October 4th, 12:20 p.m.

It hadn't been long since the incident that placed Mikoto in the hospital. Mei had clammed up ever since, rarely talking to Phillip whenever they ate lunch. It was up to Phillip to spark a conversation, no matter how awkward the subjects started out, which she would numbly reply with a nod and slight noises. He needed to break the shell that Mei created, but he was barely scratching it.

Thus, Phillip turned to the more social butterfly, Kiana, for support. However, despite the invitation from before, Kiana stayed away from them for whatever reason. True, they would still meet up before and after school, but Kiana was needed during lunch. So, Phillip sent a clone during each lunch period ever since to coax her up to the roof and join them. The response, thus far, was simple.

What "job" does she need to do that stops her from joining us for lunch?

"Best not to focus on it," Gabriel said, the angel's voice reverberating through Phillip's head. "Better for you to focus on Mei instead. You can't simply leave her be at the moment."

Phillip looked up to Mei, the girl taking a slow bite of her food, which was now edible and decent now. Her eyes stared joylessly at the ground, and her stance was ridged as if a statue. With nothing in mind, Phillip cleared his throat into his left hand to garner the girl's attention. She jumped slightly before turning her vacant expression to him.

"Do you... have anything scheduled today?"

Phillip caught the girl flinch at his question, letting him know the question was of a sore topic to her. It was a point to her past life and, while her chauffeur was still present to get her from point A to B, she had long since lost that life.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"No!"

The sudden shout would have startled anyone else, but Phillip simply felt happier that Mei was still willing to talk. He looked into the now fearful eyes of the girl and made sure to address the source of it.

"I won't leave you," Phillip said calmly, causing the girl to relax. "But can you talk to me again? Let me help you in any way I can."

"You received several months of detention for helping me."

Phillip rose both hands at this; his stoic demeanor betrayed the guilt his action portrayed. "That was on me; I won't deny it. But that doesn't feel like the reason for your recent silence."

Mei let out a shaky breath before speaking. "My session with Master HOMU is supposed to be today. We're going into advanced techniques."

A moment of silence settled, forcing Phillip to prod for more info. "And?"

"... Last time, he wasn't there," Mei admitted so softly; Phillip had to enhance his senses to simply pick it up. Her body began to tremble, preparing for any waterworks to come. "I'm afraid he won't appear this time as well. What if he hates me as well? What if he simply-"

"If he hates you, then he has no right to be your sensei." The words flowed out of Phillip's mouth quicker than he could prevent. He crossed over to Mei and knelt before her, looking up to keep eye contact. "I don't think he does, and, who knows, maybe he's just feeling a little sick."

"He would call in to explain then."

"Okay, then something else came up that stopped him from calling in," Phillip said, trying in vain to spin the situation into a positive. "Even then, you don't know the reasoning for his absence. So, for now, just wait."

Mei seemed hopeful for a second before remembering something, and she returned to being somber. " I don't think I can. Not after Mikoto."

Phillip nodded at this before placing his hands over hers, his palms pressed against the back of hers. " I understand it hurts, but don't lose faith in people, not yet."

Mei simply nodded as tears started falling from her eyes. For a moment, they stayed like that, enough for the bell to ring and call them back to class.

5:50 p.m.

Phillip didn't dare take a step into the hospital, knowing well that the person he would want to meet no longer wished to see him. So, he simply leaned against the building. As he did so, he began reminiscing the events that had occurred.

Mikoto's injury was enough to warrant a couple of days' stay at the hospital despite the severity being easily deduced. By the second day, the doctors confirmed this and wasted no time explaining it to Mei and Phillip. It was this that started Mei's current wave of sadness.

Phillip was pulled from his flashback when the glass doors off building opened. A middle-aged yet short man walked out, dressed in a black suit, followed by his daughter. Phillip and the man exchanged looks, causing the man to sneer. The daughter was far less hostile and looked at Phillip in confusion. A glimmer of hope shone for a brief second, only to be snuffed out when she spoke.

"You were the one to take me to the hospital, right?"

"Don't talk to him, Mikoto," the man warned, his eyes still trained on Phillip. " We shouldn't speak to those that help those that hurt us."

"Y-Yes, Father," Mikoto responded, seemingly confused about her father's wish but not willing enough to deny it. With that, the duo left, leaving Phillip to watch the girl go.

Apparently, Mikoto would be transferred to a different school in the city, one less prestigious but far safer, by her father's standards. Her father called it safe for being away from "that corruptive girl who hurt his daughter." Phillip couldn't care for it but sent a prayer of safety for the two regardless.

Once he was finished, when the two were out of sight, he walked back to his apartment to get ready for the next day.

Gabriel spoke up along that way. "I'm sorry."

Phillip let out a heavy breath but refused to let this stall him. He kept walking as he replied. It's fine.

October 5th, 7:00 a.m.

" Not good."

Phillip murmured this through gritted teeth as he bounced from building to building.

The Day has started like any other day, with only one exception: Mei wasn't waiting for the two at the gate. Instead, her chauffeur was there with an expression of extreme worry. When the olden man asked if either of them had seen Mei, Phillip could tell something was wrong. So, all three of them left in search of the missing girl. As of now, they haven't found a trace.

Phillip cursed mentally at the fruitless search before crossing his fingers to summon clones. Gabriel stopped him almost instantly.

"As much as you enjoy spamming those, I believe that there's a simpler solution than covering the entire with your image."

Care to explain?

"Care to stop jumping so I can?"

Phillip did so, landing on top of one of the smaller skyscrapers, and sat down on the edge going into the city. Alright, I'm listening.

"Your mastery of sensing energy should aid you here. All you really need is to get a feel for Honkai energy."

Phillip blinked a couple of times before a question bloomed in his head. Why not tell me this when I was looking for Cocolia?

" Two reasons," Gabriel explained plainly. " One: You already had a plan then. Two: She wasn't exactly being discreet in where she was. Unlike now, where your girlfriend is trying to evade you."

Phillip simply shrugged at this before crossing his legs and pressed the back of his fingers together as he tried to sense out the city. After a moment of silence, he let out an aggravated sigh.

Not happening. At least not now.

Without an understanding of what the energy feels like, he was a single fish in an endless ocean. It didn't help matters that, while different and vastly less destructive, Ki seemed to still be a part of this universe.

"That's because you're focusing on Ki and not what's leaching off of it."

Can you help me here? I'm going to need a bit more instruction if I'm going to find her.

"Listen then," Gabriel instructed, calming Phillip as he did. "You know Ki is like an ocean inside every person. What you really need is to sense what makes the ripples."

Phillip tried again, trying to focus on what lay underneath. This time, he began feeling an unusual, paradoxical energy beneath the waves. It yearned for destruction but also creation, for despair yet salvation.

Once he identified what should be Honkai, the energies separated into individual sources, each representing every person that carried even slivers of it all. Some had pieces so small it was almost invisible, while others significant others. However, there were two significant sources within the city, one at one end of the city running about and the other stationary near a bridge at the other end. The one by the bridge grew slowly, soon to eclipse the city entirely.

What am I looking for?

"The one that grows."

Phillip's eyes snapped open, and he rushed to the bridge, leaving a small crater as he did. It took him a single second to reach the bridge, landing on a nearby building before scaling down off the side to avoid attention. Once on ground level, Phillip scanned over the top half of the bridge, only to find nothing there. So, he lowered down into the canal the bridge loomed over. There, he saw her.

Mei was curled up into a ball, seated at the top of a cement ramp by a support pillar while a small electric storm surrounded her. However, Phillip's focus was solely on the girl that needed him. He tried to close the distance and hold the girl but was jolted back before his hands could reach her back. Not deterred, he covered his arms with lightning chakra and grabbed the girl's shoulders in a firm grip.

Mei barely reacted to this, only tilting her head back to look over her kneecaps and stare at him. For a moment, she seemed to not recognize him before her eyes widened considerably when they locked eyes. The storm subsided immediately, causing Phillip to drop the lighting cloak to avoid suspicion. The two stayed in that position for a few minutes before Mei plunged her head into his shoulder and gripped his jacket for dear life.

With the storm settled, Phillip inspected the girl once she pulled away for an apology. She wasn't wearing her school uniform today, instead sporting a white uwagi and purple hakama, suggesting she was in training before her run-away attempt. Mei's hair was messy and ill-kept, while her eyes were red and puffy.

A general idea came to mind, but Phillip asked just to be sure. "What happened?"

Mei's breathing hitched at the question while her body began shuddering. A couple of seconds where she sat there, opening and closing her mouth like a fish before she clammed up just as fast. Phillip sighed before sitting beside the girl and leaning against the pillar behind the girl. With nothing to go on, Phillip went with his idea.

" Sorry. I thought that someone your father hired would be-." Phillip stopped when he noticed Mei shake her head as if denying what he had said. He was confused at this, so he vocalized it. "What do you mean?" Mei looked over to him, tears ready to flood over.

"Swordmaster HOMU… he was…."

These were the only words the girl could manage to say before she was overcome with grief and started crying. Phillip pulled her into a hug, allowing her tears to be soaked into his right shoulder. After another few minutes, she managed to pull herself together enough to sit back and rub the remaining tears away.

" I'm sorry. It was just-."

"Mei," Phillip interrupted, causing her to look him in the eyes. " Do you feel better now?" Mei gave a few nods in response. " Then, can you tell me what you were trying to say before?"

She paused for a moment at the request before taking a deep breath. Mei nodded once more and looked off to space as she spoke. " Swordmaster HOMU was my… my father."

…Oh, you daft dumbass.

Phillip mentally cursed, to both himself and Ryoma Raiden, as he pulled Mei into another hug. At first, she was surprised but settled into the action, wrapping her arms around the boy in response. They sat there for only a moment, lost in thoughts of gratitude and contemplation when the buzz of Phillip's phone pulled them back to reality.

They pulled away, and Phillip grabbed his device out of his jacket's pocket. He pressed the phone again his ear in haste and received a loud reminder of his task from the other end.

"Did you find her?!" Kiana's loud call echoed within the small tunnel; the worry in her voice carried over. "I've searched the entire city, and I haven't seen a single hair of her!"

Phillip couldn't help the teasing words that escaped his lips despite the situation. "Was this before or after your third visit to that pancake shop?"

"How did you – I mean, no, I would never do that!"

"Uh-huh," Phillip replied, completely unconvinced of her forceful attempt at dissuasion, before getting back to the main subject. " I've found her. I'll send you the location in a moment."

"You better be nice and not do anything pervy to her."

This caught him off guard, but he refused to show it. "Right, see you soon." With that, he ended the call and turned back to Mei. " We'll need to go topside in a moment. Okay?"

Mei nodded at this but frowned upon noticing her reflection in the murky waters at the end of the ramp. "I look terrible, don't I?"

"… Not answering that."

She groaned at this, placed her legs close to her body, laid her forearms on her knees, and finally pressed her forehead on her arms. Mei let out more displeased grunts and groans, mostly inaudible, while Phillip simply shook his head in amusement.

He then stood up and made an offer. "Would you like me to help?"

Mei picked her head up and looked at him, confusion in her eyes. "Do you know how to help me?"

Phillip's grin never wavered. "You'll be surprised by the things I know."

7:50 a.m.

"Are you certain I'm proper?"

"… Well, you look far less grimy, of that's what you're asking."

Mei pouted at Phillip's words as she inspected herself. Once her analysis was satisfied, she picked her head up and looked down the side leading into the city.

The two spent some time cleaning up Mei. Any dirt, mud, or other grimy things were washed away into the canal below. Mei's hair was no longer standing on ends, thanks to Phillip's steady hands, and her clothes looked far more presentable than before. All that was left to do was wait for Kiana and the chauffeur to arrive.

They didn't need to wait long, though, as the black limo app wasted not long after Mei's self-inspection. It stopped on the other end of the bridge, but Kiana felt no restraints in opening the wrong door to leave. Once she was out and standing in the middle of the street with a massive smile on her face, Kiana rushed over to the two of them and threw a jump hug at Mei.

Mei was able to catch and stop the flying Kaslana but stumbled back several paces. However, she kept her balance and returned the energetic hug with a calmer one. It lasted for a couple seconds before Kiana stepped back.

" Alright, we're back together!"

Mei didn't respond immediately; instead, she waited for her chauffeur to gather with the three. Only then did she bow.

"I apologize for worrying everyone."

Kiana took it on stride. "Ah, it's fine. So long as you're okay, I'm okay."

Phillip shook his head at this before looking at the chauffeur. "She's fine physically, but she needs some time out of the school."

"Indeed," the man concurred, his eyes not leaving Mei as she chatted with Kiana. "I shall contact the school and give an excuse for her absence." He then turned to Phillip, a mysterious smile on his face. "I leave her in your care for now."

"Seriously?!"

Kiana's yell pulled the makes' attention towards the girls. Kiana appeared excited, ecstatic even, while Mei was more concerned.

Kiana followed up on her excitement. "We can have an entire day to ourselves, no school?!"

"No," Mei spoke up, dashing Kiana's hope with a straight tone. "I won't allow Kiana-san to fall behind in class, nor allow Phillip-kun to get into more trouble for my sake."

"B-But Mei-senpai…"

"I'm not taking 'no' as an answer, Miss Raiden," the chauffeur explained. "For your benefit, I evoke the final piece of my contract with your father. I believe you know which aspect I'm talking about."

"I refuse!" Mei shouted back as if her raised voice would alter matters. " Phillip-kun already has been punished for protecting me and-"

"It's not like they can add on to that," Phillip interrupted, causing the girl to change her infuriated fact to him. He continued on unabated. "A few months of detention more isn't going to kill me."

"They could expel you."

Phillip grinned wryly at this. "They don't have the guts to try."

Phillip's confidence shattered Mei's attempts at convincing him, so she pointed to Kiana instead. "What about Kiana-san? Her grades won't improve if she doesn't stay in class, and she needs you to help tutor her."

Phillip looked to Kiana, who puffed out her cheeks at the degrading, yet absolutely true, statement on her school performance. He contemplated his response for a moment before turning back to Mei.

"Kiana checks out mentally when she's in class. Having her actually out of class is going no more damage."

"Oi!"

"Tell me I'm wrong."

Kiana pouted even harder at this, turning away from Phillip in protest. Mei looked conflicted on whether to laugh at Kiana's reaction or scold Phillip. Thus, She simply settled on a sigh before turning back to the chauffeur.

"Is there no way to convince your otherwise?"

Her answer was made clear when the man backed away, a smirk on his face as he did. He had one message before turning around and returning to the black limo.

"Have a good day, Miss Raiden."

The trio watched as the limo rode off into the city, leaving them in the middle of the bridge. Mei looked at the other two and opened her mouth to ask what the plan was when Kiana grabbed her wrist and started pulling her down the sidewalk. Phillip trailed behind slightly, watching the two with a light smile.

Things seem to be looking up.

"Don't jinx yourself, now," Gabriel stated, both teasingly and cautiously at the same time. "Plenty of danger to go around. Best be sure you can handle it when it comes."

I know, and I will be ready as I can be, Phillip replied, his mood not shifting at the statement. Noting the other two had gained some distance, he broke into a light joke to catch up.

I'll just need a bit of luck for now.

Merry belated Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Holidays are coming and going, my birthday has passed, and this story's lackluster year is coming to a close. Hopefully, this coming year won't be such a rollercoaster to deal with.

Hope you enjoy the chapter, and I'll see you in the next one.