Once again

The irritating *Beep beep* sound echoed endlessly, forcing me to open my eyes. But as my vision slowly cleared, I saw nothing but a faint, murky green surrounding me. My mind still in disarray, I tried to move, but immediately felt the heavy weight and the hindrance of cables plugged into my body. It seemed like my entire body was confined in a strange environment, as though I was lying in a tank filled with liquid. The cables were attached directly to my body, connecting to my right arm, legs, and both temples.

"…"

My heart raced, and confusion began to take over.

"Where the hell am I?" I thought to myself, struggling to move harder, but all efforts were in vain. A sudden feeling of suffocation struck as I realized I couldn't breathe normally.

While I used all my strength to struggle, alarms blared unexpectedly, and red lights flashed everywhere, creating utter chaos.

From a distance, a door suddenly opened, and I heard footsteps echoing from outside the tank. Through the liquid, I vaguely recognized the silhouette of someone approaching. It was Mildred, along with another person dressed in a white suit, their face obscured by a medical mask.

"He's awake!" Mildred exclaimed, her voice filled with a hint of excitement. She turned to the person in white, who smiled behind the mask and quickly adjusted some devices next to the tank.

"I can't believe it worked," the other person said. "We'll get him out now."

Both began working, and the beeping alarm gradually faded, the red lights stopped flashing, replaced by a gentle blue glow from the surrounding devices. I felt my body lighten a bit as the liquid in the tank slowly drained, and the cables attached to my body were carefully removed.

Mildred carefully opened the lid of the tank, her face brimming with happiness, on the verge of tears.

"Thank goodness, you're finally awake."

The person in white quickly reached out to support me as I stepped out of the tank. My feet touched the cold floor, but my entire body still felt exhausted.

"Mi...ldred... What exactly... is this place?"

"Huh? Oh, I'll explain everything later. For now, we need to get out of here," Mildred said, hurriedly wrapping a robe around me to cover my exposed body. She and the other person quickly helped me out of the room.

As we walked through a long, narrow hallway, the dim light from the hanging bulbs above made me feel even more suffocated. The surroundings were empty, with gray walls devoid of any identifying signs, heightening my sense of being trapped in an unknown place. Every step I took was guided, but my mind began swirling with countless questions.

As a metal door slowly opened, a gust of cold wind hit me, sending a shiver down my spine. The fatigue seemed to fade as I inhaled the fresh air. Outside, the scene before me was completely unfamiliar.

The glaring sunlight made me squint, unable to adjust to the brightness immediately. It was a base located in the middle of a desolate land, surrounded by barren mountains and a clear blue sky devoid of clouds.

Massive metal structures stood, covered in rust and age, as though they had been there for a very long time.

Mildred and the person in white continued to support me as we crossed the wide yard toward a waiting transport vehicle.

"Where are we?" I frowned, trying to grasp the situation.

"Don't worry too much. I'll explain everything on the ride," Mildred looked at me for a moment, then sighed, as if she had anticipated my question.

The vehicle rolled over the rough road, its gentle vibrations a reminder that I was still alive, though my mind remained hazy, unable to piece everything together.

Mildred sighed, then began speaking in a low, steady voice.

"On September 23, the entire AST team participating in a special operation at D.E.M's campus was wiped out. By the time the base received word, it was too late, so I and a few others were dispatched for a rescue mission. But as we were preparing to depart, we unexpectedly found you outside the base, critically wounded."

I squinted, trying to dig through my memories, but everything was a vague, dark blur. No clear images or sounds.

"How... did I survive?"

"What do you mean? Didn't you use the last bit of your strength to return to the base?"

"I... ran away?"

"Wasn't that what happened?"

I didn't understand. How had I returned to the base? At that time, I had been incapacitated by the backlash of spiritual energy.

"It's hard to believe... It must have been <The Chronicler> who did this..."

"Is something wrong?"

"No... It's nothing..."

I remained silent, my mind still spinning. It wasn't that I ran away, but there was no need to explain that to her.

"And that place earlier was...?"

"A secret research facility of D.E.M on Neryl Island."

"Neryl Island? Isn't that in the Pacific Ocean?"

"Yes."

"Your injuries were so severe that even the Realizer technology at the base couldn't save you."

"When everyone was panicking, they had no choice but to seek help from the D.E.M corporation."

"You were unconscious for quite a while. Honestly, we didn't dare hope you'd wake up after all that time."

"A long time… how long exactly?"

"Almost four months."

"F...FOUR MONTHS??!!"

"HOW COULD IT HAVE BEEN THAT LONG?!"

"Even you don't know, so how would I?"

"But in any case, it's a relief that D.E.M's advanced technology was able to save you."

"Right… I see…"

"Even though your body was in terrible condition, the fact that you survived is already a miracle," Mildred said, her voice lowering as though she were trying to conceal some regret.

I lowered my head, looking down at my body. My right hand trembled as it touched the deep scar on my chest, feeling its rough texture. Though the wound had healed, the emptiness inside remained. One arm and one eye were gone. The price of that disastrous battle was too great, and the loss was an indelible mark on my body.

I clenched my remaining fist, trying to suppress the pain rising within.

"We've arrived, Watano," Mildred's voice pulled me back to reality. I looked up to see a small airport ahead, not too grand but large enough for a small aircraft to land.

"This is..." I muttered, still not fully understanding what was happening.

"Let's return to the JGSDF base now," Mildred said, her eyes steady, though there was an underlying concern.

"The outside world has changed a lot during the time you were in a coma, and I think you should return soon to understand it better."

I nodded without saying another word. Mildred helped me onto the plane. As the doors closed and the engine began to hum, I leaned back into the seat, gazing out the window. The sunlight slowly receded as the plane ascended, taking me toward an uncertain future.

Too many unanswered questions still swirled in my mind. Four months… It was such a long time, and I had missed so many events during that period—from the appearance of the spirit <Witch > Natsumi to Origami becoming a spirit and even <Sister >.

The event where Origami became a spirit stood out the most. Shido had used Kurumi's <Zafkiel > ability, the 12th bullet <Yud Bet>, to travel back five years and alter the timeline. If that really happened, everything would have changed entirely, and my existence might have been erased... But here I still was, a member of AST, and the battle with Tohka at the D.E.M campus had still occurred.

To clarify my thoughts, I turned to ask Mildred some questions.

"Hey, Mildred," I spoke, still unaccustomed to the hoarseness of my voice after being in a coma for so long. "What exactly happened at the base? And what about Origami... How is she?"

Mildred paused for a moment, a flicker of concern in her eyes before she responded. "Since the new spirit, <Devil >, appeared, casualties at the base have been on the rise. Our already thin forces have grown even weaker. Many in our AST team have resigned to save their own lives."

"As for Origami, I don't know for sure. All I know is that she requested leave from AST after <Devil > appeared, likely no different from the others."

"<Devil >..."

As the plane began its descent, Mildred spoke again. "We'll soon arrive at the JGSDF base. I think the higher-ups want to meet you."

"The higher-ups? You mean General Kiritani?"

"Yes, he's had to shoulder nearly everything at the base in your absence."

"..."

"Take a nap for now. I'll wake you when we arrive."

"Alright, thanks."

Time passed, and after about four hours of flight, the plane touched down at the base. The scene inside felt strangely different.

I wasn't sure if it was due to some mission or not, but the base seemed eerily empty, with only a few engineers maintaining equipment here and there.

"Mildred, why is the base—"

"No need to ask, you'll find out soon."

Mildred then led me to meet General Kiritani, and we both stood outside his office door.

*Knock knock*

"General Kiritani, Captain Watano has returned."

"Watano, huh? Come in."

"You go in first. I have other things to attend to," Mildred said.

"Ah, I see."

I then opened the door and stepped inside, the room filled with towering stacks of documents in every corner.

"I'm terribly sorry you had to see such a messy room."

"Oh, it's alright, sir."

"These days, I don't even have time to leave this damn room."

"What on earth has happened to our base?"

"Mildred must have mentioned a little about the current situation, right?"

"Yes."

"Honestly, ever since the AST frontline under your leadership was completely wiped out after the event at the D.E.M campus."

"Many people have been terrified by the overwhelming power of <Princess >, or rather, we're not exactly sure what it is. We just know that entity had spirit waves somewhat similar to <Princess >."

"And to make matters worse, the continuous casualties that followed due to our weak and limited forces."

"I've repeatedly asked the government to send reinforcements to our base because this area has been constantly experiencing spatial quakes in recent years."

"But day after day, month after month, I've sent requests to the government, and yet there's been no response."

"Maybe they've abandoned the people of Tenguu City. Damn it!"

General Kiritani became more enraged as he spoke, unable to contain himself, slamming his hand on the table.

"It's okay, sir. I'm back now. Let me return to the frontline."

"I... I'm really glad to hear you say that... But honestly…"

As he spoke, he glanced at my missing left arm and the eyepatch over my left eye and shook his head in resignation. Understanding his thoughts, I lowered myself and regained my composure.

"I'm sorry, sir. I was a bit reckless during that battle."

"If only I had done better…"

"Alright, stop blaming yourself."

"This base's dissolution is only a matter of time."

"But… if that happens, who will protect the people here?"

"We've done all we can."

"No. I can't accept that."

"Even though I'm crippled, with my mind, let me lead everyone to attack again. This time for sure, I—"

"ENOUGH! I'VE SAID THAT ALREADY, DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?" he roared, shouting at me.

"Fine then, I'll leave. I'll handle it myself. If you're scared of dying, then go ahead and retire."

"Watano, you dar—" His words halted as he sensed the look of sheer determination in my eyes, though this 'determination' didn't carry its usual positive tone.

"Permission to leave!" I then walked out of the room in disappointment. A man who once fought in countless battles now showed such fear.

"The government, huh… Very well… It seems there's something I need to purge first…"