Other Side of the Raid
Preparations (Part 1)
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World: Post-Comet Earth
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Previously on “The Other Side of the Raid”
Chapter 10, Part 5: Meet and Greet
Aria opened the fan event’s combat demonstration with her signature techniques, extending adamantine nails before progressing through a rapid series of weapon manifestations—short blades, machine guns, and precisely controlled fireballs—while her liquid metal opponent flowed, split, and reformed to match each escalation. Lady Kitsune Starweaver narrated the performance from her private box, highlighting the quantum efficiency of Aria’s Creation magic, and the interdimensional crowd responded with crystalline resonance applause that rippled across multiple dimensions. When the demonstration concluded, the liquid metal being bowed in admiration and Vaeloria confirmed the quantum metrics were once again breaking reality.
With the combat portion concluded, the stadium’s reality matrix reconfigured into fan activity zones. Various species threw themselves into their interpretations of Earth customs: mathematical beings turned Rock, Paper, Scissors into a multidimensional quantum tournament; energy beings attempted paper fortune tellers by folding space-time instead of paper; and crystalline beings hosted a tea ceremony featuring emotion-sensitive crystal cups. The art section proved equally eclectic, with shadow puppets, liquid metal sculptures, nebula portraits, and a macaroni-art recreation of the Cherry Blossom Symphony Dungeon all on display.
The event moved on to photo opportunities and gift presentations, during which the challenges shifted from combat to containment. Fans delivered a probability-predicting equation that caused temporal hiccups, a singing crystal prone to spontaneous local crystallization, a multidimensional body pillow depicting battles from alternate timelines, a self-reshaping sculpture that merged with nearby metal objects, and a pocket dimension training room that randomly connected to other dimensions. Vaeloria redirected the most hazardous items to dimensional storage, while Lady Kitsune Starweaver declared the event a record-setter with only three minor reality breaches.
After the last fans departed and Vaeloria opened a portal home, Aria returned to her London living room—interrupting Mittens’s afternoon tea—to find one of the crystal gifts had already begun resonating with Earth’s dimensional frequency. Vaeloria contained the crystal before it could crystallize the furniture, and Mittens provided a stabilizing cup of proper Earth tea. As Vaeloria departed to prepare for the next day’s Earth Explorer recruitment planning, Aria noticed her clothing was visibly shimmering with residual dimensional energy from The Grand Observatory. Lady Kitsune Starweaver’s closing remarks to her staff, meanwhile, pivoted immediately to merchandising opportunities.
Key Takeaways:
Aria demonstrates the full range of her Creation magic—adamantine nails, manifested blades, machine guns, and fireballs—in a live combat showcase before an interdimensional audience
The liquid metal opponent proves a capable sparring partner, splitting and reforming its body to counter each of Aria’s weapon transitions
Lady Kitsune Starweaver watches with visible calculation, treating the performance as promotional material for a future event involving Rei “Nightmare” Nekohara
Fan activity zones reveal how different species interpret Earth customs, with results ranging from accidental temporal eddies to a quantum-superposition Rock, Paper, Scissors tournament
Aria receives an array of reality-bending gifts, most of which require dimensional containment rather than conventional storage
Vaeloria has arranged a formal management team to handle fan mail screening, reality breach prevention, and unauthorized cult disbandment on Aria’s behalf
A crystal gift brought home from the event begins affecting Earth’s local dimensional frequency almost immediately, hinting at the complications of integrating interdimensional souvenirs with normal life
Vaeloria announces that Earth Explorer recruitment planning begins the next day, setting up the next phase of activity
Preparations (Part 1)
First order of business was to convince the Prime Minister to sanction a secret operation involving multiple Explorers from different countries, without revealing its true nature. To Aria’s surprise, he agreed almost immediately upon hearing about the live video broadcast. With Explorer recruitment numbers declining globally, such publicity could prove invaluable. The potential royalties from international broadcast rights certainly didn’t hurt the proposal’s appeal either. Next came the actual team assembly. The Neo Tokyo Raiders members from Japan eagerly agreed to participate. Both Marco “Ritmo” Santos and Anastasia Volkova readily accepted as well, though extracting Anastasia Volkova from her current training at a classified Siberian military base posed significant logistical challenges. Jack “Dusty” Thompson and Dr. Priya Patel also expressed enthusiasm for the project. For the final candidates, Aria reached out to her local London guild to contact her former party members. With the potential team assembled, the logistics of gathering everyone became the next hurdle. While portals would simplify matters considerably, they would reveal too much. Exhausted from planning, Aria decided to sleep on the problem. The next morning, she awoke to the soft murmur of voices from her living room, where Mittens and Captain Whiskers were sharing what smelled like an exquisite tea.
Aria: “What brings you to my humble abode this morning?”
Captain Whiskers: “Fam, when I heard about this totally epic event you’re planning?” he adjusted his camera rig with practiced enthusiasm. “No way I could stay away from that content gold!”
Aria: “Don’t tell me you’re planning to participate in the combat?”
Captain Whiskers: “Fight? Nah fam, I’m here to support the team!” he checked his analytics display with professional excitement. “Full sponsorship package - travel, gear, everything they need! And okay, maybe some subtle branding on that gear because like, those engagement opportunities? Totally epic!”
Aria: “That’s all well and good,” she sighed, “but unless you can manifest a private jet capable of collecting Explorers from around the world - including a certain Russian military base - I’m not sure how much help anyone can be right now.”
Captain Whiskers: “Oh em gee, is that all?” he manifested what appeared to be a holographic phone, his tail swishing with professional confidence. “Let me just hit up my aviation connection... Wheels up in one hour at Heathrow, fam!”
Aria: “That’s... actually impressive. Welcome aboard.”
Captain Whiskers: “And don’t stress about the Russian situation,” he adjusted his camera settings while checking his feeds. “Got this totally epic connection with the base commander. Long story involving a cat, a portal, and some really big mice!”
A private jet supplied by a social media cat. Aria mused as she boarded the luxurious aircraft.
My life has certainly taken some interesting turns.
The plane was impressively equipped, with separate cabins ensuring privacy. Captain Whiskers had claimed a secluded space in the back, his professional camera rig already set up for optimal content creation angles.
Captain Whiskers: “Don’t worry about me, fam!” he adjusted his equipment with practiced ease. “I’ll stay out of sight while you handle the Explorer pickup. Besides,” his tail swished professionally, “got some calls to make about our upcoming content opportunities!”
The first leg to Mumbai brought Dr. Priya Patel aboard, who raised an eyebrow at the private jet but seemed to accept Aria’s diplomatic explanation about “international cooperation initiatives.” In Tokyo, they collected Kaoru, Ryusei, and Hina. The latter immediately began documenting their “mysterious international Explorer mission” for her followers.
Hina: “This is going to make such great content!” she exclaimed while setting up another shot. “Though I still can’t believe you won’t tell us what we’re training for!”
The “minor detour” to the Siberian base proved surprisingly smooth, thanks to some mysterious radio communications that seemed to occur at precisely 3:33 AM. Anastasia Volkova joined them with military precision, asking no questions but maintaining a thoughtful silence about their unusual transport arrangements. In Sydney, Dusty boarded with his usual casual demeanor, though his quick eyes noted every detail of their unusual situation.
Dusty: “Quite the mysterious operation you’re running here,” he commented while stowing his gear. “Though I suspect we’ll learn the full story soon enough.”
Throughout the journey, occasional excited meows could be heard from the back cabin, accompanied by the subtle glow of professional recording equipment. If any of the Explorers noticed, they diplomatically chose not to comment. As the private jet touched down at Heathrow, Aria already had her diplomatic smile ready.
Aria: “You’ll find cars waiting to take you to The Langham,” she informed the gathered Explorers. “We’ll meet tomorrow morning to discuss the details of our project.”
Dr. Priya Patel: “The Langham?” she adjusted her glasses with professional interest. “That’s quite an accommodation budget for a training exercise.”
Dusty: “Not that I’m complaining,” he grinned while shouldering his pack. “Beats my usual swag setup.”
From his private cabin, Captain Whiskers sent a quick message to Aria’s tablet: “Hotel’s handled, fam! Got them the super epic suite package. Heading there now to make sure everything’s quantum-perfect!” As the Explorers departed in their respective luxury cars, Aria checked her watch. The Guild would still be open, and she knew her former party members often trained late into the evening.
Time to face some old memories. Aria steeled herself for what promised to be an interesting reunion.
Anastasia Volkova: “Your former team,” she noted with tactical precision before departing. “They may require... careful handling.”
Marco: “Every dance has its challenging steps,” he added with understanding. “We’ll see you tomorrow, whatever the rhythm brings.”
The Guild hall was quiet at this hour, with only a few Explorers finishing their evening training. Kate looked up in surprise as Aria entered.
Kate: “They’re in the training room,” she said, understanding the unspoken question. After a moment’s hesitation, she added, “All four of them, actually. It’s rare to see them practicing together these days.”
Aria: “I need their help with a special project.”
Kate: “Are you sure about involving your old team?” she asked, concern evident in her voice. “Things didn’t exactly end well last time...”
Aria: “They’re still some of the best Explorers we have,” she replied diplomatically. “And this project requires the best.”
Kate: “Just... be careful? Richard “Thunder” Blake still gets rather... electric when someone mentions your name.”
As Aria approached the training room, she could hear the familiar sounds of combat practice. Through the doorway, she observed her former team - people she hadn’t worked with since taking her government position. Their distinctive magical styles painted a vivid picture of their personalities: Richard “Thunder” Blake commanding lightning with military precision, his former officer training evident in every move; Diana gracefully manipulating wind barriers with professional detachment; Marcus solid as his earth magic, maintaining defensive formations with practiced patience; and Elena, her ice-based healing magic as precisely controlled as her clinical analysis of each movement.
Richard “Thunder” Blake: “Well, look who finally remembers the Guild exists,” he sneered as electricity danced between his fingers. “Done playing politician for the day?”
Diana: “The wind patterns suggest you bring interesting news,” she observed calmly while maintaining her defensive barriers.
Marcus: “Like the mountain, we should hear her out before passing judgment,” he stated firmly, his earth magic settling.
Elena: “Your timing is... intriguing,” she analyzed while dispelling her ice formations. “This isn’t a casual visit.”
Aria: “I have a proposition,” she began, maintaining her diplomatic composure. “A special training opportunity with some international A-rank Explorers.”
Richard “Thunder” Blake: “Training? With your parlor tricks?” Lightning arced dangerously close. “What could you possibly teach A-rank Explorers?”
Diana: “The international aspect is... noteworthy,” she commented, her wind barriers subtly adjusting. “As is the level of secrecy I sense around this venture.”
Elena: “Your aura suggests there’s more to this than mere training,” she observed clinically. “Something that requires significant preparation.”
Aria: “The full details will be revealed tomorrow morning, but yes - this is more than standard training. I’m selecting only the best Explorers for this project.”
Richard “Thunder” Blake: “The best?” he scoffed, though a spark of interest flickered in his eyes. “And you thought of us? How generous of our former B-rank.”
Marcus: “Every stone has its purpose,” he noted thoughtfully. “Even those that seem out of place at first glance.”
📡 End of Transmission
Oliver here - That was quite a chapter! Our dimensional frequency is picking up intense emotional resonance from Aria’s world. What did you think of her decision? The comments below are buzzing with theories from other interdimensional travelers...