Magus Generation: Side Stories - tales-from-the-voyager

3/5/2024 7:30 PM

Chapter One - Even so, I still need help.

* Note: For all chapters as a whole, since they're meant to be a lighter affair, monologues, narration and whatnot will be on the lesser side. The focus will be on the dialogue and Subaru's internal monologue.
Also, most chapters will be pretty short. Think of it like Magus Generation's slice of life shorts!

3/5/2024 7:37 PM

----------------------- + Time Frame: After Smoke War, before Urban Legends + -----------------

Today... Is one of the rare few days the Generation Voyager is parked.
The giant Colony in the shape of a shooting star has been parked alongside a rather large island right below Moonbright. Although geologically a part of the Endlands, it's Moonbright territory.
Right now- most, if not 90% of Magus Generation operators are probably in the beach. Cause yeah. There's a giant ass beach with resorts and shit. Water parks.
And a whole lotta babes in one pieces and bikinis. 
Usually, in occasions like these, it's a sign that Magus Generation is taking a break. Believe it or not, but we only got BUSIER.
There's no shortage of work to be done, now that the world's in the hand of the Mages rather than the Solars.
From the unrest of tradition in Alvarnia, to Neo Bluegrave's straight up anarchy and to the concerning situation in Subterra...
Yeah. Work's tough. We gotta fight a lot and we gotta talk a lot. Which is why we dedicate days of the month for chillin' out. It was my suggestion actually!
For us to spend our budget on widespread trips for the whole staff. Also so I could drink more.

But that's not what I'm doing.
While everyone's partying off and havin' a grand old time in a BEACH with BREEZY WEATHER DESPITE IT BEING SUNNY (aka the perfect weather).
I'm in these flat ass boring ass plains holding a drone controller in my hands.

". . . "

"Hoo, hoo!!!"

And even though I wanted to do this with just Jordynn...
Two people are accompanying me, when they should really be spending their time at the beach slacking off!
YOU KNOW, LIKE ANY NORMAL PERSON WOULD DO!!!
Ginhime, the princess of Getsugari, and the representation of everything that has went wrong in my life (no, really) stands next to me with her arms crossed.

"It looks like your drones have taken flight! And they've gotten pretty high!" Ginhime says, staring at the three drones in the sky. "You should be proud, Subaru! Now, I'm assuming now's the part where you go escape quietly and drink some alcohol with your friends?"

"... Please. Don't tempt me anymore. I already feel myself slipping into total dissasociation mode."

Yeah. No.
This shit is boring as hell. I need out right now.
But I can't go until my work is done.

"But you're already done, aren't you?! Look!" Ginhime said, pointing to the drones in the sky. "The drones are flying! And they're flying hiiiigh! Like- they're about around the same altitude as the top of the Voyager! And the voyager's pretty big, no?"

"Ginhime, do you know what these drones are even for?"

No shot she showed up without knowing what work I'm done.
Actually- no... If she did, she wouldn't even be here in the first place. This is boring shit.

"?" Ginhime gave a proud smile. "Drones are a necessity when it comes to filming music videos no? With that big performance you gave back when the world was about to end..." Oh my god I almost forgot about that. "It would give Magus Generation a lot of money if we became an official band! We'd get soooo much sales off of merch! Such a scheme is exactly what you were planning, right!?"

"You know me too well."

... I've never thought of that before.
But shit. That sounds like an easy way to get rich quick.
I'd just need to convince Satoshi and Eris if they could join the band full time.
I can bribe the former with rare sword equipments and the latter... Nah, she's nice, she'll join.

"But nah- these drones are for another purpose."

I say, totally lying that I came up with the band idea beforehand.

Showing the drone controller... It shows a camera feed.
But more importantly- a full map. With sections of the ground below automatically having been organized.
Things such as cover, dangerous points, high ground and low ground...

"These drones are for battle. More specifically, for field operations."

"Oh, I see..." Ginhime pouts. "That's way more boring than a band."

"Kind of a dangerous thing for a princess to be saying, man." I let out a big sigh.

"But it's working, no? Why do you still look so disappointed?"

"Cause... They aren't high enough."

I readied my hand-
As glacier winds formed around it. The winds of a tundra.
- The ability of my Mother and my Father combined into one.
Then, it formed into a metal fan. A representation of my soul, a weapon befit for a conqueror...

... Damn it, why couldn't I have gotten like... A beer bottle? Or a gun? Guns are cool.

"Ha!"

With a toss- I threw it high in the air...
... As it grazed past the drone, flying back into my hand like a boomerang.

"The fact that you could see the drones is proof they ain't gonna work. And even if they could see it, any old shmuck could shoot that thing down. I mean, everyone ever has a Sigil that just shoots a projectile. Just look at Satoshi! He's a blacksmith, yet one of his main sigils is a laser beam, man!"

"That wasn't just any ordinary throw however."

The other person who came to watch me work was Yao.
Which makes more sense. He's my master.
Taught me everything I know about Circulation and Martial Arts. Though I'm average compared to his other student, Yohei, he's still proud of me for whatever reason.
Maybe he just enjoys teaching.

"I could see you instinctively controlling the air around it to fly back into your hand- and not only that, but to barely graze the drone... It was a splendid attack, Subaru."

"Still doesn't change the fact that any old joe with a Fireball sigil could shoot it down. You remember how Ikago used to fight? And remember how she lost every fight ever until she stopped using drones? Yeah." I said, letting my arms fall limp. "What to do, what to do..." (edited)

"Hm. If that's the case, then... Why not install a shield mechanism or a repelling mechanism? Or an auto dodge mechanism."

"Hey, do you even know if those are possible or not?" I said, squinting my eyes.

"It seems you forgot I taught Research and Development in Mage School."

... Wait, he did?
Oh shit. Wait he did.
This guy's an ENGINEER?! What CAN'T he do at this point?!

"It's more than possible. Those drones are bulky enough, and you can easily fit in a chip or two in it to make use of that function."

"Hm, hm! That's master Yao for you! Looks like this problem isn't actually that complex after all! So lighten up, Subaru! Put your chin up and back straight!" Okay, but you didn't have to rub it in my face.

"Ginhime, please..."

I'm way too tired to exchange in our usual dialogue right now.
Instead, I turned over to Master Yao, all business.

"Here's the thing. I dunno much about how techy shit works, but Jordynn said we don't have a room to install an extra module- or drive- or chip, or... Whatever. These bad boys are focused all on one thing and one thing only. A-Aside from the map."

I stretched out my arms...
... As I began to Circulate. My mana aura covered me-
- As well as the drones.

"!!! Oh, wow, pretty! They're almost like lanterns! This oughta make music videos much more pretty!" ... You do you, Ginhime. (edited)

"You know what?" I got an idea. "I was just gonna explain it, but you wanna see something cool, Ginhime?"

"I like cool things!"

"Great. Here we go."

I inhaled and exhaled...
- As in a mere instant, it was as if Ginhime teleported. Of course...
She's just moving really fast that it looks like she teleports. In even less than a split second...
Ginhime flew up to a drone, then flew down about several dozen meters away.

"!!!"

And... Yao looked impressed.
He gave me the starry eyes that he once only gave to Yohei.
Oh shit. Did I actually impress Master Yao...?!

"I see...!!! These drones are channeling your Mana- and not only that, they're artificially amplifying a Simple Domain!"

He looks all around. I'm surprised he didn't notice it sooner.
A large Simple Domain is spread across... About the size of a street or an avenue.

"Yeah. Looks like I don't need to explain it to you!"

I snapped my fingers.
Then in an instant- Ginhime was back where she was.

"Hence why I gotta figure out how I can make this thing go higher. Maybe I should consider sacrificing altitude for stealth- or as you said, shields, or..."

Oh no.
I forgot. Ginhime probably has no idea what's going on.
She's staring at me with stars in her eyes and her wolf tail is wagging like crazy.
I'm not even holding any candies right now!!! CALM DOWN!!!

"Subaru... Did you just TELEPORT me?! That's... That's AWESOME! I didn't know you could do that! I thought you were just the water and wind guy! Hey, hey! How'd you do it?! How'd you do it, Subaru?! Tell me, tell me!!!" God. Damnit.

"Ahaha..."

Luckily... Yao stepped in.
He raised a finger and said,

"Do you want to guess? It's pretty simple once you figure things out."

"No! Subaru can just tell me!"

Yao reaches for his pocket and pulls out a piece of milk candy. "I'll give you this if you can guess it."

"Deal!"

And immediately...
Ginhime squat down and began to think deeply.

I leaned in closer to Master Yao.
With an exhale, I said,

("Thank. You.")

("Haha! It's the least I could do to help you after you've helped this entire Space Colony out so much.") ...

"Hm... I'm guessin'..." Ginhime stood up. "There's a domain spread all throughout. And those drones spread out that domain even more." Then she pointed. "Then you use Water Type Circulation to teleport those in your Domain into where you can see... Which is why you've got a camera system installed!" Ginhime said, pointing to the controller I'm holding.

"Bingo. Here's your candy!"

He said, flipping it to her with a thumb like it was a coin.
Man. That's cool. Why do all old people and Color Warlocks know how to do cool flipping shit with their fingers? Even Scala does it.

"Yippee!!!!!!!!!!!"

She took it with such joy.
Seriously though. It's like. One piece of candy you can devour in one bite.
Why is she so happy?

"Well... It's not as fancy as you might think it is. I can't teleport enemies, for one." I said with a point. "Nor can I things- with a few exceptions, like if I prepare it beforehand."

I said, pointing behind me. There were a few things stacked. Roadblocks for guerilla operations... Mines... Other drones...

"I've gotta be familiar with the makeup, dimensions and if they give me a full body scan. And it's one at a time. Which means, Operators only. Can't do it on regular ol' soldiers and employees."

Which is so inconvenient.
... If I was a Tabootype, I'd be able to manage much more. But I'm only human.

"And some dudes are hard and need me to charge mana. Typhon, for example, would be tough. Eris would also be tough. But lighter people like Master and Adelsiya would be a lot easier. And I can make 'em go on an' off the field at will."

"On and off the field?" Ginhime said with a cross of her arms. "Aside from strategic reasons, of course."

Whiiich I'm willing to bet she's pulling out of her imagination right now, because she probably has no idea why I'd need to do that.

"Mm. If someone's about to die or is runnin' low on vitality, I'll pop 'em right back into a safe zone, heal them back up, and send 'em right back in!" ... Why'd I say that so enthusiastically? It's brutal as hell.

"That's a little..."

"Okay, yeah. I know. It's like I'm running a slave business."

"... But it's undoubtedly efficient." Yao said, nodding up and down. "With the speed of healers like Orpheus, they'll be done in no time. You should probably ask for everyone's consent for that though. Most people in war are used to retreating and that being it for them." He raised a finger. "Still- the ability to retreat instantly and to be deployed again after retreat... ... What a scary ability." ... You don't have to word it like that. (edited)

"Mm..." Ginhime takes a solemn look. "I agree, though. If you employ a strategy like that, then we'll have an edge that no other faction has. Though... When'd you come up with an ability like this?" (edited)

"It..." I pause. "It kinda just came to me in the middle of the Smoke War. I didn't brainstorm it or anything. While fighting in that war, it kind of just... Clicked."

...
I need a therapist.

"..."

Ginhime tugged on my sleeve.
As she still looked up at me with a grin.

"Your intuition really knows no bounds! Looks like you can come up with all sorts of schemes so that you can work less!"

"Work... Less?"

"Yeah! From what I'm getting... This is so you can fight less and have others fight for you. You really are the most devious out of all of us..."

"..."

I stared down to the ground for a second.

- I hate that part of me.
The part of me that sees people as tools to be used.
- I hate that part of me.
That part of me which can come up with strategies that don't even care for the welfare of people.
But...
I guess when Ginhime's smiling like this, it's no big deal.

"Listen. Fighting hard. It's not cut out for me, and I'd rather play the role of the man in the chair!"

"Really? After all the time you spent as a kid training to be a head to head fighter?" Yao said with his arms crossed.

"Was Okino, not me."

"Well..." Yao pat my shoulder. "Since I also know how to work with machines, what's say I help Jordynn with perfecting these drones?"

"You..."

I scratched the back of my head.
Wait. I see an opportunity. He better not be doing what I THINK he's doing...

"You better not ask me if I should pay you for this."

"Why not? I'm not tasked to supervise the engineering department, so I'm providing an extra service here..."

"When you say extra service, it means you're doing it out of kindness! NOT as a part of a job!!!"

”Mm, but I remember I used to do this as a job.” He wagged his finger in front of me. “Think of this like… You’re hiring me for a different position!”

”Why you…!!!”

Ginhime was staring still with starry eyes. “I see now why you’re Subaru’s master… I get it completely!” JUST WHAT DID YOU EVEN FIGURE OUT?!

"So if I work for a fee... It's just fair, isn't it?"

Then. I pointed. "... How much do I pay you for the service you gave me earlier? For the candy you gave my Liege- Ginhime."

Whoops, almost slipped into Atsuhiro there.
But this is a gamble. If he asks me to pay for this one, then I'm fucked.
But if he notices how he didn't ask for payment for that one...

"... Hm. Fair point."

Yesssss.
Looks like I win this time, Master! Hope he doesn't notice me rubbing my nose all too smug.

"Regardless... I'm just glad you're putting in some extra effort. Everyone's out there partying, but you're still figuring out how you can help Magus Generation more..."

"Oh believe me. I kinda wanna rush this shit and get the tests over with so I can hang out with everyone." I said, throwing up my arms to the side. "Since I'm the boss, work says I just gotta put more work in than other people. Them's the rules, and honestly? Wish it weren't the case."

"Lucky we're here then!"

Ginhime said, pinching my arm.
Luckily, it doesn't hurt that much. Thank god this place is cold so I have an excuse to wear layered clothing.
Plus- winter fashion is way cooler than summer fashion.

"Means you won't just sneak off to go slack away! Long as I'm here, I'll always be by your side."

"Hm, hm~. Well, you better own up to that statement, because I'm going to work on the drones." Yao pointed. "Subaru, can you recall them?"

Wordlessly, the drones lower slowly.
... I still don't know if he's actually going to ask for payment.
God, I sure hope not. I spent all my money on an interstellar space trip to assure Lee Eisner gets here safely. 
And if anyone asks where I spent all the money... Eh, fuck it, I'll just lie about buying a store's worth of ramune.

"Hey, Yao."

As the contollers were lowering the drones...
... I faced him seriously.

"Let me be up front. These are weapons of war. Do you really want to involve yourself in this?"

"But they're your weapons. I recall you saying in a famous speech that an army is like a sword. The blood that stains one's sword also stains their hands."

Despite me taking my serious voice...
He sounded just as calm as ever. As if it were a matter of course.

"... I didn't believe much in Magus Generation." He said, as he looked rather solemn. "I knew of the Loops, but I though they were inevitable. That the SIlver Galaxy would eradicate us. I gave up. But you never did. And to be honest? I don't know how. Was it your ideals? Your fighting capabilities? Your bonds?" Yao chuckled slowly... As I didn't expect the words coming from him to be so cynical... Yet genuine. "Perhaps all of them. But I still don't know what it is that made you win. So even though I do not know those things... There is one thing I do believe in. The victory that you- and the rest of Magus Generation will bring."

"Master..."

I gripped my fists.
It's been a while since he gave me a long sermon. But rather than that...
It was more like a confession. Looking at it- even when facing against Loop 1 Typhon...
We all had different ideas on how our victory was achieved. That still didn't change that fact though.

That we were the victors. And naturally- even if people don't know how we did it, they'd believe in us.

"... Thanks."

"See Subaru? Y'ain't as scary as you think you are! The opposite!" Ginhime said, tugging my sleeve again. "Ya' give people hope, even to old geezers like Master Yao!"

"I-I'm not THAT old...!!!"

You kind of are.
But if I said that, I think he'd somehow develop a technique to consciously Black Flash me in the face.

"Nuh-uh."

"Subaru. I believe the Princess of Getsugari needs further disciplining and training..." Yao said, looking at me with a glare.

"NUH-UHHHHH!!!"

Oh my god.
That howl of hers was so piercing- I swear I could see some birds fly away.
Multiple, in fact. All from trees that are far from us. How?

"Pfft..." ... I can't help but chuckle at the absurdity of it.

Luckily, Ginhime does not throw a tantrum.
She exhales deeply and... Still, she was holding onto my sleeve.
She then looked at me and smiled.

"So, Subaru... Keep on smilin'! A scowl doesn't suit you!"

"..." I pause. "Was that the reason you came all this way? Even though you don't know what the hell I'm doin', you just wanted to see me laugh?"

"What's so wrong with that, huh?! If you're looking down, I'll cheer you up!"

She gave a thumbs up.

... It was just like before.
The moment I put on that mask for the very first time- the mask of Atsuhiro Kashioko.
I made a wish. Or rather, a vow.

I vowed to make sure that mask of mine never came loose. That it would stay fixed on me so that I would never slip up.

I vowed to work harder than I ever had, despite the fact that I'd rather not. 

I vowed to make sure to win. To bring victory and smiles to those who could be suffering.

And...
I vowed to make sure no one dies because they believed in me when they shouldn't have.

Because right now, these two believe in me more than anything. And that's terrifying down to the core.
But- as Ginhime still cheers me up and as Master Yao provides his full feelings...

"Sheesh, man. I don't need a cheerleader every time I make one frown. But... I appreciate it. I might be the boss, but... Even so, I still need help."

3/5/2024 9:24 PM

Chapter One - Conclude OMAKE Subaru Kikami - That one guy who gets sick right before a party Had to run 3 more hours of tests. Couldn't make it to the beach party, so ended up drinking whiskey with Orpheus after. Ginhime Ashikaga - Eternal Ball of Sunshine Currently trying to find the best gifts to ask out Ikago Nomura. Always asks the worst possible people for advice, such as Satoshi and Lucca. Jiang Yao - Retiring Master His proficiency in engineering came from being forced to work as an Autumnwood Knight. Was close with the "Iron Armory", who needed lots of maintenance on her cyborg body in order to function, which is how he learned about machines. (edited)

3/5/2024 9:32 PM

Chapter Two - Even so, I can only do my best. --------------- + Time Frame: After Code of Brawl, Before OT and TBB + --------------- (edited)

- DING!
The sound of a loud bell signals my entry. Of course, this is a restaurant.
The Voyager has several restaurants. Some in-house and some stakeholders.
Some in a food court and some as standalone restaurants. The latter is pretty much exclusively for Operators, though, as we get a discount for being Operators. 
This one's an in-house restaurant that cooks Indian curry. But because there's no India equivalent on Gliese, it's pretty unpopular. Since they don't know what the hell it is.
As such, it's kinda struggling. Which is why I've appropiated myself as THE regualr when it comes to this place!
The food's good, and there's a bell in the entrance. A bell in the entrance usually means it's the GOOD SHIT.
And I swear this isn't a superstition! It means like... The chef's got SOUL cause they wanna know when they got customers.
So usually I eat here in this restaurant when I'm alone and I just wanna appreciate some good food.
What I didn't expect, is...

"... Huh? Ain't you Lee's kid?" ... For someone else to be here.

"Eh?"

Hunched over in a table...
Was a boy that I've only seen both briefly and on the news.
I went over to Neo Bluegrave undercover to go scope out what could potentially be their government or law system.
Found 'em, tested them out, talked to them and all sorts of stuff.
They proved to be worthy and competent and I was able to rest well knowing that Neo Bluegrave was in good hands.
This kid... I think is one of them. A part of Company Business- despite only being a teenager.

"You're... Subaru, right? Hey... So you know how much of a hidden gem this restaurant is too, don't you?!" And I already like the guy.

"Oh hell yeah."

PLOP.
I immediately sat down next to the kid and waved over to the owner.
Yeah- he already went straight to cooking. He knows what I want.

"Much as I like Japanese- Getsugarian curry, that has its own flavor of goodness. Those are savory and tasteful. These? These are good for that... Oomph."

"Fuck yeah." Tetsuo said, pumping his fist. "It's like a good right hook to the face, except instead of feeling like shit... It feels like you wanna get hit again!"

"Are you a masochist?"

"Oh man, what the fuck, no!" He said, reeling back. "I'm just a terminal meathead, according to Maxwell. When it comes to allegories and shit like that... Most I can think of is just food or fighting."

Oooooh. So he's one of THOSE guys...
Nerdy, but for fighting. A total maniac and savant when it comes to anything involving fighting.
Which we don't have a lot of in Magus Generation, surprisingly enough. The most I can think of are the Astoria Sisters and KIND OF Adelsiya...? But she's more crazy for homicide rather than just fighting.

"... Did Lee teach you how to swear that much?"

"I'm sixteen years old. Of course I'd be swearing like a sailor."

"Fair 'nuff."

When I was sixteen, I'm pretty sure I was still sharing my body with Okino.
Which meant that even when I was playing CS:GO, he'd still refuse to let me even utter a single "shit..."
... To be fair, I think if he didn't, much worse things would've come out of my mouth.

"Lee teach you anything meaningful though? Like how to buy merch from a proxy? Or how to book concert tickets early and efficiently? Or flight schedulin' tips?"

"You could've just said "how to be an idol fan" and you'd be right. For all of them." ... Shit, right.

"Okay, I didn't wanna be mean."

"What, did he teach you those things too?"

He cleared his throat.
The expression that passed Tetsuo was one of complete annoyance.
Oh man. I was just his coworker, and I had to deal with him nerding out about his interests a lot. This guy LIVES with Lee...
My sorrows go out to him.

"All the time, man!" I said as I put my head down. "But... Even though there's a big age gap between us, he treated me like an equal. That dude's a bum, but we still go drinking like we're BOTH bums." (edited)

"Wait, are you a bum?"

"I didn't say that."

"You just called yourself a bum."

"Slip of the tongue."

"Freudian slip."

"How do you even know who that is?"

"Freudian is a name of a person?"

"... Nevermind."

I said, letting out a sigh.
This kid's a riot, alright.

Eventually... Our curry arrives.
Steaming hot. Ingredients freshly cooked. The plates of course, standard...
And the presentation's nothing special.
But all of it is about the spice and the quality of the ingredients.
The rice? Top notch. The curry sauce? Home made. The chicken?
Buddy, if you told me the chicken used for this was killed like about 4 hours ago, I'd believe you.
This is a new level of fresh that like... If you ate it, you'd feel the need to invent a "degrees of freshness."
Kinda like how steak has like medium rare, medium well and that shit.

"Gahh...!!!" Tetsuo says as he eats his. He ordered lamb, though. "This shit's so damn good!!!"

He said, as he looked both in pure joy and pain.
That's the spicy curry experience for ya'.

"You know, maybe you should cut out the swearing. I don't think the owner will appreciate you callin' this... You know."

I said, pointing to the curry.
It's sublime.

"Y'ain't my dad, so shut up. I can use whatever the hell kinda language I wanna."

"Yeah, but I'm practically your uncle. And uncle's always know best!"

That's not how the saying goes, but I can twist my words!
Surely he won't notice, right?

"So you ARE a bum."

"IN WHAT WORLD DOES UNCLE CONNECT TO BUM?!"

I said, lowering my utensils in anger.
... Which led to my wrists touching the bowl- thus burning it slightly.

"Ow- shit, hot!"

I shook off my wrists, making sure my utensils did not fly off.
I even Circulated a bit to cool them. Boy, SURE is handy to have ice powers!

(edited)

"Wow, wait, that shit's hot for you?"

As soon as I calmed down...
I saw Tetsuo lower a utensil to place his hand on the bowl.
No... Place isn't the right word. Dude is gripping it.
The entire burning bowl. With a poker face.

". . . You didn't have to insult my misfortune like that, man..." I said, sounding defeated.

"Hehe." Tetsuo said, reeling his head back.

"But no, seriously. It's okay to joke around and swear to your homies and all that, but I'd avoid sayin' it in public if I were you." I said, raising up a finger. "Did no one give you weird looks while you were in Mage School or something...? Or no- just in school. You might be an Ordinary."

And I forgot that it used to be MAGE school.
Thanks to reforms, they're changing it to be CIRCULATORS rather than Mages as a whole.

"I'm an Ordinary, yeah, but well... I never went to school."

"Owch. Drop out?"

"My parents were assholes."

He said, leaning on his seat.
He stared at the ceiling. Must be a sore spot for him.

"... But I am getting a scholarship for Mage School real soon."

"Oh, wow, shit, really? You didn't really strike me as the academic type..."

Moreso the raging gamer on shooter game lobbies.
Or toxic fighting game player who only plays low tiers.
Or competitive speedrunner with bad takes on twitter.

"Yeah, but I don't find it that fun. Wasn't my idea to go there anyways..." He closed his eyes for a bit. "It was Scala's. But... I'm probably gonna need it." He said, sitting upright. "... If I sweared in front of Maxwell or Scala here, would they tell me to cut it out...?" Tetsuo's probably talking to himself, but...

"Oooo~. I am invading your mindspaceeeee~. Those two say that they wouuuuuuld~." I say, putting up my best spooky voice.

"... What are you doing?"

"Using my psychic abilities."

"Those don't exist, fuck off."

"They do."

"You're lying."

"Aaaanyways..."

I lean back over to my curry.
Got a little sidetracked there.

"I'mma focus on my food for a bit. Don't want it to get too cold! Good luck trying to ward off my psychic telepathic attacks, though." (edited)

"That is NOT your ability, you're lying! Psychic abilities do not exist!"

Tetsuo said with a slam of the table.
Ooo. Little boy's getting heated.
How can I mess with him more...? Wait.
I got a good one.

"Oh yeah? In five seconds, someone's gonna walk through the front door."

I said, as I spun my finger a little bit.
Circulating... A slipstream of wind appeared around my finger. This type of Mana control is extremely precise.
But I can nudge the door open and then once I can see through it- unleash a big gust to open it.
Shit will scare him SO hard. The look on his face will be priceless!

"One... Two... Three-" (edited)

- DING!
And then the DOOR ACTUALLY FUCKING OPENS.
Because SOMEONE actually went through it. The sound of the door opening was marked by a bell.
That sound instantly got both me and Tetsuo to jump. Because NEITHER of us were expecting it.
- Damn it, I bet Tetsuo made the most shocked expression right now! But I'm too busy looking at who just entered- huh?!

"..."

It's... A girl.
No. To be more specific- a complicated girl. Kenko Bergen, her name was.
Apparently according to Okino she was a student of 2-B, a classmate of ours... Who was from the former loops.
But she was erased from this one. Okino intentionally tampered with the cloning so that she was never born in this loop.
Both me and Tetsuo stared at her for a bit... As she sat at the farthest table away from us.
Note taken. She's a super introvert.

("... It wasn't five seconds. You're not a psychic, you're just lucky.") Tetsuo said, whispering.

("Oh come on, THAT'S what you care about right now?!")

("I am EXTREMELY petty.")

("Okay, but...")

I took a deep breath and hunched in closer.
I had to be VERY SURE I wasn't heard.
This is more crucial than when I'm sharing intel through war. Right now...
I'm giving this whisper 100% of my focus. No, 110%!
Quiet enough to not be noticeable! But loud enough to be audible. Otherwise- the perfect frequency.

("Tetsuo. I need you to do me a solid.")

"Oh hell no." And that goes all out the window when he stares at me with complete rejection.

"What do you MEAN oh hell no?!"

"It means what it means. I am NOT doing you a solid." He crosses his arms. "Cause everyone at work asks ME for solids all the time. Maxwell for wingman situations... Lee for buying merch and mooching off my part time job... And Damian for directions. Only one that doesn't is Scala, and that's because the favors she asks for me are about ACTUAL FUCKIN' WORK!"

"What if I told you that my solid involves all three of those things?!" I said, demanding even.

"That just gives me more of a reason NOT to do it!"

And Tetsuo said this with another slam of the table.
Now he's REALLY testing my patience. I've GOT to get that solid.

"Listen! It's a good thing!"

I said, spreading my arms.
I need to use all my bullshit for this. All my conman skills.
THIS is what I need to put my focus on.

"I barely know you, and I'm asking you for a favor. That just goes to show how reliable you present yourself as!"

"Yeah?! And what if I don't wanna be the reliable guy! All these favors people ask of me SUCK!"

"Do you wanna be the UNRELIABLE guy? Cause being that is just as bad." I said, lowering my eyebrows. "And if you're worried about that so much, just say no man."

"Yeah, like how I'm saying no to your solid right now." Tetsuo drank some water right after.

"Dude, it's a solid. You HAVE to do it."

"..."

Uh. Shit.
I saw Kenko look over to us. Are we being noticed?
No- why am I even asking that?! We're barely using our inside voice here!
I'd lower my voice... But this guy riles me up every time he says no!
I dunno why!

"Okay, fine. But if it's too ridiculous, I'm backing out."

He said with a shake of his head.
Yuuuuusss.
Proof that those who thug it out always win in the end. You just gotta stick through the mud till you get out to the plains!
Like how 98% of all gamblers quit before they win big.

"I just wanna hear what kind of request is insane enough to be a Maxwell, Damian and Lee-type request combined into one."

"Okay, listen, so there's this girl..."

"It's the one that just walked in, isn't it? Don't worry. I've had experience in wingmaning before."

"What?! No!"

I said, waving the air with both my hands.
With my eyebrows lowered, I said,

"I don't have interest in her romantically... Kinda... I mean... It's... Complicated..."

"Just say you wanna date her."

"I don't!"

Then I lower my arms.
Fuck it, I'll just let my words flow out of my mouth.

"Or maybe I do? I dunno."

"Come on man, it can't be THAT complicated for you to ask some help so you can rizz up a girl."

"I guess I... I mean, I've asked multiple people to wingman me before." I said, pinching my nose. "Workplace relationships are meant to be kept under wraps, but... I've kinda asked help for rizzin' up a few of the Operators here. Well. I kinda lost count."

I let out my breath, facing away from Tetsuo.
As I stared over at the desk.

"I had a pretty bad breakup months ago, and I've honestly not been able to get over it. Like- I'm over her. But I'm not over not having a relationship. Hugs and kisses to go back to and all. So I've been like... Tryna hit it off with multiple girls."

"Okay. I'm not helping you."

"Dude. I'm not done."

Tetsuo then gave a smug cross of his arms. "And I think I've heard enough."

"Listen man, I'm just... Like, I dunno, desperate! And you don't have anything to lose, you barely go here!" I snapped my fingers. "And it's not my full story! I've got more to explain, aaand I probably should've started with that instead of yapping."

Yeah. I dunno why I thought it was a good idea for me to go with my gut rather than my head.
I'm screwed.

"Don't look down on me while clearly trying to defend your worldly desires, harem accepter!"

"Dude, what does that even mean?!"

I pinched my nose.
This... This is getting nowhere.
I have to find a way to convince him like... Easily. Think.
He's an emotional man. So he'll be swayed by emotions.
Think.
What sways emotionnal men a lot?
Think... Think...

"... Dude, you okay there?"

Poke poke.
Tetsuo was poking my cheek.
Shit. Wait. Usually I think so fast, did I seriously think at a normal rate JUST for this?

"You look like you blue screened."

"I'll just..."

I moved in closer and made sure to whisper this part.
We lowered our voices and Kenko's pretty far away, so she couldn't hear us, but...
I dunno. The act of whispering just feels private. And I wanted this to be private.

("The full situation's really complicated, but... She's an outcast. Doesn't really have much friends. Even though my biggest goal here in Magus Generation as a big man operating the scenes... Is morale and rapport. So that we're all welcome here.") I exhaled. ("If even just you could be her friend, then that's okay with me. It doesn't have to be me.")

("... That's all you had to say.")

Tetsuo reached over to his glass of water.
Then he drank it in full, wiping his mouth with tissue.
He stood up.

("C'mon.")

("Ooooh shit, we're actually doing this.")

Then we moved over to the girl.
... The true objective is to just make sure she's welcome. We took our plates and moved.
Even if it's just sharing a meal... That much should be enough.

"...?"

Kenko looked over to us in curiosity.
Good. It means she didn't hear us. She has no idea why we're here.
... That's kind of a sad thing, actually. Being confused as to why people who should be your friends wanna eat a simple lunch...

"Hello? Erm... How can I help you two?"

Tetsuo cleared his throat. "Hey girl. I mean they."

I almost drop my plates and my utensils.
My jaw literally collapses.

("Tetsuo, what the HELL WAS THAT?!")

("A pick up line! I learned it from Maxwel!")

("I JUST said I didn't need this to be romantic.")

("Yeah, well, it's my go to approach for approaching someone new! The other approach is fists!")

("You'd do it to even men!?")

("I swing both ways!")

Wait, does he mean in terms of preference or his fists?
... Probably both.

(edited)

("Okay, fair enough.")

"Err... What are you two whispering about over there?"

Oh shit. She noticed us. And we talked too much.
Quick, uhh, I gotta think of something real fast, uh...!!!!!!

"Company Business."

"Your hair smells nice." What?

Tetsuo lowered his plates and utensils over to another table.
As he slammed both his hands into his forehead.

"You ruined it. You ruined it and now I'm leaving."

"Oi, oi! You locked in, so you can't lock out!"

I said, as I grabbed Tetsuo's shoulder.
Instantly, I dragged him back here.

"Um..." Kenko tilted her head. "I'm a bit confused. What are you two here for again...?"

"We wanna hang."

Okay, good, he's locked in.
He didn't even struggle or anything. Just instantly recognized that he's in.

"Hang what?"

"Hang out."

"Yeah. We're ways through our meal, but you don't mind us staying around to chat right?"

And on my signal...
Me and Tetsuo sit down EXACTLY at the same time at Kenko's table.
Placing our meals right in front of ourselves... And putting our utensils down at the EXACT time.
Full synchronization.

All according to けいかく。
(TL note: けいかく means plan)

"Chat? About what?"

Oh my god.
How introverted is this woman?

"I recently finished up all my requests and tasks on the Voyager... And I believe there's not much else to be done. Aside from preparing the Information Department for our flight to Subterra..."

Is it all work with this woman?
Does she know no slacking?

"We chat... About stuff." Even Tetsuo's realizing how painfully introverted she is. "Yeah. Like... Uh. How's the weather?"

She looked confused.
As she pointed over to a window.

"You could always look."

"No, see, Tetsuo's asking how you FEEL about the weather."

I said, trying to salvage this.
I have a feeling this might go nowhere. So I pointed.

"Like. How does that cloud make you feel??"

"It's... It's a cloud???"

"Yeah. Like that." How the fuck do we do this.

"I wanna punch that cloud."

Kenko then shurred away slightly.
Inching and tilting slightly away from Tetsuo. As she raised her hand.

"That's kind of..." Oh shit. She want's to leave, doesn't she...?!

("Tetsuo! Don't be a meathead in front of her, you're scaring her!")

("Sorry, sorry!") He said, bowing his head instinctually.

"Er..."

Kenko pointed towards me.
Wait. Why?

"I know your name. It's Subaru, I think."

Oh wait she's just asking for my name.
Why the hell am I panicking over something as trivial as this though!?
She pointed to Tetsuo next.

"You are...?"

"Tetsuo Eisner, Steel Fists of Neo Bluegrave." He said with a nod. "You might've seen me on the news before, Company Business."

"I don't read the news."

"Damn. Why?"

"Why do you want to know?"

Kenko responded more snappier than before.
Shit. Maybe we hit a sour spot or something...?
Either way. NOT GOOD.

"I dunno."

HOW DO YOU EVEN RESPOND TO THAT?!
Ohhh my god, do I gotta do all the work here?

"A-Anyways... What's your name, then?"

"You forgot?" Shit.

"O-Oh, I know. It's for Tetsuo here, cause he doesn't know!"

"You didn't tell him?" WHY DOES THIS WOMAN ASK SO MANY QUESTIONS?!

Then Tetsuo elbowed my shoulder.
Rather harshly too.

("Dude, why didn't you tell me her NAME?!")

I panicked. I could feel my pupils darting all over...
... I kinda feel bad about it, but I set my mindset to my Atsuhiro one.
Where I can mask even the slightest of emotions behind layers and layers of masks.
All because Kenko's gazing right at me. Though it feels she's looking right at my soul.

("Listen, I thought it might flow better if you asked her like- directly. I just didn't expect her to be so...")

("No, don't worry, I get it. What even happened to her?")

("I'd explain, but I don't want her to notice how much we're whispering right now.") I cleared my throat. "Uh... I forgot. Sorry."

"That's alright. It's... Kenko." She nodded. "That's my name."

"Kenko, huh?"

Tetsuo looked outside the window.
As he nodded.

"Nice name."

You better rebound or continue off of that becuase how do you even respond to that also.
Luckily, Tetsuo does come up with something to say.

"... Say, if we're bothering you, we can just leave. We've got our own shit to talk about, and we don't wanna intrude if you're going through something." If nothing else, at least being genuine may help!

"It's not that you're bothering me, it's just..." She looked away. "With me, it's pointless to get close."

...
I gripped my fist tightly.

"You've got to be loads of sheltered to think you can live on your own. We're not trying to get close in the first place, anyways. We just wanna... Talk."

I also reached a point where I spoke with not just my heart-
But my heart and mind intertwined.

"..."

She nodded in response.
Kenko took a moment to respond.

"Have you ever thought about what it's like to be in a world where everything's the same- if not better.... ... Except the difference is, you don't exist?"

"I..."

Oh, right. Tetsuo doesn't know her situation.
So he's a bit taken aback by that situation.

"I'm living in that right now because of the loops. I was in the last one- but not this one. The one where... We- no, you guys won."

- For some reason.
That strikes an arrow into my heart.
I'm not even going to sugarcoat it or downplay myself. I know how huge of a role I played in winning this.
Yes, it was everyone's victory.
But the moment me and Arsene came in and when she was removed was when things started changing. I can't change that fact nor can I deny it.
... Essentially, I was one of the people that brought us victory. The victory that she's suffering from.

"No one here knows me. No one here recognizes me. ... And they're better off without me."

"..."

I saw Tetsuo also grip his fist tightly.
Those words... Hurt him the same way, huh?

(edited)

"So really, it's pointless. So..."

"Then why haven't you died?"

"..."

She looked at me head on.
Kenko wasn't surprised. She knew I was going to ask that question.
So she faced me fully.

"You're still here. So are ants, dungeaters and fleas. You might see yourself as low... But even those got purposes for existing. That means you've got one too, right?" I said with a smile.

She chuckled. "That's just wishful thinking. Just thinking that isn't going to give me a purpose. Nor is it going to make me happy."

Then...
Tetsuo spoke up next. Calmly lowering his hand on the table.
As he looked at Kenko with a burning heart.

"You're wrong. Being happy isn't moving on from your current sorrow. I can tell that's eating you up fully. Being happy means you're willing to build something off of your current sorrow. Those people are still there, aren't they? You can reconnect. Find out what you did wrong, and..."

"I can't."

She stood up.
As the girl who was erased from the world stared down at the ground.
She didn't want us to see her face or her expression.
So we couldn't tell if it was guilt, sorrow... Or anger.

"Just looking at them is hard enough! I don't even know what I did wrong! I just wanted to connect with them all, raise 2-B to the highest possible heights and pierce the heavens... But apparently that was wrong?! It's just so... Asinine!"

"Kenko, wait...!!!"

Tetsuo also stood up.
He held out his hands...

"I'm sorry. I don't want to talk anymore. Just... Leave me alone!!!"

She shouted.
As soon as she said that... Kenko darted and left.
Running. As her soul let out a screech as she did.
Everyone could see the sadness in her steps as she ran. The weight she carried.

The weight of one who was left behind.

". . ."

Tetsuo has his hands stretched out...
... As he lowered his arms.

"Did... Did we fumble?"

I also let my arms fall limp.
As I pat Tetsuo's shoulder.

"... This voyager wasn't built in one day. It's hard. To push someone out of loneliness. She's a stubborn one."

I let out an exhale as I laid back on my seat.
We didn't do much. Or even talk for that long. But it felt...
Exhausting. Draining. Maybe that's just because we were around someone THAT sad.
But when it became just the two of us- the mood lightened.

"... You're a good kid, Tetsuo. Lee taught you well."

Tetsuo also sat down.
As he exhaled, looking at me with a smile.

"You're okay, too. Can see why Lee hangs out with you so much." He looked over to the door. "But what can we even do with her...? How do we make her realize that she's not alone?"

"I don't think she'll want any part in Magus Generation after today. I think, if anyone fumbled..." He pointed. "It's me. Cause I thought I could deal with her. Looks like I'll need a different approach. Or..." Subaru looked over to Tetsuo. "I can rely on Company Business for that."

"If this is a request, please pay us."

"Dude."

"What?"

"After all that, you're gonna ask for money...?"

"I gotta make a profit out of this somehow, man. I ain't leaving this on a sour note."

Tetsuo said with a smug grin.
God. Who taught him how to extort people?
It better have not been Lee. I have a hunch it's Scala, though.

"Yeah, but you're gonna leave me with a sour note!" I said with a slap of my leg. "I thought we were buddies!"

"Partners in crime, more like!"

He said, giving me a finger gun.
Then he stopped and realized.

"Shit. Wait. Don't think that because of this you can just ask me for solids from now on."

"Naw, I've got Volkannon for that. You just happened to be at the right place at the right time." I raised my head and pat Tetsuo. "So... Before you go, any plans on what to do about Kenko?"

"..."

Tetsuo scratched his chin.
He looked like he was giving it a lot of thought. But eventually...
He gave it a shrug.

"I'll just figure it out as I go along. Usually I sit on things a lot till it just comes to me. Maybe I'll tell Maxwell. He usually knows how to handle women."

... I get a gut feeling right in my stomach.
I have an intense urge to say "I doubt that", but I rarely through accusations without basis.

"What about you? If she quits, then what next?"

"Hm." I also lowered my head. "I could get someone like Eris to convince her otherwise... Break it to her that she might be homeless after, but that might make her more sad, or... Get Marie, since she should know Kenko. But... Even so, I can only do my best."

3/5/2024 11:44 PM

Chapter Two - Conclude OMAKE Subaru Kikami - The Slow Eater whom always gets their food cold Convinced the owner of the restaurant to sell alcohol. Scala ended up finding the restaurant and made it popular amongst Operators. Unfortunately meant that Subaru had a much harder time securing seats after. Tetsuo Eisner - Best Rizz Moments After the experience, asked Maxwell for a step by step guide on how to rizz up girls. Got catfished a week later and proceeded to punch the catfisher in the face. Scala sent the catfisher to jail. Kenko Bergen - She Who Was Erased Reads visual novels and manga in her free time. Thus, she can practically detect potential crushes and romantic feelings. Which is why she's been avoiding so much men. (edited)

3/6/2024 12:00 AM

Chapter Three - Even so, there is still work to be done. ------------- + Time Frame: After Code of Brawl + ------------------- (edited)

3/6/2024 12:29 AM

10:00 AM

- DING DONG.
Oh god why is the elevator door buzzer slightly off tune.
It's not even NOTICEABLY off tune. It's just- the three of us notice it because we've been using this elevator for so long.
I let out one of my usual signature exhales as we stepped in. We're currently in the bottom floor. The hangar.
We just got here after rendezvousing after an incident in Getsugari. Apparently it was cleared up before I even got to handle things, so I can just chill while I do some paperwork and menial tasks.
The top floor is my office. I step in and press the button.
And look to my sides, without saying anything.

"... Going up?"

"Where else would I be going?"

To my left, is Lucca. He responded with venom in his voice.
Who was here coincidentally. Fun coincidence, meeting him here.
I don't think I see him in the Voyager all too often. Usually he's with Ikago.
He crossed his arms as he rolled his eyes simply after.

(edited)

"... Then, you?"

I looked over to my right then.
Maybe she'll be more responsive!

"Pff." Eris let out a soft chuckle. "Haha... I sure do wonder, seeing as we're in the bottom floor and your office is in the top!"

She put her hand to her mouth.
Eris was trying to hide a smile, but it was so big that it was obvious.
It's kind of cute.

"Why IS your office in the top anyways? You never were the type for grandiose stuff. You even made your castle small on purpose, so why's yours at the top?"

"Funny question. See, you have no idea how many people in this damn voyager have a fear of heights." I raised my fingers as I began to recount the events. "While Typhon was designing the place, dude thought it might be cool for the top floor to be a sort of observatory with glass. A place to put plants and all that. While my Mom uses it for that... There was ONE room that was left unused because nobody wanted to use it." I crossed my arms right after with a sigh. "So, while everyone's deciding where they want their offices to be and while Ikago organizes where our shareholders and stakeholders are gonna be at... I suddenly get lazy and I forgot about it. Until the ONLY PLACE available for me to have an office is on the literal last floor." (edited)

"Sounds like a major hassle." Lucca said, leaning on the wall. "Elevator's here are piss slow. Can't imagine how agonizing it'll be for you to get to the top."

"What does piss slow imply?"

"That it's piss slow, dumbass."

"Hey, you're a part of this boat too!"

Eris said, pointing over to the elevator panel.
The floor that Lucca pressed... Is right below the top.

"That floor is where Ikago's office is, right? Is she here today? I'm willin' to bet she is!" Eris responded with a big grin, as if she read through Lucca completely.

"Wh- how do you even REMEMBER that!?" Lucca said, stepping back. "She doesn't get that much visitors aside from me, so..."

"Nah, I guessed!"

"Seriously? I'm that predictable?"

"You WORK for Ikago. It's less so that you're predictable and more like you got a schedule."

"She doesn't even pay me. What do you mean work?"

"Wait, what?!"

And then my eyes opened wide.
Holy... Shit.

"That's like. That's like..."

For some reason, I found it hard to think.
Then I pointed.

"That's literally slave labor. You should stand up to this injustice, Lucca! Get a laywer or contact Magus Generation officials about this!"

"Huh. Good idea. I might do that."

"That's the spirit!"

Man, seriously.
I don't get how Lucca was able to stick up with this. Not being paid...
It's a serious crime. I might even send Ikago to court for this, so...

Lucca... For some reason did a full 360 spin. "Hello Magus Generation official."

He said with a fully monotone voice.
As his eyebrows lowered.

"I've sent you 32 fucking emails about this. Please give me a fucking salary."

"Oh. Wait. What?"

Blink blink.

It then dawns on me.
I haven't checked my email in 3 days.
3 days. It might not be a lot to most people... But to me, who's a manager...
That's grounds for demotion or even firing. A lot can happen in just one day.
Okay. Shit.
I missed a lot of emails. How do I explain this?
Or no... Rather... How do I get out of this...?

"Ahahaha... Well, you see...!!! My PC's busted."

"... Really?"

Aaaand of course he's skeptical.
As he put his hands on his hips, he stared at me with complete and total judgement.
I bet he's trained to catch these sort of lies, huh...?

"And... Connection is really shit on the top floor. Typhon and I didn't really think about it when it came to connection."

I said. This was actually true.
Every time I do work, I have to bring portable wifi. Well, intensive work.
... Stuff like emails will still get through no problem.

(edited)

"Makes sense. Then... Your phone."

He pointed.
Shit.

"Well, I, uh, errr, that's..."

Then. We're interrupted.
As Eris raises her voice, which is something she rarely does.
Seeing as she's already pretty loud, she must really want our attention.

"Err, guys? I don't wanna alarm you but..."

She lowered it.
As she pointed to the floor counter. We're at the floor right below the final floor...
But the doors aren't opening.

"I think the elevator's bugged."

"No shot."

It was then I noticed...
Well, I don't know how long it was. But there hasn't been movement in a while.
Not even up or down. Just still.
However, I remained calm. Stuff like this happens every now and then.
It's rare, but there's measures for this. I moved over to the elevator panel.

"Don't worry. We stopped at a floor, so I'll just call security."

I tapped the call security button.
And...

... I waited.

"..."

"Subaru."

"What?"

"Does that button actually work?" Lucca was getting very very visibly annoyed.

"How should I know? I left the building of the shit like elevators up to the Engineering Department."

I said, rapidly mashing the emergency button.
God, this would probably break it even more. But it's better than nothing.
There's always the possibility of it being jammed and I could UNjam it by pressing it really hard...

"You're the boss. You SHOULD know about this stuff." I am NOT on his good side today!!!

"Respectfully Lucca, what do you think a boss does?"

So I turned around.
A bit of annoyance rose to my voice, but I tried to quell that. I did not want to be stuck in this elevator.

"I kinda just wait for requests to do shit, do my rounds to see if everyone's doing alright, check our finances, check the core directory for to-do..." Then I frowned. "Okay, I'm making it more complicated than it sounds. Basically I just check if the status quo is up to par and if anyone needs me to do anything."

"Which you clearly failed at doing cause I don't have a salary yet."

"Hey, cut the blue man some slack!"

Phew, Eris to the rescue!
... Wait, blue man?

"I bet he gets loads of requests every day! Not to mention he has to juggle also being Atsuhiro... It probably isn't easy. I know you might be mad and all, but... At least ya' got the chance to bring it up to him directly!"

"..." I looked over to her and scratched the back of my hair. ("Thanks Eris.") I said with a thumbs up.

"... Haah." Lucca's arms fell limp. "Sorry for that, then. Was kinda just venting my anger. Shit's been kinda busy since after the Solars collapsed and there's been no shortage of work Ikago needs me to handle in Neo Bluegrave." Lucca said, scratching his neck... As he held out his hand for a hand shake. "And you probably got it much worse than most of us. So truce?"

"Oh..."

I looked rather shocked.
I had taken Lucca to be the kind of salty man who held grudges really easily.
But... I take his hand and shake it with a grin on my face.

"Yeah. Truce. Sorry for gettin' a little mad there earlier, then."

... Maybe he's a little brighter than I expected.
Someone who's just tired, but well meaning.

"Right. But how does that help us get out of the elevator?" Never mind, I take it all back.

"Dude, I dunno...!"

I moved over to the button.
And pressed it again. And we waited.
Aaand waited.

"... I don't think anyone's coming, guys."

"We can tell."

Eris then looked like a lightbulb set off.
As she raised a finger.

"If the button won't work, why don't we call someone using our phones, then? We have reception here, so it'll be alright!" (edited)

"Oh shit yeah, great idea!"

I said with a smile.
In all honesty, it was basically common sense.
But since we were stuck here... I had a feeling that even THAT was warped by now.

"Mm. Good thinking. ..." Pause. "So why haven't either of you done it yet?"

Luckily, Eris ends up being the one to respond first.
Which is a good thing for me! Because if I did, I might end up looking like an idiot.
Eris ended up takingg the blow for me by being the one to spill first.

"Ahahaha... Well, I'll be honest- I'm kind of tech illiterate. I mean!" She raised up her hands and explained, still with a grin. "I know how to use a credit card and all that, but... Even after all this time, I'm kinda clueless when it comes to phones and PCs!"

"Okay. So where's your phone?"

Eris let her arms fall limp... "I left it at home cuz' I thought I wasn't gonna need it today..."

"Wait, seriously?" Then I turned over to her. "I asked you to be my assistant for today and you DIDN'T bring your phone?! What if a national crisis happened in Alvarnia all of a sudden and the only way to contact you was through your phone?!"

... Which is hypocritical, coming from me.
As I ALSO left my phone in my office.

"Relax, Subaru!" Eris said, giving me a thumbs up. "Alvarnia's not so fragile that it can fall a part in one day. Besides, Marie's taking care of things for me today, so... We're safe for that!"

"But what if there was a potato drought?"

"Then that's not a national crisis. That just means our nation has fallen."

Eris responded with full seriousness, instantly SWITCHING her tone to business mode!
God, is that how it sounds like when I do it?! It's so jarring!
Maybe I should stop switching from my Subaru voice to my Atsuhiro voice so suddenly...

Then... Lucca looked over to me. "So. I'm guessing you left your phone somewhere else for an equally stupid reason."

"How'd you know?!"

"I didn't. You told me."

"Well, shit, ya' got me there..."

I raised my hands in the air as I spun around for a second...
This elevator's spacious since it's supposed to transport small machines and small vehicles.
But even so... It's just small enough to really settle in the feeling of being trapped.
Of all the places to get stuck... It's in an elevator. In a MOBILE COLONY. THAT FLIES.

"... I just thought today was gonna be one of those easy days, y'know? Like. I woke up and accordin' to the core directory of tasks, I had like one thing to do. And Eris was gonna be my assistant for today, so even my DAILY tasks would be easy!"

"Yuh-huh!" Eris said, bumping her gut with her fists. "I'm a hard worker!"

"Two questions. Let me start with one. What the hell is an easy day?"

"Bet you wouldn't know what that is cause you work under a literal slave driver."

"Tch."

I saw him click his tongue.
Score one on Subaru! Now we're tied!
He then looked back to me.

"Second question. What do you mean by assistant?"

"Oh, you don't know?" Eris gave a grin. "It was enforced about a month ago by Ginhime. Since Subaru gets stressed when working alone, a random Operator is assigned to be his assistant for a week or that day. Depends on their availability!" She pointed to the top floor button happily. "Then they stick by his side and help him out with whatever needs to be done."

"I objected to it at first, but..."

Blink blink. I considered my situation...
And spoke truthfully.

"Oh come on, you know what I'm all about. Shit helps me SLACK."

"Any Operator...?"

I can see it in his face.
With his pupils shrinking and his stance freezing... He looks to the both of us.

"Any chance that if I'm randomly selected, I can refuse?"

"Yeah, but since you said that, I'm going to request you in specific once we get out of here."

"Damn you."

"Here's another thing you can't refuse then! Your phone."

... Oh, shit, right!
Lucca hasn't pulled out his phone yet!

"Tch."

Another tongue click...
As he pulled it out and showed it to ourselves directly.
Pointing straight to i-

"It's on 2% battery."

"Guh?!"

"Are ya' kidding me?!"

"We gotta call someone and call them now."

"Not to pull the respectfully card, but... I'm tech illiterate and even I know when to charge my phone!"

She said, pointing.
Wow. It's rare for Eris to get riled up like this.

"Why's it that low battery?!"

"I forget to charge it."

"Why!?"

"Ikago can't fucking organize for shit and neither can I. I haven't seen my charging cable in three days."

"Damn."

She said, crossing her arms with a nod.
And it looked like... Eris was showing genuine respect to Lucca's phone.
The eyes of a warrior reflected in her.

"One strong phone to last three days without being charged..."

"Okay. Lucca." I stood in front of him and nodded resolutely. "Call someone."

"Roger wilco."

Lucca then dialed up his phone, ready to call a number...
But out of curiosity- I glanced.
I was wondering who he would call in this situation and...
Oh damn it. I should've been smarter.

"Wait. Don't call Ikago."

"Wh- what?"

He was shocked.
Not out of what I said... But perhaps he was mocking me.

"Are you stupid?" Yup. He was. "She's on this fucking floor. She can just walk over here and open the door for us."

"Okay, but two things. One. She literally has brain damage and needs to be repeated things to understand them." If he is going to counter that or try to defend that, then I'm taking his phone and calling Arsene or Orpheus. "Two. What if the doors are broken? You think Ikago can open the doors with her hands?"

"I probably could."

My eyes INSTANTLY dart to Eris. "Leeeeet's not try that right now."

"Okay then, Mr. Smart Guy."

Lucca responded, again with venom in his voice.
Though he was probably reluctantly agreeing that I was right. Ikago might be the wrong person to call here.
Lucca's the type of person to push his agenda hard if he has one- as evidenced by earlier. So he's probably just holding a grudge.

"Who do I call?"

"Well, multiple options. You could call Volkannon, Arsene, Orpheus-"

Eris cut through. "Guys, we gotta call someone fast. That battery's at 1% now."

"Shit, okay."

I took a deep breath...
... And immediately, all possibilites were parsed in my head.

"Arsene. Call Arsene."

"Okay." ... Pause.

"What's the hold up?"

"I don't have his number."

"Are you..."

I took a deep breath and didn't finish the sentence.
The phone was at 1% battery right now. We didn't have much time left.
So I took Lucca's phone. Fortunately, there was no resistance. I dialed in Arsene's phone.
I am SO LUCKY he's one of my drinking buddies, so I have his number remembered.
Riiing riiing riing.

"..."

Luckily- it doesn't take him long for him to pick up!
I speak.

"Arsene! This is an emergency! Please go to the second to the last floor and-"

...
The phone goes dead.

"Subaru?"

"The phone's dead, isn't it?"

"FUCK!"

3/6/2024 1:43 AM

11:00 AM

I don't know how long it's been.
But it couldn't have been that long. We mostly went silent after the phone died, though.
So I couldn't tell how we were using our time nor how long it's been.
As we spent it mostly just... Thinking.
Well- that, or we all got collectively lazy. The button didn't work, and the phone was dead...
So it wasn't hopeless. We just didn't do anything for a bit.
Expectedly though. there was one singular person to break that. The exact person that I expected to break it.
We were sitting down by now- since the elevator was spacious enough to handle that.
As Eris stood up. She gripped her fists...

"Lucca. Subaru. Stand back. I am going to punch the door." As she said something so alarming, that I stood up as well.

"Woah, woah, woah!"

I waved my hands in the air.
Instinctively, I stood up in front of the door.

"That might be too dangerous. We ALL know how strong you are. What if you cause the elevator to shake?!"

"Yeah, and seeing as we're on the last floor... We might crash down and meet our untimely death." Lucca frowned. "After facing the Solars, I would NOT want our death to be caused by an elevator. That shit would just be embarrassing."

"Oh..."

Eris stepped back, looking rather embarrassed.
Damn. Now I kinda feel bad. It looks like she REALLY wanted to punch that door.
Maybe she's holding some pent up anger in beintg here...? I know we're ALL annoyed about being here right now, so maybe I should've let her do it...

... No. I am not risking my LITERAL life just to make a single girl slightly happier. That's something Kageaki would do, not me!

"You might be on the right track though!"

So instead, I do what I can.
I pat her shoulder, as I turned to the door.

"We stopped on a floor, so if someone noticed we were here... Then they might be able to get help!" I reeled my foot back.. "So if someone notices sounds from the door, they might come help!"

And I punched the door.

...

"UGHAAAAAAAYAAAAAAGH?!?!?!?!"

And immediately after, my fist recoiled back.
I swear. It was red. Either that, or I was seeing red due to how painful it was.
I mean... I've punched hard things before. But this metal?!
What the hell is it made out of?! I've sparred with Typhon before, but even he wasn't this hard!
What is up with this elevator door?!

(edited)

"Pfffft... Hahahahahaha!"

Lucca said, pointing and laughing as if he's seen the funniest thing in the world.
Goddamnit. I'm in complete pain and your first instinct is to laugh...?!
Lucca... You bastard...!!! 
Afterwards- he stepped forward.

"You call THAT a punch?! Let me show you what REAL power looks like!" His fist pulled back, and... "AAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Nevermind, now we're even.

"Good job, you two!"

Eris said, giving the two a thumbs up.
I looked. This smile wasn't sarcasm.
It was totally earnest.

"Punching and screaming's oughta draw attention to this door, and you two are screaming your damn lungs out! No, really! Have you guys considered auditioning for metal before?"

"Not... Helping..."

Lucca said, as he was so defeated, he sat down and held his hand.
He was even breathing deeply too.

"No, really..."

I did the same as well.
Sitting across him as I held it tightly.

"You screamed for... A while man. If being Ikago's wage slave doesn't work out, why don't you try metal?"

"I do play the guitar, but..." Lucca sighed. "Nah. Not for me."

After a moment of rest... He stood up.
Shaking his hand, he looked at all of us.

"Okay. New plan. Any of you got any Sigils or Circulation that can help with this?"

"Mm, I got my wind and my teleportation domain, but..." I pointed. "Shit only works if I can SEE. Can't make wind where I can't see, so I can't... Like force the doors open with wind."

I circulated- and just to try out...
I tried detaching my mana and turning it into wind to open the doors.
But it wasn't enough. The gap's too thin for not only me to see, but also for the wind to manifest fully.

"Hm..."

Eris raises her hands.
As electricity formed between her hands.

"I could melt a hole in the door with my electricity like a fuse! Lemme try!" She planted her hands to the door... "Ghhhhhh...!!!" Eris focuses... "Times Three!!!"

As the electricity got sharper and sharper...
But still, no signs of melting. Okay, what the hell?
It should be able to heat it that much... Unless... Eris's electricity wasn't exactly electricity.
Rather, it just looks like electricity rather than having most of its actual qualities.

"... I call upon thee, Great Spirit. In my name representing chaos itself, I announce."

Her voice echoed throughout the elevator, bouncing back and forth...
And at the same time- I could feel a great wind gathering!
The elevator began to shake!

"!? Woaaaaaaaah!!!"

"Guh?!" Lucca was even knocked off balance!

"Woah, okay." And then she abruptly stops. "Maybe I shouldn't do that. We might die."

Oh my god.
I felt like I just witnessed 20 years of my lifespan vanish in an instant. That was terrifying.
She sat down and pouted.

"Man... What can we even do in this situation?"

"... Take a nap?"

"I'd wake up if I got hungry." Her pout became more exaggerated.

"There is no way in hell we're gonna be here any longer than lunch."

"Lucca." And then I passed him a death glare.

"What?"

"You're a fellow baby sitter." My glare only became stronger. "You KNOW how this shit works. You say that, it's basically the same as being stuck here for another 4 or 3 hours."

"Oh..." And the realization dawns on him. "Oh, shit. You're right."

"Come on you boneheads!"

Eris said.
If she was less tired, I had a feeling she'd slam both of her heads together for acting dumb...
... Well, it's the type of thing I think she'd do anyways.

"Stop being so pessimistic! We'll just be in here for a little bit. Someone definitely heard all of our attempts from earlier., so I'm sure we'll be out in no time!"

"Easier to say than it is to actually believe..." Lucca sighed.

Then Eris gazed directly at Lucca with a blank expression.
It was as if she was peeking to Lucca's very heart. It was... Honestly kind of unnerving.
Which she then broke up with-

"Eris staaaaaaaaaaaaare." (edited)

"- Pfft."

I couldn't help but laugh.
She actually seemed menacing for a moment, then she said that...!!!

"Why, what's up?"

Eris then looked over to me.
As she... Wow, she looks completely serious and surprised.
Mouth wide open.

"Is there something wrong with Eris Stare?"

"Nah, nah... I was just thinking..." I smirked. "You're really one of a kind, Eris. There's no one else quite like you."

"...?"

Eris also seemed confused. "Is that a good thing... Or a bad thing?"

"I mean, of course it's a good thing." I said with a slap of my leg. "If we were Ordinary, we wouldn't have gotten this far. It's because you're one of a kind that... Well, you're you." Afterwards- I awkwardly scratched my back. "Sorry. That wasn't really coherent, was it?"

"Nah, I get it. I'm me, and me alone. Makes me glad that you appreciate that... Cause, well. Moat people don't."

...?
I wanted to push on further- ask about that...
But she kept speaking afterwards. Looks like her full idea wasn't finished.

"But I've gotta correct something. Subaru. You're Ordinary."

"- PFFT!"

"Wh..." ... I felt like a load of bricks were dropped on me all at once. "Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.........???"

"O-Oh. I meant an Ordinary." . . . (edited)

"I'm taking a nap."

Instantly, I lied down and faced the floor.
As I let out a big sigh.

"Thanks for the suggestion, Lucca."

"W-Wait! I don't know why I made you sad, but I'm sorry!"

... She's shaking me.
Oooh boy.

"Subaru! Subaru! Subaaaaaruuuuuu!!!"

3/6/2024 2:21 AM

12:00 PM

Tooooss.
The monotony and boredom of it all is getting to me.
I'm pretty sure we're all at the point where the white noise of the elevator has started to get grating.
And no one's responded to our punches and screams. If I had to guess...
Someone stupid probably spread a rumor like "don't enter this elevator, it's haunted!" or something like that.
Either way- why hasn't anyone checked the elevator doors yet?!
I'm WAY more irritable than usual, cause...

I'm hungry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I rolled over and stared at the ceiling.

". . ."

"..."

Lucca was also trying to nap.
But he was facing the floor, rather than the ceiling. Which makes sense.
The ceiling's got lights.
... I could hear Lucca's stomach groan.

"Okay. We've definitely been here for at least an hour."

Eris was sitting upright.
She was waiting patiently. I actually have no idea how she hasn't gotten mad or anything.
Or even irritated.

"Yeah... If I had to guess, it might be about 11:00 AM right now."

"Guys..." I groaned. "Please don't say that. It's making me feel a type of dread I've never felt before."

"Really? You haven't even felt this type of dread while waiting for the dentist?"

"Naw, cause it's like."

I sat upright.
I spread my hands out.

"What if we're stuck here for the whole day?"

"That's not actually going to happen."

"Well, you know how I am. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst."

I saw Eris furrow her eyebrows down.
As she looked concerned.

"You're not doing a whole lot of hoping right now though."

"... That's true."

It was a simple statement.
But it was enough to make me look away in embarrassment.
... I stayed silent after that. We all did.

". . ."

Lucca started banging the wall.
He started slamming his wrist and hand against it...
Making a noise... But... Once he looked over to us, he stopped.
Okay. Damn. He's more considerate than he thought.
He then moved onto banging his chest. I don't know if that's an improvement or not, but at least the sound isn't that loud.

Well...
... I guess I should keep myself occupied.
I closed my eyes- and began to think.

"... Then after that, I should go meet with Orpheus to supervise the new recruits... ... Around 1:00 PM, prepare packing to Neo Bluegrave... ... 2:30 PM, have to go participate in one of Yimu's movie shticks..."

I... I didn't even notice I was mumbling.
Not till Lucca looked over to me.

"What are you doing?"

"Huh? Oh, my bad. Was sorting out my plans for tomorrow." I said, as I sat upright, facing Lucca.

"You don't write that shit down so you don't forget it? Having it in your head's unreliable."

"Nah."

"Fuck you MEAN nah?"

"I'm built different."

"Now there's the confidence I love to see in people!"

Eris said, with a pump of her fist.
... That was meant as a joke, but I'm glad she took it seriously.
But really. I've never had to have a planner or a journal before.

"Maybe you SHOULD write it down. So you don't- y'know. FORGET TO CHECK MY 32 EMAILS?!"

"Okay, okay! I get it! That's gonna be the first thing that I do once I get out of here that ISN'T drinking alcohol!" I said with a surrender.

"You know, if you got 32 emails from just Lucca alone, I wonder how many you get on the average..." Eris then raised her finger. "A-Actually, don't answer that. That's probably the last thing you wanna think about."

... Oh. Thanks. Again, oddly considerate.
Much more so considering the situation we're in.

"Still, how do you even manage to stay sane with all that work?"

"Oh? I just use my sanity pots for that."

"Your what?"

"Sanity potions. It's a new local brand exclusve to Magus Generation."

"I don't believe you. Who the hell calls a soda brand Sanity potions?"

"They're not soda, they're Calpis. You can find some in the vending machines, man."

"Eugh." Eris stuck her tongue out. "Vending machines..."

Lucca looked unnerved.
His neck turned veeery slowly towards Eris as he looked frightened.

"Why did I sense actual animosity coming from that sentence?"

"I... I have a rough history with vending machines. See- back when we were in 2-B..."

Eris began to recount.
But the memory wasn't a joyful one. She did so with tired eyes the whole time.
As she put her hand to her forehead.

"Kageaki was once trying to get some drinks from a vending machine. But it ate his money. Like. All of it."

"Yeah, sounds about right."

"Sounds ordinary so far."

"T-The unfortunate part hasn't even begun yet!"

Eris said with a shake of her hands.
I chuckled a little. Out of everyone in Magus Generation... Kageaki might be the one with the most defined reputation.
Either way, we let her continue.

"Okay, so, I was passing by... And I wanted to help 'em! Cause I, y'know..."

... Her voice trailed off.
Ah. I think I know what she was about to say there.

"So I kicked it."

"You kicked what?"

"The vending machine. And every drink fell out of it."

"... Oh man."

"This was on the FIRST FLOOR of Stratos School. Our dorms was around like the 12th- and since this is Subterra culture... We couldn't use the elevator!" Eris then shuddered. "Me and Kageaki had to carry up like entire BAGS of soda and bottled water up MULTIPLE flights of stairs... And that clumsy blockhead even DROPPED the bags several times! And he outright TRIPPED one time!"

"Sometimes I wonder how a man can be so misfortunate..."

It almost seems like it was directed towards HIM in specific.
I let out a sigh as I smiled slowly.
Eris- surprisingly- looked a little down, so I wanted to cheer her up more.

"That was a fun story though. Any other stories you have in mind to pass the time?"

"Uh, not really. Not off the top of my head at least..." Eris twirled her hair. "B-Believe it or not, but... I'm kinda bad at starting conversations. I kinda need a topic to get it going. I know, surprising, right?"

It is kinda surprising.
I bet both me and Lucca took her as the complete extrovert type. Like the ones with no problems starting talks and all that.

"... Then I have an idea."

I put my hand to the middle of the big elevator.
As I grinned proudly.

"Let's play 20 questions."

"Fuck off." Then immediately, Lucca flipped the bird.

"Wha-"

That was so fast, though!
Like- I said it, and he was already moving his lips!

"I am NOT playing 20 questions, even though we're stuck in an elevator. There's no way I'd get THAT bored to the point where I'd resort to playing a cheesy ice breaker game."

"Alright. Me and you, Eris...?

For some reason...
It got me a little excited. Some of my vigor returned.
As I stretched both my arms. I dunno why I even did that- it wasn't as if I was gonna stand up any time soon or not.

"Actually... If Lucca's not gonna, then I'd feel bad." Eris looked over to him with sympathy. "He might feel left out."

"Oh. Darn."

"Trust me. I won't. I'm not playing 20 questions, so that's that. Find some other way to entertain yourself."

He said.
Immediately after... He hung his head and closed his eyes.
Aaaand it looks like we're back to napping. Great.

3/6/2024 2:48 AM

1:00 PM

"I'm bored. Let's play 20 questions."

"Aw hell yeah."

"Knew you didn't wanna be left out!"

"Alright. Subaru. I'm asking. You got the answer."

He pointed towards me.
... When it comes to 20 questions, I can never lose.
And someone like Lucca won't EVER be able to beat a schemer like me!

Just watch.

"Ooo! Ooo!" Eris clapped. "I can see the confidence in your eyes!"

"Didn't choose to suddenly play 20 questions out of nowhere." Lucca cracked his knuckles. "Cause I'm prepared. I've done the proper preparations, and there's no way I'd lose!" Unless you're a fraud. "Question one! Is it a person?!"

I slapped both my legs.
- The game has begun.

"Yeah."

"Are they in the Voyager right now?"

"Don't know! We've been stuck here for at least an hour, and anyone could have left at that time!"

"Do they frequent the voyager?" The third question.

"What are your grounds on frequent?"

"Once a week."

"Yes."

... That was a good question.
Lucca might be better at this than I'm expecting.

"Are they a girl?"

"No."

Fifth question. Lucca's still confident. "Older than you?" (edited)

"... Yeah."

I paused to fake hesitance.
When in actuality- I'm pretty young. About only 19 years old.
There's loads of people older than me in the Voyager.

"Do I know this person?"

"Yes."

I nodded.
It should narrow it down...
But in actuality, it's limiting him to the scope of the people he ACTUALLY knows.

"Are they dead?" That is one weird question. Especially for a seventh.

"Wha- no."

Even that caught me off guard.
But maybe that was his point.

Or maybe... I can turn this on my head.

(edited)

"Do you think they can save us from the elevator situation?"

"No."

I said with a shake of my head.
Down to the eighth.

"Are they in the Information Department?"

"No."

I could sense it.
Desperation coming in.

"... Control Department?"

Down to the tenth.
Right now... He must think the person he's thinking of is a part of Magus Generation.

"Hoooh...!!!"

Even Eris is enraptured.
She has no idea who I'm thinking of. But at this point...
She's just on for the ride, rather than trying to guess alongside Lucca.

"Safety department!" 11th.

"Nuh-uh."

"Fucks sake, are they even an Operator?!" 12th.

"Nnnope."

"Wha- how can they NOT be an Operator and I don't know them?!"

He said, scratching his head.
As he then realized.

"- Shit, I have no idea who even visits the Voyager a lot. I'm in Ikago's place most of the time..."

... Check.
He wasted a question. Alongside many other.

"No way you're giving up on 12."

"I..."

He scratched his head.
As he shook it over and over.

"Not an Operator, but frequents the Voyager once a week...?! Damn it- at this point I just lose due to lack of information! Who is it?!" ... I've won.

"Rokuro. Rokuro Fuji. The scourge of humanity."

"?!" Lucca's mouth opens wide. "He visits the Voyager?!"

"Mm. Once a week. It's a part of his Penance. He wants to travel the world, and well..." I banged the wall with my knuckle. "Easiest way to do that is to use the literal Mobile Colony that's always travelling the world."

"Wow! That was a real nasty one, Subaru!"

Eris said, bumping my shoulder with her fist.
She pat it again right after.

"You're a real pro at this!"

"Gh.. It's just a game!" Lucca gripped his fists. "Besides- I can beat you any time at this! Subaru, you're asking next! And I've got the answer!"

Oh. Looks like he thinks he can beat me.
I'll show him otherwise then.

"Alright, Lucca! It's game on!"

I pointed proudly.
Twelve questions. He gave up in twelve.
My wager... Is that I'll find it in less than twelve.

"I'd like to see you try! Go ahead, shoot your first!"

"Is it a person?!" - One.

"Mm, mm!"

"Then... Do I know this person?!" - Two.

"Course, course!"

- A killing blow.
The third question.

"Are they dead?!"

- The exact same odd question he used before. "I... ... Yeah."

"Is it Allison?"

"..."

Lucca gripped his fist...
As... I could see a number of emotions swelling up in him.
Guilt. Shame. But also...
A hint of happiness and joy in him. All in a smile that I couldn't quite understand.

"In a way, I'm glad I lost so easily. Goes to show that you still remember her."

"Lucca..."

... I didn't expect this to be what he said.
To be honest- if not for that weird thing he said earlier, I would've been dead set on thinking it was Ikago.
... He looks sad. Perhaps too regretful.
Maybe I should've thrown the match.

(edited)

"..."

Eris stood up.
Right in front of Lucca, as she gripped her fist.

"I've never forgotten about Allison. I never could. It might not seem like it- But she lives on as a part of each and every one of us."

"..."

He stood up.
He grit his teeth tightly. As he faced off against Eris.

"I'm still hung up about her, y'know. I failed to protect her. Got her killed cause of that. And because of that... ... She died young. Couldn't even leave a tangible impact on the world."

"That's wrong. Are you going to ignore what I just said? We're only standing here together BECAUSE of her!"

"..." Lucca shut up right after. Listening to what Eris had to say.

"Sure, the only physical thing she left behind was tainted. Which you might not know about. But the impacts she left on us- as people is more valuable than anything." She held her hand close to her heart. "Our first fight against the world was against Terra Solar was to save me. ... But the real person who took up arms to fight against something greater than them just because they believed it was the right thing to do? It was Allison."

"... What did she do then?"

"We never really beat Terra. He ended up leaving because we convinced him to. But... There was a time. Where Instructor Ezabell forbade us from participating in a war. The Subterra War." Eris gripped her fist tightly. "And she stood up to that. Cords and Ikago told me about it a lot. How she kept pressing onwards despite everyone being so ready to move on and just ignore Ezabell... She wanted to find the truth. Allison wanted not only to defy Ezabell, but to understand her. And isn't that what we're doing here in Magus Generation?"

"Mm." I stood next to Eris. "Even before that- there was a time where our class was splintered... And Allison was the first to call out on our bullshit of us not caring for each other all too much. She put us together." Then I looked over to Lucca. "It's because of Allison we all got the courage to fight against the world. She did it first. So after she died- we inherited her will and pierced the heavens."

The two of us... I kinda felt bad.
It was kind of like we were overpowering Lucca. But...
We had to. This was our friend we were sticking up for.
And we didn't want the truth to be misinterpreted like this.

"She said one thing in her farewell mesasge. That we were all so much stronger than we thought we were. Allison gave us the push we needed to go beyond."

"Even if you aren't- even if you don't feel adequate..."

Eris cut through the heart of the situation.
I had a gut feeling that was what this was all about. But I didn't wanna pry too much...
Eris however, said so with a fist bump.

"... Remember what she did for you. She probably wanted you to go beyond, as well."

"... My wings are broken." `

He stated, which was probably a metaphor.
No- wait, it probably isn't. I forgot he used to use giant black wings to attack.
He probably means that both metaphorically and literally.

"Ever since I protected Ikago- that's all I've been worth. So, really, I'm just filling my role. It's what Allison would've wanted anyways. She gave everything to Ikago, and Ikago... Ikago's gone and gotten wings of her own. She went beyond and... ... Well, she left me behind."

"So you feel like you've finished your role?" I stuffed my hands into my pockets. (edited)

"Mm. Didn't even find a way to fix my muscle amnesia or any of my body issues. She's became a famous weapons engineer, a big stakeholder to Neo Bluegrave... And I've been left behind in the dust."

He looked over to the side.
Ah.
So that's why he's been more irritable today than usual.

(edited)

"..."

I stayed silent for a second.
This was heavy. Not even I knew how to respond to it.

"It feels like I'm a damn tutorial NPC. People come and see me, use me for what they want, then they go and leave to be better."

He put his hands to his head.
- I kinda hate how my takeaway from that sentence was that Lucca is a gamer.

"And I'm... Still here."

"..." Eris put her hand on Lucca's shoulder. "Your role in helping Ikago might be done. But I'm also still here. And I ain't goin' anywhere. Lucca. You're my friend."

... That sentence was simple. So unbelievably simple.
Childish, even.
But it's probably the only thing that could be said.

"Would you say that even without the elevator?"

"Course! You helped us save the world, we're tight as hell!" She said, again, bumping his shoulder with her fist.

"... I kinda got the feeling Ikago liked what I did rather than me as a person."

He stuffed his hands in his pockets.
As he let out an exhale.

"Guess our bond really was one-sided. ... Hate to say it, but this elevator's making me damn sappy. I trust you guys, alright? So you guys better not betray that."

"I don't think I've ever betrayed anyone before, so..." Eris gave a thumbs up. "You're good!"

"..."

I took a pause. The look of acceptance in my face was all Lucca needed to see.
We both nodded at each other...
As we all just kinda stood.

"Are we still playing 20 questions?"

3/6/2024 3:38 AM

2:00 PM

"So..."

Lucca, surprisingly, is the first one to break up the silence this time with small talk.
As he looks over to the side with an odd look.
He exchanges glances to all of us.

"Any... Any plans for when we get out?"

"Eat."

"Food."

"... Expected."

Lucca said with a sigh.
He put one hand on his knee.
Honestly, I was kinda getting used to the elevator.
The grating white noise... In an odd way, has kinda became harmonious.
Is this some form of stockholm syndrome? I dunno.
In a way- I'm kinda glad this happened here. Got to know more about Lucca, and I got to spend some more time with Eris.

"But like, after... Subaru, you said it's an easy day for you, right?"

"Well, an easy day for me still means work. It just means that there isn't gonna be MUCH work." I said with a grin. "Honestly, I'm flattered you remembered! That comment felt like... Ages ago!"

"It probably was..." Eris's stomach grumbles. "Guh. I'm hungry."

"So, uh, do you guys play... Video games...?"

"Do I?!" My eyes lit up.

"Oooh! You wanna play some fighting games when we get out?!" And Eris also had her eyes light up.

"Niiice. Wanna invite any more dudes while we're at it?"

Lucca said, pointing finger guns at us.
I'm glad he's kind of relaxed around us. He was a bit tense at first.
Then again, he's mostly tense around everyone. It's his default mood.

"... Uh. If possible- can we keep it between the three of us? I know, I know!" Eris waves her hands in the air. "Three's kind of an awkward number, but... It's just some stupid stuff that's got me in a miffy."

"A miffy?"

Okay, firstly, I've never heard anyone say that.
Eris is making up slang again.
Secondly...

"You know that morale's a big part of how I operate in Magus Generation. Even if it's minor or something you consider stupid... If it's bothering you, you might as well say it."

"Is it related to how you got miffed every time Kageaki was mentioned?" And immediately after, Eris lowered her eyebrows.

"No! Well. Kinda..." She tapped her fingers together.

"Whaddya mean kinda? What's gotten you all tense?"

"Well, it's about Ikago..." Pause. "And Cords..." Paaaaaaaause. "And Marie..." Big pause. "And Yohei, who's visiting..." A large sigh. "And Scala, who I've gotten pretty close with..."

"Wait, it's about all of them? Seriously?!" Subaru blinked. "What's even uniting all these people together? I thought it was because they were all girls, but... Yohei's a dude." (edited)

"It's simple. They've all got dates for tomorrow."

"Oh."

"See, I told you it's stupid!" Eris said, waving her hands in the air. "Governments and nations are at stake because of our job, and I'm on a sour mood cuz' of some relationship stuff!"

"It is bothering you though. We're in an elevator, so we really have fuck all to talk about. You can go vent if you want."

I nodded.
... Plus, I'm kind of curious.

"It's just, like... They can get dates and relationships easy. But me? Noooo way in hell."

"What?!"

I slammed the floor really hard.
As I let my jaw open wide.

"There's no way you SERIOUSLY think that."

"I'm ace, but I think the average man my age would kill for a girlfriend that could bench press this entire Mobile Colony."

... That's a scary thought.
But she could probably do that.

"Yeah, and that's it!"

"That's it?! Are you kidding me?!"

"I'm serious!"

Eris began to count.
She raised her fingers as she proceeded to speak with full seriousness.
There was no sugarcoating or lying.

"Ikago's smart as hell and knows how to fix an air fryer. Plus, I know many people who are into nerdy times: again, like her girlfriend Ginhime. Cordelia's in the same boat, except she's also got that sort of domineering vibe at the same time as a nerdy type. Charisma break and all that, which is Adelsiya's niche. Marie... Nah, I got nothing, I don't feel like explaining menhera culture today." Oh god she knows. "Yohei and Scala are hardworking Color Warlocks, so obviously you'd want someone like that. They've got a literal resume. And me... Well, I've got a cool sword and that's it."

"YOU cannot be serious." Seriously. How can one person underrate herself this much?! (edited)

"Has no one ever asked you out before?"

"NO! Not even Arsene does! And he's attracted to any girl who can hold a sword or a gun!" Eris pinches her nose. "It's just..."

"Then damn! Call me crazy, but you're a catch! Or maybe everyone else is crazy and I'm the only sane one!"

Screw this.

I'm shooting my shot.

"?!"

Even Eris was shocked at my sudden vigor.
Maybe I was louder than I expected.

"What... What are you saying?"

"You said all those things about those other people, but by in far and between, you're better than all of them!"

I stood up.
And shouted with the same sort of vigor and zeal present only in my speeches in Atsuhiro.
I'm serious here. I'M LOCKING IN!!!

"You're strong. You know what you want and you can get people too. Most people can only get one- like Kageaki, but you're the damn full package! Who cares if you don't know how to fix an air fryer or if you're tech illiterate?! I bet if you put your mind to it, you could do it! Because you're just that good and inspiring!" Point. The tip shoots straight to the heart just like my words...! "And it's not just that too. You're adorable, which is honestly better than being pretty! You're not just someone to oogle over, everything about you screams personality! The way you earnestly smile, you using your whole body to emote for one emotion... And even when you're mad- I hate to admit, it looks adorable too! Like you just woke up from bed! And you do this all without thinking! It's goddamn insane at how you're able to do this without it even being an act!"

My lungs are about to give out.
... I don't mind. I'll use it all for this moment.

"And that's not all! You're so damn caring of others that- again, I stated this earlier, but I'll state it again! How can you do it?! Spare so much for others and still have time to smile for yourself?! Sure you underrate yourself, but that's why you need a lover! You might compare yourself to others, and that's why I asked you to be my assistant for today! I wanted to help you! Get to know you for who you really are instead of what people say you are! And here I see it fully! And I can say this fully: you're fucking awesome! And that's why... That's why..."

"Subaru."

Oh shit. Was I yapping? "... Did I say something wrong?"

"... Thanks."

...?!
Did I?! There's a single tear falling from her eye...
And she hasn't even noticed it! It's subconscious.

"Thanks. You're... A real good person. But I see what you're trying to do. Unfortunately, you're one day too late."

"Wha."

"... Ooooh man."

"I've been waiting a while for someone to understand me and for someone to really get what I'm looking for, and..." Eris gave a smile. "Someone did. Well- you did too. It’s just… Subaru. I love Satoshi.” (edited)

"SOMEONE DID THIS WHOLE SHTICK BEFORE I DIIIIIIIIIIIIID?!?!"

"Don't worry! You're still a great friend- hell... I'd say you're one of the most real ones I got. So thank you, Subaru. I really needed that."

. . .
This was nothing but a positive for her.
While I have gained absolutely NOTHING.

"。。。" orz

"He died so hard he started elipsising in his native language..."

"Subaru?! Subaru?! Hey, not again! Don't collapse again, I need someone to talk to before this elevator opens up!!!"

"I've lost."

3/6/2024 4:12 AM

2:30 PM

- SCHWING!
With the swing of a red blade... Once we were able to communicate with Arsene- senses filled us.
Smells other than the cold and distilled air of an elevator.
Sounds of something OTHER than white noise. Other people's voices.
And of course, different sights. We made it out of that damn elevator.
As Arsene sheathed the Muramasa, he let out a sigh.

"... I've gotta go tell the Engineering Department about this. Subaru. You're paying for the elevator, right?"

"... Normally I would... But I am so devastated right now."

"..."

Lucca was walking right next to me.
The only thing he's been doing is patting my back.

"Thanks, other edgelord."

"No problem. Edgelords help each other out when needed."

"What are you talking about, Subaru?" ... Why is she still smiling like nothing happened. "That was great! I got to learn so much about you all! Now how's about we go play some vidya?" With a quick pivot, she turned over to Arsene. "You're invited too, by the way!"

"Oh shit? An excuse to slack?"

Arsene tipped his hat down as he smiled brightly.
... Man. I'd put more shit about Arsene here, but I am just...
How can she still act like nothing happened...
After I let out my whole heart and soul like that...

"Count me in. Just don't tell anyone else in the Safety team. You won't snitch, right Lucca?"

"Last time I snitched I got right hooked by Kageaki so hard my illusion broke, soooo..." He nodded. "Not really in a rush to have THAT happen again."

"And what about you, Subaru?" Shit, uh, me?

"Me?"

"Ya' still got work to do, right? Though I checked. You only got one thing today right?"

"As much as I'd like to hang out with all of you... I've still got to handle that single task."

... Okay, no I would.
It's just that I made things TOO AWKWARD. AND FOR MYSELF AND MYSELF ONLY. I gotta get at least SOME distance.
I'm so glad that it isn't bothering Eris at least.

"Today's an easy day. But... Even so, there is still work to be done.

3/6/2024 4:26 AM

Chapter Three - Conclude OMAKE Subaru Kikami - One Day Too Late Went drinking with Lucca soon after. Soon found out that Lucca, due to his Artificial Mutilation, can't get drunk. Lost a drinking competition before he realized this, so spent the entire next day in bed. Lucca Morgan - Broken Wings Properly mourned Allison at her grave after this. Ended up became fighting game buddies with Eris, they play Tekken together now. Surprised at how similar Eris and Allison's playstyles are. Eris Astoria - The Cinder Star (of breaking hearts) Confessed to Satoshi the day after. The two officially got together and rushed a date really fast so that she wouldn't be the ONLY one in her friend circle without a date. Cordelia did not believe her at first. Arsene Masamoto - Blade of Cutting Down Elevators Ended up having to pay for the elevator door. Had to work overtime in order to earn the money to do that. Swore to not enter the Voyager for at least a week after getting entangled in that situation. (edited)

4/11/2024 7:23 PM

Chapter Four - Even so, I'll moving towards the future. ---------------- + Time Frame: During Code of Brawl + --------------------- (edited)

". . ."

I have this dream a lot. Way more than I'd like to admit.
After the war, I thought I'd be having dreams about the atrocities I did. The people that I've lost and the homes that I've terrorized.
Or at the very least, I'd have dreams about the battles that I faced. But instead, it was this.

A strange noisy quietude in the railway system of Izumo. A place I went to when Kenko destroyed and recreated the world- where I confronted myself.
People come and go, boarding trains and getting off them. Yet everyone there is someone I know.
Some people will be people I only know offhand. The new recruits, soldiers from Satoshi's army I drink with, staff members of the Voyager...
... And others will be people important to me. Like my mom, Kageaki, Yohei...

Either way, they all do the same thing. They pass me by, talk to each other, but I'm not being noticed.
I'm just sitting on this bench watching it all unfold- even though I can count the number of people here, watch every single one of their interactions, name every word that's being said and so on and so forth.
It's an agonizing dream. And sometimes....

- He shows up again.

"Why aren't you leaving?"

A visage of my past self.
- I talked to him once before. Well, to be accurate, many times before. I've had this dream a lot.
But the dreams are always the same, so this might as well be the second time.
Back when I confronted myself about whether or not I loved this world in the same train station and in the same snowy day.

"Everyone's all around you. There are trains that leave to every part of the world, but you're still sitting on your ass like this. So? Who's stopping you?"

". . ."

I can't respond in this dream.
Because someone else does for me.

A person in the crowd stops and walks next to me, but he doesn't sit down on the bench I'm on.
The person that arrives... Looks like my father. But he's me.
The one with the mask on.
With crossed arms, he looked over to the younger me.

"... He has work to do. It might not look like it, but he's taking a well deserved break. Too much lies ahead of him."

". . ."

"So? No excuse not to take a break with everyone else. You said you loved this world, didn't you? So live in it already."

"... He can't do that." The two stood in front of each other. "When you have power like he does, are you really just going to waste it all when so much can be changed? Spend time with those people, and he'll be distracted before long."

"Mm, but aren't you a man of alcohol, partying and drinking?"

The younger me smiled brightly, as if trying to convince me.
He turned over to me with that convincing grin.

"That isn't you. Come, let's go. Everyone's waiting for you."

Then. The me with the mask turned.
He let out a rough sigh.

"There won't be a world if you aren't there to keep its foundation strong. Remember? Against Typhon? His whole defeat was because he did not account for you. You can't deny the power you have no matter how much you try to put up a lazy act. Let's keep moving forward."

... Normally. The dream ends here.
Before I even get the chance to choose one of them, I wake up.
But this time.

I was able to speak.

"... Just get out of my way."

And I stood.
I didn't have to accept either of them. I stepped past the two of them, in between them.
I didn't even know where I was going. It just had to be...  Away from them.

That's when I'm stopped by someone I've never seen before.

"Mm. You're right. That's not it. Neither of those people are who you are."

- It was a man wearing an extremely heavy hoodie.
It practically almost covered his entire body, with no skin being shown.
He was even wearing a visor inside that heavy coat, so I could only see his eyes.
If I saw this kind of person for the first time, I wouldn't know what to make of them aside from being a total enigma.

Yet I knew.
... I knew who this was.
I've never seen him before, but my soul knows who he is.

"You can't be some leader of the world, because you'd destroy it all the same... ... And you can't be an everyman who's able to connect with everyone, because you'd end it all the same. All roads led to one destination for you." - "Today, we witness the birth of a new universe!" (edited)

4/11/2024 10:08 PM

------------------------ + Voyager Free Room + ------------------------------

"!!!"

And for some reason...
I found myself shooting up from where I was sleeping. Shoot was accurate.
I literally rose and sat upwards as fast as I possibly could.
My hand was already on my forehead. Because damn, it ached.
I've never had headaches this bad since the war. Where we were right now...

... No, more importantly, there was a person in front of me.

At first I thought it was Satoshi, but then I realized he was wearing a coat.
Satoshi's ALWAYS shirtless!
My brain wracked its head together and recognized the figure in front of me was Orpheus.
- Seriously, what happened to me? I feel like I can barely remember anything that happened this day...

"You okay, dude? I know you napped for a while, but it looks like you just saw the grim reaper." Shit, do I look that bad?

"I..." Pause. "I might've."

Anyways, where are we?
I get up. Looks like I was sleeping in a futon, but this room is awfully dark...
... From what I can make out, there's a lot of... Stuff lying around.
Crates, odd objects, lights... No- wait, maybe it's better to call these "props."
In fact, this place's kind of like a back... A back sta... A back stage of a movie se- oh my god.

My pupils shrink and my memory of today returns.

"... Are we still filming that movie? Please tell me it's over."

Orpheus chuckled slowly. "Haha, was acting really THAT agonizing for you? You do it all the time in front of Getsugari News Reporters!" ... Yeah, and I act to rule an entire COUNTRY too, but...

"No. It's not that. It's just that... This entire filiming process has been so chaotic that I'd REALLY rather be asleep right now."

... Well, as long as I don't have that dream again.
I scratched my head.

"Though. Again. My question. Over or not?"

"Nnnope." Orpheus chuckled slowly. "Looks like Yimu wants to keep going for another two or three hours."

He also looked similarly drained...
... But damn it, that was blended in with joy and fun! He was actually enjoying all this?!

"Oooooh my fucking god it's not over yet."

I briefly manifest my E.G.O, a blue flame forming over my face.
Though this time, the mask forms a little longer than usual. Using the bit of light that's generated, I look around.
Eyes scanning the room in full.

"... What are you looking for?"

"A vent duct."

"Seriously?" Orpheus looks so confused right now.

"That, or a mini fridge."

His confusion only increases more.
Shit, maybe I should mess with the Asahi clones more. It's kinda funny how confused they get at things. Plus their faces are funny.

"Why a mini fridge?"

"Dude, you're my drinking buddy. You already know what I'm looking for." I said with a smirk.

Orpheus then pat my shoulder.
He stepped past me with a gentle smile on his face.

"Well, as I said, we only have two hours left. You've been through worse."

... It's not that I don't like acting.
But before I could say anything, he stepped out.

". . ."

Inhale exhale.
Okay. Two more hours of acting with Yimu.

I can do this.

4/11/2024 10:26 PM

---------------------- + One Hour Later + ---------------------------------

One hour later and I already can't do this.
The stage... Is an absolute mess.
There's a whole bunch of green screen stuff mixed in with real practical effects hapharazadly.
Which means whoever's in post processing is going to have an absolute nightmare. For one...

"*CUUUUUT! Adelsiya. You're not moving bear-like enough. We might need to redo that take. No... Not might. Definitely. What do you think, everyone?"

"I thought that was pretty bear-like, though."

Adelsiya says, taking off her headgear.
She's wearing a bear costume- or well, what's supposed to be a bear anyways. It kind of looks like crap.
But here's the thing. It's a practical costume.

A former Preaux member, who's also an actor, speaks up.
And he's rigged in a costume that you overlay CG over.
For no reason. Even though he's also supposed to be a bear. Why is one costume practical and one CG?
It literally makes no fucking sense.

"... I thought you were acting more like a wolf than a bear, honestly."

Kyojaku, who luckily is just playing a "nightguard" role crossed his arms.
He looked over to Adelsiya with a scolding expression.
One I remember vividly due to how many times he's scolded me for drinking...

"Adelsiya. I know this is your first time acting, but... You're in an important role that you yourself signed up for. You have to find a way to get into your role."

Adelsiya looked over to the side.
Holding the headgear of her costume, she looked away rather shyly.

"... I thought I'd be backstage, if I'm being honest."

- This is another reason why whatever's going on here doesn't make sense.
Everyone that's on the stage, with the exception of Sou...
Almost all of them are either the quiet type, introverted or the jerk type! Case and point-

I look over to my left.
As I whispered to one of my fellow actors, who got roped into this on accident.
With eyebrows lowered, I said,

("Lucca... How many more hours left till we can leave?")

Lucca was leaning next to me.
Apparently he was the deuteragonist of the film while Orpheu swas the main character.
He wasn't in this scene though, so he was watching on the sidelines like I was.

("One hour. What, do you wanna get out THAT badly man? We haven't even been working for that long.")

("Don't tell me you enjoy all this...")

"OI!"

Oh shit.
Despite this being an indoor stage, Yimu is holding a megaphone.
She's also sitting on a stack of plastic chairs. She looked over to the two of us and shouted.

"I see you two mumblin' over there! You got anything you wanna say about the scene?! Cause I kinda need your guys's feedback!"

"Uh. Wait. Do you really?" I looked over to her, confused. Then, I quickly explained. "The two of us aren't even IN this scene, man. And we're just actors too, so..."

"..."

Lucca then scratched his head.
Then he looked over to Kyojaku and pointed.

"You're too damn stoic. This is supposed to be a scary scene. At least look a little unnerved."

Kyojaku looked surprised. Though it could hardly show.
He doesn't show much expression anyways.
He then nodded slowly, scratching his chin.

"I see... I wasn't aware that my facial expressions weren't up to par. I'll take this critique into mind, Yimu." He then looked to the last actor in the room. He was standing near the back stage. "By the way, Orpheus, how are the props going?"

"Let's see..."

Orpheus peered into the back stage.
He was then interrupted by a literal lariat.

"- OUGH!"

"I have done it!"

Stepping through the back stage entrance was Ginhime, one of the prop makers and electronics operator for the movie.
She was carrying... Wait, were those props made out of CARDBOARD?!
SERIOUSLY?! AND THIS IS GOING TO BE SHOWN IN THEATRES?!

"Yimu! No- everyone! Are these fake pizzas good looking?!"

"...!" Sou looked over to it and grinned. "Shit, this is making me wanna order a pizza now..."

"Don't remember pizza being cardboard. But good."

WHY DID SHE MAKE A PROP FOR FAKE PIZZA???
We can just order real pizza... I mean, for fucks sake, we have like SO many rich people on board right now!
And Yimu herself is rich! Why the hell are half of the props in this room made out of the literal cheapest materials?!

"Why is the pepperoni square, though?"

Orpheus slowly got up from being lariat'ed...
With his head wobbling, he looked over to the pizza...

"Maybe it's for artistic effect, to show the surrealness of the scene..."

... Like anyone's even gonna notice that, though!
What they will notice- is that it's made of cardboard!

"Oo. I knew I had a good eye for lead role!"

Yimu said, pointing to Orpheus.
I don't think she picked any good role ASIDE from Orpheus here.
And as soon as I entertain that thought...
... The lights died. And Yimu's neck immediately looked to the back stage as she shouted into her megaphone.

"ERIS!!! WHAT HAPPENED TO THE LIGHTS?!"

Then a loud shout even louder than the megaphone was given in exchange.
Because for some UNGODLY REASON...
Even weirder than the most stone faced or most quiet individuals being lead roles...
For SOME REASON, the most tech illiterate person in the damn Voyager is the electrician.

"I don't know! I just pressed a button and then everything died!"

Yimu shouted back.
But no signs of impatience showed in her voice.

"That's called an off button! Look for the on button!"

"Nothing here says on button!"

"Have you tried pressing the one that says JUST on?!"

The lights boot back on.
One by one, they slowly illuminate.

"Oh, thanks!"

". . ."

How.
How have we been on this scene for one hour?
Yimu doesn't even announce that we should do another take. I already see Orpheus and Kyojaku talking about some film stuff...
Ginhime proudly showcasing her props everywhere...
And it's not even my scene, but I'm supposed to be here. Can't I get a drink or something...?

... Oh screw it. Door's right there.
While everyone's busy talking and keeping themselves busy with probably nothing important...
I slid out of the room quietly, making my exit.

"Haaah. Can't last another second in there without going nuts."

The hallway was empty. Not much people are in these rooms in the night, since these are the work rooms. Yimu just appropiated one for this damn movie without even asking.
People have either retired to their dorm rooms or have already taken off and went home in their planes.
Godspeed to the people who sleep here, by the way. They don't need to do it, but they do.
I put my hands in my pockets and looked out. Closest place from here that was relaxing was the back deck.

... So I entered the back deck.
It was a small little part of the Voyager where you could be outside and feel the wind rushing through the air.
Right now, the Voyager was making a flight from Moonbright to Alvarnia for a supply run. So we were still in motion.
When I'm bored, I like to go over to any of the decks to stare at the clouds. Even if they are fake.

"..."

Most of the time I'm alone.
But this time... I hear the doors to the back deck open.

"Slacking off even when everyone will notice you're gone?"

... Sliiide.
Aaand of course it's Yimu. She leaned on the wall of the back deck as soon as she entered it fully.

"Yeah. I'm absolutely slacking off. What about you? Here to drag me back?" I let out a sigh.

"Naw, just wondering why you slipped out. Heard you're a terminal slacker, but seriously man. In this kinda job, EVERYONE will know that you've vanished. 'specially me." She pointed her two fingers. "I've got eyes on EEEVERYONE helping. Even the ones I can't see. But is filming for Five Nights at the Voyager really THAT agonizing for you?"

"... First of all, why is it called Five Nights at the Voyager if the movie only covers one night?"

"Budget cuts."

"When were there cuts?!?!?"

"You don't wanna know."

Yimu said, wistfully staring at the skies above.
- Ah...
There were stars in it. Must be because we're over a rural area.

"..."

I looked over to the stars for a second.
- I didn't wanna show that I was amazed by them though. No way I'd show myself being distracted in front of Yimu.
She hasn't been on the Voyager for very long, but I feel like she's the type of person to capitalize on even minor slip ups.
I let out a sigh and said what I thought directly to her face though.

"I just... I just don't get how you're doing things."

"Oh?" Yimu crossed her arms. "But I thought you agreed with me! That a movie would be really good publicity for Magus Generation. Especially a horror comedy, which is what we're doing!" She then stretched them out with a big smile. "Show the world that you're not a menacing force like the Solars! That you're just goofy lil' guys that the world can count on when things get tough!"

"Yeah, I thought it was a good idea at first- especially with how you said you HAD experience..." Subaru looked over to Yimu. "But Adelsiya as the main antagonist? She can't even vocalize anything louder than a whisper at times and you want her to be loud the whole film? Ginhime's the prop maker and we all know how bad she is at it... Lucca as the cheerful deuteragonist even though he's always got a scowl on his face, it's just... Did you pick all the roles to be bad for them intentionally?" (edited)

"... Mm." She nodded as if it were a matter of course for her. "They all suck at it. That's kind of my point though."

"I-"

My mouth falls flat.
It's open for a long while. I can hear nothing but the wind for a while.
Yimu doesn't even react to my face or move.
All I have is one question.

"Why???"

"... Hey, Subaru. I haven't known you for long, but do you mind if I get philosophical here? Like- smoking a bong at 3 AM type of philosophical. That typa' stuff."

She stared at the sky.
- ?
I could tell already. She was opening up. But why?
I took her as the closed off type who had many secrets. In fact... I don't even know much about her aside from the fact that she's Gliese's greatest swordsmith and also apparently a movie director.
So why me?

"I don't mind, but am I really the person for this?" I voice that concern out loud.

"You're the unofficial leader of Magus Generation, right? People chose you to be in this position. Which means you're in a position of trust." - Ah. Of course. "I want to see if you can own up to that position, then. Basically, I'm wondering what all the hype is about."

"... Really, I'm only in that role because no one else wants to take the sheer amount of work I have to do." I looked over to the side, over the edge of the deck.

"Guess I'll start with a question. ... What are people to you?"

"Well..."

I didn't face her while answering the question.
I rested my arms on the deck railing, as I thought for a bit.

"I don't think I can give a straight answer to that. People are people. They're a part of my daily life- no, everyone's daily life, so it's not like I can think about what they mean. They just are."

"That's not what I meant. I meant what they mean to you."

...?
For how long did she have a smoking pipe for? Cause she was doing that now.
- Seeing something like that kinda brings bad memories though.

"What do you approach 'em for? What do you talk to 'em about? That sorta stuff."

"That's another thing I can't answer straight either. It depends on the person."

"Gimme some examples, since I've got some time. The actors are revising some parts of the script..." ... THIS LATE INTO FILMING?! "And that'll take ages with how indecisive they are." (edited)

"Well... It's like how I go to Adelsiya when I need help with work or some simple comfort. Eris for someone reliable to show my weak side to... Ginhime to act as a proper leader, since she's inspired by me..." I turned over and looked over to her. "Stuff like that. I wouldn't approach Ginhime if I needed advice for example- I'm the one giving the advice. So in a sense, I guess you could say it's kind of selfish. I approach them when I need something from them, and I know exactly what they can give to me." ... (edited)

"Bold of you to declare something like that in front of me. Nah... In front of anyone." She shook her head. "Some might call that way of viewing people heartless. Others, pragmatic. What about you? How do you view that way of thinking?"

"I... I don't know." I let my fingers fall. "It's easy for me to say that I hate it." - As I have, many times in the past. "But I also can't say I'm above it. It's how I think of people and... I..."

- "I don't want to change it." "I want to change it."
Two conflicting thoughts enter my head at the same time and split it right open.
A headache. A major one.

"- Gh!"

I keel over and put my hand on my forehead, even slouching a little.
Yimu, however, doesn't look shocked in the slightest.

"I just... Don't know. ... Hey, this topic's kinda hard for me. Can we shift to another kinda topic?"

"Nah, you'll have to entertain me for a little longer."

She lowered her smoking pipe and exhaled.
With a smirk on her face, she said,

"But I'm glad ya' said that, cause now I understand why you working under me frustrates you so much."

"... Gh. And what exactly did you figure out?"

"You're the type of person who thinks that: if someone is good at something, they should stick to doing that." Yimu looked over to the stars. "So when you see me, intentionally putting them AWAY from those typa' roles, it makes you mad."

"... I just don't get the point."

But I also couldn't deny what she said.

If you're good at something, then do it.
You don't need to try to be something you're not.
Just stick to what you're good at doing then things will work out fine.

"When you live in a world where people only do what they're told to do- or their role, to put it bluntly... ... One might wonder what they'd do if they weren't in that role." Yimu took a step and stood next to me. "I could easily make that movie if I wanted to. And with you- who understands everyone here so well- you'd be able to make it easily too. But that's not the point here. They have to be fun to make too, you know? And I don't want it to just be fun. I want it to be something to remember. For everyone."

I looked over to her with a frown in my face.
What she was saying was right. I get it and I understand her completely.
I know where she's coming from, and yet...
I just couldn't buy it. I didn't want to buy it.

"And your idea of memorable is a shitshow?"

"Long as those memories are irreplacable, that's fine with me. As long as that life is beautiful, then it's good enough for me." A beautiful life... "It's a shame, though. I expected you to be different, but... ... You're still roughly about the same as when I last met you, Doctor."

"?"

I looked over to her, confused.
With my head tilted to the side, I said,

"Uh. You might be confused. I might be the leader of this place, but I still haven't earned my doctorate yet. Stil waiting for things to cool down a bit more before I do- maybe when I move to Earth."

I tapped my chin.
- Oh yeah. There was also something else weird with that statement.

"And... When you last met me? We've met before, but I don't recall having a conversation like this before." (edited)

"... Trust me. We've had a lot of conversations like these before."

???
And with a totally confusing statement... I see her pass through the doors of the back deck.
Leaving me alone once more.

I thought that she was opening up. But... Now that I think about it, she didn't reveal much about her at all.
No. She was opening me up.
Trying to find who I was on the inside. Based on what she just said...
She's keeping a lot of secrets. Way more than I can even imagine.
In that case, what was she trying to find with me? Or did she even find it at all?

". . ."

One thing's for sure.
- She might... Be related to that past which I forgot.
...

"Tenglong Yimu... Who the hell are you? You tried to find out who I was, but..." ...I gripped my fist. "Sorry to say, but you won't find anything. I'm a lot like a mask. Hollow without anything underneath."

- Hence why I said I needed people for certain things.
On my own, I'm...

"... I'm pretty much without a role if I'm alone. But even so... I'll keep moving towards the future."

4/11/2024 11:59 PM

Chapter Four - Conclude OMAKE Subaru Kikami - Mask of Hollowness Ended up respectfully withdrawing from the film making process. Though the photos and videos he took while recording will be in his memories for a while. Tenglong Yimu - Blacksmith or a Film Maker? Much, much older than anyone can imagine. Though the film ended up running into issues and now it's been put into production hell. Orpheus Sakamoto - The Brother in Shadows Just glad he can be in a lead role, even if the movie bombs. Is slightly bitter over the fact that Satoshi is treated as the main clone, so he's glad to have found his niche. Adelsiya Reichhart - Five Nights at the Voyager's Main Antagonist Wonders why Kuma wasn't selected for the role and not hers. She's now considering becoming a suit actor due to it being surprisingly fun. Kyojaku Henkan - Needs Vacation Days Has never missed a day of work at the Voyager. Contrasted to Subaru who frequently takes breaks, no one is sure if he even knows the concept of a work break.

6/6/2024 6:46 PM

Chapter Five - Even so, I still have my responsibilities. --------------- + Time Frame: During Smoke War + ---------------------------- (edited)

"Eh?"

Now THAT'S strange.
Today's another day in the office. It's another ordinary day in this hectic Space Colony called Gliese.
Since the Smoke War in Moonbright's still going strong and we only recently defeated the Solars... Everyone has a lot of work to do.
Though I complain, I have no right to. Everyone's got the same workload.
So in my office, I'm out here looking for my work. Begrudgingly, y'know. But I can't exactly expect anyone else to do the work I'm doing.
My office is... Basically exactly what you'd expect. A bed for sleeping, a table with my PC and a bunch of stuff for working...
Yeah. It's sad. It's mostly just for the job. But I have my own house back in Getsugari (more like a mansion), so I don't really consider this to be my main home. A main reflection of what I look like.
... Then again, my office here is almost identical to my one in Getsguari... Nah, not gonna linger on that thought.

But I just opened a drawer. I looked over to my left.

"... Not there either, Greyson?"

Eris suggested that due to me basically having the busiest job out of everyone in the Colony, I get an assistant.
So I have rotating assistants. Sometimes for a whole week, sometimes for a day. And anywhere inbetween.
Usually the people that stay for longer are more useful and pleasant though. Probably cause they do genuinely want to help out.
Today's Greyson's 5th day of helping, and...

"Nope. Not in these rows of drawers. Are you sure you didn't misplace it while you went drinking last night...?"

... Yeah. He's the former Terra Solar.
But I can't really make the connection to the two of them because of how different they are...
Especially- physically as well. He's no longer made of rocks.

All Solars need to become an element using a Sigil, turning their entire body into a Sigil.
Using Cordelia's help, he got that Sigil removed and now... Is basically just an average dude.

"Mmph."

I let out a big frown.
So it's not on my desk drawers... Not in my auxillary drawers...
We've run into almost a dead end.

"So where the hell are all of our contracts?"

Since we're Magus Generation, our main role is fulfill contracts. Labelled "Contingency Contracts", but people just call them contracts. We're in a CC season right now where a lot of them come in.
Our contracts mostly just deal with helping out either the government or general populace of Gliese. And due to the war in Moonbright, a lot of us are getting active there.
One issue.

All of them are fucking gone.

"Subaru. I asked you a question..."

Greyson asked with a disappointed tone.
He approached me and stood next to me. Seems like he was stumped as well, and he was no longer looking for the contracts.
- Wait.

I did a full turn over to him.
With a big frown on my face, I said,

"Are you serious...? You know I try my best to separate work and leisure. I'd NEVER bring my contracts out with me to drink, that's just irresponsible."

"While I would normally be inclined to agree with you... Evidence suggests otherwise."

Greyson said while adjusting his sleeves.
Hold on. The heck did he mean by that?!

My eyebrows furled down in response. "Whaddya mean by "evidence suggests otherwise"?! You saying I did bring it to that bar?!"

Even then, I swear I didn't bring that much with me...
I was just drinking with my usual partners- Eris, Scala and Orpheus. I don't need to bring stuff with me when I drink with them.
Is he saying...

"I can't exactly rule out that possibility." Greyson said, I think locking eyes with me. "You don't exactly seem to have a line between your personal life and your work life, you know? Your bed's right there."

He said, his arm pointing to my office's bed.
Alright then... If that's how you wanna play...

(edited)

"Thaaaat's for emergency all nighters. Some contracts and missions need me 24/7 at the Voyager. Shit's tough work, you know?"

I said, stretching.
Well- that's a half-truth. I do use the bed for that.
But... I don't think I exactly deserve a normal dorm. Those are for our usual operators.
I already have this, so there's no point in wasting room for another dorm. Sure- I wake up directly to the sunlight since this place's got big windows, but does that really matter? I can just close 'em up with an ice wall if I really wanna sleep longer.

"Anyways, I'm honestly leaning towards it being a thief."

"A thief? Do you have that little trust in our fellow Operators, Subaru?"

Oh come on...
Greyson even sounded genuinely offended.

"That's not what I meant..." And I, confused.

"I just find the prospect of a thief to be, quite frank, out there."

He took a few paces forward.
As he talked to me while looking away.

"Everyone knows how tough your job is. That's why the assistant role exists. There's no monetary benefit to stealing these Contracts- and in addition, it would not sabotage Magus Generation any further. We have digital copies of the Contracts." That's true... "So the only motive would be for an Operator to take it for themselves."

"Which means-"

Greyson then stuffed his finger forward at my lip!
Gah- that was so fast!

"Which means it's more likely that you lost it. I doubt there are people in the Voyager who are so self sacrificial, they think to fulfill those jobs without their Boss's help." He then lowered his finger. Phew, that got a bit too close to comfort.

"Gh..."

He makes a fair point there.
We're not exactly filled with self sacrificial Operators. If we were...
Then a lot of us would be dead during the "End of the World." But miraculously, most of us lived.
... Save for Minato Wagner, but that's a whole other can of worms in it of itself.
That's one of our prideful points, so...

"Fine. You win. Since it isn't a good look for us to lose the physical copies of the Contracts, I'll go look for them. Good with you?"

It's still early in the morning. We wouldn't be able to do any Contracts otherwise, and...
I've already planned which ones we can do today.

"No. I'll look for them."

Greyson said firmly, taking a big step to the door.
... Is he serious?

"... You know I most likely lost 'em in a bar, right? Better if I go. You'd stand out where I'm going."

Which is Getsugari's Red Light District.
If I saw Greyson there, I'd assume he just got lost. Or get scared of him.
Or maybe both.

"Likely that if I left it in the bar I drank in, the owner would have it. He's a good friend, so I can definitely get the Contracts back in no time!"

Greyson shook his head.
Oh come on, was he really not going to budge?

"Still, you would need to either board a flight to where the bar was or fly one yourself."

- Oooh man, maybe I should learn how to do that. I've just been using our public transport, but maybe I should learn how to fly a jet one of these days...

"Which would at the bare minimum, take an hour. Then there's a matter of getting to the bar itself, negotiating with the owner- then there's the off chance of them not being there, and then the time it takes to get back..." ... He's sure thought about this a lot, huh?

"... Which is to say, you think it'd take a while?"

"Precisely." Come on...

I moved over and pat Greyson on the shoulder.
I was a little tired with all of this reasoning, but I get why. He's concerned for me, isn't he?
I pat him on the shoulder with my usual smirk.

"Don't worry too much about me, y'know. Even if I'm gone, Magus Generation shouldn't be so fragile that one person's departure would leave it unable to proceed on. Y'know?"

- ...
I couldn't hide it. As soon as I said those words...
There was a feeling of deja vu. As if I've gone through this before. Not this exact scenario, of course. I'm not THAT crazy...
But this aching, gutteral deja vu to the fact that.. Those words...

Whose words were those again?

"..."

"Subaru?"

Shit- even Greyson could see it.
Spaced out for a bit too long there.

"It looks like you've seen a ghost. Now I am even more convinced that I should seek those papers myself."

"Sorry, just... Thinkin' about the crazy stuff I did in the bar last night. Heh."

... That was a total lie.
I stepped in front of Greyson and stretched my limbs.

"But it's fine, really. You know how I'm like. I'd LOVE to pass the work off to you, hell, I tried to pass off the blame to someone else at first!" I waved the air... And pointed my thumb to myself proudly. "You know what I'm all about, man! Would love to just kick back and not think about much, y'know?" After that, my shoulders heaved. "But, y'know, I gotta own up to that laziness if I wanna keep my position here. Even if I DID stay, I'd probably be forced to look at the digital Contracts and plan which ones we're gonna do today. So there's no need to worry about me- I just gotta work a little bit more, okay?"

"What you said is true, but... ... You're always working."

...
I stopped right at the door way.

"I mean... Not always."

I let out an exhale. Neither of us were looking at each other.
Well- I was staring outside. Greyson could see my back.
I was getting pretty tired to be honest, so I'd like to leave ASAP.

"I go and take drinking breaks, go out drinking with my friends- as you saw, which started this whole thing... And sometimes I mess around too in other countries- Dominions, so... Seriously, don't worry about me."

I heard him take a few steps forward. Probably, he was behind me. "If that is the case... It is hardly a task for an assistant like me and more of a servant, but... Would you like me to clean the office?"

Huh?
The hell kind of question was that?

"Leave it be. I'm the only one who knows where everything is, so if things were displaced, my work flow might be thrown off." I said, waving my hand above. "And besides, I don't wanna think of you as a servant. Feel free to do what I've been doing and go slack off or something."

I turned around as I was about to leave...
And waved to Greyson.

"Well then! See ya later when we're gonna be cracking our heads over scheduling and logistics!"

"I see..."

Underneath his helmet...
I couldn't tell if he was smiling or frowning. Hell, for all I know he could be staring on with the same poker face every time.
But I don't need his face to tell that there's... Lingering disappointment behind him.

"... See you later, Subaru." We parted ways. Him leaving the opposite direction and me to the hangar.

"..."

I walked to the hangar in silence. Passing by a few people I knew and waving...
The usual in the Voyager, since I pretty much know everyone here.
My office is sadly not that close to the hangar, which means it's a good walk in this giant Voyager, but...
It's fine.

"Wait."

... I stop in my tracks.
Not for any big realization. Well, I did have a realization, but...

"Even if it's early in the morning, going to that bar again will make me wanna drink some more, huh...?"

Well- it's CC season, so there's no way in hell I'm gonna slack off.
I took a deep breath, inhaled and exhaled... As I readied to resist the hardest urge.
The feeling of drinking. Even if it is early morning.

Must not slack... Must not slack... Don't think about where you're going... You're just gonna get some papers-

"- Eh?" Something just passed by me at a high speed.

It was...
... Huh. Most people wouldn't be able to see it. But my eyes are trained after war. I've seen countless of battles with things too fast for the average eye to comprehend.
Not to mention... I also see her a lot.
A red shadow passes by me. An impossibly fast red shadow, jumping from a corner of a hallway, to a prop, to another...
Yeah. Most people in the hallway can't see her.

But I see Adelsiya.

Huh. "Wonder what's gotten her to run that fast in the Voyager."

I muttered to myself.
This happened right in front of the hangar doors. In fact, she left the same time as a few employees. I guess they're on break?
As I'm about to step in...

"... That's definitely not normal though. Why DID she do that?"

... The papers can wait. I have the digital copy of them, after all, and Greyson did say it'd take some time.
This, however, is time limited.
I chase after the jumping red shadow.

(edited)

After a while, I manage to catch up to Adelsiya. Though she was fast...
I manage to keep sight of where her shadow is trailing.
Eentually- she stops and enters a store room. Huh. What's she doing in one of those?
The moment I see her enter it, I stop for a bit... Wait a bit...
Then I open the door, peering it open slowly. Maybe I'm intruding on another makeout session between her and Cordelia...? No, she wouldn't be so secretive and in a hurry for that. Plus, Cordelia doesn't go on the Voyager often, so...

"... Secured the hangar. Any flight he'll take will take even longer." Wait... Who's she talking to?

"Good. Our plan is almost finally complete."

...!!!
As if he's some sort of turbo bad guy, I see Greyson step out of the shadows of the store room!
And in his hands...
The folders for the Contracts?! Ehhh???????
I'd love to barge in and get some context, but...

"... Operation: Make Subaru Take A Break is almost finished."

... Eh?
That's what this is about?

Adelsiya pulled up a walkie talkie. A real walkie talkie.
You know. Like the ones we use for serious missions.
What the hell?

"Now all we need to do is wait until Subaru gets off the Voyager. Operator Ginhime will intercept him and offer him a good time."

... What the hell is a "Good Time"?
Wait- Ginhime's involved in this?! What the hell?!
Why??????????

"..."

I almost barge in at that moment. But I stop.
It's clear what happened- Greyson even spelled out his motives and ruled it out as "impossible" so I wouldn't think about it.
He was the one who stole the Contracts. He's the only one who COULD'VE.
So then... Why is Adelsiya involved in this?

I still don't have my "why". So I'm going to eavesdrop more.

And as if it's being placed right in front of me...
Greyson stepped forward and sat down at a plastic chair. He almost looked tired.

"Still, though... Smart of you to suggest this. Magus Generation already has its hands full in establishing an entire district in Moonbright."

- The Market District. Our latest long term contract.
We're gonna construct and help the citizens of a former slum thrive. In the middle of a war.
... Definitely one of our hardest operations yet.

"Mm. And Subaru's working for the war directly. ... It's... It's still so frustrating."

... Adelsiya sat down, without a chair.
As Greyson lowered the folders down to the ground.

"They're all like this. Cordelia... Kageaki... And Subaru especially. I'm here." ... "So let me help." My hand slowly lowered to the door knob.

"Honestly, I don't get that sort of thing either."

They started taking out the Contracts one by one.
No way... Are they seriously planning on doing them on their own?
They don't have as much field experience as I do. They both know that it won't work.

"Rokuro often acted like he had a hidden burden. All the Solars could do was just watch him as he spiraled deeper and deeper to his plan. None of us wanted to stop him. Some of us- like Mercury- were genuinely evil. And the rest of us, who weren't... Lacked the power."

"So are you saying..."

Adelsiya gripped her fist.
As she bit her tongue.

"Right now, we don't have the power? I want... I want to help Cordelia. I want to help Kageaki. I want to help Subaru, but...!!!" ... I've never seen her this emotional in a while. Not since she gained her E.G.O.

"..."

I want to go in.
I want to go in and say, "you're already helping."
But even I know not to intrude on an intimate moment like this.

Everyone, just by being here, is already helping.
Passing by me, smiling, waving, being my assistant for a few days, sharing small talk...
That's all it takes to make me happy. So I'll own up to my laziness and do some work.
So it's okay. You don't have to work for my sake. We'll work together.
But I'll take the hard parts, okay? It's the least I can do- because all of you are already doing so much for me.
Just that daily life, just the fact that this exists... Is enough.

See. I can even see Adelsiya and Greyson struggling.
They're looking at the Contracts with hard looks, but...
I've already memorized all the contents of the Contracts.

(edited)

I heard Greyson exhale. "Haaah... This is going to take forever. Rokuro damaged Magekind too much- but at the same time, not enough. To the point where things are hard to recover from, but not impossible." He lowered a paper. "I swear... Subaru is more incredible than he thinks he is. I can't imagine how he goes at this type of work on the daily."

"A Contract for helping out the hunting establishments in Alvarnia... Helping push back the mafioso in Neo Bluegrave... Getsugari's fishing business crisis... Autumnwood's leaving Knights and how to replace them... The entire world's being pushed onto our shoulders."

Yeah...
... That's what it means to be Magus Generation.

"... Isn't it funny? We're so big. And even though we're getting so much done... If he put a bit more trust in us- I think we could solve more." ... "Isn't that right, Subaru...?"

...!!!
Shit- I forgot! Her scent! Regardless of who it is, she can smell anyone nearby!

"!"

And immediately...
I began to fast walk out of there. Shit.
Eavesdropped for too long. Of course she was there.
Nothing can get out of her scent. I'll just go back to the hangar and go get those papers-
or maybe not, since that's what she wants me to do but...
Aaaargh...!!!

"- Eh?" And this time, I'm stopped.

... It's Adelsiya.
She's holding onto my sleeve, practically pinching it.
It wasn't strong at all. It was weak, a feeble attempt.
But it still made me stop.

"... Rely on us, Subaru. That's... That's a wish not just for you." Ah...

"... Don't worry. I'm not gonna say any excuse to the way I've been acting the past few days."

I turned around and...
As per usual, I pat Adelsiya on the head with a grin.

"But if you wanted to help me, you could've just asked, yknow? You know what I'm all about. I'm lazy, a slacker and I always try to get out of work. If ya' offer me help... I'm gonna take it."

"But..." She clenched onto my wrist. This time, she was putting force onto it. "Even if I do help- you'll still be trying so hard..." Why is she phrasing it like it's a bad thing? "Just for this day... Can you leave it to us?"

That, however...
As much as I'd love to slack off- as much as I'd love to just go out and drink...
A complete and total break...

That, I can never allow myself to do.

"That'd be nice. But even so, I still have my responsibilities."

6/6/2024 9:18 PM

Chapter Five - Conclude OMAKE Subaru Kikami - Laziest Workaholic Was forced to not handle the Contracts for the day. However, snuck off to go check out Moonbright's Market District construction, so he ended up being roped into work anyways. Greyson Navarro - Former Villain, now ordinary mechanist Still lamenting over how he failed to help Rokuro. Remarks at how remarkably similar Rokuro and Subaru are, but trusts everyone in Magus Generation to prevent them from ending the same. Adelsiya Reichhart - Crying Wolf Can't get over how the three people most important to her all have the same tendencies. Tries to secretly do as much of their work as possible. Forgets to ask if it's okay with them.

6/6/2024 9:26 PM

Chapter Six - Even so, it hurts to say goodbye. --------------- + Time Frame: During Smoke War + ---------------------------- (edited)

Well now.

This certainly was a sight.
It's late in the night, and usually in these, the Voyager is either still in the air or it moves very slowly.
Which leads to very mesmerizing sights. The Voyager's stopped near Moonbright and closer to the Endlands.
Which means we can see a sight that's local to the Endlands. The Northern Lights. What's basically like Earth's Aurora Borealis.
It's like a beautiful cloth being weaved throughout the skies. A nice sight for drinking.
Unfortuntately. I don't even have a drop of alcohol in my body. Nor is a bottle close. But today's one of the few days where I'm not cursing that.
Even though the sky is fake and is a projection- this is not. Gliese's gotta have its own atmosphere, y'know? And this is a part of that atmosphere.
And the reason why I'm okay with not drinking...

"So how is it? Not having that sigil on you." Is cause I'm with my best friend.

"Well..."

Yohei was also leaning on the deck of the Voyager. Right now, we're at the back deck.
A little place in case you need some air- or if you're like the three of us and you wanna get some fresh air AND see some cool sights.
It's at the back of the Voyager and is pretty small. But it was designed like that intentionally.
This isn't a landing deck- that's at the front, the Hangar. Nor is it meant to be some kind of meeting place.
Nah. I think Typhon intentionally designed this place to be like a little secret shared between people.
An intimate place- probably for dates... Or in this case, a chill hangout.

Yohei stretched his arms.

"Have you ever trained with weights before? Wait- I don't mean like weight lifting, I mean like weighted clothing."

And to that...
I instantly lowered my eyebrows in disappointment.

"You're asking the wrong person here."

And the third person...
Is another person the three of us would consider a close friend.
The chiller Astoria Sister and honestly the easier one to talk to.
Marie was also at the edge of the deck, admiring the northern lights. She chimed in.

"Actually, I have. Are you saying it feels like the weights were lifted off of you?"

"Mm." Yohei continued to stretch his arms, moving one like a wheel. "Ever since Kageaki took that sigil, it's like I'm a new man. Honestly... That guy's crazy. One of a kind."

Yeah...
Apparently a week ago- Yohei got the Sigil that's been plaguing his life is gone.
The one that cut off his potential as a Mage... One of his only friends finally took the burden off of him.
He came up to me a few days ago and told me how it was gonna kill him. The talk between us there...

... It wasn't pretty.
But we're here now. So it's alright.

"To be honest, even though I'm still providing my services, I feel like I haven't thanked him enough."

"I don't think there's a need to." Marie let out a loud sigh. "He's the type of pathetic person who's thankful for you even if you're just there. So there's no need to do anything special for him."

... If they weren't basically eternal lovers, I'd question what she meant by "pathetic."
I guess that's her way of being endearing.

"But enough about him. I feel like every time he does anything, the conversation topic's always on him."

"Oh my god, someone finally said." I said, looking over to Marie with a big exasperated look. "I swear. Even though most of the Voyager doesn't know he's actually alive, the conversation topic somehow GOES to him." I rested my head on the railing. "... Well, he does deserve it. He did come up with the idea of Magus Generation."

"I still don't believe that I named it."

Yohei said, leaning on the railing with his back to it.
He looked to me with a slow grin.

"Honestly... 2-B feels like it was so long ago." (edited)

"... Um."

I was about to reminisce with Yohei, but...
Then I realized something.

"Maybe not the best thing to say to a person who hasn't been with their 2-B in literal centuries."

She said with an unamused look.
Oh, crap, I almost forgot...!

"O-Oh. Right. Sorry..."

"Y-Yeah. My bad too."

I don't know why, but...
I swear everyone, myself included, has an instinctual urge to NOT fuck with her.
And I swear it's not just because she might be our strongest combatant on board. I swear it goes deeper, I just can't think of why.

Marie then lowered her head to laugh a little.
With a smug look on her face, she said,

"Don't worry. I don't miss any of them anyways." ... That's cold, what the hell!

"S-Seriously?!"

"For real?!"

"L-Like..."

Yohei staggered back so much I was worried for a bit that he was going to fall.
But with a shake of his head, he regained his footing.

"I don't exactly know what happened between you all, but... Don't you regret what happened? Turning into the Silver Galaxy and all that? You guys must've been close..."

"Close we were. But... Everyone was." Marie turned ahead and explained. "Loop 1 was after Rokuro Fuji's earnest attempt at making a better world, remember? And he wasn't hellbent on making a Lightless World."

She put her hands on the railings with her back to it as she did. She seemed to also be reminiscing...
But she wasn't bathing in nostalgia. She seemed to do this often.

"Classes like 2-B were frequent, and the threat of our life was much less. We didn't go through as much life threatening situations as you guys did. But it was filled with magic, friendship, wonder... That sort of stuff. It was so happy, that it was intoxicating." (edited)

"Ah..." I closed my eyes as I leaned back. "So that's why you guys and Rokuro had such a terrible reaction to war breaking out."

If I recall, what caused Rokuro and the SG to do all the loops and stuff...
Is that no matter how hard they tried, war would break out.

"You guys had never experienced anything like that before. You just knew you had to stop it." (edited)

"Mm. Which is why everyone in the Silver Galaxy was they way they were. Naive." She turned away. "They called themselves fit to judge the world, fit to fill it with all sorts of labels... But they did not want to live in the world they created. This applies to both them and the Solars. They were cowards- all of them." Damn. What a way to roast your former classmates... "Which is why I don't regret what happened. Yohei, you probably deal with regrets a lot. So let me ask. Go back to your biggest regret. Are you accounting for what could've happened if you changed things?"

"I..."

Yohei gripped his fist.
As he lowered his head downwards.

"I wish I never took the contract for that damn sigil. The one that brought back Mana- but only her body. The one that forced me to be a Falconer as the only way out- my parents were dead already and I had to earn money." His mouth trembled. "I should've beenliving a normal life. Even if I am a Mage, it shouldn't have been like that. I never... I never asked to go through so much hardship when I was young. But..."

"You're realizing it." Marie said, nodding along with what Yohei said. "Could you have missed an important lesson from a mistake that saved you from a bigger mistake down the road? Maybe it put you on a chance path to a better present or future, or a chance path away from a worse one? What about the potential positives it had for other people?"

... It was wishful thinking, considering the depths of what Yohei saw.
He had been through hell. Not just once, but multiple times. All of us did in Magus Generation, but...
The lengths that this boy has suffered is just too much. Too much for a single person.

And I helped cause that suffering.

"... This is why I don't miss the old 2-B. We aren't machines, but they enslaved themselves like machines. We learnt. They didn't."

"Still though, this goes back to that topic again..." I let out a sigh as I looked over to Yohei. "You don't have that Sigil anymore, and as you probably read on the news... The Falconer Association's been disbanded. You don't have anything tying you down anymore, man."

"Hehe..."

Yohei rubbed his nose a little.
As he put one elbow on the railing.

"It's funny. We're in a reversal of that day one year ago."

"That day one year ago? Gonna have to be more specific man, a LOT of days happened last year."

He's asking me like I'm supposed to remember...
... Then again, he used to be my best friend. So maybe it's supposed to be a special day or something...

"It was a year ago when I was about to go investigate my suspicions that Neo Bluegrave was housing the cloning facilities for the loops... And you decided to split off from me, wanting to live an easy life." He chuckled again. "Hehehe... It's funny. Now I'm the one who can live an easy life and you're the one shackled with all this work."

"Dooooon't remind me. I'm already hands full on deck tomorrow with all these Contracts I have. Plus, there's the matter of the Moonbright war... ... God, when did my life get so busy?" I said, raising my hands to the sky in a prayer position.

"You're asking the wrong person."

Marie said, gesturing to herself.
Oh. Right. Former Magic God on board.
I feel like I have a bad habit of forgetting everyone's former reputations on board... Cause when they're in the Voyager, everyone's an Operator of equal standing to me.

"But..."

All of our gazes were turned to Yohei as he made another "but."
This time though, with resolve.

"I think it'd be easy for me to just drop out- and go to Earth or somewhere here to live a peaceful life. That's the easy way out. That's the sort of life that'd make me happy."

"..."

"I can imagine it easily. Maybe I'd go to Earth, become a cop with my experience... I'd rise through the ranks slowly or quickly, and eventually I'd get to a respectable position. Maybe I'd meet someone and fall in love- then have a few kids... And die surrounded with them. I can imagine a lot of us back then a few months ago were imagining that. When we asked to all return to Earth someday."

A normal life...
... Ah. I can already predict what he's going to say.

"But I feel like, even though I can grasp that life with my own two hands clearly- I won't do it. No matter what."

"Yeah. I could see it back then. A lot of you were imagining retiring and living a quiet life, hm? But the only one I can really imagine doing that is Kageaki." She rolled her eyes. "I've already resigned myself to be a workaholic wife while Kageaki's more of a stay at home father. Which is okay with me."

Marie's already planned that far...?!
Then again- I heard from her that she's SUUUPER serious about their relationship.

"But the rest of you guys..."

"Mm. It's not really because of anything special. But even moreso, now that I'm stronger... I have the power to keep on fighting. So I'll keep going on."

He faced on and stared ahead.
... Ain't that the truth.

It'd be easy. Very easy to give up.
I have Malta Hospitaller back on Earth to take me with open arms. I'm not even required to work most of the time.
It'd be easy. To go back to everyone...
... Everyone...

But it's not what I would do. And it's not what Yohei would do either. We're not normal people.
We're fighters.

"And this is a choice you made yourself?"

Yohei doesn't even need to say it.
So I'll say it for him. I'm a part of this too.

"It was a choice I made too. I followed Yohei into hell and kept him company. You bet we spent sleepless nights investigating crime scenes, busting down terrorists way beyond us, guarding entire Mobile Colonies from terrorists..." That one didn't go so well. I can't believe the Golden Halo is just casually on the Colony now. "... Taking down national threats, beating up bad guys, interrogating suspects... All while we were teenagers."

"You used to be merged with Okino back then, weren't you? You were able to turn into light and we'd get into all sorts of shenanigans back then. Was pretty handy for you to be able to phase through walls." He said, looking over to the Northern Lights with a grin. "... We'll never get that time back, Subaru."

"... Is that why you wanna keep going on?"

With a path of struggle.
... This was a question aimed towards me, too.

"Are you not stopping your steps to live that daily life because you're scared to look back on what you did?" To even question for a second that what you're doing is a mistake.

"We're long past the point to make that decisive choice." ...

We paused for a bit.
Just staring at the night sky together. Then I realized...
Something important hasn't been asked.

"So where ARE you going anyways?"

"Mm? Oh, back with those Explorers from Earth. You know- Beato and Raoul and the like."

He said cleanly.
Wait...

Back when Yohei first came back and announced he was about to die and Yohei explained why...
Marie was also there. So of course she'd be shocked.

"Aren't those the guys that also left you crying in your lowest point? I'm surprised you'd want to go back to a crowd that disappointed you like that." (edited)

Even I was a little taken aback. "Yeah man. I mean, what's so wrong with working with us? You're in our literal selling point, man. Not every group's got a Mobile Colony- and a Mobile Colony this BIG and cool to boot."

"Haha- I'd love to work for you, Subaru. But..." He looked distant. As if the struggles he had were ones we could not get. "As selfish as it sounds, I realize- they need me. A lot of them are going on their own struggles right now. And those people, desperately, need to save someone. And those that are able to hold up the group are busy directing their strength to save that someone."

Yohei tightly looked forward.
With a look that said, "I'll never look back."
It was a resolute decision that came from deep within.

"So I'll have to be the glue. The glue that keeps everyone together. The rock that'll listen to everyone's struggles. Even if I was overlooked by them, made to suffer alone... I won't let that happen to them."

"Sure takes a lot of resolve to admit you'd do something like that to the people that pissed ya' off in the first place." I let out a sigh. This man always keeps finding a way to surprise me. "You're starting to sound like a real hero, man."

That's when Yohei was a little offended. "Aren't we all heroes? We saved the world."

"I ended it."

Marie said with a raise of her hands.

By the way, no one believes her. Why does she keep saying she ended the world once?

"Still though..." I hung my head. "You guys are going back to Earth after all's said and done here in the War, right? I'm..." I put my hands on the railing. "I'm gonna miss you, man. I think we both are."

"... I will. But probably not for the reasons you're thinking of."

...?
Why'd she say THAT? Maybe I'll ask her what she meant later.

"This is hard for me too, you know. But I think we're all grown up enough to realize our memories won't ever die."

That is true...
I guess there's nothing to be said on that part. The memory of what we've been through...
It'll always be there.

"It might be harsh to say- but I think this was fate. If we were gonna get serious, then... 2-B was always destined to split up like this."

"Huh, you're bringing up 2-B now?" That was surprising. I thought he moved on from all of that. "Should know that I really don't regret us splitting up. It caused us a lot of pain at first, but... Well, now we're here. Can't say I regret it anymore."

"Mm. And we still need to stay split a part if we want to get even stronger. ... You guys know about The Don, right?" ...

"I'd say we're about the only three people in the entire Mobile Colony that DO."

Yeah...
Figures that Yohei would get involved in this, though. He's always had a knack for snooping his nose around where it doesn't belong.
And the Don's the representation of the next barrier ahead of us.

Something far, far ahead of all the Solars.

"Ah... I had a feeling that the person that beat you to the ground was a Master." Marie stepped ahead. "I'll be frank... In the grand scheme of things- power-wise, including Earth... The Solars were merely average. Their influence in the world however forced people even below them. That's how deep their oppression went."

Yuuup. Even before I learnt Circulation, I could tell.
That's why I so readily butted heads with all of them. Bet even dudes like Arsene and Typhon could tell.

"Bet you and I could run circles around the two of them now, Yohei. I may not look like it, but I've been training!"

Ever since I faced against Lillia during the end of the world...
I'll be damned if I'm content to sit where I am. I'm up against the literal shadows of Gliese here.
No way I can get by if I'm weaker than the Solars.

"... Isn't that a little ridiculous, no? That they were only average." He slumped down a little. Uncharacteristic of him. "We face off against the biggest threats of the world... Then we have to face against something even bigger than that. And I bet even after the Don- there'll be something more."

... Ah. He doesn't know about the second Don on the Earth, huh?

After we take out the Don on Gliese... We still have the Earth's Don. Who is likely to be even more frightening.
But...

"... Ain't that just life?"

"...?"

"No way your final exams is gonna be easier than your midterms. Then the year after that, it's gonna get harder too. Math, english, science..." I looked up to the skies. "The world ain't content to sit still. It's gonna keep moving- the good and the bad are gonna get stronger and stronger. That's why I stopped wanting that daily life."

"So you could keep moving forward..."

Our reasons were the same.
His desire- his reason for reaching that...

"... Even after all this time has passed, we're still always reaching the same answers, huh?"

"Yeah, I'm..." I closed my eyes. "I remembered that day in the airport. And how painful it was. So now I wanna say- I'm sorry. Don't plan on making it up to you, cause I feel like we have."

I stretched my hand forward.
We made that conflict under the pretenses that we were going our separate ways.
But we really were just going through a phase, huh? Here we are. Back in the same place.

Yohei stretched his hand forward.
And shaked mine firmly.

"I'm sorry too. And yeah. You helped make this giant Mobile Colony- and saved the world with me. I'm not mad anymore about that."

... We both tried to hide it. How mad we were at each other for splitting up.
How we didn't understand why. How we both...
Tried to erase each other from our lives.

"So you'll stay in touch, yeah?"

"Course I will. We got the groupchat for a reason. And once we go to Earth? You'll bet my ass I'll be knocking on the door for some drinks. Hopefully by then you won't be such a lightweight!"

"Haha..." Yohei scratched his back. "I-I've been trying to build resistance at the very least. By then- you better be twice the general you are now." ... Yeah, there's no way I'm quitting from a leadership role.

"And you don't have that Sigil now that restricts your mana. You better come back and be a real superhero when we meet on Earth." I said, pointing my two fingers ahead. "Have a cool catchphrase too! Every cool hero's got at least one."

It was then...
We almost forgot Marie was here. When she cleared her throat.
Oh. Crap. Did we get into one of those back and forths where we basically take over the whole convo...?

"... You two haven't changed one bit, I see."

"Y-Yeah. We haven't, but... How would you know that? You weren't there for our 2-B." Huh... And there is no Loop 1 Subaru. Like Arsene, I'm a recent addition.

"I'm not talking about you two back in 2-B. I'm talking about you two back on Earth. Before you were Mages." ...!!!

"You-"

I interrupted Yohei.
There was something I needed to clear up. Marie wasn't lying. Nor was she spouting bullshit.
It was just...

"Hold on. I'm a Mage born on Earth." I said, stepping in front of her. "I know everyone else has those repressed memories of their former life. And there's been a phenomenon following that speech from Bianca that a lot of people are remembering theirs." I exhaled. I don't know why I was so frantic all of a sudden. "But I ain't got anything like that."

"Are you denying the history we had together, saying that I'm a liar?"

She said, lowering an eyebrow.
Oh crap- I probably should've chosen my words more carefully...!!!
I REALLY don't wanna make her mad!

"Besides- even if you ARE a Mage... You must have been cloned from someone."

She poked my nose- sending me back a bit...!!!
How???

"And I knew that someone."

"Gh... Were we like, friends or something...?" I said, rubbing my cheek.

"..."

It felt like she was about to pop a vein.
She isn't even Circulating. Where is this murderous aura floating around her coming from!?
God, I need to choose my words more carefully when I'm around her... Even I knew that was a dumb question...

(edited)

"... I'm not surprised we had a history on Earth together, if I'm being honest." Yohei said, grinning slowly. "When I met him, it... This sounds gay, but it felt like it was fate."

"Oh, you too man?" I said with an elbow to Yohei's side. "Well... Even if I have doubts on my birth, I guess even if I don't remember it- we did know each other. Though..."

Marie... Is looking away with a feeling of nostalgia.
She didn't have that for 2-B. But now...
For her time on Earth- she was having that feeling.

(edited)

"... I miss that time." She slowly smiled. "But as I said, I don't regret where I am now."

"How different was it?" Yohei said, curious. "Like- was our friendship any different...? Or was daily life back then different?"

"Well- you two were mostly the same. But you teased each other a lot and were surprisingly competitive, for how lazy Subaru was."

Wha...
So even my past self is lazy?! Is this shit just engrained in me?!

"But life... ... Even though there was a split between the natural and supernatural, the borders of a daily life were not so wide. The supernatural and fighting were accepted in a daily life. From what it seems though, you two are so hasty to not equate your struggle with a normal everyday life."

"? Isn't it obvious though?" Yohei looked genuinely concerned. "It just... Isn't normal."

"Then- who has the right to define what normal is? Is it those nobles who are used to having plates of the finest meals served to them by butlers and maids? Or scavengers in the desert, haggling and hunting just to make a living? Is it the ordinary college student, studying hard to make ends meet while also getting high grades... Or the soldier, fighting on the frontline to assure the safety of his family? To call one of those lives "normal" would be arrogant. As rosy eyed and as slow as one life may be, that sort of life can never be called normal. None can."

These...
These were words Marie has been saving in her for a while. Perhaps she held sentiments against THIS world that she's never had the chance to say.
And even I had these sentiments once. When Kenko recreated the world in her sleep, and I had to face myself...

"This..."

... It's been happening a lot recently.
But sometimes, certain phrases, certain sentences that I speak...
Either sound familiar or they're words that are not my own.

Maybe...

"... Did someone I know say something like that?"

"It was a saying your father was quite fond of, as he was a general."

"- Oh come on, that runs in the blood too?!"

"When you are able to hold your head up high, to stand proud and fight for the life that you have... Struggle... Toil... Even something like a life filled with fighting can be something you can proudly declare is normal." ... Being proud, huh?

"Marie..." Yohei slowly smiled. "Thank you. I think that'll really help with the choices I'm gonna make in the future. You're a good friend, Marie."

"Heh. Glad to be of help, even after we both have died once." The two of them share a fistbump soon after.

"... Normal, huh..."

I stepped forward, and-

Began to remember.

"Subaru? Are you okay? That look on your face..."

... Yeah. I know.
I've been remembering for a while now. Ever since we stopped the end of the world.
I've slowly...

Slowly been remembering... I've just been denying it.

"... You look tired."

"Mm, I..."

I staggered over to the exit of the deck.
Damn it. Now I can't even stand up right.

"Sorry. I wanna say see you later, cause I know this won't be it. But... Damn it- I really have to cut this short. I know this won't be it. That we'll have more talks like this, but...!!!"

- From here on out...
Everything will be different.
Yohei felt it. I felt it. Marie felt it.

And now I've realized why.

"Even so, it hurts to say goodbye." (edited)

11:48 PM

It was then...

That everything fell into place.

6/6/2024 11:50 PM

Chapter Six - Conclude OMAKE Subaru Kikami - Slacker General Kept in touch with Yohei mostly in DMs after this. It's not the same, but it'll do. Yohei Rumia - The Emerald Shot Still not used to his newfound strength after regaining his mana and potential back. Has broken several doors and fridges just by opening them a bit too hard. Margueritte "Marie" Astoria - The Silver Comet Is wondering if she has the ability to bestow Earth Life flashbacks on people. Yohei and Subaru remembered immediately after she started talking about it.

6/6/2024 11:59 PM

Final Chapter - Even so, I don't know who I am. "Behold. Your inconceivable past."

7/28/2024 7:39 PM

"So answer the goddamn question already.
"Do you hate this world?!"
Months ago, Subaru was asked that question. 
Faced in a situation where he had everything he wanted...
Where he had achieved the dreams that he and Okino were fighting for, where all that he had been fighting for had in his grasp...
He chose to reject it for himself.

"Of course I don't!
I love this world! You don't have to ask a question that I can answer so easily.
Ask me at any time of the day and I'll give you the same answer each time."

He knew the weight of his choice. Everyone would be living normal lives free of violence and conflict.
Ikago had her legs in that world. Yohei was not forced to bear the burden of being a super hero. Iris had survived in that world.
He knew the pattern. Had he not made that choice, he would be living in a world where the struggles of Magus Generation never needed to be experienced at all.
More than that. He knew the choice he made would also reverse the deaths of billions.
But Subaru hadn't considered, unlike a certain someone, why he made that selfish choice.

He wanted to be with the people he cared about. 
That was a big part of it.
But Subaru hadn't asked the more important question here.
What he should have asked himself on that day was...

"Do you love yourself, Subaru Kikami?"

8/3/2024 11:39 PM

The sound of flames. The smell of fresh asphalt charred by fire.
Whatever sense you'll use, and the outcome is the same. If anyone were to step into the slums of this normally neon lit and prosperous city right now...
The only outcome that could be reached was "war."
No tanks were to be seen and no jets. This was not a war in a typical sense...
But rather a war of ideals. A war held between individuals, holding up vague flags of what they believed in.
Or in other words, guerilla warfare.
The slums of Lungmen were already dirty and a blemish on the otherwise city of technology and free trade.
As the main streets had giant and tall buildings which stood proud and tall, the slums were overcrowded and filthy while having buildings of the same height. A main street building was taunting itself to the world. While a slum building, usually a condo or an apartment, was collapsing in on itself.
Unstable. And the destruction that has happened all throughout- signs of bombing, punctured holes, Circulation arts...
It has only ruined these parts of the slums even more.
And it's clear what has happened here too.

A one sided victory.
As soldiers all wearing armed uniforms stumble and walk around the corpses of fallen guerilla soldiers.
Those guerilla soldiers are all wearing makeshift equipment. Competent equipment, clearly made by a good craftsman. But still made out of scrap that you could find in a junkyard.
Their weapons all stolen and improvised. Versus all the uniformed men with well maintained equipmeent.
But again.
Despite the difference not in competency but in organization... This was still a war between individuals.

And its tactician was the embodiment of it.

It was a man covered in layers and layers of clothing.
As if he was afraid to let the very air touch him. To let even a single speck of dust touch his body.
With a hood and a visor at all times, you could only see a bit of his face at all times.
And even then- under most conditions, shadows or darkness would be hiding it.
But as he stumbled into a broken down warehouse, where he stood...
It was right as a light was facing him.

And facing away from an injured man at death's door, surrounded by corpses of his comrades.
The Doctor was standing in front of the face of his enemy.
It was the only remaining member he could find.

"... You." Crouching down to meet his eye level, he looked at the guerilla soldier. "Are you the only person left alive in your squad?"

The Guerilla Soldier responded snappily.
Though his voice was worn- he was likely the leader of the squadron that lay dead before his very own eyes...
It seemed seeing the face of this hooded tactician got him to speak up.
As he even managed to use his dying arm to sit upright a little.

"What's it to you? It's your fault their all dead like this."

He spared no sympathy in his voice.

As the loser of the battle of ideals, it is no wonder that all the rage that has been flowing through him could only emerge as a silent, seething, anger.

"... I'm merely here to talk." The doctor sat in front of the soldier. "Though I am accompanied by one operator, I didn't come here to finish the job- or anything like that. Malta Hospitaller won. And Unity lost." Hanging his head down, he looked to the ground. "Any more damage or destruction... Then that's just violence. We're not so cruel as to try and clean up every soldier. And with that body of yours- this may likely be your last conversation as well."

"Then..."

Exhaling, it seems the enemy soldier had resigned himself to his fate.
And that he was going to entertain this conversation. Both of them collectively agreed that a sit down and talk with the enemy like this is rare.

"... Judging by that clothing- you probably are him. But I'll ask again just to be sure. You're the Ghost of Sargon, yeah? Malta Hospitaller's terrifying and ingenious tactician who can solve conflicts with just a lift of their finger."

"While I don't deny that's the name I've been given..." The so-called ghost adjusted his coat. "I'm just a simple doctor. A pharmacist looking to cure Makinanza." And he responded with something so undeniably earnest- that even a skeptic wouldn't doubt his tone.

And for a second...
The soldier was laughing. Though the Doctor couldn't hear it, as it was muffled by his mask.

"You know, I've always found that funny." His arms twitched. "You might be a paramilitary organization, but you ARE also a medical firm. Fighting for the same thing we do. Equality amongst the infected and the normal people. And yet. We're infected." The soldier looked to every single person dead on the ground. "We all are. But you pitted infected against infected. Forced us to slaughter each other all for the same damn purpose."

"..." The doctor paused for a second. "Do you recall who beat you? Or would you rather not talk about it?"

And immediately,t he soldier scoffed right back at the Doctor. "Don't try and fuckin' play nice with me. The hell do you mean I'd rather not talk about it? That infected lady- the chainsaw on her head and arms... It's all I can think about. I close my eyes, and I hear the chainsaws. I look at everyone's mangled corpses- and I hear those damn chainsaws again. You know-"

The doctor could see another laugh hidden by the mask. But this time, it was getting slightly louder. The soldier's vigor was slowly rising.

"- You're trying to champion for equal rights among the infected and the normal people. But all your damn Operators... They're fuckin' monsters. You trained them to be monsters. You gave them the tactics to fully realize that hunger in them. How in the hell is that equality?"

The doctor didn't pause this time.
As he gave a question that he himself has been pondering for the longest time.
With his hands put together, there was no change in his rhythm or tempo in speaking.

"Allow me to answer a question with a question. Unity is also fighting for equality among the infected and the common people. Though it is through an armed takeover and facism rather than through our means. But what is equality to you?" He paused. "Are you trying to prove that the infected are just like the common people, or are you trying to prove that the common people are just the infected?"

And much to the Doctor's surprise- or rather, he should have expected this...
This time... He could hear the soldier's laughing.

"Hahahaha... You're barking up the wrong tree, Ghost of Sargon. Wanna know what I think about that question of yours? I don't care."

And...
His vigor almost made him stand.

"You know what I care about? Gettin' to feed my family three meals a day. Thinking about whether or not the goodbyes I said to my parents were real or not- and if I could get the chance to prove 'em wrong. Wonderin' if my comrades are gonna wear my ashes on their face. You think someone like me can ponder philosophical shit like that?!"

"..."

He didn't respond.
He knew the soldier wasn't finished.

"Do you know how crazy it is to be watching your men slaughter us like we're just items on a grocery list to be checked off?! That Angel sniper of yours, that chainsaw woman, that banshee..." His hands were shaking. "And most of all you. You, who thinks he can sit on his fuckin' high horse of pondering all these deep questions- while you manage a damn paramilitary government, looking down on us right now... Hell, you're doing it right fucking now! Who the hell do you think you are?! Do you think the world revolves around you?! Do you think you're some kind of protagonist?!"

"I..."

He was about to speak.
But he was interrupted the moment he even let out a single sound.
The soldier was nowhere near finished.

"I bet'cha you came here cause you wanted to understand the enemy. To gain some sympathy, to trick yourself into believing you're a good person. But I know what you are. You're ignorant. You came here to understand, yeah?"

And on uneasy footing...
The soldier stood up.

"So tell me! What is this place?! Not just this warehouse we're in- but this whole district filled with shanties and underground markets that'll collapse with just a single blow!"

"I believe..."

For a second, his rhythm was thrown off.
Then he spoke.

"... Many cities have slums like these. For those who don't earn enough or for the dregs of society, such as criminals. Due to Lungmen's workaholic society, I believe those who cannot keep up with the current of Lungmen end up here. I've often heard Lungmen be compared to a tsunami of work. So those who were caught up in it end up here."

He spoke all he knew.
Without doubt or hesitance.

And again...
The soldier laughed.

"Hahaha... You don't know anything, dumbass!" He pointed. "Do you know what this place really is!? It's a graveyard! That's what!" As he threw out his arm. "I know because I live here! What you said was just the start of it. But you know the Infected aren't allowed to leave this place? It's cause they want it to spread. They force people here to contract Makinanza so they can keep them stuck here. So y'know what- I'll humor that question of yours earlier about the infected and normal people."

He put his hand up to his mask.
As he chuckled slowly.

"Haha... Equality's already been reached. They're both the same. No matter who you are, someone up above is gonna wanna kill you. That's how it works. That's how I became an Infected."

But this time...
It was the Unity Soldier who was surprised.
Because the Doctor showed no aggression at all. Nor sadness. 
Only... Regret.

"Then I apologize. I really am ignorant as you speak if I wasn't able to figure that out. At times- I even have the bad habit of viewing places as mere battlefields, both physically, socially and politcally... So..." He held up his hand to the soldier. "Thank you, for enlightening me. I told you, didn't I? I'm a mere doctor. Learning... Is what we do." (edited)

"You...? Thankful?"

And it was at this moment.
That everything within him exploded.
Anger. Fear. Shock. Regret. Hatred. Disdain. Sorrow.
It all blew up in an explosive burst of mana- his Circulation aura reignited anew.
Reaching for an emergency knife in his pocket...

He lept over to the Doctor, ready to stab him.

"YOU, OUT OF ALL PEOPLE, DO NOT GET TO SAY THAT WORD!"

"!"

But before the Soldier could even get near the Doctor...
... He was shot straight in the head. Piercing through his mask.

"... Not a single tear on your clothes. Looks like you're okay, Doctor."

The sound of a gruff, yet personable, man was heard at the entrance of the warehouse.
In his hands was an assault rifle, which he aimed, shot and did so without recoil or worry with one hand.
Not only that, but he scored a perfect and precise hit.
The large armored man moved over to the side of the doctor as he exhaled.

"You really gotta cut out the habit of wandering on your own after a fight, boss. Knew it'd get you into trouble one of these days."

"Why...? Ace...?"

The doctor looked over the body of the fallen soldier.
As his hands shook.

"Why did you shoot that man?"

"Ain't it obvious? You go crazy or something after this fight?" The man called Ace lowered his eyebrow. "He made an attempt at your life. So I shot 'em. It's practically elementary."

"I'm a Circulator. I could've taken the hit. We... We weren't finished talking just yet."

And it is now where the feeling of regret takes the Doctor fully.
As he turned around. Unable to even face the body of the soldier he was talking to once more.
He took a few steps forward. Ready to leave without saying another word. Until he spoke.

"... How much of our conversation did you hear?" (edited)

"Bits and pieces. I was tuned out, because it's the same stuff I've heard from most of the Unity forces."

Ace let out a sigh.
As he put his hand on the Doctor's shoulder.

"You better not let what he said shake you up, man. You're built different. If what you were doing was so painted in black and white, then we wouldn't be following you all this way."

"..."

The doctor put his hand on Ace's hand as well, lowering it.
But he was thankful of it. He just wasn't good with others touching him.
- Though he was quite a physical person with those he cherished.

"I've been meaning to ask, Ace. You're not infected. But the year's almost over and the war between us is still going on. And you haven't left for a leave once. Why is that?"

"... Sounds cheesy, but it's because I believe in you. I believe in Vivian. I believe in all of us."

The two finally took a step outside the warehouse.
As they looked to see their side of the things. Operators solemnly mourning the fallen. Others, crying that they're somehow still alive. Sharing warm embraces. Medics healing the injured.
That despite in a battlefield, smiles were slowly being returned. Even if they were wrought with the sins and blood of battle, they could still exist.

"I don't really have a say in the ideals of what you're fighting for. I'm neither a doctor nor an Infected. But there's one thing you do that no other faction does. Not the Explorers. Not the Magi Bureau- no one. You bring us victory, Doctor."

"Victory..."

He pondered over what Ace meant by the word.
And what victory meant to him.

But Ace continued speaking. "That guy was bugging you about how people like him had meals to eat and families to go back to. Meanwhile, we get to eat plenty under you. And you don't just give us families to go back to- you give us new ones. Thanks to your efforts in keeping rapport high in Malta Hospitaller."

Ace said, elbowing the Doctor by the side.
With a chuckle, he walked a bit forward to where a dropship of Malta Hospitaller was stationed.

"It's unfair, but that's how the world is. You're in a position where you can take, but you're also in a position where you give. So if I had any advice... Once this is all over, give more than you can take."

"... Heh." The Doctor slowly managed to crack a smile. "While I went into that warehouse with the purpose of understanding the enemy- I can't lie. There was that lingering feeling in me."

A bit of his Circulation pulsed.
His next words... Were linked to what he was Craving deep inside.

"That I wanted him to join us. So that I could give him what you speak of."

"Hey- well, maybe next time you wander off on your own after a battle... ... I'll tag along so I can help you convince 'em to join us. How's that?" Ace said, patting the Doctor's back again.

"Mm. And next time- I'll make sure to ask that question. More than anything... I wanted to know that man's name."

8/4/2024 12:45 AM

----------------------------------- + Gliese, 106, Generation Voyager + --------------------------

"..."

And of course...
All of this was a memory that Subaru was watching.
In his own head, he had a little image of the struggle that was going on inside of him.
He... Alongside the Doctor were staring at an orb that contained this memory.
And many, many more. He had seen it all.

Subaru was slowly remembering his time from when he used to be the Ghost of Sargon.
The shadowy leader of Malta Hospitaller.
And he was terrified.

"... I'm assuming that's how people like Uncle Lee and Auntie Ashley joined the team."

"Mm. Though in truth, my words back then only showed my cowardice."

The Doctor said, standing side by side with Subaru.
Staring at the train station where Subaru first met him- and where he made the choice to live in Gliese rather than a normal world...
The two stared on ahead, not facing each other.

"Convincing members to join us- to see our light... It was nothing more than just a way to delude myself. A way to move forward without looking back. Because I'm scared to look back on what we did."

"... It's real childish." Subaru said, with a bite of his lip. "It's like your a child throwing a tantrum about how people in the grown up world don't forgive each other as easily anymore. Like you're always asking yourself of when it changed."

"I can't deny it, seeing how many people work for me and believe in me. But every day I went into my office, went to plan for another battle, went to see another aftermath of one..." The Doctor stifled a slow chuckle. "I'm always wondering why they're still fighting for my ideals. Even though it's cruel. As much as they and the media tried to label it as heroic- it's still cruelty and genocide guised under the name of heroism."

". . ."

Subaru remained silent.
He took a few steps to the side, fully turning his back against the Doctor.

"Compared to you, the war I've been through's nothing. Not just the war against the Solars. But-" For a second, his E.G.O flashed over him. His mask. "- The war against Autumnwood too. Even now, I'm not sure I should've won that." He turned to finally face the Doctor. "Arsene put a stop to it and tipped it in our favor. But- he was the one who ended the war. Not me. He was the one who came up with the plan of stopping it."

Subaru gripped his fist.
As if to say,

"If he didn't come in, this war would've lasted forever."

"... Your point being?" He was curious as to why he brought himself up.

"..." Subaru hung his hands down. "That you- remembering you's been nothing but a thorn on my side. Cause you're a real piece of work. These past few days- I've been remembering you. And it's terrifying." He looked over to the Doctor. "Because you're not me. But for some reason- I have your memories. And every day, every day just living, fighting that war with tactics I didn't even KNOW how I came up with...!!!"

Subaru threw his arm to the side. As for the first time in a while.
He showed rage.

"Every day, it feels like some stranger is gonna invade my body and take it over! And I can't take it anymore!"

"..."

"Back when I was testing out my new Domain Expansion with Ginhime and Mr. Volkannon... I had no idea how I even came up with it! And yet- there was this thirst in me to complete it! When I wanted to reach out and help Kenko with Tetsuo... I don't even know why I left it up to him! Why I felt inadequate to help her- even though my role models are all people who reach out endlessly! Yet I couldn't! I couldn't extend my hand! When I was stuck in that elevator with Lucca and Eris... When I tried confessing to Eris- how I gave up so easily upon hearing she was taken... I didn't even ask who had her! How could I give up that easily?!"

Subaru... Put his hands to his head.
As he started crying. And yet, through his tears, he spoke.

"When I was working on that play with Tenglong Yimu, why was I so mad?! It's a damn play- I don't care that it goes against my ideals! Shouldn't a lazy guy like me kick back and have some fun!? When I found out Greyson and Adelsiya were scheming behind my back to give me less work... Why didn't I barge in on them and thank them so much?! It's not like I want them to not know that I found out- I'd rather them be open about it! And why...?! Ever since I began to feel- ever since I began to be split from Okino...?! Why am I so okay with letting my own best friend go?! Why did you make me break up with Bianca?!" ...

"..."

The Doctor stepped in front of Subaru.
These likely weren't the only examples.
With his hands in his pockets, the two were close.
But Subaru fell to his knees, sobbing and crying. For right now,

It was like he was the king of nothing. A boy who did not exist.

"I thought that splitting up with Okino would make things easy! I got here, and I got half my free will takena way from me! And yet... And yet... It just became harder! So much harder to find out where the lines between my own free will and you blur!"

Subaru put his hand to his head.
And he almost smashed it onto the floor with all his might.
Just so that he could have a semblance of choice.

"So really...?! Who the hell even AM I?!"

"... I can say one thing for certain. You're not me."

The doctor said.
Squatting down in front of Subaru.

"And I'll prove it. We may share the same habits. Same way of thinking. Same hesitance to fully reach out to people. We may be deeply similar. But there are certain things that you can do that I cannot."

"You... Even though I have your memories?"

And with just a single sentence-

His entire world shifted.

"You've seen your inconceivable present. So now you must face your own past."

It was just one sentence.

One sentence which got Subaru to finally wake up in his bed.

8/4/2024 1:22 AM

---------------- + Emerald Port Island, 2017, Osore District + ----------------- (edited)

It was a nerdy room on a rocky boat with a lot of merchandise.
Stock fill with figures of anime characters, planets hanging, manga art as posters...
All sorts of manga, drawings and paintings on the room- this room could be described as nothing but a nerd's room. Or to cut deeper, an otaku's room.
One who clearly has a fondness for anime and space. In fact, there was even an expensive telescope in it.
Not just that, but work in progress manga too. An artist and a nerd.
And in the middle of it...
A bed. Where a certain boy was snoozing.

"Zzz... Zzz... Zzzzz..."

Even though it was already 9 AM, and his alarm clock was meant to go off 2 hours earlier.
He somehow slept past his alarm and it turned off by himself.
Subaru Yamato, the heir to the Yamato Throne of the Eastern Land, was totally and utterly snoozing.
Even though he was on a boat.
Even though he hadn't really done much on the other day.

But.
It was just one sentence.
One sentence which got Subaru to finally wake up in his bed.

"SUBARUUUU!!! WAKE UP! IT'S PANCAKE DAY!"

That, and a closed wood fan that jabbed his stomach.
Forcing him to shoot awake.

(edited)

"GHGHGHAHGUUAUGUH?!"

And instantly, he shot awake.
His room was normally pitch black, as he really didn't like to turn the lights on. Only when he was working on his manga is when he'd turn them on.
But reading manga? Watching anime? Playing games? The lights would be off and the curtains would be closed.
But. Kaihaku Yamato, the boy's father, had somehow managed to hit him in the stomach with a fan. But not only that... Somehow, Kaihaku had found the time to open the curtains too.
Subaru had to process 3 things.
1. "I just got hit in the stomach by a fan and it fucking hurts."
2. "Oh god why is it so bright in my room I thought I woke up on time."
3. "Why is my dad in my room?"

Suffice to say, the look he had would rival Enel One Piece's signature look with how shocked to the core he was.

"Yo! And what's with the bad look, Subaru? You look like you just had a nightmare about me barging into your room, opening the curtains while jabbing you in the stomach with a wooden fan to wake you up."

Kaihaku said with a jovial tone.
And he even gave a thumbs up right after.

But...
To Subaru, he was already used to mornings like these.
Or in other words- ridiculous ways of waking up like these...

"... Yeah. A nightmare. Kinda like what happened just now. Only difference was..."

... Were Subaru's daily routine and daily life.
So he already knew where to reach. He opened his drawer... And pulled out a wood fan of his own!
Opening it fully, he swiped it like a dagger to Kaihaku!

"... I blocked that wooden fan in my dream!"

"Ha!"

And with a quick duck down...
Kaihaku weaved through the horizontal swipe of Subaru.

"You're a decade too early if you think you can block a hit in your sleep! Of course, I could do it, but...!!!"

Once he got close...
He opened his fan and swung vertically at Subaru's neck.

"That's cause I'm the one and only Emperor of Yamato!"

"Oh yeah?! And I'm your heir!"

Subaru block it by lowering his fan to block the swipe right before it hit.
Instantly, he transitioned it by closing his fan and going straight for a thrust to Kaihaku's head.

"Means I gotta do things better than you, yeah?! You say I'm a decade too early... So what're you gonna say when I block that first hit in a day?!"

"Getting hasty now are you?!"

Raising up his fan...
With just a simple twist of his wrist, he had completely blocked the thrust at its weakest point.
With minimal effort.
And with a shout...

"Now behold this, Subaru. You've forced my hand to block in this specific way. Which means I have no choice... But to use my ultimate technique!" Unfortunately.

"Um... Do I have to wait to see the end of this bout to eat breakfast? Can't lie- I've been starving! So are you two gonna hurry it up already?"

They were interrupted by someone standing in the doorway.
Kaihaku's wife- and Subaru's mom. Naiad Yamato.
Standing with a sleepy look, it's also clear that she's fatigued from having not eaten in a good minute.

(edited)

"Wha-"

And immediately, Kaihaku tossed his fan over Naiad. Somehow, it flew over to the top of a drawer and landed it perfectly.
Subaru and Naiad have no idea how Kaihaku got so good at throwing things.
As he immediately began to bow in front of Naiad.

"M-My apologies for keeping you waiting! Me and Subaru's morning rituals just took a bit longer than usual! B-But if you were hungry, you could've started cooking without us, y'know?"

"Oh, Kaihaku... It's not the same if the whole family isn't in the kitchen, y'know?" Naiad said with a slow smile. "That includes you too, sleepyhead." Naiad said over to Subaru. "You stay up late making those machines of yours again? Or chatting with your girlfriend?"

"Wha-"

And although Subaru was usually groggy in the morning, with Kaihaku's "morning rituals" helping him to wake up... There was still a degree of grumpiness.
But with the two of them unloading their usual stuff at once... It somehow got him to snap awake all at once.

"Wait- Vivian's not-" He stuttered. "I don't have a girlfriend!"

"Pfft."

Kaihaku stuck his tongue out, trying to stifle his laughter.
Immediately, he turned over to Naiad, scratching the back of his head.

"See how he just woke up and he remembers her name?"

"Hehe..." Naiad chuckled slowly. "You were like that when you were still a romantic, y'know? Back when you used to sleep during class, you muttered my name a whooole lot. EVERYONE could hear it." Naiad looked over to Subaru with a slow smirk. "You really are your father's son."

"I'm... Flattered?"

"Wait... Are you saying I'm no longer a romantic now?"

Naiad for some reason had a penchant for confusing everyone in the room with her statements.
Even when married, Kaihaku could STILL not get a good read on her.

"By the way, Kaihaku... Even though today IS Pancake Day, I realized that I may have made a fatal mistake." And she would only continue to prove that throughout the day. "Y'see, I've never made a pancake until today. And I think I absolutely butchered it."

Looking outside...
In the dining table of the Grand Drifter... There was something on a plate that could only be described as a pile of slop.

"See, I'm good at Eastern food despite my heritage- but not so much western food. ... Uh, why do you two look so unsure?"

("... Oi. Subaru.")

Kaihaku said, just barely looking at him.
As he was worried on whether or not Naiad would catch on to the fact that they're whispering.
They could barely hear each other, even.

("Did highschool teach you how to make pancakes?")

("Uh- no?! Why the hell would they teach me that?!")

("Okay. Did College?")

("I haven't stepped foot in a school in 3 months, dad!")

("Shit. Do none of us know how to make pancakes? On PANCAKE DAY?")

8/4/2024 2:13 AM

Thus would begin another unremarkable morning in Subaru's life.
Because as eventful as it is...
This was his daily life. And he was already used to it.

As much as he enjoyed it, it was familiar. That was what stuck out to him the most.
In other words-
He could liken it to an eternal reccurence.

What Subaru was staring off at...

... It was certainly food. It could be eaten, but one would be hard pressed to imagine someone eating it.
And it was a pancake for sure. It just looked "off."
Of course... The Yamato Family was not satisfied with just a simple pancake.
A pancake with eggs, sausages and some whipped cream wasn't enough. It needed to have flavor. It needed to have royalty.
Refusing to have just a simple breakfast for an important day, they went out of their way to make the most glorious dessert pancake, and...!!!

"Dad. You gonna eat that?"

"Nnnnope!"

Five pancakes stacked on top of each other. Whipped cream, but an overload of it.
And a mish mash of fruits, meat and desserts that didn't even make sense. Subaru doesn't even know if you eat pancakes with grapes.
Just these things on their own were fine, but it formed an absolute abomination.
He slid the plate over to Subaru.

"Suffice to say, we messed up! I am absolutely NOT eating that pancake!"

"O-Okay! Well I'm not eating it either!"

Sliiiiide.
And instantly Subaru slides it over to his mom.
With a wry grin on his face, he says,

"C'mon, mom. Maybe take one for the team?"

"Oh dear."

And she instantly erupted into a frown.
She slid the plate over to Kaihaku- who slid it back to Subaru.
Who slid it back to her. Then to Kaihaku. Then to Subaru.
She spoke as the cycle continued.

"You know Subaru, in this year of 2016, most nuclear families aren't so healthy, you know? You have neglectful parents, parents wanting their kids to respect them rather than love them... Households such as these are rare! In other words, anything you guys don't like- I don't like either!"

"Was it really necessary to mention that bleak fact about families...?" Sliiiiide.

"Hm?" :clueless: "I don't see how it could be UNnecessary." Sliiiide.

Sliiide. "Subaru. You're a man. Well- I know you just turned eighteen a few months ago, but you're man enough to be able to work a 9-5." The emperor glared over to Subaru. "And sometimes a man's gotta know when to suck it up and do something they don't like doing."

"Aside from the fact I can sense the subliminal messaging in your statement, aren't YOU more of a man than I am?"

Sliiiiide.
Subaru slammed his fork down.

"If you don't wanna eat it, then you're less of a man than I am! I'll even prove it!"

Then he dragged his plate back.
Rising up his fork- he sliced a part and readied to eat one.

"Aaaah...!!!"

"!"

And then.
The glare of an emperor- Conqueror's Mana- had gotten Subaru to pause for just a second.
It was enough time for Kaihaku to slide a bite of his own.

"Oh no you don't! I may be proud of you, but not THAT proud! You aren't stepping out of my shadow just yet, young man!" And he raced to take the bite first. (edited)

But the both of them ate the slice they got at the same time.
And their reactions.

"-?!"

Were the exact same. "-?!"

"Oh dear."

Naiad covered her mouth.
The looks of the two were the exact same nauseous glare they were both giving the pancake.
On the verge of hurdling at any moment.

There was nothing wrong with the individual ingredients.
It just ended up as an explosion of taste that was too much for either of them to handle.
Ugly on the outside, ugly on the inside.
Or in other words, a "clusterfuck." That's what the pancake was.

"I assume I'll take this as a sign that both of you hearty men are going to handle it."

"- HGUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!"

"- OUAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHH!!!"

"... Or not! I guess the both of you can say bye bye to your pride."

With a little wave of her finger, a small bubble of water appeared over it.
She swiped it across the pile of vomit the two men just made.
Said water purified the vomit- as she threw the bubble out of a window.

"Perhaps we'll just have another Naoki-made meal?"

And leaning over from the kitchen's window, near the family dining room...
The chef of the Grand Drifter sighed. 
The blind chef, Naoki Ishida, who has some of the world's best cooking.
He had been listening in the entire time and has been wondering one thing.

"You know... I wonder why you didn't just ask ME to make the meal, Emperor Kaihaku. In fact, cuz it's pancake day, I've made like... Fifty pancakes so far. An extra three or five wouldn't hurt, you know?"

"Well..." Kaihaku slapped his lap. "Sometimes an emperor just wants to get down and dirty and do the things themselves. And if I can't do at least a decent job at it- then who can my men trust?"

A bit of silence passed...
Until Naiad interrupted it.

"AND we haven't cooked in a while!"

"That too." Kaihaku said, nodding.

"Well, when you word it like that..." Subaru stood up. "Feels only right if I should help out, y'know?" As he readied to walk to the kitchen. Before he did, though...

Kaihaku unexpectedly lowered his voice. "Oi."

It was a simple call- no Conqueror's Mana attached to it at all.
But the seriousness in such a simple call... One wouldn't be wrong to say that it froze the whole room.

"You know how long Naoki likes to cook. And for good reason, no offense. You'd be late to school if you just helped out. Why don'tcha just grab a quite bite?"

"Dad... ... You know I already dropped out."

And Subaru hung his head.
Walking through the kitchen doors silently.

9/8/2024 5:39 PM

------------------------- + Grand Drifter Kitchen + -----------------------------

And as per usual, especially on a food-related day...
The Grand Drifter's kitchen was as busy as ever.
It was an extremely robust kitchen. Not just with high tech Machina from Yamato- such as advanced food printers, advanced friers that skipped entire processes of cooking...
But magical equipment as well. Sigils that can even freeze in an instant and unfreeze instantly. Sigils that can prepare spices and mix them perfectly with the food.
And at the head of it all was Naoki.
The Helsman of the Grand Drifter was Hyoga.
But the Helsman of the Grand Drifter Kitchen was Naoki.

"- Now hurry up the pace, Oskar! You're cracking your eggs too slowly, I've seen faster from you! Lazarus! I've SEEN how fast your hands can work when making bombs, go make that pasta faster! Ryuka! You call THAT a Grilled Mackarel?! Do it all over again!" (edited)

Seeing as this was Subaru's first time in the Grand Drifter Kitchen...
... He wasn't used to seeing this side of Naoki.
Nor did he realize how hard it was in the kitchen.

"Geez. I know the Grand Drifter has like- the population of an entire TOWN in it, but... Never expected the kitchen to be so busy." He was slowly making some radish cake.

Ryuka on the other hand, was in charge with all things fish.
Doctor of the Grand Drifter, he was one of its core members. Even though due to his status as Heroic Spirit, he wasn't around as often as everyone.
With his wings helping him fly and zip across the place- he was Subaru's conversation buddy.

"What do you mean you never expected it to be so busy? Seems only natural that even someone as meek as Naoki would turn into Gordon Ramsey."

"You... You know who that is?"

"Eee'yup! Lea suggested I watch television to learn how people speak nowadays." The angel said with a happy go lucky smile.

And Subaru's face deflated. "I really don't think you should be watching Hell's Kitchen to learn how people speak..."

"Really?"

He landed right next to Subaru, having gathered enough to make a fillet mignon.
Using the tools on the counter, he got to work while speaking.
Unlike Subaru, who paused when he cooked... Ryuka never paused.

"Then what should I be watching? Family Guy?"

"T-That's even worse!" And the boy almost slammed his head on the counter.

"... The Simpsons!"

"C-Can't you just take from the other people on board?! They speak pretty normal!" Subaru said with a frown.

"You'd think so, but no! Most of us come from the Eastern Land, the Underworld, and Fallen Heaven! I tried talking to the Angels for some advice, but one of them just gave me a book called "how to talk to people" and told me to go off from there. Here! Take a look!"

Ryuka digged through his cloak...
As he pulled out a book called that. There were only two pages in it.
The first page read,

"STEP ONE: Think about what you want to say."
The second page read,
"STEP TWO: Say it."

"... Well, I mean, it's technically not WRONG..."

Subaru said, letting out an exasperated gasp.
He has no idea how a book like that even has a publication stamp and everything.
Which means it's sold in bookstores.

"Then! Can you at least like- teach me a few phrases? I have no idea what the heck a "rizz" or a "sigma" even mean nowadays!"

* NOTE: Although this takes place in 2016, remember that Ishmael and Shigeaki invented the word "Rizz", setting the entire vocabulary of the world off course.
Ryuka crossed his arms tightly.

"Like, they're made up words. But the kids nowadays are treating them like REAL words." Subaru is reminded that this unaging angel is in his 20s.

"Aren't all words just made up...?"

:O "Oh... Yeah, you're right! Still though!"

"Either way, the best advice I could give you, is uh..."

Subaru paused for a bit.
He focused on chopping carrots- thinking it'd clear his mind.
But all he could come up with is,

"... Try to talk to people outside more, I guess? I mean, you can disguise as a human. A young looking one- but still one. Most you can really do is get some field experience."

"I see, I see... Well- I already thought of that. It was my last resort, but..."

Ryuka floated to meet Subaru's height.
As he stared at him deeply.

"... Sup?"

"... What are you doing?" Complete confusion formed on Subaru's face.

"Talking to you."

"Why are you talking to ME?"

"I mean, isn't that what you came to this kitchen for?" Ryuka exhaled. "But- aren't you a person who's in touch with the modern world a lot? You make all those machines! You go to school!" Ryuka said, pumping his fists up and down rapidly. "AND you know which shows to watch!"

"Okay- first of all, I don't go to school anymore. Dropped out." Subaru looked over to the side. As a bit of shame passed him. "And... I didn't go here just to make conversation with you- or anyone here. Just wanted to make some food cause I failed makin' some pancakes earlier, and I wanted to own up to it. Even though Naoki could- and IS making some for my family, I still feel a little accountable for messing breakfast up..."

"Really now? If the second part were true, then... You really are your father's son." (edited)

"..."

For a second, a lot of words were stuck in Subaru's throat.
He didn't even want to say anything special. He just wanted to give a normal remark to that statement.
And yet he found himself unable to speak.

"... Wait, what do you mean "if it were true"?" Luckily though, he snapped himself out of such a stupor.

"Both of the things you said were a lie, y'know?"

- Ryuka let out a sharp grin.
It was then that Subaru remembered a warning that Kaihaku gave.
Kaihaku put his trust into the Core Team of the Drifters for a reason. They were very sharp and keen individuals.
They didn't free the Eastern Land from a tyrannical rule for nothing.

"Don't see why there's any point in lying when it's just me. You said you didn't wanna make conversation, but then if so- you would've stopped my convo at any time. Not I'd be offended- the kitchen's always in a rush and if you wanna focus, I'd respect it. And if you really were gonna take accountability, you wouldn't be half-assing that meal you're making and you wouldn't be talking to me. Look." `

Ryuka glanced over to the plates he made.
He's already finished five dishes.

"That much... Already?!" Subaru said, stepping back a little. "Oi, oi, oi..." As he got a little defensive. "... I-I'm not half-assing my work here, okay? It's just... My first time here, and I can't keep up and get used to all the equipment here. I'm giving it all my all."

Ryuka exhaled.
As he looked over to Naoki.

"... Maybe you need some fresh air, man. I just said there's no point in lying to me."

9/8/2024 6:06 PM

-------------------------- + Outside Grand Drifter, Osore District + -----------------------

Subaru stepped outside the Grand Drifter.
Having nothing in mind- he followed that angel boy's words. He didn't know what he did to deserve such flack.
And a walk outside didn't seem like such a bad idea after all. Because they were docked somewhere different.
Rather than the busy port the Grand Drifter was usually in, they were docked in a beach.
Presumably to hide.

"..."

Taking steps along the beachside, with the waves occasionally hitting and brushing across his feet...
He noticed something.

"?"

The sound of mana erupting.
The eyes of the boy were glued to the ground, but he took a moment to finally look to the side.
That is when he saw a few people he recognized.

"- Yeaaaaah, I'm beat!"

From the Hakurei Shrine faction, two of them were laying flat on the ground.
Rinko Watcher, one of the leaders of that faction, was breathing heavily.
Her mana aura weak.

"Didn't even lay a scratch that time, Shiori! You were pissed! That time of the month already for you?"

"Haaah... Haaah..."

Another was a curious girl. Subaru wasn't exactly sure of who she was- though she knew her name from the few times they conversed, and of course her faction.
But she was something Kaihaku and the other higherups of the island called an "Aberration."
Getting up on one knee, she exhaled.

"Do robots even HAVE periods...?"

"Tch. Course I don't. But I'm mad for a different reason."

The person they were fighting was a member of the Burial Agency.
One of the strongest people on the island. And someone Subaru really didn't want to see. He didn't wanna see anyone from that faction for that matter- they were all bad vibes.
Electricity coursing through her aura, the android urged the two to stand up.

"Now get up! We're not going another round till I see you two improve! The culling games can start at any time now, and you two are still slacking off!"

("Ah shit, the Shrine and the Burial agency...")

Subaru let out a big frown.
- He wasn't a fan of either of those two groups.
No matter where they went, it spelt trouble for the entire island.
He expected them to get into a sidequest on the ship that'd probably lead to the ship fighting a kracken or a Murian Agent.
Which just meant more trouble.

("I swear to god, if there's a fourth member here, then this is definitely a-")

"- Someone call for a fourth?"

"- I was kidding, okay?!"

"Hahaha!"

Then Subaru was greeted by another member of the Burial Agency.
Though he was the one least on guard against, particularly cause he found himself drawn to him for whatever reason.
Which seeme to be the common census among most people.

"What's gotten you on edge, Subaru? Seeing all this high octane training making you worry for the culling games?"

"It's not that, Don... Or should I call you by The Don?" ("You know, I still wonder how you got that nickname.") (edited)

("To be honest, I dunno either. But it's cool, isn't it?") "Then what? Worried we're gonna ransack your kitchen, get into a sidequest or two? You know it'll work out in the end."

"That's true. Even if The Aberration spreads her misfortune everywhere, you guys always manage to clean it up in the end..."

Subaru scratches his back.
As he sat down on the sand, watching the three train.

"It's just... Something trivial. Got called out for something while making breakfast."

"Really?"

Don also sat down.
Though his attention was split evenly between looking at Subaru and the two training.

"You mess up making your food or something?"

"Kinda. Yeah. I wasn't putting it my all- and the person I was working with noticed it. Sucked, cause- well... You know how busy the Grand Drifter is. Gotta feed hundreds of people and I wasn't taking it the least bit seriously."

Subaru rolled up his fists.
It angered him.
But he didn't know what part angered him.

"Hmm..."

Don put his hand against his chin.
As he scratched it a little, squinting.

"Maybe cooking's just not your thing? I've seen a few cases where people can only work hard into what interests them. Maybe you're just like that- what with how good your machines are. If so, don't beat yourself up over it, man."

"Well, even if cooking doesn't really interest me as much as inventing and tinkering machines does- I still had to do it."

Subaru put his hand down.
- He ommitted mentioning on how he volunteered for it. Subconsciously...
He wanted to make himself good against a person he looked up to.

"... I'm just pissed I couldn't take it seriously, even KNOWING that."

"You know... That line of thinking's real nostalgic. You really are your father's son."

"..."

"Well... Sorry to say, but as much as I wanna give my empathy- I can only give my sympathy. I'm the type of guy who always puts his all into everything. No matter what!"

Putting his hand on Subaru's shoulder...
The Don offered one of his optimistic smiles.

"If you're feeling down about this, why don't you do what you always do? Like make machines and stuff. I've heard doing what you like can clear your head. I know that's the case for me! Every time I'm stuck on a decision, like if Siete's pressuring me on the business, or Allie's giving me a tough time cause of what happened on a mission... ... I train!"

"Hehe..."

And despite it all...
The simplemindedness of Don had caused him to lighten up a little.
Subaru stared up at the sky.

The oh, so, blue sky.

"If only if I could be as single-minded as you. Then I wouldn't be so down over someone just calling me out."

"Simple-minded?! Hey, I'll have you know I have a lot of thoughts in here!" Don said, pointing to his head. "... Most of them are just ideas for training regimes and techniques, but they still count as thoughts, yeah?"

Subaru got up.
- He was advised to take a walk.
Now he's being advised to go back in the ship.

A thought passed by him. He didn't internally monologue much.
He just focused on living life as it came, going with the flow. Yet at the same time...
Always keeping himself busy.
So thoughts like these...
"... What the hell am I even doing?"
... Didn't pass him so often.

"... Never change, Don. But I think I'll take you up on that offer. Maybe I do just need to make a few machines to clear my head up. Thanks, man."

"Any time man! We might not be on the same faction- we might be rivals even, but I'm the man who's gonna be friends with everyone on this island!"

Don declared.
As he practically shouted it off the top of his lungs.
Subaru has no idea how he has the energy to shout his catchphrase every time he does it.

"Hope you get your issue solved before dinner! Cuz' eating dinner with a scowl like that... Would suck!"

9/8/2024 6:37 PM

-------------------------------- + Grand Drifter, Lab + -------------------------------

Subaru's lab was one of the busiest places in the Grand Drifter.
Not in terms of people. But in how much THINGS were in it.
Lea and Ayane made it a point that no place in the Grand Drifter should be cluttered. Every room aside from the personal quarters of a room were communal, so it had to be kept clean.
The only exception was the lab. Because practically only one man used it.
And it was Subaru.
Filled with projects- both finished, half-finished and barely started projects...
Relics, magical artifacts, sigils, tech- maybe a mix of all four...
It was a busy room filled with too many things. A single lab containing nothing but "work."

Which is why Subaru was surprised to find someone in the middle of it all. Having navigated it.

"Ah, Subaru. I was aware that your aptitude and enjoyment for the act of research and development was heavy. However, it is barely past breakfast and the average man's waking hours and you have brought yourself here. Are you really a slave to your passion that much? Or does your routine involve you working yourself to the bone so early in the morning? Regardless of it, I believe the various machines here speak for themselves." - The Spirit of the Planet. Vivian Watcher of EPI's government.

" - !!!"

But...
Before Subaru even registered the fact that Vivian was here...
He registered what she was about to touch.
Almost stepping past his own machines, blueprints and tools...
He rushed to her side.

"H-Hey! I know you like putting your hands on anything tech related, but do NOT touch that!"

"Wow. I'm impressed. You got here in record time."

The white lynx turned over to Subaru.
Crossing her arms- she looked at what was in the middle of the busy lab.
Even though every unique machine was vying for anyone's attention- something stood out.
A giant, terminal-like machine which was connected to tons of wires and tubes.
Processing all sorts of things on various windows.

"... But care to explain what this is? Usually when I invade your lab and or personal space, I see the entire lab working. Almost like a factory or a machine of itself. But everything else appears to be off- with only the essentials... And this one running." Vivian said, knocking the side of it.

"That's- don't touch that!"

Subaru said, throwing his arms in front of it.
As he glared.

"This machine is on the cusp of solving EVERY single issue I've ever had in my life."

And spoke with an uncharacteristic fury.
If he wasn't so annoyed from the happenings earlier in the day... He wouldn't have spoken like that.

"Oh? Is it that important and fragile to where a small insignificant tap can rouse that much emotion off of you?" Vivian crossed her arms. "Now I'm curious. I was simply going to check in on you, but perhaps I can stay for a little chat."

"The check ins you do on me anyways are way more than check-ins, and these little chats always devolve into you talking about philosophy or some crap about life, but..."

Subaru exhaled.
As he held up one of his arms- a seat flew to him.
Said seat being one of the many inventions he made. He sat down on it.

"... Fine. This is called Cogito. It uses quantum computing and artificial intelligence to detect abnormalities, distortions and Curses before they even appear using an advanced prediction algorithim involving peering into millions of alternate universe. Happy yet?"

"Oh my."

Vivian sat down as well on a chair.
As she faced Cogito- not looking towards Subaru.
As she was fascinated by the machine.

"And does it work?"

"Well... Kind of. It works, most of the time. I just need to tinker the algorithm a little bit, but I've detected thirteen abnormalities successfully with it and two distortions before they appeared."

Despite such a statement-

There wasn't pride in Subaru's face at all.

"... Subaru. This is more than just amazing. This has the potential to change the entire world. And you have proof that it works. Thirteen may be a small number, but it's one that can increase. Do you know what you're making here?"

"Of course I do. Don't treat me like an idiot- I made this for the exact purpose you're thinking of. I... I wanna change the world." Subaru looked up at Cogito. "I wanna be famous. I wanna be big."

"This is more than just big, Subaru. This is lifechanging." A slow smile formed on Vivian's face. "You know. I took you for an oaf. Someone lazy, who couldn't give it their all, but it looks like you've finally found something you're interested in. You really are your father's son."

"..."

"Still. A person of your caliber shouldn't have been able to come up with something like this. I do not mean to demean or downplay your intelligence, but unlike me- you do not have access to state of the art technology and tools, nor do you have a community of scientists helping you out. I have the minds of Doctor Fuji and Doctor Tenma, creator of the HCI robots, to help me out and you..."

With a proud look on her face...
Vivian pointed to Cogito, trying to make Subaru look up.
Trying to make him look proud.

"You did this all by yourself. How did you-" (edited)

-Subaru's stomach grumbled.

"Ah. So that's how. My presumptions were correct. You are an oaf."

"Wh- what'd I do?!" Subaru shook his head. "I thought you were finally giving me some genuine praise for once, but it's back to this?!"

"Breakfast. Have you eaten it?"

"I- well, no, I haven't-"

Subaru was surprised by a quick movement.
Vivian abruptly threw her arm out and grabbed Subaru's wrist.
Lifting his arm up... She slid down his sleeve to reveal his arm.

"- I knew it. You've lost quite a lot of weight. I can feel your bones in your forearm. You haven't been eating." (edited)

"What does that have to do with the machine?! Sure- I'm neglecting my own health." Subaru threw his arm to the side, forcing Vivian's arm off. "But you said it yourself. No way a bum like me could make a machine like this. So I made some sacrifices in order to make it." He paused. Vivian didn't say a thing. "And again- you said it yourself. This thing's lifechanging. So what if I skipped a few... Okay, maybe more than a few meals? A thing's like this's gotta require some sacrifices."

"Then..."

Vivian put her hand on Cogito's side.
Which almost prompted Subaru to get her hand off of it, but he stopped.

"What is Cogito to you? Is it a project that will save every issue in your life as you said? Something that will get you fame and recognition like your father? Or is it your insecurities all in one machine? Why does Cogito matter so much to you?" (edited)

"I dunno, I... ... It's more like the machine that's gonna grab my life in its balls and make shit right again."

Subaru put his hands in his laps.
As he couldn't face Vivian again.

(edited)

"Then Cogito isn't just something that detects abnormalities."

"... Yeah. I lied."

"..." For once in her life, the lynx stopped speaking.

"I guess I could say that this machine is... Me."

Subaru said, facing it.
As he stood up, giving it a blank look.

"... What were you trying to find with a machine like that?"

"- I dunno. A Magic God, another resurrected King, something on the level of the Broken Wonderland incident..." Subaru grit his teeth. "Anything. It just had to be an island-ending threat. Maybe even a world-ending threat. 'specially seeing as Mu isn't as much of an issue as it was anymore." Putting his hand on the machine- he showed its logs. "But all it's been finding are... ZAYIN and TETH level abnormalities. Even the distortions just needed me to call Ryuka or Don to hit it a couple of times, then they returned to normal." (edited)

"I didn't take you for the heroic savior type. Did anyone ask you to find something that big?"

Vivian crossed her arms.
Judging Subaru with each word.

"I don't know- I guess... I did. I wanted to be the one to find something that big. I was the one telling myself all of that, because if I did- then this would be worthless. Cogito would be for nothing. There wouldn't be a point to me."

"... You were one of the key factors in solving the Broken Wonderland incident. That incident would have swallowed the entire island in the sorrow of a single girl, leaving nothing but ash and dust. That wasn't enough for you?"

Vivian finally stood up.
As she put her hand on Subaru's chin- forcing him to look at him.

"Or what about where you are right now? You're the lead scientist of the greatest band of pirates in the world. Son of an Emperor. The great Lord of White, Kaihaku Yamato. You have a loving family (I surmise), a crew consisting of mostly found family and powerful coworkers, and this lab. And... You have me. None of that was enough for you?"

"Yeah. None of that... None of that was enough-"

And for a moment.

Subaru diverged.

"- Defeating Terra. Defeating Romano. Finding out the Silver Galaxy. Choosing my world over a fake one. Winning the Getsugari War. Winning the Smoke War. And SAVING the world, for crying out loud. Gliese would've literally been gone if it weren't for me. I've done all of that, and yet-"

A blink.
He was back in the lab.

"The days after I achieved all that, it was back to my day to day life. No matter how big it is or small it is, I'd wake up the next day. In my bed. In the same ship. And I'd still be me."

The two said nothing for a while.
As Subaru sat back down again, planting his hands to his eyes.
He didn't want to look at anything for a while. Not even himself.

"I'd still be me."

"... Was what you did not good enough?"

"Exactly. It wasn't good enough. It'd hit a peak, and then I'd be back to a regular old valley right after." He put his hand on his shoulder. "And if I even wanted my next thing to be even considered a peak, I'd need to go higher. I'd have to work harder. Try harder. Make whatever I did next a more genius scheme than the last. For every peak I did, things just got harder."

"Subaru. I think you know by now."

One hand on Subaru's wrist.
Vivian gently pulled down one. As she wanted him to look at her.

"Keep this up, and you're going to keep a ceiling." (edited)

"Yeah- I know. I've already hit a ceiling. But I'm still reaching."

"If you know all of that, then... Why? Why do you still keep trudging forward?"

- Subaru couldn't see it.
Because he was too absorbed in himself to notice...
The look of pleading on Vivian's face.

- One did not need to know the full context of their relationship to understand.
The look Vivian was giving was one that could only be shared between two people...
Who deeply, deeply cared for each other.

"Because it's... It's not good enough. Every time I reach a goal, I realize I set it too low. That I should've gone for more. I should've been more ambitious. I should've set my standards higher. I should've done more."

Subaru stood up.
As he took a few steps over to the exit.

"I should've been better."

He was ready to close the door on the lab on Vivian.
He didn't want to talk anymore, but-

"- I know I've asked this of you a lot. But this machine... Cogito- regardless of your personal baggage with it: objectively, it is something that can shape the future as we know it. And you may be able to kill two birds with one stone. You can rid of your baggage and get it complete."

Holding her hand forward...
... She asked.

"Leave the Drifters. And join me. We'll work on Cogito together."

"I-" "You really are your father's son." "- I'll think about it." (edited)

9/8/2024 7:52 PM

----------------------- + Osore District + ----------------------------------

The streets of Osore weren't pretty.
The district was known for its snow, as an eternal snow covered it.
The people here were reliant on trade and hunting to survive in such an uninhabitable place. Even so, it is where the rural countryside of Emerald Port Island still live. Back when it was called Izumo.
People in this district still call it Izumo, in fact.
But it is the perserverance of the people that made it pretty.
Houses and inns, made of wood and stone still exist. No building goes any higher than it should.
Everything is "just right." It isn't dazzling.
But it's right enough. That, in it of itself, made its own sort of beauty.

Kaihaku appreciated all of this on his walks. He was an emperor, after all.
But what was new was...

"... You sure you ain't bored, kid? I go on these walks for a while. First time you've ever joined me."

"I know, I know. I just... Really need to clear my head."

Subaru said, hanging his head down.
He was walking alongside his father after putting Vivian's order on hold.
Denied access to his lab due to her being there- he didn't know what to do.
So he went to his family.

"... How long is a while?"

"Mm... A full hour-ish? You should be glad. Back at home, it'd be about TWO hours of straight exploring and wandering!" Kaihaku said, huffing his chest out.

"Don't think that's something to take pride in, dad. I remember crying as a kid, wondering if you disappeared. Multiple times." Subaru said, smirking.

"Yeah, but I always left you with mom. You were always okay once she gave you a few pats on the head, remember? On the contrary- I think being able to enjoy simple things like this is an achievement."

Kaihaku looked to a small park.
An old park, but one where a lot of kids gathered and played.
Using whatever was available. Sticks, stones, the fountains, the benches...
There was no playground. But they made it their own.

"Other people need to go to casinos, play games and do all sorts of things to get the same level of satisfaction I do. Me? Long as I've had a beer for the morning, and the temperature's just right... I'm fine."

"... You know. People keep saying I'm like you." Subaru stopped walking, standing by a vending machine. "But with that statement alone... ... It's something I could never do. Might be barking up the wrong tree, but... Why do people even say that? Is it because I have your hair?"

"... Who knows."

Kaihaku sighed.
He got two drinks from the vending machine- canned coffee.
As he sat down, staring up at the clouds above.
It was beginning to snow. As it always did in Osore.

"But do people really say that?"

"Oh- all the time."

"Really? Our interests couldn't even be more different. What do you even DO to get people to say that?" (edited)

"It's... It's been happening since I was a kid, man."

Subaru put his hands on his shoulders.
As he remembers.

"I remember being a little kid, being really into manga. Especially in my teen phase. I'd draw and write up a whole lot of stuff. Stick figures. They called it great, said I should be a mangaka- even though it was just.. Something any kid can make. And they said I was just like you. You don't even draw."

"Ha! True. I do calligraphy, though. Wanna see when we get back?"

"Maybe." Subaru put his hands together. "What about sports? You do that too?"

"More of a martial arts guy myself."

"You do good on your test papers? You an academic?"

"Subaru, I have 3 personal accountants because I can't do any of the accounting myself."

"That's funny. When I was still in elementary, I played Football a lot. Every game I won, my coach would keep telling me I was like you." Subaru's eyes lowered. "And every time I got perfect in your test, my teachers would always say that. But it stopped one day. People get better at sports. The tests got harder." Subaru closed his eyes. "And I couldn't keep up anymore. The things I used to be a genius in, I was just a nobody in. This was clear as hell in Highschool. I was somebody. But after I started flunking my tests, cutting classes? They still said I was just like you."

He put his hand in his chest.
He gritted his teeth. Having to remember those moments...
It wasn't easy.

"It's like- no matter what I was doing, it still wouldn't hold up to a candle to anything you did."

"... Now who told you that, Subaru? Me?"

"No. It was me."

Subaru finally took a sip of his canned coffee.
His gaze was still fixated at the sky.

"I told myself that. Because it's obvious why I'm compared to you. You're the Emperor of Yamato. I've lived under your roof to know you're not a god or something- but you're still an incredible guy. Of course people are gonna see even the slightest similarities between us- and of course people wanted us to be similar. It's natural." Subaru's mouth wavered. "... It's natural for me...To not be happy about myself."

"... That the reason why you've been cutting class?"

"... Yeah. That's why. I just wanted to escape your shadow. No matter what it took."

"..."

Silently...
Kaihaku put his hand on Subaru's head.
Ruffling it slowly- messing up his hair...

Then he punched the back of Subaru's head.

"Idiot! Anyone ever tell you that your standards are what you make of it?!"

"- UGYAAAAAAAH!" And he fell flat on the ground soon after.

Kaihaku stood over Subaru.
Squatting down to meet his face, which just met the snowy floor.
With an exhale, he said,

"Getting people to berate you- even me... Isn't gonna cut it. I know what you were trying to do. Had a rebellious phase like yours when I was your age! And lemme tell you- no father or anyone in the world would hate someone as good as you just cause they got a little lazy. They'd wait for you to get right back up and keep trudging forward. I know that's what your mother wanted, and that's what I wanted, but..."

"Gh..."

Subaru slowly stood up.
Scratching the back of his head- where he was hit...
He got up on his own.

"... It looks like you've already picked yourself back up. Been meaning to ask, but what's gotten you to spend some time with your old man?" Kaihaku said, giving a smug grin. "You break up with your girl?"

"Gh- for the last time- I don't have a girl! ... But it was kind of like a break up. I dunno. My indecisive ass put it on hold again." Subaru said, sighing.

"So I was right on the mark!"

"We're not dating!!!"

"So how'd you break up?"

Kaihaku said, crossing his arms.
He prepared to listen in. To his son's worries.
To finally hear what's been eating him up.

(edited)

"Again- it wasn't a break up. Only kind of like it. She... She offered me to join the government. To join her labs, where she's working on all sorts of things. She works with Doctor Tenma, you know? The guy who made Shiori, Arwest, Noei and that twin-drilled demon girl whose name escapes me. Y'know the one."

Subaru said, scratching the back of his head.
He smiled slowly. Just thinking about the prospect got him giddy.

"And I heard the likes of Doctor Fuji's there. You know the one- the guy who's working on that big Space Colony. The Windreich, I think. And the Mages project. All the incredible guys in the field of tech's with her."

"Huh, that sounds like a great offer, kid!"

Kaihaku pat Subaru's head again.
Winking, he said,

"You get to be with all these crazy smart guys- and you get to be with your girl. Sounds like an insane offer to me. Why don't you take it?"

"Y-You of all people know what that means, though. So don't goad me into it."

As if Subaru was offended though...
He brushed his father's hand off of him. Shaking his head.

"If I leave you- I... I leave the Drifters. I leave this faction. I leave this family. I leave everything behind for myself."

"... You're talking as if that's a bad thing. From my perspective- I wouldn't object against it. Neither would your ma'- she's a scientist too. You're just gonna be spreading your wings and finding your place in this world."

Kaihaku pat Subaru's shoulder. Urging him to look him in the eye.
But Subaru already did right after the pat.
He did so subconsciously. He didn't need to be reminded that time.

"And from what you've told me- the things that are here are me and the people comparing yourself to me. You sure staying here's what you want?"

"I am. I'm sure. All I needed to do was to stop viewing that phrase as something that'll push me forward."

Subaru gave Kaihaku something sure.
A resolute nod.
He's already made his decision. After the punch...
... He knew what he had to do.

"You said no one would hate me, right? People seeing me as your kid..."

He looked over to the direction of where they came from.
The huge ship- the Grand Drifter could just barely be seen.

"... Could be their way of saying I'm just as good as you. That I'm worth your name- worth even standing near you. People who barely even knew me could say that. People who barely even knew me could see what was wrong with me. When I put it like that, then... Aren't I really loved?"

"... A lot of people in this world don't have a mom and dad like you, Subaru."

Kaihaku said, now finally staning side by side with Subaru.
The two of them stared at the same sky.
With the same gentle smile on their face.

"Neither do they have a home, like you. So it took you a while to realize what you should do, kid!"

"Yeah. It's not that my goal is happiness- or my goal should be to prove myself. It was never a goal in the first place. I have an obligation to be happy. I have an obligation to love all I've done- even if it wasn't the best. Even if it doesn't give me any recognition. Even if..." His voice trailed off.

Leaving room for Kaihaku to interrupt. "All of this from one breakup man. What did she even say to you- or what did you even say to HER?"

"Well- I was the one that put it on hold, but..." Subaru smiled slowly. "She offered to work on my magnum opus with me. A machine that represented every part of me- good and bad. And she embraced it in its whole, not shunning away from its ugliness. She wanted to hold my burden together with me. And I thought to myself after that moment." He put his hands in his pockets. "I might be a weak, pathetic and insignificant person. But she chose to stand by my side. So there has to be something there. For once in my life, I might've really been your son."

"Heh."

Kaihaku began his slow walk forward.
After all, one hour hadn't passed yet.
He still had much more energy left. He still had much more to see.
He still moved forward, briskly. Whilst enjoying the sights around him.

"There was never a case where that was false, Subaru. You've always been my one and only son." (edited)

"... Yeah..."

"Of course I don't! I love this world!"
"Those who overcome despair... Become unbreakable."

"Even so, I still need help."
"Even so, I can only do my best."
"Even so, there is still work to be done."
"Even so, I'll moving towards the future."
"Even so, I still have my responsibilities."
"Even so, it hurts to say goodbye."

"Even so I-" - He shut his mouth. "... No..." And Subaru started walking forward. "I know who I am. My name is Subaru! Your son or not- I am... And I always will be myself!"

In both ugliness and beauty alike.
Insecurities and strengths together. Malice and love together. Mistakes and forgiveness together.
Everything- together.

He was not just Izanagi.
He was just not just the Doctor.
He was not just Atsuhiro.
He was not just Subaru.

He was all of them.
He was himself. Nobody else.

9/8/2024 9:37 PM

------------------ + Gliese, 106, Generation Voyager + --------------------------

And-
Just like that, the two returned to the same place.
No longer was it snowy though. It was the same train station- yet it was spring.
His head was clear now. Subaru knew.
It was such a simple realization- but he finally reached it.
Still in his coat, the Doctor had his hands in his pockets. The memory the two of them were reliving had ended.
And the Doctor had this to say.

"That was proof." He lingered on those words for a while. "Proof that you are not me and I am not you. Proof that we fundamentally... Are different people. When you blamed me at the start- that was you at your lowest. Because it was never you. Or my memories. It was you. This is proof. We didn't make the same choice, Subaru."

". . ." Subaru stood still for a second. "Vivian's offer... You took it?"

"In a heartbeat. Of course- you know that's what actually happened. It was a choice that ultimately ended the world. Rokuro meeting Ryoko was what ended the world. And also... Me meeting Vivian was another part of what ended the world." The Doctor stared off into the horizon. "When I joined her, I met Doctor Fuji. Rokuro Fuji. We got along remarkably well, and Cogito... Was transformed into an engine of sorts. An engine that collected the energy from the would-be abnormalities and turned it into power. Which is now... The basis for how Space Colonies work."

With a loud exhale... The Doctor looked at his gloved hand.
A million memories- in a single second.
He had no regrets. For he would have never known such a foolish love would spiral into the death of billions.

"Our insecurity machine doomed the world, and is still dooming it even now. Your declaration. Subaru. Do you mean it?"

"... I do."

"Your desire for power. Your reluctance to help Kenko. Your love for Eris and your ability to give up easily. Your anger against the Crimson Dragon. Your reluctance to thank Adelsiya. The reason you broke up with Bianca."

The ground shook.
As the Doctor glared.

"No."

He took a full turn to face Subaru.
And the weight of everything hit him.

"I must go deeper."

And with that- everything changed.
Everything flashed around them.

"Your decision to hold the card that could save the world. Hiding the truth of yourself to Eris. Going along with Yohei, dooming yourself to a fate you didn't want. Then splitting up with him when things got just a little bit hard. Joining a war and prolonging it to gain more power!"

The memories of what he has been through.
Every regret. Every mistake.

"Putting Adelsiya in a coma! Nuking two entire districts! Doing that attack on Alvarnia! You accept it, then! That it was YOU who made those mistakes?! That it is no one's fault- but yours?!"

And...
Subaru stepped forward.
And for the first time, truly manifested his E.G.O.

It was a mask like before.
But it didn't mimic Atsuhiro's mask. It had two horns rather than one and it was a different pattern.
But it was his own mask. His own identity- which encompassed all that he is. The evolution, or rather the true side of his self.
One that he only achieved by embodying all of him.

"Yes."

Long overdue words reached his throat.
And then he spoke.

9/8/2024 10:15 PM

...

"Of course it was my fault! When was it never not my fault?! I could have ended everything from the beginning! But I wanted it all! Fame! Recognition! Power! It wasn't enough to stop the Solars and the Silver Galaxy- I wanted to get stronger too! I wanted all of us to get stronger! When I formed Magus Generation with Kageaki, it wasn't to get bigger! It's so that I could have an army! I wanted to be big, I wanted to move and shake the world! And most of all- I wanted to conquer! I wanted to matter. And you know where that led me?! It led me to a place where I was all alone like this. I never realized just how much I was hurting others. I didn't realize it until I was on my knees, with no one left to support me. Until the physical manifestations of everything I've done was there. People were slowly running away from me, slowly no longer going with me. And it didn't hit me until all my self loathing finally got people to realize who I am and abandon me. I'm a coward who wants it all. I want to be strong, but I can only dream. I use other people to do the filthy work I could have done myself! Yohei, Bianca, Kageaki- I've always been using others! I keep trying, but I'm not actually putting any effort! All my efforts- chasing Eris in the war, running the Smoke War, forming Magus Generation and making the Voyager- it was all in an effort to make people look at me and think "it can't be helped." I'm a weak and careless person who cares too much about how other people think! I can't do anything if someone doesn't recognize me, so that's why I want to matter so damn much.

10:27 PM

"I want someone to thank me! To look at what I've done and say I've done a good job! Because I can't do that for myself. I keep moving the goalpost. Every time I achieve something, I always go, "it's not enough." And it keeps getting bigger and bigger until others get hurt. Until I hurt myself so much, it hurts the people who want to help ME. Bianca, Adelsiya, Kageaki, Eris- everyone. They never would have gone through everything if I just swallowed my pride and admitted that I wasn't satisfied with myself. That I wasn't satisfied being at my peak. But I should have been happy- no. Not should have. I SHOULD be happy. Everything I've ever wanted is in the Magus Generation I've built. I get to mess around with Ginhime and Volkannon. Hang out with Tetsuo and maybe hit on a few girls. Game with Lucca and Eris on all sorts of games. I've got Yimu, who's always working on a crazy movie. Adelsiya... Greyson... They were always supporting me. And haven't I been blessed with true friends? Marie, Yohei... Through thick and thin- in my ugliest moments, they still believed in ME. This garbage heap of a person who's constantly getting others into trouble with their pursuit of power. This thirsty, worthless and reprehensible person who can't be satisfied with a single achievement. This foolish person who'd rather cry and whine than look in a mirror even once and look back on what he did. They stood by THAT PERSON. And I never even needed to do anything to keep them."

10:29 PM

The words that came out of him were ugly.
But in this moment, it was beautiful.
For the first time in his life, the boy was able to confront himself.

"So you know what?! You're a lowly, petty, irredeemable bastard. But. You're an incredible person, Subaru!"

9/8/2024 10:35 PM

Then it shattered.
The battle he was having against himself finally broke.
There was nothing to confront anymore. He reflected enough.
And he reached the answer he was looking for.

"Yes."
The question- ever since the beginning- was many things.
But he was sure of this in this moment. That he loved himself.
That he was a person with worth. That despite it all, he was a person worth standing alongside.
He chose all of his mistakes. He chose to dig himself deeper in his own dissatisfaction and hatred against himself.

So now, he makes another choice.
To fix things.
To make things right.
To be proud of himself, and satisfied with what he has.

At first, he couldn't remember anything. Things gradually started to feel a bit familiar. But in the end, Subaru couldn't remember anything important.
Even so, he still lived. He still found meaning.
His past was one he chose. His actions, his own.
His role, one he could quit at any time. And his name, his own.

He was himself.
And he was living.

That was an achievement... That he never realized he had.
The greatest one of them all.

mgq guy

Even so, I still live. "Generation Voyager - Theme of Side Stories Subaru" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZvAC-EmIGw (Arknights - Doctor)

"At first, I couldn't remember anything. Things gradually started to feel a bit familiar, though. But in the end, I couldn't remember anything important. Here's what I know, though.
This face isn't mine. I was a Mage, which means I'm the clone of someone.
My past isn't my own. I shared that with Okino, who used my body as a host to watch over 2-B.
This role isn't my own. I inherited that from my father, Atsuhiro Kashioko. I even took his name.
The only thing I have right now- is that. The name that I have now. Subaru Kikami."
Even so, I still live."

Tales from the Voyager are a collection of short stories involving the unofficial leader of Magus Generation, Subaru Kikami. The Mobile Colony is a busy, yet peaceful place, and Subaru finds himself occupied there more often than not. Being given the position of the unofifcial leader, many people seem to go to him for their daily affairs. At least for Subaru, each day is never the same for him. Each chapter will focus on a different party member, recruit, or perhaps something entirely different.

Chapter One - Even so, I still need help. (Ginhime Ashikaga and Jiang Yao)
Chapter Two - Even so, I can only do my best. (Tetsuo Eisner and Kenko Bergen)
Chapter Three - Even so, there is still work to be done. (Eris Astoria and Lucca Morgan)
Chapter Four - Even so, I'll keep moving towards the future. (Tenglong Yimu and Orpheus Sakamoto)
Chapter Five- Even so, I still have my responsibilities. (Adelsiya Reichhart and Greyson Navarro)
Chapter Six - Even so, it hurts to say goodbye. (Yohei Rumia and Marie Astoria)
Chapter Seven - Even so, I don't know who I am.

(edited)

Jump to this meessage to read it from the start, and pins have the chapters!