"Hey, Minamoto-kun. Is that prediction really true?"
Minamoto sharply turned his head upon hearing Fujiko's voice.
"Director!"
But hearing her question, his mood shifted completely; staring straight at her with a serious expression, he clenched his fists tightly.
"Yes. Not even the precognition department could predict its fluctuation," he stated, gritting his teeth.
"I see..."
Silence followed as both of them looked at the place where the flying ship had just vanished.
"Don't die, Hyoubu Kyousuke." Minamoto muttered.
***
Meanwhile, the Catastrophe had made its way toward a large facility owned by Pandra.
"All right, all right, all right!" A man with short blonde hair and wearing over-the-top glasses paired with an all-black suit shouted with a big smile on his face.
"Yes~ okay!"
Senzo could only roll his eyes at the over-the-top display that the man was putting on. But the Catastrophe had taken major damage during the last confrontation, and he was the best one to fix it.
Magi jumped off the ship and gracefully landed in front of the man, with a tired look in his eyes.
"This... they sure did a number on her again..."
Magi could only sigh; just thinking about it left him angry, but he couldn't do anything about it.
"I'll need the repairs to be done ASAP," he stated.
"Of course, leave it to me! She'll be fixed in no time~."
The man said with a massive smile on his face, giving Magi a thumbs up.
"By the way, where is the major?" He inquired, looking around but not seeing the big boss, who would normally come greet him immediately.
Magi's expression changed into a grave one.
"The major is attending to some minor business."
***
While they were busy fixing the catastrophe, Hyoubu stood in front of an impressive building in the middle of Tokyo.
In large letters atop the building, the name "BABEL" was displayed, but Hyoubu just had a serious look in his eyes; this wasn't the time to play pranks after all, he had come here for some important business.
"Hah..."
Then his whole appearance shifted, and instead of his usual black school uniform, he became an ordinary-looking researcher with short black hair wearing a white lab coat.
Just like that, he promptly entered the building without any hesitation; he had to do it now. Otherwise, he might not have another chance like this, with Minamoto and Fujiko gone.
While walking through the hallways, he saw many people pass: nurses, people wearing construction outfits, and normals who came here to get their health checked.
While casually strolling through the building, he suddenly heard a familiar name.
"But Kashiwagi-san, to construct a triple-strength shield, we need a rather significant budget..."
A man wearing a hard hat and a high-visibility vest said, scratching his chin awkwardly.
Kashiwagi, on the other hand, was a beautiful woman with long glossy black hair and black eyes wearing a tight-fitted suit that accentuated her figure.
"If it's about the budget, there's no problem. We've taken measures regarding it." She reassured the man with a polite smile.
"Babel's medical research facility is one of the world's most advanced medical facilities. We cannot afford to be lax with our security."
She explained to the man while handing him a binder.
When suddenly she felt a shiver run down her spine, she didn't show it on her face, but she immediately surveyed her surroundings and spotted a strange young man wearing a white lab coat walking right past her.
"Um... Kashiwagi-san?"
The man hesitantly inquired, seeing her staring at the young man who had just walked past.
"Ah, I apologize. Um, therefore we'll be installing small-sized ECMs here, and..."
***
Hyoubu had successfully entered the medical facility, and while walking, his appearance went back to normal, a grave expression on his face when he finally found the room he was looking for.
"I hope it's not too bad yet..." he thought, quickly entering the general laboratory.
Upon seeing the machine he was looking for, he sighed and unbuttoned his shirt.
He lay back as the CT scanner slid over his head and chest, the machine whirring softly while it captured detailed images of his brain and upper torso.
And while the machine was doing its thing, Hyoubu just lay there, a neutral expression on his face, hoping the results would be positive, but he knew better.
Most likely it would be bad news; he tightly clenched his fists, but he had to stay calm. Everyone in Pandra was counting on him as the major, and he had to help as many espers as possible in the remaining time he had left.
After a short while the machine was finally done, and he quickly got up and went toward the computer, pulling up the results of the scan.
"..."
He grimaced, looking at the results of the scan.
"As I thought. I don't have much time left."
Then with a snap of his fingers, he vanished from the spot and appeared on a large commercial building across from a high school.
And right after he teleported away, the door was quietly opened, and Kashiwagi looked inside.
"...Guess I was just imagining it," she muttered before going back to her duties.
***
"Something wrong, Kaoru?"
Aoi asked, looking at her red-haired friend, who was absentmindedly staring through the window.
"For a second it felt like Kyousuke was there..." she muttered.
"You know that's impossible, right?" Aoi countered, shaking her head.
"That's right. After what happened, all of Japan is searching for Pandra." Shiho added.
Both stared at Kaoru with worried looks. Why would she say something like that? Was she that worried about him?
"Yeah, you're right!" Kaoru replied, scratching the back of her head.
"I don't know why I would say something like that; let's go home."
But while those three were leisurely enjoying their time, Hyoubu was observing them from the sky. Just standing there floating in midair.
He was absentmindedly staring at the three girls but was focusing most of his attention on Kaoru.
Then he unconsciously put his right hand in front of his heart, and his blank stare turned into a sad expression.
And without a word, he turned around and teleported away once more.