Chapter 1: "Occupational Hazards"

• YUTAKA GOTANDA
• MINAMI OI
• KAZUMA ICHINOSE

Episode 1: "Their Promise"

When he came to, Yo Kuronaka found himself in an unfamiliar place.
He saw nobody else in the endless, white expanse that stretched out before him.

Unease crept in, but the stronger feeling that came over him was the haziness in his head and an inability to move.

Despite knowing that he shouldn't remain where he was, his eyelids began to flutter closed as an overwhelming feeling of drowsiness blurred his senses.

???
"...Yo. Yo!"

???
"Come on, get over here! We can't start without you, y'know?"

Those voices...

At the sound of those familiar voices, he quickly lifted his head in order to trace where the sound was coming from.

Yo Kuronaka
"Huh? How are you two...?"

Before him stood Tsuki and Sui, his childhood friends.

For a fleeting moment, his heart leapt with joy at the sight.
It was short-lived however; a deep feeling of unease washed over him and left Yo frozen in place.

Why did something about this feel so... wrong?
Yo knew he needed to get to the bottom of those feelings.

Sui Yakumo
"Geez. 'Bout time you responded."

Tsuki Iroha
"You seriously took FOREVER! We've been waiting all this time for you, Yo!"

From what he could gather, they had called out to him more than once before he'd actually noticed.
Unaware of Yo's discomfort, the two stared on at him with utterly bewildered expressions.

Yo Kuronaka
"Sorry. I'm just... feeling kinda dizzy right now."

Sui Yakumo
"We don't need any more space cadets. We've already got Tsuki here!
So, come on. Hurry up already. Time to go do our usual thing just like old times."

Yo Kuronaka
"Our... usual thing? What are you talking about?"

Tsuki Iroha
"Wait, what? Don't tell me you've forgotten our tradition, Yo!
Y'know, where we do our promise gesture and say that we'll make our dream happen, no matter what!"

(Ah. So that "usual thing" is a promise gesture.)
He thought to himself as a wry smile formed on his lips. He'd have understood if they'd said so to start, but he supposed it was his own failure for not grasping their meaning from the outset.

Sui Yakumo
"Haaa... Man, you're totally spaced out today.
No worries, though, I'm sure it'll all come back to you soon enough. No point in stressin' about it."

Tsuki Iroha
"For real! I mean, we've done this hundreds of times!
It doesn't matter if you've forgotten everything, Yo. Your soul definitely remembers our promise!"

Yo Kuronaka
"Y-You think so?"

He felt a flutter in his chest as he uttered a response.

Sui Yakumo
"You bet. You wouldn't have mentioned our promise at a time like that otherwise."

Sui rested his hand on Yo's shoulder, gripping it lightly as he spoke.
The gesture embodied a brotherly sense of warmth and dependability.

Sui Yakumo
"You just gotta listen to your soul. It'll come back all on its own if you do.
Okay! Hold out your fist, Tsuki. We'll both wait until you can remember, Yo."

Tsuki Iroha
"Yeah, just follow our lead once it comes back to you!"

Sui stuck out his fist, and Tsuki quickly followed suit.
Yo did his best to recall their promise, but his head grew increasingly foggy with no sign at all that it'd clear.
Nevertheless, as he watched the two of them make the promise gesture with their fists, he felt his heart race his in chest.

...Would his soul really remember?

After a moment, his lips began to move of their own will, almost as if someone else was in control.

Yo Kuronaka
"Let's become the strongest XB players. The three of us, as an unstoppable team.
That's my... No, it's OUR wish. One the three of us are gonna achieve together..."

Nostalgia and familiarity enveloped Yo as he spoke those words. It left no doubt in his mind that he'd said those same words many times before.
His heart was now filled with confidence that those words were truth, spurred on by how easily we was able to speak them.

But it was in the very next moment that the world around him was swallowed by darkness.
He couldn't help but shiver as a frigid fear rose up from the tips of his toes.

???
"...My, what a wonderful dream. Such a shame it'll never come true."

Yo Kuronaka
"...Huh?"

From behind him, Yo could hear the voice of a man speaking in a sweet, light tone.

Reflexively, he looked back.
Standing there was Zero, the masked man who had submerged Neo Tokyo into chaos.

(Why is Zero here?
Why is he denying us our dream?)

Fear gripped his entire body. In his chest, he could feel the weight of regret of that denied dream crushing him.
He couldn't seem to move a single finger; it felt to him as if his body was sinking into mud.

Quietly, Zero paused as he brushed his fingers against Yo's cheek.

Zero
"You're surprisingly insensitive, aren't you?
Surely you haven't forgotten that your precious friends were killed."

Yo Kuronaka
"You're lying... I mean, they're both right here..."

He was quick to deny Zero's assertions.
Despite that, his heart felt completely shaken.
He wished that Tsuki and Sui would back him up to deny Zero's words as well. But no matter how the moments passed, he didn't hear their voices.

...Why was that?

Sui was never the type who could keep his mouth shut after hearing those types of remarks.
Tsuki was always one of the first to speak up and correct someone when they were wrong.

Why was it that they remained silent, despite that?

Zero
"No, I'm being quite truthful. But not to worry... No matter how many times you forget, I'll be right here to trigger your memory.
After all, I'm sure you can recall it vividly. The very moment their lives were extinguished..."

Just then, Zero snapped his fingers next to Yo's ear. As he did so, Yo could feel a jolt of electricity surge through his head.

In an attempt to save him, they had put themselves in danger by coming to 24 City.
Zero had discovered them just as they were about to make their escape to the surface. At that moment, Space Envoy 3's lasers had struck them both and ended their lives.

Their blood...
Tsuki's expression as she apologized for not being able to keep their promise...

THAT was the reality. That was what he occurred right before his very own eyes.
The rejection of reality that had built up in him came spilling out almost violently.

Yo Kuronaka
"WAAAAUGH! That's enough!"

The unbearable truth of the situation was driving him to madness. As he yelled out, he clawed at his head.
Darkness began to envelop Yo, as if in response to his cries. His vision soon faded to black.
At the rate he was going, he was sure to become one with that darkness.

(That's fine.
If I die here like this, I won't have to suffer anymore.)
Those were the thoughts that crossed Yo's mind.

However, Zero wouldn't allow that to come to pass.
Instead, he took Yo's hand and pulled him out of the darkness, wholly against his will.

He couldn't fathom why Zero had done so.
A moment later, Yo's consciousness faded completely.