From the ruined remains of the once pristine hospital lobby, three groups met.

"Mayu!" With Kenta's arm clutched in her hand, Drew ran to her friend. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"Drew?"

The two friends hugged each other. "This is a weird dream."

Drew let out a breath, the metaphorical kind, which she's been keeping for a while. "Yeah, you're right. You're dreaming." Because convincing her friend that she was dreaming was the perfect excuse. "Hopefully, you'll wake up from this dream in a while."

The two friends gave each other a look of understanding, before turning to Kenta, who looked confused.

"Lucid dreaming," Mayu elaborated. "When one is aware that they are dreaming."

Drew sent a pleading look at Kenta who nodded – albeit hesitantly.

"So Minato-niichan's still asleep?" Maiko's head visibly deflated.

Zia walked towards the group of similarly dressed teens led by a female adult.

The one wearing a blue tracksuit patted the kid's head, "Don't worry. We'll help him. He'll wake-up."

She wanted to listen more with their conversation but just outside, a loud thud was heard.

It was that winged, black dragon.

At first, Sadie didn't recognize her. Because at school, this girl looked very different. Tacky pink eyeliner, heels that sounded like an angry elephant stomping whenever she walked, and always looking like she was some Asian barbie doll with her silky hair and loud clothes. That was her default look – in BAG that is. Lacy also doesn't like her.

In fact, what made her unrecognizable was the fact that she was so… affectionate. To that girl and that boy. Like they were dear to her.

Alas, it was unmistakable.

This was Drew Tanaka – the school tyrant. Ringleader of one of the most notorious cliques Sadie has ever known. If Regina George was given an Asian reskin and got relabeled as Plastic Bag, that was her.

The villainess.

She who has everyone at the palm of her hands.

"Drew Tanaka." Her voice was crisp, almost piercing.

The girl in question froze up upon hearing her name get called.

Sadie's smile was annoyed. "Why am I not surprised you're in the middle of this mess?"

Shuhei saw Kenta. "Kenta! My man, you're alive!" He hooked his friend's neck with his arm and dragged him away from Drew and Mayu – Mayu and Drew were busy talking to each other to notice them.

"I see you're okay as well, Shuhei."

"Of course, it's going to take a lot more than that to get rid me, you know."

The fairy that had helped Shuhei flew towards them and dragged him by the ear.

"Ow-hey!" Shuhei was led until he and Kenta were outside of the building.

The presence of the Moon created a haven for the assembled yokai. Not only that, the dragon who settled just outside breathed fire to any of that black wrongness that dared to get closer on the safety net's boundary.

A few god attendants created a receiving area for their leader as did some of the yokai for theirs.

"So, may I ask what the esteemed Moon will do now that they've entered the Anomaly?" Nurahiyo asked, seiza impeccable on a zabuton, eyes unseen from all the wrinkles on his face.

"Investigate." Tsukuyomi was seated cross-legged on his zabuton. The one that was floating on a cloud.

"Interesting. The yokai and I will go towards Minato-sama." There was a silence that passed, "You're welcome to join us."

Tsukuyomi's reply was left unheard because then, the Nurahiyon was gone, as well as his entourage.

Shuhei and Kenta had to squint. The fairy was eluding something from high up but seeing as the night sky was barely illuminated by the eerie green hue of the moon; it was very hard to see what it was.

"I don't get it. What are we looking at?" Shuhei asked the fairy.

"She's just worried." Said a third voice.

"Ooh! Kaichou!"

"You do realize that was just an illusion, right?" The boy who had been called kaichou all this time had a gruff-looking face. Currently, he had a smug look on his face, but the glint in his eyes told them otherwise.

Shuhei thought about it, and then snapped his fingers. "You're right! I don't know you."

His face was one of those rough-looking ones. Despite the spotless schoolboy appearance, his aura was like his boss. His gang's leader.

"In any case, any idea what's going?" Kenta's voice made all eyes turn to him.

Drew knew who she was. One of those girls that tried to steer clear from her – in her previous school. Well, not that she could blame her, Drew was a piece of work when she studied in that school.

Still, she was a nameless girl who tried to keep a low profile. Especially since Lacy, her demigod sister, had taken a liking to her. Drew didn't really involve herself into the girl's business – because of Lacy. Even though the two demigod siblings held no affection for each other, Drew knew her boundaries. A solidarity born from an unspoken rule between fellow cabinmates in Camp – to a time before Silena was their leader.

But her hostility though. "Hello." She settled with that – in English.

This girl immediately learned that her jab had backfired on her. Verbal spars – where everything has double-meaning, with every word used in the exchange were weapons tipped with poison – were what Drew excelled in.

Shady, is what her 'friends' called her before in America.

Drew watched as the girl's defiant stance crumbled when she countered her opening with kindness – read: non-hostility. Snarky-ness loses its sharpness when returned with impeccable thoughtfulness.

"W-well! I didn't really think you were dragged into this mess." It was a decent follow-up. She was younger and messing up added to her aesthetic, but Drew knew how to destroy young saplings like her – it was why she was able to keep her reign on the school.

"As we all. I didn't think you're one to accuse someone of being the one who started this mess."
Translation: Bitch, I want you to repeat that again, I dare you.

To destroy a girl with this type of archetype (the tomboyish, fiery but cutesy kind), one just had to imply that her words had crossed a line. Bonus points if done with grace (and fake kindness).

Drew knew that she won the battle when the girl's friend, the pretty girl with caramel-colored skin, looked at the girl with disapproving eyes.

"Sadie!" Critical hit, because her friend sounded like the no-nonsense type.

The girl named Sadie shrunk further.

The female patted Sadie's shoulder and turned to Drew and Mayu. "I'm sorry about that."

Drew, if she was still the same Drew at BAG, knew how to put the final nail on the coffin (one that designated this girl with role of outcast) but since she isn't here with a vendetta – at least against this Sadie girl, she let it slide.

"Don't be, tonight's just been really hard on us."

Translation: It's okay, it's not like she knew that I have been through far worse tonight.

Doesn't mean she couldn't be shady.

That earned a light elbow from Mayu.

The ice princess (with her limited English) saw through Drew. Ignoring Mayu's face that looked like she was burning a hole through her head, she looked at the two girls and said, "I think let's speak with everyone over there."

The battle over, with Sadie's reputation smeared in Zia's eyes, the four girls walked over to the gods.

–only to find that Nurahiyon had left the area of that pristine-looking supernatural person.

Gods on one side, Yokai on the other. Humanity, composed of three factions, converged between the two.

One was the group who had tried and succeeded in entering the [Anomaly] – people who were well-versed in the supernatural.

The second was a group of mysterious people who wore similar clothes – a school uniform and PE clothes of an unknown, almost foreign, school. Except for that one woman, but they referred to her as their teacher. There was that teen too with the green jacket, but while he couldn't be part of the group, he kept close to them. They were the one who generally kept to themselves, but the first group saw them and thought it fit to approach them.

The last group were Drew's group – the bystanders. People who were drawn to the assembly because the first two groups were converging together.

"Any idea how Arisato-san got mixed into this mess?"

Drew's voice was polite, but with a hint of annoyance, just to ensure that people would need to answer her question.

The leader of the mysterious group, the adult woman, stepped up. "He's… he's going through some things." She had wood-colored hair and had that no-nonsense air.

"So he is the cause of this [Anomaly]." The Magician said, making a hammering motion using his fist and an open palm.

"Not that he wanted to." Added the teacher.

"What do you mean?" Asked the Priestess.

"What do you do when you've fulfilled your purpose?"

Odd question, but Drew had enough with their vagueness. "I'll be happy, of course! But what's this got to do with what's happening right now?"

"Ah," the bespectacled female student with a student council band on her arm spoke up, "But what if, at the end of your journey, you find out that all that you hold dear have been lost in the sands of time?"

"I, for one, would be upset," Sadie's companion, the pretty girl with caramel-colored skin said.

"That's exactly what Minato-kun fee–"

"Who cares?" Sadie crossed her arms, "Let's just wake him up already." She stepped forward, "It's enough that I know this dude's behind this."

"Huh?" The assembled humans turned to her.

"We're here to get rid of an [Anomaly], not understand how it works. The result is what matters."

Drew flipped her hair in an annoyed manner. "She's right. Besides, I'd rather not think that he just wants someone to comfort him. Because if he was, he's acting pretty childish, if you ask me." Drew had a sneaking suspicion as to why there was a reason why all these supernatural beings are gathered around, and she's not talking about the Japanese gods and yokai.

Drew turned to the mysterious students and teacher. "He's fighting those shadows right now, isn't he? Despite being unconscious, he's been trying to contain them?" That if he could control gods from the Indian pantheon, maybe he too could control beings from other factions. Those monsters they were fighting, as evidenced to that time a few days ago, Minato was doing crowd control.

At the mysterious group's silence, the one wearing a green jacket laughed. And applauded.

"Wonderful! This girl's got it."

He turned to the group of high school students (plus teacher) and nodded. "Go. Bebe needs your help. I'll talk to them."

They nodded and, without any words exchanged, entered the hospital.

Once they were gone, he turned around and grinned at Drew. "Amazing deduction skills."

"We may be acquaintances, but I know of him." Drew said. "He's…"

"He's a nice boy." This came from Mayu. "He helps people without asking for anything in return."

Taichi would've explained it much be-

"He protects the weak." Shuhei chimed in.

When everyone looked at him, Drew included, Shuhei made an apologetic face. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize you guys knew him." He stood straighter, "I'm someone who's… a little in on the dark side of the neighborhood. My crew had a run-in with him when one of the nearby rival crews was harassing the locals – he was trying to help someone from getting beaten up."

Mayu looked surprised. "I didn't know that."

Shuhei laughed, "Me and my crew respect him a lot because of it. We visit him in his place of work just to check in on him, you know?"

"Before anything," Sadie cut-in, looking confused, "Is this Arisato person and Minato person the same?"

All eyes turned to her. The Magician said yes and explained Japanese honorifics and such.

Sadie's friend tried to intervene, to take all the reproachful look of eyes off of Sadie, "Sorry for being insensitive." When most eyes soften a bit, "I'm sure he's a nice guy too, but how does that relate to him fighting these shadows?"

"He's the one in control of everything except the shadows." Drew said, before adding, "I think." She turned to green-jacket guy.

"Not everything." The guy in the green jacket said. "the name's –

[ Moros ]

There was a voice that spoke into Drew's head.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Jin," the guy in a green jacket said. "My name's Jin. Anyway, Minato is… special."

"He's the [ ▃▂▄▅▂▃▄ ]."

What was that word (?) again? Mayu wanted to repeat what Jin said, but the way how his mouth moved, the way his jaw clenched, the sound that came from his vocal cords, it didn't feel, hear and look like a word a normal human could replicate.

"The what?" Drew repeated.

"He's Exalted." Came from the Priestess. Eyes set on one of her. I think I know this person. If she were a little younger, a little shorter. If she dressed in a certain way, with loud colors and dabbling in lip tints, she'd look just like. "You're Suzu's sister."

Drew looked at Mayu and the Priestess.

Miyoko: the older, wiser, better version. At least that's what people in the neighborhood said. They'd followed it with a click of their tongues because said person was rebelling – well both sisters were rebelling, Miyoko just took it one step further.

The Priestess named Miyoko tilted her head. "I'm sorry, do we know each other?"

Mayu shook her head then bowed respectfully. "No, we're friends of your sister."

"You're right; she does look like an older Suzu."

"We're getting off-track here," Sadie said, "What does Exalted even mean? I mean, Isis tried to explain it to me, but I don't even know if what she's saying is in English or not."

"He's what we'd call Bodhisattva in my sect. But I think he's already transcended that." Said the Buddhist.

The Magician turned to the Buddhist, "Is that even possible though? To transcend [Enlightenment]?"

"I don't know…" The Buddhist said unsure. He crossed his arms, "I still don't like you."

"We need to wake up Minato." Jin said, adjusting his glasses.

"Yeah, I've heard that, like, five times already." Drew said. "At this point, since all of ya'll aren't answering my questions about Arisato-san, I don't care anymore. Let's just go."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa-" Sadie stepped up. "What are you gonna do? I don't even know what you're doing here." She crossed her arms, "How'd you end up in Japan, anyway?"

Jin waved a hand at her dismissively, "She can wake him up."

"How?" Sadie's friend asked.

Drew turned around, "I just can, that's all you need to know." Even if Minato is somehow resistant to my Charmspeak.

Sadie raised a hand in defense, "Okay. But, where is he then?"

"Look up."

The Moon, being the deification of a heavenly body, felt something amiss of said heavenly body.

"Milord?"

While Tsukuyomi had near absolute [Administrative Access] to the satellite orbiting around the planet – just like the other gods and goddesses that represented the moon, something was off about it right now.

It was faint when he entered the anomaly. But now that he has time to reflect (pun) something akin to poison was residing in the moon. But it wasn't an insidious poison. Like when you used an ingredient on a dish that should never be used in said dish.

"Let us investigate the moon."

"He's up there? Cool. All we need is to get there." Sadie said.

"Excuse me." The Priestess said quietly, bowing and going back to the gods of Takamagahara.

The Buddhist watched as the Priestess stepped on the gods' cloud and blended into the background as the cloud ascended into the heavens. "Easier said than done." He said.

"Yeah, the Nurahiyon's gone." The Magician said. "His [Mystery] was able to keep us safe."

"We don't need him anymore." Zia said, getting everyone's attention.

"Zia?"

"I've got us a ride." She pointed at the hulking figure just a couple of feet away.

"That dragon?"

"Not a dragon." Zia said.

He is Set.

The goddess said. Zia wasn't sure if... Wait, did I hear that right?

He is. At least a different version of my husband. But still my husband nonetheless.

Are you sure that he will help us? Zia asked.

My dear, if he was after us, he would've reduced us to ashes by now. It would've been that easy for him. Trust me.

I don't though. I don't trust you gods one bit. Not even you–especially you.

The goddess Nephthys was quiet for a moment, Ask my sister's host. Isis will recognize him for sure.

"Sadie, would you like to ride Set?" Zia settled with that.

Her friend looked at her like she grew an extra head, but there was a pause before she nodded.

See, I was right. Isis knows that that's Set.

The two magicians walked towards the winged creature – the one the goddesses called their brother. The very same that, a few months ago, was trying to kill them.

"Hello, Set." Zia or maybe Nephthys (?!) said.

The dragon didn't say anything, and merely nodded its head and bowed. It's long serpentine neck made it easy for it to reach the ground.

The two magicians took the queue to climb on top the dragon's head.

Zia looked at the others, "Let us go."

"Riding a flying dragon instead of climbing up the tower…" Drew turned to Mayu who was muttering something to herself. "Very subversive."

"Are you okay?" Kenta turned to Mayu.

Said girl was biting her thumb's nail, "Oh, yes. I'm fine, Kenta. It's just that normally; a journey set in a tower is done by climbing said tower."

"We don't have the time and energy to climb the tower." Drew recognized the boy, he was the one who escorted her and Minato out of the Underworld a few days ago.

Stil…

She leaned towards her female friend and whispered, "Mayu, you know that guy?"

Mayu turned to Drew then to the boy, "Oh, I forgot to introduce you guys, this is Īsan."

They boy looked at Drew, and somehow, acted like it was their first time meeting. "Hello."

Good thing, because that's exactly what Drew wanted. "Nice to meet you."

Mayu smiled, "I just met him today, at the hospital."

"Somehow, you three chatting like we aren't riding a freaken dragon is kinda funny to me." Shuhei said. "I mean, here we are, clutching for dear life on some dragon, and you three are talking like we're in school or some shit."

"Well, this is a dream after all, you know." Mayu said.

"Yeah, speaking about that, well–

Boom! Crash! Crack!

"We're here." The pretty girl named Zia called out. She was the one who took to riding the dragon with ease the most. Right after her, Sadie. The two girls rode atop the dragon's head while the others rode on the dragon's back.

They were on the building's rooftop.

That foreign-looking student named Bebe was fighting Minato, or what appears to be a still unconscious Minato surrounded by a black aura. And countless shadow creatures that made her godly heritage scream.

"Sadie? What're you doing?" Zia called out.

Drew turned to the two girls and saw Sadie became enveloped in this iridescent light. The wings appeared from her back. Wings made of swirling rainbows.

She launched up from the dragon's head and joined the fray.

"That's my queue, I guess." Her body trembled with a mix of emotions: fear and nervousness but also excitement. Like this was a battle she needed to be in. That defeating those shadows were the purpose of her life. She feared for her safety, yes, but at the same time, she feared for the safety of her friends and the bystanders caught in this conflict – her godly heritage giving her the necessary mental fortitude and quite possibly the endorphins in her bloodstream to partake in this battle.

"We're coming with you." This came from Mayu.

Drew turned to her friend, then to Kenta who agreed with Mayu, "No you're not. You're both gonna stay here and be safe."

"But-"

"Sleep."

And her two friends, plus that Shuhei guy, were out like a light. She turned to Īsan, "Watch over them for me."

Īsan cradled Mayu's unconscious form close to him while he used his hands to grab onto Kenta and Shuhei. "Break a leg."

She smiled, "Thanks."

She turned to the two other humans, the Buddhist and the Magician, "And you?"

"We're coming with you." The Buddhist summoned his shakujo, his staff, while the Magician patted the baboon on his shoulder.

She nodded at them then to Jin. "We're ready."

A/N: apologies for the delayed update. Lost my job due to the plague, spent time trying to get back on my feet - I'm getting there. I now have some free time so expect the next update a bit sooner than expected. Stay safe guys, and be careful!