Shattered Illusions Part 3

For a bronze match and for a mere 50 RP gain, that sure did push us quite a bit….and it was quite a nice surprise to not only play with a type of tank we are not used to, but one that has his unique set of skills as well.

“Well played all of you. We finally are in a…”

But before I finish my compliment, Mai runs straight into my stomach head-first, leaving me reeling in pain on my knees

“What the hell was that, Nii-chan? That last play was completely unnecessary, you know?”

Well…good to know we are officially back on good terms

“If you messed that play up, we would’ve lost that game…. That was reckless coming from you, Nii”

I slowly recovered from Mai crashing into me “Yeah, I know. But it worked out, yeah?”

“Nii-chan!” Both of them called me out in unison

“Okay, okay… you made your point”

Eventhough I’m the one who usually lectures them about being to reckless…. It’s seems the tables have turned in this matter

“Jun-kun….. If I may, that was….impressive”

“Uh…Thanks?”

“No seriously….. How did you come up with a plan so quickly to deal with that guy?”

I guess he was still in the blind about it

“Oh, yeah….It’s because the one who he copied that playstyle off of, once knocked us out of majors” I replied

“I recall you said something like that….You guys played pro?”

I looked at my sisters and while Meguru looked as conflicted as I was, Mai just gave me a smug shrug…Oh well, guess it might be easier to let him know.

“Yeah… we did”

“Wait…you guys made Nova?”

“Try one rank above that” Mai corrected him

“SuperNova?.... Bullshit. All the SuperNova teams were CGL contenders.” He paused for a second “Wait…. Are you guys telling me you were in CGL?”

We stood silent, curious to see how much he will figure out on his own

“Wait…. a sibling team in CGL, I remember some like that. There were a few teams that made it to the grand stage where teams consisted of siblings.”

“You followed the CGL? Lawrence-san?” I asked

“Not as much as I would’ve loved to…. But I found that watching a game or two helped me keep my hands steady before I had the room.” He turned around to face us and he continued as our stares were locked onto him in silence “I used to be a medical practitioner…. For some reason, I find it less stressful in the operating room if I get myself hyped up beforehand…. CGL games used to be my go to for those”

“That’s….” Mai was immediately cut off

“Weird? Yeah, I know. My colleagues used to say the same…. Only reason they didn’t mind is because I got the job done at the end of the day.”

Listening to Lawrence-san’s rant, we managed to find ourselves outside the doors to the Arena

“Speaking of which… I’m guessing my trial has ended?” he asked

And all three of us only realized that now, resulting in all three of us looking at each other.

“Oh yeah… right. I have to say…. You really did impress. Reaching Diamond rank with your gear choice is…well…. tough. And you did show that your rank was no fluke”

“Then…”

“But…. This was only one game. And I don’t want to take any chances”

“Nii-chan… What are you?” I can understand Mai’s confusion right now

“So…I’m out?” he asked, with a downtrodden tone

“Not yet…. But keep what you did today up for a couple more games…. And we’ll see” and for some reason he didn’t look thrilled with my answer

And all of a sudden, I got kicked in the back of my knees, causing me to drop onto them

“Give us a moment, Lawren-chi… We’ll be right with you” Mai comes from behind and jumps in and with a collective effort, she and Meguru drag me backwards.

“What are you doing?” asked Mai

“What do you mean?” I asked back, slowly getting back to my feet

“You know what we went through for the past few weeks and when the winning ticket literally shows up on our doorstep, you want to throw it away?” Meguru with the follow up

“Of course, I’m not throwing it away, but this was just one game…. Might as well not take any chances”

“We don’t have other chances to take” Mai expressed her frustration

“Look, for we know it could’ve been a fluke… lets let him prove his consistency through another couple games, and we make the call”

“You are gatekeeping” said both of them in unison

“I’m not gatekeeping….”

“Nii-chan, we’ve been together for most of our lives… I’m pretty sure we both know when you are gatekeeping” Mai kept the pressure on

“It’s not that”

“Then what is it?”

“It’s just…. His act stinks…. I get that he is trying to get us to trust him but I find it hard to believe that he has survived for this long with that bumbling doofus act. Call it gut instinct, but I just know that we haven’t seen who he truly is yet. And that scares me.” I said, while looking at Lawrence-san, looking down in the corner pacing all over the place

“Next two days, we play a couple of more matches with him…. See if he’d crack under the pressure”

“And if he doesn’t?” asked Meguru

“Then I’ll make the decision considering everything else I’ve seen… Not like I’d have a choice”

We end our private discussion and return back to Lawrence-san’s presence.

“Lawrence-san…. you did good today. That’s why we are willing to give you a trial run… Next two days, two more games. Same time work for you?

“Yeah, absolutely” He replied

“Great, so… see you tomorrow?” I said as we all turned around to return back home

“Yeah….see ya”

We walked away until there were only three of us left.

“I still got a lot left in the tank, want to hit up some quests?” asked Mai

I sighed in exhaustion “Nope… I’m beat. And it is my turn to do the chores so, I think I’m going to unwind a bit and get to it”

“Since when were you a boy scout?”

“Since I had to make sure you two don’t get yourselves into spots you can’t get out of” I grabbed both of them and had them locked under my arm. To which they reacted with a moment of cheeriness.

“Meguru, you joining me?”

“You sure you can handle it, Onee-chan? You are out of arrows the last time I checked”

They both broke out of my grasp at the same time

“Don’t sweat the small the stuff, and it’s not like my staff ever needs restocking”

“You can’t fight monster mobs with that weapon alone”

“That’s why you look after me, right my dear little sister”

“I swear…..”

As much as I’ve seen these two like this, it somehow made me even happier now more than ever.

A few hours later, I found myself on the L-Train while my sisters decided to stay on the grind. The sphere above us was still burning red and I decided to visit a friend that I had neglected for some time now.

It was a long ride ahead and the only company I had was my thoughts and the sound of the train grinding its wheels along the track. And there was a lot going on in my head….. the fear of making the wrong call…. And about losing the ones I care about….in more ways than one.

“Now Arriving….. Silver Layer Ascension Gate…. Helios Upper Sector”

Another short walk later, I found myself in front of my intended destination…. The cemetery…..

I thought after my first time here, I’d get used to the sight of bodies with Scarlet Glaze growing out of them. And now I know that it was as grueling as before.

The search console popped up but I just sent it away. As if I’d ever forget where I put her down.

The amount of bodies here had significantly grown since I was last here…..men, women, children…. Noone was safe from the cruel reality of this place. What did we ever do to deserve such a fate?

Even through all the newcomers facing the false sky, I had no problem in finding her, and unlike last time, her flower was fully bloomed, with a long red stalk emerging out of the wound that ended her life

“Hey Misha”

It was still painful for me to look at her, as it just reminded me of that day

“I know I’ve been away for some time”

I couldn’t help but let out a chuckle

“It’s funny isn’t it…. We’ve only been here for two months…. And it already feels like it’s been years”

I stood silent for a second to recollect myself

“I found him…. I know we took a gamble that day with the Broker but…. I found Akio. And just like that I…. I lost him”

“No, what are you saying Junichi, that isn’t right…….. What I meant to say was...You were always better at this than me. A few days after we settled down, you managed to find a lead on Akio, eventhough I was sure that he wouldn’t have made it…. You believed in him.”

I paused for another second

“I’ve been at this for over a month now and…. I’ve barely made any progress on finding the others. I was told that Akio had gone after Tadashi after he showed up in Helios but…. I don’t know where he is anymore…. He’s not answering on his comms and…. I’m afraid that I’ll lose someone else and I won’t be able to do anything about it.”

And another second

“Eventhough you left us, you still managed to find me the strength I needed to keep at it. I heard you had a run in with the Sheriff….He was my old Senpai from my University days and…. Let’s just say he’s someone who turned my life for the better…. Who offered me a hand all those times I was ready to give up, acting like the mentor and friend I desperately needed back in those days…. To tell you the truth, he’s who introduced me to CG first….. Life really does come full circle huh?”

And another

“The reason I came here today is…… CGL was one of the best parts of my life, not because of the game…. It’s because it led me to you guys. Whether we were together as a team or as rivals on the other side of the screen, you guys made me look forward to every single day…….. But after that day, I witnessed you change and… and after a long time, I felt powerless again. That no matter what I did, I couldn’t save someone who I was close to.”

And followed one last pause

“Then why didn’t I? Why didn’t I save you when I clearly could….. Yamori-senpai said something that had me thinking…. He said that maybe I saw you as a problem…. Someone I couldn’t save, and something I needed to resolve…. And what if the others start to become what you did?…. Mai, Meguru, Akio….. Senpai….. What if it’s happening to me?”

But my visit was about to be cut short

“Excuse me, Sir…. Visitation hours have passed, I’m afraid you might have to leave” a man approached from behind me and told me

I looked over my shoulder and replied “And who are you supposed to be?”

“I’m with the GCs… Night rules are going to be in effect soon and the cemetery is going to be off-limits except for new burials.”

He didn’t sound like he was trying to intimidate me, so I pressed further

“What are you talking about?”

After a second of silence, he replied “I’m guessing you are not from the Upper Sector if you don’t know.”

I was still cautious and avoided giving him any unnecessary information.

“Due to the slaughter that happened a few days back, the Guild of Arc Sanctuary and the Guardian clans have implemented a new system called Night rules. It was implemented in Up-Sec effective two days ago and it will be rolling out to Mid-Sec in a couple of days and Low-Sec the following week ... .Long story short…. Guardian Player Clans like the one I belong to provide security on the streets, and the rules state if an assault or murder is witnessed by the public, all players in the vicinity have authority to shoot on sight to kill.”

“You said a slaughter happened to make this happen…. Doesn’t sound like rarity down here” I said, trying to find out if he is actually telling the truth

“You really are not from this sector are you… it’s all people here are talking about. How someone approached a group of Shepherds and brutalized them in the middle of the street.”

Wait, could it be?

“What else is known about that attacker?”

“Unfortunately I can’t disclose that to the public… I’m sorry, Sir”

Of course that would’ve been too easy…. But nothing he said contradicted, allowing me to believe that he was telling the truth

“I’ll finish up here” I cooperated.

I turned back around and forced myself to look at her body, but my gaze just kept pushing itself away….away from her and onto the bloom at the end of the stalk coming out of her chest

“Friend of yours?” the stranger asked, joining beside me

“Good friend”

“I guess I can count myself as lucky ... .not having seen a friend pass just yet. I just wish it could stay that way till we get out of here” He turned his head to the left and looked at me “You got family on the outside?”

“Mom and Dad”

“You ever think about them?”

“All the time…. I’m used to being away from my family but…. doesn’t mean that I don’t miss them”

“I hear that…. But in my experience, hoping things will get better is great motivation to keep you going.”

“You sure you are supposed to be saying that to someone who you just met?” I asked

“I’ve seen and done things in here I wish I haven’t, Sir. I’ve seen people lose themselves to paranoia, and in turn, lose their humanity. I’m no different, and everytime I take a life in service of another, I’m afraid that I might slip away too.”

And I thought it was only me who was on that train…guess I was wrong

“That’s why I’m always honest to people, try to help them even if I just met them. Friends or strangers, we all can die today or tomorrow. Why treat each of them differently…. That’s what our leader tells us all and…can’t seem to argue with that logic”

Guess this trip ended up being worth it after all

“I’ll look the other way for a few minutes…. Best be on your way by then” he said and left my side, deeper into the field of flowers and loss.

After a few more moments, I turned around and walked away…. And as her grave started getting out of sight, I stopped and looked over my shoulder… but I didn’t say it, knowing that might not be a promise that I could keep. I started walking away, leaving the cemetery behind me.

By the time I got back to Mid-sec and back home, the sphere had turned blue… nighttime was upon us and I hadn’t done any of the day’s chores. Mai and Meguru were still out and I had a lot to do.

“Alright, time to get to work” I said to psyche myself up

I managed to finish everything I was supposed to much sooner than I expected with only the trash to be taken out. Taking my earpiece out of the inventory, I checked in on the two loose cannons of the house.

“Best get yourselves back here, we still got a match to play tomorrow morning”

“Yeah, yeah… We just turned in our quests at the Guild… Going to make a slight detour to stock up….”

“We can do all that tomorrow, Mai. Best get here as early as possible”

“Yes, Mom!”

“Meguru, whack your sister in the head for me, will you?”

“Owwww….. Meguru, you don’t have to listen to him that time you know” that sounded like it hurt

“I was wanting to give her a flick to the forehead this entire time. We’ve been taking many detours to grab snacks” Meguru replied

“Booo, you ain’t getting any…you snitching meanie”

“Alright you two, enough messing around and get back here will you? And Mai…. No more detours”

“Yes, Nii” she replied reluctantly

Now that’s out of the way, time for me to wrap up here.

As per the usual, I end my chore duty by taking out the trash, out the door and into the alley beside the house, wondering once again who in Arctus had a bright idea to implement this into the game. I carry the bag into the dumpster out back, open the top and drop the bag in there, where it mysteriously disappears into who knows where.

However as I was closing the top, a soda can away into the alley from the inches in front of me behind the dumpster…..it was not empty as well as the contents started spilling all over the stone paving as it kept rolling and came to a stop….. and for a moment there, I was mostly sure that I might’ve even seen a hand.

I took a step back and took out my pistol. I didn’t look away to check if it was loaded, and assumed a ready stance. I started stepping slowly towards the disturbance, sticking to the far corner of the alleyway to give me time to react to the threat.

I took a big step forward and turned the corner, ready to fire….

“AAAAAHHHH!” The culprit screamed along with me as he caught me off guard with his reaction, giving me an adrenaline pumping fright.

“Holy shit!” Thank god I was able stay my finger off the trigger, but that was not good for my heart

“You just gave me the scare of a lifetime, I thought you were someone else” he said, holding a box of noodles in his hand

“LAWRENCE-SAN!.... I almost shot you!” I said, still clenching my heart, trying to get it to calm down

“And you didn’t… Thank you for that”

“What the hell are you doing here?!”

He put down his food next to the dumpster and stood up “Well…. I guess the jig is up. There was something that I didn’t tell you earlier today”

Guess I was right, he was no good after all. I was on my guard after realizing that

He took a deep breath and slumped his shoulders “ Actually I was hoping that the decision would be made today… So I might’ve gone overboard on spending on equipment….. And uh…. I might’ve not had enough left over for a place to say”

I should’ve known that he was up to some…… “Eh?”

“Hold on a second…. You were planning on sleeping here? Outside?”

“Not exactly a great impression to make when you are trying to find a group, I know….. But it’s fine, I have plenty of experience sleeping out on the field. I just needed a place where I could be safe for the night and since here, all I had to do was scream if I needed help… I reckoned this was a better place than any”

“You never thought about ... .I don’t know, maybe a bench?”

“And risk getting mugged and stabbed? Jun-kun… You’ll never get anywhere with survival skills like that”

“Yeah, you are one to talk at this moment” I put my head on my forehead in disbelief “Unbelievable”

“I know right, I’ve been getting a handful of quests in, and after all the taxing, it’s still not enough to get myself lodging and some food… Talk about an unbalanced economy.”

“What I meant was about you being so careless…. I thought you were supposed to be almost twice my age?”

“Uhhh… Oops?” This guy, I swear “Look, you won’t even know I’m here…. If you still don’t want to take the risk, I totally understand, I’ll leave and find another corner somewhere…”

“Just… come in” I said with me holding my forehead yet again

“I beg your pardon?”

“Just go inside before I change my mind”

He stood silent for a second “As in….. into the….”

“Yes! Into the house!”

He was still in disbelief “Are you sure?”

“Lawrence-san!”

“Alright!... I’m going, just… let me collect my things” he started gathering all the items on the ground, putting some in his inventory. I moved away to collect the can that rolled away earlier

“I’m still a stranger to you guys…. Why?” he asked as he was gathering his stuff

“Because friends or strangers, they all could die today or tomorrow in this place…. Why treat them any differently?”

He finished collecting his stuff and he got up

“I will pay you back for this… I swear” He turned around and started to walk out of the alley, until he stopped a few steps in

He turned to face me “So uh… Which room should I….”

“Third room on the left, second floor… Room next door is still empty so you can use Aki… our other player’s room now”

“So…. Is he not going to be back for the next few days?” he asked me

“I don’t know…yet”

Lawrence-san didn’t say a word more, and instead nodded his head and went inside.

“This mumbling doofus” I told myself as I was left with the final task of explaining all this to Mai and Meguru when they get back

The day after found itself to be a lot less eventful. Lawrence-san was temporarily under our roof and it didn’t prove too difficult to break the news to my sisters. Morning arrived and the day went as expected.

“Match Concluded. Score 100-41. Winner. Team Blue”

“Another one in the bag…. Lets goo, Lawren-chi!”

I looked at Lawrence-san who was right beside me, and he was still steading his breathing with a focused expression…..He does become a different person when he is focused on the match, but I’m still not convinced that we have seen his true colors yet. Here’s hoping tomorrow would give me a better insight into him.

The third day arrived and Lawrence-san was the first to be ready for his last trial before anyone else. Not that he was excited, but he had reverted back to a bundle of nerves who just wants to get this over with. It was almost noon and we made our way out and towards the Arena.

“Nii-chan…. Anything on Akio-nii?” Mai whispered to me

I couldn’t tell her about how my last meeting with Yamori-senpai ended “Nothing…. It’s been long enough already… I’ll check in with Senpai after we are done here”

“By the way…. You guys always seem to mention your other player… When will he be joining us?” Lawrence-san asked us, turning around and walking backwards.

Of course even he would be curious…. But I was spared the effort of scraping up an answer as we were interrupted as we approached the crowded market area.

“Attention, citizens of the Middle Sector…. I bring to you an important message in collaboration between the Guild of Arc Sanctuary and the Guardian Clan Union….” Said a man standing in the middle of the market on a makeshift stage with what looks like a protection detail

“I’m guessing this is about the Night rules.” I wonder how Senpai is going to take this.

“Night rules?” Meguru asked

“Effective tomorrow evening, the laws of Night Rules will be enforced upon the whole of Middle Sector”

“Aaand there you have it” I said

“From tomorrow evening, starting 7pm daily, officers appointed by the Guardian Clan Union will patrol the streets of Middle Sector until sunrise. All players traveling at that time should be associated with a clan or should state their purpose of travel when questioned by a GCU officer. Any and all acts of violence, theft or harm to an individual whatever shape or form, will be met with lethal action ... .permitted to both GCU officers and to citizens within the area….. A Guild signed document of said law will be provided to all players in their personal mailbox on their next visit to the Guild….. Pass this message along to anyone who you think hasn’t heard it… your friends, your children… no one is exempt to the Night Rules law……That is all” The man concluded and got down from the stage…. Leaving the crowd to process and express their thoughts about this.

“Noone is exempt from a shoot to kill? Yeesh, that sounds a bit too excessive”

“How did you know about this, Nii-chan?” Mai questioned me

“Visited Up-Sec a couple days ago… turns out they have had this ‘Night Rules’ law for a few days now”

From the look on both their faces I knew that they figured out why I went up there to begin with. And hence, refrained from pressing further.

A quick warmup at the Barracks later, we proceeded to Lawrence-san's last trial.

“Match Concluded…. Score 100-24. Winner: Team Blue”

Damn it, it managed to be another dud game. It’s not really easy to trial someone in bronze rank

“That makes it the lucky three…. Are we the best, or are we the best?”

I chuckled after seeing the win streak getting into Mai’s head, adding a pep into her step as we were leaving the confines of the arena

“You two are no slouches as well. I think I got the hang of keeping up with you two”

“Huh? Is that a challenge I hear, I can be way faster than this” Mai’s smug aura was strong with that one

But now time was up…. I drag this out any further, none of them will stand for it

“Jun-kun”

His call out snapped me out of my head “Huh… yeah, I was listening”

“You are really quick to go into daydream mode huh? Lawrence-san asked

“That he is…. You haven’t seen anything yet until you see him turn into the Romantist”

“Oi, cut it out you dolt” Mai evades me with her usual smug smile on her face

At this point it's like that both of them have accepted Lawrence-san as one of our own. But I was still not ready

“Jun-kun… want to join us for a few world quests, could help you organize your thoughts?”

That….wasn’t actually a bad idea

But as we were about to go straight to the Guild to get a few PvE quests in, a familiar face showed up in our path.

“I see you guys are going hard on the grind…. Respectable” he said

I looked towards my group “You guys scout out a few quests, I’ll catch up”

“Actually, I want Mai-chan and Meguru-chan here as well….please, Junichi”

That left the odd one out “Lawrence-san….”

“I’ll be at the Guild” He took the hint and left us alone

“What's going on, Senpai?” I asked him

“You guys doing alright?”

“Get to the point, please?”

He stood silent for a second, averting his eyes from me “You're still mad at me about that, huh?”

“Depends on who I am talking to right now”

“Right… look, Junichi ... .I….I know it won’t mean anything if I just said sorry but…..”

“You wanted my sisters to be here… You want to try again?”

“Okay…. I looked into what you asked me….. And you were right. Better yet, I was able to get in contact with Nakamura-san”

What he said felt like it unloaded a load of bricks off my shoulders, and I saw that Mai and Meguru took that news well also.

“Oh thank god… You have no idea how relieved I am. Where is that idiot?”

“Closer that you think”

“I don’t follow.” I stated

“Nakamura-san agreed to meet me tomorrow night…10 pm” Senpai passed me a holo-note with a location tag on it “It’s close by my precinct…food’s great, booze is even better. You want to give him a piece of your word, here’s your chance. He told me to make sure you all three of you got the message, and that he wants to explain himself…whatever that means”

I held onto the holo-note tight. And looked at him

Senpai shrugged “Yeah, well that’s it. Guess this is my way of apologizing”

I turned towards my sisters “Catch up with Lawrence-san will ya? I’ll be there soon”

“Alright, Nii-chan…. Don’t leave up hanging” They both left my side and towards the direction of the Guild

I sighed “Senpai… that day. It wasn’t your fault, I was just impulsive and….to be honest, afraid”

“Afraid of what?” he asked

“Misha…. That’s how it started. I didn’t want to see you that way”

There was an air of silence between us for a moment as Yamori-senpai closed the distance and slowly put his hand on my shoulder

“Hey… I’m still me. Sure, the pressure might get to me at times, but I’ve been through a lot worse. And I’m still here…. And I will always be here.”

I let out a slight chuckle of relief

“So…. We good?” He showed me his fist

“Yeah… We good” I extended mine and we bumped fists, just like we used to.

He cheerfully backed out and walked backwards “That’s what I like to hear, Kouhai…. So, see you tomorrow?” he asked as he turned his back to me

“You can count it, Senpai…. See you tomorrow.”

He waved at me and walked away.

Well, that went better than I expected…. And now, I had to catch up to my group, and what followed afterwards, was just an ordinary day of gathering plants and slaying hordes.

But while the day was mundane, it was the last chance I had to decide. He had so many chances to stab us in the back these past few days, but I don’t want to be too trusting of him just yet. Okay, let's keep that point out for now and focus on the rest of it…. Okay, pros:

Mai and Meguru seem to like him, personally and in play. Exceptional situational awareness, plays around our individual playstyles almost effortlessly. Okay, cons:

The fact that he is still a hard cover creator doesn’t change, we’ll have to readjust our personal styles to fit more around that. Works perfectly around styles like Hayato’s or Tadashi’s but not mine. Also, airhead extraordinaire. I know he is hiding something under there…. But what?

The sphere above was burning bright blue and by that time, we managed to return back to the warm feeling of the clan house. After a day filled with cheer and a generous haul of Rels from a day worth of quests, it was time for the main event.

“Lawrence-san…. It’s time” The mood of the room came to a halt and they all let me pass by them and towards the main table

Lawrence-san stood on the opposite side to me, while Meguru and Mai were individually on the other two corners.

“Just so you know… this is the first time any of us has done something like this soooo… here goes”

“Okay” he replied to me, looking nervous

“Before we go further…. Mai, Meguru…. Are both of you in favor of having Lawrence-san in our group?”

“All good on this end” Mai replied

“In favor” said her younger counterpart

“Then it all comes down to me” I leaned in on the table while keeping my eyes trained on Lawrence-san. I tried to keep myself from laughing as he started getting more nervous by the moment to the point he shut his eyes tight.

I brought up my interface and selected Lawrence-san’s profile…. And I made my decision

Lawrence-san’s interface popped up with my decision, and it was all a matter of if he accepts it. He slowly glimpsed at it with one eye and followed by the other, and he looked at me with a sense of relief

“Welcome to the Scarlet Knights”

He accepted the invite, making us a full team… Theoretically at least.

The moment that followed showed how much both of them has grown to like Lawrence-san over the past few days,

“Congrats, Lawren-chi… You are officially stuck with us now” Mai jumped on his shoulders, forcing him to sit down on the chair at the table. Meguru approached from the side but kept her distance….as usual.

“Hey, let the poor man be. He just…..”

But as I was about to attempt to show him the ropes, my earpiece started beeping…. As if one was attempting to connect to our frequency….

That’s weird, I haven’t given Lawrence-san a communicator yet…. Unless

I slotted the earpiece that materialized in my hand from my inventory into my ear, and I pressed the button on it to allow connection, knowing full well who it was

“Took you long enough-”

“Jun….help….me” and what followed was a sound of a thump after his voice sounded like he was gasping for air

I was instantly alarmed by this, as the vision of that day reared its ugly head

“Akio?... What’s going on?” But there was no response

“ANSWER ME? AKIO?....AKIO?”

But yet again, there was nothing but silence