The office was thankfully deserted when Itsuki and Touma arrived, and immediately Itsuki started pulling off his armor and cape. It was at this time that Touma informed him that he had left his other clothes back in the barracks of Archanea's palace.
"Perfect," Itsuki sighed as he slumped into his chair. "We'll figure something out. I can run out and get you something." He shoved his sword and armor under his desk and pulled off his tunic, leaving him in a button-down shirt, his leggings, and he kicked off his boots. He decided he'd look for another place to stash his things later, but was more concerned with the monsters and contacting the other former Mirage Masters.
"Hello?"
Both Itsuki and Touma froze at the sound of a voice along with the door opening. Panic quickly overtook Touma's face, but Itsuki jumped up and quickly put on an inquisitive look as he circled around his friend.
"So this is what they want you to wear?" He asked, and Touma stared at him a moment longer before catching on quickly.
"Yeah. It's a period piece, sort of. Fantasy adventure, and I'm the knight." Itsuki nodded thoughtfully and looked up at their visitor.
"Oh, Robin!" Robin dipped his head. "Wow, is it that time already?"
"Is this a bad time?" Robin asked, and Itsuki shook his head.
"No, not at all. This is Touma Akagi. He was just showing me his costume for a production he'll be part of."
"It's very authentic, from the look of it," Robin said. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Akagi."
"Touma is fine," he replied. "So, Robin, what brings you by?"
"We had set up a formal interview a couple of days ago," Itsuki explained. "But time sort of got away from me. I hope Robin will be our new secretary, now that Ayaha is back in the idol industry. I can handle most of it, but I could use some help, especially since we'll be getting busy soon."
"Makes sense," Touma said. Itsuki gestured toward the couches, and he and Robin sat down.
"I'm sorry I'm not more prepared," the president said. "Thanks for coming by. How's Tokyo for you?"
"It's a beautiful city," Robin replied. "Easy to get lost though. But I've got a decent sense of direction. I'm sure I could do well here- already looked into some potential living arrangements."
"That's good," Itsuki nodded. "Okay, so... basically, I'm looking for someone to help me run Fortuna smoothly. We're like a family here."
"Or a kingdom," Touma called from over by Itsuki's desk. "Itsuki's our leader and we follow orders!" Itsuki shot him a sour look as he peeked around the corner, and he grinned as he retreated.
"Anyway," Itsuki sighed. "Mostly you'd be in charge of keeping track of schedules, appointments, job offers, general organization, and maybe running some errands for us, if that's okay. You'd kind of be my second-in-command here in the office."
"I think I can handle that," Robin said with a nod. "I'm good at organizing and I can multitask pretty easily, plus I can help keep track of how everyone is doing, make sure they're meeting their potential. I'd be happy to help you, Mr. Aoi."
"Again, Itsuki is fine," the president replied. "We're on a first name basis here." He smiled as he remembered his initial meeting with Maiko. "We do things a bit oddly around here, I'll admit. But I think you'll fit in quite well." Robin looked down in thought for a moment.
"I'd be honored to serve you, Itsuki," he said as he looked back up. "I still can't put my finger on it, but you really do remind me of someone. You... have a noble spirit about you." Itsuki smiled again.
"Thank you, Robin. So, do we have an agreement?" He held out his hand.
"We do," Robin replied and shook his hand. "I look forward to working with you. When do you want me to start?"
"Come by tomorrow morning and I'll show you around," Itsuki said. "Does that work for you?"
"I can do that," Robin nodded and stood up. "Anything else right now?"
"No, we'll cover everything else tomorrow." He stood up as well. "Thank you again, Robin. I'll see you in the morning."
"Until then!" Robin waved and headed out, and once the door had shut behind him, Touma let out a huge sigh of relief.
"That was close," he said as he came to Itsuki's side. "So we've got a new secretary? Where'd you meet him?"
"Yokohama," Itsuki said. "Long story. I'll tell you later. Right now, can you contact Yashiro and Mamori? I'll take care of the others. Tsubasa and Ellie should still be on set, and Kiria should be free right now." Touma nodded, but his face fell quickly. "What's wrong?"
"My phone was in my pants pocket. Which is in the barracks. Which is in Archanea. Which is in another world." Itsuki sighed and massaged his forehead.
"Just use the office phone. That may even spark a bit more urgency. We'll get your stuff next time we go there. Hopefully Cain will recognize it and keep it somewhere safe." He returned to his desk and rummaged through his things before he pulled out his phone, and he scrolled down for Kiria's contact.
"Kiria, come to the office as soon as you can. There's a pretty big problem we need to take care of."
He hit the send button, then pulled up Tsubasa's contact.
"I'm sorry to interrupt filming, but I need you and Ellie back here as soon as possible. Tell them there's been an emergency here and I send my personal apologies."
He sent it and leaned back in his chair as Touma called Mamori, waiting for a reply. His phone buzzed quickly and he looked down to find Kiria's reply.
"On my way. What's wrong?"
He typed out a response and sent it.
"The Mirages aren't as far gone as we thought. I'll explain when everyone gets here."
He waited a moment longer, then Tsubasa's reply came through.
"Ellie and I are grabbing dinner. What's wrong?"
He chewed the inside of his lip as he replied.
"We've got a Mirage-related problem. I'll do what I can to cover for you. I just need you back as soon as you can get here. It's serious."
Her response didn't take long.
"Are you serious? Okay we'll be on the next train to Tokyo. Hold on a little bit."
There was a slight delay before another message came through.
"Are you okay, Itsuki?"
He smiled a bit as he realized just what she was referring to.
"I'm fine. Oddly enough, the nightmares haven't been much of a problem lately."
Her reply popped up quickly.
"That's good. We'll be there in a couple of hours."
He leaned back on the couch and covered his face with his hands, disbelief at the situation clouding his mind. Even though he had been to not one, but two different places separate from his own world, even though Touma was chattering away on the phone with either Yashiro or Mamori while dressed in full knights' armor, even though he had just an hour or two ago been fighting living skeletons and zombies and spiders, he still could barely believe this wasn't just some ridiculously elaborate nightmare. But the pain from the zombie's claws in his arm, the clarity of the new worlds and people in them, and the voice that had warned him of all this in the first place... they were way too real to be a dream.
"Yashiro is on his way," Touma said as he turned the corner. "He's over in Shibuya, but- you okay, man?" Itsuki looked up and nodded.
"Yeah, I'm okay. Just tired. And a little overwhelmed. I can't believe this is all happening again, but... it's even more than the Mirages. At least we knew what was going on and how to stop it. But now, we don't even know what's causing it all."
"I know," Touma agreed as he sat down. "It's nuts. I never would have thought anything would be more difficult than what happened before. But this?" He shook his head. "Well, anyway. Mamori is wrapping up filming for Microwavin', then she'll be here as soon as she can."
"That's fine," Itsuki said. "Tsubasa and Ellie will be a couple of hours anyway. We may be able to travel to other worlds almost instantly, but that doesn't mean there's a portal from here to Yokohama."
"Uh... in that case, can you run out and get me something to change into?" Touma asked, scratching the back of his head. "My training stuff should be over at Uzume." He paused. "I guess I could ask Yashiro to grab 'em."
"Nah, I'll go," Itsuki said. "I could use the air anyway. And Kiria should be here soon, so she can keep you company." Touma nodded. "In the meantime, you can probably lock up- I'm not expecting anyone else right now. That way no one will show up uninvited."
"Okay," Touma nodded again. "Thanks a bunch, man. Sorry for the trouble." Itsuki smiled and shook his head.
"Don't worry. With everything going on, this is a breeze." He stood up and grabbed his things, then excused himself to the office's restroom to finish changing back into his usual clothes. He bade Touma luck and headed out to catch a train to Shibuya.
Once he had reached his stop, he crossed the street and pulled out the spare key Barry had left him before he left for his international tour. Fortuna still used Uzume for practice and rehearsal regularly, but Itsuki hadn't had much reason to come by recently. He made his way to their storage and grabbed Touma's training outfit, put it in his bag, and left, locking the door behind him.
"Itsuki," he heard someone call, and he turned to find Yashiro coming toward him. "I was just on my way back to the office. What brings you?"
"I had to pick up a change of clothes for Touma," he replied, patting his bag. "I hope you weren't in the middle of anything. It's important we get together, but Tsubasa and Ellie will be a while."
"I don't have anything pressing at the moment," Yashiro replied. "So what is so urgent?"
"It has to do with the Mirages," Itsuki replied in a low voice. Yashiro's brow rose slightly, though the rest of his expression remained unchanged. "Well, actually, it's a lot bigger than the Mirages. I'll explain once everyone is together." Yashiro gave him a small nod.
"Does anyone else know about this?" He asked.
"Only Touma," Itsuki said. "You'll understand when we get back to the office." Yashiro looked a bit annoyed to be left out of the loop, but he didn't complain.
"Very well. Just remember, Itsuki. No matter what happens, I have your back and I'll follow you anywhere." Itsuki dipped his head as they came to the station, bound for the office.
"Thanks, Yashiro. I appreciate the support." The boys boarded the train and talked lightly on the way back. Yashiro wasn't much for conversation, but he was pleasant and friendly for whatever topics Itsuki could think of. Nevertheless, the president was glad to be back at the office once they arrived. Once they were up, he knocked on the door.
"Touma, open up!" He called. "I've got your clothes." There was a slight delay, then a click as Touma unlocked and opened the door. He'd finally removed his armor, but still stood in an Archanean Knight's uniform, thick but light and colored like rust lined in gold. Even without the armor, his attire did manage to draw a stronger reaction from Yashiro.
"What in the world are you wearing, Akagi?" He demanded as they stepped in, and Itsuki closed the door behind them.
"A Cavalier uniform," Touma replied with a face straight as an arrow, and Itsuki laughed as Yashiro stared at him. Without another word, the president pulled out the clothes and handed them over, and Touma thanked him before heading into the bathroom.
"Where did he get that?" Yashiro asked, turning to Itsuki.
"It's a long story," he said. "I'll explain everything once everyone gets here." He could tell simply from his expression that Yashiro wasn't keen on the idea of waiting, but he didn't argue.
About the same time Touma returned wearing his training clothes, Kiria walked in and looked over the three boys.
"Are the others on their way?" She asked after they had exchanged greetings, and Itsuki nodded.
"Mamori is finishing filming and Tsubasa and Ellie are on a train back from Yokohama," he said. "Might as well make yourselves comfortable. This will take a while." They did so, and he returned to his desk to catch up on some paperwork he'd been meaning to work on. It was hard to focus on when he could see his sword peeking out from under his desk.
"Maybe I shouldn't have told everyone," he mumbled to himself, then realized everyone would have been extremely angry at him for taking this on by himself. They had agreed two years ago that they would all support each other no matter what. If one was in a fight, they all were.
A little over an hour later, the seven former Mirage Masters had finally assembled with varying degrees of concern and curiosity. Itsuki took a breath and picked up his sword and the document Chrom had given him, then joined his companions by the couch. Other than Touma, he could tell they were already confused.
"That's not Chrom, right?" Kiria asked, and Itsuki shook his head.
"No, though he did give it to me." Five dumbfounded gazes stared at him. "It started over in Harajuku. I found a portal hidden there that took me to Ylisse, Chrom's homeland. As I went through it, a voice called to me, told me that our world, along with many others, is in danger thanks to some Demon King." He explained everything that had happened in Ylisse and Archanea as quickly and with as much detail as possible. Everyone listened intently and didn't interrupt. "So now, my best guess is that we'll have to travel these Outrealms and stop the Demon King before he makes it here. I don't want to think about what may happen if he does." Silence gripped the air as his words sunk in, though Touma caught his eye, and he tilted his head curiously.
"You left something out, man. What about that stuff about your dragon blood?"
Itsuki's face flushed a red brighter than he cared to admit to as the others reacted to this- Tsubasa stammering, Mamori floundering, Eleonora demanding an explanation, and Kiria and Yashiro simply staring at him with wide eyes.
"Wh-What does he mean 'dragon blood?!'" Tsubasa asked. He shot Touma a bit of a dirty look before taking a breath to steady himself.
"The voice I heard told me that I 'bear the blood of ancient dragons,'" he said in a voice just loud enough for them to hear. "Chrom said he's met people from other worlds that came to his and Marth thinks I could have a trace of mixed blood. I don't know where it comes from or what it means. There's no doubt that I'm human- I can't turn into a dragon like Tiki or anything, and I wouldn't want to even if I could. I'm just..." the volume of his voice dropped. "A little different."
"Marth said it might explain why his body and spirit are so strong," Touma added.
"I remember Tharja remarking on it," Kiria recalled. "How it took someone extraordinarily special to be the vessel for a lord like Chrom." This didn't help Itsuki's flustered face. "Having strong Performa like us wasn't enough. You needed something more. Maybe this dragon blood is part of it." Itsuki shook his head, lost for words.
"Regardless," Yashiro interrupted. "Our focus should be on protecting Tokyo from the Demon King, whoever or whatever he is."
"And you're all okay with that?" Itsuki asked.
"Of course," Kiria said. "We're all a team. We'll fight with you."
"This will be harder than the Mirages," the president pointed out. "We may be gone days at a time and I don't know what we'll find in other worlds."
"So be it," Eleonora said. "We managed it last time, we'll do it now. Besides, you said time flows differently in the Outrealms, so we should be able to cover at least some of it. And there's no point being a performer if there's no one to perform for."
"I still want to protect everyone!" Mamori piped up. "Whether I have Mr. Draug with me or not, I want to keep everyone safe."
"I already told you, Itsuki, you have my support," Yashiro added. "Eleonora is right. We are more than performers, artists, idols, actors. We're something much greater."
"Like... Guardians," Tsubasa agreed. "We're the guardians of our world! That's what Fortuna has always been about." Kiria nodded in agreement. "Besides, I want to know more about the world Caeda and the others came from." Itsuki smiled.
"All right. Everyone, go home and get some good rest tonight. Tomorrow, I have a quick thing to take care of in the morning, then Ellie, Kiria, I want you two to come back with me to Ylisse so I can tell Chrom about this. Everyone else, I want you to look around the area and see if you can find any other paths to other worlds. Don't go through them, not yet. But let me know what you find." They all voiced their agreements. "Okay. I'll see you all here tomorrow." With that, the Fortuna family began to disperse, and while Itsuki again returned to his desk, he found Tsubasa joining him.
"It's gonna be okay," she told him, resting her hand on his scarred shoulder. He rested his hand over hers and held it tightly.
"I know," he nodded. "But... Will you promise me something?"
"Of course." She smiled.
"I know I need you here while I go back to Ylisse... but after that, no matter where we go... will you stay at my side?" She blushed a bit.
"Yeah, of course! I'd be happy to. I'll always support you, Itsuki. Just like you do for me." He smiled as well and squeezed her hand briefly, then released it.
"Thank you, Tsubasa. Now go home and get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning." She nodded, then, after a moment, gave him a quick peck on the cheek that caught him off guard. She was gone before he could say anything about it, so he simply sat back, wondering about the fluttering in his chest.