Chapter Text
Decide your destiny
We should...
- Restrain Ima
- Save Kako
It's your future!
I hated to admit it, but Sirei was making the right call. As Team Leader, I had to prioritize the greater threat. ...I had to prioritize killing V'ehxness.
"Ima! We have to fight V'ehxness!"
"Mr. Sumino! But-"
"Look, we just have to, alright? She's the reason for all this! She's the reason you died in my previous 100 days, too! We can't have you dying again!"
Ima went silent.
"He's right, you know." Sirei chimed in. "I can always detonate the bomb inside you. Let's see this mission through, shall we?"
"You're not helping." I turned back to Ima. "...We'll go back for Kako once we deal with V'ehxness, okay? She won't kill Kako, and neither will Eva. Just rest for now."
Ima was still hardly looking at me. It was clear he wasn't going to participate in the fight against V'ehxness. "...You'd better promise."
"...I promise."
I turned to the rest of the LDU. Nozomi had an apprehensive, nervous expression on her face. Whether it was because of my decision or because of the battle, I wasn't sure. Either way, I was glad she was still here.
The others looked ready. I had to press forward for the sake of them all, too.
"It's time. Defeat V'ehxness!"
Wave 4/4 start
You Win
"Grnghh... You... invader... scum..."
All of us were completely spent. And despite all of our efforts... V'ehxness was still standing. She was bleeding out, but she was still alive. She truly was the Supreme Commander.
She started to limp away.
"How could a god like me possibly lose to you... I'll be back... I'll get stronger... I'll absorb all of your power...! I'll start with that girl, and I'll pick you off one... by... one..."
"Everyone! Don't let her escape! Come on! Someone has to move!" Sirei yelled over the intercom.
I started to crawl towards her, but I was too tired, too weak, too powerless. If only... If only I could-
"YOU WON'T GET AWAY WITH THIS!"
Ima screamed and charged straight towards V'ehxness. Before I could even react, he flew in with his infuser and stabbed V'ehxness from behind.
*squelch!*
"You... unforgivable...!"
"Urgh...!"
"Do you think this is a joke?! Do you think my sister is a joke?! What do you know about her?! What do you know about us?! What do you know about anyone?! You don't know anything! You're NOTHING! JUST SHUT UP AND DIE ALREADY!"
"Grrrh... Gaaaah..."
He stabbed her relentlessly, his face warped by hatred. Even after he'd completely drained V'ehxness's cryptoglobin, he didn't stop. He just kept stabbing her. He drove the blade in her over and over.
Over and over... even when she was long dead, he kept driving the blade deeper and deeper into the corpse.
...I suddenly felt the slightest sense of déjà vu.
"Sister... Dearest..."
With a final gasp, Ima collapsed.
Sirei's drones carried Ima back to the Infirmary. The rest of us dispersed, our minds and bodies completely exhausted. We'd been fighting way too late into the evening, and nobody had the energy to utter another words. As much as I wanted to search for Kako, I was far too tired to organize anything this late into the night, and nobody else seemed to have the strength. We could only hope that with V'ehxness dead, Eva wouldn't do anything to her.
That didn't mean we could waste time, though. I told Sirei to wake everyone up as early as possible tomorrow morning, then wasted no time getting to my room. I tried my best to sleep until the search tomorrow.
Day 22, morning.
*knock* *knock*
"Huh...?"
I got out of bed. Sirei hadn't summoned us yet... Who could it be?
*knock* *knock*
"Takumi!"
It was Shouma. I ran to the door to greet him.
"What is it?"
"It's Ima... he's gone!"
"What?!"
"I'm sorry... I'm sure you don't want to hear this news from someone like me, but I woke up early and went to check the infirmary, and no one was there..."
"Are you serious? We've got to go find him!" I said. "I know he's trying to find Kako, but he's just going to get himself killed out there!"
"Sorry for adding to your problems..."
"Don't worry about it! We've got to organize a search for both of them! Why hasn't anyone done anything yet?"
"Everyone else must've been asleep... If my useless self had thought to check the infirmary faster, then-"
"Enough of that! Let's go!"
Shouma and I gathered everyone in the Cafeteria. There, Shouma and Sirei summarized the situation.
"So," Hiruko said. "We have to search for both of the twins. Is that right?"
"Yeah. Do you have a plan in mind, Hiruko?"
"Indeed. I suggest we focus primarily on looking for Kako. There are a few reasons. First, Ima is more likely to be able to hold out for longer. Kako was already on the verge of death when we last saw her, while Ima has been resting for a short while. Second, Ima is looking for Kako himself, so in the best case, we find both of them at the same time. Any objections?"
"Just a thought," I spoke up. "Ima's by himself. Kako might be with Eva. Don't you think there's a chance Eva is keeping her alive? After all, she'd be pretty useless to V'ehxness if she was already dead. Maybe we should go search for Ima first."
There were a few seconds of silence. I looked around the room. Everyone was still tired, despondent, or both. Finally, Gaku responded.
"Eh, the guy still seems more resilient than his lil' sister. Does it really matter that much? Besides, I'm sure most of us would rather save Kako first-"
"Gaku!" Nozomi yelled.
"What? It's true. I'm just saying what everyone's thinking. Don't get me wrong, I'd like to go find him as well, it's just..."
Hiruko sighed. "...Even if that's true, such thoughts have no place in a situation like this. I would prefer we keep the discussion to practical considerations only."
Takemaru continued. "I dunno, we can't really trust the invader chick with Kako's life right now. Sounds like protecting her should take first priority. Though, I can't say it doesn't suck. If we could grab both of 'em, that'd be great."
"He did absorb V'ehxness's cryptoglobin," Yugamu added. "Chances are he'll have stamina for a while longer."
Yugamu had a point. I'd completely forgotten that in all the commotion since last night. Still, though...
"Is there a way we can search for both?" I asked. "Aren't the possible locations they could be in roughly the same? Why are we even thinking about who to search for first when we're looking everywhere anyway?"
"Not all of them," Hiruko said. "For example, if Ima is searching by himself, but Eva took Kako to an enemy base, then searching the enemy bases gives us a higher chance of finding Kako compared to finding Ima."
"Alright, alright! That's enough!" Sirei butted in.
"We'll send out two groups. Sumino, you go with Kirifuji and Omokage. Shizuhara, you go with Kawana, Oosuzuki, and Nigou. Sumino's group will be the more mobile one. They'll take the bus so they can cover more ground, which will give them a better shot at finding either of the twins. Meanwhile, Shizuhara's group will primarily focus on finding out where Eva could've taken Miss Tsukumo. Any questions?"
"And the rest of us?" Gaku asked.
"You stay back in case any invaders still show up at our school."
"You just said they were small fry!" he protested.
"Need I remind you that the Defense Room is still our top priority. Consider my permitting not one, but two expedition groups to be a favor. The only reason I'm allowing it is because we've defeated the Supreme Commander, so the invaders ought to be rattled right now."
"Ugh, fine... Not that I'm complaining about less fighting."
"Excellent. Well then... Sumino, do you have any ideas for locations to search?"
"I suppose so..." I listed off a few locations I'd encountered in my previous 100 days. Thinking about it more, I hadn't explored outside the academy much in my past... But I had to go off what I knew. Plus...
"The most important of these locations is the invader base. In my past, Ima was taken prisoner at one such base, so it's a fair assumption that Kako might be imprisoned here this time as well. If not, we'll just have to scout out other outposts."
The others nodded in approval.
"Alright, then it's a wrap! Go on out there, troops!" Sirei sent us off.
Nozomi, Yugamu, and I gathered at the bus while Hiruko, Tsubasa, Kurara, and Nigou left through the Entrance Hall. Without hesitation, Nozomi started driving. All the while, I kept thinking. Where could Ima have gone? Where could Eva have gone?
...I could only hope I would find out soon.
Day 22, evening. Ima Tsukumo.
"*huff*... *huff*..."
I had been exploring outside for hours. But no matter where I looked, Sister Dearest was nowhere to be found.
The others were likely still sleeping away or wasting time in other ways. Even Mr. Sumino chose to sleep. They were all cowards with no sense of urgency.
I had to find her, no matter what. I had been flying everywhere I could. And yet, I barely even found traces of life. There were only a few invaders here and there. ...I killed them all, but even that sapped more and more of the little energy I had.
"*sigh*"
I deactivated my Class Armor. Using hemoanima for so long was taking a heavy toll on me I had tried to forget. My arms, my legs, my entire body... Everything was hurting. I was still injured.
I didn't care. I couldn't care. I had to... keep going...
I kept walking.
Day 23, evening.
A full night had passed. Still no sign of Sister Dearest. I searched for any trace of her like I was looking for any sign in this barren wasteland. It was like looking for food and water. For sustenance. I was well used to that. And yet, this... this was far more taxing.
I looked to the sky. I prayed that I would see her soon.
"Hah..."
That would never work. After all, there was no god I believed in. If anything, Sister Dearest was the closest thing to a god. Or no, that wasn't quite it.
Was I just going insane? Was it just the heat mercilessly beating my soul?
...I continued walking.
Day 24, evening.
"Ugh..."
Nothing. I had spent the past three days searching for my dear sister, and it was all for nothing.
Water was falling from the sky the whole day. In addition to my prior exhaustion, my damp clothes were starting to weigh me down as well. What was it called again... rain?
Never mind that. I had to keep going. I had to-
*crash*
I fell down. I couldn't keep going.
I had failed. I had been thoroughly defeated by everything and everyone. No... it was my fault all along.
"..."
Suddenly, I heard something.
Was that... footsteps? Someone was walking towards me.
"Ugh..."
I couldn't tell who was approaching me in the cold rain. I couldn't care less.
I collapsed into the desert in defeat. As I fell asleep, I wondered why she was taken away in the first place, and why she'd left me, too.
Some time ago...
"Hm. Not bad, kids. Here's some cash. Go spend it on something nice."
I grunted. "Something nice? You really think kids like us are spending money for fun? You really don't know-"
"Thank you!" Sister Dearest accepted the money and smiled. It was a beautiful smile as always.
I took a closer look at the man in front of me. He was very imposing, but he had kept his word, and money was money.
After weeks - no, months - of asking anyone I could find, I had finally found a company willing to accept work from us. Of course, I intended to do most of the work. It was a shady financial firm, but that was the point. If the black market paid well, then so be it.
...It had been that long since our parents died. I had been picking up odd skills and doing odd jobs here and there for the past few months, but it was nothing sustainable. One day, however, I heard a tip from a coworker.
"The real money's not in cheap jobs like this, y'know? You've gotta dig deep to find the actual big bucks."
"Oh? And how would you know?" I asked.
"I was in the black market business for years. Did a number on me. Nowadays, I'd rather take it easy. 'Sides, this is way more fun."
"Fun doesn't matter to me. Tell me more."
"The black market's no place for you, kid. Shouldn't you and your sis be in school? Definitely not with that crowd, that's for sure."
"...This is my life. This is our life. Please, give me something - anything - to work with."
After a lot of pestering, he hooked me up with a lackey for some shady financial firm, and here we were. Being so far down the chain of command meant the pay wasn't anything ludicrous, but it was an improvement nonetheless.
The lackey grunted at us. "Somethin' up? You've been staring."
"I have a question..." Sister Dearest raised her hand. She wasn't intimidated by the man at all. Maybe he reminded her of our father. Either way, it was very cute. If she wasn't worried, then I would just have to do all the worrying for her.
The man crossed his arms. "Speak."
"How do you know if what you're doing is right...? Like, that you're on the side of justice...?"
He chuckled a little. "Right? That's what you're concerned about? You kids went underground just to ask if what we're doing is right?"
"Yeah!" Her eyes were sparkling.
He turned to me. I tried to glare at him, as if he had to answer the question.
I wasn't sure if it worked, but he turned back to her and sighed.
"Well, it's just gossip, but apparently, the CEO says 'it's an occupation that puts an end to the life of human trash who pretend to be decent members of society', or some shit. So, if you're lookin' for justification, then it's just like throwin' out the trash. Someone's gotta do it."
"I see...!"
Actually, it sounded like a fair assessment to me. Perhaps I didn't fully understand what he meant, but I knew already that there were many pretenders everywhere in society, underworld or not. Those that would lie, those that would cheat, those that would steal... they were everywhere. Someday, I might end up the same way, but it was for a fair cause, so why complain?
...Of course, my sister slotted his words neatly into her view of justice. That was good for her. She was an angel.
I decided to get back on topic. "That's a very nice sentiment, but is there anything else we should know?"
"Hm..." The man scratched his chin. "I assume this ain't the last time you want to be helpin' us out?"
"Yes."
"Then you're gonna need some aliases for these odd jobs. Can't go around usin' your real names, even if you're not in any TRC databases."
I stepped forward. "I'll give you one. My sister doesn't need to give you some stupid nickname. I'll do it."
He clicked his tongue. "Alright then, what will it be?"
"Uh..."
I hadn't thought that far ahead. What sort of secret names did people have in the black market? I was new to this whole thing. Either way, I had to pick something cool...
"Come on, no need to think too hard, kid. Just pick whatever comes to mind."
I sighed and took a deep breath.
"How about... While we're working down here, you may call me... the Cruel Prince of the Underworld." I declared, as boldly as possible.
...I immediately recoiled in embarrassment afterwards.
"Tch, what kinda alias is that? What are you, twelve?"
"Close." Younger, but he didn't need to know that.
"Unbelievable." He grunted. "Well, suit yourself. We've got a lot more jobs that need doin' in the future. See you around, Clown Prince of Whatever."
He left without so much as another glance.
I was still regretting that choice of nickname as he walked away. It was too over-the-top, even for me. I needed to be the adult in the room. I needed to be the adult for my sister's sake. I immediately decided I'd forget the nickname. But...
"Wow! You're so cool, Brother Dearest! I'm gonna work really hard for both of us!"
She hugged me.
...How could I possibly forget it after hearing her adorable reaction?
I smiled at her. "Thank you very much! I'm doing my best, naturally."
"As long as you're here, I feel like I'll always be safe! I'll be here for you, too!"
"Yeah... Thank you..."
Sister Dearest... Kako...
...
Day 25, morning.
"Ah!"
...She still wasn't by my side.
I frantically scanned my surroundings. It looked like my room, but it definitely wasn't. Nothing resembling her was on the walls, after all. It was just a plain, lifeless room.
Then, I heard the door open. It wasn't Sister Dearest.
"Looks like you're awake."
It was Mr. Sumino.