It felt as if I was sinking in a dark void.
I could hear Fujiwara's voice calling out to me, echoing through the dark abyss.
Was this a dream? No. Was this heaven?
I looked in every direction only to see nothing but the darkness.
The dark void then lit up into a white space and-
Is that a person?
It was a girl with long white hair, completely naked. I don't know why that was the first thing I thought...
She looked to stand around my height.
Her only distinguishable feature was her red crimson eyes that had a symbol in both the pupils.
Ω
It looked familiar. An Omega?
In Dystopia, the symbol stood for the end of all things. Well that was according to superstitions.
Her stature looked familiar. Her outline of her body...
I swear I had seen it before.
That's right! I saw it in that dream just before I woke up on Earth.
However, she was missing her right arm just like me.
But through all this, she felt familiar. It was like I knew her, but didn't at the same time.
"Who are you? What do you want with me?"
She blinked right in front of me which caught me off guard. With her body so close to mines, it was...
Stimulating?
Don't blame me...
I'm only a guy after all...
The girl leaned over all of a sudden and locked lips with me. Confusion and desire overcame me and I kissed back as I started to "embrace" her. I don't know why, but I just did.
But during this, images of a stone appeared in my mind. The stone glowed a purple energy and then cracked. It was like something was hatching out of it like an egg, waiting to burst until the rock exploded.
"AHHHHHHHH!"
I woke up from the dream in a cold sweat, screaming as if what happened in it actually did happen. It really felt real. The pain. Was it just a dream?
What was that stone? Or was it an egg? Argh! Why am I being shown these stuff?
And who was that girl? I've never seen her before and yet...
She felt familiar. And what we did? And what I did? Oh boy...
Lord please have mercy. I'm only just a boy.
But enough about that, where was I?
I looked around the room and seems I was in the room that I first woke up in that day. I was at the KAC headquarters, all wrapped in gauze.
"Argh!"
I could feel pain throughout my body, but it wasn't as bad as when I lost my arm.
A familiar voice softly rang through the room.
"It seems you've awakened, Asol. Welcome back."
It was Higanbana Hikari. Her silver hair along with her glasses made her distinguishable, even in crowds.
"Hikari? How'd I get here?"
She fixed her glasses and looked up towards me.
"After you and Fujiwara defeated the Kaiju, you both appeared here at headquarters. In case you're wondering, Fujiwara is receiving medical treatment right now. Not that she needs it of course."
"I see. That's a relief."
Whew...
"The CEO also told me to tell you to get ready if you were to have woken up."
"Get ready? What for?"
Hikari left without answering.
Huh...
RIIIIIING!
"Argh!"
A sharp, ringing pain rang through my head with no warning as I clutched my it with my hand.
Images of the girl from my dream flashed in split seconds.
"Argh... What the..."
The pain and the flashing images abruptly stopped and I felt better in an instant.
"Her again..."
...
...
...
It took a while but I got ready.
BEEP!
Hm? A message from the CEO?
*Ah! Asol! Glad to hear you've recovered! Come on down to the training room!*
I made my way towards the elevator that leads down to the training room.
As I exited the elevator and entered the abnormally large room under the KAC headquarters, and there the CEO was standing in the center of the room.
His voice rang throughout the room.
"Asol! Come! Hurry! We've a lot to discuss!"
As I quickly made my way to him, the others also appeared.
First was Hikari.
The second was Toma.
And the last was Fujiwara.
Everyone was here.
The CEO spoke as we all stood in front of him.
"Alrighty! Now that everyone is here, there's a lot to discuss.
"Aw man. What now?"
Toma complained.
Hikari fixed her glasses and responded.
"Why don't you let the CEO continue instead of just complain?"
The CEO mediated the two as they started to argue.
"Now, now you two. Calm down. I didn't call you here to bicker with each other."
I turned to Fujiwara who seemed to find Hikari and Toma's bickering amusing as she quietly giggled.
"Alright you four! Times have become dangerous. Especially for you all. The events that occured yesterday, was just the beginning."
Just the beginning? Of what? The Saviours?
"As you know, The Saviours are starting to move. They've become more active recently for whatever reason."
The CEO turned to me.
"With them on the prowl, they would want to get rid of those who could pose a threat to them."
It was probably because of that day when I arrived.
"If they see you as a threat, then you are in just as much danger as the others."
I'm sensing a "so."
"So. Asol I want you to move in with Fujiwara."
"Okay. Wait What?"
A loud silence filled the ever so large room.
"What?!?"
The three girls yelled in unison.
The CEO fixed his glasses.
"Thats right. You heard correctly. Hikari and Toma, I want you two to move in with each other as well."
...
...
...
(A few days later)
During my time here on Earth, I've gotten to know and absorb the numerous cultures here. One of them being Anime.
And from what I've learned and seen in this Anime culture, there are these so called cliches and tropes.
Standing on the front door of the house of a girl, that looks like my dead friend, with the intention of moving in with her in order for us to protect each other would add to that list of cliches.
And in top of that, she's an idol. A very popular one.
Although I never imagined her house to be quite small. Or at least it looked small on the outside.
"Welcome Asol! This is my home. It's quite spacious,
A little too spacious...
"Thank you..."
"You should be thanking the CEO. Although I'm not surprised you have a lot with you?"
"I'm a simple man."
I say as I look at my singular suitcase.
After been given a tour of her house, we stand in the room that I'll be staying in.
"This is your room. It's been empty for a long time, but I think you'll be able to make use of it to the best of your abilities."
"Thank you Fujiwara."
"No problem."
She says as she smiles.
An awkward silence fell in the room.
"Hey Fujiwara?"
"Yes?"
"Throughout the time ive been in this world, I've noticed your relationship with the CEO. He seems to be quite warm with you. Is there a story behind it?"
She smiled lightly.
"Unlike most others, I've never had a family. In fact I don't even know how I came into this world. All remember is wandering the streets as a child, aimlessly with no purpose in life."
"..."
"As you recall, I have the innate ability to see Aura in its purest form. Me being in a world that I had no understanding of, coupled with the fact that I could see this metaphysical element that no others could see, made this world a scary place."
She then pulled out a pendant from her left pocket.
It was a necklace that held a small gold piece.
"However one day I was taken in by the CEO. I sometimes ask myself why he took me in, but it doesn't seem to be relevant."
I thought something was weird between the two.
The CEO was basically her surrogate father. And I can kind of relate to her.
Silence filled the room until Fujiwara broke it.
"Well then. I told you about the CEO, now it's your turn. Who's Belle?"
"Belle?"
Belle. I've rarely spoken about her or Mom here. I guess Fujiwara must've heard me say her name at some point.
"Where did you hear that name, Fujiwara?"
"On the day we found you bleeding out during the ride to HQ, I heard you call out to "Belle" as if she was here."
Ah. She was talking about the day I arrived here. More specifically the ride. I do remember saying her name. Though it was because Fujiwara looked like her through my blurry vision at the time.
"Heh. Ah well."
Fujiwara placed her hand on mines in comfort.
"Belle was a Demi-Human Bunny Girl that I became friends with during my freshman year in highschool. She was also a KAC member and the daughter of the Branch Leader."
Fujiwara payed attentiveness. Though it seems that her finding that Belle was also a KAC member caught her off guard.
"She was pretty much my only friend. In fact I don't remember if I made any friends before her. But I loved her like family."
Tears started to flow down my cheeks.
"And when the end of the world came, she was the one threw me through the gate to save me just before she- sigh. I think you can guess what happened to her. I want to see her again. Her face. I really miss her..."
My throat tensed as I said that. Memories of what happened passed through my mind as I sniffled.
"I'm so sorry, Asol. I shouldn't have asked."
"Don't be sorry. But I'm glad you asked."
"This Belle was a special person. I could tell that she meant a lot to you. I would've loved to meet her. I think she also would've made a great idol too!"
A small smile showed on my face. Fujiwara leaned over to hugged me for a moment and left the room to allow me to calm down.
...
...
(A few weeks later)
It's been a few weeks since the Kaiju attacked the both of us. The damage that was done to the area it first appeared in was swiftly repaired. In fact the buildings that were destroyed, reverted back to their original state as if nothing happened.
Fujiwara and the others continued their idol activities in the KAC.
Me being Fujiwara's manager, meant I had more work.
With her rising popularity now reaching the other side of the world, she's been receiving sponsorships and contracts that I don't even know how to deal with them.
Thankfully the CEO was there to help me. Although I couldn't help but wonder.
She doesn't know the Saviours could summon Kaijus. I mentioned it to her that day we fought that Kaiju together, however she just passed it off as something I said for kicks.
So, I have to confirm my suspicions.
"Wait. Mr. CEO, after all the events that happened to us, we're going to act as if nothing happened in the past months? Especially with the Saviours?"
"You heard me right. Haha!"
Uh...
My face had the word, worry, written all over but I saw that the CEO could tell. He continued.
"Even though we haven't directly confronted the Saviours, we have to keep up appearances to show that we aren't screwing with em."
"And in the event that the Saviours appear during the concert?"
The CEO smiled and continued.
"You and the others will be there to protect the people. Though, I want you to prioritize Fujiwara's safety."
It's always Fujiwara this, Fujiwara that.
"Sigh. You know Mr. CEO."
The CEO's facial expression turned dark.
"What is it Asol. I can feel it. Your questions."
I could feel his Aura exude from his body.
"A few weeks ago right after I had that lunch with Fujiwara, I mentioned to her that The Saviours had the capacity to summon Kaijus. But from her response and the tone of her voice, it seemed that she had no knowledge of it. So, I want to ask. What else does she not know? And so the others know as well?"
The Aura around the CEO darkened and intensified.
"Alright. You got me."
"So tell me. Why? She has the right to know."
"Sigh. First. Toma and Hikari knows what the Saviours could do. They kept up a good act when I met with you all that day. And it was a way to get you two to live in the same home. Second. She does not know the Saviours can summon Kaijus. Third. I'm protecting her."
Protecting her?
"Protecting her? From what? Other than the Saviours?"
The CEO sighed once more.
"I'm sure you've heard of the Shibuya Incident?"
"Shibuya Incident? Yea. Some of it from Fujiwara. Its where her friend died."
"Oh? She's told you that story?"
"Yea."
I said in a stern voice.
"Sigh. Did she tell you what caused it? For the whole city to go boom?"
"Yea. She said it was a rock."
"No, the rock was the aftermath."
"What do you mean?"
"Do you remember when I told you that the Saviours made their debut by destroying a city? That city was Shibuya. They summoned the stone by using an egg as the catalyst."
Shibuya? That was the city?
"So you mean to tell me that Fujiwara does not even know that the Saviours were the ones who killed her friend!"
A sudden anger awakened in me. The anger that I felt was immeasurable.
"What did you tell her!"
"I told her it was the rock."
The CEO's facial expression turned darker.
"And she believes it! Why didn't you tell her the truth?"
"To protect her."
"Bullshit! There's more. You told me to do all I can in my power to protect her! Yet, I can barely kill a Kaiju! You had me move in with her! There's more!"
"Alright! FINE!"
The CEO snapped and then regained his composure. His voice rang through my ears.
"I assume she told you the story of how she met me?"
"Yea. She was just a girl in tattered clothes, wandering the streets here in Japan without a notion in the world until she met you."
"No. She was an emotionless doll with no care or motivation in the world. Back then, I was a heartless man until I met her. I took pity on her which became my saving grace. I became a new man with a heart. And so I will always cherish her. Protect her. Even if it means to hurt her. I will burden it."
"Still. That doesn't mean you can keep secrets from her!"
"I know. Which is why I'm going to tell you this."
"What?"
"The concert that Fujiwara is going to have. They are going to take her. I don't know how they will, but they will."
The Saviours will take her?
"What! Wait how do you even know this?"
The CEO sighed again.
"So many questions. I'll let you in on a lil secret. I can see the future. Random visions would appear and I would see them. I saw Fujiwara being taken by them. But I don't know how they'll do it. You didn't expect that from a blind man, did you?"
"That- That. Sigh. I assume Fujiwara doesn't know right?"
I asked disappointingly.
"Unfortunately yes."
If the CEO can see into the future, are they predetirmined? Are they absolute?
"I don't know Asol. The visions that I've had so far have been accurate."
"..."
Sigh. I need to go punch something. Although. A question of curiosity arose in my head.
"Mr. CEO. One last question before I go."
"What is it?"
Sigh. Here goes.
"Did you ever have a vision of me arriving here?"
The CEO went in deep thought.
"No comment."
"I see."
As I was just about to leave the room, the CEO called out to me.
"Oh right! Asol! Hikari wanted me to tell you that she's waiting for you down in the training room."
The training room?
...
...
...
(Later)
Sigh. I couldnt stop thinking about my conversation with the CEO. The Saviours being connected to the death of Fujiwara's friend, the CEO being able to see visions of the future, and what will happen to Fujiwara during her concert.
I'll have to deal with these and get stronger.
As I entered the underground training room, I spotted a silver haired girl kneeling and playing an instrument with her eyes closed.
She was wearing what's called a Kimono. The instrument she was playing is called a Sangen.
The melodies exuding from her instrument echoed through the abnormally large room, and it was soothing.
It must've been ten minutes before I abruptly interrupted her, causing the melodious sounds to fade away.
She opened her eyes and fixed her glasses and stared at me blankly.
"Welcome Asol. How was your day so far"
"It was alright, I guess."
She gave me a peculiar look.
"That's good to hear."
She laid her instrument on the concrete floor and signaled me to join her.
"Come. Sit."
After doing so, she reached out with her hands and placed them on both my cheeks which caught me off guard.
"Uh..."
"Hm..."
She then placed her hands on both my arms to feel my pulse.
"Hm..."
The amount of awkwardness I felt was immeasurable.
She finally placed her right hand over the area where my heart was in my chest.
"Hm. Interesting."
Interesting?
"What's interesting?"
"I'm sure you know that Aura flows in all things right?"
"Yes?"
"What I just did to you was feel the flow of your Aura. Though you seem to be in disarray. You're angry."
She was right. She could see the anger inside me.
Hikari chuckled softly.
"Let's vent some anger off, shall we?"
She closed her eyes and smiled warmly.
"Huh?"
She grabbed her instrument and played a single note.
Thung!
Within an instant, my body was sent flying towards the walls behind me, causing a small dust cloud to form.
CRAAAASH!
"ACK!"
What was that?
That was instant!
Did that come from her?
Shit, my body is numb.
The wall collapsed onto my body.
Her voice echoed through the room.
"After hearing what you're capable of, I expect you should be able to put up a fight with me of course. And also venting off that anger you have in you.
Urgh...
Punching through the concrete rubble with my one arm, I leaped out and landed in front of the pile.
Man, that hurts...
That was instant. If she even gave a warning that she was attacking, I don't think I could've even dodged it. Man, I should've listened to Toma when I was training with her.
Just before I came down here, I came across Toma. I told her that Hikari was going to see me however once I did, it seemed a chill went up her spine and warned me.
"Eek! Right now? Uh... Welp. Good luck to you! Haha! You may have trained against me and fought alongside Fujiwara, but when it comes to Hikari? Goodluck with the Deathsong. You'll need it..."
I could sense the dread emanating from her voice.
And now that I'm facing Hikari, it'd make sense now.
But if she wants me to vent off my anger? I'll gladly do so.
...
...
...
Third Person PoV
THUNG!
The girl played another single note, sending an unknown force of energy towards Asol. This time, the concrete ground crumbled and formed spikes towards him.
Asol just barely dodged with a scratch and dashed with amazing speed towards Hikari.
"You're fast and agile Asol. But not fast enough."
Hikari then played two notes.
THUNG! THRING!
"Eh?"
Asol was on the ceiling, however Hikari was still on the ground floor. Those two notes altered the room and flipped it upside down.
"What in the-"
"Astonished, are you?"
"Heh..."
He smiled nervously and then leapt with all his might towards the girl, readying a punch.
"You wanted me to vent this anger I have in my body? Here you go!"
Unbeknownst to him, his Aura gathered to his fist, ready to be unleashed in this single punch.
Hikari opened her eyes and reacted by laying down her Sangen and grabbing his fist with her right hand, encompassing it.
Asol's Aura clashed with her Aura, creating a sizeable crater in the concrete ground and sending a shockwave throughout the HQ buildings above the training room.
The girl grinned, seemingly satisfied with what the boy can do.
...
...
...
Whenever two individuals with high levels of Auras clash, the energy emitted from it interacts with the environment around them, destroying all that can't withstand the energy.
In extreme cases, spacetime itself warps and alters the area.
This phenomenon is called, Aura Clash.
The will and strength of an individual are the deciding factors in who will come out on top.
...
...
...
The effects of her string melody wore off in the room and it returned to normal as she slammed him into the crater she stood in, making him go unconscious.
"It seems you're anger has been vented."
"Urgh..."
As the boy's limpless body lay in the crater, Hikari was left wondering to herself.
"You managed to get into an Aura Clash with me without even knowing what it was and you even managed to last a few seconds. I can see why Fujiwara has taken a liking to you. Hopefully this is enough for the battles that you'll take part in."
"Oi! Hikari!"
The CEO had come down to the training room that had been almost destroyed by the fight.
"Mr. CEO."
"That's me! So, you think he's ready to fight the Saviours?"
"He's almost ready. Though, that Aura Clash he got into with me..."
"What'd I say? He's a special one."
"Right. Sigh."
The two observe the almost destroyed room until the CEO continued.
"It's almost time Hikari. The Saviours are going to strike soon.
"Do you know when?"
"The day Fujiwara goes on her solo live."
"A lot of innocent people are going to get hurt, especially with that many people attending her concert."
"..."
"And Fujiwara? Does she know that she'll be taken by then?"
"No."
"Sigh. He's mad. What'd you tell him before you sent him down here?"
"I told him what he needed to know. That's all."
"Still, you should've told him everything. He lost his world, his family, and his arm. And now he might lose more family, that being Fujiwara, all because you didn't tell him and her."
"He'll understand."
"What about Fujiwara? What do you think will happen if and when she finds out?"
The CEO had no comment.