"Letting go means to come to the realization that some people are a part of your history, but not a part of your destiny." – Steve Maraboli

Stephen never liked to exaggerate a situation if he had it under control. The once world-famous surgeon always took a calm and rational approach to any problem standing in his way. Thinking outside the box to find a solution was the most valuable lesson he learned from the Ancient One. Unfortunately, the (former) Sorcerer Supreme was starting to realize he might not be able to undo the damage done by the botched spell, intended to make everyone forget Peter Parker was Spider-Man.

Instead, the opposite happened.

Everyone from across the multiverse, regardless if they were allies or enemies of Peter Parker, headed for their world. The sheer effort it was taking to simply hold back the incoming tidal wave was starting to wear down the powerful sorcerer. Something needed to be done, or the situation was going to get a lot worse. The villains who slipped through the cracks earlier were only the beginning if they couldn't undo the mistake.

He came to the only conclusion; a drastic solution was needed to fix everything.

As he floated above the ever-famous torch of the Statue of Liberty, Stephen saw a familiar face quickly climb the statue. Peter Parker, battered and bruised, seemed startled by what was happening in the morning sky. It seems as if a mirror had shattered, revealing the terrible darkness that lies beneath the surface of the cosmos.

"Strange, what's happening?!"

"T-They're…" Stephen gritted his teeth. The sorcerer could feel the multiverse throwing its weight in an effort to drain him of his strength. "They're starting to come through. And I can't stop them."

Over the past few days, Peter was really starting to think messing with magic was a mistake. The young hero looked around with his eyes filled with uncertainty. He turned back to face the sorcerer, "There has to be something we can do! Can't you just...I don't know...cast the spell again. But the original way, before I screwed it up."

"We're too late for that. They're here." The price for breaking the rules of magic was always high, and Stephen began to ponder on the terrible thought that his decision to help the kid was the wrong one. For a brief moment, Stephen allowed his frustration, which has been building up throughout this mess, to dictate the next words to come out of his mouth. "They're here...because of you."

Those words became the final nail in the coffin for Peter. He let those words sink into his mind before recalling the sorcerer mentioning how he was stuck trying to live two different lives. The young man wanted to maintain a personal life as Peter Parker while dealing with the responsibility of being Spider-Man, and every decision he's made in the past few days has led to this very moment.

The exhausted hero grimaced at the sight of the morning sky being torn apart. There was no other way for him. It was their one chance to fix everything.

'To fix my mistakes.'

Peter voiced the solution to end it all, "What if everyone forgot who I was?"

His suggestion threw Stephen for a loop, "What?"

"They've come here because of me, right? Because I'm Peter Parker." He may not be a magic expert or studied at some fancy magic school, however, he did understand the core problem staring their universe in the face; everyone knew who he was underneath the mask. What they needed to do was remove him from the equation. "So...cast the same spell, but this time...make it to where everyone forgets who Peter Parker is."

He saw the objection forming on the sorcerer's face but spoke up.

"Make everyone forget...me."

"No."

Stephen responded quickly and emotionally.

"But it would work, right?"

The sorcerer's logical side overruled his emotions on the matter, forcing him to acknowledge what the kid was proposing. "Y-Yeah, it would work." Stephen, in a rare moment, tripped over his words. The weight of such a decision couldn't be overstated, and he needed to let Peter know what exactly he was asking for right now. "But you gotta understand, it would mean everyone who knows and loves you, we...we'd have no memory of you. It would be as if you never existed."

Peter, never one to back down from danger...or to do the right thing, simply smiled at the sorcerer.

"I know. Do it."

Nothing more needed to be said between them. Stephen, reluctantly, accepted the idea with an almost unnoticeable nod. It was a testament to the former surgeon being shocked by the determination of the young man before him. Only a handful of people would be willing to make such a life-altering decision for the greater good. Hell, some heroes would be reluctant to agree to such a thing as well.

"You better go and say your goodbyes. You won't have long."

"Thank you, sir."

In spite of everything between them, Stephen didn't feel right letting the kid address him like that for the final time. Not after what he's endured these last few days. Right before the young man leaped down to say what he needed to say, the wizard called out to him.

"Just...Just call me Stephen."

Somehow, for some stupid reason, the kid was able to look him in the eyes and accepted his request, "Thank you, Stephen."

"Still feels weird." The powerful sorcerer was unable to get over how strange it was to hear someone so young address him by his name. But, for today, he would let it go.

"I'll see you around."

"See you around, kid."

The young hero never heard those final words from the sorcerer, who remained baffled at why someone like Peter Parker was willing to throw away everything. Maybe his aunt's death was the final straw for him. Or the stress of everything finally got to him. Whatever the reason for his decision, it's completely pointless for him to think about. In a few moments, Stephen would no longer know Peter Parker. He'll only remember Spider-Man, not the man beneath the mask though.

Fighting on Titan with Peter? Gone.

Saving the universe with Peter? Gone.

The last few days with him? Gone.

Stephen knew his primary job was to protect this world from inter-dimensional threats and anyone who posed a danger to the greater good. He began to craft the spell, making the changes needed to ensure it works. He noticed the damage being repaired. It was a good sign Peter's suggestion was going to have the intended effect.

Meanwhile, on the ground, Stephen witnessed the interactions between Peter and his counterparts from other universes. It made the sorcerer wonder if the individuals cursed to become the wall-crawler were always destined to suffer in numerous ways. Was a normal life even an option for them? Personally, the sorcerer thought it was possible.

He just hoped the Peter of their universe will find peace down the road. The three Spider-Men hugged, a sight that reminded Stephen of older brothers saying goodbye to their youngest sibling. It was the interactions between Peter and his friends that truly made him think about what was about to happen.

Two best friends exchanging their last hug for what could be the last time ever.

A young couple, who could've been happy together, had their relationship torn apart so early in its infancy.

Both of them begged Peter to look for them in the aftermath of today and explain everything to them, and Stephen knew the young hero was lying through his teeth. His proof was standing a few feet away from them. The older Spider-Men looked at each other, grimacing at the promise their counterpart had made. It was like they were watching their younger selves play out in real-time.

Across the multiverse, Peter was always destined to lose a loved one. It forced them to truly take into consideration the people around them. Stephen, in some ways, understood them. He reflected on his decision to ultimately walk away from Christine and whatever life they could've had together. Maybe there was a future for them…

That was no longer an option for someone charged with protecting their dimension, and maybe Peter was going down the same road as all of them.

Whatever the case, the sorcerer managed to finally complete the spell. As if sensing the completion of the golden ring surrounding the top of the statue, Peter looked up and met his eyes. No words needed to be said.

'It's time.'

Soon, the young man walked away from his friends and stood on the remains of the shield, which was meant to celebrate Captain America and honor his sacrifice for the world. Today, unfortunately, another hero would be forced to give everything up. Stephen knew there wasn't going to be a parade or medal waiting for Peter.

No, the young man would gain nothing...and lose everything.

Peter put on the mask, concealing his face once more. A second later, the wall-crawler leaped into the air and started trying to put as much distance between him and the island. At the same time, Dr. Strange activated the spell. The golden ring etched with symbols of powers began to expand outwards in every direction. Minds and machines, no matter how strongly protected, would be wiped clean.

'See you around...Spider-Man.'

(X)

[New York City, Late December]

Here Lies May Parker

"When you help someone,

You help everyone."

19XX – 2024

The funeral for May Parker was a very quiet affair. Only a handful of people were invited as a result of the media coverage surrounding her death. Yet, for those who attended the ceremony, it was a powerful moment as they celebrated a kind woman who impacted their lives in so many ways. It became obvious to them someone like May Parker didn't come around too often.

One person, however, didn't share such feelings about the service. Peter Parker, due to the spell, could not attend the ceremony without drawing attention to himself. On that day, he was forced to watch from a safe distance. He recognized a few faces in the crowd like Happy and the people who worked down at the F.E.A.S.T. shelter alongside her for years.

It was a struggle for the young man to hold back his tears throughout the ceremony. Listening to all those people talk about the impact she played on their lives was unbearable. For the hero, the tears fell as he witnessed them lower his aunt's casket into the ground. Whatever small part of his mind prayed everything he experienced with Dr. Strange was nothing more than a horrific nightmare. It was finally put to rest, and the truth became obvious to him.

She was gone and nothing could bring her back.

In the weeks following the conclusion of the service, Peter never failed to visit his aunt's gravestone to keep it clean and bring fresh flowers. In a twisted part of his brain, the young man believed this was a perfect punishment for himself. Aunt May's gravestone would forever remind him of his worst mistake, and a mistake he had to live with for the rest of his life.

Peter's guilt over being unable to save his aunt made its way into his nightmares. Every night was the same. He was forced to rewatch the moment of her death over and over, unable to stop what he knows is coming. These nightmares, ultimately, influenced his decision to go back on his promise to Michelle and Ned. Their lives would be so much better off without him around.

Besides, Peter had a lot more pressing concerns. He was effectively forced to rebuild his life from the ground up. All of his information was gone. School records, medical information, and family history no longer existed in any system. In other words, May and Ben Parker never had a nephew. That also meant his parents, Richard and Mary Parker, never had a son.

Peter was alone in the world.

Seeing the gravestone of his aunt and uncle next to each other put things into perspective for the young man. All throughout his life, people of importance to him have died tragically. Both his parents died in a plane accident. Uncle Ben was shot in the middle of their apartment because of a mistake. Mr. Stark gave his life up in order to save the universe from Thanos. Aunt May joined the tragic list after being killed by Norman.

He was going to be forced to live with these unresolved feelings for the rest of his life, and the first real step in trying to move forward is living up to the words left behind by his aunt.

"With great power comes great responsibility."

He was truly beginning to understand what it meant to become Spider-Man. A hero who is forced to endure pain, misery, and suffering. Peter knew his journey was going to be long and arduous. There's almost no telling what the future may hold for him but he was going to try and live up to the words she left behind. In the end, no one deserved to experience the kind of weight placed on his shoulder. If he had to do it for the rest of his life, then so be it.

Peter leaned down and wiped away some of the snow gatherings on the gravestone of his aunt and uncle with the same gentle care they showed him when he was younger. His brown eyes found themselves tearing up as they looked at the names inscribed on the stones. Questions of all sorts started breaking to the surface of his mind.

Were they proud of him?

Did they find each other somewhere in the cosmos?

Was helping Norman the best decision?

The answer to the last question always haunted him. Peter sometimes attempted to picture what his life could've looked like if he listened to Stephen Strange and set those people back to their universes. Just the mere thought of such a possibility was beyond painful. A brief but wonderful image was painted in his mind. Studying in Boston alongside his two best friends. Exploring the city with Michelle. Worst of all, the closest person he's had to a mother...would still be around.

God, he still can't believe it's been a few weeks since his world changed in the blink of an eye.

"My, those are some powerful words, Mr. Parker."

The young man suddenly felt a shiver crawl up his spine upon hearing his name being called out. In an instant, questions started coming to mind after recognizing the man's voice. There's no way he would have forgotten Stephen Strange's abrasive tone. Slowly, Peter stood up and turned to face the Sorcerer Supreme

Imagine his surprise when he was met with the familiar face of the powerful sorcerer. He couldn't hold back the question already at the tip of his tongue, "Stephen? How...How do you still remember me?"

Leaning against a nearby tree was none other than the Sorcerer Supreme. Or, Peter wanted to believe it was him. His newly named spider-sense was going completely haywire. Like it was screaming at him to get away from this man. What added to the conflict growing within him was the wizard wardrobe. A mixture of dark clothing, unkempt facial hair, a darker shade to his eyes, and a smirk which made Peter feel…

Nervous. Concerned. Terrified even.

"Good, it seems you're still the same smart kid as ever," Stephen said, an unsettling smirk on his face. "That is very nice to know."

"What are you talking about?"

Peter watched the wizard move away from the tree and walk towards him. "Kid, you're not wrong to be confused. By all accounts, I shouldn't know who you are. After all, the spell was effective in removing every trace of your presence from this planet," The wizard explained as he pocketed his hands. "Well, I do have to say...I'm not your universe's Dr. Strange."

In any other situation, Peter might've called out Stephen for pulling such a cruel prank. However, after being exposed to the multiverse, he was forced to take the man at his word. He did, after all, meet other Peters from different universes. So the idea of a Stephen Strange from a different universe wasn't totally impossible. His appearance, however, is a cause for concern. Strange sent everyone back home.

If the person standing in front of him was lost, they should've already been sent back a year ago.

"...Did he not send you home?"

Peter's question didn't get the intended answer as the sorcerer, for some reason, merely chuckled.

"Kid, my reason for being here is solely because of what you and Strange did. You both violated some of the rules kept in place to prevent such incidents from happening. As a result, the cosmos has to find a way to punish those who believe themselves to be above the rules. Unfortunately, what is to happen to your universe's Dr. Strange...is none of your concern." The man lost his grin as it was replaced with a hardened expression. "I really don't hold anything against you. In fact, I applaud you for making such an incredibly difficult decision."

During the entire time he was speaking, Peter felt his skin crawl. He knew something bad was about to happen, but was almost unable to do anything to stop it.

What made the situation worse is witnessing the terrifying changes going on around him. Buildings off in the distance began deforming into a black substance. Meanwhile, the snow beneath his feet started to almost harden. There was even a fog starting to set in around them.

"It...It wasn't his fault," Peter argued against the man's claim. He tried to take the blame for the spell going horrendously wrong, "I was the one to ask him for help. If...If it wasn't for me, none of this would've happened."

The wizard stared at him for what seemed like an eternity before he let out an exhausted sigh, "Don't make this any harder than it needs to be, Parker. What's going to happen to your magical friend is none of your business anymore. As far as I'm concerned...this whole universe is no longer your concern. You, heroes, are always willing to pay the ultimate price to do what's right. Unlike you, I didn't possess the kind of strength needed to sacrifice what I held dear to me. In some ways, I can almost admire that part of you. But it doesn't mean people won't take advantage of that."

"...I only did what was right, sir."

The strength behind his words managed to earn a small nod of respect from the powerful sorcerer. He walked towards the gravestones before scoffing at him, "And look where your decision to do the right thing got you in life. No one cares about your existence anymore. Spider-Man is all they care about, not Peter Parker. That son is the truth. Your personal life is meaningless in the grand scheme of things. As long as you fulfill your role as the wall-crawler, the world will continue to spin regardless if it comes at the expense of Peter Parker."

Something was very wrong...and the young man quickly moved out of the way due to sheer reflexes as his newly named spider-sense warned him. A moment later, Peter noticed a simmering, almost glass-like object, embedded in the ground where he originally stood. It appeared to be in the shape of a blade from what he could tell.

Peter was really lucky he still hadn't gotten rid of his suit. A good chunk of the system was useless to him without serious repairs but it's a suit at the end of the day.

"Kid, please don't make this any harder than it needs to be." Stephen Strange placed his hands behind his back and slowly levitated off the ground. He frowned at him, "I have no quarrel with you, Parker. I only want to show you mercy."

"Mercy?" Peter glared at the sorcerer before activating his web shooters. "Trying to kill me is a mercy? I don't know what happened in your universe, Strange, but I don't exactly want to die again."

The sorcerer closed his eyes and let out a sigh of exasperation, "Maybe it is cruel. I won't deny such a claim. What I do know is you, of all people, understand that sometimes...we have to be willing to let go of the things we love in order to move forward. I'm sorry, Parker. I wish things could be different but it is not the cards this time."

Peter was about to raise his hand to try to put some distance between himself and the sorcerer until something grabbed his leg. He looked down and nearly lost his cool. A grotesque hand punched its way through the ground and firmly gripped his lower leg. Peter used his strength and tried to remove it but another one appeared out of the ground.

Soon, Peter was completely overwhelmed by the sheer weight of numbers. The most horrifying part is they began dragging him down into the ground with them.

"No! Let me go!"

His strength, which was enough to stop a moving bus, proved useless. Not even his web shooters were enough to get him out of this situation. No matter how hard he tugged on the web, it wasn't enough to help him escape.

Was he really going to die a second time?

He tried to appeal to the sorcerer once more. "Stephen!" Peter yelled out the man's name as he saw him hovering a few feet away with a detached look on his face. "Please! I...I don't want to go!"

His call for help went unanswered by the sorcerer. Instead, Peter felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand, but his reaction was too late as he felt something slam into his chest with the force of a rocket. Soon, the world began to go dark. He glanced down at his chest and saw what appeared to be another one of those blades. Except, unlike the previous one, it found its way into him. For the second time in his life, Peter was going to experience what it was like to die.

Everyone wanted to believe there was something on the other side. Peter knew the cold hard truth; there was nothing but darkness. His eyes, filled with fear, looked in the direction of the gravestones of Aunt May and Uncle Ben.

'I'm sorry...I'm so sorry…'

At the last possible second, before Peter truly went under, he heard the voice of Stephen Strange for the last time. His words rang hollow for the young man.

"For what it's worth, I do hope you can find some form of happiness in what comes next for you, kid. I can assure you...death isn't your fate. So take solace in that knowledge."

What came next for Peter Parker was sheer darkness as he was dragged into the abyss…

(X)

[Japan, Mid-July]

"Come on, I'm not asking you to fix the damn space station, Mr. Yamata!"

"…"

"Uh, that's not my fault in the slightest bit. I've reminded you for the past month and a half about this thing being a piece of shit."

"…!"

"Excuse me! How about I go down there and––!"

"…"

"H-Hello?"

Nemuri Kayama, otherwise known as Midnight: The R-Rated Hero was using every ounce of self-control in her body to remain calm while dealing with a very, very irritating problem. Apparently, for some goddamn reason, the landlord of her building couldn't be bothered to come upstairs to her unit and fix the ancient air conditioner in the corner of the room. The dark-haired woman moved the phone away from her ear and stared at the screen.

She scoffed at the rude asshole for hanging up on her without warning. Afterward, Nemuri shook her head in annoyance at the exchange of words she just had, 'You'd think the guy would be a little nicer after learning I've stopped dozens of criminals and saved numerous people throughout my career. Is it too much to ask for him to fix the damn air conditioner? Does that asshole understand what it's like to grade exams and prepare lessons in the summer?!'

Irritated about the current status of her air conditioner, Nemuri fought back against her inner desire to go down to her landlord's apartment and show him why exactly criminals did not like fighting her. For a second, a mental image was created by the more honest parts of her mind. It was the landlord sitting in a chair, tied up, and squirming while he begged for mercy. Honestly, she was quite tempted to go.

The sheer enjoyment she'd get out of the situation might be enough to offset her anger towards him for ignoring her request. Unfortunately, there was one sharp-tongued, tracksuit-wearing problem standing in her way. It also happened to be her coworker and friend; Shouta. She can already imagine him using his little intimidation trick with his quirk to scold her as well as force her to apologize to the landlord in the event of catching wind of this situation if it were to happen.

'I doubt even Tensei would let me get away with treating my landlord like that,' Nemuri thought about some of the troubles facing her, which only seemed to remind the woman of how mundane her life is outside of being a pro-hero. The landlord being an asshole was the best example in recent memory of how much things have changed. 'Maybe I should ask Higari if he's willing to help me out with the AC?'

Asking a coworker to fix her air conditioner is probably a messed up thing for her to do as it would be taking up someone's valuable time, but Nemuri was growing desperate to get this stupid thing fixed prior to next week. A heat wave is supposed to hit the area. While she didn't have to worry about the heat at U.A High, the problem was Nemuri imagined Nezu might not exactly let her stay in the school until it was fixed.

She really needed to think about moving out soon if the landlord was going to treat her request in such a rude manner. 'I guess I'm not entirely blameless. I did find the price appealing.' Nemuri looked at her apartment for a second. The numerous picture frames hanging on the walls were meant to cover up the cracks and chipped paint. Some of the furniture was oddly placed, but it was to hide the worst parts of the carpet. The dark-haired woman shook her head, 'I knew that price was too good to be true. Maybe I should take Tensei up on that offer of his.'

Nemuri put the cell phone in her back pocket and headed for the bathroom.

A cold shower might be enough to cool her down, physically and mentally. God knows she was ready to activate her quirk to let out some steam. Her experience, however, kicked in to prevent such a thing from happening. The chance of some gas escaping through the walls and leaking into some of the other apartment units was very high, especially given how thin some of the walls are.

She was ready to walk out of the living room when her sky-blue eyes caught wind of something weird just outside her window. The woman stopped for a second and turned towards the large glass sliding door that led to a small balcony. A moment later, Nemuri watched a golden spark occur. It was like she was witnessing someone trying to start a lighter. Her eyes narrowed at the glass door, and Nemuri didn't think twice about heading over to the counter and grabbing the wrapped-up whip she hid there if there was ever anyone dumb enough to come looking for trouble.

Pro-heroes had to be constantly on the lookout for criminal activity. That meant being prepared if the day ever comes criminals and villains alike grow bold (AKA stupid) enough to attack a hero in their home. They were exceedingly rare, but they did happen. She knew whoever was out there was taking a big risk if they intended to harm her tonight. Her eyes remained focused on the glass door, waiting to see if the person shows themselves.

However, unlike the previous two sparks, this one was different from the previous ones as something actually happened.

The sparks of light didn't fade into the darkness of the night sky. No, Nemuri witnessed an incredibly rare sight. A golden portal formed right before her very eyes. The temptation to reach for her phone and speed dial her coworkers came to mind immediately. The next thing to happen, however, came from the portal directly. She squinted her eyes for a moment. Soon, her question escaped her lips.

"Is that a person?"

The answer to her question was revealed to be a mass of winter clothing that flew out of the portal and right through the glass sliding door. The sound of shattering glass was followed by a solid 'thud' as the individual fell onto her coffee table and broke the wooden piece of furniture in half. A moment hadn't even passed before the portal vanished, leaving no trace of its existence beyond the person who came crashing in.

Nemuri kept an iron grip on the whip as she moved slowly toward the individual. She wanted to get a closer look and find out what exactly just happened.

Her hardened sky-blue eyes immediately widened in shock, realizing the person was a young man. He seemed to be no older than eighteen or nineteen years old. Nemuri rushed over to the person's side and started inspecting him for any serious or life-threatening injuries. He did, after all, got tossed through a glass sliding door.

She managed to pick out a few details about the person. For starters, he appeared to be American. Or, at the very least, he didn't come to this part of the world. His short brown hair and western-looking features stuck out to the pro-hero. What was more concerning is seeing the rips and tears in his jacket, but it was easily forgettable compared to the large tear on his left side, directly over his heart. The sight of dried-up blood prompted the woman to get to work.

Years of experience took over as the situation called for it, which allowed Nemuri to move swiftly as she removed some of his layers of winter clothing. This is when she came across a very odd detail about the young man. She noticed a pair of contraptions on each wrist. They looked bigger than some of the watches she's gotten Tensei over the years. For the moment, Nemuri chose to forget those things and focus on the young man.

Placing a pair of fingers on his neck, she held her breath as she waited to feel a pulse. Thankfully, she was relieved to feel one. That meant this young man was alive. The last thing she needed tonight was a corpse being launched into her apartment at nearly midnight.

Once she confirmed his status, Nemuri continued to check for any serious injuries or wounds. All that blood on his coat was definitely a cause to be a concern. He might need a hospital. Nemuri looked at his jacket and checked for a wallet or something that might have an ID of some sort. However, what she didn't expect to find was a mask.

Nemuri pulled out the item in question and stared at it with some confusion. It was red with black lines running across it in some sort of pattern, but what really stuck out were two large white eyes.

The mask combined with the strange contraptions on his wrists helped paint a possible picture as to what might've led to this young man ending up in her living room. On the other hand, she wanted him to confirm the story with his own testimony. 'But, first, let's get this idiot out of this sweater. I can't imagine being dumb enough to wear this at this point in the year. He'll fry long before bleeding out.'

When she removed his sweater, Nemuri came across the single biggest piece of evidence that more or less confirmed her theory about what this person might've been doing. On the surface, he was wearing a regular shirt with some guy carrying a shield on it. That wasn't the important part. It was the hint of red she saw near his collar. Like there was more underneath the shirt.

Nemuri was about to raise the shirt when she realized something, 'God, I hope this kid is eighteen or I will catch Hell for undressing an underage kid in my place.'

Saving that potential headache for later, Nemuri lifted part of the shirt to see what was hidden by the shirt. She leaned back in a bit of surprise. Under his shirt was a damaged costume. She could tell it was not cheap because there were a few cuts and tears, letting the dark-haired woman see what appeared to be circuitry of some kind. What stood out, even more, were the black lines etched onto the costume in a design reminiscent of a spider's web. But they paled in comparison to the massive golden spider-like symbol on his chest.

The arms stuck out in multiple directions and wrapped around his chest. Nemuri started to wonder if this was some newly graduated pro-hero from overseas. It might explain why he was thrown through her window.

'It still doesn't explain why he's in civilian clothes or in my place specifically.'

Teleportation quirks or those capable of letting people travel long distances quickly are a rare sight in their society. The potential for harm led to some uncomfortable decisions being made. One of them is strict surveillance to ensure those individuals didn't become a menace to society. Nemuri wasn't a big fan of the decision, but there wasn't much she could say or do.

Japan wasn't alone. She's heard from a few friends overseas that their nations take a similar stance, but the portal meant there was someone out there with the power to send things or people long distances.

Unfortunately, now was not the time to worry about a villain busting through her door. She decided to check his pocket for anything that can give her a clue. A moment of digging around led to her feeling a very familiar material; leather. She grabbed the item and pulled it out of his pocket.

That's when she looked inside and found what appeared to be a school ID of some sort, but what it said was less than ideal. In fact, the whole situation just got a lot more complicated for her.

...And there were only two people to turn to for help in this odd situation.

'I don't need to wonder if Shouta is awake. That man never sleeps, no matter how much I tell him that ladies don't like a guy who resembles the walking dead. Hizashi, on the other hand, is a different story. I really hope she doesn't mind if I borrow him.'