1

"Big Bro, breakfast is ready!"

Hikari's call snapped Kazuki out of his stupor, and he got out of bed. The scent of a luscious breakfast greeted him when he stepped out into the living room, and he felt his mood lifting a bit.

It was all in spite of his bandaged chest and stomach area still aching with some soreness.

The two siblings shared some greetings before they took their spots on the dining table.

"Thanks for everything these past two weeks, Hikari. Must be a lot more trouble taking care of me."

Hikari, who was in the midst of drinking her glass of milk, paused a bit before chuckling.

"What caused you to be so sentimental all of a sudden, Big Bro? Of course it's your loving sister's responsibility," she said as her pigtails bounced happily along with her. "Seeing you eat well the past few days has made me so happy. You're so much brighter and better now compared to just after the festival. Make sure to enjoy the food and have a good rest after breakfast, okay? I'll take care of the dishes."

"You're too kind, Hikari," commented Kazuki, "It makes me feel bad letting you spoil me like that. You really okay with doing all the work?"

"You're joking, right?"

"You also got hurt at the Fuyusato Grand Festival."

"It's nothing compared to how you looked that night," shrugged Hikari. "Every day, I tell myself how thankful I am that nothing else happened that day. Hmmm, but considering that I sometimes get dreams of Uehara and Amagi being some anime heroes with their magical weapons, I guess I'm a bit wrong. But whatever! It's just a dream and all. As for the school festival, talk about an unlucky day for an earthquake to strike!"

"Yeah. I'm glad that you're fine," smiled Kazuki while he began eating his pancakes, allowing his sister's motor mouth to continue talking in various tangents.

Yet, he was fixated on one statement.

Nothing else happened, huh?

It was an innocent statement that inadvertently brought back feelings of regret within him. What Hikari said was a complete lie, even if it was no fault of hers.

It was true that nothing short of a miracle happened to have everyone survive, most with just minor bruises and injuries. To the lot, an earthquake struck, and everyone just fell unconscious, awaking with vague memories of what happened.

Medically, it was caused by a rush of adrenaline.

Kazuki, however, knew the truth.

The earthquake and all were false memories implanted by the Temple of Recollections.

Others, like Hikari, started getting vague dreams of the things that did happen. Some manifested in uplifting dreams of getting saved by people with magical weapons, while others got recurring nightmares of the shadow hands.

"Oh, right. I remember it now. Someone did go missing," followed Hikari in an uncertain tone.

That statement caught Kazuki's attention, and he temporarily stopped eating.

"It's the Ishida person. How could I forget after it being the hot topic in the news for days on end? There was a missing person report, and no one could find any leads."

Just like that, his mood deflated.

It was true that Reijy Ishida went missing after the incident, and he was the second victim of the Fragment. He's not who Kazuki was thinking of, however.

The person Kazuki felt guiltier about was Akane Fujiwara. The redhead lowerclassman was the first to fall to the powerful Nullity, the Ascended One called the Magna Arbiter.

He still could not forgive himself.

After all the encouraging words she said the week before the festival... after how unfazed she was even when facing the Magna Arbiter... after how sincere she was with helping him and Ishida reconcile... the least he could have done was to save her.

Even so, he was nothing but a speed bump in the face of the super Nullity.

To rub salt in the wound, there was literally no mention of her in the school records. Everyone, including Hikari and everyone else at school, cannot remember her. No one, except those with the powers of Mu – Awakeners like him.

For the former group of people, it was as if she was deleted from existence.

Was there a difference between her and Ishida's circumstances? Was it the power of the Render of Bounds, or was it because Fujiwara's body was absorbed into Ishida?

He did not have any leads.

Ms. Sadohara had been keeping mum about the incident the past few weeks as well. There was little contact with her, and with school having been suspended for two weeks after that incident, there was no school counselor room to meet her in.

Even Uehara and Amagi were keeping mum about the situation, but they assured that Ms. Sadohara would speak up in time.

All the while, he quietly ate his breakfast until it was almost done.

"Oh, by the way, Big Bro, I have a surprise for you."

"Hmm?"

"Someone called me up last night. I hope you don't mind that I let her come. I figured it would be great to have her drop by and cheer you up a bit."

"And who could that be?"

Uehara? Amagi? Who else would Hikari have in mind? Nah, she wouldn't be keeping the person anonymous otherwise.

The doorbell to the Arata residence rang, apparently hearing his queries.

"There she is! I'll get the door."

Hikari started to get up, and Kazuki would have let her be had the bell only rang once.

However, the ringing quickly turned into an extremely irksome symphony that prompted Kazuki to walk straight to the door.

Stop pushing the button!

As he stepped in front of the door and looked out the peephole, his stiff shoulders relaxed. Muttering something to himself, he prepared to open the door.

Of course. Who else could it be?

Outside the door, wearing her favorite low-cut dress and lab coat was Ms. Sadohara.

They crossed eyes, and as if she can see him past the peephole, she quickly winked at him.

2

"Wow, so this is what a teenage boy's room looks like!"

In a voice of ecstatic wonder, Ms. Sadohara leaned down and began skimming Kazuki's bookshelf. Like a hyperactive child, she scrambled through the books, tilting her head and trying to find something inside those shelves. All the while, Kazuki just lay on bed in a listless position.

All that after she had taken a look at Kazuki's figures. It's more like she peeked under some of their skirts while teasing Kazuki's preference for white-haired girls with swords.

It was a room invasion that made Kazuki feel all sorts of uncomfortable. He had never had a girl inside his messy room before, much less someone like Ms. Sadohara. But he was utterly powerless as the gray-haired counselor practically forced her way in.

"So, where is the stash of raunchy magazines? Maybe one of these manga is a product of boys' fantasies. Blackmail material? Oh wait, I don't need that when I'm the school counselor, haha!"

"You won't find any there!" he said, standing up in a snap.

"Ohoho, so you mean you do have vulgar comics here! I just have to look elsewhere."

"Nonono, that's not what I meant! Ack – Wait, what brings you here, anyway?"

"Is it so bad for a school counselor to be concerned for a student's well-being? You said you're hurt, right? That's why I brought something for you!"

Presenting the mysterious box that she had with her, she revealed rows of chocolate chip cookies inside it.

The sweet smell and sight of those calmed Kazuki down and made him sit on the bed.

"How about having some? Amagi told me it's your favorite when I visited her place," she smiled. "Have you been to her place? Her room? It's awesome there! Her parents were so nice too, and they gave me all those freebies to take home. Maaya's a complete sweetheart. I asked her about her thoughts about you getting together with her daughter and all. You know, childhood friends and all."

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that last part, every sentence of it," Kazuki said as he took a piece before laying back down. "Still, what brings you here? I'm sure you're not the kind to just pay a casual visit. Not after two whole weeks of not contacting me. Meanwhile, you were asking favors from the two girls in taking care of the Fragments..."

Taking a cookie for herself, Ms. Sadohara loudly munched on her cookie before sitting on Kazuki's bed. "For one, you were in far worse condition than the two girls were. You're the only one who got literally bedridden a week and a half ago, and I can't risk having you go into action at that state."

She proceeded to put the cookies away and sat beside him on bed. Her eyes started surveying him with unreadable intent.

"Thanks for the concern, but I have been feeling way better for days, and you still haven't answered my question."

"Secondly, do you really want to go back to that world?"

"Come again?"

"Your mental state. I know the type of person you are, and I saw you go berserk in the infirmary. Even Hikari had been telling me a lot about your eating habits right after the incident."

Hikari did that, huh?

"Are you sure you are mentally prepared to take a dive into that world again? Experienced as you may be, a mental lapse, one caused by hesitation and fear, can cost you your life. And you don't consider yourself as experienced or fearless as Uehara, do you?"

Kazuki averted his eyes. He inhaled, trying to get a grip of the situation.

A tense silence filled the room as he took this time to re-examine himself.

Shivers suddenly ran down his body as he suddenly felt the touch of his counselor running up and down his stomach.

"What are you doing?!" he shouted, breaking free from his own thousand-year stare past the window.

"I'm helping! The look on your face tells me that you're not yet fully recovered," she whistled while nodding. "They say massaging your wounds will heal them faster. When done by a hot teacher, the effectiveness triples, according to science. Don't you agree?"

"That's obvious bullshit!"

"Awww... Feeling the jitters?"

Ms. Sadohara's sultry expression did little to calm his rapidly beating heart. Meanwhile, she moved her hand up his chest and leaned forward, causing Kazuki to fall down the bed. He tried his best to look away from the gray-haired woman's ample chest, but he knew that this witch was doing it on purpose.

All doubts were erased the moment she used her free hand to cup them in order to try drawing attention to them.

"This bed of your fits two people perfectly, you know?"

"I don't like the direction this conversation is going," said a panicking Kazuki, averting Ms. Sadohara's gaze.

"They say that love conquers all. Maybe the passion from the... synchronization of two beating hearts, our saliva, two essences fusing as one... could save you from the dredges of your suffering!"

"No, I don't think that saying ought to be used in that context. Nope, adding pseudo-philosophical babble and high-sounding words will not make that though any less creepy."

"Aww, you're no fun. I'm still single, you know?" she said, finally pulling back much to Kazuki's relief.

"Just so you know, I am completely a pure maiden, untouched and undefiled by any disgusting man! You know what I always say. Teenage love is but a trap...

"Designed to ensnare you to the wiles of this world," Kazuki lazily finished her sentence. "But really, who could have guessed that you had those words of wisdom of yours? After your actions and constant teasing of me with the other girls..."

"It's fun. You know, give boys the jitters and see how they get worked up? Shizaki also reacted much like you did the first time around. As your student counselor, it's one of the strongest tests of character I can give."

"Of course Shizaki will! Wait... first time? You mean there's more? You're really part scumbag, you know?"

"Aww, I'll take the compliment. But seriously, I'm still a pure virgin at heart."

"Oh come on!" he groaned before feeling the blood rush into his face. He blinked repeatedly while falling back against the approaching lips of his school counselor. "W-wait! I don't want to take any ore tests today!"

Suddenly, the door swung open with a bang.

"Everyone else is here, Big Bro!"

Like the miasma that populated much of Mu, ruthless aura flooded into the room when he had expected salvation. The foul air was a stark contrast to Hikari's enthusiastic voice.

Frigid tingling filled his body for a moment, and he closed his eyes before attempting to peer into the doorway with one eye.

"What are you two doing?!"

Uehara's closed eyes and scowl were the least of his worries.

"Arata... Y-you..."

She did not show it, but Kazuki knew that Amagi hid an expression of murderous intent underneath her confused expression.

"Awww. I thought you only had your eyes on me, Darling."

Kimura's disappointed face shook in disbelief.

"Big Bro, what is that?! We're going to have a talk after this!"

His chest thumped at seeing the uncharacteristically angry pout on Hikari's face.

"I-i-it's not my fault! It's all a misunderstanding! See? She's the one on top and..."

Alas, none of the explanations would work. It was a struggle in futility, and Kazuki knew it.

"Ohoho, so you all want to join in on the action? I got to him first, and there's nothing you all can do about it."

Ms. Sadohara just had to make things worse...

3

"We're not getting started until you two repent for your sins!"

Now, seated on the bed, Uehara crossed her hands over her chest, looking the part of the jury and executioner.

"Yes, Ma'am," apologized Ms. Sadohara, who was on her knees on the floor. "Sorry!"

"Not just to me. To everyone who had their eyes burned by that disgraceful act!"

"Yes, Ma'am."

She submissively bowed in apology to everyone else in the room, but when they got to Kimura, the idol smirked. She then turned to the boy who remained on bed. She approached him and suddenly stuck her feet out.

"You're also at fault, Darling. Why don't you kiss my shoes?"

"That's going too far!" reprimanded Uehara.

All in all, things were resolved in a pretty amicable way after all that. Hikari left after Ms. Sadohara's polite request, and the room was secured.

With the room now crowded by three teenage girls, a mature woman, and himself, Kazuki cannot evade the feeling of awkwardness. He never had the experience of having non-family girls in his room, and in a blink of an eye, there's a whole lot of them.

He also never thought that his bed could fit more than two people, but there it was, bearing the weight of his body as well as three girls all seated in their respective poses against the wall.

It reminded him of anime protagonists, but experiencing it himself was actually quite unnerving.

Clearing her throat, Ms. Sadohara took the seat near Kazuki's desk.

"Okay, now that it's all taken care of, I guess it's time we talk about today's main agenda and why I called you here so we can talk in private. It's all about Fujiwara."

"Fujiwara, you mean the redhead with a ponytail? I never got to know her in person, but I distinctly remember her from the times I was at school," curiously replied Kimura.

"Yeah, and that's already better than everyone else. I'm sure you don't need reminding, but it would seem like she was completely erased from this world. No one remembers her, and her records have disappeared. It just seemed that she never existed. Except to us Awakeners."

"Yeah, and why is that?" asked Amagi with a concerned tone.

"That is the horrifying power of the Magna Arbiter, the Ascended One that held power over human memories. Guren wanted its power, and we only marginally stopped him. The bad news is that the remnants of the power of the Magna Arbiter likely sought a new host, and Guren will be on the hunt for it."

Before she can continue, Kazuki stood up and faced her.

"Ms. Sadohara, you seem to know a lot more than we do. Care to tell us why you're hiding so many things from us? What's with the word of Nullities? What's with your relationship with Izaya?"

After seeing the expression of the three girls in the room, Kazuki knew that they were in agreement. He had spoken calmly, but the reality was that he felt quite overwhelmed with the revelation.

He had no reason to not trust Ms. Sadohara, but she was clearly hiding something from them or at least telling them half-truths with the world of Nullities.

It did not sit right with him.

"I had a feeling it would come to this, and I came prepared," she said, reclining on her seat. "That is in fact my agenda for the day. Before anything, I would like to ask for your forgiveness."

"Yes, I kept secrets from you. It's because... because... I just feel that the less people know about the truth of Mu, the better. That world is dangerous in more ways than one, and the less people know of its existence, the better our odds for survival as a race. But I never expected Guren to move forth in his mad plans in this capacity, to the point of opening the link to the Temple of Recollections in a school."

"The first reason... Is that why you find yourself powerless to do anything against Izaya? Because the only fault you can find in him all involve Mu and you can't expose that to the world?"

Before Kazuki can get an answer to his question, a snappy female voice interrupted him. He immediately stopped, shaken by the abruptness of the voice.

"And that includes us?" Uehara's expression changed for the worse as she continued. "That world cost me my brother, Ms. Sadohara. Not only that, so many people have fallen victim to the horrors that lie within. And yet you still think there are things that we're better off not knowing?"

How did she come to this conclusion?

Kazuki wondered while still taken aback by Uehara's sudden outburst.

"I'm sorry."

"I trusted you with everything."

"That's enough," said Amagi. "Let's allow Ms. Sadohara to talk."

"Thanks, Amagi, but I'm fine. I understand her frustrations. After all, it was she who lost the most to that world."

"Ms. Sadohara..."

"So you knew more about that Render thing that went inside me as well?" asked Kimura.

Ms. Sadohara nodded. "Not completely, but I am confident that my knowledge on Nullities and Mu is only second to Guren's."

"With Izaya on the loose now, I think it's about time you help us know the full story and how to deal with him," suggested Kazuki.

Looking at the boy with an understanding look, Ms. Sadohara spoke in a serious tone.

She opened her bag to reveal a worn-down notebook. "Three years ago, my world turned upside down."

She then looked out the window with a longing expression on her face.

"What you're about to hear is a tale of people's folly."

All attention gravitated to the school counselor and the notebook which she proceeded to open.