The calendar on the wall indicated Divine Era Year 286, April 16.

A man entered a white room. His eyes scanned the dull white ceiling, walls, floors, and curtains. The windows were not blocked by the curtains, letting the light that was blinding enough to bask the outside world in pure white in. It was a warm welcome, after everything that had happened.

"Oh," said the occupant of the room."You took your sweet time there, honey."

The man paused. He inhaled through his nose, let slipped a small smile, and quietly laughed as he scratched his head.

"I'm sorry, Kanae," Ichiro said after sitting on an aluminum stool situated next to the bed.

"As long as you understand," Kanae replied, bobbing her head a bit. "Come here. Don't be too rowdy, though."

That would be hard, but it was doable for Ichirou. The man walked into the room with light steps, and the view his wife on the white hospital bed came into his sight. Dressed in a green hospital robe, her black hair with hints of a few golden strands was let down like a veil. At the same time, he noticed the slight wrinkles on his beloved wife's visage, and exhaustion was visible in her eyes and smile.

Even so, the mother remained awake with their precious child cradled in her arms.

"...How is he?" Ichirou asked, not knowing what else to say.

"He's fast asleep." Kanae's eyes narrowed in a smile. "...Would you like to hold him?"

Ichiro elicited a sound that faded away as soon as it was released. He looked down at his knees, sighed, and slowly nodded. When he received the full weight of the small life that had tried it's very best to be born into this world, Ichirou felt an indescribable weight and lightness he had never experienced in his life.

So small, the man thought. So small and fragile, yet...

It was his son. He had finally become a father. He was…

"I'm… I'm a parent, now…" Ichirou breathed out as heat ascended past his lungs, neck, and reached his cheeks. "We're finally… a family… now."

His vision blurred. His expression slackened. His breathing interval turned rough, and a voice that sounded like both a cry and a laugh leaked out from his throat. He knew the emotions he let loose.

Even so… he remembered.

He recalled the past. He recalled what he had heard, what he must face, and the future waiting for his family.

"Kanae, I…" Ichirou raised his head to meet his wife's gaze. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry..."

The woman's smile did not falter. Her expression remained gentle, and as she closed her eyes and hummed a wordless tune, a gentle spring breeze entered the hospital room.

"You've done what you could," Kanae eventually said. "You have no reason to apologize, Ichirou."

The mother referred to the father by his name. It made him realize that she was aware. That caused the man to bite his lips in frustration and curse himself for the path he had chosen.

"But I couldn't do anything," Ichirou spat out. "I couldn't talk back, I couldn't reject their demands… I couldn't do a single thing against those—"

"Ichirou. It's fine. You don't need to say anything more."

Acknowledging what the woman had said, the man stopped his babbling. However, it was more than a case of him falling silent.

He could do nothing else, not when his wife spoke out with such a calm and flat intonation. Despite that, his emotions could not be held in check completely.

"...Why?" Ichirou roughly inhaled. "Why does it have to be our son? Why does it have to be our child…? Even after all that you have gone through… why does it have to be…"

It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair at all, but Ichirou knew that there was nothing he or anyone else could do.

It couldn't be helped, those people said. There's no other choice, the ones who demanded sacrifices answered; as if that excuse could solve everything.

The man heard the deep sound of his wife inhaling. He looked up, finding his wife looking at the flourishing cherry blossom outside of the hospital. It was an old tree that had been there before the two were even born. It felt as if the tree had been watching over those who entered and left the hospital for as long as it lived.

"...Look, Ichirou," said Kanae. "The flowers, they look so pretty."

Before the man could respond, the woman chuckled and heaved.

"They are so beautiful, yet fleeting." The mother looked back at the father, a gentle smile spreading across her serene face. "...Don't you think so too, Ichirou?"

With the cherry blossom tree unobstructed by the window and the flower petals dancing in the wind as the backdrop, Ichirou was caught in a daze.

He could only stare as the warm sunlight shone through the windows and veiled Kanae's figure.

"...Ichirou," Kanae called out. "Do you hate this world, after everything that we have come to know?"

The man looked back down. He chose to focus on their child, and after a short while, parted his lips to speak out his honest opinion.

"A world that condemns children to a tragic fate when they're born… how am I supposed to forgive it?" Ichirou breathed out. "...I can't, Kanae… I don't need that sort of world… I don't want a world that cannot bless our son with happiness…"

"...I see…" Kanae's voice trailed off. "But, I do not mind that sort of world."

The man raised his head. His widened eyes reflected the figure of his dearest one, and he was about to raise his voice when he recognized a nostalgic expression on her face. He took notice of her eyes narrowing gently, he felt the permeating soft smile with his eyes, mind, and heart, and he once again faced the woman who he proposed to after gathering up all of his courage many years ago.

"Yes," said the mother. "I do not mind at all. After all… we are all here. We are still alive."

Kanae raised her right hand. Her wrist was lean and her arm seemed to lack strength because of the energy she had spent to give birth. She was recovering, but every movement of hers required more effort than the usual. Even so… Kanae succeeded and placed her hand on her chest.

"As long as the two of you are with me... I can endure any hardship," said she. "I can overcome it all. I'm sure I can do it. Also… I have yet to see our son forge his own path to living in happiness."

Kanae inhaled. The woman met her husband in the eyes, and she uttered without stopping.

"In this kind of world, it might be futile to struggle." Kanae extended her right hand and reached out toward their son. "In a world that has already ended, there might be no reason or even merit for one to become a hero."

The woman added, "Even so". With words that carried a strong determination, it was as if Kanae accepted both the good and bad things of this wretched world Ichirou had come to despise. She accepted it all, and as she touched the forehead of her sleeping son…

"...Even so, I will still give him my blessing," Kanae whispered. "I will give him a place to return to. I will make sure to create a place that will always remind him of who he is. Even if he lost his path, even if he's all alone... he can still find his way back."

As Ichirou listened, he felt her gaze moving from the baby in his arms. He looked up and met his wife's earnest gaze head-on.

"...What will you gift our son on his journey, Ichirou?"

At her question, the man sucked in a lungful of air unconsciously.

He thought hard and questioned himself. He wondered what he could give, and as time passed by… the brown-haired and bespectacled man looked past the windows. His gaze fell upon the tree that continued to watch over the land surrounding it.

"...I…"

It was then.

It was then that a gear of fate began to move once more.

"I want…" Ichirou inhaled. "For a long time, what I want to give…"

That small gear was the beginning of everything. That small gear was like a hesitant step taken out of fear and courage. Uncertainty filled that step, doubts filled every move it took.

Even still… if this world could grant another selfish wish...

"...An ally," Ichirou answered. "I want to give him support. Even if everyone and everything in the world turns! against him… I want to give our son strength he can always rely on, a shoulder to lean on, a push that will encourage him to move forward, even if it's just a single step."

What he had sworn that day was…

"...I want to be that sort of adult." Ichiro smiled. "I want to be a father our son can be proud of."

It was an oath. An oath sworn as flower petals danced in the beginning of spring.

Do you know how it feels to wake up?

When you opened your eyes, your eyelids felt so heavy you want to close them again, but then you recalled something you needed to do. Like that, you have no other choice but to rub your eyes and greet the day despite wanting to sleep for a bit longer.

Such was the opinion of one Hyoudou Issei.

He snapped his eyes open, finding himself staring at his own reflection in the window showing the street and rows of buildings passing by. His cheek had grown cold due to pressing his head against the window. Witnessed how messy his brown hair had become, which might have something to do with him taking a nap, he realized he had been sleeping while riding on the bus back to his home.

"Why is this happening again…?" The brown-eyed boy complained as he brushed his hair with his right hand. "I even had a weird dream thanks to sleeping in…"

Issei looked around hurriedly. He hoped he didn't miss his stop. Fortunately, he didn't, but he was the last passenger.

Ugh, I must have been utterly exhausted if I didn't even notice other people moving around the bus…

After checking if he had drooled or not, Issei got up and took his shoulder bag. It was heavy, not to mention full of things, but they were all training gear and documents that didn't have much importance for him. The boy walked toward the front part of the bus and glanced at the driver who called out to him.

"I've seen you falling asleep a lot," said the driver as he steered the public transportation slowly to the right. "Aren't you a high-schooler? Do you have a part-time job?"

Issei could sense the dialect forming a divergence of cultures. The boy smiled sheepishly, as he couldn't just go up and explain 'Yes, I'm working as a guardian deity of this country' to a person he barely knew of. Even if it was a joke, the Divine Era was an age where gods and demons had more presences in the world; you couldn't make fun of them when they might be standing next to you.

Then again, the girls I know don't even mind using Shinju as part of their joke materials.

"Something like that," Issei said after he felt the attention of the driver boring into him. "...Also, thank you for the hard work this year, too."

The driver blinked. He was a middle-aged man with broad shoulders and strong facial features, but a grateful smile permeated on his face. The man nodded without losing focus on the dark street illuminated only by the streetlights and the bus' headlights.

"This is my job, after all." The driver glanced at the panel hanging above the rear-view mirror, it displayed the words "Nakagyou Ward". "There you go. Try not to offend those in the area, alright? While the place has been acknowledged as safe for the public, there are many old Youkais living over there."

Scratching his head, Issei decided to nod and not comment any further. In all honesty, not even the Three Great Youkai of Japan would want to mess with a Heavenly Dragon empowered by the local Land Gods.

Probably. A lot of famous youkai were treated as pets by his friends, after all.

After he watched the bus leaving, Issei stretched his arms towards the sky and rolled his shoulders to relax some of his stiff muscles. He sighed as exhaustion began to catch up again.

"Still," Issei muttered as he looked past the white orbs floating down from the dark sky and at the gigantic structure with a peculiar shape. The form of Nijo Castle was expectedly exotic. "I hope no one is going to roast me again for returning so late."

Taking his sweet time to ponder how to secure his position in a better way, Issei decided to brave through the Great Northern Gate. He breathed out white air, snow had begun to pile on his unprotected head, and his deep red scarf fluttered as a particularly strong winter breeze blew through the gravel path connecting the main street and the northern gate.

Issei didn't mind that.

After all, the fuyuzakura were all blooming. Red and white petals scattered in the winds, dancing to a chaotic rhythm that could not be interpreted by mortal means.

Issei looked past the foliages and gazed at the red circle in the sky. Unlike Shikoku, Kyoto seemed to prefer letting the real moon shines by lowering the density of the barrier at certain times. It was a risky move, but for the people of Kyoto, this was a tradition that had existed even after the Old Era ended.

But that's the home of Tsukuyomi, and it's glowing pure red now…

Sometimes, Issei wondered if that was a good thing. In a few hours, three years would have passed since the Summer Defense Battle happened, but he couldn't stop thinking that time had become limited to an extreme degree.

It was probably because there were words about the Sentinel Project moving onto the next phase.

"Then again…" Issei raised his right hand. Coincidentally, a red winter cherry blossom petal landed on his palm, and he spilled a mouthful of white breath. "Everyone has been living on borrowed time…"

Issei shook his head to clear his thoughts. Resuming his walk, the boy's footsteps rang out as he walked through the gravel path. As soon as he reached the northern gate, he raised his head and nodded as if communicating with someone.

The thick wooden gates slowly opened with a soft groan.

Issei entered the castle's premise and was met with a garden lit by floating lanterns. They glowed with a dim orange radiance, and he detected a few shadows skittering around the premise. He also heard hushed whispers but since he knew that was just the nature of those kinds of things, the boy let it slide in favor of dropping his belonging in his room as fast as he could.

He passed through the Green Garden and took a few shortcuts to reach his living quarter at the Ninomaru Palace. The entire premise had been repurposed to suit Taisha's needs, so it had become a complex with a residential area, administrative area, and learning area meant for super important people.

At any rate, Issei reached the smallest traditional Japanese-style building situated beyond the Green Garden. He took off his shoes before hauling himself onto the porch, and he unlocked the sliding doors carefully.

He checked the source of light illuminating the interiors briefly. He was glad to know that the desk lamp was the reason. It was probably meant to express the message 'Please do not disturb', which was a job well done.

"I don't know who did this, but thanks for the save…"

Issei turned around to close the sliding doors—

"Oh, welcome back, Issei-san. You sure returned late."

Issei shrieked as he came face-to-face with a pale-skinned and black-haired girl in blue kimono.

"I-I thought I was going to die from shock…" Issei slowly exhaled while pressing his left hand on his chest.

He hoped that it could ease his rapidly beating heart, but it wasn't easy to calm down after he got caught off-guard like that. Issei heard Tougou's quiet giggles and glared at her. The girl responded by smiling apologetically.

"I'm sorry. I didn't expect you to be so surprised," Tougou said as she approached him. "How was work today?"

Agh… the status report already? Issei groaned, yet he didn't complain out loud. It wasn't like Tougou meant any harm, and he also had something to say about the stuff at Taisha.

"A lot protested about having to work till New Year's Eve." Issei rolled his shoulders and unzipped his jacket, taking it off before handing it to the girl in charge of laundry for the month. "But at least we will make it in time. The tuning of the ley lines will be finished, the Walls are in good condition, and there's not much friction between Taisha, Kyoto, Grigori, and the public. I think the next year will be relatively peaceful."

Issei recalled some regular troublemakers, but most of them were not difficult to handle. Even the freshly recruited Sentinels could handle them, and Mebuki put up a great display of teamwork which further boosted the overall security around Kyoto.

If only she can tone down her Mebuki-damashi another notch, I'd have no problems letting the entire squad check the Outside anytime they want…

"...Thank you for the hard work," said Tougou. "Do you want to take a bath before dinner?"

"I'll do just that." Issei nodded, paused, and then looked back at the smiling Yamato Nadeshiko. "...Say, Tougou-san? Why do I feel like this reminds me of something familiar…?"

Tougou tilted her head. It was a cute gesture and the swaying of her black hair was absolutely adorable, but Issei believed the main charms lied in her emerald gem-like eyes and her soft facial features. The girl had grown considerably in the past three years that it was difficult to not look at her without being attracted to her best characteristics.

How should I say it, I want to poke her cheek and tease her?

Had he not worked his body so hard today, Issei would have done just that. It was unfortunate, really, but crime rates tended to rise at the end of the year.

Not to mention some Youkais get rowdy because of that…

"Aah, I want to go on a vacation…"

"Oh, so the trips this year weren't enough to end your laziness?" Tougou rested her right hand on her cheek. "Even though you and Sonocchi always made a huge ruckus, especially at the sports festival…"

"W-Wait?! That time didn't count, Tougou-san!"

"Boys always say that."

"Hrrgk!?"

Issei tried his best to do damage control, but in front of Tougou, it was difficult to completely mitigate the attack. There was no way he could possibly defeat her in a fair fight!

After he took a warm bath and purged the nasty feelings in his heart, Issei returned to his living quarters and discovered Tougou still there with the main lamp turned on.

He took a whiff of a scent that made his stomach grumble in yearning. Noticing the shin-height table at the center of the room with a few dishes placed on it, he realized that his classmate had brought dinner over to his place. It was reheated as well.

"Since the others have already fallen asleep a little before your arrival, I thought that you wouldn't want to disturb them," Tougou said.

"Uh, you didn't have to be so considerate..." Issei rubbed his head sheepishly and sighed. "Well, I won't deny that I'm totally starving. Itadakimasu."

Sitting across from Tougou, Issei began eating his late-night dinner. The rice had been left alone too long that even after it was reheated, the sweetness and stickiness had started to permeate. The grilled fishes were also burnt in some parts with the meat becoming harder to pick off. The miso soup was fortunately still salvageable, but the diced tofu had unfortunately lost its original texture.

After judging one of the dishes making up the set...

"The miso soup is milder, but there's a little bit of spice added," Issei paused. "Did Yuuna-chan improve again?"

Tougou applauded lightly. Bearing a pleased smile, the girl with lustrous jet-black hair nodded.

"Is it to your liking, Issei-san?" She asked.

"Of course it is," Issei replied immediately. "I'm happy that Yuuna-chan keeps improving her cooking skills, and since she gave it her all, it makes dinner even more enjoyable."

"You should thank her once she wakes up. I'm sure Yuuna-chan will be delighted."

Though I wonder if she's going to run away due to embarrassment again…

"Well, I'll make sure to do that." Issei closed his eyes as he indulged in the simple yet fulfilling meal. "...But I'm pretty sure I haven't told her that I like my miso spicier. Did you help her, Tougou-san?"

When he reopened his eyes, he found Tougou staring blankly at him. As soon as they locked gazes, a red tint appeared on Tougou's milky white cheeks and the girl looked down at the table. She parted her rosebud lips a few times, but not a single syllable could be heard.

As a meaningful silence passed by, Tougou brushed off a lock of her black hair which was draped over her left shoulder.

"I'm… surprised you can tell, Issei-san."

Duh, why asking the obvious after all that we've been through?

"I've been living with you girls for an entire year now." Issei tilted his head and pulled his cheeks into a prideful grin. "I mean… it's kind of a letdown that none of us could go to the high-school we wanted, but we're all together again, and we're living under the same roof ever since we graduated from middle-school."

"...That's true," said Tougou, her smile growing soft and thin. "We have our Duty to consider, after all."

Issei wished he could deny that, but he couldn't say it out loud. At the very least, not in front of Tougou. The girl had a powerful sense of responsibility, and she divided official and personal matters very clearly. She was as stubborn as he was in that aspect, and unsurprisingly, it made him exasperate as he realized how difficult it was to convince such a numbskull.

Even though she doesn't have the obligation to serve Taisha and this country…

Breathing out, Issei shook his thoughts off by resuming dinner. The sounds that existed in the room came only from him using the table utensils and eating.

Once he was finished, though—

"Thanks for the food," Issei said.

"You're welcome," Tougou replied as she began tidying up. "Then, I will take my leave, Issei-san."

Issei nodded and gave his thanks. In turn, Tougou smiled. The girl left with the dishes carried on a tray, but as he watched her receding back… Issei inhaled—

"...Mimori-chan."

The girl halted her step. Rather than ignoring or even suddenly turning around, she stayed still for a moment before slowly but surely looked back at Issei.

"...I, well… good night," Issei said, looking away while he smiled sheepishly. "And, umm… Happy New Year."

The black-haired girl stared for a bit, chuckled with her empty hand held up to her lips, and nodded as her emerald eyes narrowed in a warm smile.

"Yes. I look forward to being with you again this year, Ise-kun."

Just like that, the girl gave her parting words and closed the sliding door leading to the inner part of the palace.

The only occupant of the room was left to his own thoughts. He looked up at the ceiling before he laid down on his back.

"Aah… this isn't good." Issei folded his arms beneath his head, a thin smile emerging on his face. "This is all so unbelievable that I feel like I don't deserve it at all…"

This is bliss, the youth thought. This is what pure happiness is.

When he woke up, he would greet the day happily and attend breakfast with the people he loved. He would go out during the day, study at school and do club activity. Afterward, he would work hard to maintain the peace and safety of the world he cared for, then he would return home and be greeted by those who would welcome him with smiles that warmed his heart.

"...This is what I'm fighting for," the youth said as if reminding himself. "This is the dream I wanted to realize."

It's fine even if it's hard to maintain, the young man thought. That shows how serious I am in achieving my life goal to live with the people that I hold dear. This means I'm actually trying my best so as to live without regrets.

The future might be bleak. Tomorrow might not be the same as today. There was nothing that could guarantee this happiness would continue to last. Even so…

"Even if the road is full of obstacles," Issei murmured, his eyelids fluttering down. "Even with all the difficulty that comes with it… I'll keep on doing my best."

Again and again and again.

Even if he had to overcome a million years of hardships. Even if he had to fall and try again from scratch. Even if he would live on while losing something important along the way…

"I'll do it." Issei extended his left arm to the ceiling and clenched his fist. "I'll fulfill all of my promises. I'll continue to walk this path to the very end."

Not because it was good or bad.

Not because it was the right or wrong thing to do.

He had found his determination to continue living in this ruined world.

"...I'll make the most memorable story about the greatest happiness that will ever exist," Issei pledged. "For those girls who gave me hope. For my family that continues to support me. For myself and my own selfishness…"

Then—

"And then," Issei breathed out, a soft smile permeating on his face. "This is the story I will tell you when we meet again… Gin-chan."

The calendar on the wall indicated Divine Era Year 303, January 1.

As pure white snowflakes continued to fall, the Era of the Gods entered a new phase.

This is a story like any other. A fairytale that is no different than the rest. It may fade away in the passage of time. It may not be completed in time. It may not end in the way the writer originally hoped for. It may vanish like the thawing snow, forgotten by everyone and everything. Have you heard this story before?

This is the tale of those who wished to set history in motion.

AN: Well, this is the start of the sequel. I apologize it took times to upload here, but making a Fusion AU is pretty hard since I'm going to both hit and wreck stations of canon pretty easily. Once again, welcome to the world of Scales and Flower Petals. Happy new year and may you have a pleasant reading experience.