I could feel myself waking up and I pushed myself into a sitting position. I was trying to understand what happened when I was quickly tackled into a hug from Salomon. “Ouch. . . Are you trying to kill me. . .?” Salomon didn’t respond in a way I could understand too busy crying.
I grab him off of me and pet his head in a soothing way trying to calm him down. As I was doing this I was trying to remember what happened when I saw Shiro's body lying a few feet away from me and I quickly remember what just happened.
“Ah. . .! Shiro!” I quickly let go of Salomon who calmed down and tried to get up quickly but fell back on the ground, my body screaming out in pain. I sat on the ground for a few seconds trying to get the pain under control. When I was sure I wouldn’t fall on the ground again I slowly got up and walked toward Shiro.
Once I reached him I got on the ground again and put a finger under his nose to make sure he was still breathing. Once I could feel breathing on my finger I let out a sigh of relief and got in a sitting position again putting Shiro's head in my lap.
“Lil’ Salomon, how long was I out for?” As I was running my hand through Shiro hair I looked at Salomon whose eyes were still a bit red. “You were out for a few minutes Master and I was so worried! You didn’t look like you were alive!” Tears were forming in his eyes again but I quickly put my hand on his head calming him down.
“Is Shiro alright now? Nothing wrong with him anymore?” I looked around me, noticing there weren't a bunch of Shiro familiars surrounding us. “Master you are so amazing! Once your and Shiro attacks connected, everything got under control. No more demons were multiplying at a fast pace.” Salomon was flying around me in excitement praising me.
I just ignore him and turn to look down at Shiro who didn’t look like he was in pain anymore. I smile at the peaceful expression on his face but the smile disappears once I notice he was waking up.
“Mmmm. . . It’s so warm. . . This warmth. . .is just what I needed.” Shiro's eyes connected with mine and he looked at me in surprise but I just gave him a big smile. “Ahhh, I see now. . .You’re the one who. . .” I didn’t let Shiro finish speaking, instead I just hugged his head close to me still running my hand through his hair.
Shiro flinched and got out of my hold causing me to pout in disappointment. He got into a sitting position like me and stared at me as if he was currently truly seeing me. “Huh. . .? Masato? F-Forgive me! That is. . . You saved me. . .” Shiro's ears were red as he broke eye contact with me with a embarrassed look on his face but it quickly grew dark.
“But I don’t deserve it. . . I’ve done things I can’t take back.” He was frowning and I just shook my head at him. “Shiro now that you can finally hear me. What happened wasn’t your fault. Let me fill you in.”
Once I got Shiro's attention finally I told him how that while his familiars did kill those people once the App was closed all the people who were injured or dead would be all better. Shiro looked at me in surprise while processing what I was saying.
“Wait, what? When you close the App. . . anyone dead or injured will be fine? So. . . my Book wasn’t behind that murder?” Shiro looked at me and I avoided his eyes because I know right now I didn’t exactly look that good but even so his eyes had an emotion appear in it that caused my heart to speed up. “And you went through all of this. . . You got hurt. . . just to tell me?” I nod my head a bit sheepish, not really calm due to the way Shiro was looking at me. ‘If he keeps looking at me like that I will think that he has feelings for me. . .’
Shiro leans toward me with a serious look on his face that causes mine to grow hotter. “U-Um. . . This might not be the best time, but. . . There’s something I want to tell you. . . Ever since I met you, I. . .” I could hear my heart beating faster as I grew nervous about what he was going to say. ‘Is this a confession?! I don’t think my heart is ready for this! Keep calm Masato!’
Before Shiro could finish what he was going to tell me I could hear Skre coming from behind Shiro which caused me to notice left over of Shiro familiars. “Master. . . feel better?” Shiro looked at them quietly for a while before putting a hand on their hand causing them to let out a pleased sound.
“You guys. . . I’m so sorry. . . I was so wrapped up in myself. . . You’ve been. . . protecting me. But you shouldn’t go around jumping on random people. However happy you are, you could hurt someone hurtling at them like that.” Shiro rubbed all the heads of his familiars and they all let out sounds of understanding as they smiled at Shiro happily. I could feel my phone shine as the little demon I made my familiar came out and ran into the group of Shiro familiar waiting to get their head patted by him.
“Thank you. . .” Shiro does his best to gather up all of his familiars in his arms to hug them and I smile at the sight. Salomon floated next to me with a smile on his face no longer looking as if he was crying before. “Aren’t you glad, Master? Looks like it’s all sorted out.” I nod my head at him but I blink as I realize something.
“Hey! What if Shiro sees you?” I look over at Shiro hoping he doesn’t notice Salomon but he just laughs at my concern. “No need to worry about that. I have a cloaking ability! Hehe! Anyway, you said you were going to pet my head as a reward!” Salomon got low enough so I could pet his head but Shiro looked back over to me so I ignored Salomon pretending I couldn’t hear his cries.
“I owe you so much. I can’t thank you enough.” Shiro was now standing up holding a hand out to me to help me up. I grabbed his hand and stood up as well looking straight at Shiro with a smile. “It's fine. So, what was it you wanted to tell me?” I noticed Shiro's face growing red and I could feel my heart beating fast but I was disappointed when Shiro shook his head.
“O-Oh, that. Never mind. I was just babbling like an idiot. . . It was nothing.” Shiro let go of my hand to wave his hands in front of me. ‘So it wasn’t the legendary love confession. Well of course it wouldn’t be that since we aren’t that close yet.’
“I’ll tell you later. First and foremost, we should return everything to normal. I just need to end the App battle, right? If I press this. . .!” As I watch Shiro mumble to himself as he moves to close the App. . . The ground shook under us causing us to almost fall onto the ground.
“Whoa! Was that an earthquake?!” As I was trying to figure out what was happening, Salomon's body was flickering between solid and transparent. “M-Master! My body! It’s. . . The dimensional flux is unstable! I can’t sustain myself! Something’s wrong! Something’s very wrong! Quick-!” Before he could finish speaking he disappeared and I felt my heart jump in my chest.
“Hey. . . Lil’ Salomon?!” I clicked on the icon that he was in but nothing happened. “Salomon. . .? Why isn’t he coming back out?” Before I could try to understand what was happening I heard Shiro shout in surprise.
“No way! Masato, look at that! Am I dreaming? The sky's. . . The ground, too!? They’re just splitting open!” The ground under our feet was cracking and the sky above us was following with it. “What is that. . .?” As Shiro said that I looked in the direction he was staring at and I could only look at what was in front of me blankly too numb to react probably.
A cataclysm. Quite literally, the world begins to fall apart. The air is riven with innumerable voids, while unnatural chasms yawn across the earth.
Everything fades to shades of gray, the colorful vision of life extinguished. Pitched black darkness encroaches all around. All I can do is stand and watch the unthinkable scene that’s unfolding before my very eyes.
I was holding my breath as everything happened around me and Shiro was the one who finally broke the silence between us. “The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building! The station! All the buildings! The greenery! It’s all just. . . vanishing! Shinjuku is being obliterated!”
Even though I can see, hear, and smell everything I can’t process the impossible reality in front of me. I can’t comprehend it at all. Even though I am desperately trying to understand what is happening, the absurdity of the scene thwarts my efforts.
“Look at that! I must be dreaming. There’s no way such a. . . colossal being. . . could actually. . .” I am confused at what Shiro is talking about until I look in the direction of his finger that was pointing in said direction.
“It’s immense. . .!” At the end of the invisible line drawn by Shiro’s pointing finger. . . There is a man, of sorts. A muscular figure who is laying on his side. At his back, iridescent orbs float about, popping and vanishing as new ones burst into existence. The man has a thousand-yard stare. He is completely indifferent to his surroundings. His only action is to adjust his posture.
He might appear to be human. . . but the scale is all wrong. What his form reclines against is. . . “I recognize that place! Aren’t those the high-rise buildings by the station?!” As Shiro said that my eyes widened in disbelief.
The being is leaning against high-rise buildings, of all things. At first glance, it seems like an optical illusion. Yet, when he moves. . . the buildings he reclines on like pillows tip precariously. The displacement of entire buildings is a perfectly natural reaction to a being of similar size leaning against them, according to the laws of physics. But that is just the tip of the iceberg.
His body seems to be enveloped in. . . tentacles. They writhe and curl, grasping at the massive buildings. They lazily go about their destruction, wrecking the toy-sized city just because they can. Then there is the single most disturbing factor. . . All those void-like orbs floating around him. . . Each and every one acts like a vacuum, sucking in limitless quantities of buildings, cars, and glittering specks of dust. . .
But looking closer with Shiro we realize something about the “dust”. “That’s. . . not dust. It’s. . . They’re people. Those things are sucking in people. I don’t understand. . . What the hell is happening?!” Shiro yells out his confusion to the sky hoping someone would answer him but as he did that he slowly realized something else.
“Oh no. . . The school! Everyone at the school!” As Shiro said that he started to frantically search the horizon for the school. It should be between Shinjuku Station and the park. But there is nothing there, not even rubble. Everything has already been sucked into the void.
Shiro's face was pale and I could feel my knees getting weak once I realized the school was gone. “No. . . Noooo! Kengo! Ryota! All our friends!” Shiro fell to his knees screaming out and I wanted to do that too but I stopped myself. ‘ No. . . Don’t lose control of yourself right now Masato. Keep a clear head.’
I closed my eyes for a while getting my breathing and heartbeat under control. When I was sure I was okay I put my hand on Shiro's shoulder. “Shiro you need to calm down. First, let’s close the App. If we do, everything will go back to normal.” Shiro looked at me blankly for a few seconds before he slowly got back up, taking out his phone again, his face not that pale anymore.
“That’s right! If we just exit the App. . .!” Just as Shiro started to close the App again a voice yelled at us causing us to freeze in shock. “Wait! Don’t close it! Don’t move a muscle!” A male voice yelled out from behind us.
Shiro and I turned around towards the voice that was calling out from behind us. “Huh? Is someone there?” A male who looks to be the same age as us walks toward us with a stern look on his face. He had blue hair that was pushed back and spikey in the back. He had a crossed scar on his cheek. He was wearing a school uniform like us but had swords located on his hips. He gave off a serious air around him that made my heart beat fast as I looked at him. “Phew, that was a close one! Don’t do anything stupid! If you do, the consequences might never be undone.” The male, who I just noticed was super attractive, glared at us causing Shiro to flinch and me to blush.
“Who are you. . .? Oof!” Shiro tried to walk closer to him but he got shoved back by him causing him to stumble back almost falling down. “I told you to stay still. Right now, you need to answer my questions. You two are the source of all this.” The mysterious male glared at us and Shiro along with me blinked our eyes in confusion.
“The source. . .? We are?” Shiro grew quiet and I could read the current expression on his face which made me frown. “Dimensional rifts. . . Complete dismissal of the laws of physics. . . Chain summoning. . . It all begins with that immense being. And there is no mistake that you imbeciles are the ones who brought that thing into our world.” The mysterious male’s eyes grew dark as his hands tighten into fists.
“Wh-What do you mean!? We summoned that thing?!” Shiro's face grew pale again and he was shaking slightly which made me worry he was going to freak out again. “I’m the one who is asking the questions. First, tell me the Rules of that Book and Sword.” Even though he was glaring at me and Shiro like he wanted to kill us I couldn’t help myself as I blurted out what I was currently thinking.
“You know, I’m loving your whole look. Mysterious brooding stranger.” I couldn’t help but wink at him and the male just looked at me like I was joking. “Are you seriously hitting on me right now?” I avoided his eyes that were staring daggers at me not regretting my comment. He just sighs deeply while shaking his head, the dark look in his eyes decreasing causing Shiro to relax near me. “There’s no point in hiding them. The incantations must be spoken to unleash your Sacred Artifacts.”
Shiro was quiet for a while before looking directly at the male with a serious look in his eyes. “I understand. . . but I won’t play by your rules. Agree to tell me what’s going on, and I’ll tell you what you want to know.”
The male looked at Shiro for a while before nodding his head slightly with an annoyed look on his face. “I’m not too keen about having to explain myself to the ones who caused this chaos, but. . . Fine. I’ll give you a short version.” The hard look in his eyes grew a bit soft but still gave off “I won’t hesitate to cut you down” vibes.
“Thank you very much. My rule is Resurrection. Masato’s is Rending.” After the male heard this he nodded his head in understanding. “That explains it. Resurrection and Rending. That’s very straightforward. What I don’t understand is that only one was conjured. . . According to the lore, there should be. . . Anyway, a promise is a promise. I’ll explain.”
The male pointed towards the huge male figure resting on the buildings. “That thing is an Exception to this world. In short, it’s a being that the App cannot fully process. Your Rules of Rending and Resurrection come from different spiritual realms with conflicting mythologies. The Rule of Resurrection exists to create bonds while the Rule of Rending exists to sever them. The collision of these contradicting Rules caused the App’s processor to freeze. Even if you close it now, the world can’t be restored to its previous state.” Shiro had a grim expression on his face and I was frowning at the information we just heard.
“Does that mean. . . nothing will return to normal?” At Shiro's question the Male shrugged his shoulders. “There’s no way of knowing. Worst case scenario, that thing will still be sitting there.” At that Shiro got quiet and he was trembling and had a slightly pale face.
“What can we do? There has to be a way to fix this problem.” The male glared at me harshly and stepped toward me in a threatening way. “Why bother asking? Do you think you can atone? Do you think any amount of penitence will absolve you?” I didn’t flinch at his glare just stare straight at him with a calm look in my eyes.
“There’s a home I need to return to that has people waiting for me. So yes, I think I can atone for my actions.” The male and I looked at each other in complete silence neither one of us backing down until finally he let out a frustrated sigh.
“It’s not impossible, but. . . Ack!” The male was cut off as he dodged an attack from an enemy who appeared out of nowhere. I quickly go in front of Shiro summoning my sword as I look at the new enemies who appeared. What I saw caused me to pause in surprise since in front of me were young children who looked transparent. “We’ve got company.” The male hands were on the sword on the hip getting ready to use them.
“G-Ghosts?!” Shiro looked from behind me at the ghost children. “They’re made from the souls and spirits of those who were killed by this incident. They, too, are Transients.” The male looked at the ghost children with a look of sadness in his eyes.
“They’re. . . dead. . .?” Shiro looked at the ghost children in front of us shocked and the male simply nodded his head at what Shiro said. “Under normal circumstances, we would give these poor lost souls a proper burial. But right now, I don’t have time to show any mercy.” The male held his hand in front of him as he started to say an incantation.
“Engrave mine name of Toji Sakimori unto thee and come forth! Orphaned Fangs!” At his words, a bluish-white light begins to gather in his fists, from which two katanas materialize out of thin air.
“Katanas!? Are those two swords his Sacred Artifact?” Shiro was stunned for a second before “Toji” shouted at him. “Don’t think! Just follow my lead! Now, attack!” As he said this he ran at the ghost in front of us and sliced through one of them.
It disappeared quickly under the swing of his sword and I followed after him realizing that he was the only way we could get out of this situation. “Shiro, I will make sure nothing gets too close to you so don’t worry about getting harm in this.” Giving him a quick smile I rush toward the ghost of children ready to back up “Toji”.
