Ritsuka was running. He was not the fastest runner even back in his school, but he feels lighter on his feet than before. Fou was keeping pace with him as well. Before long, he caught up to Dr. Roman.

"Ritsuka?! What are you doing?! Wrong way! Go the other way!" Roman shouted at him.

"I'm coming with you, Doctor!"

"Are you insane?!" Roman was about to tell him off but dismissed it. "There's no time to argue. Stick close to me."

They reached the Command Room and it was worse than what they saw on the monitor. The place was crumbling and hot from the heat of the flames. Dr. Roman walked to the nearest console and scanned the Coffins.

"No survivors… Only Chaldeas is safe… Damn it!" The normally mellow Dr. Roman slammed his hands on the console in anger. "This was no accident. This was sabotage."

The intercom once again turned on to announce the status of the facility.

Generator operation stopped.

Power level critical.

Switch to the backup generator, error.

Please make the switch manually.

Containment wall will close in 40 seconds Those remain in Central Area, evacuate immediately—

Dr. Roman took a deep breath to calm himself down and turned to Ritsuka. "I'm going down to the underground generator. Chaldeas must not go out. Hurry and go out the way you came, you can still make it."

"Dr. Roman…"

"Listen!" Dr. Roman almost shouted, but bit his tongue at the last second. "Go outside and wait for help, ok? I'll see you there after I turn on the generator." Without another word, Romani Archaman ran to the stairs leading to the underground backup generator.

Ritsuka stood amidst the flames. It was hell. The sight of corpses and the smell of burnt flesh hit his nose, causing him to gag. Every cell in his body was telling him to run. Run away. He didn't need to get involved with these people.

System switching to the final phase of Rayshift.

Coordinates, AD 2004, January, 30th, Fuyuki, Japan.

Laplace's shifting protection established.

Singularity's additional factor slot secured.

He can run away, get away, maybe find a lifeboat and escape this hell. That's right, he didn't know any of these people, he had no obligation to help any of them. He should just save his own life.

Unsummon Program set.

Please start final adjustments.

So why? Why is he sifting through rubble in hopes of finding even one person? The soot gets on his clothes, his white uniform stained black, the edges getting singed from the flames. He's looking for someone. One person. Somehow, in his heart there was hope that someone was alive.

And then he saw her.

Crushed under a boulder was the familiar purple haired girl who was smiling at him not too long ago. Her body was crushed, she was lying in a pool of her own blood. The glasses she wore were shattered. He can't save her. But she was alive, and by that simple fact he rushed towards her. He has to try. So he ran towards her.

"Mash! Wait for me, I'll get you out of here!"

He tried to lift the boulder but failed. He was slowly being weakened by the smoke. Then he found a pole that he could use as a wedge and tried lifting the boulder that way. It was not moving one bit. Mash Kyrielight, with tears in her eyes not from the pain, but from seeing someone's futile effort to save her, did her best to speak.

"Please… You… can't… save me." She could feel her lungs were crushed as well. Speaking was painful, but if nothing else she can persuade him to leave. "Don't worry.. About me. Run…"

Ritsuka was sweating, his eyes were tearing up from the dust and from his own weakness. He took a look at her and knew. Even if he got this boulder off of her, she wouldn't make it. With a defeated look, he lets go of the pole.

"...That's right, thank you... For your understanding. Please Fujimaru, you need to...get out of here."

Just as she said that, warning sirens began to blare with a grim announcement.

Warning all observation staff.

Chaldeas' state has changed.

Now rewriting Sheba's near-future prediction data.

Unable to detect the existence of mankind 100 years in the near-future on Earth.

Unable to confirm human survivors.

Unable to guarantee mankind's future.

Mash's eyes caught Chaldeas turning red. Still, it was none of her concern, she needed to get Ritsuka Fujimaru out of this place. However, before she could say another word, there was one more announcement to be heard, like a priest performing their last rites.

Central Area, sealed.

180 seconds till internal containment procedure.

"N-no… They shut off the area… Now we can't… get out…" Mash felt something stir within her. Pain, fatigue, numbness, and most of all… fear. Fear at what will happen to her. Fear of what will happen to Ritsuka Fujimaru. She was scared, and through the nothingness she felt in her body, she shivered. She was going to die alone in a sea of flames. Then something she didn't expect happened.

Ritsuka Fujimaru sat beside her. "I guess we're in the same boat now, Mash."

In the same boat? She knew that idiom. It means they were in the same situation. "I see…" She felt like she was smiling, but she didn't know why. Perhaps it was because… she wasn't alone now. Right. Ritsuka Fujimaru and her were in the same boat.

Coffin Vitals: Masters Baseline not reached.

Rayshift requirement not met.

Searching for a qualifying Master... Found.

Candidate No. 48, Fujimaru reset as Master.

Unsummon Program, start.

Spiritron Conversion, start.

"S-senpai?"

Ritsuka turned to face her. "Yeah?"

Mash moved her free hand. She was surprised to see she can still move it, or perhaps she willed it to move. Either way, she reached out towards the young man she said hello to just this morning. A chance meeting.

"Would… you mind… Holding my hand?"

Without a word, Ritsuka held out his hand, and grasped Mash's hand gently. It was still warm. She was still with him.

Rayshift starting in 3

2

1

All procedures are clear.

First Order, commencing operation.