3 Chapter 3 [V1]

"The number 4… is usually associated with bad luck. It's the number of all wicked things," a voice stated.

"HYYYAAHHH, HYYYYAAHHHHHH!!!" a man called out, using his wrists to flick a whip against gigantic horses tied to a carriage. These horses resembled Arion and their white mane looked like flames that danced around in the wind. The carriage stormed down the road with a dense forest on both sides. It left behind trails of dust clouds that rose up for a few seconds before floating away.

"Cake, cake, cakeee, yummy cake, cake flavored cakeeeee!" Hanami sang to herself, kicking her feet back and forth between her parents. Her mother set down the knitting needles and the blue dress she was knitting into a basket between her heels. She moved back up and snuggled her nose against the small child's cheek. The child embraced her mother and then turned to her father. She asked her father "What kind of cake are we having?" He lowered a crimson book he had been reading and responded, "Whatever you want, as long as you behave." Her face gleamed with joy, as she flopped over on her dad's lap, giggling.

The carriage had passed the large stone tabloids near the Yamasaki bridge as scheduled, but suddenly, the coachman stopped and called out. "Naayyyyy, nay. Take it easy girls!" He pulled back the ropes causing the horses to stop at a halt.

Up ahead, there seemed to be a roadblock with horses and men staring over in their direction. Hanami's father continued to read his book and asked the coachman what the holdup was about, but didn't get an answer. He placed the book he was reading at his side, as an uneasy feeling set in his stomach. The coachman finally replied, "There are some individuals up ahead blocking the road…"

The man's wife gave him a look of concern. "Shun… I told you, we should have left her birthday celebration off until tomorrow. Going out so late at night is dangerous, especially with what's recently been occurring," she told him as the child pulled her head off of her father's lap and onto her mother's.

"Yeah, but…" The man rubbed his cheek and gave an uneasy smile. Hanami whined, cutting him off. "Buuuttttt I wannnntttt cakeeee mommmyyyy. Cakeeeeee flavored CAKEEE!"

This agitated the woman a great deal; it was bad enough she had her concerns on the political standings that week, but now had to take a lengthy trip in order to appease her daughter. The child was oblivious to the world that surrounded her, which caused her mother to raise her voice a bit. "Be quiet!" She grasped onto her daughter's shoulder tightly and shook her. This action startled Hanami, forcing her to become aware of her mother's seriousness. Tears formed at the bottom of her bright oak eyes.

"YOU COULD HAVE ASKED FOR IT ANOTHER DAY!" the woman snapped.

A strand of the woman's hair glided down across her cheek. Her husband placed an arm around his wife's shoulder. "Honey." He then turned to the girl. "Tonight just… isn't a good night to go out for your birthday cake, dear, Sorry."

Just like any child would, Hanami asked, "Why?"

The woman let go of her daughter's shoulder and brought her palms to her cheek. Instead of answering her daughter's question though, the woman pulled Hanami's face into her chest and stroked the back of her head. She was not going to bother the child with the situation they had found themselves in.

"What's the hold up over there?!" Just outside of the carriage, the coachman lifted his brown top hat and waved it around in the direction of the men. None of the men answered. Eight long seconds of silence passed by, before an individual in a long black trench coat stepped out of one of the carriages that blocked the road. From afar, not too much was noticeable, but he had a blade in his right hand.

This wasn't just any blade though. It had a hook with wires at the center of the blade wrapped around two square holes, and two buttons. One released the wires outward and the other caused the wires to retract.

The coachman leaned over in an attempt to get a better look. He opened his mouth to speak and found that words wouldn't come out easily. Instead, he grunted. This confused him and coaxed him to try again, but his words came out jumbled. "Cwwthgrhh."

He glanced up at the sight of red liquid that spat out of his mouth and looked down, horrified at the red liquid pouring down his brown buttoned-down shirt. His eyesight grew narrow, but as he looked over, the male's sword now appeared bloodied. "From all the way back there?" he thought to himself. The coachman stumbled back, as the man in black swung his arm around twice in a crisscross and swiped the blade to his side. It sent three thin wires that were wrapped together through the coachman's throat a second time. This time the nerves that kept the coachman's head attached were severed causing blood to splatter against the carriage's covered windowpane, as the coachman's lifeless body collapsed off of the carriage.

The child heard the sound made by the falling body of the coachman. She attempted to pull her face out of her mother's suffocating breasts, to no avail. Her mother pulled her back in tightly while her father quickly stood up. He reached below his seat and pulled a weapon with a crimson cloth wrapped around it. He unwrapped the weapon faster than an eager kid unboxing a video game on a Christmas morning. Equipped with this weapon, the father stepped over to the side door. He grasped the golden handle and pulled it down. The horses grew uneasy and began to buck, sensing their master's life fading.

Exercising caution, the Hasegawa opened the side door of the carriage, wielding his see-through fencing blade, Fuujin, and stepped out. His wife hugged their daughter tightly, as his casual shoes grinded against the gravel that laid below the carriage. His blade had a green aura that glowed around it and spun along the silver hilt, which made it easier for him to see. He extended it over at arm's length and waved it around, advancing closer to the front of the carriage. His eyes widened at the sight of the coachman's decapitated head. He still had the look of confusion plastered all over his face, but quickly jerked the blade up in front of himself, knowing that the men up ahead were trouble.

Just as he began to raise his weapon, he heard it—an approaching attack. "TNNNNSSSSSTTT!!!" Metallic wires whipped across the ridge of the blade, and one of the lashes sliced three inches across his cheek. The lashes had been aimed at his throat with deadly accuracy, but he had used the Fuujin to pick up on the sudden change in the wind's current and blocked the strike using his agile Setsu reflexes.

Orange sparks flew up high, raining back down across the road, with the sound of metal clashing as the wires were swinging back and forth against the blade before wrapping around it. Shun made sure he maintained a good grip on his blade and studied the wires wrapped around the blade. It dawned on him; he had run into a similar weapon in the past. This raised a question as to who was behind this assault, and he had an idea more or less as to who it was. He also knew what they were after. It wasn't simply some Stray seeking revenge on a noble. Someone was out to get his daughter, which he simply wasn't going to allow.

He steeled himself and walked calmly past the horses. He loosened his tie and yanked his blade to his side when the man in black attempted to retract the wires. Two of the men behind the man in black dashed towards him and into the darkness of a passing cloud that temporarily blocked the moonlight that once illuminated the road. Shun took advantage of the darkness to close the distance to the male. He quickly dispatched the two who had dashed in towards him, as they got entangled in the wires when he jumped over them and twirled the wires around them. When he landed, he held the blade over his shoulder and yanked it forward with no remorse for the men who'd dare threaten his family. The men were yanked back with this motion, only having time to scream "AAAGHHH!" The wires sliced through them like butter and blood poured down all across the ground along with torn body parts and clothes.

Shun followed the remaining wire straight towards the man in black before the cloud finished passing by. He teleported right in front of him, thanks to the Fuujin's connection to all surrounding wind currents. All he had to do was choose a desired spot that he faced, a tactic that only worked when he was off the ground.

Upon reaching the man in black, he brought his blade down to slash across the man's chest, but the individual blocked with a silver dagger he had conveniently kept hidden within his robe. The dagger slid around the blade, expanding straight through Shun's shoulder, who didn't flinch at all.

"Speak!" the Hasegawa hissed. "Who dares threaten my family?" The man in black didn't respond. The two metals held where they had clashed; the two men were now in a show of power, pressing each other backward.

"Of what domain are you?!" Shun growled in a low tone. The dagger shook against the blade. Both seemed to be on par with one another in strength, but the tip of the dagger finished stabbing through Shun's shoulder and spun around to come back down and stab through him again. The man in black smirked, pulling his hood off of his head with his free left hand. Shun's eyes widened.

"F-Fei…?" He was in disbelief.

"Hello there, Shun. Long time no see," Fei muttered. It felt surreal, but the fact that he said his name and resembled the man he knew far too well, only added to the reality that he was who he thought it was. The only visible part of Fei's face were his blue-bearded chin and his pale complexion. Shun maintained his blade pressed against the dagger, applying more force. This caused Fei to take a step back to regain balance, as Shun used a wind current to teleport in front of the spot where he killed the two men earlier. The dagger melted as he did so.

Shun shut his eyes tightly and called out to his wife. "ELLIE, WHIP THE HORSES! GET OUT OF HERE!!!"

Ellie remained within the carriage, but at the sound of her husband's voice, she jumped up and opened the window that led to the front of the carriage. Hanami wrapped her arms around the woman's hips. "No mommy… you can't leave daddy behind!" When the woman didn't stop to consider her request, she persuaded her some more. "Daddy will be late for his cake," she pleaded, unaware of the dire situation they were in, continuing to tug at her mother's dress.

The woman had to go along with what her husband said. The child clenched the fabric of her mother's dress between her small hands, tugging at it in an effort to stop her mother. "WAAAIT!" She broke out into sobs, urging her mother to not go.

"My love… I WILL BE RIGHT BEHIND YOU TWO, JUST GO AHEAD!!!" Mr. Hasegawa yelled to comfort his daughter. He shut his eyes, and then opened them again with a determined resolve.

Not looking back, Ellie did what she was told, realizing there were over two hundred enemies hiding on both sides of the dense forest; the moment she sensed them, they stopped masking their killing intent. "Believe me honey, I'd like to stay back and fight… but your safety is our top priority," Ellie thought to herself.

The horses lifted their hooves high off of the ground, feeling lashes strike their flaming manes that spread along their back. Ellie continued to whip them, giving the horses more raging power. They stomped their hooves repeatedly against the ground causing the ground to tremble stronger, preparing to take off. The vibrations shook pebbles off the road as the horses stormed through, gaining speed.

Shun grit his teeth, applying more force against Fei's dagger as it came in again. He tried to block it, but the tip bounced off of the ground, changing direction and wrapped around his waist, pulling him in towards Fei. Shun dragged his feet, attempting to push forward and kick Fei's chest, forcing Fei to lunge backwards as the dagger shattered. Shun turned his torso back and jumped forward, getting off of the road. Fei rolled out of the way as well, nearly getting stomped by one of the approaching giant horses, as the carriage broke through the barrier set by the men.

Three of the large carts that once blocked the road tipped over, sliding down the steep grassy hills where they crashed against trees. Grass that had been torn from the ground fluttered up in clusters. Some of the men who were in these carts attempted to get out, but could not do so in time, and slid down the slope with the carriages to their deaths.

"After them! Your commander shall handle things here," Fei slapped his palm against the floor, calling out to some of his men to chase the carriage, and gave Shun a wicked wide smile. Four men climbed up the hill around Shun as he stepped onto the road once more, with fifty more Setsus walking up the hill, along with human slaves armed with weapons. Two of those Setsus ran over to the remaining cart that was not pushed down the hill. They got into it and Shun attempted to stop them, but as he ran towards them, he was forced to turn around and block the wires Fei shot his way.

Shun swiped his blade to his side, knocking the trajectory of the wire that had been in the center of the other two. The wires propelled back towards Fei, who whipped the wires down to prevent them from reaching him. The two men behind Fei hesitantly passed by him and headed towards Shun, who pulled his left forearm behind his back and set his left foot behind his right. The green aura around the blade shifted the see-through blade into a saber, and Shun pointed it down with the tip nearly touching the ground. He bent his knees down, slanting forward, calculating how long it'd take to get to the man if he applied his grounded style.

"Over two hundred… and none of you were courteous enough to bring my daughter a gift. Makes it easier to kill you." A gust of green see-through flames spiraled around Shun as he shifted to a more relaxed stance.

"Don't hold back, he can't kill you all!" shouted Fei. "Move in and-" Fei continued his order, but not all the Setsus were as foolish as the ones who couldn't sense Shun's threatening Vibrations.

"KILL HIM!" Fei brought his arm up above his head. This motion jerked the wires into the night sky. Orange leaves that were scattered across the road were spun up by a violent breeze as he brought the wires down straight towards Shun. Over two dozen Setsus rushed in at Shun from all directions, taking their cue.

Meanwhile, Ellie found it difficult to control the horses, as they were going at a pace that the carriage couldn't handle. It was causing the carriage to bounce on the ground with devastating momentum that bent the wheels with each impact. Ellie was thrown up and down, and from side to side. She struggled to hold her balance, while gripping her daughter firmly to herself. Hanami held tightly to her mother's hips, quivering in fear.

Ellie grasped onto a cold metallic handle within the carriage, as everything seemed to slow down suddenly. Ellie became horrified for what was to come, as a diversion on the road became visible. The first diversion led towards a cliff peak while the second made a curve to the left. She knew she wouldn't be able to make the curve and reached down and embraced her little daughter tightly, readying herself for the worst.

The carriage rose above the horses several feet high, flinging the window shut and turned upside down, plunging back on the road. Ellie gasped and Hanami shrieked, as their bodies were hurled around within the carriage like rag dolls. The horses stumbled on themselves and rolled around, being dragged by the carriage that scraped across the dirt road straight towards the ravine. The carriage broke off of one of the horses while it brought the other horse to its demise, spiraling down towards the raging river below. The wheels of the carriage continued to spin around while the carriage got entangled in vines that kept it from completely falling in. The vines steadily snapped one by one. The small girl felt dizzy, but the sensation of something warm running down her forehead kept her awake. She found her mother lying awkwardly with her eyes shut.

"M… omm… y," the woman heard the soft voice of her girl, as she slowly opened her eyes. She regained consciousness, but struggled to reach out to her daughter. Her feet had been crushed within the carriage.

"Hana…" she mumbled, trying to reach the child, but the strain became too great, as her eyes slowly shut. Everything became black as the final vines snapped.

"STTTTRRRKKKKRRRR!"

"So, that's a memory of hers…" Takumi kept to himself, taking only a glance at her.

The sharp sound of compressed air skimming against the road forced Hanami awake, as Voltaire activated the tire system of the car.

Hanami instantly glanced at the pensive Setsu sitting beside her as the car neared closer to exiting the forested area they found themselves in.

Takumi in turn stared at his hand. Between them… She'd reached for it in her sleep and upon noticing, Hanami instantly let go. A faint blush of embarrassment apparent on her cheeks.

"Sorry about that!" She locked her eyes on the rearview mirror, avoiding Takumi's gaze.

"Your fidgeting is distracting. You alright?"

Hanami pressed the side of her head and forced a smile. She turned to look at him and gave him a forced smile. One that he saw through.

"I'm uh… I am, why wouldn't I be? I had a… really good nap. Can't you tell?"

Orange electricity continued to pulse out through the car. This was the sonogastra that prevented Goshtras from detecting Setsus like Takumi and rare-blooded beings like Hanami, while also helping stabilize the car.

For the first time in a long time, a sincere smile formed across Takumi's face, as he set his elbow on the window and the wind blew his orange hair back as if combing it. His sights were on the ocean and the surrounding buildings.

"Jeez… with this kind of traffic, I'm sure to be late." He self consciously spoke aloud.

"Late for what? You weren't talking to yourself, were you?"

"It's not something I want to talk about with you. So nosy…" Takumi sighed. "I was thinking about a test I'm headed to at the ceremony. A basketball test."

"What's basketball? You're trying to join a club?" Her sight drifted to a pamphlet she brought out of her bag. The interior pages had a list of events numerous clubs were hosting for the new students.

"You could say that."

"So that's your dream? To be in that?"

"There is no such thing as dreams… only a reality you have to create for yourself."

Despite the fact she'd never heard of something called 'Basketball' she did admit she was curious. "Basketball… nmm, in the school book that maid Mira gave me, it did mention that! Here it is, Hirazawa Basketball test." Hanami sought her bag for a pamphlet. "But it's weird, I checked and there's no Hirazawa kendo club or test listed." She observed one of the pictures, a stone sculpture of Hirazawa at the Private High school in front of what seemed to be a national forest that has 1000 steps leading up stone stairs. The stone sculpture of HIRAZAWA, near those 1000 stone stairs.

"That's probably 'cause there isn't a club for that."

"Hey, don't go scaring my heart like that." Hanami lightly hit Takumi on the shoulder with twitching eyebrows and a forced smile of concern.

"Whatever. Just don't do anything crazy when you get there. I'm only allowed to attend this school that my parents own. It's already bad enough that there are Setsus bound to make a fuss about who I am, others want me dead… it's all a nuisance."

"Aside from the wanting you dead part, it can't all be that bad." She said.

"At least you have your parents," Hanami thought to herself, getting quieter. The girl set her chin on her palm and distracted herself by observing the skyscrapers they passed by.

"And there seems to be people who take good care of you, too."

Hanami smiled, as Takumi noted her words.

Takumi, almost subconsciously responded. "I guess it's different for you, but I'd rather not have my father. With a parent like that, it's the same as not having parents at all. You can't choose who your parents are. It's like the lottery… not everyone is fortunate. Gotta… deal with the cards you're dealt."

Hanami's eyes widened to which she frowned. "What makes you say that?"

Takumi bit into the side of his cheek. "Nothing. Never mind."

"Why would you say such mean things about your parents? They made you who you are."

"You have no idea."

"So then explain.." She kept her sights outside of the car as Takumi thought of the words he'd use.

"Where the hell would I even start?" He sighs. "Since you don't seem to know much about the world, let me just start off with… money."

"The money those monsters make comes from various loops, but one of them is data centers that control the information dispensed to the populace. By controlling one in a different continent and having clans spread in the form of 'companies', we can control other continents; the era of the Seto War period is far from over… it's the same as it was back then. Having a sphere of influence."

"Even underground gangs are nothing more than businesses"

"Only the vernacular changed, things are still the same… For now"

With what he said, her ears perked garnering, she look at the young Setsu. Hanami observed Takumi, who was pensive.

"Oh… that doesn't sound good…"

"She doesn't even know how her little brain works…" Takumi kept to himself.

"When you asked me about five fingers, gramps… you were talking about genetics. Nothing is created in excess, the same applies to our DNA." Takumi observes his hand.

"It'd be foolish to believe such DnA is coiled for no reason. And it'd be even more foolish to believe it isn't uncoiling."

"The different organic instruments we individually have, and how some have exploited those instruments, specifically in humans. You wanted me to help them, right? Through… basketball."

"But basketball… I have to confirm things for myself."

"If it's really as some say…"

"It's only a slaves game boy!" He recalled his fathers words.

"Then, the continent of basketball is where I'm headed. Eurasia…"

Takumi glanced to Hanami who was once again back to staring out of the car window obliviously.

"She's so oblivious like the rest of those humans… but who can blame their vulnerability when their brains are hijacked from the start."

"That much I sympathize with, after almost having mine taken… by that bitch." His mothers face brought disdain evident in his eyebrows creasing inward.

A reminder of the last request he'd partaken in, three years back. Takumi thought of everything he learned of the current problem on the planet.

"The ones responsible for exploiting their brains are Goshtras, but the humans call them Reptilians."

"The brain is powerful, so it's no surprise it's the first area they target to trick a vulnerable soul into self-destruction. The brain is what the soul needs to develop and navigate the planet."

"The brain is like a magnet that attracts whatever information or data it processes the most, whether it's factual or falsified. If you deal with the brain, you can bend the soul to roam around, lost... like a malfunctioning compass."

"The left brain has attributes that help with critical thinking and analysis of all phenomena, but these Goshtras enslaved the species and manipulated the free knowledge flowing through the world. In doing so, many of the level three advanced civilizations at that time were turned into level zero civilizations."

"Those Goshtras destroyed valuable knowledge and replaced it by putting deceptive spell books that destroy the left side of the brain, causing a soul to lose its recognition of reality. That's why those books have only caused war in that continent, and they want to spread that plague - a plague that Rae's family has been fighting over there."

"It's to the point that those afflicted can't seem to even see how the spell books have been used to keep them from developing and becoming protectors of themselves, and as a result of being incapable of firstly protecting their minds, such souls can't protect the planet."

"They wage 'Holy wars' on each other endlessly. That's why we have these Retsu storms spreading."

"Without the use of the right brain, a soul can't have spiritual awareness and spiritual ability that allows the soul to birth new fields through the visions they attain. That's the power of developing souls in those human bodies: they're able to bring metaphysical to physical."

"But those Goshtras know they can't exist if that's the case, so those humans over there are purposely tricked into teaching themselves destructive habits that shape their surroundings. Their souls remain within a tiny perspective, as opposed to attaining the higher perspective."

"If that wasn't bad enough, they even target the diet to give humans information that will mislead them into self-destructing their fleshly suits. It's like having a scuba diver think they're inhaling oxygen, the diver may not until until… It's too late. For their fleshy suits it's the same. Food shouldn't be eaten just to eat it."

"The body should only absorb what's necessary for it to remain functional, but these fools are tricked into fueling their fleshly suits with destructive toxins and unnatural chemicals that give the body cancer, so their trips to the slaughterhouse occur faster and more frequently until there's nothing left..." He thought of a "McRonalds" establishment, someone eating there and then them going to the hospital with their hands on their stomach.

"If only those humans could support the righteous among them… Those damn Goshtras take genetic science and use it for evil. They really found the perfect way to make organic drones who remain prey to their injustices. In order to continue extorting resources and organs, they keep the souls distracted in a loop to assure souls do not notice or trace the poison being thrown at them." Takumi recalled the different roles of distraction, ranging from singers, someone in front of a tv playing and boxers.

Humans that worked as officers show one side, yet partake in sinister behavior behind the scenes leading ultimately to its own demise.

"Unlike them, when the human brain is hijacked in the Tensei Order, the reincarnation process becomes easier to manage. It's only a brief hijacking until the human's able to develop enough awareness. Enough responsibility in itself and its actual powers. It's monitored to make sure it doesn't self-destruct and create negative Retsu on the planet."

"When both sides of the brain are used, you get a genius. Such individuals have extensive knowledge not only of the outside space, but their insides too. Specifically, their genes."

"Such beings are the only ones capable of finding viable solutions for the issues certain souls find themselves in… though there is such a thing as corrupted souls using their genius to entrap other souls instead of serving as guides."

"When millions of developing souls become underdeveloped, then those millions clump up and fester, and turn into what is called a 'Cancer Zone', which eventually leads to 'dead zones' on the planet." Anger filled Takumi who thought of the piles of trash placed in natural areas.

"And that's… the people you wanted me to somehow help, gramps?"

"A civilization stuck… at level zero."

Hanami noticed Takumi in deep thought, leading her to tap his forehead, knocks Takumi out of thought.

"Ay, what are you thinking to yourself?"

"Buns" Takumi responded back, only slightly glancing at Hanami.

"Buns?"

"He must have said that to get me distracted from talking about him. What a big baby." From her perspective, it seemed like Takumi's parents cared about him a lot and just wanted his well being. Seeing as the subject was uncomfortable, she didn't keep it going. She had just met him after all and didn't want to stay on the topic herself for numerous reasons. Like him, she didn't want to stir too much trouble. Sliding her cheek against her palm.

Hanami stared out of her window to the sight of many pedestrians all going about their individual paths, and her eyes lit up.

"It's pretty packed here. 4.4 million people, right?" she asked, having gained a bit of information on the place she'd be calling home for at least the next couple of years.

There were thousands of buildings in the clouds, which were floating slowly around in a circular motion. The clouds brushing up against these buildings made it seem as if the buildings were moving fast, but in reality they weren't. It left her in awe. Hanami compared it to watching the waterfalls back at her home, suspended by gravity itself. Since she wasn't raised in a city, these buildings and structures were new to her.

"How are they hovering all the way up there without falling?!" she thought to herself. She wasn't aware that the same vibes Setsus used helped scientists power and develop the clouds to be strong enough to keep those buildings up in the skies.

Takumi took note of how she changed the subject and figured he'd play along.

"You're a Hasegawa, a Rikuto, a half Setsu, and you're asking those sorts of questions? Man…" He sucked his teeth, to which Hanami puffed up her cheek. "Oh right, you're mostly human. That explains it." Takumi set his fist on his palm as if he'd figured her out.

"Rude! What does being a human have to do with- Give me a break! I wasn't let out much, so don't judge," she murmured.

"Now everything is learnable, so you ought to learn that my elbows are coming for your mouth if you keep that up," she replied back, adjusting her sleeve as Takumi sighed, brushing her threat aside.

"They're powered by Retsu that the human populace give off through their positive emotions. I thought you did your research."

"Teheh, what do you want me to say? It's not like I've ever been told everything about Setsus."

"If you have, you'd know about the negative Retsu storms threatening the different continents right now. Those storms have wiped out a number of countries already, creating dead zones... and some areas, cancer zones following the nuclear fallout of 2079. It's common knowledge, but then again, I guess a bratty human girl wouldn't know." Takumi glanced her way.

"Oh yeah? I can show you bratty if that's what you want dude" Hanami responded, while pointing at her elbow, causing Takumi to sigh again.

"Humans… it started with the selfish human desires of someone who wanted to make humans stronger than Setsu. Anyway, cities had to be elevated to keep them from being destroyed by disasters like tsunamis sent by enemy nations. In order to do that, Poles were established and hidden in the clouds all throughout Japan." Tak imagined the hidden poles in the ocean.

"They get their energy directly from the environment and have a magnetic field deep in the ocean surrounding Japan. A total of thirty Poles rotate around, each with chains that connect them all. Those chains create the formation of clouds that keep them hovering and keep the floating cities in the sky. It's possible with the Retsu millions of inhabitants give off, but if those inhabitants become negative or fear is instilled in them… as a whole"

"Then, everything collapses?" Hanami finished what he was going to say, frightfully concerned.

"Yeah. I won't go any deeper than that for you," Takumi responded, closing his eyes.

"And just so you don't get teased if asked, the population's actually 5.9 million. The force field roads lead to the other cities that are on the clouds. Our school is higher up there, but Voltaire's going to take you the remaining way to school, since I have to go somewhere el-"

"What?" She grabbed his collar, glaring.

"I don't remember promising anything." Takumi rolled his eyes as she let go of his ear. Voltaire turned onto another road before a larger car crossed them. Voltaire arrived at the front line as the light made him stop. The two watched a class of small children cross the street.

"We're nearing the Gumi Cafe. The streets at this hour are surprisingly empty…" Voltaire adjusted his round small glasses. He knew he was now close to where he wanted to go.

Takumi squinted his eyes, refusing to bicker any longer. "Yeah, yeah. So, are you doing me this favor so I can owe you one?"

"Not really, but that is a good idea. You make it sound like you've been blackmailed before." She was spot on, but Takumi turned his face away from hers and simply said, "No, you'll want something in return though."

Takumi grumpily stepped out and gently closed his door. "No one is generous without some hidden intent. Of course a b*tch like you wouldn't be the exception," he answered.

Hanami leaned up, setting her hand on the roof of the car. "That's one favor for me then! And seriously, don't call me that," she said softly.

"Whatever, Hasegawa. Close the door," Takumi responded, shocked that she didn't get violent.

"Maybe I should stop calling her that," he thought to himself.

"Call me Haruna here, not by my last name. That's too formal," she told him.

"Okay, just close the door already." He turned over to his chauffeur. "Voltaire, you're in charge of getting her there safely. If she tries to ask for detours, say no."

"Good one, right after I helped you out! I wasn't thinking about that anyway," Hanami complained to herself.

Voltaire's extremely masculine physique seemed menacing. If she had to compare him to an animal, she'd go with a buffalo. "Those ears…" Hanami leaned up from her seat and grabbed the side of Voltaire's ear.

"It's a pleasure, young miss," Voltaire responded, as the girl noticed that his cap had a metallic Hachi emblem at its center. "Ah! Sorry about that, your ears just look touchable." Hanami leaned back on her seat.

"Get going." Takumi waved off, not bothering to say goodbye to Hanami.

Hanami only wished she could throw something at the back of his head. She yelled over to him, "Not gonna say bye?! How rude! Even after I did you a favor." Takumi's ears twitched when she mentioned a favor, but he didn't look back. "What an ungrateful jerk… ugh."

From inside, Hanami could clearly see Takumi and from the outside, Takumi did the same. He made a disgusted face at her, to which she stuck her tongue out at him, unsure of what to think of him now. Hanami bit down on her lower lip a bit and turned away, sighing as the limo pulled away. Takumi shifted his sights over to the café right in front of him.

"I got rid of one problem. Now, for the next."

Location is the Gumi cafe.