Gasping for air, Mika awoke with a start, brushing the shards of snow and ice from her body. Scanning the area immediately, the turning of her head caused her to feel a wave of dizziness wash over her and she had to grab her head in order to make the world stop moving.

Taking a moment to sit until the spinning finally stopped, Mika once again began to scan the area while rubbing her hands together in order to warm up. Looking around, she saw an impressive array of verdant trees and with Mount Gongga meeting the heavens behind her, she assumed she was likely in the surrounding forest region.

Well, there were worse places to be.

If she was in the Hailuogou Glacier Park like she suspected, it wouldn't be impossible to find hikers or travellers if she searched far enough.

Just as Mika was beginning to consider her options however, her eyes were drawn to the tree behind her and she felt her heart begin to pound due to the rustling noise of leaves.

A chill ran down her spine as she mentally prepared for the worst but she was instantly relieved to see a pair of unblinking amber eyes belonging to a macaque staring straight at her. Watching as it leaped into the forest and disappeared from her view, Mika sighed and turned back around so she could begin planning her travel course.

Spinning back around however, Mika rubbed her eyes wondering if she were suffering from minor concussive injuries as she observed a mop of ultramarine-blue hair at the base of the tree the wild macaque had just disappeared from.

Running forward in half disbelief, Mika crouched in front of the unconscious teen from Eisei Gakuen and slapped his cheeks a few times to check that he was real.

"Seiryuu?" Mika asked hesitantly, having no idea how he would have gotten here or found her.

...

Waiting a few moments, Mika was met by silence and she tried her best to recall the last moments before her memory became faulty.

She could vaguely remember someone calling out her name and a flash of blue light but anything else was beyond her and she doubted Aki would tell her anything either considering it was usually Aki reaching out to her rather than the vice versa. Whenever Mika had needed her Aki would appear but besides that she wasn't someone Mika could call as she pleased.

Grimacing as she looked at the setting sun, Mika decided to deal with the current situation for now and felt her biceps tremble for a few moments while she adjusted Seiryuu in her arms. She was rather confident in her arm strength but Seiryuu easily felt like 70kg or more so she anticipated it was going to be a real problem if he didn't wake up soon...

Adjusting him once more in her arms, Mika began to walk with the sun and Mount Gongga behind her at a steady pace, doing her best to avoid any roots or wildlife and cursing the heavy striker whenever she stumbled because of him.

She had no idea what the Eisei Gakuen striker was doing here considering the last time they had spoken...well they hadn't actually spoken because Seiryuu had simply run away to avoid her.

What was going on in his mind was a complete enigma to Mika, and she wasn't particularly interested in finding out seeing as she had her own problems to deal with at the moment.

It wasn't as if she could just abandon his body there though and so Mika let out a long breath. The ache in her muscles began to intensify the longer she had to trek through the dense woods with the deadweight dragging her down. Looking back down at the fallen striker once more, Mika took another glance to check he wasn't faking it when she saw Seiryuu's azure eyes staring at her hazily.

"You're awake." Mika commented dryly.

"The relief on your face warms my heart ." Seiryuu replied sarcastically, though his voice did seem hoarser than usual.

If he had the energy to give her insolent retorts, Mika judged he was well enough to walk on his own and she felt a sense of relief that she wasn't going to have to carry the deadweight the entire day.

"So are your feet just for decoration or do you intend to use me as your personal vehicle forever?" Mika asked scathingly, seeing that the blue-haired striker still showed no signs of moving.

"I'm pretty comfortable, yes, thanks for asking." Seiryuu answered leisurely, stretching his arms and legs to be especially obnoxious to which Mika rolled her eyes and proceeded to dump him on the ground promptly.

Mika watched as Seiryuu rolled over and sat himself on a tree root, looking at her with one eyebrow raised.

"So you know where we're going?"

Seeing that he was finally serious, Mika wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand and shook her head.

"The forest regions surrounding the mountain are huge...if we're lucky we'll be close to the Hailuogou Glacier Park but if we're not..."

"How long have you been moving?"

"About six hours..." Mika responded as she sat herself beside the blue-haired striker, catching her breath after exerting herself more than she had expected.

Seiryuu nodded slowly, taking in the situation when Mika began to interrogate him firmly.

"What are you even doing here Seiryuu? Are you insane? Coming to Mount Gongga in those clothes and no preparation? There's a reason it's called the 'King of the Sichuan Mountains' you know! You could die if you're not careful! Honestly...I would have been fine on my own but now what are we going to do...we'll need to acquire enough provisions for both of us, I suppose the weather could be worse, but we'll still likely need to build a shelter, acquire a water source..."

Mika trailed off as she began to overwhelm herself with a lengthy to-do list to ensure their survival but began to release a murderous spirit from her body when she heard what Seiryuu had to say next.

"Stop being such a worrywort all the time Mika." Seiryuu said in a relaxed voice, stifling a yawn with his hand.

Ignoring the frosty look in Mika's eyes, Seiryuu opened his mouth smugly, continuing.

"Such cold treatment for your saviour, Mika. I thought the Takinamis valued reciprocity?"

Then, reaching out to his wrist where a black bracelet materialised, he tapped it once and flashed her a toothy grin.

"Move Mode - Sun Garden, Japan."

...

...

Tapping it a few more times, this time with more force, Seiryuu repeated himself.

"Move Mode - Sun Garden, Japan."

...

...

"What the—" Seiryuu mumbled under his breath, glancing downwards at his wrist, perplexed.

Meanwhile, Mika hid her face in her palm for trusting Seiryuu to actually have a plan and somehow she felt more miserable than if she were by herself.

"Hey..."

Giving Seiryuu a resentful look for raising her hopes in vain, Mika was confused to see the blue-haired striker was scratching his cheek awkwardly, seemingly embarrassed while he explained, "It was working earlier today..."

"What was working today?" Mika asked dubiously.

"The Sphere Device...it's how I got here and got us out of that avalanche. When I tap it and call out Move Mode, it's supposed to take us to where I tell it to go...not sure why it decided to stop working now though..."

"Sphere Device?" Mika prodded, slightly intrigued now upon seeing a strange device in the shape of a multi-coloured soccer ball appear from Seiryuu's bracelet.

As the two examined the floating sphere device, Mika rolled her eyes and jabbed Seiryuu in the side to get his attention.

"What?"

Pointing to the bright blue circle that was currently flashing in albeit small font.

[Time Until Next Movement : 17:45:33]

"I may be less familiar with this...Sphere Device, than you, Seiryuu but I think a countdown is usually indicative of how long we have to wait until the next usage."

"Useless piece of junk." Seiryuu grumbled agreeingly, giving a resentful look at the precious device Beta had given him.

"Hardly." Mika countered, before brushing her hair calmly out of her face.

"This means we can adjust our plans accordingly and wait out the timer rather than wander endlessly hoping to find people. I've never seen anything remotely like this even in my family's laboratories...I would judge its value to be quite priceless if it were to be put in auction. How did such a valuable object land in your hands?"

"..."

Seiryuu watched as Mika began to gingerly press the other buttons, as if afraid she would break it and the corner of his lip twitched hearing her question.

"And for exactly what reason am I obligated to give you a reply, ?"

Frowning, Mika turned around to give him a dirty look as if she had just eaten dog shit, causing Seiryuu to grab his stomach to try to prevent himself from laughing, to no avail.

Unamused by Seiryuu's raucous laughter, Mika clicked her tongue at the striker with disdain.

"So petty."

"Oba-san." Seiryuu said simply, his laughter finally dying down as he savoured his successful revenge for her previous statements on the bus to Hakuren.

"I suppose I deserve this...Mika mumbled in an aggrieved manner, knowing Seiryuu wasn't likely to explain any further than this. She would need to ask Edmund then to track down whoever created the Sphere Device if Seiryuu was going to be of no help as usual.

Lying down against the sturdy tree, Seiryuu had a contemplative look on his face as he began to explain, to Mika's surprise, how he had acquired the Sphere Device from Beta and how it had led him here.


Seiryuu hurries back to Campus after his last training session with Beta, who had just vanished leaving only a black bracelet on his wrist. Metallic and cool to touch, he figures it would be similar to the holographic message she had given him earlier. Rushing inside his room to take a closer look, he sits on his bed to examine the 'Sphere Device' that Beta had said would have 'everything he needed to know'.

[Verification in progress...Welcome new user : Tatsunori Kitagawa. Tutorial for El Dorado Sphere Device 3.X2Z is available, would you like to–]

"Skip...skip...skip..." Seiryuu mutters quickly, wasting no time in swiping on the holographic screen to close the annoying pop ups until finally, only one remains which refuses to move from the screen despite Seiryuu swiping repeatedly to try and remove it.

Forced to admit defeat, Seiryuu reluctantly taps the open box and moves back as a giant holographic woman, who he recognises as Beta, appears in his room.

Staring directly at him, the figure winks and begins to speak in a playful manner.

"Bet you were gonna try and use the Sphere Device without opening this message first. Luckily, I'm a genius and programmed it so the next user wouldn't be able to use any of the functions without watching this hahahaha."

Seiryuu watches as Beta lifts her hand to her mouth and begins to laugh like a second-rate villain. Opening his mouth to yell at his sensei however, she begins to talk once more.

"Don't interrupt me, Seiryuu. This is just a recording after all and I only have five minutes. Oops! That's two done already. Anyways, good job. If you're watching this then I've acknowledged you're at least equivalent to the power I have in one toe, which is more than enough to crush any of the weaklings in your world..."

The hologram pauses as Beta seems to hesitate with her words for a moment but she continues casually as if she hadn't.

"Now I'm sure you're gonna want to rush back to Japan to get your revenge on those Outei Tsukinomiya brats...but before you go I think there's something you'll want to see." Beta giggles softly and waves cheekily at him one last time before the hologram fades out while a black screen appears in her place.

A girl with pitch black hair and heterochromatic red and blue eyes can be seen dribbling through the field like a fish swimming through a flowing stream.

Though her face is familiar, Seiryuu is unable to recognise the girl on the screen...

Her movements, dribbling, hissatsus, even facial expressions are different from the Mika he knows.

The Mika he knows is stronger than this...so where did she go?

Continuing to watch the screen wordlessly, Seiryuu feels his blood begin to boil and chest tighten with rage as the match continues.

What was Mika doing? How could she just give up like this?

Seiryuu's anger flares up once more watching Mika's final penalty kick, standing up to shout at the girl who had lost herself, when he remembers it is just a recording.

The holographic blue screen turns to black, as the Holy Road Final concludes and Seiryuu is left sitting once more in his room with just him and the floating ball.

How could she be so selfish?

He had been counting on her to overcome her limits, even taking the time to leave her an encouraging message...

But that was it?

Seiryuu was counting on Mika to become someone worth defeating. Someone he could look forward to beating just like she had been in the past...

Even if he had already beaten her twice, he knew that wasn't all she had.

Something was holding her back...

But what?

This wouldn't do.

Staring blankly at the screen lost in thought, Seiryuu leans back on his bed and closes his eyes wearily.

It looked like it would be up to him.

Standing back on his feet, Seiryuu takes a look around his room, checking to see if he had any possessions worth bringing with him but besides the singular, blue dragon doll there is nothing.

Tapping the purple button like he had seen Beta do in the past, Seiryuu watched as the Sphere Device sucks up the doll easily inside and with that done, he grabbed a notepad to scribble quickly,

[Magalie,

Je me casse.

À+

Seiryuu]

"That should do it" Seiryuu thought, looking at the written note with satisfaction when his ears perked, hearing some heavy pounding on his door.

"Seiryuu, open up!"

Recognising the distinct voice, Seiryuu lets out a sigh while the vigorous pounding on his door continues.

"Hey! I know you're in there! Seiryuu!"

"Yeah, yeah I'm coming." he grumbles, looking at the now useless note he had put so much effort into.

"What do you want?"

Opening the door slowly, Seiryuu sees Magalie standing in front of him, arms crossed and suspiciously silent after making so much noise just a few moments prior.

Hmph.

Grumbling with dissatisfaction, Magalie sits down on his chair and spins in it while Seiryuu waits for the inevitable rebuke from the Tidecaller. Clenching his fist, Seiryuu looks down as Magalie finally stops the chair with her back to him.

"You're leaving?"

"Yeah..."

"Then get out of here already, what are you doing waiting around like this?"

"Huh?"

"Never expected you to stick around forever ya know and I know you were meeting up with that blue-haired bitch... so it's a little faster than I thought it would be but there's nothing more you can gain here. The U20 team isn't good enough for you and with the new guppies in our roster I won't have time to train you anymore. So, I don't want to see your ugly face again until it's when we're on the same field, 'kay?"

"I was already doing that until you interrupted me..."Seiryuu points out belligerently but Magalie is already standing in front of him and ruffling his hair gently, making him unable to see her face.

"You were a good one. And the last time I said that was to Tsurugi Kyousuke..." Magalie says quietly with a degree of finality before punching him in the arm.

"But don't get a big head you dummy. You're still not as good as me."

"Later, Seiryuu."

Magalie waves behind her, turning the knob and exiting the room leaving Seiryuu standing alone, holding a pair of sea blue laces for his cleats.

"Thanks..." Seiryuu murmurs softly as his grip tightens around the gift.

Though Seiryuu hated to be in debt to others, it seemed he was saying 'thank you' more often than he liked these days...

Seiryuu shakes his head to clear his mind, and takes a final look around the austere room.

Then tapping the blue button on the Sphere Device, Seiryuu prepares himself as he calls out the coordinates Beta left for him.

"Move Mode - 29°34'24.99" N 101°56'23.99" E"

Cold!

Landing atop a snowy mountainside, Seiryuu rolls a few times before managing to stop himself and pick himself up. Shielding his eyes from the sunlight being reflected off the snow, Seiryuu frowns as the blustery wind howled around him.

What the hell was Mika doing in a place like this?

She must've really lost her mind if she was holing up in the middle of nowhere, Seiryuu reasons until he heard a rumble that sounded as if the mountain were groaning.

Looking upwards, Seiryuu sees endless waves of pure white ice heading down the mountain and he swears under his breath at the awe-striking yet terrible sight.

So Beta was an assassin from the future sent to kill him after all.

Next time he saw her he would definitely have to–

Seiryuu's thoughts were cut short however by a huge chunk of ice slamming into the ground in front of him and he scrambles backwards, beginning to tap the blue button of the Sphere Device furiously.

"Move Mode S–"

Seiryuu's eyes quiver, spotting a wave of midnight black hair running in the distance, belonging to a girl with amethyst purple eyes.

Glancing downwards at the Sphere Device, Seiryuu wastes no time rushing forward and reaching his hand out to the girl.

"Mika!"

Running faster than he had ever before, Seiryuu can feel his legs on fire while ice continues to pelt down on the two.

He won't make it.

No.

If she wasn't here, then he would never have the chance to beat her at her best.

"Tiamat! Help me!" Seiryuu calls out desperately to the dragon who had wrapped itself around his neck.

"I already am!"

Chunks of rocks mixed with heavy snow begin to crash around his body, but he is almost there.

Throwing his body forward, Seiryuu dives toward Mika with every last bit of his strength as a rock smashes down on his leg but he feels his hand wrap around her fingers and he lets out a ferocious roar.

"Move Mode!"


As Seiryuu recounted how he had managed to find her, the sun had been replaced by the moon and stars which cast an eerie glow on the two teenagers in the viridian forest.

Trying to process everything Seiryuu had told her, Mika fidgeted with her hands uneasily.

"You were the one who rescued me? Why? It would be more beneficial to you if I were deceased and there's no reason for you to risk your own life for my own..."

"What the heck are you talking about Mika?"

"I mean...you were acting as if I were dead already so I don't see the logic in coming all this way to help me..." Mika explained while recalling their awkward interaction the last time they had met.

"That was! That was...because...whatever, sorry..." Seiryuu responded uncomfortably, trying to avoid having to remember that conversation and cleared his throat to change the flow of the conversation.

"Anyway, let's get something straight here. I'm only here to help you to help me."

Mika stared blankly at Seiryuu who had begun to glare accusingly at her.

"If you think I'm going to let you waste away on some trash mountain in the middle of nowhere before I can crush you completely, you better think again Mika," Seiryuu growled threateningly.

"...Well, I'm grateful to you whatever the motive but I'm sorry to disappoint you as I won't be playing soccer anymore. So you'll have to find someone else to put up with your rivalry nonsense." Mika said dismissively, resting her head on her knees while she said so.

"R-Rivalry nonsense?" Seiryuu sputtered in disbelief, giving her a look as if she had just splashed him with a bucket of cold water.

"There's plenty of other strikers that are more skilled than me" Mika reasoned nonchalantly, beginning to list the names off the top of her head.

"You've already met Magalie in France, not to mention the other Disasters while if you're looking in our age division there's Wayra the Storm Caller, Khronoa from Zeus Academy, the 'Sword of England', and more recently I've only heard positive reports regarding the Cursed Child from Brazil."

However, the more Mika continued to list off names the tighter Seiryuu's lips became and his face darkened menacingly.

"They're not you." Seiryuu stated bluntly, cutting her off before she could finish.

"I would hope that would be obvious Seiryuu. There's only one me in this world after all...at least until we develop cloning technology which would bring about a philosophical debate regarding the state of the individual...But for the time being, we can say it quite simply that, yes, there is only one me."

"That's not what I meant Mika" Seiryuu sighed, struggling to find the words to get through her thick skull.

"You're like me." Seiryuu said while pointing to himself.

Cringing backwards however, Mika gave him a look of incredulity and replied immediately.

"I would hope not."

Seiryuu's eyebrow began to twitch, feeling strangely offended, but he ignored her and continued.

"Didn't I tell you last time? Humans were born with a perpetual and restless desire for power after power that ceaseth only in death...and people like us? We won't rest until we're the final victors...Sure, there are the delusional lunatics who think they can be the best, but they're not like us."

Pointing his index finger at Mika's heart as if he were going to shoot her with an arrow, Seiryuu's gaze had an almost maniacal light that made her feel as if a snake were tightening around her.

"There's something lying within you...you can do your best to suppress it but it'll be released one day...And when it is...

That's when we'll see who's the last one standing."

Mika gulped as the constricting sensation moved from her throat to her heart, but put a bitter smile on her face and asked,

"So you want to use me for a Kodoku ritual?"[1]

Seiryuu shrugged his shoulders with an unbothered expression.

"Take it as you will but it's only right for the strong to battle the strong, there's no point in defeating the weak. Isn't that what you told me, Mika?"

"..."

Seeing Seiryuu's unwavering gaze and faith in his beliefs, Mika turned away from him and hid her face while she struggled to find a response, ultimately deciding to avoid the question.

"Well, in any case, perhaps that's the way you want to play soccer but I won't allow you to enforce your ideologies onto me. This is the first time I'm deciding what I want to do for myself and I'm not going to become someone who destroys other people's dreams for the sake of my own! I'm not a demon, there's nothing 'lying within me' and I–"

Pausing, Mika's arms tightened around her knees as she shuddered, hearing Yuka's haunting words.

"While you stand proud as a paradigm of success...To us...You are a monument to our failure"

"I'm human...so just leave me be. I appreciate you coming to help me but I can't give you what you want Seiryuu. I'm not going to cause anyone else to suffer any longer because of me."

Mika fell silent after her outburst, expecting Seiryuu to begin berating her once more but not hearing anything from the other striker she looked up to see him staring at her with an unnatural intensity in his eyes.

"So you intend to live your life without ever hurting another person?"

"What? No–"

"Mika."

"Are you a god?"

Taken aback by his sudden question, Mika glanced upwards expecting an arrogant look on Seiryuu's face but was surprised to see an earnest gaze staring back at her.

"No, but—"

"Then why are you acting like you are one? We're not gods, so it's not our responsibility to worry about every single soul, every waking moment. Who are we to go against the ways of the world? Our world is unfair and unequal. It always has been and always will be. So, I'm not going to worry about futile things that are out of my control and let them stop me from becoming the strongest me I can become."

"You're the one who doesn't get it!" Mika rebutted furiously.

"Why do we have to give in to these arbitrary, designated roles? Who decides who gets more talent than another? Why do we have to put up with an unfair world like this? Yuka...he put in more effort and was more passionate about soccer than anyone else I know but...why wasn't he blessed with talent while someone like me...someone like me who only started playing soccer because my father ordered me to...was given everything? How can I continue to play soccer freely with this burden on my heart?"

"Because it's our duty! It's the duty of the winners to carry on the will of the losers. You can cry about it all you want but nothing will change because in this world only power and strength are absolute. You can talk about equality all you like but it's rubbish. You said it was that Fukunaga trash who corrupted your brain with that sorry sore-loser garbage?" Seiryuu snorted contemptuously, narrowing his eyes in displeasure.

"People like that just want a world where everyone is the same and what would be the point of living in a world like that? I'd rather die. Everything would be useless then... So you don't have to apologise for wanting to be the best you that you can be and don't bow your head, it looks pathetic."

"..."

"He's right, you know, if you want to play soccer then I'll let you. I told you before that if you want I'll bear all your difficulties and burdens for you Mika." whispered a melodious voice into Mika's ear. Expression hardening, Mika directed a cold gaze at her other self who had manifested in front of her, caressing her cheek.

"No. If I do choose to play soccer again...I won't be dependent on you Aki." Mika thought resolutely, causing Aki to shrug with a taunting look in her eyes before vanishing. As Aki vanished before it, it allowed her to see Seiryuu's unblinking azure eyes demanding an answer from her.

Giving him a weary smile instead, Mika took in a deep breath, allowing the mountain air to fill her lungs as she closed her eyes to think.

It was hard to believe the crybaby from five years ago was the one admonishing her now.

"You've grown considerably, Tatsunori."

"61cm" Seiryuu answered back cockily.

"I retract my previous statement" Mika answered scornfully, regretting complimenting him for even a second.

"So you'll play?"

Mika paused before answering, her mind recalling the euphoric moments in her match against Zeus Academy in the semi-finals. Up until that point, Mika had always felt ambivalent towards soccer...a simple tool to further her goals while also pleasing her father but during that match...

Fighting with all her might...

Completely unrestrained...

The undeniable sense of completion.

It was as if she could just let go of everything weighing her down but that sense of exhilaration was almost too potent. Like a bee drawn to the sweetest nectar, Mika had never lost control of herself in her emotions like that before...

Always refined, always restrained, always restricted.

That is what her mother always preached to Mika and her mother was right as always.

Lost in the thrill, she hadn't noticed the pain in Yuka's eyes until it was too late.

But if what Seiryuu was saying was correct...

Was it really okay...

Okay to become the best?

Even if that meant she would need to bear the weight of those who would inevitably become her stepping stones to the top?

Would she be able to withstand the others she would meet, who like Yuka, would come to view her with disdain and pure hatred?

Recalling Yuka's eyes that burned with fiery hate, looking at her as if her very existence was an anathema to him, Mika felt her resolve weaken and she shook her head to remove the image from her mind.

"Mika."

Eyes snapping upwards at Seiryuu's voice calling out to her, Mika found Seiryuu staring at her with an expectant look in his eyes.

How aggravating.

The Eisei striker had a look in his eyes as if he knew exactly what she was thinking, much to Mika's displeasure.

Had she always been this transparent with her thoughts?

Feeling a sense of annoyance rise up, Mika turned her head and laid her head down on some leaves that were beside her to cut the conversation short before she was forced to reply.

"That's enough Seiryuu. It's late and we should get some rest."

Then adjusting her body on the hard ground, Mika closed her heavy eyes as her body ached from exhaustion and heart lay in turmoil.

"I'll wait for you. Because, you're the only one I definitely want to defeat." Seiryuu said with finality before laying himself down as well to head to sleep.

Ha...

Though Mika could feel her consciousness fading as the call of Morpheus beckoned her, Seiryuu's words echoed in her mind.

"You're the only one I definitely want to defeat..."

How ridiculous...

Had she ever won against Seiryuu since they had reunited?

And yet...

It was strangely comforting to know there was someone who would never resent her no matter how strong she became.


Mika let out a small yawn, stretched her arms back as the first rays of sun touched her face.

It was the first time in a while she had slept so well despite the terrain, much to her surprise and she took a look at Seiryuu who was still dead to the world.

Though seeing his face was usually enough to annoy her, after yesterday's events Mika decided to cut him some slack and roused him with a few taps on the shoulder.

"Seiryuu-san. Seiryuu-san."

"Mmm?"

Looking at her groggily, Mika could see sweat running down his face causing her to frown.

While it was warmer than it would be during the winter, it still wasn't to the degree that she would expect perspiration from the other striker.

"Did you perhaps have trouble sleeping?" Mika inquired restlessly.

"Huh? No...It's fine, just a little warm. Got any water?" Seiryuu replied, smacking his parched lips together.

Mika shook her head to indicate the negatory and she began to explain her plan for the next twelve hours that were left on the Sphere Device's cooldown time.

"It would be prudent to find a water source which is why I woke you up. I can survive the next twelve hours without food but going without water for so long will be a bit...inconvenient."

Nodding his head in understanding, Seiryuu got up slowly and took a look at Mika suspiciously before deciding to risk it.

Mika, seeing Seiryuu's look however, crossed her arms and cocked her eyebrow wearily.

"What?"

"I might have an idea..." Seiryuu grumbled, his hesitation making him look even more suspicious to Mika.

"Hey. Ojii-san. You there?" Seiryuu called hesitantly, looking at no one in particular and causing Mika to wonder if he was suffering from some sort of posttraumatic concussive syndrome.

However, no sooner had Mika opened her mouth to ask did Seiryuu's neck begin to glow in the shape of what appeared to be some sort of dragon tattoo, which then began to peel off his skin until it had completely materialised midair.

Opening its maw widely in what appeared to be a yawn, the small dragon blinked its sapphire eyes at the duo, his irritable expression reminding Mika of Seiryuu's somehow.

"Yo. Ojii-san. Go find us some water." Seiryuu commanded without missing a beat causing the dragon to snort loudly.

"You dare command the Mighty Tiamat? Lord of the Ninth Heavenly Realm? Tyrant of the Seven Seas? God of the—"

"Yeah, yeah. Just get a move on it already." Seiryuu interjected while making some 'shoo' motions with his hand.

Mika watched the two arguing in front of her with a curious look, as the dragon wrapped itself around Seiryuu's neck to choke him while the blue-haired striker grabbed his tail in response.

"Lord Tiamat. If I may speak for a moment, if you would grace us with your divine assistance for a mere moment we would be most grateful. As mere mortals, we cannot hope to compare to your godly prowess so we can only count on you in our time of need." Mika interrupted reverently, causing the dragon and Seiryuu to stop and look at her.

"You can see him?" Seiryuu asked, his voice a mix of relief and disbelief.

"If you're referring to Lord Tiamat, then of course." Mika answered back while the dragon lifted its wings smugly atop Seiryuu's head.

Hearing Mika call him Tiamat-sama again caused Seiryuu to shudder with disgust while Tiamat flew from his head to Mika's, beginning to sniff her curiously.

"Tiamat-sama?"

"Hmm...a familiar scent lingers on you Little One..." the dragon commented, tilting his head side to side as if he were struggling to remember something.

"But, it is as you say. You weaklings stay here while this Divine One goes to find water."

Then, with a few swift flaps of his wings, the dragon departed from the resting area in a flash.

"I see you've acquired a new pet Seiryuu" Mika commented as if she were discussing a new pet Shiba Inu rather than a dragon.

"Yeah, you don't have to be so polite with him either, he's just a massive pain who's got nothing better to do than hang around me."

"Well that 'massive pain' is finding us water right now so I would suggest you learn how to use simpletons like him rather than aggravate them."

"Whatever, if you want him you can have him."

"While I'd be more than happy to take him off your hands and have him dissected in our labs, I suspect he's related to your Keshin, no? So it'd be wise if you learned to get along." Mika said admonishingly as Seiryuu looked at her with surprise.

"How did you–"

Blergh.

Interrupted by a splash of water landing on his face, Mika and Seiryuu looked up at Tiamat who had returned with a triumphant smirk and was now flying in circles above them.

"Your Lord has returned!"

"He's rather excitable isn't he..." Mika noted under her breath while Seiryuu wiped the water from his eyes.

"This Lord will show you the way!" Tiamat declared rapidly before flying off with Mika and Seiryuu scrambling behind in pursuit.

Despite his small size, Tiamat was surprisingly quite quick so Mika found herself actually needing to run to keep up until she sensed Seiryuu was no longer behind her. Turning her head around, she then found herself alone among the trees.

"Seiryuu?" Mika called out, but received no response.

Frowning, Mika ran back in the direction they had come until she observed the fallen striker panting against a fallen tree.

"Seiryuu?" Mika asked while approaching him hesitantly.

Again receiving no response, Mika ran forward with more hurry in her step until she was sitting alongside him checking his body for some indications of what was wrong. Seeing him grabbing his leg while wincing, Mika rolled his pants legs up urgently and let out a soft gasp, seeing a swollen splotch of skin that had turned a strange purple hue along his lower leg.

Taking a deep breath in, Mika rolled his pants back down while she tried to process the situation.

Depending on if there was any internal bleeding or not, this could potentially be a serious situation and she didn't have the medical expertise to know if he would be able to last another eleven hours until they could use the Sphere Device.

"Seiryuu? Can you hear me? Seiryuu." Mika slapped his cheeks lightly until she saw his eyes squinting at her.

"I was just...resting..." Seiryuu managed to pant, while Mika thought quietly to herself.

"How long?" Mika questioned while taking off her jacket to wrap it tightly around his leg.

"Not that long..."

"That wasn't what I was asking Seiryuu."

"Since the avalanche" he confessed while Mika nodded her head slowly.

So he had been running around like an idiot for almost eight hours now with his leg in this condition...

Whatever the case, she needed to figure out what to do before it got any worse.

Could she send Tiamat to search for help? In the sky, he would be able to make much more ground than her but depending on how far out they were. Even that might not be quick enough though, especially considering from what Seiryuu said, no one else could see the dragon.

"Mika, I–"

"Shut up Seiryuu. Just sleep, I'll figure something out." Mika shot back quickly while standing up abruptly.

"Tiamat-sama, please search the area until you find people. Anyone, then come find me. Quickly." Mika emphasised while the dragon nodded and flew off.

Waiting for the dragon to come back, Mika couldn't help but feel uneasy with only the sounds of some wildlife and Seiryuu's faint breathing.

Beginning to pace back and forth in place, Mika waited impatiently for the dragon to come back but one hour later, Seiryuu's leg continued to look terrible while there was no sign of help. Tapping a finger to her upper lip anxiously, Mika took another look at Seiryuu whose face was beginning to look slightly feverish and she felt helplessness overtake her.

Feeling hopeless, Mika put her hands in front of her in the shape of a makeshift microphone and shouted with all her might.

"Help!"

But there was no reply as she expected and she prepared herself to shout once more when she felt an icy hand rest on her shoulder.

Spinning around so fast she almost fell over, Mika's eyes widened seeing a lithe woman with sunglasses, an icy blue pantsuit, long snow-white hair in a high ponytail and boba tea casually in one hand.

"You called?"


Author's Note

1. Kodoku Ritual - Old ritual, likely of Chinese origins, where sorcerers would supposedly put a bunch of poisonous insects, snakes, etc. in a jar and wait for the final survivor which they would use to poison their enemy or stuff. Terrible explanation lol but you get the idea.