On the remote island housing the secretive research facility, Kurama and Shirakawa walked together down the sterile white halls discussing recent events.

"So the recovery operation was a failure," Kurama said grimly.

Shirakawa nodded. "Yes, from the extensive damage done to the SAT squad, we could confirm Lucy did make landfall. But we still have not managed to track her down."

Kurama turned to Shirakawa with a carefully controlled expression. "There was another individual there, right?

Shirakawa shook her head. "Oh well yes...unfortunately, we don't know much more than the initial reports. Eyewitness accounts only describe a young man with unusually wild hair."

Kurama was deeply troubled. The vague description of the unknown intervening figure matched someone too familiar. He would need more information.

Kurama paused before asking another question. "Did any of the reports indicate if the interloper had a...tail?"

Shirakawa looked puzzled. "A tail? No, I don't believe that detail was mentioned at all. Why do you ask?"

Kurama kept his expression neutral. "Merely covering all bases. We cannot afford to overlook any potential physical anomalies."

Inwardly, his mind was racing. The lack of a tail did introduce some doubt, but the other coincidences were too notable. Could that mysterious boy who vanished so long ago have finally resurfaced? If so, the implications that he and Lucy reunited were troubling.

"Wait, are you referring to that tailed specimen captured here 3 years ago? I think I've heard about him," Shirakawa said.

"Yes, that's the one," Kurama confirmed grimly.

"But why do you think it's him" Shirakawa asked. "But hasn't there been no trace of him for 3 years?"

Kurama nodded. "True, but the vague physical description matches, and the fact he was with Lucy makes it even more likely. Though im still not completely sure, they might be working together."

He paused, brow furrowed. "The timing of his reappearance alongside Lucy's escape is too coincidental to ignore."

"I'll find out if I can get any more information about the failed recovery operation," Shirakawa assured.

"I see. Thank you, let me know immediately if you uncover anything further," Kurama replied crisply. "Now back on the topic of Lucy..."

"As gifted as she is at killing, going unnoticed for long will be difficult for one so unstable," Kurama mused.

"Regardless, I hope we won't have to deploy Number Seven yet," Shirakawa replied.

They stopped outside a thick steel door marked by large red 7s. As it slid open, they entered the dark observation room, lit only by a large pane of glass on the far wall.

Another assistant sat watching intently. "What's her status?" Kurama inquired.

"Not good. The experiments today were especially severe. I don't know if she can be deployed."

Kurama and Shirakawa stepped up to the glass. Down below, chained by her wrists, hung a bloodied young horned girl.

As she slowly lifted her head, her face was streaked with tears and blood. Yet she smiled happily at Kurama's arrival.

"Papa...you came," she croaked weakly, tugging at her chains.

Though wounded horrifically, the girl's tone was full of innocent joy seeing Kurama there. He maintained his stony expression.

Kurama descended from the observation room down to the sublevel chamber where Nana remained chained.

"Nana, I've come to request your help with something important," he said solemnly.

At his words, Nana ceased struggling and looked up with desperate devotion, willing to endure anything for her beloved Papa.

Kouta led the dripping-wet Nyu and Goku further inside the house.

"So where exactly did you find Nyu?" Kouta asked as he started to look for spare clothes.

Before Goku could respond, Nyu suddenly scurried up to Kouta and held something out insistently in her small hands.

Kouta looked puzzled. "Hm? What do you have there, Nyu?" His eyes widened in surprise as he realized she was offering him a small pink seashell. She had been trying to find a replacement for the one she had broken earlier.

Seeing Kouta's stunned expression, Nyu shrank back nervously, worried he was still upset. But Kouta quickly dropped his umbrella and crouched down to give her a warm, reassuring hug.

"It's okay Nyu, I'm not angry anymore. Thank you for this, it's very thoughtful," he said gently. Nyu's face lit up happily at his words.

Kouta carefully took the seashell from her hands and stood back up. He turned to face Goku with an apologetic look. "And Goku, I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier over mentioning my sister. That was unfair of me."

Goku just waved it off with an easy smile. "Ah, no worries! It was my mistake for remembering the details wrong anyway."

Kouta nodded, and then his expression became more serious. "So listen, while you two were gone some strange detectives came by the house asking specifically about Nyu. They had a photo of her and claimed it was related to some investigation. I didn't trust them so I lied and said I didn't know her."

At that, Goku's cheerful face instantly hardened into a look of grave concern. "People were here for Nyu? You're sure?"

Kouta nodded grimly. "Without a doubt, they were looking for her. They said she was missing."

Goku's gaze became distant, his mind racing to connect the dots. "This is no coincidence then. When I found Nyu earlier, we were attacked on the beach by two heavily armed men demanding I hand her over. They might have been connected to those detectives."

Kouta looked shocked by this revelation. "You were attacked?! By who? Are you both okay?"

"We're fine, don't worry! I fought them off no problem," Goku said with a casual smirk. "Nothing I couldn't handle."

As unbelievable as it sounded, Kouta felt inclined to take the boy's claims seriously after the encounter with the strange authorities. Something sinister was swirling around Nyu. However, he still questioned how Goku was able to fight them off.

Kouta met Goku's gaze solemnly. "I don't think we can fully trust the police right now. Should we tell Yuka about any of this?"

Goku considered it a moment, then shook his head. "Let's not worry her more unless we have to. For now, this stays just between us until we understand more."

Just then Nyu loudly sneezed, her cheeks flushed from the chill of her wet clothes.

Kouta sighed and handed her a towel. "You two better get dried off."

Goku laughed. "Yeah, we're making a puddle here, aren't we?"

After finding some spare dry clothes, Kouta realized they now faced the awkward task of getting Nyu changed. She clearly couldn't dress herself properly yet. She only looked confused at the garment Kouta was holding.

Kouta blushed thinking about it. As a young man, did etiquette require him to do it? Or would that be inappropriate? He pondered asking Yuka, but she still hadn't returned.

"Uh, hey Goku?" Kouta finally said. "Could you maybe help get Nyu into these dry clothes for me?"

"Sure, no problem!" Goku replied cheerfully with a thumbs up, seeming unperturbed by the task.

Kouta felt slightly guilty tasking it upon Goku, but the boy's nature reassured him. Goku likely didn't think twice about these things.

Still, Kouta wondered if it was wise to leave this to someone as absent-minded as Goku. But what real choice did he have?

Kouta awkwardly patted Goku's back. "Right, uh...I'll leave you to it then. Yell if you need anything."

As Kouta left the room, he prayed Goku didn't make matters worse. But if Goku could dress himself, how hard could dressing Nyu be?

Kouta lingered anxiously outside the room where Goku was changing Nyu. Suddenly, he heard a loud knock at the front door. He tensed, hoping it wasn't those strange detectives returning.

When Kouta opened the door, a thoroughly drenched and irritated Yuka stood there glaring at him.

"Yuka! You're absolutely soaked," Kouta exclaimed, startled by her appearance.

"No kidding!" Yuka huffed in frustration. "I lost my umbrella out there and didn't manage to find either Goku or Nyu anywhere."

Kouta quickly tried to reassure her. "Well, you actually just missed them. Goku got back here a little while ago with Nyu. They're inside now."

Yuka raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Goku somehow managed to track her down all by himself? Huh, surprising. Guess I got all wet for no reason."

Kouta rubbed his neck awkwardly. "Yeah...anyway, right now Goku is just getting Nyu changed into some dry clothes for her in the other room."

"He's doing WHAT now?!" Yuka shouted in alarm. "Kouta, how could you possibly let Goku handle something so inappropriate?"

Before Kouta could defend himself, the door suddenly burst open wildly and a wide-eyed Goku popped out looking deeply distressed.

"Yuka! Come quick, there's something really wrong with Nyu!" he exclaimed in a panic.

"What is it? Is Nyu okay?" Yuka asked, her irritation shifting to concern.

Goku shook his head gravely. "No no, she's missing her balls down there!"

Yuka stared at him blankly for a long moment. "I'm sorry, she's missing her what now?"

"Her balls!" Goku repeated earnestly. "I was changing her clothes and she doesn't have any balls in her private area! Isn't that weird?"

"Goku, are you being serious right now?!" Yuka yelled in complete exasperation. "Of course, Nyu doesn't have any, she's a girl!"

Goku tilted his head in puzzlement. "Huh? What does being a girl have to do with it?"

Kouta finally chimed in awkwardly. "It means girls don't have uh...balls."

Goku's eyes went wide with a sudden revelation. "Oh wait, really? Haha wow, my bad, guess you learn something new every day!"

He then turned curiously back to Yuka. "So hey, does that mean you don't have ba-"

"Don't even finish asking that!" Yuka shouted, her face now beet red.

Yuka grabbed Kouta firmly by the arm and dragged him aside. "I cannot believe you left him unsupervised to do that!" she whispered harshly.

Kouta smiled helplessly. "Yeah...in hindsight, maybe not my most well-thought-out idea..."

Yuka couldn't believe Goku was so ignorant about female anatomy. Clearly, the boy lacked any basic education. Did he never attend school growing up? Considering he claimed to live in the forest, perhaps not. But what about parents? Surely they should have taught him about such matters.

Now that she thought about it, Goku never mentioned his parents at all. Did he live alone out there? Yuka made a mental note to ask Goku more about his mysterious upbringing later.

Just then, a confused-looking Nyu came crawling out of the other room with her shirt on backward. Yuka sighed, realizing Goku had failed at the simple task. "I better go finish getting Nyu dressed properly.

"Goku, you are banned from changing Nyu again." Yuka scolded. "Be focused on changing yourself right now. You're trailing water everywhere, and someone is going to slip."

Goku laughed sheepishly. "Oops, sorry about that! No problem, I'll go change now."

"And no getting naked out here in front of us! Go change in private." Knowing Goku, she had to lay clear boundaries before he did something crazy again.

"Don't worry, I'll keep my pants on," Goku assured her with a thumbs up.

"Hmph. Just leave your wet clothes and go shower already," Yuka ordered. "I'll go wash them after."

As Goku started removing his soaked shirt, Yuka's eyes widened at the sight of his surprisingly muscular physique. She quickly looked away before her thoughts wandered too far.

Yuka reprimanded herself in her mind. She shouldn't worry about having any thoughts because she already liked someone.

Meanwhile, Kouta also looked taken aback. "Wow, Goku, you must work out a lot, right? It shows."

Goku grinned proudly. "Yep, guess you could say that."

Flustered, Yuka snapped, "Just hurry up and go!"

Finally shirtless, Goku casually tossed his wet garment down. It hit the floor with an impossibly loud, heavy thud that made Yuka and Kouta's eyebrows rise.

"I'll just take your wet clothes to wash, don't worry about it," Yuka offered. Yuka went to pick up the discarded shirt but found it was heavier than she thought. "Huh?"

She tried again, but couldn't even lift an inch, no matter how hard she strained. "What the?! Why can't I...how can this be so heavy?!" Yuka exclaimed in shock. She fell back as she failed another hard pull.

After watching her struggle unsuccessfully, Kouta came over to try. "Yuka, are you having trouble lifting a shirt? Here, let me help-" He strained with all his might, but only succeeded in tiring himself out. "How can a shirt be so heavy?!"

"Goku, what the heck? This shirt weighs a ton!" Kouta panted in exhaustion. "Have you seriously been wearing this the whole time?"

"Oh well, it's weighted training gear," Goku explained casually, removing his drenched boots. "Gotta stay in top shape."

"But you're already in shape!" Yuka blurted out before catching herself, blushing deeper. Goku didn't seem to notice.

Kouta just shook his head in awe. "No kidding, your training is really paying off Goku. Come on, Yuka, help me lift this up."

Yuka and Kouta gritted their teeth as they both struggled to lift the impossibly heavy shirt. It started to come up a few inches. "I think we got it now," Kouta said hopefully.

Nyu could see they were picking up Goku's clothes. Wanting to help, Nyu tried lifting the boots he'd just taken off, toppling over in the effort, already exhausted.

Yuka looked shocked. "Please don't tell me those weigh a crazy amount too!"

Finally, Yuka lost her grip, sending the heavy shirt crashing down onto Kouta.

"Ow..." Kouta groaned, exhausted on the floor.

"Don't worry guys, I got it!" Goku said. Effortlessly he gathered up the pile of weighted clothes in one hand and headed off to bathe, leaving Yuka and Kouta staring after him speechless.

Finally, Yuka said, "How...how is that even possible?" Goku had to be superhuman in some way. No normal human could possibly manage that with such ease. Nothing about him added up normally at all. Just what exactly was Goku?

The next day, Yuka stood outside the front door of the house with a bag of spare clothes in hand.

Suddenly, the door burst open, and a frantic-looking Nyu rushed out. Her eyes lit up when she saw Yuka.

"Oh, I just came by to drop these off-" Yuka started to explain before Nyu grabbed her arm urgently.

"Water! Water!" Nyu exclaimed, trying to tug Yuka inside.

"What's the matter?" Yuka asked, allowing herself to be led back into the house.

She soon found out. Kouta was lying in his room, burning up with a high fever. Nyu had been trying desperately to help on her own, though clearly unsure what to really do.

Yuka took in the random assortment of objects scattered around that Nyu had futilely attempted to use to aid Kouta.

Seeing Kouta's sickly state, Yuka immediately prepared some cool moist towels and gently placed them on his burning forehead, hoping to bring down the raging fever.

"Don't worry Kouta, I'll take good care of you," she said soothingly. "Though you might wanna go to the hospital."

Kouta weakly shook his head, knowing what she was thinking. "It's okay...I don't need a hospital."

Yuka looked around for any sign of Goku but found none. "Where did Goku go anyways?" she asked in annoyance.

Kouta gave a weak shrug. "I think he said something about going to train this morning."

Yuka shook her head in disapproval. "Unbelievable he'd just take off while you're laid up sick like this. He should be helping look after you."

She let out a weary sigh. "Well, it must be hard trying to handle both Nyu and Goku."

"Well...kinda," Kouta admitted tiredly.

Yuka nodded at the decision. "That settles it then. I'm moving in to help out!"

Kouta looked surprised. "Really? You want to move in here with us?"

"Of course! There's plenty of empty rooms," Yuka replied briskly, though her true motives were to keep a closer eye on Kouta. Though, lucky she didn't catch him doing anything with Nyu yet. The chance to find out more about Goku was also an added bonus.

Yuka checked Kouta's temperature again, leaning in close to his face. "You're still burning up. You should really rest for now. I'll go get Nyu properly dressed."

Just then Goku slid the doors open to their room. "Hey guys, I'm back!" he announced cheerfully.

Yuka shot him a stern, irritated look. Goku started to rub the back of his head nervously, sensing she was not happy.

Later, Goku could be seen scrubbing the floors while Yuka supervised with folded arms, a glum expression on his face.

Goku sighed inwardly. So Yuka was moving in? That's pretty nice. Though I hope she doesn't make me clean again...

As Goku diligently scrubbed the floors under Yuka's strict supervision, Nyu eagerly crawled over wanting to join in the cleaning. She made enthusiastic motions with her hands, mimicking wiping the floor, and looked hopefully up at Yuka.

Yuka couldn't help smiling at Nyu's innocent excitement to help out. "You want to help clean, Nyu?" she asked gently.

Nyu nodded excitedly, beaming. "Nyu!"

Goku brightened and started to offer his wet towel to Nyu. "Of course, you can help! Here, why don't you use my-"

"Get back to work!" Yuka interjected sharply, cutting off Goku's offer.

Goku shrank back, abashed. "Oh uh, right..." He promptly resumed scrubbing the floor diligently with his head down.

Later, as Yuka finished putting on her shoes in the foyer and picked up a shopping bag, Kouta emerged from his room looking significantly improved.

"You're looking a lot better," Goku remarked hopefully.

"Yeah, my fever finally broke," Kouta replied with clear relief. "Where are you heading, Yuka?"

Yuka spoke up as she prepared to head out. "I'm just running to grab a few things from the store nearby. I'll be back soon."

But before opening the front door, Yuka paused and turned back to fix Goku with an impatient, warning stare.

"Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone!" she ordered sharply. "No foolish antics!"

Goku held up his hands placatingly and grinned. "Got it, I'll be on my best behavior!"

Yuka gave him one more stern, scrutinizing look before departing out the door and closing it firmly behind her.

As Yuka departed down the stairs from the Maple House, a young girl in a sweater soon arrived up the same path accompanied by a small dog on a leash. In her other hand, she held a familiar umbrella.

"I'm pretty sure it was around here..." Mayu murmured, glancing down at the umbrella to double-check the name 'Kaede House' written on the handle.

Her little dog barked excitedly as they reached the front gate and entered the walkway leading to the house's front door.

Mayu peered inside the quiet foyer. "Hello? Anyone home?" she called out tentatively.

Nyu came walking over curiously. "Nyu?" she uttered, head titled curiously.

Hearing voices, Kouta also entered the foyer, initially thinking Yuka had returned. "Did you forget something alr-" He halted when he saw the unfamiliar young girl standing there.

"Oh, uh, can I help you?" Kouta asked in surprise.

Mayu gave a polite bow. "So sorry to bother you, but I found this umbrella, and the name of your house was written on it. I wanted to return it."

Kouta's eyes lit up with recognition. "Oh right, that must be the one Yuka lost yesterday! Thanks so much for going out of your way to bring it back."

He stepped forward to take the umbrella from the kind stranger. "I really appreciate it, I'll let Yuka know when she gets back."

Goku came over to investigate the voices. "Oh, is Yuka back already?" He then noticed the unfamiliar young girl standing there. "Hey, wait a minute, you're not Yuka..."

Mayu's eyes widened as she instantly recognized Goku from the chaotic scene at the beach. "You...you're that boy who was fighting those soldiers on the beach!"

"Uh yeah, that was me," Goku replied casually. "Have we met before?"

Kouta's interest was piqued hearing the stranger confirm she had witnessed Goku's altercation with the armed men pursuing Nyu. His account was clearly truthful after all.

Mayu hesitated, wondering if she should warn Goku about the eerie encounter with the bizarre creature afterward threatening him. But who would believe such an outlandish story? She couldn't believe she had seen it herself.

Just before departing, Mayu hesitated and turned back to Goku. "Um, your name...it's Goku, right?" she asked hesitantly.

Goku blinked in surprise. "Yeah, that's me! How'd you know my name?"

Kouta maintained a casual tone. "I think we should go inside to talk."

In truth, he wanted to learn more details about the events that night from an unbiased eyewitness. Any information could be important.

Mayu silently nodded.

Seated together at the table, Kouta was eager to learn more from their visitor. "So Mayu, did you happen to see any of the actual fight between Goku and those soldiers?"

Mayu nodded slowly. "Well...I saw the beginning parts. One tried to punch Goku, but he blocked it easily. Then he punched the soldier right in the gut."

Recalling Goku's impossibly heavy clothes, Kouta could now easily envision him fighting soldiers off.

"Did you see what happened afterward?" Kouta pressed.

Mayu shifted anxiously. "No, I had to hide because..." She trailed off, unsure whether to mention the unsettling presence watching it all.

"Because why? What happened?" Kouta asked.

Mayu took a breath. "There was this strange man watching near me. Goku, I think someone dangerous is after you."

Goku's eyes widened. "Let me guess. Was he tall and green?"

When Mayu rapidly nodded, Goku's expression grew serious. "Thought so."

Kouta looked between them incredulously. "A tall green man? Who on earth is that?"

Goku clenched his fist tightly. "The reason I've been training nonstop. So I can beat him."

Kouta absorbed this uneasily. "If someone like you has to train just to face him, he must be incredibly strong."

Goku nodded, "I'm pretty sure he is." Goku smirked with a fiery glint in his eyes.

Kouta shook his head, struggling to make sense of it all. "But wait, how do you know about this person if you haven't fought him yet?"

Goku rubbed his neck thoughtfully. "Ah well, it's kind of a long story..."

Before he could elaborate further, the door slid open as Yuka returned. "I'm back, did I miss anything..." She trailed off, noticing their visitor. "Oh, who's this?"

Mayu gave a polite bow. "My name is Mayu, I just stopped by to return your lost umbrella."

"Oh thank you! I really appreciate that," Yuka replied kindly as she took a seat at the table.

She glanced around. "So what were you all talking about?"

"Oh, nothing much," Kouta said evasively, not ready to delve into the details. Yuka had enough to contend with settling into the household.

But his mind was swirling as he tried processing Goku's claims. Someone with green skin that warranted intense dedicated training? It seemed too far-fetched.

Yet the young girl claimed to see the same mysterious figure that night. There were clearly major pieces of the puzzle still missing. Why does Goku want to fight this person anyway?

Yuka noticed after joining them that the previous conversation had halted abruptly. Were they intentionally keeping something from her? Even the unfamiliar girl was here now. Just who was she anyway?

She would find out later. But right now, the table was silent, Yuka decided to take this advantage to finally ask Goku about his past. "So Goku, I've been meaning to ask. What was your life like when you were younger?" she inquired gently, trying not to pry too much into a potentially sensitive issue.

Goku scratched his head, pondering the question. "Hmm well, I don't really remember much from when I was super little. All I can recall is living alone in the forest until I set out to start my training."

Yuka already knew Goku had lived in the forest, but now she wanted more context. Yuka pressed delicately, "So you were by yourself out there? What about your parents?"

Goku looked puzzled by the question. "Parents? I never had any of those."

Yuka felt her heart sink as her suspicions were confirmed. This boy had grown up utterly alone with no family or caretakers that he could remember. No wonder so many basic things were foreign to him.

"I'm so sorry Goku, that must have been very difficult," Yuka said sympathetically. "I shouldn't have brought up such a painful subject."

But Goku simply grinned brightly at her concern. "Nah, it's no big deal! The forest was my home and I got by just fine. Never really thought much about parents before or anything like that."

Hearing Goku's story stirred a spark of kinship within Mayu. She too knew the pain of having no true home or family, having survived on the streets since running away.

"Is it really true you lived totally alone your whole life in the forest?" she asked Goku softly.

He nodded affirmatively. "Yup, ever since I can remember!"

Mayu stared down at the table, heart aching. Just barely scraping by day-to-day had been so difficult for her. She couldn't fathom enduring that lonely struggle for so long.

"H-how did you do it?" she wondered aloud, wanting to know how to survive herself, like Goku.

But Goku just laughed lightheartedly. "Ah well, it got kinda boring and repetitive honestly. But the forest provided everything I really needed."

He smiled warmly around at his new friends. "I think this place is an even better home for me now."

Kouta spoke up. "Wow, when you said you lived in the forest, I assumed you meant your house was surrounded by trees. You really don't remember anything about your parents?"

Goku scratched his head thoughtfully. "Nope, nothing at all really. Now that I think about it, one of my very first memories ever was meeting you. Pretty sure that was the first day I started living alone in the forest. Can't recall anything before that."

Kouta's eyes widened. "Wait, seriously? So I was the very first person you ever met?"

He shook his head in wonder. To think he had unknowingly crossed paths with Goku at the start of his solitary life.

"Kinda, but it was super brief though," Goku continued. "After you left, I just kept living out there on my own. A few days later I met you again for the second and last time at the festival."

At the mention of the festival, Kouta's face fell grimly. "Right...the festival..." He sighed heavily. "Things got kind of tough for me. Only a few days after I left, my dad died in a car accident."

"And Kanae got sick. There was a series of shocking events, so... I wonder if that's the reason I can't really remember that time."

Yuka listened silently, heart aching as the pieces came together. Now she understood why Kouta didn't remember. The murder of his family had caused him to block out the painful memories entirely.

Meanwhile, in the hallway just outside, Nyu was cheerfully scrubbing the floor, obliviously going over spots Goku had already cleaned. She paused when a glinting object caught her eye. The ornate music box sitting on a shelf.

Curious, she picked it up and examined the strange device intently, trying to discern its purpose. Completely forgetting her chore, Nyu stood and focused solely on puzzling out the box, turning it every which way.

Distracted, she stepped forward, not noticing the wet rag left on the floor. Her foot slid out from under her and Nyu yelped as she crashed to the ground with a loud thud.

She whimpered, tenderly holding her head where it had smacked the hard floor. The pain echoed through her mind, awakening something dangerous buried within.

Yuka felt guilty for letting the conversation take such a depressing turn. Perhaps it would have been better to speak privately with Goku first. But he seemed unbothered. Still, one question nagged at her.

If Goku's oldest memory is around the festival. That means Goku's memory only goes back to around eight years. What happened the whole decade before that?

"Goku, you really don't remember anything at all about your life before the forest?" she asked gently.

Goku shook his head. "Nah, it's pretty hazy still." But then he paused thoughtfully. "Actually, now that I think about it, someone once told me I used to live in an orphanage."

Yuka's eyes widened in surprise. "An orphanage? Do you remember anything about that?" So he did have a life before the wilderness after all.

"Sort of," Goku said slowly. "I think my absolute first memory is waking up in a weird place. I think it was the orphanage. But it's fuzzy...there were a bunch of people crowded around me. And there were loud sirens too I think."

"Sirens?" Yuka gasped. "You mean like police?" What had happened to bring the authorities there?

Goku furrowed his brow trying to recall. "Yeah, maybe the police. I think they wanted to check my head for some reason. But it didn't really hurt and I didn't like all those strangers so much, so I just ran off into the woods."

Yuka stared at him in dismay as the pieces came together. So that explained how he first ended up in the forest alone...and the head injury might explain his patchy memories.

"But do you have any idea what happened to injure your head?" Yuka pressed gently.

Goku's brow furrowed as he struggled to recall hazy details. "No...I just remember my head was covered in blood. In fact, the whole room was covered in..."

He trailed off, a wave of unease washing over him. The crimson splashed across the walls and floor, the still forms beneath sheets. As a child, he didn't think much of it. But coming back to the memory, even as naive as he still is, he knew something went horribly wrong.

He started to try to remember, but no matter how hard he tried, memories were nonexistent before that. What happened that day?

He didn't have any more time to wonder as without warning, Nyu's energy had drastically shifted. There was a dark, aura radiating from her now.

As Goku's usual cheerful demeanor faded into troubled contemplation, Yuka grew concerned. "Goku, are you alright?"

"No...something's not right," he muttered back, brow furrowed.

This was the same ominous energy he had detected faintly before when searching for Nyu, though at the time he was unsure of its origin. But this time it was unmistakably emanating directly from her.

Goku frowned, deeply unsettled. Why was Nyu's energy transforming into something so malevolent?

Yuka watched his distress with rising alarm. She reached out a hand but hesitated to touch him, unsure what was happening internally.

"Goku?" she ventured fearfully. Something had shaken him. But what?

Yuka grew increasingly concerned as Goku's gaze became distracted out of nowhere.

"Goku...?" She called to him again, but he remained unfocused.

Finally, she raised her voice. "Goku!"

Goku's face instantly hardened into grave seriousness which caused Yuka to freeze. Right now, Nyu's presence was approaching, and with murderous intent.

Goku's eyes locked on the door as it slowly slid open. The silhouette entering was unmistakably Nyu's, but something was very wrong. Her usually childlike, innocent energy felt twisted by bloodlust.

"Nyu?" Kouta called in concern. "What's the matter?"

Lucy stared coldly down at the group seated at the table, her invisible vectors emerging and hovering ominously. The deadly psychic hands shot out toward the unsuspecting residents, poised to brutally tear them apart.

But just before making contact, Lucy froze. Among them sat a familiar face from her childhood...Kouta. Old shame stirred within her for the pain she had caused him. Hesitantly, she withdrew her vectors back into herself.

Her gaze then fell upon the other boy. That spiky black hair...she would recognize him anywhere. "Kakarot..." she uttered in surprise. So he was alive after all...

Goku raised an eyebrow quizzically. "Kakarot?" That strange name again...

Sensing the group's confusion and alarm, Lucy turned away awkwardly. Without another word, she retreated down the hallway to collect her warring thoughts.

Kouta moved to follow her in concern. "Nyu, wait! I hope she's okay..."

But Goku held out an arm to stop him. "Hold on, don't go after her just yet." He stood up from the table and stretched casually. "I got this. I'll go check on her."

"Goku, wait!" Yuka called out anxiously as he hurried after Nyu.

"Don't worry, I'll be back soon!" Goku replied over his shoulder before disappearing down the hall.

Kouta shook his head, mind swirling. What the heck just happened? Goku was acting strange, and now even Nyu.

Glancing over, he saw the deep unease on Yuka's face. "Try not to worry," he said reassuringly. "Last time Nyu ran off, Goku was able to find her and bring her back safely."

"I guess so..." Yuka murmured, though clearly still troubled.

An awkward silence descended on the room. Finally, Mayu spoke up nervously. "Well, I should probably get going now..."

"Oh, wait!" Kouta said quickly. "Before you leave, could I get your address or some way to contact you? Just in case I have any other questions later on."

Mayu's eyes darted around uncertainly. "I, uh...um..." She faltered, unsure how to respond. She didn't have a home address to give.

After a long pause, she finally mumbled apologetically, "I really need to get going now..." Hurriedly slipping on her shoes, Mayu made her escape out the door into the stormy evening.

Kouta watched as the girl hurried away. He turned and surveyed the room. Why was everyone suddenly acting so strange?

Glancing over at Yuka, Kouta could see she still looked deeply troubled by the recent events. "You okay?" he asked with concern.

"Yeah..." Yuka replied half-heartedly, clearly still lost in her own anxious thoughts. Her mind was swirling after their conversation with Goku. Yuka only had more questions now.

Yuka let out a small, frustrated sigh. She had hoped their talk would help unravel the secrets surrounding Goku, but now it was clear the answers would not come easily. It was looking like she would have to uncover the truth on her own.

Kurama stood pensively on the helipad as the latest disturbing reports swirled in his mind. He now had more information on the failed capture of Lucy. The young man who was with her had stopped a barrage of bullets with his bare hands. Similar to a feat he had only ever seen one other person accomplish.

Though there was still doubt in his mind, he was almost now certain that Goku had resurfaced after all these years. But how much stronger had the boy become in that time? And why was he with Lucy again now? There were still too many unanswered questions.

The helicopter roared to life in front of them as Kurama turned to the bubbly pink-haired girl. "Nana, I'm counting on you. But remember if you encounter Lucy, do not engage her alone."

He hesitated before adding, "There is also a chance you may come across a dark-haired young man with her. Consider him an equally dangerous threat."

Nana smiled cheerfully, twirling in her new dress. "I know Papa! Don't worry, I'll do my very best for you. And when I succeed, all I want is a pat on the head!"

Kurama kept a stoic face. "Of course. Just be sure to come back."

Kurama later watched as the helicopter shrank into the distance, his brow furrowed with concern.

Lucy sat still on the stone steps, face blank as she was lost in thought. The boy she had seen was unmistakably Kouta. Even after all these years, the regret still gnawed at her for the pain she had inflicted on him as a child.

But how did she even get here, crossing paths with him again? Not only had Kouta been there, but Kakarot as well. So he truly was alive after all this time. She had sensed instantly that the spiky-haired boy was him. She would recognize him anywhere, even if he was taller.

Lucy had long harbored suspicions that Kakarot had survived. Before, her hopes would be instantly shot down. Now his presence confirmed it beyond all doubt. She should have searched harder for him when she had the chance. Would he still forgive her? But what did she have to apologize for? Did it even matter anymore?

So much time had passed, leaving her numb and disconnected from the girl she once was. But, she still couldn't deny what he had done for her back then.

She detected footsteps treading lightly down the path behind her but didn't turn or acknowledge the presence settling down on the step beside her. She kept her gaze fixed straight ahead, face emotionless.

Damn, it's really been 3 whole weeks. I swear I wasn't planning on taking that long to finish. I've just been more busy lately and have had less time to work on these chapters.

This is actually the first part of the 10k+ words I already wrote. I've had this part of the chapter done since last week but was still finishing the rest. I realized that making these long ass chapters is gonna stop me from posting consistently and I cut the chapter I already wrote in half. So from now on, chapters will have an 8-5k word count so I can post more.

The next chapter is already 80% done. Im hoping to publish it on Thursday.

I think this chapter is all right but could be better. It's just too much talking. Since it was originally such a big chapter, I kinda got lazy. That's also another reason why I posted the first part, just in case I wanna fix the next chapter a little more.

Also wanna quickly mention, that I just remembered Lucy's dog is still alive. I originally had something planned for it, but now, I honestly don't care about it. I might just say it died of AIDs or something unless you guys wanna see it reunite with Lucy.

Next chapter, will Lucy meet Goku? Find out soon. Anyways, please leave reviews.