(A New distortion and a new series of questions that will hopefully be answered in this distortion. Let us see what will happen next.)

Bold = English Conversations

Bold + Italics = Japanese Conversations

Distortion 43

Previously on Canon Distortion

Sora Minakaze was unable to relax so he decided to make a small walk around an NOL base to let his mind wonder and hope that inspiration would strike him at that moment. Instead what he got was a man from his past that he had hoped not to see, revelations about the one he loved and what she ultimately did in her moment of desperation. Whether it was by exhaustion from processing the information given to him or an invisible force, he lost consciousness. What will happen next?

And now, The continuation of Canon Distortion…

SORA POV

This must be something I have become familiar with at this point. Each and every time I went to sleep whether by natural causes or like my current situation of passing out, I always end up going back to this dream all over again. At this point, the dreams I have been having are becoming not only consistent but are also telling me a story. Which should mean that this dream should be no exception.

So what am I going to experience again? Am I going to see yet another group of scientists discussing scientist things? Am I going to meet that Murakumo unit again? Am I going to learn the real reason why I am having this series of dreams in the first place? Who knows and honestly, the answer right now doesn't really matter unless it is related to my current situation right now. I took a deep breath and opened my eyes, allowing me to see my surroundings yet again.

The first big thing to note was how I wasn't standing around in a laboratory setting but a rest room. The room had a simple layout of a bed, desk and a bunch of shelves to keep some documents and items on hand. However the room was poorly maintained and kept clean by how there was just a pile of files scattered everywhere, energy drinks both full and empty scattered throughout the ground and the room in general being in a poor state of tidiness.

I would ask who this room belonged to but as the door opened behind me I knew that my answer would be given at that moment as I sat down and waited for the person in question to show themselves through the door. If this is still a dream, I should be able to just stand where I am without needing to hide and they won't be none the wiser. And as soon as the door opened, I did not hear any gasps or calls for security, telling me that I was in the clear as I took a deep breath and observed like usual.

"Yeah… this is the room." A male voice said as he came stumbling into his room. At first I did not get a good look of the man's face due to the way he had been positioned but his whitening hair was enough for me to remember that this was the man that was simply called the professor. The same professor who I saw discussing things with Relius beforehand. My guess was soon confirmed as he lifted his head up to see his room's surroundings, turning on a light to better see his surroundings.

"Thank you for following me Epsilon. You can go now." The professor said as I decided to go and look at the outside the moment I heard the name Epsilon. As soon as I did so, I saw the 5th Murakumo unit floating off the ground and just staring at the man blankly. Her face visor obscured her appearance so I could not get a good look of what she looked like but her blank expression would tell me that she seemed to be the unemotional type.

She had been given the permission to leave yet she remained. The professor looked at her and couldn't help but wonder what she could be thinking before realizing what her eyes were looking at. "Fine. You may come into my room this one time." As soon as the professor said those words, Epsilon simply ceased floating and walked herself into the room. Her eyes began to scan her new environment as she noticed the mess that was created.

"I know what you must be thinking… this is not the room of the head professor of this laboratory. And to that I say… Yes it isn't but at the same time if it was too neat, it would not be me." The professor explained as the Murakumo unit tilted her head upon hearing that before nodding her head. "In any case.. what do you think? Is this room what you think it would be or do you expect more?" The professor questioned as the Murakumo unit looked around some more her surroundings as she pulled out her pen and paper and wrote down her response.

"It could be better maintained. This kind of environment is not healthy for you." Espilon wrote which still left me a bit confused. "You know you can just say what is on your mind right?" The professor said as Epsilon looked at him upon hearing that and tried to speak as she opened her mouth only to shake her head and quickly write up a follow up sentence. "I am still adapting to that… and I am worried that I would sound weird if I do so." Epsilon explained.

The professor couldn't help but chuckle at this all powerful being's concern. I couldn't believe that a Murakumo Unit could be this human like. If it wasn't for the unique way she was currently dressed, I would have just thought her as a woman that was just shy in general. "That may be true, but one must practice the use of their voice if they wish to sound better to people. That is only the truth." The professor explained.

"You don't have to force yourself to do so. Just take your time to do so." The professor continued as he walked into the room only to trip as he stepped on a stack of papers. Whether it was because of the lack of traction from the fact that too many papers had been clumsily strewn across the ground or the lack of attention on the professor's part, if it wasn't for Epsilon's quick reaction speed, grabbing the collar of his lab coat the moment he was going to fall he would have eaten the floor at that point.

"Thank you Epsilon… I guess I can spare the time to clean up the office before another slip happens." The professor said as he reached to the ground and picked up the glasses he was using before groaning. "And my glasses broke. Just great." The professor complained as he pushed his way past the papers to grab a spare pair of glasses to wear. Apparently he must go through a regular pair of glasses if he is casual about the fact his glasses were broken again.

It was then I saw Epsilon go to her knees and slowly reach out to pick up a piece of paper before the Professor quickly stopped her at that moment. "Please Epsilon. This is my own mess. Let me handle it." The professor explained as Epsilon at first obliged and allowed the professor to pick up the stacks of paper that were surrounding his whole room. Whether it was due to him taking too long or a glitch in her programming, Espilon then proceeded to resume assisting the professor.

I could at first see the expression of the man change into shock as he wanted to reject Epsilon's help on the matter but something must have softened in the man as he did not try to push her any further and accepted the help she was giving him. The piles of paper were soon cleared from the ground and neatly put into files and shelves, a small stack of papers being placed on the table by Epsilon as her eyes noticed something on the ground, enough to catch my attention as well.

She reached out to pick up the item in question but before she could, the item was swiftly taken from the ground before she could examine closer as the Professor, as old as he looked, was quite fast at that moment to ensure Epsilon did not see what he had gained. Epsilon tilted her head at that and quickly wrote down something for the man to see. "Is there something you do not wish for me to see?" Epsilon wrote as I couldn't help but question her question until I realized that Epsilon was still probably developing emotionally.

"Well...it's sort of a secret to be honest. And a bit personal." The professor explained as that was enough to tell me that this man had something private he wanted to keep to himself and maybe felt uncomfortable with the idea of showing Epsilon the item in question. Maybe it's something perverted like a pin up model or something more personal like a family picture. Even I understood to leave these kinds of things alone but Epsilon did not understand the need for such secrecy and continued to push her curiosity on the man.

The professor looked at Epsilon for a bit as he scratched his head upon seeing that his answer was not having the effect he desired on the unit. He looked around for a bit before making sure his door was closed before taking a seat on his bed as he gestured for the murakumo unit to take a seat on the chair. Epsilon, seeing nothing wrong in doing so floated to the chair and sat down in an almost ladylike manner, keeping her legs closed together and arms together as she stared at the professor, ready to receive his every word at that moment.

"Well...How do I start this…" The professor mumbled and scratched his head, wondering how he was going to explain things to a Murakumo Unit. It was then he cleared his throat realizing he should just start from the beginning as he closed his eyes and focused his thoughts. "Firstly...you are aware of the concept of family are you not?" The Professor asked as Epsilon looked at him confused at that moment before raising her head to begin scanning for the meaning of what he said.

"...Family…" Epsilon said, finally using her voice for the first time since ever but I barely could hear what she said and thus was not really paying attention to the sound of her voice at that moment. It was then she nodded her head but then quickly wrote something down again. "I understand the dictionary meaning of family… but that is not what you mean in this case are you." Epsilon wrote as I was surprised she managed to catch on to what the professor was trying to hint as the man nodded his head.

"Yes...the definition of family given in a dictionary is obvious. The more important thing to understand is how family is defined by most people. I know it seems like I am leading you but I can reassure you, there is a reason why I asked the question." The professor explained as he pulled the item he was trying to hide from the Murakumo unit out from his back and placed it on the hands of Epsilon.

Epsilon used this as her chance to see what the professor was trying to hide from her and I decided to do the same, leaning my head in to see what she saw. On the picture we both saw the professor, shorter hair and less white and more black. Wow if the man had this much white hair, he must have been through so much stress that his hair whitened in the process. But that was the less important thing to focus on right now and my attention now went to the other person in the picture.

The person both me and Epsilon were focused on was a woman that was beside him. Her black hair made it easy to tell that she was related to the man in some way. She wore a wavy white dress and had a smile on her face. The glasses she wore were almost similar to what the professor was wearing right now. I was able to figure out from the picture and his question where this was going, but was a murakumo unit going to come to the same conclusion I did.

The professor was patient, allowing Epsilon to keep observing the picture for as long as she wanted before she finally pointed to the woman on the picture. "Ahhh...her… that's my daughter."… Okay, I had thought the woman was his wife but daughter? I mean.. it's still a close family member but at the same time, I had thought the woman was at least his wife. But at least I was close enough in idea.

Epsilon tilted her head and her face gave her question. "Why do you have a picture of your daughter here? For sentimental value?" Epsilon asked after she quickly wrote it down, the professor being patient and not wanting to make presumptions. I am genuinely surprised by how patient this man was being with a Murakumo unit. Are they truly like children at this stage of their life? Who knows and I don't really want to think too much about it anyways. I just want to know the reason why I am seeing all of this in the first place.

"Ah… well… sentimental is one reason. The other reason is to never forget." The professor explained as Epsilon thought more about his choice of words before the conclusion came to mind. "Did...she die?" Epsilon quietly asked, her voice being too quiet that I was yet again unable to properly hear her voice to tell. At the same time, I cannot help but feel a nagging feeling grow at the bottom of my stomach as the professor sighed.

"...Natural causes. She at least died peacefully in her sleep… doesn't make the pain go away." The professor explained as Epsilon tilted her head at that. "But isn't that a good thing? She died peacefully and not in pain. Isn't that what most people desire?" Epsilon questioned, writing it down. "Yes… the death most people would like to receive is a painless death, one where they die without feeling a single inch of pain. But while people wish to die in peace, it doesn't mean that those who watch them die will not feel pain as well." The professor explained as Epsilon wondered why as he said that.

"Death...death is never an easy thing to experience. No want wants to bear witness to anybody dying, especially those of a loved one." The Professor explained further as Epsilon finally understood what he meant. "So it's not a logical reason...but an emotional reason." Epsilon wrote down as the professor made a face that was quite different from the one I remembered. He had a more sad face as Epsilon continued to think about what he said before writing her next question.

"Her name?" Amy questioned as the professor was surprised to hear that and seemed reluctant to give said name. I understand how he felt at that moment, it's not easy to remember those who passed, I am well aware of that. I couldn't help but place my hand on my chest as the people who had been in my life, Alice...Saeko… everyone at the Code Zero Squadron… they are all gone...but I refuse to let them ever be forgotten.

"...Her name was Amy…" The moment I heard the professor say Amy, I couldn't help but blink my eyes a few times. Amy...his daughter was named Amy? But wait a minute, isn't that also the same name as one of the guardian of the Azure. The same guardian who has been following me to keep track of me this entire time. Surely that is only a coincidence… unless… if this is going the way I think it's going…

"…Then is it alright if you call me...Amy?" Epsilon spoke and for the first time she spoke in a voice loud enough for me to hear. The moment I heard her voice come out fully there was no longer any way to deny it. The person in front of me, the fifth Murakumo Unit Epsilon-5, Was also Amy, one of the guardians of the Azure this whole time. My mind began to race with the possibilities with this revelation but the fact that my dream was not ending because I witnessed this truth told me that I needed to see this whole thing through to it's conclusion at least.

"...May I ask why?" The professor questioned as the Murakumo Unit pondered on that question as I myself wondered why that question was asked. "I can sense that this person was a very important person in your life. I understand I may not be her… but at the same time, if I can be what you call a family member, maybe I can help you heal a little from your loss." Epsilon suggested as the professor remained quiet before letting out the loudest laugh a man could ever let out.

"I cannot believe that for a being of what should be infinite wisdom and human logic, You of all people would suggest something so humane! Sorry I couldn't help but laugh upon hearing such a thing not because it is ridiculous but because that sounds like something only a human would say." The professor explained as Epsilon tilted her head at that. "But is that not why I was created to look like a human? To think and behave like one should also be true right?" Epsilon questioned as the Professor held his sides, trying to contain his laughter.

I honestly couldn't believe what I was hearing. Was this professor laughing due to the ridiculousness of the current situation in front of him? Or was it because she was making an illogical option as a logical being. Whatever the case is, I cannot help but wonder what is going to happen next. "Yes you are...but to say you wish to be called Amy… that's like suggesting you wish to be my daughter." The professor explained

"...But aren't you my father?" The moment the professor heard that sentence, he immediately became quiet as Epsilon slowly stood up and began to remove her head visor. I closely watched Epsilon remove her visor as with her face exposed, I can finally confirm the identity of the woman in front of me. Soon, Epsilon unveiled her face towards the professor or as I am learning right now, possibly the person who created her.

At first I wanted to scream loudly but out of human instinct I stopped myself from doing so. I then took a deep breath and calmed myself down before looking at the face of Epsilon directly once again. I had thought it was a coincidence when the name was mentioned but now that I could clearly see the face of the 5th Murakumo Unit, I can no longer deny that the 5th Murakumo Unit, Epsilon-5, was in fact the same person who is known as the guardian of the Azure, Amy.

"We may not be born from blood… but you are the one who helped give me the life I have right now. Without you and what you implanted in me… I may have never been born in the first place." Epsilon...Amy explained as the professor chuckled upon hearing that as he scratched his head greatly. He looked unsure how to process the information he was hearing and how he should react but soon I saw a smile grow on his face.

"If you wish to be my daughter, You must know that I will be a strict father to you." The Professor explained as Amy nodded her head. "I am aware of the high standards you have for the people around you and I swear to uphold the same standards. This I swear as a Murakumo Unit." Amy said as the professor took a deep breath before hugging Epsilon tightly. "Then the first thing you shall do as my new surrogate daughter is drop all of the formalities and speak with me frankly. That's an order." The professor said as I felt my head become heavy again as I realized that I must be reawakening in the real world again as I dropped to the ground and lose my consciousness.

"...Yes Father…"

The first thing Sora felt as his consciousness returned to him was a screaming pain that ached throughout his body. He groaned a bit upon feeling the pain that he was feeling as he sat up to take in his surroundings. He wondered where he was right now and if he was back at his room at that moment. He slowly opened his eyes, expecting to see sunlight greet his eyes but much to his surprise, the night was still there and he most likely woke up during midnight.

"Ahhh...You are awake I see…" A voice called out as Sora was alarmed to hear said voice and was about to reach out for his gun to shoot at the source. The moment his eyes saw who it was however, he calmed down and laid down on the bed again to take a deep breath as he sat back up to look at the person in question yet again. "How long have you been watching me like you are now...Amy." Sora questioned as Amy could tell that the man was tense judging from a wide variety of factors.

Amy: Since you passed out after Relius Clover left.

Sora: And how long was that exactly?

Amy:… At least a few hours.

Sora: And nothing else happened in between?

Amy: Nothing else really happened. Whatever happened between the three of us stayed with the three of us. As for his goal, we may never know what that masked man is truly thinking.

Sora: I see… So you won't blame me for asking this question out of the blue but… Are you a Murakumo Unit?

The moment Amy heard Sora ask that question, Amy became silent. Sora himself figured the silence that she was giving him was the truth as he took a deep breath. "So… the dreams I have been having… they have been related to you huh…" Sora said as Amy at first did not respond as she allowed the words he said to continue lingering for a bit before she answered. "I do not know why you have been seeing my past… but regardless of how or why, the truth is obvious. I am...was the fifth Murakumo Unit, Epsilon-5." Amy explained as Sora nodded his head at that.

"And Amy was a name you took because you wanted to make the man who felt like your father feel happy…" Sora said as Amy nodded her head at that. "So what did that man call you before you were officially Epsilon?" Sora immediately asked as Amy was caught off guard by that as she had expected Sora to press her further but to suddenly swerve like he did… was he trying to offer a sort of comfort or was this a way for him to get her to lower her guard?

"Honestly… they were silly names. Mainly periodic elements which I immediately rejected at the time because being called Carbon or Palladium, while cool I also knew made no sense for an actual name. And that is not to mention how the first element he chose was Brozime." Amy said as Sora couldn't help but imagine the sight of the previous dream where the professor would just give Amy random names where he hoped one would be to her liking.

"I see…" Sora simply said, not wishing to add any more to that as another question came to his mind at that moment. "But why am I getting dreams of your past? That doesn't make any sense to me…" Sora said as Amy remained quiet upon hearing that as she herself wondered why he was receiving such dreams of her life in the first place. "That I do not know myself… all I know is that you are aware that knowing my past doesn't change what we must do right?" Amy said as Sora nodded his head.

"I do… but at the same time… knowing your past now, I cannot help but think a little to what you were like as a Murakumo unit and what was the event that caused you to become like this. Aren't Murakumo units supposed to be rare or something like that." Sora asked as Amy knew that she herself could never answer that question adequately without causing a wave of confusion so she refrained from doing so.

"In any other case...before we get sidetracked about me being a Murakumo Unit, we should discuss other things." Amy said as Sora had one more genuine question he had to ask at that moment. "If you don't mind… Do I call you Epsilon or Amy?" Sora asked as Amy couldn't help but look at him in confusion at that moment. "And what relevance does calling me by a name have for our current discussion Sora Minakaze." Amy questioned as Sora took a deep breath upon hearing that.

"Look Amy, I know we both may be enemies right now and we both have different goals against each other, but at the same time we are trying to work together and I am willing to try and establish a way of trust with each other here." Sora explained as that was the logical explanation he gave to her at that moment as there was another reason. "The other reason is that I can tell that one of the names you have is more of a designation number and the other is a name that is very important to you because of the person it has symbolic meaning to."

Amy did not show emotion on her face but deep down couldn't help but feel touched by the gesture Sora was extending to her at that moment. "Then keep calling me Amy. It's the name I have been using ever since we met a long time ago and I don't see any point in me changing my name now. And thank you." Amy said, quickly adding a word of thanks at the end as Sora nodded his head upon hearing it. "So...What do you want to talk about? How you were only doing your duty with Makoto? Or something else?" Sora questioned.

"...As much as she may be important for you, there is something else we must discuss at this moment." Amy explained as Sora took a deep breath upon hearing that. He figured that Amy was waiting in the room to discuss something otherwise there would be no reason for her to do so. She would have just gone back to her room after dropping him off or maybe stay around for a bit to give her thanks to him and then leave him to recover.

"You mentioned the name Balmung earlier correct? I need to know more about your experience about it, as small as it can be." Amy asked as Sora took a deep breath upon hearing that. He did not know why something as random as a thing called Balmung would cause her to question him like this but he saw no harm in letting her know about his experiences now. It's not like he was going to be getting a bombshell of a reveal hitting him at that moment. At the same time, he knew very well to not just brush this kind of stuff under the rug and take it as seriously as it needs to be taken.

"Not much really… I only heard a voice telling me to complete a contract and make it whole…" Sora said before he remembered the voice that was saying those words and wondered if he should even mention it. After all, he and Amy were still technically enemies at the end of the day and any information he gave her could be used against him. "Well...except the voice that was telling me all of this...belonged to Makoto for some reason." Sora explained as Amy's eyes opened wide upon hearing that.

"Wait a minute… you heard Makoto's voice?" Amy questioned as Sora simply nodded his head on that. As soon as he mentioned the fact that the voice belonged to Makoto, things were beginning to add up. Now it was Amy's turn to ponder if she should reveal sensitive information to Sora or if she should keep her mouth shut about it. "Yeah, Makoto was telling me all of this. Or at the very least, something that sounded similar to her… You wouldn't know if there is possibly a connection between her and this Balmung now do you?" Sora questioned

Amy took a deep breath upon hearing that. She decided that keeping silent at that moment would have done more damage than be any good. "Do not take my words as truth… but I already know you were not going to take my words for truth anyways, But Makoto Nanaya and Balmung may be related in this case." Amy explained as Sora's eyes widened upon hearing that. "What do you mean related? What could a name I have just been randomly hearing this entire time have in common with Makoto of all people?" Sora questioned as judging from his eyes, Amy knew he wanted answers at that very moment.

"Well...for starters, You remember how I mentioned that she was currently in a Coma right now? The truth is… it's not a normal coma." Amy explained as Sora looked at her. 'There are different types of comas now?' Sora thought as Amy could see it on his face as she took a deep breath. "The coma she currently is in…. It's caused by her soul being removed from her body completely." Amy said as Sora couldn't help but feel a chill down his back, not liking what he was hearing at that moment.

"When Makoto stabbed herself with the sword, it pulled her soul out of her body and encased it inside the sword. As we speak right now, Makoto Nanaya's soul is still inside the sword, waiting to either be released or used for something." Amy explained as Sora scratched his head at that. His head felt itchy hearing that but he knew there was more to what Amy was saying that he needed to hear further. "And now I think...the sword she used to stab herself was the Forbidden Nox, Balmung." Amy said as Sora's eyes widened upon hearing that.

"A forbidden Nox? Wait… that sounds oddly familiar to me… WAIT." Sora was able to put two and two together from where he had heard all of this. "Yes… Mucro Flagro: Draco… the Forbidden Nox. It was not the only forbidden Nox that was created by the great sage nine in an attempt to overpower the Black Beast. Though the history of Balmung is shrouded in mystery." Amy explained as Sora tilted his head upon hearing that.

"Shrouded in mystery? Isn't that given by being considered a forbidden Nox? Wouldn't all possible information associated with you be buried deep in ruins, only unearthed by people who are aware that you exist?" Sora said as Amy realized why Sora was confused by her final statement as she took a deep breath. "Yes...that is true what you said, but at the same time, Balmung is different from the other Forbidden Nox Draco." Amy said as Sora raised his eyebrows, telling her she had to explain herself now.

"While Draco was a forbidden Nox, it was still able to develop a reputation and soon lost notes about it were discovered by various people. However Balmung is different from Draco by the fact that no information about it exists." Amy explained as this further confused the man. "...Balmung was considered to be the same as you are. A Continuum Error. And thus was to be erased from the world." Amy explained further as Sora now understood her meaning and now had even more questions.

"Wait a minute, why would the master Unit consider a non living being of all things a Continuum Error? Aren't Errors supposed to be things that when erased, leave little mark in the world? I mean sure living people are one things but to go as far as to consider a non living thing, a weapon a Continuum Error really stretches the definition there. Are you telling me that anything can be an Error?" Sora asked, his question making logical sense.

"Like anything, Errors have their limits and one of those limits is that the thing deemed an Error has to be considered living in the first place and while yes, Most Nox Nyctores including Draco can be considered living in some way due to the souls inside them, the Master Unit doesn't deem them to be living things." Amy said as Sora took a deep breath upon hearing that. "So you are trying to tell me… that the Master Unit Amaterasu considers this Balmung… A living thing." Sora said with his voice sounding frank as Amy nodded her head at that.

"I cannot believe I am saying this… but this is starting to really sound ridiculous and the Master Unit is reaching out for straws at this point." Sora said as Amy nodded her head at that. "I do agree with that statement, but in Balmung's case, she may have reason for doing so." Amy said as Sora sighed and gestured for her to go on, his mind trying to take in all of the information he was getting at this moment. "Balmung from what we have been able to determine… was created with the sole purpose of acting as the counter weight of Draco. The Yin to Draco's Yang."Amy said as Sora nodded his head at that, still wondering where this was going.

"Originally, the great sage Nine created Balmung like any Nox Nyctores, but something about it did not work properly and before she could fix it, Draco found her and tried to kill her then and there. But before he could, Balmung fixed itself and eventually helped Nine to seal Draco away for as long as he did." Amy said as Sora felt tempted to just say the obvious, 'Duh, where are you going with this,' But decided against saying such things and decided to think things through.

If normal Nox Nyctoreses are considered not viable candidates to be Continuum Errors, then what made Balmung different from the rest. The mystery only grew with the fact that Balmung only functioned properly when Nine was in a time of need. It was then the dots began to connect in his head and theories began to form until one came up that sounded ridiculous… but could be the possible reason for the madness that was in front of him.

"Are you trying to suggest that Balmung was originally like any normal Nox Nyctores but somewhere between it's creation and it's eventual task, it gained true sentience?" Sora suggested as Amy paused upon hearing that as she thought about the words that he had just said to her at that moment. "Like… ummm… that book where a puppet became a boy. That kind of sentience… You get what I am saying right?" Sora said as Amy nodded her head at that as she felt that Sora was beginning to understand what she was implying.

"Yes...that is what we ourselves suspect happened. With Balmung becoming an Error by the Master Unit, the Master Unit did what it normally did and erased all history with Balmung. And just like you… Balmung instead of being completely erased, simply continued to exist." Amy explained as Sora felt like his mind was about to explode at that realization. Balmung was proving to be something of a shock to him and now Balmung, this being or now he knows, Nox Nyctores, is holding hostage his Girlfriend's soul…

If this was a normal day, he would probably see this as the biggest revelation of his life. But now that he has basically gone through what felt like several conspiracy theories crafted by the Otsunians and being shown that they were right, He just felt almost nothing. Almost being the key word as now he knew that Makoto has done something that she shouldn't have to bring him back and now Balmung was probably going to be the key to bring him back to reuniting with her.

"So… where is this thing right now? Back at my timeline next to Makoto?" Sora questioned as Amy nodded her head at that. "Yes… it's safely beside Makoto right now. We think that by bringing you back, you should be able to fulfill the contract part of Balmung to help remove Makoto's soul from the weapon and back to her body." Amy said as Sora stayed quiet hearing that. He understood that this would accomplish the goal of getting him back home but at the same time, this would also accomplish the goal of reuniting both him and Makoto together, allowing Es and Amy to finally handle the current Error problem.

As much as they were speaking like two individuals at that moment, they both knew the alliance they had crafted was always going to be a temporary one. The only way they would ever go out on friendly terms was with forces that were against them. Still, something inside Sora did not want to have things come down to that if he could. Was it the dreams he had recently or the revelation that Amy is in fact a long lost Murakumo Unit that had lost a father most likely and he did not understand why he was even able to view such dreams in the first place.

"Well...I say to keep things simple for the time being, let's just say that at the end… you still need to go back to your timeline, and only you are able to find the key to bringing Makoto out of her coma. And Balmung is in the middle of this entire thing." Amy explained as Sora understood everything. Now that he had his goal of what he needed to do as well as the what he had to do to go back home, there was almost no point in delaying the inevitable at this point.

"Yeah… We will go through a cauldron immediately. As much as I would like to not go through random objects without an idea again, this time I really have no choice." Sora said as he sighed and scratched his head. Now that the plan was set, he should probably go to bed and get his rest but he couldn't help but stare at Amy and wonder what he should say next at that moment. "...You want to sleep here tonight? I know the professor gave you and Bullet a room together but if you are planning on watching me all night long, you would probably want to stay inside my room instead of sneaking out to spy on me and making yourself look suspicious in the process." Sora offered.

Amy couldn't believe what she had just heard. Yes she knew that Sora was slowly trying to establish a middle ground between the two but to do something like this? Maybe it's due to their former friendship with each other or their current situation that he made his offer but was it really still worth doing at this point? "I personally believe that Bullet will want to be by herself anyways, when I last saw her, she had a lot to think about. Since you were not really talking to her in the first place, you would probably be alone for the night with nothing but your thoughts." Sora said as Amy nodded her head at that, confirming Sora's suspicions.

"And...maybe it's just me or the dreams I have been having lately… but while I may not forgive you for your whole role in my situation right now. I cannot find it in myself to stay angry at you forever." Sora explained as Amy was shocked to hear that as Sora took a deep breath. "We may be enemies...sort of, but at the same time, we knew each other for the longest time and had developed a friendship with each other before this whole mess and while yes, we will have to face off against each other at the end of the day. I don't really want it to be out of hatred or anything of the sort." Sora explained as Amy raised her eyebrows at that.

"Call me jaded or experienced… but fighting someone every time they have done something to stab you in the back… it can be tiring at times. I already have done that with enough individuals for a whole life time so if I can at least have a more friendly rival relationship with them… I would honestly prefer something like that instead." Sora said as he sat himself deeper on the bed as Amy couldn't help but feel herself be pulled a bit by his words.

"What I am trying to say is… when we become enemies again… I genuinely do hope that we can fight as friends and not as mortal rivals. That may be a big pipe dream for me but at the very least, that's the truth that I hold in my heart at the end of the day." Sora said, hoping that by giving out his honest hopes inside his heart, he would be able to fight against Amy one day with everything he got, not holding anything back against her when that day comes.

"...That is truly something odd to hear someone say but yet...I can't really find anything wrong with wanting such things in the first place." Amy answered as Sora smiled upon hearing that. He then felt a wave of tiredness hit him as he yawned at that moment. While the nap he took did help to make him feel less tired, He still had to experience quite the dream and thus he does need to continue sleeping if he wanted to feel fresh and fight at his best.

"I need to go to bed now… but before I do so I just need to say one thing. I should be honest, I don't have any hatred for you Amy. I just hate that you have to be tangled in this whole mess and while I may never forgive you for trying to kill Makoto, it won't really change the fact that you have seen my life for the past few years." Sora explained as Amy couldn't help but look at him confused, wondering what he could mean with his choice of words at that moment.

"...I'm pretty sure you are thinking about it, but maybe think about what that professor of yours would have said to you should he have said the same thing, maybe you would know what I mean from there." Sora explained as he stretched a bit, feeling the tiredness hit his bones at that moment. "I'm going to take a small shower to fresh up a bit. After what happened today, I need a break." Sora explained as Amy simply nodded her head, allowing Sora to head for the built in bathroom to take his break.

Amy then took a deep breath at that moment and sat down. She closed her eyes as she allowed her mind to process what she had just heard and while the answer she got was not what she had expected, at least she herself now understands that the weapon that was next to Makoto this whole time was actually Balmung. This left even more questions in Amy's mind like why did Balmung reforge itself the way it did and more importantly, why did Makoto's soul of all things end up inside it. But that was the least in her mind right now.

"Truly Sora Minakaze… you are one unique individual." Amy said as she sat down on the bed and laid her back on the soft mattress, allowing her body to sink down on it. Her mind began to drift as she thought about what Sora had said and what she should do at that moment. It was true that they were enemies but at the same time, what he said is also something reasonable to say. The more she thought about it, the more her mind simply began to race with thoughts as her mind drifted towards one individual.

"... What would you have said at this point Father…"

GREETINGS LOST SHEEP OF FANFICTION!? HOW IS EVERYONE DOING ON THIS FINE DAY!? Well, we are now on the final 3 months of the year 2022 and that is always the most exciting part of most years, knowing that the end of the year is coming soon and there is a lot to be excited about. Unfortunately for me, the laptop I have been using for the past few years has had it's hinge slight come apart. I may need to skip a chapter this month if it's very bad to the point where I am told I need a new laptop but hopefully this is not that big of a deal and nothing that a little elbow grease can fix. On the other hand, I won't be able to do gaming for a few days most likely and that really sucks if the worst case scenario is true. Well, hope that things go well from here.

SO WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT!? WHAT IS GOING TO BE THE FATE OF SORA MINAKAZE NOW!? WHAT WAS BALMUNG IN ACTUAL REALITY!? HOW COULD A NOX NYCTORES BE CONSIDERED A CONTINUUM ERROR!? AND FINALLY HOW WILL AMY OR EPSILON-5 REACT TO ALL OF THIS IN THE FIRST PLACE!? Well now the least we can do is continue to wait patiently for the next Distortion to appear. So stay tuned and I hoped that you enjoy what you have been reading so far.