After the meeting, everyone was given the rest of the day off.
Uta announced they would depart at dawn tomorrow.
The hallway was quiet.
Naoko walked with his hands in his pockets, grumbling.
—Tsk…
His cheek still stung from Akuma’s hit.
And so did his pride.
Behind him—
—Nao.
The voice stopped him.
Tadaaki.
Calm gaze.
—Are you going into the city after lunch? Mitsume and Akihiro are heading out.
Naoko didn’t look at him.
—No.
—No?
—I’m going to rest a bit.
Tadaaki observed him for a few seconds.
He didn’t speak at first.
Then, low tone:
—Did you sleep well last night?
Naoko blinked.
—Huh?
Tadaaki looked at him directly.
—The nightmares again?
Silence.
Naoko tensed slightly.
A microsecond.
But enough.
—N-no. —He scratched the back of his neck.— I just trained a lot last night.
Tadaaki’s expression didn’t change.
But his eyes lowered to Naoko’s hands.
Slight tremor.
Faster breathing.
—Training doesn’t give you those dark circles —he said flatly.
Naoko stepped back half a step.
—Since when are you a doctor?
—Since you stopped sleeping.
Naoko forced a smile.
—You’re getting old. Seeing things.
Tadaaki narrowed his eyes.
—Nao.
That tone.
Naoko looked away.
—I’m fine.
—I didn’t ask that.
Silence.
The air grew uncomfortable.
Naoko clenched his fists.
For a second, it looked like he might say something real.
Something important.
But—
—Ah! I forgot! —he suddenly said too loudly— I have to… check… something.
Tadaaki looked at him.
—Check what?
Naoko began walking backward.
—A very important thing.
—What thing?
—Extremely important.
—Nao.
—High-level spiritual zen concentration training!
And he ran off.
Tadaaki watched him disappear around the corner.
Silence.
Blink.
—…That doesn’t mean anything.
From around the corner, a loud thud.
—OW!
Tadaaki sighed.
And no matter how serious he tried to be…
A small smile appeared.
—Idiot.
He stepped away from the wall.
More serious now.
—If you don’t want to talk… don’t.
The room was dim.
Naoko closed the door with his foot and collapsed onto the bed without even taking off his jacket.
He stared at the ceiling.
Breathed.
—I’m fine… —he muttered, trying to convince himself.
He turned toward the wall.
Closed his eyes.
Exhaustion took him quickly.
Too quickly.
—
Silence.
Then…
Wind.
Hot wind.
He opened his eyes.
He wasn’t in his room.
He was standing in the middle of a ruined city.
Buildings split in half.
Broken windows.
Red sky.
Smoke burning his throat.
Fire everywhere.
Ash covering the ground.
He walked.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
His footsteps echoed hollow.
—Hello…?
No answer.
A crack.
He turned.
Shadows.
Blurred figures in the smoke.
Distorted voices.
“You were late.”
“You’re always late.”
“Being good isn’t enough.”
His chest grew heavy.
He tried to run.
His legs wouldn’t respond.
He looked at his hands.
They were shaking.
He looked up.
In the distance, through the flames—
A silhouette.
Standing.
Firm.
Calm.
Taller.
Stronger.
More certain.
He couldn’t see the face.
But he knew what it represented.
Comparison.
“They can do it.”
“They don’t hesitate.”
The fire grew.
The heat became unbearable.
Naoko stepped back.
He stepped on something.
Looked down.
A ribbon.
Burned.
Recognizable.
The air grew heavier.
Guilt settled in his stomach.
“You weren’t enough.”
The sky roared.
The city began collapsing.
Naoko screamed—
And no sound came out.
He tried to summon something.
Reikon.
He tried to feel it.
But all he felt was fear.
Doubt.
A void telling him he wasn’t ready.
That he never would be.
The ground gave way.
He fell.
Through smoke.
Through fire.
Through impossible comparisons.
And just before hitting the bottom—
He opened his eyes.
Darkness.
Room.
Cold sweat.
Ragged breathing.
He sat up abruptly.
Silence.
Only his heartbeat in his ears.
He placed a hand on his chest.
—…Again.
He looked toward the window.
Naoko didn’t fall asleep again.
He sat there.
Staring at his hands.
Took a deep breath.
—I need air…
He stood up.
Left the room quietly.
Went downstairs.
Crossed the garden.
Jumped the fence.
And walked toward the city.
—
In the distance, lights appeared through the mist.
A rusted metal sign marked the entrance:
ВОСКРЕСЕНИЕ – 新生 (Voskresenie – Shinsei)
A place built on ruins… but looking forward.
Naoko stood still for a few seconds.
The city wasn’t like his small village.
It was bigger.
More alive.
Louder.
Old rusted factory remains blended into modern structures.
Soft neon mixed with classic streetlamps.
It wasn’t clean.
But it wasn’t decaying either.
Graffiti coexisted with digital screens.
Naoko walked, looking at everything.
Strange shops.
Street stalls.
Children running.
Musicians playing under a bridge.
—This is another world…
He stopped in front of an electronics display.
Then a bookstore.
Then a restaurant where people were laughing.
He was surprised by how simple it was.
Normal.
Here, people seemed to… live.
Not just survive.
He kept walking.
Until he saw it.
A massive building rising above the streets.
Dark stone.
Tall windows.
Architecture blending Orthodox cathedral and Japanese temple.
Stylized crosses with minimalist details.
Bells suspended in a modern frame.
A church.
Dominating the district.
Naoko looked up.
—Wow…
The interior was enormous.
Columns like petrified trees.
Light filtering through blue and amber stained glass.
The air smelled of incense and old metal.
He stepped inside out of pure curiosity.
—Hello…?
His voice echoed through the vaults.
No answer.
He walked slowly until he stood before a massive mural covering almost the entire altar wall.
A young knight kneeling.
Cracked armor.
A bouquet of flowers in his hands.
Before him, a queen seated on a floating throne surrounded by magical symbols.
It wasn’t a war scene.
It was a declaration.
A deep voice echoed behind him.
—He is the First Human King… declaring his love to the Mage Queen.
Naoko didn’t turn immediately.
—First Human King… huh?
The voice returned.
—What are you doing here, son?
Naoko answered without thinking.
—I heard about churches… never been in one.
Then he felt it.
A massive shadow covering part of the floor.
He turned.
And froze.
Narrator:
Approximate height: 2.45 meters.
Build: back as wide as a cathedral door. Shoulders like pillars.
Visible belly, held by absurd strength.
Hair: bald on top, elderly side hair.
Face: square jaw, nose broken multiple times.
Thick white beard forming a natural cross.
Eyes: deep amber, like sleeping lava. Warm… but intimidating.
Arms: enormous metal prosthetics filled with rivets.
Clothing: worn long black robe, thick belt with metal rosary, heavy combat boots. Each step sounded like a hammer on stone.
Naoko blinked twice.
His expression shifted from shock… to full comedic disbelief.
—What are you?
The giant smiled mischievously.
—I am a servant of the Lord, of the King. We give meaning and direction to believers’ doubts. This isn’t my church… it belongs to an old friend.
Naoko looked him up and down.
—Liar. You look like a mountain… and those arms?
Without permission, he started tapping the metal prosthetics.
Tap.
Tap.
—Are they real? Do they weigh a lot? Can you crush a door with—
CLACK!
A metallic smack hit his head.
The sound echoed through the church.
Naoko saw stars.
—OW!
The priest looked offended.
—Don’t call me a liar in the Lord’s house.
Naoko rubbed his head, teary-eyed.
—And hitting me is allowed?
The priest burst into thunderous laughter that made the stained glass tremble.
—That was a caress, boy.
He gave Naoko a pat on the back that nearly pushed him three steps forward.
The priest studied him silently for a few seconds.
Then, in a deep but calm voice:
—Do you need something, kid?
Naoko shook his head.
—No… I just came to see the church. I read that doubts get answered in churches.
The priest chuckled and sat on a bench. The wood creaked.
—What’s your name?
Naoko awkwardly gave a thumbs-up.
—Naoko.
—Well, Naoko… —amber eyes fixed on him— what makes you doubt yourself?
Naoko looked away almost immediately.
—Nothing, nothing… just… —he glanced at the kneeling knight mural— How do we know we’re in the right place?
The priest laughed, the sound echoing through the nave.
Then, unexpectedly soft, he recited:
—In time, all will arrive,
on the day that now begins.
A thousand answers you will seek…
Naoko rolled his eyes.
—Another old man prescribing poetry…
The priest looked at him.
Didn’t raise his voice.
Naoko raised his hands.
—Sorry, sorry…
The priest leaned forward, elbows on his knees.
—Not belonging is not a curse. It’s a stage.
Comparing yourself to others is easy.
Discovering your own rhythm… is not.
He stood up.
Each step heavy against stone.
Stopped in front of Naoko.
With one enormous metal finger, he pressed firmly against his chest.
Right over his heart.
—The right place isn’t found by looking outside. It’s recognized here.
Naoko didn’t respond.
For the first time in a long while…
He stayed quiet.
The priest walked toward the altar.
Stained glass light covered his back.
Naoko took a deep breath.
—Thanks, old priest… but—
—Today everything you dream of —the priest interrupted without turning—
in your imagination… it is there. This is the moment to make your illusion real.
Naoko blinked.
Then smiled.
A sincere smile.
—Bye, old man. It was great talking to you.
He turned and walked toward the door.
Pushed it open.
Before crossing—
—Naoko!
He stopped.
—If you’re afraid… why don’t you run?
Naoko looked at the ground.
Thought.
“That would be giving up, right?”
He remembered his nightmare.
The guilt.
“What’s the point of being able to help someone if you don’t do it because you’re scared?”
He exhaled.
Didn’t fully turn around.
But answered.
—Because someone has to stay.
Silence.
The priest watched him.
His mechanical hands tensed slightly.
A memory crossed his eyes.
A stronger metallic sound as he clenched his fist.
And he murmured, barely audible:
—…Idiot.
Not an insult.
Pride in disguise.
Naoko smiled.
—See you soon. Nice meeting you, old man.
And he stepped into the night of Voskresenie–Shinsei.
The church doors closed slowly.
Inside, the priest looked up at the mural of the First Human King.
—That’s how they all begin…
His amber eyes shone with something more than faith.
—
Night covered Voskresenie–Shinsei in soft neon lights and faint smoke rising between old industrial structures.
Naoko walked lighter than when he arrived.
The city no longer felt overwhelming.
Now… it felt possible.
Turning a corner—
—Nao?
Tadaaki leaned against a lamppost.
Mitsume stood beside him, hands in her pockets.
Naoko blinked.
Tadaaki looked him up and down.
—What are you doing here?
Naoko shrugged.
—Preparing for tomorrow’s mission.
Mitsume raised an eyebrow.
—Preparing how? Staring at shop windows?
Naoko tapped his head.
—Mentally.
Tadaaki studied him for a few seconds.
He didn’t look nervous anymore.
He wasn’t avoiding eye contact.
Something had changed.
Tadaaki didn’t ask more.
Just nodded slightly.
—Good.
Pause.
Then, more casually:
—Want dinner?
Naoko tilted his head.
—Huh?
—We found an incredible place. Grilled meat. Fresh bread. And something they call “volcanic soup.”
Mitsume added:
—It literally steams.
Naoko’s eyes sparkled.
—You’re paaaaying?
Tadaaki closed his eyes.
Exhaled.
—Yes.
One second of silence.
Naoko threw his arms up like he’d won a battle.
—LET’S GOOOO!
He jumped and started walking faster than them.
—Quick before you change your mind!
Tadaaki shook his head.
But a small smile appeared.
Mitsume glanced at him.
—He’s better.
Tadaaki replied quietly.
—Yeah.
The three walked off into the city lights.
Laughter mixing with urban noise.
Tomorrow, there would be a mission.
