The room was wrong.
Not dark. Not threatening. Just… wrong.
Shichiro stood at the center of a vast, candlelit hall that stretched endlessly in every direction, like a stage with no audience. Velvet curtains hung from nowhere. Golden masks floated lazily in the air, smiling, frowning, laughing, all at once.
A slow clap echoed.
"Oh, this is delicious."
A figure stepped forward, draped in extravagant robes stitched with bells and silk. His face shifted constantly, joy, boredom, cruelty, never settling.
"The God of Entertainment," the figure announced with a theatrical bow. "Or irony. Or tragedy. Depends on the scene."
Shichiro frowned."…You're not real."
The god's smile widened.
"That's everyone's favorite line."
With a flick of his wrist, images burst into the air, Kentarō, Katsu, Rokuro, Ryosen, Aegis, Ketsuki, all frozen mid-battle, mid-breath.
"Two choices," the god said lightly."Save yourself… or save them."
Shichiro's jaw tightened.
"…That's it?"
The god leaned closer, eyes glittering."Oh no. That's the fun part."
Silence stretched.
Shichiro exhaled slowly.
"If those are the only choices," he said, voice steady, "then I'll make my own."
The god blinked.
Shichiro looked at his friends, at everyone.
"Take my memories," he said."Erase them. All of it. If that saves them."
For the first time, the god stopped smiling.
"…How dreadfully boring."
The masks screamed.
The world shattered.
Shichiro gasped awake.
He was lying in a bed he didn't recognize, sunlight spilling through unfamiliar curtains. The room was neat, warm, peaceful. Framed photos lined the walls.
Family pictures.
Younger versions of himself. Smiling parents. A life that felt… distant.
"…Strange," Shichiro muttered, sitting up."I swear I was just looking at Kentarō stare at a wall…"
The door slammed open.
"SHICHIRO!"
Ryosen rushed in, nearly tripping over his own feet.
"Ryosen?" Shichiro grinned. "Haven't seen you in awhile, bud!"He stood and patted Ryosen on the back like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Kentarō burst out laughing behind him."This guy got memory loss or something, lmaoo."
Katsu shoved Kentarō aside."What do you mean haven't seen him in awhile?"
Shichiro tilted his head."He's an old bud. We haven't seen each other since we were like… four or something?"
The room went quiet.
Aegis entered last, holding Ketsuki's hand.
"Shichiro," Aegis said carefully. "I'm glad you're awake."
"Who?"Shichiro looked at him with genuine confusion.
Rokuro's expression darkened. He grabbed Katsu by the collar and dragged him a step outside the room.
"He probably hit his head and lost memories," Rokuro muttered."And the Shichiro I know wouldn't joke about this."
Ryosen gently guided Shichiro into the hallway, nodding once to Rokuro and Katsu, I know.
"So… basically," Ryosen said slowly, "you lost your memories."
"Okay…" Shichiro said.
"We fought this monster," Ryosen continued."One that eats aura remnants of dead people. Or phases through others to steal their memories, faces… even their hearts."
Shichiro took a step back.
"You're talking crazy right now, Ryosen."
Then.
Everything hit him at once.
Battles. Screams. Names. Promises.
"…Oh."
The world folded in on itself.
He was back.
The stage. The curtains.
But the god wasn't laughing anymore.
The figure before him was different, armor instead of silk, wings folded behind his back, eyes sharp and unwavering.
"…Bellerophon?" Shichiro whispered.
Shichiro couldn't move.
Bellerophon stepped closer, his voice low and absolute.
"Wake up."
Shichiro jolted upright in his bed.
This time, the memories stayed.
He rushed into the halls of the Haven of Six, and stopped.
Every room.
Every face.
Twisted in sleep.
Nightmares.
Katsu was the first to snap awake, breathing hard.
"I was forced to choose," he said quietly."Two options. So I made my own. I erased my memories."
Kentarō followed, rubbing his eyes."Yeah. Some ironic god. Save myself or save everyone. Same answer."
Aegis clenched his fist."God of entertainment. Same choice. Same decision."
Rokuro looked away."He laughed the whole time. And then erased my memories or something."
Ryosen exhaled shakily."There were two gods. The god of irony, and the god of entertainment. They told me to kill everyone… or kill everyone. I broke free, but they erased my memories anyway."
Ketsuki stretched and smiled.
"I dreamt of me riding a unicorn!"
Silence settled over them.
Shichiro looked around at his friends, tired, shaken, alive.
It seemed…
Everyone had walked the same painful path he had.