“Good day to you, Mr. President. Excuse this question, but what could be the reason of your arrival here?”

“Likewise, Mr. Exile.

Ever since that letter, I decided to leave everything in the hands of the Exiles because I had a hunch that something will definitely happen. I was the one that ordered to close the whole Square until something out of the ordinary takes place here.

I presume it was your work that the Channel 7 received a broadcast request?”

“Yes, indeed. We were actually surprised that the senator didn't see a broadcast coming. Still, we are aware that that act was public obstruction on our end.

Now, he's started talking again.”

“Seems like I've grown old… I didn't expect you people to pull a stunt like this, I'll give you that!”

“He was the most respectable of the senators but he actually is a twisted killer. It's not even pitiful.”

“That's your words, sir. I just hope that no one heard that.”

“Hahahahaha…

Well, I am here because I have something to tell the nation. Don't worry, no reporters and press is going to come here. But I will ask if I can borrow your broadcast for what I am going to tell.”

“If it is far from harming us, we will accept.”

“Mark my word, nothing will happen.”

~ ~ ~

“Wow… Gin is actually seeing the president in flesh right now…”

“I don't even know what is happening anymore.”

“'The sun is not about to set any time soon.'”

“Ringo…? Now you're sounding more like Gin.”

“Can't be helped, Shiro. Hehe…”

“But Ringo has a point, Shiro. Even with the president, his guards, and the police present… they cannot be at ease yet.”

“Ahem… Attention, those who are watching from the televisions and anyone that is present in the scene, this is Maven Aquos, briefly addressing the nation.”

“Oh, the president is about to say something. Let's listen.”

“I have something to disclose to the public regarding the existence of the Exiles. The roots of how they have become ever since the 40's has been flowing in my blood.

The truth is, my late grandfather, who was the former president of this country was not a very good leader. He was the roots of the abusive acts that took place in that administration.

Little did we know that because of that, those who were abused were either killed or vanished from the existence. We have the very tiny knowledge of what and who the Exiles really are. Seeing them now, I assume that they have kept quiet until this day.

I am not in the position to tell any encouraging things for them. Right now, they probably have zero trust on us because of how they were thrown away and became rejects not just of the society, but of the world.

Sad to say, it is us humans that harm our own kind. We are all foolish. They have lived a quiet life for decades, and their silence was recently paused because of the mess we dealt to them. Now they arose from the void, wanting to reclaim their silence.

Earlier, I have talked with the few of the faceless. It is true that they want to reclaim their silence, but their main objective is to reveal the real identity of Senator Horach and fulfill the dream they had wished for decades…”

~ ~ ~

“…This is why I am here. I want to end the dirty doings my grandfather started. It is my responsibility to witness what they ask for, and I will myself accountable for what happened to them.

Anyone from the Exiles, I would like to invite a representative to step forward.”

…

“Gin.”

“Are you sure, Tenth?”

“Go. You proceed in front. I'm not telling you to represent us, but because you're capable of expecting the unexpected.”

“Really, you're always a few steps ahead, huh. I won't fail you.”

…

“Thank you very much, Mr. Exile. May I know your name?”

“It is part of our wish as faceless to hide our identities. That is why we are here with this mask.”

“If that is the case, I will respect it. Now, I will lend you my ears.”

“…

Hear our wish, world.

As I have said, our identities will never be revealed until we are living. Not even our names or information.

Next, leave us alone.

We Exiles seek freedom that we never once had. We will continue living as who we are. So we ask of you to not lay a finger on us, just as we would not. Not with your society, not with your politics. We will assure all of you that we pose no threat to anyone. We have watched this cruel world for a long time now… And we have had enough of all of the wars that are happening in the years. We don't want such a dystopian world that we all live in.

Our people also have children born as Exiles. It is also for their future which is also our objective.

We wish for us to live as how we prefer. We don't want to see anymore abusive acts. We are indifferent.

Joseph Horach asked with such a foul expression if we have a purpose in our lives. I will be honest, I was ticked off of those words. We were also humans with dreams. We love people, and we also have individuals that are dearest to us. But as things stand, we can't call ourselves humans, in a sense.

So Mr. President, you yourself showed up to witness this. ‘Normal' humans, we Exiles wish for our perceived freedom.”

“…

There shall be no need for such unnecessary words.

It is as you heard, people of Orio. I, Maven Aquos, the current president of this country, will hereby grant the Exiles who once lived as ordinary people the freedom they wished. Their identities will stay unknown to the world. Promising that they pose no harm, they are reigned the life as they please, without our intervention, granted that this will not lead to disorder.

This is the reward that I will give you, Exiles, for unfolding the dark history of Senator Horach. You are all the witnesses. Joseph Horach, as of today will be prematurely stripped from his position in the government, relieved from his assets that came from the government and taxes, and will be sentenced the right punishment for his doings in due time.”

“Mr. President. This storage disk will be of help for you and the sentence that will be given to him.”

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

Meanwhile, behind the president is where the two captives are.

“You… President… You're just like them. You are also just a worthless piece of trash that deserves to die!”

Using the fuss Horach made, he and his lackey got up and escaped the police who is handling them. Not being far from the president the two ran with their hands cuffed and as they reached the president, they attempted to land a lethal kick on both sides of the president.

“You persistent killers…!”

Just in the nick of time, I managed to block both of blows…

But I realized one weakness that our armor has.

“Urk… This is just like Marcus's… Argh…! It freaking hurts!”

It is true that bullets won't penetrate on our suit, but a metal plated, powerful kick on both of my sides…

Will definitely break both the bones of my forearms.

“Quick! Get those two!”

“Hey! Are you okay?!”

“Are your arms fine?!”

“Urk… Of course I'm not okay… My bones just broke…”

“Quickly! First aid!”

Fortunately, they are once again apprehended. But we're not expecting this…

“Get it out now!”

Horach's shout caught our attention and his lackey once again escaped from a police and from his pocket, a rectangular thing dropped that he then kicked towards us Exiles.

The situation suddenly turned to the worst.

“A bomb…?!

EVERYBODY RUN! THAT IS A BOMB! SOMEONE GIVE ME A SPARE LONG SUIT! QUICKLY!!!”

“Gin! Where are you going?! We haven't treated your injuries yet!”

“I don't care… I just want to go home."

…

I don't know…

My body suddenly moved on its own. My legs ran on their own. My broken arms moved on their own.

It hurts…

The pain is extreme…

But it doesn't matter…

I don't care anymore…

All that is on my mind…

Is sending that bomb flying somewhere.

As I ran, I immediately took the suit even with severely broken arms. My hands just moved. I don't care anymore if the whole country finds out of my inhuman abilities. I jumped with all of my strength and caught the bomb inside the suit.

“Just as we regained our freedom… Now this is going to happen?! No way I'm going to accept this. I didn't train my body for nothing. Please, just this one time.

Let me protect the ones I love.”

As I am hovering on thin air, I tied the suit and secured that no holes are seen. It's just a matter of time before it explodes. I don't know if this long suit can handle it. I need to throw it somewhere.

“There…! Another open space!

300 meters… That should be enough.”

Oh, how my arms hurt. I don't know what I'm doing anymore. I realized that there's nothing I'm holding.

So I looked in the sky as I slowly fall. There is a speck I saw. And it expanded and fell. It was actually the suit I wrapped the bomb on.

I looked down below. They are all alive.

“Thank goodness…”

I briefly lost consciousness, and then I fell.

…

I woke up after momentarily fainting. There I saw that I was caught by Ken.

“Hey… can you stand?”

“I… I should be asking you if you're okay…

You midget… I'm heavy you know…”

“Yeah, right. So get up, stupid idiot.”

Thank goodness I fell on his shoulders.

“I think we should call an ambulance.”

“Gin… Are you serious?”

“My arms need immediate treatment instead of just first aid. Hiro, Sean. I'll leave this to you later.”

“Well… I just hope that your regeneration kicks in.

Anyways, thanks for save, Gin.”

But even before we thought everything was over, the voice of Horach echoed across the entire Cotona Square.

"Remember this… I am not done yet. I am going to find you. I will rip that mask out of your face… and I will be sure that you will suffer more that the humiliation you brought me.

You keep watch. Once I see what's behind that mask, you're going to realize that you stirred up the hornet's nest."

~ ~ ~

Finally, everything has ended.

Horach is finally on the custody of the police and we remained in the Square. The ambulance came, and I was immediately escorted by Makoto and Juno Artecus in the ambulance.

“Your arms really broke but fortunately, it is not that bad. But your left arm might need a surgery.”

“Nah, it's okay, Doctor. I know someone that can treat my injuries well.”

“Actually… I have been tuned in earlier. But is it okay if you remove your mask so I can check your face up?”

“Sorry, we can't do that.”

“Oh… I guess.”

“Well then, Doctor. We will be going now.”

“Oh, yes…”

My two companions suddenly had a little conversation.

“Hey, Makoto. Can I have a talk with that Exile alone?”

“Hmm… Sure, go ahead. He's hard to deal with, though.”

…

“Excuse me, Mr. Exile.”

“What is it, Mr. Artecus?”

“Have… we by chance met before…?”

“Huh??? What are you talking about? There's no way a vanished human like me had ever interacted with a detective.”

“Wait, have I ever told you that I am a detective?”

“Hahaha… you're famous, you know. But I guess there's no way you can be a detective if you can be this dumb not to know me. You'll soon know anyways even if I didn't tell you.”

“Goodness. What a small world. Well, I am truly amazed with how you heroically saved everyone.

Despite wearing that coat, I have a keen eye when it comes to posture, gait, and build of people I have already seen. I'll keep this a secret, Mr. Gin Sakato.”

“I hope we don't ever see each other again.”

“I hope we don't ever see each other again… not like this.”

~ ~ ~

A few minutes later.

“A white handkerchief… Is he still somewhere?”

The doctor went out of the ambulance and tried to search for the Exile he just tended to. As he reached out his hand to take the cloth, he heard a voice calling at him.

“Excuse me, doctor! Can I ask you some questions?”

A young man with a backpack and a camera approached the doctor.

“Sure… but have you seen a person with a white mask on his face? I think he forgot this.”

“Oh, I'm a photographer and I saw someone like that. Here's a picture. I just saw him not too far, so he will be easy to spot. Can I have it so I can look for him?”

“Sure… here.”

“Thank you very much.

Wait, where is he?! Oh, well I'm going to look for him. Good seeing you, Doctor.”

“Okay…

I guess they're now letting journalists in. Wait, I thought he was going to ask me something.”

…

“Ow… my arms hurt like crazy…”

“Hey~ Mr. Photographer. I have a car where you can drop off your things.”

“Oh, hello there, Mr. Principal of Blue Ink. I will gladly take on your offer.”

“But seriously. You changed really fast.”

“Tenth… It's still difficult to change you know. I can barely move my arm. Thankfully, it was easy to fix my hair back to normal.”

“Thanks for teaching me how to change my hairstyle, Onee-san (Kei's girlfriend).”

“Phew… I almost thought I lost the "handkerchief." I have bandages in my arms and it's a good thing I brought long sleeves for a change of clothes.”

With his trembling fingers, Gin spread out the white cloth and made a solid, snapping sound and retained a messy form.

“Sneaky until the end, Gin. I wish we could use that mask prototype so that we won't need to carry something large with us.

Alright, let's go to the car for you to be treated by Hiroomi and Sean. We're finally going back to the base.”

~ ~ ~

It is not just me that brought a change of clothes. Every one of us brought bags and once again dispersed like we did in the morning.

This is it. As I promised everyone, no one died in the eventful encounter. Our expedition is a success. Now, we can finally live our normal lives as Exiles.

And once again, I am late. Everyone has already returned to the base except for me and Tenth.

“Gin! You're finally back!”

“Big bro! Thank goodness you're safe!”

“Gin. Go rest now.”

“Yeah! You deserve a rest more than anyone!”

“Thanks, everyone.

I guess I was the only one who got injured, huh? Alright, after I get my arms treated, I'll rest.”

“Well, you better have a good rest since the guys that remained are preparing a feast!”

“Woah… seriously?!”

“We'll celebrate for the success of this! We finally have freedom!”

~ ~ ~

I feel like I ate a week's worth of food in just one sitting.

It was really fun having a chat with everyone while we were eating. It has been an eventful day but it was all worth it in the end. It is not just my work that made the success, but everyone's efforts.

If not for their hard work, we won't have those suits and masks. Those are things that are out of my league.

Thankfully, my injury started healing quickly but the X-ray showed that it still has cracks and I could see where the snapping point was, so I can't make rapid movements for a bit of time.

Almost all of us passed out after the feast of a lunch. I took a nap in one of the rooms since my whole body started to hurt instead of just my arms.

A few hours have passed and it is now 6 in the evening.

Tadaima.

▪ ▪ ▪

It seems that someone is in my house as expected. I was dropped off by Sean into my house so that they can secure my safety.

The lights are on, and so I lifted my key to open the door of the house.

“…

I'm home.”

Just as I opened the door, Rin came running towards me and gave me a warm embrace. She spoke with her face planted on my body.

“Gin…

You taught me that not everything will go as planned. So I clung onto that belief until the end.

But I was still worried…”

“Rin… I just said that I am home.”

“…

Welcome home…!”

“Welcome back. I really thought you exploded there.”

“Good to see you safe, Gin.”

“You deserve a great rest.”

“Gin. Mind if we stay the night?”

“Yea-

Woah… Did you prepare all this?”

“Another feast!”

“This time, it's not from your fridge!”

“Nii! You're back!”

“And there goes Anna. She'll probably call your parents.”

“Hahaha…

Go ahead. Then let's go play later.”

“Hey, hey. Can we eat now? I'm starving.”

“Get your own plates! You're not babies anymore.”

“Let me sleep on your lap, Shiro.”

“No.”

“Ehh…”

“If Gin sleeps on my lap, you should let Nacchi too, Shiro.”

“Fine…”

“Meh. Rin will probably sneak on my bed again and sleep beside me just like what she did when I was sick.”

“What?! That seriously happened?!”

“Why didn't I know that?!”

“That's really surprising you know!”

“No! That won't happen again! I swear I won't sneak on his bed half-asleep!”

Future: She drooled on Gin's pillow again.

“Why'd you even tell them, Gin!”

“Hahahaha… Forgive the injured, please.”

“Gin! We're here!”

“Yo, musuko! You're safe, thank goodness! I thought I will lose a son-in-law.”

“Dad…!” Rin shouted.

“Hahaha…! There's no way this son-in-law of yours will die that easily.”

“Gin…!” she shouted again.

“So, when is the wedding?”

“Anna?! You too?”

“Can I be the maid of honor?”

“Even Shiro…!”

“Just get married already!”

“Hahahahaha!”

Silence isn't always just total silence. There is a lot to it. And this silence is what I wished for.

Oyasumi.

Two steps remaining.