"Wha—is that a Red Summoning Orb?" I exclaim, shocked.
With a flick of Sora's wrist, he hurls the Orb towards Masa. A blinding white light erupts, filling the space with a radiant glow. When my vision clears, I look up, and my eyes widen in awe.
A colossal dragon materializes before us. Its serpentine body coils gracefully, its scales a striking gradient of pristine white on its belly and vibrant teal along its back. Long, flowing whiskers trail from its snout, and a mane of teal fur runs down its spine. The dragon's claws are sharp yet elegant, and its large, expressive eyes exude both power and serenity. Its presence commands awe and reverence.
The dragon soars above, circling the buildings. A gust of wind sweeps down, carrying with it the subtle scent of cherry blossoms.
Sora takes a deep breath and shouts, "Roar, Hiryuu!" The dragon's mouth opens wide, and a sphere of wind crackling with blue lightning forms. The sphere hurls a powerful beam of energy towards Masa.
Sora moves me, Aimi, and Kaito out of the way, leaving Masa in the beam's path. Masa is caught off guard, and the force of the dragon's attack sends us tumbling backward. The bright white light of the beam blinds us momentarily, and the ground shakes as the energy devastates everything in its wake.
When the dust settles, the area is in ruins, thankfully in an abandoned part of town. I scan the destruction but find no trace of Masa. "M-Masa? Where are you?"
There's only silence, punctuated by the distant chirping of crickets.
Aimi looks around frantically. "Masa... please, say something..."
Overwhelmed, Aimi collapses to her knees, her tears spilling uncontrollably. Each sob hits the ground with a relentless, aching rhythm.
Sora approaches, placing a hand gently on Aimi's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Aimi. There was nothing more we could do." He adds softly, "Let's take your brother and get him checked out." He gestures to Kaito's unconscious form.
Aimi, in a burst of anger, slaps Sora's hand away. "Nothing could be done?" She screams, her voice raw with fury. "Who asked for your help? Do you think Masa deserved this? And his father too?" Her eyes blaze with rage.
Sora stumbles back, his hands raised defensively. "N-No, I never said that!" He protests, clearly shaken.
"You and your damned dragon!" Aimi shouts, glaring up at Sora and his majestic creature.
The Sky Dragon tilts its head, its gaze indifferent, merely following its master's commands.
Suddenly, Aimi's magical aura flares with an intense blue glow, a manifestation of her sorrow and anger. Her power surges uncontrollably.
I step back, bewildered. How did we end up here? Just moments ago, we were stargazing. If only I could rewind time and undo this chaos.
"Aimi, please calm down!" Sora pleads, trying to defuse the escalating situation. "We need to talk this through."
Sora turns to me, his eyes pleading for assistance.
I step back, my mind reeling. What is happening? Everything has spiraled out of control! Just minutes ago, we were stargazing peacefully. How did we end up in this nightmare? If only I could rewind time, go back before everything went to hell.
Aimi's gaze shifts to the Sky Dragon. Her intense stare meets the dragon's majestic eyes, and with a sudden burst of power, she directs the dragon to plummet toward the ground.
Sora watches in shock as his Sky Dragon descends like a missile. "What—what did you just do?" he asks, stunned by the turn of events.
The dragon crashes into the ground, and Sora is thrown forcefully against the concrete. His limbs are pinned, as if trapped in an invisible vice.
Seeing the storm of rage and grief in Aimi's eyes, I know I have to step in. I move toward her, treading carefully. "Aimi—"
Her tear-filled eyes lock onto mine. I swallow hard, "Masa wouldn't want you to do this."
"Kajiwara…" She collapses to her knees again, tears flowing freely.
I help her to her feet. "Come on. We'll honor Masa by living bravely." We lift Kaito together.
I can't help but feel tears welling in my own eyes.
-Masa's Perspective-
I feel a warm, unpleasant liquid against my skin. Blinking awake, I find myself in a dark alleyway, sprawled across a pile of cardboard boxes.
As my eyes adjust to the dim light, I see a small dog casually relieving itself on me.
"Gross!!" I shout, trying to shoo the dog away, but it's too late. The damage is done.
I push myself up, my school uniform tattered and stained with the unmistakable smell of dog piss. The sun's harsh glare hits me as I stumble out of the alleyway, shielding my eyes with my hand.
The street outside is bustling with activity—people shopping, laughing, and heading to school. Everything seems normal, but I'm disoriented. I remember fighting the Oni, the clash with Kaito, but the details after that are a blur.
I need to get to class, but I have no idea where I am. My surroundings feel strangely unfamiliar, as if I've lost my way completely.
I approach a couple wearing clothing that's different from the usual Aethoria commoners.
"Excuse me, sorry to bother you, but do you know where Aethoria Academy is?" I ask politely.
They look at me like I'm an alien, covering their noses, and quickly walk away.
Rude. What did I even do? Is it because of my smell?
My stomach rumbles loudly. When was the last time I ate? I should probably get something to eat first. Hopefully, Professor Akagi will understand why I'll be late for class.
I catch a whiff of something delicious coming from a shop with a big red sign that reads... Um... What? I've never seen this writing in my life.
No matter. I walk in through the door. It smells like food, and I need food, no matter what they're serving.
The place is lively—people laughing, having fun, and enjoying their meals. The aroma is strong and fishy, not my favorite, but I can't be picky.
As I walk down the aisle, I hear people whispering and see them covering their noses. By chance, does this restaurant have a shower? I can't take the looks anymore.
I make it to the front, and the lady at the register says something, but I can't understand her. Still, it's worth asking. "Do you have any food? I'm really hungry," I say, my stomach growling.
She tilts her head and says something in a language I can't understand. I shrug, trying my hardest to make sense of it, but she brushes me off and calls for the next customer.
I sigh, feeling defeated, but then I notice a group of people leaving without finishing their food. Desperation takes over, and I rush to their table like a starving dog, diving into the leftovers. People start staring, pointing fingers at me like I'm committing a crime.
I don't care. I just need something to eat. The food tastes unlike anything I've ever had before, but it's satisfying my hunger.
Suddenly, from the corner of my eye, I see a figure appear—a tall guy, presumably the chef. He's wearing a long white chef hat, an apron barely covering his prominent belly, and typical chef shoes.
He takes my food away and signals with his hand for me to stay put. He then waddles off, stacking six plates on his right hand like it's nothing.
Oh no… Don't tell me he's going to kill me or something. I'll have to apologize.
Just as quickly, he returns with something in his hands. I close my eyes, ready to embrace whatever is coming.
To my surprise, the chef shoves me to the end of the seat and lays down two bowls of steaming food.
I gulp, my mouth watering. Grabbing the spoon, I dig into the food, tears streaming down my face. It's the best thing I've eaten in a long time.
The chef smiles with a big grin and laughs, saying something I can't understand.
"Sorry, I don't know what you're saying, man," I mumble, losing hope.
He twirls his long mustache, looking thoughtful, then his eyes light up.
After I finish my bowl, the chef seemingly spawns an apron and puts it on me, giving me a big thumbs up.
Startled, I blush. "Wh-what?" I stammer, still knowing he can't understand me. "Does he want me to work for him or something?"
As we both get up from our seats after eating, the chef forcefully takes my hand and leads me to the front desk.
He goes into the kitchen, retrieves a couple of plates of food, and hands them to me, pointing to a group of people who look like they are waiting for their meals.
Well, I guess I don't have anything better to do. I walk up to the group and hand them the plates of food. They stare at me, probably because of my strange outfit with an apron and the way I smell. But they seem to thank me anyway.
After I go back to the front desk, the chef gives me another plate of food to serve to a customer. I notice the group I first served has left, and their plates are still on the table.
I sigh and go over to clear the table, but then I notice a map they left behind. I look around, trying to see if they are still nearby, but they seem to have gone.
Thinking they might have forgotten the map, I open it up, positioning it to face me.
"N-no way..." I whisper under my breath as I analyze the map, my heart sinking.