'Void filled his surroundings.

  Once again, or first time.

  But only thing he knows.

  Red.

  It is what paints his hands.

  It is what paints his gut.

  It is what paints his mind.

  Only to fuel his guilt.

  Or is it mine.

  Or is it not real.

  I may not know, but the all I know.

  Void hides the spilled blood.'

  "WAKE UP!"

  Hiroshi jolted up from his seat, only to collapse back down as he hit his head against Julia's.

  "YOU DAMN MORON! IF YOU CAN'T KEEP SCHEDULE, AT LEAST WAKE UP WHEN ASKED!" she shouted in deep anger as she rubbed her forehead, causing the everyone in the lobby look in concern, and some trouble in far distance from disturbed monsters.

  "Sorry, sorry." Hiroshi groan, rubbing his head and waist as his eyes fought hard to keep the sandman's attacks at pay by staying awake.

  "I told you, you didn't need to come." Olivia lightly muttered in concern, as Nata checked on his head to make sure it was fine.

  "Don't blame yourself, I chose it myself." He eased her mind, as he took note of the concerned Nata.

  "If you had told me you had hard time sleeping tonight, I would have come comfort you." Nata said, clearly both from worry for Hiroshi, and selfish gain.

  "I already told you, you are banned from it for rest of the month." Hiroshi made clear, as things finally seemed to calm down from the quick ruckus, as Hiroshi's attention slowly turned to Olivia.

  "So, how did the evaluation go?" he asked, to which Olivia showed mix of both cheer and worry.

  "Well..." Olivia wondered how to put it in proper words, but Hiroshi could have already guessed the result.

  They would be sticking around longer.

  'Why must it have been me.

  Was it fate, or curse.

  Am I warded, or barren.

  Is it my loved ones, or hated ones.'

  "Oh, stop your monologuing, I am in same situation as you are, and you don't see me writing poems."

  Hiroshi came to realize he was back in the void, as he looked upon Oiwa, tapping her foot and looking at him with boredom.

  "Right, sorry." he muttered, as he let himself drift in the nothingness.

  "I know things are getting emotional, but pull yourself together, and not just for yourself." She said clear with annoyance. "Your connection between your will and vessel may be repaired, but your emotional instability could unwind that."

  "I see." Hiroshi said, as he contemplated on it, and after a short moment, he felt the gravity turn back on, as he fell on the floor face first.

  "After all, we struck fortune with our situation." Oiwa mentioned in intent to give him some hope, as he calmly lifted himself back onto his feet.

  "And what's that?.. Do you mean Fuku?"

  "The one and only." Oiwa declared, as she took a seat on nothing, and tapping for him to join, which he took.

  "That makes sense, but don't you think my relation with her will be problematic?" Hiroshi tried to reaffirm with second opinion from someone in the know.

  "Hard to say. You did ruin her retirement plans for a good long while." Oiwa noted jokingly, but seeing Hiroshi didn't react to it, she gave a light cough of embarrassement.

  "But if she is willing to take you in knowingly, we might be in advantage. If she hated you, she wouldn't have taken you in, if she wanted to murder you, why have witnesses and people able to miss you?" Oiwa speculated.

  "Yeah, I guess that would make sense." Hiroshi muttered, as he kicked his legs at the nothingness surrounding them. "It's just so... stressful, to deal with this."

  "There is only two weeks left. And we can resolve this mystery." Oiwa comforted him, before getting up on her feet. "Just make sure to take it calm, would hate to deal with your death again."

  "I will try." Hiroshi noted, as she walked into the void, leaving him alone, and before he knew it, he woke up with a light rush, noticing he was on the sofa, and remembering before he fell asleep, they were watching a movie.

  With a annoyed groan, he dug out his phone to note it was four in the morning, so seeing there was nothing better to do, he went to wash himself.

  Taking clothes off, and stepping in, he couldn't help but sigh a relieve, as he turned the water on, letting the cold water out before going under the warm water.

  He let the water run over him, he could feel the familiar emptyness come over him, including his mind, unable to think of anything.

  However, he did remember something he had forgotten.

  Turning the water off, he went to the mirror on top of the sink, as he looked at himself.

  His view slowly moved lower, showing his body, that wasn't built, nor chubby, slim and fit as his view continued lower, alongside hand slowly moving in instinct.

  Right by his left side, at hip level, a big, long scar.

  He slowly rubbed against it, flinching slightly from discomfort, before pulling his arm up, only to see it was clean.

  "That explains your first death."

  Hiroshi yelped in surprise, as he looked over to the entrance, to see a sleepy and calm Julia looking in.

  In a hurry, he covered his junk. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

  Julia hussed him. "Don't wake up the others. Your showering already did that, jerk."

  "Sorry." Hiroshi muttered, as he was flustered and still unsure what she was doing "But what are you-"

  "To see if you had scars, and no need to be shy. You aren't a first man I have seen naked." Julia said clearly, as she leaned on the door frame.

  Hiroshi eased up lightly, but still kept covering his personal berries. "That's nice and all, but could you not?"

  "It was your idea not to talk about it." Julia noted, to which annoyed him even further. "So, is that from the-"

  "YES, FINE! Just let me wash myself alone and then we will talk!" Hiroshi snapped, which gave Julia a wide smirk, before leaving him by himself.

  Coming to the living room, still damp from the shower with clothes on, he took note of Julia relaxing on the sofa, awaiting him to join.

  "Why are you even interested in what happened? isn't all you know enough?" Hiroshi muttered in annoyance, as he sat down by her.

  "You have to take responsibility in what you have gotten us into... and I am forced to bear it with you, as long I am your guard, remember?" Julia clarified, which took Hiroshi by surprise, as he did forget she wasn't around just because she wanted.

  "Right... yeah." He muttered, "Well then, where should I even start... I guess When I met Aki."

  This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

  2010, Autumn has started, with schools continuing from summer vacation, and youthful 15 year old Hiroshi was cooking up a breakfast for his sisters that were slowly waking up.

  It was usual routine for him, due to father and Haruka being off at work, and mother wasn't much around, and even if she was, Hiroshi doubted she would have helped out.

  Feeding his sisters, helping them when in trouble and them giving trouble in return, it was common to him already as slowly, one by one, each one left home until Hiroshi was last one, locking the door behind them.

  Taking familiar steps through the neighborhood of a small town of ōnosai, wandering between familiar building and faces he hasn't gotten to know in full.

  As friends got together on walk to school, and others rushed ahead with plans of their own, Hiroshi sighed as he turned to an shortcut alleyway.

  After couple steps and taking note of sight ahead of him, he stopped on his tracks.

  In the shadows between the houses, he could note the familiar trouble-making gang, and unfamiliar girl in school uniform.

  It took him moment to realize, but with a light anxious wiggle, he noticed she had pitch-black fluffy tail and ears, and it didn't take much of a guess to see it was an kitsune on closer look, and with movement, noticing a particular blue shine onto it as well.

  "Say, why don't you join us for some activity." spoke up Isamu, the leader of the gang and the one holding the fox-girl with back at the wall.

  "I-i am sorry, but I am not interested." She muttered, unsure how to deal with the boys keeping such close distance, not to mention Isamu, who suddenly took hold of her chin.

  "Oh, that won't do, vixen. Now does it, boys?" he said with a light laugh, with rest of the members agreeing with.

  The fox girl gave couple groans of displeasure as Isamu tilted her head to get proper view of her face, inspecting her fox-like appearance, which gave disgusted scoff from him, or what Hiroshi presumed to be disgust.

  Hiroshi was frozen to see this display, he knew he should walk away, this is trouble he shouldn't get into, but his instincts, it spoke otherwise.

  As he was about to turn around, to his dismay, took actually step forward, and before he could think further, rushed forwards and with a swift move, gave a solid punch onto Isamu's cheek, knocking him onto the concrete floor.

  "Hey, who?" one of the thugs spoke in surprise as everyone's attention turned to Hiroshi, who took a fighting stance, ready for trouble to come, as Isamu groaned in pain as he sat up to process what happened.

  Upon seeing who hit him, he couldn't help but give out a chuckle. "oh, if it isn't the girl servant Yasuda." he muttered, as he got up giving a imposing look at Hiroshi, which made him falter a little.

  "Boys, you know what to do." Isamu said, and before Hiroshi could react in proper, a full blown fight started.

  He tried to stand his ground, giving couple punches back at the thugs, but it didn't take much to overpower him, and with couple good punches, send him onto the ground, leaving him open to be kicked by the members, as fox-girl was pushed to the side, to look at the display mortified.

  After couple minutes of going at it, Isamu stopped the members. "That's enough. That should show him not to mess with us." as he turned to look at the fox. "And you only got lucky for now. My mood ain't good to deal with you anymore."

  With it, he called the members to follow him, as they walked off, leaving the foxgirl watch carefully for them to leave their sights, before seeing in proper the beaten up Hiroshi laying on the ground, so in a rush, running to him and checking on his condition.

  "Are you alright? Why did you do that?" She asked with worry beyond disbelieve, as after Hiroshi caught his breath and pain eased on him, he gave a light laugh. "Isamu is a douche... isn't he?"

  The girl was left speechless for a moment, unsure how to take such question at such moment, but as Hiroshi kept a warm smile on his face, even if he was still in agony, she couldn't help but give a light laugh as well. "I... I guess he is."

  She helped him to get back on his feet carefully. "I am Aki Miyajima. My family moved in recently, so it has been hard to meet new people."

  "N-name's Hiroshi Yasuda. Nice to meet you."

  And with it, an unlikely friendship started... with them arriving late on the first day of school.

  "So, a hero since the start, huh." Julia noted mockingly.

  "Hey, I have to keep an eye out on my sisters, it was natural for me to slip into action back then." Hiroshi said, not liking the tone Julia spoke.

  "Yeah, yeah. It's nice to know how you met Aki, but it isn't that notable."

  "Well, it's important to event that is to come." Hiroshi explained, as story was about to continue.

  three quarters of an year later, it was time for last grade of school, summer vacation was starting, and by now Hiroshi and Aki have had plenty of time to know each other.

  Aki didn't get much friends in schools, thanks to her kitsune nature, and Hiroshi didn't mind her tagging along, was it to assist in stuff, or dealings with his sisters, and as time went on, their bond grew close enough that even his sisters took note on calling them lovebirds.

  However, they didn't think so, even if Hiroshi couldn't stop thinking about her 'good friend' and even blush at times with her, while Aki had her own reasons, which she noted to be mostly about her mother.

  But since vacation was starting, there was much more time allotted for them to hang out, and they were preparing for it with plenty of cheer.

  Hiroshi had already booked a week to be spent at Harumitsu, that was opened couple months ago for public to finally to settle in and commerce in.

  And so, he was awaiting by the local bus station, empty from people being out on their own vacation, he was calmly awaiting on Aki to come meet him at the station, but he felt something ominous, something he hasn't felt before.

  He could feel his gut aching, as if something bad would happened, and before he could think deeper about it, he heard some steps approaching.

  As his hopes were about to increase, to his dismay, he noticed three of Isamu's thugs walking over.

  "Well, Yasuda. Have something to say?" one of the members said with a smirk in his face, as they slowly are taking steps closer, while Hiroshi felt frozen in place.

  "Say about what?" Hiroshi asked, finally understanding the feeling was that of doom.

  "About embarrassing our boss... after all, he will be having fun with your girl today." The thug said with glee, as he positioned his hands in front of his crotch, implying the message clearly.

  "What do you mean?" Hiroshi asked, as his anger started to come up, as he started to take steps closer. "What did you do with Aki?"

  Thug pulled out a knife from his pocket, which made him stop again on his tracks. "Nothing, yet. We are just here to make sure you are out of our way, for good."

  Before Hiroshi could react, The thug rushed him, and shoved the knife hilt-deep into his gut, right where the scar was.

  As the thug was about to pull away, he got surprised, as Hiroshi took firm grip of his head and headbutted him hard, knocking the thug onto the floor, leaving the knife in him and the two in surprise.

  "Where..." Hiroshi said through the gritted teeth in pain, "WHERE DID YOU TAKE HER!" as rest of the thugs realized the situation had turned against them, and jumped in.

  With adrenaline bumping and the instincts flaring hardest, with his motivation in play, he was quick to dodge and parry as they tried to punch and stab him, and get couple jabs in.

  As the thugs were about to get upper hand on him, he was able to get a proper hit on one of the arms holding a knife, loosening grip enough to make it drop, giving Hiroshi the opportunity to turn the tables.

  With a firm swift move, he took grip of the fallen knife and in one quick line, slashed the throat of the unarmed thug, making the other back away in horror.

  As the man collapsed, gargling in the blood, and other knocked out still, the last thug started to back away, as Hiroshi's attention moved to him, with glare of a man willing to do it again.

  "Where... is... she" He spoke in pain, as his free arm went to ease the knife lodged in him, as he took steps closer, making the thug fall on his ass.

  "Pl-please, man. Don't-" he begged, but Hiroshi didn't care "WHERE IS AKI!"

  "Th-the old school wing, man. Please spare me." the man begged, and as he was about to get ready to get struck on, he heard a clang on the floor, and as he returned his attention to his surroundings, he noticed Hiroshi rushing away, leaving the scene of the crime, to which he joined, however running away from him.

  "That's pretty brutal." Julia noted. "It isn't easy to have knife in you and still fight."

  "Julia, please." Hiroshi said, as he was breathing heavy, processing telling the story. "This is pretty heavy stuff."

  "Right, sorry. Continue."

  As he was feeling on losing consciousness, he noticed he wasn't too far away from the school building, and to his horror, he could barely hear a distinguishable screams of an familiar woman.

  Hearing it, it gave him enough strength to keep himself going forward, and in a rush, he burst into the building, and while blood kept spilling, marking his track, he traveled the corridors to the old wing of the building, where he noticed last of his thugs.

  The others took notice of him as well, one of them said "What the hell?" as they pulled out knifes, ready to finish the job.

  "Get out of the way." Hiroshi muttered, as knowing this was last steps to the rescue, he carefully pulled out the knife sticking out of his gut, letting plenty of blood spill out, shocking the thugs, and giving him some advantage, as he moved forward.

  His movement has become sluggish from the blood loss, but the disheveled appearance helped him, as when the unsuspecting thugs approached, expecting him being unable to move in such state, he was able to use all of his will to finish them off quickly.

  Swift strike with free hand onto left thug's arm to disarm, proceeded with stab through chest to pierce the lungs.

  As the right thug tried to swing in, crouch and slash the leg, making him fall over and as he was prone, quick finish with slash on the neck.

  Taking steps over the guards, he slowly opened the door to the classroom, to see a sight that would make him feel even more sick

  Aki was crying and begging, as Isamu violated her body in multiple ways, placing her body across pupil's desk, both fully naked waist down.

  Seeing his hands hold her in place as she tried to fight back, while also touching everything he shouldn't.

  Hiroshi took slow steps, each one taking great effort, as each second of the display made his resolve greater.

  As he was couple steps away, Isamu finally took notice of the noises "What are you guys-" he turned to look, about to complain on his thugs disturbing him, however, his last sight got to be bloodied Hiroshi, fury painting his face, and with knife held up high, he stabbed him in the back, while pulling him off Aki and onto the ground.

  Isamu couldn't say anything, as Hiroshi pulled the knife out and thrusted it back in again.

  And again.

  And again.

  And again.

  Blinded by rage, he kept on stabbing him even after he was good as dead.

  Aki was left to watch the display in horror from the side, having quickly taken distance from the fight and some of the clothes that were thrown to the side to hide her revealed body.

  With last thrust piercing Isamu's flesh, Hiroshi collapsed from exhaustion, rolling himself off him, as Aki rushed to him.

  He could hear nothing more than her screams, her calling for him, trying to stop the bleeding.

  But the act was done.

  There was nowhere else to go.

  Than red.

  The true color of the void.

  "And after I woke up, I found myself in the hospital, and you can presume how rest went." Hiroshi finished, distraught himself on telling the story in full for the first time.

  Julia could tell it was heavy burden to tell, and she knew there was still a lot to it that he is hiding, but she knew what he has said, she knew it too well.

  She calmly pulled him closer, in a small shoulder hug.

  "Sorry for being so harsh." Julia muttered, which took him by surprise.

  But as the brief moment was had, Hiroshi couldn't help but smile. "What, the mighty Julia starting to have feelings?"

  She quickly gave a punch on his shoulder, "that's enough, now go prepare some breakfast before Nata can come in and complain."

  As he got up, he took note that she gave a gentle smile back, which eased his mind from the troubles.

  'maybe this vacation won't be that bad.'