Aponia Guitarist and Ashborn Drummer

A few hours ago.

After Kouro and Ashborn had walked out of Herrscher of Shadow's core storage area. They met up with Shadow who seemed to have been waiting for them.

Kouro greeted him before asking, "What is it?"

"Dr Mobius informed me that the Second Herrscher has made an ultimatum. Within 72 hours, if you don't go to the moon, she will throw a meteor to the earth." said Shadow with a serious expression.

Kouro's expression became serious when he heard this.

If what Shadow said was true, then... Welt and the others must be in a predicament.

"Not only that, Dr Mobius said that she detected the energy of the Herrscher of the End on the moon." Shadow continued while looking at Ashborn.

"What?! The Herrscher of the End?!" Kouro said in surprise.

He had expected that Sirin would be given new and stronger powers by the Will of Honkai, but he really didn't expect that Sirin would be given the power of the Herrscher of the End.

It's like when you play an RPG game and your character is only level 40 and is told to fight a level 1000 Last boss that has improved AI.

Damn! Even Sirin who was given a new power that fit the plot was already strong, let alone with the additional power of the Herrscher of the End!

'What should I do? Should I give up on saving her?' Kouro thought with a worried expression.

Beside him, Ashborn's expression turned serious when he heard this.

"Then the situation now is really grave, we must gather all the strength we can."

Shadow nodded his head in response to Ashborn's words, "Yes. That's why we need your ability's, Kouro Nii-san."

"Me?" Kouro pointed to himself before putting on a sober expression.

"Ah! Do you want me to heal someone?"

Shadow seemed to have a complicated expression before nodding his head, "Umm... Yes, you can say it like that. You can see the person first, then tell us if you can heal them."

Kouro turned to look at Ashborn who gestured with his head to follow Shadow.

The two of them followed Shadow before seeing a girl sitting in a wheelchair facing them.

Staring at the girl Kouro's eyes widened slightly before muttering, "SAKURA..."

Looking at SAKURA who had almost the same appearance as 'Sakura' except that SAKURA's right hand was missing, and she had a blank expression as if she had no soul.

Kouro then put on a confused expression because from what he knew, SAKURA was a MANTIS, which meant that her body was very strong, had high endurance, high regeneration and so on.

But SAKURA was now like a broken doll, sitting in a wheelchair with a blank expression.

He then turned to look at the girl near SAKURA who looked about her age, the girl had pink hair tied up with a big red ribbon and ocean-blue eyes.

She really resembled RIN (Higokumaru) as if she was the embodiment of the teenage version of Higokumaru except that she didn't have fox ears, wait... Similar to Higokumaru?

"What's your name?" asked Kouro hurriedly.

"Ah? Me? My name is Rin..." said the girl with a little fear.

'As I expected...' Kouro thought in surprise, he furtively glanced at Ashborn who was wearing a red suit.

'Kallen had previously said that Sakura's sister had been killed by a man in a red suit who called himself the Herrscher of Shadows and then burned down Sakura Village... The person Kallen mentioned can be confirmed to be... Ashborn. But... If Sakura's sister was killed... then who is this girl in front of me? Higokumaru's clone? Or...'

Kouro then shook his head quickly, this was not the right time to think about this.

He then looked back at SAKURA before asking in a concerned tone, "What happened to her?"

"...Long story, but in short... She has suffered a very strong mental trauma... This has made her mentally very fragile, making her look like someone with a mental disorder." Ashborn said quietly.

"...Aren't you guys using Aponia's Hypnosis ability? Wouldn't her ability be able to heal SAKURA's mentality easily?" asked Kouro.

"Not that easy." said Aponia who had just come from behind them.

Kouro turned around and looked at her with a questioning gaze.

"As Ashborn said, because of the intense trauma, her mentality has become very weak, so weak that if I use my ability on her, it will only damage her." she continued.

"... Heart wounds are the hardest to heal, only time can heal them... Even with my abilities-..." Kouro said with a difficult expression.

Although he didn't finish his words, they knew what he wanted to say from his expression.

"We know, we just want to try our luck, whether you can cure her or not." Ashborn said.

Kouro was silent, he wore a thoughtful expression before walking forward to stare at SAKURA's face.

Blank eyes as if they had no soul, a blank expression that didn't even change after Kouro stood before her.

"..."

Seeing SAKURA like this, Kouro did not know what suffering she had gone through to become like this.

He held his chin and put on a thinking expression before his eyes lit up slightly, he raised his head and looked at Ashborn.

"I think... I have a way to cure her..."

"Really?!" Rin shouted with a look of surprise mixed with delight.

"Don't get excited just yet, I can't guarantee that the method I have in mind will cure her." Kouro said, not wanting their expectations to be too high before being disappointed.

(E/D: Like in a Gacha game. Just lost my 50 50 to Jean.)

"That's okay. So, what do you need?" asked Aponia.

Kouro seemed to think for a moment before saying, "I just need a Piano."

A few minutes later.

A luxurious piano complete with a seat was in front of Kouro.

"I've heard that songs can heal broken hearts, so I want to give it a try." Kouro said before approaching the piano.

He pressed the piano notes one by one, bringing out a harmonious tone before nodding his head.

"Have you ever played the piano, Kouro Nii-san?" asked Shadow with a curious expression.

"Yes... I used to play some musical instruments as a hobby." said Kouro while skillfully tuning the Piano notes.

As he said, he sang just as a hobby, but in addition to singing he also combined his ability to play musical instruments, creating the skill 'Singing (Advanced)'.

With these skills, Kouro could sing melodiously and play musical instruments skillfully.

Moments later, after finishing tuning the notes Kouro clapped his hands, changing his clothes into the formal uniform of a black suit before clearing his throat and saying in a formal tone, "Ahem! I am Hanagami Kouro, here to perform a song called 'Brave Song'. I hope the ladies and gentlemen here are satisfied with my performance."

Kouro thought he understood a little why SAKURA was in that state... The death of her friends, her sister turning into Herrscher, and...

The death of the person she loved.

Kouro closed his eyes, imagining his meeting with the people he cared about.

He seemed to pause for a moment with both hands on the Piano before finally playing it.

"Itsumo hitori de aruiteta, furikaeru to minna wa tooku. Soredemo atashi wa aruita, sorega tsuyosa datta."

Kouro's voice and the sound of the Piano echoed in the room, he was playing a song from a certain anime he watched in his previous life that made him cry so much.

(E/D: Sauce is Angel Beats. Thank me by giving me crack crystals to fulfil my gacha addictions.)

"Every time there's a meeting, there's a parting" That's what this song was about.

Ashborn, Aponia, Shadow, and Rin listened to Kouro's singing which had a calming effect while evoking their sad emotions.

"Mou... Nani mo kowaku nai sou tsubuyaite miseru. Itsuka hito wa hitori ni natte, omoide no naka ni ikiteku dake."

SAKURA's fox ears stood up in reaction to Kouro's singing, she slowly raised her head and looked at Kouro with a blank expression.

Seeing SAKURA's reaction, Rin whispered in a pleased tone, "It worked!"

"Keep going... Kouro." Ashborn muttered.

As if hearing his mutterings, Kouro then raised his voice, "Kodoku sae aishi waratterareru you ni. Atashi... Wa tatakaunda, namida nante misenai nda."

SAKURA's blank eyes slowly but surely began to shine brightly again, her stiff mouth then opened and muttered, "KOURO..."

"Itsumo hitori de aruiteta, iku saki ni wa gake ga matetta. Soredemo atashi wa aruita, tsuyosa no shoumei no tame."

Aponia and the others seemed to close their eyes as they were drawn into Kouro's melody.

Kouro imagined what it would be like if he parted ways with them... With the people he cared about, Ayame, Kiana, Mei, Himeko, Theresa, Grandpa, and the others.

"Fukitsukeru tsuyoi kaze, ase de shatsu ga haritsuku. Itsuka wasurete shimaeru nara, ikiru koto wa tayasui mono."

"Bougyaku no kanata e to ochite iku nara sore wa negeru koto darou... Ikita imi sura kieru darou..."

Kouro stopped his singing, he opened his eyes before turning to look at SAKURA.

He saw SAKURA just staring at him while muttering the name 'KOURO', other than that nothing else, the situation was still the same.

Unfortunately, despite Kouro's efforts, he was unable to fully heal SAKURA.

Seeing this, Kouro could only sigh helplessly.

Perhaps if his 'singing' skills were higher, he might be able to heal SAKURA.

"Don't blame yourself, you've tried well." comforted Aponia gently.

"Right, anyway compared to before SAKURA's condition is now much better, so be proud Kouro." said Ashborn, he also seemed to want to cheer him up.

"You know Kouro Nii-san? Aponia-nee and Ashborn-sensei also played musical instruments to heal Sakura-nee! Unfortunately... They're not as good as you at singing..." Shadow said with sparkling eyes.

Hearing this, Kouro raised his eyes trying to imagine Aponia and Ashborn playing musical instruments.

Aponia with a sad face played the electric guitar in her hand skillfully, while Ashborn played the drums in a metal style.

Kouro shook his head quickly, he really didn't want to imagine it.

Rin was also seen bowing her head to Kouro in thanks before taking SAKURA away.

Aponia and Shadow then waved goodbye to him before leaving.

Kouro just nodded in understanding to them before standing up and changing his clothes, after changing his clothes he felt someone's gaze so turned his head to look at the person.

He saw that Ashborn was looking at him, although he couldn't tell what his face looked like, but he could sense that Ashborn was wearing a serious expression.

Ashborn seemed to think for a moment before saying, "Kouro, I have a request for you, I hope you don't mind."

"What is it?" asked Kouro.

"I want you to heal 'Hanagami Kouro' using your authority, are you able to do so?"

Hearing his question, Kouro smiled slightly, healing 'Hanagami Kouro' was one of his goals to change the 'future'.

Because with the healing of 'Hanagami Kouro', without being the vessel of the Herrscher of Shadow, there would be no him. That is 'The Reincarnator', someone who comes from another world, someone who can change the 'destiny' of that world itself.

Kouro didn't know exactly how the future would go without him but he could be sure of one thing he would definitely get a lot of points because that meant there was no other 'Kouro'.

He also thought perhaps the reason he was brought here by System and had the authority of [Death and Life] was to heal the 'Hanagami Kouro' from another world.

Kouro shook his head at this thought, he then looked at Ashborn before nodding his head.

"Of course, I can." he said confidently.

"But we don't have much time, right? So, when do I need to heal him?" he asked.

"Now." Ashborn said instantly as a shadow portal appeared beneath their feet.

"Wait! What about Mobius and the others? After all, you know, right? That I've absorbed the core of the Herrscher of Shadows-" Kouro hadn't finished his words and was interrupted by Ashborn.

"Let me explain it to them later, or... Do you want to be examined by them?" Ashborn asked with shining eyes.

Kouro recalled Mobius and the others before shaking his head quickly.

"Good. Oh, right, here's your mask, I thought you didn't want your parents to recognize you, right?" said Ashborn while throwing a black mask at Kouro.

Kouro caught the mask, he stared at the surface of the black mask with a pensive expression before putting it on.

Ashborn glanced at him for a moment before turning his attention back, letting their bodies sink into the shadows.

__

In front of the patient's room, the seated Sagaki looked at his son through the thick glass with a pensive expression mixed with worry.

He had heard on TV that several giant meteors were streaking down before being destroyed by explosions and eventually being eaten by an enormous 'Shadow dragon'.

It seemed like the threat of the Second Herrscher was escalating to the point that Ashborn intervened. Fortunately, Luna had been taken away from the Babylonian lab tower to safety.

Sagaki who was thinking hard then heard familiar footsteps nearby, he raised his head and looked at Ashborn along with someone he did not recognize approaching him.

"Ashborn..." Sagaki said while standing up with a relieved expression before turning to look at Kouro.

"Who is he?"

Kouro looked at the dark-haired man in front of him with a nervous expression, luckily Sagaki couldn't see his expression because he was wearing a mask.

This was the first time he met his father, before that he only knew his father from the photo given by his grandfather.

Ashborn glanced at the nervous Kouro before answering his question, "You don't need to know, what matters is that he has the ability to heal 'Kouro'."

"Really?!" said Sagaki with a surprised expression before putting on a happy expression.

He then held Kouro's hand tremblingly while shedding tears.

"Please sir, please! Heal my son!"

Kouro's expression behind the mask was complicated, he looked at his crying father as if the burden on his heart had been released.

The expression then softened before saying in a disguised voice, "Take it easy sir, I will make sure that I can cure your son."

After that, Kouro turned to look at Ashborn who was also looking at him before he nodded his head.

Kouro walked into the patient room of 'Hanagami Kouro'.

Inside the room, he looked at his 2-year-old self lying on the patient bed with white hair and a thin body as if he was dying.

Kouro took a deep breath before approaching him, he held the hand of 'Hanagami' who was really thin like a wooden branch, before closing his eyes.

(A/N: Hanagami Kouro = Hanagami)

He could feel that Hanagami's vitality was really weak, if it wasn't for the heart gauge monitor beside him that was still going up and down, Kouro would have thought that Hanagami was dead.

He then used the authority of [Death and life], enveloping the body of 'Hanagami Kouro' by black smoke that filled the room.

Sagaki who saw the scene outside wore a worried expression, while Ashborn next to him just folded his arms and leaned against the wall while looking at the scene.

Hanagami's body slowly but surely began to regain its brightness, the weakened vitality slowly increasing.

Hanagami's pale face began to brighten with a hint of redness, but even so, Kouro's expression looked very unkind.

He could not find the source of the illness that was causing Hanagami's illness, he only felt something strange but familiar to him from within Hanagami's body.

'Hanagami Kouro... He... His soul is incomplete!'