One Last Hope

{"Grounds?"}

"Clear."

{"Airspace?"}

"Clear."

{"Route to the target room?"}

"Clear. All conditions green. Rapid commencing of the FEO is green across the chart. Agent Chronia and Fujikawa will be moving in immediately for Astra energy emitter and sensor instrument jamming once the commencement order is given."

{"Copy all, Agent Chronia. Stand by for orders from Main Operations. Operator Yusa will be taking over your and Agent Fujikawa's direct comms line, please wait for rerouting."}

Today is the third and last day of the culinary and hospitality practical exams for the second-year high school students of Miyazono Old Tokyo academy. A day where there would be lesser foot traffic inside the campus as outside visitors may have already got what they wanted to do during the past two days in the student stalls and events. This plays good on our side since we have a specific aim today in this place.

According to the intel given by Chief Eri Shiina's inside agents in the Miyazono group, today is the most likely day for the Miyazono psychic forces to commence the creation of the Astra wave hotspot in this place for whatever reason it might serve.

However, the main concern of the S.S.S who has now covertly surrounded the school campus with armed operatives and the two Psychic agents ready to raid it in a moment's notice, is the fact that someone of great importance is currently inside the school campus. And this someone is a man who has evaded the reach of both national and international law for the past 30 years.

His name is Miyazono Ryuichi, the founder of the Miyazono Corporation and its long absent yet still highly revered leader.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Looking at the school building from the inside of my car, I had nothing but a resentful expression on my face after I remembered what happened last night.

"Please, Rai-san! We made a mistake! Please forgive us and come back!"

"…No."

"B-but…"

"Let's stop fooling each other's side, Sayaka. This is over. I did my best to not care about any of you personally so I can minimize the reason for us to argue. But those morons still went with their unreasonable hatred with me and started everything over… I'm tired and my decision is solid. I'm not going back there to save them this time, only to receive the rudest treatment one can get from them."

Although my indifference with Sayaka was lifted after I heard her words and her resolution to make the others apologize to me, it ultimately led to nothing in the end. I still left them, and they even had the gall to go physical with me, much to their regret later on after I beat up those who raised their fists against me.

"Since they wanna show off and be recognized by the proctors without me overshadowing them, then let them do as they wish. They're smarter and better than me, right? Let them lead then. I'll even cheer for them if they can really put their words into actual actions."

"B-But they can't! Fujikawa-san already said that we won't be able to compete against classes 2-B and 2-C because they hired your former workmates! We can't possibly win against bona fide chefs that are on your level."

"Pfft! Miyamoto made that choice fully knowing that the two other sections will be hiring my fellow chefs from Ars Classica. Even if she is eating her own words now and despairing inside, my decision is resolute. I am not going back there to work for them again."

I dropped the trunk's door after securing my belongings back in that compartment and walked past Sayaka who is still trying her best to convince me to go back with the others.

"What do you want, Rai-san?"

"…What?"

"So long as I can do it, I will do it for you… in exchange, please go back to us for one last time tomorrow."

"…"

I didn't like the sound of those words… especially when it comes from a woman. I know someone who said those words before and ended up regretting it for the rest of her life.

"Anything?"

"-!"

"Are you sure about what you just said…? You can do anything that I want?"

"S-S-So long as I can do it… I will… do it."

"…"

Perhaps she finally understood how risqué that condition she just gave that she suddenly became self-conscious and pulled her skirt down a bit and placed a protective bent arm across her chest.

"Well then…"

"Rai-san…?"

"This is my condition if you want my dishes to be served in there for the final test."

Looking back now, I kind of regret that it has to come to that point.

I don't know if it was the right thing to do… but I am sure that given my choices back there, that was the best thing that I can do if she's the one asking for it.

"I gave you the recipes that are sure to win them over, Sayaka… even if you are nothing but a rudimentary cook, if you can put as much will into it as the will you showed when you finally defended me and when you asked for me to go back last night, I know you can do it."

She might've been one of the people in the class that I became indifferent and annoyed with… but unlike the others, she showed that she can change… and that is something that I can acknowledge.

{"Agent Chronia. Fujikawa has sent her transmission that she is ready on her spot. I'm now allowing you to move out yourself."}

"Roger, clear copy. Moving to designated chokepoint."

As for me, I have my own battle to win… one that I cannot afford to lose for the sake of everyone's safety and a peaceable end for all of this psychic war.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Alpha team, move in to designated point Lima."

{"Positive. Moving in with haste."}

"Echo team, keep your pace up."

{"Heavy foot traffic at the main eastern road. Cannot keep speed without raising suspicion."}

"Affirmative. Delaying team clock by four seconds."

Inside the main operations room of the Special Security Service's Shibuya bunker, an anxious-looking woman who is also the Director of the agency are looking at the overhead drone footage of their ongoing operation through the giant screen on the forefront of the room.

Here and there, highlighted people tagged with their respective team names are either casually dressed and walking around through the crowd or are covered in combat gear and heavily armed while being posted around some buildings near the school.

"I never expected that we will have to infiltrate another school after the last war… add to this the fact that it is full of young students and innocent civilians… this is putting a bad taste in my mouth."

"Don't mistake this for what happened during the war, Prime Minister. I am pretty sure that unlike that time, we have more than enough reason to forcibly raid this place."

"I know that… Still, that doesn't make any of this less disheartening."

Additionally, the Prime Minister and several Internal Defense and Security officials has been invited to oversee the operation today.

"Is that Ma-chan? Is that Benimaru-kun's daughter?"

"Yes, sir. We've sent her to jam the Astra energy emitters and sensors by the far-left wing of the Administrative building where the faculty room and vital school administration offices are located."

"Hm, hm… I see. How about that foreigner young man whose been raising his prestige these days? Where is he?"

"He's handling the opposite side of the building, sir. In addition to destroying the aforementioned instruments of the enemy, he has also been charged with leading the team that will be taking the target item in the room."

"I see… then Mana-chan will do what during this time?"

"If there would be incursions from enemy Psychics, she is tasked to hold them off by the hallway leading to the target room. Additionally, she was also tasked with leading the extraction of the target item by helicopter."

Some officers began to talk about the details of the mission and how they planned out everything to the last detail. However, there seems to be a common concern about this plan by the S.S.S.

"Director Nakamura… I believe I am warranted to ask about how you plan to handle the aftermath of this mission."

"Sir?"

"I mean… we will be raiding an educational institution simply because it has the corpse of a wanted man… Even if we can convince the public that it was a rightful move on our part since that person is a criminal, I believe doing all of this in a school is a bit…"

"I understand your concern about it being too excessive of a move, Prime Minister… but it is a negative public reaction that we have to take. I believe that I no longer have to mention the lengthy list of crimes by that individual and why we must take him even if he has already died."

"…"

"Let's answer to the people later once we have secured our target… Let's not backtrack now and falter when we can finally reach that person and give the appropriate justice to the people he has wronged."

While they were talking, a major movement in the area happened. One that could spell the doom of their plans.

"Yuri! I am detecting a large Astra energy build-up on the northern gate of the school!"

"What? Try to find out what it is."

"Wait… this isn't just Astra waves… This is different…"

The drone footage switched to a drone nearer to the mentioned area and there, everyone in the operations office had their shock of a lifetime after seeing someone emerge from a dark puddle on the ground.

"Yuri! Give the order! I'll handle the transmission of it!"

"Kuh-! To all operatives in the northern part of the operation area! This is an order from central command!"

"Mobilize the nearby operatives! We can't let those people inside the school!"

The S.S.S operators and officers all sent commands to their soldiers in the area as they had first-hand knowledge about these individuals who appeared and slaughtered hundreds back in Aokigahara just a few weeks ago.

"What is happening here?!"

"Director Nakamura! Please explain this!"

"Let me enlighten you sirs, since Yurippe will be busy with leading our troops."

"Y-You are-"

"Interrogation and Incarceration Department Chief, Ayato Naoi, sir. It's a pleasure to see you again."

"Chief Naoi! Explain this sudden racket right now!"

"Right! Why are everyone acting like it's a big deal all of a sudden?"

The ministers and officers who lacked knowledge about this thing all waited for his answer which he soon spoke about.

"That individual in the video feed is one of the seven gods of death worshipped by the Mori cult… I believe we have spoken about them during the joint raid by the S.S.S and the Sumeragi group in Chiba and the Agent Chronia's momentary interaction with them in the Aokigahara Skirmish."

"…"

"And when we say that it is a god of death, we aren't joking. One of these so-called "gods" appeared during the Aokigahara massacre and caused the death of an estimated 329 students and alumni from Miyazono New Tokyo academy who came there for a… unscrupulous event, if I may refer to it as that."

"Wait… if it caused that much, deaths of young ones, why is it never covered by any news and no families of victims are asking questions about where their family members are?"

"Because the Miyazono corporation has placed a gag order on the incident… and the aforementioned students have already been replaced anyway."

"Replaced?"

"Clones."

The mention of clones made some of the men stagger for a moment with the revelation.

"We expected the victims to be far too mutilated to be cloned, but in a matter of days, the supposedly dead students kept on popping up from all kinds of places with all kinds of memories that gives them an alibi about their sudden disappearances. These memories were checked by us and it was clearly fabricated by the company who didn't want their horrendous event or the deaths that happened there to be known by anyone."

"Then this fixation by Director Nakamura about Miyazono Ryuichi…"

"It's because she fears that the Miyazono corporation has perfected their cloning technology and technique that they will soon try to revive their founder."

After hearing all of that, the elderly men finally understood the amount of manpower and preparation that the female agency leader poured into this and why she is so adamant that the corpse of that man be taken into their custody.

"It's exactly because that man can't be allowed to live again that she wants to take him before they can properly implement a cloning process on him. After all, Yuri is the one who knows first-hand the amount of destruction that mummified bastard can do even just through his influence."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The situation on the ground became hectic for a while as soon as the news that a god of death from the Mori cult appeared on the northern gate of the school.

"I wish you can understand what we are trying to say, sir… But right now isn't a good time for you to step in there."

"…"

"Please step away for now. Our men are just ending our mission. Please be patient."

"Alright, I will honor your request."

However, the unexpectedly reasonable "god of death" allowed himself to be delayed while the S.S.S agents are performing their mission in the administration building.

"Apologies if I am sticking my nose somewhere personal, but with your attire and the violin case on your back… are you…?"

"Well, I am a musician… I know that you are aware of my identity, so I know you'd be pretty puzzled about why someone like me is here."

"Well… if I may ask about it?"

"I'm just here for a streetside performance. After all, doing my job as a Vessel isn't the only thing I have left to do in this afterlife."

Without any warning, the mysterious man who accepted the identification of being the aforementioned "god of death", pulled out his violin and its bow and took a stance where he is ready to play it.

"Say gentlemen… have you ever heard this tune before?"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"I-Intruders!"

"Drive them away from the secured room!"

"Someone! Send reinforcements here now!"

The raid in the administrative building is one that was performed with almost machine-like precision and coordination among the specially formed group and Ephraim who led it.

"Get out of the way!"

"Internal Defense ministry! Get out of the way!"

Even if they don't shout the authority that let them inside this place, their firearms were enough of a reason for the onlookers to swerve away from their way and decide not to mess with them.

"Tie that guy up!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Argh! Get the hell off of me!"

"Stop resisting or I will arrest you!"

Slowly, they reached the storage room where Ephraim previously found the metal casket containing the mummified corpse of Miyazono Ryuichi.

"Breaching!"

""Hah-!""

The flight of stairs leading to the basement led them down and in under four minutes since the operation commenced, they finally reached the target object.

"Agent Chronia."

"Aye! …This is it. The Astra energy mark that I left on it is untampered. It means he is still inside."

"Copy that. Hawk 2, this is Charlie Team 3 with Agent Chronia. We have secured the package. Enroute to LZ Lima in estimated three minutes. Prepare for rapid movement."

{"Clear copy, Charlie Three. Moving to LZ Lima now."}

"Alright boys! Let's move this thing up now!"

""Yes, sir!""

"Agent Chronia, we'll be counting on you to defend our front and break through their forces up top."

"Don't worry. I got you all."

The operatives lifted the metal coffin up the stairs and waited for Ephraim's signal to get out of the door.

"Stop right there!"

"That is private property! You cannot-"

"Get outta the way!"

"Agh-!"

"Kyaaa-!!!"

"Who are these people?!"

"Why are they carrying that thing here?!"

Mixed among the Miyazono goons were normal people that are either startled with their presence or cannot understand why such people are here and what they are doing.

"Rai! Here!"

"Mana! Take charge of them!"

"Gotcha! Over here, Charlies!"

Just in time, Mana arrived at the agreed upon landing zone and took over the job of leading the operatives to an appropriate place where their helicopter can land.

"How much more time till they arrive?"

"30 seconds. We have to hold this point and keep civilians away."

"Did you encounter other Miyazono men here?"

"N-No… I thought they were on your side since you're the first ones to raise some noise…"

"W-What?"

In Ephraim's mind, he knew that something was wrong after learning that neither Mana nor them encountered any significant number of defenders around the place.

"This doesn't make sense… Yesterday's drone shot clearly detected hundreds of them guarding this place… why are they suddenly gone now?"

"Hawk-2 is here!"

Before Ephraim can think of a possible answer for the question that is puzzling him, their helicopter arrived and slowly descended on the tight landing area behind the school's administrative building.

"Load it on! Load it before someone raises an alarm!"

"Yes, sir!"

In under fifteen seconds, the coffin was loaded into the helicopter, and it left alongside the operatives of Charlie team and Mana.

"…This is Chronia. Package loaded on Hawk-2. Pulling out Charlie Team 3 and Agent Fujikawa, over."

{"Good job, Agent. Leave the rest to us. As for you, proceed to-*Brztt-! Pyiiii-!*"}

"Ah! Dang it!"

Before his operator can tell him what to do next, Ephraim's earpiece let out a shrill sound of static which made him take in off his ear.

"What was that-? It can't be jamming, isn't it?"

He lowered the volume of the earpiece and returned it to his ear, only to hear something that he never wanted to hear.

{-I repeat! The mission is a failure! The package doesn't have the target individual! This is a dud!"}

"-?!!"

"The target is somewhere in the school! Anyone! Find him!"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

This can't be real… This is impossible!

"Administrative building is cleared! Has someone found him yet?"

{"Negative. Our men are scouring the area but there is no sign of him yet."}

"Darn it! I should've opened it after all!"

I thought that seeing the handprint that was full of Astra energy that I placed on the coffin would be enough to prove that it wasn't tampered. I didn't take into consideration that the enemy could've forged my handprint in one way or another to show that it wasn't tampered with.

And now, that guy's corpse is missing, and he might be revived anytime now.

"Wait… Operator Yusa, what is going on at the north gate?"

{"North gate? Some of our men are keeping back an individual from the Mori cult. Things seems to be calm out there right now."}

"Calm? How can you call that massive gathering of Astra energy as calm?!"

{"We're not detecting anything in here, Chronia. What are you talking about?"}

"Nothing…? That thing can't be invisible to any Psychic…"

I spoke those words as I saw a tree whose wood and bark is as dark as crude oil slowly growing upwards and casting its shadow above the campus.

"Mana… Mana! Can you see this from the air?"

{"Positive! It looks like some kind of… a giant tree from a video game?"}

"Yeah. It's quite near… How far are you from-"

{"Brzt! Pyiii-!"}

"Argh! Darn it, again?!"

Again, his earpiece sounded a shrill static noise and like before, he lowered its volume before reconnecting into the communications line of the S.S.S.

{"This is Chronia. I keep on being disconnected from the line. Is there a problem in our signals?"}

{"W-We don't know it too, Ephraim… *Brzt!* Operatives on the ground- Cannot be contacted- *Bzzt!* Do you sense- thing out of ordinary-?"}

"I sure do. Both I and Mana are seeing a giant tree in the northern gate. It's emitting a lot of Astra energy. Are you sure that our drones can't sense anything from up-top?"

{"We- *Brzt!* detect anything there! If you want to- *Pst-!* there and check it out!"}

"Alright. Moving forward!"

I ran across the school whose visitors and students seem to be confused with what happened in the Administrative building and the sudden arrival and leaving of a helicopter. Although there doesn't seem to be any ruckus yet, a little more unexplained events might end up sending these people into a panic and further butchering our plans.

"I'm in the northern gate! Are the Operatives… here…?"

{"*Fffff….*"}

After I approached the place where that dark tree visible only to Psychics has taken root, I was in too much shock to even mind the fact that my communication line with the S.S.S Headquarters is now fully gone into soft background static.

"Well… aren't you good listeners? You really became part of the musical piece I played for you that you even consolidated your bodies and shapeshifted into that tree."

"I-Is that you… Echo team…?"

With an almost abated and powerless voice, I approached the four men who was sent here to intercept this being's arrival and asked that strange question…

However, that wouldn't be too strange considering that those four has been turned into forms that are so distant from human anatomy for them to be identifiable. Their skin turned into dark bark and their limbs all extended upwards into branches and downwards as roots.

"A-Agent… Chro…nia…"

"-!"

"Run… away…!"

As the last of them who still retained his consciousness spoke those words, I finally snapped from my shock and took a battle stance as the figure clad in a musician's suit turned around to look at me.

"Well, well… if it isn't the one who was also there in the Juror's job in Aokigahara."

"You-! You know me…?"

"Directly, I do not. But since us Vessels of Death share some of our memories with others, I have seen you amongst the Juror's memories."

"Then I guess you already know why I am here?"

As I carefully uncapped my flask that is full of blood to prepare for a preemptive attack, the person in front of me raised his hand forward with his palm open wide towards me as if telling me to stop.

"Though I am equally excited to know about how someone like you managed to slay the Gardener responsible for that horrendously immoral event in Aokigahara, I must implore you to not point your hostility towards me."

"You're saying that after you turned my comrades into that tree of Astra energy?! Who do you think you're fooling, you dolt!"

"…I am not responsible for making your comrades suffer. Someone who passed by them before they interacted with me was the one responsible for their pain. In truth, me turning them into a Qlipoth tree is the quickest and most painless way to end their suffering."

"Like hell I would believe you! I will make you pay for this!"

In my rage, I started the fight by exuding out my Astra energy to form a Subspace for us to fight in. However, I soon realized that none of my preemptive measures became effective.

"W-What is happening-?!"

"You seem to still be half-baked as Vessel… you don't even know about the purpose of this Qlipoth tree behind me?"

"Vessel… wait, how did you know that-"

"You are the Vessel of Law? It's easy, none of us Vessels of Death can forget the one responsible for the mass slaughter that gave birth to a symbol of our concept."

"You can't be… Is that what he meant back then?"

At this moment, I remembered something that Law told me long before. Right around the time when I came back from talking with Spirit Knowledge in Caelestia and I confronted Law about the things I found out in there.

"The Birth of the Seers of Death… Are you-"

"Yes. I am one of them… and the reason why fate seemed to draw the three of us back here once again… I guess there really are times when history repeats itself."

"You… YOU!!!"

"Who-?!"

All of a sudden, a young woman with an expression filled with hatred appeared from behind me. Her gaze and hostility aimed towards only this guy to the point that she didn't even notice that I was there.

"So, you are the one who has been interrupting the Revival ceremony of our father..."

"My, my… such a terrifying expression doesn't befit that face that you have been taking great care of, Lady Miyazono Aishi."

"Silence! Quit with your foolishness! Prepare yourself!"

"That's something that I can get behind… Well then…"

*FWIB-!!!*

A highly compressed gust of wind hit me like an explosion's shockwave which made me hide my face behind my arms. The moment everything cleared up and I looked around me, it wasn't the same as the real world, or the fabricated space made through a mental subspace's creation.

"Maestro Inuguchi Osamu… Ready to perform in your presence! Ladies and gentlemen! May you enjoy our performance!"

"A theater… there is even an audience."

This isn't just any Subspace or Subjugated subspace that one can conjure in a mental link. Everything that I see and feel in this place is real… after all, unlike in a Subspace, I am still in my physical body.

The place resembles a theatrical house where the stage has an orchestra manned by faceless musicians. Behind us is a massive amphitheater that is filled with equally faceless people. What caught my attention is the fact that this place greatly resembles a well-known dome stadium in Old Tokyo… and what the young Miyazono woman spoke next confirmed my thoughts.

"You… You-! How dare you remind us of this thing!"

"Oh? Have I dug up some painful memory, my lady? Say, does the fact that this place is familiar to you remind you of that day…"

"SILENCE!"

"When your sinful father… finally showed who he really is as a deplorable human being."

*FYAK-!*

Without any warning, the young woman who was standing just a couple of meters in front of me flew straight into the guy who was standing atop the theater stage. From her feet, an explosion of wind sent her flying straight into the Maestro.

"We haven't even greeted the audience and you are already riled up to do your part! It seems like I, as the Maestro, must teach you a lesson just like I did to Lady Himari once!"

"Don't you dare utter onee-chan's name, you bastard!"

As the two began to fight, I was stuck there as I knew nothing about what is happening at all. Who should I fight against? Is there someone between these two that are at the right side and I can ally with?

"…"

I had nothing… and yet, there is something in my heart that tells me that this isn't a fight that I can afford not to get into. A feeling that if I cannot assert what I am really fighting for in this one encounter, I may end up not knowing it at all later on.

"<Hemokinesis>"

That's right… All this time, I was either fighting for the sake of giving justice to those important to me that was hurt or will be hurt by the Miyazonos, or purely for the sake of not dying when I get into a fight.

But I knew that I needed something more important to fight for… As I learn more and more about what I am as a Psychic and what I will become as the Divine Challenger, I need to place my heart at where I wouldn't falter or regret fighting all of those who stood against me…

"<Bloodline… Activation!>"

I told Law that I don't want him to treat me like a puppet. Like someone who has to be told the reason for his actions by someone else. Throughout the many fights that I got into, I either trudged on with him supplying me both power and a reason to go on, or I fought them with a personal hatred in my heart.

"It's clear to me that I cannot even come close to matching your strengths with my own strength alone… So, if Knowledge's words are true, I can borrow a portion of that power from her."

That parchment detailed how Law found your strength worthy enough to make you take on his goal of setting everything right… If so, give me even a sliver of it…

"RAAAAAHHHH!!!"

"What-?!"

"Finally joining the fray, aren't you?! Child of Cecilia!"

That day, the three-way duel between the modern Vessel counterparts of three legendary Spirits commenced. A duel that, just like in the past, had only one victor whose triumph will not be seen in a good light by both friend and foe.