(A new fate and the continuation of things to come. Let us see what happens next for the man called the Continuum Error)

Bold = English Conversations

Bold Italics = Japanese Conversations

Fate 39

Sora Minakaze did not know how to react to the person in front of him. Here he was, sitting on a parking bench in his hometown of Otsu thinking about his first move and now he was getting talked to by a flamboyantly dressed person named Amane Nishiki. This was his first time meeting this person and he was surprised by the fact that this person knew him by the Continuum Error and was talking to him directly. He did not know if he should react a certain way but this new person was not behaving in a hostile manner so maybe having a normal conversation is possible in this case.

"An interview?.." Sora questioned as this was the nature of the conversation that the two was having at that moment. "Why an interview of all things? And who are you exactly Amane Nishiki?" Sora questioned further as he realized that it's important for him to establish just how much of a friend he was going to be in this case. "Oh… Just a person who is interested in the dance your life has created so far and where it shall lead at the end." Amane explained as this only further made Sora confused.

"Ummmmm… The dance of my life?" Sora simply said as he was not being rude in this case, just straight up confused by what Amane means by his choice of words. Amane couldn't help but be intrigued by the reaction as this person in front of him was indeed not a normal human being. "I must say, it is my first time seeing a Black Beast take the form of a human being, a truly one in a million experience one can say." Amane explained as Sora once again tensed himself upon hearing that statement.

"How on Earth do you…" "Ahhh, such information cannot be hidden from my eyes dearie. But if you are so curious, it's because I was granted that information by a being that you are all too familiar with." The moment Amane gave his answer, Sora couldn't help but feel a sense of wariness take over him as he did not know how to feel about the person in front of him. It was clear he was not hostile to him in any manner but the fact that he's associated with the Master Unit of all people made him feel extremely uneasy.

"If you are wondering if I plan to hamper you in any manner fear not, I am merely here to act as an impartial viewer of future events." Amane said as Sora was simply confused by this statement. "Wait… you are someone picked by the Master Unit… and you are going to do nothing about me?" Sora questioned, deeply confused as Amane couldn't help but be amused by the confusion that was growing on Sora's face at that moment, wanting questions to answers that were clearly not being given to him.

"If you wish for answers, you must answer my own burning questions. But I must warn you, my position of impartiality means that I must not overstep the boundaries of what I can say." Amane explained as Sora couldn't help but feel confused upon hearing that statement but decided against thinking any further about it. "Let us start from the beginning. Your name is Sora Minakaze correct? And this is the city where you have come to call your home no?" Amane questioned as Sora took a deep breath, realizing that if he wanted answers for his burning questions, he was going to have to answer some questions from Amane Nishiki.

"Yes, my name's Sora Minakaze and Otsu's the place that I call home." Sora said, answering the first of what he felt was going to be a series of questions from this new mysterious person. "I see… tell me, do you think that the life you have lived so far has been a fruitful one for you?" Amane questioned as Sora was even more puzzled by this question. "More fruitful… you got to be specific about that because right now my life ain't really all frutiful with a god wanting to erase my existence from the world what feels like every waking moment and the people around me that I care for often getting hurt in the process." Sora explained, Amane keeping his smile.

"True, your life has truly been one giant roller coaster but at the same time I must ask, don't you think that such actions have given your life the color it deserves? Or in this case, been fruitful for your life experience?" Amane phrased as Sora now could understand better what he was trying to convey. "Well… at first not really because let's be real, nobody wants to ever be told their life means nothing and get erased as a result but now… Now that I am able to learn more about myself in the process and what everything around me means, I guess you can say that my life has become more fruitful in the process." Sora said, instinctively touching the Rev Arm as he said those words as Amane's eyes couldn't help but continue to stare at him.

"Truly fascinating. Are you one of those glass half full types of people?" Amane questioned as Sora wondered where this question was going but instead of asking Amane to go straight to the point, he instead answer the question truthfully. "I don't really know what glasses being half or full have to do with me but I would like to think that not all situations are bad." Sora explained as he soon felt Amane's gaze intensify on him.

"Hmmmmm… you are not as cute as my cutie pie but I can definitely see why you would have the interests of people. You truly have learned the art of patience." Amane said, surprising Sora as he wondered if Amane had noticed that Sora was starting to feel a bit impatient over what felt like a series of random questions being bombarded to him. "I do apologize for my questioning. I understand that they have appeared rather bizarre to you." Amane explained, Sora simply nodding his head upon hearing that statement.

"It's less bizarre and more jarring how you go from different vibes of questions. You are asking me about myself and my life and then you suddenly hit me with metaphors. I am starting to worry that you don't know how to ask questions and you are just bombarding me with random things to question me about like it's some questionnaire." Sora explained as Sora couldn't help but be blunt about what he wanted to say. He wondered if that would be enough to make Amane pick a fight with him but much to his surprise, Amane simply laughed a bit before relaxing his shoulders.

"I deeply apologize. While it seems like my questions are random in nature, it is my personal belief that everything about a person is what makes them fit for the stage. Whether that is to be the main actor or a side character. You are clearly a side character in the grand stage that is the world with several stage directors trying to push you out of the stage but yet you refuse. Why is that?" Amane said as Sora couldn't help but be caught off guard by the kind of question he was being asked at that moment. Scratching his head, he was unsure how he should respond at first until he realized that he needed to calmly rationalize what Amane was saying to him at that moment.

"… because the scripts that these directors present to me are not the endings I desire. I do not care for my role in the world but what I do care for is an ending that satisfies me." Sora responded, surprising Amane for he spoke in a manner that he did not expect someone dressed as shabbily as he did would say. "I may not have a flair for the arts but I read stories and the stories I desire are not those where the person is left unsatisfied and people hope they learn a lesson but instead a story where they can be given a chance to be happy even if their situation doesn't improve. That is all I ask from these directors but they think otherwise." Sora continued as Amane couldn't help but be deeply impressed.

"So if one were to present you with a script that you would be happy with, would you gladly accept such a proposition?" Amane questioned. "… Nay for thou needth to understand that my desire doesn't lie in pen and paper, but in spirit. And my own spirit is hardest to capture." Sora's response couldn't help but make Amane clap for how masterful it was. "You may not look like it, but you truly have the flair for the arts." Amane complimented as Sora could sense that this was genuine praise and not Amane questioning him.

" Well, I wanted to learn a lot about the world a few years ago and one of the first few things I tried was the arts. While it wasn't for me, I couldn't help but learn how to express myself from there." Sora said, making Amane smile at the answer. "But alas, enough of the theatrics. Is that why you are currently in possession of an Azure right now? For your wish?" As soon as Amane mentioned the Azure, Sora couldn't help but subconsciously pull out the half broken blue orb in his pocket and stare at it for a bit.

"With the Azure your wish can be granted no? You can wish for a place in the world and it is not like whoever is granting it would deny such a wish in the first place." Amane said as Sora knew this was a test from the man to see if he knew or not as Sora shook his head. "Unfortunately it's not as simple as that right now. Even if my wish is to simply exist, that would be seen as a wish opposing the master unit's will. I am not supposed to exist in the first place so the Master Unit would do everything to ensure that I remain erased." Sora said as Amane nodded his head at that.

"So where will you go now? What are you currently seeking in this country of criminals." Amane questioned, returning back to his series of questions that Sora needed to answer. "Well… I am seeking a couple of people that I am familiar with to know what is going on and hopefully convince them not to go after the person responsible for blocking their wishes." Sora explained as Amane nodded his head upon hearing that.

"And how will you do so? Have a nice conversation? Through more… brutish methods?" Amane questioned as Sora couldn't help but feel a bit uncomfortable with the questions and while he would like to answer the question right away, a thought came rushing through his mind. "Can I ask why you wish to know what's going to be my approach? Is this your way of gauging the way I approach things or something else?" Sora questioned as he couldn't help but wonder what was going on in the mind of the man.

"Oh I am simply curious as to how you choose to approach such a situation. Most people would choose one option or the other." Amane explained as Sora couldn't believe he was asking all of this out of curiosity. "Well, I plan on asking them but I know them well enough that they will not submit to my words easily. They all have legitimate reasons for wanting to have their wishes granted." Sora explained as Amane nodded his head upon hearing that.

"But at the same time, going for violence right away is disrespectful for them. They deserve the chance to voice their own desires to me and when I listen to them, I will still fight them but this time taking their desires to my heart, keeping their wishes with my own." Sora said as Amane was surprised by the response that Sora gave him. He spoke with eloquence but at the same time he didn't try to pretty his words with reasons. He knew himself that he was wrong for standing in the way of people's wishes and instead decided to respectfully take those wishes for himself.

"I see… Then what will be your goal after doing what you said?" Amane questioned as Sora wondered where this question was going to go. "After this? I plan to go and find my friend to make sure she is safe. When I managed to get her safely, I will go and meet back with my girlfriend and we will discuss things there." Sora explained, knowing that while he was explaining his plans to a stranger, he could sense that this man was not really interested in whatever he was going to next or rather, he was going to stay out of the way of such matters.

Amane: Are you sure you should be so easily conveying your intentions towards me?

Sora: What are you talking about?

Amane: I have just appeared in front of you and I am asking you questions. I even let you know of my connection with your greatest enemy. How can you be certain that what I say will not be leaked towards your enemies

Sora:… I guess it's because I am going by a feeling in my gut?

Amane: A feeling in your gut?

Sora: What you are saying is correct and yes, I am still unsure how to feel about the master unit after all this time. She's god so it's unfair to say that she's doing all of this for unjust reasons… but at the same time it's my life she was messing with so I have all the more reason to not forgive them as easily.

"And if I can be blunt, I think you are not really my enemy in this case… more like someone who is just watching along for the ride." As soon as Sora explained his feelings towards Amane, Amane couldn't help but open his fan to conceal the smile that was growing on his face. The layers of emotional depth being shown in front of him, it was like watching a flower that was getting ready to bloom in front of him as he could not believe that this kind of growth could be seen from a Black Beast learning to become human.

"Indeed you are correct about the watching along for the ride part. For you see I am an onlooker for the Azure." Amane said, surprising Sora with what he had said. "An...onlooker?" Sora questioned as Amane smiled. "You must know what a historian is correct?" "Of course, a historian is a person who handles aspects of the past, making sure that they are documented for future generations to know and remember by. They aren't always accurate but as long as it's a part of the past, a historian's job is to preserve and interpret what the people of the past did."

"Truly a textbook example if I have ever heard one." Amane said, praising Sora as he knew to get to the point at that moment. "If a historian is what preserves our past, tell me, who is the one in charge of recording the world's history?" Amane questioned as this one confused Sora. "The world's history? What do you mean by that?" Sora questioned, curious as to what that entailed. "If historians are in charge of the past, then who is in charge of making sure that today is being recorded." Amane rephrased and Sora understood at that moment. Unfortunately he was unsure how to feel about the question and thus decided to shake his head upon hearing that.

"Documentarians but I don't know if that is an actual job that exists in reality." Sora said as Amane couldn't help but close his fan in a dramatic flair. "Hmmmm. That is a rather unique way of putting my job in perspective but that is not exactly it." Amane explained as Sora couldn't help but tilt his head in curiosity. "My role in this world can be seen as more of an audience member watching a stage play." Amane said as Sora couldn't help but wonder why Amane was returning to explaining stuff with theater.

"Right now, the thing that is happening around the world right now can be described as the stage performance being put up right now. I as the loyal audience gets to see what is happening right now for the very first time." Amane explained as Sora rubbed his hands on his face processing what he had just heard. "So your role in this world… is to simply watch what happens without being biased?" Sora said as Amane's smile grew as he approached him.

"Indeed. That is my role as Onlooker. To watch the world and do nothing about it. To be the impartial party to everyone in the world." Amane explained as Sora immediately sensed the power that was emitting from Amane. "And I do have the power just in case the actors decide to try and attack me." Amane clarified. Sora knew at that moment he did not want to get into a fight with Amane no matter what.

"So why not intervene against me? Aren't I messing with the script and actors the play is making right now? You said you were not my enemy but from what I have done, I have pretty much ruined the script the world wanted." Sora said as he felt it was better to say this instead of keeping quiet. Amane tapped the fan on his chin, walking around to give his thoughts more weight. A smile then grew on his face as he figured out his answer for Sora. "Why it's because you have changed the very script of the world itself." Amane said.

"Isn't that supposed to be a bad thing for someone watching in the audience like yourself? A moment that is off the script." Sora said, questioning Amane's happiness of the situation. "You call it off the script, I see it as a wonderful improvisation." Amane replied as Sora couldn't help but be even more confused, deciding that standing at this moment was better than sitting down. "The stage that is the timelines the master unit creates all have their unique intricacies and beauties about them but the one that you are in is especially unique. It's a script not crafted by the Master Unit but one you are unintentionally writing." Amane explained as Sora couldn't help but feel confused.

"It simply means that your story has yet to be finished. All the other timelines have a certain ending that the Master Unit, Amaterasu wants. Yours meanwhile is a story of many possible endings that she cannot choose. I simply cannot help but be amazed by what your defiance has brought." Amane said as Sora couldn't help but feel slightly uncomfortable with the way Amane spoke. "So you see the various timelines as movies and you are going to do nothing about changing them?" Sora questioned.

"That is what costed the previous onlooker her position. She was simply not content being a backstage audience member and directly intervened in events. While yes it was thanks to her that the timeline was able to proceed past a certain date but she continued to meddle with the flow of events to a disagreeable point." Amane explained as Sora was beginning to understand why Amane had the thought process he did.

"So it's not because you cannot change things… you choose not to do anything about it." Sora said as Amane smiled. "Thus my role as an onlooker." "… At least it's good to know that you are not my enemy in any way." Sora said as he sat back down, breathing a sigh of relief as Amane smiled. "Indeed. I can be considered your hidden blessing." Amane said as he sat down next to Sora. "That being said, I will not hesitate to take action against you should you try to tamper with the world in a way that ruins it." Amane threatened as Sora looked at him at that moment, instinctively ready to shoot at him.

"But that is something you never need to worry about. I simply do not think that there is anything you can do that would be worth my intervention. In fact, if you could do such a thing, I would be more amazed than horrified." Amane said as Sora simply did not know how to feel at this point. The mental backlash he was getting from Amane Nishiki would have been enough to give most people a headache that they can never forget.

"You know… you are really are a man who marches to their own beat." Sora said as Amane took that as a compliment and simply gave him a bow before him. "Is that all the questions you want to ask me?" Sora questioned as Amane smiled. "I do have one last question if you do not mind." Amane questioned as Sora could feel his sense of impatience kick in but relented in snapping at him. "Well then ask away, time is not my friend." Sora said, feeling that one last question would not hurt him based on the range of questions he has been getting.

"Would you choose to burn this world if Makoto Nanaya were to be erased." As soon as Amane said those words, he could feel for a brief moment his blood simply go cold. "Is that a threat?.." Sora questioned, a piercing glare directed towards Amane Nishiki at that moment. Amane knew he could easily overpower the man with his overwhelming power yet at the same time it seemed to not be as simple as he was thinking at that moment.

"Of course not. It's just that woman of immense spunk has caused a lot of trouble that the Master Unit is glad that she formed a contract with you. When the world is reformed, she will not exist in the new timeline and thus new possibilities would be born." Amane explained as Sora couldn't help but audibly tick upon hearing that statement. "New possibilities? Don't give me that shit it's just the master unit wanting an excuse to get rid of her permanently." Sora said as Amane sighed upon hearing that.

"While I cannot determine what the master unit may be truly thinking, it is true that the removal of an existence is enough to open different possibilities to the world. Surely you must be aware of the fact that a possibility must exist where Makoto Nanaya was never born." Amane said as Sora couldn't argue against the logic being presented to him. While he was not sure if the timeline he had found himself in was the original timeline was not born in, the fact exists that Makoto herself was considered an existence not important to the greater picture of things.

"It doesn't matter what some god thinks. Makoto is the most important person for me. I will never forgive anybody who tries to pull her away from me. Even if it means becoming a monster, I will fight for her existence." Sora said, his voice not shaking as Amane couldn't help but smile at the aura this man was producing. "Then by all means, fight for her. Prove to both the world and me that she deserves to remain an actor like you do." Amane said as Sora couldn't help but feel like that was a compliment being directed towards him.

"You know… you are the king...queen...emperor...empress… you are very good at sending mixed messages." Sora said as he was not sure about Amane's gender and did not want to make presumptions about it. "Oh don't worry. As a stage actor I am very flexible with what gender role I am given." Amane said, furthering Sora's confusion as he shook his head, realizing that he was getting distracted by this side tangent that had nothing to do with the greater goal ahead of him.

"In any case, since you are making it clear that you are not going to intervene in any way, I am going to leave now to find the Otsu four and convince them to let me handle things." Sora said, standing up and get himself ready to leave. "Ah, before you go, if you would listen to one last thing I have to say to you." Amane said as Sora took a sharp inhale before exhaling. Sora turned around at that moment and simply focused his gaze towards Amane, not saying a word but offering Amane the chance to say his peace and leave him at that moment.

"If you would be fine with it, would you be amicable to allow me to see your journey until it's planned conclusion?" Amane requested, bowing respectfully before him as Sora thought about Amane's request. There was no reason to accept his request but there was also no reason for him to reject it. This was simply going to be a request where it's all based on his feeling about the man rather than any tactical

"And why do you want to see the journey of someone called the Continuum Error? Is it because you think you will be entertained by what you see or are you just bored of everyone else?" Sora questioned, his choice of words amusing Amane. "Why not both? I have only a select few individuals that I have an interest in and you are one of those people. Do you now feel honored knowing that?" Amane questioned as Sora scratched his head, unsure how to feel about Amane and his choice of words.

"I don't know if your choice of words are simply honey to my ears or you truly mean what you say. But if you want to watch and don't want to intervene in what happens next, I will allow you to do so. Just don't blame me for not liking what you see next." Sora explained. "But if you do decide to try and stop me or even try to go after Makoto, I will make sure you regret ever deciding to look at me with the eyes of curiosity you have right now." Sora said as Amane could feel a gaze that made them feel the chills on their spine increase.

"That I will most dutifully note." Amane said as he stood up and faced Sora once again. "For now, I shall take my leave. It has been a pleasure to talk to you and I hope your next meeting will be fruitful." Amane said. "Yeah. The next time we meet…" as Sora said those words he had his eyes closed. When he opened them mid sentence, he couldn't help but stop as he saw that Amane Nishiki had somehow vanished from his eyes. The fact that he did not sense the disappearance of the man freaked him a little.

Was this Amane giving Sora a demonstration of his power? Showing to him how easily that he could have ended Sora and instead chose to have a pleasant conversation with him? Sora shook his head as he did not want to overthink about it as he sat back down and took a deep breath. His gaze returned towards the broken blue sphere of the Azure as he could not help but think about what Amane had told him.

"Just what is with that person…" Sora said to himself. "An Onlooker...and not to mention that they wants to keep on watching my journey? And I still don't really know what gender they are." Sora continued as he couldn't help but allow himself to wonder for a little bit before realizing that he was getting distracted, slapping himself in the face. "Come on Sora, you got to focus here. The onlooker guy being interested in you should be the last thing you should be thinking about." Sora said as he focused on his main goal which was to see the Otsu Four.

As he started to walk towards the direction of where he thought the Otsu Four would be, a group of people walked in front of him, their features caught him by surprise as he instinctively slinked into an alleyway. "Come on Neko! Pikaka's going to kill us if we don't get this stuff to her!" A man said as Sora slowly leaned his head out of the alleyway, allowing him to look at the people that ran past him.

"I know I know Derrick! Just get off my back!" The woman, a cat beastkin said as Sora stared at the man and woman running towards the direction of the Midnight cat. Sora was not sure whether the two people he first knew were real or just images created by the Master Unit in the embryo but the fact that he was seeing those two in front of his eyes for the first time since he got into this mess made him almost tear up. As he felt a wave of emotions within him, the azure glowed in his hand, prompting him to take a look at it.

"The Azure...is glowing?" Sora said to himself as he couldn't help but hold it towards the sky, letting it shine briefly as he felt a warmth emit out of it. He closed his eyes once again before focusing his gaze towards the Otsu Four. "Wait for me Derrick, Neko, Pikaka. I promise to pay a visit to the Midnight Cat when all of this is over." Sora said, making that promise to himself as he began to run towards the opposite direction.

...Now determined to make sure that he grabs his happy ending with his two hands…

GREETINGS LOST SHEEP OF FANFICTION!? HOW ARE YOU ALL DOING ON THIS FINE DAY!? I hope you all do not mind these later posts from me. I sometimes forget that February is shorter than most months. It makes me wonder if it would be possible for us to have February be the same amount of days as the other months. Regardless, it will not slow down my the scheduled releases for these chapters for you all to read.

SO WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT!? WILL SORA SUCCEED WITH HIS NEGOTIATION AGAINST THE OTSU FOUR!? WILL THE OTSU FOUR LISTEN TO HIS WORDS AND AGREE OR WILL THEY CHOOSE TO FIGHT AGAINST HIM TO GET A CHANCE AT THEIR OWN WISHES!? AND WHAT WILL AMANE NISHIKI SEE AT THE END OF SORA'S JOURNEY!? ALL THIS AND MORE WHEN FATE RETURNS...