Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Did it work? 

“Takumi, are you alright?” A familiar voice snapped Takumi back to consciousness. But it wasn’t enough to prove his success. 

“Sorry, I got dizzy all of the sudden… What happened?”

“Right after you finished telling me about your childhood friend, you collapsed. I was worried-” The voice continued, but Takumi’s focus had already shifted. His mind began analyzing the new reality. 

It did work. He had successfully gone back in time. However not to Day 2, but to Day 30 of the first timeline. Just one day after he, alongside the Second-to-Last Academy students, returned to the main campus. 

“Thanks for worrying about me. I’m okay now, Eito.” The person by his side was Eito. He’d come, supposedly due to his concern for Takumi’s wellbeing, and expressed his “happiness” at his safe return. At the time, Takumi had trusted Eito so deeply that he’d confided in him, he told him about Karua, Nozomi and their inexplicable connection. 

But Takumi now possessed knowledge far beyond his past self. He no longer merely suspected that Nozomi and Karua were the same person. “You’re Takky from back then…right?” Nozomi's voice echoed in his mind, though he’d rather not dwell on her death. Nevertheless, why she forgot about him remained a mystery.

And Eito… Takumi now knew that he’d been behind it all. He’d destroyed Sirei, he’d killed Hiruko and he was the one who ambushed Takumi and left him to die in the ruins. But by sheer luck, Takumi had survived. And now Eito stood here, feigning concern, playing the part of Takumi’s trusted ally. 

“Should I stay here, or do you need some time alone? Perhaps I could bring you something from the cafeteria?” Eito spoke with a soft smile. 

Eito. The reason Takumi returned to this exact moment. In this timeline Moko and Hiruko had already died, making it far from ideal. Yet it was the one that gave him this opportunity. 

“I’d prefer if you stayed.”

Eito had ruined everything - killed his friends, tricked his allies, destroyed the whole mission…Yet, even after Takumi had bested him in a fight, even after travelling back to Day 2 and killing him then, Eito had died with a smile. Takumi found no way to make him pay. But now…

“There’s…” Takumi’s voice trailed off. “Something I need to tell you…”

Takumi wanted revenge. A retribution. And there was one foolproof method.

“What is it, Takumi?” Their eyes met.

A method to make Eito suffer without Takumi needing to sink to his level. It wasn’t the simplest route, but it was certain. The perfect revenge…

“Eito.” Takumi inhaled, steading himself. “I love you.”

An uncomfortable silence filled the room. Eito was visibly stunned, and Takumi could only imagine his internal revulsion. “Huh…?” Eito finally muttered.

“I know it’s sudden. “Takumi continued, keeping his tone calm. “But you’ve been there for me all this time. You’ve always offered a helping hand, and I know I can trust you.  This sudden dizziness just made everything click for me.”

“This…is certainly sudden…” Eito said, trying to gather his thoughts.

But Takumi knew Eito couldn’t refuse. Future Eito had admitted it himself - that he saw Takumi as the easiest to fool or how he’d say whatever in order to get Takumi on his side. Eito couldn’t afford to lose Takumi’s favor here.

Eito hesitated again. “That’s…” Takumi could tell Eito’s struggle was real. Agreeing was, without a doubt, the strategic choice. Yet Eito himself was to blame for Takumi realizing how profoundly this would wound him. He’d spelled it all out in a lengthy monologue. “In my eyes, all of humanity looks like unsightly, freakish, eerie monsters… The sounds their voices produce is utterly disturbing, and when they come close, their stench makes me want to avert my eyes…!” For someone with such a worldview, the mere thought of feigning romantic reciprocation must be nauseating. 

However, Takumi also understood Eito’s tenacity 

“Takumi.” Eito finally spoke up. “I told you earlier how I don’t have any experience with romance. And with how tenderly you spoke about Karua, I never imagined this.” He grasped his chest. “But…If this is how you really feel, I think it’s worth giving it a try.” He forced a light chuckle. “I’ve only read about situations like this in novels, so I don’t really know how to respond properly.”

They agreed to talk more the next day. With that, Eito left for his room. 

Takumi felt elated. Only because this meant his revenge was underway, that is. He had finally gotten the upper hand on Eito and he wasn’t about to let it go to waste. 

As he lay down, more details about this timeline came rushing in. Right. There were still some people refusing to fight. The invaders had grown stronger thanks to his return to the past too. All of that meant he’d have to work twice as hard. The tension between the two academies remained unresolved as well. But it was fine. It would all be worth it. All of it would be worth it for the looks on Eito’s face. With that thought, Takumi closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Text

After Day 31’s morning announcement, Takumi made his way to the cafeteria. Only students from the first campus were present. “It’s fine.” Takumi mused. “If I let things play out as they did, this conflict will settle itself.” 

It wasn’t until Nozomi entered to reluctantly inform everyone that her classmates would be dining at a different time to avoid any encounters that the door opened again, and Eito walked in.  

“I was starting to think one of those guys killed you.” Darumi called out. “But nope. No killing game yet, even though this setup’s perfect for one…”

“Good morning, Eito.” Takumi said, rising from his seat. “I made you some breakfast.” He offered a plate of sandwiches. “I was a little worried since you usually arrive before me.”

Eito stared at the gift. “How kind of you, Takumi…You really shouldn’t have.” He reluctantly took it.

Takumi could guess that Eito’s delay was to postpone their conversation and he weaponized it. No one but them could grasp just how much Eito meant the words “shouldn’t have”.

“Man, if I knew sleeping in got you rewards, I’d be late every day!” Gaku’s usual complaint rang out. 

“Mr. Maruko, if you want someone to feed you,” Ima chimed in, twirling a strand of his purple hair. “My dear sister and I would be happy to provide.”

“Like hell I’d eat anything made by either of you!” Gaku shouted. “What even is that?!”

“Natto parfait with wasabi and sweet cereal. “ Kako replied calmly. “I do think it needs some more sugar. ”

“Everyone’s chaotic as ever.” Eito sighed and sat down. “I wish there was an easy way for us all to come together. Right now everyone seems on edge…” 

Takumi knew Eito’s worry was disingenuous, but he couldn’t deny he’d been feeling the same. Neither of them cared for the current conflict. Takumi had always tried to approach things differently, change them, steer events away from the outcomes he remembered. However now, despite knowing the future, he was hoping things would unfold exactly as they had before. It created a strange tension, as if an invisible wall separated him from the others. His focus was meant to be on Eito, so perhaps this barrier was actually helpful. Still, it made their brief exchange of concern about the situation incredibly superficial. 

Once the cafeteria emptied out, Eito suggested they go to the library to avoid running into the second group. Takumi followed. For a small moment, he wondered if this could be called a date. Maybe not yet, but Eito inviting him somewhere right after breakfast certainly felt like progress.

They stepped inside the quiet library.

“I’ve asked Shouma this before, but I never asked you, Takumi. What kind of books do you enjoy?” Eito broke the silence. “You said once you weren’t much of a reader, but that’s not the same as not reading at all.” 

Books were the one subject Eito always spoke about without restraint. His love for literature was the only thing Takumi was certain he meant sincerely. 

“Let’s see…”  Takumi paused. He wouldn’t call himself a dedicated reader, but since the library had first opened, he’d started spending time there now and then. He’d probably read more here than he ever had at the TRC. 

“I don’t think I have a favorite genre. I just go with whatever catches my interest - adventure, mystery, romance, sci-fi, history and so on.”

“You seem more well-read than you give yourself credit for. History’s my personal favorite.” Eito replied, his pale blue eyes lightened up. Takumi knew he’d take the bait. “I didn’t expect you to share this interest with me. Is there any historical topic you find especially intriguing?”

“I guess you could say I like to read about life before the TRC.” Takumi used Eito’s own advice against him, telling him exactly what he wanted to hear. 

Though it wasn’t entirely a lie. He had read some history books, enough to hold a conversation. Both Karua and Eito had been fascinated by the past, and Takumi wanted to understand that curiosity. However it hadn’t captivated him the way it had then. He found it difficult to even picture life outside of TRC, much less one that existed long before it. So in truth, he didn’t care about that topic much at all. 

“I think the same!” Eito's voice rose slightly, charged with excitement. “The journey of mankind through history, their choices, their failures and successes, and how it all weaves together… Ever since I was little, I could get lost in those stories.”

Eito walked toward a shelf at the back of the room and pulled out a book. “As I mentioned when the library opened, this place really has a wider selection than anything I’ve seen back home.” He flipped it open to a two-page spread. “Isn’t it wonderful? A high-quality map of Earth.” Turning to another section, he pointed out markings. “This one shows the sites of major conflicts and discoveries…”

Eito went on, speaking with growing passion, and Takumi listened. The way Eito explained things was vivid and engaging, almost like he couldn’t help himself. He seemed genuinely pleased whenever Takumi recognized something or offered his own input. 

It wasn’t hard to tell that Eito had a particular fondness for the subject of conflict - his tone sharpened ever so slightly, and his eyes lit up just a bit more when the topic came up. Or maybe Takumi imagined it. Maybe he only saw it because he knew what Eito was really like. 

They moved on to other genres too, books they both happened to have read, or books they wanted to recommend. It was surprising how natural the conversation became. Despite lies hanging over both of them, it felt easy and enjoyable.

Takumi realized that ever since he’d taken up reading as a hobby, he hadn’t really had the chance to talk about it with anyone - not like this. No one else came close to Eito’s fervor. And discussing books with Eito from the future, the one stuck in a cage, didn’t sound particularly appealing. That version of him wouldn’t know the library this well, anyway. 

Trading thoughts with Eito like this made Takumi reconsider his stance on reading. Pehaps he’d been too harsh on books. They clearly had more to offer than he’d given them credit for. 

He had a feeling it was the same for Eito too. For someone like him, who’s never been close to anyone, this must’ve been a rare opportunity. The thoughts he’d always kept to himself, were now being shared. And maybe Takumi was being naive, maybe he was falling for the same trick again. But right now, Eito looked…genuinely happy. 

Wait. 

This wasn’t the point of this. Sharing opinions about books with Eito wasn’t the reason he’d started all this. He came here to get revenge. To make Eito suffer the same way he himself had. So why was he hoping Eito was enjoying himself? It’s not even been a day, has he already forgotten his goal?

Takumi suddenly shook his head, snapping himself out of it. Eito blinked, slightly startled. 

“No, there’s no reason to stop now.” Takumi assured himself. “This is just to build a false sense of security. That’s all there is to it.”

They spend the entire day in the library. Once they ran out of things to say, they simply read in silence that felt rather comforting. They both might’ve found some joy in the thought they’d have something to discuss next time.

In the end, they didn’t revisit last night’s conversation like they’d planned. Neither of them brought it up, and neither seemed to mind. Takumi felt as though he’d come to understand Eito a little better - how his childhood solitude had shaped his deep connection with books. Adn Eito seemed to have enjoyed his time too, or at least Takumi hoped he had. 

Before bed, Takumi made a quick stop by the Gift-O-Matic. Fortunately, he had enough materials for what he needed. Soon after, he returned to his room and fell asleep. 

Chapter Text

Day 32 began differently.

There was no announcement, no knocking, not even silence. Instead, a sharp ringing filled the air. The moment Takumi recognized the sound, he quickly sat up, prepared, and headed straight for the cafeteria. 

It was an alarm clock that had woken him up. - an object he’d made for one purpose alone: reach the cafeteria before anyone else. More specifically, before Eito. That way he could make breakfast for him again. 

Takumi was actually quite fond of sleeping, though he’d probably be made fun of if he said that aloud. Without the alarm going off a few minutes before the announcement, he’d have no chance of beating Eito to their destination. It was almost impressive how quickly Eito managed to get ready each day given that huge white jacket of his. “Must be heavy to move around in…” Takumi thought, just as he pushed open the cafeteria doors. 

A warm aroma greeted him.

“Good morning, Takumi. You’re early, couldn’t sleep well?” Eito said, already busy at the counter.

Takumi immediately understood. “So this is how it is.” Eito had no intention of ever arriving after him again. And while he couldn’t prove it, he had a strong hunch Eito hadn’t just happened to wake up this early either. 

“Mhm…” Eito hummed to himself. “There we go!” A soft clunk rang out. sounded as he pulled out a few slices of toast and popped more bread into the toaster. Then, he turned to Takumi with a knife in hand. “Do you prefer jam, or maybe peanut butter?”

“Jam, I guess… But Eito, you really shouldn’t have.”

“I’m just returning the favor from yesterday. Sit down, Takumi, let me handle this.” Eito replied with a gentle smile. 

Takumi sat and quickly noticed that Eito had already poured him some juice. It was even the type he usually drank. Eito had picked up on that too. His attention to detail was frustratingly good.

Given Eito's meticulous preparation, Takumi quickly realized this wasn't going to be a one-time thing. But he didn’t plan to just back down.

Eito’s immediate intervention meant yesterday's sandwiches must’ve been abysmal. That was the goal, of course - Takumi never expected Eito to like them - but it still stung a little. 

As the morning finished playing, Eito handed Takumi a plate. “Tell me what you think.” He asked in a casual manner. 

Takumi eyed the toast. It looked annoyingly good, crisply browned with jam glistering on the surface. Next to it sat a small bowl of fruit yogurt, which matched the overall light and sweet aesthetic. That wouldn’t have paired as well with peanut butter, meaning Eito either planned for both answers or had anticipated what Takumi would choose. 

He took a bite. It was delicious. Probably as delicious as a piece of toast can be. And that only irritated him more. He couldn’t bring himself to compliment it too openly, but silence would’ve been impossible, so he conceded. “It’s pretty good.” Takumi muttered, then changed the subject. “But you’re still making more. Haven’t you eaten yet?”

“I have.” Eito replied, glancing at the toaster. “Yesterday morning, Gaku mentioned he’d like to be treated sometime. I figured he might enjoy this.”

“How thoughtful of you.” Takumi said, internally considering cooking for at least three people next time.

The remaining seven team members soon arrived. Tsubasa, Gaku and Takemaru entered first, chatting about how committed the Second-to-Last Academy’s students were to morning training. Then the twins followed. Shouma came in, looking subdued, a sign of his returning memories. 

“You made this for me?” Gaku exclaimed as Eito handed him a plate. “For someone as poor as me, this is like hitting the jackpot!” 

“I’m really glad.” Eito laughed softly. 

The rest of breakfast unfolded smoothly. With everyone engrossed in launching jabs at the other school, no one seemed to Notice how Takumi had arrived earlier than usual, which spared him the need to conjure an excuse. He tuned their conversations out, as he’d heard it all before. 

Unlike the first time this day played out, it was Tsubasa, not Eito, who pointed out Shouma’s strange behavior. But Takumi wasn’t paying enough attention to notice the change.

He and Eito ended up on the rooftop. Beyond the fence, the school grounds stretched beneath them. A landscape that doubled as a battlefield during invader’s attacks. Everything was surrounded by what’s called undying flames. Takumi now knew the person who created them. And this time, Takumi wasn’t going to let him die. He wouldn't let Eito win again.

Gazing at the purple flames, Takumi recalled Hiruko’s black corpse looking somewhere beyond them, discarded after being brutally murdered. And the culprit, right this very moment, stood right beside him.

Eito had no idea Takumi suspected a thing. He probably felt secure, thinking he’d completely fooled him. And he would’ve been correct. Eito had been diligent, he covered his tracks perfectly. He couldn’t possibly have foreseen that a Takumi from the future would come back with the answer. 

“You’ve been spending less time with the others lately” Eito made a sudden observation.

“Is there something wrong with that?” Takumi replied coolly. “Do you not want to spend time with me?”

“N-No, that’s not…” Eito placed his hand on his chest, hiding distress. “You told me your worries about Nozomi not long ago, but since then, you haven’t brought her up again. I guess it made me a little concerned.”

It wasn't that Nozomi had lost any importance to him. Rather, this particular Nozomi, in this particular moment, held less immediate urgency. Plus, Takumi understood she’d be fine, at least for the time being. Still, he understood why this sudden change in priorities seemed out of character. He had to play a convincing role to navigate this predicament. 

“When I got dizzy back then, I think…” Takumi let out a faint, bitter click of the tongue. “I realized how ridiculous I’d been. Nozomi clearly doesn’t have amnesia, and yet she doesn’t remember me. I’d only be going against her wishes if I kept denying the truth-” He was cut off.

“Urgh.. “ Eito grumbled, looking clearly unwell. “I’m really happy to hear that, but… Honestly, I’ve not been feeling too well today. I think I’ll be better by tomorrow. I’m sorry, but can we talk more then?

Takumi nodded. “Sure, get some rest.”

As they parted, Takumi couldn’t help but be a little impressed at how long Eito lasted before showing symptoms of his ‘illness’. Takumi could’ve tried to push him, and insisted he should stay, but he saw no reason to. There would be more chances, he had time. Eito earnt a break for that admittedly delicious breakfast. 

Besides, it wasn’t like Takumi wanted to spend any more time around a traitor. No, in fact, he was perfectly happy to find something else to do. This, too, was a total victory. 

Takumi spent the rest of his day in the library. He ran into Kako there, and they ended up chatting about mystery novels for a bit until Ima wandered in and interrupted them. 

Afterwards, Takumi returned to his room. Before going to sleep, he adjusted the alarm just slightly - an additional ten minutes earlier. He didn’t want to arrive too early and end up loitering awkwardly, that wouldn’t feel like a proper win.

Chapter Text

When Takumi got to the cafeteria, Eito was met with a now-familiar sight. Eito was already inside, calmly brewing tea and tending a frying pan like this had been his morning ritual all along.

Takumi sighed. They exchanged greetings, but neither of them said a word about how strangely early they both kept waking up these days. 

Noticing there weren’t any dirty dishes in the sink and that Eito was cooking two portions, Takumi’s eyes lit up. “He hadn’t eaten yet.” Plan B was on. 

Once the scrambled eggs were done, they sat opposite each other at the rightmost end of the cafeteria. Just as Takumi had assumed, Eito was yet to eat. 

As they chatter over breakfast, engaging in meaningless small talk, Takumi subtly reached for a napkin. “There’s something on your-” He started, but didn’t get to finish.

Eito’s hand moved incredibly fast, firmly catching Takumi’s wrist mid-motion. The grip wasn’t rough, but definite enough to stop him. 

“Oh - sorry.” Eito said quickly, smiling as he let go. “I just didn’t expect that so suddenly, so I reacted on instinct.”

Takumi didn’t answer, just watched as Eito grabbed a napkin of his own and wiped his cheek where Takumi had been aiming. They went back to eating as if nothing had happened, but Takumi’s mind didn’t. 

Takumi wasn’t sure what to make of Eito and him. They’d certainly grown closer - he’d spent the last few days focused on him and they were together more than ever. But that fleeting, icy cold glare, quick enough that anyone else would have missed it, snapped him out of any illusion. Maybe those casual breakfasts, and their nice time at the library made him forget, if only for a second, just how much this Eito despised him. 

The morning announcement played soon after, and one by one the others arrived - Takemaru, Tsubasa, Gaku, Ima, Kako and Darumi came in. The mood was lighter than yesterday. It seemed like everyone had silently agreed that, at least currently, there was no point in bickering about the other group. Some of them probably even felt a little guilty, realizing just how hard those guys had been working. Criticizing them would just make them look petty. 

Still, something felt off… Then, Takumi remembered. 

This was the day Eito was supposed to gather everyone. Shouma was meant to talk about his memories of the Kamukura Hospital. But as Eito hadn’t spoken to Shouma and no one else had pushed for it, the meeting never occurred. 

It wasn’t a major disruption. Most people had written off Shouma’s memories as nothing more than a dream anyway. But if he was left alone, his condition might worsen.

“Hey, Eito. Can you help me check up on Shouma?”

—

“You seem to have a talent for taking care of others.” Eito remarked.

They were just leaving Shouma’s room. As usual, Shouma had been harsh on himself, but it was obvious he appreciated the visit. His expression had softened, and he even seemed a little energized. He’d gone to share more fragments of his memory - something about experiments related to his blood. He remembered everyone else had been there too, though the details were still murky. 

None of this came as a surprise for Takumi, but Eito listened carefully, clearly intrigued. He started tossing out theories, mainly ones related to the possible timing of those experiments. Takumi joined in, pretending to be as puzzled. Shouma looked relieved that he was being taken seriously. Part of him had feared he’d be dismissed again, treated like, as he put it, “the worthless puke of a worm that he is”. 

On Takumi’s suggestion, they agreed to keep the information to themselves for now. He argued that until both academies came together, no one would be willing to listen. Eito agreed, saying that things were chaotic enough and adding more uncertainty wouldn’t help. Shouma didn’t put up any resistance. A small part of him still felt it was wrong to stay quiet, but the moment he faced even slight pushback, he gave in without protest.

“Just like when I saved you back then, huh.”  Takumi said as they walked, glancing at Eito.

A future version of Eito had once told him “I really despised how cocky you got after saving my life.” If Eito was going to resent him for it anyway, Takumi might as well lean into it.

“If we’d gotten there even a few minutes later, it could’ve ended badly,” he added. “I've been stranded in those ruins myself now, so I can imagine how awful it must’ve been for you.”

“That’s what’s so great about you, Takumi. You always persevere. You shine like the sun - no matter how long the night feels, you show up. You bring hope to everyone.”

The conversation shifted before Takumi could brace for it.

“When you told me how you felt three days ago, I didn’t know what to think. I’ve barely had friends before, so that kind of situation was completely new to me. But after what you did for me, and how you’ve chosen to spend your time with me… I think I’d like nothing more than to stay by your side.”

Takumi’s face flushed. He’d practically forgotten that confession. It had gone unmentioned since, and he certainly hadn’t expected Eito to bring it up. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. He was meant to stay in control, not get blindsided like this. 

There was something so sincere in Eito’s expression, something that made it hard to reconcile him with the other image of Eito in his head. The one who had once killed everyone. They were the same person, Takumi knew that, and yet…

Takumi forced himself to focus. He knew this was harder for Eito than it was for him. Just because Eito took the lead this time didn’t mean anything. Takumi only needed to regain composure. He could still get a handle on this.

“Eito…” His voice trembled. “I’m really happy to hear that. I am. But saying it here, just like that… I think I need a moment. I need to piece myself together.”

With that, he turned and headed down the stairwell. 

“Right. Take care.” Eito said, waving as Takumi left. 

Takumi ran. He had no real reason to, and that only made it worse. Wasn’t this exactly what he’d been aiming for? And now that he’d succeeded, he fled like a fool. 

He wandered the school halls lost in thought. The courtyard crossed his mind, it would’ve been the perfect place to cool down. But then he remembered, in a different timeline, Eito had been trapped there after Takumi exposed him. That Eito had spoken so differently. He was more abrasive, but also honest. This Eito…This soft-spoken, warm version…Everything he said was more likely to be a lie than not.

Maybe the courtyard wouldn’t be a perfect place after all.

As he was circling the 2nd floor, he ran into Darumi, who was just exiting the training room.

“Heey Takumi, you look awful! Did you kill someone? Or-” she gasped. “Are you planning to kill me?” Her voice rose with excitement. “Please tell me it’s that! I’ve been dying for someone to finally kill me.” 

“Hello to you too…” Takumi muttered. “I guess you might actually be the best person to ask, what do you usually do when you need to take your mind off things?”

Darumi lit up. As usual, her answer was far from conventional. She loved playing depressing eroges or watching anything gory. Takumi gave a tired nod and thanked her for the input. Takumi loved movies, so that didn’t sound like a bad idea right now. When he made his way to the rec room, she tagged along without asking. 

Against his better judgement, Takumi let Darumi pick the movie. They ended up watching it in her room, which, with its darkness and clutter, made for a fittingly atmospheric setting. 

It was an old, low-budget slasher. The story followed a late-night TV host who received a disturbing videotape in the mail. Being ignored by her supervisor, she decided to bring her crew to the abandoned location the video seemed to depict. One by one, they were picked off by a hidden killer lurking in the shadows. It was eerie, uncomfortable, but pretty compelling from the get-go. In the end, only the host survived, but she didn’t leave unscathed. There was no real escape. The cycle, as the film hinted, would simply start again. The visuals were rough at times, but the great cinematography and art direction compensated for them. 

Overall, they had a good time. Takumi probably wouldn’t have ever picked that type of movie on his own, but that was part of the charm. The movie shook him up just enough to distract him from everything else. Despite the movie’s content, he felt more at peace than he had all day. 

After it ended, they chatted for a bit in the dim afterglow of the screen. Darumi excitedly brought up her favorite moment - the crossbow death scene. She went into vivid detail, underlining its well-executed tension. 

“I didn’t expect that supernatural twist.” Takumi admitted. “It kinda came out of nowhere.”

Darumi shrugged. “Stuff like that happens all the time in these films. It’s like, oh look, it’s the killer - but wait! He’s actually possessed! Or maybe, he’s a ghost. Or he’s possessed and a ghost. Horror doesn’t always care about logic.”

“I guess that’s what makes it work, though.” Takumi chuckled. “You can’t really prepare for it.”

Just as he stood up to leave, Darumi spoke up.

“Thanks for spending time with me, Takumi.” She said almost shyly. “I didn’t think you’d actually let me tag along, let alone pick the movie. It might not seem like a big deal to you, but.. it means a lot to me.”

He turned back toward her and smiled. “We should do it again sometime. I had a lot of fun.”

He wasn’t sure where this timeline would end up, but seeing how genuinely happy she looked, Takumi made a quiet promise to himself. He’d find time for this again. If not here, there somewhere - somewhen - else.

When he finally got back to his room, he set his alarm a little earlier once more.

Tonight had been a rare moment of peace, but tomorrow, he’d have to face the consequences of what he’d started. 

He lay back in bed and closed his eyes, hoping that the movie won't impact his dreams.

Chapter Text

“Morning, Eito. Had a feeling I’d see you here.”

At this point, it’d gotten almost absurd. There was still over half an hour before the morning announcement. Even if they started cooking just now - which wasn’t the case - they’d likely be done eating long before anyone else arrived.

“Good morning.” Eito greeted him calmly. “Did you rest well?” 

“Actually… Not exactly.” Takumi replied, rubbing his eyes. “I watched a horror movie last night. Might’ve been why I woke up so early.” He woke up early due to an alarm clock. “The monster in it looked so... unsightly, freakish and eerie, I think I just couldn’t sleep well.” The monster wasn’t that bad.

“...Oh? I didn’t know you liked horror. You never mentioned that back at the library.” Eito mentioned, glaring over his shoulder as he stirred something on the stove. “Though I’ve always preferred books over movies myself.”

“It wasn’t really my idea.” Takumi admitted. “But I ended up liking it. Maybe you should give them a shot sometime too. We could pick something together.”

“If you found it so scary, I’m not sure I’d survive.” Eito chuckled lightly. 

They continued eating breakfast. 

Takumi found it rather peaceful. He rarely had the chance to share breakfast one-on-one with someone. Even when there was only one other person in the cafeteria, they didn’t usually choose to sit together and talk. More often than not, breakfast was a blur of many voices, of everyone’s chatter, and laughter echoing off the walls. The sort of atmosphere that made it hard to slow down and breathe. 

But here, now, it was quiet. This silence surrounding them now was almost intimate. A kind of stillness that pulled his attention inward, towards Eito. Takumi could hear every sigh, every subtle shift of breath. He noticed the way Eito’s glasses got foggy when steam from the food drifted too close to his face. The gentle clicking of utensils echoed softly in the room. This quiet, this calm, shared silence, felt strangely warm. Takumi wouldn’t be too upset if every morning started like this. 

The other thing he found himself focusing on was his sense of taste.

He had to admit, again, that Eito’s cooking skills were genuinely good. If it didn’t feel like some sort of consolation prize for losing once more today, he might’ve let himself enjoy it fully. Still, it was a welcome break from the uniformity of the Ration-O-Matic. Not that the meals from it were bad, not at all, but human touch could elevate even the simplest of dishes. Though Eito would surely disagree on that last part. 

“By the way, Takumi,” Eito said, cutting into the moment, “What do you think about what Shouma said?”

“You mean that whole Kamukura Hospital thing?"

“Yeah. You seemed a little out of it during the conversation, so I was wondering if you needed some time to think it over.”

Out of it? Takumi was sure he’d done a decent job pretending to be surprised, but maybe hearing things you already knew made it harder to fake disbelief than he’d expected.

“No… If anything, it’s the opposite.” Takumi said, shaking his head slightly. “I just don’t think it’s something we should dwell on right now. All we can do is speculate, and speculation won’t save us. We need something solid before we can start jumping to conclusions.”

He paused, and then added more firmly. “Right now, we need to focus on surviving. We’re going to make it out of here, then, once we do, we’ll find the truth. Together.”

“Something solid..?” Eito echoed Takumi’s words.  “I hope we can find something like that too. But yes, you’re right. As long as we’re all alive, there’s still a path forward. Still… It would be nice to know what exactly we’re doing here, and why.”

“The only ones who seemed to know anything were Sirei and Hiruko…” Takumi sighed and rested his elbows on the table. “Is there a point in chasing the truth when we still don’t know what happened to them?” 

“There’s a chance Hiruko is still alive somewhere out there… ”

If Takumi’s power allowed him to rewind time by just few minutes, he probably would’ve burst out laughing there and then. Instead, he had to grit his teeth and take Eito seriously. His acting was convincing, but that only made lines like these even more ridiculous. Each earnest remark felt like an inside joke only Takumi could hear. 

 “Since we can’t do anything ourselves,” Eito added, “believing in that hope is the least we can do”. 

Takumi didn’t answer right away.

“...Takumi, are you alright?” Eto tilted his head slightly.

So much for keeping it together. His attempt to stay composed must’ve backfired. He likely looked completely rattled. 

“I can’t help picturing worst–case scenarios. I really admire your ability to think positively.”

“You’re the positive thinker here, Takumi. You say you think negatively, but look at what you’ve done. You chose to fight from the very first day. You didn’t give up on me when I went off on my own. You convinced Gaku and Tsubasa to stand up too. And just yesterday, you were looking out for Shouma. You’ve always had everyone’s best interests in mind, because you believe in the future. It’s natural to have doubts. But if there’s anyone who deserves admiration, it’s you.”

“Eito…” Takumi felt a bit flustered  “But you’ve done no less than I have. You ran off only because you were trying to find something that could help us, didn't you? And-”

“Up and at ‘em, troops! Time to rise and shine!” The blaring voice of the morning announcement cut him off mid-sentence. “Get ready for your 34th day of active service…”

Soon after, Ima and Kako entered. Takumi and Eito had finished eating long ago, but the calm of the cafeteria kept them in place. The rare serenity made it the perfect palace to just sit and talk. Now, with more people coming in, it might’ve felt awkward to suddenly leave. But the twins, especially Ima, weren’t likely to bother them about it. After exchanging greetings with them, Takumi and Eito left the cafeteria. 

By Eito’s suggestion, the two of them went to check on Shouma. They brought some food, knocked, and stepped inside.

Shouma was grateful, though clearly ashamed to be taking up their time. He looked better than yesterday, if still a little pale. They left with the unspoken understanding that he’d likely rejoin everyone in the cafeteria soon, just like before. 

Once outside, Takumi flashed Eito a smug little smile. 

“See? I told you, you’re the considerate one.” 

“We only came here because you were the one to notice something was off.” Eito replied placidly. “This is all thanks to you.”

“But you’re the one who got worried about Shouma in the original timeline.”  

…Or so Takumi wanted to say. If only it didn’t make him sound like a lunatic. And completely shatter his whole plan.

Looking for a calm place to rest, they eventually went outside and settled in the schoolyard.

Despite the tall, everlasting purple flames dancing not far away, it wasn’t hot. Cryptoglobin really was a mysterious power. Flames so potent their wielder couldn’t control them, so deadly they could instantly kill any living being, yet incapable of scorching stone or steel. They burnt endlessly, ethereal and strange. Beautiful in the way all dangerous things tend to be. 

Takumi gazed at them with a heavy heart. Just seeing those flames stirred up guilt. Guilt for failing the person who created them. Guilt for currently ignoring his final wish. But it didn’t matter. It shouldn’t matter. He knew guilt served no purpose in this timeline. But even so... he didn’t want to let go of it completely. That guilt was proof of what he’d lived through. If he ever allowed himself to forget the pain, if he became numb to the deaths and sacrifices…

If he ever stopped remembering... It would all just end the same. 

The schoolyard felt like a microcosm of their whole situation. A quiet spot wrapped in patches of nature, but looking closer, you could see the damage. Cracks in the pavement, collapsed fencing around what used to be playing fields, scorch marks from the many defensive battles fought here. It was all a monument to the time lost. To a school life he could no longer return to. 

No battles. No invaders. No missions. Just… days. Peaceful happy days. The kind of monotony people take for granted. No blood. No betrayals. If he closed his eyes now, he could picture it - him and Karua, playing a friendly match on a clean court in the sun. He could hear the sound of her voice, carefree, cheerful, and alive. And maybe if he just kept his eyes closed a little longer, he’d wake up in his bed. Maybe none of this would’ve ever happened. Maybe-

But he knew better. He’d known for a long time now. That world was gone. This was his reality.

So he opened his eyes again. He briefly looked up. The sky above was cloudless and pale, cut through by the jagged silhouette of the Artificial Satellite. He lowered his gaze, back to Eito.

“Do you ever miss your life in the Tokyo Residential Complex?” 

The question was met with a moment of unexpected silence.

“Takumi… Are you alright?”

Those words caught him off guard. Where did that come from? As Takumi processed it, he instinctively touched his cheek and felt it damp. 

Tears were trailing down his face. He hadn’t noticed. He didn’t even know when they’d started. He’d been thinking about the past, yes, but he’d already come to terms with the sorrow it carried. Those memories usually gave him strength. That longing always steeled his resolve. And the regrets of the now-gone future should’ve made him vexed, not this.

The tears didn’t make sense and realizing that only made them worse. The concerned gaze of his companion did nothing to soothe him.

He remained silent, overwhelmed by something he couldn’t quite name, until Eito spoke.

“Thinking about your past life must be painful… I’m sorry.”

“No, that’s not…” Takumi started to say, but his voice faltered. He stopped himself. What else could he say? That he wasn’t only thinking about the past, but also the future? That he was reminiscing about things that hadn’t even happened yet?

As he braced himself, expecting a follow-up question, a trace of unease ran through him. His body wavered slightly, just enough to tip his balance - and in that moment, an idea struck.

So he let the weakness take over and let himself fall forwards. And as if right on cue, Eito moved.

Takumi’s weight collapsed into Eito’s chest, the soft fabric of that oversized white jacket brushing against his face. Eito’s gloved hands steadied him at the back. It wasn’t exactly a hug, but it was close.

This might’ve not been intentional, not from the start. But it worked out. After so many quiet defeats at breakfast, he finally felt like he’d won one. He finally got one over on Eito.

Takumi wondered what Eito was currently thinking. Probably that he looked weak and pathetic. But he knew better that he wasn’t the one being played here at all.

 “Eito... I think I’m scared.” Takumi drew in a breath. “Scared of what the future may bring.”

“I’m sure it’ll all be alright.” Eito whispered, so close his breath tickled Takumi’s ear.

Takumi couldn’t see his face, but he doubted the expression matched the warmth in his voice. 

Then again, Eito couldn't see his face, either. 

Still, Takumi decided to return the embrace. It felt comforting. Not just as a victory in his plan, but also a chance to partially express anything honestly. No matter how Eito felt, no matter that Eito had no clue of what he knew, Takumi was grateful for this moment. Well, it was because Eito had no clue that it was even possible in the first place.

Takumi had been alone with his feelings for so long that even this small, superficial exchange meant something. 

Although he came from the future, there was still so much about it that he didn’t know. So many uncertainties that made it frightening. He wasn't lying about being scared of it. So the least he could do now is try to enjoy this curated present.

If this were anyone but Eito, Takumi would’ve felt selfish.

And knowing that every second of this interaction must be painful and perturbing to Eito, Takumi didn't want to let go.

When it finally ended, both of them felt lightheaded, albeit for very different reasons. 

They parted. It wasn’t that late yet, but Takumi didn’t feel like doing much else. He decided to finish the day with a book he’d picked up from the library.

Before heading back to his room, he stopped by the Gift-O-Matic. He’d planned to create another movie to watch with Darumi at some point later, but he didn't have enough materials. Just another thing to deal with some other time. 

With the nighttime announcement, Takumi finally let his day end. He crawled into bed, happy that tomorrow he’d get to sleep longer than what became the usual.

Chapter Text

What woke Takumi up on Day 35 wasn’t the sharp ringing of an alarm clock, silence, nor the morning announcement. Instead, it was the soft but insistent chime of his room’s doorbell. 

He groaned, resisting the call to consciousness, but eventually, he opened his eyes and glanced at the clock. Afternoon. He’d slept far longer than usual, yet he didn’t feel refreshed. If anything, his body ached with exhaustion. 

Takumi let out a quiet sigh, rubbing his face before pulling himself upright. Staying in bed wouldn’t achieve anything. 

He shuffled to the door and opened it, revealing a face he hadn’t seen in several days. 

“Sorry for disturbing you.” Said Nozomi. 

“Oh, right…” Takumi muttered quietly as he understood what this was all about. 

“I wanted to ask for your help,” Nozomi continued, eying his dishevelled appearance. “But you look tired, so I wouldn’t want to burden you.”

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll gladly help.” Takumi replied at once. “Thanks for worrying about me.”

“Thank you.” Nozomi gave a small nod. Though her face revealed a lingering anxiety over the issue at hand, there was also a trace of relief in her voice. “There’s an… alteration in the cafeteria.”

She went on to explain, and together, they made their way there.

When they arrived, Takumi was met with a scene both familiar and yet still absurd. Even now, Takumi couldn’t quite get used to the sight of someone in a tomato-shaped mask storming about with such intensity. And now that Takumi knew what Kurara was like underneath that mask, the contrast made it all the more surreal. 

Apparently, someone had stolen her homemade curry during the night. To the past Takumi, this must’ve seemed like a ridiculous overreaction. But now he understood more. He knew how seriously Kurara took her cooking, how much her family’s recipe meant to her. And he had tasted that curry. It was indeed delicious. More than that, he understood how the tension between the two academies had been quietly building. That everyone was already on edge, just waiting for something to tip the scales. 

“Why’s everything gotta be about death and torture with you?! If yer tryin’ to shock is, it ain’t workin’!” Takemaru’s words directed to Yugamu made that much clear. The two sides have gotten greatly annoyed with each other. But ironically, it was because the divide had grown so wide that this absurd quarrel would help bridge it.

Takumi listened as Kurara vented. The events unfolded just like they had before.

When she declared that no one would leave until the culprit confessed, Shouma stepped forward and claimed responsibility, not caring about any punishment that would await him. Of course, he wasn’t the real culprit. His low self-esteem had pushed him to sacrifice himself for the sake of everyone else. 

They settled on a duel. A rather one-sided one. Shouma didn’t even know how to properly wield his hemoanima yet. In a way, it reminded Takumi of Hiruko’s declaration back at the beginning, that those unwilling to fight would be expelled. Both situations set time limits. Both Kurara and Hiruko were actually softer than they seemed. And both, ultimately, ended with more people joining the fighting group. 

Shouma refused to fight. But before leaving, Eito asked him to at least think it over.

Afterwards, Eito approached Takumi.

“Can I come into your room later? There’s something I need to ask you.”

Takumi agreed, though he wasn’t entirely sure what Eito wanted from him. Still, it was obvious that Eito had noticed he hadn’t eaten yet, and that’s why he said “later”. 

So, Takumi got something from the Ration-O-Matic. First breakfast from it in a while - if this even counted as a breakfast. Certainly not a gourmet, but it got its job done. He returned to his room just in time for Eito’s arrival. Takumi sat down on his bed and Eito, who looked like he was thinking carefully about how to begin, took the chair. 

“Is there something on your mind?” Takumi asked.

“Yes, well… It’s about what happened today.” Eito paused. His gaze sharpened as he placed a hand against his chin. “Do you think it was actually Shouma who took Kurara’s curry?”

“Huh?” 

The question surprised Takumi. He hadn’t expected that. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized this wasn’t an unreasonable thing to ask at all. After all, for Eito, everything happening now was new. It made perfect sense for him to question it. 

“I wanted to hear your opinion. What do you think, Takumi?”

Takumi hesitated. This put him in a tough spot. This hadn't happened before. He couldn’t lean on what “old” Takumi had said. He needed to be careful. He couldn’t appear to know something he shouldn’t. But, he also didn’t want to sound like an idiot. 

“I… don’t think it was him.” He finally said. “I can’t prove it, but I just don’t think a person like Shouma would steal someone else’s food.” 

“I see. I’m glad you feel the same.” Eito paused for a moment. “Although… Maybe ‘feel’ isn’t the right word.”

Before Takumi could ask what he meant, Eito continued.

“I saw it this morning. It was Gaku. He wasn’t exactly subtle about it. I think Ima noticed it too.”

“Really…” That’s all Takumi said aloud, but inside, he was reeling. This was the second time he’d unintentionally changed the flow of events. Though this one felt like it’d be tricker to manage. 

“It’s surprising, isn’t it?” Eito went on. “He acted so uninterested back in the cafeteria, yet he was the one behind it all.  But that’s precisely why I wanted to get your perspective...”

“...Because you’re not sure whether to tell the others or keep quiet.” Takumi finished the thought for him. He figured pretending to be confused would just make him look foolish. 

“Right. We’re on the same page then.” Eito smiled faintly. “I’m not good with social situations, so even if I wanted to, I couldn’t do this myself. Besides… I trust your judgement. I know you’ll figure out the best path forward.”

Eito had made his move. Now Takumi had to respond. 

He knew better than to think Eito cared about Shouma’s or Kurara’s feelings. That wasn’t what this was about. On top of that, Eito could’ve easily kept this to himself, but he chose to bring it up. Was it some sort of a test? A provocation to make his life harder? Takumi wasn't sure. 

And what exactly did Eito expect him to do? Leap at the chance to “save” Shouma by "sacrificing" Gaku? As Kurara had said, this was a battle of dominance between the two academies. Gaku, with his combat experience, would be much more likely to win in a fight compared to Shouma. Well, with the way Shouma was now, even a fly might have better odds. And since both Eito and Takumi silently acknowledged Ima would never speak up, the only people who could change the course of things were standing right here. Was this the conclusion Eito wanted him to reach?

In the end, whatever Eito anticipated didn’t matter. Takumi had only one option, and that was to choose doing nothing. 

This had been the plan from the start. If Eito hadn’t witnessed anything firsthand, Takumi could’ve brushed it all off as speculation. But Eito had.

Takumi had already taken a risk by deciding against sharing Shouma’s memories with the rest of the group. Trying to explain, once more, why leaving Shouma alone was the right decision would be no easy task. 

Someone like Hiruko could’ve easily handled it. She would’ve framed this as a test of resolve, a way to push Shouma into using his hemoanima. But Takumi wasn’t Hiruko. And he and Eito were the ones most openly critical of her. To turn around and do the same thing she had - or even worse, considering it’d be waging the fate of the entire first academy - would be more than just contradictory. 

But the fact that it was the only choice he could make remained. He’d have to make it work. 

“I think the best option is to stay quiet.” 

Eito's expression remained stagnant, but he didn't speak for a bit, clearly considering what Takumi said.

“I know I said I’d trust your judgement,” Eito tilted his head slightly, “but I’m still curious as to why you think that.”

Takumi had to avoid framing it as a calculated strategy.

“Kurara already made up her mind. If we try to suddenly shift the blame, it’ll just sound like we’re making excuses. This is the decision Shouma made. If that’s the case, then the least we can do is believe in him.”

He watched Eito’s expression carefully, wondering if he’d bring up Ima as a potential witness. but clearly, Eito understood that a claim from someone within the same academy wouldn’t carry much weight. 

“Believe in him… “ Eito leaned back. “It’s not that I disagree, I just wonder if letting Gaku exploit Shouma’s kindness really is the right way forward. Kurara didn’t look convinced when he confessed and Gaku isn’t a great liar. If someone just pressed him a little, the truth would surely come out.”

Takumi had known it wouldn’t be easy to make Eito drop this topic. Still, he’d hoped that the “believe in each other” angle, the kind that Eito was pretending to embody, might keep him from digging deeper. 

“Another part of why I made such decision is, that if we can break Shouma’s fear of fighting now, it’ll benefit everyone in the long run.“ Takumi spoke steadily. “You’re right, maybe he doesn’t deserve this. But it could be the push he needs to come out of his shell. We might never get another chance like this. Not just to help him, but also to make peace with the others.”

Takumi didn’t want to say it, but he had no choice. It could’ve sounded too calculated for someone like him, but not impossibly so. Even if Eito found it out of character, at worst, he’d simply have to slightly readjust his image of Takumi. 

“...Sorry,” Eito said after a pause.” I guess I wasn’t thinking logically enough. I was right to ask for your opinion.”

Talking with Eito like this was exhausting. Nothing he said could be taken at face value. If this had been the ‘real’ Eito, he probably would’ve snapped back with something like ' how self-serving of you' or ' so that’s what you’ve become'. But this version had to hold back. Takumi had to live with the knowledge that Eito still thought those things. But because they were never said, Takumi couldn’t even defend himself. 

Either way, this was a lose-lose scenario. If he’d chosen to expose Gaku, Eito probably would've dismissed him as naive and too overly trusting. But choosing silence likely only confirmed Eito’s belief that humans will always choose what benefits them, even at the expense of others. If there was no way to win, Takumi refused to call it a loss.

“You know,” Eito added, “it might just be me, but you seem more level-headed lately. I think I’ve said this before, but you really would make a good leader.”

But if he couldn’t defend himself outright, if there was no way to win, then... He just had to try a different approach. 

“I don’t think so.” Takumi responded. “If anything… I think I’m being selfish. Saying it’s for Shouma’s sake is probably just an excuse. You’re the one trying to do the right thing here.”

If Eito wasn’t going to judge him out loud, Takumi had to do it for him. 

“You’re being too harsh on yourself.” Eito replied gently. “ Your reasoning is sound-”

“You wanted to tell the truth,” Takumi interrupted. “That’s why you asked me, isn’t it? And I disregarded that without real consideration.”

“Takumi. You need to calm down-”

“That’s why I gave up on trying to understand Nozomi and Karua’s connection. That’s why I told Shouma to keep quiet. I just… I was just putting myself first." His voice got a little shaky. "I always do.”

There was a moment of silence as Eito looked startled and confused. Mostly the latter.

“You’re right.  You’re a terrible person.” Eito said flatly. “Is that what you want to hear?” He sighed quietly. “Yesterday, you said you were scared. That’s what this is, isn’t it? You’re afraid. Afraid of making the wrong choice.”

Takumi turned his face away. He was annoyed and frustrated. Not at Eito’s words, but at his relentless composure. The whole conversation had been skewed in Eito’s favor from the start, and that certainly played a part, but it really upset Takumi how he couldn't provoke even the slightest misstep. Just one bitter remark would have sufficed. Instead, he just ended up getting comforted again. 

Takumi knew that Eito was irritated. That Eito was seething inside due to a frustration so much stronger than his own. But was it too much to ask to see even just a flicker of that?

Noticing the tension easing from Takumi’s shoulders, Eito rose from his chair. “Today’s been overwhelming for us both. Let’s rest. And tomorrow… Maybe Shouma will have made up his mind. I’m sure things will work out.”

Takumi looked back at him. “Yeah… You’re right… I’m sorry I think… I just need some rest.”

Eito nodded and made his way to the door. 

Eito had retreated. Again. “That’s right…” Takumi thought as he watched him leave. “He IS taking this so much worse than I am.”  Maybe waking up late had clouded his judgement and made him get momentarily impatient. 

But now, with a bit of clarity, he felt like he understood Eito a bit more. He understood just how tiresome holding your tongue, constantly pretending, can be.

He lay down in bed. He didn’t feel like doing anything else, so he just stared blankly at the ceiling. Has he achieved anything in this conversation? He wasn’t sure. But he wasn’t mad at that either as he wasn’t the one to initiate this topic. At the very least, he managed to keep the course of the events as it should be. 

Thanks to that sudden moment of self-anger, Takumi probably managed to avoid Eito’s opinion of him significantly decreasing.

………… As Takumi thought more about it, he put his hand on his face. Wouldn’t it be better if Eito thought worse of him?  …He’d messed up once again. 

Takumi was never good at scheming. The idea to switch up his tactic was at first a calculated move, but then he quickly succumbed to his emotions. All of his words were fake; he felt no remorse about leaving Shouma be. But his disdain for himself wasn’t. 

He could've played it better, but he lost control for a moment. “Is that what you want to hear?” Eito's words managed to pull him back to reality. There really was something comforting about talking to Eito. Takumi couldn't fault past himself for having trusted him so blindly. However being comforted here felt... wrong. This was the biggest reason for the annoyance and frustration he experienced at that moment.

……Takumi felt like he was overthinking things once more. In truth, did it even matter what he said? What he felt? Or what Eito responded? In the end, just by talking with him, Takumi was already succeeding. Eito had described his time at the academy as torture, but back then he’d spent a significant portion of his time alone. This time it had to be worse.

Today had been a mess because he let Eito get the upper hand. Perhaps knowledge of the future made Takumi too confident. He’d just assumed that since he knows more, he’d be able to easily control any situation. But if there was something to learn from these past few days, it'd be that Takumi had overestimated himself. Everything he’d done might’ve been a long-term victory, but continuous short-term failures weren’t something to be proud of. Takumi had to focus. He had to stop getting caught off guard by his own emotions. That’s not what he came back here for. 

With similar thoughts in mind, Takumi fell asleep. He decided to let fate decide when he’d wake up tomorrow too. 

Chapter Text

“Up and at ‘em, troops! Time to rise and shine!”

The morning announcement woke Takumi up. Guess that was to be expected. 

“What was it that happens today…?” He murmured to himself. Right, Shouma.

In the previous version of these events, Eito had to practically drag Shouma out of his bed to the cafeteria. But Takumi hated the thought of making Eito do the same now. He was the one who insisted on getting Shouma on board. He couldn’t let Eito do it for him. Takumi regretted not thinking ahead before falling asleep.

Without wasting another moment, Takumi rushed out of his room, making a beeline for the rooftop's northern sector where Shouma’s quarters were located.

Reaching the corner, he saw Eito already there, knocking at the door.

Takumi wasn’t so much surprised as he was disappointed - in himself. Of course Eito would be there. It’d have been stranger if he hadn’t been. Takumi had failed his own resolve from last night before it even truly began. 

“Hello, Eito. Looks like we had the same idea.”

“Indeed.” Eito replied. “But Shouma’s been reluctant to respond.”

Together, they knocked again, calling out to him. The added pressure of two voices instead of one finally got through. It took a bit, but eventually, Shouma cracked the door open and began walking down the hall. He was wobbly and slow, but unaided. It was a marginal improvement from how it otherwise would’ve been.

“I really can’t do it.” Shouma muttered with a low head. “A perennial underachiever like me has no business fighting a duel, let alone trying to win it.”

Shouma’s stance remained the exact same. Same words, same self-defeating tone. The disappointment in the air was palpable. As Takumi noticed Eito’s lips begin to move, he jumped in first. 

“Shouma, you’re always so tough on yourself. You’re way stronger than you give yourself credit for. And hey, you’re not alone. We’re here if you need us!” Takumi said, trying to loosely echo something Eito would’ve - and had - said here. 

There was no real point to it. Takumi just didn’t want Eito to get all the credit here. 

The rest played out almost identically to the previous loop. Takumi felt as if he were an actor in a theatre, redoing the same play over and over again. Shouma showed his strange “allergy” to fighting, then made his exit. Eito made an observation that there must’ve been some reason he was part of their team.

“So should we try to help him think more positively then? Maybe that’s the key to overcoming his fear.” Takumi offered.

“If it’s just a matter of gettin’ him to look on the bright side, Takumi, you’re the guy!” Takemaru chimed in with a grin.

“Yeah, seriously.” Gaku added. “I mean, this whole plan was your idea, so it only makes sense.”

This time Takumi had suggested it. So he didn’t even try to argue. 

“Alright, I get it. I’m sure Shouma has someone, or something, back home that he wants to protect. We just need to remind him of that.”

“It’s all up to you now, Mr. Sumino.”

“Let’s show those chumps what real teamwork looks like!”

“Sure. I’ll even do it for minimum wage and no bonus.”

“You want to get paid to help out…?”

Friendly banter filled the air, successfully lightening the mood as they continued discussing their plans for the next week further. Then, Takimi turned slightly to Eito, who was still standing close.

“Eito.” He said. “Can I count on your help for this?”

Eito blinked, then smiled. “...Of course!” 

Takumi didn’t miss the edge of weariness in his voice. He had likely been hoping for a calmer day today. But Takumi wasn’t going to let him have one. 

For once, it wasn’t in the slightest out of spite. Takumi couldn’t even lie to himself that it was. The idea of wandering around, asking questions he already knew the answers to, just sounded mind-numbingly dull. 

Takumi wasn’t quite sure what to do right now. He couldn’t approach anyone until they’d dispersed, and he’d already eaten some food during their “strategy meeting”, leaving him stranded in this awkward in-between.

Eventually, he walked over to one of the booths on the right side of the cafeteria and sank into the seat. Propping his elbow against his table, his cheek cradled in his palm, he let the weight of his body settle. His other hand rested idly on the table as his gaze drifted towards the large aquarium embedded in the wall. 

It was quiet there. His eyes followed the fish’s slow, gliding movements in the water. The soft blue and green from the tank lit his face faintly, casting a calm shimmer across his features. Takumi enjoyed moments like this. Secretly, he’d even named each of the fish. 

One fish in particular caught his attention now. It slowly cruised through the center of the tank, its body a striking red with iridescent blue highlights along the edges of its fins that shined when the light hit them just right. 

“The one over there - that’s a gourami.” A voice came from across the table.

Eito had sat down, pointing at the exact fish Takumi had just been watching. “Beautiful, isn't it? As part of the labyrinth fish group, gouramis can breathe air as well as water.”

Takumi had just asked him for help. It was only natural Eito would hover nearby. Still, Takumi’s mind was slow to reorient. He really just couldn’t get himself to focus today. 

“Ah, sorry,” Eito said quickly, catching Takumi’s expression.  “I didn’t mean to barge into your thoughts. I was just glad to see you looking better.”

Takumi shifted his posture, leaning back so that he was sitting upright again.

“You always seem to be doing well, Eito. I envy that”

“Ever since I caused everyone trouble back on Day 6, I’ve been trying to.” He gave a nice, thoughtful smile. “I want to give my best now, especially since I’ve finally found people worth fighting for.”

Takumi would love to live in a world where Eito’s words here were the truth. 

He didn’t respond right away. Instead, his eyes drifted back to the aquarium. “They really are beautiful.”

This reminded Takumi of their time in the library. Back then Eito had spoken honestly - about his love for books and the way they made him feel. And this, too, felt genuine. Eito had no reason to be lying. The fish weren’t distorted in his eyes. 

This moment of honesty, so miniscule, so unimportant and so meaningless, meant far more to Takumi than any hollow, rehearsed platitudes about friendship ever could. 

They sat in near silence after that. The ambient humming of the tank’s filter filled the air. Occasionally, Eito would offer some random fish fact, whether prompted or not. Gouramis were apparently bubble nest builders. Some of them can even change color when stressed. Takumi didn't always answer, but he listened. Eventually, though, they knew they had to get to work.

“If we’re trying to find something Shouma might care about,” Eito started, “our best bet is probably something dog-related.”

“He’s mentioned having a dog back home, hasn't he?”

“Yes. A small Shiba Inu named Leo. They were basically inseparable, from morning walks to sleeping in the same bed. I think he’d be delighted if he got something reminding him of Leo.”

“I see…”  Takumi narrowed his eyes slightly.

He wasn’t entirely sure, but he didn’t think Shouma, up to this point, had given him that many details about Leo. Shouma wasn’t the type to volunteer information about himself, which meant Eito must’ve asked him directly… With his knowledge of the future, even Eito’s most innocuous actions left Takumi on edge. 

They exited the metal shop, having found nobody inside. “We should split up.” Takumi said, glancing down the branching hallway. “I’ll take the first and second floor, you handle the rest. How about it?”

Takumi only suggested it because, frankly, he had no intention of wasting his time on something so tedious. He had forgotten just how little there was actually to do here. The only person he needed to talk to was Gaku, who had some of the necessary materials. And he was on the roof. 

If they stayed together, they’d have to meticulously check every room on each floor. Waste so much time talking to everyone for no results. But this way, Eito would have to deal with that himself, or at least a part of it. He’d have to trudge through the entire third floor, which, Takumi knew, had nothing relevant. This thought was pleasant. And so, they split. 

Still, Takumi didn’t want to just sit around. So he made his way toward the entrance hall. A wide room tinged with yellow cluttered with far too many shoe lockers for the number of people living there. Pale light emanated from the ceiling panels, casting a warm glow over the place. Above the exit a message reading “Good luck!” was displayed, written in polite language. The entire room gave off an off atmosphere, toeing the line between welcoming and unsettling. The strange statues in each corner didn’t help either. 

And, in the middle of it all was Darumi, who was enthusiastically panting around. When she noticed Takumi entering, she ran over, smiling from ear to ear.

“Takumi! Isn’t this exciting?!”

“...What is?”

“Our inevitable loss! Isn’t just imagining what kind of cruel, awful punishment they’ve got planned for us so thrilling?!”

“Darumi, we’re not going to lose.”

“You think Shouma’s gonna do anything?” She flung her arms up dramatically.  “C’mon, Takumi, give up with me! Let's picture the absolute worst they could come up with. You think they’re gonna turn us into dogs and make us lick their shoes?

“We really aren’t going to lose.” Takumi repeated, more softly this time. “And if we did, we wouldn’t get to watch another movie, right?”

Darumi clutched her chest, dramatically staggered. “Takumi used positive energy! It was... actually kinda effective.” 

She let out a long sigh. “So I guess I have to give up my dream of becoming a dog, huh? And I was about to go looking for a nice collar, too…”

“You know, I've been meaning to go gather some materials. How about we go exploring tomorrow? You could search for… that, if you want.”

“It’ll come in handy when we lose miserably! Just imagine-”

“...We won’t.” He said, cutting her off with a smile. “And you should really get some better dreams.”

—

With time to kill, Takumi figured he might as well check in with Ima and Kako, who’d returned to the cafeteria while he’d been away, and then swing by the second floor to exchange few words with Tsubasa. Just in case Eito asked him, or them, about what he’d done. 

The sense of accomplishment faded quickly. Now that he’d done all that… he had no clue what to do next. He couldn’t finish the book he’d been reading as it was still in his room, meaning he'd have to risk encountering Eito if he went for it. And he and Eito hadn’t agreed on any kind of meeting place or time. Which meant he was now stuck lingering between floors one and two for who knows how long. Well, Eito hadn’t thought of that either, so at least Takumi wasn’t the only one lacking foresight this time.

He wandered into the library and browsed the shelves. Not with the intention of starting a new book - he hated the idea of beginning something else without finishing the one he’d started - but simply to pass time. It wasn’t unenjoyable, but it wasn’t that much better than walking through the entire school would’ve been. 

When eventually enough time had passed that it wouldn’t be suspicious, he left the library and made his way toward the stairs. 

“Ah, Takumi! There you are.”

Eito rounded the corner, looking pleased. For once, luck seemed to be on Takumi’s side.

“How did your search go?” Takumi asked.

“To start with, Takemaru was the only one on the third floor. He didn’t have anything to say. But I did find something promising. The Gift-O-Matic has an option to make a Shiba dog plushie. I think it could work perfectly!”

“Great job, Eito!” The praise was half-sincere. Takumi had already known about that item, but it was nice to have someone else do the legwork this time. 

“Unfortunately,” Eito continued, “I didn't have enough materials to make it. But then Gaku happened to have most of what I needed. Seems I got really lucky.”

Was luck today’s theme word?

“Can’t say I’ve got anything useful for that, my pockets are empty.” Takumi said honestly. ”Maybe we could go exploring tomorrow morning?”

“Two heads are better than one, as they say. We’ll have better odds together. But wait,” Eito changed the subject as soon as the last one was done. “What about you? Did you learn anything useful?”

“Well… No, not really. Just that Shouma values his dog much more than his family. You really did all the work here.”

“There was no way to predict where anyone would be, so all that matters is we both did our best.”

Takumi was amazed at how one sentence managed to have three errors in it. The first one was glaring. Second, Takumi certainly hadn’t done his best. And third, though Eito’s words were meant to sound encouraging, the subtext was a quiet confirmation that yes, he had done all the work. Which definitely was not the case. Even if half-heartedly, Takumi still had talked to four people compared to Eito’s two. Besides, Eito had it easier: the third floor and the rooftop were smaller than the first and second floors. And really, anyone could’ve gone to the Gift-O-Matic and typed in “animal” to find the dog plushie. It was barely worth mentioning. So why was Eito acting so proud of this tiny achievement? 

Takumi caught himself mid-thought. Was he always this nitpicky?

“That’s true,” He said, brushing his thoughts aside. “Still, I’ll just have to beat you to whatever we’re looking for tomorrow. Then we’ll really be even.”

“If that’s how it is, just know I’m not backing down.”

The two laughed it off and then headed to their rooms. It wasn’t all that late, but they both wanted to rest before the next morning’s search.

On the way, Eito asked Takumi about what exactly he’d heard from the others. Takumi was glad that his ‘effort’ hadn’t gone unnoticed, and that he didn’t prepare himself for this for no reason. 

Back in his room, Takumi collapsed onto the bed, awaiting the quiet release of sleep which always erased his worries without asking anything in return.

Chapter Text

Right after the morning announcement aired, Takumi headed straight for the entrance hall, making a quick stop by the war room to pick up his infuser. He’d skipped breakfast as he wasn’t particularly hungry, and he preferred not to fill up his stomach before heading out. 

As he entered the hall he saw… nothing. No one was there. He stopped and looked around. He’d grown so used to Eito already being wherever he was going that arriving first came as a surprise. Though he did head there basically as soon as he woke up. Had Eito actually come there before him, Takumi probably would’ve been surprised by that too. But that’s not what happened, so he didn’t dwell on it. 

Needing something to do, Takumi turned toward the shoe lockers and found himself analyzing them to stave off boredom. Seven slots vertically, eight across vertically. Each locker had compartments on both sides, so times two. And there were four of them in total… Fifty six, one hundred twelve… 

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Takumi.” A voice interrupted his train of thoughts. 

“It’s fine,” Takumi said, turning around, “I only just got here myself.” Without thinking, he blurted out a very cliche line. 

“Right. Glad to hear it.” Eito’s expression betrayed his scepticism. Standing at the far left side of the hall, Takumi clearly hadn’t just arrived. “So then, shall we go?”

“No, not yet. We should wait a little bit more.”

“Is something wrong?”

“Not at all, it’s just-" Takumi wasn’t sure how to start, but fortunately, he didn’t need to.

“Hey, Takumi, I’m here!” A cheerful voice came from down the hallway.

Takumi looked up just in time to see Darumi practically leap into the entrance hall. Her long blue pigtails bounced wildly behind her. Their way they fluttered reminded Takumi of the blue betta fish he saw yesterday, with their chaotic, yet mesmerizing movements. 

“Darumi?” Eito glanced back at Takumi. “Did you invite her?”

Takumi nodded. “Yeah. That’s why I said we should wait. Yesterday, she mentioned wanting to look for a collar, and since that’s exactly what we’re looking for, it only made sense to invite her along.”

“I don’t think I told you what we needed yesterday. Did you go check for yourself?”

“..Y-Yeah.” Takumi stammered. “I was curious, so I looked just before I got here.”

“I’ve got no idea what you’re talking about,” Darumi chimed in. “But didn’tcha ask me to come yesterday afternoon?”

“That’s, um… Right. I asked her then because I already needed to gather some stuff. Guess I got really lucky. Haha.”

As they say, two heads are… tougher to deal with than one. Darumi noticing his mistake caught him off guard. Keeping your story straight for just one person would’ve been much easier. But he had to invite Darumi. Not because he liked her company or thought she’d enjoy tagging along, though both were true. But because going out alone with Eito would, quite frankly, be idiotic. 

Takumi was sure Eito would never actually attack him. Which sounded rather silly considering Eito had just recently, as he’d phrased it in his grand monologue, “abandoned Takumi in the desert hoping he’d die an agonizing death”. But right now, killing Takumi wouldn't be a good strategic move. Eito had to recognize that, given their current closeness, Takumi could be used as a shield, an excuse, or whatever else. Still… Takumi couldn’t let even the slightest chance slip by. In short, he sought sure insurance to ensure his assurance.

“Anyway.” Takumi cleared his throat, stepping forward. “We should get moving. We don’t know where what we’re looking for is, so it’s better to start early.”

“It’s no killing game,” Darumi’s grin widened and her eyes sparkled with excitement. “but destroying invaders is still pretty fun.” 

She walked toward the fire extinguishers mounted to the wall, grabbed one of them, and Takumi followed her to the exit. Just as they reached the door to the schoolyard, Takumi looked back. 

“Eito?”

“...Ah.” He lifted his head, adjusting his glasses. “…Right. I’m coming.”

As they crossed the courtyard, they transformed into their class armor. Before long, they arrived at the wall of undying flames and used the extinguisher to put them out for just long enough for them to slip past.

It was a sunny day. A phrase Takumi had never heard during his years in the Tokyo Residential Complex. The concept of weather hadn’t existed there, but now, he’d grown used to it. From what Karua told him, and from what he’d read in the school’s library, he figured it had to be spring. The temperature was mild, the sky a gentle blue scattered with clouds that constantly shifted. Takumi could truly understand why humanity longed to return here. 

Humans, which are currently residing in the Artificial Satellite, want to return to the Earth which has been destroying itself. No matter what Eito had said before his death, this was what Takumi perceived as the truth. 

Still, the serenity of the sky was jarringly at odds with the land beneath it. Around them were crumbling houses, toppled skyscrapers, gaping holes in the ground. Dirt covered everything like rot. It was a landscape of ruin.

“Any ideas on where we should look first?” Eito asked, scanning the horizon.

“We’re looking for a pet store, right?” Darumi responded, raising a hand to shield her eyes. “I think I saw a residential area up that way last time I went exploring… I think it's south? Maybe? Anyway, that direction.” She pointed straight ahead. 

“Well, it’s a lead. Let’s follow it.” Takumi said, picking up his pace.

They turned the corner and were immediately greeted by a rather large cluster of enemies. Finally, a fight. The first one since Takumi got here. He still wasn’t sure how jumping to the past had affected everyone else. No one had commented on a sudden surge in their hemoanima, which implied that whatever effect his return had caused, it wasn’t as severe. Maybe the different timing of this jump had diluted the impact. It seemed too convenient for it to have had no effect at all. If it just were subtler or maybe more delayed, that’d make more sense. 

He drew his blade, immediately noting its color. Red, not blue. Just like before. He could feel the empowered hemoanima within him, but at least the weapon remained visually unchanged. That camouflage was a blessing, as there was no way he could’ve explained why only his weapon had suddenly altered whilst everyone else’s remained the same.

Darumi was the first to move. She dashed ahead with unrestrained energy. Her knives gleamed as they danced through the air. Her movements were as wild and fluid as they were lethal. She fought without any hesitation, smiling all throughout. Paired with her blood-like eye makeup, to a random bystander her gleeful remarks about murder would likely sound rather scary. Such a person could assume that she’d really killed someone. But, out of the three actually present, she was the only one who hadn’t.

Takumi and Eito moved in next, swiftly cutting down the invaders Darumi had missed. Each of Takumi’s strikes was more deliberate as ever before, measured as not to show the strength he now possessed. He’d never been the most confident fighter to begin with, especially not when standing beside Darumi, so pulling back wasn’t too difficult.

But, as he glanced over at Eito, he recognized that it had to be the same for him. Even if he had only absorbed a single person’s cryptoglobin so far, he still had to suppress its effects. His movements were slightly sluggish compared to the others. His “disease” really provided the perfect excuse for everything, one that was obviously never questioned. Even so, he was still powerful. Takumi watched as the massive crimson red scythe cut through enemies with devastating reach. He knew its strength firsthand. A scythe. Takumi scoffed to himself as he drove his sword into a hulking invader. Eito wasn’t exactly subtle with that one, was he. 

When the last enemy fell, Takumi dusted his gloves off and exhaled. “The way our hemoanima manifests differently for everyone is kinda interesting, don’t you think?”

“Kyohoho,” Darumi laughed, twirling one of her knives. “It’s like it knew I’ve always wanted to throw knives around and make a huge mess outta everything.”

“Tsubasa’s car lets her fight without worrying,” Eito added, stepping over a fallen creature. “Hiruko’s axe matched her confidence. Whatever hemoanima really is, it seems to reflect the user’s personality, or at least their subconscious.”

“As for me…” Takumi paused, brushing dirt from his belt. “I probably ended up with a sword just because it’s generic. I used to watch a lot of TV, so when I first had to fight, it probably came to my mind.” He tilted his head toward Eito. “What about you, Eito?”

“I’ve been reading a lot about scythes ever since we got here. I can’t say I consciously chose it. But given its origin as a harvesting tool, doesn’t it seem fitting?” He looked at his weapon. “An ancient harvesting tool, now used to fight for the very Earth it once reaped.”

“Fighting for Earth… Protecting humanity…” Takumi repeated. "It’s a lofty mission for people like us.”

“Honestly,” Darumi said, glancing around as if hoping more enemies would show up. “I just really like the fighting. Don’t care much about what happens to people back home. Wouldn’t be too bad if they all dropped dead.”

“I can understand that… At least partially” Eito said. “After all, I didn’t decide to fight to protect humanity. I did so for everyone here. However - maybe if Sirei had told us the truth back then, I’d have a better sense of what we’re really doing here.”

“Personally…” Takumi began.

The truth was, his reasons were no more noble. Karua was here, safe for now. The only person left in the Tokyo Residential Complex was his mother. The idea of ‘fighting for humanity’ still felt hollow. If someone were to offer him a way to guarantee her survival at the cost of everyone else… well, he wouldn’t say no without considering it. Takumi didn’t think that made him a bad person. Humanity had taken advantage of him - kidnapped him and forced him to risk his life in a war he never asked for. It was only natural to feel some resentment. He didn’t hate them, but they weren’t blameless either. 

Takumi knew now about the escape pod - that they hadn’t just been abandoned to die with the invaders. But that didn’t erase the silence that followed Sirei’s destruction on Day 2. No messages, signals, or any signs that anyone up there had even tried to contact them. He couldn't quite get over that.

“The truth is, we don’t really have a choice. Giving up means death. So whether we’re protecting humanity here or not…” He averted his eyes. “It doesn’t matter”.

Was that too pessimistic for him? Takumi couldn’t tell. At this point, he wasn’t sure anymore what “something he’d say” sounded like. Whatever it was, he figured he’d changed enough that lines like these wouldn't sound out of character anymore. 

Still, it surprised him how the three of them shared more common ground than he’d expected. Even if some of them were less honest about their actual thoughts.

The last time he could remember them hanging out like this had been on Day 6 of the original - this - timeline. Though back then, Takemaru had been with them, and Eito had passed out early. Takumi missed those days. That version of them, and of himself. He paused for a moment and, when no one was looking, he hit himself on the side of the head. He shouldn’t be getting sentimental. This wasn’t the same. It couldn’t be. He couldn’t let himself enjoy this. He refocused and buried the thought. Pretending as though he didn’t understand it wouldn’t stay buried for too long. 

“Heeeey, we’re here!” Darumi called, waving her arm dramatically as they arrived at the residential area. It was still in ruins, but far less so than everything else they’d passed through earlier. 

“The hunt is on, then.” Takumi said, already moving toward one of the crumbling houses.

The outside of the buildings offered no hints. No convenient signs reading “pet store”. Though even if there had been, the written language here didn’t match what they were used to. Takumi’s past experiences were useless as well. There was no way he’d remember the exact location of an item he’d only ever needed once. 

“You didn’t tell me this was a challenge! No fair!” Darumi shouted as she ran to a different section.

Eito, now left alone, said nothing. He turned and headed toward the farthest corner of the area.

Takumi took the middle zone. He was determined to win. He combed through each house, not just searching for a pet store, but also keeping an eye for any dog collar possibly tucked away in someone’s home. Someone surely must’ve owned a pet here.

Darumi, somewhere north, was demolishing everything in her path, leaving the houses in far worse shape than when she entered them.

—

Takumi finished searching the fifth house. Nothing there either. Just the usual: splintered furniture, collapsed ceilings, broken floorboards. He stepped through the shattered door frame, heading toward the next target.

“How’s it going, Takumi?”

“Still nothing.” Takumi sighed.

“I see. Have you tried that one over there? It looks decently intact”

“No, not yet, I’ve been going in order so I don’t miss anything. I really should get movi - Wait, Eito. Why aren’t you searching?”

“I already found it.” Eito spun a dog collar around his finger.

“Oh. I see… Wait, when??”

“About twenty minutes ago? It was in the first house I checked.”

“You’ve just been standing here this whole time?”

“You and Darumi seemed to be having fun, so I didn’t want to stop you.” Eito said with a soft laugh. “Sorry.”

“Ugh…” Takumi groaned.

He lost. Fair and square. He’d been banking on his talent for finding people, but guess that didn’t extend so much to objects.

“My specialist skill is based around luck, so don’t beat yourself up over it.”

Takumi had managed to gather some of the other materials he needed, so it’s not like he’d completely wasted his time. Or so he told himself, trying to excuse the fact he’d lost despite knowing the future and initiating the competition. This loss stung far more than he’d have expected.

“My bad.” Takumi said with a short laugh. “I’ve never been good at thinking ahead.”

“That’s not true.” Eito gave a strangely sincere smile. “Well, let’s go get Darumi.”

They found her not far from where she’d been before, casually loitering around the northern sector.

“You found it?” She asked.

“Yeah,” Takumi looked around. “I thought you’d still be destroying everything in sight.”

“Nope. Got bored of it. Doing the same thing over and over just gets stale, y’know?” She yawned. “That’s why new killing games always throw in some hit-or-miss twist just to keep things interesting. Though, sometimes, I think it’s really the viewers’ fault for not taking a break. Not that I can judge ‘em.”

"Is it time we head back then?" Eito asked.

“I still need to grab a few more materials.” Takumi said. “I’m running low. Can we stick around a little longer?”

No one objected. They took a detour back to the academy so everyone could pick up whatever might be useful. A few more enemies crossed their path, but none were a match for the three of them.

By the time they finally returned to the academy grounds, night had almost fallen. Neither Takumi nor Eito had the energy left to deal with Shouma’s drama, and Darumi had no interest in it to begin with. They pushed it off to tomorrow. 

They grabbed something quick to eat before returning to their rooms. After showering, Takumi collapsed into bed, letting the day catch up to him all at once. Today had been fu- frustrating. Really just so horrible. He hadn’t accomplished anything. It was so pointless that he didn’t want to think about it anymore. He turned over in bed, pressing his face into the pillow. 

Takumi ended up falling asleep faster than usual. And whilst he hadn’t been completely honest with himself, he was right that today had been a failure.

Chapter Text

Takumi headed to the cafeteria. He wasn’t especially hungry, he hadn’t even thought much about what he was doing. Going there every morning had just become so ingrained into his routine that it felt like the natural thing to do unless he made an active choice to do something else.

The hallways were empty and so was the cafeteria. Maybe everyone was too on edge with the upcoming duel? No, if anything, it was probably the opposite. Having pushed all the responsibility onto him - and by extension Eito - they likely felt relaxed now. 

Takumi grabbed a bun and quietly started preparing a simple sandwich.

Thinking about it, even back in the original timeline, a lot of responsibility kept falling onto him. Even though he was never appointed leader or anything. Was it that everyone else was lazy, or that he was too proactive for his own good? Whatever the reason, he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy toward their constant indifference. Seriously, how was it Eito of all people who’d noticed Shouma acting strange? Ignorance was a bliss not everyone could afford.

As he reached for a chair at the central table, the door opened, accompanied by a familiar voice.

“Hello, Takumi.”

“Oh, hey.” Takumi straightened up from the lean for the chair. “Do you want something to eat?”

“I appreciate the offer, but I had some leftovers from yesterday, so I’m fine.”

“I see.”

They both sat down at the otherwise empty table. With no one else around, it made for a rather peaceful atmosphere. 

“Eito,” Takumi began after a pause. “What was your life like in the Tokyo Residential Complex? I know I asked before, but, well… That conversation didn’t exactly go as planned.”

“My life?” Eito repeated as if considering the weight of the question.” That’s an interesting query. Compared to what you’ve told me about your own, mine really pales in comparison…”

“That’s alright.” He said firmly. “I just want to learn more about you. Even if you think it’s boring, I still want to hear it.”

“Even if you say that…” Eito let out a sigh. “I’d like to tell you some fun stories, but I’ve mostly just stayed at a hospital. And outside it, I usually just read books.”

“But you must’ve done some other things too, right? You’re pretty strong in battles, after all.” Takumi pressed, leaning in just a little.

“...I suppose I did go for walks sometimes. Or trained a little, just to take my mind off things.”

“Off things?”

“Being constantly ill isn’t exactly pleasant.” Eito’s gaze drifted downwards. “I tried my best to focus on anything but that.”

“Is that why you’ve taken such a liking to books?” The conversation has slowly turned into an interview. 

“Submerging yourself in the world of a novel, fictional or not, is a great way to forget about everything around you.” He said with a faint smile. “The hospital’s library was like a second home to me… right after the hospital itself.”

Takumi gave a small hum of understanding. “How are you feeling now? Living here in this academy, I mean. Has it gotten any better?”

“Well,” Eito exhaled as his fingers gently traced the edge of his sleeve. “The amount of new people, new environments, new challenges - it’s been quite overwhelming. I’m doing my best, but my lack of social experience tends to show. So, if at any point I start feeling weak, I’m sorry.”

“Did you not have any friends back at school? Ah, sorry for asking so many questions.”

Eito shook his head lightly. “...No, it’s fine. I did agree to this.” He paused briefly before continuing. “Because I’ve spent so much time at the hospital, I never got very good at socializing. I struggled to make friends. Coming here has been something completely new to me.”

“What about your parents?” Takumi asked deliberately. ”They must’ve been worried about you.”

“...They died when I was little.”

“Oh- uh, s-sorry for asking.” Takumi stiffened as he was caught off guard by the surprisingly honest answer.

“You don’t have to apologize.” Eito smiled.

“Yeah, you’re right. Sorr-” He caught himself. “Still… Because of that illness, your life must’ve been difficult. Probably in a way I can’t even imagine. So,” As his gaze met Eito’s, he lowered it and his expression somewhat sharpened. “If you had a way to get rid of that disease…“ His gaze shifted upward once more. “You’d take it, right?”

“Huh? Well-” But before Eito could finish, Takumi cut in.

“Because, without it, you’d be able to live your life normally, right?”

“Takumi, I don’t have that choice. ’So whether I’d take it or not… It doesn’t matter.’” He paused for a moment, then let out a soft laugh. “Apologies for stealing your words from yesterday, but they seemed appropriate.”

A non-answer, but maybe that was for the best. Takumi wasn’t sure what he’d expected, or rather, what he’d wanted to hear. Eito was right: there was no point in dwelling on hypothetical scenarios. Takumi had to focus on reality.

And that reality was that Eito was a liar. Admittedly, nothing he said was outright untrue, but he'd carefully omitted the most important parts. Multiple times, Takumi’s fingers curled against his palms as he had to suppress the urge to press further.  Doing so risked revealing too much or making him come across as incredibly insensitive. Well.. maybe seeming a bit insensitive wouldn’t be a terrible price to pay. But there was no need to do everything at once. He could always return to this topic later. After all, he wasn’t short on time.

“Should we go deal with Shouma?” Eito asked gently, as if sensing that the conversation had run its course.

“Have you made the plushie?”

Eito nodded. “I’ve got it in my room.”

And so, they headed to the roof. As Eito reached for his doorknob, Takumi - standing just behind him - realized that he had never actually seen the inside of Eito’s room before.

What awaited him inside was… a lot whiter than he’d expected. Compared to the rooms of Gaku, Tsubasa, Darumi or anyone else he’d visited, Eito’s was far simpler. This lack of personal touches reminded Takumi of his own room, just a lot more blinding. 

Eito stepped inside to retrieve the dog plushie from his desk, which would take away what little color contrast the room had to offer. Takumi was tempted to say something like “it looks a lot like a hospital room”, but decided not to state the obvious. 

Instead, Takumi stepped inside, glancing around. “Is white your favorite color?” He asked, unsure if that was any better.

“I like to keep things clean. And white is the best for that.” Eito turned around, noticing that Takumi stood inside, he spoke up. “We should go to Shouma.”

But Takumi didn’t move. “I was wondering - how do you think we should approach this?”

“You mean persuading Shouma? I think you’d know better, you’re the one who convinced Gaku and Tsubasa.” Eito took a step forward, trying to leave.

“I was thinking… What if you try to do it this time?”

“Me? But, Takumi, I only just told you, I’m not good at this kind of stuff-”

“Yeah, exactly.” At those words, Eito tilted his head slightly. “Despite your illness and the fact that you’ve struggled, both in the past and now, you still decided to fight. You’re the one who can relate to Shouma the most.”

Eito’s fingers tightened around the plushie in his right hand. “I’m… not so sure about this.”

Takumi took another step forward and just as he’d done so… “But.” Eito continued. “I doubt I can convince you otherwise, right? So let’s just head there.”

“Great, thanks.” They both left the room. Getting Eito to comply so easily was a bit satisfying to Takumi.

Once they reached Shouma’s door, Eito raised his hand and knocked. The door opened shortly after and he was let inside without issue. The door closed behind him with a soft click, leaving Takumi standing alone on the outside.

The rooms were soundproof enough that Takumi couldn’t hear anything simply standing there. He briefly considered pressing his ear against the doorframe but chose not to. Whatever conversation was going on inside, it wasn’t worth losing face if someone walked by and saw him acting so strange. And having to potentially explain himself to Eito would be even more bothersome.

Instead, he waited by the southern fence, where Eito would have to pass him when returning to his room. 

Truthfully, most of why Takumi had pushed Eito to do this was because he found the situation somewhat amusing. The idea that Eito, who secretly agreed with every self-loathing remark Shouma might say, having to comfort him and convince him otherwise was enough to make Takumi chuckle internally. If Eito were to speak freely, Shouma would probably never step out of his room again. The more Takumi thought about it, the more he regretted not being in the room to hear the entire exchange himself. But then again, Eito could’ve easily passed the task back to him by feigning weakness, so it was safer to settle for Eito’s report afterwards. 

But… perhaps, just this once, Takumi was being a little too harsh on Eito. Even if Eito could, in theory, let his real thoughts slip here, it wouldn’t be worth it. Shouma’s motivation didn’t just determine his own fate - it’d affect everyone’s, including Eito’s. Reluctantly, Takumi had to give Eito one imaginary point to an imaginary scoreboard of Eito’s good deeds.

—

Time passed. Long enough for Takumi to grow bored, but not quite long enough for him to start wandering around elsewhere. Eventually, he heard footsteps behind him. Turning around, as he’d been facing the schoolyard, he saw-

“Tsubasa?! What are you doing here?”

“Uh…” Tsubasa uttered, likely startled by the sudden reaction. “I was just heading to my room? I left a wrench I needed there. Nevermind me - how’s your whole thing with Shouma going?”

“I think it’s going well?”

“You think?” 

“That is… It's definitely going well. Probably.”

Tsubasa narrowed her eyes for a moment, then shrugged. “Well, you seemed pretty focused before I showed up, so I’ll leave you to it.” 

With that, she continued walking. Soon after, she got out of her room and headed back, leaving Takumi alone again.

He continued looking down at the schoolyard, then up at the flames in the distance, and back at the schoolyard. At one point, he saw the Second Academy squad head out for an exploration.

Time continued to pass. He wasn’t particularly focused on his surroundings, but he was sure he would’ve heard someone approaching from behind. 

More time passed. Still no sign of Eito. By this time, he should’ve finished. And he had no reason to avoid him right now. 

Even more time passed.

Eventually, Takumi had enough. He made his way back to Shouma’s door. He pressed his ear against the wall and heard nothing. He knocked and there was no response. He tried the knob and the door creaked open. The room was empty. 

“Huh?” Takumi let out a quiet sound.

If they weren’t there, they must’ve gone outside. And since Takumi didn’t hear them, they must’ve taken the passage closer to the staircase. But the question was why.

Before leaving, Takumi quickly glanced at the clock in Shouma’s room. Whilst it wasn’t as late as he’d though - time just moved really slowly as he did nothing - a considerable chunk of time had passed. Time had passed and not just Eito, but both him and Shouma were gone. Takumi couldn’t figure out the reason. 

He descended the stairs to the 3rd floor. As he was going down, he spotted them coming up from the level below.

After Takumi expressed his surprise, Shouma asked Eito to explain what happened, saying he wanted to rest. Eito agreed. The two of them moved to the War Room since it was nearby and the hallway wasn’t the best place for discussion. 

“So what happened? I was starting to get a little concerned about how long you were taking.”

“Sorry about that,” Eito replied. “But you told me to handle this myself. I didn’t want to involve you.”

“Involve me?” Takumi echoed.

“Right. Let me start from the beginning...”

Eito calmly recounted how he had tried to persuade Shouma. 

“I focused a lot on Leo, but I also made sure to emphasize his capabilities. I tried to approach this the way you would.”

“That’s flattering…” Takumi smiled slightly. ”But why did you two leave the room? Where did you go?”

“Perhaps it’s because I lack your talent, but I just couldn’t get Shouma to agree. No matter what I said, he always had a rebuttal. His biggest concern was his supposed lack of strength. He kept insisting he wasn’t capable of fighting at all. ”Eito paused briefly. “So I had an idea to prove him otherwise. Can you guess what it was?”

“I… can’t.” Takumi answered honestly. He was genuinely curious. “If I had something like that in mind, I would’ve said it earlier.”

“If Shouma were to use his hemoanima, he’d realize he’s not powerless, right?" Eito spoke with confidence. "But he’s too afraid to use his infuser. It seemed like an impossible hurdle, but then I remembered about the VR machine.”

“Ah…!” Takumi exhaled in realization. 

“The machine had to have his data already, so it was the perfect way to show him his capabilities without forcing him to actually use his infuser or harming anyone. Or at least, that was my thinking.”

Eito sighed and continued. “Even though it seemed like the perfect solution, Shouma still hesitated. Even after getting him to come to the Training Room, it took quite some time to convince him to try it. And when he finally did it, he quit almost immediately. He didn’t even have a chance to fully process what was happening. But despite that… I think it helped. I think he was glad that he tried at all. After we spoke for a bit more, he promised that he’d try his best in the future and wouldn't give up so easily.”

Takumi didn't say anything for a moment.

“I don’t think it was the idea itself that convinced him, even though it was smart. I think it was your persistence, how you refused to give up on him. I’m sure he appreciated that.”

“That’s a nice way of looking at it.”

“You really did great, Eito. I knew you would.”

Takumi hated to admit it, but Eito’s creativity here was actually commendable. He could’ve easily returned for help after his initial failure, but instead came up with something new on the spot. Even if it had failed, Takumi would’ve been at least a little impressed.

“That being said, sorry for making you wait without saying anything, Takumi. I hope you went back to your room and didn’t just stand around.”

“...”

Eito giggled softly. “Well, I have to say, I’m pretty tired. I think I need to get some rest too.”

Takumi decided to let Eito cash in his imaginary point to avoid imaginary debt and didn’t stop him from leaving. 

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. Takumi checked in with Tsubasa to see what that wrench had been for, but nothing of note came from it. Otherwise, he didn’t do much.

Later, as he got into bed, he reflected on the day. Even though Eito’s creativity had impressed him, Takumi reminded himself that he had originally managed to convince Shouma without having to go to such lengths. In that regard, he was still, without a doubt, better at this than Eito.

Still, today had been peaceful. And maybe that wasn’t so bad. After spending all of yesterday out exploring, it only made sense for today to be calmer. 

Takumi closed his eyes, letting the emptiness overtake him as sleep claimed him for another night.

Chapter Text

After waking up, Takumi sat on the edge of his bed and stretched his hands out in front of him. Having spent so much of yesterday standing idly, even though the rest had been nice, he now just felt more sore.

Well, staying in bed wasn’t going to help with that. He pushed himself up and started his usual routine, heading where he always did.

When Takumi got to the cafeteria, he was surprised to hear laughter and cheers coming from inside. 

“You're really gonna do it, Shouma? For real? Like, for real, for real?”

Takumi wasn’t surprised that Shouma had decided to fight, but he hadn’t expected that to happen the very next day. Was Eito’s conviction really that persuasive? Or perhaps seeing both him and Takumi putting in effort had sparked something in Shouma? Takumi quickly let go of that line of thought. It didn’t have to be one or the other, reality was rarely so simple. Two things can be true at once. 

He tuned out the conversation and moved further into the dining hall until a voice called out to him.

“Everything turned out well. You should’ve never doubted yourself, Takumi.”

Takumi glanced toward Eito, who stood nearby with his usual composed expression.

“You’re right. I definitely was too tough on myself.”

Takumi, feeling like he’d been too generous with Eito yesterday, chose to accept the compliment this time instead of deflecting it. 

”I was worried when you were feeling down, so I’m truly glad you seem better now.”

Takumi sighed quietly. At times, Eito’s faux kindness had a way of deeply grating on him. The proper and polite thing to do here would probably be to answer “thank you”, but Takumi didn’t feel like thanking Eito for anything right now. In fact, Eito was the one responsible for why Takumi had been feeling badly in the first place. He was the root of everything. If he’d just never destroyed Sirei or killed Hiruko, Takumi would’ve never had to go back in time. Everyone would be living peacefully back home with their loved ones.

“Takumi?” The silence lingered long enough that Eito spoke up with a gently concerned tone

“...You’re right, Eito. I really wasn’t acting like myself for a bit.”

Indeed, what had he even been the past few days if not foolish? Takumi lowered his face and shook it. And as he did, a smile slowly pulled at his lips.

“Thank you.” Takumi’s voice was calm. “My mind has become much clearer thanks to you.”

“I’m happy if you think that, but it’s you yourself who’d managed to regain your composure.”

“Don’t discredit yourself,” Takumi said. “You've done so much. So much that you can’t even imagine.” Too much, he added silently. 

Ultimately, it did end up as a shallow exchange of compliments, but that’s not what Takumi was bothered by. For some time now, he’d been feeling… off. Bepuzzled. As if trapped inside his own head, tangled in constant inner conflict. Why had it come to that? He wasn’t supposed to be the one struggling here.

Takumi shook his head, more firmly this time, causing Eito to look at him with slight surprise. This wasn’t the time nor place for reflections. Not with Eito standing right in front of him, nor in a cafeteria buzzing with excitement. It was anything but a proper moment. 

The attention of both Takumi and Eito was pulled back to the central topic when Takemaru’s loud voice boomed across the cafeteria.

“What Shouma needs is to train his body!” He declared with conviction, earning a lot of doubtful comments, but Shouma agreed with his idea. 

Without wasting a moment, Takemaru and Shouma rushed out of the room, clearly energized and in high spirits. 

Takumi’s eyes followed their movements as the door swung shut behind them. “How about we follow them?” He asked, his gaze still eyeing the closed door. 

“Shouma and Takemaru?” Eito paused, bringing Takumi’s focus back to him. “But they seemed fine on their own. I think we’ve done all we can already.”

“I didn’t mean it like that.” Takumi replied smoothly. “I have no doubts in Takemaru. But since they’re heading to the Leisure Lounge, I thought… you said you liked to train, right?” 

“Ah…” Eito trailed off, his voice just slightly hesitant.

Takumi kept his tone light but deliberately casual. “I know I’ve been asking a lot of you lately, so it’s fine if you don’t want to. I just thought it might be something fun to do. Even if just for a short while.”

He watched Eito closely as he spoke, carefully layering his words. If he’d only said the first part, Eito might’ve used it as an easy out. That wouldn’t do. Takumi understood very well that, whilst Eito surely wasn’t lying about liking training, the idea of doing so with others - especially with him - wasn’t something he’d ever voluntarily choose. Which was exactly why Takumi had to frame it in a way that made refusal feel almost impolite.

“...You really have a way with words.” Eito said with a faint smile. “Okay, I’ll come, but please give me an hour.”

Part of Takumi was disappointed. Although it was technically a success, it would’ve been nice to finally corner Eito into rejecting something. But, as always, Eito stayed impressively committed to maintaining his image. If there was one thing Takumi could wholeheartedly praise Eito on, it was that. 

Still, Takumi wasn’t discouraged. Amongst other things, reading so many books had taught him the value of patience. The desire for instant gratification can be dangerous, even fatal. He’d learnt that firsthand already - the last time he acted on impulse, nothing good had come from it. And beyond that, there was a certain personal pride involved: if Eito could endure whatever discomfort spending time with Takumi might bring, then Takumi himself had no excuse to give in to impatience. 

Takumi returned to his room with an hour to spare. Despite having just thought about the virtue of patience, this particular wait irritated him. Waiting for something without a set time limit was somehow much easier than watching a countdown tick away. Knowing exactly how long he had left, and seeing each second drag by, made it almost impossible to focus. And since it was only an hour, he couldn’t even properly start doing anything else.

One thought made this wait bearable: Eito hadn’t requested for the hour without a reason.

With five minutes left, Takumi finally changed into the standard academy sportswear - a white tank top and dark blue sport trousers. Maybe he should’ve done so earlier instead of right before the time limit, but it didn’t matter. He didn’t mind showing up slightly late. If he arrived too early, it might give the impression that he cared too much. 

Leaving his room, Takumi felt oddly self-conscious. He’d used the Leisure Lounge’s equipment before, but never with this much deliberation. Walking there already dressed for training felt strange. He was so accustomed to his usual clothes that standing on the roof without his hoodie made him feel slightly chilly. He picked up his pace and made his way to the third floor, choosing a longer route past the Defense Room to avoid bumping into anyone. 

Now that he thought about it, why was the Leisure Lounge on the 3rd floor to begin with? Considering its huge pool, wouldn’t it have made more sense to build it at ground level?

He was astonished at how bored he must be to be thinking about something like that. 

Takumi finally arrived at the Leisure Lounge, a grand, open space that felt more like a luxurious resort than an academic facility. Three waterfalls flanked a massive digital screen, its vibrant display showing a serene mountain landscape, as if trying to bring a sense of normalcy to this artificial environment. The air carried a faint blend of chlorine and tropical plants. 

To the left stood a full array of gym equipment, ready for anyone seeking a workout. The entire space projected a sense of spaciousness and tranquillity. 

Or at least, it would’ve, if not for the voice echoing loudly across the room. 

“Is this all you’ve got?!” 

Of course, that voice belonged to Takemaru. Within minutes, he had fully transformed into Shouma’s personal coach. Judging by his outward appearance alone, Takumi would’ve never pegged him as such a supportive, good-natured guy. At first glance, he seemed more like some rebellious gang member. You should never judge a book by its cover, after all.

And on the opposite end of that spectrum stood another figure who had just walked into Takumi’s field of vision from the far left side of the Leisure Lounge. 

Takumi quietly laughed at himself for not seeing this coming. “You really bothered to do this…” he thought.

Eito was wearing a black zip-up sports hoodie. If the mismatched color wasn’t enough to make it obvious, that hoodie wasn’t part of the standard sportswear provided in each room’s closet. The most likely scenario was that he'd made it with the Gift-O-Matic during the wait. Perhaps Takumi himself was somewhat to blame for that - he'd extended their last exploration, giving Eito more than enough time to gather the materials needed for something like this.

Takumi debated whether to bring it up. Would that be weird? …He’d really been losing the plot lately. Why on earth would that be weird? It only seemed strange to him because he knew his own reason for asking. To anyone else, it was a perfectly normal question. Sometimes, knowing so much made it difficult for Takumi to place himself in the shoes of someone without the same knowledge.

Still, he could predict how Eito would answer: either citing his illness or saying he simply disliked the cold. So there wasn’t much point in asking. Then again, maybe not asking would seem strange-

Takumi’s mind suddenly circled back to his thoughts from the cafeteria. If a single glance at Eito can throw him into so much mental turmoil, how was he supposed to achieve anything……

“Takumi? Are you there?” Eito asked with a smile, stepping a bit closer and waving his gloved hand in front of Takumi’s face, though still maintaining decent distance. 

“Oh- yeah. Sorry, guess I was surprised that you came.”

“You were? Of course I’d come, since you invited me.”

He didn’t have to say that. Takumi realized it the moment the words left his mouth and immediately felt embarrassed. He wasn’t good at coming up with quick excuses and that always ended up making him look inane. Losing himself in his own thoughts certainly was something he needed to work on. 

“But I didn’t think you’d get here before me. I’m really glad you cared to do so.” Takumi added, forcing a light tone into his voice, careful to sound overly cordial without crossing into sarcasm. 

“NO GUTS, NO GLORY!” Takemaru’s voice rang once more. 

Well, it never really stopped - even during their short exchange - both of them had simply chosen to ignore it. Takumi couldn’t quite remember why he hadn’t joined in to help Takemaru during the original timeline, but now he didn’t doubt his past choice at all. This was hardly pleasant. 

As Takumi and Eito stepped onto the gym’s platform, they were quickly noticed.

“Sup, you two.” Takumi called out then immediately turned his head back to Shouma. “Didn’t expect to see you two here. If you’re here to work out too, fine by me, but don’t expect me to quiet down ‘cause Shouma’s the focus here! Right, Shouma?!”

“R…R-R-Right, no guhs, no- Aaagh!” Shouma barely managed to respond, panting heavily and nearly stumbling off the treadmill. 

“C’mon! You shouldn’t let a simple distraction like that throw you off!” Takemaru barked. 

As the chaos continued, Eito and Takumi exchanged glances. 

“Takumi…” Eito looked at him with evident concern in his eyes. “Are you really sure this is the best time to train here?”

“...Definitely. Takemaru and Shouma’s energy will be a great boost to our own fighting spirit.” 

Takumi didn’t believe a word of it, but he refused to admit he made a mistake. He didn’t want to just give up and leave.

—

“Alright. I.. I give up. Let’s leave.”

As Takumi glanced at Eito and caught a glimpse of his dejected expression - quickly replaced as his face brightened at Takumi's words - he realized he must've looked the same. For just a moment, they were completely united in mutual understanding brought together by the sheer overbearing loudness surrounding them. 

It really was hell. Takumi had convinced himself he could handle it. That it wouldn’t be so bad. That maybe it’d be a good opportunity to gauge Eito’s real physical strength, or perhaps amusing to watch him stumble through exercises whilst trying to suppress it. That enduring endless variations of “No guts, no glory” would be worth it.

But he was wrong. The noise was constant and suffocating. Every stomp of Takemaru’s feet, every slap of the treadmill's belt, every wild cheer from Shouma chipped away at Takumi’s sanity. Their shouts weren’t synchronized. They were chaotic and overlapping, pounding into his ears from all directions. And whenever Takemaru wasn’t shouting, he was clapping, jumping, or starting some new, bizarre chant variation. 

Takumi couldn’t even lift a dumbbell without the fear that Takemaru would suddenly lunge over, or that Shouma would squeal or drop his equipment with a loud crash. Though, ironically, this did solve his overthinking problem as he could barely focus at all. 

Part of why this felt so overwhelming was likely because the last ten or so days had been relatively quiet. The only loud factor had been Darumi, but that was nothing compared to this. Being thrust into this chaotic mess of a workout session was something Takumi should never have thought would be a good idea. But since he’d never actually seen it before, he couldn’t have predicted it would be like this.

He was perfectly fine with making Eito endure all of this. He was fine knowing that Eito probably faced this kind of chaos every day. It didn’t invoke any pity. It was fine if Eito had to suffer, but he didn’t want to suffer himself. 

Takumi was worse at hiding his emotions. As a result, even though Eito was undoubtedly feeling worse, it was Takumi who looked more troubled. After Takumi had so confidently insisted they stay, Eito had done his best to appear calm and hadn’t complained once. Though, for some reason, this time Takumi felt relieved at Eito's lack of major reaction. Taking all of that into account, there was no point in staying any longer. 

And so, Takumi and Eito left the Leisure Lounge. 

“I’m sorry your idea didn’t work out,” Eito said softly. “But…I've come up with a new one.” He smiled widely.

“You did?” Takumi was surprised. He'd expected to be the one constantly pushing Eito into different activities. He hadn’t anticipated Eito suggesting something himself.

“Let’s talk about it tomorrow. Right now… " He put his hand on his forehead. "I feel like my head is going to explode.”

“Alright, I… can’t disagree.” Takumi glanced back at the door. “I kinda feel bad for Shouma.”

“The fact he can withstand this makes him stronger than both of us.” Eito said with a light laugh.

Takumi couldn’t help but feel there was some truth to that. He couldn’t think of anyone else who’d willingly endure something like that. Maybe Moko…? But he never really got to know her. 

—

Takumi spent the rest of the day finishing the book he'd started. 

He wasn’t sure how to feel about today. When he first suggested leaving the Leisure Lounge, he’d thought he had ruined the entire day and accomplished nothing. But hearing that it led Eito to come up with an idea made him reconsider. Maybe his effort hadn’t been wasted after all.

And beyond that, Takumi had learnt something important today.

It was certain that Eito must’ve felt miserable today, yet Takumi didn’t feel any satisfaction from that. He wasn't upset at Eito's placidity either. Quite the opposite, he’d never wanted to stop an activity more, only his pride stopping him from immediately doing so. Because it was Shouma and Takemaru causing the chaos, Takumi felt… unnecessary. As if the whole thing could’ve unfolded the same way without any involvement from him at all. And that wasn’t the point. That ran counter to everything he wanted to achieve.

Takumi realized that using others to mess with Eito wouldn’t work, or at least, they couldn’t be the ones doing everything. It would be like losing his entire purpose in this timeline.

In the end, Takumi hadn’t resolved the issue that had plagued him earlier that morning. But even if the day had been unconventional, it hadn’t been pointless. 

He went to bed feeling happy. Although he didn’t know what tomorrow would bring, he believed his good spirits would carry him through. Still, not wanting to get too overconfident, he made sure to go to sleep early.

Chapter Text

Takumi awoke to the announcement. Since Eito hadn’t given him any clue as to what this new idea was, Takumi had no real sense of where or when to meet up. The safest option was to head to the cafeteria as usual, where Eito would likely appear as well.

This change of pace wasn’t exactly exciting, but it was certainly promising. And so, he made his way to the cafeteria, following the route he knew so well by now he could easily walk it blindfolded. 

“Hello, Takumi.” Eito was there already. Even though this hadn’t been the routine for a few days now, Takumi still walked in expecting to see him.

“I got you something to eat, so sit down.” Eito said with a carefree expression.

“R-Right.” Takumi did as instructed. “Are we really doing this again…?” He thought, but in truth, he was a bit grateful. He probably should eat, but he hadn’t really felt like it. Eito forcing him into it was, if anything, probably good for his health. 

And the meal itself was quite good.  A small bowl of steamed rice with a soft-boiled egg, carefully peeled and placed on top. A simple, but a nice way to start the day. Definitely more effort than Takumi would bother with after just waking up. 

Eito seemed to be waiting for some sort of feedback. Now that Takumi thought about it, he’d never really said much beyond ‘pretty good’ about Eito’s cooking.

Reluctantly, he said, “You really are a good cook. I appreciate it every time.” 

“I’m really happy to hear that!” Eito seemed at least a bit pleased, or perhaps relieved, at that compliment. 

If Takumi was never going to get Eito to try his cooking again, there was no point in not taking advantage of this situation. Getting to eat something delicious once in a while wasn’t so bad. Besides, it also wasted Eito’s time.

For once, he decided to stop overthinking something as simple as breakfast and just enjoy it. After the mess that was yesterday, he deserved that much.

The meal proceeded in silence. It was a bit awkward, considering Eito had already eaten and was now just sitting beside him, more or less watching him eat. "If one of these days, Eito turns out to have poisoned my food, I’ll have deserved it for taking it without any real caution…”

This wasn’t the first time such a thought had crossed his mind, but since people had seen Eito gifting him food before, he didn’t actually believe it would happen. Still, telling himself that he was aware of the risk made accepting food from the enemy feel better. What was it about not overthinking again...?

In the middle of the meal, Takumi gave in to the curiosity that had been steadily building.

“So… what’s that idea you mentioned yesterday?” 

Eito hummed, sounding a bit hesitant.

“Well… We can’t exactly do it now, so I think it’d be best if we met up in the schoolyard in about an hour.”

“Huh? Why?”

“I mean, it wouldn’t be very smart to do it right after eating.” Eito looked down and nodded, as if what he was saying was perfectly self-explanatory. 

But Takumi still didn’t follow. "What do you mean?” 

“Your idea yesterday was to train, and I thought it was a good one.” Eito’s voice was pleasantly affirmative. “But the gym is constantly occupied by the 2nd Academy students, and the Leisure Lounge is… well, you already know. But there’s still one option.” He inhaled briefly. “Let’s fight, Takumi.”

“You mean… like, in our class armor?” His voice faltered slightly, thrown off by the unexpected suggestion. His repeated questions of confusion might’ve made him sound a bit dense.

Eito nodded. “I thought it might prove useful. The VR Machine is great for practicing tactics, but it’s not quite the same as actually wielding the weapon. Of course, I know this might be a little dangerous, so if you’re against it-”

“No, I think this is a great idea, Eito.” Takumi cut him off with more enthusiasm than he intended. “You really thought of everything.”

The moment Eito suggested it, Takumi’s eyes lit up. This ploy couldn’t be any less obvious. It was a thinly veiled excuse for Eito to be able to hurt him. And likely, to gauge his strength too, in preparation for the inevitable betrayal. But Takumi was certain the former was the main motivation. It’d been ten days since their little game started and Eito couldn’t have been enjoying it. 

But Takumi felt the same. The proposal was just as appealing to him. And beyond that, Takumi was in a better position. He couldn’t say that for sure about any ordinary battle, but when it came to hemoanima, he had a clear advantage. This version of Eito, who hadn’t yet claimed the Defense Room's baby’s power, might stand a chance with a sneak attack, but in a fair fight, Takumi held the upper hand. Of course, he couldn’t reveal the extent of his abilities, but at the very least, this ensured things wouldn’t spiral out of control. 

“I’ll be there in half an hour.” Takumi said, not wanting to sit around for yet another hour waiting for something to happen. Eito making such a light meal made sense now. 

“Great, see you then!” Eito replied with a bright smile.

Without wasting any more time, Takumi left the cafeteria and headed straight for the War Room. Even though Eito had finished eating before Takumi had even arrived, he remained seated in the cafeteria. Takumi figured this was Eito’s way of being considerate. After all, it would’ve been painfully awkward if they both ended up walking to the same place right after exchanging their goodbyes like nothing had happened. 

As Takumi walked, he had to silently take back his earlier assessment from that morning. This was exciting. It wasn’t that he wanted to physically hurt Eito, no, not at all, he’d come here to break him down psychologically. But with such a perfect opportunity laid out right in front of him, how could he refuse? He probably wouldn’t have come up with this idea on his own, so really, this was all on Eito. And besides, it’s not like Eito didn’t deserve it.

Yet even with that thought, Takumi couldn’t entirely pretend this was a full victory for him as this was Eito’s idea.

Time passed quickly, and soon enough, both of them stood in the schoolyard. For once, Takumi arrived first, though Eito followed only moments later. They faced one another in silence. The air between them felt oddly tense for what was supposed to be nothing more than sparring practice. 

Neither moved.

“So.. um, how exactly do we go about this…?” Takumi asked. They hadn’t discussed any rules. Were light injuries acceptable? Could they take it further? 

“I’d hoped you’d know.” Eito replied with a small smile. “You are the more experienced fighter between the two of us.”

“By like a week…” Takumi groaned, saying what the past version of him could’ve said. 

Still, Eito waited expectantly. “Making me decide even though this was your idea? Pretty bold of you.” Takumi thought. Since they both wanted the same thing, he decided to just skip the formalities.

“Let’s fight with everything we’ve got.” Takumi declared. Of course, neither of them could truly fight at full strength. Despite that, saying that aloud gave the encounter some kind of satisfying weight. “That'll prepare us best for real battles, right?”

Takumi didn’t mention the biggest reason they could afford to take such a risk: the Revive-O-Matic and its drones. He didn’t want to say the quiet part aloud, that this fight might end up with one of them dying, even if only temporarily. 

“If that’s what you want.” Eito took hold of his scythe and charged forward. “I’ll give it my best."

Takumi barely had time to react as Eito closed the distance between them, his scythe already sweeping in a vicious horizontal sweep towards Takumi’s side. 

Takumi shifted sharply to his side, feeling the wind from the blade graze past him. Without wasting a moment, he drew his sword in a single smooth motion to counter. 

But Eito was ready. He used the momentum of his swing to pivot into a short spin and intercepted Takumi’s strike with a harsh metallic crash. Sparks flew at the point of impact, briefly illuminating Eito’s focused eyes behind his glasses. 

“You’re fast.” Takumi admitted, gritting his teeth as the strength of the parry pushed him back a step. His boots scraped against the loose dirt. He immediately adjusted his stance, gripping his sword tighter with both hands.

“And you’re holding back.” Though Eito said it softly, Takumi knew he was right.

Without giving Takumi another second, Eito lunged again, this time bringing his scythe down in a diagonal slash aimed at Takumi’s shoulder.

Takumi barely twisted out of the way, but the curved blade still grazed him, slicing a thin line through his sleeve and leaving a cut beneath. 

His breathing quickened as adrenaline surged through him. He had been holding back, but Eito’s aggressive opening had also caught him off guard. 

There was no room to think now. Eito pressed the assault relentlessly, each swing forcing Takumi to retreat, duck or narrowly evade strikes that could’ve easily disarmed or injured him.

The weapon difference was starting to show. Eito’s scythe gave him control over the distance, keeping Takumi just outside of a comfortable striking range. 

Takumi couldn’t let this go on.

Timing his next move carefully, he feigned a stumble, hoping to bait Eito into another wide swing. Eito took it.

In that instant, Takumi rushed forward, slipping inside the scythe’s reach before it could complete its move. With a sharp upwards strike, he knocked the weapon aside, forcing Eito off balance. 

Eito stumbled and crashed onto the ground as Takumi stood above him. Was this it? Had he won?

But a flash of memory crossed Takumi’s mind, briefly making him lose focus.

That moment of hesitation cost him.

Eito thrust his foot upward, slamming into Takumi’s stomach. Takumi staggered and fell as his sword slid from his grip, clattering across the ground. 

Desperate to keep Eito from retrieving his scythe, Takumi lunged forward and grabbed Eito’s ankle. His fingers latched on, but Eito reacted swiftly, driving his boot into Takumi’s side with a forceful kick

The force made it clear he held back with that earlier cut. Pain radiated through Takumi’s body as air escaped his lungs in a short gasp. 

What had been a certain victory reversed in seconds, yet Eito only sighed, sounding disappointed. 

“Takumi, you’re not taking this seriously. In a real battle, that moment of hesitation would’ve been your end.”

“...Same goes to you.” Takumi coughed, struggling for breath. “You were holding back too. And even now… You didn’t finish me.”

Eito stepped back, giving Takumi space to rise. “Come on,” He said gently. “This isn’t over.”

Takumi forced himself up. The pain made even that shallow cut sting more sharply now. But Eito was right, this couldn’t be how this ends. 

They clashed again. Eito’s scythe carved through the air whilst Takumi weaved between the deadly curves. His sword lashed out in rapid strikes, but only air from its blade reached Eito.

The scythe’s long reach kept Takumi at bay, but Takumi's quick footwork and precise reactions allowed him to avoid each blow. The fight had become a dance, where each misstep could mean the end. 

But as the fight continued, exhaustion began to creep in. Their breathing grew heavier. The intervals between attacks lengthened as fatigue weighed down their limbs.

Takumi’s concentration wavered. Not just from fatigue, but from Eito himself. Again and again, Eito had the chance to strike with full force but pulled back or redirected it at the last second. Maybe Takumi had it wrong. Perhaps this was a test after all.

Because that thought kept gnawing at Takumi, he kept holding back even further than he’d initially wanted. The fight had lost all its honesty, even if they had started with genuine intent.

Finally, Eito halted his next strike and stepped back, lowering his weapon slightly. His voice carried the same quiet disappointment as before, but now with the added fatigue. 

“Takumi. Why don’t we just stop here?”

Takumi followed his lead, though his guard remained raised. He exhaled deeply and nodded. “...You’re right.”

They both knew the fight had reached a stalemate. 

“I should’ve pushed back when you suggested we go all out. It’s harder than it sounds to fight like that.” Eito gave a faint, almost apologetic smile. “Still, it was good training.”

Takumi rolled his eyes subtly. Of course Eito would shift the blame onto him. But aloud, he agreed. "It is definitely more involved than practicing in the VR Machine.”

They briefly exchanged a few polite words as both of them were too tired to maintain a proper conversation. They agreed that any further discussion would be better saved for after some rest. 

They turned and began walking side by side towards the entrance hall.

But then, suddenly, a raging impulse surged through Takumi. One he couldn’t hold back, but also wouldn’t have even if he could. 

Without giving Eito any chance to react, his body moved. 

With a flash of steel, Takumi’s hand shot forward and drove his blade right beneath Eito’s chest.

“H-uh…?” Eito’s breath hitched and his eyes widened in confusion. His body recoiled backwards, but Takumi’s blade was already buried deep. 

A dark red stream of blood - no, cryptoglobin - had already begun to leak from the entry wound, staining Eito’s class armor. Then, instinctively, Takumi yanked the sword back out. Somehow, he had a feeling that was the safer thing to do.

Takumi’s gaze locked on Eito’s wide eyes. What struck him most was the shock reflected in them. “What was it you said earlier? ‘That moment of hesitation would be your end’...?” The thought surfaced involuntarily as Takumi’s lips curved into a smile without him even realizing. 

A wet sound followed as the blade slid free. A far greater surge of cryptoglobin gushed from the open wound.

Eito’s hands reflexively clutched at his chest, but it did little to stop the bleeding. He staggered forward, collapsing to his knees.

Takumi had long since regained his composure, but there was no need to do anything.

Right on cue, the faint whir of machinery filled the air. One of the recovery drones descended with mechanical precision, swiftly retrieving Eito’s body.

Now left alone in the open schoolyard, Takumi stood there for a few more moments. He forced himself to suppress any spark of satisfaction. He was above that. Celebrating this would be something Eito would do, not him.

But he certainly felt no remorse. He hadn’t done anything wrong. All he’d done was follow Eito’s lead. It was Eito who suggested the match. It was Eito who urged him to take it seriously. And so, he did. Eito had no right to question him afterwards. 

Takumi’s spirits were high as he finally turned to head back. So much so that he nearly forgot he was still tired and mildly injured himself.

Eventually, reflecting on how he had completely turned the day around, he made his way to the Infirmary.

As he stepped inside, a voice called out anxiously. “Takumi! Do you know what happened?!”

“Are you talking about Eito?” Takumi asked, already knowing the answer.

“So you do know!” Tsubasa exclaimed. “A recovery drone suddenly came flying through the school. Wait,” She paused, looking him up and down. “You’re in your class armor too! Did an invader slip through the defenses?!” 

“No, not quite…” Takumi replied flatly, not feeling like explaining himself. “We just went out to train, that’s all.”

“That seems a bit extreme for just training.” She sighed, clearly responding to Takumi’s drained expression. “At least nothing worse happened. Still… Just give us a heads up next time, okay? This seriously scared me. When those Second-to-Last Academy guys train, at least nothing like this happens.”

“Sure…” Takumi murmured. “By the way, have you checked Eito’s status?”

“You could at least try to sound a little remorseful…” She sighed again, but answered anyway. “Yeah, I did. It looks like he won’t be up until at least tomorrow afternoon due to excessive hemoanima loss.”

Takumi knew that pulling out a weapon lodged deep inside a body would cause exactly that. But at the time, it felt like the right thing to do. Maybe because it reminded him of what he’d already done. Either way, Eito would probably be mad at him for this. “But right now, he can’t be.” That thought made him smile. 

“I’m sorry for making you worry, Tsubasa. I might’ve gone a bit too far with the training. I’m exhausted, so I think I'll go rest now.”

“Okay, Takumi.. Take care.” Her voice was soft, but she looked a bit dazed. He didn’t blame her. No one could easily accept being casually told someone had died from training. But Tsubasa didn’t push him. She seemed to understand. Maybe she chalked it up to both of them being desperate to improve after seeing how hard the others were working. Since she was one of the few who hadn’t been as involved, maybe she didn’t want to be so judgemental of someone who had. 

Takumi was glad that Tsubasa didn’t pry further. Even if it wouldn’t derail his plan if he were seen as weird or strange, he still didn’t want that. He didn't want sacrifice everyone’s good - or at least decent - opinion of him. 

Takumi took a long shower and carefully bandaged his injuries, though none were serious. Eito had gotten what he deserved for holding back. He held back more than he should’ve. And so, Takumi reasoned, it was his fault for dying. 

Takumi was pleased about how the day had gone. Sure, he’d had the upper hand the entire time thanks to his knowledge of the future. Sure, he had a bit of a power advantage. But even so, he’d never won a real duel against Eito before. Today, he had. Fair and square. No one had forced Eito to hold back. And besides, Takumi knew Eito would’ve been content to let him die in an ambush, so this was just a tiny bit of karma. 

Of course, they had fought before, but the situation was completely different. It wasn’t a one-on-one match. And back then, Eito had died with a smile. This time, it was Takumi who struck first. Takumi suspected the expression of pure shock Eito wore as he fell down was similar to the one he himself had when their roles were reversed. 

As a cherry on top, he wouldn’t even need to explain much tomorrow. He’d only done what they’d agreed on and followed Eito’s own advice. 

As Takumi lay down on his bed, he quickly fell asleep. It wasn’t late, but the tiredness had assisted him. 

Chapter Text

Takumi woke up to silence. 

He slowly rose from his bed, extending his arms forward and pushing his fingers against one another with a satisfying stretch. Then, placing his left hand on the mattress, he twisted his torso and reached his right arm overhead. After a moment, he switched sides and repeated the motion. A long, quiet breath followed. 

He felt especially energized today. 

He glanced at his clock and realized it was already an hour past the morning announcement. But that extra sleep was only part of why he felt so good. 

He stepped over to the mirror, splashed some water on his face and ran a hand through his hair to neaten it. He wouldn’t have minded if this moment lasted a while longer.

But time didn't wait and neither could he. His stomach reminded him he hadn’t eaten since yesterday morning. 

And so Takumi walked to the cafeteria, far slower than usual. There was no need to rush today.

For once, he found himself hoping someone would be there. Someone to talk to. He wanted to speak, not about all of his thoughts, not exactly, but at least some parts of them. He regretted brushing past the chance to talk with Tsubasa yesterday, but he’d been exhausted then. Now, energized and rested, he wanted to share a piece of what he was feeling. He didn’t want to keep everything in. 

He opened the door and there was no one inside. 

He already knew that. It was "empty" yesterday too. And most mornings, really. So now, arriving even later, the chance of someone else being there was near zero. 

The silence pressed him as he entered. Smiling into an empty room felt hollow, but he shook the feeling off. He didn’t need anyone’s approval. 

His sigh echoed through the still room. 

Just a few days ago, he’d also been the first one here. However, back then, he knew someone would show up. 

But truly, he’d been alone this whole time, so this didn’t bother him. 

He walked over to the refrigerator and grabbed some ingredients. 

He prepared the egg mixture, found a fitting pan and carefully folded an omelette. He cooked some rice on the side and threw a basic salad whilst he waited. 

The result wasn’t impressive. He wasn’t a great cook, not by any means. But it felt right to prepare something himself instead of grabbing a meal from the Ration-O-Matic.

Takumi ate in silence as his legs moved slightly under the table. 

He would’ve stayed there longer, but he got up, remembering that the 2nd Academy students might start showing up soon. 

He went to the Infirmary. Just in case. 

After that, he headed to the library and grabbed some action manga. He didn’t feel like reading anything too profound. 

Then, once again, he returned to the Infirmary. It wasn’t that far from the afternoon, he could wait. The lighting inside wasn’t great for reading, dim and tinted orange, but it would do. He regretted not aiming a little lower yesterday. 

Time passed, but nothing changed.

He had to go back to the library and pick out something else. He wasn’t in the mood for a cheesy story about friendship right now. 

He settled on a general nonfiction book about geography. The first chapter covered the hydrosphere and various forms it took: lakes, oceans, lagoons, glaciers and so on. Then it shifted to atmosphere and space. He wouldn’t say he really learnt much. It was too dense and abstract to fully stick. At best, it amounted to some trivia he could mention off-hand. 

By the time he looked up again, it was long past afternoon and he was bored. He’d tried to be nice and wait, but clearly that wasn’t worth it. 

Leaving the Infirmary, he thought to himself that he needed to do something more interesting. but the moment that thought formed, another followed. “What exactly could that be?”

The simplest solution would be to hang out with someone. But that was where the real problem lay.

The 2nd Academy students were out of the question. So were Shouma and Takemaru. As for Ima and Kako - they were still maintaining their distance, mostly due to Ima. Tsubasa would’ve been an option, but after yesterday, talking to her would feel awkward. And though he’d hung out with Darumi a few times before, Takumi didn’t think they had much in common. Especially since his earlier energy had greatly worn off, he doubted that'd go well. He completely forgot to even consider Gaku. 

“Takumi! What were you doing sitting alone in a dark room? That’s my thing!”

His dilemma was solved for him as Darumi happened to spot him just as he was leaving the Infirmary. 

“I was… waiting for something.” He yawned. Reading in a dim room for so long had its effect.

“You seem kinda down,” She said. “How ‘bout we go start a killing game to lift our spirits?”

“...I think I’ve had enough killing for now.”

She tilted her head. “Whaddya mean? Did you kill someone already? Is that why you’re hangin’ out in the Infirmary?”

Darumi had made self-deprecating jokes about her intelligence before, but Takumi couldn’t help but notice she was much sharper than she gave herself credit for. 

Takumi nodded to her query. “I fought in a... friendly battle yesterday. I ended up winning.” There was no referee to say it wasn’t a fair victory.

He might’ve jumped at the chance to talk about it this morning. But each fruitless second that passed since afternoon soured his mood.

“Wish I had someone willing to kill me like that…“ She sighed. “Also, wanted to say - sorry for doubting you earlier. About that whole Shouma thing. Seems you actually got through to him.”

“It’s really nothing.” It took Takumi a second to even remember she’d done that. Besides, he wasn't really the one who dealt with it this time. “But enough about me. How’ve you been?” 

“Just holed up in my room, doing nothin’ aaall day. Now that Shouma’s got a shot, guess it’ll be back to the same old boring stuff…” She paused. “Not that I blame you.”

Takumi didn't say anything in response. 

Darumi leaned back against the wall. “Wanna go eat snacks with me?” She asked. 

He wasn’t too hungry, but he had time to kill, so he agreed. 

They made their way to the cafeteria, and during their snack session, Takumi offhandedly mentioned the manga he’d picked up earlier. To his surprise, she recognized it.

“You read that?” 

“It’s dumb, but kinda cute, y’know?” She replied, seeming embarrassed to admit it. 

They talked for a while about it and some other similar ones Takumi knew more about. The conversation later drifted to recent events. Takumi kept his answers vague and Darumi made the occasional messy remark like usual. But even so, Takumi felt glad to be talking with someone so honest.

He realized, then, that he’d been too harsh in how he’d judged her earlier. It was easy to picture the chaotic, loud, attention-seeking version of Darumi and forget that she was… well, pretty pleasant to be around. 

But that just made Takumi feel guilty. She was being genuine. She’d probably invited him because she saw how drained he looked. But in exchange, he was constantly lying, or at least withholding the truth. If not for his own selfish plan, this moment might’ve never existed. It felt wrong. He felt like he was using her. He should’ve just stayed alone all day.

Eventually they parted ways. 

Takumi wandered aimlessly through the halls until his feet carried him to the rooftop. It was already late.

He stepped beyond the safety of the roof’s fence to get a clearer view.

The sky was beautiful.

He’d never really taken the time to appreciate it before. Usually, when he looked up, his eyes gravitated toward the Artificial Satellite - or got caught up in the strangeness of seeing the sky at all. But looking at it now, focusing on it closely, it was simply beautiful. 

A deep gradient of violet and blue stretched out above him. Thin strands of cirrus clouds floated across - or at least that’s what he thought they were. He was fairly sure, recalling the term from the geography book he skimmed earlier. He wasn’t confident in the text, but he remembered the image. He always did better with visuals.

Even higher, beyond the clouds, glimmers of light pierced the dark. 

But he didn’t get the chance to admire the stars for long. A sudden sound broke the silence and he sharply turned around. 

“E-Eito!” Takumi blurted out, startled. 

Eito stood a short distance away, calm as ever. 

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Eito chuckled as he walked over and took a seat beside him. 

Takumi didn’t exactly feel at ease sitting so close to the edge with Eito.

Eito looked up. “I’ve read plenty about stars, but no matter how long I look I can’t quite match their patterns to any of the constellations I studied. A lot must’ve changed ever since humanity relocated to the Tokyo Residential Complex.”

“There are still some similarities,” Takumi said, twisting his body to point in the opposite direction. “That one looks like what I’ve heard called the North Star.”

“That would seem to be the case.”

……Takumi glanced at Eito and sighed.

“Hey, about yesterday…”

Eito kept his eyes on the sky. “I’ll admit - I never expected you to attack right after we agreed to stop. But it was my fault for getting careless.”

“I might’ve taken your advice a little too seriously.” Takumi scratched the back of his head and slightly smiled. 

Eito finally turned toward him. “It surprised me when you suggested we go all out. I didn’t think you’d actually follow it through.” 

Now that Takumi thought about it, technically, he had just killed someone yesterday. Even though it was agreed upon and death carried no consequences, the ‘original’ him would’ve likely been at least a little shaken by the feeling of taking someone’s life. But things were different now. Doing something for the second time makes it much easier. 

Eito resumed after a short pause. “But…you have changed lately.” 

it wasn’t the first time Eito had pointed that out, so it wasn’t shocking. Takumi had known from the beginning that he couldn’t act the same way he had the first time around. There was no point in trying. If anything, the fact Eito kept remarking on it might’ve meant he was doing something right.

“In what way exactly?” Takumi wanted him to elaborate. 

Eito hummed thoughtfully. ”Well…just a little while ago, I wouldn’t have expected you to be sitting here, calmly watching the night sky.” 

Takumi gave a small nod. “I suppose I started taking things more seriously lately. Do you think that’s a bad thing?”

“I… think that’s for you to decide. As long as you’re walking the path you believe in, I’m sure there’ll be hope at the end.”

“The path I believe in…” Takumi echoed. 

They sat in silence for a moment, until Eito broke it again. “Did anything important happen today?” 

“No, nothing at all. If anything, it was especially boring since things went differently than expect-”

He cut himself off and instantly regretted being too honest.

“Did something go wrong?” Eito tilted his head.

“I-I mean, you were supposed to wake up in the afternoon, but…” Takumi cleared his throat, “I guess that was kinda my fault.”

He didn't want to say that as it made it sound like he’d been heavily anticipating for Eito to wake up.

“I was wondering about that, actually. Compared to when someone dies during invader attacks, it did take me a while to wake up.”

“...That was because of excessive hemoanima loss,” Takumi explained. “I didn’t think much and pulled out my sword.”

Unlike the invaders’ claws or fangs, Eito’s death was instant. So really, he should’ve been grateful.

Eito stared at him for a moment before shaking his head slightly. “Ah, sorry for asking. I should’ve guessed. It must be hard… to just talk about killing a person.”

Hearing that from Eito, of all people, made Takumi feel a little sick. 

His expression must’ve shown some of that aversion, because silence followed once more. 

“But I am glad to hear you were worried about me. Thank you.” Eito said with a smile.

“...It’s nothing. I’m glad you’re alright now.” Takumi replied, his eyes lowering for a moment.

Eito adjusted his glasses and tilted his head back toward the sky. Another brief silence passed between them.

“Takumi, do you believe in aliens?”

“Aliens?” Takumi repeated, unprepared for the sudden shift in topics. “To be honest… I’ve never really thought about that. It felt too far removed from reality.”

“That’s true. Back in the TRC, imaging anything existing beyond the walls felt surreal. But now, looking up at the sky… I can’t help but think about how vast the universe must be.”

“With things like hemoanima and the invaders, it’s hard to say anything is too far-fetched. But since you brought it up, what about you? Do you believe in them?”

“There may be no scientific evidence, but I’d like to hope they exist. Wouldn’t it be comforting to think we’re not completely alone out there? That there’s more to the galaxy than meets the eye?”

Takumi smiled faintly. “Would be nice if those aliens showed up and helped us fight…”

“Even if they did, I doubt they’d conveniently speak our language.”

“Right. They probably wouldn’t even be able to tell which side was which.”

Eito let out a quiet laugh. “Sorry for bringing up something so abstract. I just thought it might lighten the mood.”

“No, I appreciate it.” Takumi said and drew in a breath. “Actually, I haven’t asked yet. How are you feeling?”

“Quite tired." Eito yawned, covering his mouth.  "No different than if I’d just happened to sleep for an entire day.”

Shortly after that, they decided to part ways. The wind had gotten colder, and they both were exhausted in their own way. It only felt natural to head back to their rooms.

Takumi sat down on his bed. 

Like he mentioned earlier, the day had gotten sidetracked. He was already feeling a bit dazed, so Eito’s sudden appearance really caught him off guard. And because of that, Eito had more or less steered the conversion. If things had gone as planned - if Eito had woken up in the afternoon and they’d talked right away - Takumi was sure it would’ve gone smoother. 

Still, he wasn’t upset with how things had turned out. Yesterday had gone particularly well and maybe he’d been a bit greedy to hope today would be the same. Not that today went badly, that is. 

That being said, he didn’t want to dwell further on anything that happened today. 

So, pushing everything else aside, he lay down and let himself drift off to sleep.

Chapter Text

“Up and at ‘em, troops! Time to rise and shine! Get ready for your 42nd day of active service here at Last Defense Academy! Prepare to spend another day enduring the unendurable and suffering the insufferable to pave the way for humanity's future greatness! Be ready to give your lives to protect our beloved school from the vile and barbaric enemy!”

Takumi woke up to the all-too-familiar announcement. Honestly, it really was fortunate that Sirei’s destruction hadn’t stopped the automated wake-up call, because without it, Takumi doubted he’d ever have gotten up this consistently every day.

However, that didn’t make waking up to something this loud and this long any more pleasant. Most days he woke up even before Sirei’s booming voice started. Was the obnoxious “ding-dong, bing-bong” chime followed by four sentences totalling sixty one whole words really necessary? The same message could’ve been conveyed in much less. Thanks for that, Sirei. Did he not foresee just how quickly it’d get old? Takumi would’ve filed a complaint, but thanks to a certain someone, that wasn’t exactly an option anymore. 

Takumi was in a bit of a grumpy mood today. 

He stared at the ceiling, groaned and then turned onto his side, burying his face in his hands. 

Yesterday was embarrassing. From the very start, he hadn’t been thinking clearly and things only got worse as the day went on. At some point, he’d even started to feel guilty about something meaningless, like what he was doing was - at least in some part - wrong. But it wasn’t. He wasn’t just following the path he believed in, but one he knew was right. 

Even so, he’d still messed up. He’d lost the one advantage he could’ve actually mentioned. Though - he sat up and sighed - he couldn’t have said much about it anyway. As Eito himself had pointed out, just the fact the fight ended like that was strange enough. There was no way he could’ve asked something like “So, how’d it feel to die?” or anything remotely similar. 

So yes, logically, he understood he had no reason to feel upset. Still, he wanted to feel upset. Just out of principle, maybe. And indulging in that feeling didn’t feel wrong. In fact, it was easier. 

Well, that’s why he’d come up with a risk-free plan for today. One that, at worst, would end in disappointment. 

He put a decent amount of thought into it, so he was hopeful it'd succeed. No, it wasn't just hope, for once, he felt confident. 

Once ready, he grabbed the materials he needed and made his way to the Rec Room. To make things easier, he also made a simple fabric bag to carry everything around. 

With everything prepared, Takumi walked downstairs to the cafeteria. 

It was a little livelier today. 

“Ah, Takumi, I wasn’t sure if you’d come here today. Good morning.”

“Good morning, Eito. And Ima, Kako, you too.” Takumi glanced around the room to check if anyone else was there. 

“If there’s something you’d like to eat, please let me know.” Eito offered politely.

“Alternatively,” Ima added with a smile. “My dear sister and I can prepare something truly special for you.”

“Yes, leave it to us!” Kako nodded enthusiastically. 

“I can cook for myself, guys…” Takumi sighed. “Besides, I’m not that hungry right now.”

“That won’t do, Mr. Sumino.” Ima replied, folding his arms. “What if there’s an invader attack today? Everyone needs to be at full strength to protect Sister Dearest.”

“That’s really not-” Kako glanced to the side and paused. “...You do need to eat healthy, Takumi.”

He supposed they had a point considering the next attack would happen in just two days.

“If you really insist, then…” Takumi looked up. “Eito, can I count on you?”

The twins looked slightly disappointed, but Takumi had no intention of tasting whatever it was they’d consider “truly special”.

“Of course.” Eito replied, then asked what Takumi would like. He said that he was fine with whatever.

“Now then,” Ima stood from his seat. “We have something important to discuss, so we shall take our leave. Let’s go, Kako.”

Kako stood as well, offering a quiet goodbye before following her brother.

Takumi didn’t ask what was so “important”. He could already guess it wasn’t anything meaningful to anyone but Ima himself. 

Some minutes later, Eito returned holding a tray.

On it were two neatly pressed onigiri, one with salmon flakes, and the other a simple salted rice ball wrapped in dark nori. Alongside was a piece of lightly toasted bread.

It probably would’ve taken him longer to make, had there not been some leftover rice in the refrigerator from what Takumi had cooked yesterday.

“Here you go, I hope it's alright.” Eito said, placing the tray down.

“I’m sure it will be.” Takumi answered and unfortunately he meant it.

Takumi appreciated Eito cooking there, not just because he got to eat something nice, but it also gave him more time to figure out how to best handle the inevitable question.

“Takumi,” Eito’s eyes drifted to the seat next to Takumi. “What’s with that bag you’ve been carrying?” 

As expected.

“You talked about the vastness of the universe yesterday,” Takumi spoke casually. “But even here and now, there’s still so much to do. So… I thought I’d try something new.”

“I see... If you don’t mind me asking - what is it?”

“Of course I don’t mind. I thought it’d be a great opportunity to relax for us both. So, how about it?”

“I don’t doubt it’s a great idea, but…you still haven’t told me what it is.”

“Great.” Takumi said firmly. “Since you’re in, let's head to the roof once I finish eating, I’ll show you then.”

“Um," Eito spoke, clearly confused. "Right…”

Takumi thought it only fair to leave Eito in suspense, just as Eito had done to him a few days ago. And, more importantly, pushing this hard upfront would make it harder to back out later. Not that this was the only safeguard. 

—

“The sky is beautiful, isn’t it?” Takumi looked up, then out toward the horizon. “And, in a strange way, so are the Undying Flames. Even the ruins beyond them, don’t you think?” 

Eito looked up as well. “I agree. It's a view I never thought I'd get to see." He lowered his gaze. "But-”

“Oh yeah, sorry. I’d hate to keep you waiting. So, what I wanted us to do today is…”

Takumi pulled open the fabric bag and began taking out its contents.

“...To try out painting.” 

Eito stood silent, staring at the contents: two sets of oil pastels, along with a stack of normal and colored paper.

“I thought it’d be nice to try and paint the intriguing landscape we can see from up here. I can grab a desk from a classroom if we need it-"

“A landscape…?” Eito murmured. “That does sound kind of fun. I’ve never done anything like that before. But, based on what you said… I suppose that’s the point, isn’t it?”

“Exactly. Still, I thought it might be a little more interesting if we added a little challenge.”

“Hm?” 

“Let’s make it a small competition - set a time limit and have someone judge the results. No stakes, of course, just for fun.”

The competition itself didn’t matter.

“That sort of goes against it being for relaxation,” Eito said, tilting his head. ”But I suppose a little challenge does make things more engaging.”

Takumi was relieved by Eito’s easy agreement. After all, there was no real reason for him to refuse here. Takumi handed Eito his half of the supplies. 

“Then, who should be the judge?” Eito asked.

Takumi had already narrowed it to two options: Tsubasa or Gaku. Everyone else was easy to rule out. Darumi might’ve been biased, Ima and Kako were supposedly busy. And the rest were out of the question from the get-go. 

“I think… Gaku would be the best?” Takumi answered.

“I was thinking the same.” 

“Or- maybe Tsubasa would be better?”

“I guess that’s fine too-”

“No, I think it should be Gaku.”

“...I didn’t think this would be such a hard choice.”

It wasn’t. But since Eito had agreed so quickly, Takumi thought he’d test whether suggesting another name would draw a different reaction.

“Well,” Eito added. “After I woke up yesterday, I ran into Tsubasa. She mentioned needing someone to help her test out new traps tomorrow. She didn’t ask me, though, as I’d just been unconscious all day. So I don’t think we should waste her time. Which is why I agree Gaku’s the better choice.”

“Ah.” Takumi thought. So there was no choice at all. 

Eito agreeing to Tsubasa at first, only to later backtrack and explain why she wasn’t a good choice, was mildly irritating. 

“For the next thing - what do you think the time limit should be?” Takumi asked, shifting the topic. 

“Since this was your idea, I thought you’d have everything planned out.”

“Just like you had everything prepared two days ago?” 

“You got me there.” Eito chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s hard to get into something new since you have to figure out how it works first. Though, I suppose, people don’t usually start off with a challenge..” 

“I guess not.” Takumi gave a lopsided smile. “So, for the time limit-”

Truthfully, Takumi didn’t think this part through. He wasn’t exactly well-versed in arts. Eito most certainly knew more than him. Still, the decision fell to him once more. Not that he minded having more control over the situation. 

“How about… three hours?” He suggested. “It’s a lot, but since neither of us has done this before, I figured we’d need some time to experiment and figure out what we even want to draw.”

“That sounds nice.” Eito looked around. “So, Takumi, how about I-”

“Go look for Gaku?” Takumi finished his sentence. “Yeah, please go ahead.”

Eito turned and headed downstairs. Before that, he made sure to knock on Gaku’s door, to check if he wasn’t already inside. He was not. 

It took Eito a fair bit of time to return. There was nothing strange about that. He was just one person trying to find someone else in a whole school. Anyone other than Eito would’ve definitely asked for help in doing something so tedious. 

“So, how did it go?” Takumi asked as Eito approached. 

Eito shortly steadied his breath. "Gaku was reluctant at first, saying he doesn't want to waste time on a pointless scuffle.”

“But you convinced him, right?”

“Yes." He paused. "To be precise, he said he’d do it as a favor, because we helped Shouma. He agreed to come to the Rec Room once the time is up.”

“Considering he’s the reason Shouma ended up in this mess to begin with, I’d be all the more disappointed if he wouldn’t do even this much.”

In truth, Gaku’s experience with younger kids, and his skills in sewing, actually made him a decent candidate to judge something like this. But Takumi couldn’t help thinking that sentence made Gaku sound a lot more commendable than he actually was.

The two of them sat down on the stairs outside their respective rooms, each with a large book in hand to use as a makeshift desk.

As soon as Takumi picked up a page and opened the pastel set, his mind went completely blank. An ever-shifting skyline thanks to the Undying Flames, crumbling ruins, the courtyard, the trees… How was he supposed to capture any of that?

He needed that generous time limit just to begin figuring out how pastels even worked. The last time he’d used them was back in elementary school and even then, he hadn’t tried or even listened during art classes. Karua used to scold him for that, but he always brushed it off, saying art wasn’t something he’d ever need.

He still maintained that he wasn’t wrong. He was only in this situation now by his own choice and that didn’t retroactively make art important in his life. 

To warm up, Takumi figured he’d just sketch something simple - a tree. That couldn’t be too hard, right?

He picked up a brown pastel and drew what was, charitably, a crooked triangle for the trunk. Then, using a green pastel, he scrawled a puffy blob on top. It was unmistakably a tree… but a toddler could’ve done better. Takumi didn’t care about winning the competition, but even so, showing this to Eito would be deeply embarrassing. 

Determined to do better, he tried again. This time, he began with the leaves, using short lines instead of lazy curves. He cycled through different shades of green, doing his best to minimize the white space. It was better than his first attempt, at least. Though he accidentally grabbed a dark blue pastel halfway through and threw off the color balance. 

Takumi glanced over at Eito, who seemed to be completely absorbed in what he was doing. He looked at Eito’s distant hands and then at his own, which were already smudged with color. He should’ve thought to bring gloves. 

He kept practicing for a while longer, but eventually realized it wasn’t helping as much as he’d hoped. He wasn’t drawing a single object, but a landscape. Details didn’t matter all that much. He should worry about the overall outcome and not some little mess-ups along the way. 

Still, the practice had helped him calm down. He felt like he understood better which colors worked well together, and what combinations to avoid at all cost. 

It took him almost an hour before he felt ready. The time limit had felt generous at first, but the minutes were passing dangerously fast. 

He began with the ground, but quickly realized he’d picked the wrong shade of orange. He crumpled the sheet and grabbed a new one. On the next attempt, the pastel had some leftover blue on the tip from his earlier practice. Another failure.

Only one of the next tries even made it past the schoolyard’s ground and greenery. Something always went wrong. He even tried switching tactics and starting from the sky, but that didn’t work either. Time, however, had no mercy.

Takumi reluctantly understood that he couldn’t keep retrying. If he wanted to finish the whole picture, his next attempt would have to be the last. He hadn’t realized how fast he’d gotten invested in something that shouldn’t matter at all. 

At one point, he accidentally smeared his finger across the page. The mark wouldn’t go away, and painting over it only made things worse. Sometimes mistakes can’t be undone and you just have to face the consequences. 

—

The alarm clock Takumi brought from his room rang out, signalling the end of their time.

He looked up at the sun, then at his finished - well, final drawing. It wasn’t anything remarkable. But it was his first real attempt at something like this, and for that alone, he felt proud. He hadn’t intended to take it so seriously, but he was glad he did. No matter how the rest of the day went, that fact would still remain true. 

“I guess that’s time.” Takumi said aloud.

Eito stared for a little while longer at his piece until he responded. “It went faster than I expected.” 

They both stood, brushing pastel dust off their hands and clothes. Takumi stretched his back with a soft groan. 

“So, ready to show?” He asked.

“You first.”

Takumi hesitated for a moment. His drawing wasn't refined. Many lines were too smooth, shadows uneven, colors smudged and layered in the wrong older. There were many little imperfections he could point out - some of them no one else but him would ever notice at first glance. But he took a slow breath, nodded, and Eito walked over. 

Eito studied the drawing in silence. “It’s very warm and colorful.” He said at last.” It definitely looks like something you would draw.”

“...Is that a good thing?” Takumi asked with badly hidden doubt in his voice. 

“If I thought it was bad, I would’ve just said so." Eito replied softly. "You did good, Takumi.”

Takumi decided to ignore the obvious lie in that first sentence and take the second one at face value. He turned his gaze away, quietly relieved he hadn’t heard anything harsh.

“Well,” Takumi said briskly, before Eito could add anything. “Let’s see yours now.”

Eito walked over to retrieve his drawing.

Just at first glance, Takumi understood that Eito’s comment about his drawing being colorful wasn’t sarcasm.

Unlike Takumi - who tried to include everything: the schoolyard’s yellowish ground, green trees and bushes, gray ruins, the light blue sky, and the dark blue buildings in the distance, Eito’s drawing was more subdued. 

For one, he’d used black paper as his base. Takumi had noticed that earlier but assumed Eito was only using it for practice, not that it would be the final version.

He chose to focus on just a small portion of the ruins - few destroyed buildings surrounded by flames. The piece had a darker, colder tone, emphasized by the black page efficiently filling the empty gaps, muted grays of the buildings, and the deep blue sky. The only real color came from the flowing Undying Flames. 

Unlike Takumi, who had polished his drawing until most of the pastel texture was gone, Eito had left visible, messy strokes, as well as random strands of color or unblended edges. It looked chaotic yet intentional. Takumi swore he’d seen this kind of style before, but couldn’t place a name on it.

“Since we hadn't agreed on anything specific, I attempted impressionism.” Eito said, as if reading Takumi’s thoughts. “Do you know what that is?”

“I’ve… heard of it, but no, not really.” Takumi admitted.

“It’s a style that tries to capture the essence of a moment.” Eito explained. “Instead of focusing on tiny details, it’s more about the overall impression it gives you, hence the name. I thought it was fitting, given the flames’ movements.”

Takumi quietly sighed. “It’s really good. Hard to believe it’s your first time drawing.”

Not that it was perfect. Takumi could still spot areas where Eito had messed up and tried to fix it, or left parts too empty, but Takumi understood he was being nitpicky. Any issue he could see applied just as easily to his work, if not worse. 

“It is,” Eito replied. “But I’ve read a lot about art.” 

Before Takumi could form the thought that maybe that was kind of cheating, Eito continued. “I didn’t think it mattered. You’ve been reading a lot lately as well, including history. I’d assumed art history was likely a part of that.”

Takumi felt a little hurt that it became so evident he knew almost nothing about art. 

“That explains why mine looks so childish in comparison. You’ve done great.”

He kept staring into Eito’s drawing. What really caught his attention was the way Eito had used color, especially in the flames. Takumi had stuck with the set’s three purples, adding magenta and the occasional light pink. Eito, on the other hand, had added beige, even light blue. It strayed a bit from realism, but visually, it worked well. 

The emphasis on the ruined buildings definitely made it feel like something Eito would draw, but Takumi kept that to himself.

Eito laughed lightly. “I’m really happy to hear that, but don’t discredit yourself. You gave it your best.” He glanced back. “We probably should head to the Rec Room now. Otherwise Gaku will get impatient. That was the point of this, wasn’t it?”

For a moment, Takumi had genuinely forgotten. But Eito’s words helped him regain his focus and reminded him that this competition was certainly not the point of all of this. 

—

“Alright then, I made my choice. The one I like more is…” Gaku paused dramatically.

After Takumi and Eito showed up in the Rec Room, Gaku had spent a good while complaining about how late they were - longer than Takumi thought was remotely appropriate. Then he took his sweet time judging. And now, he'd finally decided. 

“Takumi’s.”

“Huh?” Takumi’s eyes widened and he blinked in disbelief. “Really? Why?” 

“Congratulations, Takumi.” Eito said calmly, clapping his hands with a small smile. 

“You wanna know?” Gaku scratched the back of his head. “It reminds me of something one of my siblings would make.”

Takumi’s hand clenched at his side. He looked down. He would’ve preferred not to hear that. 

“Hey!” Gaku raised his voice. “Don’t get mad at me! You asked! And don’t go calling me biased or unfair - so what if I am?! It’s your fault for only getting one judge!”

Takumi shook his head. He had to stay focused.

“Still, Takumi,” Eito looked at him. “Your idea was really great, I had fun today.”

Considering how most of it was spend in silence, Takumi assumed this wasn't entirely a lie. 

“I agree!" Takumi's mood lifted and he smiled widely. "And since it was so fun, I had a thought…it’d be a waste to end it here, wouldn’t it?”

“Hm?” 

“We should try something else. I mean - draw something else.”

Eito tilted his head slightly and spoke with a calm tone. “What is it that you have in mind?”

Takumi met his eyes. 

“Gaku.”

Eito lowered his gaze briefly, then looked toward Gaku with a knowing expression.

“Gaku.” He said gently after a short pause. “What do you think about that?”

“Huh? No way.” Gaku shot it down immediately.

"..." Takumi’s mind went blank. “Huh…?” He mumbled subconsciously. 

“You think I wanna know how you two see me? I’d rather die.” Gaku added, shaking his head. “Besides, you should already know that I’ve got something better to do.”

He turned and walked out.

Just like that, everything Takumi had planned collapsed.

“...Eito, what did he mean by 'you should already know’?”

“Oh, right…" Eito nodded slightly. "When I asked Gaku to be our judge, I happened to mention that Tsubasa needed help around the time we’d be done. It seems he considers that preferrable to staying here with us.”

“You did…?”

“Of course, I didn’t think we’d need Gaku afterwards. If I had, I wouldn’t have said anything." He exhaled deeply. "...I'm not good at thinking ahead either."

Takumi couldn’t help but laugh, quietly and dryly. How was it that the day Eito organized had turned out better?

He feigned a yawn. “Actually, I think I’ve gotten a bit tired. So I’ll be heading back.”

“Are you sure?”

Takumi nodded. If his efforts were meaningless, then Eito’s should be too. 

And so, Takumi returned to his room, ready to finally start processing everything that had gone wrong.

His plan was simple. Get Eito to draw a person’s face. It would’ve been amusing to watch him try. 

But he couldn’t just outright ask Eito to draw his face. If Eito pretended that he was still feeling the aftereffects of dying, or claimed his illness was acting up, Takumi realistically couldn’t have stopped him from leaving. And - more importantly - whilst it wasn’t likely, Eito was thoughtful. It wasn’t impossible that he’d already asked someone to describe Takumi’s face in detail, or something like that, just in case. 

Even if he hadn't already been prepared for it, he would’ve known he needed to be the moment Takumi brought up drawing. What started as an innocent landscape could easily turn into a request to sketch each other - it was hardly an uncommon idea. And if he hadn’t set up any insurances before, he could’ve gotten one easily gotten one whilst he was off looking for Gaku. It'd be easy to approach Tsubasa, whom he knew the exact location of, and ask her to sketch Takumi from memory, or anything similar. Which is why Takumi was expecting Eito to request being the one who searched for Gaku.

Takumi expected Eito to be prepared, so he tried to think ahead. He wanted to get Eito to draw someone else. He’d been so sure he was two steps ahead. And yet, he’d still failed. All because Eito had made Gaku leave.

“Happened to mention…? Yeah, right.” He muttered bitterly.

Eito wasn’t the type of person to casually bring up someone needing help. And he definitely wouldn’t just happen to say Tsubasa needed help specifically “around the time we’d be done”. That wasn’t even true. Takumi knew, better than ever today, what it meant to act deliberately.

But, as he acknowledged this morning, this plan was indeed risk-free. He’d failed completely, but only he knew of that. It just meant he’d have to try harder next time. Or maybe…less hard. Apparently, things went better when he didn’t try so much at all. 

The one shred of comfort was that he had genuinely enjoyed drawing today.

Takumi’s gaze drifted to the desk, where two pieces of paper lay. On their way back, Eito had handed him his own drawing, calling it a reward for “winning” the competition. Takumi disliked that fake act of pity, but he’d accepted it anyway. Right now, that drawing’s presence felt like it was mocking him. 

Takumi hit the desk. The papers shivered slightly. Then he dropped into his chair and rested his face against the table.

He stayed like that for a while, breathing slowly through his frustration. Once his feelings had dulled, he dragged himself into bed. 

He wasn’t angry at Eito, not quite. Eito simply had done what was best for him, using the opportunity Takumi himself had provided. If it took just one sentence to Gaku to unravel everything, then it was Takumi's fault it failed. And really, what was he even thinking? Relying on Gaku? Even if Eito had done nothing, Gaku might’ve refused anyway. Or - what if Eito had just happened to mention it? His plan relied on too many uncertainties. 

Takumi closed his eyes as perhaps he wasn't in the best mood for reflections. And as sleep began to pull him under, he felt no less grumpy than he had that morning.

Chapter Text

Takumi woke up before the morning announcement. Perhaps it was because he’d gone to bed unusually early the night before. Whatever the reason, it was quite fortunate. 

His mood had calmed down since yesterday. Overnight, he’d reached a conclusion: there was only one real mistake he made - he didn’t listen to his past self. Just a few days ago, he’d warned himself against relying on others. He understood how unpredictable and perilous that could be. Yet he’d placed the success of his plan in someone else’s hands and, as if to drive the lesson home, that was exactly where everything had fallen apart.  

The only way to ensure things went right was to have direct supervision over every variable. If he held every card in the deck, there’d be no chance for anyone to raise against him. That way, Eito wouldn’t have the space to sabotage anything either. 

He sat up slowly, pushing his blanket aside with a sigh. “Yesterday’s mistakes are just… opportunities for tomorrow.” He mumbled, mocking the kind of platitude Eito might’ve said. 

He shook that thought off. There was something more immediate to deal with. 

He'd nearly forgotten, but as he stirred awake and instinctively wondered why the announcement hadn't started, his eyes landed on the clock. It was still a little early. As the digits registered, he recalled the date. It was Day 43. The day of Shouma and Kurara’s duel.

Back then, Takemaru had to call him to the gym. But this time, he was awake early enough to handle it all by himself. He wanted to get it done quickly. He already knew what was going to happen, anyway. That made the whole thing feel less like a big event with everyone’s fates at stake, and more like a chore.

He rose from the bed and stretched, his shoulders cracking lightly. Then his eyes drifted toward the desk. He got somewhat overwhelmed yesterday. He really had been learning just how exhausting it is to keep everything bottled up. But, at least, he was improving. The last time he let his emotions boil over, he’d ended up acting weak, blurting out thoughts he should’ve kept to himself. However, now, his outburst had stayed private.

As Takumi walked up to his door, he reached for the knob and gave it a twist. The latch clicked open. Stepping out onto the terrace, he glanced to his left.

A small group of people was already heading towards the exit - Kako, Ima, Tsubasa, and probably someone else too, considering the door was already propped open. Seeing that, Takumi stayed still for a moment, stepping just far enough towards the stairs to let the door behind him swing shut. He proceeded to turn around and locked it. He might’ve been forgetful about some things, but he’d never once forgotten that.

Turning back to the staircase, he noticed the group had already gone down. He exhaled in relief. Small talk about a duel he already knew the outcome of wasn’t something he was eager to go through. 

Takumi began descending down the stairs, only to hear footsteps again, this time from his right. Takumi paused mid-step and turned his head, meeting a pair of blue eyes and a calm, familiar smile. 

“Good morning, Eito.” Takumi returned the smile in a flash, shedding the last remnants of fatigue from his face.

“Good morning to you as well.” Eito replied. “You seemed deep in thought - are you worried about the outcome of today’s duel?” 

Takumi waved a hand lightly. “Not really. I’m sure it’ll go great because, uh… “  He tilted his head just slightly. “There’s always a light at the end of a tunnel!” He had to thank Eito for that one. Turns out, tossing out empty, inspirational phrases was a pretty easy way to cover any situation. 

“Shouma will definitely pull through.” He added, stepping forward to signal they should get moving.

“Right. I thought you’d say that.” Eito replied, following suit. He looked like he was about to say more - his mouth opened, he drew in a breath, but after a second’s pause, he closed it again. Then, a few moments later, he spoke with practiced softness. “We should probably head there by now. We can talk more about it later.”

Their footsteps echoed faintly in the hallway as they left the dorms behind. Though both were headed to the same place, Eito stayed a few steps behind, never matching Takumi’s pace. Takumi slowed down marginally, the shift almost imperceptible, but Eito adjusted just as subtly, remaining behind. That annoyed Takumi. Still, he couldn’t exactly comment on it, not without sounding unreasonably observant or weirdly hung up on something that didn’t matter.

The gym came into view soon enough, its doors already open. As they stepped in, they were greeted by Kurara’s imperious voice.

“At last,” She declared, raising her arms as if presenting herself on stage. “All the peasants have arrived, eagerly awaiting their inevitable, humiliating defeat.” 

From there, things unfolded exactly as Takumi remembered. As tension rose, Shouma arrived, revealing his new form. Takumi didn’t need to try very hard to fake surprise - despite having seen it before, it remained one of the strangest sights he’d ever laid eyes on. Shouma initially seemed to be losing, but thanks to Kurara’s challenged pride and his own relentless tenacity, he ultimately won.

Cheers and disappointment clashed in the crowd, until suddenly, Shouma collapsed before he could voice his hard-earnt demand from the 2nd Academy students. People gathered around him, murmuring in panic. That is, until Tsubasa stepped up, rallying everyone with quick orders and a level-headed tone.

“We need help! Someone, give me a hand here, he’s too heavy for one person!”

Takumi, in turn, expressed support, raising his voice just enough to seem helpful. He gestured a few people over, yet he himself remained still. Unlike the others, he wasn’t worried. He knew Shouma would be fine. But maybe, he thought that by pretending to care, it made it morally better to stay behind. His emotional detachment from everything happening around him felt a little off, so he also thought it a considerable act. Like he was giving space to people with genuine concern. 

Naturally, Takumi wasn’t the only one left in the gym. As he looked into his companion’s eyes, all he could see was kindness and quiet worry. Takumi had no doubts that he lacked the ability to hold such a consistently unwavering and authentic poker face himself.

“Before we got here, you sounded like you had something to say.” Takumi began. He hesitated for half a second, wondering if maybe he should’ve started by asking about Shouma instead. 

“I was wondering how this fight would end,” Eito replied. “But it looks like you hit the nail on the head.”

“In what way exactly?” 

Eito folded his arms loosely, glancing toward the closed gym door. “Everything worked out well. With how things are, peace with the other academy is as good as guaranteed. Knowing Shouma, he’ll definitely ask for both sides to get along.”

“Yeah.” Takumi said, sounding a bit doubtful of his own words. “There was some risk involved, but… the outcome really couldn’t have been better. Back then, I wasn’t sure if it was the right call, but since it worked, I guess there’s no point in dwelling on it anymore.”

Eito nodded in quiet agreement.

Takumi had already suspected it, but now that the duel had played out exactly as he previously suggested it should, he was certain: he was coming across as more thoughtful and logical than before. He might've acted more seriously already, but this was beyond that. It gave credence to his words.

Well, it wasn’t hard for him to seem that way, knowing precisely how things would unfold. Takumi didn’t mind it. It was convenient not having to play the part of the utterly oblivious optimist.

In addition, it was a relief to step even slightly away from who he used to be. That version of him - the one who’d stood there clueless, failing to even consider the existence of a traitor until Ima and Kako had spelled it out for him - made his skin crawl in hindsight. He was glad not to be that person anymore. He was content with how things currently were, now that he had all the knowledge. There was nothing to worry about as long as it continued like this.

Takumi gulped before his next words. “I need to thank you as well. Without you here, I’m sure things would’ve gone… differently.”

Eito smiled warmly. “I haven’t had many chances to be helpful before, so I should be the one thanking you for giving me this opportunity.”

Takumi didn’t know how to respond to that. Eito was definitely winning when it came to corny lines.

“So,” Takumi said, clapping his hands together. “There’s still a lot of time left in the day, right? I had an idea of what we could do.”

“...You really do that a lot.” Eito looked away, sighing quietly.

“What can I say?” Takumi shrugged and grinned. ”I guess I’m just having so much fun.” 

Then, after a short pause, his cheerful tone shifted to something more uncertain.

“Wait - are you against it...?” He paused briefly once more. “If you’re tired, or not really enjoying any of this… Please tell me. I… I get it.”

“No-” Eito clutched his chest. “I didn’t mean it like that…” He started to look up, but his gaze darted downwards again almost instantly.

“It’s alright,” He said at last as his voice steadied. Then, finally, he met Takumi’s eyes. “What is it? The drawing competition from yesterday was fun, so…  Is it something new again?”

This idea was in Takumi’s mind for only a short while. Ever since his strange analogy from the morning. 

“Let’s head to the Rec Room first.” He said, turning towards the exit, content he got Eito to agree so easily. 

In slightly tense silence, the two made their way to one of the strangest rooms in all of the Last Defense Academy. “Why are there slot machines in a school?” was a question so obvious, Takumi never really thought to ask it. Slot machines, dartboards, ping pong tables, a stage, and strangest of all, the Gift-O-Matic. It had all become so familiar to him that its absurdity barely registered anymore.

“It’s in human nature to adapt.” He supposed. No matter the circumstances, the climate, the dangers, or the risks, humanity always found a way to persist. Even when Earth itself had turned against them, declaring them unworthy of life, they survived. Whether that made them cockroaches or phoenixes remained to be seen. 

The room itself wasn’t exactly pleasant. With its clashing colors, bright lights beaming from all directions, and cluttered design, it made for a jarring experience. He was never the type to be interested in sneaking to clubs or casinos, so his feelings towards this very room only confirmed that this wasn’t his sort of thing. 

Takumi headed to the back of the Rec Room and found exactly what he was looking for.

“A deck of cards?” Eito asked, tilting his head as he stated the obvious.

“Yeah. Let’s play poker.” Takumi pulled something else from his pocket. “Poker without any stakes doesn’t really make sense, so… here. Take this.” He handed Eito a small pouch. “We each get ten chips. I guess this is another one of our little challenges?” He chuckled. “...We really do that a lot.”

Eito took the pouch, opening it and pulling out a chip. He spun it between his fingers. “You always find a way to surprise me, Takumi.” He reached into the pouch again, probably counting the chips. “You mentioned stakes. But what exactly did you mean by that?”

“You seemed kinda tired earlier, right? So, how about this - if you win, we’ll both take a break tomorrow.”

“And if you win?”

“Well…” Takumi scratched his cheek, looking upwards. “...I haven’t really thought that far.” He wasn’t lying. He didn’t really think he could win. Not only was Eito better at reading people and lying, he was also rather naturally lucky. 

Eito probably reached the same conclusion, judging by how easily he accepted the proposal.

Takumi had two main reasons behind this game. One, unlike yesterday, Eito would be forced to look at him. And two, it’d let him somewhat test how well he can hide his thoughts. 

They settled into their seats at the table near the back corner. It was unlikely anyone would come to the Rec Room at all, but that spot still offered the most peace of mind.

Before Takumi could protest, Eito took the deck, shuffled it with ease, and dealt out the cards. They’d agreed on a simple five-card game, without jokers, with an opening bet of one chip. 

Takumi glanced at his hand without showing any emotions. “A pretty average start.” He thought. A pair of aces, three of hearts, king of spades, and seven of clubs.

Eito’s eyes flicked up to meet his briefly, then dropped to his own cards. Takumi’s heart ticked up a beat, but he didn’t show it.

“Raise.” Takumi said, sliding two chips forward.

Eito nodded and matched the bet. His fingers hovered slightly over his chips before letting them go. Takumi wondered whether that was genuine hesitation or a bait.

The first draw began. Takumi discarded the king, the seven, and the three, sliding them across the table. Meanwhile Eito discarded two without a word.

Takumi picked up his replacements. He held back a grin as he slid the cards into his hand: two more aces and a six of clubs. Four of a kind - something he hadn’t been expecting so early. 

He looked up. Eito was perfectly unreadable as ever. Takumi couldn’t help but wonder if he was sitting on something just as strong.

“Your move.” Eito said calmly, gesturing towards the chips.

“Raise.” Takumi said confidently, pushing forward two more.

“I fold.” Eito spoke without hesitation, revealing his cards: king of hearts, king of diamonds, king of clubs, ten of hearts, ten of diamonds. A full house. 

Takumi felt worried. He pondered if his expression had betrayed him after all. It was the kind of hand he wouldn’t have folded on. Eito must've seen through him. 

He flipped his own hand face-up.

“Four of a kind?” Eito said, smiling as if he'd expected nothing less. “Looks like I made the right choice.”

Takumi narrowed his eyes. “Was I acting too obvious?” He hoped Eito would actually answer something useful.

“Wouldn’t telling you that just make things harder for me?” He replied, resting his chin in one hand. “You are already winning.”

“Ugh…” Takumi leaned back and let out a sigh. “You’re right.” 

Takumi adjusted his seat. After getting read so easily in round one, Takumi decided he’d do everything he can to prove he’s not so predictable. He realized he did want to win despite his previous assessment. Or maybe it was because of it. 

The score now stood at 13 to 7 in his favor, but the game was far from over.

Between rounds, Takumi quickly reached across the table and snatched the deck from Eito’s side before he could react.

“I’m shuffling this time.” He said, perhaps too assertively.

Eito gave him a curious look but relented. “Alright.” He collected his cards and handed them to Takumi.

Takumi gathered all the cards, clumsily attempting to mimic Eito’s smooth technique. His fingers fumbled, the cards slipping more than once. He felt a bit ashamed that someone with gloves was better at this than him. At one point, he even dropped a portion of the deck. 

Eito didn’t say anything, but that almost made it worse. Once the cards were ready and they placed the initial bet of a chip, they began the next round.

Takumi glanced at his hand: a pair of queens - spades and clubs, jack of diamonds, four of hearts, and a three of hearts. When he looked at Eito, he noticed a subtle lift at the corner of his lips.

“Raise.” Eito said coolly, pushing forward three chips. 

“Call.” Takumi matched. Eito likely had something decent, but he wasn’t in a bad spot either.

Eito exchanged only one card. Takumi traded three.

Amongst the cards he got, one of them stood out: queen of diamonds. He had a three of a kind. His eyes moved up to meet Eito’s, waiting.

“All-in.”

“...Huh?” Takumi couldn’t hide his panic as his pulse spiked. “This has to be a buff… right? But what if it isn’t? He exchanged only one card…” The fact that it was only the second round made the play feel too dangerous to be false.

“...I fold.” He decided. He didn’t want to lose in round two. 

Eito let out a slow breath. “That was close.” He laid out his cards. Nine of hearts, five of spades, two of diamonds, eight of spades and king of diamonds. It was an absolute mess.

“Looks like we’re almost even.” He said, gathering the chips.  

Takumi resisted the urge to slap himself. He could’ve won it there, but he lost it by playing too safe. He understood that he never would’ve risked it all there, yet he still blamed himself for his past decision.  

The score had flipped: 9 to 11. It was far from terrible. Takumi felt relieved that Eito didn’t save that play for further into the game. 

Takumi collected the cards, wanting to deal again. 

Ten of diamonds. Nine of spades. Eight of spades. Seven of clubs. Queen of diamonds. 

“Check.” Takumi said, folding his hands under the table to hide how tightly he was gripping them. He didn’t feel too confident in his luck.

Eito studied his own hand, then pushed one chip forward.  “Raise.”

Takumi nodded. “Call.”

Eito took two cards. Takumi only replaced the queen. He drew six of diamonds. 

Last time he got a good hand, he gave it away, so he tried his hardest to remain placid. 

“Raise. One.” He said, hoping Eito wouldn’t fold this time. 

“Call.”

The first round without either side folding ended with Takumi’s victory. Eito only had a pair of fives. 

“12 to 8.” Takumi said. 

“The tides certainly can shift quickly.” Eito remarked, still smiling. 

And yet, Takumi couldn’t feel proud of the win. Not when Eito had shaken his confidence so easily just moments earlier, not after Eito’s perfectly timed fold. It felt more like luck than anything earnt. He wanted to turn the tables with something clever of his own. 

He collected the cards again.

It was his unluckiest draw so far. Three of spades, king of diamonds, jack of diamonds, five of hearts and nine of clubs. He didn't know what to exchange.

“Raise, two chips.” Eito spoke with a spark of conviction. 

“Call.”

He kept the king and the jack, leaving room for either a flush or a straight. Eito also discarded three.

He pulled his new cards: two of clubs, four of hearts, jack of clubs. Just a pair of jacks. He didn’t think he had good odds of winning. He tried to read Eito’s eyes for some kind of hint, but aside from their pretty blue color, they gave away nothing.

“Check.” 

Takumi assumed this meant Eito didn’t have anything great either, but he couldn’t bring himself to raise. 

“Check.” Takumi echoed Eito’s tone. 

Eito had a jack of spades, a queen of diamonds, two low cards, and… a jack of hearts. 

“Looks like I barely won.” Takumi stated with a half-smile, trying not to show his nerves. 

Even though he was winning 15 to 5, he didn’t feel like it. Eito's relentless smile had a way of unnerving him.

Round 5. 

As usual, Eito handed Takumi his hand, and Takumi took his time dealing.

His draw was better than the last: a pair of eights, six of diamonds, queen of spades and jack of diamonds. It was enough for Takumi to take a risk. 

“Raise two.” 

“All-in.” Eito replied instantly.

Takumi flinched. It felt like a punch to the gut. His confidence buckled under the weight of a singular phrase. 

“...Call.” Folding here would mean surrendering, and he wasn’t about to make the same mistake twice. Eito was risking everything on this round, Takumi couldn’t back down so easily. 

In exchange for everything other than his pair, Takumi received a jack of spades, jack of clubs, and two of hearts. 

There was no choice but to call. Folding now would hand Eito the victory on a silver platter. 

Eito showed his hand. A pair of sevens, four of spades, and a pair of kings. 

“Ah, my two pairs are stronger. This could've been it for me.” 

Takumi bit back a bitter smile. “You went all-in with just two pairs? You have a talent for dangerous plays.” 

“At times, you can’t afford to play it safe.” Eito replied, shifting his cards in his hands before sliding them back toward Takumi. “Risky moves can pay off well.”

The score was back to 10-10.

Takumi shuffled the deck carefully. Eito’s piercing stare made him feel uneasy.

Round 6. Takumi was sure it’d be the final one. 

As the cards moved between them, Takumi’s confidence swelled.

His hand was as follows: five of diamonds, ace of clubs, ace of diamonds, ace of hearts, and ace of spades. 

“Raise three.” 

“Call.”

Takumi exchanged the five of diamonds for one card. Eito didn’t replace any.

What Takumi got didn’t matter. He stared at his hand. A four of a kind was basically a guaranteed victory, but he’d trained all game not to let it show. He’d been waiting for this moment since before round two.

“Show.” Eito said after studying his own cards for a long moment.

Takumi took a breath and announced steadily. “All-in.”

“So that's how it is,” Eito sighed deeply. “Call.”

Takumi couldn’t hold back a smile. Eito didn’t fold. That meant he hadn’t read Takumi’s expression or his intent. Eito hadn’t seen through him. He’d won.

But his joy was short-lived. Eito placed his cards down.

Nine of hearts. Ten of hearts. Jack of hearts. Queen of hearts. Ace of hearts.

Takumi’s heart dropped and he silently flipped his own cards.

“Another four of a kind?” Eito glanced at the table with a smile. “Looks like we both got really lucky this round.”

“I guess so.” Takumi laughed awkwardly. He knew Eito was lucky, however never had he imagined he'd pull off a straight flush here.

But before he could say any more, Eito swiftly grabbed one of his aces. Takumi’s stomach clenched with a desperate urge to flee.

“Takumi.” Eito said softly, fiddling with the corner of the card. “You cheated, didn’t you?”

“I…” Takumi struggled to find words, but nothing came. His mind blanked. He didn’t know what to say.

“When you dropped the cards earlier, you marked the aces you first got, didn’t you?”

Takumi exhaled loudly, calming himself. He rested both his hands on the table, leaning minimally forward.

“It’s definitely rare to get the same four of a kind twice,” He admitted. “But accusing me of cheating is going too far. Especially when you got a stronger hand yourself.”

“That’s because I cheated too.”

"...What?" Takumi couldn't keep his calm composure as he attempted to grasp the situation. "What do you mean?"

Eito moved his left index finger to trace the edge of his right sleeve. “When you continuously kept not noticing me giving you fewer cards than I should, it became all the more clear. So I figured it was only fair, no?”

Eito was undeniably right. Takumi had, in fact, slightly bent the corners of the aces, on the side hidden from Eito whilst shuffling. He wasn’t a professional, this was his first time doing this. All he managed was to keep the aces low enough so they wouldn’t be played until the round he wanted to win. He knew he’d lose without an edge, so he gave himself one. The fact that Eito had noticed was unfortunate, but there was something else pressing on his mind.

Eito laughed lightly. “I suppose that makes us even.” He made a motion to collect all the chips.

“Eito.” Takumi said firmly, stopping the movement. “You said ‘continuously’. Does that include round one? Considering you had a nine and a king of hearts then, it’d check out. So doesn’t that mean you cheated before me?”

Eito’s expression momentarily went blank.

“Why did you do that?” Takumi pressed.

“Call it a gut feeling,” Eito said, leaning back in his chair. “With how unfairly you ended our duel, I thought some precaution was justified.”

“Hey!” Takumi raised his voice. “There was nothing unfair about that. I only-”

“You can’t say attacking after agreeing to stop wasn’t at least a little underhanded.” Eito interrupted.

Takumi didn’t want Eito to label him underhanded.

“We agreed to fight seriously and you advised against hesitating and holding back. I did exactly that.” Takumi  straightened, slamming his arms down lightly on the table. “You even seemed disappointed when I wasn’t giving it my all.”

“That’s true. Perhaps it was unfair of me to call that unfair. So-”  Eito straightened as well, adjusted his glasses, and started fiddling with a chip again. “Why did you cheat in a game of poker?”

Takumi raised his left hand, resting his elbow on the table and partially covering his mouth.

He could try deflecting the question back at Eito, but it would get him nowhere. To move forward, he had to answer.

He glanced off to the side. “I… didn’t think I had any chance. After you effortlessly predicted me in round one and then again in round two, I thought this would help… I didn’t really think it’d work, though - I mean, the technical part. I thought I’d mess it up.”

Takumi felt embarrassed. He didn’t like admitting something that was mostly true. 

“Was winning this really so important?” Eito asked inquisitively. 

“Not really… “ Takumi hung his head low. “I just wanted to prove a point.” He bit the inside of his cheek, stopping himself from saying that aloud.

“Wait,” He said quickly, snapping his head back up. “I’m not gonna let you change the topic that easily. You still cheated first. There’s no way that round should count.”

Eito scratched the side of his head  “Mhm. And like I said earlier, that makes us even. I won fair and square.”

“That’s not how this works!” Takumi protested with a pout. “What’s fair and square about a game where both sides cheated?!”

Eito gave a casual shrug. “Sounds like you should’ve just cheated better.”

Takumi wanted to get mad at that childish retort, but instead, he burst out laughing. Somehow, despite being frustrated, and despite Eito seeing straight through his plan, this entire mess had ended up being kind of humorous to him. 

He tried to catch his breath, still chuckling. “Okay, okay, fine. You win. There. Happy?” He paused, observing Eito’s smile.. “Uh, I said ‘win’, but… what was this even for again…?”

Eito stood up from his chair, and Takumi instinctively followed. “That we’d take a break tomorrow, if I remember right.”

“Oh, yeah. So Day 44 will be a calm one.”

Of course, Takumi already knew that, but he wanted to hear it again. He was proud of himself for coming up with a stake that sounded important, but in truth, didn’t mean much at all.

“A lot has happened today.” Eito said after a brief pause. “I think it’d be fine to rest early.”

Takumi had been thinking the same. In the original timeline, everyone had turned in early after checking in on Shouma. By now, it was probably even later than that. There was no need to push himself unnecessarily, especially when he already felt more mentally drained than back then. 

So, the two of them returned to their rooms.

Takumi didn’t have any real complaints about how the day had turned out. Sure, he failed at his little scheme, but it could’ve gone much worse. Eito could’ve exposed him immediately, which would’ve been a lot more humiliating. Instead, he played along, and Takumi didn't feel embarrassed at the end of it at all.

Also, whilst Takumi had known the general rules of poker, he’d never actually properly played it before. That, at least, was indeed something new. All things considered, he had to admit, it wasn't a bad experience.

He only wished he’d caught Eito’s sleights of hand when they were happening. He’d been too focused on his own cards, or on Eito’s expressions. It hadn’t even occurred to him that Eito might cheat as well. And certainly not that he’d do so first. 

Still, even though Takumi technically lost - and by his own mistake, no less - he felt much better than the day before. He wasn’t sure why. Maybe the idea of Eito stooping to something as silly as cheating in poker was amusing. Maybe being able to call him out on it felt good. Whatever it was, Takumi was glad. After two days that ended in frustration, this one finally ended on a lighter note.

He couldn’t help but think that this was a much better ending than if he’d simply lost quietly, or got lucky and won, without anything interesting happening. “Risky moves can pay off well.” He supposed Eito was right with that. 

Later, Takumi made himself a simple sandwich in the cafeteria, took a long shower, and went to bed early, resting up for tomorrow.

Chapter Text

The morning announcement began. Takumi sat down with his legs crossed. 

“Here goes nothing…” He muttered, starting at the monitor. 

Sirei’s voice, halfway through his usual morning speech, suddenly cut out, replaced by the blare of sirens screaming through the speakers. The screen flickered into a wall of white static, before being overtaken by the yellow text saying “emergency”.

A cold, mechanical voice spoke over the alarm. “Intruder Alert. Intruder Alert. Unauthorized personnel detected on school grounds.” 

Takumi missed the surprise he should’ve felt here just a little bit. He imagined a version of himself from the past, springing out of bed at the sudden sirens as his heart raced from fear. That Takumi had been a bundle of nerves and shock. And even if he didn’t exactly long for that part of himself, there was something mildly nostalgic about how unattainable it now was.

Takumi knew this alarm was coming, but the others didn’t. So instead of reacting, he tried to imagine how they might have.

Darumi was absolutely thrilled at the thought of more killings. Takemaru and Nozomi would be focused, likely already heading out the door. Yugamu would probably be shrugging it off like it was routine. Tsubasa, Gaku, and Kyoshika were definitely still half-asleep. Kurara would be itching to prove herself again after yesterday’s loss. Shouma, cowering in his room, must be trying to gather enough courage to leave. He figured Ima was unfazed, whilst Kako sat stiffly, silently battling the urge to run out and support the others. And Eito… Takumi hoped he was enjoying his promised break day.

Surprisingly, the loud, never-ending sirens weren’t ideal for thinking. Takumi stood up and left his room. On the way to the War Room, he passed by a muzzy Kyoshika stumbling down the hallway, still rubbing sleep from her eyes.

“Takumi, you’re here!” Eito called out from near the doorway, visibly concerned.

“What’s the situation?” Takumi asked, trying to mirror the urgency.

“The invaders are heading this way, and there’s even more of them than usual.”

Takumi wasn’t exactly sure what "usual" meant, but he nodded regardless. 

Voices filled the room as the others mostly complained. Takumi didn’t pay much attention. He found his earlier reflections on everyone’s mood enough.

“These invaders always strike when we least expect it.” Takumi said offhandedly, intending it as a reference to yesterday’s bet, but in truth, the attacks’ timings were actually rather convenient. They attacked right after Eito was saved. Then after Gaku and Tsubasa joined the team. The pattern continued again and again, three - or, arguably, four - more times. It reminded him of those old-school RPGs where the enemy ambushes the heroes right after key story moments. Looking back, it was quite noticeable. He was surprised no one had caught on back then. Everything becomes obvious in hindsight, he figured.

“Yeah…” Eito murmured, shifting his gaze to the side. “Ah, look at the monitor!”

Everyone seemed to have heard him, as they turned to where he pointed. Amongst the many common enemies, one, standing distant, stood out. 

“What’s with that little guy?” Darumi asked, squinting.

“That's a commander.” Yugamu answered flatly. 

“Not just any commander, either…” Kyoshika added, suddenly wide awake and full of emotion. “It's the vile fiend that took Lady Moko from us!” 

The 2nd Academy students quickly filled in the others on how Moko had been kidnapped. When they finished, Nozomi stepped forward.

“Takumi... I know it's asking a lot, but could you leave the commander to us?”

Takumi’s lips parted. “Um..” He hesitated. “No, that’s-” 

His fingers brushed against his mouth, stopping the words from escaping.

“No, that’s too dangerous. We need to stick together.” That’s what he wanted to say. He already knew what would happen if they charged in alone: they’d quickly lose and get brainwashed. Takumi didn’t want them to go through that, nor did he want to have to hurt them. But a different thought spoke louder in his mind.

“What if stopping them changes the future? What if this was what pushed Shouma to finally step up?” This logic held him back. Even if it felt wrong, he couldn’t bring himself to interfere. 

Takumi lowered his head. “...Alright. Just be careful.” He needed the timeline to stay generally close to what it had been. He couldn’t afford unexpected ripples that’d just cause additional bothers. That wasn’t the point. 

Though, if anyone’s life were truly at stake… Takumi wasn’t sure he could keep looking the other way. 

After Takumi gave his reluctant approval, the 2nd Academy squad sprinted to the launch pad and leapt down onto the battlefield.

“I think we should head out too.” Takumi said, still looking down. 

“A'ight everyone, let's do this! C'mon, get pumped!” Takemaru shouted, rallying the others with his usual energy. With that, he, Darumi, Tsubasa, and Gaku descended after them.

Takumi was about to follow when a voice held him back.

“Takumi, is everything alright? You looked really worried when you spoke earlier.”

“...I just have a bad feeling.” Takumi replied, a little relieved that he had an easy, reasonable explanation. “If they couldn’t take down that commander even with Moko… I don’t know how they’ll manage now. That’s why,” He sighed, annoyed by this meaningless line of questioning. “I think we should get going too.”

With that, they completed their transformation and dropped into the fray.

Despite some further complaints, this time about the unusually large number of enemies, the initial fight went rather smoothly. The invaders were mostly weak fodder. Takumi focused on taking down the largest enemy on his side of the field, whilst Takemaru, zipping around on his motorcycle, mowed through the rest with ease.

It took some time and effort, but both of them emerged unscathed. The others - approaching from the opposite ends of the field - gathered around them shortly after. Aside from a bit of dirt smeared across their class armor, everyone looked intact. And the barrier stood firm as well. 

Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said for everyone else. Mid-battle, it became clear that something was wrong when their communication had cut off. It didn’t take long to find out why.

The 2nd Academy students were sprinting in from another side of the building, straight for the barrier generator. Their eyes were black, as though the pupil had extruded itself, devouring the sclera. The blackness was streaked by red - not the neat lines of bloodshot exhaustion, but violent, chaotic slashes, like veins torn open by something inside trying to claw its way out. The way they pulsed, reminiscing raw muscle exposed beneath skin, made even the most grotesque cases of conjunctivitis look refined by comparison. Saliva dripped from their mouths in thick, foaming strands, splattering the dry soil as they staggered forward with unnatural rigidity.

Seeing them like that made everyone freeze. 

“Everyone, get away!” Eito shouted. “There’s something wrong with them-”  

They shifted their attention to the small floating creature covered in those same hideously warped eyes, each blinking out of sync as it hovered above the ground. “The commander must’ve brainwashed them somehow!”

“So what do we do now? The barrier's not gonna last much longer.” Gaku asked, glancing anxiously at the former allies now mindlessly attacking the barrier. 

“If it ain’t safe to attack the small guy,” Darumi said after some short discussion. “Then let's just kill the rest! The Revive-O-Matic will bring them back in a nice, non-zombielike state.”

“But can we really do that?” Eito asked, looking stricken. “They’re our friends…!” 

“No, this is our safest bet,” Takumi replied, siding with Darumi’s proposal. “We don’t have time to waste.”

“Of course you would say that…” Tsubasa muttered, bitter and pale. “It’s not that easy for the rest of us to just go attacking our teammates, y’know…”

“Hey, I don't like it either, but it's that, or let the invaders take the school!” Takemaru stepped up and steadied the mood. 

Takumi was the first to voice support this time, but he recalled staying silent in the original version of this event. Back then, even knowing it was the most logical solution, he hadn’t been able to lift his blade against his friends. 

But this time was different. Now that he knew the outcome, there was no point in hesitating. Just like Shouma’s duel, this fight was also nothing but a chore. As long as he thought of it like that, there was no reason to drag it out.

Despite the emotional weight of the decision, the fight against the brainwashed teammates seemed to be the lesser threat. They were clumsy and single-minded, barely reacting unless interrupted from their obsessive attacks on the barrier. Their earlier fight with the commander had left them weakened as well. 

The real problem was the wave of fresh enemies fast approaching from all directions. To deal with them, they split into two uneven groups. The long-range fighters and ones with high mobility - who made up most of the team - spread out to defend all four sides of the field. Meanwhile the remaining two focused on the distorted allies. 

“Right now, they’re no different from the invaders…” Takumi repeated to himself as he drew his blade. Gruesome as it was, every second he hesitated brought the barrier closer to collapse. He took the right side, leaving Yugamu and Kurara to him. It was better than having to face Nozomi. 

Takumi advanced towards Yugamu. Even in his corrupted state, he still reacted to the sound of rapid footsteps. He turned, but it wasn’t fast enough.

A sharp gasp escaped him as the blade plunged into his abdomen, dragging out a wet, gurgling sound. Steel pushed through skin, sliced muscle, then forced its way between organs with a sickening resistance, catching briefly on cartilage before Takumi shoved it upwards.

A hot flood coated Takumi’s gloves. Alongside cryptoglobin there were also strands of tissue and something gelatinous. His grip slipped slightly as the hilt squelched in his hand. Yugamu's back arched violently, expelling a spray of crimson striking Takumi's cheek.

But Takumi had missed the vitals, so Yugamu still had strength left.

The tip of one of Yugamu’s weapons lashed out. Its edge bit into Takumi’s flesh, tearing through layers of skin and muscle above his hip. Takumi hissed, stumbling to his side, but he held tight his weapon. 

With a hoarse sound, Takumi jerked the blade free from Yugamu’s gut and swung again. The edge lodged at the base of his neck, grating against the cervical vertebrae. Yugamu spasmed. The sound of bones breaking and sinew tearing was nauseating. 

Takumi pulled his blade free and Yugamu crumpled. Breathing hard, Takumi stepped closer, ignoring the fire in his side. The wound in Yugamu’s chest gaped open like a second mouth. The metallic stench of blood thickened in the air, clinging to the back of Takumi’s tongue, until the Revive-O-Matic arrived, snatching Yugamu’s body away. 

Then, Takumi’s knees buckled. His breath came in ragged gasps as he clutched at the wound. It wasn’t deep. So why did it hurt so much? “Yugamu’s skill…!” He remembered mid-thought. Yugamu’s blades were laced with poison, designed to destabilize the target over time. Takumi had seen it used before, but he’d never expected to be on the receiving end. Had he accounted for it, he’d have forced himself to end the battle quickly. But now, his body burnt with a feverish, unnatural torment. 

Gritting his teeth, he tried to focus. He braced his hands behind him and slid back, trying to escape, but the shadow loomed over him already. 

Kurara’s shovel crashed down against his right thigh with a loud and hollow sound. The impact was blunt, sending a shockwave of pain so sharp it momentarily eclipsed the poison's burn. 

Takumi stopped moving. If she struck his head, the Revive-O-Matic would just bring him back. He’d only completed half of what the team had demanded of him, but he figured that was more than enough. It was wrong of the team to decide he should kill two of his friends, anyway. They may have justified it with weapon types, but it was obvious - no one else wanted to do this. They just wanted to pass the burden onto anyone else. 

Takumi certainly had the power advantage, given the 2nd Academy students’ zombified state. He could’ve ended it with a single clean strike. But even if Yugamu’s life was never truly in danger, the act of killing someone you cared about didn’t just go away. No, this job was much better suited to the other person here. 

Takumi exhaled and closed his eyes, waiting for the killing blow. 

But it never came. Instead, there was a loud, solid thud right beside him, close enough for him to feel it. His eyes snapped open on instinct. Kurara was on the ground, blood seeping out around a weapon embedded in her torso.

“Are you alright, Takumi?” A voice asked from above. 

Takumi’s eye twitched. 

“Can you stand?” Eito said, extending his left hand.

Perhaps in a different situation, this gesture would almost seem kind. But Takumi - bleeding down on his side, thigh possibly fractured, lungs barely drawing breath under the weight of poison - couldn’t be more irritated. He had never wanted to die more than in this exact moment, and yet-

“...Y-Yeah. I’m fine.” He grabbed Eito’s hand and forced himself upright, slouching to avoid straightening his injured leg. Squinting his eyes, he started scanning the battlefield. 

“I’ve managed to deal with Kyoshika,” Eito said. “However…” Both of them turned to face the last remaining figure.

Takumi understood what Eito meant. Unlike the others, Nozomi couldn’t simply be revived. Attacking her would be both dangerous and pointless. The only option was to incapacitate her, somehow, and hope that taking down the commander would reverse the effect. But that “somehow” was the problem. Neither of them could flip their weapons to strike with the dull edge, and Nozomi’s rifle made it nearly impossible to approach empty handed. 

“I... I see.” Takumi said between shallow breaths. “You don’t happen to have a plan, to you?”

Eito turned his head to face him. “I have something, but I’m not sure if you’ll be okay with it…”

Takumi already knew where he was going. Realistically, Eito definitely could’ve handled Nozomi on his own - he hadn’t even taken a scratch yet. But if he wanted to use Takumi as bait, Takumi didn’t mind. He was more than fine with dying. He’d need to rejuvenate anyway. And if anyone was going to kill him, he’d rather it be Nozomi.

Takumi nodded. In a flash, Eito surged forward. still gripping Takumi’s hand and pulled him along. The sudden momentum pulled Takumi off-balance, forcing his weight onto his broken right leg. There was a sharp crack. 

He’d broken bones before in battle. But in those instances, death had come quickly after. This time, he was being dragged forward, forced to run on a mangled limb like a condemned marionette dragged by invisible strings. Their pounding footsteps drew Nozomi’s attention. She rotated towards them, already aiming.

Eito suddenly let go and stepped behind Takumi, forcefully shoving him forward. 

The gunshot rang out just as Takumi tripped.

“Not the head.” He registered in frustration. “Why is it never the head…?!”

The bullet tore into his left shoulder, knocking him sideways as he collapsed. He couldn’t decide whether to clutch the injury or break his fall. Pain seared through muscle and tendon, but worse was the creeping numbness that followed. He didn’t need to choose. 

He hit the ground hard, the impact knocking the breath from his lungs and a mouthful of dirt into his throat. He coughed violently, choking on soil and saliva. The Paralyze Bullet had taken hold. Takumi could barely twitch. He was beyond exhaustion now, so worn down that even moving the uninjured parts of his body hurt. For a long second, all he could do was exist. 

Finally, he turned his head. And when he did, he saw Nozomi lying beside him, unconscious. 

Takumi shifted his gaze slightly. Eito stood above her, holding the rifle. Takumi could piece together what happened. Nozomi had fired, in that split second moment, Eito had disarmed her and knocked her out cold. Likely by a blunt strike to the head with her own weapon. That alone was tough for Takumi to picture. For once, he was glad Nozomi wasn’t in the Revive-O-Matic. 

“We did it!” Eito breathed, then crouched down beside Takumi. “...Are you sure you’re alright?” He asked, echoing his earlier question. 

“...What do you think.” Takumi grumbled, too tired to feign kindness. His voice came out raspy as he clenched and unclenched his fist, fighting to shake off the last traces of the paralysis.

“You didn’t need to push yourself so hard,” Eito said, glancing at his leg. “Not with that injury. You should’ve just told me.”

Takumi bit the inside of his cheek, as he forced himself to sit upright. He knew that already. And he knew that Eito knew as well. But he just wanted to avoid one potential scenario. 

Eito stood up, turning back to the battlefield. Takemaru was still on their side of the field, mopping up the remaining smaller enemies. The commander loomed even further beyond. 

Eito looked back down at him. “You’re in no state to fight.” He said, pausing, waiting for Takumi to say something. 

“So,” Eito continued. “Wouldn’t it be better for me to kill you?”

Takumi’s breath hitched. That was what he’d wanted to avoid. He didn’t want Eito to kill him overall, but he especially didn’t want that to happen now.

He didn't want to even the score from their duel. The situation might've been completely different, but Takumi’s mind couldn’t not find it similar. Regardless of the process, the result of a death was the same. Takumi felt proud of his victory - he was happy to have killed Eito, the context of a duel didn't really matter. He didn't want to give Eito comparable satisfaction.

Whether Eito was focusing on the duel or just the act of killing him in general, it didn’t matter. He must've at least thought of the duel. And Takumi's bad lie about being alright must've made his feelings somewhat apparent too. They had just mentioned it yesterday. That was probably what made it so easy for Eito to suggest killing him - they were on the same page for once. Due to his own weakness, Takumi had unintentionally given Eito a wonderful opportunity. 

Takumi couldn’t bear the thought of letting Eito kill him. And yet, his mouth started moving almost involuntarily. 

“Just do it…” 

A second later, a bullet tore through his heart.

—

When Takumi woke up, he immediately rushed to the War Room. Yugamu. Kurara, and Kyoshika were already there, heading to the launch pad. They stopped abruptly at the sight of him. Judging by their expressions, they had no idea what had just happened. After Kurara loudly demanded an explanation, Takumi gave them a quick briefing.

“Sir Takumi,” Kyoshika exclaimed with a bow. ”It seems I let my emotions get the better of me… I sincerely apologize for my incompetence!”

“So you killed me, yet I can’t remember a thing… “ Yugamu said, rubbing his temple. “Ahhh, what a mess…”

“Hmph!” Kurara crossed her arms. “You’re lucky you didn’t lay a finger on Nozomi!”

Takumi waved off their comments and shifted his attention to the monitor.

The commander was on the verge of defeat. At least, their first phase was. It was all thanks to Shouma, who had finally made it to the battlefield and was keeping the enemy focused on himself, immune to their influence.  

Without wasting another second, Takumi leapt down to the field and the others followed. But by the time they landed, it was too late to help. Gaku’s machine gun had just fired the finishing blow, causing the commander to drop. And about as that happened, Nozomi finally stood up, blinking as the brainwashing lifted from her eyes.

“I’m glad to see you doing well, Takumi.” Eito said, noticing Takumi’s return.

“Looks like you already dealt with the commander.” Takumi replied. “Sorry I wasn’t of much help.”

“It’s alright. You’ve done more than enough.” Eito smiled, tilting his head slightly. “Would you say that settles the score from our duel?”

“...Were you really thinking about something so pointless during a defensive battle?” Takumi replied, looking to the side. “And no, it doesn’t.” He said, thinking it was technically 2 to 1.  

But this was no time for idle chit-chat. The invader’s body twitched and it flew upwards. A sharp screech ripped through the air as black, ooze-covered tendrils erupted from beneath its body, tearing the soil open and anchoring into it.

Everyone froze. Their heads snapped towards the centre of the chaos. The figure - just like the previous commanders - began to speak. 

“I am Parmith, the Paragon of Devotion. Destruction will be an act of love for you who are bound by the shackles of hatred. This is a show of my love for you! Open yourself up to my adoration!” 

This didn't catch Takumi off guard as he already knew he'd be able to understand them.  After all, he’d understood the boy made of Undying Flames too, after absorbing the Supreme Commander’s cryptoglobin. And, there was another reason. 

Naturally, this wasn’t the first thing he’d done after obtaining the power to return to the past, but all his other memories were fractured. He remembered a version of the events where he killed Eito in the gym on Day 2, but that memory lasted only until nightfall. And in the timeline where he spared Eito, he remembered up to day 7. He remembered facing the First Squadron Commander, the one who called himself Murvrum.

So hearing Parmith speak shouldn’t have been surprising. And yet, it shook him harder than any wound he’d received today because of what followed shortly after. 

“The commander… We can understand it?”

Takumi’s blood ran cold. He didn’t even catch who said it. “No…” He whispered. No, this wasn’t supposed to happen. 

He remembered thinking, during the exploration some days ago, how lucky he’d been when neither Eito nor Darumi had shown signs of power surges, How fortunate it was that his blade’s color had gone back to red. It was so lucky that Takumi was worried it was a bit too convenient. He suspected the impact might’ve just been diluted. Clearly, he was right. And this presented a serious risk. 

“That bastard!” Kurara shouted, trembling with rage. “They didn’t talk like this when they kidnapped Moko…!”

“I don’t know what changed,” Nozomi said. “But this might be our chance to save her!”

“Verily!” Kurara announced with resolve. “We must defeat them at once! Sir Shouma, can you please lend us your power?”

“I’ll do my best… Even if that’s barely anything.” He murmured. The four of them charged together, Yugamu quickly joining in. 

“They’re right.” Eito said, calmly addressing the rest of the group. “This is certainly unexpected, but it doesn’t change what we have to do - defeat the commander. We can sort out everything else after.”

“Hell yeah!” Takemaru grinned and cracked his knuckles. “Talkin’ or not, they’re still goin’ down!”

With renewed determination, the group surged forward towards Parmith and the minor invaders clustered around them. Takumi joined the fight, slicing through smaller enemies whilst never letting his gaze drift from the commander.

The battle proceeded smoothly. With Shouma acting as the team’s shield, the rest of Parmith’s offense was manageable. Victory was only a matter of time. So Takumi waited. He watched and waited for the right moment. He kept itching closer, step by step, until he got close enough to the commander. 

Then it happened. Parmith weakened, their grotesque form beginning to unravel. The 2nd Academy students hesitated, pulling back as the invader’s monstrous body started to dissolve.  

But Takumi moved closer. He raised his blade and in one swift motion… He cut Parmith’s throat. 

He quickly stepped back. Everyone else rushed in just as Parmith’s transformation neared its end.

“So… just like the others,” Tsubasa began, staring in disbelief. “They look human? And they also can use-” Her thought was interrupted. 

“You!” Kurara yelled, stepping forward. “You can talk, can’t you?! Then tell me - tell me where you took Moko! NOW!”

The commander opened their mouth, only to choke. They grasped their neck with agony. 

“Why aren’t you saying anything?!” 

“Let me see.” Yugamu pushed past Kurara and knelt by the fallen commander. He examined the wound. “It’s no good. They’re in no shape to speak.”

“Can’t we heal it?” Nozomi asked, already kneeling beside him.

“It’s too deep.” He slowly stood up. “They’ve lost consciousness and soon, they’ll bleed out. I’m sorry… There’s nothing I can do.”

Kurara growled, kicking the ground with frustration. “Damn it…!”

Nozomi approached her and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

The group fell into a heavy silence. Just a moment ago, the focus had been on Shouma’s arrival. Then it’d been the shock of understanding the speech - and the hope that maybe, they could learn something. Now, that hope was dying at their feet. No one knew what to say. 

Kurara brushed off Nozomi’s hand and stormed toward someone.

“This is all your fault!” She shouted, glaring straight at Takumi.

“Kurara…” Nozomi whispered, clearly wanting to say more, but nothing came out. Takumi understood their feelings. 

“Do you have anything to say for yourself?!”

“...I’m sorry.” Takumi lowered his head. 

“That’s it?! We might've just lost the one chance to save Moko, and that’s all you can say?!”

He didn’t reply. Of course, they thought it was just a tragic accident. No one had reason to suspect anything deliberate. Kurara's attack wasn't based on logic. But he understood their disappointment. 

They had no idea if another commander could talk, no way of knowing if another opportunity would come again. To the 2nd Academy students, this might’ve been the only path to saving their friend. And for the rest, this might’ve been the chance to finally uncover the truth that Sirei, and now their new allies, kept refusing to share. 

The truth.

“Right. That's what you think the truth is. You've got it all wrong, though.” 

Eito had claimed the moment he gained the ability to understand the invaders, he learnt the truth. Something completely different from what everyone else had accepted. Takumi had brushed it off at the time. It was just a bluff, he told himself. But deep down, his conscience couldn’t let it go. If that wasn't a lie… If speaking to the commanders really could lead to it… He couldn’t allow it. He didn’t need anyone, not even himself, finding out whatever “the truth” really was. Not here. 

“Kurara, we understand how you feel, but aren’t you being a little unfair?” Someone finally spoke up in his defense. “Takumi made a mistake, yes, but so did you, didn’t you? You acted recklessly and got brainwashed by the commander.”

“That’s completely different!” Kurara snapped. “And you can’t possibly understand how we feel-!”

“No,” Nozomi interrupted gently, yet firmly. “Eito is right.” 

Her voice softened as she looked at Kurara. “I want to save Moko too. She saved my life, I owe her everything. But yelling at Takumi won’t bring us any closer to finding her.”

“Hey,” Darumi suddenly chimed in. “Didn’t you say earlier that the commander didn’t talk the first time you first fought ‘em?”

“Indeed.” Kyoshika nodded. “They only made some utterly bizarre noises, like a language aliens would speak in a manga.”

“In that case,” Eito continued the thought. “Wouldn’t it make more sense if something had caused all the commanders to change, not just this one?"

“I was thinking the same.” Yugamu agreed. “It’s regrettable, but waiting for the next one to appear is our best option."

Kurara crossed her arms, looking away. “Fine! If you’re so intent on protecting this peasant, I’ll drop it for now.” 

Her words were sharp as always, but the pain behind them was palpable. She wasn’t just angry at Takumi, she was angry at herself, too. No one could blame her for her outburst. 

“..Thanks for defending me.” Takumi said, finally raising his head. “I really didn’t mean to mess things up like that…” 

“You don’t have to keep apologizing.” Tsubasa said. “Just… Maybe next time, leave the commander to the rest of us, alright?

He laughed awkwardly. “Yeah. I’ll try that.”

Takumi appreciated his comrades’ support, but all it did was make what came next much harder. The next commander was the prisoner. The one who, despite being unable to communicate, had shown clear signs of cooperation. Takumi knew the same trick wouldn’t work again, so he wasn’t sure how he’d deal with her when the time came. But that was a problem for future Takumi.

Right now, he should be glad he prevented the present situation from spiraling further out of control. Disappointing the others was a far better outcome than the chaos that might’ve followed had he done nothing. 

There was always the chance that Parmith would’ve refused to speak anyway, just like Murvrum had. But with how determined the 2nd Academy students were, Takumi couldn’t have afforded to take that chance. 

“Not to ruin the moment,” Gaku suddenly spoke up. “But what are we gonna do with this guy?” He pointed at Parmith’s lifeless body. 

“It’s too late to absorb their cryptoglobin.” Yugamu answered. “I’ll toss them into the Undying Flames.”

“I’ll help you.” Takemaru offered. Together, they lifted the body without another word. 

Their footsteps echoed softly across the field, crunching over grass and broken earth.

“But it is strange, right? The thing with the commander,” Tsubasa said, glancing over at the others. “Why could we suddenly understand them?”

“I don’t think we have enough information to draw any solid conclusions.” Eito sighed. “We don’t even know if they understood us, or if it was all one-way.”

“Ugh,” Gaku grumbled. “So what’s the point of thinking about it? Like you said, there’s nothing to gain.”

“Hey, you think killing enemies who can talk kinda counts as a killing game? Just a little?” Darumi laughed. “Definitely makes the murder much more sickening, doesn’t it?”

Eito glanced at someone else entirely. “Shouma. We wouldn’t have won this battle without you. I’m glad you decided to fight.”

“What? Uh… I-I didn’t really do anything special…”

“That’s not true.” Nozomi shook her head. “Without you, we might’ve ended up brainwashed again. Thank you.” She bowed slightly. 

“Mea culpa, sir Shouma!” Kyoshika added. “I had no idea your power level was so high!”

“I…” Kurara, standing off to the side, spoke under her breath. She turned around and walked off without another word, heading back towards the school.

Shouma let out a breath. “It seems the sound of my voice made her leave. I apologize for being so unsightly…” 

“Kurara just needs time.” Nozomi said with a faint, sad smile. “Tomorrow... I’m sure she’ll come to her senses.”

But it wasn’t just Kurara who needed time. Everyone decided to return to their rooms as well. They were all exhausted. The bet between Shouma and Kurara that had been the focus of the academy just yesterday had faded into the background, forgotten amidst everything else. 

Still, Nozomi’s words lingered in the air. Tomorrow, they all hoped, things would go back to normal. Everyone would return to how they’d been, practically ignoring today’s sudden revelation. Like Gaku had said: there was nothing they could do about it, so why torment themselves thinking otherwise? The opportunity to learn more had been stolen as suddenly as it had come. So they clung to normalcy. That was the only path forward. Or at least, that’s what they wanted to believe. 

Takumi had barely said a word during the whole post-battle discussion. Not because of guilt, he just didn’t want to draw any more attention to himself. He knew better than to risk accidentally saying the wrong thing. He realized, though, that his silence might’ve made him seem a bit cold. Had this actually been a mistake committed by the former version of himself, he probably would’ve acted flustered, desperately trying to salvage his reputation by overcompensating. 

He supposed that he had overall been acting colder. For quite some time now, he hadn’t spent nearly as much time with the others as the "original" Takumi had. Yet, in this situation, he couldn’t help but to feel pity. Not for anyone else, not exactly for himself either, but for the theoretical version of him who genuinely had made a mistake today. He recalled how scornfully everyone looked at him when Kurara lashed out, saying nothing until Eito, of all people, stepped in. As if everything he’d done for the academy up until that moment didn’t matter. 

...Takumi wasn’t sure if this was really how he felt, or if the timeline going slightly off-course had left him on edge. Maybe he was no different from Kurara, desperately needing to blame someone else for his mental turmoil. Either way, his head throbbed from the strain, and his body ached with fatigue. So he let the thoughts slip away and drifted to sleep.

Chapter Text

Takumi had a dream that night.

It was unlike any dream he’d had recently - it wasn't just a memory, nor did it have anything to do with his past life at all. He was climbing a mountain.

The Tokyo Residential Complex was flat. Whenever Karua spoke of life outside its walls, or when old stories still in the curriculum described mountains and hillside villages, Takumi would scoff. The most elevation he’d ever experienced was trudging up the stairs of a multi-story building, and that already was enough to make him grumble. Why bother? What’s the point of exhausting yourself for no reason? 

That’s why the dream surprised him. Even now, living outside the confines of the Complex, he hadn’t felt any urge to explore the newly accessible landscapes. Maybe this dream was his mind’s way of offering him that experience.

The climb was steep. Thankfully, his dream-self seemed to know what he was doing. It was long and gruelling. He could feel it all - the burn in his legs, the ache in his chest, the pressure changes in his ears. The air thinned as he ascended, each breath becoming just a bit harder to draw in. Still, he kept pushing forward. He believed that once he reached the top, it would all make sense. He’d understand the appeal, the reason why so many fabled characters sought refuge in the mountains. 

Just as he reached the summit - as his fingers stretched to grasp the final edge, his heart pounding with the thrill - the dream vanished. Darkness swallowed everything. Emptiness remained, consuming the journey without resolution.

It’d be easy to call that a disappointment, but isn’t it what so many people long for? 

So long as you don’t reach the top, you never have to confront what waits there. You can keep living in the comfort of your willing captivity, pretending as though you want out. There’s nothing easier than indulging in what you already believe. Nothing safer than refusing to confront your mistakes. Not needing to stop and reflect on your choices, or on the time you’ve already spent. 

Because, if it all ended in failure, would that make the effort meaningless? And if it were a success, would that erase the fear and doubts? Then, wouldn't never reaching an ending be better? Or, never starting at all?

There's no answer. Only that time will move forward regardless. 

Takumi was pulled from sleep by the morning announcement. He winced at the sound and reflexively covered his ears with his hands. When the noise finally stopped, he turned on his side and buried himself deeper into the bed, hoping to sink back into sleep. His headache from yesterday had faded, but his body still felt unbearably heavy.

A part of him wanted to finish the dream, however his mind refused to follow. When he fell back asleep, no dream came to greet him.

It might’ve been because he didn’t get to sleep for much longer thanks to a soft chime which rang through his room. 

The sound didn’t stop after the first ring. Once, twice, thrice… Takumi groaned. Reluctantly, he pulled himself upright, sat on the edge of the bed and with a sigh, he finally stood.

On his way to the door, he ran a hand through his hair as he passed the mirror, which just made the mess worse. Still blinking sleep from his eyes, he reached the door and unlocked it.

He greeted his visitor with a forced smile. “Good morning, Eito.”

Of course, he’d known who it was from the moment the bell rang. Who else could it be? It wasn’t as if he got many visitors to begin with. That part hadn’t changed at all from the original timeline. And now he was even less popular. If anything, it’d be more concerning had anyone else shown up. 

“Good morning, Takumi.” There was a short pause. “Did I wake you up?” 

Takumi let out a light yawn. “You could tell?”

“Well,” Eito rested his chin on his left hand. ”You didn’t come to the cafeteria this morning. I doubt you’d miss a meeting on purpose. And now, you didn’t answer the door right away.”

Takumi chuckled. “That’s a relief. I thought I looked awful or something.” 

Most people would point that out before anything else, wouldn't they?

Takumi glanced at the clock. “I missed a lot, huh?” 

It’d been almost an hour since the morning announcement. Factoring in the time it would’ve taken everyone to gather, that was more than enough for them to finish talking about the events of the past two days - Shouma’s duel with Kurara, and the group’s victory against the commander. Apparently, no one was in a hurry to come and get him. 

“I did think about checking in earlier,” Eito admitted. “But everyone was in such high spirits, I didn’t want to miss anything.”

“In high spirits…” Takumi echoed absently. He shook his head, pulling himself back to the present. “It’s a little awkward talking in the doorway. Why don’t you come in?”

“Right. Of course.” 

Eito stepped inside and sat down on the couch, placing a rectangular plastic container on the low table in front of him. Takumi sat on the bed.

“When I got to the cafeteria,” Eito began again. “Most people were already there. They were cheerfully chatting about yesterday’s victory - bragging about their best moves, sharing tips on what to avoid next time… That’s not to say no one was worried, I’m sure they were, but-”

“They’re just trying not to show it?” Takumi finished. “They’re anxious, but that’s exactly why they’re avoiding the thought. If they don’t dwell on it, they won’t feel overwhelmed.”

Eito nodded. “You took the words right out of my mouth. After a while, though, the conversation shifted to Shouma’s duel. As expected, he used his wish for everyone to get along.”

“So at least one thing went according to plan…” Takumi sighed. 

“No one blames you for what you did.” Eito said gently. “Kurara apologized for everything, including how she treated you.” He gestured to the box on the table. “She stayed up all night making her special curry as a surprise for everyone.”

Takumi’s eyes lit up involuntarily. The thought alone brought back the warmth of the meal’s aroma. His appetite rose, but he pushed it down. “Did she ask you to bring it?”

“No, she just left it in the fridge and told anyone to spread the word. It was my idea to bring it to you now.”

“How kind of you. Thanks.” 

Takumi couldn’t help but notice that “everyone is trying not to think about it” followed by "no one blames you" was a clear contradiction, even if it wasn't deliberately meant to be one. Not that it mattered. Whatever they thought, Takumi had done what he had to do. There was no other choice. And if everyone else could pretend nothing happened, how unfair would it be for him to agonize over doing the right thing? However, there was one person whose thoughts might’ve still been worth hearing. 

“How do you feel about this, Eito?” He asked. “I don’t mean whether you blame me - just in general. About what happened.”

Eito leaned back slightly. “I get why everyone’s confused, because I can’t make sense of it either. The 2nd Academy students know more than we do, yet they looked just as thrown off when the commander started talking.”

“Sirei said he’d explain everything, then disappeared the day after. Hiruko too. And now this…“ Takumi recounted. “It’s like we’re cursed to never learn the truth.”

“Cursed…” Eito repeated, looking down. “You meant that as an exaggeration, but at this point, nothing’s off the table. Up until now, there was always some logic we could follow. But now there’s not even a thread to hold onto.”

“I doubt the commander just suddenly picked up our language.” Takumi said. “The only logical explanation is that something changed with us.”

It wasn’t hard to come up with that theory when you already know the answer. Nevertheless, Takumi didn’t say anything that wouldn’t be plausible given their current information. Taking everything into account, it really was the only logical explanation. 

“I thought the same thing.” Eito replied. “But it seems to be a dead end too. I tried to follow the idea that maybe our recent fights had awakened something, but it doesn’t hold up. We’ve all fought in different amounts of battles.” He paused to take a breath. “And this morning, I happened to talk to Kako. She was watching our fight, and though she’s never been in a battle herself, she could also understand the commander.”

If there was one thing Takumi could celebrate about yesterday’s disaster, it was that it had managed to genuinely confound Eito. Takumi let out a sigh of relief, though to anyone else, it probably just sounded like he was tired. 

The situation was certainly strange, but far more so for everyone else than it was for him. Especially for Eito, who was actually trying to wrap his head around it. Eito, who was the cause behind every major incident up until now, must’ve been the most disoriented of all.

The others - Takumi’s past self included - had more or less given up on understanding anything after Sirei vanished. So for them, being left in the dark was nothing new. The only difference this time was that they didn’t have an easy excuse to fall back on.

Sirei and Hiruko’s disappearances could be blamed on their naturally suspicious behavior. That, and the destroyed fridge, could’ve been chalked up to some hidden enemy, like the “invader made out of Undying Flames” Takumi had once mentioned and naively kept blaming. However this time, as Eito had said himself, there was no logic left to hold onto.

And the reason for that was simple: there was no logic to find. 'Takumi came back from the future, and that boosted everyone’s hemoanima to the point they could understand the commanders’ language'. Even knowing that to be the truth, it still sounded absurd. People had a hard enough time believing it when Takumi outright told them. It wasn’t just impossible to guess, it was impossible to accept without irrefutable proof that couldn’t be dismissed as coincidence. Being cursed really wasn’t that much more unlikely. 

“I don’t think we’ll figure anything out about this new problem.” Takumi said, tilting his head to both sides, making light crack noises. “But we still have one lead.”

There was no harm in entertaining hypotheticals. As long as the conversation didn’t touch on Sirei or Hiruko, Eito had no reason to hide anything. That made this kind of talk unusually enjoyable. For once, Takumi knew more about “the truth” than the person in front of him. It was comforting to hear him be confused. It really was kind of Eito to show up. Had he not, Takumi probably would’ve spent the whole day worrying about the next commander. 

“‘World Death’, you mean?” Eito asked. 

“Yeah. Now that everyone’s working together, we might finally learn what it is. But in the meantime-” Takumi gave a faint smile. “Isn’t it at least a little fun to guess? What do you think it could be?”

Eito closed his eyes with a thoughtful expression. “Kurara shut down the conversation before anyone could say anything useful, and I haven’t given it much thought since… But I’d guess the name’s probably pretty literal.”

“What do you mean?” 

“Think about it.” Eito adjusted his glasses with a practiced motion. “It’s safe to assume the place we’re on is Earth. So then - how did it end up like this? Wouldn’t an event like that fit the name ‘World Death’?”

“Safe to assume…” The phrase snagged in Takumi’s mind. This kind of discussion was exactly what he needed before tomorrow’s official reveal. He’d been taking so much of his knowledge for granted that he forgot what it was like not to know. He’d gotten so used to thinking of this place as Earth, he hadn’t realized that for most people, that wasn’t confirmed.

In theory, the clues weren’t hard to piece together. History and geography books, when one bothered to look for them, did talk about Earth. It was a place where humanity resided before the TRC, and now they were outside of the TRC. The connection was apparent. The issue was just how scarce the information about the past was without someone bothering to look for it. Before Takumi developed an interest in reading, all he really knew were the basics like rain or seasons. And that was only thanks to Karua. The school barely acknowledged the Earth’s existence at all. It wouldn’t be surprising if most people didn’t know about it. 

But now, with the information Takumi had gained, he could clearly see that someone had the knowledge to piece it together long before the 2nd Academy Students ever explained anything. And that person had already slipped up. 

It happened days ago, during their expedition. Eito had offhandedly referred to the place they were on as Earth. They’d spoken a little about the planet in the library before, however never in the context of currently being there.  

Even though it wasn’t a major slipup at all, it still made something in Takumi’s chest tighten. He should’ve noticed it. Despite being on high alert for anything suspicious Eito might say, he’d missed it. Worse, the next day, he spoke about Earth’s constellation like it was a given they were on the planet. 

If he couldn’t catch that now… Just how many much more obvious signs had he missed the first time around? If only he’d noticed even one of them, if he'd paid more attention… Just maybe, things would’ve-

His hand rose to his chest, unintentionally mirroring a gesture he’d seen Eito do countless times. He gripped his jacket tightly, not out of pain, but to try to escape the sudden weight pressing on him. He had no reason to blame himself. Everyone else bore as much responsibility… Or so he’d like to be able to think. But deep down, he couldn’t forget just how much he’d trusted Eito. He believed in him - in his kindness, in his clumsy speeches about unity and hope, in the way Eito always seemed to notice when he was feeling down and offered a hand. Back then, he really thought of Eito as a friend, a companion he could confide in - someone who genuinely cared about him.

 “Takumi? Is everything okay?”

Why couldn’t it have stayed that way…?

Takumi slowly let his hands fall back to his sides, though his gaze still wouldn’t lift from the ground.

“It’s just…” He hesitated, then forced the words out. “Thinking about it, it’s kinda scary, right? I mean, the Earth - an entire planet - got destroyed and we never learned a single thing anything about it? I get that recent reports were hidden, but something like that couldn’t have happened overnight. The library here had a lot more information, yet there were still no signs there that anything like World Death was coming…”

“Can we really say there were no signs?” Eito said firmly. “This is all just speculation, but based on what I’ve read, humanity faced plenty of natural disasters - floods, earthquakes, wildfires - and as time went on, they only became more frequent. At a drastic rate, too. And yet, no major changes were made to prevent it. Couldn't that have escalated further?” 

Takumi glanced up. “So, are you saying the Earth’s destruction was humanity’s fault? That they just needed to pay more attention?”

“No,” Eito shook his head. “I wouldn’t go that far. There were probably many other factors we just don’t know. But what I said still holds. The extreme weather didn’t happen in a vacuum. So even if it wasn’t entirely their fault, they could’ve done more about it.”

Takumi’s expression softened. He raised his head fully, now looking straight at Eito. “...Yeah. I think so too. If only humans were more vigilant… Then, maybe, we wouldn’t need to be here like this...”

“But-” He added after a pause, his voice quieter. “Maybe that’s wrong. What if the outcome was inevitable? What if there was nothing anyone could’ve done?” He said shakily, not thinking through what he was actually arguing for.

“That’s a pretty pessimistic way of looking at it.” Eito scratched the back of his head. “I get what you’re saying, though. The dinosaurs roamed the planet for millions of years, yet they still went extinct - almost definitely due to something beyond their control.”

“However,” Eito raised one finger. “There’s a key difference. Humans didn't go extinct, did they?" He paused, letting the rhetorical question briefly speak for itself. "Whatever the TRC really is, it must’ve taken an enormous amount of time and effort to build-”

“Doesn’t that prove my point?” Takumi countered. “If they had enough time to build something like that, then if World Death could’ve been prevented, wouldn’t they have done something to stop it?”

“They probably just didn’t care until it was too late.” Eito said bluntly. “Then at some point, it became impossible to ignore - but by then," His expression darkened. "It was also too late to actually change anything.”

“Or maybe…” Takumi murmured to himself. “There were too many other things that seemed more important.”

He cleared his throat. “Still, despite everything, it seems that Earth is still standing.”

Eito looked around absently before looking back at Takumi. “That’s putting it lightly.” 

The image of endless ruins - kilometers of collapsed buildings and scorched roads, landscapes caved apart by invaders - flickered through Takumi’s mind. That last part remained a complete mystery, and there was little use in bringing it up again. He and Eito had both silently agreed there was no point in speculating further about the invaders as it’d just circle around back to Parmith. Even for Takumi, the topic was confusing. The idea they were mindless constructs of World Death didn’t sit well with the fact they could speak and had a religion. Still, he’d never bothered to think too deeply about it. They were enemies. That was enough. 

Takumi laughed faintly. “I guess this is Earth’s second chance? Or at least... A second chance for people to live normally on it.”

“If all we said is true…” Eito began, acknowledging once more that everything was just speculation. But since Takumi had been the one to suggest indulging in theories, there was no reason to hold back now. “Then it definitely adds weight to what Sirei had said about us fighting for mankind. We’re not just protecting the TRC from invaders, we’re making it possible for humanity to expand once more.”

Takumi nodded. “We’re here thanks to many mistakes of the past. But what matters is that we are here. This time, things will go right. I’ll make sure of it.” 

Eito smiled. “It’s a relief to see you have your confidence back.”

Whilst it wasn't a complete discrepancy, Takumi’s last words didn’t perfectly align with what he’d said previously about fighting because refusing would risk dying, but he wasn't focused on that. Ever since the conversation turned towards World Death, Takumi had been operating on a slightly different wavelength from Eito. 

“I guess-” Takumi looked to the side before glancing back at Eito. “Talking with you is always just so soothing.”

“Even though we still don’t know what the invaders are, or about hemoanima, or why we, in particular, were chosen…” Eito trailed off for a moment. “I think this has really helped me collect my thoughts. So thank you, Takumi.”

“Is that so…? I’m glad. I feel the-” Takumi caught himself, realizing that what he’d been about to say would’ve led nowhere. He pivoted. “So? What did you arrive at?”

Eito’s face grew more focused. “I wasn’t sure until now, but it seems we really are fighting for humanity.”

“I see. You were the one most wary of Sirei, after all.” Takumi said, carefully speaking in line with this timeline’s events. “But since you already made the choice to fight, does knowing that change anything?”

“Hmm…” Eito hummed, folding his arms. “No, not really. Not in terms of actions, at least. But it’s still better knowing there’s a purpose behind it all.” 

Thanks to that long-winded speech Eito had given before, Takumi knew the truth was the exact opposite of what he claimed now. Out of everyone, Eito had believed in Sirei's claim that they were fighting to save humanity the most. Without any confirmation, he’d moved to eliminate Sirei on Day 2, before many of the students had even finished exploring all corners of the academy. Whether it was genuine belief or desperate hope projected onto their circumstances, he'd latched onto that narrative like a lifeline. 

Back then, he’d been fully lying - and right now, he still was, even if just by omission. 

And yet, the only reason Takumi could tell Eito was being dishonest was because he knew it already. There was nothing in his voice, no tremble in his expression. Nothing that could betray him. That was what made talking with Eito unsettling, if not terrifying. 

Takumi thought of the future - or rather, past - where he’d chosen to imprison Eito. Even then, stripped of knowledge and any advantage, Eito had still managed to control the conversation and make him feel cornered. That level of poise was unnerving. But in a way, Takumi almost admired it, and maybe felt a little jealous. Not that he’d ever admit it aloud.

Back to the present, Takumi knew he could afford to validate Eito’s beliefs like this. He would've learnt about World Death and the true scope of their fight tomorrow anyway. It was certainly more amusing to do so now, getting to lead Eito into arriving at the right conclusion himself.

“That’s true.” Takumi agreed. “Everything’s easier when you have a clear goal in mind.”

A quiet pause followed, the kind that naturally signals the end of a conversation.

Since Takumi made no effort to speak again, Eito - very courteously - took it upon himself to act, likely to avoid sitting there in silence for an indeterminate amount of time. He stood, rounded the small table from the left, and stepped over to the larger one.

“I’m happy you kept our drawings.” He said, eyes on them. Takumi, however, wasn’t entirely thrilled. Considering how naturally Eito had walked over there, he must’ve thoroughly scanned the room when he entered. 

“I considered hanging them up,” Takumi said, standing up as well. “But unlike Shouma’s room, mine has brick walls. It’s not exactly easy.”

He mentioned Shouma’s room because it was decorated with pictures. For a moment, Takumi second-guessed himself. He wasn't the one to convince Shouma this time, but he still had gone inside that room on the same day. So he wasn’t saying anything he shouldn’t know. 

“What about over there?” Eito pointed to the right.

“There are those rusty pipes.” Takumi replied, doubling down on the lie that he’d actually considered any of this. “Below them would be too low, and above’s too high.”

“I see.” Eito studied the wall. “That is a problem.” 

“...Wait. Why are we talking about this…?” Takumi asked, realizing how much effort he was putting into something like this. Though more than that, he just felt awkward discussing his strange failure from a few days ago.

“I thought it’d be good to get our minds off heavier topics for a bit,” Eito answered. “Sorry if the execution was lacking.”

“No, you’re fine. You just caught me off guard.”

Eito was obviously trying to bring their encounter to a close. And truthfully, Takumi was starting to feel the fatigue he temporarily shook off. But he wasn’t just going to let it end on Eito’s terms.

“You know..." Takumi yawned deeply. "I think I’m still kinda tired. I might have to head back to sleep soon.”

By steering the conversation towards something unrelated and dull, Eito was trying to subtly nudge Takumi into being the one to officially end it. Under normal circumstances, that would’ve worked perfectly. Takumi was already tired, so between carrying on a meandering small talk or just calling it quits and resting, the choice should’ve been obvious. 

“Yeah.“ Eito moved to the center of the room, then turned back around to face the room's owner. ”I think I’m going to do the same. There’s no reason to push ourselves right after a battle.”

Technically, everything about that made sense. They both really were tired, and Takumi had already let the conversation stall earlier. Eito wasn’t doing anything wrong by wanting to leave. If he’d just said it plainly, Takumi would’ve agreed with no issue, probably. But it was the way he was trying to shift the responsibility onto him - to make him the one to end it - that irritated Takumi. 

“Eito said that I ‘always find a way to surprise him’.” Takumi contemplated. “In that case… Would he expect me to do the same thing twice?”

“I’ll be taking my leave then,” Eito said, beginning to turn. “Goodbye, Taku-”

Before he could finish, Takumi suddenly stepped forward, closed the distance, and wrapped his arms tightly around Eito.

“Ah-” Eito gasped, instinctively trying to lift his arms, but Takumi’s awkwardly low grip pinned them around the elbows. “Uh, um…” 

Eito fumbled for words, but Takumi wasn’t doing much better. Embarrassment hit him the moment he committed to the gesture. His heart thudded painfully in his chest, and he could already feel the heat rising to his face. He buried his head in Eito’s hood, hiding more so from himself than from anyone else. 

The confidence that had driven him just a second ago was evaporating. Now that this was something he’d chosen to do, rather than just losing his balance, it felt way more embarrassing. 

All he could do is tighten his hold more.

Takumi understood perfectly well why Eito wore such a large jacket - precisely in case of situations like this, or anything remotely similar. Yet ironically, the jacket was part of what made this moment unexpectedly pleasant. Its texture was closer to a raincoat than anything actually soft, but for Takumi, so used to wearing hoodies, that slightly plasticky texture made the contrast feel nice. 

He took a slow breath in…… And out. With his breathing closer to being steady, he realized: this was honestly kind of comfortable. Separated from all context, just the act of hugging someone felt comforting. 

It wasn’t just now that Takumi wasn’t able to voice his thoughts freely. Even in a different timeline, when he spoke about all he knew, detailing his memories, no one could ever truly understand him. He was the only one who knew the future. That knowledge placed a distance between him and everyone else, a divide between what he said, and how they heard it. Takumi didn’t understand why, but somehow, this hug, in this silent, utterly fake moment…  He felt like he was finally able to let a part of his feelings out. 

This being an active choice he made also allowed him to focus more on it. He could feel the way his eyebrows scrunched slightly against the fabric, how the synthetic weave of the jacket pressed gently against his skin. He could sense the warmth radiating from Eito’s body through the layers between them. He heard the unsteady rhythm of heartbeat. He could smell the soft scent of the dorms' soap... 

Perhaps he was making this too much about himself, he thought. He hadn't even noticed how Eito hadn’t moved at all this whole time, nor had he spoken anything after few incoherent mumbles. His arms were still awkwardly suspended in the air, frozen halfway through the motion they never got to finish.

Takumi lowered his hands and stepped back.

Eito’s face had gone pale, his eyes wide in surprise. He stood there unmoving, until finally, he lifted one hand to his mouth. “...Good night, Takumi.” 

He lowered his hand and gave a kind smile, though his eyes had closed. “I’m really tired. I think I’ll go to sleep early.”

Eito turned and headed toward the door. Takumi murmured just loud enough to be heard. “Good night to you too.”

He hadn’t expected such a strong reaction. He was a bit conflicted about that. Still… Eito acting so out of sorts made it unlikely he’d question the hug too much. At the very least, Takumi didn’t have to explain himself. 

The door clicked shut behind Eito.

Takumi let out a long sigh.

“...The curry’s gone cold.”

He stared blankly at the box for a full minute before finally picking it up and leaving the room. His footsteps echoed softly as he descended the three flights of stairs to the cafeteria.

He set the microwave timer for three minutes. It beeped repeatedly when it finished. Sitting alone at the central table, he waited for the heat to settle.

He ate in silence.

It was delicious. The tender chunks of pork had fully absorbed the warm depth of spices. The rice balanced the richness of the sauce perfectly, and there was a subtle sweetness from the banana and apple that gave the dish a creamy, mellow undertone. Warmth from the cumin lingered on his tongue.

However… Reheated, it wasn’t quite the same. Takumi’s mouth twitched in mild disappointment. But really, the only reason he could feel that way was because he knew what it had once tasted like. If this had been his first time eating it, would he have found it lacking? Maybe he just needed to appreciate what he did have.

Finishing the last bite, he returned the tray, walked back to his room, and finally went to sleep.

Chapter Text

For the second day in a row, Takumi was greeted by the chime of a doorbell.

He’d been sitting on his bed idly for a few minutes, waiting for it - ever since Sirei finished another one of his obnoxious announcements. Even though yesterday’s conversation had rendered today’s charade all the more insignificant, Takumi knew someone would be visiting him, as well as the reason for her visit. 

He stood and walked over to the door, pausing by the mirror. This time, he actually made an effort to fix his hair. He practiced a surprised expression too, so his reaction would seem genuine. His standing with Nozomi wasn’t great, he couldn’t have made a worse first impression. If he wanted to avoid being written off as an irredeemable weirdo, then looking like he expected her visit was out of the question. 

All that effort, however, turned out to be completely pointless. Takumi gently opened the door.

“Y-Yugamu?!” He blurted, nearly shouting as he instinctively took a step back.

“Why the long face?” The unexpected visitor cackled. “Were you expecting someone else?”

Takumi didn’t need to look in the mirror to know his expression was unmistakably one of shock. And, as expected of the professional assassin, Yugamu had immediately seen through him and correctly guessed why.

“Nevermind that.” Yugamu continued, as his expression grew more serious. “Nozomi asked me to help gather everyone in the War Room.”

“She did…?” Takumi asked, trying to make sense of the situation.

Nozomi was a kind person. She wouldn’t hate him over that mistake he did, Takumi knew that much. But he hadn’t exactly thought things through from her perspective. Nozomi had cared enough about Moko to sit at her bedside for days when she “returned”, and cried with joy when she woke up. Karua had gotten upset when he stood her up by mistake. So was he expecting her not to feel hurt - even if subconsciously - about losing the one chance to save her friend? He’d been more worried about how he would come across when he opened the door than he’d been about Nozomi’s feelings.

In the grand scheme of things, Yugamu showing up instead of Nozomi didn’t change anything significantly, it actually made Takumi’s morning easier. The only real impact it had was slightly damaging his ego. 

“Let me explain.” Yugamu closed his eye. “Now that our groups are working together, we’ve come to a unanimous decision that we shouldn't withhold any information from you.” He paused and opened his eye again, fixing on Takumi with a pointed gaze. “That includes World Death.”

“...Alright.” Takumi said with a nod. “Thanks for telling me. I’ll head to the War Room.”

“See you then.” Yugamu replied, turning on his heel and leaving the room.

The whole exchange had been dry, and Takumi hadn’t done himself any favors with his flat, uninterested reaction to Yugamu’s announcement. First, Nozomi had chosen to ask Yugamu for help instead of him. Now, his conversation with Yugamu had felt transactional. Earlier, Tsubasa had made a slight jab at him during the defensive battle. And though he didn’t know how the rest felt, chances are their opinion of him had dropped at least slightly. Takumi was well aware this was his own fault - to a higher extent than anyone else would think - but that didn’t mean he was fine with it. He didn’t want people treating him so coldly.

Thinking about it rationally, maybe everything would be easier if he just started acting outright rude. It’d be convenient if he gave everyone a clear reason to hate him. Then, if they began to ignore him entirely, he would no longer need to concern himself with their opinions, he wouldn’t have to worry about things like he was now. 

However, no matter how rational that line of thought sounded, Takumi didn’t want that. He didn’t want them disliking him. That’s all there was to it. 

So, was he willing to put in genuine time and effort to fix his relationships with the others? No, of course not. What would be the point? That’d be a complete waste of time. What he wanted was to do however he pleased without it affecting how others treated him. The moment his choice had real consequences, it unsettled him. He didn’t like needing to deal with that. Takumi wasn’t being selfish here, the ones actually selfish were the people upset at him. If they knew as much as he did, they would all see he was in the right. 

In essence, what he wanted was to apologize. Not because he felt genuine remorse, but because it would get people to stop thinking badly of him, and that’d make him feel better.

Frankly, Takumi wasn’t sure just how upset the others actually were with him. Had someone else made the same mistake - accident or not - he knew he’d be disappointed. But the truth was, he couldn’t entirely see it from their perspective. He could only guess based on their reactions from right when it happened, and such impulsive outbursts weren't the most accurate. Most likely, he was just projecting his own disappointment with the situation onto everyone else. Onto people who, in most cases, hadn’t even known Moko. Still, it was fair to assume they were at least a little upset. And that gave him the justification he needed to move forward with the idea he’d already come up with.

Having wasted enough time, Takumi headed to the War Room.  He wasn’t the last one to arrive, so he simply stepped inside and waited in silence with the others for the final few to join. Tsubasa was the last to enter, and with that, the room was full.

“Alright, looks like everyone’s here.” Nozomi said, taking charge with a steady voice.

“Let me cut right to the chase.” She continued after a few remarks from others. “We called you all here to talk about World Death.”

There was no hesitation in her voice. Takumi couldn’t help but feel a quiet sense of awe. Just days ago, the two academies had been completely at odds, waging a war against each other. Even without considering the whole complication with Parmith, it was impressive. For Nozomi - and the rest - to now be able to stand here and discuss what they once flat-out refused to share. That took a kind of strength Takumi couldn’t not admire. The strength to not only admit you were wrong, but also work to correct yourself. It was a virtue not many could be proud of. Ironically, mostly due to their pride. 

Next, Nozomi revealed that they were on planet Earth. The 1st Academy students weren’t exactly surprised. They barely knew anything about the planet, so the name meant little to them. As for Takumi, he stayed quiet. It would’ve only been counterproductive to fake confusion now. His conversation partner from yesterday clearly thought the same, offering only a calm nod.

“Underground shelters? You mean…?” Eito finally spoke up once Nozomi got to something new. 

Nozomi elaborated, and soon the rest began joining in, asking questions. Takumi followed suit. It seemed like the natural thing to do. Of course, this story wasn’t the full truth. Nigou had entirely omitted the part about the Artificial Satellite, and the fact it was the TRC they knew. 

When the topic shifted to the invaders, Kurara - who had taken over the explanation - visibly stiffened, yet her voice didn’t waver. Another display of their strength. She relayed what Nigou had told them: that the invaders were World Death itself. And whilst the sudden ability to understand the commander left room for new questions, it didn’t directly contradict that explanation. Perhaps if they’d learnt that the commanders even had a religion of their own, then there might’ve been doubts, but for now, the story held together.

“The hopes and dreams of all mankind rest on our shoulders.” Nozomi said as she concluded. “We have to do this…” Her sharp gaze swept across the room. “For everyone.”

After a brief pause that allowed the weight of the moment to settle, a wave of cheers and words of encouragement rippled through the room. This was the spark they needed - the confirmation that humanity truly did depend on them. It stirred a deeper motivation than any wager could muster, uniting them under a shared purpose. Whether it was the promise of fame and fortune, or the determination to protect loved ones, everyone’s resolve hardened. Everything’s easier when you have a clear goal in mind.

Ima and Kako were the first to leave, followed by the others. Takumi noticed how every departing figure had turned left - likely heading for breakfast, or back to their rooms. Considering how filling Kurara’s curry was, the latter seemed more probable. Takumi himself didn’t feel hungry, having eaten a bit later than the others. In any case, it was a moot point.

Only one person’s movement mattered. The moment that person stepped out, Takumi followed, calling out to him. They drifted to the right of the doorway to avoid blocking anyone’s path.

“It seems our theories from yesterday were right.” Eito said, smiling. 

It would’ve been pointless to point out how casually he began speaking, despite having walked off without a word earlier. 

“I guess so.” Takumi replied. 

Was Eito trying to end the conversation quickly, or was he deliberately opening the door to it, giving himself space to organize his thoughts? If Takumi stayed quiet just a little longer, he could find out. However…

“Hey,” He continued, deciding neither outcome was particularly desirable. “Can you meet me in the entrance hall?”

“Huh?” Eito let out as he slightly tilted his head. Takumi supposed he must've not expected that. “Do you want to go exploring?”

“Yeah.” Takumi nodded. No point in hiding something so apparent. “I just need to do something first.”

“Are you going to ask anyone else to come?” Eito questioned.

Takumi wondered whether Eito wanted to hear a yes or a no, before quickly realizing the futility of that line of thought.

“Would you like anyone else to come?” He asked.

Eito’s answers might not always be reliable, but they were still more concrete than speculation. Avoiding asking a simple follow-up question wouldn't be a sign of cautiousness, but one of cowardice. 

“I don’t know where we’re going,” Eito admitted. “But if you don’t think it’s necessary,“ Takumi’s own question had essentially answered Eito’s earlier query. “Then we should be fine. Though... If it’s not that, what do you need to do?”

“Craft a backpack.” Takumi replied plainly. He wasn’t the only one who could ask follow-up questions.

“I see. I’ll wait for you downstairs, then.”

Throughout the earlier group event, Eito was far more composed than how he’d been the previous time. Though back then, Takumi’s focus was on the important revelations, he could still recall Eito’s pained expression. He was concerned enough to check up on him, worrying about his well-being. Now, however, Eito seemed perfectly fine. A day to process the information must have helped.

Being summoned to the War Room meant Eito couldn’t hide away in his quarters all day. Here, having heard confirmation of what he’d already all but confirmed, he could absorb it without the same strain. Everything, Takumi thought, had played out rather nicely.

Takumi returned to his room and gathered most of the materials he had left. Crafting two backpacks would take a toll on his resources, but it was a worthy investment. The last time they’d ventured out, the amount they could carry - whilst constantly watching for the invaders - had been sharply limited. With these, they could bring enough supplies to last a while without worry.

Leaving the Rec Room, he headed downstairs. Since he still had some materials to spare, he also prepare some and two bottles, filling them with water in the cafeteria. Eventually, he arrived at the entrance hall. 

“Hello, Takumi. You’re back.” A familiar voice drew his attention. “You made one for me too?” Eito asked, eyeing the second backpack.

“Mhm. It’s more convenient that way, no?”

Eito nodded in agreement. “Mind if I ask - do you have a particular destination in mind? You sounded rather resolute when you asked me earlier.” 

Takumi let out a small, awkward laugh. “Can’t say I do. I just thought it might be good to get some fresh air… And make the most of it.”

Eito accepted that without question, and with that, the two of them stepped beyond the wall of fire.

The last time they’d gone out, on Day 37, he’d brought Darumi along. He appreciated her company, of course, but her presence had been more of a safety precaution than anything else.

...Or so was the excuse, anyway. He'd always known nothing bad would happen. Someone else’s presence was never any “assurance” at all. Fixating on the slightest chance, no matter how small, was nothing but a sign of one thing. Something almost shameful given their situation: fear. Continuing to act like that would be, quite frankly, idiotic. 

Had he lacked the courage to actively pursue new topics yesterday, instead fretting over saying too much, today likely would’ve been entirely wasted. Perhaps Eito wasn’t as big of an obstacle to this plan as Takumi himself was. 

For now, though, choosing which direction to take was a more immediate concern.

“Uh... Right.” Takumi said as he glanced at Eito who was waiting in anticipation 

“By that I mean-” He scratched the back of his head, realizing how unclear his first answer had been. “Yeah. I guess we could go right.”

The houses closest to them had already been thoroughly looted, so they would have to wander further in to find anything useful. They had the entire day ahead of them, and Takumi had prepared food, so reaching the more distant areas wouldn’t be an issue.

Even so, Takumi didn’t pick up his pace. He walked slowly, taking in the ruins with more attention than ever before.

The Tokyo Residential Complex was flat; the tallest buildings were only a few stories high. The skyscrapers here, broken in half, still towered over anything their small shelter could offer. A thought crossed Takumi’s mind.

“Is something the matter, Takumi?” Eito asked, noticing the slowing pace. 

Takumi decided to voice his thoughts aloud. “To think… people lived here.”

It was stating the obvious. Even before they confirmed they were on Earth, what else would these buildings have been for, if not for people?

“I’ve read about it in books,” Eito glanced up. “But living under a sky, with no barriers in sight… After forty-six days, I still can’t get my mind around it.” 

“That’s not entirely what I meant…” Takumi replied a bit more quietly, unsure of his own thoughts.

This place must’ve been a city once, yet now it was nothing more than a rotting monument to extinction. As Nozomi had said, billions of people had died. However there were no bodies left, only the occasional splintered bones jutting from the dust, gnawed by time. Perhaps the ocean had swallowed the corpses in some violent cataclysm, or maybe they had been incinerated, flesh and bone alike, by the ravenous Undying Flames. Takumi could picture the piles of bodies and the rivers of blood that must have once stained this place. No one here deserved such a fate.

“Even if we stop World Death,” Takumi murmured. “This place doesn’t seem to be doing too well…”

All the time they were moving. Though clear road tracks marked a path, weaving between the buildings seemed more efficient and made them less likely to be spotted by a group of enemies. Every so often, they stopped to pick up plants. The Ration-O-Matic’s ability to turn something as useless as branches into something as practical as food was as mysterious as it was convenient.

“Rebuilding will be tough.” Eito said as he skirted around a sizable pothole. “We might never see the fruits of our effort. However, as long as there’s hope, nothing is unachievable.”

Takumi, walking ahead through a narrow alley, couldn’t see Eito’s expression. But there was a lightness in his voice that made him want to roll his eyes. Cheerful, cheesy lines really were a great way to end a conversation, since what could you possibly say after that? 

Further out now, they began checking the insides of buildings as well. Amongst the broken furniture, there was plenty that could be salvaged and repurposed - old clothes and cloaks for fabric, busted clocks and electronics for machine parts. Nevertheless, with many buildings either inaccessible or in dangerous condition, finding anything useful wasn’t as easy as it might’ve seemed on paper. 

They soon noticed a small patch of greenery, not big enough to be called a park, but enough to fill their need for higher-grade minerals. As they headed over, a few minor invaders caught sight of them. The fight was over almost as soon as it began, thanks to the enemy’s small numbers. Still, it sparked a new topic.

“Apparently the invaders are actually World Death itself.” Eito voiced, paraphrasing Kurara’s words. 

Takumi scanned their surroundings for any other threats. “Do you think that’s all there is to it?”

“We don’t have any alternatives.” Eito replied. “We have to put our trust in the Second-to-Last Academy students and their theory.”

“That’s not a no.” Takumi thought silently, sighing. He didn’t care about this. He’d asked out of frivolous curiosity, to see if Eito harbored any doubts, already expecting the response. Obviously there was more to it, however he’d much prefer if everyone simply accepted the simplest answer as the truth. The truth… Takumi was quickly growing tired of that word. 

They came across a bench still in good condition, and Takumi decided to take a break. Opening the backpack’s smaller pocket, he took out a bottle of water. “You have one in your bag too,” he said before taking a sip.

Partially obscured by the trees, the sky above was as beautiful as ever. He’d claimed earlier that this trip was to “get some fresh air”, though the air here was objectively worse than what they breathed within the academy walls. Still, there was something calming about it. Maybe something new, even if lesser, had its own kind of charm compared to something decent yet stagnant.

“Are you planning to make something with all those items?” Eito asked. Although Takumi hadn’t said that was his intention before heading out, the way he’d prepared backpacks and paid attention to material types was too deliberate for Eito to miss.

“You could say that,” Takumi paused. “Though it’s not really a 'something'...“ He added, purposefully annoyingly vague. ”For now, let’s just focus on gathering the stuff, we’ll-”

“Wouldn’t it be easier if you just said it now instead of waiting until tomorrow?” Eito cut in.

Takumi, who had been planning to delay the explanation until tomorrow, might have felt a little deflated at being read so easily - if not for the fact that Eito had basically admitted he’d given up on hoping Takumi would leave him alone.

“I feel like people have a right to be disappointed about my mistake from two days ago,” Takumi gave in. “So I thought it’d be nice to do something about it. You know, like how we convinced Tsubasa, Gaku, and Shouma to fight by giving them gifts?” He chuckled. “Maybe that’s a shallow way of thinking, but it’s worth a try, right?”

“That’s very kind of you, Takumi.” Eito smiled. “Really, so kind. I’d like to tell you that you’re worrying too much, but if this is what you need to feel better, then it’s a great idea.”

“Does that mean you’ll help?” Takumi asked, his tone brightening.

“How could I not?” 

That answer was as literal as his “you really shouldn’t have” from Day 32, but that suited Takumi just fine.

“But,“ Eito went on. “It sounds like you don’t actually have anything specific in mind.”

“Well… We’ll deal with that tomorrow.” Takumi put the bottle back into his bag and clapped his hands. “Don't count your chickens before they hatch!”

“I’m not sure that’s the right phrase here, considering we’re bound to get the supplies we need. Wouldn’t ‘we’ll cross that bridge once we get there’ be more accurate?”

Takumi stood up. “I think we should get going.” He ignored Eito’s nitpicking, and they resumed their search.

A fair amount of time had already passed. Going from house to house, gathering plants, searching for stones - it was slow, monotonous work that currently did little more than add weight to their packs. Yet that same weight was also a measure of progress, and feeling it grow heavier brought a sense of satisfaction. The only real limit to their little expedition was daylight: physical fatigue was hardly a concern. Hemoanima brought its downsides, but it came with as many benefits. Simply wearing class armor improved stamina. At times it felt almost like cheating, however it wasn’t as if Takumi had ever asked to wield this power, much less refine it by going back in time. Therefore this much was deserved.

Wandering about, looking for the best quality materials without a strict time limit became almost meditative - not tiresome, but the sort of task you could do on autopilot, letting your thoughts drift. Aside from occasional check-ins to compare their findings, they were mostly silent. Enemies were scarce, too, allowing them to spread out without much risk. They assumed this was because all the canon fodder had been sent out with Parmith. The enemy likely needed time to regroup and train, if that was something they did, before the next attack. 

Having gathered enough supplies, Takumi decided it was finally time to head back. Many hours had passed, but they’d been thorough, so the distance to the academy shouldn’t be too great. First, though, he wanted to reach the main road - it would give them a clearer view of the area and make navigation easier.

They moved through a dense residential district until Takumi passed the last house and stepped onto the street. It wasn’t the place they’d started from, naturally it wasn’t. They’d been wandering forward and turning at random without much thought. In hindsight, that might’ve not been the best idea. 

As Takumi walked out onto the lanes, he glanced at Eito and caught a flicker of concern on his face. Perhaps Eito had arrived at the same conclusion. Still, Takumi might've gotten lucky - the place felt oddly familiar. His talent for finding things must've kicked in again as he could swear he’d been here before. 

“Are you sure this is the right way?” Eito asked, scanning the surroundings. “Maybe we should go back and try retracing our steps?” 

“I’m pretty lucky when it comes to finding things.” Takumi replied. After a brief pause, he added, “Or people.” He pointed toward a crossroads where the road curved sharply left. “If we go that way, I’m certain we’ll make it.”

If he’d been more attentive, he could’ve used the sun as a compass. If he’d been smarter, he would’ve brought an actual compass. Without time travel on his side, they might’ve been genuinely lost by now. But this was no time to dwell on ‘ifs’. Reality was about to sink it. He certainly was lucky when it came to finding things. 

The area itself wasn’t remarkable: ruined lampposts, cracked pavement… Scenery much like the outskirts of the academy, slightly affirming Takumi’s gut feeling. The most notable details were a few shop signs in an unreadable language and some surprisingly intact gardens.

“What’s that…?” Takumi asked, spotting something lying in the road up ahead. A bad feeling settled over him, however it was too late to stop now. He was already walking towards it, with Eito trailing slightly behind. 

“Th-That’s…” Eito’s voice caught. He stepped back, then fell silent, much like Takumi.

Lying before them was a blackened mummy, the aftermath of someone having their hemoanima drained away.

“Hiruko…” Takumi murmured. The face was unrecognizable, but the clothes left no doubt. Shock spread across Takumi’s face for the second time today. He knew the truth about this corpse’s origin, but seeing it now was not something he had expected.

In a situation where both parties know the truth, it’s easier to wait for the other to speak first. That unspoken tension stretched into a long, uncomfortable silence.

“It’s horrible…”  Takumi tried to speak, but his mind blanked.

“I-I can’t believe it… Is this the work of the invaders?!” Eito's face twisted in pain. “Did Hiruko sneak out and got ambushed?”

Unless Hiruko had some secret way past the barrier, the idea had been discarded right after her disappearance weeks ago. The theory made no sense, just as the idea of a hidden invader inside the school did, one that for some reason killed only Hiruko instead of going straight for the Defense Room. All other explanations besides the truth contradicted themselves. Of course, past Takumi didn’t think so, but then again, past Takumi didn’t really think, either. Perhaps this was hindsight talking again. Back then, there’d been no reason to suspect a traitor, not when everyone appeared to be victims of the same strange circumstances. 

He kept silent. 

“How could this have happened to Hiruko…?!”

“Her hemoanima was absorbed like the commanders’!”

"Why is she here, of all places?"

There were countless things he could've said, yet silence felt more appropriate. He wasn’t the perpetrator, but feigning shock would still feel like an insult to Hiruko, a mockery of the dead. And he had no interest in playing the fool, everything that could be said was already obvious from a glance. The silence spoke for him.

Takumi figured Eito would rather leave this behind too, but unlike him, Eito had to maintain some sort of pretense.

“We need to tell everyone as soon as possible!” Eito said sharply, turning toward him as if to signal that if they weren’t going to discuss it, they should at least act.

Takumi’s gaze stayed fixed on the corpse. He looked for a while longer before speaking. 

“...Do we, though?”

Eito turned fully toward him, concern visible in his expression.

“Everyone’s already one edge.” Takumi explained, his voice strained. “Today we learned about World Death, the commander’s ability to talk is a mess in itself… Is there any need to make things even more complicated? We’ve only just started getting along…”

“Takumi…? Is everything alright?”

Taumi didn’t know if that was about what he’d said, or how he’d said it, but he took a breath and pressed on. “Hear me out. Hiruko’s been gone for a long time, by now, everyone’s already accepted she’s dead. I don’t think bringing this up now will accomplish anything.”

“You said something similar before, but back then there was a clear reason to hold back.” Eito spoke slowly, making his tone even harder than usual to read. “This time, you’re basing it all on speculation. I understand your point, but.. Instead of worrying about what it might cause, isn’t it more important to tell everyone the truth? Then we can all work on a solution-”

“Is 'the truth' really so important?” Takumi cut in, almost absently. 

The truth had done nothing but cause chaos. Sirei agreeing to tell everyone the truth on Day 2 had been the beginning of every calamity. Every time the topic surfaced again, it led to a disaster. Nozomi had died, along with the entire mission, because of desperate attempts to reach that elusive truth. Today, although the truth had drawn everyone together, it wasn’t the full story. Nigou had left out countless details, such as the matter of the Artificial Satellite, or the identity of the Defense Room, or the strange contradictions surrounding the invaders. 

If those fragments were enough to unite people, to satisfy them, did they really want the truth? Or did they just want a comfortable explanation which fit what they already believed? They hadn’t even bothered to discuss Parmith much because it was too difficult to think about. So why not just give up entirely on learning anything? Wouldn’t that be the most convenient outcome for everyone…?

“Sorry if I said something strange." Takumi added. “I just thought… If anyone could understand how I feel, it’d be you.”

On the surface, it might sound like he meant their shared time together gave Eito insight into his mindset. But it was far more direct. Whilst the morally upright thing would be to inform everyone - regardless of potential consequences - neither of them truly wanted that. For Takumi, it was simply inconvenient: a problem with answers he already knew, not worth the time or effort. For Eito, however, it was more complicated. With the uncertainty surrounding the new students, reviving the mystery of Hiruko’s disappearance could easily become a dangerous liability.

After a long pause, Eito finally said. “I do understand, Takumi.” His eyes shifted to the body. “Saying someone as strong as her was defeated wouldn’t be good for the team’s morale…” Then he looked back at Takumi, the corner of his mouth twitching into a faint smile. “I suppose, until the time is right, it will stay a secret between the two of us.”

“A secret, huh…” Takumi echoed, though the word left a bitter taste. He didn’t like it, it placed them on the same level.

“Thanks, Eito.” He finished.

With the matter tentatively settled, Takumi exhaled slowly. The situation had caught him completely off guard. He’d surely proven himself less foolish than his past self, so if Eito had judged him discovering Hiruko’s body a risk, thinking he’d press for analysis of her death and everything that followed, he could’ve ambushed him. In a strange way, the fact Eito hadn’t done so stung a little. What’s more, Eito had seemed almost eager to speak to everyone before even suggesting the two of them talk it through. Perhaps he’d anticipated that Takumi himself would argue against revealing the truth, doing the work for him. “You said something similar before,” Eito had remarked. Were those not words of someone wanting to subtly boast about predicting him? Though Takumi didn’t like that idea much, in the end, things had worked out. He had nothing to complain about, nor anything to gain from pressing further, either. 

Takumi suggested they bury Hiruko. Whether it was truly for her sake or simply to conceal the evidence, he couldn’t say. The timeline had already diverged enough that the possibility of someone else stumbling upon the body could no longer be dismissed, making this action necessary. Whatever the case, digging through the road without Kurara’s help was unrealistic, so he chose one of the gardens instead. The soil there was stubborn and dry. Takumi knew from experience that it didn’t rain too often here, additionally the long accumulation of dust and sand must've stripped the earth of its vitality. They really might be destined never to see the fruits of their efforts. Even if the mission had succeeded, it could take years, perhaps decades, before the soil could support anything again.

They moved on. Physically, Takumi felt fine, but mentally, he was worn down. It wasn’t a disaster by any means - nonetheless, two unexpected events in quick succession weren’t something he’d been eager to deal with. Eito seemed just as pensive and tired. The silence between them as they walked was a needed pause to let the tension settle. Until now, Takumi had been enjoying the day’s quieter rhythm, the monotony of walking and collecting. He hadn’t wanted another day where he was forced to say something unreasonably cold.

The word “unreasonably” stuck in his mind for the rest of the journey. If this counted as unreasonable, what would his past self have done? He tried to picture it, but the image wouldn’t come. He couldn’t put himself back into those old shoes. Nor could he tell if Eito saw the situation the same way. All he had to go on was Eito’s remark, that this wasn’t like when they’d stayed silent about Gaku. 

Since Takumi recognized the road - he’d taken it by bus on the way to the Second Academy - he knew for certain they were close and which way to go. He liked to imagine Eito knew the way too, though given he’d managed to get lost on Day 6, probably not. The thought made Takumi chuckle internally. In fairness, the only reason he himself hadn’t gotten lost today was because he was a time traveler, so he could almost understand how Eito had managed it. That small concession was quickly revoked when Takumi realized Eito could've pointed out, at any time earlier, just how likely they were to get lost wandering aimlessly.

Eventually, they retreated to their separate rooms. Takumi deliberately forgot to ask Eito for the backpack, it was a supplementary way of ensuring Eito couldn’t take the next day off.  After a quick shower, Takumi slid into bed.

The day hadn’t gone perfectly, but he had nothing to complain about. He’d handled the situation the best he could, and if there was a better way, he didn’t want to know. That would only make him feel foolish for missing it when it mattered.

Exhausted, he drifted off quickly, leaving any further reflection for another time.