Akira was lying down on the bed at the "infirmary" section of RIU. It was a stand-alone room where he was placed, and right behind the actual "infirmary".
Merlina: "Are you all right, Akira boy?"
Akira's Mind: "I'm alive, I think."
Merlina: "I CAN SEE THAT! I'm asking about your condition!"
Akira opened his eyes to observe the place.
Akira: "Ouch... Not so loud, Merlina, where are we?"
He was alone in this small room, with a big, soft medical bed and a table. On the table, he saw his phone and keys from his apartment.
Merlina: "We are being dragged here by some people, after the encounter with the possessed one, you passed out."
Akira: "How long did I sleep?"
Merlina: "Hour and a half, lad."
Akira: "Great... It did not look like the infirmary section I saw before... I visited this building, what is—?"
Merlina: "They call it the - reanimation section..."
Akira jumped out of bed
Akira: "R-reanimation?!"
Some people start to talk behind the door that was shut till the moment it's opened.
There were several people, among them was his father.
Todo Yamauchi: "I need to speak with my son Kaitlyn..."
Kaitlyn Walker: "Of course, Sir... Mia, do you ever get things done as I ask of you? What are these two girls doing here..?"
Walker's mother was a tall, natural blonde woman with a clean and sharp face and long, loose hair. Both of them, Mia and her Mother, wear glasses with that impression like they are in charge here.
Mia Walker: "I tried to do as you asked me, mother, but they are..."
Liza: "Senpai, are you ok there?!"
Akira's Mind: "Liza..."
Merlina: "A witch!"
Liza enters the small room with the roar of a steam locomotive. Right behind her, Cleo Williams was making her stand as well, close to Walker and her Mother.
Liza Pavlenko: "Senpai! You are actually alive. I thought you're going to die after they place you here haha!.."
As was told before, Liza was the girl he had known from passing exams. Fortunately, they got along pretty well, especially after Akira helped her cheat on the exams and complete every test for her.
Her Japanese was pretty raw at the moment, but she always outdid it with her natural charisma.
She was shorter than him a little, with two buns and mini pigtails pointed up and loose, she was also wearing the same female uniform of RIU as Cleo, but with a different skirt and a jacket.
Mia Walker stepped in with her as well.
Mia Walker: "Enough is enough, Pavlenko - If you are not having any relations with a patient, you must leave immediately... Mother, there is the doctor by the way, some other students in the hall also passed after some stress relief."
Kaitlyn Walker: "I want to know this myself, there is this damned Kazu, then I need him - I saw him just now!"
Akira's mind: "Kazu? Was it a Doctor Koide they were talking about?"
Merlina: "A weirdo..."
Akira's Mind: "Look who's talking, I passed out only because you use too much of my mental energy!"
She stretched.
Merlina: "It was not intentional, Akira boya, we are still in great need to deal with the obsessed one, then we go to sleep."
Liza Pavlenko: "Thank you for helping me back there, Senpai! I thought this dude was going to crush my hand!"
Mia Walker: "Pavlenko..."
Liza: "What? As you can see, we are friends!"
Mia looked at her with that impression as she held a laser gun in her hand on standby.
Merlina made a cartoonishly evil facial expression.
Merlina: "If she says one more word, she's toast!"
Akira gives Merlina a disapproving look inside his imagination plane.
She licked her paw.
Merlina: "What?"
Mia Walker: "I told you, this place is RELATIVES ONLY, it's not for 'friends' like you said.."
She paused, eyeing Akira as if he were a criminal about to be released early.
Mia: "As you can see, Mister Yamauchi junior is totally fine now."
Akira's Mind: "Mister who junior now?.."
Merlina laughs in his head.
Liza: "Buh.. forget it, 4-eyes - you are no fun at all"
Mia was shocked.
Mia: "F-f-four eyes?!"
Liza: "I forgot to tell you, senpai, I think we're going to be in the same group called - A. That's great, isn't it?"
Her cheeky smile left him amazed, as usual, but he tried to focus.
Akira: "Thanks, Liza, I hope your hand is ok."
Cleo steps in as well.
She nods politely.
Cleo: "Hello again, Mister Yamauchi."
She sounded nervous when Mia and the others were around.
Liza: "Ha! Forget the Yamauchi thing, girly, just call him Akira. By the way, senpai, where did you meet this girl - at the monastery?"
Cleo looked at her with eyes the size of dinner plates.
Mia's mother crossed her arms over her chest, as she lost her patience 2 minutes ago.
Kaitlyn Walker: "I'm glad you all have your sweet time reunion together... Mia, please... can you just take these girls away from here, this is no place for friendly conversations..."
Mia: "As you command, Mother."
Mia looks at her Mother first, then takes Liza's hand, both with Cleo's, and starts to pull them away from the "special" medical cabinet.
Akira: "Thank you for coming, I'm... I think I'm fine, Miss Cleo - you don't need to worry either."
He politely waved at them.
Liza: "We are not finished yet, Senpai! I'll see you tomorrow!"
Cleo gives him an understanding gaze. She was too confused and shy to say something out loud.
She also reached out to Cleo and gave her a firm handshake.
Liza: "My name is Liza - Nice to meet you."
She grinned with the sly elegance of a fox.
Cleo: "Oh..."
Cleo still got pulled by Mia tried to answer, but Akira couldn't overhear their conversation further.
Kaitlyn: "Kids!"
Her rising shout fell into a low, angry hiss.
Todo Yamauchi: "Now, now, Kaitlyn, as you can see - everyone alive, you cannot handle everything on your own, after all - all's well that ends well..."
Kaitlyn Walker's annoyance lingered until she met Todo's gaze, reassured by his persuasive tone.
Kaitlyn: "But I must be prepared for everything, especially after the news lately, as you are aware, Sir."
She paused, took a deep breath, and continued.
Kaitlyn: "As I said before - I'm glad your son is alright, I hope we talk about our deal after you finish."
Todo: "I need a few minutes with my son, see you after, Kaitlyn."
Kaitlyn: "Sir."
She politely nods and leaves.
Todo Yamauchi closed the door behind him after he entered the room. He was standing right in front of Akira, tall as a mountain.
Merlina: "Guh... Just my luck..."
Todo: "I know there is something in there..."
Todo pointed his finger to his forehead.
Todo: "In your head... Son. You know I need it."
Akira: "If you need it so much, then come and get it in the Dreamscape, I'm ready any time..."
He was sitting on the "reanimation" bed, staring at his father with a daring look.
Todo: "A 'Warrior Spirit", huh? As usual, brave and silly at the same time..."
Akira: "It's not a Djinn if you are after it."
Merlina: "I'm also not going to grant him any wish, even if he tortures me with his magic!"
Todo: "No, I don't think so. But, where are our manners, son - we do not greet each other, I salute you. You pass the tests..."
Akira shrugged.
Akira: "Yes... And nobody ever tells me that you own the place - I was hoping you just bought the whole building just to get me back."
Todo: "Of course not, son. I was just passing by as usual, I don't need this 'thing' in your head right away. I just get that I want one way or another, as usual."
Akira grinned bitterly.
Akira: "As usual, he says..."
Merlina: "..And I'm not a thing, wizard!"
Merlina angrily waves her tail from left to right in Akira's mind.
Todo: "I'm glad that you are standing firm on your own two feet - I was afraid that you going to ask for help right after..."
Akira: "What do you want, Father?"
Todo: "Right to the point! I... don't like that, actually."
Akira: "Well.. the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, it is your will against mine - you want to get Lesser Key for your own selfish goals I.."
Todo: "Selfish?! My boy, you are far, far away from the truth!"
Akira: "Truth is standing before me, and I'm not letting you have 'your way', like you had it with my mother..."
Todo: "...It was an accident."
Akira: "I'm sick of you..."
Todo: "...It's the truth."
Akira: "I will find the truth sooner or later - believe me."
Todo: "Stubborn"
Akira: "You too."
Todo made a long pause.
Todo: "Have it your way, son, like you said - it is your 'will' against mine."
Akira: "See you in Dreamscape, father."
Todo skeptically rolls his eyes.
Todo: "Don't weep after Behemoth crushes your Devilish like a bug, he is"
Akira: "Get out."
Todo make one last pause, glared at Akira, turned around, and left the room. Most surprisingly, by gently closing the door from behind.
Merlina: "...If he speaks about that Behemoth, we are in deep trouble indeed, Akira boy."
Akira: "Yeah, figures."
Merlina, after another dramatic pause, continued cheerfully.
Merlina: "But like I said - everything is not SUGAR for us now, but it's..."
Akira: "Gets better, yeah-yeah.."
The look on Akira's face could've made even a hanged man sigh.
At the infirmary exit, concerned students offered help, but he declined with a shake of his head. They briefly relayed that two girls, driven off by Mia and her mother, had been waiting for him. Both were quite worried, and Liza had sent word to meet her tomorrow morning at the Barghest cafe.
They barely talk to Merlina on their way back to his apartment. Akira was crushed both mentally and physically. All Akira wants right now is just - to lie down on his bed and sleep till tomorrow morning.
All images of reality before him were skipped like on a slide projector, again, the road, the metro station, his apartment building.
Miss Mariko was watering the flowers that were standing on the windowsill, and didn't notice him. After he reached the stairs, she turned back to greet him again, but he just mumbled something and moved right to his room.
After entering his room, he put his things on the chair behind the bed and fell asleep as he carried all the burdens of this world alone.