Inoue Akira and Tennouiji Kotarou are from Rewrite, a 2011 visual novel published by Key, translated into English by Amaterasu Translations, and adapted into an anime by Studio 8bit. Elements of the following story were also inspired by Inoue's story in the now-defunct mobile gacha game, Rewrite: Ignis Memoria (which never received any English translation).

Spoiler warning: in addition to Moon and Terra, spoilers now extend to all of the other heroine routes as well (Kotori's route in particular for this chapter).

Ye hath been warned.

Record: Lost in the Forest (II)

They say that when you sleep, you consolidate your memories, file them away neatly in your brain.

They say that that's what causes you to dream.

In my dream, I was running through the forest.

It was a different time, a time where I had terrible fights with my parents, blazing rows compared to the ashes of now.

And I had taken to running in the forest at night, to try and find purpose in my directionless life.

But on one particular night I encountered something so beautiful, something so pure, that I had simply wanted everything to melt away–

With a gasp, I opened my eyes.

Daylight was shining through the cracks in my makeshift shelter.

I was lying not in my sleeping bag, but on it.

And Inoue was hugging me tightly, her head on my chest. At this distance I could make out every eyelash…and the remnants of dried tears that had ran down her cheeks.

Slowly, the events of the previous night come back to me.

After the leaf dragon had been blown away by…the thing…I had taken Inoue and ran. There was absolutely no way destruction on that scale would not be noticed, and we had to get the hell out of there as fast as we could.

I didn't remember much after we had settled down. I think I must have chopped wood and built the shelter in my sleep. My night vision had also improved to the point where I could practically see in the dark.

I look back down to Inoue's sleeping face, and felt my own face grow hot. My fingers drift up to touch my lips.

Right. She had kissed me, hadn't she?

"You can't have him! He's mine!"

I…didn't want to consider what that meant. Didn't want to give myself hope.

But I also felt happy, somehow.

Slowly, I reach out my free hand to touch Inoue's hair. The brown was slightly dirty, and matted with sweat. Honestly, had it been any other person, and if had been any other situation, I might have felt disgusted.

At my touch, Inoue stirs. "Ten…nouji? What's going…on."

The question ends in a tone that made it seem more like a statement, and I could feel her tense.

Come to think of it, this is a very compromising situation for a boy and a girl to find themselves in, isn't it!?

Defying the tropes of romcom manga, I fight down my panic and try to keep calm. "Good morning. Did you sleep well? Are you hurt from last night?"

"To the first, no, because we're in a forest full of monsters, and to the second, yes, but it's only a few minor scratches." Slowly, Inoue rises off my chest.

"So my chest didn't make a good enough pillow?"

At my joke, Inoue only shoots me a cold look.

"Sorry."

"No, it's fine." Inoue takes out her laptop once more, where it settled…on her lap. "Also, hand it over."

I get what she's referring to, and hand over the memory card.

While she updates the records of our forest adventure, I assess our supplies. We still had enough food, but our water was running low. "I'll make a fire and boil the river water. You should eat something in the meantime. Where's the–what did you use?"

"I'll grab it." She turns around and ruffles through her pack, before handing me a mess tin and an energy bar.

"Your breakfast," she says, her tone firm.

"But–"

"Look, you're doing more of the manual labour. And last night, you also–" Her voice broke off, and she looked away from me. "Anyway! Just take it, or I'll force-feed it to you!"

I gingerly take the offered food, and stuff it into my pocket.

I'll eat it when I get hungry.

For now, I materialise my claw again, to cut down more wood…or try to, as a sudden bout of lightheadedness assaults me.

What…the hell?

Was this anaemia or something?

"Tennouji!" Inoue notices my stumble, and makes to stand up, but I raise a hand to stop her.

"I'm fine. But I think it'll be better if I don't use that claw too often from now on." I stand back up straight, and instead grab wood off the shelter to burn.

~~[r]~~

"I'm sorry," I say again, when our bottles had been filled. "For last night. I just ran in some random direction, and now we're lost."

Inoue gives me another hard look, plenty of which I had already received this morning. "Stop apologising. And come sit down for a moment." She taps the spot beside her, and I obey.

I sip some of the newly-boiled water. Hopefully, all the diseases had been killed.

"How much do you remember?" It was clear what she was asking.

"Everything," I admit honestly, "up until you chased that thing away."

It was ridiculous. Could Inoue just not sense it? Just how powerful and overwhelming that thing was?

But she had shouted at it to go away.

Or maybe…she couldn't see that thing at all. Couldn't perceive its existence. Then, she had just shouted at empty air to make me feel better?

I didn't like that thought. Didn't like that idea that Inoue would think that I was insane.

"I see," she says. "Well, in case it wasn't clear enough, I'll make it explicit." She inhales. "Because you should always tell the truth. I like you."

I blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"I said that I like you, Tennouji Kotarou," Inoue says firmly. "In a romantic manner. As a woman likes a man. Like–"

I close my eyes. "Wait, hold on a moment."

Inoue waits like I ask, and I try to gather my thoughts. Eventually, I stumble on the most likely possibility. "This is…the suspension bridge effect, right? When you're–"

The effect where one's emotions were heightened in a terrifying situation, and being together with another might cause you to attribute those intense emotions to the other person instead of the situation itself.

If last night didn't count as terrifying, nothing would.

"You're terrible, Tennouji. Don't dismiss my feelings like that. I'm not that weak to be swayed by some–"

"But it might be true, right?" I point out. "Look, you shouldn't rush into things. And if you're using to experience love because we're in a forest of monsters and might die soon, please stop. I don't appreciate being used like that."

I denied the confession with all my heart. I couldn't believe it. Shouldn't believe it.

Because I was an empty shell, who couldn't even find my own purpose, my own fulfilment.

A jester, who kept everyone a comfortable distance away.

"Yes, you're right," Inoue replies, "I'm only confessing because we might not make it out alive."

"Then–"

"But I've had these feelings for you long before these two days we've spent here." Inoue refutes me. "And I don't want to die without letting you know how I feel. I know it's terrible of me to put you on the spot like this, especially in this situation, but can I have your answer? If you feel even the slightest amount of doubt, you can say no, and I'll never bring it up again."

"...you're a very honest person, Inoue." I tell her. "Honest and straightforward."

"I know."

The upstanding thing to do was to reject her. To not commit, to not let myself be forced into anything. To have another talk at a later date, when things were more calm, when we weren't struggling to survive.

But–

If I were to be honest–

I've interacted enough with Inoue to know that some people didn't like her. She was seen as brash, discourteous, nosy, someone who stirred up trouble wherever she went. I didn't even have to look far for an example–Akane was there.

But even when she had been investigating me, even when she had seemed like a threat to keeping my greatest secret hidden, I had never disliked her.

And the more I got to know her, the more I admired her.

Admired her commitment to her goals, to the truth. Admired that fact that she could keep being honest, even when others might think her…what had she said? A weirdo?

Someone once said that youth was a tightrope walk.

To hell with it. Let's just sprint in the air.

I threw all my hesitation aside, and turned my head.

She was still looking at me. Watching my reactions. Waiting for an answer.

I leaned forward, and pressed my lips to hers.

On hindsight, it was probably a terrible idea, given when was the last time we had brushed our teeth. And I was also too inexperienced, too clumsy to pull off such a maneuver.

I break apart from her.

"No."

"What do you mean, no?" Was she having second thoughts now that I've assaulted her with my bad breath? I panic.

"Say the words," she said, insistent. "You have to make it clear."

Right. Things had to be done properly.

"Fine. I like you too, Inoue." I declare. "Will you go out with me?"

"That's better. Of course, the answer is yes." She smiles before collapsing onto me, like a puppet whose strings had just been cut.

"Inoue? Are you all right?"

She does nothing but hold on to me in response.

"Er…"

"Shut up," she quietly says. "Do you have any idea how much self-control I've been exercising for the past two days?"

Of course, I was clueless. Both about what she just said, and about how I should respond.

In this scenario…I should just hug her back, right?

I do so, and Inoue presses herself even more tightly against me. "I'm the one that should be apologising," she continued, still in that same quiet tone. "I'm the one that suggested this entire thing. I'm the one that almost got you killed!" I couldn't see her eyes, but she was undoubtedly crying. "I should have just done this alone. I knew the risks, but I still let another person get involved."

"Nope." I deny her words. "You didn't let me do anything. I knew it was dangerous, too. And you couldn't have stopped me; I would have followed you. After all–" I inhale, "that's how much I like you."

I could feel my heart withering as I delivered a ridiculously cheesy line.

"You're a real charmer, aren't you, Tennouji?"

"It's all for your sake, Inoue." If I was going to be cheesy, I might as well go all the way.

She chokes, making a noise somewhere between a sob and laugh. "I'm sorry."

"I told you, I would have followed you. It's just what I would have done."

"Not about that." She looks up at me, slightly resembling a lost puppy with her teary eyes. "I mean, we become girlfriend and boyfriend, and the first thing I do is to dump all my problems on you. It's not…"

"Aren't boyfriends supposed to be relied upon?" I scratch my head. "I'm just doing my job here."

Much as I wanted us to continue holding each other together like this, we still had a forest to escape. With a bit of regret, I pry Inoue off me. At her slightly reproachful look, I gesture to the greenery enveloping us.

Thankfully, she gets the message.

Our day's long journey began.

~~[r]~~

Another view

Kanbe Kotori knocked on a certain door.

"Yes, come in." Akane's usual languid tone greeted her, and she entered. The clubroom seemed to be full of its usual occupants: Akane gaming on her laptop at her desk, Chihaya eating some snack or another, Lucia and Shizuru chatting…

…Nope. No Kotarous to be found there.

That made for the second day in a row. Just where had he gone?

He's not the type to fall sick, either. In fact, apart from…that time, I haven't seen him sick even once in my life. She laughed lightly to herself at the accidental joke.

"What is it, Kotori?" Lucia asks.

"Nothing much. Just thinking about how Kotarou never falls sick."

"Ah." The class rep touches her chin with a gloved hand. "I get what you mean."

"So Kotarou's always had a good immune system?" Chihaya offered Kotori a maideline (baked to perfection, of course, by Sakuya), and the flower-haired girl took it.

"Idiot." Akane speaks up without looking away from her screen. "She's saying that Tennouji is an idiot."

Chihaya deflates, and Kotori gives an awkward smile. "So much for trying to be considerate."

"I miss Kotarou." Shizuru admits readily. She turns to Kotori. "Did he tell you anything?"

Kotori shakes her head. "Nope. Nothing at all. I tried contacting him, but he hasn't responded to my messages, and the calls can't get through."

"That's strange," Lucia says. "If he's sick, his phone should still be working. Unless he became too ill to even charge his phone?"

Kotarou's parents are out of town. Kotori recalls, and her level of worry rises. It's only been two days, but…maybe I should check up on him.

Just as the thought came to her mind, Chihaya claps her hands. "Everyone!" she announces. "Let's pay Kotarou a visit!"

"Pass." Akane rejects the idea immediately. "Knowing him, he probably just lost his phone somewhere in his house." However, if one looked carefully, there were still traces on concern to be found on her face.

None of the girls would ever admit it, but Kotarou was the heart of the Occult Club. The person that lightened the mood simply by being there, and the one that constantly drove them all to go on wacky adventures.

"Good idea." Lucia chimes in agreement. "We can stop by a convenience store and get him some necessities as well."

"It's going to be a field trip!" Shizuru says happily.

"Pres…are you sure you don't want to come?" Kotori makes her best puppy dog eyes at Akane. In the absence of Kotarou, she had taken over as the leader of sorts.

"Yeah, Akane!" Chihaya makes the same plea. "It would be weird if the four of us went except you."

"Fine, then." Akane sighs and relents. "I shall deign to grace him with my presence. Shall we go?"

Half an hour saw the girls gathered in front of the Tennouji residence, led there, of course, by Kotori, who pressed the doorbell to no avail.

She frowned to herself. Even Kotarou–especially this Kotarou–would have answered the door, if he was there. Which only left–

"Wait here." She told the group, and left for her own house next door.

The Kanbes were friends of the Tennoujis, having gotten along with them as fellow employees of Martel Group Japan. With the Tennoujis having to be away often on business, Kotori (or rather, her parents) had been trusted with a copy of the house key, 'just in case'.

But Kotori had also been smart enough to realise why the Tennoujis were seemingly never around, especially after the incident ten years prior.

She returned and pressed the button on a small remote, which opened the front gate.

"You have the key to Kotarou's house?" Chihaya asks. "You two must be close."

"Well…" Kotori put a hand behind her head, "we are childhood friends and neighbours, after all. Let's go."

Lucia frowns. "Are you sure it's fine to just barge in like this?"

"It's fine, it's fine." Kotori takes off her shoes, then unlocked the front door and entered. "If Kotarou is too sick to even answer the door, it's best that we go in ourselves. And if anything else happened to him, we need to find out."

"I guess you're right." Lucia relents. "Pardon the intrusion."

Even as they entered the house, they could already tell that something was wrong.

"Kotarou!" Shizuru calls. "Are you okay?"

There was no answer.

Akane sweeps a critical eye around the living room and the kitchen. "It seems like nobody's been around for a few days."

"Maybe something really happened…" Chihaya frowns in worry.

Kotori fought to keep her face neutral. "We'll go up to his room." She turned to the rest present. "Don't be too excited about seeing his room for the first time, okay? I promise it's nothing special."

She turned the doorknob, finding it to be unlocked, and gently opened the door. "Kota…rou?"

The room was empty.

Did he run off somewhere? Is he in danger? She thought again. No. We're connected. If he was dying, I would have felt it. I would have.

"What is the meaning of this?" Lucia, having discarded politeness, stepped into the room. "Tennouji Kotarou!" she called. "If you're playing a prank, you better stop this instant!"

"Lucia, stop." Shizuru had crossed the rug to investigate the desk. "There's a note here."

She picked it off the wooden surface and read. "'To Kotori: If you're reading this, it means that I am dead.'"

Four heads instantly turn to the twintailed blonde with varying looks of shock.

"'...Just kidding.'"

"Tch." Akane makes a sound in irritation. "And to think I'd finally be rid of him." The worry behind the acidic statement betrayed her true feelings.

Shizuru continued reading.

To Kotori:

If you're reading this, it means that I'm dead.

…Just kidding. It means that I haven't come back yet.

Inoue contacted me and said she found a lead on the rainbow swamp. It seems that it was caused by buried pesticides seeping out into the soil. She wanted to go by herself to investigate the site, but it's quite deep in the forest and I'm worried, so I'm going with her.

Hopefully nothing happens and you'll never have to see this.

–Kotarou

"It's dated 7th November. Sunday." Shizuru points out. "There's a map, too. It looks like they planned to go in much deeper than we did that time."

The girls gathered around to take a look. For a while, nobody spoke.

Nobody spoke, because the five of them were all thinking very similar things.

Eventually, Chihaya was the one to break the silence first. "What should we do?" She turned to Akane. "Akane, can't you organise a…can't you do anything?"

"I don't think it would be wise to jump the gun," the pale-haired girl said calmly. "But I'll do what I can." She looked at the rest. "I'm leaving to work my black magic."

"Wait!" Chihaya follows along as Akane disappears down the stairs.

And then there were three.

"...I guess we should go as well." Lucia turns to leave. "Don't worry, Kanbe-san. I'm sure he'll be back before it know it."

"Mmm." Kotori nodded.

"Let's go, Shizuru."

And then there was one.

So this is how it is, huh?

Folding both pieces of paper neatly, Kotori tucked them into her pocket, before staring off into the afternoon light outside the window.

~~[r]~~

Having lost our sense of direction completely, we decide to follow Inoue's original plan: to head towards the mountain, to hopefully get on the old mountain road which we could follow back to civilization. Getting towards the mountain itself wasn't difficult; I climbed a tree, spotted where it was, and all we had to do was walk in a straight line.

Somehow, the confession doesn't change much between us, except renew my determination to get the both of us out here alive.

Inoue refuses to let go of my hand, except when she had to be alone for obvious reasons. She would probably have clung on to my whole arm if we were walking on easier ground.

I didn't feel irritated at all. On the contrary, I found it reassuring. It was a reminder that I wasn't alone. That I was with someone that loved me.

Maybe it was weak and pathetic of me to think so, but that was what I felt.

We use less and less words to communicate. Talking too much would make our throats run dry, and we could understand each other with gestures well enough.

…Maybe I was wrong to say that not much had changed.

We rest when the sun looks to be at the highest point in the sky. Inoue offers me food.

"No thanks. I'm not hungry."

From now on, I would only eat if I felt I needed it.

"Okay." Inoue nods. She put the food back in her pack, and I look at her questioningly. "I'm not that hungry too."

"You sure?" I trusted her to not force herself, but I still felt the need to ask.

"Yeah. I'm fine." She leans against me, her head on my shoulder, our backs against a tree.

After the incidents of yesterday and the day before, everything felt oddly tranquil. Of course, we still ran into monsters today, but hiding (and taking pictures) has almost become second nature to us.

"Don't fall asleep now." I gently ruffle Inoue's hair.

"I won't," she says. "I'm just…enjoying your presence."

After a while, I shake her, and we start walking again. Time seems to become elastic, warped.

Wary of running out of water, I try to steer us both in the direction of a stream, while still trying to get closer to the mountain. By some miracle, we find one.

I take the opportunity to boil as much water as we could carry. It would be a heavier load, but better that than risking dehydration.

Inoue abandons her dead batteries and some other stuff. "You have quite the survival kit, huh?" I ask.

"I packed lesser, originally," Inoue says. "But then I got frightened by what you said when I called you, so I packed a bit more thoroughly…"

Another blessing. I didn't relish the thought of having to resort to unclean river water.

As we continued, the scenery all began too look the same, becoming even more blended than it already had been before. It was like one of those vegetable smoothies I had seen on a variety show once, and about as appealing.

I miss civilization. Missed my bed, and my air-conditioning, and the convenience stores. Hell, I missed my damn tap.

…I would probably never be ungrateful for the inventions of humans ever again. Or at least, for a long time.

Suddenly, without warning, the greenery gives way to buildings. Very, very familiar buildings.

"That's impossible." I immediately say. "We're nowhere near Kazamatsuri."

And yet, what lies before my eyes deny me. Unmistakable shopfronts of places I had visited in the city were in my sight.

Inoue snaps a few more pictures. "Let's go!" She takes a step forward–

–and I pull her into the bushes quickly, before we get spotted. "Those robed men again," I hiss under my breath at her. I could hear their footsteps, and even the soft pads of what seemed to be animal paws. And more of those monsters.

If our situation had been a bit more dire, we would have gone to them for help. But, knowing what we knew, we were no longer going to take that risk–the risk of having our investigation be all for naught.

I look at Inoue.

Her amber eyes stare back at me. We seemed to be thinking the same thing.

Holding our breaths, we cross the threshold, infiltrating this strange city in the middle of nowhere.

~~[r]~~

Another view

"Surely," Akane said exasperatedly, "you don't intend to search for him yourself?"

"Not by myself," Chihaya argues. "Sakuya can go while I'm at school."

The three of them were back at the Ohtori estate, where Sakuya was serving tea and cookies. The dark-haired butler in question frowned; though he did not protest, disapproval was clear in both his tone and expression. "Chihaya-sama, I'm not sure if that would be wise. It would leave you alone, after all."

"I'll be fine." Chihaya flexed her biceps. "I still have the strength from my contract with you."

"Be that as it may…" Sakuya clearly looked liked he wanted to argue. His disdain for Tennouji Kotarou, after all, was not as poorly hidden as he thought.

"In that case, it would be a good idea." Akane said. "You can cover a lot of ground, can you? Then go as soon as possible. Things will only get more chaotic as the Harvest Festival draws closer. We can grab the both of them, and sweep this whole thing under the rug." Her expression became a smidgen more irritated. "Though I am sorely tempted to tell you to leave that annoying reporter behind."

"Akane! You can't–"

"That was a joke." Akane raises an upturned hand in exasperation. "I wouldn't leave someone to die like that." She looked again at Sakuya.

The butler only sighed. "Fine, I understand. I'll leave at first light tomorrow."

Back at Kazamatsuri High, where Lucia and Shizuru had returned, a different conversation was happening.

"Hitomi-chan!"

"Shizuru-senpai." The girl Shizuru had just approached was taller than her, with dark navy-blue hair, almost black, tied back into a short ponytail that ended at her neck. Her eyes were both dark brown, and her features were sharp. "What's up?"

"Uwah! Like I said, it feels weird to be called 'senpai' by someone bigger than me. And we're in the same year here." Shizuru covers her face in embarrassment, increasing her cuteness tenfold. "You can just call me Shizuru-chan."

"But senpai is senpai," Hitomi says, only confused. "Anyway. What's going on?"

"Me and Lucia are going into the forest tomorrow for club activities." Shizuru got to the point. "Help us tell Touka-sensei if she asks. And, um, if there's any work…"

"I know, I know." Hitomi nodded. "I can swap with you. Just tomorrow, right?"

"Hopefully." Shizuru looked slightly downcast for a brief moment, before returning to her usual self. "Okay, thanks!"

Hitomi watched the retreating back of her senior. What club is she in again? The Occult Club?

~~[r]~~

"Am I the only one creeped out by this?" I ask Inoue.

After wandering around for a bit, dodging a few more robed men, we ended up in a back alley, an exact replica of the domain of–what did he call himself again? Winter Fang? That same back alley, with a vending machine.

A vending machine that sadly didn't work, and seemed to be made out of stone.

Upon touching everything she could get her hands upon, Inoue came to the same conclusion. "This whole city is made out of stone. And no, I find this weird as well."

"Remember to turn off the flash," I joke.

"I've learnt enough, thanks."

I look around again. It seemed that the only people here were those strange people. I wondered what the different robe colours stood for. Ranks within the organization?

The sound of footsteps draw closer, and I tense. "Someone's coming."

"Eh? But–"

"Hold on tight." I grab Inoue, and look around me, scanning above head height.

That window would do nicely.

I brace my legs, then leap. Inoue manages to stifle her voice.

And this is why I can never go for sports meets ever.

We tumble into a heap on the second floor of a house, where I end up on top of her.

For a brief moment I panic, before I remember she's now my girlfriend. I give her a quick peck on the cheek before rolling off her.

"Y-You didn't have to do that." Inoue has a slight blush on her cheeks.

"I did. There was nowhere to hide in that alley." I pretend not to know what Inoue is referring to.

"I mean–argh, fine." Inoue doesn't press the subject. She looks around the room. "Might be a good place to stay for the night."

Resisting the temptation to make yet another joke, I actually consider it. From what we had seen, the men in robes patrolling didn't seem to enter the buildings themselves often, if at all. The monsters, on the other hand, could be a problem if they sensed us in some way.

I speak my mind to Inoue, and she agrees with me. "The dog-types could probably smell us. And a snake-type might sense us through thermal vision."

"You know many fun animal facts, huh?"

"I just know a bit of everything." Inoue says. "So? I'll leave it to you."

"Yeah. Let's just rest here."

The sun was going to set soon. There was no point in leaving; in fact, we might be safer right under the enemy's nose, than how far away we could get before it got dark.

I'll simply have to make sure to not sleep too soundly tonight.

"Okay." Inoue agrees with me. She settles down and brings out her laptop, and I scoot over to sit beside her, to watch her work.

Even in this situation, her writing was clear.

"You know, if you ever publish this, they really might come and silence you." I point out. "Actually, if you assume it's a conspiracy, this kind of article would never be approved."

"I know that." She continues typing away. "It's just…something that I want to do. And I'll publish it myself, if I need to." She turns to me. "Maybe the Occult Club's website could help me spread the word."

"Definitely." I smile. It was strange. This was undoubtedly more serious than the rainbow swamp had been, and I had decided to leave that to the professionals–actually, to the girl beside me now.

But this was definite proof of the supernatural–ah.

"What's wrong, Tennouji?"

"I just remembered something very important." I say. "Actually, scratch that. It's not that important after all."

Inoue raises an eyebrow at me. "What?"

"It's, uh, kind of embarrassing to say."

"I cried on your arm less than thirty seconds after we became a couple. Surely there's nothing more embarrassing than that."

Damn. When she put it that way… "I remembered why I was looking for supernatural things in the first place."

"Which is?"

"I made a bet with Senri Akane that I could fondle her boobs if I ever proved the supernatural existed." I said, trying not to stammer.

Inoue simply regards me in silence.

That was possibly more disconcerting than being called a pervert. "Erm, are you not going to comment on that?"

She looks at me a bit longer before returning to typing. "Nope. At least, that proves that you're a healthy young man."

Is she really that unfazed?

"Are you not worried that I would try to, uh, do things? To you? Especially now?"

"I have faith in your self-control. Actually, I feel like we've had this conversation already," Inoue speaks with absolute confidence. "Besides, if you really wanted the Witch's boobs that badly, you could have just showed off your superpowers to her, right?"

My mouth remains half-open, temporarily speechless.

It's been, what, a single day since she found out I was superhuman?

It was another reminder that Inoue was sharper than she appeared with her enthusiastic reporter act.

Except that it's really not an act.

"...Well, you're right." I admit. "I did consider that. But revealing my biggest secret isn't worth it, even for boobs." And, now that I thought about it, she would probably have done something like blackmail me afterwards.

"Does this mean I rank higher than boobs, since you showed off your powers to me?" Inoue asks coyly.

"Obviously." I decide to take a leaf out of Inoue's book and speak with candour. "You're my precious girlfriend, after all. And my rival and stuff."

"I see, I see." Her words remained steady, but a faint blush crept onto her cheeks. "I'm glad to hear that." She closes her laptop, and again rests her head on my shoulder. "Here."

A chip is pressed into my hand. The copy of our record. I slip it into the depths of my pocket again.

We both doze lightly. When we got hungry, we ate. I noted that we had little food left, and that we should probably be even more conservative than we were now.

Our conversation jumps around randomly. "Did you know?" Inoue says. "The English word for 'monster' comes from Latin."

I shook my head. My knowledge of mythologies only extended as far to what RPGs taught me.

"Yeah," Inoue adds. "It's from a Latin word that means 'reminder, warning, or foretelling'. The Greeks thought that the appearance of monsters signified approaching evil and imminent destruction. Abnormal births were also a bad omen."

"Is there anything you don't know, Inoue?"

"Like I said, I have approximate knowledge about many things," she says, a tinge self-deprecatingly. "And I only know this because I was browsing the net–I mean, doing research on all the strange stuff that's been happening. And," she peers out of the window into the darkening sky, "it feels like something big might happen soon."

"Somehow, I feel the same way." I wrap my arm around her shoulder.

Maybe it was just because I was exhausted out of my mind from being lost. But it really did feel that way.

A sense of impending doom.

I think back to…that thing. Even now, even in my mind, I tiptoe around it. Didn't want to think about it.

A monster in human form.

…A bit like myself. The stray thought comes to me, and I mutter. Inoue didn't seem to have heard.

My mind drifts to other thoughts. I felt like I was in a dream, walking down an endless corridor–

I jerk upright.

"What's the matter?" Inoue looks around, slightly panicky.

This city felt familiar, in more ways than one. It reminded me of that strange, otherworldly space, the corridor that seemed to stretch on forever.

Did that mean that if we went to this city's equivalent of Kaza High, there was a chance that we could somehow be able to be teleported back to the real school?

"Not necessarily." Inoue's mouth curled into a frown as she thought. "You only wandered into that corridor accidentally, right? Which means there's no guarantee that we'd be able to go where we want."

Well, so much for that idea. It was fine, though. I didn't relish sneaking around the enemy's stronghold when we were half-starved.

We drift in and out of consciousness. The next time we wake up, the sun was a quarter through the sky, a bright morning.

"We have to try to find a way around." I state what I think, and Inoue nods.

After successfully exfiltrating from the City of Stone (that was what we had decided to call it), we walk in a direction tangent to the circle that was the city border.

Space itself felt twisted, a rubber band in a knot. It gave me a strange feeling in my stomach (though that could have just been our poor diet), and I fight to keep what little I had down.

The greenery began to fill us with a strange sense of nostalgia, both familiar and not at the same time. Heja pu, was it called?

"It's 'deja vu', Tennouji." Inoue corrects me. We look over our shoulders; the stone city had disappeared from view. A strange overlarge insect flies by my head, buzzing without much thought, and I decapitate it on instinct.

If we got attacked again…

My senses pick up the sound of flapping wings, and I look up. A strange green bird was hovering in the air, and it seemed to be staring right at us.

A swift leap and another swipe of my claw kills it, where it dissolved into nothingness.

"That was a monster. They both were." Inoue points out. She looked around warily. "Not good. If they found out that someone was snooping around…"

This was ridiculous. Avoiding wild monsters was one thing, but avoiding wild monsters that were actively searching for you, that knew you were already there…

Should I do it again? Break the promise that I made to myself so little time ago?

"Come on. Let's go." I grab Inoue's hand and stride on quickly as my thoughts churned.

The price. I still didn't know what it was. It scared me enough to not want to use it, even if we were on the verge of life and death.

It was in the name that I had given it.

Rewrite.

If you rewrote something something enough, it would cease to resemble anything that had originally been there.

I didn't want that to happen to me.

More flapping reaches my ears. It was probably another scouting bird. I peer around, and there it was, too high in the air. Unlike the previous one, which was pink, this one was green, and hard to see against the shroud of leaves that was the forest canopy.

And this damn bird is relaying everything back to them. I grit my teeth.

I dearly wished I had a ranged weapon. Maybe I could try shooting Aurora bullets or something. But now was not the time for experimentation.

The bird quirks its head, as if confused, and I get irritated. A running leap off a tree sends me through the air, and I slash.

But the bird dodges out of reach at the last second. I tumble through the air a distance and land in a bush. "No, no, I'm fine." I forestall Inoue, and glare at the bird. "Tell your master that I won't let you take us alive. You hear me? Now get lost!"

Seemingly hearing me, the bird flies off.

"You won't let them take us alive? I don't want to be taken dead either, Tennouji." Inoue makes a comment from the side.

"You know what I meant." I weakly protest, before closing my eyes.

If there really was an entire organization closing in on us, the time for hesitation was over. If it had just been me, I wouldn't have minded remaining as myself and dying, but there was someone else here. Someone else that I came along with, who I was supposed to protect.

Five gears? Ten gears? How much should I shift it up?

More rustling met my sensitive ears. Something else was bursting through the undergrowth, coming right as us. There was no time; I would simply have to take care of this first.

I place myself between Inoue and the source of the approaching noise, and brace myself for combat.

Then, a head pokes out from the bushes. The familiar head of a mamm–a dog.

"Chibimoth? What are you doing here?" My claw dissipates.

"Mosu, mosu."

"You want me…to follow you?" I ask, confused.

"Mosu!"

"All right, then."

"Tennouji, are you sure this is safe? What is this creature?"

"Don't call Kotori's dog a creature." I waggle a finger at Inoue. "Can you carry a person?"

"Mosu."

"Aren't you a convenient one. Well, up you go, then." I lift Inoue, despite her protesting, and place her on Chibimoth's back, where her legs dangled off one side.

"Tennouji! I can walk!"

"Yeah, but we might need to run at any moment. Save your energy for that." I turn back to Chibimoth. "Lead the way, partner."

"Mosu!"

"You're a smart one. How did you know to find us all the way out here?" If we hadn't been moving, I would have given Chibimoth several well-deserved pats.

"Mosu."

"Tennouji, are you seriously trying to converse with this mammoth–" Inoue rubbed her eyes, "-this dog?" She rubbed her eyes again, and stared pointedly at her steed. Chibimoth's inquisitive eyes swivel up to peer at her for a moment.

"You're cute." Inoue rubs Chibimoth's head. "But you're still a–stop that." She slaps her own forehead. "You're a mammoth, aren't you?"

"Mosu!" Chibimoth seemed to be protesting.

"Hey, don't scare the little fella."

"I'm telling you, Tennouji, this is a mammoth." Inoue insisted.

I squint at Chibimoth. A mild headache begins to form, and I blink several times quickly to try and clear it.

"Mosu?"

"Yeah, you're right. He's a mammoth."

"Mosu…"

Was he dismayed that I had seen through his disguise? "Sorry, little guy. It is what it is. But I can call you a dog if you want."

"Mosu!" Kotori's mammoth seemed to take offence at being pitied. Understandable, if I were to say so myself.

We traced a long, winding path through the forest. Either by Chibimoth's senses or by luck, we didn't run into any more monsters or robed men. The sun rose into its highest point in the sky, and then began dipping.

Chibimoth kept walking, and I didn't call for a break. If he was taking us back, I wanted to be out as soon as possible.

Finally, the mammoth slowed to a halt in front of…an utterly unremarkable spot.

"Mosu."

"Through here, huh?"

After three days in this hellish forest, I thought that there was nothing left that would surprise me.

Clearly, I was wrong.

~~[r]~~

Another view

Kanbe Kotori watched Lucia and Shizuru leave, before staring out of the window into the afternoon light.

Unconsciously, she walked over to the balcony and opened the glass door.

As I thought. He hasn't been taking care of his plants.

A forlorn smile came to her face. Grabbing the watering can, she headed to the bathroom, where she filled it with the tap.

The gardening gloves had been left in a small wooden chest that matched the wood of the balcony, and she put them on. Then she set about sprinkling water on the wilting flowers, before setting some fertiliser on the soil with a hand trowel.

Looking over her good work, she wiped the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand.

Then, she reached out and plucked a single yellow leaf.

A muffled thump sounded from behind her, and she turned from where she was crouching. A snout, no, a trunk reached out and prodded her gently, and the extended the leaf to it.

She had planted the plants for Kotarou's sake, and traces of him still remained in them.

"Find him, Chibimoth."

"Mosu." Another leap, and her faithful familiar was gone.

Then, she straightened.

"Guess it's time for Kotori-san to get to work."

~~[r]~~

Inoue slides off Chibimoth and latches on to my side at the sight of the fairytale land we seemed to have entered.

In front of us, beside a tall tree, there was a two-storied log cabin–

No, that was wrong. It was a proper cottage, made purely of wood. So too was the table in front of it, where tree stumps surrounded it in convenient positions for chairs.

And, all around us, tiny wooden men, or maybe golems, scurried around, moving things here and there.

They didn't seem to be aggressive, but those, too, were undoubtedly…monsters.

My left arm wraps around Inoue's shoulder, and my right fist tenses up at my side, ready to attack or defend.

Then a green bird, the green bird which I had shouted at, flies over to rest on the outstretched finger of the person exiting the cottage.

Pink jacket. A long red tartan skirt. Brown boots. And a flower in her hair, like always.

But for her to be here, now, surrounded by these artificial creatures, while acting as if all this was perfectly natural…

"Kotori." I keep my voice calm. The question hurt me to ask, but I had to do it anyway. "Are you...with them?"

Her mouth curled into a sad smile, but it quickly shifted into her usual teasing expression. "Kota-kun. I'm disappointed in you, you know. I send Chibimoth all the way out to find you, and you still ask me that kind of question?"

"I'm sorry." I apologise. "But are you–"

"I'm not. Kotori-chan is just doing her own thing, okay?" She makes a gesture, and Chibimoth prods both me and Inoue in the back, driving us forwards.

We collapse on the stumps, and slump on the table. Inoue makes to raise her camera, but Kotori gently nudges it down. "Photography is not allowed for this exhibit."

Inoue dearly looked like she wanted to argue, but I stop her. "Let it go for now, Inoue. Plus, I'm sure Kotori will explain everything. Right, Kotori?" I turn a steely eye on her.

"Yes, yes." Kotori says, before her expression turns serious. She looks us both up and down, taking in our worn clothing, our scratches and bruises. "I'll tell you what I know. But eat up first."

The plates and cups were also made of wood. The drink looked to be something like juice or sap, and the food looked like fruit, or something like a muffin.

My hunger that had mostly abated came back in full force, and I reach out for the fruit.

But Inoue grabs my hand. She looked scared. Perhaps even more scared than she had ever been, even when we had nearly died to that leaf dragon. "Don't eat it." Her voice comes out as a hoarse whisper.

"What?"

"Don't speak so loudly." She looks around, paranoid. "I heard of this while doing research, too. In many myths in Europe, if you eat the food of the other world, you'll be trapped there forever. So…"

Her knuckles were white as she held on to my arm.

"But...it's Kotori." I knew her. I knew Chibimoth. This wasn't a trap…right?

I glance around. There were a lot of wood golems lumbering about. If they all attacked us at once…no, but they seemed slow. I could remember which way it was to the exit, and I could cut wood.

"How do you know it's really her?" Inoue speaks softly, hoarsely. "That it's not a monster or some other beastmaster pretending to be her?"

"Damn it." I mutter under my breath.

~~[r]~~

Another view

"Tell your master that I'll never let you take us alive!"

"Boy, that was a shock." Kotori muttered to herself as she checked on the logistics of her hideout.

Being on the receiving end of Kotarou's anger, Kotarou's coldness…it was something that she had gotten used to not feeling, after all this time.

At least he was safe now. Him, and the reporter girl.

She saw the way he had instinctively stepped forward to protect her. Saw how she held on to him.

A forlorn expression came to her face.

"Kotori."

She turned around. Kotarou and the girl were both standing, their bags on their shoulders.

I see. They don't trust me, huh?

Is it that girl's fault? Or would Kotarou have mistrusted me anyway? Either way, it's too late for that.

"What is it, Kotarou?" Kotori forced a smile on her face.

"Tell me." The reporter girl spoke instead, her expression equally as serious as Kotarou's. "What were the exact words you said to Tennouji, when you rejected him after he confessed to you the first time?"

Kotori felt as if a rock plummeted into her stomach.

Why are you asking me this? Is it because–no, I got it. It's because they think I'm an impostor, right?

She could clearly recall the event. A fine spring day, where petals of cherry blossoms fell all around them. Kotarou's hopeful expression. And her own words.

"'Thank you. I'm very happy. But I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.'" I'm so sorry. Kotori forced her expression to fix itself in place. "Then I ran off, I think."

"Is that right, Tennouji?"

"Yeah. It is. Thank you, Kotori." Kotarou's expression softens, and he sits back down.

"It's fine." Kotori waves it off, and got back to work.

You're a terrible hypocrite, aren't you?

The thought came to her, a part of her own consciousness mocking herself, and she hurried off to where nobody could see.

~~[r]~~

Inoue collapses into her own seat after I do.

"Is that enough proof for you, Inoue?"

"Yeah." She begins digging in. "To be honest, I would have asked for more, but there just doesn't seem to be other memories we could use." She spoke with her mouth full. "Besides, I trust you. That sorta means that I have to trust who you trust as well."

"More responsibility on my shoulders, huh?" I make an exaggerated sigh. "You're a real handful."

Ask her something only the both of you would know. Something that a third party wouldn't be able to find out by spying.

That had been Inoue's suggestion, and I guess it had worked.

…This kind of secret question really felt as if we were dealing with a conspiracy. A spy film in real life.

I suddenly had a lot of respect for actual spies. It must be hell, to not be able to trust anyone, and to be alone, surrounded by enemies.

The fruit, oddly enough, tasted something like bread or rice cakes. It was probably something artificial, grown with Kotori's mysterious summoner powers.

–"Summoner"? Where had that come from? Was it a term from some RPG that I had played, and was now borrowing?

Either way, it was an accurate description. Summoners summoned monsters, right?

I decide to not think too much about it, and focus on eating and drinking.

When we had both finished, Kotori approaches us again.

Inoue had her laptop out, and was ready to take notes.

"You're…Inoue-san, right?" Kotori asks.

Inoue looks at me uncertainly. "I think we're past the point of hiding your name from her, Inoue." I say.

"Sorry for being rude." Inoue apologies. "Yes, I'm Inoue. From the Newspaper Club. Please tell us everything you know about this situation."

No full name, huh? I note, but didn't say anything. Come to think of it, it was the same when we first met. Maybe that was some form of protection for her?

"Okay." Kotori nods. "But you can't write anything about me, or this place, okay? Pretend you came across this information by some other means. Oh, and also don't include anything about the druids and the mistletoe too."

"Druids? Mistletoe?" I ask. "Druids are like Celtic magicians, right?"

"Only in RPGs." Kotori lifts her finger, going into an expository tone. "It's a long story, so I want to get everything out at once. You can ask the questions later."

Inoue and I both nod, and the explanation follows.

There existed people called summoners in this world. Summoners controlled all manner of the beasts we had seen, and the beasts were referred to as 'familiars'.

They flocked together and kept their existence secret, since there'd be plenty of trouble if their existence was discovered.

Their main base of operations was actually Kazamatsuri. It was a place they had originally used for cover, before they slowly took over the entire town, bit by bit.

The name of the organization was 'Gaia', and it existed as something similar to a cult or secret society.

…The Magna Martel Group, an organization focused on environmental preservation, was actually a front for Gaia. Of course, that also meant that Martel Japan was also another of Gaia's fronts.

"A secret evil organization, right in Kazamatsuri…" Inoue seems torn between the prospect of an enormous scoop, and the ramifications of such a conspiracy actually existing.

"It's not really that simple, though. Gaia's aim is to save the planet, right? So from that angle, they're on the side of justice."

"But from the way you've been describing them, it sounds as if they might prioritise the Earth over even the lives of people." Inoue muses, echoing my thoughts.

"You might be right. Gaia is also sort of a religion, and their teachings say that the planet makes its own decisions. Therefore, they don't really care what happens to humans." Kotori explains further.

"I've seen that in games before," I comment. "The planet thinking that humans are evil, and then summoning some final boss to wipe us all out."

"I wouldn't exactly call it a final boss, but the planet does send a messenger to human society from time to time. It's called the Key." A faraway look settles on Kotori's face. "I think that's all I know about Gaia."

"Aren't you a member of…no, of course not." She would probably be trying to capture us if she were. "Then, you're an independent summoner?"

"Yeah. I'm a druid." Kotori nods. "Do you know what mistletoe is?"

"Some sort of…plant?" I didn't really know much more than that.

"A parasitic plant that grows on trees, right?" Inoue questions.

"Yes. And summoners have a way to convey information through mistletoe. That's how the druids passed down their teachings without text."

"So you can become a druid if you touch one?" Inoue asks.

Kotori regards Inoue with a look. "It only works if you already have the aptitude. To a normal person, it'll be nothing more than a normal plant."

"I see…"

I lightly tap Inoue's boot with my own shoe. "Don't get any funny ideas." Turning to Kotori, I ask my next question, one that was close to the thing that had been bothering me. "What's the price of summoning?"

"The price?" Kotori looks confused, perhaps at my wording.

"I mean," I hastily add on, "in video games you need MP to cast spells, right? So…"

"A summoner uses life energy to control their familiars," Kotori says. "Gaia's summoners usually use their own life, but a druid can tap into a power spot."

A foreign term. "Power spot?"

Kotori gestures at a strange glowing pool at the base of a tree some distance away. "A geyser of the planet's life energy, and something like a tunnel that the Key uses to reach the planet's surface.

The blue-green depths of the pool, plus the luminous wisps that it seemed to emit, reminded me somewhat of my own blades. "Aurora…" I mutter.

Life energy.

Does that mean that a summoner would use their own life every time they summoned a familiar? Burn it up like fuel?

I take a look around. How many wooden golems were running about? Ten? Twenty?

But Kotori had her power spot, right?

So she's not burning through her own life, at least.

But it didn't reveal anything about my own powers, which I had hoped.

Inoue seemed to be thinking about something else. "What's the Key?"

"It's something like the planet's own familiar. A being of unimaginable power, that most people can't even perceive."

A being…of unimaginable power…

Absolute. Terminal.

That most people…can't even perceive…

Something beyond my comprehension.

I look down into my lap. My hands were shaking of their own accord.

Inoue reaches out and grasps them. My sight follows her arm, traced it to her face, where her amber eyes looked at me with a reassuring gaze.

I calm down slightly.

Inoue turns to Kotori, her hand still over my own. "What does this Key look like? What's it supposed to do?"

"Druidic teachings say that every iteration of the Key looks different, so I don't know. But if I see the Key, I'll be able to recognise it. And as for what it's supposed to do…it has the potential to become the planet's messiah and grant us Salvation." Kotori had a self-depreciating look on her face. "That's why I'm doing all this. It's a druid's responsibility to protect the Key with their life until that happens. Or until the Key delivers some other judgement."

"Have you found the Key yet?" Inoue's questions seemed to become sharper–not in tone, but in precision.

"Not yet." Kotori looks dismayed. "I know it spawned, which was why the power spot became active, but it's missing. But it usually returns to its birthplace, which is why I'm waiting here."

Inoue's fingers paused over her keyboard. She seemed to be thinking hard about something. Or a lot of things. Suddenly, she plunges a hand into my pocket.

I emit a startled cry. "What!?"

"Sorry, Tennouji." She retrieves the memory card.

"Inoue-san." Kotori speaks again. "Don't…you can't say–"

"Anything about druids, right?" Inoue matches the gaze of my childhood friend. "I understand. I'll swallow the memory card if it comes down to that. And there's nothing in here that'll give away your location. You can trust me on this."

"What are you going to do, Kotarou? Inoue-san?" Kotori looks at the both of us uncertainly.

"Expose the truth to the public." Inoue speaks without hesitation. "But don't worry, we'll be careful about this. We're not going to rush in without a plan." She stands and picks up her bag.

"But…" Kotori looks at me. "What about you, Kotarou?"

"I'm going to support Inoue." I don't hesitate, either. "I'm going to see this to the end."

"But…" Kotori says again. She didn't protest, but she also clearly didn't like the idea.

I stand and pick up my bag as well. What was I going to say to her? 'Don't worry, I'll be fine?' I couldn't guarantee that, not in the slightest, not after what had happened, and knowing what could happen. "Do you get reception in this forest? Wait, are you even going to school?"

"I'll pop in from time to time." She smiles again, a mixed expression. "Are you leaving now? Do you want to get more rest here?"

"It's fine." I say. "Besides, Inoue needs to go apologise to her parents."

"Got it. I'll get Chibimoth to guide you out of the forest."

~~[r]~~

It was dusk when we emerged onto the streets of Kazamatsuri. Our shabby condition drew a few curious looks from passers-by, but nobody approached us for anything.

Hopefully, we had returned before we caused too much of a stink.

"I wonder what my parents are going to say." Inoue was still holding on to my hand. "I…well…"

"If we get to your door like this, they'll think you skipped school to go camping with your boyfriend." I point out, lightheartedly.

Somehow, Inoue pales. "Oh no."

And then, I realise what I had just said, and I pale. "Oh no."

We look at each other, then burst out in laughter. "If I can," I drop my voice a few octaves, "face down a dragon," I raise my voice again, "then I think I can deal with your parents."

"Oh? Not the type to go weak at the thought of facing their girlfriend's dad?"

"Nah." I wave it off. "I…well, you know how it is with my own parents. I don't really know how this is supposed to work."

She looks at me, understanding. "This is also why you're sending me to my door, right?"

"Yeah." I look up at the evening sky. "There's nobody waiting for me at home. More importantly, I have to protect you. Until we get the truth out."

"The truth…well. I'll think about that later. Right now…" She leans her head against my shoulder, "I'm just glad we're both safe."

"You and me both."

We reach an apartment complex, take a lift up to the sixth floor, and stop outside a door. The nameplate on the side read "Inoue".

But as she raised a finger to press the doorbell, the door itself suddenly flew open.

Did you know? Kotori (or at least, her sprite) doesn't appear in any heroine routes other than her own after the common route ends. Here, I had her beat the rest of the Occult Club to rescuing Kotarou. If her exposition sounds familiar, it's because it's more or less the same as in her own route.

Too bad Kotarou's already taken. Being Kotori is suffering.

Next chapter: meet the parents.

Review please!