Restarting

Naomi

Kanda: When's the gate supposed to open Shiina?

Shiina: The boss should open it around noon, till then we need to make sure nobody see's Mori's hair or Nao's eyes.

Nao and Mori looked at Shiina in confusion but she just ignored them and walked over to the edge of the sidewalk they were standing on. She stopped just before stepping onto the street and looked straight at Mori.

Shiina: Do not touch this barrier Mori. It WILL make you wish you were dead, it's designed to harm the body entering the barrier's soul and not their physical form.

Mori: W-what? Something like that exists?

Kanda: There's a lot of stuff here that you'd never imagine to actually exist. Trust me, we were both the same way Mori, it's not bad to be in disbelief.

Mori: R-right, thanks Kanda.

Nao: Where is the barrier? I know it's there but I can't see it.

Mori: Yeah, I never bothered asking but where is the barrier?

Shiina brought her rifle up and reached to the street with it.

Shiina: See? Nothing's happening to the rifle. Now if I touch it, nothing will happen to me since I'm verified with the Captain. But should you or anyone other than Verified Hunters like Kanda and I, you either die, or wish you had died.

Akai: Why would you make it like that?

Kanda: Do we have to answer that? It's so Rogue Hunters don't try to pull any fast ones on us.

Shiina We've had that happen a lot. It really isn't something you want to see, two hunters fighting that is.

Nao: Why is that?

Shiina: Incredibly brutal, we don't hold back on Rogue Hunters and they do the same to us. I'd rather not describe what I've seen on the battlefield in that respect. We're going to be here for a while so settle down and make yourselves at home, I'll put up a night sky territory around us.

Akai/Nao: A what?

Mori: What's a territory?

Kanda: We'll explain that later, or someone else will. For short, they are fragments of both raw and refined mana that can be shaped into all sorts of shapes. If you so choose, all though it's not recommended, you could even shape it into a weapon. territories are your last line of defense should you break or damage your key, do not use them unless you need to though. They aren't the same as Manu Angeli's and do harm you to some degree whenever you use them. Don't use territories unless you have to, the more often and longer you use them, the more damage you WILL take.

Shiina: Well well well, I didn't take you as the teacher type Kanda. Nice to see you opening up to people more.

Kanda: Seriously, you bring that up now?

Shiina: I'm just kidding man, trying to lighten the mood after I almost shot you. Yah know?

Akai: Doesn't work too well when you add that last part.

Kanda: I have to agree with him on that.

Shiina: Anyways, Kanda's right, when we teach you how to use territories make sure you use them as a last resort. They are very very dangerous, especially to younger kids. Think of them like alcohol I guess, it's bad enough for you once you're matured, but it gets exponentially worse for you the younger you are. Get it?

Akai/Mori: Hai!

Nao: Makes sense.

The group sat down while Shiina prepared her territory and Kanda scouted the area, when all seemed clear, Akai got up and walked over to Kanda.

Akai: Kanda, we need to talk about what happened.

Kanda looked back at him with clear annoyance but decided to hear him out anyway. Akai's voice came across as weak and it was clear that he was still in pain.

Akai: I know that you and Valentina had some bad blood Kanda. I just wanted to say that, I defended her because I can't shake the feeling that, when she told me she loved me, she meant it in the best intention.

Kanda: How can you say that about a monster like her?

Akai: I honestly don't know why. There was a time where I myself wanted to rip her in half and watch her die for what she had done to me. I couldn't describe the horrible things that I cooked up in my mind.

Kanda: That makes two of us.

Akai: But when she saw that ring and when she saw my stupid, childish, fantasy hero stance, she changed to someone I feel like I knew. I saw her eyes and the light in them and I just couldn't do it. I could tell that, right then and there, she was almost a good person.

Kanda: Tch, you have to be-

Akai: I'm not saying I fell for her, personally, I don't think that would ever happen. But I do want to know what and who I am now that I clearly have history with Spirits. With that, I want to know who Nao is as well. Is she really my blood related sister, or is she someone that thinks they're my sister. I don't know to be perfectly honest, but the memories of me reading webnovels and watching isekai anime with Yuna almost feel fake. They feel programmed and yet, I love them so much, I feel like I know Yuna and Nao better than anyone and yet, I clearly don't know either of them very well.

Kanda: Why are you telling the guy who tried to kill you this stuff.

Akai: Because unlike most of the world, I know context matters a lot. I know that it's not always the result of the action but also what caused the action and what started the sequence of events leading up to those results.

Kanda: Huh?

Akai: I also know that you aren't exactly a nice person once someone crosses you so I want to fix that before things get to the point of aggression. We're on the same side Kanda, we just achieve our goals a little differently.

Kanda: I can't accept that right now, being your friend would refute all that Valentina's done to me and Shiina.

Akai: But-

Kanda: But, I'll be sure to stay as your ally and not cross that line alright.

Kanda turned around to see Akai with an angsty grin on his face and his arms crossed. Kanda responded with a drawn sword, he placed it on his chest and gripped the end of the blade as he bowed to Akai.

Akai: eh?

Kanda rose his head and sheathed his blade.

Kanda: That means I have accepted you as my ally and only my ally. We aren't friends Akai so don't get those crossed, but we are on the same side and I respect your Diligence in speaking to me. Thanks.

Akai: Heh, no problem. I just didn't want things to complicate in the future.

Kanda: Same here. You should get back to your sister in case her condition changes.

Akai: On it partner!

Kanda: Hey! Didn't I just say don't get things twisted!

Akai had already run back to Yuna when Kanda yelled at him. Right before Akai arrived however, the barrier made a low whirring sound and cracks appeared all over it until it turned to tiny particles of white essence, like fireflies. After a few seconds of this breathtaking phenomenon, the barrier collapsed into nothing and Shiina stood there confused but happy at the same time.

Shiina: Thank god nothing happened this time. Thank you so much.

Akai took note of this comment and locked it in his memory. Everyone got up and entered the now revealed almost school like building in front of them. Akai grabbed Yuna and lifted her over his shoulders with her upper body leaning over the front. Here, he noticed two dots on her neck beneath her ear.

Akai was petrified for a moment when he saw them.

Akai: N-no. She didn't get bit did she?

Akai soon came to the conclusion that Valentina had in fact bitten Yuna and injected her with the acidic substance that killed him hours earlier.

Akai: Shiina! Yuna needs a hospital RIGHT NOW! She's dying!

Shiina: What! What do you mean!

Akai: Valentina bit her! That's why she won't wake up, the acid in her fangs is destroying her body.

Shiina/Kanda: s**t!

Kanda: Give her to me Akai, I'll make sure she makes it to the hospital.

Akai: Thank you Kanda.

Akai handed Yuna over to Kanda and pointed out the bite mark before Kanda dashed off with lightning fast speed and agility towards the nearest hospital.

Akai: Why didn't I check her for that, there's no way she'd be out for this long if she wasn't dead from Valentina. Val would've just killed her.

Shiina turned her head to the distraught Akai when he mentioned Valentina and referred to her by Val.

Shiina: Why did you call her Val?

Akai: I uh, I don't know. It just kinda, came to my head.

Shiina: Don't, the Captain will have your head if he hears you call her that.

Akai: Alright, I'll make sure I don't.

Nao: Sooo, what is this place anyway? It kinda looks like a school but it clearly isn't.

Shiina: Are you really 12? You talk like an adult Nao.

Nao: Someone has to keep Akai and Yuna in check don't they?

Shiina scoffed at this comment and gave Nao a fist bump.

Shiina: Well I can't argue with that now can I?

Mori stepped up from the back of the group. "What is this place though Shiina? It looks so, all over the place? I seems almost like a school but it has a violent feeling to it". Her eyes scanned the front of the building for a few seconds while they walked.

Nao joined her in this and and the two of them moved their heads in almost unison while they slowly strolled behind Shiina for what felt like forever. "This walkway sure is long.", Nao spoke in a sarcastic voice.

Mori: Sure is.

The two of them realized that Akai had passed them now despite walking much slower than they were. Shiina had also disappeared into the buildings entrance by now and had left the 3 of them outside.

Nao: Aka. What's happening?

Akai turned his head to the two of them with a depressed look and a raised eyebrow. His eyes were a cold black color now. Thick black strings of a honey like substance erupted form the ground beneath Akai as Nao and his eyes flashed red in a unified pulsating pattern.

Mori: Nao! Hold on to me!

The ground was covered in this black liquid and began climbing up Mori's legs and had already consumed Nao's entire body. "What do I do? Where do I go? I-I can't move, I can't see or feel anything". Mori's body felt weak and her legs quickly began to collapse due to this, her arms and spine lost their strength moments later. "I-it's so quiet now? Why? Shouldn't somebody be yelling or screaming, wouldn't this be the time for someone to reach in and save me"?

5 feet away. . .

"What's happening? Why is it so dark all of the sudden and why do I feel so light"? The only thing their hopeless mind could see was the light coming from their eyes. The hair on their being pulled upwards until it had been pulled as far as the roots would let it. What almost felt like fingers stroked the girls face and back softly, almost like tentacles. "Oh, right, I must've died again. That would be the only answer I guess".

Naomi: Well, since I am finally aware of myself I should get to work right? Akai's Zero Point should be activating sometime soon now so he'll have to deal with the Priestess soon.

Naomi: Damn that's right! The Master Key of Intervention! I was supposed to find it but I can't seem to remember who I was supposed to test for it. Those Hunters seem to be collecting Spirits as well, no way they could be killing them if there's this much Mana on Earth.

Naomi: Then again, Akai and the Absolute Neutral exist here on Earth. They should account for half of Earth's Mana and around 60% of Japan's Mana. But what about Akai's Zero Point? Why hasn't he been looking for The Fountain?

Naomi spoke aloud for several minutes about her role model before her flickering eyes began to fade back to the Crimson color they usually were. The black shadows around her were still pitch black but she had the feeling that they had stopped flowing inside her body and begun to pool somewhere within her chest. A light trickle of blood dripped onto her face from below her, hitting her chin and flow up her face and catching on her closed eye lids.

Akai: Nao! I'm coming!

Naomi: Who's Nao?

Akai: Just hold on for one more second!

Shiina: Just let me blow it away Akai!

Naomi: Akai? Did we have another sister? I certainly don't recall having any other siblings?

Osiris: I'll handle this Shadow Garden you guys, just stay back!

Akai: NO! My little sister is in there and I'm not betting her life on a some random ladies Morning Star!

Osiris: She's going to be eaten you-

A small figure of darker black poked into the shadows surrounding Naomi and two dots of bright light appeared in the middle of this figure. "Wait, this IS a Shadow Garden! I need to get out or it'll consume-"

Akai: This is my problem to fix Osiris! I WILL save Nao no matter what!

Akai brought his hands to his hands up and sprinted at the wall of Shadows around his sister as he shouted with endless Fury and Pride.

Akai: I swear Naomi that no matter what, your big brother's got you!

He burst through the shadow wall and tackled Nao through the other end of the wall. Akai and Nao looked back at the collapsing ball to see a small, blood red orb of light crush itself into nothing and disappear into the infinite void around it.

Nao: Akai.

Akai: Yeah, what's up?

Nao: Who's Naomi?

Osiris: How did you get into the Shadow Garden like that? Furthermore, how the hell did you get out?

Akai: Oh yeah, about that, the shadows don't attack me for some reason. I don't really know why but they just go around me, that's how I escaped my Garden before I left the ground.

Osiris/Shiina: What! They avoid you!

Akai: Are they supposed to kill me or something?

Osiris: The hell do you think they're for smartass!

Shiina: you literally just said they don't attack you, does that mean you don't know that the big, black, ominous cloud of death is supposed to kill you?

Akai: I'd tell you but, I might die.