The Real Reason Why
(Protagonist's POV)
I wake up to the sound of knocking at my door. Yesterday I made my decision to follow Yamato. Everyone else who did not follow Yamato left with either Ronaldo or Daichi. Joe, Otome, and Airi left with Ronaldo, bent on their ways of equality. Hinako, Jungo, and Io left with Daichi. They're not completely sure what to do with the world, but they don't want to join the extremists.
"...It's me. Are you awake, Hiro?" Yamato asks from the other side of the door.
"I'm up." I manage to get out of bed still feeling sleepy.
"Sorry to be ahead of schedule. Can we talk for a moment?" Yamato opens the door and walks in along with the others.
"Ahh, Hiro. You're up. Everyone's here." Fumi walks into my room after Yamato. Her eyes look as hazy as ever.
"Dude, what's with the ugly mug?" Keita rudely jokes.
"I just woke up." I growl back at Keita.
"Pfft, I know that. It was a joke. C'mon, laugh." Keita smirks, amused by my response.
"Good morning, Kageyama. I'm glad to have you along with us today." Makoto smiles genuinely.
"Now... let's get to business. I thought we should review our overall agenda." Yamato pauses, awaiting my response.
"Go on..." I yawn.
"A few things first... We at JP's-meaning those at this branch who can be trusted... We've terminated all facilities and personnel extraneous to the task at hand." The Chief explains what he and the others were doing while I was deciding which group to join yesterday.
"Terminated?" I ask unsure of what he means.
"Streamlined, if you will. Any necessary personnel or materiel can be supplemented. I've been told that Ronaldo Kuriki took over the vacant Nagoya branch. Meanwhile, your friend Shjima seems to have gathered his allies at the Tokyo branch..." Yamato trails off after reporting group Tokyo's status.
"I don't undertsand. They were going on about how it's wrong to fight one's friends. But it's not as if we were ever friends, really... Haha, they make no sense to me." Fumi chuckles.
"They're idiots to oppose us." I respond coldly.
"At ease, Hiro... I am not heartless. If there are those you wish to add to our number, you are free to try to convince them. But that can only happen after they are utterly beaten and have learned their place. Tokyo will be first. Their 'desire' is vague, and I worry Nagoya will subsume them. We will strike first to break them up and then attempt to recruit them individually." Yamato explains the first part of our agenda.
"Well, don't forget about the Septentriones. One of them is bound to show up today too." Fumi reminds Yamato.
"Yes. When all the Septentriones are defeated, the path to Polaris will be opened. Though the other factions are a little better than a mob... They cannot be allowed to challenge the Septentriones. It must be we who defeat it." Yamato elaborates.
"We'll do our best." I confidently say.
"Oh, and there's the Void to consider too. It got Chiba this morning..." Fumi adds.
"Like I give a damn. It doesn't change our plan, so let's hurry and get going." Responds Keita, growing more impatient by the second.
"Well, either way, we have to do this. There's not a lot of room for debate. We'll deal with the Tokyo and Nagoa factions and keep an eye out for the Septentrione. Let's get started, then." After Fumi's last comment, everyone leaves.
I leave my room after everyone else gets out.
Bookcases surround me on each side. Just like the Tokyo branch, there are three visible floors. Several strung up laterns align with the bookcases. Gold illuminates the room and most of its contents. Metal beams and railings support walkways beside the bookcases.
A column of various sized clocks stand in the center of the northern wall. One spiral staircase is located to the right of the clock column. Impossible lengthy metal ladders stretch from the bottom floor to the third floor. They lean on each opposing wall. The entrance and the back walls are an exception. Rows of wood tables and chairs fill the empty space in the center of the main room.
Noticing my presence within the room, Yamato approaches me.
"Hahaha... It's you, Hiro. Good of you to come to me." He smiles. "I'd believed that with your wisdom, you would choose me.
"Of course I do." I respond feeling a tad sleepy. It's only 7:30 in the morning.
"Hahaha...! That's because you are special. The other trash wouldn't understand." Yamato's sharp canine teeth are visible as he chuckles. "Hiro... Do you know why I decided to create a society based on strength? The Hotsuin family has given their lives to protect Japan since ancient times. It was all done in secret, and we regret not one death. This nation was worth it all. But that was long ago... Do you feel that modern Japan is worth that much loyalty?"
"No, I do not. So that's your real reason?" I inquire.
"That's right... Today's society is not worth the sacrifices it asks of us. Government serves only to protect itself, and the common people wallow in stupor. The nation has changed since the years long gone... And so we must also change. So I...the Hotsuin family, am coming out into the open, not hiding in Japan's shadow. We will protect those worth our protection. Anyone else is a cancer to progress. That is why I seek to create such a dog-eat-dog society. Do you understand?"
"Yes, I understand." I answer in complete agreement.
"I am glad you agree. I've been waiting for someone like you. Ha... It was right of me to keep you alive. Lead the world as my right hand from now on. I'll be counting on you. Well, then, if you'll excuse me."
Yamato gazes at me for a moment before walking away. Right of him to keep me alive, huh? I think back to our first meeting. Makoto brought us in to treat Io's ankle...
The elevator continued to screech as it sank below ground level. "B"-one, "b"-two... There were no numbers after one and two, just dots. The elevator's screeching came to a halt and the "JP's" symbol lit up. Makoto helped Io out of the elevator. Daichi and I followed them out. Makoto led us to the middle of a gigantic circular room.
There were thousands of books all neatly organized into bookcases. Three floors of bookcases to be exact, but there's probably even more somewhere. Two staircases leading to the second floor curved around the main entrance. Dual spiral staircases stuck beside the sides of the room. They reached the top floor unlike the curved staircases. Dozens of lit lamps hung, scattered around the room. A ginormous that read 17:30, sat above the third floor.
"Are you kidding me...? This is what's under the Diet Building!? This can't be real!" Daichi exclaimed. His eyes were wide as he looked around. He couldn't believe the room existed underground.
"Hey... Did you see that "JP's" logo there a moment ago?" Daichi turned towards me. "How do you pronounce that?"
"'Jips,' I guess?" I answer Daichi, not completely sure.
"That's right, 'Jips.' Now be quiet. I'd like to avoid any trouble." Makoto hushed.
Before Makoto could continue on, a man wearing a long black coat approached us. His skin was pale, it looked as if he never went out into broad daylight. He had long white hair that stopped slightly above his collar. Even though he was smiling, his silver eyes were narrowed and cold.
"You're late, Sako. Hm...? Who are they?" The man noticed us.
"Chief. These young men have signed up for THAT site..." Makoto answered her 'Chief' with a slight hint of tension in her voice.
"...I see. Why are they here?" The 'Chief' continued to question.
"...I had them come along since I thought we could get intel on the summonnig app from them. They have firsthand combat experience, so depending on the situation..." Makoto stopped when her 'Chief' held out his hand.
"That's a little far, Sako. They're civilians. Just debrief them and have done with it." The 'Chief' closed his merciless eyes, still smiling.
"...Understood, Sir. My apologies." Makoto apologized.
The 'Chief' looked at me coldly.
"I'm grateful for your cooperation. But this facility is normally off limits. I must insist that you leave as soon as possible. Well, then..." He nodded to me and left the room.
Afterwards I remember Makoto leading us to a room.
Makoto finished wrapping Io's ankle.
"That should do it. It'll hurt for a while, but you should be able to walk." Makoto stood up and Io tested her bandages.
"Oh... It actually doesn't hurt at all. Thank you very much." Io graciously thanked Makoto.
"It's nothing. I'd like to take you to Ariake, but I don't really have the time. ...In return, I'd like you to help us out a little too. Tell me what you know about your summoning app." Makoto requested.
"Oh... Of course." Io agreed.
Io told Makoto everything we knew about Nicaea and it's summoning app.
"I see... So you don't know much about it either." Makoto looked a bit disappointed.
"I'm sorry... And after you went out of your way to treat me..." Io closed her eyes and frowned.
"No... It's alright. I'm as much to blame. It's just that we're low on information... I have proof now that Nicaea is the origin of the summoning app, so that's progress." Makoto tried to cheer Io up a little.
"I hope so... We're very sorry." Io apologized again.
"I'll walk you back to the facility entrance. Just let me return this medkit first." Makoto left after her last sentence.
"Man... What a relief! She was a lot scarier when we first met her!" Daichi grinned.
"Mmm-hmm... I'm glad she wasn't as bad as she seemed." Io agreed and smiled too.
"Hm... Hm? Wait...!" Daichi made some strange faces. "...N-Now that the pressure's off... The pressure's on...! Where's the bathroom...!?"
"Let's go look for one." I suggested.
"Yesss! Thank you! A friend in need is a friend indeed. Now let's get out of here..." I left the room with Daichi.
A while after wandering around we ended up in a facility hallway.
"Urgh... Hurry, Hiro... Can't hold it..." Daichi managed to say.
"Shhhh." I heard some voices up ahead.
"Arrrgh... Don't talk so loud? I'm at my limit here..." Daichi quieted down a little.
"...Are you serious? But they're just civillians." I heard Makoto speak.
"Then how can you be positive they won't abuse the summoning app?" She was speaking to Yamato.
"They cooperated with me and helped reaseal Coordinate K... I don't think they'd abuse it." It seemed like they were talking about us.
"When man grows accustomed to power, he tends to abuse it. Wouldn't you agree, Sako?" Yamato asks.
Makoto stayed silent.
"This conversation is over. Move them to a cell."
I laugh nervously to myself after remembering what Yamato said. We ran away after that, only to come back after defeating Dubhe... Chief treats us-me so differently nowadays... Almost to the point where he would willingly kneel before me instead of the other way around, but not quite yet. It doesn't look like his opinion about my friends changed very much. ...I'll remember this. I continue to walk out the JP's building.
Yamato's reasons...
((A/N For those of you reading my other story, Doubting Merit, I will still update that story. I'll be hopping from story to story until one of the two is finished. After that, I plan to start on a prequel to Doubting Merit that will also be a sequel to this story. Bye for now!))