arm."

"Oh? This?" Tomoki lifted his left arm which was all bandaged, not a single part of skin was visible "It's nothing too serious, a little price to pay to keep my life."

"Master..." Allen said worriedly.

"Don't worry, it would heal and it's not like stops me from anything, I can still even fight at full strength." Tomoki explained "Please, let it be" he said, knowing that he didn't convince Allen.

"Okay, but you must show it to me later" Allen accepted "Let's return home"

"Before returning, there is someone that wants to talk with you, she says that she is close to you." Tomoki said

"Who?" Allen really didn't know who would visit him here, his acquaintance not really risking themselves to come to Inazuma.

"You will see it" Tomoki said guiding Allen to a nearly little house, before letting him enter alone. In it, an old woman stood waiting for him.

"Long time not seeing you, Allen" The old woman said kindly with a warm and familiar voice.

"Who are you?" Allen really didn't know who this old woman could be.

"Who might I be?" The old woman said with a smile and breaking completely her image, she took a knife from her pocket, shooting it to Allen.

*Clank* Allen was shocked by the sudden action, but thanks to the woman's old age, her movements had been slow enough slow for him to react, quickly drawing his sword and parrying the incoming knife.

"Who are you?!" Allen was about to point his sword at the old woman but found nobody in her place, she having completely disappeared.

'Fuck! An assassin' Allen cursed 'I need to warn Tomoki, but I can't let myself open' Allen lifted his sword with a defensive posture, waiting for an stealthy attack.

'Wait a moment!' Allen thought 'Tomoki is not coming and he was the one guiding me here. Plus this old woman's abilities...'

*Clank* Allen put his sword over his back, just stopping the knife that was coming for his neck.

"Yes, long time not seeing you" Allen smiled as he turned around "Alina."

"So you've discovered me, I've lost my touch" Alina with her crimson suit, stood at Allen's back while wielding a knife. "Hello, Allen. You have grown" Alina smiled at him, retrieving the knife.

"Do you really think this is a good way to say hello?" Allen scolded.

"Don't worry, they don't have edge" Alina said touching the knife.

"It's not about having or not having edge." Allen sighed.

"I wanted to see how much my student has grown." Alina answered like normal "Good job, by the way."

"Yes, yes, thanks" Allen said coldly "When I was finally starting to think that not everything is a test." he sighed "Would you stay here for some time? Is to mentally prepare for your way of acting."

"Oh, I only came for some business here at Inazuma, so I will only stay for some days" Alina explained "Taking advantage of it, I wanted to have some talk with you and to talk about important matters."

"Important matters?" Allen lifted an eyebrow.

"Yes, Lord Pantalone had prepared two gifts and some words for you" Alina said pointing to two boxes at the corner of the room, one big and one small. "They are your presents, you can open them."

Allen was somewhat unsure, but nevertheless, he approached the boxes, carefully opening them, thinking that it wouldn't be strange to be some trap in them.

Opening the big one, he found a very familiar suit. It was his past uniform that he left over Snezhnaya, the Cicin Mage Uniform.

"It has been enlarged, so it should be okay for you for a few years" Alina explained "Open the other one."

Allen followed her words and opened the little one, finding some kind of insignia in it. "This is" It had the form of a shield with a palm with a bucle inside it and the winter flower, the symbol of the Fatui, at the background.

"This is a Colonel Fatui Insignia and it's yours." Alina explained "This show that your rank is only lower than the Harbingers and in this case, that you are directly working under lord Pantalone and that you have all his support."

Allen took the insignia and looked over the uniform and the insignia, realising the meaning behind those gifts "These are the gifts, what are the words?" Allen asked.

"You had a year on your own to grow stronger. Now show me what can you do" Alina recited Pantalone's words.

"I see" It was clear the objective. His movements over Inazuma had been very little, being contricted due to his age and influence, but now with this gift, he had the support of the Fatui. This was Pantalone's test of what he was able to accomplish with such resources.

'With this...' Allen didn't know what he was expecting, but one thing was sure 'It's time to move.'