1

Kazuki found himself landing on soft grass. That was after going a similar tunnel like the one he traversed on the way to the Fragment. Gently putting Amagi down, he turned his head to look at the surroundings.

"I'm back," he commented, recognizing the environment as being in the middle of the park where he entered the Fragment.

However, something was different. His shield was gone. Also, this was not the exact place where he entered from. Instead, it was somewhere in the middle of the rather large park.

With the sound of a few insects accompanying the otherwise silent night, Kazuki felt relieved to finally be back in his world. He smiled upon seeing the dimly-lit field and the tranquility of it all.

Taking out his smartphone, Kazuki saw that reception is back on. He also noticed the time.

10:45 p.m.

How long has he been inside the Fragment? He had lost all sense of time when he jumped in, and it's quite late already. Thankfully, this park never really closes its doors, so getting back wouldn't be that big of an issue.

It's finally over, huh?

He stared at the starry sky before remembering another thing. He turned around, looking for any signs of his Awakener classmate.

In the dimly-lit field, he made out the shape of a long-haired girl a couple of meters behind him, and seeing a blonde person on the ground next to her, he quickly recognized her.

"Uehara!"

She took a little while to hang up her call, but once she did, she started to walk towards him.

In between relieved breaths, Kazuki began speaking,

"First of all, thanks for the help. Now, can you tell me what just happened? Mu, Nullities, I just want to know what they really are. Now that we have a bit more time and all..."

"There is nothing more that you need to know."

Those cold words cut him off abruptly.

"Come on, Uehara. If something like this would happen again—"

"I'll destroy the Nullities. Alone."

Kazuki saw no hesitation in Uehara's eyes. She really meant it.

That realization made Kazuki feel uncomfortable. He was sure that his past self would be a bit inclined to just let her be. However, things are a bit different now.

He's already an Awakener, one of the only two people who can deal with the perpetual disappearances in Shiroki City.

Also, the other world, Mu, and the multiple Fragments that connect the real world to that dimension consumed him with a newfound thirst for knowledge.

"Are you sure about that? Listen, I want to know more about those things, so that in the future, I could help you and –"

"Help?" she answered with a condescending tone. "You almost got yourself killed a while ago, if I may remind you, Arata."

Kazuki stopped. She's right. If it was not for her cutting off the tail and unloading everything on the scorpion, he would have been done.

"I remember it all. That's why I am trying to learn! What would you suggest me to do, then?"

"Quit," she said without any second thought. "Have nothing more to do with Mu or the Nullities. Nullities, the one behind all this... all of them will die by my hand alone."

"Uehara, you can't do this –"

"And why?" she swung her hands down, much to Kazuki's surprise.

Her voice remained stiff, but under the dim light of the park lamps, he noticed a different look in her eyes: one of slight wavering. As if pent up pressure threatened to blow up at any time.

"Arata, you will only drag me down. What am I supposed to do if you were to die again?"

Die again?

Like a flash of inspiration, Kazuki's memories began flooding back en masse.

He saw memories of first trip to a Fragment. The one where he first encountered the Nullities, finishing with a fight against one that looked like a mantis.

He also remembered being at death's door.

It all happened.

That's why he was at the hospital, and that's why it was Sayaka Uehara that was able to bring him there.

"Wait a minute..." he thought out loud before getting cut off for the umpteenth time.

"Now if you would excuse me. I have business to attend to."

She refused to give him a chance to object.

"By the way, Miki Amagi is fine. She was just unconscious the whole time. When she wakes up, she would probably think of everything as a dream... or a nightmare. Keep her safe until then."

She left the scene without saying another word. Picking up the blonde guy on her shoulders, she went on her way.

Kazuki contemplated going after her, but between her stubbornness and the task of taking care of Amagi, he relented.

He turned his focus back to Amagi.

After giving another look at Amagi, Kazuki concluded that at this time, sending her to a hospital might be even more troublesome than just taking her in for the night.

Plus, he did not have the money right now.

It's gonna be a long night ahead with a lot of explaining to do.

2

The sound of the door's automated locks preceded Kazuki's entrance into his apartment unit. He pushed the door open before picking up Amagi's unconscious body and slowly making his way in.

"You're late, Big Bro!" greeted Hikari with her usual pouty voice, but it did not take more than a few seconds for her facial expression to take a 180 degree turn. "Oh my god, what happened?"

She reflexively covered her mouth and stared at her brother with large eyes.

"Mind... giving me a hand?" Kazuki struggled through his words.

At this point, he was more amazed that he managed to get back to the apartment without much trouble. Calling for a taxi and loading an unconscious girl in would have caused some commotion from prying eyes.

Nonetheless, it was a tough request for Kazuki to make to his sister. There was no mistaking it from the pajamas she wore and the overall drowsy expression she had moments ago that she was getting ready to sleep. Nonetheless, she was quick to oblige.

"What happened out there?" asked Hikari while looking at the brunette that they laid on the sofa.

"She... fell unconscious," said Kazuki, hoping that his sister would readily accept such a very uncreative explanation. "I found her on the road, and she was not hurt that much."

Coming back from her room, Hikari raised her eyebrows at her brother. "Just fell unconscious? After it took you almost three hours?"

Of course it wouldn't work.

"Y-yeah. Something came up, and she passed out."

"Really? You sure you didn't do anything to her?" Hikari puffed out her cheeks. "I'm watching you."

"I'm serious! I swear I didn't do anything!"

"Fine, fine" replied Hikari. "Anyway, for now, we gotta make sure to keep her warm and cozy until tomorrow at least. Well, she could share the bed with me for tonight."

"Uh..."

"What? You're not the kind of person to dump your childhood friend out in the living room for the night, right? And she will not be sharing a room with you! Who knows what you'd end up doing."

"I haven't even said anything yet!" frantically answered Kazuki.

"That's final! Now please watch over her while I prepare things inside my bedroom."

Kazuki nodded before his sister scrambled back to her room. He looked on while hearing the sounds of things being arranged and lights being opened.

"A....ra....ta."

Hearing the weak voice, Kazuki quickly turned to his friend.

"Amagi?"

She remained unconscious, but she kept mouthing Kazuki's name. For some reason, the sight of her doing that gave Kazuki a warm feeling.

He gently placed his hand over her cheeks and whispered.

"Don't worry, Amagi. It's all fine now."

On the spot, he made a promise to himself to look over her and protect her in the days to come.

3

Late night is not a time most hospitals expect to receive incoming patients. Most of them do not operate at full capacity, and the same applies to Aspira Hospital, world-class as it may be.

Sayaka Uehara understood that, and she patiently sat in the waiting area. She had just delivered the unconscious blonde named Jay Shizaki for emergency care.

This was the second time she came here in as many days.

She knew full well that those two situations were different. Despite arriving here and paying for the rooms with aid from some connections in both cases, the first one was due to an earnest wish to help someone.

This one, one the other hand...

She stared at the digital wall clock.

The last thing the investigation needed was for the prime suspect to bite it.

Should Jay Shizaki be left to die on his own inside the Fragment, the disappearances in Shiroki City could stop.

However, in case he is merely an accomplice, his death would mean going back to the drawing board.

She furrowed her eyebrows while quietly thinking, losing all sense of the world around her.

It's all within the realm of possibility for Jay himself to somehow acquire powers to generate Fragments strong enough to suck people in. Perhaps he gained some kind of Armament that would allow him to do that.

However, if he ended up just being a part of something big, nothing would be solved. The disappearances would still continue, and she would have lost her one major lead in the investigation.

Her thoughts were broken by a vibrating object inside her skirt's pocket. She took out a phone, and seeing the caller, quickly answered it.

"Thanks for coordinating everything. I sent him in already."

"That's good to hear. We do need him for questioning as soon as possible." The altered female voice that she knew all too well answered back from the other side of the call.

"He won't die here, but it would take a while before he gets up. Maybe I should come back for him tomorrow."

"Makes sense. It's the weekend anyway. Not like you have any activities tomorrow."

The voice stopped for a while before resuming.

"By the way, a while ago, you mentioned that you had help in taking down the Class B. By any chance—"

"No."

"Ohhhh, quite impulsive, aren't we? Say, is that the boy you saved? Wouldn't he be a big help in the future?"

"Absolutely not. Don't get him involved."

"So it really was him!"

"Ack!" Uehara blurted out before catching herself.

"And why don't you want his help? He could be a strong ally, you know."

"None of your business."

As she answered, Uehara heard an audible sigh coming from the other side of the call.

"There's no helping it, then. Well, good luck nonetheless."

Uehara heard a click as the other person hung up.

Having Arata help? It's useless. He will just get his idiot ass killed the way he is now.

She drew up multiple scenarios in which the new Awakener would prove useful but quickly brushed those aside.

The girl glanced at her open palm, and it felt as if she can see the fresh blood that splashed on that particular palm. Several years have passed already, yet she recalled the whole scene, even down to the smell of the surroundings and the sight of the ominous red sky.

It was that fateful day that started it all. Perhaps it was fate that also brought here to this city with a series of incidents involving the place that she was no stranger to.

She knew full well the reason for not wanting that particular person involved.

She had spent so much of her power to give the person a second chance at life.

It was an act born out of a sense of gratitude and responsibility, yet using those very powers she spent, he was able to tap into the power of Mu and emerge a new victim of this life of combat.

Why did she do it anyway?

Why did she sacrifice a large chunk of her power to bring back a complete stranger?

She searched her heart for the answer. When she laid eyes on that person, she felt the scars of old re-opening. Only this time, she can do something about it.

"Fate is so cruel," she thought aloud, not that there was anyone near to hear her.

The scene just a few hours ago flashed back into her mind.

The same teenage guy was about to be struck down trying to help her.

It was a scene that Sayaka Uehara, all sixteen years of her, wished to never bear witness to again. It was arguably the resulting emotions that also pushed her over the edge and into the reckless assault she handed out against the Class B.

She shook her head to clear her thoughts. She had enough of thinking of the past.

This would be her fight and hers alone, she resolved.

No way would she involve someone so naïve into the battle against the Nullities again.

No way would she waste another life, especially one that she, in a way, gave birth to.

Having finished her conversation with that mysterious woman, she decided that it was time to go.

As early as now, she should begin preparing for a long day tomorrow.