"Sanji, welcome to our humble abode," Daisuke introduced as he opened the door to the Hayashis' house, "Well, their humble abode but I come here so often, it might as well be my house too."

"Wow, you did really well this past couple of years, huh?" Sanji marveled at the sight.

The house, while just big enough to be occupied by an average family, had clearly expensive items. Examples being a large flatscreen TV with a full speaker set, porcelain jars that were also works of art, and a nice chandelier hanging over the dinner table. There was a staircase leading to the second floor and the door to Tetsuya's workshop in the basement was open for Sanji to see.

Tetsuya scratched his cheek in embarrassment but the look of pride could not be clearer on his face. "After finishing my apprenticeship in my company, I quickly moved up the ranks and I was fairly well-paid. I'd rather spend my money on my side projects but Amaya wanted to spruce the house up a bit so I obliged."

"You make it sound like you agreed easily. I had to beg for months before you agreed. Very reluctantly, too," Amaya complained.

Her brother could only smile. On the way back, she was silent with a faraway look in her eyes. Now, she was back to normal. "But the important thing is I agreed."

"Anyway," Daisuke interjected before Amaya could continue the squabble, "I'm going to cook our late lunch, or early dinner depending on whether we eat later or not. You guys can go and rest up."

"No, let me help. I'm sure you're tired too," Amaya offered.

The man shook his head in response. "Don't worry about me. You guys had to get close and personal. I just had to pull the trigger every now and again. I still have enough energy to cook so just go."

The woman was about to insist when Tetsuya put a hand on her shoulder and replied in her stead. "There's no arguing with you, is there?"

"Nope."

"Okay. I'm going to get Sanji a room. We'll be upstairs if you need us."

Tetsuya went up the stairs first. Sanji gladly followed and Amaya followed as well albeit not as gladly. Just before they could get out of earshot, Daisuke suggested, "Oh, and get Sanji a change of clothes. He must be itching to get out of that tattered kimono."

Immediately, Sanji said, "Yes, please. You can throw this damn thing away while you're at it."

Tetsuya raised an eyebrow at his eagerness but decided not to ask and just nodded. "Okay, I'll sort through my closet and give you some of my old clothes. They should still be good enough to wear."

"Thank you so much."

While Tetsuya went ahead to his room, Amaya pulled Sanji aside into another room. This one was a lot less extravagant than the other rooms. It had a single plain queen-sized bed, a few cabinets, and two bedside drawers.

"You can stay here for now. This is our parents' bedroom but I don't think they'd mind you sleeping in it while they're away. I'd have given you Yuuya's room but we haven't remodeled this room and that since they went missing and my little brother was still eight at the time," Amaya explained. The look of melancholy in her eyes was plain for the world to see although the only one who could was Sanji.

"You really do believe they're out there, huh?" he said. If it were any other day, she would have heard the relief in his voice but she was still a little shaken from the encounter earlier that day.

"Their bodies were never found and I wouldn't trust the police to find their way out of a cardboard box," she replied, clenching her fist as anger briefly overtook her. She quickly got a hold of herself before continuing, "I know they'll come back to us. Don't ask me how I know, I just do."

Sanji smiled at her. Looking at it, Amaya could not help but calm down and relax. "Okay, I won't. I trust you."

The woman found herself smiling as well. "Enough about me. You still won't tell us anything about…" she gestured at his slightly aged face, "… this so why don't you tell me about your family. How are your parents?"

To her surprise, Sanji froze up. His jaw started shaking as his eyes welled up with tears. "Mom… Dad…" he quietly whispered before bursting into sobs.

Amaya quickly apologized, "I'm really sorry about that. I-i didn't know—" Once again, she was surprised. Sanji suddenly pulled her into his embrace and started crying into her shoulder. Not knowing what else to do, she put one of her hands on his back and with the other, she gently patted his head. "There, there, it's okay. You're not alone. I'm here."

For the third time, she was surprised. It worked. He started to calm down and after a few seconds, his cries were reduced to sniffles. His eyes then burst wide open and he immediately jumped back, almost falling over. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me."

Despite her confusion, Amaya put on her best relaxing smile. "It's fine. We all have to let our feelings out every now and again. I'll go get you a glass of water."

"Thanks."

As soon as Amaya went out the door, Tetsuya came in holding a comically big pile of clothes that blocked his vision. "Here are some of my old clothes. Amaya frequently takes me shopping with her and buys clothes for me too so don't worry about how many clothes I'm giving you, I have a whole lot more…" he trailed off after putting the pile down on the bed and seeing Sanji's reddened eyes. "Have you been crying?"

Immediately, Sanji turned around and wiped his eyes. "Shut up! I wasn't crying, I was just sweating through my eyes."

Leaving Sanji and Amaya to themselves, Tetsuya went back downstairs to his best friend who was nearly finished with the meal he was cooking. The man had changed his clothes and grabbed a new pair of glasses to replace his broken ones. He was now wearing a business suit and he had a bag that held his laptop.

"Dai, remember that spike I had you examine?" he asked as he smoothed out his suit.

"Yeah?" his friend replied almost absentmindedly.

"You never did tell me in detail what you found."

Daisuke then turned the stove off as he finished cooking and paid full attention to the conversation he was having. "Yeah, now that you mention it, you're right. We found a DNA sequence that looked like a jigsaw puzzle with pieces that don't belong with each other. It had pieces of human, stag beetle, great diving beetle, and something new entirely which I'm guessing is the Effigy DNA. By all means, anything with this DNA should not be living and even weirder is that there's more stag beetle than great diving beetle in there. What isn't as surprising is that there is as much human DNA as there is Effigy DNA and those two make up most of the DNA."

Tetsuya put his hand to his chin as he processed the information, "So he was originally human then. If that's the case, why didn't any of those formless Effigies possess us?"

"I don't know," Daisuke shrugged his shoulders, "That's why I'm considering getting a piece of another Effigy to examine. Maybe I can recreate an Effigy to examine."

"I see. The more we know about these monsters, the better we can fight against them. I assume you're keeping this completely secret from anyone who might oppose you."

"You know me so well."

Tetsuya nodded in understanding. "Well then, I'm off to work. Tell Amaya that I'll be gone for a few days. This project is big and it has to be finished as soon as possible."

"You're not gonna eat first?" asked his friend.

"I'll eat when I get there. They've recently been putting more money into the cafeteria so the food there's actually decent now," he explained as he put his shoes on and began walking to the door. "One last favor, though. Can you examine Sanji's human DNA and check if he's anyone in any records in any country? I suggest you check the records here first and if he's not in there, try Japan's."

"Won't it be simpler if we just ask him who he is?" Daisuke suggested.

"I don't think we're getting anything out of him. He's committed to that mystery man persona of his and even without it, I don't think he'll share anything with us."

"Any particular reason why we can't just wait for him to tell us?"

"I don't know if she still remembers but Amaya told me he knew her name before she ever told him. There are two possibilities." Tetsuya raised two fingers in the air and folded them as he counted. "One, he overheard her name during one of our visits to our picnic area, and two, he actually knew who we were. I want to know if it's the latter."

"I see. I'll oblige then. Have fun at work."

After finishing their meal, Daisuke plopped down on the couch and turned the large TV on. On the screen was the news channel broadcasting a familiar scene.

"… when another monster appeared on the scene. This monster seemed to be against the first monster and according to the reports of our news helicopter team, this new monster saved their lives when the first monster…"

"Hey, Sanji, you're on TV," he called out.

The man in question walked to the living room and his eyes shone brightly as he saw himself. "Wow, I'm on TV." He then sat beside Daisuke to enjoy the show. Tetsuya's old clothes were just the right size for him and they suited him just fine. For some reason, he still keeps his metallic belt on but it did not seem to hinder him in any way. His mask, which used to be hidden in his sleeve, now resides on the side of his belt after he found a way to securely attach it there.

Amaya followed along and watched the news with them. When the footage got cut off after the helicopter flew out of control, the news skipped ahead to their footage of the motorcycle chase. The woman did not say a word but inwardly, she sighed in relief knowing that she did not have to see herself in Lacrima's armor.

"Another team managed to capture this footage of the second monster chasing after a new one on a motorcycle. The chase was joined by what seems to be a human man. His identity could not be determined because of his helmet covering his face. This mysterious man and the masked rider led the chase to a covered area where our team could not see them. The origin of these monsters is unknown but…"

"Masked rider…" Sanji whispered under his breath, "Cool…"

"I'm going back to my room," Amaya announced as she turned away from the screen and toward the staircase, "If you need me for anything, feel free to knock on my door but don't come in without my permission."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Sanji stated, waving a hand in the air to dismiss the thought without looking at her.

"That better be the truth."

After she was out of earshot, Daisuke took the opportunity to talk to the guest. "Can I ask you a question?"

"You just did," Sanji replied as he grinned widely from ear to ear.

"Normally, I would find that funny but I'm serious here. Before you became an Effigy, you were a human, right? Well, first of all, are you truly an Effigy? As far as I know, Effigies are mindless animals."

The younger man raised an eyebrow at him. "You're asking that now? I thought those two facts were obvious."

"Hey, you never truly clarified that," Daisuke defended himself, "For all I know, you're just an Effigy, or some other kind of monster, who can turn into a human." He then sighed and took a deep breath after realizing he was getting riled up. "Anyway, next question—"

"Hey, you said you were going to ask just one question," Sanji complained.

"You can live through a couple more," the bearded man dismissed, "So, who are you? I don't mean what are you, I know you're a human turned Effigy who can go back to being human. I mean what was your identity before you became an Effigy. Were you originally from here? Who was your family? Is your name really Sanji?"

Suddenly, Sanji's cheerful demeanor quickly disappeared, replaced with a stiff and uncomfortable posture. "I… I was…"

Daisuke quickly put a hand on his shoulder to calm him down. He was starting to see tears in his guest's eyes. "Hey, it's okay if you don't want to answer. I expected this would be the case and I'm not going to push harder for an answer. You can just tell me in your own time. We can wait," he lied, knowing full well that he was going to betray him and that he likely will not regret it.

Sanji lowered his head. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Just answer me this. Why do you look a few years older after without even a month passing? I know stress can make you age faster but not this fast."

Sanji then started to shiver once again. Daisuke was about to retract his question but before he could, his guest answered, "Remember that old man you met earlier?"

"Of course I do. His name was Hisakawa if I remember correctly," replied the older man. "If I'm also remembering correctly, he made the Effigies."

"That's right. What he can also do is command Effigies whenever he wants to. That's what the red markings on the Effigies mean. It's both a mark of Hisakawa's ownership and a seal that allows him to control his creations. The reason mine disappears is because I actively resist him. If any of the Effigies somehow break out of his control and disobeys, he punishes them. His favorite punishment is taking away their life force."

"So that's what's happening to you," Daisuke supposed. He then recalled his conversation with Tetsuya on the way home. "Tetsuya told me that that cheetah turned into dust when Hisakawa appeared. Is that what happened to it too?" Sanji nodded in response. "If so, then how come it's so slow for you. Couldn't he have just made you age to death the moment you went against him?"

"He can't. When I said I was resisting his control, I meant I was resisting the Effigy's possession. I'm only partly Effigy. When I transform, I wake it up so I can use its power but the more I use its power, the more I risk getting taken over and the faster the punishment takes place."

Daisuke stayed silent as he simultaneously processed the information and contemplated what he should say next. He noticed that throughout his explanation, his guest had a look of both sadness and fear in his eyes. He wanted to calm him down and reassure him that everything will be fine but he did not know how. He decided to loosen up as much as possible and smile his warmest smile. "I don't know what you went through and I'm not going to push you to tell me. Thank you for telling me all this. I'll try to find a way to help you with your problem." He still had more questions but he figured that was enough for the day. He did not want to overwhelm Sanji when he was supposed to be resting. "Now, I've gotta get home. If you need anything, just call Amaya."

"Okay," Sanji nodded, "Can you keep that last thing about me aging from the others? I don't want them worrying about me, especially now that Hisakawa's back."

"Sure thing, bud," Daisuke lied. Another promise to be broken. He planned on telling all of it to Tetsuya. He then noticed Sanji standing up and walking off. "Hey, where are you going?"

Sanji pointed to a door. "Toilet," he answered as he walked in.

After the door closed, Daisuke stared at it for a few moments. He did not remember telling him where the toilet was. He wondered if the owners of the house told him beforehand or if his best friend's hypothesis was correct.

Amaya sat in her room and stayed still for a few minutes, trying to think of what she should do. She knew she needed answers but she was not sure if she wanted to get them from Lacrima. Part of her still resented the spirit. That part of her wanted nothing more than to throw the belt away and find power another way because as things were, despite her access to power, she was still powerless. Another part of her was scared of Lacrima. Her rage that burned earlier that day was searing. Although it was not pointed at her, she still cowered before Lacrima's wrath. She dreaded to be on the other side of that anger. However, a large part of her still wanted the answers and needed to get them right away.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, preparing herself for the action she chose to take. She opened her eyes and said, "Lacrima." She waited but the only response she received was silence. She tried again, "Lacrima, are you listening to me?" More silence greeted her. She sighed and laid down on her bed. "Figures."

Tetsuya typed furiously on his laptop. For the suit to work as intended, several programs had to be created. He volunteered himself to work on the hardest of them all. He had to program an A.I. that will predict the user's next action. Using only the neural link that he uses with the P.E.W.P.E.W. with the armor can get it to move but there was a slight delay between thought and action that he never figured out how to fix and in the field of battle, the slightest delay can mean your life. The A.I. would reduce the delay but only if it was accurate. If it was less than 90% accurate, it could prove to be a hindrance rather than an asset.

"Hey, boss," someone called from behind him, "You okay? I heard you pulled an all-nighter last night."

He turned around and saw who it was. "Yes, I'm fine, Marc. I took a nap earlier today. What is it?" It was one of the youngest people on the team. He had only been with them for several months but he proved himself capable.

"I've got a question. It's not a complaint or anything but I'm just curious," his subordinate started, "How come there are so many weapons in your blueprints? I heard that this was designed for the police so wouldn't the gun be enough?"

Tetsuya smiled at him. "Yes, the final product is planned to have only the gun. Those other toys are for me."

Marc was visibly shocked by the reply. "What!? I thought you were the serious no-nonsense type."

"I like to have my fun every now and again," Tetsuya said. All the years spent with Daisuke took their toll. His friend's enjoyment at surprising and messing with people rubbed off on him. "Besides, if I was the serious no-nonsense type, I wouldn't be able to think of half the things I've created."

Marc tilted his head to the side and sucked in a breath, not fully believing Tetsuya's claim. However, he ignored the thought and nodded. He then inquired, "Can I ask you another question? How'd you even think of this project?"

Tetsuya's smile changed. Before, it was filled with mischief. Now, it was tinged with melancholy. "I guess it's because of my siblings. When we lost our parents and brother, Amaya couldn't deal with the grief. She coped by placing the blame on those who couldn't find them and she has hated the authorities ever since. I wanted to show her that she's blaming the wrong people so I planned on making the police more favorable in her eyes. She still believes they're out there, you know, and that the only reason they're not with us is that no one has found them yet. I want to hope for their survival too but I just can't find it in myself to believe in the unlikely."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know—"

"Don't worry about it. I've moved on since. Unconquered by the incident, if you will. Invictus…" he interrupted his subordinate, whispering the last word to himself. The poem that his mother loved so much. The poem that helped him push through the pain. "Anyway, that was only half of it. The other half is because of my brother, Yuuya. He always loved watching superheroes. Before he went missing, he told me that his dream was to be one. Silly dream, I know, but I intend to fulfill his dream in his stead. I just wish he could see me do it."

The younger put on his brightest smile. "I'm sure he'll be able to see it, boss, wherever he may be."

Tetsuya could not help but smile with him. "I hope so. Now, let's get back to work. We need the prototype before the next Effigy attack."

"Yes, boss," Marc saluted before going back to his job.

"I need to get them off the battlefield no matter what…" Tetsuya whispered to himself.

"Hey, Amaya, what's Tetsuya's job exactly?" Sanji asked.

It had been two days after the battle in the city. Tetsuya had not been home since then but he called his sister every night. He said it was so she wouldn't worry over him but in truth, he was the one who was worried over her.

"Well, he's the head of the research and development department of this big company. He makes stuff up, finds a way to make them real, and orders people around, I guess. I've never actually seen him do his job," Amaya explained, "Why do you ask?"

"It's just that I still can't get over how rich you are," answered Sanji.

"Hey, come on, we're not that rich. We just have enough for me to indulge in some stuff. I'd be grateful even if we had just enough to get by but Onii went above and beyond for me after our parents and brother disappeared. I can't help but feel useless, really."

"Amaya…" Sanji started to say something to calm her down but she interrupted before he could.

"I know that it's just my insecurities but I really can't help it. Onii's smart. Really smart. He says he's not the smartest one in his company but I highly doubt that. He's very friendly and charismatic too. I guess that's how he got promoted to such a high position so quickly. Everyone loves him and it's hard not to. He's pretty much perfect. I sometimes can't believe someone like him could exist. It's like he's the Gary Stu of some story who reincarnated as my brother.

"Me, on the other hand, I graduated high school with flying colors but that's just about it. I tried martial arts at one point but I stopped because I really didn't feel like doing anything at the time. I should be thinking about college but right now, all I can think of is finding a way to beat some monsters while he's doing that and earning money at the same time. I don't know how I'm going to measure up to him."

"Yeah, he sounds like a superhero," he agreed, "But don't think so badly of yourself. He would not have done all these things if you weren't worth it and I'm sure he'll agree with me on this one."

"Yeah, I know."

Silence ensued for a few seconds. That silence was broken by Sanji. "If you don't mind me asking, how was your other brother like?"

"What was Yuuya like?" Amaya asked, surprised by the question. A smile then crept on her face. "To be honest, he was a bit of a brat. Whenever he wanted something, he would do everything to get it and he wouldn't yield for any reason. He was annoying like that."

"Hey, I think that's a wonderful trait to have," the man countered, looking offended by her statement.

"I know. That was his charm. Nobody could ever resist that pout he makes whenever someone said no. He also loved messing with me and Onii. It never got him but it sure got on my nerves. He loved teasing us and making us chase him. He was always running around and shouting about his favorite cartoon characters. The house was never silent when he was awake. When he gets back, he'll definitely break one of these jars. I'm just worried about whether or not he's open to homeschooling. He missed five years of school and I don't think he'll be comfortable in a class of kids so much younger than he is."

"I think he'll be more uncomfortable having you as his teacher," teased Sanji.

Amaya visibly fumed at the insult. "Hey, I can be a capable teacher if I want to be!"

"Okay, okay," the man laughed as he put his hands up and backed off… right into one of the expensive porcelain jars, making it fall off its stage and shatter on the ground. "Oops."

"Sanji…" If her fury earlier could be described as a great fire, her rage now was like the fires of hell manifesting on Earth.

He turned around and ran towards the front door. "I'm sorry! Forgive me!"

Amaya gave chase immediately. "You'll pay for that, you brat!"

After the tiring chase, Amaya sat down on her bed once more. She calmed herself down with deep breaths. After she failed to talk to Lacrima two days prior, she tried again the night after and got the same results. She decided to try three times and what she was about to do was the third.

"Lacrima, listen to me. I'm not trying to make more demands or threaten you, I just want to talk." Just like her prior attempts, she was met with silence. She sighed, "I should've known better."