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Akane struggled with the straps. She'd been in a hurry, and she hadn't taken her time to make sure they were secure enough for this kind of travel; now that it was too late, though, there wasn't anything else to do about them except keep trying until one worked loose or broke free entirely from its fasteners. The rest would have to be handled by whatever tech she could scrounge up.

Fides had breached South Korea's borders, and were after her.

She knew what they wanted: revenge on all who stood between them and their goal—herself included. And if Makoto got involved... Well, Akane didn't know how many times he'd tried before but she suspected it might just get him killed at last. It certainly wouldn't help his cause any more than being caught herself would. But still, when you've lived as long as I have, you learn some things along the way. Sometimes those lessons are hard-won wisdom. Other times? They're simply survival instincts honed over years spent running through life without ever stopping to think twice about your own safety. You don't let yourself become attached because attachments can only hurt you later. If something bad happens, then someone close dies instead of you. That is why Fides wants me dead so badly: not just because they hate my guts, which isn't exactly news anymore anyway, nor even for revenge against whoever put me into prison in the first place (that must be part of it). No, no. Their real target here is hope itself. Not because they want to destroy it per se, although maybe they'll find out differently once they realize it doesn't exist. Rather to make a statement - that none shall escape and get away with it.

"You look to be in a rush, fleeing, danger, flying across the sky!

She stopped, turning towards the source of that nonsensical statement. His dress was straight out of a fantasy novel, with a bard's green outfit and a matching lire strapped to his back.

"What do you want?" she begrudgingly asked.

"Want, desire, possess, such finite concepts! What I need is you, Akane.”

"Hu-" she got cut off as a giant portal appeared, sucking her in.

"By, sayonara, hasta la vista!"

She barely stole another glance before getting sucked into the great beyond