(A new distortion, A new fate. A new destination. Let us see where this leads shall we.)

Bold = English Conversations

Bold + Italics = Japanese Conversations

Distortion 39

A woman was busy with the keyboard, the tapping that could be heard as her fingers clicked on each key. She was busy working on something as she worked with an energy she thought she had long lost. The data in front of her was simply amazing as she couldn't believe what she was seeing. As she did this, she failed to notice the person that was slowly coming to wake from their slumber. They slowly stood up and stretched as they saw the woman busy with her work and simply went to get something.

"I see… so if I rewire the circuit here, I can gain more space to fit in some of the more complex equipment into the transforming mechanism itself." The woman mumbled before feeling something be placed on her table as she saw it was a warm cup of coffee. "You know Caroline. As great as it is to be consumed by your work, you should make sure to pace yourself before you burn yourself out." The person said as Caroline shook her head at that. "I appreciate your concern, but for the first time in a long time for my scientific career, I cannot help but want to work long nights, Sora." Caroline said as Sora shook his head.

"If you say so. Working on further tweaks to the Rev System?" Sora questioned as Caroline nodded her head. "Yes, if my calculations are correct, I should be able to get the transformation sequence to be 5% smoother than before." Caroline said as Sora understood that while 5% of anything may seem small to a normal person, in a life and death situation, that 5% can matter than what most people think.

"That's great to hear. Have you thought about maybe lightening the arm a little bit? From what I understand, the Rev System already makes the arm heavy so wouldn't lightening the materials be a possible solution as well?" Sora suggested as Caroline looked at him shocked. While yes, Sora may not be a scientist, but that does not dismiss any kind of discomfort he may discover as that may be potential clues she may have been overlooking this entire time.

"I could do that, but that would be compromising on the system's defensive strength and ability to withstand damage. Also if I make the material too light, any attacks the system tries to take may suffer damage as well." Caroline explained as Sora nodded his head at that. "And besides, it's as light as I can make it already, any lighter and I fear the system would break under the weight of the Rev system itself." Caroline said as Sora couldn't help but chuckle hearing that. It had been a while but she was already loosing that shy personality about her already.

"Then what about deceasing the size of the blade itself. If we make the blade thinner, we can also lighten the load in the process." Sora suggested as Caroline thought about what he said before doing calculations in the system with what he had suggested. Her eyes light up in both shock but awe in the realization that she didn't think about this first. "I guess it really does take a pair of eyes to realize things that you may have been making too complex. I did not think that the size of the blade would impede the transformation by that much." Caroline said as Sora scratched his head, unable to understand the meaning behind that sentence but figured he must have helped to make sense to some things in Caroline's head.

"As for the type of blade that may work… Rapiers may be too thin and impractical in this kind of setup but something like a gladus or longsword may work. But if we are making something that flips open, a messer or scimitar may also work. I personally prefer a straight based blade since that is what I am the most used to." Sora explained as Caroline was quick to note what Sora was saying in order to make sure she research what those weapons were and find possible blades that may fit the way Sora wanted to fight.

"You know… now that I think about it. Why did you decide to make a transforming weapon? Wouldn't the Rev system be easy to make if you took a normal off the shelf prosthetic and implanted your system in that?" Sora questioned as he found it to be the perfect time to actually ask that important question. Caroline blushed hearing that as she fanned herself hearing that. "A-Are you sure you want to know? It's pretty boring if I have to be honest." Caroline explained as this made Sora even more interested, nodding his head.

"To be honest… I just thought it would be cool to do so at first… then it came to my mind that if I could do something like make something as difficult as a transforming prosthetic, I could possibly make my dream come true with enough work." Caroline said as Sora looked at her with quite the surprise as she leaned back on her chair. "But it turns out that just because you can make a weapon out of something that doesn't mean much for your own future goals." Caroline continued.

"The scientist in me knew that omitting the weapons system would have made what I wanted to do possible and much less complicated. Yet the ambitious side of me wanted to keep going with it, determined to go against convention. I admit, the first time we met, you caught me at my lowest point at that point, finding out that everything I was trying to do was considered worthless and was resigned to let my research rot in the process."

Sora at this point had decided to take a seat and listen to every single word that Caroline had to say. He still remembered the day that he first saw her, a woman so nervous that she could barely speak at times. The woman in front of him right now seemed to be a far cry from that kind of person. "So thank you...for accepting me like this. And for trusting me with all of your wealth to do whatever with." Caroline said, bowing before him as Sora softly smiled at that.

"I didn't do much. I just gave you a place to live and a place to work from… but I guess that's enough for you since you didn't have people who actually trusted the work you did in the first place." Sora explained as Caroline couldn't help but smile at the choice of words Sora had as she nodded her head at that. "The very least I can do… is give the trust back in full, which means building you a system only you can use!" Caroline said as Sora's smile deepened upon hearing that before he grabbed Caroline's chair.

"That is fine and all, but as your boss I am ordering you to go out and get some fresh air. Go and talk to some of the locals." Sora said as Caroline looked like she was about to riot at such a suggestion. "There's a lot of things to experience out there in the world. There's so much numbers and screens can give you. Go out there and explore. Bring back new inspiration by just experiencing life for a bit." Sora said as he stood her up and gave her a pat on the back. "Then maybe if you do so, you may be lucky in your search for love." Sora said as Caroline turned bright red hearing that.

"S-SHUT UP!" Caroline yelled as she puffed up her chest, her breasts bouncing in a lewd manner. Most men would have shivered or shrunk upon such a sight but Sora did not really care since he had someone he cared about in his head and was not going to cheat on her anytime soon. "But I am serious. Go out and look at the world for a bit. I will make sure your work doesn't get disturbed while you go and explore Otsu for a bit." Sora said as Caroline wanted to protest before finally relenting.

"Then I may as well go to the mercenary section of Otsu. I am interested in the firearms those men are using since they say that most of them are still being propelled by a cartridge system still." Caroline said as Sora chuckled upon hearing that. "They are. But don't take my word for it. Just go already." Sora said as Caroline felt the words encouraging as she grabbed her coat and the pass Sora created just for her to show to the citizens of Otsu to let them know she was under his care.

...as Sora saw a smile that was present on her face…

Sora's eyes began to stir awake as his vision returned to him as he slowly opened his eyes. The moment he sat up was when he realized he had been unconscious for a bit and had dreamed of a time he spent with Caroline. He wondered what that could have been about as he instinctively pushed on the bed with both hands before slipping back to a lying position on the bed, making him realize that the Rev arm that he borrowed had been taken off him and not to mention the coat he wore.

"Finally awake I see…" A voice said as Sora turned to the source of the voice to see it was Bullet as he sat up to look at her, finally getting a clear view of where they were. "And before you say it, we are currently locked up while Amy handles things on her end. Safety protocol Kokonoe said." Bullet said as Sora scratched his head as he saw their weapons being kept in a safe box. "I won't deny that I finally got in a Sector Seven base… but never did I imagine things would be like this." Bullet said as Sora decided to lie himself on the bed once again.

"So now that you are here, what are you doing to say now?" Sora questioned as Bullet thought about what he said before doing the same. "Wait until Amy finishes her talk with Kokonoe and talk to her myself. I would like to also see the Red Devil and have a private conversation with him." Bullet said as Sora nodded his head at that. "Then you should try to start thinking about what you want to say to them. Better to think about it rather than say nothing at the end." Sora explained as Bullet couldn't help but appreciate the advice she was receiving.

"Then you should take your own advice and think about what you are going to ask the professor. Last I heard, Amy said that she would at least get you to go first, so that you can ask your questions to her." Bullet explained as Sora nodded his head before groaning as he could still feel his body ache from his fight with Azrael. "Still… to think that you actually survived fighting the mad dog himself. That's actually crazy now that I think about it."

"Truthfully… I am surprised too. I am also surprised that he let me go the way he did. I don't know whether to take that as a good thing...or a bad thing." Sora said as his mind went towards the words Azrael used at him at the time. Sure he was alive but it was clear that Azrael was looking forward to a more exciting fight in the future and may actually go for him in the future. Maybe he should hurry up and find a way out of this timeline before he actually has to fight against the mad dog yet again.

"I would rather fight the NOL rather than deal with that mad dog again… he's just too much of a hassle to deal with." Sora said, his choice of words actually surprising Bullet a bit. "You...You are speaking as if you fight him on a regular basis." Bullet said as Sora scratched his head at that. "Do I really sound like that? I am just speaking on what is on my mind and it's the truth. Even though that was my first time, I truly hope that is my final time facing off against him." Sora explained as Bullet simply nodded her head hearing that.

"I'm just surprised that he let you go in the first place. That mad dog doesn't know how to relent in a fight so the fact he let you go just like that makes me wonder a few things." Bullet said as Sora looked at her for a bit before scratching the back of his head. "Like how a handicapped man like me was able to stall against a crazy mad dog despite everything he tried to do? I didn't exactly go toe to toe with the man. I was barely able to avoid getting hit by a majority of his attacks." Sora explained as Bullet nodded her head at that.

"I kind of figured that was the case but that wasn't exactly what I had in mind. What I was thinking more was how you were able to repel the mad dog instead of getting into a prolonged fight with the guy. We were ready to get down there and drag your ass out of there so the fact that we found you being dragged along by Caroline was something to see." Bullet said as Sora pondered on those words.

"You know what… that makes me wonder too…" Sora said as he laid his back on the bed, staring at the roof in the process. He figured that he had said what was on his mind and Bullet was probably satisfied with his answer because she went quiet herself. "… So… care to tell me what kind of scientific questions you have in mind for the good professor?" Bullet questioned as Sora looked at her for a bit before scratching his head. How was he going to explain what he was going to say next.

Sora: Well… let's just say it goes into deep scientific details about the existence of life and how one would navigate it.

Bullet:… You are joking right?

Sora: I am not. I am not talking philosophy though. I am truly talking about scientific theory here. Complicated science stuff that even I struggle to understand

Bullet:… uh huh

Sora: W-What else do you want me to say? I really don't know how to put it to easier words.

Bullet couldn't help but continue to stare at Sora with the confusion she had when she first heard of what Sora was trying to do. She does agree with what Sora said and that she should probably not pursue the subject any further as she would struggle to make sense of things herself. It seemed that Sora himself was struggling to find the proper words to explain to her what he was dealing with and he didn't speak in a tone that would betray such intentions so it was just best for their current working relationship that she didn't ask any questions about that.

"But I can say this at least… once I have my questions, I will be able to get going." Sora said as Bullet looked at him at that before smiling a little. "You better. I didn't tag along with you just to have this chance only for you to be walking around like a deer with headlights." Bullet said as a pair of footsteps approached their direction. The two had a rough idea of who it could be as soon Hunter and Noel came up and unlocked their respective cells.

"Your boss finished explaining things with the professor. The professor's now asking for you two so that she can talk to you two respectively." Hunter said as Sora simply nodded his head, keeping quiet as he knew that he would accidentally be friendly with Hunter and with the current situation he was in, that would probably make things awkward but also raise suspicion towards him, thus he decided to remain quiet as Hunter guided both him and Bullet alongside Noel to where the professor had set up her base of operations.

The place they were stationed at started to make sense the moment they left their prison area. At least for Sora since he was unconscious the whole time. Bullet had seen where they were already and was just waiting for Sora to be left surprised by the location as he should be. Sora on the other hand, struggled to keep himself quiet as he realized that he was walking inside an NOL base… while being supposedly wanted at the moment.

"I can tell on your face. Don't worry. While we may be in an NOL base the person in charge of

the base doesn't really care about the NOL himself. So it's safe for us to be inside her." Hunter said as Noel nodded her head at that. "He's also a really nice guy. Don't worry, he won't betray us for any reason." Noel added as that made Sora sweat even more. 'Do...Do I really look that uneasy to these guys?' Sora thought. 'Damn, I know that he should be shocked but he looks like he is sweating buckets out here.'

"If you guys say so." Sora simply said as he figured he should keep his sentences short to not bring curiosity his way as he spoke in a manner that satisfied any questions that Hunter and Noel may have secretly have had in their mind or show that he was nervous enough that maybe it was a bad idea to ask him a question at that moment. "You guys are taking us to see Amy right?" Sora questioned as he was wondering where they were heading at that moment.

"We are taking you to your employer. Don't worry about us bringing you into a room to just jump you out of nowhere." Hunter said as Sora and Bullet looked at each other. Bullet instinctively had her hands ready to fight her way out should this be a trap but Sora, relying on knowledge from the past and how Hunter and Noel operated in general, figured that Noel and Hunter would be true to their word. Whether these versions of Noel and Hunter are the same as his world on the other hand is a question of it's own.

"As asked by your employer, you can go and see the professor first sir. If you don't mind Miss Bullet. After we drop off your friend, we can go and get something to eat at the cafeteria together." Noel suggested as Bullet looked at Sora wondering what she was saying. "I say that's an okay idea. Better than doing nothing I guess." Sora said, trying to help ease Bullet as she scratched her head. "As long as I don't have to spend time inside that cell again that's fine by me. I also haven't eaten yet so it would be a good time to fuel up."

Noel smiled upon hearing that as Hunter scratched the back of his head. Bullet herself didn't get the excitement on Noel's face as soon they arrived at the room that Sora was thinking that was the room where Amy and Professor Kokonoe was. "Well, this is your stop." Hunter said as Sora nodded his head upon hearing that. He stared at the door, ready to enter as he stopped before opening the door. "Are you coming in? Or are you joining the ladies and heading to the cafeteria." Sora questioned as he looked at Hunter, wondering what kind of response he was going to get from the man.

"The professor pretty much wants to speak to you only and all of her jargon flies by my head. So I'll be joining the girls to have something to eat. By the way Noel, do you think you can sneak your way into the kitchen and make something quick for me?" Hunter asked as Sora couldn't help but feel a shiver come up his back as Noel smiled upon hearing that. "Oh if you insist, I'll ask the chef if it's fine for me to do so." Noel answered as Hunter gave a small fist pump while Sora shivered in secret.

"Well, let's not waste any time, I am going on ahead to get myself ready!" Hunter said as he ran off, excitedly as Noel chuckled at his eagerness to chow down. "I hope you and the professor have a nice conversation. Come on Bullet!" Noel said as she held Bullet's hand, making Bullet look at her in shock as she began to be dragged away from the area. Sora scratched his head at the sight as he sighed a bit. He waited a bit for them to disappear before he turned his attention towards the door.

Sora took a quick deep breath to get his bearings. This was it, he was going through the door to ask his questions. He did not know how professor Kokonoe was going to respond but if there was anybody who could make sense of what on earth is going on in the world, it had to be her. He had to place his trust on the scientific knowledge she has gained over the years and knew the risks he was taking by waiting so long to ask his burning questions. Still, it was better that he asked now rather than later.

Sora knocked on the door. Better to announce his presence rather than barge in without saying a word. One out of personal courtesy and secondly to avoid annoying Kokonoe if she was in a bad mood… well, worse than she normally is. "Come in!" Kokonoe said as Sora opened the door, letting himself in as he walked to the room to see Kokonoe and Amy seated on a table and having some tea as Sora approached them.

Before he could say anything, he immediately rolled forward, avoiding a grab towards his neck from the person that was waiting for him as a small tch could be heard before a scratching. "Well, it looks like you at least have the skills to back up the claim that you fought back the mad dog of all people." the voice said as Sora looked at the person, his eyes going up and down before nodding his head. "Good to see that you at least make sure people are accountable, Kagura Mutsuki." Sora said as Kagura rubbed his nose.

"What can I say, I got to make sure what I heard is true and that I was not being duped." Kagura said as Sora nodded his head. Something about Kagura's choice of words made sense to him. If he had heard someone fought against the Mad Dog and not only managed to survive, but the mad dog showed respect to. He would like to make sure himself that he was the real deal and not a faker. "And maybe it's the fact that you are currently wanted by the NOL and I was wondering if you were wrongly framed for such crime." Kagura continued as Sora tilted his head.

Sora wanted to reply to Kagura at that moment but a small grunt was enough to drag his attention back to Kokonoe and Amy. "As much as I would like to listen to the riveting conversation in front of me, but I am a busy woman and I don't have time to waste. So why don't we cut to the chase and just get your questions asked." Kokonoe said as Sora simply nodded his head upon hearing that. He would like to talk to Kagura for a while but that was just wasting time. And time was something he did not have to give right now.

"Right… sorry about that." Sora quickly apologized and took his seat next to Amy. Amy herself decided to sit right next to Sora, wanting to listen in on his conversation to make sure he is not asking any questions that may involve the master unit in any way. "So… your employer here told me that you have some questions that you wish to ask. I cannot guarantee that whatever you ask me I will be able to answer but as a scientist I will try my best to answer everything."

Kokonoe's choice of words told Sora everything he needed to know. He took a deep breath as he knew he had to compose himself properly. He had to make sure every word he spoke was worded properly and couldn't be take out of context. Everything was riding on the next set of questions he was going to ask and rather than try to rush things, he should strive to be accurate instead. "So… what is your first question for me?" Kokonoe questioned as Sora knew he had to have something answered first.

"Firstly… I would like to know if a woman named Makoto Nanaya exists in your database." Sora said as his mind couldn't help but think of what felt like several days ago but was in fact just two days. That fateful taunt to Hazama only to be greeted with confusion. He couldn't help but feel like something was nagging at him at that so that was his question. Kokonoe herself did not know how to react to that as she decided to use the laptop she brought up with her to do a quick check in it's database.

"Makoto Nanaya…" Kokonoe mumbled as the tapping of her computer brought a sense of nervousness to Sora's bones as he did not know how she was going to react or what she was going to say at that moment. "Nope...nothing in my database that would suggest a Makoto Nanaya. You want me to look for her deeper?" She asked as Sora simply nodded his head at that. It was then he heard even more furious keyboard typing as Kokonoe pulled up every possible database she had access to as Sora waited patiently for her answer.

"Welp… I checked every database. There's not a single ounce of info about Makoto Nanaya." Kokonoe said as Sora nodded his head at that. "Now can you check for Sora Minakaze." Sora questioned as Amy looked at him, curious as where this was going. "You going to ask me to run a missing person's report here?" Kokonoe questioned as Sora shook his head. "Just want to confirm something. That's all." Sora said as Kokonoe groaned and did what he asked.

"Makoto Nanaya huh.. sound's like a fine woman's name. Wish she existed." Kagura said as Sora rubbed his forehead hearing that. While he is glad that Kagura is still himself, hearing him hit on his girlfriend was something he did not feel that comfortable with. "Same like Makoto. Nothing on Sora Minakaze." when Kokonoe said that, Sora couldn't help but begin to process everything as he took a deep breath upon hearing that.

"How familiar are you with people jumping into cauldrons." Sora's choice of words at that moment made both Kokonoe and Kagura look at him as Amy couldn't help but start to sweat bullets hearing that. Sora's question was not only front loaded but also quite direct. Kokonoe herself was blinking several times as Kagura simply looked confused. He couldn't help but feel like say something at that moment as he scratched his head

"Well… most cases of people jumping into cauldrons according to NOL reports are mainly just people who were deemed suicidal or mentally unstable by medical professionals. Whenever their bodies return, they either turned into black goop or become insane from just being near them. That's why the NOL has to be strict with the cauldrons in the first place." Kagura said as Sora nodded his head at that.

"That's what I was going to say but Kagura kindly summarized what I know about cauldrons. What? You thinking about doing that too? Want to discover some truth to the world hidden in the cauldron?" Kokonoe questioned as Sora scratched his head upon hearing that. "It's not that I am thinking about… I just want to know if people who have done so… what do they say?" Sora questioned as Kokonoe tapped on the table with her finger upon hearing that.

"They often say that they saw a whole different world. One that was not of this world. Most times, they are just rambling nonsense anyways so I wouldn't really think too much about that." Kokonoe said as Sora took a deep breath and decided to say something at that moment. "But what if they are speaking the truth. What if what they say is actually the truth." Sora said as Kokonoe took a moment after hearing that to process Sora's words before giving a hearty laugh for him to hear.

"If that was the case, then it would have to change how we see cauldrons from this point on. It's just easier to brush it aside and say that every single person consumed by a cauldron is just long gone." Kokonoe said as Sora took a deep breath. "So if that is the case… what does one person need to actually survive a trip through the boundary." Sora said as the word boundary alarmed Kokonoe as Kagura looked at him a bit weirdly.

"The boundary? Kokonoe you making sense with what this guy is saying?" Kagura said as with the expression Kokonoe was making, she clearly understood what Sora was saying at that moment and now had to take his claims seriously. She pondered how she should question him? Should she try to keep the secrecy at that moment? No, at times like this, it's better for both parties to be as direct as you humanly can be and ensure that everything is said in a clear and concise manner.

Kokonoe: Well that depends. Do you want to still remain yourself going through a cauldron or do you mind being an abomination of mankind

Sora: Preferably the former. I need to get back to my own world

Kokonoe: Your own world… so you are saying that you do not originally belong here?

Sora: Yes. I was told that I can get back to my own world by using a cauldron but I don't know how true that is. I am willing to take the risk if that means I can get back home safely but at the same time, I would like to know if there is any other means of interdimensional travel possible

Kokonoe:.. Look, I am a scientist. I don't try to pretend that I can understand the true meaning of the boundary. I may dabble in it but that does not mean I know it's intricate functions. That said however, I think I can help point you towards the right direction at least.

"And what is this right direction?" Sora questioned as Kokonoe took a deep breath upon saying that. "In order for one to survive a trip down the cauldron, one must hold something close to their heart they wish to seek. This is something a little pesky bat once said and I believe that may be key for you." Kokonoe said as Sora nodded his head upon hearing that. "And I believe that this should work even if the person that you are thinking about mysteriously does not exist."

The moment Kokonoe said her choice of words, Sora couldn't help but freeze on his seat. "I may not be able to find the people on my databases, but that is only the databases that I have access to in this world." Kokonoe continued as Amy leaned in at that moment. "Since when did you become an observer?" Amy questioned as Kokonoe did the same thing. "That's none of your business. Observer for the azure." now it was Amy's turn to be surprised as Kagura felt like he was out of his depth at this point. The conversation becoming too advanced for his brain to take it all in.

"...Is there a trick you are using to be able to remember all of these details Professor? Some kind of black site for you to store your memories in?" Sora questioned as Amy cleared her throat, recomposing herself. "I understand if you do not trust me in any degree. But for the sake of the world and it's stability, I must implore you to answer all of his questions now." Amy said as Professor Kokonoe took a deep breath when she heard such a request.

"And tell me why should I even do so in the first place? What if this is just a ploy from the Master Unit to pry information from me? Keep eyes on my activities." Kokonoe said as before Amy could say a word, Sora raised his arm to stop Amy, as if to tell her he had this. "It's because even if you have that massive database of yours. You cannot find any information about me that has not been erased." Sora said as Kokonoe couldn't help but look at Sora confused.

Normally she would decide to ask further but judging from Sora's stoic expression, it seemed to be that he was speaking the truth at that very moment. Kokonoe quickly checked the information on her private database and decided to look at the names Sora Minakaze and Makoto Nanaya. It was there she saw what she needed to see. The first thing was the woman named Makoto Nanaya and any information about the woman named Makoto Nanaya was being erased faster than her database could keep up with.

Now that she thought about it, She had not heard of the name Makoto Nanaya before in her life and yet, her database has that name on it. That told her that a version of her somewhere still has retained her memories of a person that does not exist along with crucial data and that made no sense. Why would she decide that it was fine for her to keep information about a woman that did not exist in the world right now. That would be both a waste of resources and time.

As for Sora Minakaze? Whether it was because he seemed insignificant or she did not learn of his existence until that moment, her database barely had information on him. Only the fact that his name was present in the system told her that she had saved information about him. "Well...you are right about one thing. Other than your name, you are just a mystery here." Kokonoe said as Sora nodded his head at that.

"That's why I wanted to come here to you. Now please… no matter what information you got, I need to know everything you can tell me at this very moment." Sora said as he relaxed himself on his chair, his hand tensely grabbing on the sides of the chair as hard as they could as he waited for Kokonoe's answer to his question. She could just say, "I cannot help you or I already answered your questions. There is nothing left to discuss." and that made him nervous deep inside.

Kokonoe herself was trying to figure out how she should handle this situation. How should she answer this individual who clearly came from somewhere, was accompanied by one of the Master unit's chosen and clearly had knowledge about the boundary that even she was lacking. She needed time to think about what Sora said, formulate her answers properly but that may not be present to her. All she can do was just answer truthfully and hope it satisfies the man in the process.

"Fine, besides the questions you asked, what else do you even want right now?" Kokonoe questioned. Sora breathing a sigh of relief as he had asked about Makoto Nanaya and double checked the claims that Amy had made out to be fact, now reassured that Makoto did something to make her own existence go weird and he was still under the rules of a Continuum Error despite being sacrificed. Now there was just the question of going back home.

"I know what I am asking seems to be uncharted territory. But what does the boundary do to a person?" Sora questioned, deciding to use that as his question. Kokonoe nodded her head at that, sure she mentioned this before but knew this time, Sora was really there to make sure of facts. "Well firstly, the boundary is not just a sea of Seithr like what most people say it is. It's also the sea of souls." Kokonoe explained.

"The sea of souls…" Sora muttered as Kokonoe nodded her head at that. "Yes, the sea of souls. Now you can start to understand why people often go insane being near a cauldron or if they go through a cauldron and come back, end up as creatures of the Black beast." Kokonoe explained as Sora nodded his head at that. "But the boundary is my only way for me to go back to my world… As big as the risks are, I need to take them." Sora said.

"As I explained before, as long as you have a destination in mind, you should be able to go through the boundary just fine. The only problem is how strong your soul really is?" Kokonoe said as Sora paused upon hearing that but nodded his head, not needing Kokonoe to explain why that is important. If you are going through a seal of souls, you are forced to deal with the voices of several deceased individuals, all wanting to be set free. Even if you have a soul strong enough to survive the trip, the madness may consume you instead.

And if your soul is not strong enough, the Boundary will corrupt your very being into something more grotesque. The boundary and by extension any cauldron is filled with Seithr, Seithr that is used by every hierarchical city to power everything in them. That should be enough of an idea to know how much Seithr a cauldron is capable of producing. He took a deep breath as for some reason, his mind went back to the dream he had before and couldn't help but wonder about something.

"If that is the case… what about the Murakumo units? They were designed for the boundary were they not?" Sora's words at that moment caught both Amy and Kokonoe by surprise. Kokonoe because she was hearing someone talk about Murakumo units and they were considered top secret and Amy because she did not remember Sora actually learning about Murakumo units. Sure he met Mu-12 back in Kagutsuchi but he had no idea that Noel at the time was a living weapon designed to cause mass destruction.

"...Yes but they are specifically created to endure the boundary. Normally, they are beings devoid of personality and thus, they don't have to worry about being actually affected by the effects of the Boundary." Kokonoe said as Kagura knew at this point he had to jump in. "Look guys, as much as this conversation is getting interesting… Can you make it simple for a guy like me? You are basically speaking alien to me." Kagura explained as the trio sighed upon hearing this as Amy decided to explain.

"Think of the Boundary as Space. We are trying to move through space." The moment Amy said Space, things made sense to Kagura. Space, what the world thinks is Mankind's final frontier. History books often talked about how man was able to reach the stars themselves and while the world has not explored space as much, their attempts have been documented and recorded for future generations to gain inspiration from.

"So what you guys are discussing is literally moving through a different kind of space that is different from the space mankind is familiar with… Now your conversation is making sense. The souls can be related to the mental stress being in actual space would bring. Seithr can be seen as a lack of oxygen and this so called murakumo unit are basically space shuttles." Kagura's sentence from that one simple explanation made the trio look at him wondering what came out from this man was such an idiot savant moment that they knew they needed a break.

"Look, racking our brains on this sort of thing will do nothing for us. Why don't you spend the day here for now. As much as I would like to have you guys be done and out of my sight. Something tells me that you wouldn't be satisfied with a half ass answer from me." Kokonoe said as both Amy and Sora nodded their heads at that. "Whatever you guys do afterwards, I don't want any part of. I just want you guys out of my life as soon as possible so I can focus on more important tasks." Kokonoe said with the bluntness needed from a woman like her.

"Well if that is the case I'll…" Before Sora could finish his sentence, the door was opened violently as a tumble could be heard in the process. A low moan could be heard as everyone looked at the direction of the door. "Ow… that hurt." The person complained as Sora immediately knew who that was from the sound of their voice. "Caroline is that you?" Sora politely asked as the woman gasped in surprise before realizing where she was.

"Oh! I am sorry! I was trying to find our male guest and turns out, he's here!" Caroline said as Sora decided to use this as his chance to leave. "Well in any case, Let's discuss things later. I just like you guys need to process things as well." Sora said as before Amy or Kokonoe could say a word to him, Sora took Caroline outside the room as Kagura couldn't help but be impressed and jealous by how casual he was with the nervous wreck that Caroline was.

"Man… that guy makes handling that little fire cracker look much easier than it actually is." Kagura said as Amy and Kokonoe couldn't help but groan upon hearing that, unable to believe that this man beforehand was able to make such an astute observation from the simple sentence Amy said. As the three took their time to rest, Sora and Caroline walked down the halls, Caroline remaining quiet the entire time as Sora noticed the bundles of technology that was being experimented on, all tech that was under different scientists.

"So what made you try and find me?" Sora questioned as he picked up what looked to be a microphone off the table it was on. "I well.. wanted to talk to you for a bit." Caroline explained as she noticed what Sora was holding and smiled. "That's a translator one of the scientists asked me to tweak. Try it out." Caroline explained as Sora looked at it amused. "Like this?" Sora said as the translator did it's thing and translated it directly, speaking in a robotic male voice.

"Isn't this still a bit too bulky for an actual translator? I thought that we already digitized them already?" Sora questioned as Caroline smiled. "We have. But it is also important to maintain our understanding of old technology. Those who ignore the past are doomed to repeat them after all." Caroline said as Sora couldn't help but be reminded that despite being a different version of the same person… Caroline was Caroline.

"Anyways, take a look at this." Caroline said as Sora walked towards her, approaching her computer as on a scanner was in fact, the Rev Arm, currently being scanned by several lasers as Caroline pulled him closer to her screen. "Can you tell me how you are able to use this arm? I must know your secret." Caroline said as Sora looked at the sky, unsure how to respond to that. "Well umm… instinct?" Sora said, unsure if that would be a satisfactory response.

"Instinct?! But the way you moved, and the technique you displayed. It was like you had experience with such equipment before!" Caroline said as Sora took a deep breath upon hearing that as he scratched his head. Well, that explanation didn't work. At that point, he may as well tell the truth but decided against it for just a bit longer. "But it's the truth. Sure that technique I did was fancy but it honestly felt like second nature." Sora explained as Caroline looked at the Rev Arm in amazement.

"Still, for just pure instinct, you have already used the Rev Arm way better than any test subject before you ever did. The data from your one strike was so much better than any other that I just want to go over it over and over again until my eyes bleed." Caroline spoke with her trademark excitement as Sora knew he had to bring her back to track a little bit before she went out of control. "As much as that sounds exciting to experience, maybe we shouldn't do that just yet and focus more on why you have called me here." Sora said, hinting to Caroline she was getting excited.

"Ahhh well… I just wanted to know how you were able to use the Rev Arm so well… but since you say it was all instinct, I cannot really gather any data from that." Caroline explained as the machine finished scanning the arm as she took it off the machine. "But since you are the only one who can really use this thing… I want you to have it, as thanks for keeping us alive." Caroline said as Sora looked at her with a weird face.

Sora: You want me to have the Rev Arm? When originally I asked for the arm in the first place

Caroline: I-I mean… yes...No…. Look at the time I thought you wanted my Rev Arm just so you can do weird things in it… So I may have heeded Kokonoe's advice and placed an explosive device in the Rev Arm to blow it up once we separated from the meeting

Sora: And let me guess, you took the arm back so you can remove the bomb from it

Caroline: It's just… Kokonoe is right and we shouldn't let Sector Seven technology land on the hands of our enemies it's just… I cannot bear the thought of destroying something that was such a big part of my career as a scientist. The thing that was to be my magnum opus, blown up to cinders and ash. I thought I was ready to let it go but seeing you use it like you did… I am now not so sure.

Sora:… You shouldn't really doubt yourself and your abilities as a scientist Caroline. You are a good person and scientist, you just got to be more persistent.

"Y-You speak as if you have been stalking me for a while… Have you been stalking me on my dating sites!?" Caroline said as she puffed her chest at that, making her breasts jiggle in the process as Sora scratched his head. "No I haven't been stalking you. It's just that you remind me of a person I know." Sora said as that caught Caroline's interest. "And what about me reminds you of said person?" Caroline questioned as Sora gave it some thought before answering.

"Well… At first, they lacked confidence in themselves just like you are right now. Then when I met them, I saw that they had potential deep inside. Where I lived, you have to grab opportunity as it's not given to you often, so I gave that person the chance to seize their dream." Sora explained as Caroline couldn't help but be amazed as her mind went to what Sora said before nodding her head at that. "That's truly admirable… I'm not sure if I can be such a person though." Caroline said as Sora shook his head, approaching the Rev Arm.

"Don't undersell yourself like that. Just believe in yourself and you may one day find it in yourself to keep on growing." Sora said as he took the Rev Arm off the scanner before attaching it to his stump. He flinched a bit as he remembered that this was the prototype and thus not really designed for his arm unlike the Rev System in his world. Regardless, he preferred this arm over the arm Relius Clover tried to give Makoto.

"I am not sure where you are going in the future, but I can at least promise I will take care of this arm in your place. You can trust me on that." Sora said as Caroline was about to say something but then felt a sense of peace hearing that. "In any case, Thanks for the arm. I truly think that it's perfect. And I do hope that you are able to find something that makes you feel satisfied in the world." Sora said, deciding to leave the room at that moment as Caroline took a seat down upon hearing that, letting her mind process what Sora had just said.

"Something that satisfies me huh…" Caroline said as she looked at the scanner where the Rev Arm was and traced her finger on where her magnum opus rested. Her mind couldn't help but think about what Sora said and wonder if the words he spoke held truth? Regardless, now that she had parted from her past, she felt like she could finally move on with her life. As she approached the computer screen to finish her findings, she couldn't help but see a brief glimpse of something on the screen as she gasped.

The thing she saw was brief but she swore she could have seen what appeared to be herself working on something, something that seemed to be what she pictured in her mind. She wanted to say something at that moment but decided against it as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Maybe she was tired and needed rest or maybe she needs to go outside more often. Other than that, she felt strangely relieved, lifted off a burden that clung onto her shoulders and was now released.

...Allowing her to finally make progress in her life…

GREETINGS LOST SHEEP OF FANFICTION!? HOW IS EVERYONE DOING ON THIS FINE DAY!? I hope you guys have been doing your best this entire year so far. The world is finally looking to be getting better and life is returning once again. It's like the coming of spring all over again. I hope that I have been able to keep you guys entertained while everyone stayed cooped up in their homes and I hope you guys continue to keep on reading and enjoying the content I have been giving you guys.

SO WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT!? WHAT IS GOING TO BE THE ANSWER TO SORA'S QUESTION!? WILL HE BE SATISFIED WITH HIS ANSWER AND RETURN HOME!? WILL KOKONOE BE SATISFIED ANSWERING HIS QUESTIONS AND LEAVE HIM BE OR WILL SHE MAKE HIM AND HIS COMRADES DO SOMETHING FOR HER!? All this and more will be answered in the Next Black.