The reason why Ruri and I set out to travel half the world. I never said it explicitly to Sorah yet now we were with him, but I knew I needed to tell him. My father had told him he’d been acting unsettled, full of worry and angst. Even now he spoke to us with some urgency. 

Ruri tossed and turned in her futon while Sorah placed a hand on her forehead. He and I sat on the ground next to her, while I squeezed a wet towel from a warm water bowl. The curtains blocked the morning as raindrops gently pelted the window. 

“So, about the Officer of Brevity…”

“Which one was it?” Sorah nearly cut me off and kept his eyes on Ruri. I loosened the tension in my knees. 

“Fourth Officer of Brevity, Li Châtelier. He wore a white hanfuesque robe with a peaked cap.”

“...You’ve seen it all, then.”

I knew that there were multiple officers of the Royal Marshal, but how many Officers of Brevity existed? We had only encountered Guiral and Châtelier, and they announced their rank in ordinal numbers. If Châtelier was fourth, that meant there were officers for first, second, and third. And what rank was Guiral? 

“What do you know about him?” I asked Sorah to pick his brain. Since he was a native of that world and studied with his books, perhaps he knew something. 

“He’s the worst one out of them all. But I’m sure you figured out how to escape from his clutches. An arrogant man who does not fear to destroy others in the Royal Marshal’s crusade.”
I heard ‘crusade’ mentioned again. The Royal Marshal spoke of Loi the Transience, one of the worshiped entities. I’d learned about Chibu the Pacification, Qinfen the Diligence, and now Swañco the Equanimity. They bestowed me their ‘effluence’ yet I had no idea why. If everyone stopped believing in them, why was Aquitaine the only one that did?

I spent some time retelling Sorah our journey after the separation. How Ruri and I stayed at that hostel in Waqwaq, the encounter with her mother, and the initial fear Ruri had. Then the voyage to Great Zhou, working with the Kokmin, meeting Yuanyuan and Tursun. Then finally…

“The Kokmin in Xanton has told us the whereabouts of your family, Sorah.”

His shoulders perked up immediately. His silver hair hid his eyes while his posture slopped down. He tightened his fists. “My family… what did they say?”

“Last seen at Wakh’an Pass, and your mother and father split after some incident there.”

“They—so they’re still alive? My mother and father” He turned and put his hand on the ground towards me. With that look on his face, I closed my eyes and gave a solemn smile.

“Yes, they are—“

“And Asya, Yuqui, and Lyo?!”

“Aymy said that your parents took different siblings separately.”

Sorah held up my hands while his eyes watered just as much as when Ruri hugged him. “...Thank goodness. Thank goodness they’re alive. And thank you, Kawari, Ruri. For traveling the continent searching for them.”

“Ruri and I didn’t even find any of them yet.” I released my hands from his grasp and rested them on my map. I stared down. “We traveled so far only to end up here with no results… so I should apolog—”

"No one ever blamed you in the first place. We're all adults, Kawari. It's just you and me here. Even when it seems the world starts to hate us, I don't care what others think. I think I've learned quite a bit from you."

I balled my fist. This wasn’t the time to say sorry. We tried our best to survive and head towards the regions his family traveled to, but Châtelier got in our way. “Prior to encountering the Fourth Officer, we’ve singled out a few places on where your family is.” 

“...And that is?...”

“Your father took some of your siblings down south in Koroné. While your mother did the same and is traveling towards Regione Straniera.”

A clap sounded. I looked up to see Sorah standing up. He wiped the tears from his face as he turned towards me. His eyes now burned with a determined glint. As if for the first time his drive had rekindled. 

Then a knock sounded from the front door. Sorah and I both heard it from down the hall. I realized it wasn’t knocking. They were pounding it. I raced to the main room and stepped down into the foyer. I saw the silhouette of a man standing outside the door. Before I could put my shoes on my father threw his hand in front of me. 

Sorah and the others came out but Makoto hushed them. My father put his shoes on and opened the door. “Why, good morning to you! How can I help you?”

The man wore khaki pants with a white collar and blazer. He bowed slightly and showed a police badge. “Good day to you. I’m Keiji Ken, a detective up from the Miyanoshita Police Station. I apologize for the intrusion. We are currently conducting an investigation regarding the forest fire in Mount Sengen.”

I hid in the hall while Yuanyuan, Sorah, and Tursun lined up behind me. A police officer actually came here. I had the impression from the radio we passed off the fire as naturally caused, but were the police investigating up to this point?

My father responded with an oblivious answer. “Oh, it’s you, good ol’ Ken! I’ll be happy to tell you what I know.”

“Let’s stick to the formalities, Mister Kaizenji,” the detective continued, “As we surveyed the burnt ruins of a public toilet at a hiking site at the center of the fire…”
“Yes, yes, I’ve heard.”

“...There was a weapon at the scene. A Chinese-type halberd under the rubble of that toilethouse.”

Shivers crept up my back, and fear grabbed my shoulder. I turned around to Tursun, whom I forgot didn’t understand the language. I remembered clearly yesterday. He had his spear on head when I dragged him through the door, and as we traveled to the convenience store he no longer had it. How could I look over such a small detail? 

This rested on my father to handle this. I closed my eyes. He grunted, “I see. Well, I haven't noticed anything unusual, but let me think… a Chinese halberd…”

“Well, thank you for your coöperation. We understand that you may not have seen anything…” The detective nodded with a blank voice. “But any information, no matter how small, can be helpful. If you do recall anything, please don't hesitate to contact us at the station. We’ve never seen such a strange case.” 

He excused himself out while Makoto shut the door behind. I appeared out from the hallway with my hands up. Now that I learned how law enforcement might catch onto something, maybe it was better to come clean. “Dad—”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ve been doing some illegal things anyway.” My father put his hands on his stomach and laughed. “Right now I’m housing three foreigners without any visa or residence card. How could I tell them that?” 

“Right…” I coughed and swallowed. 

“But I think it’s better that you take these people and bring them back which they came. Like I said before, I don’t got a big pension to support more than three anymore.”

“You don’t have to worry, Mister Kaizenji,” Sorah said and walked in front. He put his hand over his chest. “As soon as Ruri gets better, we will depart as soon as possible.”

I turned to him in shock, while Makoto raised an eyebrow. “Hm? And what will you do about your job?”

“I will resign for now. Because there is something I have to do.” 

 

A few hours later Tursun fell to his knees and prostrated. “I’m terribly sorry for leaving my weapon! It has caused the guards of your world to become suspicious, making me a disgrace to the Kucharen Guard itself!”

It took a while for him to get the scoop. The moment of tension had already past, so I lifted up my hands. “Uh… it couldn’t be helped back there. We had to get away from the fire—”

“No! I deserve punishment!” He lifted his head as his dog ears flopped down. Then Tursun flipped himself on his back and closed his eyes. “As per Kucharian law I must be flocked five times by the people I’ve wronged!” 

“Tursun, we’re not in Kucha—”

“Flock me!”  

Instead I bent down and rubbed his belly. His pupils grew wide as he lifted his arms in legs before falling limp. I guessed that demihumans really did behave the part. “Since Ruri’s feeling better, Sorah’s calling everyone to discuss what to do from here. Head to the backyard through that sliding door there.” 

In a couple minutes everyone gathered near the veranda outside as Sorah watched the trees in the wind. Ruri stood by the sliding door still nauseous, while Yuanyuan, Tursun, and I stood in the yard.

Sorah turned around. “Kawari. I don’t know about Miss Kang and Mister Éoga, but I wish to return back to Monde, my world. To start our rescue mission.”

“I hear you, and Ruri and I support you completely. But the problem at hand is… how to return.”

“Don’t worry on that part. During your absence I have pondered how you could travel between realms.” He paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, speaking in Zhouhua. “There are no coincidences. There must be an outside force that controls that ‘door’, or gateway. And I have just the thing to test out. However, I must know your guys’ thoughts. Do you all want to return?” 

I nodded, and Ruri did the same. Tursun affirmed, while Yuanyuan whistled with her hands glued to each other. Majority ruled. 

“Aw, I wanted to explore a bit longer…” Yuanyuan pouted and conceded to Sorah’s question. 

“I apologize, Miss Kang. But this is what I really want to do.” He bowed sincerely to her with a nostalgic deadpan face. 

“You heard him,” I reassured her and moved forward, “Everyone pack your equipment, whatever we brought. We’re heading back tonight.” 

Back in the house, I gathered my travel sack and checked its contents. Still had the money we saved up, a few necessities, and the yedo sword Maîtresse gave me. I thought about bringing stuff from my world for convenience, but knowing that it would run out I decided not to. Technology wouldn’t do well either. 

I came by the guestroom to check in Sorah and Ruri. Unlike us Sorah picked a modern backpack, filled with water bottles and supplies I assumed he bought from a store in the past. I almost stared on in bewilderment until he took out the maneki-neko cat I’d given Ruri since forever, and placed it gently inside his backpack. That reminded me not to eavesdrop anymore. 

Sorah was still the Sorah I knew. 

 

That night approached. In order to avoid standing out we wore normal clothes on top of our ones we prepared. Rows of streetlamps gently lit the area enough for a person’s silhouette to be seen. The five of us, along with Makoto, walked along the sidewalk across the silent roads and into a dirt path. Minutes passed as we hiked the same stone steps we did months ago. 

Soon we saw the vista of Lake Ashi, a crescent moon reflecting in its waters. The torii gate near the lake stood in the water, the same as it was before. 

“The Heiwa no Torii…” I said aloud and rested my knees, “The Gate of Peace. One last check. Everyone got everything?”

Ruri showed her sack, bow, and quiver. Yuanyuan did the same with her medical and traveling equipment. Tursun had himself since he left his spear in the forest, and Sorah had his backpack. I tightened my own baggage and rattled Zhongji Ruidao behind me. 

“The Heiwa no Torii… otherwise known as the Gate of Peace.” Sorah went over and touched the wood of the gate, minding his step. “Peace, tranquility, pacific. Months ago I threw Faith’s Charm into this lake, denouncing my allegiance to the Disciples of the Pacification. But Kawari, you are chosen. As the sole connector between realms, the effluencer of the divine, I believe you can call the ‘door’ with your voice alone.” 

I stepped forward a bit confused about his words. “I can try. To call the voice.”

There had to be a reason why I could do this. But none of that mattered at this moment. I closed my eyes. Remember that feeling. Return to that world. Chibu the Pacification, who first transported me there.

“You have demonstrated the Pacification in this journey thus far, yet wish to return one more time.”

[System Announcement] Skill Activation [Interdimensional Gate]

T̨͖̪̙̜̩̥͋̋ͤ̃h̤̥̳͆ͩ̎͝ͅë̷͉̰́͛ͩ̃ ̵͕̱͖̝̦̣̰͈̇ͣḌ̴̯̲̐ï̴̘̞̜̺͇͈̱̙̔l̶͚̯̪̬͔̫ͪ͊͛̿ĭ̵͓͙͕͈g͈͉̹̤̥̞͌ͪ̌̐͘e̴̥̙̩̞̲̗͈̗͗̎̉n̸̠̺̓͑c̛̺͔͈͓̙͐eͭ́҉̜͇̩͙̘͚ Activation Cost: 90% of Max EP. [◯]

I opened my eyes. That system announcement vanished. Everyone stared at me. I shut my eyes again and concentrated. Soon enough the screen appeared as if burned into my eyelids. My hand extended outward towards the Gate of Peace.

“By the ancient bonds that thread through time and space, where realms entwine and secrets unfold, travelers of worlds, heed my call, reveal my path beyond the cosmic wall—Interdimensional Gate.”

My hand clasped into a fist. I saw a faint glow from the gate while ripples of water expanded outward. Sorah pulled on his backpack’s shoulder straps and walked towards the portal without stopping. Ruri glanced back one last time at us before heading in, with Yuanyuan reluctantly bouncing along behind her. They disappeared into the night. 

Makoto waved and put one hand on his hip. “Even though I said how I can’t house a lot of people, I do get lonely. So come back once in a while, Kawari!” 

I looked at my father as a smile came across his face. He was way different than the time my mother and him got into fights and the eventual divorce. I chuckled and waved back. “I’ll see you! Tursun, let’s go.”

“Right.”

And so, we walked forward and vanished without a trace.