Chapter1: New game+

Takeru POV

October 22, Takeru opened his eyes groggily only to see the familiar ceiling of his former world. "Where am I? Why am I crying?" He was wondering himself if this was just a dream as his eyes getting blurred from tears. Suddenly, a jolt of memories violently sent him back to the reality. Despite not being a Casualty Conductor any longer, he was able to loop one last time into the distant past miraculously. "I am here. I am still here. This time, no mistake is allowed. This time, I will definitely save this world and everyone I hold dear." He solemnly made a promise to his inner self.

Takeru quickly dress up and follow the usual footpath to the Yokohama base. The scenery remained unchanged as his memory record. The windy hill where he had spend time speaking, joking and laughing with everyone before the last mission brought him both pleasant and unpleasant memories. This was where Marimo chan lies as well as the rest of the Valkyries. "Thank you, Sumika. I won't let your effort gone waste". Takeru muttered a lonely voice as he continually heading toward the Yokahama base.

"There they are." The UN guards that I got myself into the scuffle with in my last loop. They must probably confuse at whether I was just some nutcase or a suspicious person giving my behavior in the last loop. One of them smiles at me and speaks in a friendly manner "Have you been taking a walk? You are a weird guy. It's nothing but rubbles out there". It's only right for them to assume that I came from this Yokohama base since I am wearing its uniform. "I am Shirogane Takeru. Sorry, I was transferred here today. I don't have an insignia on my uniform. See? I have an appointment with the XO here, Professor Yuuko Kouzuki. Please relay a message to her that it was regarding the XG-70 and Alternative IV deal. As for the ID, I just can't give you just yet until I meet the Professor".

The older guard went back to his post and relay my message. After a while, he came back. "We have been told to escort you to the professor's office."

It really worn me out with these hours of examine. However, it's only natural assume the all the suspicious atmosphere around me right now. Yuuko sensei must have Kasumi reading my mind during that time as well to see whether I was some anti-Alternative agent or just some nutcase. At last, I was finally escorted to Yuuko sensei's office. She was leaning on her working table and stare at me as if she was evaluating some specimen. "You may leave us now. Thank you. Stand guard outside the office. I will call you if you are needed." She spoke and gestured the guard to leave. The guards saluted and went outside as ordered.

Good. This is where it all begins. "My name is Shirogane Takeru. I come to help you regarding the XG-70 and Alternative IV. I am your ally. I come here to plead my loyalty to you, Yuuko sensei" I quickly bow my head to her before she could speak anything in return.

"You know, I don't remember having you as my student" Yuuko sensei speak to me in a casual manner. Her face shows no surprise or shocked. This woman had truly mastered the art of poker face.

"Yes, I know. At least, the YOU in this world that is. Sensei, I experienced a dimensional travel including time travel. You must remember your theory on Quantum Causality. I am the living proof of that quantum oddity, a Casualty Conductor. That is the reason I know Alternative IV will be scrap in this December 24. That's also including the 00 unit you working on or Kasumi in the lab room next door"

Yuuko sensei let out a small gasp. She can't hide her surprise now. She stared hard to me to search for some sort of clues. I can guess what she going to next with such hostility she shows in her eyes now. I quickly resume my speech before she could act "You may not believe it, but I was your student, assistant as well as the most important chess piece you ever had. You can ask Kasumi to testify it by reading my mind right now. Yuuko sensei, I am your ally"

Yuuko sensei expression softened somewhat. Her look has change almost 180 degree from hostile to doubt and clearly interest. However, some irritating traces remain "Assuming what you spoke is the truth. Shirogane, you claimed to able to help me. How are you going to do it? What do you know about the Alternative project?"

Yes. Hook, line and sinker. She has finally taken the bite. "Alternative V will evacuate hundred thousand into space while billions will be abandoned to doom in this world. While Yuuko sensei is creating n a supercomputer brain that's able to process 15 billion semiconducting parallel computing circuits at the same time to run the XG-70. And most importantly, you are hitting against the wall right now. If your project continually shows no result, the Alternative IV will be scrap by 24 December."

Yuuko sensei went silent as the matter of fact. Her irritability is clearly showing. I have to quickly fix it somehow. "In the world I came from, Yuuko sensei, you has finished the thesis as well as the experiment, save for some flaws."

Yuuko eyes widen as she heard that. She jumped at me, hold my collar tightly and yank it with all her might. Damn it, my consciousness is fading. "Tell me about it. What do you remember?"

"Urg. At least release me or you will kill me before I could speak anything." Damn it. Not even the hordes of BETA could kill me, now it going to be a seriously nonsense if I was to die at the hand of this woman. "Urg, I am dying. Yuuko sensei, please release your hand now."

Yuuko POV

Yuuko quickly released her hand of Takeru collar. She was so excited as she heard the news from the mysterious young man. She could even dancing and laughing like a child at this moment. She tried her best to calm down, giving the fact that she doesn't know how much this young man could remember about her thesis report. "You claimed to be my assistant, right? You must at least have a rough idea to continue the part where I got stuck now, don't you? Tell me the idea"

Takeru was coughing as he massaging his throat "I could do a better job. Give me some hours and I will write every single detail of your thesis"

Yuuko just couldn't contain her joy any longer. She dexterously wraps her arms over Takeru head and gives him a kiss to the lips.

The young man jumps back. He stutters and can't hide his fluttered expression. "W…what are you doing?" His face turns bright red to the tip of his ears. It's somewhat childish and cute from Yuuko point of view. "Geh. Despite your entire claim about not having interest in youngster, you had attacked me four times now."

"Four times?" Yuuko wondered if her taste has change somehow. "Hahaha, I don't mean it. I was so happy that I could hardly control myself. Now please proceed to write the thesis for me."

Takeru "I will. However, please promise that you will always consult to me first if you put the plan into gear. I have already changed the future by a huge margin; I scared of what effect it may lead us to. Do you remember the theory time paradox and it cause? My power as a Casualty Conductor is already diminished greatly; I cannot afford to do another time travel this time. Please understand it. You and I had our share of failure more than once already. I could not stand seeing you cry, throw away your humanity anymore. We could not fail this time, Yuuko sensei."

The young man looks deeply into my eyes to convey his sincerity. I could barely tell how much hellish he has been through. There is a saying that the eyes are the windows of our soul. Despite the youthfulness appearance this Shirogane appear to be; his eyes reflect a millennium of sorrow, despair, and emptiness. Given his experience of time travel are truth, he himself must had an inconceivable share of hell. Despite that much, his irises flared a fainted light of hope, courage and determination to walk through hell over and over again until his goal is reached.

Should I really promise with this boy such things? I have yet to completely trust him given such timing and circumstance he appears. Yet, a small portion of my inner consciousness told me to put my utmost faith in him. I had planned to forfeit my humanity longtime ago to reach my own goal. If I shared every single detail of my plans to another being, that plan just might backfire or go haywire. However, I still have the option of lying to him to reach my own goal. Yet, his eyes hold an unexplainable mysterious power; it pricked thoroughly to the inner core of my soul forcing me to play things fair with him. " No choice, heh? Answer me Shirogane, what is your goal?"

He replied without any hesitation "I thought it was always human total victory in this hellish war against the BETA. It has forever been my only unchanged goal" He stopped for a moment with his eyes shut tightly as his face contorts, as if reminiscence something painful. Suddenly, his eyes flare up again with a mysterious light. " Now, I will become this world savior. I will never let the BETA take away anything I hold dearest, that including you, Yuuko sensei."

"Pftt…" Yuuko tries her best to contain her laugh despite the youth seriousness. However, it could only last for a short five seconds. The dumbfound look on his face is just genuinely priceless. She bursts out loud."hahaha.. "

"Sensei, it's totally not funny at all. I am totally serious here." Takeru complained as he hasn't got a single clue why his genius teacher found his speech just now amusing.

"Sorry, the way you phrase your sentence is just way too misleading." (Ha?) His face is dumbfounded once again. "You won't be popular with girls at this rate!" (HA?). He is just so cute in a sense that makes me want to tease him more. "It was completely like a love confession in a round abound way"

After thinking for a short moment, it's seem like Takeru has finally realized it, his face went completely red. His heart was beating in a matching war drum sound "N…no…I…it was…not my intention at all. I was totally serious about it."

"I apologize. So you were totally serious about capturing your Yuuko sensei heart. Heh, boy what an ambition you have there. Don't worry, at this rate, I can tell that you are more or less having a chance"

"Geh" Takeru face palmed as he heard that. He had never known Yuuko sensei was such an accomplished flirt. A sudden flashback of the night when Yuuko sensei was crying in the distant 24 December put him into an even more awkward position. Without looking at a mirror, Takeru could tell his face is probably as red as a tomato right now.

"I promise you, Shirogane, that we would be accomplices till the end. I won't keep you in the dark and I will hold on to my words"

"Thank you sensei"

"I can't just ignore your sincerity now that you was totally serious about putting flags on my route"

Takeru POV

"Urg" Takeru wondered what went wrong in the process. Yuuko sensei has never show an interest of a romantic relationship with him before. Why now? What on the earth did he do to unlock such a hidden character?

[I have to change the direction of this conversation quick]. Takeru tries his best to keep his emotion in check. "Yuuko sensei, please give me some time to write you the report. In a mean while, could you help me to pull up my file and assign me to squad 207 while you are at it?"

"That can be done easily. But why's that squad? Did you aware of their unique circumstance?"

"I do. Yuuko sensei, you put me into that squad in the previous worlds. So I guess my place will be with them now I am in this world as well"

"Ara ara. So basically, you didn't just try to put flags on my route alone. It's the harem route that you were aiming all along."

"Yuuko sensei!" I face palmed once again at her teasing. She could be even better at teasing compare to Kashiwagi or Lt. Munakata. She has totally become a different character from the last time I saw her. (P.s There is no way my sensei could be this cute)

"Joke aside. Those were trivial matter. In addition, I will grant you access to this whole floor as well as making you an independent officer under my order. Just hurry up and get your job done"

"Thank you sensei"