As we fade back into present time, with Kentaro still focusing on Noelle's grave. He releases a strong sigh and stands.
"Had I only caught on sooner rather than later... No... Had I only done something sooner rather than later. You'd still be here." Kentaro murmured as he pulled out a pack of cigarettes and pulled one out to start smoking it.
After inhaling a puff of smoke, he slowly exhales along with another sigh. Holding the cigarette in his mouth as he looks into the clear blue sky once more. The breeze pushing the smoke along with it from the tip of his cigarette. The only noise is the wind as Kentaro just stands there, at Noelle's grave, with no thoughts.
Marin's house
The group had stopped by Marin's home as her parents weren't home. Giving them time to hang out and talk in her room.
Kairo is sitting on Marin's bed with his sword lying between him, Ingrid is sitting on the floor by Marin's little coffee table, and Marin skimming through her closet as she speaks on the matters.
"I'm just saying, the way he spoke on it made it sound like he did something incredibly bad to them." Marin expressed as she continued digging through her closet.
"I wouldn't put it past him, especially after losing someone really dear to you." Ingrid remarked as he played catch with a small ball Marin had lying around in her room.
"He even said he couldn't talk about it... That must mean he got caught after he did it." Marin wondered as she finally found what she was looking for and pulled out a box of old memories.
"What's that?" Kairo asked curiously.
As she walks away from the closet, she sets the box down onto the small coffee table. Grabbing Ingrid's interest as well as Kairo's as they got closer as well.
"This is an old box of past things I shared with Karla. I wanted to see if it still had a necklace she gave me from so long ago."
As Marin opens the box, many different things become visible to the group. Old photos, trinkets, small paper crafts, things that would only hold so much value to the person who they were gifted to. Yet as Marin clawed through the memories, she found the necklace.
The necklace housed a quaint green crystal and was held by a light tan string that was tied into several knots in the back to keep it from coming undone. As Marin put it on, her eyes started to light up.
"Wow, that's pretty; it makes your eyes pop." Kairo blurts out.
Marin's face starts turning beet red as the room falls silent for a moment. Ingrid stared at Kairo with a smirk, causing him to start realizing what he just did.
"W-Wait! What I meant was! I mean, I was just! Uh! No, really, I—!" Kairo stuttered as he tried to fix his statement.
However, Ingrid chuckled, causing Kairo to switch his attention to him.
"What's so funny!" Kairo questioned embarrassingly.
Marin quickly turned around while Kairo was distracted, holding her hot face in shock.
While Kairo leaped at Ingrid, wrestling with him on the ground. Till a familiar voice took all their attention as it was heard from Marin's window.
"This looks like fun, let me join in!" Chirashi shouts as she leaps from the window at Ingrid and Kairo.
Who both were lying side by side as Chirashi came flying at them.
"No! No! Wait! Wait! Wait!" Kairo and Ingrid shouted in sync as Chirashi's massive chest came barreling down on their faces.
Suffocating them as she held them pinned to the ground. Marin quickly rushed over to try and pull her off. Causing a commotion that lasted for several minutes.
After everything settled, Chirashi found herself sitting on Marin's bed, while Kairo and Ingrid were red-faced and sitting properly beside each other. Marin also sitting at her coffee table.
"What are my favorite people doing at a time like this?" Chirashi asked.
"Taking the rest of the day off, like you said to." Kairo replied, his face still red.
"Also trying not to die to those massive balloons you have." Ingrid interjected as he rubbed his cheek in relief.
"Oh, you know you liked it." Chirashi remarked.
Causing Marin to throw a pillow at her. Chirashi took it to the face, causing her to fall flat onto Marin's bed.
"Man... This bed is really comfy... Can I sleep with you tonight, Marin?" Chirashi asked mischievously.
In return, Kairo and Ingrid started thinking as a thought bubble started forming above them. Of Marin and Chirashi doing something.
"STOP IT, YOU TWO!" Marin rushed over to them with her knees ramming into their faces. Blood drooling from their noses in sync as they fall back onto the ground.
"W-Why are you here, Chirashi!" Marin questions furiously.
Chirashi smirks as she looks at the group.
"So... You really didn't notice it from earlier? It seems I've still got a long way to go with you then." Chirashi mysteriously informed.
"What do you mean?" Kairo questioned as he forced himself up, his nose still slightly bleeding.
"The fissures stalking Kentaro Benami... The presence of three damaged souls." Chirashi, she informed him as she glared at Kairo.
Kairo continued locking eyes with Chirashi, trying to think about anything from that moment besides Kentaro's wild emotions.
"Can't say I felt anything..." Kairo conceded as he tightened his grip on his sword's handle.
"All three fissures seemed very agitated, yet they didn't attack, almost like it was on purpose... I'm worried these fissures might be..." Chirashi stopped to ponder.
Ingrid observes her as he feels something ominous about her reaction.
"Is it possible fissures can think logically?" Ingrid questioned curiously.
Chirashi still pondered before sighing slightly.
"Fissures are a vicious species; they consume each other in order to get stronger. Every battle they make it out of, they gain power in the form of scars... Depending on the amount of scars a fissure has. Could very well determine where it stands in power. Even to the point of logical battle strategies... If it's what I believe... Kentaro Benami will be dead within the next few hours." Chirashi reported, causing the group to fall into shock.