The night wind drifted softly, carrying one's gaze toward a hospital located far from Tokyo—while the heroes' meeting was taking place elsewhere.
In the city of Fukuoka.
The nearest hospital to the previous incident.
Countless people were being treated.
Many others had already died because of what happened earlier.
Ironically, television broadcasts only showed the explosion itself—never the true condition of the victims.
They were silenced.
Covered up.
Hidden behind the schemes of heartless, manipulative people.
Families waited inside the hospital, drowning in thought and fear.
Could this really happen…
after they had said, "Be careful,"
to the ones they loved?
The screeching sound of stretchers—carrying both the injured and the dead—echoed endlessly.
Heartbeats thumped like fragile hopes for those who still loved them.
Nurses… doctors—with all their vast knowledge—were now overwhelmed by how fragile life truly was.
They ran.
They searched for solutions and medicine.
They sweated for a single life—one that could never be replaced, not even by an entire universe.
Tonight, the hospital became a place where tears fell endlessly—
after regret,
after loss,
after seeing loved ones disappear just like that.
They wished—desperately—to rewind time, just to wave once more at the past they cherished.
Did those officials truly understand the value of a life…
compared to the rank they held so highly?
Isn't every living being obligated to protect another living being—just like themselves?
…
Eventually, the chaos settled into a single hospital room at the far end of the corridor, near the elevators—quiet, isolated.
Inside sat Tsukishima, still awake deep into the night, waiting for his two friends who had yet to regain consciousness.
Ace lay there, still stained with dried blood.
Shoryu lay beside him, pale as a ghost, completely unconscious.
Tsukishima sat on the chair, elbows resting on his knees, holding up a head that felt unbearably heavy.
All he felt was exhaustion…
and something unfamiliar—something he had never witnessed before.
Before he realized it, he fell into a deep sleep.
…
"Tsukishima… I just wanted to tell you…"
"That I won't be here much longer."
"Huh? Dad—what are you talking about?!"
"The world has grown old, my son. Would you be willing to stay with me someday… in a peaceful, comfortable place?"
"Those angels are lying. They're far more evil than demons… if you're willing to understand."
…
"Tsukishima?! Tsukishima, wake up, idiot!"
A distant voice broke through his dream.
"Oi, Tsukishima!"
It sounded like Ace—sharp, loud, annoying.
Slowly, Tsukishima opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw was Ace—covered in wounds, smiling at him.
"I didn't think I'd end up like this—"
Tsukishima suddenly stood and pulled Ace into a tight embrace, fear flooding his chest.
"How are you even alive after being slammed like that?" Tsukishima snapped.
"That's what I should be asking, idiot."
He released Ace and glanced at Shoryu, who was still unconscious.
As he hugged Ace earlier, Tsukishima had stared blankly at the floor.
The words from his dream replayed again and again in his mind—
like a warning, small yet massive, meant for the future.
At the same time, sadness crept in as he remembered his late father.
The voice was so similar.
In his heart, he wished it truly had been his father.
…
Not long after, Shoryu's parents and older sibling arrived.
Panic and worry flooded the once-silent room.
They thanked Tsukishima and Ace endlessly for saving their beloved son—tears streaming down their faces, except for the father and the older sibling.
Tsukishima and Ace decided to step outside, not wanting to intrude on the family's grief.
They walked through the corridors until they reached the lobby and bought energy drinks from a nearby vending machine.
"Tsukishima… I was seriously impressed when you pulled out that sword."
"From a dimensional portal, no less!"
"It's unbelievable. I still can't believe it… that was insane."
Ace looked at him with pride and disbelief—after witnessing power far beyond what any normal human should possess.
Tsukishima tried to brush it off.
"Dude, you're hallucinating again—"
He stubbornly tried to erase it all with a ridiculous lie.
Ace pushed back.
"Hallucinating? Then why am I injured right now? Am I hallucinating this too?"
He paused, then continued.
"After seeing all that… do you think I might have powers too?"
Tsukishima responded quickly.
"Ace, no. Just forget it—everything you saw—"
Suddenly—
Tsukishima felt something strange emanating from Ace.
An unfamiliar energy.
Dangerous—yet calming.
Unnaturally serene.
Tsukishima's eyes widened, frozen in place.
"I'm just curious," Ace said softly, his voice filled with innocent hope.
Tsukishima muttered while staring at the full moon hanging in the night sky.
"I'm curious about that bastard too."
Fallen's face flashed through his mind.
Ace tilted his head.
"What did you say? Bastard? You mean the physics teacher?"
He spoke without thinking—remembering how much Tsukishima hated him.
But deep down… Ace really was curious.
After chatting in the now-cold, silent hospital lobby, they decided to return to the room.
…
They opened the door and stepped inside.
"I hope Shoryu recovers soon—"
They froze.
Instead of seeing Shoryu resting—
They saw him awake.
Playing a game console.
His eyes were droopy, yet focused intensely on the screen.
His pale face was stretched into a wide grin, as if he felt no pain at all.
His fragile body trembled as his thumbs tapped the controls rapidly.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! YOU'RE PLAYING GAMES? ARE YOU STUPID?!" Tsukishima shouted in disbelief.
Shoryu laughed maniacally.
"LET ME FINISH OFF THIS IDIOT, UGLY, FAT BOSS FIRST—HAHAHAHA!"
Tsukishima was furious—yet somehow looked ridiculous.
"I SWEAR THE PERSON WHO GAVE YOU THAT CONSOLE HAS THEIR BRAIN IN THEIR UNDERWEAR—NO, THEIR FEET—WAIT—"
Ace and Shoryu struggled to hold back laughter.
Meanwhile, Tsukishima froze in terror.
Shoryu's older sibling stood there—wearing clear glasses, staring sharply while adjusting the bridge with a finger.
Sweat poured down Tsukishima's face.
"Ah—uh—I didn't know Shoryu had an older sibling, haha…"
"By the way, I was talking about my physics teacher—his brain really is in his underwear—because one time his underwear showed while teaching in cl—"
"Gulp…"
For the first time, Tsukishima struggled to swallow.
Then—
The older sibling burst out laughing.
"BWAHAHAHA!"
"Shoryu is an idiot, yeah. Relax."
They stood and approached Tsukishima and Ace.
Shoryu protested.
"Why am I always the one getting roasted?!"
His sibling shot him a deadly glare.
"Go rest, brat. Or I'll call Mom right now."
Shoryu immediately shut up.
…
"What actually happened?" the sibling asked.
Their tone shifted completely—sharp, tense.
Tsukishima spoke.
"We were attacked. It sounds crazy… but Shoryu was drained by some kind of dark energy."
"And before that, there was a massive explosion."
They listened carefully.
"A tall man… glowing multicolored eyes… pale skin—"
"Enough," the sibling interrupted coldly.
"I'll take responsibility and drive you both home."
"As thanks for saving my brother."
They turned and walked toward the exit.
Ace and Tsukishima exchanged looks.
Ace peeked into Shoryu's room.
"We're heading out! School tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah… probably," Shoryu replied.
"Physics test tomorrow…"
His face stiffened in terror.
Tsukishima's body twitched.
Ace waved.
"I've got a trick for tomorrow."
He grinned mischievously.
"Later, Shoryu."
"See you! Be careful!" Shoryu replied warmly.
…
Much later.
Shoryu's sibling drove Ace and Tsukishima home.
"Where's Reiko?" Ace asked.
"He showed up… but said he had business in Tokyo," Tsukishima replied.
The sibling glanced at them through the rearview mirror at the mention of Reiko.
"He'll meet us tomorrow after school," Tsukishima continued, resting his chin on his hand, staring out into the dark night.
"I hope nothing happens."
…
The car stopped in front of Ace's house.
"Thank you—"
"Call me Swan," the driver interrupted.
Then the car drove away.
Ace stood there, breathing deeply—finally at peace.
He entered his empty house, loneliness creeping back in.
Instead of drowning in it, he cleaned himself—showered, washed his face, brushed his teeth.
Afterward, he picked up a torn novel he had been reading.
"The Truth."
He searched for the characters online.
A white towel still hung around his neck as he typed one name.
"Elevanour."
A warning appeared—access denied due to illegality.
No matter how hard he tried, a red triangle with an exclamation mark blocked him.
He couldn't access anything related to Elevanour.
Even though it was clearly fictional.
Ace leaned back in his chair, thinking.
Then he tried another name.
"Yinyang."This time— A blog appeared.
Accessible.
Matching everything he was searching for.
Ace's eyes widened in shock as he stared at the screen.