"Their story sounds romantic, doesn't it? A far cry from The Merciless," The LooP remarked, after hearing the beginning of The Desperate's origin story.
"That... was my fault as well," The Chronicler replied, his voice hesitant.
"Your fault? What do you mean?" The LooP asked, his gaze fixed intently on The Chronicler.
"The Merciless could have had a beginning like The Desperate. But I didn't anticipate the negative reaction that would occur when this… merged with the soul of someone from another world," The Chronicler explained, slowly raising the object he had held since he returned to the room – a black stone swirling with dark energy, emitting a mysterious, mesmerizing glow.
"Isn't that The Merciless's Qlipha?"
"Yes. With other versions, I combined their souls with ordinary Sephira stones. But with The Merciless, I thought… why not try combining with Qlipha to create a superior entity?" The Chronicler paused, his tone lowering. "You've seen the result: immensely powerful… but also profoundly tragic."
The LooP nodded, a hint of sadness in his eyes. "You're right. So that's why from the beginning, all the Spirits and even Shido viewed him as a monster."
The LooP pondered for a moment, then asked, "But if The Desperate had such a beautiful start, why does he seem like someone on the brink of giving up on life?"
The Chronicler sighed, his gaze darkened. "People are most vulnerable… when they are happiest."
He paused, then looked straight at The LooP. "Now let me continue his story…"
---
"When will she come back, I wonder?" Watano murmured, biting the tip of his pen and staring out the window, completely unaware of the teacher's lecture at the front of the class.
"Hey, you there, why are you looking out the window during class?"
"Oh, I'm sorry," Watano quickly responded, startled.
"Focus, Watano. She'll definitely come back," he told himself, forcing himself to pay attention to the lesson.
"Alright, here's how you solve this part..." The teacher resumed the lecture, which stretched on until late afternoon.
Watano packed his books, feeling weary as he left the classroom and slowly made his way back to his apartment.
On his walk home, the streets were strangely quiet, as if he were the only one moving beneath the faint streetlights.
"It's been 10 days... since that night... Tohka…"
Watano walked on, his heart heavy. It had been 10 days since that evening, the night he and Tohka shared a rare peaceful moment together.
"Tohka... where are you?" he whispered, his voice lost in the stillness of the night.
When he arrived at his apartment, Watano turned on the lights and sank into his chair, his mind swirling with thoughts of her. He replayed memories of their moments together, from the first dangerous encounter to the warm moments they shared over meals or a movie. A growing emptiness filled his heart, making him realize he couldn't just sit here and wait anymore.
"I can't go on like this," Watano resolved, his gaze firm. "I need to find a way to see her again."
As that thought took shape, an idea sparked in his mind. He thought of the park where spatial quakes had previously appeared – the place he and Tohka had once admired the city together. Perhaps… if he went back there, he might feel something, or even encounter her again.
Without further hesitation, Watano left his apartment and headed straight to the park in the chilly night. Each step he took was filled with hope, a faint glimmer that he would meet Tohka once more.
He stood silently in the park, gazing out over the bright city lights. A gentle breeze swept by, carrying a slight chill that made the scene even more surreal. He sighed, taking in the peaceful beauty around him.
"Of course… no one's here... at least I still have this beautiful view," he whispered, trying to keep his composure.
But then, a strange feeling stirred within him. The scenery was breathtaking, yet without Tohka by his side, everything seemed to lack meaning. Watano closed his eyes briefly, picturing Tohka standing beside him, her eyes sparkling as she gazed at the city – just like that moment they had shared before.
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO—
"A spatial quake alarm? At night?" Watano jolted, eyes widening as he looked around. Hearing the alarm at this hour was unusual, and the energy he sensed… felt strangely familiar.
Without delay, he dashed toward the direction of the alarm, his feet relentless, even though his heart was filled with worry. The surroundings blurred as he ran, each step carrying a fragile hope that he would see Tohka again.
As before, he took cover in a nearby building. However, curiously, this spatial quake didn't seem as strong as the last two times. Despite this anomaly, Watano continued making his way toward the center of the alert.
The distance gradually closed, and the surroundings grew increasingly desolate. A cold draft began to engulf the area near the quake's center.
"So cold… wait a minute… could it be—?!"
When he reached the heart of the spatial quake, he saw the small figure of a girl through the swirling mist. It wasn't Tohka – the one standing before him was a girl with light blue hair, large, round eyes, and a white dress with blue accents. She clutched a large rabbit puppet in her arms, her hands trembling, and she looked frightened.
"Yoshino…" Watano muttered, recognizing the second Spirit Shido had met.
Just then, raindrops began to fall, cold and piercing. The rain grew heavier, casting a misty veil over the surroundings. Yoshino looked up, her eyes glistening in the rain, as if lost and unable to comprehend why she was in this world.
"Seems everything's truly been thrown out of balance," Watano thought to himself. "Yoshino should have appeared this morning, not at this hour…"
Suddenly, he heard the hum of jet engines in the distance. The AST had quickly arrived at the scene, preparing to attack the Spirit before them.
"Sorry… I need to find Tohka, not you..." he murmured, quietly turning away, leaving before being drawn into a pointless battle.
Back in his room after a fruitless day, he sat tiredly in a chair, using the hair dryer to warm up.
"Why do I still feel cold even after drying off…?"
A creeping chill continued to settle in, prompting him to urgently turn the heater to its highest setting, trying to warm himself, yet nothing seemed to work.
"Why does it get colder the more I try to warm up?!" He shivered, wrapping himself tightly in a blanket.
After struggling for a while, just as his body was about to succumb to this inexplicable cold, his temperature suddenly returned to normal.
"It… stopped? Huh? What is going on with me?"
"Could it be because of that angel Zadkiel's rain?"
"How ridiculous… That sounds so absurd." Watano mumbled, touching his forehead to check if he had a fever. His body felt normal again, but the piercing cold he'd just experienced still lingered in his mind as though something invisible was clinging to him.
*Knock knock*
A gentle knock on the door pulled him out of his unsettled thoughts. He froze, not expecting a visitor at this hour.
"Who would be coming at this time of night?" he murmured, walking over to the door.
"Who is it—" As the door swung open, the sight before him made his heart race.
"T-TOHKA?! WHAT… ARE YOU DOING HERE?" he asked, surprised, his voice trembling not just from the residual cold but from the shock as well.
Tohka stood there, her hair still damp from the rain outside. Her violet eyes met his, mingling with a hint of uncertainty.
"I… didn't know where to go. I happened to see light from your room, so I thought I'd try coming here."
Watano smiled faintly, trying to mask the happiness he felt at her unexpected visit. "Then come in; standing out in the cold like this will make you catch a chill."
Tohka nodded softly, stepping inside. Watano closed the door and quickly fetched a clean towel and a warm blanket for her to stay comfortable.
"Are you alright? The rain today was intense," he said, handing her the towel.
"Thank you… I'm not used to this human world, so… I might be a bit clumsy with things like this."
He smiled, trying to reassure her. "It's no big deal. Just treat this place like your own. I just went through something weird because of that rain myself… I can't believe it made me feel so cold."
Tohka sat on the chair next to Watano, a thoughtful look in her eyes. "Do you think… this rain is unusual too? I don't know why, but it reminded me of something long ago… a feeling I can't quite name."
"Really?" Watano replied, contemplatively.
"By the way… what have you been up to for the last ten days?"
"Me? Nothing much, really. Just staying in that endless space, which is honestly… a bit dull," she sighed.
Feeling his heartbeat quicken, Watano gently placed his hand on Tohka's shoulder and spoke softly, "If that's the case… why not visit more often?"
Tohka flinched slightly but then shook her head, her tone serious. "I can't. Every time I appear, a spatial quake happens. I don't want to put everyone in danger."
"Then maybe we could find a safe place for you to appear," Watano suggested, his eyes lighting up as if he had just found a solution.
"What do you mean?" Tohka asked, surprised.
"What I mean is, we could choose a place where you can descend without anyone around. Even if a spatial quake happens, it wouldn't hurt anyone," Watano explained, his voice filled with hope. "That way, I could know it's you whenever a quake happens."
Tohka looked at him, pondering for a moment before nodding with a smile. "That's… actually a pretty good idea!"
Watano quickly took out his phone, opening a map app as he began searching for a suitable spot.
"How about this place…? No, too far," he murmured to himself.
"And here… No, there's still human activity nearby."
Suddenly, he spotted a potential location and turned to Tohka, eyes bright with excitement. "Hey, what about this spot?"
Tohka looked where Watano pointed on the map—a secluded beach about 30 kilometers east of Tenguu City.
"Oh, that does look ideal," she replied, nodding in agreement.
"Then, we'll settle on this place, Tohka."
"Umu," she replied softly, a pleased smile on her face.
Suddenly, a loud sound echoed from a distance, as if an explosion had occurred. They both jumped, glancing out the window. In the distance, the night sky was torn by the bright light of a powerful spirit energy blast.
Tohka stood up sharply, her eyes turning fierce. "That's… the energy of another Spirit."
Watano knew the AST hadn't yet contained Yoshino, which made her nervous enough to summon her angel in self-defense.
"Let me check on—" Tohka began, only to be interrupted.
"It's dangerous! Don't go!" Watano quickly grabbed her hand, his voice tinged with both fear and worry.
Tohka smiled, gently holding his trembling hands. "Don't worry, I'm strong. I'll be fine," she said, trying to reassure him.
But how could Watano just stay behind when the girl he'd been waiting for was about to walk into such peril?
"Then let me come with you!"
"Watano… Is that really okay?"
"Didn't I already say it? I'll be here for you, Tohka. No matter what happens, I won't leave your side."
Seeing the concern brimming in Watano's eyes, Tohka felt a warm surge in her heart. It wasn't just the resilience of a warrior—but the feeling of someone willing to protect her, no matter what.
"Alright, then come with me," she said, suddenly swooping him up in a princess carry, leaving him flustered.
"T-Tohka, wait—" Watano stammered, barely able to react before Tohka was at the window, her eyes shining with resolve.
"Hold on tight!" she said softly, and they burst out through the window, soaring into the sky like a shooting star piercing the night. Watano felt the cold wind against his face, but in Tohka's arms, the sense of safety and warmth washed away any lingering fear.
Yet he had no idea… this choice would become one of his deepest regrets…
◊
"We're almost there," Tohka said.
"…So cold… It's that feeling again…" Watano shivered in her embrace, struggling against the strange cold wrapping around him.
Seeing him like that, Tohka asked with concern, "Are you okay? Do you need me to stop?"
"I'm fine. Just keep going," Watano managed a reassuring smile, though his voice was still shaky.
"All right," Tohka nodded, maintaining her speed as they neared the area where Spirit Hermit and the AST were in conflict.
Tohka landed softly in the forest nearby and set Watano down. "You stay here. I'll go check the situation."
"All right, but don't do anything too dangerous," Watano advised, his gaze following her with concern.
Tohka nodded gently, a confident smile on her lips, as if promising him she'd be safe. She turned and headed toward the lights and sounds of the battle.
Watano stood there, but the anxiety inside him only grew stronger. After a moment of hesitation, he decided to follow her, stepping carefully in the direction she'd gone.
Pushing through the dense forest, the biting cold grew stronger the closer he got to the heart of the fight. Watano's body began shivering uncontrollably, the same chilling sensation he'd felt back in his room. Despite this, he gritted his teeth, forcing himself past the fear to keep going, hoping he'd reach Tohka before anything dangerous could happen.
The deeper he went, the harsher the cold became. His breath formed thin white clouds in the darkness, his hands shook, and his whole body felt like it was freezing solid. But the thought of Tohka remained vivid in his mind, spurring him forward.
At last, he reached the edge of the forest, close enough to see the confrontation between Hermit and the AST. Tohka stood in the clearing, her sharp eyes fixed on Hermit, surrounded by AST members who had her surrounded.
Tohka remained calm, while Hermit—a Spirit with a timid expression and eyes filled with fear—trembled. In her hands was her angel Zadkiel, a massive puppet with cold, commanding eyes.
Amid the gunfire and explosions, Tohka dodged AST's attacks with unbelievable speed. In an instant, she closed in on Hermit, prepared to speak and try to calm the fear in her fellow Spirit's eyes.
"Calm down. I'm not here to hurt you," Tohka's voice was softer than usual, filled with comfort.
Hermit took a step back, her eyes bewildered, but before she could respond, a bullet from AST hurtled straight toward her. Tohka instantly swung her spirit sword, creating a protective shield that deflected the bullet.
Just then, an intense, freezing chill swept in, sharper than ever before, causing Watano to shiver uncontrollably. The cold didn't just make his body tremble; it blurred his mind, like an invisible despair creeping in, squeezing his heart tight.
"GAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"
Hermit's rabbit puppet, Zadkiel, suddenly roared, provoked by the recent attack. Its blood-red pupils widened, gleaming with barely contained rage. From its mouth, visible icy breaths streamed out, causing the temperature to plummet rapidly.
Watano held his breath, his gaze fixed on Tohka, worry flooding his eyes as he saw Hermit losing control. "Tohka… be careful—"
Before Watano could finish, Zadkiel's massive form vanished in a blink. A horrifying sensation washed over him; he slowly turned around, his legs frozen in place as he felt something colossal charging toward him from behind.
Those massive eyes were glaring down at Watano, a frigid gaze that made him feel like a tiny, helpless insect beneath its feet.
"No… NO!" Watano shouted, his voice breaking with terror.
"Watano—!" Tohka screamed, but the distance was too great for her to intervene in time.
In desperate resignation, Watano could only stare as the giant puppet slowly lowered its jaws, its sharp teeth poised to swallow him whole.
"DON'T—WAIT… TOHKA?!"
Watano slowly opened his eyes, his body still trembling with fear. Standing before him was Tohka, who had appeared out of nowhere, placing herself between him and the massive puppet. She was straining to hold its sharp teeth apart with her Sandalphon, refusing to let them close.
"Y-You… run now… I can't hold it much longer…" Tohka said, her voice trembling with the strain.
"But if I leave you here—" Watano stammered, his eyes filled with fear.
"I'm begging you, please, Watano…" she pleaded, her gaze a desperate plea.
Facing a heart-wrenching choice that might haunt him forever, Watano could only break down in tears, crying from his helplessness and uselessness. His vision blurred, and even though every part of him wanted to stay, he forced himself to turn and run, carrying the promise he would never abandon her again.
He quickly got up and sprinted away from the monster's jaws. Tohka, after ensuring Watano was safe, began to weaken. The light on Sandalphon dimmed, and it seemed she was close to letting go as her strength faded.
"Watano, thank you… My time with you was… truly happy…" she said, her voice growing faint.
"Tohka, get out of there now!" Watano shouted, his voice desperate as he called out to her.
"I hope… in another life… we'll meet again, Watano…" Tohka managed a final smile, her tear-filled eyes closing. At that moment, Sandalphon dissolved, and the puppet's massive jaws clamped shut in an instant.
"TOHKAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"
Watano screamed in despair as the rabbit puppet's mouth snapped shut and it slowly stood, seemingly preparing to leave. But just then, the AST team had managed to call in reinforcements.
Machine guns were quickly deployed as Tohka tried to buy Watano time to escape. Without warning, the guns fired in unison, a hailstorm of spirit-powered bullets pouring down over Hermit, covering the entire area in seconds.
Hermit had no time to react. Caught off guard by the relentless rain of spirit bullets from the AST team, the young spirit stumbled, her eyes wide with panic. Zadkiel tried to erect a shield, but it was too late—the bullets tore through the thin defense, striking Hermit directly.
Hermit screamed in agony, her small figure stumbling amidst the bullets tearing through the air. Her giant puppet wasn't spared either, riddled with bullets, chunks of its spiritual essence breaking apart, disintegrating into the air.
"STOP! TOHKA IS STILL IN THAT PUPPET! PLEASE, STOP SHOOTING!" Watano shouted at the AST team, his voice choking with desperation.
But his cries were drowned out by the deafening roar of spirit bullets, and the AST team completely ignored him. Watano could only watch in helpless horror as the massive puppet Zadkiel toppled over like a giant stone, its impact sending tremors through the surroundings.
"Tohka… Are you still there?" Watano whispered, his heart weighed down with dread.
He walked slowly toward the fallen puppet, his hands shaking from worry and fear. Watano put all his strength into prying its mouth open, even as his hands turned bruised and numb from the bitter cold of its body. His hands were so numb he could barely feel anything, but he kept going, refusing to stop.
"Hey, you! Get away from there, now!" an AST member shouted a warning, but Watano ignored him completely, his eyes fixed solely on opening the puppet's mouth.
He crawled into the puppet's mouth, using all his strength to lift Tohka out. Her body lay limply in his arms, cold as ice. The puppet's sharp fangs had pierced through her, leaving deep wounds. Her eyes barely opened, devoid of any light.
"Tohka…" Watano whispered, his voice breaking, tears streaming down his face as he looked at her lifeless face. In his arms, Tohka looked like she had slipped into an eternal sleep, her expression peaceful yet achingly cold.
A wave of loss washed over him, and Watano could only bow his head beside her, devastated by his failure to protect the girl he loved.
Suddenly, from above, a blinding light tore through the night sky. He looked up, tears still fresh on his cheeks, and saw a massive ship emerging from the clouds—the Franxinus, Ratatoskr's command vessel.
Watano scoffed bitterly at Ratatoskr's so-called emblem of "Spirit protection."
"Ratatoskr... why... why did you arrive so late..." he snarled, voice laced with resentment. "HOW COULD YOU LET THINGS END UP LIKE THIS?!"
In his anger and despair, Watano didn't notice that Hermit's Astral Dress was fading away. Hermit's Sephira Crystal—the essence containing her Spirit power—began to emerge from her chest, glowing faintly.
The Sephira floated, silently drifting toward Watano, as if drawn by his anguish and intense emotions. Without a sound, it gently merged into his body, unnoticed by Watano.
Watano's rage surged, yet a cold and unfamiliar energy started to course through him, spreading slowly, though he hadn't realized it.
Ice clung to Watano's skin as if his veins were freezing, standing out sharply on his face twisted in pain and fury. His entire body trembled, not from the cold, but as though some mysterious power was fighting to escape, attempting to claim his form. His breath fogged into dense, chilling vapor that pierced to the bone, and the atmosphere around him seemed to freeze, its chill searing through the nerves of anyone nearby.
"A spatial quake alert?!" An AST member faltered, terror evident in their eyes as they witnessed what was unfolding.
"TOHKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
His roar echoed, causing everything around to shake. A frigid blue light poured from Watano's eyes, nose, and mouth, each ray like a sharp ice blade piercing from within. Cracks in his skin radiated a deadly chill, as if his body itself was splintering.
The explosion within him finally burst free. In an instant, a cold blue torrent spilled forth like an icy flood, consuming everything in sight. The epicenter of the explosion expanded into a massive pillar of ice, towering to the sky as if to rip the atmosphere itself into frozen fragments.
"What the—?!"
"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"
As the wave of ice and snow erupted from where Watano stood, it was like a frozen earthquake, tearing through Tenguu City at blinding speed. Buildings froze instantly, transforming into bizarre ice sculptures before shattering into razor-sharp fragments under the storm's power. Streets, trees, every creature, great or small, became ice statues in a heartbeat, as if the entire city was being sealed into a deadly, frozen slumber.
But it didn't stop there. The storm spread, sweeping across nearby prefectures and consuming all of Japan. Cities from Osaka to Tokyo fell under layers of snow and ice. Waves formed across the ocean, freezing layer by layer, locking the sea into a glassy, frozen expanse. In moments, the island of Japan became a vast, silent block of ice, void of any sign of life.
The destruction didn't halt. The ice storm extended beyond Japan's borders, consuming the Korean Peninsula, the Russian Far East, and the coastal regions of China in a wave of encroaching frost. Snowstorms cloaked the sky, blurring land and sky into a white nightmare.
In this apocalyptic scene, only the eerie silence of the cold remained. What was left was a world encased in ice, devoid of sound, motion, or life—just a world drowned in icy death, the remnants of the horrific frost storm Watano had unwittingly unleashed.
The sky lay gray and somber, mirroring the desolate scene below. Everywhere was buried under layers of thin ice. Watano stood quietly beside a large ice formation, towering over him, and inside was Tohka—her body frozen in a dreamlike stance, her eyes forever shut in the frigid embrace of ice.
He gazed sorrowfully at Tohka through the transparent, chilling ice. Only the cold divide remained between them, and he knew he'd lost any chance to say what he'd left unspoken.
"Tohka..." Watano whispered, his voice breaking, each word dissolving in the frigid air.
"Fate was kind... to let me meet you first, not Shido..." He paused, his sorrow-filled eyes a tangle of emotions. "But... maybe that was my greatest mistake."
He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself, yet his heart felt hollow and pained.
"I'm sorry for breaking my promise to you... sorry that I couldn't show you more of the beauty in this world." He lowered his head, placing his hands lightly on the icy surface. "And... I'm sorry I never got to tell you that I loved you... I love you so much, Tohka."
His final words faded into the freezing air, a goodbye heard only by the snow and ice. The words dissolved, as quietly as his heart sank into the regret's icy grip.
The frozen Fraxinus crashed to the ground like a meteor. Perhaps no one inside survived that deadly chill, all turned to ice.
"If Tohka is gone... Then what does this world mean anymore? What is left of my resolve?"
He looked down at his trembling hands, clenching and releasing them, his voice becoming hollow. "What good is this power without you, when it couldn't protect you…" He took a deep breath, a cold despair filling his gaze. "
In a flash, a frigid sword of ice appeared in Watano's hand. He raised it, his empty gaze that of a man who had given up everything, and without hesitation, he swung the blade across his neck. Yet, instead of a line of red, only a small cut glowed with cold blue light within.
"Even death won't…" He laughed, a hoarse sound echoing in the frigid air. "Ha... haha... what a cruel joke..."
His despair settled, and his smile froze, void of emotion, of purpose—leaving only the empty void of one who had lost everything.
"How magnificent!" Applause broke through the shadows opposite Watano.
"Who are you?" Watano frowned, his voice laced with suspicion.
"I am you, and you are me." A man in a tattered cloak, his hood pulled low, stepped forward, emanating an aura of mystery.
"What nonsense are you spouting?" Watano narrowed his eyes, his unease growing.
"Don't believe me? Then..." The man paused, lifting a finger to point at Watano's forehead. Instinctively, Watano tried to back away, but his limbs suddenly felt bound, unable to move.
"Don't worry, you'll understand soon enough." The man gave a slight smile as his fingertip began to glow. A searing light pierced Watano's mind, bringing with it unfamiliar yet hauntingly familiar memories.
As the light faded, Watano staggered back, his face a mixture of shock and bewilderment.
"Now... do you understand?" The man asked slowly, his eyes gleaming with a knowing look.
"Incredible... So you really are me," Watano murmured, still stunned. Suddenly, a glimmer of hope lit up in his eyes. "Wait! Can you save Tohka? Please, I beg you!"
"You think I hold that kind of power?" The man looked at Watano, his expression impassive. "I'm afraid not."
"STOP JOKING! YOU CAN CREATE ENTIRE MULTIVERSES, AND YET YOU CAN'T—"
"Calm yourself..." the man interrupted, his voice grave and steady.
"Bringing someone back from the dead... it isn't that simple. I could restore her body, but her mind, her memories... they would never return. She would be nothing more than an empty shell, a soulless form."
"That... can't be..." Watano whispered, his gaze hollow as he lowered his head, shoulders weighed down by the heavy hope that had just been extinguished. He sank to his knees, fists clenched in frustration.
The man before him spoke with a hint of subtlety. "Though I can't resurrect her, I... can offer you a chance."
"A chance...?" Watano looked up, eyes catching a faint glimmer in the darkness.
"You'll be the first to come with me," the man said, extending his hand. "We'll gather other 'selves' across dimensions… and find the most perfect universe for all of us. A place where everything works out, and you get to experience this world fully… without regrets."
He paused, his eyes sharp but expectant. "So... what do you choose?"
"Really?" Watano stammered, hope rekindling in his eyes. "Then... Tohka, she will..."
The man gave a faint smile. "Of course. How could she not be there?"
After a moment of hesitation, Watano took the man's hand and slowly rose to his feet. The other man nodded, then gestured, creating a shimmering portal before them.
"I'll go first. Step through whenever you're ready," the man said, disappearing through the portal, leaving Watano to take one last look at the icy prison encasing Tohka.
Watano bowed his head, whispering, "Tohka, forgive me… Let me atone for my failures."
With that, he raised his hand and released a cold burst of energy. A small explosion echoed as the ice shattered into thousands of fragments, as if Tohka had never been bound within it.
Watano stepped into the portal, arriving in a room suspended between universes. Inside was a vast, dark void, dimly illuminated by a faint light from above.
"Listen, there are going to be many other versions of myself named Watano, right? Perhaps I should give you a nickname," the mysterious man said, his tone laced with amusement.
"A nickname? You think I'm a child? Do whatever you want," Watano grumbled.
"Hmm… let's see... Ah, how about 'The Desperate'?" The man's voice held a tone of amusement.
"Didn't I say you could call me whatever you wanted!" Watano snapped, annoyed.
"Settled, then. You'll be 'The Desperate,' the first to join me on this journey to find the most perfect universe."