Saturday 31 May 1999
Zaboru had just come back from London late last night. After quickly resting and spending a short but precious time with his family, he found himself awake early again. Now, on a quiet Saturday morning, he was riding his Silver Wrecker, his trusty bicycle steed, toward ZAGE Tower. The cool morning air brushed against his face, and in one hand he held a warm taiyaki he had bought along the way. Being back in Japan filled him with a comfort he hadn't realized he missed so deeply.
"Damn… I really missed this," Zaboru muttered with a satisfied sigh. "London food is just so… tasteless." He immediately pushed away the memories of his food experiences in London. After personally tasting the infamous reputation of "bad British food," he finally understood why it was joked about so often. Now, back in Japan, everything tasted right again—the balance, the warmth, the care put into even simple street food.
With renewed energy, Zaboru continued on his way. As he rode through familiar streets, something else caught his attention. Several video game stores already had people lining up in front of them, even though the shutters were still closed. The sight made him slow down slightly, curiosity turning into quiet excitement. Of course—today was the release day for ZAGE's May lineup.
Three titles were launching simultaneously: ZAN: The Cowboy Samurai, Dragon Quest V, and Hitman: Agent 47. Seeing players willingly line up so early in the morning stirred something warm in his chest. Zaboru couldn't help but grin.
"Hehehe… I really hope they sell well," he said softly, pedaling onward with a satisfied smile.
And so Zaboru continued riding through the familiar streets until he stopped by his usual gyoza shop. The moment he parked his bicycle, the comforting smell hit him, and without hesitation he bought far more gyoza than he originally planned—today, he wanted to feast properly. The vendor greeted him warmly, already used to seeing him around, and Zaboru left with several neatly packed boxes, clearly in a great mood.
Not long after that, he arrived at ZAGE Tower. The weekend security staff immediately noticed him, their faces lighting up as they smiled and greeted him. Zaboru returned the greeting just as cheerfully. Without much thought, he handed them a few packs of gyoza along with some cash. "Here," he said casually, "for snacks—and grab yourselves some drinks too."
The four guards on weekend duty grinned widely, clearly surprised by the gesture. Zaboru had given them around 10,000 yen in total—more than enough for drinks and extra food. Small moments like this were why the staff respected him so much. To them, Zaboru wasn't just the head of ZAGE—he was someone who genuinely remembered the people working around him.
Then Zaboru went up to the 51st floor, his private workshop inside ZAGE Tower, and a genuine smile spread across his face the moment he stepped inside. The room was still perfectly tidy, exactly the way he liked it. From the faint scent in the air to the neatly arranged tools and documents, it was obvious that his wife, Ayumi, had been cleaning the place herself. Zaboru never allowed his secretary or any cleaning staff to enter this floor—there were simply too many secrets here, things meant for him alone.
"Hah… home sweet home," Zaboru muttered softly, his voice filled with relief.
He walked deeper into the workshop, appreciating the quiet and the familiar atmosphere, then quickly sat down in his chair and leaned back. Sunlight poured in through the wide windows, offering a clear view of the city below—a sight he had sorely missed. As he casually ate his gyoza, savoring every bite, he allowed himself a rare moment of calm before starting his work for the day.
But just as his shoulders relaxed, something felt… off.
Zaboru froze slightly, his expression shifting from comfort to confusion.
He was no longer alone.
"Huh?" Zaboru froze as his newest ability—Living Scan—suddenly activated on its own. A wave of unfamiliar feedback rushed through his senses, clearly indicating that someone else was inside the room. Not just nearby—but directly in front of him.
Zaboru swallowed hard. "Don't tell me it's a ghost…" he muttered under his breath. He felt a flicker of nervousness, though not outright fear. Curiosity outweighed panic. Slowly, he closed his eyes and deliberately amplified the Living Scan, narrowing its coverage until it focused only on the immediate space around him.
The sensation sharpened. The vague presence became clearer, denser. An outline began to form in his perception, like a silhouette emerging through thick fog. Then came sound—not through his ears, but directly inside his mind.
"Where have you been for the past couple of months, man… damn, I actually missed him. Oh—wait, right. He can't hear me," the voice rambled. "And damn! Those gyoza look hella tasty! DAMN! But as a ghost, I can't eat gyoza… aghhh, this is torture!"
Zaboru's eyes snapped open.
Floating in front of him was a faint, shimmering figure—humanoid in shape, unmistakably spirit-like. With his new ability fully engaged, Zaboru could not only sense its presence, but clearly hear its thoughts as well. Realization dawned on him, and cautiously, he prepared to respond—testing whether this strange presence could hear him too.
"Huh? Who are you?" Zaboru asked carefully, his eyes fixed on the floating silhouette. "Are you a cursed spirit?"
The spirit jolted in surprise. "Huh? Is he talking to his phone?" it muttered in disbelief. "That's weird… or—wait. Did he actually notice me? No way, right?"
Zaboru narrowed his eyes slightly, confidence growing as the Living Scan confirmed the presence again and again. "I noticed you," he said calmly. "You're right there, Spirit-san."
The figure froze midair.
"What—wait—seriously?" the spirit blurted out, completely flabbergasted now. "You can hear me? You can see me? How? For all these years, you couldn't even feel my presence!"
Zaboru tilted his head, thinking. "Hmm… I don't really know myself," he admitted honestly. "Maybe something strange happened to me recently."
His thoughts raced inward. He clearly remembered that he never had Living Scan before. Whatever this new ability was, it had crossed a boundary he hadn't expected—one that let him perceive things that were never meant to be seen.
The spirit hovered closer, still in shock, its voice lowering. "So that means… I'm not invisible to you anymore?"
Zaboru met its gaze steadily. "Looks like it," he replied. "And judging from your reaction… you've been here longer than I realized."
"You must be wondering who I am… right?" the spirit said after a brief pause. "Well, actually—I'm you."
Zaboru's eyes widened in disbelief. "What do you mean… you're me?" he asked slowly, every word heavy with confusion.
The spirit's expression softened. "More accurately," it replied gently, "I'm the original soul of the body you're using right now… Zaboru." It drifted a little closer, its form flickering faintly. "My name is Zaboru Renkonan—or at least, what remains of him."
The spirit let out a quiet breath. "Most of my soul has already merged with yours. What you're seeing now is just a small fragment—the last bit of my consciousness that didn't fully dissolve. I've been here the whole time, watching… ever since 1991."
There was no accusation in its voice. No anger. Only calm acceptance, and something that sounded almost like relief.
Zaboru was completely taken aback. This wasn't just a random spirit—it was a fragment of this world's Zaboru, standing right in front of him. His mind went blank, words failing him for the first time in a long while.
"I… I don't know what to say," Zaboru finally muttered, his voice unsteady. "I'm sorry. I… I feel like I invaded your body."
The ghost burst into laughter, the sound light and free, completely devoid of resentment. "Invaded my body?" it said with a wide smile. "No, no—nothing like that. We didn't invade anything. We merged. You and I are both Zaboru now."
It floated lazily in the air, crossing its arms. "Like I said before, I'm just a fragment. In this world, Zaboru has an ability called Soul Fragment—the ability to split off parts of his soul, each carrying its own consciousness and personality."
The spirit scratched its head sheepishly. "Honestly, I didn't even know I had that ability when I was still fully you. Maybe it was inherited from Dad? Or maybe it only awakened under special circumstances."
Zaboru listened carefully, then nodded in understanding. So the original Zaboru had always possessed that kind of latent power. That explained far more than he was comfortable admitting.
"…Calling you Zaboru is kind of confusing," he said after a moment. "How about I call you Zaborn instead? You know—for Zaboru Renkonan."
The ghost considered it briefly, then nodded with an amused grin. "Fair enough," it said. "Zaborn it is."
Zaboru took a slow breath before speaking. "So, Zaborn… you already knew about my reincarnation?"
Zaborn nodded gently, his expression thoughtful. "Yes. At first, it was honestly a terrifying experience—living as a ghost, watching everything without being able to interact. I was confused, scared, and didn't understand what had happened to me."
He paused, then smiled faintly. "But after we merged, I started to see what you were doing. You created things I never could have imagined. An insane company like ZAGE… changing the industry, changing lives."
Zaborn's voice softened. "You gave our parents—no, our parents—a far better life than I ever dreamed of. For that, I'm truly grateful."
He looked down at his own translucent hands. "And yet, even without regrets, I couldn't pass on. I didn't understand why. Then, when you built ZAGE Tower, something changed. I became stronger."
"At first," Zaborn continued, "I could barely wander around our neighborhood. Then slowly, I could move farther and farther. Now, I can travel across all of Japan freely." He shook his head slightly. "But no matter what, I still can't leave the country. It's like there's an invisible boundary holding me here."
Zaboru let out a slow sigh and asked quietly, "So… you're all alone this whole time? No one to talk to?"
Zaborn flickered slightly, his form wavering as if reacting to the weight of the question. "No… not really," he answered after a short pause. "Well—Mom can talk to me, though."
Zaboru stiffened in surprise, but Zaborn continued before he could interrupt. "Her family comes from an ancient Onmyōji lineage in Japan. That's why our bloodline is… well, kind of overpowered," he said with a small, almost sheepish grin. "Dad's from the Zagashira line, Mom's from Renkonan. Both families have deep spiritual roots."
He gestured at his translucent body. "That's why this body could handle having two souls merged together without any problems. Most people would've broken instantly. But us? We're built differently."
Zaborn scratched the back of his head, clearly amused by the realization. "Honestly, I didn't even know how deep the Renkonan and Zagashira side went until I became a spirit. Turns out being unseen has its advantages—you notice a lot more things when no one knows you're there."
He chuckled lightly. "There's way more to it, though. Family secrets, old techniques, weird traditions… I can tell you all about it later."
Zaboru's eyes widened in shock. "Mom can talk to you?" he asked quietly. "Then… she knows, doesn't she? She knows I'm not her real son?"
Zaborn shook his head gently, his expression calm and reassuring. "Relax," he said softly. "Mom doesn't think that way at all."
He smiled, recalling the memory. "She said, 'Whether you're from another world or not, my son is still Zaboru.' That's it. No doubt. No hesitation."
Zaborn's voice carried a quiet warmth. "She accepted it a long time ago. You know how she is—open-minded, strong, and far kinder than she lets on. To her, blood and origin don't matter as much as the person standing in front of her."
Zaboru stood frozen for a moment. The weight he didn't even realize he'd been carrying suddenly lifted from his chest. His throat tightened, and he had to look away slightly, blinking hard.
"…I see," he murmured.
He was surprised—no, deeply touched. In that instant, he understood something profound: no matter where his soul came from, he was still truly her son.
Zaboru suddenly realized that his Emulator Mind ability was reacting the moment he moved closer to Zaborn. The sensation was subtle at first—like a low vibration deep inside his head—but it quickly intensified as the distance between them closed. Curious and cautious at the same time, Zaboru slowly reached out toward Zaborn, his hand hesitating for just a moment before passing through the spirit's form.
"Let's see if I can do something for you," he said quietly, more to himself than to Zaborn.
The instant contact was made, his Emulator Mind activated on its own. A sharp surge of energy rippled outward, distorting the air around them. Before either of them could fully react, Zaborn was pulled in—his spirit dissolving into streams of light and symbols that were absorbed directly into Zaboru's consciousness.
"Whoa! What is this?!" Zaborn's voice echoed inside Zaboru's head, filled with shock rather than fear. "Is this one of your abilities?!"
Zaboru closed his eyes instinctively and nodded, responding through thought alone. As he focused, he felt the Emulator Mind changing—expanding. It became clearer, heavier, and far more vivid than before. Until now, the ability had only allowed him to bring forth and conjure objects and concepts from this world.
But with Zaborn now residing inside it, something new unlocked. Zaboru felt deeper layers opening— objects from his previous life that he remembered becoming accessible. Not vague recollections, but things there are limitation, reaching as far as the mid-2000s. It seems this Emulator Mind are not yet in its full potential.
So Zaboru closed his eyes and deliberately activated his Emulator Mind, allowing his consciousness to sink inward. The world around him faded, replaced by the familiar vast mental space that existed inside his mind. It felt like standing in an endless digital void—calm, flexible, and bound only by imagination.
"Yes," Zaboru said calmly, his voice echoing softly in that inner space, "it seems you can live here—in my Emulator Mind. You can conjure anything here, interact with it freely, so feel free to explore." He glanced toward Zaborn with a faint smile. "And besides, I want you to observe me, Zaborn. You are me, after all."
Zaborn laughed, his form becoming clearer and more solid than before. Now he resembled a slimmer version of Zaboru from the early days after reincarnation—younger, leaner, but unmistakably him. He crossed his arms with a grin. "Sure thing, partner."
After a moment, Zaborn tilted his head, curiosity bubbling over. "But seriously… how are you capable of making so many games?" he asked excitedly. "I really love the games you've made! Are they all from your previous life? Were you a game developer back then? Or something close to it?"
Zaboru smiled and shook his head. "Nah. I wasn't a developer," he replied honestly. "I was just a gamer. A passionate one. As for the ideas—yeah, those came from my previous life."
With a playful grin, Zaboru raised his hand and conjured a PlayStation 2 from his memories. The console materialized instantly, complete with a controller.
Zaborn's eyes widened. "Hey—wait! I can touch it?!"
Zaboru nodded.
Without hesitation, Zaborn grabbed the controller, testing its weight with disbelief. Before he could say more, Zaboru conjured something else—a plate of hot, freshly made gyoza.
Zaborn froze.
Then he devoured it.
"Damn… finally!" Zaborn cried, tears forming in his eyes as he chewed. "Hehehe! I missed this so much!"
Zaboru chuckled warmly. "Looks like we've got a lot to catch up on, Zaborn."
Zaborn nodded enthusiastically, munching on gyoza while still staring in fascination at the PS2. "Yeah… and also, it's kind of weird calling myself Zaboru," he added. "So I'll just call you Zabo instead—same as what Ayumi calls you~."
Zaboru laughed and nodded. "Sure thing, partner."
Zaboru then carefully deactivated his Emulator Mind, letting the vast inner space fade away as his consciousness returned fully to the physical world. He gently asked Zaborn to step out of the Emulator Mind for now, testing whether the transition was possible.
It worked.
Zaborn reappeared, his spirit separating smoothly, hovering nearby once more. The process felt natural—controlled—almost as if this connection had always existed and was simply waiting to be discovered. With that realization, it became clear: Zaboru hadn't lost anything by absorbing Zaborn. Instead, he had gained something new.
He had gained a ghost partner.
Now, Zabo and Zaborn were no longer fragmented or incomplete. They were united—two consciousnesses sharing one existence, each aware of the other, each strengthening the whole. Zaboru felt it clearly, deep in his chest. A subtle emptiness he never knew was there had finally been filled.
There was no longer a sense of division, no lingering guilt, no unanswered questions. Only clarity, balance, and an unexpected sense of peace. And judging by Zaborn's relaxed presence beside him, the feeling was mutual.
They had memories to share, thoughts to exchange, and an entire lifetime—two lifetimes, really—to catch up on.
To be continue
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