Seven years later, jumping awake in a cold sweat from the nightmare of the Ophis Raid Incident, Jugo catches his breath. Realizing it's 6:30 Am, Jugo rushes to get ready for school. Looking in the mirror, he reflects on losing his arm and being stabbed in the chest. Thanks to the help of Takumi using his Gift to create a Total Artificial Heart, Jugo could continue living, but Zero was too far gone. As he reaches the top of the stairs, Jugo stops by his mother's room with the sound of a ventilator getting louder and louder. Before opening the door, Jugo puts on a fake smile.

"Good morning, mom; how are you feeling," asked Jugo.

"A little better. Aren't you going to be late for school," replied Ibu.

"No, I'll make it in time just focus on getting better. I'll see you when I return from work; the nurse will arrive at 8."

"Bye, sweetie. Have a good day at school!" On his way to school, Jugo remembers the aftermath of the "Ophis raid incident."

*Flashback*

Waking up from a 3-month coma, Jugo was greeted by Takumi, the toy store owner. He explained that the eight bells' minute guards were overpowered, and the attackers laid waste to the festival. Hachi left his wife in Takumi's care and went to fight them off but never returned. When the minute guards cleared the rubble and the brothers' were found, Jugo's heartbeat was so faint that Takumi had to perform immediate surgery to make a new heart for him. After the chaos settled, Ibu discovered what had happened to her family and was diagnosed with broken heart syndrome. It was so severe she needed to be on a ventilator.

The morning after the incident, more minute guards returned to assess the situation and take statements from the survivors. The 8 Bells deemed it an Ophis raid which left the people angry and confused as the attack was too coordinated, there were too many attackers and a lack of Gifts specific to each person. Every time someone tried to find answers or ask questions, the minute guards would shut them down. Evidently, the government wanted to cover this up and silence anyone looking into the event. After going through physical therapy, Jugo was released from the hospital and began to attend school again. It was apparent that he was different from the other kids. Jugo was missing an arm and had an artificial heart sticking through his chest. He even had white hair due to the stress of being attacked and the surgery performed on him. The kids began to distance themselves from him, thinking of him as a zombie for not having a genuine heart and only one arm.

*Flashback ends*

Jugo enters his class late with his head pointed at the ground.

"Sorry, I'm late," muttered Jugo to the teacher.

"This is the 14th time this semester; go take your seat," the teacher complained. As Jugo makes his way to the back of the classroom, a student yells out for the class to hear.

" You should just stay home if you're always going to be late." Before Jugo could turn his head, the girl sitting beside him, Kyou Haruki, threw her pencil case at him and exclaimed.

"Mind your own business Hisoka. Stop being a bully." Too embarrassed from getting hit in the head with a pencil case Hisoka buries his face in his desk.

"Ok, settle down." demanded the teacher. As Jugo sits down, he mutters a thank you to Kyou for sticking up for him. She replies with a simple "Sure," not showing an interest in continuing the conversation. While the class continues, Jugo's eyes wander to the same girl, Mika Shoda, the class president.

Mika was one of the kids Jugo grew up with but after the O.R.I. (Ophis Raid Incident), they grew apart and stopped talking. He always had a crush on her, even when they were kids. Now he can't even approach her. "If I leave her a letter, maybe we could be friends again," Jugo thought. Later that day, as classes were ending, Jugo left a letter in her shoe cubby that reads. " Dear Mika, it's been years since we last talked, but that has never changed how I feel about you. I miss what we had before the O.R.I. If you still remember me, meet me tomorrow by the willow tree we used to play at when we were kids." After leaving the letter, Jugo rushes out of the school before anyone can see him and heads to Takumi's toy store.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Jugo notices a package outside the store and decides to drag it in. Entering the store and setting off the bell, Jugo yells.

"Takumi-sensei, it's me! A package was outside, so I brought it in and put it in your workshop!" From the other side of a locked door in the storage room, Takumi yells back.

"Thank you, go ahead and reopen the store; ill be out in a minute!" After a mundane shift at the store, Jugo re-stocks all the shelves and asks Takumi.

"Why don't you make these toys out of metal instead of wood? You could make a fortune."

"I used to work with higher grade material using my gift, but I left that life behind me," explained Takumi.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Can I get tomorrow's shift off? I have something to do."

"Of course, it's rare for your to take time off of work; what are you doing?" Asked Takumi.

"I'm meeting a friend after school," replied Jugo.

"Well, have fun, and remember to rack up your apron. It's getting dark; you should go home."

"Ok, and thank you," said Jugo. As Jugo leaves the store, Takumi thinks to himself. "I'll close the store tomorrow. I need to pay Zero back for what he's done for me. I never thought these parts would take so long to arrive."

The next day after classes have ended, Jugo makes his way to the willow tree where Mika is waiting, but as he gets closer, Jugo starts to hear giggling and laughing. Peeking around the corner, Jugo notices Mika with someone else. He can't make out the other guy's words, but Jugo's world comes crashing down in one motion. Mika kisses the other guy! Before he can see anymore, Jugo runs off into the forest within the sanctum. After running for a bit, he stops to catch his breath. Grasping at the module on his chest Jugo cries out.

"Comet!" moments later, a reindeer gracefully appears from the brush. After physical therapy, Jugo spent more time playing with the animals in the woods. Comet was part of a herd but was injured as a calf. The herd left him to die, but Jugo nursed him back to health and stayed even when the other reindeer would migrate through the valley. Sitting by the creek comforted by Comet Jugo reflects.

"Why does nothing ever go my way? I just wanted this one thing to go right. Zero, mom, dad, Mika, I'm losing everyone. All I have left is Takumi-sensei and you, Comet. What can I do to protect you? you're my best friend." The light shifting through the pale green leaves shines down on the two. The wind blowing through the leaves comes to a halt. Struck by sadness and guilt, Jugo weeps into Comet's fur loud enough to make the silent forest waver.

Attracted by the loud cries and the smell of reindeer, a Kodiak bear approaches the creek. Hiding its presence as it slowly approaches, the bear prepares to attack. Drowned out by Jugo's crying, the bear sprints toward them and attacks Comet. As the bear begins to bite and claw at Comet's rear end, blood splatters around, covering the area and Jugo in blood. Without hesitation, Jugo rushes to Comet's aid trying to separate the two animals. Comet bellows in pain as the bear swats away Jugo scratching his arm and drawing blood. Struggling to stand from the pain, Jugo grabs a rock and rushes back towards the bear. Jamming the rock into the bear's eye, it lets go of Comet and roars out in pain, staggering back a few steps. Jugo clings to Comet, covering his hand with its blood, and tears begin to rebuild in his eyes. Working through the pain, the bear lunges back at Jugo. He closes his eyes in fear and thinks to himself. "If I still had my arm, I could've done something. If only I was stronger, I could've protected Comet. NO! Zero wouldn't have made excuses, father wouldn't have made excuses, and they would have stood tall till the very end. Right here and right now, ill protect my only friend even if it costs me my life!"

Stomping his foot on the ground and clenching his fist Jugo and the bear roar over each other. As the bear begins to come down on Jugo, green particles form around Jugo, collecting in his body. Reacting to the blood on his hand, Jugo's other arm grows back, and both grow fur rapidly. The bear swipes down with both paws, but Jugo catches them with tears running down his face. Screaming out his final battle cry, sharp antlers grow from his head, stabbing the bear in the throat and lower jaw piercing all the way through to the brain. After snapping back to his senses, Jugo lets go of the bear's corpse and rushes back over to Comet. The antlers, fur, and regrown arm regress as he reaches Comet's body. With all the blood lost, all Jugo could do was comfort Comet as he took his last breath. Giving a farewell to his dearest friend Comet licks Jugo's hand as his body falls limp and he passes away. As the forest goes silent, Jugo whispers

"I'll always remember you, and this will never happen again."