⠀It always felt like they were running for their life today. Sora ran up the street through the small neighborhood, passing apartments and small businesses. They could hear the small patter of feet, the flap of leathery wings as the pursuing hoard stayed at their heels. The D-Evils screamed in unison, the people walking up the street getting out of the way as the parade peeled through the narrow street. Sora came to an intersection, looking behind them momentarily before turning right.
⠀They clenched their jaw tightly, the pain from their calves burning up their legs. They were so tired, but if they stopped running-
⠀"Master, there's a park up ahead where you can hide! Turn left once you pass that cafe!" Lil' Sal called, firing blue magical energy from his staff towards the D-Evils. The group lurched around the shot, letting it pass through them before crawling faster towards their escaping prey. Lil' Sal grimaced, watching the ████████ D-Evil fly back to take out some of the attackers.
⠀Sora spotted the cafe Lil' Sal had mentioned coming up ahead, their canvas shoes squeaking against the rubber asphalt. They turned left immediately once they passed the cafe, running up abstractly laid cement stairs and through the small park. Sora felt something fly past their head, and they dove over a dry fountain to take cover from a sudden barrage of glowing purple orbs shot in their direction. The orbs made contact with the cement tiles and sizzled away, leaving nothing behind.
⠀"C'mon, Master, we have to get going! Those familiars won't stop until you're dead!" Lil' Sal pulled at Sora's arm, frantic and scared. Sora grabbed Lil' Sal, holding him tight against their chest and crawling away before taking off into a run once more. Sora noticed a large open building in front of them, cars all lined up neatly inside, dark enough where visibility was low.
⠀"Master, that's a parking garage! You can hide in-"
⠀Before Lil' Sal could say anymore, Sora was flung forward, immense stinging pain in the center of their back. They landed on the concrete, scraping against it before coming to a stop. Lil' Sal cried out, taking a fair amount of damage from the fall. He opened his red eyes and saw the immense amount of D-Evils blocking out the sun above them. He shook Sora, who groaned and tried picking themself up. Their arm was shredded from the concrete, small cuts bleeding into the white dress shirt they had on. Sora gave him a shaky smile.
⠀A loud metallic rumble echoed through the parking garage, the D-Evils halting their attack. Lil' Sal whipped around when he saw movement from the corner of his eye, looking to see a large black bike fly past them. A cloud of dirt and debris blew towards the D-Evils, who hissed and shrieked in anger at the sudden appearance of an unwanted guest.
⠀The figure on the bike was large, dressed completely in black with a tattered red scarf around their neck and a black visored helmet. Sora managed to turn around enough to look at the biker, who grabbed them by the arm roughly and pulled them towards the bike, motioning for them to get on. Sora sat down quickly, Lil' Sal just barely making it into their hood before the biker took off. The D-Evils followed in hot pursuit, their cries being drowned out by the loud, melodic rumble of the motorcycle. Soon, that was the only thing Sora heard.
⠀The pair drove through the narrow street before turning onto a highway. Sora gripped tightly onto the person in front of them, their leather jacket worn and thin, like it was something they wore often. Sora could hear Lil' Sal telling them something, but over the sound of the bike, they couldn't make it out. They looked to their left slowly, seeing the green sign of the JR Shinjuku Station whiz by them. Had they really been that close to the station the whole time? Where was Ryouta?
⠀The biker stopped at an intersection before switching lanes and turning around in the direction they just came from. Sora held their breath, hearing the tail end of Lil' Sal mentioning the biker was being too nice before the bike cut him off once more. After less than a minute of driving, Sora felt the bike come to a stop, and they nervously lifted their head. They were in front of a 7-Eleven. Sora tried to get off the bike, falling over and landing on the pavement. The biker shook their head, flipping up the visor on their helmet to look at Sora more clearly.
⠀"Go get yourself some first aid supplies then head back to school before you get into more trouble." The biker's voice was kind but stern, and he offered Sora a hand. Sora took it, noticing that it was soft, covered in orange fur with reddish-purple stripes.
⠀"Thank...you. I-" Sora felt their chest get tight, their rescue finally registering in their head. They felt their eyes water, and they wiped the tears away with their sleeve, "You saved me."
⠀The biker didn't answer, his eyes widening at the sudden barrage of emotion coming from the teen he had just saved. Sora hiccuped slightly, trying to get themself under control, feeling a light tap on their arm. When they looked, the biker stared at them with red eyes that flickered between purple and pink, and Sora found themself awestruck enough to stop crying. They were beautiful.
⠀"Just hurry and get home." The biker waved goodbye to them, and drove off down the street. Sora watched until he disappeared. As Sora turned to look at the convenience store, Lil' Sal peeked his head out of their hood and huffed. Whether he was impressed or jealous, he wasn't sure, but the effortlessly cool looking man hit a nerve. It was like he was some kind of comic book hero.
⠀"Lil' Sal, are you okay?" Sora whispered, fixing themself up before heading into the store. Lil' Sal grumbled before floating in the air in front of them. He tapped his finger against his chin, mulling over his response before sighing.
⠀"I will be, but please, Master, be more careful next time! You could've been kidnapped just now." Lil' Sal pouted, turning his staff in his hands. The gold metal reflected the gray sky above, cold in his hands from the dropping temperature outside. It looked like it might rain.
⠀"I didn't really have a choice in the matter...there's no way we could've handled all those D-Evils." Sora muttered, thinking of Shiro. Did he truly believe they wanted to hurt him? That they'd hunt him down? That thought alone ached in their chest. How did it come to this?
⠀"Well, maybe, but Master, you've handled noobie hunters and on your first night here you took down a Red Oni! Isn't that worth something?" Lil' Sal asked, noticing Sora's sudden drop in mood.
⠀"I guess so...."
⠀"If you're worried about Shiro, just know I have complete confidence that you'll bring him home, Master!" Lil' Sal gave Sora a warm smile, patting their forehead affectionately. Sora nodded, managing to smile back. They headed inside the 7-Eleven, Lil' Sal following close behind. They needed to get First Aid supplies, whatever that was.
⠀The sliding doors of the 7-Eleven opened, the warmth from inside blowing gently against their skin as they walked in. There were a few machines close to the door, along with some ATMs and a long rack of magazines to their right. A few customers inside looked up at Sora, their expressions changing to disgust and alarm. Sora quickly entered the second aisle, realizing that they needed to hurry. Lil' Sal flew down the aisle with them, and they looked up and down at the different foods and products on the shelves. Ramen, snacks, drinks, there was so much food in one aisle that Sora felt their head spin.
⠀"Lil' Sal, can I ask you something?" Sora whispered, heading into the next aisle to check for anything labeled 'first aid'. No luck thus far.
⠀"Of course, I'm happy to help!" Lil' Sal grinned, floating up to the top shelf to read the labels on some of the ramen. One labeled Super Spicy! Shinigami Shoyu caught his attention, with the bright red packaging featuring what looked like a grim reaper on it.
⠀"Earlier, when I helped Taro and the others, Ken died. Is he...." Sora paused, remembering the look Ken had given them before he collapsed.
⠀"The kid with the blonde hair? Oh yeah, he's fine." Lil' Sal responded nonchalantly, turning the cup ramen around to read the nutrition facts. Sora looked at him in surprise, confused more than anything else.
⠀"He is? But, wait-"
⠀"Hmm? Didn't I tell you? No one can die. It's just a game. Once the App is closed, the result of whatever went on in the Battle Zone won't be carried over into reality. If the App shuts down properly, any physical ramifications will revert to the state before gameplay begins." Lil' Sal thought momentarily, realizing there was a lot they needed to sit down and talk about, "In other words, wounds heal, and those who died are revived. Even objects that are broken will return to normal, except in some rare cases."
⠀"So he's okay?"
⠀"Yep! That doesn't mean it doesn't hurt, unfortunately, it's just as painful as dying for real. Even after the battle is over, the memory of the experience will remain, so it can be extremely traumatizing. A lot of people just quit playing after an experience like that. Can you blame them?" Lil' Sal turned away from the ramen and headed into the next aisle, Sora following. They still hadn't found the first aid supplies, and the repeated stares they were getting from the other customers was starting to make them uncomfortable.
⠀After looking through a few more aisles with no results, Sora pulled out their phone to search what first aid supplies looked like. The results showed boxes of bandaids, alcohol wipes, suture needles, and ointments. So far, they hadn't seen anything like that, which would explain the trouble they were having. Lil' Sal looked over their shoulder to see what they were looking at before flying into a panic.
⠀"Lil' Sal, what's wrong?" Sora watched as Lil' Sal covered his mouth in shock, the pixels around him going into a frenzy.
⠀"Master, your battery is about to die!" Lil' Sal pointed to the top corner where the percentage said 1%, Sora frowning in response.
⠀"Yeah, that's a problem."
⠀"You won't be able to use the App if your phone dies, and you won't be able to track down Shiro either. You need to get to a charge station quick-" Lil' Sal didn't get to finish his panicked statement before suddenly disappearing in a cloud of blue pixels. Sora's ears rang with static as Lil' Sal disappeared. They looked back to their phone to see it shutting down, the screen turning black and unresponsive.
⠀Sora pouted, putting their phone away. They stopped, feeling around inside their hoodie pocket, but found nothing inside but the phone. They checked the pockets of their slacks, only to find them empty as well. They had forgotten to grab their money.
⠀"Oh no...." Sora muttered, realizing they were in quite a bind. What now?
⠀Sora nervously went towards the first aisle, heading up the back as to avoid the stares of the people inside. There, across from the magazines, were small boxes of bandaids. They picked one up, turning it over in their hands. They couldn't steal this. Just thinking of doing so made them nervous. Sora put the box back.
⠀"Excuse me, sir." an imposing voice called out for them, and Sora turned to their left to see one of the employees standing next to them. They looked mildly annoyed, with a polite smile on their face.
⠀"Yes?" Sora had a sneaking suspicion they knew what the employee wanted.
⠀"I'm going to have to ask you to purchase your items and leave. You are causing a disturbance, and it is disrupting business for the other customers." their speech was uncaring like they had said the same thing before with other people. Sora nodded slowly, glancing at the boxes of bandaids again.
⠀"Can I at least stay here for a bit longer? I don't have any money-"
⠀"Then I request that you leave immediately."
⠀Sora thought of the D-Evils that may still be looking for them. If they left the convenience store, they could be caught. They didn't have the energy to fight right now.
⠀"Please, I can't leave, I need to stay here for a bit longer." Sora looked outside for a few seconds before looking back at the employee, who was getting increasingly annoyed.
⠀"You are disturbing the other customers, if you do not leave we will have to force you off the premises." it didn't look like there was going to be a way to compromise. Sora shrunk back, not knowing what to say to convince the now peeved employee to let them stay in the 7-Eleven. There were people watching the two argue back and forth for a few more minutes.
⠀"Pardon my intrusion. Is this customer causing trouble?" a soothing voice came from behind Sora, who froze immediately. When they looked over their shoulder, a boy around their age with a rough face stood behind them, his expression neutral but harsh. There were two swirling orbs of what looked like water on his forehead, swimming and shifting of their own accord.
⠀"If you could please remove this individual from the premises, that would be appreciated, officer." the employee said in exasperation, turning and heading back up to the front. Sora spun around to face the boy behind him, who narrowed his eyes. He was wearing a blue uniform, a green and white striped band on his arm, and a silver metal badge that read 'Kiou Police Academy'.
⠀"Of course." The boy grabbed Sora by the arm and dragged them outside, the automatic doors closing behind the two. He held on tight to Sora leading them to the curb before letting go. Sora stumbled a bit, staring at the boy nervously. There were two swords at his waist, shimmering with the same energy as the orbs on his head.
⠀"I'm sorry." Sora whimpered, becoming increasingly uncomfortable under the intense glare coming from the officer, who stared at them uncaringly. He didn't seem to acknowledge their apology.
⠀"Head straight back to your campus. If I catch you anywhere else, I'll take you into the station." he scowled.
⠀"No, I can't! I'm still looking for someone!" Sora sputtered, before clamping their mouth shut. The boy's eyes narrowed, his eyes going to the star that adorned their right hand.
⠀"Are you an App user?" the boy asked venomously. There was a harshness to his question that caught Sora off guard. Why did he want to know?
⠀"...Yes?" they said, quickly hiding their hand in their sleeve. Something was telling them that maybe they shouldn't have answered.
⠀The officer drew closer, snatching their arm, and beginning to walk down the street. Sora tried to pull away, but the look the boy gave them made them pause. Those swords at his waist didn't seem to be for decoration, they thought.
⠀"The blood on your clothes implies you've been in a fight, not to mention there were a few App Battles in the immediate area over the last hour. Someone matching your description was seen fighting in those Battles." he continued walking down the street, Sora matching his speed nervously. So these fights weren't private, or they were, but people could see the aftermath of them. That wasn't good. At all.
⠀"Oh..." Sora looked behind them to the 7-Eleven, tripping as the officer took a hard left down a street. They managed to get their balance in time to keep walking, but the officer looked annoyed.
⠀"Therefore, I'm taking you in for disruption of the peace, and for reckless endangerment of others."
⠀It had been a long day for the older policeman. From dealing with the investigation for the recent murder to patrolling around Shinjuku's northeast side, to being caught in a scuffle with a group called the Outlaws, he was bone tired. As he entered the Shinjuku Police Station, he saw the hustle and bustle of secretaries getting paperwork to the upper offices of the tall, thirteen-story building in the lobby.
⠀"Welcome back, Officer Hogen!" one secretary in a wrinkled dress shirt greeted him before running down the hall, a stack of manila folders under his arm. The older policeman, named Hogen, gave a snicker before heading towards another secretary, seated at a help desk. She was shuffling papers into folders, arranging her workspace back into order. Hogen walked up, looking at the clock on the back wall behind her to check the time. It was around 7 pm.
⠀"Working late today, Mrs. Harumi?" he asked, the woman looking up at him, alarmed that she hadn't heard him walk up.
⠀"Good evening, sir. I offered to take Kanna's shift since she had an emergency earlier, it's not that much of a bother." Harumi quickly spun her chair around to a filing cabinet nearby, opening up one of the lower shelves to search for something.
⠀"Your unending kindness never ceases to amaze." Hogen grinned, reaching for a few flyers set aside on her desk. They were announcing an upcoming celebration for Christmas that was going to be held in Shinjuku Central Park, with a focus on goods from Tír na nÓg. Harumi passed a set of documents to Hogen.
⠀"He's done it again, sir. We had to put him in a waiting room on the 6th floor since Holding was being cleaned." Harumi looked slightly exasperated, fixing the rest of her desk before facing Hogen. He was flipping through the papers, skimming through the important information before sighing, and placed the stack of papers under his arm.
⠀"Did he now? I'll go handle it. Sorry for this, Mrs. Harumi." Hogen tipped his black-brimmed police hat to her, the gold medal shimmering in the stark lights of the office. She smiled at him as he headed to the elevator. Hogen thought over the contents of the papers under his arm, the elevator coming to the bottom floor and opening slowly. A few people shuffled out, giving Hogen a polite bow as they passed him. He smiled and returned the gesture, entering the now empty elevator and heading up to the sixth floor.
⠀That boy, Hogen sighed, pulling the papers up to reread them. The stack that Harumi had given him detailed a recent suspect taken into custody for reckless endangerment and property damage, the officer in question being a young and headstrong trainee. Hogen's prized pupil, specifically.
⠀The sixth floor of the Shinjuku Police Station was mostly conference rooms, with a few offices and a single waiting room used for visitors that needed to be present in meetings, like reporters. Hogen walked quickly to this waiting room, not sure what to expect when he got there. He turned the polished doorknob and opened the door, seeing his prized pupil sitting in one of the uncomfortable arm chairs. Another person, in a bright yellow hoodie, was asleep in a chair nearby, handcuffed to it. The boy's steely eyes looked up from the book he was reading, standing at attention as his superior entered the room.
⠀"Evening, Touji." Hogen gave him a nod, and Touji marked his place in his book before placing it on the chair.
⠀"Sir, you're back later than expected. Were you held up on patrol?" Touji's voice was flat, restrained, staring at Hogen with a gleam of respect and admiration.
⠀"Nothing more than the usual trouble, you know how the Outlaws can get. Now, Touji, Mrs. Harumi in reception told me you've gone and jumped the gun again, and going off of these." Hogen held up the papers, "I'm keen to believe her."
⠀Touji's expression faltered into minor embarrassment before resuming to his usual glare, "Sir, while patrolling around the subway station, I learned that there were a few Summons-related fights in the area between a few low-ranked Berserkers members and a boy named Sora Watanabe. He caused multiple instances of property damage before and after the fights ended, and was seen being chased by multiple hostiles that also attacked people nearby. I found him in a convenience store down from the JR line refusing to leave the premises, so I took him in for questioning."
⠀Hogen nodded, remembering seeing notifications for recent fights in western Shinjuku. Touji was telling the truth, though he would have no reason-or proclivity-to lie in the first place. A noise from the sleeping Sora caused the two officers to look in their direction, the young teen opening their eyes in confusion at the sudden conversation taking place.
⠀"Evening, young man." Hogen said, watching at Sora looked towards him, their fear very apparent, "Now, hold on, you're safe here. We won't hurt you. We just need to ask you a few questions."
⠀Sora stared at him, relaxing their posture. They tugged gently at the handcuffs, before shrinking into the fetal position. Hogen adjusted his hat before heading over to them, crouching down to look them over carefully. Sora looked rough, their eyes red and puffy from what seemed like crying for a while, and was covered in bruises and scrapes. A few of the more serious ones had been treated with bandages and ointment.
⠀"Touji, could you go get this boy some water." Hogen asked, looking over his broad shoulder to his pupil, who looked slightly incensed at the proposition. He left with a scowl, closing the door behind him. Hogen looked back at Sora, who looked slightly more relaxed now that Touji was gone, "How are you feeling, young one?"
⠀"I'm...I'm okay. I'm hungry...." Sora answered quietly, looking over their knees to see Hogen's wrinkled, gentle face, his eyes full of life and experience.
⠀"I'll try and hurry this up so you can get some food, then. Can you tell me what you've been up to for the last few hours?" Hogen's tone was serious, none of the original playfulness from earlier in his face. Depending on Sora's answer, they could be in big trouble. He saw Sora look away for a few moments, before swallowing nervously and began recounting the last few hours. From looking for their friend because he had grabbed the wrong backpack, being attacked several times by people calling themselves Noobie Hunters, helping their attackers after they were attacked themselves, being chased by some stray transients, getting rescued by a man on a motorcycle, and seeking refuge in a 7-Eleven before being arrested, they spoke with an edge of exhaustion to their voice.
⠀"Now I understand." Hogen stood back up, stroking his beard thoughtfully. Sounds like he really did jump the gun, Hogen thought, turning to the opening door of the break room to see his pupil entering with a plastic cup of water.
⠀"Here's the water, sir." Touji handed Hogen the cup, watching Sora with a glare.
⠀"Thank you, dear pupil of mine." Hogen placed the cup of water on a nearby end table before turning to Touji with a frown, "Now, be truthful: did you question the suspect at the scene prior to taking him into custody? Or did you assume the worst and take him in without investigating?"
⠀"Sir, it was evident that they were causing a scene in that convenience store-"
⠀"Did you, cadet, or didn't you?" Hogen's question was tempered, calm, but nonetheless stern.
⠀Touji didn't answer, but bowed his head in apology. Hogen sighed, putting a hand on Touji's head, the watery orbs on his forehead forming around his hand and fingers. Touji stayed silent, expecting Hogen to reprimand him, but when the silence wasn't broken, the young man lifted his head.
⠀"I expect a full report detailing what actions you could've taken to diffuse the situation before jumping to conclusions. We'll be working on that temper of yours for our next training sessions, understand?"
⠀"Yes, sir."
⠀Hogen ruffled Touji's hair affectionately. The boy was young and headstrong, but his heart was in it. Hogen removed his hand and went over to Sora, pulling out a small key from his pocket and unlocking one of the cuffs. It fell away from the wooden armchair, being snatched up quickly to make sure that Sora didn't try and make a break for it. Hogen let Sora get down from the chair before handing them their water and taking them out the door.
⠀"Touji, could you help me escort the suspect to my office?" Hogen pulled Sora out into the hallway, nodding to Touji approvingly as he followed suit, closing the door behind him.
⠀The three of them headed down the quiet hallway, Touji to the rear of Sora, and Hogen in front. The sound of boots against the tiled floor echoed, the muffled sound of cars far below coming through a few open windows. Hogen led them to a dark wood door with a frosted window, the word 'Offices' written in both Japanese and English. He jingled the door handle, happy to see that it was unlocked, and took them inside.
⠀"Go ahead and sit down, young man, this may take a while." Hogen pulled one of the extra chairs from the back of the room over to his desk. He sat down in his own chair, grabbing a sheet from a desk drawer and beginning to fill it out.
⠀"Sir?" Touji asked, seeing that the page Hogen was filling out was a release form.
⠀"No need to keep them here if they haven't done anything wrong, cadet." Hogen replied, finishing the report summary and moving onto the suspect information, "Touji, did they have you fill anything out when you brought him in?"
⠀"They did not, sir."
⠀"That explains why there's no arrest document." Hogen tapped his pen against his desk, "We'll just have to start from the beginning, then. I'm gonna need you to answer some more questions and then we'll get you out of here."
⠀Sora nodded quietly, taking a drink of their water. Hogen could see the unease in their face, their shoulders tense with nerves. The quicker he could get them out of here, the better.
⠀"Full name?"
⠀"...Sora Watanabe."
⠀"Date of birth?"
⠀Hogen watched as Sora's face went blank, their eyes flicking around as they tried to remember. It wasn't that hard of a question, Hogen thought.
⠀"I don't know, sir." they said eventually, meeting Touji's silent look of confusion.
⠀"We'll get back to that one, then. Gender or Sex?"
⠀"What's that?"
⠀Hogen gave a snort, and paused. Something wasn't right.
⠀"Sora, how long have you been living in Tokyo?" Hogen asked flatly, the answer dawning on him even before the boy answered.
⠀"Less than a day?" At Sora's reply, Hogen let out a hearty laugh, the two teenagers watching him in confusion. Suddenly, everything made sense, the pieces of Sora and Touji's accounts clicking together like puzzle pieces. A young transient with no idea how Tokyo works would certainly get himself into a lot of trouble, and Sora did exactly that.
⠀"Pardon my laughter, young man, I just find this entire situation comical in retrospect." Hogen filled out the empty sections with 'Unknown' before sliding the sheet into a slot on his desk for outgoing documents. Someone would come by to take it to the archives later.
⠀"I'm sorry for causing such a fuss...." Sora apologized, bowing their head. Hogen raised his hand in acceptance, standing from his desk and pushing the chair in behind him.
⠀"No need to apologize. You were in the wrong place at the wrong time, judging by the evidence. Next time you're being chased, young man, just look for small buildings with the word 'Koban' written on them. They're small-scale police stations, and you can hide there if the need arises. However, I hope you never have to." Hogen pulled out the handcuff key from his pocket again and unlocked Sora's handcuffs, taking them off and placing them on his belt.
⠀Touji watched quietly, a sour expression on his face. Hogen could tell he wasn't happy about this, but it was better than keeping an innocent person in custody.
⠀"Now then, Touji, how long was Sora here?"
⠀"...Since 4:40 pm, sir." Touji responded flatly, unsure of why he asked. Hogen sighed.
⠀"Sora's a highschool student, judging by the uniform they're wearing, meaning they've not only missed curfew, but dinner as well." Hogen pointed out Sora's grey slacks, a gold and red swirl on his right pant leg.
⠀"...Sir?"
⠀"As such, cadet, as punishment for wasting resources, causing unnecessary tension between yourself and a suspect, and acting before thinking, you will be treating this young man to dinner as an apology."
⠀"Excuse me?" Touji's jaw dropped slightly, confused and shocked at Hogen's statement.
⠀"You heard me. Treat the boy to some dinner, break the ice, maybe even grab some dessert. You've caused each other a lot of problems today whether you intended to or not. I find talking over a meal to be the easiest way to settle a situation." Hogen gave the two a cheeky grin. Touji scoffed, crossing his arms and staring at Sora, who looked absolutely bewildered.
⠀"As much as I'd love to oblige, sir, it's against policy to socialize with suspects outside of investigations, as well as the fact I am currently short on funds to do so." Touji's tone was stiff, utterly disapproving of Hogen's order.
⠀"Actually, it isn't. And even if it was, I'm letting you out early today, so you can't use that excuse." Hogen said matter-of-factly, "Besides, did you really think I'd send you off to fend for yourselves without money when it was my idea in the first place?"
⠀Hogen pulled out a beautiful green wallet covered in white cranes from his pocket, counting out a few bills and handing them to Touji. He saw the stunned look on Touji's face as the boy took the cash, Sora sharing in the shock.
⠀"...¥5000? Are you sure?" Touji could barely get the words out, staring at the money in front of him. Hogen nodded approvingly.
⠀"Don't worry about it! You kids just go and have fun." Hogen smiled at the two approvingly. He escorted the kids back down to the lobby, giving them both a shove out of the front door. He trusted things were going to go well.
⠀Sora and Touji stood outside the police station, the chilly winter air stinging their skin as they stood in silence. The displeasure that Touji was radiating was almost palpable, the flowing horns on his head spinning angrily. Sora put their hands in their hoodie pocket, rubbing them together. It's really cold, Sora thought, immediately thinking of Shiro.
⠀He was still out there, somewhere, hurt, crying, or worse.... Sora considered running for a brief moment, but they knew they wouldn't get very far. When they had just been brought in, the moment they sat down they fell asleep. They were exhausted (and hungry, Sora realized, remembering they only had an anpan bun and milk all day.) Maybe this was something they needed.
⠀"Hey, hurry up." Touji called to them, grabbing their arm and leading them down the street to a crosswalk.
⠀As they both waited for the sign to turn green, Sora drew slightly closer to the officer in training, who jumped immediately. Touji looked at Sora with alarm and confusion before suddenly being dragged by their interlocking arms through the now safe crosswalk. Once they got to the other side, Sora's face was shining with a wide grin. Touji scowled, sighing and continuing to walk towards their destination, not removing his arm.
⠀The streets at this time of night were milling with people on their way home from work, students hanging out with their friends, and office workers heading to bars with their coworkers. People on bicycles swerved through the crowds, Sora watching them drive past. After a bit of walking, Sora turned to Touji, who was glancing between his phone and their immediate surroundings.
⠀"Where are we going? I think we've passed a few restaurants already." Sora watched as Touji led them by a restaurant named Yoshinoya, its vibrant red sign glowing in the nighttime darkness.
⠀"I want to take as little of Master Hogen's money as I can, therefore we are going somewhere where we won't have to spend a lot." Touji glared at his phone, his frown deepening. He started walking a bit faster.
⠀They continued on in silence, Sora looking around at the buildings. There were so many, and everywhere they looked the skyscrapers obscured the sky, except for directly down the highway from them. Sora strained to see above the heads of the crowd, and spotted in the far distance, a large wall. To see it from this far away, Sora imagined that it was massive. It was then they remembered the words that Mononobe had said earlier in the day, about the wall surrounding Tokyo, along with Ryouta's information about it as well.
⠀"The wall...." Sora muttered, catching Touji's attention.
⠀"What about it?"
⠀"I didn't realize how big it was...." Sora kept their eyes on it, being filled with an extreme sadness the longer they looked. No one was allowed in or out of the city, except for transportation of goods, and even then it was strictly monitored to watch for stowaways.
⠀"What is a low fence to a rabid animal but a mere impediment? The wall is to keep the transients in so they do no harm outside of Tokyo." The tone is Touji's voice was full of that barely contained hatred Sora had seen when they first met. He hated transients. Sora wondered why. Wasn't he a transient too?
⠀Touji put his phone back into a holster on his belt and turned sharply down a street. They passed glowing vending machines, a few more cyclists, before coming to a small two-story concrete building. Touji led them to the entrance on the first floor, taking the worn driftwood handle and sliding the door aside. The seahorse-shaped wind chime's tintinnabulation against metal rods announced their entrance, and a man behind the counter welcomed them in. Touji bowed to the other customers seated inside, some returning the gesture in tandem.
⠀"It's been a while, young man! Hogen not here with you today?" The man behind the counter smiled at Touji as he sat down at one of the bar stools closest to the door. Sora quickly sat in the stool next to him, looking around at the decorations inside the old, rustic snack bar. Handmade menu signs sat behind bottles of alcohol, various beach and surfing advertisements were pinned to a thin bamboo mat on the window and the walls, and upbeat music with the feeling of summer played quietly from a small speaker on a shelf in the corner.
⠀"Master Hogen has had to work overtime recently due to a myriad of recent cases, therefore he won't be by for the foreseeable future." Touji replied stiffly, grabbing a menu in a black binder and perusing it.
⠀"That's a shame to hear." the man sighed, and looked over to Sora, who was still enraptured by the atmosphere of the snack bar, "Who's this with you today?"
⠀"Master Hogen wanted me to take him to dinner." Touji's brows knit in annoyance, continuing to read the menu for a bit more before setting it back in its holder, "I do not understand why."
⠀"If you don't mind me saying, Sakimori, you'd do well to get a friend outside of Hogen. It isn't good for a kid your age to not have friends around their age, makes them too serious." the bar owner laughed, looking at Sora with a warm grin, "Nice to meet you, young man, you can call Miyuzuki. Welcome to Soulmate snack bar, get whatever you want, I guarantee it'll taste good."
⠀Sora nodded, reaching for the menu that Touji had just sat down and opened it up. There were pages of laminated sheets with different types of dishes, prices, drinks, etc. Sora went through them quietly, getting increasingly concerned since they didn't recognize anything. Kimchi? Yakisoba? They were lost.
⠀"Mr. Miyuzuki, we're ready to order." Touji called the middle-aged man over from the stove. Miyuzuki finished the pan of noodles he was working on and went over to Touji.
⠀"What will you be having?"
⠀"Oolong Tea, Nikusui, and one pickled ginger kushikatsu, please." Touji turned to Sora, who stared back at the young officer with embarrassment. Did they just guess and hope for the best? Before they could bring up the problem, however, Touji turned back to Miyuzuki, "What do you recommend for my...guest to have?"
⠀Miyuzuki raised an eyebrow at the odd question, before grabbing another menu and looking through it. Sora watched Touji's face, waiting for some kind of explanation. He didn't like them, so why would he take the time to make sure they got something they would enjoy? Was he actually nice?
⠀"Well, let's see...the Egg Drop Soup is good for those who favor lighter flavors, and if you want a variety, I can make your friend a few kushikatsu as well." Miyuzuki looked to Sora, waiting for them to speak up.
⠀"That sounds nice." Sora smiled awkwardly, Miyuzuki folding the menu closed and placing it back on the stand. Miyuzuki nodded and turned back to the stove to prepare their dishes.
⠀Sora and Touji sat once again in tense silence, broken every now and then by the idle chatter of the other customers, or the calming tunes from the speaker. The sizzling of oil and the smell of cooking food made Sora's stomach growl. They were looking forward to whatever they were getting. Egg Drop Soup sounded simple enough, they guessed it was made of eggs, but not much else. They blinked sleepily, the song coming through the speakers melancholic and wistful, a woman's voice singing about better tomorrows.
⠀Before very long, Miyuzuki arrived with their dishes and drinks. He gently sat down glassware in front of the two, Touji's meal consisting of a fragrant beef stew and bright red deep-fried pickled ginger on a skewer. Sora's dishes were a small steaming bowl of egg drop soup topped with scallions, and a plate of several fried foods on skewers, one of which resembled Touji's. Lastly, Miyuzuki placed two cups of hot oolong tea in front of them.
⠀"Well, young man, I've made you a few of our popular choices, including lotus root, eggplant, chicken, shrimp, and pickled ginger. Enjoy yourselves, call me over when you're ready for the bill." Miyuzuki went over to another customer in the back that had called him, leaving the two teens alone again.
⠀After quietly saying their thanks for their meal, the two began to eat. Sora took a trepidatious taste of their soup, the warm and strong egg taste surprising them. It was nice, light, and comforting. Was this the type of comfort food they had heard Ryouta talking about? The various kushikatsu each had their own distinct flavor and texture, the pickled ginger one being sour and strong enough that Sora made a face. The oolong tea was very bitter but had a twinge of sweetness that eased it away from being unbearable. A warm feeling radiated throughout their body, and they felt content for the first time all day since they had gone after Shiro.
⠀Sora set their empty cup of tea down, and looked over at Touji, who was finishing the last of his own tea. Touji placed his chopsticks in a paper container, and rested the ends on a small wooden block in the shape of a leaf. He quietly spoke an appreciation for the meal, before looking to Sora. Did he expect them to do the same? Sora looked back at their own plate, and followed suit. They knew this was important to do after one finishes a meal, namely to be hygienic and follow restaurant etiquette. It was funny, they thought, to remember why this was important, yet nothing about themself.
⠀"Have you finished your meal, Watanabe?" Touji asked stiffly, Sora nodding in response. At that confirmation, Touji called over Miyuzuki, who came over from where he was reading something behind the counter. He gave a nod to Miyuzuki, who broke out into a wide smile, the crow's feet at the corners of his eyes crinkling.
⠀"Well, you kids enjoy yourselves? I hope the food lived up to your expectations, young man." Miyuzuki pulled out a small black plate and a notepad from his apron and began totaling up the cost of the meal. He ripped off the page, placed it on the black plate, and handed it to Touji with a bow. Touji read the amount, his eyes narrowing, and pulled out the wad of cash from his breast pocket.
⠀"I really liked the soup...." Sora replied, watching Touji total up the money and place it on the plate, handing it back to Miyuzuki politely. The older man smiled broadly at him, and placed the items back into his apron.
⠀"That's wonderful to hear! You both are welcome to stop by whenever you want, we're open for most of the night, so you can bring your friends over after school." Miyuzuki bent under the counter to grab something, and came back with a small parcel wrapped in black fabric, "By the way, Touji, could you bring this to your old man? He'll know what it is, so don't worry."
⠀Touji got down from the bar stool and took the parcel, placing it in his pants pocket, "I understand."
⠀"You two have a good day, alright? It's getting chilly, so stay warm! And Touji, give my regards to your old man!" Miyuzuki waved to the two kids as they left, Sora waving back happily. The glass door closed behind them, the warmth going with it. The temperature was lower than when they had arrived, steam puffing from Sora's mouth.
⠀"Let's go." Touji said gruffly, taking Sora's arm again, "I'm taking you straight back to your school."
⠀"Um, Touji-" Sora walked close behind, trying not to trip over their own feet, "Do you know where it is?"
⠀"Shinjuku Academy, in-between Central Park and the station. That school is the only one with gray uniforms and that type of pattern on the clothes." he stated matter-of-factly, heading back up the small side street towards the highway.
⠀"Do you go to school in Shinjuku, too?" Sora asked, walking with Touji the same way they had come earlier. Touji scoffed, the crowds parting in his wake.
⠀"Why would I give a criminal like you any sort of personal information? Furthermore, there's no guarantee that you would keep this information to yourself, either."
⠀"I don't even know enough people to tell your private information to!" Sora replied, displeased at how unbelievably difficult it was to make small talk with their escort.
⠀"That isn't the point!" Touji snapped back, turning sharply through a crosswalk right as the light turned green, and then walked across a second crosswalk. Sora grumbled at him, and they continued walking at a relatively decent pace.
⠀Sora found this time of silence to look around once again. In the distance, they could see the buildings that were by Central Park, the windows creating illuminated giants against the dark sky. The two walked close together, passing through the skyscraper-lined streets, Sora noticing that they were coming up on the Police Station.
⠀"Do you need to take the money back to Officer Hogen?" Sora asked quietly, Touji looking up at the police building.
⠀"Yes, but don't think I will simply let you out of my sight for something like that. He trusted me to deal with this...unfortunate state of events, and deal with it I shall." Touji checked for any incoming vehicles before turning across a small crosswalk, the station now at their backs. In front of them was a large circular structure around a crossroads, and a little ways past that....
⠀"I think I can see my school from here!" Sora grinned, speeding up their walk, Touji now being dragged behind them by the hand.
⠀They picked up speed, running across the crosswalks through the crowd of people, over cobbled brick sidewalks, and by shrubbery, until they slowed down to a walk. Sora caught their breath, the puffs of steam surrounding their head and disappearing into the air above. Touji waited for them quietly, watching the traffic drive by. When Sora recovered, Touji extended a stiff arm to them, which they took, before walking once more.
⠀The dormitories and classroom building of the school rose high above the low walls, their glowing lights shining through the windows. It looked like the gates were still open, and were being guarded by someone. Sora felt more nervous than when they had arrived last night. Was it because they knew people there now? Was it because of the overly stiff officer that was accompanying them back? Touji stopping in his tracks made them stop considering the possibilities, glancing over to see him checking his watch.
⠀"I have accompanied you to your school. If I catch you making trouble once again, know that there will be consequences, and I doubt that Officer Hogen will be as forgiving as he was today." Touji bowed to them, turning around and beginning to walk back towards the station.
⠀"Touji, wait!" Sora called out, pausing when Touji turned to look at them angrily, "...Thank you for dinner...." All he did was stare at them slack-jawed, before grumbling a 'you're welcome' and heading off. Sora watched for a bit, before turning back to the school and heading towards the gate.
⠀As they drew closer, they made out who was standing guard at the gate; it was Triton. Sora adjusted their sleeves, hiding the bandaids and wrappings as they approached. Triton turned to see who was coming, his face changing from surprised to upset. Very upset.
⠀"You're late, Sora Watanabe! It's well past curfew, I'll have you know!" Triton turned to face them, his frown deepening, "Not only you, but Shiro Motoori hasn't returned either, and if he's not with you....You were extremely reckless staying out this late with a murderer still on the loose."
⠀"Sorry, Mr. Triton...." Sora bowed to him, but when there was no response, they looked back up to the rough-faced teacher, who's face had softened from concern, "Sir?"
⠀"How did you get so banged up? Come to think of it, you were almost as bad yesterday! Get yourself to the nurse's office and then go straight to your dorm! Don't think I'm letting you off the hook, either, you're going to be hearing from me later!" Triton chided, Sora walking quickly past him through the entrance courtyard.
⠀They entered the main classroom building, looking down at their shoes. They were scuffed up and dirty, the once cream-colored canvas shoes that the school had given them now a light brown. They took them off, carrying them in their left hand. Sora wondered what to do next. They wouldn't be able to find Shiro without Lil' Sal's help, but with their phone out of battery, they were out of luck. It would take too long to search by themself, and they didn't want to get lost, or, Sora grimaced, arrested again.
⠀"Sora? Is that you?" Sora looked down the hallway to their left to see Mononobe, who looked as surprised to see them as they did him.
⠀"Yes, sir?" Sora headed towards him, realizing immediately how painful it was to walk with bare feet. They would definitely need to rest once they managed to get Shiro back safely.
⠀"You're back rather late, aren't you? Did you enjoy your first day in Tokyo?" Mononobe looked at them with a warm smile, "I can understand if you lost track of time, all new students do."
⠀"It was interesting...." Sora thought about everything that had happened, realizing that little to none of it could be mentioned without letting it slip as to why they got into that situation in the first place, "But I got lost and then my phone died while I was trying to head back to school."
⠀"That would certainly explain why you're back at this time of night...Come with me, I'll let you borrow my charger."
⠀In contrast to the hustle and bustle of the outside world, the home of Sora's adopted father was tranquil and calm. The teachers, like the students, had their own dorms on campus for those that did not have a residence in Tokyo, or for any teacher that needed a place to stay closer to campus. The rooms were bigger, more equipped, and were able to be personalized more.
⠀As Mononobe led Sora into his house, they spotted various plants set up in the hallways, on bookshelves, and hanging from the ceiling in small white pots. An old radio was set up on a lightly colored western-style table, along with a few newspapers and a mug with planets decorating the side. Sora marveled at the number of books that lined the shelves, of a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and colors.
⠀"Go ahead and take a seat. It's going to be some time before your phone completely charges." Mononobe ushered them to the table, plugging in their phone at a nearby outlet, resting it on a few books piled on the floor. He headed towards a small stove in the corner of the room, turning it on and grabbing a green stone kettle from a nearby cabinet. After adding a few tea bags and some water, he placed it on the burner and turned to Sora.
⠀"Would you like some melon pan to go with your tea? If not, I have some crackers."
⠀"Melon pan is fine, Mr. Mononobe." Sora replied, looking at the newspaper on the table once he went to retrieve said snacks. Although it was a bit difficult to read, Sora was able to make out the different news stories. Economic worries, discussions of assistance for transients, food insecurity; Tokyo seemed to be in serious trouble.
⠀The sharp whistle of a boiling pot and the soft clatter of a glass plate in front of them got their attention. Mononobe went quickly over to the stove to take the kettle off and placed it on a soft coaster. Sora looked at the small bun in front of them, cross-hatched and tinted a soft green. It smelled sweet, with a small hint of fruit. They watched Mononobe pour them both a cup of tea in cups that matched the kettle before sitting down at the table. He handed Sora their cup and smiled.
⠀"Now then. This is the first chance we've both had time to chat since you were enrolled. Is there anything on your mind?" Mononobe's voice was warm, kind, and inviting small talk. An invitation Sora took whole-heartedly.
⠀"You said you were my guardian, yesterday. What does that mean?" Sora took a small bite of the green bread in front of them, and was pleasantly surprised to find that the taste was gentler than what they expected.
⠀"Straight to the point, I see. Don't forget to relax, Sora." Mononobe chuckled at how tense their shoulders were. They took a deep breath, and felt the tension leave their body, "Ryouta said you have amnesia, is that correct?"
⠀"Yes, sir."
⠀"Let me explain what being a legal guardian entails: someone asked me to be a parent to you, to make sure that you are taken care of until you are able to take care of yourself. I don't know who it was that requested this of me, only that I was supposed to." Mononobe took a sip of the tea in front of him, and looked away quietly.
⠀"What do you mean you don't know who asked you?" Sora asked, not following.
⠀<"Exactly that, I don't know. One of the board members of the school approached me with some legal papers detailing that I was to take care of you, but they weren't the ones that decided this. What makes it more confusing is the fact that it wasn't elaborated on further, and now here you are. Although this isn't unheard of, it was certainly odd to experience it first-hand." Mononobe put a hand on his stubbly chin, thinking something over./p>
⠀"Are people randomly assigned a person to take care of? Isn't that a bad idea?" Sora asked, now completely confused. Mononobe shook his head.
⠀"No, it's not like that. There are a lot of things in Tokyo you aren't aware of currently, one of those being the connection between transients and the education system. Prior to the walls going up, Japan- the place Tokyo is located- offered student visas for people overseas. In exchange for either teaching or studying at a university or school, you were allowed to stay. Tokyo took this idea and adjusted it for the transient population. Transients that were young or had less than what was determined to be a passing highschool education were enrolled into schools, while those that were older and wiser were put as teachers in highschools or universities. If you were somewhere in the middle, your case was dealt with according to the best course of action." he paused, taking another sip of tea, "Technically speaking, Sora, you qualify as a transient. If you appear in Tokyo out of nowhere, you could only have come through a Gate, making you a Transient instantly. And to keep you in legal standing you were enrolled in a school. Understand now?"
⠀"A little...but can other people become guardians besides teachers?" Sora thought about Hogen and Touji, how it was more than obvious that the older man was his caretaker in some way.
⠀"In some cases, yes, but one of them still has to be affiliated with some form of education system, whether at a technical school or in a homeschooled setting. Sora, do you know the other reason why we have transients assigned to a guardian?"
⠀"...No, sir."
⠀Mononobe's face grew serious for a moment, before tapering back into a gentler expression, "It's so we can keep an eye on them. It sounds worse than it is, though I can't deny that in some cases this is abused for personal gain. It's just to make sure if they need help making their way through life in a new place, they're able to get it, and to make sure they don't get into trouble. As for how all of this is possible, living expenses are covered by the national and local government depending on the needs of the transient in question. Some are younger and require a lot of care, others are older and require less. In some cases, the cost of living is paid for by anonymous benefactors. If a family here wants to adopt a transient child, they won't have to worry about the financial burden."
⠀Sora didn't reply, finding themself staring at the lacquered wooden table. They felt...saddened. Something about this sat wrong, how the only reason transients were able to be accepted here was if they were being watched. Was that going to happen to them?
⠀"Did that help you remember anything?" Mononobe waited for them to lift their head, but they did not, "Sora, are you alright?"
⠀"Am I going to be a burden on you?" Sora's voice caught in their throat, feeling like they were going to break at any second. They heard Mononobe scoot his chair away from the table, the man coming over to comfort them. He placed a hand on their back, and kneeled down to look at their face.
⠀"Don't think that. You aren't a burden to me or anyone else here. I've never considered the people in my care to be a burden. After all, I was the one that chose this. Take a sip of your tea, it'll help." Mononobe kept his hand on Sora's back as they took a shaky drink.
⠀"Thank you...." Sora took a deep breath, and looked at their guardian's face. He looked tired, and Sora wondered if he had a long day.
⠀"Let me tell you a story, Sora. When Transients first appeared in Tokyo, I was still quite young, and didn't have a path I wanted to follow. The Gate's appearances were so sudden, and the Transients started arriving one after another. Tokyo was flung into chaos, and safety measures were taken as quickly as possible. Some said it was the end of the world. During this chaos, I met a particular transient. I was afraid, as most people are when faced with the unknown. You must have felt it too, when you encountered the Red Oni yesterday." Mononobe laughed at their shocked expression, "Ryouta told me a lot about what happened, he can exaggerate though, so I'm not sure how much is true...that transient I saw...was just as scared as I was. Lost. After a few years, the government announced that from there on Tokyo was to exist with other worlds, and was sealed off. The capitol was moved elsewhere in Japan for safety reasons, and a new isolated government was formed. It was then that I realized I wanted to help these transients in their new home, so I became a teacher in honor of the one I had met. Soon I realized that it wasn't just the transient students I wanted to help, but all of them. So no, I don't consider you or anyone else in my care as a burden. And that is the honest truth."
⠀"What happened to that transient you met?" Sora asked, eating more of their melon pan. Mononobe stood up, and thought for a few seconds.
⠀"Not sure. After that encounter, I haven't seen them since. Hopefully they're doing well and being taken care of. Also, Sora, don't think I haven't noticed that you're covered in bandaids. After your phone charges, I'll take you to the nurse so you can get checked out. From an official and personal standpoint, I have to make sure you don't get into too much trouble, so be careful, alright? As long as you do that, have fun. Us adults will foot the bill." Mononobe nodded at Sora approvingly. He sat down, and began to eat his own snack before pausing at the sound of a cheery ringtone coming from his pocket. He quickly answered it.
⠀"Hello? Oh, it's you, officer....I understand. I'll be over there as soon as I can...of course. Goodbye." Mononobe hung up the call, his face grave. He turned to Sora, mulling something over, "Sora, I have some business to take care of. As much as I would like to talk more, we'll be able to another time. You can stay here until your phone is charged, just leave the key in the mailbox."
⠀"Yes, sir." Sora bowed their head as he left, watching him grab a brown coat from the entrance as he went out the door. They turned back to their food and drink, finishing it in silence while they waited.
⠀It didn't take long for Sora to make it back to their dorm room after leaving Mononobe's house. The dorms were co-ed, but the facilities were not, as Sora discovered when heading into the showers that morning. Triton redirected them to the correct ones before disaster could strike, thankfully. They walked up the stairs to the third floor and tip-toed quietly down the long hallway. A cold breeze came through the open balcony, stinging their face. They needed to get a hat or something, maybe they could borrow one from Ryouta-
⠀"Sora! Thank goodness!" before they could see who called out to them, they were tackled from behind and hugged tightly. Sora looked over their shoulder to see messy red hair; speaking of which-
⠀"Ryouta? What are you doing here? Isn't your room on the fifth floor?" Sora was let go, and turned to face their friend, who looked absolutely relieved to see them.
⠀"Yeah, but you never came back so I've been waiting here for you. Did you eat dinner? Are you tired? Do you need anything? You're covered in bandaids! What happened?!" The poor boy was running a mile a minute, unsure of what to focus on.
⠀"Ryouta, I'm okay!" Sora laughed, gently putting their hands on his, "I got into a couple of fights while looking for Shiro, but I'm alright now."
⠀Ryouta nodded, "Did you find him?"
⠀"...Yeah. But he's...I couldn't talk him into coming back, but I'm going to sneak out and keep looking once I rest a little." Sora muttered solemnly.
⠀"I understand. Hey, what are you planning to do right now?" Ryouta asked.
⠀"I'm going to head to the bathroom then change clothes, why?"
⠀He shuffled, putting his hands in his pockets and pulling out two clear drinks, "Well, I was wondering if you'd like to come to my room after so you could fill me in on what happened...."
⠀Sora nodded, a grin breaking out on their face, "Sure! You're one of the last doors, right?"
⠀"Yeah! I'll be waiting outside my room!" Ryouta bounced in place, giving them another quick hug before heading upstairs. Sora walked down the hall to their own room, opening the door with a hesitant push. Their room lay exactly as they had left it that morning. Interestingly, their sword seemed to have gone right back to the spot they left it as well. Did it leave after the fights cause they wanted it to?
⠀They closed the door behind them, changing quickly into whatever they had that wasn't completely covered in dirt. This happened to be the cuffed blue jeans from last night and their yellow sneakers. Sora looked at a spare dress shirt hanging above their desk, and glanced at the one they had on. It was better than nothing, and if Touji happened to be on patrol again, maybe he wouldn't notice it was them immediately. Maybe.
⠀It was after changing their shirt that Sora noticed something on their desk; another envelope. They set their yellow hoodie down, heading over to the desk curiously. Unable to make out the name on the front, they switched on their desk lamp; it was another letter from Mononobe. The letter was relatively light except for something small inside. They tore open the envelope, a key falling onto the desk, and took out a note that came with it.
⠀Sora, sorry about this, but I forgot to give you the key to your room this morning.
Make sure to lock your door when you go to class.
Don't lose it.
-Kyouma Mononobe
⠀Sora smiled at their guardian's note, setting it back down on the desk and picking up the key. It had their room number on it, with a small blue tag attached with their name and a number stating to call if found. They put the key in their jeans pocket, and switched shirts. As they were adjusting it so it looked somewhat better, they wondered what else they needed before they headed off to Ryouta's. They glanced at their phone, wondering if it was a good idea to turn it on. I should wait until I'm away from the school so Lil' Sal can look for Shiro better, Sora thought. They put their phone in their jeans pocket and headed for the bathroom.
⠀It took less time than they expected to find Ryouta, who as he had said, was waiting outside his room, rocking back and forth. The same excited, loving smile Sora had come to associate with their new friend was on his face the moment he heard them approaching. He turned and opened the door, pulling them by the hand with barely contained excitement. Ryouta's room was a blinding opposite to Sora's currently stark-bare room. Posters of festivals, concerts, restaurant signs and food posters were on every inch of wallspace, a small area left blank for a calendar and a pizza clock.
⠀"Woah...." Sora marveled at the immense amount of decorations, closing the door quietly behind them.
⠀Ryouta went over to a green mini-fridge next to his dresser, and pulled out the drinks from earlier. Sora sat at his desk, taking one of the bottles from him. It was a clear bottle with a sky blue label, the name 'Pocari Sweat' in big white letters along it.
⠀"The name may be a little weird but according to Kengo this is the best thing to have after a workout, and we both got one of those today...speaking of which, what happened? You didn't pick up or reply for hours, I was worried that...well, with the murder case and all, you know?" Ryouta nervously took a drink, sitting on his bed.
⠀"Sorry about that." Sora bowed in apology to Ryouta, who waved it off, "My phone died and I didn't know where to go then I got arrested-"
⠀"You what?!" Ryouta stared at them with disbelief and alarm. Sora took this moment of confusion to take a few drinks. Huh, they felt a little better. Maybe Kengo was right.
⠀"It's a long story, this might take a while...."
⠀"So...hold on. Shiro went to a convenience store last night, got registered to SUMMONS, was instantly caught by some Rookie Hunters, turned the tables and totally busted those guys up. Which freaked him out and he ran, but one of those Rookie Hunters was the one found murdered the next day, which was the murder case that Mr. Mononobe was talking about. And then you ran into these Rookie Hunters, who attacked you outside the station, and then you ran away, and ran into them again but you saved them from something called a D-Evil, who are minions that Shiro can control through SUMMONS, and you made a pact with one, then found Shiro in Shibuya but he attacked you so you ran. Then this biker saved you and dropped you off at a 7-Eleven but your phone died and you got arrested then the cop got in trouble for arresting you so his superior made him buy you dinner and walk you home?"
⠀"...Yeah?"
⠀"Sora are you alright after all of that?" All Ryouta could do was give them an expression of utter bewilderment at the tale they had just recounted.
⠀"I think so? I'm really tired." they tried stretching a bit, their legs aching more now that they had sat down for an extended period.
⠀"Think you could've packed more details into that? That was ridiculous." Ryouta put his head in his hands, processing what Sora had gone through, "So Shiro is the one that's behind the murder? That's hard to believe, but...it is like him to paint himself into a corner, he tends to do that a lot. If he was the one that attacked them and one was found dead then he's the prime suspect, but if his familiars were out of control then it's not his fault."
⠀"That's what I thought, but I wasn't able to tell him that before they attacked." Sora thought of how scary it was being chased by something intent on your demise. They hoped not to experience that again. Twice in two days was enough.
⠀"SUMMONS isn't a normal app either, I guess? You can have these battles like the one you had with the Rookie Hunters, and I guess like in the park? I don't remember much about that one though. The App makes a Battle Zone, and you have affiliations, and what happens in there stays in the Battle Zone. How can a social media app do all that?" Ryouta flopped onto his back, letting out a sigh. This all got extremely complicated.
⠀"I don't know, but that isn't normal right?" Sora asked, finishing the last of their Pocari Sweat and setting the empty bottle down. After talking for such a long time, their throat was sore.
⠀"It absolutely is not! I've never heard of something being able to do this. When I signed up for SUMMONS, all that happened was a goblet appearing in front of me. That one on the fridge." Ryouta pointed on top of the fridge where the goblet in question rested. Sora recognized it from the day prior, Ryouta taking great care to keep it with him as they ran through the park, "I have no idea what it does, but it definitely doesn't call a bunch of tiny demons. I still can't believe that Shiro would-"
⠀Suddenly, Ryouta was quiet. He sat up quickly, the look in his eyes resembling a building epiphany, "Something's not right here. If everything that happens in a Battle Zone stays until the battle ends and the app closes, then everything returns to normal, meaning that whatever damage Shiro did reverted back to normal. Which means-"
⠀"Which means Shiro couldn't have killed that person!" Sora practically jumped out of the desk chair in excitement. Shiro was innocent! Now all they had to do was explain the truth to him.
⠀"Exactly!" Ryouta grinned, before slumping down a bit, "Shiro can be pretty fragile. Just breaking a rule or two can shut him down for a while, I...can't even imagine what he feels like if he thinks he killed someone. It could be years before he feels like himself again."
⠀Sora nodded slowly, feeling around their pocket for their phone. There was no time to waste then, it was now or never, "Ryouta, does Triton stand guard all night?"
⠀He thought for a moment, "Not usually, but a lot of students have been breaking curfew recently because of the holidays, so he's beefed up security. He'll stay until about midnight and then close the gates...why?"
⠀Sora looked at the pizza clock, the hands pointing out 10:25. They couldn't wait two hours for Triton to leave, Shiro might not even be in Shinjuku by then. He might not even be in Shinjuku now, "I'm going to sneak out so I can find Shiro, I just don't know how yet."
⠀"Well going through the front gates isn't a good idea. Triton pulled out his trident earlier to corral some students back to their dorms. He's not messing around right now, it's super scary, and then he has that water rope thing!" Ryouta grimaced, looking at Sora with a worried expression.
⠀"There's gotta be a way to distract him." Sora muttered, "I could always try climbing over the fence."
⠀Ryouta shook his head, "Not a good idea, Kengo tried that once and he broke his arm pretty badly. You could try climbing a tree, there's one that has a branch close to the fence, but you'd have to jump over, and that's pretty risky with the street right there."
⠀"Better than nothing!" Sora leaned down to tie their shoes better before standing up, "Could you show me?"
⠀"Of course, but, Sora? Don't you need a jacket? It's really cold outside." Ryouta stared at their short-sleeved dress shirt, one he noticed immediately was for the warmer, summer months. Sora paused, unsure of what to say. At this, he quietly stood, heading over to his dresser and rifling through the bottom-most drawer before pulling out a large blue woolen coat. Ryouta handed the coat to them, a caring smile making its home in his soft features.
⠀"...Thank you, Ryouta." Sora took the coat appreciatively, slipping it on. It was quite heavy, the arms long and floppy. They wiggled their arms around playfully, Ryouta giggling in response. A sudden knock at the door made them both jump, Ryouta getting up to answer it quickly. Standing outside in the hall, in the same blue uniform as earlier, was Moritaka.
⠀"Master Ryouta, I'm sorry to intrude upon you at this hour, but have you seen Shiro? I would like to return something to him, but he isn't in his room." Moritaka looked towards Ryouta, leaning to the side to check who else was with him, and noticed Sora, "Oh, Master Sora, it's nice to see you again."
⠀"You too, Moritaka" Sora smiled at him, giggling a little when his ear twitched in response.
⠀"He's not in his room?" Ryouta feigned ignorance, not wanting to call attention to the fact that Shiro had run away earlier.
⠀"No, I expect he is either in the library or conversing with one of the teachers." Moritaka responded. It was then that Sora had an idea.
⠀"I think I saw him talking to Triton earlier, he might still be there if we hurry." Sora stood, rolling the sleeves up on their coat. Ryouta turned to look at them, mildly surprised, before confirming their statement with a hearty nod.
⠀"Ah, I see. In that case, shall we go?" Moritaka waited for Sora and Ryouta to leave the latter boy's room, before walking with him down the hallway of the western-style dormitory.
⠀By the time they had reached the first floor, Ryouta was leading in the front, while Sora hung in the back so they could sneak off if a teacher approached. Moritaka walked quietly in between the two of them, carrying himself proudly. To Sora-and Ryouta's-absolute shock and alarm, Triton happened to turn the corner of the courtyard walkway, and made eye contact with the trio immediately.
⠀"There you are! Why aren't you in your dorm room, Watanabe?" Triton walked towards them quickly, the slapping of his sandals against the concrete floor more intimidating than Sora expected. Maybe they could run for it.
⠀"Um, Mr. Triton! We were uh, Moritaka was looking for you! Sora was helping us find you!" Ryouta started covering for them immediately, causing the merman to halt his steady approach.
⠀"Is that so? What for?" Triton crossed his arms, droplets of water swirling around him in mesmerizing patterns. In inquisitive patterns, Sora noted, watching the droplets slowly twirl and weave.
⠀"He, uh, he needs to consult you on something!" At this lie, Moritaka turned to look at Ryouta in confusion.
⠀"Master Ryouta, what-"
⠀"He doesn't know how to swim, and he's really nervous about it! He's been practicing the doggy paddle but he needs a teacher there to help him!" Ryouta spat out, feeling the look Moritaka was giving him on his back.
⠀"What?! No, I, Professor Triton-" Moritaka, who by now was utterly lost, looked between his classmates for an explanation as to what was happening. He was not going to get one, as Triton took this moment to place a sturdy hand on Moritaka's shoulder.
⠀"I understand, young man! Coming to others for assistance with something like this can be difficult, but rest assured that in a few hours you'll be swimming as good as I do!" Triton spun Moritaka around, and began walking with him towards the pool. Moritaka could only protest, turning to look over his shoulder to Ryouta who gave him a sheepish thumbs up in response.
⠀Once the two had gone out of sight, Sora and Ryouta walked quickly towards the front gate, making sure to keep ears and eyes out for anyone nearby. The coast was clear, it was a straight shot through the courtyard, around the building and through the entrance.
⠀"Sora, if anyone is there, I'll distract them, okay? I...I don't think I can go after Shiro with you, I'll just get in the way somehow. So, make sure to take care of him when you find him, alright?" Ryouta whispered, avoiding what he knew would be a look of worry.
⠀"You've done more than enough already, I couldn't have gotten this far without you. I wouldn't be here without you." Sora grabbed his hand, and gave it a gentle squeeze, "I'll make sure to tell Shiro that you've been worried about him. Now, let's hurry."
⠀As the two expected, Jinn was now standing guard in place of his rival. Easy going as the man was, there's no way he would allow one of his students to just walk out the front gate unobstructed. It was Sora who took the reins this time.
⠀"Mr. Jinn!" Sora called out to the burly teacher, who turned to look at them with a yawn.
⠀"Hey, you two. What can I do ya for?" Jinn asked. Sora looked to Ryouta, before turning back to Jinn nervously. They hoped they were a convincing liar.
⠀"Ryouta needs to talk to you about something. He...um...I went with him because he wasn't sure how to bring it up and he'd like some advice. On something." Sora grimaced internally at their awful attempt. How did they manage to lie to a police officer's face earlier?
⠀Jinn practically ran over to Ryouta, staring into the boy's eyes, expecting some sort of explanation. Ryouta panicked, looking at Sora before taking a deep breath, "Uh huh! I'd like to...I don't really want to talk about it out here, could we head back to your office?"
⠀"Of course, young man! But I can't leave until Triton comes back-"
⠀"We just passed him, Mr. Jinn. We told him we were looking for you, and he said you were standing guard." Sora spoke calmly, internally a rampant ball of nerves.
⠀"What's keeping him?"
⠀"His sandal broke, so he's busy fixing it, but he said he'd be back over in a few minutes." Sora hoped that was enough to convince him. They almost-almost- blew their cover with a sigh of relief when Jinn nodded appreciatively.
⠀"Thank you for passing that message along, dear students. Well, if fishface is headed back over here then it should be fine. I'll take Ryouta with me, and you head back to your dorm room, you hear?"
⠀"Yes, sir!" Sora started off in the direction of the dorms, turning a corner and waiting for a bit to make sure Jinn had left. After a minute or so, they peeked around the corner. Empty. They made it out unseen.
⠀Sitting across the street in a white tile stairway of the Keio Plaza Hotel, hidden by thick bushes, Sora planned their next move. They pulled Ryouta's woolen coat tighter around their shoulders as the chill of the night started settling in. They grabbed their phone, holding the button at the top and waited for it to turn on, smiling when the screen lit up to show a beautiful picture of the Tokyo nightlife as the lockscreen.
⠀They opened SUMMONS, navigating to the Familiars page to look for Lil' Sal. There's no way they were going to find Shiro on their own. That thing Lil' Sal had done earlier to locate Taro, Ken and Yamato could definitely help. Sora clicked on his portrait, the small goatman appearing as he usually did, except this time, he leapt at them immediately.
⠀"Master, I was so worried! It's been hours!" Lil' Sal landed on their chest with a cry, gripping their dress shirt tightly. Sora gently patted him on the back, letting him get all of his emotions out before prompting him with what they needed.
⠀"Lil' Sal, remember how you found Taro and the others?" Sora exited back to the main screen of SUMMONS, which was a map of Tokyo that featured a local map option, and had a list of recent and ongoing fights. Lil' Sal pondered quietly, before pulling out his tome and flipping through the pages until he got to one titled Sigil Search.
⠀"This?" Lil' Sal asked, watching a white ball of light rise from the page. It shifted into a person, with various dots popping around them. It spun around expectantly, as if waiting for directions.
⠀"Yeah! Could you find Shiro for me?" Sora asked. Lil' Sal grinned broadly, twirling his finger and pointing to the symbol, who began to glow and sparkle, its color changing into a deep purple.
⠀"Of course! We've run into him once, and we're in luck! His phone is on so I know exactly where he is. The Citizen's Plaza right in front of the Metro building, about a block away. Let's move, Master!" Lil' Sal flew after the sigil, Sora close behind. They put their phone in their jeans pocket and ran after Lil' Sal.
⠀Sora shoved through a group of people huddled under the underpass, apologizing as they went. They couldn't lose Lil' Sal, although they doubted he'd just leave them. They sprinted past a building entrance, the crossing guard calling out to them to be more careful. Lil' Sal was waiting for them on the other side, Sora holding him in the crook of their arm as they ran after the sigil, which was now starting to glow brighter. It turned sharply to the right, catching Sora by surprise.
⠀"Master, take the stairs behind the sign coming up ahead, by the statue!" Lil' Sal pointed ahead to where the sigil had just passed over. Sora climbed up the stairs quickly, meeting the sigil near a tall, granite-tiled column that held up an upper floor far above their head.
⠀The Citizen's Plaza was enormous, the sharp white lights of the circular building walling it off providing a decent amount of illumination. Sora walked silently through the rows of columns, speechless at the sight in front of them. Ripples of vibrant colors shimmered as they made contact with a large Battle Zone, bigger than anything they had seen thus far. In the center of the plaza was a swirling vortex of D-Evils, the sound of their piercing shrieks unbearable. Bodies of fallen opponents lay in the plaza, dozens of them. Sora felt their breath hitch when they finally saw Shiro sitting motionless amongst the maelstrom.
⠀"Master, there's more of those enemies than when you last saw them. Either he's lost complete control or he's now summoning them on purpose, but either way, I don't recommend you go in there unless you have a plan." Lil' Sal muttered, calling the sigil back into his tome. Sora didn't respond, looking too intently at Shiro. They were hoping he would move, do anything to show that he was alright. Alive.
⠀"...I have to help him." Sora spoke, their voice quiet from fear. They placed a hand upon the wall of the Battle Zone, the familiar female voice asking them to state their affiliation. Shiro's team was maxed out. That left....
⠀"Master, be careful." Lil' Sal watched as Sora entered the battle zone, having input themself as an Enemy. He could not enter. It was up to Sora to figure out what to do from here.
⠀Sora stepped closer towards the rampaging horde, and with a deep breath, yelled for Shiro as loud as they could muster. The resounding silence that came after was loud, all of the D-Evils staring at them. Out of curiosity? They didn't know.
⠀Shiro ever so slowly lifted his head in their direction, as if he was barely conscious. Sora started making their way towards Shiro, the D-Evils protesting with a resounding scream, a warning. Sora did not heed it, picking up their pace. One of the D-Evils fired an orb towards them, grazing their shoulder. The wool burnt away, a small hole from where it made contact. They winced, and started to sprint.
⠀It was a full on assault. The D-Evils all charged towards them, crawling across the ground and flying towards them, screeching and trying to pelt them with projectiles. But they were disconnected, acting on instinct. Their leader gave no orders, so they had no direction. Sora summoned the ████████ D-Evil, holding it like a sack of oranges while they ran.
⠀"I need you to distract them so I can help your Master, alright? Can you do that?" Sora asked, dodging out of the way of a dive bombing demon. The ████████ D-Evil clapped its short arms together, flying out of their grasp towards the tornado of Shiro's familiars. It began firing beams of green at its kin, their bodies disappearing into clouds of smoke. This was their chance.
⠀Sora ran for Shiro, dodging any enemies that weren't preoccupied, and slid across the tiled ground until they were close enough to Shiro that they could see him clearly.
⠀"Shiro! Snap out of it!" they grabbed their friend's shoulders, trying to shake him out of his stupor. Shiro stared at them, and yet, they felt like he wasn't quite seeing them. His glasses were missing, and in his hands, was the book he had been carrying, the one that had caused all of this in the first place. Its pages glowed with an eerie light, the writing on its pages shifting and warping.
⠀"I can't...I can't go home...I've killed so many. Lead me away from here." Shiro started crying, his voice cracking as he stared right through Sora, "You can help me...yes. Yes, the books were always there for me. They were the only ones...all I must do is read the book...."
⠀Shiro lowered his head towards the pages, the light coming from them growing brighter, a howling sound now coming through the plaza. Sora backed away, watching as swirls and dots of greens and purple started appearing around Shiro.
⠀"Role of the Gatekeeper. Rule of Resurrection." Shiro's voice was tempered as he began to call out his Sacred Artifact, Sora immediately drawing their own. Their scramble to get to Shiro had maxed out their CP, they would be able to retaliate against whatever he did.
⠀"Role of the Wanderer, Rule of Rending! Come forth, Boundless Tail!" Sora aimed their blade towards Shiro, the golden inlays reflecting the light of the book.
⠀"Engrave my name unto thee, Cosmic Terror!" Shiro's voice rang out, staring Sora down as they charged him, their sword making contact with the Necronomicon. A blinding light wall of light erupted from the spot where they had made contact, engulfing the two. A cacophony not unlike space tearing open filled the plaza, along with a great, roaring sound. And then, nothing.
