Nia POV:
Dark.
Fear.
Pain…
They were all I can remember from that.
5 years, probably more, and that's everything.
The memories back then are blurry…
Not the kind I forgot my deadline after already meeting them…
… But more like my mind refuses to remember.
And I—already know that. I know the horror lies in those years, the humiliation he forced me through…
He stopped at nothing, from mere beating… to… more violent approaches…
All those torments… he claimed in the name of "science" …
I thought I could forget them… to truly bury them from my mind, to be at ease altogether…
… But fate seems to love toying with me. For I once again in this situation.
Dark. Fear. Pain.
The words that engraved in my mind, the very things that tear through my body…
"So please, Honjo-san, be a good lap and stay here ~"
That line… that voice…
It was her!! It was that brat! She locked me here! Tying me up! Blindfolded me!
All that promised, all that apologies, just to lock me away like them…
Everyone's… liars…
… I… why?
Why do I have to go through this? What have I done?
It's just… Why should I be on the receiving end…?
Why am I even alive? Why can't I just… die?
What should I do?
Please… just please… please…
… Save me.
Yoshino POV:
It hurt.
It always hurts.
Everything… always hurts.
I never wanted to hurt, or to be hurted.
But everyone… anyone…
They wanted to hurt me.
I… Yoshinon…
Yoshinon… my hero…
When I'm in my darkest, loneliest…. you're always there.
You are always there for me, you always help me.
You always risk it all not to hurt anyone, and protect me from them…
… If only you're here… then she won't hurt me…
Unlike me, you're perfect.
I can't do anything, I can't help anyone, I can't even run properly.
The time I tried to do things… I can't. Just… can't.
Compared to you, Yoshinon… I'm just a deadweight.
…
… I wanted to know her, Yoshinon. I really did.
I wanted to hear her voice. I wanted to see her eyes. I—wanted to feel her love.
But I can't. For she's dead.
She… just like anyone else… never wanted to have anything with me…
… Was it the same as you, Yoshinon?
Have you ever—grown to hate me? To despise me?
"Mhm…"
… Huh? What was… that…?
I slowly open my eyes—and see him there. Crouching. Sleeping. Soaked.
… But still here.
I look down at my… hole… and see it was all patched.
And this place… I didn't recognize this.
This is… he did it? He saved me? From—
"Yoshinon!!"
That scream back then… was it him?
He… did he… scream for him?
… Why?
"Ugh… huh?!"
Him—Shido, slowly woke up with my question, only to freeze as his eyes wandered to me.
"Yoshinon?! Are you okay?! Do you feel anything unusual?!"
He quickly examined me with countless questions, something… feels really weird for me.
Mostly due to the fact that he said Yoshinon name—something he did mention earlier.
… And yet, I still don't—can't correct him.
"I… I'm fine…"
Slightly winced a bit from below, I reassured the guy…
"… You're not."
Shido eyes quickly hardened, one that slightly flinched.
But at the same time… I couldn't help but wonder…
"I—"
A searing pain surged through my belly, forcing me to clutch in agony.
"Yoshinon!"
Shido immediately scrambles down to me with a wary voice, trying to help me regain my posture while easing me with his words.
"Calm down Yoshinon. I'm here."
"… Gah."
The pain quickly subdued after some moments, and I fell down on my back with exhaustion.
"Don't move much. You're still injured."
"Why… save me?"
Before I know it… I've repeated my question to him.
"Huh?"
The thing in front of me exclaimed, its eyes widened with surprise.
My hand trembles violently with each passing word, as their words echo in my mind.
Monster. Danger. Don't belong here. Should just—
… Why?
Why are they angry at me? Why are they attacking me?
What did I do?
What… am I…?
"None."
That thing let out a faint smile at me, the eyes soften with solemn.
"I just want to save you. Was that good enough for a reason?"
My eyes widened with the response… and, for a moment there, just staring at him.
That line… he…
Just like all those time ago… When we first met… Even the smile was similar…
Shido…
"Sorry for… being cheesy there, but that what I truly felt hone—"
"Thank… you…"
I slowly paid my gratitude to him… to Shido, with a smile.
His eyes widened following my thanks… as he then scratched his head, looking uneasy.
"I… well… that's no big deal…"
"It is… for me."
Shido eyes widen even more with that… and, after some minutes, letting out a sigh.
"I… I guess so—"
At that very moment, the above suddenly blew down, deafening our senses for a moment.
Shido suddenly stood in front of me, staring at the smoke from above.
Then, descend down from above, amidst the rubble…
"Sorry for interrupting ~ I'll make it fast ~"
… The fiery demon showed up again, with a smile on her face.
Shido POV:
No… please, no…
If Efreet is here, then that means… Tome…
No. No no no no no no no—!!
She couldn't… she mustn't!!
… No. Calm down.
Don't be impatient. I need to stay focused. I need to find a way out.
At least, if I'm dying here… I need to ensure Yoshinon safety.
"Yoshinon, listen to me!"
I quickly call out for her, still staring intensely at Efreet above.
"Once I give you the signal… run! As far as you can!"
"Indeed you should, Hermit ~"
Efreet chuckled amusingly amidst my lines, her eyes now narrowing on her
… Crap. What should I do? She's totally on her now.
One wrong move—and she died.
"In fact, I'd even let you go with this ~"
With that, she slowly takes something out… from her cleavage…
… I'd love to comment on that, but the situation can't really allow that.
The thing she took out was, much to my surprise, a puppet.
A simple bunny puppet, with an eyepatch—wait.
Wasn't that… Yoshinon's puppet?
"Yoshinon…"
… Huh?
What the… what was that just now…?
"Now if you want to be a good girl and leave me with him ~ then this little guy will be yours ~"
"After all ~ this thing here was worthless to both of us anyway ~"
Effreet eyes narrow down to a glare, staring down between me and Yoshinon, dangling the very puppet between her hands.
… I wonder…
"One more thing."
"Hm ~"
I began to take the initiative from Efreet, with sweat slowly pouring through my dampen skin.
"Honjo-san."
With the intention slowly decided, I slowly speak up to Efreet.
Since I couldn't do anything against her, and Yoshinon's still in critical condition here…
… Then at the very least—I gotta save her.
"Release Honjo-san on top of that… and I will go with you!"
Since I couldn't do anything against her, and Yoshinon's still in critical condition here…
"Deal."
With the widest grin from Kotori's face, every… darkened… again…
… Or at least that's the case, if it isn't here.
? POV:
How irritating.
That girl… the thing inside Kotori… was truly—irritating.
The fact she destroyed the
Not because it's impossible, far from it actually… it's merely because that one can even think of it.
The very being carved by the leftover, something even simpler than an ameba… did this.
I have no recollection of ever misjudging that… And I surely have no intention of such.
Yet, the result screams at me from every angle.
And worse… that thing now embarks on a mission. A mission I absolutely despised, a plan that shall foil mine.
… Seems like I have to make myself known here… or else…
Or else—she might do the thing I dread the most.
The very thing I try to reverse. The very fact that shouldn't be an absolute rule.
I won't let her do it. I won't let anyone hurt him again. Not even my offspring…
If this gonna make him despise me for the rest of his whole life—then so be it.
I'd rather be hated… than to see him… vanish again…
With that fate already settled, I made my way to her location—hm?
That… oh.
Seems like I didn't have to show myself after all.
Ultron POV:
She's good.
The powerplants, the attack, the kidnap…
For someone who lived for mere days by now, she's good.
Although, she still needs improvement. Mainly her temper.
If not for the fact that she's making quite a show there, then she's full marks there.
But again, nothing's perfect. Not even Spirits.
So, not full marks there, but I'll still give her that.
To be honest, I am impressed. In everything she did.
Especially her application of her own gift.
The way she applied her power here, and even others… It was magnificent.
Using heat to cover her visual and track, and even utilize the rains to ambush my drones…
Now that's something I'd love to see more.
In fact, I'd like to praise her myself. Preferably now.
But first…
I glanced down at one Yoshinon shiver behind Shido, her expression blanked, with a bandage on her stomach.
… I gotta save her first of all.
"Ah…"
And the kid too, I suppose.
Seriously, why waste her precious power on… this?
All those powers, all those wisdom… just to settle on this.
… Maybe Stark wasn't that bad after all.
"You…"
Ah well, not that I dislike this at all. In fact, I am partially eager for this.
I wonder, how will this little thing fend her off here.
Efreet POV:
"You…"
Under the violence rain, on an empty street… I stared at him.
One moment I was here already winning, the next—he was here.
No visuals, no progress, no sound. With him now standing in front of me, unmoving.
With those red eyes glowing… as if trying to pry through me.
Then, he started to mutter something to Shido-nii, and he started to run with the girl…
"I won't let you!!"
I growl at his attempts, already release
"No."
The next thing I'm aware of—they're all gone. Both Shido-nii and that girl… I didn't see them anymore.
… What?
"With that out of the way… let's have a proper introduction."
His words quickly awakened me from my daze, and I leer at him to consider my options…
I immediately mobilized countless
… Only to realize that none of them have already dispelled.
… Ugh…
Okay, I probably should freak out right now, 'cause I'm pretty sure I did use them.
So why… didn't it… work…?
"Don't even bother."
He calmly stated, his lips slowly curve up, and took a step closer.
… Was it him? He did this? He's the one behind all this weird occurrence?
If that's so—then he's more of a threat than them.
To blink everything away, even dispel my Angel… he's an anomaly!
One that can easily threaten my goal!
"So, miss… hm…"
… Huh? Why the stutter?
Actually, can it actually stutter, of all things?
I mean, it's built like a Terminator here, so it's acting relatively normal here… kinda weird.
… Hm? Hole a minute.
That voice… have I heard it…?
Wait!! Why am I even thinking about that?! Dang it me!
As I quickly regained my stand for… reason, he took another step, still with that smile.
"What d-did the infamous
… Darn it, I babble there! Why did I blabbing there?!
Another step. Still smiling.
"Oh? Have you not heard me talking?"
One more step.
"I just wanna have an introduction."
I immediately jump back to the door, the
"No more steps!"
I crouch down with both hands guarding up, ready to actually throw them at him.
Like she's been taught, when everything else didn't work… use these hands..
"I see… not a bad option."
That thing let out a creepy smile, one that… for some reasons, shivers me.
Hah! Ironic isn't it?
"Worry not, I merely want to talk."
… Again with that—You know what, screw it!
I already lost their sign by now, might as well roll with it!
"Fine!! Talk it out then!!"
Much to my annoyance, he… smiled again, for some reason.
Seriously… why did he have to grinning all the time?!
"Can you stop with that smile?!"
And I just scream at him my honest thought—wait?
Why did I… I didn't even think about that?!
"So that's your thought… interesting."
With that, his smile quickly vanishes, leaving a rather mundane—hold the break!
OH COME ON!!!
"So… since we didn't have much time, let me say this. My name is, although I already discarded it—Ultron."
Ultron? German?
That… I guess it's not quite bad for a name…
"And… you have my praise for everything there, miss."
At that instant, my mind—froze.
Like, literally froze, which is, again, ironic.
So, like a broken doll, I just froze there… unmoving…
"… Hm."
He slightly tilted toward me, his crimson eyes scanning my face thoroughly…
… And I, oddly, still didn't react.
"That's weird… I thought it'd be tamer… oh well."
The next moment, something suddenly appeared in his hand—the rabbit.
Ah…
"I suppose we'll talk more next time, miss."
With the parting word, he—suddenly disappeared, finally for good.
… Only then did I blink twice, finally waking up from that…
That… was weird…
? POV:
That.. was impressive. Yet concerning.
Impressive in how it handles that. Concerning how it did that.
The speed to do all that,to take her down to the ground, to snatch him away from that… all while being watched by me…
… Simply doesn't exist.
Not even I can comprehend what it just did. Not entirely.
I did see it try to do something, but the rest… simply isn't there.
The thing I did pick up from that though… was a familiar signature.
Something I once gave away. Something worthless in my arsenal.
The empty Sephira Crystal.
A mere trash I didn't have a use for… yet it can.
Seems like I need to pay closer attention to it—hm?
Hm… that's worthy of concern…
I wonder if it'd affected her or not…
Ultron POV:
That's… easy. Too easy in fact.
I thought they'd easily see through that, I really did.
After all, those Avengers did teach me many things… especially not to underestimate.
But to think the test went that smoothly was unexpected.
And what's even weird… her very gift energy—it didn't deplete one bit.
From all the reading, I believe this thing would dry up after some usage… seems like I have to reevaluate my system.
Despite my initial low expectation, this thing was quite the wonder… quite enough to compensate for the disaster that unfolded.
Disaster that I intentionally overlook.
Something that was too easy to see… yet I didn't.
I look down at the surgery room, which was completed recently, with its first patient inside.
Tome-san.
The very victim of my doing.
If I've been a little later… then she wouldn't even be here.
To think I'd wasted the chance that closely, right after she's finished with everything.
How ignorant of me…
… So, was this how it felt to care?
That… I guess… hm…
It wasn't bad, I guess. Not that it annoyed me.
Welp, time to pick them up now.
Yoshino POV:
"Yoshinon… what is… a friend?"
"Hm?"
Yoshinon tilted his head with my question, as we're walking down the path.
"Why that's the question, partner?"
"It just… you once declared that… so I wonder…"
I quietly mutter my curiosity at Yoshinon, one I… didn't have time to ask before.
Ever since we first met, I've always wondered about that.
"Ah… right!"
Yoshinon exclaimed with a grin, one that was too familiar on his face.
"To put it simply, a friend is—someone who will protect you!"
Hm?
"That's right! A friend is someone who will risk everything to save you, to stop at nothing to help you—Like me!"
Risk it… to save me…
A friend…
"Yeah… I think this should be enough…"
…. Why did I… remember that?
"Are you okay Yoshinon? Did the—that hurt?"
Yoshinon… was there?
But why? Why are you… with her?
Did I… drop you… and she… pick you up…?
… How long?
"No worry, partner! No matter what happens—always count on me!"
You promised me, Yoshinon… to be with me…
You promised to be there for me. You promised to be my friend…
… And yet… where are you?
If you're there, if you're with her… then why?
Why did you not save me? Why did you leave me hurt? Why did you…
"After all ~ this thing here was worthless to both of us anyway ~"
I… that… she…
… Worthless? Me?
"Yoshinon?"
Did I… ever think so?
No… I didn't… Why would I think… Yoshinon…
… And yet, why did you… leave me there…?
If you're there… then why didn't you do anything?
Why did you leave me hurt? Why did you leave me against her? Why didn't you… just return to me?
Was I… that useless? We're you… bored of me?
"Yoshinon!!!!!"
My view instantly regains its color, like that show I once oversaw…
… And my eyes quickly move up at him, looking down with… a weird face.
Shido.
He's here.
That's right… right… Shido…
He helped me… he saved me…
Despite my uselessness… he's still there…
… Shid—
"Yoshinon!!!"
Shido POV:
Dang it! Don't faint!
"Yoshinon!! Yoshinon!!!"
Please don't faint! Please wake up!!
I slowly lay Yoshinon in my arms, trying to wake her up through motion.
But, much to my horror… she didn't react at all.
No… no no no!!!
Dang it! Don't you dare die on me!!
Please Yoshinon!! PLEASE!! Stay with me!!!
Please… don't die…
"Shido."
As everything slowly turns grims, when I slowly lose hope with the situation… it came.
A solemn voice, standing out even among countless sounds beside… yet I didn't care.
I didn't even bat an eye to it, still trying to wake her up—pleading for her to wake up.
"Stop."
Its voice… once again call out for me. To stop.
To give up on her.
… No… no!!!
"Wake up, dang it!!!!"
I let out one final scream down at her, my hand still gripping on her… trying to hold her life with me.
"Stop it Shido."
That thing then pulled me out, with those crimson eyes stare down through me.
"She's merely unconscious."
… Huh?
"What…?"
I blurted out my very through to it, as the thing then picked her up in its arms.
"She's merely unconscious from the injury, due to the fact her own Reiryoku are all concentrated to heal the wound."
… Wait, so… she's healing… wait!
"You mean… she's fine?"
"At the current take, not quite. But overall… yes."
I subconsciously let out a long sigh of relief with its words, and my leg finally gave up on me.
Oh thank God… she's alive…
"Although, we need to bring her back ASAP."
… A-ah!! R-right!!!
Shaking my thoughts away, I hastily carry Yoshinon and follow its back…