{In the woods outside Kuoh Town}
A girl no older than 14 slowly rose from her crouch, brushing dirt from her black-and-blue uniform. Her long half-black, half-crimson hair swayed as her piercing blue-green eyes scanned the dark trees around her. The strange purple portal behind her crackled once, then sealed shut with a low thrum.
On her back, the insignia shines faintly under the light from the moon that says: Time Patrol.
She clenched her fists, her voice trembling with both rage and resolve.
"I finally made it… I can't let him kill her. Even if I despise her…"
Her gaze hardened, eyes narrowing toward the direction of Kuoh Town. "…Ryusei Okkotsu."
{At the Okkotsu Estate}
The grand halls were lit with the warm glow of lanterns as Ryusei followed her grandfather through the wide corridors. The servants remained perfectly aligned, bowing as the two passed.
Ryusei scratched the back of her neck, uneasy under the weight of so many eyes. "Do they all have to bow every time I walk by?"
Go chuckled, resting a heavy hand on her shoulder. "You're an Okkotsu. They've been waiting to see you for years. Some never thought they would."
Ryusei didn't know how to answer that, so she stayed quiet, her gaze shifting to the ornate decorations on the walls—scrolls, old weapons, portraits of ancestors. It all felt unreal.
Finally, they stopped before a large wooden door. Go turned, his expression softening. "Are you ready to meet your grandmother?"
Ryusei blinked, caught off guard. "Wait—she's here?"
"Yes," Go nodded gently. "She's recently recovered from an illness, so she may still be a bit tired. But she insisted on seeing you. She's been waiting for this moment almost as much as I have."
Ryusei's heart thumped faster. She had never seen her grandmother—not even in pictures. The idea of someone who loved her yet was a complete stranger made her chest tighten in a way she didn't quite understand.
She swallowed hard and nodded. "…Yeah. I'm ready."
Go smiled and pushed the door open.
Inside, the air smelled faintly of lavender and old books. A woman with long silver hair streaked with black sat by the window, a blanket draped across her lap. Her eyes—sharp yet kind—lifted the moment Ryusei stepped in.
Tears welled in her gaze as she whispered, "…Ryusei."
Ryusei stood frozen in the doorway for a moment. Her grandmother's teary smile broke the heavy silence, and the young girl slowly stepped forward, her hands curling into fists at her sides.
"You… you've grown into such a strong young woman," her grandmother said softly, her voice carrying the weight of years of longing. "You look so much like your father, Ryuken."
Ryusei's eyes widened. "…My father?"
Go gave a small nod to one of the attendants, who brought over a wooden photo frame. He handed it to Ryusei.
Inside was a family picture:
A tall man with black hair and striking grey eyes, wearing a firefighter's uniform with a warm smile—Ryuken Okkotsu.
Beside him, a beautiful woman with long, flowing white hair and blue eyes with a violet tint—Yua Okkotsu—holding a baby wrapped in blankets.
And next to Ryuken, a young Haruka, grinning wide as she clung to his leg.
Ryusei's breath caught in her throat. She stared at the man she never knew and the woman who was now lying helpless in a hospital bed.
"That's… them," Ryusei whispered, tracing her fingers over the glass. "That's my mom and dad…"
Her grandmother's hand trembled slightly as she reached out, brushing Ryusei's cheek with the back of her fingers. "Your mother, Yua, adored you. She always said you had her spirit… and your father's eyes."
Ryusei looked down. "Mom's… in the hospital in a coma because of the Eternal Sleep Disease. Haruka… works there and she takes care of her."
A silence hung in the room. Her grandmother lowered her gaze, sadness filling her expression. "…So she still hasn't awakened."
Ryusei clenched the frame tighter. "Grandma… what happened to Dad? All I know is that… he disappeared. I don't remember him at all."
Go's usual smile fades. He placed a heavy hand on Ryusei's shoulder, his voice dropping.
"Ryuken… was one of the first to awaken as a hunter. And not just any hunter. He was S-rank—back when the world was still learning what that meant."
Ryusei blinked. "S… rank?"
Go nodded slowly. "He was powerful. He and I led countless raids into the dungeons that first appeared together. The kind of dungeons that no one else could handle. People said your father was the reason so many lives were spared in those early days."
Her grandmother's eyes glistened, pride and sorrow mixing together. "He carried that burden with all his heart. He believed it was his duty."
Go's expression darkened. "But then… he entered an unranked dungeon. A place no one could measure or classify. He went in… and never came back."
Ryusei's grip on the frame tightened until her knuckles went white. "…So he's… gone?"
Go's gaze softened but remained firm. "…We never found his body. But in our world, that doesn't always mean death. Your father… may still be out there."
Go slapped Ryusei's shoulders with such force she almost stumbled forward.
"Anyways! Since you're here, you should at least let me teach you one of your father's sword styles he invented!" he said with a booming laugh, his grin wide.
Ryusei blinked, trying to steady herself. "O-Oy, Grandpa, you almost knocked me flat!"
Go just laughed harder.
{Kouh Town Hospital – Yua Okkotsu's Room}
The room was still. The rhythmic beep of the heart monitor was the only sound, steady and calm.
Haruka, exhausted from her shift, had fallen asleep on the chair, her head resting on the bed's edge. One of her hands loosely held her mother's pale, unmoving fingers.
The door opened without a sound.
A young man stepped inside—handsome, striking, yet eerily out of place. His light silver hair caught the dim glow of the fluorescent lights, his hazel eyes sharp and contemplative.
He wore a dark green V-neck shirt beneath a black leather jacket, burgundy jeans with a silver chain, and black chaps around his right calf. His boots clicked softly as he approached.
He stood over Haruka first, watching her sleep peacefully despite the fatigue etched on her face. His gaze softened ever so slightly. Then his eyes drifted to Yua.
The man lingered there, silent and still, studying her features. His expression was unreadable—caught somewhere between recognition, regret, and something deeper.
He didn't speak. He didn't move. He simply watched over them.
The monitor beeped on. Haruka shifted in her sleep, murmuring softly, and the man's eyes flicked toward her again. Then back to Yua.