"Is it really true you're leaving tonight?"
"I'm starting to feel like none of you guys want to let me go."
"Well, I don't mind but suddenly wanting to spar even when you're leaving is a bit strange."
Luka wiped the sweat off his forehead as he relaxed after blocking a majority of punches from Yuuto.
The two were currently by the abandoned orphanage in Rivet Town where all of their sparring sessions took place. Cyrilla was also with them but was in her usual spot sitting on one of the swings.
"Sampo seems like he's taking some time to prepare so I thought burning some time off with sparring was a good idea."
"I see." Luka nodded his head thinking that was reasonable. "But you're a fast learner. You seem to have all the right movements down pat after sparring for a few days."
"I just have good memory, that's all." Yuuto smiled as lone fragments within his mind began to gather and mend together.
Gradually forming a memory that took him some time to make.
[Underworld's CQC]
A fighting technique that is different from his Taekwondo which was heavily reliant on kicks and the use of his legs.
Considering the Wildfire's encounter with countless fragmentum monsters and even vagrants whose desires drove them to act in whatever way they wanted. This style gradually evolved from Oleg's initial teachings as a former Silverman Guard.
To a style that built more on practical movements rather than traditional techniques and forms.
'Thankfully by having this, it can balance out my reliance on my legs and incorporate more variation throughout my whole body.'
Yuuto digested the memory he made from his spars with Luka and felt content that his observations were fruitful. But this was just one of the things he wanted to collect before he left for the surface.
The other one was similar as it also took the form of memory. More exactly a core one.
Yuuto's eyes ushered a faint glow as he looked into Luka's [Nexus] and saw how the large fragment in the middle had a shade of white outlining its border.
This was a scene he noticed when spared with Luka yesterday and wondered what prompted this change within his [Core Memory]. Despite having two of them himself, Yuuto still had no idea how he could take them.
Other than having the target dying or experiencing the event that shapes their very being with them. The exact condition to get this type of memory was still unknown to him.
However, seeing a change occurring right in front of him made him eager to figure out just what this condition was.
"Are you down to spar one more time?" Yuuto quickly said while twisting his wrist.
Luka opened his mouth to say something but closed it right after. "You should save your energy for when you go up."
"That's a surprise. You never turn down a spar even after Oleg tells you to rest." Yuuto looked at Luka deeply who shook his head rejecting the offer.
"Well, that's only because I want to make sure I'm ready just in case an emergency happens. So I get a bit restless." Luka laughed to himself but Yuuto was able to notice a tinge of bitterness reflecting within his eyes.
As Yuuto continued to look at him, he detected some movement within his [Nexus] which prompted him to look at the [Core Memory]. Seeing if there was a change within it.
But after scanning the fragment, there was still no change but some other fragments began to glow instead which got his attention.
'Memories within his [Sensory], [Survival Reflex] and [Trauma] are glowing…' Seeing the threads connecting these three glowing brightly, Yuuto was able to infer the source of his bitterness. 'It was probably the time when he lost his arm…'
Luka continued to laugh to himself before slapping the metal contraption stuck onto his right side where his arm was.
"I got distracted one time and boom! Arm is done and dusted." Luka gradually stopped his laughter before wearing a serious expression. "So being my bro, I want you to be in good condition so something like this doesn't happen to you."
Yuuto matched his stare and a small smile grew on his face.
"I never knew this training maniac could be so mature."
"If you wish to have an arm like mine then be my guest. But I honestly hope you don't."
Luka shook his head considering the struggles he's gone through and the new friend he made so far. He wanted to warn him to be ready just in case anything unexpected would result if his condition were to fail him just because he didn't take care of himself.
"Would you have wanted to change your actions from back then? So you can have both your arms again."
"A change huh…"
Yuuto's unique choice of words made Luka think about his question and recall the events from that time.
The hidden silhouette of a crying boy shaking in fear came to his mind and the warm feeling from back then began to swell up within his heart.
"No…" Luka thought of it for a while before finally shaking his head. A steadfast and confident look reflected in his eyes as he remembered his actions from back then. "I think I would have done the same thing."
–CRACK
Various fragments within Luka's [Nexus] began to glow in number and the threads interlocking with each of them began to match their hues. The hidden light within the entire space began to grow bright until it reached the center.
Pulsing and staining the white borders held within the [Core Memory]. As if it was resonating with all the memories within his [Nexus].
'What the…' Yuuto's eyes widened as he felt this stark change and clenched his fist trying his best to capture this scene happening in front of him.
The [Core Memory] eventually cracked after bathing in light from the memories surrounding it and the threads connected to each one stained the memory in a deep red color.
Yuuto's surroundings changed as his vision shifted and he was now located in a town covered in thick black smoke and fire all around him.
Sounds of screams and distressed calls echoed around him and in the center of all this was a guy with messy red hair.
He looked at his surroundings as if it was all a blur and stood motionless. However, this state was quickly broken when he heard a scream pulling him back to reality.
The guy rushed towards a crying boy who covered his head in fear seeing the monster raise its axe at it. But the feeling of death didn't come as he felt an arm cover his trembling body.
The monster hovering over the boy fell to the ground as it got pierced by a small moving object and all that was left was the silhouette of a single person.
[Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?]
[Mister…your..your arm…]
The boy ignored his question as the sound of flesh dropping to the floor made him briefly forget about his near-death experience.
The guy looked at his right arm as it had been reduced to a shred of cloth and a smooth incision that poured a steady stream of crimson liquid.
[I'm.. fine.. let's get you somewhere safe….]
Ignoring the searing pain rising from his right shoulder, he pieced together a strong smile as he tried to move despite the urge to faint slowly growing on him.
Being just a few meters away from the two, Yuuto stood still. Making sure he didn't blink to ensure he didn't miss a single second of the memory occurring in front of him.
The space around Yuuto began to shift once more and all that was left in front of him was a deep red fragment floating around his body.
"Sorry, that was kind of a strange answer to say."
Luka rubbed the back of his head as he just realized that his answer implied that he would have his arm cut off again. Which was the opposite of the advice he gave about not wanting Yuuto to experience having his arm cut off.
"No, I felt like it was a good answer..."
"Really?"
Luka looked a bit surprised when Yuuto mumbled some words that he was able to hear and noticed that he raised his hand to grab something in the air.
"Your story is something I'll remember…."
"Story?"
"It's nothing." Yuuto chuckled seeing Luka's slight confusion and a flash of white light streaked across his eyes.
'I guess the use of a prompt or something along those lines as a pretext to have the person resonate with their [Core Memory] works…'
Yuuto fiddled with his fingers as he tried to recall what he saw just a few seconds ago. By asking Luka some questions, he was able to confirm that his [Core Memory] was something that drove him to be a person who would protect others.
Being part of Wildfire, this was an everyday occurrence which was caused by the constant wave of monsters surrounding them every day.
However, just asking simple questions was not enough to bring a change within a [Core Memory].
'I guess the events lining up made for a good condition that allowed Luka to revisit that memory and strengthened his belief or conviction.'
From teaching another person to seeing his friend preparing to go up to the surface to help with the disaster affecting them. This was enough to remind him just why he was fighting.
Invoking a deep resonance with that [Core Memory].
'I could be wrong but this is the closest explanation I could have.'
Yuuto felt his deduction was probable but this was still the first time he's actively tried to have someone tune into this specific memory pertaining to them.
As each event is different for each person, some other conditions may be needed. However, he didn't think too much of this as he felt satisfied with what he discovered.
'Let's calm down and think about the things I need to do once I get to the Overworld.'
Yuuto thought to himself as he mentally prepared himself for what was to come.
***
"Mhmm~ Thankfully that old man still had his shop up and running~."
Under the moonlight hidden behind deep clouds, a tall blonde woman with dark blue streaks within her long hair was humming to herself while carrying a large bag.
Within it were some medium-sized cogs and a few transparent tubes that seemed too small for conventional use. But the woman didn't seem to mind as she had her own plans with these parts.
"I just need to ensure a consistent flow is held within the tubes as the balance is pretty delicate…"
Thinking about potential experiments she was going to conduct, she was eager to get back home and use the tools within her shop to bring these hypotheses to life. Especially considering that the entire city was about to go into lockdown.
After an announcement from one of the administration that due to some potential dangers lurking around, the Supreme Guardian asked that everyone stay within their homes until further notice.
"What is Cocolia thinking now…"
The woman began to frown thinking about her friend that she grew distant with and an uneasy feeling brewed within her heart.
Turning a few corners while this thought formed within her mind, she finally reached her shop. However, what she saw in front of her shop made her raise her brows suspiciously.
Having the occasional person who would peer into her shop was not uncommon but this person looked inside her shop for a longer period.
As if they were looking for someone or something.
"Excuse me but the shop is closed today. You'll have to come tomorrow."
The woman addressed the person who had a cloak covering their face and walked up to her door.
"That's a shame, I actually wanted to fix this for the little one over here."
The person who she noted as a man gently patted the small head who had a similar-looking cloak as him. She was surprised as she didn't see this person and looked at the object he was showing her.
It was a small mechanical bird that had one of its wings missing.
"A B-1459 model bird huh… It looks like it needs some additional tuning. I can write your name down and contact you tomorrow sinc—"
"I heard from Stelle, March and Bronya that you provide special maintenance if we meet you during this time, Serval."
The woman or Serval looked surprised when she heard some familiar-sounding names come from this person's mouth. "You…" She paused for a bit before unlocking the door to her shop.
"Act natural and come inside."
Serval locked the door when her two guests entered and looked at the man deeply.
"You seem to be a close friend to those two outsiders I met just days before and the missing Bronya. Who are you?" She watched as he took his hood off and waited for him to reply.
"Yuuto and I'm just a fellow outsider along with them, and a friend to that serious lady."
The two exchanged pleasantries as they tried to get to know each other's personalities and Yuuto began to tell her the reason for his visit.
"But what crime did you commit exactly? The surge of Sivermane Guards patrolling around the city felt a bit excessive to me."
Bringing additional forces from the frontlines to find some 'wanted' people was too exaggerated in her eyes.
Unless they committed a severe crime that warranted their immediate arrest, bringing forces that were supposed to protect the city from the growing fragmentum surrounding them was not worth it.
Serval crossed her arms as she provided Yuuto and Cyrilla with some juice and snacks that she had stored in the back of her shop.
Cyrilla began to stuff the snacks Serval gave down since it had a tint of sweetness within each one. Serval gave an amused laugh since her behavior reminded her of how her younger sister behaved whenever she treated her to some food.
"I guess the Supreme Guardian didn't like having people potentially ruining her plans."
"Plans?" Serval narrowed her eyes, feeling like his sentence had a deeper meaning. "Plans that caused the entire city to be ridden with patrol guards and wanted posters?"
Yuuto was about to clarify a few points but paused when he heard an interesting piece of information from her.
"Wanted posters?"
"You didn't know? There seems to always be a new one every time I walk across the city."
Serval stood up and reached over her counter where a stack of papers with some interesting drawings were seen.
"I swear Geppie should learn how proportions work before drawing…" Serval rubbed the center of her forehead and gave the stack of papers to Yuuto.
Flipping through each one, Yuuto felt a laugh leaking through his mouth as each portrait was one he remembered seeing within the game.
However, what made him laugh even further was that one of his portraits had some funky lines attached to it. It showed an uneven smile and some eyes that were quite questionable.
The other one almost made him tear up considering his face had multiple purple roses floating around him and it looked like he was offering one to the person in front of him.
"These... Are pretty good…"
"You seem quite satisfied."
"Very."
Serval stifled a laugh as Yuuto's reaction was something quite strange considering he was looking at a wanted poster with his name on it.
Yuuto took a while to calm himself before finally getting into the meat of why he was here in the first place.
Leaning into his seat, he began to briefly tell Serval about his time in the Underworld and some details regarding the Stellaron. As he continued, Serval's eyes held some complex feelings as she thought about the person who was tied to this.
'Cocolia what happened to you…'
Yuuto paused before he continued to allow Serval to digest what she heard. "We wish to seal the Stellaron but judging by the obstacle we have to face, it will be a bit difficult."
"That certainly is a problem." Serval agreed as the status of Supreme Guardian was a large one to scale. "I never knew my research on the Stellaron would come back to haunt me…"
"Life is full of surprises."
"Yeah, you tell me." She shook her head before looking Yuuto straight in the eyes. "I'm guessing you want my help?"
"Was I too obvious?"
"You didn't seem too keen on hiding it." Serval laughed seeing Yuuto feign ignorance and relaxed her body. "I'm on board. Taking some actions before Cocolia does it herself is for the best."
"Perfect~" Yuuto smiled before taking a piece of paper from his pocket.
Serval leaned to see what was on the paper and her eyes began to widen after scanning the images and letters on it.
"The use of motors to handle the payload and Marrow filaments embedded within the conduction system… This is for the…"
"Engine of Creation." Yuuto nodded as it was expected of Serval to understand what each part meant considering her background knowledge.
"Knowing that this machine is under Cocolia's control, I want to bypass her access to it. Or at least hinder some of its usage so it's useless in the event she does activate it."
Yuuto estimated which he knew was certain considering the scene that happened within the bossfight.
Serval was silently reading over the notes within the paper and her eyes glowed with some excitement.
"So can you do it?"
"Mhmm…" Serval tapped her finger on the table before nodding her head. "With these blueprints, I should be able but I may need some help."
"Don't worry, you have excellent assistance right here." Yuuto patted his chest confidently while Serval wryly smiled.
Yuuto stood up and told Serval that the quicker they do it the better it would be. She agreed since it may take some time for her to analyze the control panel but one thing made her a bit cautious about their plan.
"There's still guards swarming the area so we still need to be careful that we don't alert them."
"Hmm– I think we'll be fine." Yuuto said before looking out the window.
"Since it's night, the moonlight will help us."
***
Robin's ultimate song is too catchy. I keep on hearing it in my sleep. All I hear is 'Welcome to my world! Renew your definition~' Everytime I close my eyes.