View source for An Ordinary, Strange Arrival (Miho Kagami)

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2018/04/10
|Location=The highway leading into Tokyo
|Synopsis=A faint ripple of power was detected on the afternoon of April 10th, as "something" entered Tokyo and began reacting with the magical energies surrounding the city. The cause is unclear; is it Light? Is it Dark? The readings are confusing when they aren't outright self-contradictory.
|Cast of Characters=220
}}
A car packed with boxes makes its way into the city in the late afternoon, followed closely by a moving van. In the passenger seat sits a plain-looking fifteen-year-old girl, sleeping through the last leg of the journey. A sign announces, "Now entering Tokyo."

<blockquote>
''There's a faint ripple of power, as the girl's soul interacts with the strangeness of Tokyo ...''

''She dreams of a ten-year-old girl with a clear family resemblance, lying unconscious in front of a large clump of black jade sitting on a stone pedestal.''

''"Well, there's the bad guys beaten," says one of the Curse Hunters. "Now we just need to smash the Shadow Jade and take this kid back to her family."''

''The dreaming girl just knows-in-the-dream that the Shadow Jade is an artifact of pure darkness. An appropriate sacrifice would have allowed it to grant vast power to whoever wielded it. However, it is somewhat intelligent, and for the first time since its creation, it knows fear.''

''"Easier done than said!" quips another, dressed in a mint-green costume with heart-decorations. Her ''nom de guerre'' is Life Mahou Wonder. She twirls a wand in her hand and points it at the Shadow Jade. "Wonder Shining Ray!"''

''There's a bolt of chartreuse light, and the Shadow Jade shatters, fragments and bolts of darkness flying in all directions.''

''One of the bolts of darkness slams into the unconscious girl.''

''"Uh-oh," says Life Mahou Wonder.''
</blockquote>

The girl's father, an ordinary businessman, spares her a glance. "Miho?"

She shifts her position, but doesn't awaken.

<blockquote>
''"Miho!?" says the first Curse Hunter, cradling the girl in her lap. "Miho Oujino!? Can you hear me!? Wake up!"''

''"It's no use," says another Curse Hunter, a pearlescent glow emanating from her hands. "I can't get through the Death Curse, it's too strong! At this rate, she'll die on her twentieth birthday, and that's if she even wakes up at all!"''

''Life Mahou Wonder clears her throat. All eyes are suddenly on her, including those of an incubator who was watching the proceedings. "If we can't get rid of the Death Curse ... we can at least balance it out," she says. "Let's work together, and grant Miho Oujino our Life Blessing!"''

''She raises her hand. So do all the other Curse Hunters in turn. A brilliant white light begins emanating ...''
</blockquote>

"Miho?" says the girl's father, slightly more forcefully.

Miho Kagami blinks awake. "Mmmhhh?" Bits and pieces of a dream swirl through her mind, but it fades completely as soon as she tries to focus on the details.

"We've reached Tokyo, Miho," says her father.

"Oh!" She straightens up and looks around the city with a faint smile, excitement mixed with apprehension. "I still can't believe we're finally here." Her voice is somewhat scratchy. Androgynous, almost.

<blockquote>
''It was understood that the Life Blessing could have allowed Miho Oujino to gain the power to fight darkness if the Light in her heart became predominant, and that the Death Curse could have corrupted her if the Darkness predominated, but she never fully understood what happened on that night. On her twentieth birthday, the Death Curse and the Life Blessing faded from her soul, as her heart had become closed to such fanciful ideas as magic. Unknowingly, however, she passed both curse and blessing onto her daughters, and they onto theirs, until they finally reached Miho Kagami, the unlikeliest of daughters, who took the name of her ancestor long after she was born.''

''The Curse Hunters knew about the incident, of course. It was certainly known to some of their enemies. The knowledge, too, was passed on over the years.''

''Now, nearly seventy years after the Shadow Jade was shattered, the Death Curse flickers awake, seeking to find cracks in the form of stress and worry -- and its host has no shortage of that. The Life Blessing immediately pushes it back down.''
</blockquote>

Without thinking about what she's doing, Miho crosses her arms, grasping her left arm in her right.

"Tomorrow's the first day of school," says her father. "Think you'll make any friends at Seishou Public School?"

"Um ... probably," said Miho. "I mean, I probably will when I can, but ..."

Her father reaches over and ruffles her hair. "Don't worry about it, kiddo," he says. "You'll do fine."

Miho smiles faintly. "Yeah, I know," she says. It's a bit halfhearted, but it's stronger than her response when they left her old home.

<blockquote>
''A faint ripple of power was detected on the afternoon of April 10th, as "something" entered Tokyo and began reacting with the magical energies surrounding the city. The cause is unclear; is it Light? Is it Dark? The readings are confusing when they aren't outright self-contradictory. It's been impossible to pinpoint its location, too, beyond the non-answer of "somewhere in Tokyo." But it was there for anyone to see, if they looked hard enough.''

''The shards of the Shadow Jade still have some of their old power. They ''want'' to be put back together ... and if a host of the Shadow Jade's power were to be captured, the search would become considerably easier.''
</blockquote>

Miho's family drives through through Tokyo, drawing ever closer to their new home ...