1st Phase: Forged Future

Several years have passed since the Kunad Gate had vanished from the face of the Earth, taking the Extinction Belt that plagued the planet's atmosphere along with it. In that time, the Scarlet Guardians, heroes of the Other Suppression Force (OSF) who fought valiantly against the extraterrestrial monstrosities that once invaded their world, have all found their own paths for the future, and have gradually drifted apart from one another.

Yuito Sumeragi, once a young and energetic psionic soldier of the OSF who took part in saving the planet, had now put the life of fighting behind him. Once peace was brought about into a new era of clear skies and the "Others" no longer posing as much of a threat they did a while ago, Yuito had resigned from the OSF, in order to pursue a more calm yet dexterous lifestyle by getting involved in politics. The wrongdoings and conspiracies of New Himuka that had been caused by his late father, Joe Sumeragi, and his incarcerated older brother, former OSF chief Kaito Sumeragi, wasn't something he could've escaped even if he tried. Instead, he faced it head on, accepting the consequences that came with being associated with the prestigious family now deemed national criminals. These bitter familial conflicts of the past however… didn't stop Yuito from honoring his family. His brother, his father… and most importantly, the memory of his mother, Wakana.

And yet, all the struggles he had faced previously going into this more peaceful lifestyle of his has made it with it all worth it. Humbly and with the interest of others in mind, he made a name for himself as an international hero by ushering a global movement that encouraged the support of Duds— people inept of powers and psionic abilities, from all over the world. His actions and way of leading inspired others from across the globe, and gave a new sense of hope to those who were powerless and had struggled to live by the standards initially set by society. He was a hero. To New Himuka, the nation and others beyond.

Of course, this didn't come without many cases of stress and exhaustion. It was phenomenal that he managed to have accomplished so much while barely approaching his mid-twenties, but he certainly isn't an exceptional genius of any kind. It was made evident when he hadn't been scouted into the OSF back then, and instead had to volunteer to get in. On top of that, even through years of assisted research on the Other Particles from beyond, he still struggled to find any possible solution to completely extinguish them, and find a cure to metamorphosis. A sense of dissatisfaction sat within the back of his mind, along with the worry that this peace may not last for very long. This led the ex-psionic to wonder just how things were going for his friend, Kasane, who had departed from the Earth to the people who resided on the Moon.

Thanks to the innovative and life-changing advancement in powers and technology in this day in age, Earth-to-Moon mental telephonic contact was not at all impossible. It was thanks to this, Yuito and Kasane were able to keep in contact in spite of their drastic worldly distances from one another. And even then, being bound by the Red Strings have given them some form of connection that was spiritual, and unrelated to power or technology… but connected spiritually. A powerful bond that would never fade no matter how far apart they drifted. From this world to the next.

Of course, being occupied with the various events in their vastly different lives have left them with little to no time to time to talk with one another via messaging, but knowing that the Kasane was doing alright on her end has brought Yuito great comfort and relief. As Yuito sat in his office and slouched back in his chair, twiddling his Baki-themed pen around, he suddenly gets a brain message from none other than Kasane, taking the young man by surprise, as they haven't communicated in months.

'A message from Kasane? It's been a while since we've really talked. I hope she's doing alright.' Yuito clicks the hologramic screen that appeared before him to read the message sent to him by his former enemy-turned-ally in battle and friend.

[Kasane Randall] Hey, Yuito. Is everything alright? How are you holding up?

[Yuito Sumeragi] Hey, Kasane! I'm… hanging in there, haha. I knew pursuing politics would be very difficult, but man, I'm exhausted. Thankfully, I haven't come across any kind of surprises. What about you, Kasane? How's everything on the moon?

[Kasane Randall] There's still a few Others crawling about here and there on the Moon, but things have calmed down considerably since I've first got here. I'm not alone either. The psionics here are just as capable as the OSF. They may even surpass them.

[Yuito Sumeragi] I'd like to see you tel that to Major General Shiden, haha! Seriously though, that's great. I'm really happy you're doing okay, Kasane. There's hardly ever a day that goes by where I don't think about you.

[Kasane Randall] I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels that way. The feeling's mutual, Yuito. It's been a bit lonely without you here by my side. I really miss you… I hope it's not weird that I'm telling you this.

[Yuito Sumeragi] Not at all! I miss you, too, Kasane.

[Kasane Randall] By the way, do you remember the last time we've messaged before I left?

[Yuito Sumeragi] Yeah, actually… you said you wanted to have a long talk if we ever meet again.

[Kasane Randall] …I'll be coming back to Earth in about a week. I want to see if you really stayed true to your word. There's also so much I want to tell you in person.

"!" Yuito's eyes widened upon reading the message, rubbing his eyes to make certain he had read that correctly. He had almost knocked his coffee mug over. Though his dumbfounded face said otherwise, a sense of excitement with hints of nervousness swells within him. He wasn't entirely certain if they'd ever truly meet again, as it seemed very unlikely due to them being, quite literally, a world apart.

[Yuito Sumeragi] Yeah, of course! I'm really excited to see you again, Kasane. There's a lot I want to discuss with you, too. Who knows, I may have even made more progress than you.

[Kasane Randall] We'll see about that. Let's meet at the Kunad Highway at noon. Try to take it easy until then, Yuito. Don't overwork yourself.

[Yuito Sumeragi] Yeah, you too. See you then, Kasane.

A week later… (Kunad Highway, 12:45pm)

The Kunad Highway; An abandoned road overrun by nature. A once functional place where ordinary everyday people could transport safely to and from another city. When the Extinction Belt appeared on Earth long ago, this was one of the many areas overran by the Others. As a result, it became an area deemed to dangerous to roam freely, and many were forced to abandon their vehicles and frantically evacuate with their loved ones. Not everyone made it out. But now, it was a chaotic yet beautiful scenery in which nature itself had submerged with it, as an enormous Sakura cherry blossom tree stood tall at the center of the ruined roads.

In this very place, many battles were fought, and major events had unfolded. Here, the OSF have turned against each other, and began to fight amongst themselves. Here, former major general Karen Travers gave his former follows display in the difference in their combined power against his own. Here, the pseudo black hole, named Kunad Gate, had appeared on Earth, and threatened to devour and destroy all life on the planet unless Yuito forfeited his own in order to stop it. Here, his beloved mother, Wakana Sumeragi, had been brought from the past to lend her aid in unraveling the entanglements through space and time. Here… with the combined and shared powers of everyone, they had finally gotten rid both the Kunad Gate and the Extinction Belt, and saved the world.

They were all precious memories he could never let go of… many of those memories being some he would've have lost forever, had it not been for everyone there to save him from what would've been the end if it all. He over looks the environment from down below, and with a deep inhale, he raises his head towards the sky and looks up, taking in it's surroundings.

'Everyone… Mom…. Thank you.'

"Yuito…" This moment of recollection and remembrance in interrupted, when a calm, cool and collected female voice spoke his name, drawing the young man's attention as he turns around to face the one who called out to him. Standing before him was a beautiful young woman with long, grey hair, red eyes that matched his own, and an elegant flower ornament in her hair… a precious item she had never let go of. Almost immediately recognizing him, the young woman would give a small yet genuine and sincere smile at Yuito, as she goes on to speak, "…It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"K… Kasane, you…" Even as he was expecting her arrival shorty, Yuito was still taken back by her very presence. Seeing her here and now… after so many years of being apart since they've last fought together save the world, it was almost overwhelming. The wind blows softly, the pink petals gracefully flowing in the air as the two stand before each other at the center of the area where the most life-changing events have occurred, changing them forever. "Yeah… I guess it has, huh?"

It's been years since they've seen each other like this. What could he possibly say in this kind of situation? Not giving it too much thought, Yuito could only act with what first came to his heart, as he beams a warm smile at his female counterpart, to whom he had missed dearly, and held close to his heart even though they were so far away. Even though they've drifted apart for some time, and have never seen each other's faces, or heard each other's voices since they day they've parted ways… the bond they formed together had never diminished. Beyond even the red strings that kept them strongly connected for so long… the bond they shared never severed. And hopefully, from here on out, it never will…

"…Welcome back, Kasane."