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[Andromeda]

I'm a bit delayed on the posting, but I still got it done. I was distracted by somethings. Anyway, chapter 201 is now up. I resume Eudokia's flashback, even though the previous chapter also was a flashback in a way of Eudokia as well. This chapter works more on showing Eudokia and the changes happening to her.

This is a transition chapter for Eudokia. I set up how she was before and the way things were when she arrived at the South Gate. This chapter is about the trigger for Eudokia to change. A lot of the things for how Eudokia is currently has their source in this flashback. So I have been taking my time with the pacing. Things are going to start moving though in the next chapter.

I had to get things in place with Eudokia and Dareia. I'm guessing the readers should have figured out something is up at the moment with the Dareia. There is a lot to still be explained in the coming chapters. Things will start to make sense soon with everything. You'll get to see why Dareia is so important to Eudokia.

Enjoy!

[Andromeda]

I'm quite delayed this week, but it's because I went to the movies. Fortunately, the day is still not bad. So chapter 202 is now available. It's still a little weird being in the 200s now. The 100s did not feel that weird, for whatever reason. But the 200s really feel like something different. I've reached something.

The focus remains on telling Eudokia's back story. For those that remember Dareia, the reveal at the end was something more of an anticipation rather than a surprise. It is something that I built towards with her introduction. Everyone knew it had to happen at some point. This chapter really puts down some foundation on things for Eudokia. I make use of it to explain some things about her.

I make it clear that Eudokia actually does know Japanese or at least conversational Japanese, enough to survive. On top of several other languages. I actually hinted at this sort of thing a while ago, but it was a bit of a toss away thing. However, I really wanted to go back to it and really lay it down. Most of the soldiers on the border are expected to learn simple conversational languages. It is one use of the library. I also joke with the idea that Eudokia would never have a use for knowing Japanese, a fun little ironic statement.

The upcoming chapter is quite important for Eudokia's development. This chapter and the previous one laid down the foundation for what is going to be explained in the next one. There is a lot of important things with Dareia that I'll be getting to. She's getting a lot of development post-humorously, which is rather amusing to think about.

Enjoy!

[Andromeda]

It is finally up, yeah I know it is pretty delayed from my usual. I had some factors in involved, but the chapter was completed today at least. So Chapter 203 is now up for reading! Eudokia's past continues to unfold along with Dareia. I didn't cover as much ground as I wanted to, but it still did get to exactly the one point I wanted that I held as my back up.

This chapter ends up being a little more on the philosophical side at times. The lies of the adult world and surviving by them. Some things that Eudokia does not completely understand at her age. She is still fairly direct about the way she goes about doing things. It is clear that Dareia does not work on the same way. Which is important for Dareia. There are things that Eudokia needs to learn from her.

The reveal for Dareia was one of the more important moments and some explanation on it. A lot of it is still build up to the ending of the chapter. Dareia offers to show Eudokia her ways, something that will end up changing Eudokia forever. It also helps to explain some things about how Eudokia works. It is something that I continue to say, I use these chapters to work out the reason to Eudokia's behavior and what she knows.

Enjoy!

[Andromeda]

I'm running late again, thank long hours for that. Anyway, Chapter 204 is now available! Eudokia's back story doesn't know when to end does it? But seriously, this chapter finally got to cover the time Eudokia and Dareia spend together training her. The skills she needs for the future, not that they knew how important that they would be.

This chapter does a lot more to reveal the sort of personality that Dareia has. I hinted a little at it in the previous chapters from her interactions, but this really outlines a lot of the things about her. It is still weird having such in depth post-humorous development to her character, but she was important to Eudokia's growth as well. She is very much about the working for your answer. Which is probably one of the reasons while she liked Eudokia to begin with. Eudokia was always working for her goals rather than just accepting them handed to her. Though Dareia does a good job of breaking Eudokia down at times. Eudokia's emotional control is one of the things she praised herself having at her age and something that is developed from the harsh reality at the Academy. So Dareia is doing a lot to get under her skin.

I do skip over all of the actual training. I thought about covering some of it, but it is mostly just montage stuff. So time skipping was preferred rather than spending time on things you can leave of the reader's imagination. Not to mention, I then got to tease some things that happened to Eudokia, but don't explain. So then the reader can spin all sort of ideas of what might have been done to her. Free story ideas just pop up.

Eudokia also manages to finally start to have her squad get along with her. The cliffhanger I set up is the final part of the flashback. This is the where the important things that happened in Eudokia's tour shaped her course. So I'll be covering it in a couple of chapters. I've got a fair bit of things planned for it. So it should be interesting.

Enjoy!

[Andromeda]

I'm doing better today, it's a little earlier. It was not as chaotic yesterday. So I got most of it handled. Anyway, Chapter 205 is now up. The focus of the back story changes a little here with more of it based on tension. There are a lot of things happening that are very unknown, but it is also a good way to show how Eudokia works and the mistakes she makes.

I give almost no answers right now with the chapter. It is all just questions, but the answers will be coming soon. A part of it is showing how much hear squad is following her now. While it is a dramatic situations, they have changed the way that they interact with her and respond to her orders. It is an important development for her. However, she still is struggling with command. She has a lot of doubts and a tense situation where she doesn't understand what is happening makes it worse.

Through the chapter she slowly loses her team until she's alone. It is a bit of a symbolism for her on her feelings, but a chance for her to change. This is just the setup and the cliffhanger the trigger. The next chapter will show what Eudokia is made of and get to the heart of matters. Answers will be given, but don't expect them all to be answered. There is a lot of setup I'm doing and it is very important. So remember the details of these chapters.

Enjoy!

[Andromeda]

I'm doing a little better today, but still later than I wish. Chapter 206 is now available. This chapter focuses on Eudokia's great planned escape. How she is going to get everyone free. It setup things to make the reader not aware of everything from the start, but at the end I start filling them in on the details.

There are several things at play during the bigger scene at the end of the chapter. This is where I start providing some answers to who the intruders, but they only end up adding new questions as they are not the answers you'd expect. There is a lot more going on. Since I'm playing a long-term game here don't expect all of the answers soon.

The important thing though is seeing how Eudokia made use of the skills she learned from Dareia. It makes things interesting for Eudokia, but does not completely present her in the best of possible lights. Which is something that I wanted to go with. It explains about who she actually is and how she has everything she has, but you realize that everything she gained is not necessarily the best way to go about things. However, she was in a situation where she needed to survive and you do whatever is needed to survive. So Eudokia cast herself into the gray to survive. I'm not sure if one would call it darkness just yet, but it is a tittering edge for her.

If all goes as planned, the aftermath will be covered completely in the next chapter.

Enjoy!

[Andromeda]

This is a little on the late side, but I was working late today, so I couldn't get it up any sooner. However, I did end up writing all of it earlier. So chapter 207 is now available for reading! This finally wraps up nearly everything that I began with this flashback. Naturally, I don't tie up everything. I definitely end up starting up a bunch of new questions as a results.

I end up wrapping things up a little faster than I wanted, but I did not want things to keep dragging out. There was several very specific things I needed to cover. So I did so with very little waste. So the chapter ends up coming out very packed with information. There are answers, but tons of new questions as a result. I directly give attention to some of them. I allow the speculation to grow from the questions I drop. There will be answers to these questions in time. It is all connected.

Since Eudokia's current flashback is ending, it went on longer than originally planned. But I feel really good about what I covered. There is a couple of things I'm going to poke fun at once Yuki gets control again. But I think there is a better understanding of something of things to Eudokia's character. Plus it helped to explore more of the life of Atlanteans, something I've wanted to do. I've loosely covered in other character's flashbacks. But this was the first time I put a huge emphasis on it.

Enjoy!

[Andromeda]

I back on schedule! Well, I was surprisingly always on schedule, it was just pushed back. However, I've got myself back around the normal time I prefer, so Chapter 208 is now available! This rapidly concludes Eudokia's flashback thanks to Yuki. It had a lot of important things in there, but it was also a little on the long side. But I pick in a last few details in this chapter.

A fair bit of the chapter is more comedy and joke, since I was coming off some heavier material. I wanted to lighten the pace a little. Plus, I'm going to be going back into the fires after this chapter. So having it here as a breather was important. Despite a lighter chapter, I still put in a few more details are important to know. They all come at the end with the reveal of Demosthenes having more machinations in things. While I don't state it out right, I also put in the implication that Demosthenes was involved during the rebellion in putting it down, as he was the head of the Omega Division. So there is a lot of things to spin around about that.

I also finally put in completely direct words the system that works in Atlantis. I've mostly just implied it either through prose or just the way things were portrayed. But Eudokia finally came out and said it. The laws of Atlantis requiring MP users to be in the military. They are in the military for life. But I also give some background on the matter. I still left out some details on purpose. There are still more things to know about Atlantis, but that'll be saved for another time.

The other sort of major thing is Eudokia agreeing to take Yuki's decision on matters. So she should be working more with him rather than on her own, which is usually against him.

Next week will send the focus back to Team Yumi, so look for to seeing them again! It's been 30 chapters, time flies huh?

Enjoy!

[Andromeda]

It is quite late, but my weekend got pretty screwed up. Anyway, Chapter 209 is now available! Team Yumi as promised has returned. Most of this chapter was meant to kick things back into gear with them rather than clearly provide any sort of answers. Yeah, I'm just a big tease. Though it does hold the promise of getting some answers. After the fighting is concluded there will be some answers. Some pretty important ones coming. Though, after the fighting here the sub-arc is also ending. I'll be moving into the third sub-arc and the last major sub-arc of the second arc. It's about time huh? Current estimations have the third sub-arc being shorter than the second sub-arc, but since it was well over a hundred chapters in length, it would be a little difficult for me to do that given the focus of the third sub-arc.

As said, a lot of the chapter is more of a tease. I setup the pieces to make it clear that there is something to hear. There are pieces that are missing from the puzzle that might bring some interesting things to light. I can't answers them immediately, since I have the fight to resolve before anything can being. The fight is going to bring in some major pieces to helping getting the answers that Team Yumi need. Plus there is also the critical piece, Yori, who's still unconscious. Once they all come together I'll be getting some things out on the table.

While the end to the chapter seems pretty big just from the size the force aimed at them. The real threat is the fact that Simonides is armed with the knowledge of their powers. So this fight is going to be unlike any that they have fought before. They only got a taste of how things are during the camp fight. This is going to be real deal and they're going to have to figure out a way to keep alive with their powers being neutralized. It is not something spoken at the end, but given the direction of things it should be something on everyone's minds.

Enjoy!

[Andromeda]

I'm back on a better schedule now. I had a long night, but otherwise things are normal again for the release of Chapter 210. This chapter brings the fighting back. It was barely gone for like 10 or so chapters before I started it back up. Not that I took much of a break the time before, where there was only a few chapters between. But it is not really surprise considering the type of story it is. I sort of wanted Fumiko to make a comment about what Yuki would say in their situation, but I did not really find a place for it.

The chapter was more build up than anything. The more individual fights have not happened yet. Just a lot of talk about a plan and what it could be. Things are clearly off and it should be fairly obvious to those reading what is going on to some degree. The plan Simonides is a good, but not necessarily one that should be to surprising for an experienced reader. So I figured the reader will have figured it out, though the characters still will have to do it. That will be what will end up happening in the next chapter. A lot of the plan will come out then. Things will snowball pretty quickly.

Chiharu disappeared without a word and reappears at the end. She makes the move that I think she would rather than one that would work for the plan or story. If I just let the story go with things to control, she would have been in the center with everyone else. However, she had speed and the intelligences to react to the sort of situations quickly. She is more like Saki in that she goes more practical. If she is able to end the fight quickly, she'll do so. Going straight for Simonides would be the fastest way to end it. Not to mention, the team is not really in the best of shape for a fight.

Enjoy!

[Andromeda]

Now this is more like it, huh? Yeah, I'm back to my normal time finally. Things are back to normal for now at least. Anyway, Chapter 211 is now up for reading! This chapter is mostly tension building and reveals. It is a little more Chiharu centric on the focus, even if it is not in it anymore than the rest.

One of the things that I had to reveal was the plan that Simonides had. It was not too complicated to not see earlier I think, but having it out in the open helps. It increases the tension of the battle as they are aimed at a completely hopeless battle. This one is unlike any of the battles they have fought in the past. The more they fight the worse their situation will become. Which sets a perfect stage to change things up. This is less about the individual fight as even Simonides says, it more about the teams and the group. Some important things will come out of it.

I continue to hammer on some of Chiharu's sensitive issues. Since there is a lot of unknown behind her, I keep poking at the matters. Eventually, it all come out into the open, but she is a tough nut to crack. So it'll be a slow build up over time. But the fight will be a good chance to show off what she can do. Unlike the others, she has proper martial training. So she can handle herself in a fight and is more used to not having strength or superiority to aid her. She is less reliant on it like the others, something that comes out clearly with Seiji who feels lost without, despite it only being a recent change for him. He already got used to having it with him.

Enjoy!

[Andromeda]

Chapter 212 is now available! No need for commentary on my timely or untimely posting. This chapter mostly focused on Chiharu giving her a little more time to show off different things. She did not bring anything new to the table, it was not really meant for her to do so. It was more tension building and continuing the fight forward.

A lot of little things happened in the chapter that add up to the chapter having a lot happen. And none of it really focused around Chiharu. I did actually leave a little hint for Chiharu in the chapter title. It'll have significance later on, but for now it is just a completely innocuous title. There are some signs on her growth within the group. Things that are less noticed. Chiharu went to help Seiji rather than Fumiko, is a sign of how she was feeling. It is not something she openly admits, but she does feel some connection with Seiji. Since their little time in camp and the rescue they have started to get along better. It comes out more in their banter in the chapter as well.

The thing with Seiji that is happening should not be too hard to figure out. I already revealed some of what he could back when his power first awakened. However, as you should already know Seiji doesn't want anything to do with that sort of power. So it is also repressed. But it will continue to keep popping up saving his life when he is in danger. Sound like anyone? ^^ But I did get to show off something new that he had not done with it before. More is planned before this fight is over as well.

One of the other things is Fumiko. I actually teased this about a 100 chapters back, but it has likely been forgotten. It was something I planted back there. So her new power is not really something that came from nothing. Once it starts to make more sense, some of it should be clearer. However, it is still vague because no one knows what it is yet. There is one other little thing that I continue to dwell on with Fumiko, the sister. I start tying in more to what the immediate source is for her. Because it is the original reason for many of her actions.

The last thing is the big one at the very end of the chapter. Yori is awake finally! He's been asleep for nearly 100 chapters himself, but he is awake. This is important for a number reasons. So the end of the chapter is a big rush of one big thing after another happening.

Enjoy!

[Andromeda]

The next chapter in the ongoing battle to survive is now up, Chapter 213. Since Yori is awake there is a little focus on him and more of the fighting from his point of view. He has been out for so long, things have changed quite a bit. Yumi most notably is not the some person as when he was captured by Simonides. But the fighting itself is also not as simple even when things seem to be turning around for them.

This chapter is all over the place. Understandably it is probably a little confusing, which is why I always made sure that I put in very early who was the new point of view since the points of view were changing every 3 paragraphs at time. There were a lot of a sides to the battle and they are all important to understanding everything. Everyone has a different piece the reader needs. I jump back to Simonides frequently, he is mostly present so I can provide some explanation on why the troops are acting as they are. It also gives some good tension and face to their enemy. He is the one hunting them for two days now and the primary antagonistic for the arc. So I can't have it without him.

One of the important things was Yori waking up and the relationship with his sister. Yumi has been doing a lot of changing, though she stumbles. She's a lot different from how see started out. Though it is often easy to see it, Yori makes a good person to really know she is different, because he's only really known Yumi before all of the fighting. I also make sure to really emphasize it with Yumi taking a very commanding presence directing everyone. As she worked through a couple chapters back, without her powers she has been able to focus on one thing. It's allowed her to strengthen it and take charge. And judging from the way everyone around her acts, they acknowledge her and follow without question. So she has their respect, a sign that they are starting to work better together.

I toss in a little more banter with Seiji and Chiharu. I want to keep showing their relationship growth, since it is important for them. They are the two get along the worst, so seeing them doing better, even if it is in the middle of battle really helps. Plus, it helps to lighten the mood a touch. Though one of the bigger things for Seiji is when he picked up Fumiko's staff. His arm has been foreshadowing something for a while, but this is really one of the bigger points for his powers. It should be pretty obvious for the reader what it is, but Seiji will still have to figure it out.

Enjoy!

[Andromeda]

Chapter 214 is now available! A lot of this chapter is about the tension from the hopeless situation. Carrying off the cliffhanger from the last chapter, there doesn't seem to be a way to escape anymore. They are stuck having to face what seems like certain defeat.

Simonides figures out the last couple of things. Part of the problem I was faced with as how to get him to figure out Chiharu's power. She was very careful about it. So I sort of liked the idea of an offhand comment from someone that gave him the final answer. They are Atlanteans, as versed in foreign culture as they are, Japanese culture isn't necessarily going to be on the front of their minds, especially for an isolated society.

The important parts of the chapter come down to Yori and Nerine. Both of them struggling to find their place in their new situation. Neither knows what to do, but knows something needs to be done. Yori's is more of a case of feeling useless and weak, while everyone else is able to do something. I tease his awakening again, but call it off for Nerine. It's a bit of a running gag for him. Nerine's struggle is between what side. Since she has seen how Seiji and his friends are, it's become more difficult for her to just blindly see them as the enemy, especially after what Seiji did for her. She ends up being the key to everything.

Enjoy!

[Andromeda]

Chapter 215 is now up! A pretty big cliffhanger to leave off on, huh? Simonides the main force against Yumi's team and killed and at the hands of Chiharu. I dropped a lot of pretty big bombs there right at the end. Chiharu killing someone, Yumi smiling, the change going on with Yumi and Simonides on top of it. We're coming down to the final chapters of the sub-arc. So I'm going to be leaving with some pretty big notes.

Nerine made her decision last chapter, which was a big move for her. The implication for her now is that she is branded a traitor for siding with Yumi's group. So it is expected by her that unless she can get them to see reason, she has no future in Atlantis anymore. I made sure to explain everything that happened at the end and even explain something that wasn't known until now. Simonides' plans went pretty deep.

Though there was a lot of push on Yumi and the changes happening to her. It is merely foreshadowing for things to come in the future. But I wanted to start putting in the pieces now since it is going to be important for her later in the arc. And I show off her surprising tactical abilities that stun even Chiharu.

Because of these cliffhangers lately I've been wanting to leave off with a tag line sometimes like they do frequently in manga. I don't think I will since it'll probably throw off the story, but it is very tempting.

Enjoy!

[Andromeda]

A bit of on the slow side, but I got it up. Chapter 216 is available now! This is one of the more important chapters recently. A lot details come out of it to keep building up the tension and mystery. There's a few answers, but more questions. Yumi is getting even stranger and Ayumi/Eudokia is drawn into even more suspicions.

The biggest part is the stuff dealing with Simonides. He's still alive and it was all just a ploy by Yumi and Simonides. Some of the things from the previous chapter should have some new meaning now. Though it does end up resulting even more questions about Yumi. I already hinted at something strange happening to her. The events from before with Masa should not be as much of a surprise with the reveal of someone else inside Yumi. It does bring more questions to what sort of powers Yumi has and why she has different personalities running around in her head. More answers will come in time.

The rest of the important things comes from the exchange of info with Simonides and everyone else. It ends up falling to Ayumi. Now that they are all more or less on the same side with things. It is clear something is up with Ayumi. I keep things vague for the time being. It is more about guessing what the truth is. Both are equal possibilities, so one of the big things now will be to finding out the secret of Ayumi. This is all just a build up for stepping into the next sub-arc. These are the last chapters of the sub-arc. So I'm going to be leaving out on bigger notes now. Plans are starting to be revealed and the situation is only going to be getting worse. The next chapter will have even more things happening.

Enjoy!

[Andromeda]

Yeah, I'm running behind, by a week. You can thank FFXIV for that. Anyway, I've caught back up at least. Chapter 217 is now available. This is the last chapter of the current sub-arc. Which means after over 100 chapters I've finally ended some things. It also means that we're at the mid-point in the arc and reaching for the climax. A lot of things are starting to move, something that is very important for the third sub-arc. The fighting aside to come, the pace of the next sub-arc will be moving pretty quickly. A lot of things will be happening when there is not fighting and a lot of secrets are going to be coming out.

I start out with revisiting Athene. She was teased a little, a while back during the exit from the camp. She was shown determined to find Yori, desperate to locate him and have her revenge. She is still on his trail, planning on settling the score between them. She is heavily driven by the personality inside Yori's head that taunts her. She wants to beat it.

The bulk of the chapter covers the reveal of Ayumi and resolving matters between Simonides and the group. The most interesting pieces are the fact that Eudokia is in the fact strongest. Something that is not fully answered in the last chapter or this chapter. It is remains a question of who the person that they have been following is and why they should trust anything she says. And what her motives or even goal are. It brings up a lot of new questions and mysteries. Simonides also explains his motives, which needed to be said because it would be a little odd to any one a sudden shift of sides without reason. He's still on the side of Atlantis, but he can't make his goals a reality anymore with what he has. So he must rely on them and the easiest way to make sure it happens is to watch them.

The last bit and the chapter as a whole is the reason the sub-arc is over now. Simonides' fight with the Yuki and his group is over. He has resolved matters with them that he will no longer fight them. Their main opponent for the last hundred plus chapters is no more. However, a new opponent even worse than Simonides presents itself. Simonides foreseen a dire future with the opening of the gates to the Omega Division. It talks them up nicely to being this huge threat to everything and not just Yuki. The council finally agrees to make a move making a big shift in the direction and enemy.

Enjoy!

[Andromeda]

Well I managed to catch up fortunately. So I'm no longer behind, Chapter 218 begins the new sub-arc. It starts out with a few answers and moving around a lot. There is a lot of pieces in play now and they will all being getting their coverage. None of Yuki's friends are in the chapter at all.

The opening to the sub-arc is important in showing where things are moving and where everyone is at. Yuki and Yumi's groups are clear. So I needed to put things into their view for the rest. Abeiron was a lot of the focus, because I things to iron out with him. Simonides made it clear the last time that Abeiron was on his side. This helps to explain how much he is and what is doing. It also helps to serve to elevate the mysteries to new levels. There is a lot of things on the move and Simonides' predictions further to rise the dire state of the questions. It gives a big opening for the new sub-arc that there are even larger things at work.

I also wanted to bring Cosmas back into the fold. It was clear that he was on the move, so I wanted to show him. He's is part of the threat carrying over from the last sub-arc, but he'll be an important figure for this sub-arc. So he will be getting a little bit of time as he is tracking his prey. Plus he is a the center point of some of the things happening now. I don't state it directly, but if you read between the lines you can see what he is doing. Not to mention if you read some of his words there are some fun implications in there.

Athene was already covered before, but she is another very important figure for the sub-arc. She is actually going to be playing one of the most important roles in the sub-arc. How, you'll have to wait to find out, but it will be a pivotal moment for everyone. And her running across Abeiron and his men is the worst possible thing to happen for her. The outcome is already pretty clear what is going to happen, but it leaves things on a very interesting note.

Enjoy!

[Andromeda]

Back to the regularly scheduled programing. Chapter 219 is now up! Once more I do nothing to focus on Yuki or Yumi's groups. Since this a new sub-arc I'm building up the tension and expectations. I getting a lot of the pieces in place and showing off things so that the reader can get excited for the inevitable battles to come. So a lot of it just presenting everything in very big lights and show. This is often a classic thing Shounen does and I haven't really made us of it. They like to show off who the bad guy and their group is and make them seem very interesting and dangerous. So I play that all very straight.

I do open with Athene and Abeiron. That thread needed to be resolved before moving forward, since it was the cliffhanger. It should be pretty expected how things would play out. It is more about getting there than anything. But I did get to show a little more of Abeiron's character and his own planning. Which is more that I wanted to get out of it than anything. It does continue my goal setting things up. Considering the way everything is headed and the sort of story it is, it should be no surprise that Athene will be fighting Yori at some point. There has been too much build up for them not to do anything.

The last half of the chapter is all about introductions and continuing to develop Demosthenes into this large figure. The Titans finally get revealed and it should be clear that they will be the final ones that everyone will have to fight. I did everything I could to make them seem different and unique without a short amount of time. They'll be getting more time later. For now, I needed to show them off. They ended serving more of a purpose of making Demosthenes look even more deadly and dangerous than before. Something that I've been needing to do. His fights with Yuki gave a taste of him, but I had lately been showing more of his character development and politics than anything. So a sign of strength was needed.

Enjoy!

[Andromeda]

I got delayed again, a combination of factors, but I'm back on schedule now. Chapter 220 is now available! After the focus on other characters and the primary antagonist for the arc, the story is back to Yuki. He had only a brief departure from the center attention since the last time. However, with things speeding up going into this arc. There is going to be a lot of bouncing around.

The first problem of the arc is already showing itself with Saki having to fight again. She has another difficult person to deal with since she doesn't have a way to find them. As I've said before Saki's powers make it difficult at times to produce a fair fight for her. Though it does allow me to do some interesting things with her. She had pull off a lot of impressive feats.

Things are mirrored quite a lot with what happened to Yuki and Yumi, something of a reoccurring theme for him in the arc. It is something he has to face going forward. But it is not something easy for him to do. Everyone has to do some growing in the arc.

Saki also gets to do a little more than just throw her fists around. I got to do a little thing to have her thinking her fight out. It is something that I want to do more, but Saki runs a lot off emotions, such is her type.

Enjoy!

[Andromeda]

Keeping on my schedule, chapter 221 is up as well. As what probably comes as a bit of a surprise, I'm doing another flashback. Saki's fight is something in the background. However, it does provide some good additional background on Ayumi. It picks up roughly where I left things.

The keen reader will probably realize a mistake I made. I had to go back and do some edits to aline things. If you don't know what it is, you won't probably since everything has already been updated to reflect things. I talked a little about it in the past, but this chapter goes into more of the details over surnames. The Atlanteans only have one name and only those considered nobles have surnames, but nobles are only those that have honored themselves through actions for the sake of Atlantis. It is something that is as easily taken. There are certainly noble lines that go for generations, but if their offspring do not maintain such duty it can all be taken away. So the surname is always a symbol to those that have it and those that see it, that the individual is important and has gone beyond what is expected to protect Atlantis.

The other thing which I continue to build on the mystery is the intruders that Ayumi had to deal with during her tour of duty. It is something that will be important later. So I continue to develop it slowly until such time that I push it forward.

The plan is only to have one more chapter of the flashback and move back with the plot. It is largely just something to keep Yuki's mind off things.

Enjoy!

[Andromeda]

Hey, I'm not delayed this time. Fancy that! Anyway, Chapter 222 is now available! This chapter finishes off the flashback as promised and details few more things that have been continually mentioned. Most of the attention is on Ayumi and the MP users. Which is becoming a bigger and bigger focal point of the arc.

One of the things that I needed to wrap up from the last flashback by the Dareia story thread. I left some things hanging with her as designed, since I did end it a little abruptly thanks to Yuki. However, in the context of the party and everything, it was the best time to place it and reveal the rest of the details. The important thing about it was that it completely alters the view of events from the last flashback. Something that I was doing back then, but never really called attention to at the time. Now that I have reached the end with her, I needed to finish things up by revealing those tiny bits.

The other thing, which has been covered in flashbacks by other characters, was the life of the academy. I originally wanted to do some of Eudokia's life in the Academy, but with so much of it already covered by others. It was not going to really gain me anymore. So covering quickly in a short conversation worked out better. The reader already knows most of the details, Yuki just needed filled in on it.

And I end on the note of Saki for the cliffhanger. I'll be getting back to her next week and Team Yumi.

Enjoy!

[Andromeda]

Things are looking like they are back on schedule. This means that chapter 223 is now available! This brings things back to Saki, but also with Yumi's group also going things. All of Saki's battle was pretty much glossed over, but at this point the smaller battles are not very important. Nothing more is going to be gained from them. It is the bigger fights that I'm going to be giving the attention to. So you can expect these small fights to be over pretty quickly.

One of the things I wanted to tease a little was what it was like when two of the superhumans actually fought. Since a lot of the things seen has only been one MP user against one of Yuki's friends, there hasn't really be a full blown showdown. There has not been a chance to really show off how crazy powerful they have become. Saki and Seiji made for the best match up for this. The important thing to note though, is that they are clearly going to be getting stronger from here, but their powers won't always be appearing this destructive. The reason for that is that right now they are still learning about their powers and control. So what was seen here is completely unrestrained raw power allowed to run loose. As they improve and refine their powers they'll gain a lot more control and focus. So the destructive nature to the land won't be as over the top. There is going to be a swing scale to it, based on how they are doing.

I do provide a little more commentary on Seiji and Chiharu's development. They are starting to work together better and get along. They still have a rough relationship, but they can see each other eye to eye when it is needed. Which is important for them. I've mentioned it before, but a lot of the arc is about growing their bonds and relationships. Since before everything started they hardly knew each other. They could not work together and now they are starting to be able to look out for one another and be like a family.

All the fighting is going to be resolved next chapter and I'll get back into some of the important details for the characters. There is something that I've been only vaguely pointing at up to this point. So I'm finally going to give it the attention it needs. It is an important character moment.

Enjoy!

[Andromeda]

Chapter 224 is now available! Things didn't go as planned, but I still got good stuff out of it. I planned on finishing everything this chapter, but things ended up going a little longer than I expected. It is all setup now though for the ending in the next chapter. Plus I was able to do a little more with their opponent before closing it out.

Seiji's importance in the chapter got pushed off until the next, since I was originally planning on finishing everything here. So the focus ended up being on solving the mystery of the invisible MP user that Saki fought. Fortunately, I was able to plan into the fun little trope of someone powerful fighting the heroes and the gallery explains what makes them so dangerous. It is a common setup designed to build up the threat level and importance of the individual the hero has to fight. And while it seems like an impossible win, there is a way out as Yumi knows.

The other big thing is the return of the mystery voice and the one that took over Yumi before. I'm able to tease her more and more. She has some importance later on. So I want to keep them in people's minds. Yumi has a lot of things she is having to juggle and weigh. She gets more of the burden than the others at time. But it is all growth for her. Especially with the things to happen in the next chapter.

Enjoy!

[Andromeda]

Chapter 225 is now up for reading! As promised, this ends the battle that I started. Both Chiharu and Seiji's fights are over. Admittedly, they end quickly without probably the most satisfying means, but the fights are the important part of the story right now. The things happening with the characters are more important. There are things going on that will be addressed in the following chapters.

Part of the chapter involves the problem that Yumi faces in overcoming playing dirty to get what she needs. I purposefully left what Yumi told her unknown. Fumiko's motivator has been made fairly clear at this point that I don't really think it needs to be said. Plus, the imagination of what she said makes what Yumi did even worse than knowing specifically. It makes the weight of the act heavier. This won't be the end of things, but rather just the start between Yumi and Fumiko.

The other important matter is what was going on with Seiji. This is the thing that will push his problem to the front. I've addressed it loosely in previous chapters. But this is the one that will force Seiji to confront it. Which is the focus for the following chapter. There are going to be some good things that come out of it.

Enjoy!

[Andromeda]

The next chapter is now up, chapter 226! With the fighting over, I got back to what I was talking about, focusing on the characters. The most important things were the dialogue between Seiji and Chiharu. Their relationship has continued to grow and evolve over the course of the arc and this was the next important step for them. I did do a little with Yumi, which I plan to have follow ups on, but it is early to address the new problems that have popped up for her.

The part of Chiharu that was exposed was already seen before when Saki confronted it. However, from a character growth side it was needed. It was part of her opening up and trusting someone. She trusts Saki to some extent, but she's been stuck with Seiji for a while and they've butted heads a lot. So they needed to improve their relationship. Seiji needed to understand a little more about how she works. Because now as a result, she'll be able to open up to him again in the future and more things will come out about her.

Seiji on the other hand you finally understand what's been bothering him. The implication leads to one direction, but it is actually a little different. I intentionally made it seem like he was bothered by killing, while it easily be something else after you know the truth. He brought up a while ago with Fumiko, but never went into details about it. Now that it is out he'll be able to grow beyond it, but it's still something that he has to overcome. But it is important for them all since they do come from a life where killing and survival are not as common.

Enjoy!

[Andromeda]

Yeah, I'm late on this one. Weekend work and getting a little stumped delayed the work. But I have it done now, chapter 227 is finished. The reason I got stumped was mostly an order thing more than anything. I had most of written and then I wanted to do something, but didn't know how I wanted to insert it. I finally figured it out and finished it tonight. Now what's probably going to be a bit of a surprise is that I'm jumping back to the Titans. It's important to see them again for number of reasons.

The one thing I didn't get to do when I introduced them was get into their characters. They were pretty flat when I showed them. It was supposed to be something of a tease of things to come. Show off the characters show you that something big and important was coming. However, I didn't really get to show how they were personality wise or their lives. They are the important figures for the second half of the arc and so I want to give some time to really give them build up and development before they face down the heroes. They have deep backgrounds and motivations. Part of what makes them a little scary is that they don't have a unified motive, they are all do things for their own reasons and it is only Rheia holding all of them together through sheer power.

The return to them also gave me more of a chance really showcase them. The first time you saw them Demosthenes pretty much showed them up putting down their strongest member. It was important to show how powerful Demosthenes truly was, since there was not much of a measurement for him. Now that I'm getting more into the Titans it shows off how powerful they are, but it also reinforces how truly frighteningly powerful Demosthenes is as well. Rheia as I explain is well beyond everyone else in Omega, yet Demosthenes still dealt with her in seconds.

So I'm able to really start building them up and talking them up. By the time the heroes show up, I want the reader really feel like this is going to be a major fight and going to seem impossible to confront. A lot of it is going to more of a comparison in knowing they are at the top and even now they're struggling with those that are just normal elites, not the super elites.

Enjoy!

[Andromeda]

A bit on the late side, but still Sunday. Chapter 228 is now available. This chapter also focuses on the Titans as only two of them were looked at in the last chapter. The remaining three known Titans get their attention in this chapter. I continued to provide mystery and a little more depth to their chapters.

The newbie from last chapter is not around to introduce the Titans, but things were already in place for them. The way they played out did not really need such a device to show them off. Unlike the other Titans, Rheia and Glykeria, the remaining three I actually teased what their powers could be. It is not directly stated and Teris has the least on what his power is, but there was a taste of it. The other two Nereus and Ourias gave a small showing of their power. I did end up hinting at something for Glykeria, but Rheia is the one that I've left as the biggest unknown. You only know she is very powerful and can keep control over all of the wild personalities of the Titans.

Like before, a lot of this is about showing the Titans in their nature environment. It lets me show off their beliefs and ways of thought, which is important the how they fight and how they'll be dealing with Yuki's friends. Since they'll be facing them later and they'll be butting heads in more than just a physical means. Some of the Titans are very opinionated and stuck in their lines of thought. They will bring that to the battle, making it a more complex fight for them.

Enjoy!

[Andromeda]

Chapter 229 is now available. Things have switched back to Yuki and friends, though things are looking more and more grim for all involved. The mystery of Ayumi deepens as her true motives become more of a question and the focus of the arc. It is less about the fighting right now and more about setting the stage for the climax. Everyone needs to be in their place right now and they are almost there. Things seem to be moving pretty fast now. Days are passing by, where before it was a hundred chapters for only a single night. But the climax is going to be lengthy. The setup is fairly quick in comparison.

Most of the importance on the chapter is getting things in their needed positions with Yuki's group. The last thing I needed to with them was in this chapter. Haruo staying behind was the last step for that. The parting words I have with him on the cliffhanger says a lot of it. Everything Ayumi's been doing starts to have some reason, even if the core of the mystery is still hidden. It is clear that things are not what they seem.

Despite the serious things happening, I did manage to inject some comedy into things. It is going to only be getting worse and the darker tones and mood to come. It is one of the last lighter moments for the arc. So I'm doing what I can before everything gets too serious for any comedy to really happen.

Enjoy!

[Andromeda]

A little slower this week, but still up in good time, chapter 230 is available now. Yes, I switched back to the Titans as soon as leaving them. It felt awkward for me as while, but in the sense of time it made sense, though from a storytelling point of view it felt a little awkward. Though I also wanting some space between the cliffhanger with Haruo before I get back to him. So I had to order things like this. I didn't have anymore flashbacks I wanted to do with Ayumi or any other material to cover that would space things out. Things are steamrolling pretty fast to their collision course. So a lot of people moving in different places all at the same time and it is the only way to really fit everything together. As a result, the first major fight of the third sub-arc is only a couple of chapters away. The result to be the chain of effect that leads into the climax along with everyone getting into their own final battle for the arc. Sounds like things are wrapping up fast, but the reality is that since I still have nine big fights to get through, things will not be over for at least a year most likely, but the second arc is closer to being over than starting now.

That's a lot of opening setup on chapter, most of which is not even about the chapter. Unlike the other Titan chapters, this one focused solely on one, Ourias. The rest of the thing I wanted to explore with him was too big for the chapters being done with the other Titans. So it only made sense to really focus on him. He is actually the most human of the Titans, so he is actually pretty relate-able, unlike most of the Titans which have very extreme personalities and in many ways so detached from their humanity it makes them difficult to connect with the character. Ourias is different since he only recently became a MP or even a Titan. So he's life was shaped by different circumstances. The chapter though is more than just being about his character. It really helps to look deeper into the reality of how different the two groups of people are and how society treats the MPs.

I did manage to get a little of Rheia into the scene. There is something really interesting about her character. She's wild and likely very insane, but she is actually pretty rational and is not blind. She ends up being impulsive and childish, but she has other sides to her. And I could look a little more into the way she thinks. She is going to be a lot of fun in the future.

Athene managed to get in some more time as well. I continue use her as a progress tracker and a way to clean up lose ends. She's on their trail. So she gets to see what the aftermath is, cluing in the reader on what happened that I did not explain. As you already saw, I don't explain everything immediately and sometimes it takes a while to get there, even though I'll imply something. But each scene with Athene, she's becoming more unhinged and the line between sanity and insanity is blurring more with her. She's become consumed with her hunt and everything she finds just makes things worse for her.

Enjoy!