The End of a Story

Fujiwara Kane's PoV

As I listened to the endless water droplets from rusty old pipes fall onto the cracked cement floor beneath me, I'm left wondering to myself-

Why?

There are so many questions I have...

How did I get to Earth? Was I really from the same world as Asol? Dystopia it was called...

If it was destroyed 12 years ago, then why did Asol show up now?

And then, we have the Saviours...

Was it them who caused the destruction of the world I may have called home and left me feeling the agonizing feeling of emptiness? Were they the reason I felt this way?

Why did the CEO keep all this from me? I can't describe how I feel...

The days stretched endlessly. How long has it been since I was taken by The Saviours. A week? A month? My sense of time is way off. If it was any other person like Toma or Hikari, they would've broken out by now.

But me?

Looking at the faintly glowing chains absorbing the Aura within me, leaving me near powerless, it was simply impossible. The humming emanating from it was a sign that it was absorbing my Aura.

It was made from Living Ore. I've come to discover the effects that came with being bound in them.

The torturous illusions that eat away at ones sanity in order to break them. I've seen all kinds of things believe it or not. 

Especially Kite...

I may not have come to terms with his death, but still...

Even if it was just a trick, a mockery of some sort, my aching heart longs for him to be there in front of me smiling and assuring me it's all going to be fine. It's a cruel way to torture someone, yet it felt like I wasn't alone.

The air just got colder...

"So you're still alive and kicking? Good. Stay that way. Thank "god" for those who can wield Aura that we can go days on end without sustenance."

I've heard from the CEO that Asol had briefly fought a Saviour who could wield all the elemental forces of nature. A Saviour who I've learned the name of, AM was standing in front of my chained self, gloating even though I can't see their face.

In all the time I've been here, I've never seen a single face. Not once. Their robes have this masking ability to hide their identity. But what I can do is see their Aura in its purest state to tell each Saviour apart.

"You've come to gloat again?"

"Hah! If that's all you ever think of me? Then no."

"Is that so? How long are you and the rest of The Saviours going to keep me here? I hear a bunch of chatter going on."

"Hah!"

I may not be able to see his face, but I can feel it. He is smiling as he approaches closer to me and leans over.

"Hahahahaha! Oh, I've got a surprise for you! While your people are here chasing ghosts and all, we will be in that underground holding facility awakening that sleeping Rock you so fear."

The Rock? The same thing that killed Him?

My eyes widened in disbelief as I muttered-

"No..."

"Ah... Yes!"

He yelled out in excitement as he continues.

"Heh, heh. You see- We were informed that your people were plotting a raid on our hideout! It seems they already knew where we were! How? I've no clue. But you seem to know?"

The CEO's future sight. He probably saw me in this current moment and deduced where I was in one of his many visions.

AM continued as he raised his arms towards the ceiling seemingly looking up at it in glory.

"Unfortunately! They'll be raiding an empty hideout! Because by the time your people figure out what's really going on, it will be too late! They'll be ambushed by nothing but Kaijus for days!"

The Rock has been lying dormant ever since Kite died. IF they want to awaken the thing that killed him again, why do they need me?

"Why? Why do you need me!"

I yell out in frustration.

He then looked down on me and sighed.

"Sigh. You know what makes you unique from the rest of your people?"

I stare at him in confusion as he continues.

"You can create a whole transdimensional space, you have a battle suit made from the very same Aura that is present in all things, and you can see the pureness of Aura itself! But what you don't know, is that you can also manipulate it!"

Manipulate what?

"I- Wha-"

"Blah, blah, blah! You do know! You've been doing it the entire time!"

He says as he laughs hysterically as I fall silent.

I can't let them take me! I have to get out of here now!

As I muster the Aura within me, a bright gold light encompassed me seemingly impairing the Saviour's vision.

"Nuh uh!"

As a wave of freezing, cold ice washed over me I was rendered incapacitated.

"What-"

The laughter of the Saviour in front of me rang throughout the room.

"Thankfully the Living Ore has the ability to absorb all forms of energy if it so wished! In this case, it absorbed the Aura you tried using. It will keep sucking more and more the more you try to escape."

"Urgh..."

He chuckled.

"Now then. It's time to sleep."

.

.

.

Third Person PoV

As the Saviour froze the girl temporarily putting her into a cryo sleep, he turned to a dark corner of the room revealing his brother, Patrick.

"Is it done AM?"

"Sigh. Yes Patrick. It is. Were you there the entire time?"

He asked in annoyance.

"Did you have to explain our entire plan? All you had to do was put her to sleep."

"I- Uh. I wanted to have some fun!"

Patrick sighed in disappointment towards his brother as he opened a spatial rift.

"Come. The Leader wants her There."

"Yea, yea! Don't tell me what to do!"

As the brothers move Fujiwara through the spatial rift, AM brings up a question to Patrick that Fujiwara had asked before she was put into a cryogenic sleep.

"Say. Why are we awakening the Rock, brother?"

"The Leader said the Kaijus want us to. Apparently, what will awaken from the Rock will be a being that will bring us to salvation. The Perfect Being they called it. Though, I don't question it. After all, we owe everything to our Leader for saving us from those retched people we used to call Family. Or are you having doubts?"

Patrick said in a cold tone as he noticed cold sweat rolling down the side of AM's head as if he had incurred the wrath of God himself.

"No, no! Of course not!"

"Good. Or else I may have to collapse the space time around you into a pulp, which would be most unfortunate to our cause."

Another figure entered the room just as the two brothers started moving the frozen girl., the man who the two owe their lives to. The Leader.

"Ah! I see you two are moving the girl already!"

He says with his mighty voice, briefly catching the two off guard.

Patrick answers with a lighter tone as he turns to the Leader.

"Yes. Is there something you need us to complete?"

The Leader shakes his head as he continues.

"No. I came to inform you both I will be visiting a 'friend."

The brothers shot eachother a look of confusion and asked-

"Who might this 'friend' be?"

Even though the three of Them's facial expressions could not be discerned, the brothers could sense a mischievous smile slowly forming on their leader's face.

.

.

.

Asol Ansaldo's PoV

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

FWOOOSH!

"Argh!"

Ducking behind some concrete debris, I take a moment to breathe.

Whew...

Man, those two are relentless!

I've been training tirelessly the past couple of days with that girl, Aoi Shigure and her manager, Kazuma Arashi. I can't match the ferocity in their relentless attacks!

I peek out from the debris only to see Aoi charging her gun for a big attack as Kazuma unleashes a flurry of fireballs with a devious smile.

"Geez! Are they are trying to kill me or what!"

I have to admit. The coordination between those two are unmatched. But considering that I'll most likely be fighting the Leader and his two closest men, I'll hafta find a way to adapt. Especially since I'm handicapped with a single arm...

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Shit! This cover isn't going to last long! That constant flurry of fireballs is screwing me! I peek back out again to see that Aoi had finished charging her attack.

Ah shit...

I could see a smile on her face. It wasn't malice I sensed from that smile, but enjoyment. Then she yells out ecstatically.

"YOU BETTER BE READY FOR THIS!"

I can hear the whirring of her gun intensify before releasing the attack.

PSHYOOOM!

I look down on myself tired.

"Well shi-"

BOOM!

(A few days ago)

"A candy shop?"

"Yep!"

After our brief conversation down in the training room, Aoi Shigure led me to a remote part of the city where we are standing in front of a suspicious looking candy store that seemed to be operating? I turn to see her smiling as if this place sold the best candy in the world.

Or...

She was going to kidnap me?

Confused, I ask-

"So... What did you drag me all the way out here for?"

Aoi then started making her way inside the store as she chuckled.

"You'll see! Teehee!"

Should I follow her?

I take a look at our surroundings only to see fallen buildings, dead trees and bushes, a gray sky, and no living thing beside me in sight. Wherever we were, this place was a complete ghost town. Well, that's excluding the candy shop in front of me.

"Man, it's kinda cold here..."

I enter the building not long after to see that the interior of the shop was-

"Clean?"

Of course it'd be clean. What expectations do I have for a place like this in a middle of ghost town? I could hear the lights in the store flicker dimly with a soft hum as I explored the store.

"Over here!"

"Eh?"

I turn to the direction from which the voice came. It was Aoi. She was signaling me to what looked to be an elevator?

Without questioning it, I followed her into the elevator, and we descended down to the deepest floor.

It must've been the longest 5 minutes of my life because it was just complete ambient silence as the whirring of the elevator echoed until I tried to make small take with her. She was staring at the floor in a daze.

"S-so uh... You come here often?"

She perked her head up, giving me her attention.

"To this world? Uh... A lot of times!"

She said proudly while lifting a finger with her eyes closed.

I smiled awkwardly yet I was intrigued. Even though the question was geared towards her coming to this exact place, to know she comes from another world is actually surprising. Knowing that I myself come from another world as well.

I respond.

"Another world huh? What's your world like?"

A grin appeared on her face.

"Heh. My world is a world of superheroes!"

A world of superheroes?

"Superheroes? Like those guys in capes and speedo underwear?"

"Yes! And no! They don't wear speedos where I come from. My world is ruled by heroes, and my brother happens to be the best hero of heroes! You can say that he is the leader of my world!"

"Heroes huh..."

I guess even a world of superheroes can exist.

Aoi then asked me a question as she tilted her head.

"So Asol, what was your world like?"

"My world? Uh..."

Right...

Dystopia...

I struggled to answer as the only thing I could remember of Dystopia was the chaos and light that engulfed everything. Images of Mom and Bell dying flashed briefly.

Argh, why did those moments show up?

I placed my fingers on my left temple trying to remember the good moments.

Aoi could sense my frustration. I could also sense that she felt it was disrespectful to ask me such a thing when she realized what I went through as her mouth turned to a frown.

"I'm sorry Aoi, I can't seem to find the words. But I think you would've loved my world."

"No, I'm sorry Asol. I shouldn't have asked you that question... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have..."

Her voice quivered lightly as she apologized.

Even though I couldn't see it on the outside, I could sense her beating herself up on the inside. I guess I can try to cheer her up?

"Aw come on! Don't be sorry Aoi! Earth is my home now!"

I said sarcastically with a forced a smile. But she seems to have bought it and forgiven herself.

Whew...

"But, to actually answer your question Asol... Yes, I do come to these shady candy stores in ghost towns."

After what felt like a millennia we finally made it to the bottom floor. As the elevator doors opened, we were met by the person who I guess you could say "slandered" me?

"Uh... Welcome back Aoi! And uh..."

And that person is a totally different person...

Back then in the debrief room, I couldn't distinguish any of his features thanks to the poorly dimmed lights. But make no mistake! The boy that stands in front of me is him, Kazuma Arashi. But, he seems different. The tone and his stature seem all...

"Asol! This is Kazuma! And Kazuma, this is Asol!"

Aoi introduced the both of us to each other even though we were both somewhat well acquainted.

His snow-white eyes met mines and then he bowed and started speaking.

"I'm so sorry Asol Ansaldo... The me that was there in the debriefing room didn't mean to say all that..."

He's apologizing? All the things he said back then was all true. He shouldn't be sorry. Wait... He said "the me that was there." Does that mean...

"You don't need to apologize uh... Kazuma Arashi... What you said back there was all true. I never really won any battles. But what did you mean by the 'you' that was there?"

Aoi then interrupted as she put an arm over his shoulder.

"Oh! He was born with two souls!"

Born with two souls?

"Born with two souls?"

I look back at Kazuma and his white hair. I distinctly remember him having red hair, yet his is now white. It kinda makes sense?

"How is one born with two-"

"It was a ... science experiment gone wrong. Come. Follow me."

Kazuma said as he interrupted me. The way he said it was, hesitant. I suppose everyone has their own dark secrets.

He and Aoi lead me to a door a ways off. Through the door, I was met with the astounding sight of the interior of a training room. But, man... What is up with these ridiculously large training rooms? This one is even bigger than the one back at HQ and it's decorated more?

It was cold and the lights that lightly dimmed the rim flickered ever so slightly. I turn to Kazuma as he started speaking while Aoi started fiddling with her Aura.

"This room was dug out with the intention of evacuating civilians in the event a disaster would occur, like the Kaijus or a cult. Unfortunately, we never got to use this room because a girl in gold created a whole transdimensional space to combat the larger Kaijus."

He must be talking about the Shibuya Incident and Fujiwara. It makes me wonder if they were also there with everyone else. And then Aoi started speaking.

"In case you're wondering Asol, me and Kazuma were in my world conducting idol activities at the time. You know? The superhero world? It was too late when we found out what happened here, so we decided stay here until the Saviour problem was resolved."

"That answers my question then..."

If these two were here during the incident, then perhaps they could've prevented the event. At least that's the implication I'm receiving.

"So why did you bring me here? IF you are training me, then we could've at least trained back at HQ's training room?"

I could see a small grin appear on Kazuma's face. His hair turned from its snow white color, into a fiery red one. The room, although it was larger than the one back at HQ, quickly became more warmer and hotter.

I look down at both of his hands as they turned a hot red. I then turned to Aoi who materialized what looks to be twin pistols as she smiled.

Ah...

"Mr. CEO, you've got to stop doing this to me..."