[ Motivation, come back—Play as Rui! ]

...

Deep in the woods, Rui Kamishiro stared at the sight in front of him: an 'abandoned' circus. The uncanny vibe was even more apparent with the old music and eerie laughter.

The brilliant tactician was sent by the emperor to recruit the jester rumoured to have powerful abilities like that of manipulating both things and people with his mystical red strings.

"Kamishiro. Our forces are at their limit. The eastern lands hold strong, unyielding. Convince this jester to aid us. Or do not return at all."

With the emperor's commands in mind, Rui stepped in.

The atmosphere was unsettling, to say the least. The whole place seemed trapped in time, with faded and dusty paint, and the lingering smell of aged wood. Colorful banners and puppets also hung from every corner.

Then came a voice from above.

"Ah, what's this? A guest in my humble abode? Oh, how delightful! And here I thought I’d have no audience tonight! ☆"

Rui's gaze snapped up, and there he saw a figure sitting on the high metal tightrope, twirling a marionette idly.

"Tenma Tsukasa, I assume?"

Tsukasa tilted his head, letting out a mocking gasp, "Oho? You know my name? How flattering."

That didn't faze Rui though, who was still retaining his refined poise. "i'm Kamishiro Rui, the chief tactician of the nearby empire, and I'm here to offer you a stage far grander than this dusty theater. The empire is currently in war and is seeking your aid. Join me, and we'll put on the greatest show the battlefields have ever seen.

Tsukasa perked up, intrigued. "You have a nice sales pitch there, little tactician. You've piqued my interest." He paused, a mad grin forming on his lips, "But I only work with those worthy. Here; you pass this trial, I'll help. Whaddya say?"

Before Rui could respond, the puppets suddenly shifted, their forms now twisted and bizarre.

Tsukasa cackled, controlling the strings of the puppets from his high perch with ease, "Let's see how well you can dance, shall we?" ♡