Chapter 15 – What Was Meant to Be the Beginning
Confusion.
At least for a brief moment. In that short span of time when he looked into Kongou's large eyes, and she quickly looked away, he felt like something had always been off. That fleeting confusion was interrupted by a feminine voice coming from beside him.
"Ya know we have a planning room, right?"
"Ya-kuuuun!" Naru shouted, pressing her cheek against her newly arrived friend. "I thought you were going to sleep all day."
"That was the plan, until you woke me up with all that yelling." She rubbed her eyes and adjusted her pajamas. "Like I said, we have a planning room. Be noisy there. I spent all night working, give me a break."
"Hold up! Not now. Kongou-chan just dropped something super interesting. You gotta hear this."
"Hmm… and that would be?" Yakumaru crossed her arms and stared at Kongou, but the girl remained silent.
"Okay, if that's how it is, let me guess. You're not actually one of the Garden Guardians, are you?"
"Huh?" It was Kamijou who asked, confused. "Were you eavesdropping on our conversation?"
"Not really." Yakumaru shrugged, then let out a casual yawn. "Leader and I have been thinking about this for a while, especially after that raid on your apartment. Mai-sama has probably figured it out too. If you stop to think, you'll notice something strange."
Rather than ask anything, whether to Yakumaru or Kongou, Kamijou thought for himself. There really was something strange, from the very beginning. Kongou always wanted to communicate with her friends. Since that first night she was rescued, she kept asking for any random radio. Back then, Kamijou didn't understand the intricacies of this world, and it was impossible for him to piece it together on his own. But now, things made more sense.
Factions would gather at their bases during the day, but most of them had outposts scattered around. These points were generally used at night for resupply or as safe havens for groups who ran into trouble and needed protection from the dreaded dawn. The Scavenger faction had several of these outposts, especially in this district. A much larger faction like the Garden Guardians would surely have even more — better-equipped ones, too. Not only that, but their communication system should have been impeccable, as evidenced by Accelerator and the communicator he had provided.
So the question Kamijou should have asked himself was: Why didn't she take the easy route to an outpost for communication access? Even a brief stop the day she was rescued, or on the day Kamijou agreed to escort her out, would have been enough for her to be safely back with her faction by now. If she didn't do that, the answer was obvious.
She didn't have access to those resources. She was forced to improvise.
"I bet you're a nomad," Yakumaru said bluntly. "Not an official member. But no one in that crazy group really is, right?"
"Close enough," Kongou replied with a sigh. She seemed a little less nervous. Telling the truth must have had an effect on her—it seemed to lighten her mood. "I used to help them out in the past, on a whim. I know how they operate, and I have a decent understanding of their tech. I've learned a lot from them."
Nomads weren't an official faction. Members of other factions had an unofficial agreement to avoid interfering with one another's business when possible, especially in the case of larger factions. No one wanted to paint a target on their back. But nomads were considered fair game. They were the "freelancers" of this world, akin to a "guild of adventurers" with a decentralized system.
"Makes way more sense now why New ITEM was so rough with ya," Yakumaru commented, looking more awake as she leaned against a wall, sizing up Kongou. "They must've put two and two together and realized you weren't part of the Garden Guardians. Still, it was a bit of a gamble on their part, considering your outfit. But honestly? I don't think that would've stopped #4, given how desperate she was. You're insanely lucky Kamijou was there."
"It doesn't matter anymore... I'm safe now, so I have to continue my mission."
"Mission?" Kamijou asked. "Something to do with the nomads? Senpai seemed angry with you that day—"
"No, it's not that." Kongou shook her head, looking at him. "Kumokawa Seria doesn't know what I'm doing with her technology, and it's better that way."
"Could you be a little more specific?" Yakumaru said, her patience waning.
"I'm in possession of something very valuable. You saw me use it that day."
"That thing that detects specific radio waves? You said you wanted to communicate with someone. If not the nomad leader, then who?"
"My goal that day was to locate my group, which is likely in no-man's land. But I changed my plans slightly when I realized something." She paused, her doubtful eyes meeting Kamijou's. "I want to ask all of you something. Have you ever wondered what the 'abominations' really are?"
"Yeah, they're like, huge PBs. Super strong too," Naru jumped in, her face scrunching up in confusion. "For some weird reason, they're all about coming out at night, totally not like the others."
"You're not wrong, though those entities are far more complex than they appear," Kongou explained. She raised her fan and used her fingertip to remove something from it. "As per the findings of Kumokawa-san's nomad research, PBs utilize a communication network not unlike our own. You could say it's how they evolve, exchanging data through a network that spans all the districts."
"You're serious?" Yakumaru was skeptical. "Why am I only hearing about this now?"
"Until quite recently, proving such a theory was no simple task. Frankly, that girl must be a prodigy among prodigies, not only uncovering this phenomenon but also devising a method to disrupt the network."
"Okay, but like, where do the abominations come in on all this?" Naru asked, scratching her head with a confused look.
"The abominations aren't just the next step in the evolution of the Prismatic Beasts," Kongou said. She held a small technological device in her palm. "They're antennas."
A strange silence filled the room. Each of the three listeners had their own reasons for not saying anything. The most intrigued was Yakumaru, her hand on her chin while the other rested on her hip.
"Antennas?" Yakumaru repeated. "Can you make a little more sense of that?"
"It's the best term to use. Actually, those things receive all the signals coming from the nests or any lost hordes and distribute them during the night to other nests. They have this entire organic infrastructure, with various parts moving around. It's surreal... even scary."
It was common knowledge that those things were constantly evolving. The idea that they exchanged information between themselves, so similar to humans, was truly frightening. With a network like that, what limits did they have? They had come so far in just one year. Thinking about it really put things into perspective.
"This thing here," Kongou said, referring to the device in her palm, "interferes with their signal. It's pretty useful. With it, you can detect them, confuse them, and in some cases... even attract them."
"Impressive," Yakumaru mused. "Why have I never heard of something like this before?"
"It's experimental. And also a bit dangerous. We're talking about a neural network here; you never know when something could go horribly wrong, depending on what's listening."
The way Kongou said it, her lips stiffening into a perfect straight line as she finished speaking, it was as if she still had something to say but chose to leave it hanging in the air.
"You said... that in some cases, you can attract them?" Yakumaru asked, her head tilting toward the device. "I don't like how that sounds. Don't tell me you..." The girl clenched her fist at that moment, as if holding something boiling under the surface.
"Ever since I left the School Garden—my home—behind, I've devoted myself entirely to my mission." Kongou paused, turning her gaze toward Kamijou, while leaving Yakumaru frozen under the weight of her sharp, piercing eyes.
"And what would that be?" the boy asked, confused.
"To kill the White Queen."
Kamijou Touma did his best to keep his reaction under control, but his slightly widened eyes betrayed him in an instant. His heart suddenly raced. The cards were finally on the table.
"It was you," Yakumaru said quickly, not giving Kamijou a chance to recover. She was piercing Kongou with her gaze. "That day... you brought that thing to us."
Kongou's eyes drifted off into the void but soon returned to meet Kamijou's attentive stare, and finally Yakumaru's. She nodded, leaving them both speechless.
"Yes, you could say I'm responsible for what happened that day," Kongou said, taking a deep breath afterward. "But before you judge me, can you at least hear a bit of my story?"
x-2-x
Everything that lives, eventually dies. Those were words that once meant something so simple, yet immutable, and now stretched across the entire horizon. Sometimes, Kongou wondered if this way of life, the one used by those who spoke those words, was the ideal one.
This was just another "routine inspection." A term her faction used when they strayed too far from their usual duties. Routine. A meaning that was slowly fading over time.
Kongou found solace in these long walks, slowly advancing through the ruined concrete forest that had once been a proud metropolis. The twisted steel beams rose like giant skeletons, while the intermittent glow of bioluminescent plants now dominated the scene, casting pale, soft lights in the cold mist of dusk. Her team was with her. It was always this way, and she hoped it never changed. As one of Misaka Mikoto's generals, she had to earn respect wherever she went, and the girls around her followed, knowing how good she was at it.
"I'll go alone from here," Kongou said, making the group of dozens of girls around her stop. "The Wannai squad should be done by now. I won't be long either."
Kongou's battalion, or at least what they liked to call themselves, had a military-like bearing. They practically saluted while saying, "Yes, ma'am!" Of course, that only usually happened out here. When they returned to the School Garden, they were just girls enjoying sleepovers, eating all kinds of treats that place, so out of place in this world, had to offer.
'I need to try that chocolate pudding Awatsuki recommended.'
Kongou's thoughts floated as she tried not to let this lightness spill over outside, but her face almost betrayed a smile. The Garden Guardian's image had to be flawless out here. Even if no one seemed to be watching, one never knew in this world.
The walk continued, with the general now alone with her light thoughts. She crossed makeshift bridges made from scraps of wood and corroded metal that stretched over shallow marshes where the city had sunken. In a few minutes, she reached her destination: what was left of a skyscraper, crowned by an improvised refuge, illuminated by solar-powered lights and small fires dancing high above. It was hard to say exactly what had happened here. There was a chance that the flooding had left behind toxic residues, but the nomads sheltering here didn't seem to care much.
It was unclear if the place was even being used at the moment. Nomads could cause too many problems, and when that happened, the big factions had to step in and negotiate. Not being an official faction was the real headache. Kongou hesitated as she approached the entrance, elegantly waving her fan in front of her face. It was as if she had decided to pose suddenly, for no reason at all. She was perhaps worried, unsure how the others would react. They definitely didn't like those "garden brats." Thinking of that term left a bitter taste in her mouth.
Using the strange platform with pulleys, she breathed in the air thick with the swamp's scent, a ritual that felt like a prayer for courage. When the platform finally stopped, Kongou carefully entered through the rusty archway, descended a few makeshift steps, and followed the sound inside, the voices echoing through the decaying air, the faint, silent laughter.
Looking around, she saw the nomads staring at her. Their faces were hard, filled with contempt. She knew not all of them were like this; they were people from all the habitable districts, only meeting when necessary. Not everyone knew each other, so not everyone shared the same opinion. Still, she swallowed hard.
This was what it meant to be from a big faction. Some feared them, others envied them. The nomads usually just despised them. It wasn't fair or right, but it was the reality she had been forced to accept.
"Greetings," Kongou said to the gathered mass. "My name is—"
"Kongou Mitsuko," interrupted a blue-haired girl, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. "Don't look so surprised. Kumokawa said something about you brats trying to mess with our business."
"This is not about that," Kongou replied, adjusting her coat and straightening her posture, almost regal. "Our leader, Misaka Mikoto, has helped you for the last few months. She ensured this place remained safe, even with all this decay."
"Wow, someone thinks they're important. Should I bow to you, princess?"
The group chuckled after the blue-haired girl said this so indifferently. Kongou wasted no time—this wasn't what she came for.
"We just want to negotiate," she said simply. "We don't want this place to become a no-man's land. If you're willing to cooperate, we'll continue providing security for you."
"We're not interested," the blue-haired girl responded with a shrug.
Kongou sighed wearily, hiding her face behind her fan for just a moment.
"Are you the leader of this group?" Kongou asked. "If so, I'd like to speak privately. We can go to a more secluded area and—"
"Girl, what's your problem? I already told you we're not interested in your whole 'protected girls acting like apocalypse cops' thing." The girl stepped away from the wall, throwing a sharp glance at Kongou. Her pointed teeth looked almost animalistic. "And no, I'm not some damn leader. We're nomads. We don't have a leader. We do what the hell we need to, get paid, and then disperse."
That never made much sense to Kongou, but she never really bothered questioning it too much. Every group, whether they admitted it or not, eventually followed someone. No matter what the nomads said, someone was at the top of their hierarchy.
"Kumokawa Seria, how can I communicate with her?" Kongou asked, ignoring the girl's hostility. "I heard she's the one who organizes you all, right? Maybe if I could speak to her—"
"Get lost," the girl said simply, sitting down on the floor near the others and looking away, pretending like no one was even talking to her.
It had been a complete waste of time. Kongou accepted defeat and quickly descended the stairs, not bothering with the makeshift mobile platform this time. All that was left was to return empty-handed once again.
The cold night wind whipped her face as Kongou stepped out onto the deserted street, where the darkness seemed to swallow everything around her. She tightened her well-made coat against her body, trying to shake off the cold that came not only from the air but from the growing sense of helplessness.
Her radio crackled suddenly in her pocket. It was rare for her faction's communications to fail, but when it happened, it reminded her that even the simplest technologies were now a luxury, one that her faction had at least always been accustomed to having. Kongou looked up for a moment, at the sky covered by heavy, soot-streaked clouds, and wondered, not for the first time, if there was any point in continuing to try. She pushed the thought away with a sigh, her steps quickening as she sought a route back to the forward post. Maybe, just maybe, the next attempt wouldn't be a lost cause.
"This is Silver Boa, I've completed the mission," Kongou said quickly into the radio, still crackling faintly. "I'll make a simple route back to the next post. Understood?"
There was no response on the radio. That was strange, but Kongou tried not to panic. Communication failed occasionally in this shattered world—interference, weak batteries, or even ruined buildings could block signals. Still, a knot of unease settled in her chest, growing with each step she took toward the forward post. The silence felt denser, as if the environment itself had decided to hold its breath.
That was when an intense, freezing sensation overwhelmed her. The air around her thickened abruptly, and her vision faltered, the colors around her fading into a dull blur. Then… she caught a heavy, metallic scent, overpowering and abundant.
Before her stretched a sea of it: blood, pooling from the bodies scattered across the vast, white expanse.
x-3-x
Kamijou and Yakumaru exchanged glances. They had listened to her story the entire time without interrupting. Naru, too, had been incredibly focused, and unusually quiet throughout the whole thing. She had murmured something about 'no man's land' earlier but had fallen completely silent since, now standing there with an uncharacteristically serious expression, lost in thought.
"My team consisted of 30 people," Kongou said, her eyes fixed on Yakumaru and Kamijou, her voice steady but her expression tense. "They were all at least Level 3, with several at Level 4." She swallowed hard, her lips trembling slightly. "I was the only one who came back alive that night."
It felt like they already knew how the story would end, as if they were simply waiting to see how she'd manage to recount it. And in truth, she barely could.
After a few seconds, her eyes brimmed with tears, and she continued.
"I don't know how it happened..." Kongou's voice cracked, her words broken by pauses as she tried to steady her breathing. "When I left for the mission, everything seemed normal. When I came back... it was a massacre. That... thing… that accursed thing."
"The White Queen?" Yakumaru asked, watching as Kongou gave a faint, reluctant nod.
"I saw her that day. Only her back, as she walked away, leaving behind everything I cared about in pieces," Kongou admitted, her voice trembling as she struggled to maintain her composure. "The air around her felt heavier. Everything around me seemed frozen, like the world had stopped just to watch her."
Kongou raised her hand to the side of her face—maybe to wipe away a tear, maybe to shield her pain—but there was no hiding the anguish in her voice.
"I know they fought to the bitter end. By the time I arrived, the smell of blood was everywhere, so thick it clung to my throat." She closed her eyes for a moment, as if the vivid memory of the horror was crystal-clear in her mind. "Since that day, I've been hunting that thing. Only recently did I find a way to draw her out, but... I was captured when I strayed too far from my team."
"So you really did lure that thing to us?" Yakumaru asked, her voice exasperated. "Are you serious? We could've died!"
"It wasn't my original intention," Kongou replied, slowly regaining her usual composure. "The Nomad-tech device I use requires frequent recalibration. I knew it was risky, but I was running out of time. During my stay here, I heard rumors. The elite group of this faction had confronted an abomination and somehow destroyed it. I needed to know if it was true or just a myth."
"Huh?" Yakumaru tilted her head, still incredulous. "Okay... you're insane. Seriously? Did you put us in danger because of rumors? If you'd been wrong, the White Queen would've slaughtered us that day."
"Like I said, it wasn't my intention to attract her. I just wanted to draw the attention of an abomination to confirm those rumors. Maybe I overdid it with the signals I sent and ended up attracting more attention than I intended."
"I knew ya were up to something that day. It was obvious. But I didn't think you were completely unhinged," Yakumaru said, throwing her hands in the air in frustration.
"I knew it was risky, but I had to try. We can't keep living in the dark, waiting for the next attack from these things without knowing how to fight back. You might not understand, but I..." Kongou hesitated, her gaze faltering for a moment as if wrestling with the right words. "I needed this. I needed answers. And yes, maybe I made a bad decision, but it was one I thought was worth the risk. That thing is the reason the entire world is like this. Someone has to stop it. Either the White Queen dies, or we all do."
Those words struck Kamijou Touma deeply, hitting him like a blow to his core. It felt like an ultimatum had been placed before him. Kongou couldn't possibly know, couldn't even guess, that the White Queen was the very person he had sworn to protect. And the worst was yet to come.
"Kamijou Touma, I know I'm in no position to make demands, but please... help me with this," Kongou said, her attention now entirely focused on him. She bowed slightly, desperation etched into her features. "I don't fully understand how your powers work, but I've seen them firsthand. You're strong. Maybe the strongest person I know."
"What?" Kamijou replied, still somewhat disoriented. "Look, Kongou-san, it's not what it seems. My powers aren't as convenient as you think. I'm definitely nowhere near what anyone would call 'strong.'"
"How can you say that after everything I've seen and heard? You can take down those things with a mere flick of your hand. For crying out loud, we used an abomination as a flying platform that day after you tore it apart! Not to mention, you somehow survived the White Queen immediately after." Kongou stepped closer to him, her eyes filled with a mix of desperation and determination. "If anyone can do this, it's you. Help me kill that thing. I... No, the whole world would be eternally grateful to you."
"Kongou, I..." Kamijou took a step back, the weight of her words hitting him like an avalanche, piling on a pressure he wasn't sure he could bear.
"I have a plan," she said quickly, noticing his hesitation. She raised the device in her hands to his eye level. "We just need—"
"Hold on, hold on," Yakumaru interrupted. She cast a glance at Kamijou, as if trying to reassure him. "Let's slow down, Kongou-san. Kamijou is an elite member of Scavenger. His decision affects all of us, so you'd better explain your plan to the entire team."
Kamijou knew exactly what Yakumaru was doing. She was the only one he had confided in about the White Queen being the person he was searching for. It was a relief to see her step in so quickly when she noticed how uncomfortable he was. The storm of doubt inside him was still raging, a whirlwind in his mind. Kamijou kept his expression neutral, but the tension in his body was unmistakable. Yakumaru had given him a way out—a moment to breathe—but he knew it was only temporary. Even so, it was something he was quietly grateful for.
"She's right," he said, crossing his arms and trying to sound firm. "If you want my help, Kongou-san, then the entire team needs to be on the same page. We can't make decisions like this on our own, not with the risks we're facing."
Kongou hesitated, her gaze shifting between Kamijou and Yakumaru. It was clear she was frustrated, but she also knew pushing further wouldn't help. With a resigned sigh, she nodded.
"Great," Yakumaru said. "Let's head to the planning room. Seike and Leader should be back by now."
x-4-x
The planning room was noticeably quieter than it had been before, the earlier buzz of activity now reduced to a subdued stillness. The light was predominantly artificial, emitted by precarious LED strips that bathed the features of the faction members in cold, iridescent tones. However, some sources of human warmth remained: a burner in the background gave off a faint trail of smoke as it heated a pan, mixing the smell of simple food with the metallic haze that hung in the air. Kamijou couldn't help but notice the admiring glances thrown at him from time to time, the hushed whispers - attention he definitely didn't want. It was as if their eyes had filled with hope the moment he entered the room.
"I suppose we have a decent plan if we're actually doing this," Leader said, seated beside Seike, her voice somewhat muffled by her usual mask. "Does Mai-sama know what we're planning?"
"We're skipping a few steps here," Seike grumbled, his feet rudely propped up on the table. "Why have we already jumped to 'let's do this'? Are you seriously planning to hunt down the White Queen, girl?"
"Yes," Kongou answered firmly. "And I need all the help I can get. And yes, I have a plan. But first, I need to know if I can count on you. Especially you, Kamijou-san."
"Relax, Kami's always ready to help his friends, right, Kami-kun?" Naru chimed in, her enthusiasm seeming to return.
"Hmm..."
Kamijou's response was awkward at best. He leaned over the makeshift metal table, his hands planted firmly on its cold, scratched surface, all while feeling the weight of Kongou's gaze on him. There was something about her tone—calm and composed, yet laden with an expectation that made his skin crawl. Beside him, Yakumaru fiddled with a small portable transmitter, her hands moving with a dexterity that belied the tension visible in her stiff shoulders.
"This thing's more complex than I thought," she muttered, casting a fleeting glance at Kamijou. "That's… kind of a relief. At least on the technical side, we're well-covered."
Yakumaru's comment had the unintended effect of slightly shifting the room's focus. Kamijou silently appreciated it as he always did. But it wasn't the time to keep hesitating; he had to make a decision, even if he wanted to hold off just a little longer.
"Do we have to do this tonight?" he asked, his voice tinged with reluctance as he struggled to summon the courage. "If possible, I'd rather wait a few more days."
"We could wait—I hadn't planned to head out tonight in the first place—but that'll only make things harder," Kongou replied from across the table. "The calibration I've done seems stable, but the longer we wait, the more outdated our data will get. Besides, you took down the queen of the District 7 nest. That gives us an opening we can't ignore. No telling when another one might show up out of nowhere."
"Why does that even matter?" Yakumaru asked, her voice quiet, nearly drowned out by the surrounding electrical hum. "Could you give us a bit more detail?"
In response, Kongou extended her fan and pulled a map from a hidden compartment in one of its ends.
"The place we're headed is to the north," she said, casually spreading the rather large map across the table.
"Huh?" Seike blinked in mild confusion at the scene. "How was that hidden in there? What do you call that thing—the Bat-Fan?"
"Wasting our time on irrelevant stuff again. Classic Seike," Yakumaru quipped, prompting Seike to shrug nonchalantly. "So, how far north are we talking?"
"The ideal spot would be…" Kongou's finger traced a path across the map, and the tension in the room grew sharper the further north it traveled. "Right here."
A silent conflict settled over the group.
Kongou's finger came to rest on a crudely drawn circle, and she paused to gauge everyone's reaction. The tension in the room thickened with every second that passed. Kamijou knew the location she indicated was well beyond the zone they usually considered safe—far closer to enemy territory than anyone would like.
"You've got to be kidding," Seike finally broke the silence, leaning over the table to get a closer look. "We call that place the 'Mouth of Hell' for a reason. This is suicide."
"'Mouth of Hell'?" Kamijou repeated slowly, his eyes fixed on the point on the map.
"District 7 only has one nest of Prismatic Beasts," Leader explained. "It's a sprawling underground area with numerous entrances." She leaned over the table to tap the map with her fingertip. "This one here is the largest. It's in the middle of what we call 'no man's land.' The concentration of PBs there during the day is insane—at least in the mornings. Going there is not a smart choice."
"Not sure about that, sounds fun," Naru said, only to shrink under the collective glares shot her way. "What? We can handle it."
"No, we absolutely cannot, you lunatic," Seike shot back, poking Naru's cheek comically. "Look, Kongou, I've barely heard the details, but this already sounds like a shitty plan."
"It's necessary," Kongou replied firmly. "If we want to draw the Queen out, we need a place with a high concentration of abominations. The idea is to enter the Mouth of Hell—"
"Enter it?!" Seike, Yakumaru, and Leader practically shouted in unison.
"Okay, it's official," Seike continued. "We've got someone crazier than Naru on the team now. If we go in there, we'll be shredded to bits in seconds. Maybe we'd stand a chance with Kamijou around, but even then, this still sounds insane."
"Then we'll enter when they're not there," Kongou stated matter-of-factly.
Kamijou kept his gaze fixed on the map, feeling the weight of Seike's words and the absurdity of Kongou's proposal. He'd seen what dawn looked like—it was terrifying enough from a distance.
"Wait, you mean..." Leader hesitated. "Yeah, that makes a moderate amount of sense."
"What are you talking about?" Naru didn't seem to follow the plan. She placed a finger on her chin and thought for a moment. "When they're not there? But that only happens at dawn."
"Exactly," Kongou confirmed. She tapped the device, causing it to flicker faintly. "We don't need the smaller creatures, just the abominations. Those things prowl during the night, receiving and spreading all necessary information, then return to their nests by morning. Dawn will be our ally this time."
"I don't like this," Yakumaru said reluctantly. "Dawn is definitely not something to mess with. With hordes in the streets, how do ya even plan to get there in the first place?"
"We travel during the night, of course. Four or five hours before dawn should do it. We can use cables to scale a building and zip lines as escape routes. Then we hide at the top and wait for dawn to come." Kongou paused, tucking the device back into the fan's hidden compartment. "We'll create a distraction to stir them up. You know how they react."
"A flare should work," Naru suggested, sounding oddly eager. "I can act as bait since I can fly."
"Hey, hey, hey," Yakumaru interrupted, exasperated. "Don't go making suicidal decisions like that. And why do you seem so on board with this crazy plan already?"
"Well, I'm the 'take-charge' girl, aren't I?" Naru grinned, throwing a quick glance at Kamijou. "But first, we gotta see if Kami's in or not. No offense, Kongou-chan, but you're not selling me on this without a solid reason. I mean, I love a good fight, but this? Yeah, it's a bit much, even for me. Now, if a friend needs my help, that's a whole different story."
"We're moving too fast," Kamijou interrupted, nervously scratching his head. "Let's hear the rest of the plan before making decisions. Kongou, assuming we get in there, what happens next?"
"I'll use this to hack into their network," she replied, waving her fan. "If I cause enough interference, the White Queen will definitely come to investigate immediately. It's more effective than slaughtering prismatic beasts and waiting."
"And then what?" Yakumaru asked. "Do ya have some secret weapon stashed away to help us against that thing? The leader of the PBs is probably the strongest of them all. You've faced her twice; you've seen what she can do. Fighting her doesn't even seem like an option."
"Kamijou seemed to achieve something that day," Kongou pressed, throwing a brief look at the restless boy. "And you seem to be a competent group, so you can think for yourselves. If all goes well, I can create an opening for him to act using my nomad technology."
"Focus on the 'if' here," Seike said, taking his feet off the table, his gaze fixed on Kongou. "This all still sounds insane. We head straight into the mouth of hell, wait for dawn, and just waltz in? Sure, sounds plausible. But even if the lower PBs don't get in the way, those abominations will still tear us apart."
"The place is huge," Kongou said, shaking her head. "We don't need to get too close to where they stay inside. There's even a chance they'll be asleep when we arrive."
"Yeah, but those fuckers are excellent hunters. The second we set foot in their home, they'll be on our trail. Great plan you've got there."
"Who said that?"
"I'm saying it. Isn't it obvious? It's a terrible plan."
"I mean the part about the abominations supposedly being great hunters."
Those words shifted the atmosphere at the table. The mood grew heavier, the air almost tangible with rising tension. Everyone exchanged wary glances, but it was Kamijou who broke the silence, straightening slightly.
"What are you trying to say, Kongou?"
"Nonsense," Yakumaru interrupted before the girl could speak. "Abominations are the final evolution of prismatic beasts. Are you trying to say they couldn't track us down?"
"They probably could, if they tried." Kongou hid her face behind her fan, pausing for just a moment too long. "But as I've explained, those things are like antennas. Their purpose is to serve as part of a network. If they were such good hunters, you'd probably all be dead already."
Silence returned, thicker than before. It was oppressive and uncomfortable. Kamijou took a deep breath, trying to process everything. He looked around the room, studying the others' faces. Doubt was written all over them, but Kongou's words definitely seemed to have some logic behind them.
"Thinking back," Kamijou said, resting a hand on his chin, "on that day, when I woke up from cryosleep, something strange happened. An abomination followed me, but I managed to shake it off by entering a room." He paused, noticing everyone shifting their gaze toward him. "That was it. There was a one-way mirror, like in interrogation rooms, but not much else. If evading them is that simple, then maybe Kongou's right about her theory."
"It's not a theory," she said, lifting her chin defiantly. "I'm certain of what I'm saying. When I was still part of the Garden Guardians, my team patrolled every night—several times, actually. We got far too close to abominations on multiple occasions, but we never suffered any casualties. Not because we could handle them with our powers, but because they simply gave up too easily when searching for us. Which makes sense. Again, they aren't technically warriors or hunters. They're just devices in a network."
"And these 'devices' can still annihilate us," Seike shot back, his skepticism undiminished. "Alright, it makes a bit of sense when you think about it. Maybe we've given these things too much credit because of our fear. But… I don't know." His long sigh spoke volumes about his weariness. "So, is this the plan? No special countermeasures, no backup if things go wrong?"
"If things go wrong, no backup plan will save us," Leader remarked, watching as Kongou hesitated, her face once again hidden behind her fan. "She knows that. Everyone here knows that. It seems we're doing this unofficially, so normally this would call for a vote, but…" She paused, turning her attention to Kamijou. "Something tells me you'd help her anyway, even if we voted against it. Which brings us back to the main point."
"What are you getting at?" Kamijou asked, though deep down he already knew the answer.
"Naru's already voiced her opinion, and most of us feel the same. I have no interest in helping some random girl chase vengeance or whatever this is. But we owe you, so I can speak for the group and say we'll follow you if you decide to help her."
"Hey, just to be clear," Naru cut in, "I'm not doing this because of some debt. I just like Kami-kun, that's all."
"Huh?" Kamijou shot a sideways glance at the girl, who was twirling her parasol casually.
"What? You're my new close friend! With you, our super sentai team is finally complete. You can be the one in black. It suits you perfectly."
"Naru, stop changing the subject. We're in the middle of something important here," Leader said firmly, her eyes never leaving Kamijou. "It's now or never, Kamijou Touma. Are we doing this or not?"
Kamijou remained silent. The weight of the decision already felt overwhelming, even before making it. He knew Kongou was right, that there was no way out—this was something that had to be done. But that understanding didn't make the choice any less bitter. He glanced at Seike, who was slowly shaking his head in disapproval. Then at Yakumaru, who seemed lost in some internal calculation. Perhaps she was still trying to come up with a plan to buy him more time, but by now, it was clear they were out of options.
Taking advantage of the pause, Kamijou leaned against a nearby wall, feeling the cold metal seep through his worn jacket. His eyes drifted upward to the makeshift light fixtures. He let his mind wander, even for just a moment, away from the decision looming over him like a storm. His eyes closed briefly, as though one deep breath could lift the weight of the moment. But no relief came. Slowly, he opened them again and returned his gaze to Leader, whose expression was hard to read.
"I understand," he said at last. His voice was rougher than he expected, as if the hesitation had dragged the words out of him. "Let's do this."
It was now or never. The decision had been made, but doubts still clung to him like shadows.
x-5-x
Their walk had already taken more than three hours. At first, it was just the typical destroyed landscape that Kamijou had become used to, but the further north they went, the stranger things became. He knew that his apartment was in an area known as "no man's land", the unofficial territory of the nomads. That day he hadn't seen anything much different from usual, since it was only the beginning of this desolate and forgotten area. It was strange to think that, just a few hundred meters to the north, everything could change so drastically. The place now resembled a toxic swamp. The smell of decay hung thick and sour in the air, mixing with the damp, fresh smell of moss that covered every exposed surface.
"This is your first time seeing no man's land for real, huh?" Yakumaru said, keeping pace beside him. "Your reaction is interesting."
"What happened here?"
"Who knows? Probably some underground experiment that went wrong. After all, this is the land of science… or it used to be. Imagine how much toxic waste is lying around."
The group moved forward slowly, their feet slipping on the makeshift boards forming a precarious path over the stagnant water. Seike held a long stick to test the path ahead, poking the muddy ground before taking another step.
"This part seems solid… I think," he said, his voice heavy with skepticism.
"Ya think? Could you check a bit more carefully?" Yakumaru complained.
"Why don't you come check for yourself? Maybe take a dive while you're at it. Who knows, you might grow a new arm or a second mouth, so you could talk twice as much shit." He stuck out his tongue and grinned.
The rest followed without much complaint. The formation was Kamijou at the back with Yakumaru, Kongou more towards the center with Leader, and finally Seike and Naru at the front.
The further they went north, the more desolate everything seemed. Kamijou focused, balancing himself as he crossed a partially submerged plank. The wood creaked under the weight of his backpack, and he held his breath, hoping it wouldn't give way. After surviving that fragile bridge, he glanced to the side. To the left, a tilted tower rose out of the water like an iceberg, its broken windows now homes for bird colonies. Plants tangled at the top, their roots desperately clinging to the structure.
"It was over there," Kongou said suddenly, remembering something. "The nomads used that building as one of their bases."
"You're not expecting us to go in there, are you?" Leader asked, covering one eye and staring at the night sky. "It's all destroyed. If you needed something from there, you might as well forget it."
"No, it's fine." Kongou sighed loudly and held her fan in front of her face. "I should have everything I need."
Ahead, a wooden bridge awaited them. It was a rudimentary construction, made of planks tied together with rusted cables. Seike hesitated, his eyes fixed on the water below.
"This thing doesn't look like it's gonna hold," he mused. "Naru, you first."
"Got it!"
"Hey, don't just send her ahead like that," Kamijou said, concerned.
"Relax, Kami. Did you forget I can fly? Or at least almost."
Naru was surprisingly useful when it came to reconnaissance. Every now and then, she'd make a big leap and scout the surroundings, looking for safe routes while gliding through the night sky. Leader was also doing the same from the ground with her powers, but she focused more on finding any PBs nearby. This group was extremely well-organized. Kamijou, as usual, felt out of place.
"By the way, you're our ace," Yakumaru commented, as if reading his thoughts. "Be ready for anything."
It seemed like she was just trying to make him feel more comfortable, since they probably wouldn't be caught off guard.
As they advanced, the group encountered the world fighting back more fiercely. There were sections where the planks had been swept away by the current, forcing them to jump between moss-covered pillars. Piles of debris, partially submerged, blocked their path, a mix of twisted iron beams, broken concrete, and rusted chains intertwined like sleeping snakes—likely the remains of an old agricultural building. Kamijou moved slowly and carefully, his eyes flicking between the unstable ground and the group ahead, aware that any slip could result in painful cuts from sharp metal edges or a fall into the murky water below.
"We're almost there," Kongou said, holding a map now. "We better find high ground before dawn."
"Time to use those cables," Yakumaru replied. She pulled something from her backpack and tossed it toward Seike. "You go first."
"Eh? Is this some kind of revenge?"
Seike caught the cable Yakumaru threw, inspecting the equipment with a skeptical look. It was a retractable hook attached to a fine but surprisingly strong line.
"Revenge or not, if this fails, I'll pull you into the water with me," he said with a forced smile, testing the cable's tension before securing it to the belt around his skirt.
"Let's go over there," she pointed to a structure further ahead, its upper floors rising from the water like isolated islands. Its top was covered in moss and young trees, but somehow, it still seemed stable. "We need to set up a small system to ensure we can make a quick escape if necessary."
"Yeah, I know," he grumbled.
"I know you know. I'm explaining it to Kamijou."
"Mm?" Kongou tilted her head slightly. "Ah, yes. I suppose you lack significant field experience, don't you? I recall hearing something about you being in cryogenic sleep, or something of the sort."
"Uh… yeah. It's a long story."
Kamijou preferred to make a dismissive gesture with his hand. Now wasn't the time for lengthy explanations.
Meanwhile, Seike was focusing on the task at hand. He checked the weight of the hook in his hand and, with a quick movement, threw it toward an exposed beam in the building ahead. The sound of metal hitting echoed, and the hook clicked firmly into place. He tested the line, gave it two short tugs, and then nodded.
"Hold your jokes until I get across," Seike called out.
Seike's powers were incredibly useful at that moment. With a swift movement, he began scaling a building, running up its vertical surface as though defying gravity itself. Kamijou watched with involuntary curiosity, trying to understand how it all worked. It wasn't really Seike's powers that intrigued him, but the desperate need to occupy his mind with anything other than his own thoughts.
But distractions didn't last long. His gaze drifted over the landscape, searching for something. Or perhaps someone. Index was somewhere out there. No matter how much he tried to push the thoughts away, they kept resurfacing, laden with doubt and guilt. How was he supposed to handle all of this? Kongou had made an impossible request, and yet here he was, stuck in an emotional dead-end.
"I'm here if you still want to have that talk," Yakumaru said suddenly, breaking the silence with a light, playful elbow jab.
"Hmm... I'm not sure this is the right time."
"No pressure." She shrugged, offering him a carefree smile. "I mean, we might die any minute, but other than that, you can take all the time you want."
Kamijou at least smiled at her attempt to cheer him up. He appreciated her company, even if her words couldn't solve what was bothering him.
"You killed a queen and less than 24 hours later, here we are, following what's basically a suicide plan," Yakumaru said, her eyes shining with curiosity. "Is this how things always go with you?"
"No." He shrugged. "Sometimes things get complicated."
"Heh. Funny. I mean, that was a joke, right?"
He just gave a faint smile in response. Yakumaru made a face, about to say something, but was interrupted by a low beep.
"What was that?" she said, pulling out a communicator from her pocket. "Got it, I'll do my part."
"Is there a problem?" Kamijou asked, watching her put the communicator away and adjust her hat.
"No. It'll just go faster if I help spread out the cables instead of standing here chatting. Words of Leader, not mine." She suddenly looked up. "Hey, Naru. Stop hovering around aimlessly."
"Okay, okay!"
The girl descended with her glider umbrella, which certainly seemed to be defying the laws of physics.
"All clear for now," Naru said after landing. "I'll need those flares."
"Here." Yakumaru handed the familiar device to Naru and turned to Kamijou. "By the way, I should probably give you this."
The object in Yakumaru's hand was some sort of test tube with a transparent liquid inside. At first glance, it seemed ordinary, but there was something intriguing about it—a faint luminescence danced on the surface, as if the liquid itself were alive.
"What's this?" Kamijou asked, eyeing the tube with suspicion.
"Something that might save our lives... or make everything worse, depending on how it's used." Yakumaru gave a crooked smile. "That's why I'm giving it to ya. I have no idea how your powers work exactly, but you're a close combat fighter. This thing's like a smoke grenade. It'll help close the distance, or serve as a distraction. Use it however you see fit."
"Okay, seems useful." Kamijou took the tube, feeling its weight, which seemed heavier than expected for something so small.
"When you're ready to use it, give it a little shake. A quick wrist motion works best. You'll feel it when it's about to go off."
"...Uh, phrasing is still a thing these days?" Kamijou muttered, raising an eyebrow.
"Wow. Real mature of ya," she rolled her eyes playfully.
"Anyway, thanks."
Yakumaru took off, using the hastily set-up cable and zipline system, leaving Kamijou still conflicted behind.
The night wind blew gently, making the leaves of the young trees above flutter. The sound was delicate, almost soothing, but carried with it the damp, earthy scent of decaying vegetation. Kamijou took a deep breath, trying to find some clarity amidst his inner chaos. Deep down, he knew that tranquility was only temporary—the kind of peace that comes just before the storm.
"Maybe I should've had that conversation," he said, then sighed tiredly.
"What conversation, Kami?"
"Huh?"
He had completely forgotten that Naru was right there beside him. As strange as it seemed, she had a peculiar way of making her presence fade into the background—something that didn't seem exclusive to her, but to everyone in their group. Their time on the dark side of the city must have been responsible for that.
"Nothing," he replied disinterestedly.
Naru raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms almost imperceptibly beneath the ragged coat she wore over her maid outfit. There was genuine curiosity in her eyes, but also something more—a stillness, perhaps, as if she was used to dealing with secrets that preferred to remain hidden.
"If it was nothing, you wouldn't be standing here, looking like the weight of the world is on your shoulders," she said, her tone casual but with a hint of firmness that Naru didn't usually show. Her usual playful manner of speaking seemed to have shifted. "I mean, Yakumaru called me down here for a reason, I think."
"Hmm?"
"I've lived with her long enough to predict her intentions. If something's bothering you, you better speak up for her's sake. You can't be friends with someone who keeps hiding things."
Kamijou didn't quite understand what Naru meant, but the seriousness in her voice made him straighten up.
"As I said, it's nothing," he repeated, still uninterested. He thought Naru wasn't the right person for this kind of conversation.
Naru didn't respond immediately. She let the silence do its work—the kind of emptiness that always seemed to coax out even the most reluctant confessions. When Kamijou finally glanced at her, he saw she was still watching him, but without judgment, just waiting.
"Okay, it's about a friend of mine," he said, pausing dramatically. Naru's expression didn't change, but there was a faint glimmer in her eyes that made him continue, as if now that he had made the first move, it was impossible to stop. "She... she's having problems."
"Then help her," Naru replied, almost innocently.
Maybe he was right thinking she wasn't the right person for this kind of talk.
"It's not that simple," he continued, staring at the faint moon hiding behind the clouds. "This friend of mine... she's not the same person I knew." He hesitated to say it, but there weren't many ways to say it without being direct. "She's changed. Maybe my friend is still somewhere inside, and I really want to help her… no, I will help her."
Some resignation began to creep back in. He wouldn't hesitate now.
"One question, Kami," Naru's voice sounded somber. "Has this friend of yours become a threat?"
"A threat?" His voice was weak from the sudden intensity of Naru's words.
"Did she hurt someone? Maybe someone you care about?"
"No." He shook his head vigorously, but almost unconsciously, he added, "Maybe yes."
"Hmm... I understand. So that's the problem." Naru nodded, her eyes turning cold. "If she was your friend and now she's gone off track, it's your job to deal with it."
"Deal with it?" He almost stuttered. That unnatural coldness didn't match the lively girl standing next to him.
"You know what you have to do."
This time, he really stuttered, the words barely able to leave his mouth, until he gave up. She touched his shoulder—a brief gesture, but one filled with meaning.
"I… I don't know if I can do this." He clenched his fists, the knuckles turning white. "She's my friend." Speaking it aloud formed a knot in his throat. "And now, everything… everything is wrong."
"I understand," she said softly. "You've already made your decision, Kami. What's killing you now isn't the choice, it's the fear of what comes after."
"No." He shook his head. "There has to be something I can do. Even though the situation seems so bad, I'm going to keep moving forward in a way that will put a smile on both our faces. That's all that matters in the end."
Naru studied him for a moment, her eyes assessing the almost desperate determination in his voice. Then, she sighed deeply, as if trying to expel some silent ghost lingering around them.
"I know. I know that very well." She paused, taking another deep breath. "You know, I don't like this place. 'No man's land.' It brings back all sorts of bad memories. I made a decision here that earned me my nickname. I think you might have heard someone mention it."
Kamijou frowned, trying to sift through the more distant corners of his memory, but everything felt like a vague, indistinct fog. He knew there was something. A whisper, a story shared among others. But in that moment, the words didn't come. The mental and emotional exhaustion felt like a thick curtain blocking his thoughts.
"Actually... I don't remember," he admitted finally, shaking his head in denial. It was better to be honest than to invent something empty.
Naru chuckled, but the sound had no humor; it was more of a short, bitter exhalation, as if she had expected that answer.
"Doesn't surprise me. Stories always get lost among more urgent ones, don't they? And... I hope you never have to remember. Some things are better forgotten."
Silence fell between them again, as heavy as the air saturated with the smells of rust and decay.
"But what I want to say is…" Naru's voice cut through the silence like a blade, firm and heavy with meaning. When she finally lifted her gaze, her eyes shone with an almost suffocating intensity, as piercing as a dagger about to find its target. "You're strong. And strong people have to bear the burden of making the hardest decisions. You know why?"
She paused, but Kamijou remained silent, unable to respond or perhaps lacking the courage to face the truth he knew was coming.
"Because when someone refuses to make a decision," she continued, each word falling like a hammer, "that responsibility doesn't just disappear. It falls onto someone else's shoulders. And often, that person is weaker, less prepared... and they get crushed by a weight that should never have been theirs." Naru stepped forward, her tone growing even sharper. "It's at that moment that those who claim to be strong show what they really are: not leaders, not heroes. Just cowards who preferred to turn their face away rather than face the consequences."
The words hung in the air like a sentence, relentless and impossible to ignore. Kamijou felt the impact of them in his chest, a mix of shame and indignation burning inside him. Naru didn't need to shout; every syllable carried a force that made his heart beat faster, the urgency of his choices growing like a storm about to explode.
"But you're not like that," she said quickly. "You're not, are you, Kami?"
"I'm not sure that's the answer." His fist clenched at that moment. This definitely wasn't the kind of conversation he'd expected to have with her. "Don't you remember what I told you that day? Back in the furnace?"
"I remember. And maybe you're right. But... take a look around, Kami." She raised her arms, the crumbling landscape stretching behind her like an ever-present omen. "Does this look like a gentle world to you?" She stepped closer to him, making him swallow hard. Her index finger landed on the left side of his chest. "The strongest people are the ones who can freeze their hearts when necessary."
Kamijou held her gaze, but it was like staring into an abyss; the intensity coming from Naru at that moment seemed to swallow him whole. He felt the tip of her finger against his chest, almost as if it were heavier than it really was, every word of hers sinking deep into him.
But then… she simply smiled.
"Just... don't forget to find a reason to smile afterward." Her smile was so pure that it caught him off guard. All the warmth and lightheartedness she usually exuded came back in an instant. "Isn't that what we always do?"
x-6-x
The group was now all gathered at the top of one of the buildings sunken in mud and dirt. The network of zip lines and cables was complete, weaving like an improvised web between the ruins of the city. It was precarious, hastily put together, but it was all they had. The wind blew strongly at that height, whistling through the cables and making them sway slightly.
Yakumaru was at the center, adjusting the safety carabiners as if her life depended on it. And it certainly did.
"This is it," she said, looking up at the others. "The path is ready. From here, we have a direct line to the other side. But it's going to be quick or lethal. No room for mistakes."
Naru was sitting on the edge of the roof, her legs swinging in the air as if she weren't dozens of meters above the ground.
"Lethal is the keyword here," she murmured, looking at the cables. "Extreme sports are my favorite."
Kamijou stood a little behind, observing the scene. He gripped one of the cables tightly, the cold metal against his sweaty skin. As much as he wanted to focus on the task ahead, his mind was still stuck on the conversation with Naru moments ago. Her words echoed in his head, mixing with the sound of the wind and the scraping metal as Yakumaru made the final adjustments.
At that moment, the soft light of morning began to break over the horizon, tinting the sky with shades of gold and red.
"It's coming," Kongou said suddenly, her tired eyes fixed on the horizon. "I wanted to contact Wannai and Awatsuki before... but maybe it's better to keep them in the dark. There's no time for doubts now."
She took a deep breath, then her gaze swept across the group gathered around. When she spoke again, her voice gained intensity, like a flame growing.
"Listen to me carefully. There's no turning back now. I know this all seems crazy. Maybe it is crazy. But here, now, is our chance to do something that truly matters." Kongou raised her hand, letting the first rays of light touch her palm. "These things have taken everything from us. They're tireless, unrelenting, and they never end. But we need to be stronger than they are. More than just victims. If we fail today, we'll be just more bodies scattered across a foundation that maybe one day will bring something better. But..." Her eyes shone, full of fierce certainty. "We won't fail."
With firm steps, Kongou approached the edge of the building. The desolate city stretched out before her, while the dawn began to spread its light over the ruin. She raised her chin, facing the horizon as though she already saw the battle ahead.
"We humans don't belong to the night," she extended her arms as if welcoming the sunrise, letting the rays illuminate her face. "We live in the dark because we have no choice. But that ends today. Today... we will take back the dawn for humankind, to whom it belongs." Her gaze passed over all of them one last time. "Today is the day the White Queen dies."
Because everything that lives... eventually dies. It wasn't that girl who made the rules.
Hey, I'm back. It's almost the end of the year, how quickly time passes. I didn't write as many chapters for this story this year as I had originally planned, it's a shame.
This is the last chapter of the year, so I wanted it to be longer than average. I hope you enjoyed it. A lot about Kongou's situation hasn't been explained, but the next few chapters will focus a little more on her.
The world-building of this story is fun to write. And complicated at the same time. The setting we're used to is still the same, but everything seems so different, doesn't it?
Let's look at your reviews:
Sparity Ikari : Always happy to see you here. Glad you enjoyed the new revelations. Reading everything you said about Kongou, now I feel bad that the girl has basically only suffered since she debuted here. Maybe one day I'll write something between these two in a less bleak scenario. Thanks for reading.
Dasgun: :)
Nunca Losabras1: It's good to hear. This is definitely not an abandoned project, I'm just having a few problems. Did you like the new chapter?
Trjz: I hope it was satisfactory. I thank you for reading this story for so long.
5had0wHand : I confess that I had half a mind to try to implement some things from the last two volumes, but now I'm undecided. Yes, Touma is becoming popular. That's definitely a good thing, isn't it? Kind of. No big twist in this one, you can sleep well now LOL.
Guest: Good to know. We'll have more moments between the two of them in the future, both serious and funny.
Amad0: I'm always happy to hear you're enjoying it. Accel is abandoning his Tsundere side a bit here, lol. The reunion scene between Touma and Misaki has already gone through about three revisions in my notes. Now the scene is basically identical to what I originally planned, better not to make it too complicated, eh? We had a bit of a revelation of who Kongou works with, or almost. We'll find out more about her story in the next few chapters. Thank you for your concern. I kind of got worse, but I got better again. Now I'm feeling great.
BlueJack22: I'm sorry for not being as consistent in my updates, and good to hear that you enjoyed this meeting.
Naedinefebruary2.0: I'm not interested in something like that right now.
Guest: Yakumaru is kind of the main girl. Naru too, but Ya-kun has more screen time. We'll see more developments between these two, but that's not really the focus.
See you next time!
By the way, this story is more than a year old. Time passes too quickly. I hope to see you here for another year or so. Happy holidays! And that's it. NioMoon leaving.