"Did you really have to go through all of that just to get his consciousness back?"
Words echoed around the room.
"Thanks to Tomomi, this was a lot simpler... of course, the fighting was difficult, but we got through it."
"Yeah... Elliot, Shigeru, Yumi, and Kiyoshi are all sleeping in the nursing rooms when I arrived. I'm hoping things will improve shortly."
"How about Yui?"
"Oh, her? She's coping better than most... yet she's still upset about losing the Duel."
"I see... good, well... things happen; I'm just glad it all worked out in the end."
"I'm hoping he recovers quickly."
Tim noticed the ceiling, which had a bright sun shining into the room, reflecting on the people's faces and bodies, as his eye gradually gently opened.
"He's waking up, wait! Is it possible for you to hear me, Tim?" Nina drew him in closer while softly shaking his hand.
"Urgh... I'm not sure what's going on... why is everything suddenly so bright?"
"Come on, Tim, it's us... do you hear me?"
"Of course I hear you... but why have I awoken so suddenly... how long has it been?"
He was totally baffled. "You were unconscious for several hours... even longer if we include the period when Genpaku stabbed you." It was Codey, who had been separated from his buddies for a long time.
"Huh?" Tim sat up and took a look around, blinking to dispel the fog, and then moving his gaze across the room. "Hey, where are Kiyoshi, Shigeru, or even Ayuka, let alone Alpha?"
"Let's just say that they're all sleeping... especially Ayuka." Tim grew irritated as soon as he heard that from Codey's mouth.
"What happened to them! I'm not sure why I wasn't able to help! Tell me! Come on, I need to know!"
"Hey, relax... there's a reason you weren't able to assist them. If you catch my drift, you were out, governed by your "other self." Yujiro, you're the one who started it all."
"I have to see them right now!" When he jumped to the ground, he discovered his chest was wrapped, but he swiftly removed it and grabbed the jacket.
"Whoa! Hold your horses! Don't immediately jump up after passing out and start yelling and screaming!" Shion screamed, attempting to stop him from moving. Despite this, he dashed along the corridor and up the stairwell to their chambers.
He went through each and every room, and when he got to the nursing area, he was taken aback.
Alpha, who was sitting when he slammed the door, accidentally threw the noodles and, surprised, began to bounce them up and down, eventually retrieving them.
"Yo! What the hell is going on here, guy! Don't slam the door in my face like a psychopath! I was eating noodles, don't you see?" Alpha yelled, slurping noodles with an unimpressed grimace.
"Are you okay, Yui?! I sincerely apologize for all that has happened to you and the others."
Her cheeks were trembling as she continued to gulp the noodles. "... Screw you, first you beat me to a pulp, then you almost destroy my breakfast..." She claimed, her body encased in bandages.
"Y-You're having n-noodles... for b-breakfast?"
"Shut up, you shithead! I haven't eaten in almost a day! What in the world are you doing here?!"
("That wasn't my intention...")
"Can you just tell me if you're feeling good?" Tim was perplexed. "Of course I'm feeling OK; in fact, I'm feeling fantastic!"
"How about the others?" Looking at them, Tim was perplexed. "They're dead, in the sense that they're sleeping..."
"We're not sleeping! Your yelling jolted me awake!" Kiyoshi yelled, sitting up and leaning forward. "... Kiyoshi, why do you have to be so noisy all the time?" Shigeru inquired. "You're calling ME noisy?!"
"You're all yelling! Will you just shut the HELL up?! Can't a man sleep in peace?!" When a pillow flew flying into Elliot's face, he screamed. "You, as well, moron!" Yumi whined and wailed.
"Oh! Tim, you've returned to your old self! I'm glad I don't have to deal with your shit anymore!" Elliot answered the phone, leaning back in his bed.
"What?"
"You were really deranged... and every one of us had to...to-" Yumi flung another pillow at Elliot before he could spoil the beans. "What have I done now?"
"Don't worry... he's only a little weird... he had a serious brain injury..." Yumi guffawed when she thought of Tim. "How are you guys doing?"
"I'm sure I could do better, hehe!" Yumi chuckled and scratched her head as she looked at him. "What about Ayuka, huh? Why didn't she wake up if she was asleep?"
"The problem is, we have no idea what happened to her. We had only seen her in this room when we were brought here... she hasn't moved an inch."
Tim took a step forward and reached for Ayuka's blanket. "Hey, you pervert, don't you dare touch her!"
His eyes widened as he carefully drew the blanket away from him. "She's... bandaged... all over her torso... what happened?" Codey stepped out from behind the door the moment he asked.
"Her body was flung into the glassy shower as she was trapped in the water pressure. Her back was entirely sliced by the fragmented pieces, and she hasn't moved since..."
Tim leaned his head against her chest and listened, moving his ear to her. He was able to confirm that she was alive and that her heart was beating slowly.
"You are a pervert! You were just trying to get a better look at her tits, jerk!" Yumi screamed her dissatisfaction. "Hah?! That's not at all the reason!"
Tim immediately took a step back and began to sweat. "All I wanted to do was listen to her heartbeat!"
"Sure, sure... You teens, especially the guys, are all the same." Yumi began waving his hands in front of his chest as soon as he said it. "No, it isn't true! I swear to God!"
"Leave it be... don't worry, she's still alive... but there's something else I need to figure out." Others, including Tim and Codey, exchanged glances.
"She made a remark about dying in her own time... I'm not sure what the sole aim is, but it appears to be serious."
"When I fought Kunio, Genpaku mentioned something like that."
"You went up against the Spiritual Hoaxers, right? So that's how you came to be in this situation." Tim asserted himself. "Wait... she can die?" Tim was taken aback right away. "Yes, that's correct... I'm trying to figure things out, but I'm not having much luck..."
Tim wiped the sweat from her brow with a leisurely motion. "It's a terrible fever..." Tim expressed his concern. "Not to mention the fact that you almost killed Elliot." Shigeru clarified.
Tim trembled as his eyes widened wide. "Can you tell me what you're talking about?"
"You were in control, Yujiro... look at your hair..." Tim looked in the mirror as soon as Codey said it, and his eyes widened in surprise.
His hair was tinged with black, and his right eye was bright red. That worried him, so he backed away and leaned against the wall, sweating profusely.
"What the hell happened to me? Is this an unintended consequence?!" As he inquired, he reached for his right eye, which became blue as he did so. Codey sighed as he moved in front of him.
"Perhaps... but we have no idea why it happened... we were just lucky you were saved,"
"Who saved Sa-saved? By who?"
"You don't know who she is, do you? Tomomi Nagaoko's is her name, and she's a Spiritual Exorcist with increased dueling skills."
"Tomomi? Where is she?"
"Her room is now on the upper floor. I'm sure she's looking forward to meeting you."
Tim decided to pay a visit to Tomomi, and as soon as he arrived on the higher floor, he found himself in front of a room with a girl's face on it.
"Is this her room?" He knocked on the door but received no response. "Tomomi, hello. Are you in here? It's me, Tim. You're in this room, I've been told..."
But there was still no reaction, so he grabbed for the doorknob and carefully opened it. As soon as he walked into the room, he was greeted by a sea of grey and white sheets, with Tomomi sitting on the couch, gently snoozing with a sleeping bubble.
("Is she actually sleeping right now? It's almost time for lunch.")
He took a step forward slowly and was shocked to see that she had a large television mounted on the wall.
He took a step closer to Tomomi after noticing the game controller and keyboard on the side. "Um... good morning?" He lightly tapped her shoulder, gripped it, and gently shook her. However, that was ineffective; instead, her head slumped against his arm, and she continued to sleep with a smear of drool on the side.
"Hello, Tomomi... it's nearly afternoon. I guess the meal has already been made, so you should get up." But there was still no response.
"All right... OK... I'll leave you free... we'll talk later..." He took a step back cautiously, but as soon as he did, he felt a gentle palm seize his wrist. "Huh? Um..." He crouched in front of her and took a step back.
He softly tapped her on the forehead with his finger as he slowly raised it. She finally awoke, wiping away the drool and scratching her brow in the process.
"... huh...?" Her voice was gentle, and she observed Tim's face, which was a few inches in front of hers. "Please accept my apologies, but good morning. If it's okay with you, I'd like to speak with you."
She kept her mouth closed and listened intently. "Uh... you're not much of a talker, are you? Anyway, I heard you were the one who helped me regain awareness... thank you very much... I'm sure the mayhem would still be going on if it weren't for you. Howdy, my name is Tim or Miyazaki Timoshi in full."
They both shook hands as he reached forward with his hand. "... thank you very much..." Tomomi was still dozing off. "Well, we'll talk more later; I'll let you sleep now, but thank you again." Tomomi gave him a sidelong glance as he flashed a priceless smile.
"... don't worry, I'm awake now..." When she rose up and stretched, Tim became astonished right away. ("Whoa?! What is her age? I assumed she was around 12, but her chest says otherwise!")
"Um... Tomomi, may I ask as to how old you are? Your age?"
"How old am I, exactly? I'm 17 years old, just like you."
"Hold the phone, please! You're seventeen years old! But-" Tim became quiet just as he was about to say the words he would later regret.
"N-nevermind, Tomomi, good to meet you."
"Timoshi, thank you."
"Please do not address me as such. It's all right if you call me Tim." He expressed his embarrassment.
'Um... Okie... Tim."
"Should we go down to the kitchen? The lunch is finished, I believe, thanks to Codey."
"... mhm ... "
Even though she was still sleepy, they both walked down the stairs. ("She's a little unusual...")
Shion, Nina, and Nobuhiko were waiting for him as soon as they walked into the kitchen, with Codey holding a stray.
"Here it is, I made curry rice specifically for you, hehe!" He dialed the number and was quickly informed that Tim and Tomomi had arrived.
"Oh! I see you've met each other, TTs!"
"Um... What exactly do you mean by "TT"? I'm a little perplexed." Tim was startled. "Isn't it obvious... both of your names begin with a "T" and end with an "I"? That's why I've given you the moniker "TT Duo."
"But... we've only just met. So, what made you give us that moniker?"
"Oh, yeah, I almost forgot! Tomomi, I believe, should be your sidekick." Codey chuckled. "No! I'm not looking for another Chifumi! You saw how badly that went the last time!"
"... She can help you improve your Spirituality and Elemental Mastery, so don't worry. She doesn't need to get into your blade, so don't worry. She's an Enhanced Exorcist, as I previously stated.
"But... I don't want to lose control again..."
"Don't be concerned..." Shion emerged from the restroom, her hair still damp. "Huh?"
"Tomomi was also my sidekick. But have no fear, she was always free to do as she pleased. She was able to stroll around and help me while never taking command. She spent much of her time in her room, playing video games. She's a wonderful Spiritual Exorcist, and she'd make an excellent partner for you. She even made a pledge to herself that she would never take control of someone else."
Tim shifted his gaze to Tomomi, who yawned. "Is that... true?"
"... mhm... I'd never make problems for anyone... besides, if you don't mind... I'm looking for a new traveling companion."
"Tim, give it a chance! Take a look at her! She's almost flawless!" Tim scratched the back of his head while Codey giggled. "So, how about this? I'd want to meet you as well if you promise to be free, have complete freedom, and have fun while never taking control of my body."
Tomomi turned her head back and a little to the side as she gazed at him, while Tim smiled down at her. "...have complete freedom to do whatever I want? What exactly do you mean?"
"That is to say, you should be able to make your own decisions. You can be my sidekick and assist me when I'm in danger, but I'd rather that you take your time to make your own decision. I'd like it if you wanted to go shopping, walk together, talk, or do anything else that involves your independence. But please make sure to do whatever you want, okay?"
"... hmm... alright, thank you, and I promise I would never seek to take control of your body."
"Great! Then we're going to be fantastic!" Both of them exchanged fist bumps before Tim summoned his sword and turned it away from Tomomi, allowing her to reach forward with it.
Finally, both auras fused together, and Tim's new buddy materialized, ready to journey with him and get to know him.
They are temporarily free now that the first antagonist, Genpaku, has been defeated, but darkness still lurks in the distance, and Ayuka's mystery remains unsolved.
The adventure of Our Heroes continues...