Fragments of Memory
I opened my eyes again to the soft glow of sunset seeping through the window.
As my eyelids lifted, the amber light pooled across them, and the sharp scent of alcohol and disinfectant slowly crept into my nose.
When I instinctively tried to shift my body, the IV line tugged gently at my skin. That was when I finally realized where I was.
'...A hospital?'
In that moment, a single question rose inside me.
Why was I here?
No matter how hard I searched my memories, my mind felt hollow. Nothing came to mind.
But after taking several slow breaths and forcing myself to think again, the forgotten fragments came rushing back like a broken dam.
The Outer attack. The sight of the train carriage shattering.
Yuzuki’s face had gone deathly pale, and I had carried her on my back, moving in a frantic haze.
The moment the memories resurfaced, a terror so sharp it felt like my breath had stopped washed over me.
It was the first time I had ever felt the fear of death. The air from that moment still clung to my body.
As if fleeing from that fear, I drew in a sharp, desperate breath and cautiously moved my arm. That was when I felt something pressing against it.
It was a sensation so vivid it felt like a direct continuation from the memory just before I lost consciousness.
Startled, I turned my head. In my field of vision, golden twin-tails spilled softly over a shoulder.
It was Yuzuki.
She had buried her forehead against the sheet, clutching my arm tightly.
From the tips of her fingers, an unusually clear warmth seeped into me.
That gentle heat made me unconsciously sigh in relief.
It felt as if the small body heat I had desperately clung to in my memories had never left my side.
For a long time, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from Yuzuki as she slept.
How long had she been like this?
In an empty hospital room, holding my arm so tightly…
After staring at her for what felt like forever, I slowly steadied my breathing and spoke.
“...Yuzuki.”
Just her name. At that single word, her shoulders trembled faintly.
“....”
But she didn’t lift her head right away.
Her fingers still rested on my arm, trembling lightly.
I hesitated for a moment, then slowly raised my left hand and placed it on her head. Carefully, I brushed aside the strands of hair that had fallen across her forehead.
At my touch, her shoulders quivered again. A thin, suppressed breath escaped her.
After a brief pause, Yuzuki very slowly raised her head.
Reddened eyes and trembling lips.
Yuzuki avoided my gaze for a long moment before finally whispering in a thin, shaky voice.
“Why are you touching someone else’s head while they’re sleeping… that’s rude.”
A strange laugh slipped out of me.
I finally understood why she had hesitated so long before lifting her head.
Yuzuki’s face was a complete mess from crying.
Her eyes and cheeks were unevenly streaked with tears, and several droplets still clung to her lashes.
She must have been too embarrassed to let me see her like this, which was why she kept her head down until the very end.
I moved my lips, trying to find the right words. But nothing came easily; everything just swirled inside my mouth.
So I decided to stay quiet.
That left a long silence between us.
Maybe the weight of staring at each other without saying anything felt too awkward.
In the end, Yuzuki spoke first.
“If you’re awake, say something… Why are you just sitting there with your mouth shut? You’re making this weirdly embarrassing.”
At her grumbling, I let out a short laugh. My throat felt a little tight.
“It’s just… my head’s still a bit fuzzy.”
Yuzuki studied my face carefully, her expression growing worried.
“...You don’t have a headache or anything strange going on, right? You’re really okay?”
“Probably?”
“Probably? You’re not joking around right now, are you?”
“I’m not a doctor, so how would I know? But I do feel mostly fine. Probably?”
“....”
Yuzuki narrowed her eyes. Yet her expression held less irritation and more of a childish pout.
The sight was strangely adorable, and I had to fight back another laugh.
“...Hah. Seeing you crack jokes like that must mean you’re perfectly fine. Now I just look like an idiot for worrying so much.”
Yuzuki let out a soft sigh. Even so, that sigh carried a hint of relief that hadn’t been there before.
Watching her, I felt a wave of gratitude, but after a brief hesitation I asked in a low voice.
“Yuzuki. What happened today…?”
Her expression darkened, and her pupils trembled quietly.
For a second I regretted asking, but I knew I had to hear it.
“...Luckily, the Outer is dead. But a lot of people died because of it. Especially in our train car… everyone except us…”
“.....”
I squeezed my eyes shut at her words.
If I had woken up even a little later, we probably would have died too.
And that was likely how this world’s original story was supposed to go.
...In the original work, Yuzuki was an extra who was meant to die at the very beginning of the anime.
The story needed a tragedy to give the academy students a sense of urgency and motivation to jump into real combat. This incident had been used as part of that catalyst.
Only now did all the pieces finally make sense.
At the same time, a chill ran down my spine.
Right now, I had completely broken free of that script.
'...Who cares?'
No matter what, I had no regrets about saving Yuzuki in that moment.
In fact, there was no way I could ever regret it.
If I hadn’t saved her, I would have lived the rest of my life in this world drowning in regret.
After all, the script had already begun to change the moment I, a guy, started stepping forward to pilot a Dracore.
“Did Father contact you?”
Yuzuki lowered her gaze for a moment, took a breath, then looked back up at me.
“Father was here until just a little while ago. But… he had to leave for an emergency meeting.”
I tilted my head.
“What kind of meeting?”
Her voice trembled thinly as she added, “They say dimensional rifts have appeared all across the country. The government called in representatives from every relevant agency to assess the situation. Father went to attend at their request.”
So the rifts that were supposed to escape the controlled zones had indeed appeared everywhere, just as planned.
The original story’s flow was becoming reality.
If nothing changed from here on, we should be safe for a while after today.
Because I had known this development from the start, I remained relatively calm.
But Yuzuki was different.
Her lips quivered for a moment before a thin, fragile voice slipped out.
“...This is just a one-time accident, right? Things will be okay from now on, won’t they?”
Her voice was thick with anxiety she was desperately trying to suppress.
No matter how hard she tried to look strong, she was still young. Until last year, she had been nothing more than a high school girl.
And now she was fated to pilot a Dracore and fight. There was no way she could take a situation like this lightly. Especially after nearly dying because of it.
I reached out again and gently stroked her hair.
Softly, feeling her warmth at my fingertips, I murmured, “It’ll be fine. If it gets dangerous, I’ll be right by your side.”
When I stroked her hair, Yuzuki silently lowered her head for a moment, then carefully lifted it again to stare at me.
After a brief pause, she asked in a low, quiet voice.
“...As my coupling partner?”
“I suppose that’s how it’ll be?”
“...”
Yuzuki moved her lips, hesitated, then said with a pout, “...You talk a good game. Especially for someone who hasn’t even ridden a Dracore yet.”
“We’ll have to practice, then.”
“Yeah. Let’s say you practice hard. But why do you assume I’ll keep coupling with you?”
“Hmm.”
Come to think of it, I had momentarily forgotten.
What happened to Yuzuki every time she coupled with me.
...That made it hard to find anything to say.
Honestly, if I were in her position, I would have avoided coupling too. No matter what… that was a bit much.
At that moment, Yuzuki briefly looked away, let out a small sigh, then glanced up at me from the corner of her eye.
“...For now, I’ll watch during practice and think about whether I’ll keep coupling with you.”
I was genuinely surprised.
That meant she was prepared to endure that embarrassing situation again and again in the future.
Of course, she didn’t know that I had realized what was happening to her…
For some reason, my heart began to race.
Noticing my expression, Yuzuki turned her head slightly and lifted the corner of her mouth in a pout.
“D-don’t misunderstand. If it seems like it won’t work… I’ll find another partner right away. If your skills are terrible, I won’t be able to trust you in real combat…”
Her tone wasn’t cold at all. If anything, it sounded like clumsy pride.
Watching her, I simply smiled.
“Still… I’ll work hard. Since you said that.”
Yuzuki lowered her gaze, fidgeted with her fingertips, and her face grew even redder.
Then she murmured softly, almost to herself.
“...Yeah, work hard. I’ll at least cheer you on.”
“....”
If Yuzuki was going to cheer for me, I had no choice but to do my best.
“I heard both your son and daughter are safe. That’s truly fortunate.”
Hideo Nakamura turned around.
There stood Dr. Inoue Misaki, her long hair tied back. Her characteristically calm eyes gazed steadily at him.
“...Thank you. More importantly, what is the current situation?”
“The scale of the incident is larger than we anticipated. Most of the observed rifts occurred outside controlled zones, in areas where the dimensional layers were relatively stable. Civilian casualties are severe.”
Hideo slowly steadied his breathing and lowered his gaze.
“Have the causes been identified yet?”
Misaki slowly shook her head.
“Unfortunately, no. We inspected the suppression devices, but the data shows a completely different pattern from anything we’ve seen before.”
“In what way is it different?”
She picked up her tablet and lightly swiped across the screen.
“There were no precursors to the rifts. Previously, there were always subtle vibrations and electromagnetic fluctuations beforehand, but none were observed this time. We have to conclude that the patterns we knew have completely collapsed.”
“...Then there’s no guarantee that something like today won’t happen again.”
Misaki let out a short sigh.
“Correct. It could recur anywhere, at any time. Perhaps even tomorrow…”
Hideo furrowed his brows.
“Does that mean the existing suppression devices are now meaningless?”
“It’s too early to say for certain… but since rifts occurred even in regions where the devices were active, it’s clear their effectiveness has dropped significantly.”
A heavy silence fell for a moment.
“In the end, we have no choice but to respond quickly.”
“That’s right. The problem is… if rifts appear nationwide like this, we are critically short on personnel to respond. The government is pressuring us to double the number of pilots within a few years.”
“That’s impossible. Even now, anyone judged to have talent is being brought in from all over the country…”
“I know. That’s why we’re currently considering recalling retired pilots, but…”
“That would be foolish. As you know, Doctor, once pilots pass thirty, their coupling synchronization rate drops sharply. Even if it’s not completely impossible, their combat endurance time decreases dramatically.”
“...It just shows how desperate the government has become.”
Hideo let out a low sigh.
“In the end, there are no sharp solutions.”
Misaki hesitated for a brief moment, but soon looked at him with clear eyes.
“...Even so. If we can prove the unique characteristics your son possesses, it could become both a variable and an opportunity. I am seriously hopeful about that possibility.”
“It seems I’ve unintentionally placed an even heavier burden on Yuto than I intended… I never meant to give him this much pressure…”
Misaki answered in a steady voice.
“But we don’t have the luxury of choice. If we don’t prepare quickly, far more sacrifices will follow.”
Hideo exhaled shortly and lifted his head.
“...For now, I’ll accelerate the research pace.”
“Yes. I’m counting on you.”