Arc II: Family Ties
They've chosen to side against me. Not unexpected, but disappointing.
After all, I have planned and prepared for every eventuality ever since I began my new journey.
They are completely oblivious to the truth. I alone am the one who knows the way of this universe, and how it came to be.
The fateful day that everything changed put an end to any joy my heart could feel.
Yet the time will come soon when everything is back where it should be, and no one can interfere.
They've rekindled friendships, that had once been torn asunder by hatred.
But there is one boy out there who cannot so easily let go of his own resentment.
When he is confronted with a face from his past, how will he cope?
And what of that girl who came so close to learning of the true world?
All I can do is continue to orchestrate this saga, until time can truly move forward.
Chapter 16: Dragged Into The Dusk
|Pleroma|
Where am I?
Shintaro thought he had gone to sleep, yet now he was floating in mid-air. Or so he thought. He inside saw an endless sea of purple mist, both slowing down and rushing past him. It was almost like liquid, and he was floating through the sea. He couldn't see anyone, but he saw strange blue silhouettes, almost made of gas, float past. And they were almost humanoid in shape.
He saw something glimmer far ahead. Curious, he 'swam' towards it as fast as he could, but it didn't seem to get any closer. Feeling tired, he gave up. Until that light same rushing up to him. It seemed to be a window...one that lead to his classroom. It sucked him inside, and and he immediately landed onto his chair next to Kohaku and in front of Akari.
This is weird. I can't see that weird misty world anymore. Was that all a dream? Was I sleeping in class? No, surely not...
He couldn't seem to control his body, though. It just kept going through the motions.
"Bythos? Those total psychos? Everyone's been going on about them. Lots of government criticism on their website, but they're so vague about everything." Kohaku said.
Shintaro didn't understand. Why was he suddenly back to his first day of second year? This had to be some kind of dream like state. His body spoke familiar words, went through the same gestures, but he had no influence on any of them. He and Kohaku spoke with Akari, and as they did, something felt off. There was just this unsettling feeling beneath the surface, that this vision wasn't quite right.
This is my classroom, right? Then why does it feel so different than it did yesterday? It's like I can see it more clearly than before.
Soon after his thought, Mrs Suzuki came in the room, as did another girl. One he didn't recognise, but he could tell wasn't Kei. She hadn't the teal hair, or that strange sullen expression. Rather, she seemed happy.
What? That's not...where is Kei?
"...my name is Michiko Suzuki. As you can see, our school's gone through some changes since last year."
Shintaro saw his teacher at the front of the class. Things felt hazy in this room. He could barely make out the whiteboard at the front. But then something else caught his eye. A girl standing next to Mrs Suzuki.
And it wasn't Kei. She wore the uniform, yes, but had purple leggings and bright pink eyes. Her long flowing black hair and curly bangs seemed familiar to Shintaro, but he didn't quite know how. Until he remembered someone he had briefly seen last week, but never since.
Wait! That's the girl who I saw at the mall! I think Kei was the only other girl who could see her. But...what does this even mean?
"Before we go any further, I'd like to introduce a new student." Mrs Suzuki said.
"My name is -"
The girl began to speak, but suddenly, everything froze. Shintaro suddenly was able to move, yet the rest of the class was completely still. He got up from his chair, and walked closer to the girl, who smiled warmly at him. It was then he realised something else. She resembled the darkened image of Nisa Liat he had seen through his Gnosis. It had to be her. This raven-haired girl was controlling Bythos, and was even inside his head.
"You...you're..." Shintaro said, startled. "What are you doing here? Where's...?"
The girl put a finger over Shintaro's lips, and shook her head.
"We're still not there yet. I thought after all this time, we'd be ready, but it looks like we've still got a long way to go." The girl said, gazing deeply into Shintaro's eyes. His cheeks went red. "But it's okay. For you, I'd wait a thousand years."
As soon as she said this, the room itself had turned completely white, with the chairs, desks and whiteboard turning completely pitch-black. The windows were black as well, but the view outside had changed to a neon blue. The girl sat up onto the teacher's desk, facing Shintaro, and dangled her legs playfully.
"I..." Shintaro started to say, but he couldn't quite think of what to say. Was this girl really Nisa Liat? There was something about her that made it impossible to tear his eyes away.
"I told you I'd solve everything for you all, didn't I? Back when it was me, you, and everyone else." The girl said, happily. "Once everything is ready, we can tell them our big news."
"What big news?" Shintaro asked, confused. The girl looked disappointed, and wiped away tears from her eyes. "What's wrong...?"
"...Go back to sleep, Taro-kun. I promise this won't be forever."
She faded from view, as did everyone else in the classroom but him. And then he felt himself be lifted up from the ground, and catapulted through the window, soaring back through the purple mist. Then, there was a flash of blue mist, and everything was over.
|April 14th|Kansei High School – Class 2-1|9:30 am|
The week had gone on as normal, with no more bizarre dreams. Shintaro couldn't quite figure out what had happened. Was Nisa Liat trying to mess with his head, by pretending to be Kei? If so, why would she even do that? All of it seemed so strange, especially that purple void he was trapped in. She was gazing into his eyes with a pure affection, one that he had never seen from another girl before.
Shigeru had advised the team to carry on as normal, as far as possible, until he got in touch with them next. The Cognition Core seemed to be contained just fine inside Kei's Gnosis, and she hadn't dared to summon it – tampering with Mizuho any further could be dangerous. Now, it was Friday, and it was Biology.
"Jellyfish really are fascinating creatures, aren't they?" Mrs Suzuki said, pointing to the whiteboard. She had set it to display some high-definition pictures of a rather exotic species. "Some of them have ocelli – light-sensitive organs that detect, well, light. They can also determined up from down, which helps them respond to sunlight shining on the water's surface. These don't form proper images like our eyes, however."
"Hmm..." Kei said, looking closely at the classroom's whiteboard. The species depicted was a red variety called the Chrysaora fuscescens, more commonly known as a Pacific sea nettle, commonly found in the East Pacific Ocean from Canada to Mexico. "Suzuki-sensei? I heard people refer to them as 'Medusa'. Is there a reason for that?"
"I'm glad you asked. They're classified in the subphylum 'Medusozoa', which is part of the phylum Cnidaria." Mrs Suzuki replied. "Of course, no jellyfish can turn someone to stone. Outside of science-fiction, I hope."
Shintaro eagerly took notes down, happy to be in a lecture of Michiko Suzuki's once more. Kohaku was next to him, also taking down every fact she could glean from the class. Akari, however, wasn't particularly impressed with jellyfish, so wasn't quite as engaged.
"Shintaro, you've probably read a few studies about marine biology." Mrs Suzuki said, smiling. "Jellyfish hugely vary in terms of size, amongst other factors. Which is the world's largest species?"
"Oh! The lion's mane jellyfish!" Shintaro replied happily. "They can have a bell diameter of about 2 meters!"
"That's huge!" Akari said, shuddering. "Can they kill you...?"
"One did in The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes!" Shintaro said, happily. Akari gulped, and went somewhat pale.
"Yes, I certainly wouldn't go swimming near one." Mrs Suzuki said. "In most cases, the sting isn't known for being fatal. But the lion's mane has many tentacles, so if you did get a sting, you'd probably be best getting medical attention."
"Eew..." Akari said, shuddering. "They're so gross looking."
"Perhaps, but all animals can be as cute as your Shiba Inu." Mrs Suzuki said, smirking. "Now, moving onto their ecology in more detail..."
|After School|3:34 pm|
The day was over again, and the students were heading home. Shintaro was walking down the steps with the girls, happily chatting away.
"So, you're back to your part time job?" Kohaku asked Akari.
"Yeah! Kaii's gonna be there. He's a sweetheart, I swear. Like, when I accidentally cut my finger on a hamster cage, he was so worried, and I had to keep telling him that I was gonna be fine. It's weird, though, he never really talks about his friends...maybe he doesn't have any outside work. But he's so sociable at work, so I doubt that." Akari said.
"He sounds nice, either way." Kohaku said, smiling. They had stopped after reaching the main path from the steps, listening to Akari's talking about work. The more she spoke, the more realised just how set she was on her future career. Animals were her life. Sure, she did prefer the cuter animals,
when he saw another student walking up to them, smiling. It was none other than Noburo, the son of their de-factor 'officer'.
"Oh, I know him!" Akari said, enthusiastically. "He's the first-year who really wants to be an actor! Suzu thinks he's really cute!"
"That's great and all, but what does he want with us?" Kei asked.
"I've no idea. Just be nice...remember who his dad is." Shintaro said, anxiously.
"Yes. We must be good senpai." Kohaku said, nervous.
"Yo!" Noburo said, cheerfully, waving to them. "You're the two lovebirds I saw in Tarumi last week, aren't you?"
"What?!" Akari shouted. "You two actually became an item?!"
"No we didn't!" Kohaku said, rolling her eyes.
"Don't be silly." Shintaro said, flustered. "We were at that box office, yes, but we're not -"
Noburo burst out laughing, hand over his mouth, and the others just looked at him, bemused.
"I'm joking! Man, the looks on your faces..." Noburo said. "You two are always together, though. Anyone would think the same. Sorry. Well, I'm Noburo Komatsu."
"I know that name. Your father's in the city council!" Akari said, ignoring the uncomfortable looks the other three in her class exchanged. "I'm Akari Ito! Pleased to meet you!"
She shook his hand enthusiastically, and he smiled.
"And I'm Shintaro Nakahara."
"I'm Kei Kakusa, from Yokohama."
"And my name's Kohaku Teruya!"
"Ah, that's a nice name." Noburo said, softly. "I saw you with your family on Sunday, actually. At least, I think it was you. You had an orange dress on, right? It looked good on you!"
"Um...thanks!" Kohaku said, blushing. "But...um..."
"Hey, I've heard all about you!" Akari said. "You've been on TV, right? Like those weird fast food chain commercials?"
"Well...yeah." Noburo said. "It's not glamorous, but it's one little step towards my dream. I'm going to be in Death By Moonlight, actually. Maybe I'll see you guys on opening night!"
"I dunno, I'll have to think about -"
"Oh, that's such a wonderful play!" Kohaku said, interrupting Shintaro. "Especially Act 3, Scene 1. One of the most poignant scenes I've ever, well...seen!"
"You know it?" Noburo asked, eagerly.
"I adore it." Kohaku said. "I saw it once two years ago, and I'd love to see it again. Although I do prefer going to concerts than plays...like Aika Makino's on Saturday."
"Awesome! My senpai seem pretty cultured. I'm glad I got into Kansei now!" Noburo said. "I'm not much of musician myself, but me and Teruko are going to see Electric Sea on Sunday."
"Who are they?" Akari asked, confused.
"Oh, they're a Portuguese band. Their frontman is Netsuno Fonseca. But the woman who writes the songs and does backing vocals is incredible too. She's Leonor De Lacerda." Kohaku said, happy to share her knowledge.
"You know every musician that's ever existed, don't you?" Shintaro asked.
"Well, you know every novelist, poet, dramatist..." Kohaku said, playfully nudging him.
"HEY! Noburo! What do you think you're doing?!"
Another girl ran up to Noburo, causing him to leap up with fright. He turned around and saw her, the first-year he had been seen with since school started. She had crossed her arms, angrily, and her eyes were full of rage.
What's her problem? Wait, she's his girlfriend...
"Hi, Teruko-chan!" Noburo said, nervously. "I was just chatting with our senpai!"
"Don't give me that! What have I told you about flirting with other girls?!" Teruko snapped, stomping on the ground. Shintaro tried to suppress a chuckle, but she noticed, and glared at him. He looked away, awkwardly.
"He was doing nothing of the sort." Kei said, giving her a cold look. "He merely wanted to socialise with us momentarily. That's all."
"Whatever..." Teruko said. "It's not like he'd pick either of you over me anyway. Noburo and I have known each other since elementary school. I know him like a book!"
"Speaking of books, Shintaro's read at least fifteen hundred -"
"I wasn't speaking to you!" Teruko shouted, causing Akari to gasp. Some other students nearby looked on, confused.
"Okay, Teruko-chan, calm down!" Noburo pleaded. "These are our senpai, so try to be nice to them. Please?"
"Fine. Just...don't get any ideas about him. He's charming, I know, but he'd never settle for you. Got that?" Teruko said, giving Kohaku daggers.
"Loud and clear..." Kohaku said, deadpan.
"Okay! Noburo-kun, let's go somewhere fun! Don't forget, drama club meeting tomorrow!" Teruko said, grabbing him by the arm, and practically dragging him out of the school gates.
"...Wow." Shintaro said, dumbfounded.
"That's the clingiest girl I've ever seen!" Akari said, disgusted. "To think her boyfriend was so sweet, too."
"I think it'd be wise to avoid getting on her bad side..." Kei said. "Aside from Noburo, I don't think many have seen her good side."
"I can see why she's in the drama club now. She's good enough at starting it." Kohaku said, rolling her eyes. "It's a shame, I liked talking with Noburo-san. She wasn't wrong, he is quite charming. Perhaps too much for his own good."
"Yeah. With a girlfriend like that, he shouldn't be so casual about complimenting people. Maybe we'll tell his dad – uh, I mean, maybe his dad should tell him to be more careful." Shintaro said.
"I better sleep with one eye open." Kohaku said. The others couldn't tell if she was kidding, and shivered. Teruko might just be scarier than the Shadows.
Akari quickly left for her part time job, happy to be on the same shift as her colleague Kaii, and the team were finally able to head to their rendezvous with the Yoshinaga twins. They had selected a popular hangout of theirs in Mizuho. The idea was not only to welcome Natsumi properly to the team, but also to discuss everything that had happened, and decide on how to proceed further.
|Mizuho - Umeda Underground Mall|16:10 pm|
The Umeda mall was bustling with activity, and waiting by the fountain were the Yoshinaga twins. Having been here many times, Natsumi knew this place inside out, especially the fashion stores. While they waited for their friends from Kansei, Masato spoke up.
"Sis..."
"What?" Natsumi asked. "Don't tell me, I've got soda over my uniform? Toshiaki-senpai wouldn't stop making fun of me that time in lunch last week..."
"Yeah, but at least Evelina-senpai gave him a good kick in the shin." Masato said. "But seriously, are you okay? School was awkward as hell..."
"Yeah..." Natsumi said. "I just wanted Asami to get out of my face. But as long as she's in my home room, I have to act as if everything's fine. I can't believe her. Well, at least I'm on the good side."
"Good and evil, huh? You think it's as simple as that?" Masato asked.
"Bythos scare me. Whatever their reasons are, their methods are too extreme. They'll just spoil this city, rather than make it great. And it's already great, isn't it?" Natsumi said. "Even without Asami, in this city, my clothes are going to be sold everywhere. And you're going to be part of the Shinshuto Shockwaves."
"Damn straight." Masato said, smug. "Hey! Over here!"
The three Kansei students joined the Chieki duo, and could finally begin their discussion. To start with, they headed over to a corridor that lead to the bathrooms, hidden away from most of the shoppers.
"So...this afternoon, Shigeru sent us all a message." Kei said. She looked at her phone, and Shintaro did the same with his own device. There, a rather formal e-mail had been composed and sent to everyone, detailing the aftermath of yesterday's quest to obtain the Cognition Core.
"The Kaleidoscope somehow went through the same damage the Theio Kosmos one did. How can that be?" Masato asked.
"Who knows?" Shintaro asked. "I assumed one version of the place would be entirely different from the other..."
"Perhaps it depends on the location." Kei said, deep in thought. "Hmm. Then there's Fumihiro and Ryosei. Their bodies apparently ended up in the Akartharto Kosmos after they died – the club's been closed as part of the police investigation as a result."
"That EX-NIHILO was really a monster. I still can't something like that could exist. Even worse, it's already come back to life once." Natsumi said. "Those boys, do they have families?"
"I don't know. We learned their last names, but I didn't go digging into their family trees..." Kei said. "It's entirely possible that they truly had no one to depend on but each other."
"We never really did learn about what the Claret Squad did before Bythos..." Shintaro said. "Not that they would have told us, probably. All Fumihiro really wanted to do was beat people up and get away with it. Ryosei was a burn-out who couldn't cope with college, at least, that's the impression I had of him."
"It's a pity their lives turned out the way they did..." Kohaku said.
"I know..." Natsumi said. "I never had to fight them like you, so I know even less about them. But I wish we could have talked to them properly. What about Hisaya? Was she really the one that killed her father?"
"She practically bragged about it to us. At the moment she's still alive, so maybe we'll get a chance to talk to her." Shintaro said. "Although there's a possibility she's suffered long-term brain damage. I just hope the doctors can help her through it."
"Even if she does recover, she could be tried for murder..." Kei said. "She used her Gnosis to hide from the law, after all. Now that she doesn't have one, there's no way she can avoid her fate."
"As for Rokurou..." Kohaku said. "He's completely brain dead. On life support. No chance of recovery..."
"That's because of EX-NIHILO...!" Masato said, shaking.
"He had already been driven to despair before then, too..." Natsumi said. "If EX-NIHILO shows up again, I'll burn it to ashes. I swear it!"
"I know you will." Shintaro said. "Asami's fangirls managed to get away safely, somehow. Neither of them seem to remember anything specific about last night, other than things started to collapse. What worries me is that they were all given Gnosis..."
"Did anything appear online about them? You'd think Asami giving all those girls free high-end phones would be kinda big news. Even more so if these phones let you summon like a Minotaur or Medusa or something." Masato said.
"I looked, but nothing..." Kohaku said. "I just hope they don't end up in the Theio Kosmos again. Becoming part of Bythos is a curse, not a blessing."
"That's what I wish Asami would realise!" Natsumi said. "Everything was fine when we were just regular girls. Then she had to turn out to be one of Nisa Liat's elite forces. And there are others like her, too! Like that Keiya creep!"
"What a lunatic." Masato said.
"Ha. Hilarious." Kei said.
"...What? What'd I say?" Masato asked, genuinely confused.
"Oh, uh...I'll explain later." Kei said. "I was going to suggest we go to the Theio Kosmos today, but right now, I'd rather enjoy this time with you all. We'll wait for Shigeru to contact us again before we head over there. Is that fine with everyone?"
"Yeah, that's cool with me." Masato said. "Shigeru's pretty chill, isn't he?"
"We actually ran into his son today after school. He's a good enough guy, I guess." Shintaro said. "But his girlfriend, she...well, she doesn't want him talking to any other girl. And I do mean any."
"I better look out for this guy then, so I know to avoid him." Natsumi said, chuckling to herself. "By the way, do we know anything else about the Aeon Administrators?"
"So far, just Keiya and Asami. Nisa Liat told us about a woman who had issues with the police, but that's all we have to go on. Did you hear anything else?" Kei asked.
"Actually...I did." Asami said. "They did mention someone. It didn't sound like they liked this guy that much...I think his name was Toki. From the way they spoke, I'm sure it was a guy, not a girl."
"Toki, huh?" Kohaku asked. "I wonder if it's anyone famous? After all, Keiya and Asami are both fairly recent celebrities. Do you think that could be a prerequisite?"
"I can't think of anyone called Toki that's popular." Shintaro said, thinking. "Although I'm sure I remember reading about a Toki a long time ago in my dad's paper. Something about being arrested for drink driving. I was still young, though, so I assumed the drink was something like soda, and kept asking my dad why it was illegal to get orange juice all over the car..."
The others giggled, and Shintaro couldn't help but join in. At least they were still able to joke around, but with Bythos lurking around the corner, that more than likely wouldn't last.
"Well, we're not going to get anywhere by mulling it over. But I'll tell Shigeru and the others about it, just in case they're able to find out more." Kei said. "I don't know anyone at my dormitory called Toki, but I could try asking around."
The others were drawing a blank on any famous people called Toki, and started to leave the mall to explore. As they did, Shintaro tried desperately to cast his mind back to that article he read.
I remember a picture. The man looked like he hadn't shaved for weeks, and was a mess. His clothes were dirty and torn, and I think he had a scar across his cheek. But what was his claim to fame? What was his last name? And would knowing even help us fight him anyway? We never actually did fight Keiya and Asami directly. I wonder how we would have done if we had. Perhaps this Toki will give us a real battle.
|Shinshuto Government Office – Shigeru's Office|16:53 pm|
Shigeru was in his office, composing another lengthy email, when the door opened suddenly. He looked up, and saw none other than Mayor Ashikaga, dressed in her red women's suit.
"Good afternoon, Yoko." Shigeru said. Yoko nodded curtly, and sat down in front of him, her arms crossed.
"Nice to see you keep your office clean." Yoko said, admiring the desk. "You certainly have a collection of family photos."
"Well, of course." Shigeru said, happily pointing at one of them. "You remember this one, don't you? Our honeymoon in Paris. Kaiyo couldn't believe her eyes when we reached the top. It was amazing..."
"I bet." Yoko said, unenthused. "Shigeru-kun, I'm sorry for not coming to see you earlier in the week, but I wanted to offer my thanks. You've saved Mizuho from becoming Bythos' playpen."
Shigeru, surprised, looked up at her. "But I wasn't the one who ultimately made that core manifest. It was those children from Kansei and Chieki-"
"You took them under your wing, didn't you?" Yoko said. "They trust and respect you. Whether or not you believe that, I know that's the truth. But we can't rest on our laurels."
"What are you getting at, Yoko?" Shigeru asked.
"The power of the Cognition Core..." Yoko said. "Have you looked into it at all? I understand Kakusa-san was guarding it for you. If she's as reliable as you claim, I'm not worried about her misusing it or losing it to anyone else. But if we can harness the core's power properly, think of what could be possible."
"...What are you suggesting?" Shigeru asked, raising an eyebrow.
Yoko shook her head. "You're not very imaginative. Just think about it. We could alter reality itself with these cores. I'm not suggesting we simply brainwash the entire city in the way Bythos would, rather...we can use the cores to help our people. Undo the mistakes of the past to change the course of our city."
"Are you talking about her?" Shigeru asked, now tense. This question had caused Yoko to shudder, and her eyes to go wide with fright. Now feeling pangs of guilt, Shigeru gave his old friend a look of pity. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought that up."
"We agreed we wouldn't talk about that, Shigeru-kun." Yoko said. "All I can do is carry on as Mayor. That's all there is to it."
The two of them sat for a few moments, awkwardly. Finally, Shigeru cleared his throat.
"Well...I'll be looking into safeguarding that Cognition Core, at any rate." Shigeru said. "That's a promise."
"Good. As always, I'll be counting on you."
Yoko managed a brief smile, and slowly left the office. As she did, Shigeru turned around and looked outside his window, showing him a grand view of Totsuka.
Ever since that day four years ago, she's never been the same. And nothing I can do will bring the old Yoko back. The fun-loving young woman from college, who dreamed of being the first female Japanese Prime Minister.
His thoughts were interrupted when he received a message from Kei. Concerned, he took his Gnosis in hand, and read it carefully.
We've discussed your email. So far, nothing's changed regarding the Cognition Core, and Masato and Natsumi state that the Mizuho area is completely normal again. However, Natsumi mentioned another Aeon's name, as she overheard Keiya and Asami talking about them. A 'Toki', apparently, and it seems like this is a man. We'll be waiting for your next message.
"Toki?" Shigeru said, tightly gripping his Gnosis. "Not...that Toki?!"
Putting aside his email, he began looking through a government list of Shinshuto citizens. It took him some time to wade through the many names, but finally he saw the one he was looking for.
"Toki Hiyashi, born 20th December 1968..." Shigeru said, scowling at his computer screen. "So you're still here in this city. What are you trying to accomplish?"
If you even think about coming near Kaiyo & Noburo again, you'll have me to answer to.
|Bella Donna – Pet Friends|
"All finished?" The store manager asked Akari.
"Yeah, but I'll be back next week!" Akari said, happily.
"And I'll be in tomorrow," Kaii said.
The two of them left the mall, and before long were exchanging pictures of their pet dogs. Akari couldn't help but fall in love with Kaii's beloved pet, often referred to as his 'boy', while he himself had grown fond of Akiko, the Shiba Inu.
"We've got to go walk our dogs together sometime!" Kaii said, happily. Suddenly, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, and sighed. "Sorry, I've got to take care of something. You're okay getting home, right?"
"Yeah, sure!" Akari said. "See you later, Kaii-kun!"
Kaii smiled, and walked away. As she started to walk away, however, she realised something. She had left behind her silver watch at the store. As she ran back to get it, however, she saw Kaii, trying to hide behind a pillar. He was using his phone, but it wasn't the one in the blue case she had seen him use normally. Rather, it was a black model.
Another Gnosis...?
"Cool. You got everything in Totsuka under control?" Kaii said. Akari kept a distance, and kept quiet. Somehow, she had an idea that he didn't want anyone to overhear his conversation. "Good. I'm heading to Inoue Bank tonight to get the data we need. You take care, okay? ...what do you mean you're more worried about me? I'm the newest out of you guys, fine, but I'm still pretty strong. I can handle anyone that tries to get in the way."
What are they talking about? By 'handle anyone', does he mean...fighting? And what data does he need from Inoue Bank?
"Okay. I'll talk to you once you've got him." Kaii said. Akari saw him hang up, and quickly ran back into the store. She waited a few moments, to check that she hadn't been seen by him, and got the watch. Trying to relax, she walked outside, and saw that Kaii was gone.
"What is he up to?" She asked herself. She didn't understand anything of what he said, but she didn't like it. Too many odd things had been happening recently. That bizarre encounter with Keiya Tsukino, her friends being so secretive, and now Kaii's strange phone call. She decided, next time she saw Kaii, she'd confront him. All she hoped was that he'd open up to her, and prove he wasn't up to anything wrong.
But if he is, what will I do?
|Totsuka – Shintaro's Neighbourhood|18:31 pm|
After his group's meeting, Shintaro and the others had eaten at the Dragon Flash Bowl, and he had a hearty beef bowl with some delicious eggs on top. Now rather full, he was back in his familiar neighbourhood, and no one was around. His mother and father had gone out for dinner that night to a high-end sushi restaurant in Hayashi, so he decided to head to a local supermarket to look at some of their week's specials.
At least I get to meet Celestine on Sunday. That's going to be so epic! Just think what it'll be like to hear her French accent up so close.
As he walked nearer the market, he suddenly felt a shiver down his spine. It was so quiet, but he had a strange feeling he wasn't alone. He looked left and right, yet couldn't see anything but himself and his own shadow. Sighing, he continued down a side street towards the main road, seeing the neon lights of the supermarket up ahead.
As he walked onward, however, he felt something around him break. He heard a piercing sound, almost like glass shattering. Afraid, he looked around, and felt a sudden change in the atmosphere. This was still Totsuka, but not of this world. No...he had somehow wound up in the Theio Kosmos.
"What?! Why am I here?!" Shintaro asked, startled.
"Cause I had to take you here, kid."
Shintaro gulped. Before he could do anything, however, he felt a sudden sense of drowsiness. He collapsed, only to be caught by another person. Before he fell into a deep slumber, however, he saw a glimpse of the culprit. A man with a scruffy beard, with a face that seemed reminiscent of someone he had seen before.
What the hell...I can't stay awake...?! Kohaku...where are you? Please, someone, save...me...
He finally fell asleep, the Dormina spell finally taken affect, and everything went dark.
|Kohaku's House – Kohaku's Room|18:44 pm|
Kohaku was back at home, playing her flute. However, having come with her were Natsumi and Kei, who had decided to become her audience.
"Wow, you really know a lot of Disney songs..." Kei said, impressed, as she looked through the various crumpled sheet music. "Even One Jump Ahead. Nice."
"This room's just as adorable as I remember it!" Natsumi said, excited. "I thought I'd never be invited here again."
"Hehe!" Kohaku said. "It hasn't changed that much over the years. I don't like getting rid of anything, especially music."
She turned on her hi-fi and began playing Aika Makino's first album. The girls were sitting on the plush bean bag chairs in a circle, chatting away.
"Hey Kohaku, what are the other students at Kansei like?" Natsumi asked. "Is it just the three of you who hang out together?"
"Well, we're friends with another girl called Akari," Kohaku said. "She's really sweet, especially when it comes to her pets. But she's not tactful at all. Since she doesn't know anything about this world, we can't really invite her to our meetings. I hope she doesn't feel left out..."
"I wouldn't worry so much. Akari spends a lot of time on her part-time job, doesn't she?" Kei asked. "And she seems to be quite close to this Suzu girl."
"What about the boys at Kansei?" Natsumi asked. "You must get a lot of admirers. Especially with your hair looking so awesome these days."
"I...I suppose I have had a few compliments recently..." Kohaku said, blushing. "There are some nice boys at the school, yes. One of them is Shigeru's own son. Noburo!"
"Oh really? Isn't that kinda awkward?" Natsumi asked. "It'd be weird if he overheard you talking about it...better watch out."
"Please, we're not that stupid." Kohaku said. "What about your friends at Chieki? I mean, after what happened with Asami, it must be rough there..."
"It is a bit weird, yes." Natsumi said. "We used to talk all day. Now we just...ignore each other. Sooner or later, we're going to have to fight each other. She can't do anything to me at school, though. Other than here, there are a few other girls that are cool, but then there's Eiji, Masato's best buddy. He's so dumb, but he's kinda funny."
"What about you, Kei? Have you made any other new friends at school?" Kohaku asked.
"Aside from you and the others, not really. But near my dorm is this wonderful toy shop, owned by this really kind old man called Wakahisa. And he has a daughter in college, who comes around a lot. I've...actually started working there part time." Kei said.
"You kept that quiet!" Kohaku said. "Now I better get a job!"
"Hey, I've got an idea. Why don't we all hang out Sunday afternoon, then explore the Theio Kosmos some more?" Natsumi asked. "We can check out the Asakita Theme Park!"
"Oh, I've been meaning to go there!" Kohaku said, excitedly. "I'm down for it! How about you, Kei?"
"I've never been, but I'd love to see it," Kei said.
"Masato will go for sure. They've got good candy there." Natsumi said.
"Then I'll just ask Shintaro..." Kohaku said. She typed a message, and sent it, but it came up with an error. "Huh?" She sent it again, but the message wasn't going through.
"What's wrong?" Natsumi said, looking at one of Kohaku's fox plush toys.
"His phone must not be working properly." Kohaku said, trying to reassure herself. Yet he usually had his phone on and fully charged. What could have happened? Well, she would see him at school, so could ask him directly.
"Sunday in Asakita, huh? It should be good." Kei said, pondering it. "The park's only about ten or fifteen minutes from my dormitory, too."
"Y-Yeah..." Kohaku said, trying to hide her anxiety.
Shintaro, are you okay? Don't make me worry like this. I can't relax unless I know you're alright.
Characters So Far:
Kei Kakusa - Fool - Ostara
Shintaro Nakahara - Hermit - Ogma
Kohaku Teruya - Priestess - Airmid
Masato Yoshinaga - Chariot - Camulus
Natsumi Yoshinaga - Priestess - Brigid
Shigeru Komatsu - Emperor - Dis Pater
Novalie Vinters - Priestess - Sagá
Hiroyuki Kita - Chariot - Masamune
Keiya Tsukino - Moon - Sin
Asami Hamasaki - Magician - Kaihime