A quartet of friends, fresh from their lunch break, split off to attend their afternoon classes. Zhenzhen and Cleo took a different path from Liza and Akira, though all four promised to meet again later in the day. Everyone except Zhenzhen. Shortly after they reentered RIU, he mentioned he needed to hurry back to the dorm and meditate peacefully in his room.
Akira and Liza continued together through the left wing of RIU, taking a long corridor and weaving their way through the bustle of students crisscrossing the campus.
Liza: "So, which club are you going to join?"
She glanced at him, trying to mask the slight tension on her face. It was clear she was struggling to keep Merlina quiet in her head. Still, she smiled nervously, doing her best to hold her composure.
Akira: "More importantly, how are you feeling, Liza?" he asked with a worried expression.
Liza: "Don't try to change the subject. I'm fine for now. But I never thought having a voice inside your head could be this tiresome. It's not like I blame Mel for it, but it's just..."
Liza walked beside him with her hands hanging loosely at her sides, as if unsure what to do with them.
Cutting her off mid-sentence, Akira smirked.
Akira: "Annoying."
Liza nodded shyly, with a hint of guilt.
Liza: "Yeah."
They both paused briefly.
Liza: "Look... I need to know which club you're going to join."
Akira: "I think it's kendo, Liza."
Liza: "I knew it. Boys. Typical."
She snorted.
Akira: "If you don't like swords, I can always join a second club with you."
He gave her a timid look, and after hearing that, Liza jumped right in front of him.
Liza: "Ha! Senpai, now you're speaking my language!"
Akira pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh.
Akira: "You're that happy just because we're joining a club together?"
Liza beamed at him with a natural smile, aiming it like a laser gun.
Liza: "Always!"
Akira shook his head, trying to hold back a laugh, covering his mouth with one hand.
Liza: "Ha! And you thought I was done for today, Senpai! I'm the source of infinite fuel! And some other things..."
Akira: "Just so, Liza. Just so."
Liza: "What's that supposed to mean?"
She playfully bumped him with her shoulder bag as they entered the lecture hall.
The deep burgundy outer walls of the sturdy concrete university buildings gave the campus a warm yet formidable presence. Inside the lecture hall, however—unlike the dark marble-green corridors lined with scarlet-red columns—the environment was vanilla white. Rows of light brown desks and chairs filled the space, while large windows let in ample natural light.
Akira: "You and Merlina are alike. She's the source of unlimited assistance, and you're the source of unlimited fuel. No wonder the two of you get along so well."
Liza raised a finger tipped with a long nail.
Liza: "Mel didn't mention any of that. Heh."
Joshua: "Hey, Akira, here's the magazine I took from you this morning. Thanks."
Joshua Abelman was another student from their group A. You couldn't miss him in a crowd—his curly red hair and freckled cheeks stood out. Underneath his student uniform, he wore a crimson plaid shirt that peeked out faintly from beneath the collar.
Akira: "Hello again, Joshua. But it wasn't mine to begin with. You can keep it if you want."
Liza gave Joshua a curious look.
Liza: "Who's that? Hello."
She shot Akira a quick question, then turned to Joshua with her usual fox-like smile, waving in greeting.
Joshua: "Oh, hello!"
Akira: "You didn't meet each other earlier today, after you and I got separated, Liza."
Liza's sly smile remained as she gave their new classmate a charmed look.
Liza: "I hope you two aren't reading anything naughty! Ha!"
Joshua's eyes widened, and his voice trembled slightly.
Joshua: "N-no, obviously not! It's about motorcycles. Funny enough, I just met Akira, and we already found something in common."
Liza narrowed her eyes, glancing at Akira.
Liza: "Oh really?" She extended her hand toward Joshua.
Liza: "I'm Liza, by the way."
Joshua politely shook her hand.
Joshua: "And I'm Joshua. Nice to meet you!"
He still seemed a little nervous. Akira always thought Liza's influence on people was surprisingly powerful, both shocking and positive at the same time.
Liza: "So, guys... Is this a chemistry lesson or what?"
Akira: "Chemistry needs to be in the lab, I think."
Joshua: "Not quite. If it's just a lecture, it can be chemistry."
Liza: "Ha! See, Senpai? Who needs labs and equipment when there's 'chemistry' between us, eh?"
She playfully poked Akira with her elbow.
Akira: "I can't believe you, Liza..."
Liza: "I'm a material girl, from the material world. Yeah!"
She stood as if she were anything but material, shining like some kind of superhero.
Joshua giggled.
Joshua: "I think it's going to be a math lecture."
Liza snorted again.
Liza: "Boooo! Boring!"
Akira chuckled.
Akira: "Let's go and sit somewhere."
They stood not far from the door. Akira pointed at the view just beyond the windows.
As Liza had warned, the math lecture was mind-numbing. By the time Professor Amaya Mashima finished speaking, everyone inside the lecture hall was completely worn out. Amaya was a middle-aged woman with neatly styled auburn hair. She wore the same sharp expression that Mia often did. Her outfit—a crisp white blouse tucked into a gray pleated skirt—perfectly matched her composed demeanor.
Liza: "Next time, I'd better just run away from here. I swear."
She lay sprawled across the desk like a deflated frog.
Unlike the morning classes, the afternoon ones seemed to drag on forever. After Akira, Liza, and Joshua left the last lecture hall, Liza finally squeaked.
Liza: "I can't believe that after all that, I still have to go to my part-time job. Can somebody carry me? Anyone? Senpai?"
Joshua giggled.
Akira: "I probably could, but everyone will think we're related somehow, Liza."
Liza: "Ha! I'm not afraid of gossip. Though I can be a little shy about it. After all, you're just carrying me!"
Akira: "Let's go, Liza. We promised we'd meet Cleo at the entrance."
Liza playfully hung on his neck.
Liza: "Carry me or bust, Senpai!"
Even though Akira was hesitant to carry Liza in public, he was always up for a challenge, especially one that tested his bravery. In both reality and the Dreamscape, anyone who thought they could check Akira's limits and expect him to chicken out was seriously mistaken.
To Liza's surprise, Akira grabbed her by the hips and lifted her in front of everyone as if she were a sack of potatoes.
Liza: "What the... why are you carrying me like you're trying to kidnap me?!"
She nearly lost her shoulder bag while punching him in the back.
Akira: "You asked for a ride. You get what you get."
Liza: "Idiot!... I mean, Senpai, you idiot!"
People around them looked just as tired after their afternoon lectures, yet this performance definitely caught everyone's attention.
Joshua was laughing hysterically.
Joshua: "Are you guys always like this?"
Liza, still being carried by her Senpai, barked like a princess being taken away by an evil dragon.
Liza: "Call an exorcist! This guy's lost the last piece of his sanity! Senpai, where do you think you're touching me?!"
Akira smirked but kept his cool. He carried her nearly to the university's main entrance, where a crowd of students stood checking the schedule board for the next day.
Mia Walker stood near a security guard. Her eyes widened like dinner plates behind her glasses as she spotted the source of all the attention.
She rushed toward Akira, who was still carrying Liza, as she giggled like a little girl behind his back.
Mia: "Yamauchi, are you out of your mind?! What kind of spirit possessed you?!"
Akira's Mind: "His name is Devilish... but she doesn't need to know that for now."
He finally set Liza down, and she stood there, blushing like a tomato.
Mia shook her head.
Mia: "I can't believe you two."
As if someone flipped a switch, all sarcasm vanished from Liza's voice.
Liza: "No comments. Always knew Senpai was WILD."
Akira noticed everyone was watching.
Akira: "Sorry, Mia."
Mia: "Don't 'sorry' me, you doofus! Are you thirteen years old?! I thought you were way more responsible than this, Yamauchi."
Liza: "Hey, girly, I just asked him to carry me, that's all."
Mia rolled her eyes behind her glasses.
Mia: "If you two don't have any club activities today, you'd better go home. Now."
Liza: "Didn't plan on standing in front of you all day anyway, stupid!"
Mia: "Hmph!"
She turned and walked toward the schedule board in full irritation mode.
Liza bumped Akira with her hip.
Liza: "Make her mad, not bad. I approve."
Akira: "Heh... heh..."
...And that was the best he could manage.
After all the chaos they stirred up, Akira and Liza left RIU, scanning the crowd of students in front of the university, hoping to spot Cleo.
Cleo Williams appeared right before them, like a wandering puppy.
She bowed.
Cleo: "Hello again. Are you two heading home?"
Liza: "IF ONLY! I wonder if you've got a part-time job too, Cleo. Because I work at a cafe called 'Black Dog.' It's a maid cafe, right across from Akira's castle."
Cleo blinked in surprise and raised her small hands.
Cleo: "A castle?"
Akira sighed.
Akira: "Very funny, Liza. It's an apartment complex."
Liza smirked.
Liza: "Golden boy."
Cleo giggled with her.
Akira: "I've got a part-time job too, Liza. Same as you."
Cleo: "So, you live nearby? With Miss Liza?"
Liza immediately pulled on her cheeks.
Liza: "WHAT. DID. I. SAY. ABOUT. NOT. CALLING. ME. MISS?"
Cleo shut her eyes and struggled to speak as Liza stretched her face.
Cleo: "I'm sorry, Liza! Ouch! Ouch!"
Akira: "The cafe where Liza works is near the place I live."
Liza finally let go. Cleo rubbed her flushed cheeks.
Cleo: "I've never had a part-time job before. My parents send me money now and then. And I don't live in a dorm either—I rent a room, just like you!"
Liza: "Ho-ho! So you're telling me we've got another silver-spoon girl to go with our golden boy?"
She flashed a sly smile at them both.
Cleo: "What does 'silver-spoon girl' mean?"
Akira: "She thinks your parents spoil you. And... that you're rich."
Liza poked Akira with her nail.
Liza: "I didn't exactly say that, you know."
Cleo: "But I'm not rich!"
Liza: "Ha!"
Akira: "Disaster..."
They all paused for a second in silence, then laughed together and walked toward the amber gates, leaving the RIU campus behind.
Cleo: "So I need to get this 'part-time' job, same as you?"
Liza and Cleo flanked Akira as they walked.
Akira: "I don't think you really need to..."
Liza: "Wait a minute, Senpai. I think Maria told me before that the only thing we need is our own MASCOT!"
Cleo looked at her a bit confused.
Liza: "I mean, imagine you're going to be dressed as a maid, Cleo. You're adorable as a doll! Imagine what would happen if we made you OUR mascot maid."
Akira: "You can't be serious, Liza."
Liza: "But I am! So, Cleo, what do you say? The only problem is if Maria agrees to take responsibility for taking a cute as a button 'angel' such as you under our wings."
Cleo: "But I don't even look like an angel, do I? What do you think, Akira?"
Cleo slightly lowered her head, darting back and forth between her friends.
Akira: "Well, I..."
Liza: "You see, even Senpai is out of words. It must be the angel's halo above your head that DAZZLED HIM and made him speechless."
Akira raised his hands a bit in defeat.
Akira: "It's actually you, the one who interrupted m—"
Liza's regular speech turned into a yell.
Liza: "AND as you can see, nobody is against you and me doing the same part-time job together. Two maids are better than one. Well actually... It's five of us now, to be perfectly honest."
Cleo: "I never thought I could become a waitress at a cafe!"
Liza: "A MAID. M-A-I-D, Cleo. Waitresses and Maids are... they are not the same. Well, at least that's what Maria told me when I got hired."
Cleo: "Oh!"
Liza: "Yeah! So, what are you going to say, Cleo? It's a yes-or-yes deal!"
Akira: "...More like to agree with me or get exposed, kind of proposal."
Liza yawned.
Liza: "Bah! Don't listen to Senpai mumbling, he always visits our cafe every day. Sometimes I even think he's got 'this' type of fetish, you know."
Akira: "I am not..."
Cleo: "Really?"
Liza: "Yes!"
Akira: "I am not!"
Liza: "Yes, you are!"
Akira: "You're speaking nonsense."
Liza: "So why do you come along every day, hm?"
Akira: "It's you who actually invited me there in the first place!"
She waved at him.
Liza: "Don't bother, Cleo. He's totally into the 'maid' type of thing, if you know what I mean."
Cleo folded her hands.
Cleo: "Maybe we can try it after all."
Akira: "Are you kidding me..."
Liza: "This is it! A deal is sealed!"
Cleo: "It sounds like we already signed some sort of contract, Liza."
Liza: "Obviously not... for now, I mean!"
She giggled.
Akira: "Gods..."
Liza: "Gods, shmods! What do you mean? I made a reasonable proposal to Cleo, and she agreed."
Akira: "Whatever."
Liza: "Aye!"
Judging by how Liza jolted from side to side, she looked like some sort of cartoonish pirate leading them toward inevitable danger and treasure.
And while Liza was at it, Cleo whispered to Akira.
Cleo: "I completely forgot to ask her that. What is the mascot?"
Akira tried to summon all his cosmic powers to stop himself from striking his face with a slap, but ended up slapping it, anyway.
Cleo looked puzzled as he tried to recover from the self-inflicted blow and did his best to explain what Liza meant by "maid cafe mascot," just for her.
Cleo: "Oh. So that's what it is."
Akira nodded.
Akira: "Aye. You've still got the option to turn down her 'generous' proposal, Cleo."
Liza returned in a flash, practically glowing.
Liza: "Wha?! What are you saying, Senpai? The only thing standing between me and having a cute coworker is talking to Maria about it!"
Akira shook his head.
Akira: "But it's on the other side of town."
Liza shrugged.
Liza: "Not that far. Could be worse."
Cleo: "We can see each other more often, too!"
Liza: "So that's what you're after—Senpai's attention..."
Cleo: "N-no, I just—"
Liza: "Don't bother. I solved this case the moment I opened you up like a book!"
Akira: "Detective 'Teaser' on the case..."
Liza: "What was that?"
Akira: "Nothing."
Liza narrowed her eyes.
Liza: "Thought so."
Cleo: "Haha!"
The three of them finally reached a small crossroad near the mischievous monument where Akira had "finished the two stones" just yesterday.
Cleo: "I need to go left now. You two are heading toward the metro station?"
Liza: "Yeah..."
She scratched the back of her head.
Akira: "Goodbye for today, Cleo. Let's meet here again tomorrow, if we can."
Cleo beamed at both of them.
Cleo: "How about 8 a.m.?"
Liza: "Early..."
Cleo: "But—"
Akira: "That time works. But don't feel like you have to wait for us. Liza and I might not run into each other in the morning."
Liza gave him a sad look.
Liza: "That sounds like a promise, Senpai."
Akira gave her a puzzled smile.
Akira: "Obviously not. But we'll see tomorrow."
Cleo beamed again.
Cleo: "See you tomorrow morning, then!"
Liza: "See you tomorrow, cutie."
She started pulling at Cleo's cheeks again, more gently this time.
Cleo: "Ahaha! Stop it, Liza—it tickles!"
Liza: "If anyone even thinks about messing with you again, Cleo, just say the word. I'll smash them!"
She clenched her fist dramatically, as if it had doubled in size.
Akira waved to Cleo, gave Liza's sleeve a little tug, and the two headed toward the metro station.
Liza waved energetically.
Liza: "Bye-bye!"
Cleo waved back at them.
Cleo: "Take care!"
After advancing for a while and waiting at the metro station, Liza and Akira took their train.
Liza: "Are you planning to come to our place today, Senpai?"
Akira: "Thinking about it."
Liza: "Ah, so now you need a special invitation, is that it?"
Akira seemed fine, but his expression revealed underlying exhaustion.
Akira: "That's the funny part. Just yesterday, I was bragging to Merlina in my head about how I've got to handle dojo lessons with an uchigatana, my part-time job at the motorcycle workshop—and with all that, I'm leaving myself no free time whatsoever."
Liza's teasing behavior—twice on full display today—vanished like it never existed. She gently tapped him on the head.
Liza: "Feeling exhausted? How did that 'meeting' with the tall guy go?"
Akira: "He and Mia asked Zhen and me to join them, in the Dreamscape."
Liza: "So they're just like us? Mel told me pretty much the same thing. After that, we both tried to guess what you were talking about with them."
Akira: "Yeah, well... Zhenzhen just walked out right at the start, and I refused."
Liza smiled knowingly.
Liza: "Good choice."
Akira: "Thanks."
They both giggled.
Liza: "I want you to know—if something happens, you can always come to 'Barghest' and tell me what's on your mind, Akira."
Akira shot her a teasing smile.
Akira: "No, Senpai, this time?"
Liza blushed a little.
Liza: "You wish. You'll always be my 'Senpai' after helping me during our entry exams."
Akira: "Didn't do much."
Liza: "A humble cavalier."
Someone snorted loudly enough for the whole train to hear. It was Akira.
Akira: "Better keep calling me 'Senpai' forever—but not like that, Liza."
Liza: "Huh!"
She gave him a stronger pat on the back this time.
After they reached their stop, Akira wondered if Ota was still standing at his usual place.
Liza: "Wonder how Pops is holding up after this morning. What does he call it? 'Judgment Day' udon? What the hell is even that?"
Akira giggled.
Akira: "Something very spicy and hot, no doubt."
Liza smirked.
Liza: "I'm gonna make a spicy omelette—just for you, Senpai!"
Akira: "Need to check on Nishioka today, just in case."
Liza: "You think he's planning something suspicious again?"
Akira: "It's about my father. He's not going to let it slide. Not like this. He's not that kind of man."
Liza: "You think Pops is in danger?"
Akira: "Aye—and in real one. Nishioka already knows that. After all, he's the one who felt my father's oppressive behavior one of the first."
Liza sighed heavily.
Liza: "So your dad's really that bad, huh?"
Akira: "I don't know myself. Funny thing is, he draws attention fast."
Liza smirked.
Liza: "Like father, like son, eh?"
Akira's expression darkened.
Akira: "You know I don't like being compared to him. I'm not like him. I never will be."
Liza turned her head away, embarrassed.
Liza: "Sorry."
Akira: "...But since it's you, it's fine, Liza."
Liza returned to her teasing self.
Liza: "So, you'd forgive me even if I did something bad, huh?"
Akira chuckled again.
Right after they left the train—just like Akira said—they went to check on "Pops," meaning Ota "the Ossan" Nishioka. It was the same old neighborhood near the metro station. To Akira's surprise, Nishioka was gone. Not that he'd seen him at this hour the day before, but it was still early evening.
Liza: "Maybe 'Judgment Day' udon finally caught up with him, eh?"
They laughed together.
Akira: "Not funny, Liza."
Liza poked him.
Liza: "Yet you laughed!"
He rolled his eyes.
Akira: "Facts."
Liza: "So, how about you walk me to 'Barghest' then?"
Akira: "I wasn't planning to leave you. We're going the same way, anyway."
Liza: "Aye!"
The evening view near the Black Dog cafe and Akira's apartment complex was calm, with only a few people walking quietly along the street.
Liza: "Still, I wonder if Mel and I are connected for good now?"
Akira: "Obviously not, Liza. That disastrous panther's heading back tonight—once you fall asleep. Back to my pocket plane."
Liza: "Whelp, Senpai, I keep learning all these weird words with you. What's a pocket plane?"
Akira: "A fog inside of your mind—but much more stable."
Liza shook her head.
Liza: "Didn't understand a word of that."
Akira: "Try this. Close your eyes. You can see Merlina, right? Now try to focus on the place she's sitting."
Liza closed her eyes for a moment. Judging by how her temples twitched, she didn't succeed.
Liza: "Well, she's totally there, like inside my head, but... Bah! I don't get it!"
She punched the air in frustration.
Liza: "I saw her sitting at one of the cafe tables. Funny how every time I close my eyes, I picture part of Barghest."
Akira: "That's your pocket plane."
Liza: "Really?"
Akira: "Yeah. But the trick to keeping it stable is to have a clear, consistent image in your mind. Mine's a white castle floating in the clouds—or the sky."
Liza's eyes widened.
Liza: "Seriously? That's one vivid imagination. What kind of castle?"
Akira: "It's from my childhood. My mom and I had a painting of it in our old family house."
Liza: "Whoa."
Akira: "Like I said—it's a place that matters to you, or a place your imagination keeps going back to. For us, it becomes more vivid depending on how strong our focus is and the kind of training we go through. Remember how Zhen said he was going to meditate at the dorm?"
Liza nodded.
Liza: "Yep."
Akira: "That's probably what he's doing now—reaching his own pocket plane. Merlina can explain the rest."
Liza groaned so loudly that a passing man nearly dropped his briefcase.
Liza: "Woooow. So, Mel goes back to your castle tonight?"
Akira: "Probably."
Liza: "What do you mean, 'probably'? Is she stuck with me or not?"
They stopped in front of the Black Dog entrance.
Akira: "No promises. But usually, she finds her way back to me."
Liza smirked.
Liza: "Like a real cat, huh!"
Akira: "Like a real cat."
They giggled together.
Liza: "So what's your evening plan? Wanna stay at our place?"
Akira: "Tempting offer, Liza, but you know I can't. It's day-on, day-off for me. Plus, the dojo—if I can even juggle both."
She huffed.
Liza: "VERY SAD!"
Akira chuckled.
Akira: "Let's hope I can still drop by from time to time."
Liza: "Don't be a stranger if my life in this 'magical' world gets thrown into chaos again. I'm not getting stuck between ogres next time without backup!"
Akira: "Merlina can teach you how to block it out. It's not something that happens every night, but anything's possible."
Liza: "Possible, shmosible. Next time someone tries to trap me there, me and Esmi will show them who's boss."
Akira: "Let's hope it doesn't happen again."
Liza: "Oh, sh—"
She turned her head toward the window. Maria was inside, glaring and tapping her phone to show the time before knocking on the glass.
Liza: "Gotta go!"
Akira: "See you, Liza."
She waved goofily and slipped inside the cafe.
Akira, meanwhile, slowly started walking toward the motorcycle workshop. Just behind his apartment complex, a quiet neighborhood street opened up, dotted with buildings of all sizes. A few low-rise buildings gave way to a split road, revealing a curious trio: a broad, blocky motorcycle workshop on the far right, its LED sign flickering above the shuttered display of bikes and spare parts; a towering red temple at the center, its curved tiers painted by dusk's orange light; and just to the left, a timeworn wooden dojo with a sloped roof, its open windows catching the last breeze of evening.
Despite the city's rush just a few blocks away, this street moved at its own rhythm. Lanterns buzzed faintly above, a fruit stand pushed steam from a nearby kettle, and the scent of oil and incense drifted together in the air.
Waiting outside, right in front of a small convenience store, with his arms crossed and his patience long gone, was Mister Tetsu Tanizaki — a block of a man scanning the street like he was about to fight the traffic itself. Akira approached, but Tanizaki didn't move, still standing beneath the glowing sign of his property: Ghost Rider Works, the local motorcycle workshop.
Tetsu Tanizaki: "Late! Yamauchi!"
His low, growling voice had always piqued Akira's curiosity. Tanizaki was roughly Akira's height—maybe even taller if you looked from the right angle. Objectively, yeah, he had the edge. With his butch-cut hair and thick mustache, the man stood like a true superior. And even though he knew exactly whose son Akira was, he never gave him a moment to slacken.
Akira stood straight, like a soldier ready to deploy.
Akira: "My bad, Mr. Tanizaki."
Tanizaki rolled his eyes in exasperation.
Tetsu Tanizaki: "It's Mister Tetsu to you, young man!"
Still, his strict tone softened a little as he continued.
Tetsu: "Hope you finally found yourself a girlfriend, Yamauchi. Don't just stand there, rookie! Time's up!"
Akira flushed slightly, but shrugged it off.
Akira: "I'm on it, Sir."
Tetsu's voice rumbled again.
Tetsu: "That's more like it, chop-chop!"
Akira's time at Ghost Rider Works was spent in sweat and sore muscles—scrubbing floors, dragging parts, and taking out heaps of oily garbage. Despite Mr. Tetsu's relentless harshness, Akira was well compensated for his efforts.
They both entered the building after Mr. Tetsu pointed them toward the entrance. Akira worked the whole evening as usual, skipping his dojo practice for the day.
Akira's Mind: "Need to wait till tomorrow. Let's hope 'Phantom of Karelia' has been a good boy today."
While Mr. Tetsu was busy trying to sell another motorcycle, Akira stood mopping the floor with a foolish smile on his face. 'Phantom of Karelia' was a gray Shiba Inu at the dojo, where Akira had mastered his uchigatana skills for the Dreamscape. He'd adored the dog from the very first time they met, back in the day.
As soon as he completed his work at "Ghost Rider Works", Akira headed straight home. Today hadn't been the most exhausting day of his life, but it came close—almost as long as the one before.
He stepped into Mrs. Mariko's apartment complex. As always, she was waiting for him at the reception desk, two staircases flanking her on the left and right, leading up to the apartments above.
She bows to him as usual.
Akira started to stop her with a raised hand, but pulled back immediately.
Akira's Mind: "She's going to kill me with her bows... I'm not even connected to my father anymore, and I'm not some 'golden boy', no matter how Liza nicknamed me today..."
He shook his head, disappointed.
Akira: "Hello again, Miss Mariko, how was your day?"
Mrs. Mariko: "I'm waiting for an important announcement broadcast!"
She said it like she was expecting the news that humanity had just colonized another planet.
Akira: "What's it about?"
He stepped closer to the reception desk.
Mrs. Mariko: "Oh, nothing special really. You know I'm going to vote for your father, anyway. He posted on social media that he's going to make a statement around this time."
Akira's Mind: "Old bear... don't tell me you're ready to burn down half the city just to flay Nishioka for what he did."
Akira blinked, standing silently in front of her.
Mrs. Mariko: "Is something wrong, master Yamauchi?"
He tried hard to keep from rolling his eyes.
Akira: "It's nothing, Miss Mariko. Can I watch this broadcast with you?"
Her reaction was entirely predictable. She looked at him like he was her son and had just announced he was marrying the girl she'd been hoping he'd marry for years. He could read it in her eyes—they said: Finally!
Mrs. Mariko: "Of course, master Yamauchi! It's going to start any minute now!"
She nearly dropped the TV remote in her excitement.
Akira sighed heavily.
Akira: "I'll drop off my things and change, then I'll be right back. Thank you, Miss Mariko."
She bowed again, still trying to handle the TV remote as if it were coated in oil.
Akira took a staircase to the right and entered his apartments on the second floor.
His room wasn't much—just a modest studio apartment, like everyone else's in the complex. He'd forgotten that he hadn't fully closed the window that morning.
Passing the table on the right, he pulled back the black curtain and shut the window. In the morning, it was always more noticeable how the yellow mosaic-patterned wallpaper caught the light, making the whole room feel brighter. But now, with the curtains drawn, the room was cast in complete darkness. His bed and desk sat almost at the same level, separated only by a small black rug between them.
He didn't have any other furniture in the room—completely free of electronics as well, aside from his phone, that is.
As soon as he caught a glimpse of the bright night lights outside, he closed the window and drew the curtains. Akira didn't exactly change clothes, but left his RIU uniform behind. In his white shirt, he hurried back to see what his father had to say in the broadcast Miss Mariko had mentioned earlier.
Akira stepped closer to the reception desk, where Mrs. Mariko finally managed to handle the TV remote and turn on the broadcast, standing proudly with a satisfied smile.
Mrs. Mariko said, "Here you go, Master Yamauchi!"
Akira's Mind: "Gods... if she ever stops calling me 'Master,' I might start projecting miracles in real life."
Ignoring the thought, he asked.
Akira: "What's it about?"
She spoke proudly, as if Todo Yamauchi were her own father-in-law.
Mrs. Mariko: "We'll see soon enough, Master Yamauchi."
Akira's Mind: "If she's not killing me right here and now by embarrassing me even more, I hope Merlina—if she ever goes back to the castle—finishes me off for good. I don't want to come back here and be called 'Master' anymore."
Mrs. Mariko: "Look!"
She pointed at the TV just as the logo transitioned to the broadcast. On screen stood his father at a podium with three microphones before him. For a moment, his face darkened—but then brightened as he spotted the camera recording him.
He cleared his throat and said.
Todo Yamauchi: "Good evening, my dear voters, and to anyone who has decided to while away their time watching our broadcast."
Akira muttered under his breath.
Akira: "Very charismatic entrance, as usual."
Mrs. Mariko, knowing his complicated relationship with his father, made a face as if she were watching some soap opera about 'fathers and sons'—caring more about their drama than her own real-life relationships.
Todo Yamauchi: "...As you well know, around this particular city and many others, crime is starting to occur more often—especially when you consider what's happening across the country these days..."
He made a brief pause.
Todo Yamauchi: "...So, by the time our current 'government' does absolutely nothing about it, we, with my allies, are already pushing our own plans toward realization..."
Akira's Mind: "Uh-oh. Nothing good will come out of it."
He projected the thought in his head, feeling like he'd turned into Merlina herself.
Akira's Mind: "Come back to me, you goofy cat."
Funny how it had only been a day without her in his head, yet nostalgia had already overwhelmed him as if weeks had passed.
Todo Yamauchi: "...As you well know, among the people of this great city, there's someone hiding a certain individual—an ex-official of Ryoto—Ota Nishioka..."
Akira: "So that's what it's all about, huh?"
He crossed his arms.
Mrs. Mariko, meanwhile, stood like a nervous bunny, glancing back and forth between the TV and Akira's expression, closely monitoring how he'd react to what his father had to say.
Todo Yamauchi: "...People have failed to give such individuals' behavior the attention it deserves..."
Akira gave a small shake of his head.
Todo Yamauchi: "...Our responsibility is to take action right here and now, as I have a verified source of information that such individuals, conspiring with Mr. Nishioka, are planning to carry out a terrorist attack within this very city!.."
Mrs. Mariko nodded in agreement, while Akira, at this point, winced, annoyed by his father's speech.
Todo Yamauchi: "...Along with the head of the prefectural police department here, we're going to put an end to irresponsible people like Ota Nishioka by hunting people like him down and making them face the consequences of their actions..."
Akira: "Guess we're declaring war now."
His father's speech had consumed Mrs. Mariko too much for her to even hear what he hissed from just behind her.
Todo Yamauchi shook hands with the people flanking him, dressed in his usual black 'special agent' outfit, standing alongside a police official and several other old men.
Akira's Mind: "It's literally a manhunt to get Nishioka on his knees for what he did at night. There's no time—I need to somehow find him and give him shelter, though it'll be insanely hard with Todo's Zealot right inside this very building!"
The broadcast ended with strangely cheerful music, mocking the seriousness of the situation and those who had watched it with straight faces.
Mrs. Mariko turned off the TV and looked at him with a sense of accomplishment.
Mrs. Mariko: "You see, Master Yamauchi, sometimes somebody needs to take the situation into their own strong hands."
Akira's Mind: "More like into their noose."
He blinked again.
Akira: "Thank you for showing me this, Miss Mariko. Now I desperately need to go back and get ready to sleep; it's been a long day for me. Something tells me the next one will be even longer than the last two combined."
He bowed to her and took the stairs, leaving her in a confusingly pleasant state, feeding herself the illusion that what she'd just done was the right thing.
In reality, Akira summarized the information in his head and came to the conclusion that he desperately needed to check both reality and the Dreamscape, trying once again to find Nishioka and convince him—either to go into his own pocket plane, if he had one, or to take shelter in the real world. He'd had this idea before: the attic of this building wasn't occupied. He could definitely hide someone there. And that someone was Ota "The Ossan" Nishioka.
Akira: "I'll just lose more time if I go check around the metro station again. Let's hope Merlina comes back, and through her connections to Ryoto's double, we can find Nishioka together."
He entered his room.
Akira's Mind: "The question is, how do I get to sleep now, after all this disturbing news? At least it's easier to drop dead after physical training at the dojo or part-timing at Mr. Tetsu's place."
He kicked off his pants and dove into bed, hoping sleep would come faster if he just closed his eyes and imagined "Castle in the Clouds" once more.
It was there, still standing, clearer than ever. But there wasn't a trace of Merlina inside it.
Akira imagined himself standing in front of his castle, all white, dressed in his usual Dreamscape uniform—a copy of his real one.
Akira: "I can't believe she's still not here. Though I forget... what did she say before? We can see our pocket planes inside our minds, but unless reality shifts toward the dream, nothing works the way it's supposed to—until dreaming itself consumes you."
Akira: "So I need to sleep, then, eh? Amazing."
After wasting another half hour tossing and turning, he finally slipped fully into his pocket plane, leaving his real body behind.
Through the transparent skies of his pocket plane, "Castle in the Clouds," Akira scanned the place with sharp eyes. He even entered the castle itself, but Merlina still wasn't there.
Losing all hope, he sat in front of the white walls. Above him floated a single blue balloon. He gazed out at the limitless blue sky until something made him turn.
Merlina stood there, on the edge of another white cloud, in her human form.
He stood up.
Merlina, in all her glory and exotic dress, raised her arms in salute.
Merlina: "Miss me, freshman?"
He stumbled a little, then rushed to wrap his Sensei in his arms.
Akira: "I know it was just one day, but where have you been, you stupid cat?!"
Merlina: "How rude, my pupil."
Akira let a tear fall, but quickly tried to wipe it away. After hugging her the same way Liza had hugged him that morning, he said.
Akira: "Don't scare me like that, cat."
Merlina wiped away the rest of the tear, barely visible on his cheek.
Merlina: "Now, now, Akira-boy, it was only one day without me and you've already turned into a softie."
Akira: "I've always been, you silly panther."
They hugged again, one more time, in a warm, friendly way.
Merlina lowered her head and added gently, right after letting him go.
Merlina: "Like I said... still a wimpy."