"Seems your new life has been productive." came voice behind Hiroshi. Turning around, he saw a familiar face sitting on the hospital bed.

  Hooded figure, scythe by her side, and white gaze that you couldn't forget, small in stature, but presence that you couldn't ignore.

  "You could say that. It has been... complicated, since leaving japan first time." Hiroshi admitted, sitting on the windowsill, letting his back be glowed on by the eclipsed blue moon.

  "But why did you follow me? Weren't you forced to stay in ōnosai?"

  She gave a small chuckle, before getting up from the bed. "That's a mystery to me as well, but thanks to your partners, we might have a clue. A ward."

  "So, you think this weird magical 'thing' is the reason why you are stuck with me?" Hiroshi asked, before quickly getting interjected by her. "Of course, Especially since when it happened, after you failed Aki, and more importantly, you leaving home."

  "Wait, don't dare try saying Aki is behind this!" He said, clear fury in him for her implication.

  "No, she wouldn't have been in right mental state. But could have been someone related to her. After all, foxes specialize in spirituality." She said with confidence and certain malice in her voice before calming down as she went to the front door, and put her scythe through the handle.

  Hiroshi just gave a sigh, as that solution didn't much help on their situation. "Anyways, how do you think I will do, now that I have died second time."

  "Well, this time your body is in tiptop shape, so do the same thing as last time, and you should be fine... but I think this time there might be some permanent influences." she noted, before they could hear knocking by the door, and attempts to open it, with her scythe blocking the attempts.

  "I appreciate the help. Hope to talk more in full without having to die, Oiwa." Hiroshi noted, as he climbed out of the window, and looking where he was landing, fell down and ran away, as Oiwa came and happily waved to him goodbye, as he ran away.

  As if perfect timing, her scythe's handle finally breaks, revealing more of the hooded figures rushing in.

  "WHO ARE YOU?! WHERE DID THE WILL GO!" the one who broke down the door shouted at her, as she happily turned to look at them.

  "Oh, I am just a non-local death angel. but long story short, you will never catch him when I am looking after him." She noted with a smile, angering the group of hooded people.

  Hiroshi kept running on the streets, passing by mindless and confused wills, that barely gave conscious effort to look in confusion at the passing-by runner.

  'How would it work here?' He questioned to himself, as he kept looking around, trying to find clues and markers that he could follow, as he kept his steps focused on familiar roads and paths.

  But his efforts were quickly delayed as after seeing some hooded figures from a distance, and dodging their gaze by ducking into nearby alleyway, he hid behind some power boxes in hopes to wait and see if they noticed him, before considering his next move.

  'I need to find a way out, and fast.' he thought to himself as he awaited as the figures walked past, before continuing his run across the streets under the blue sky.

  "Surely there is something we can do!" Nata said in clear anger, wanting to help Hiroshi.

  "Even if you did, you would be only putting yourself in more danger." Julia noted. "He seemed confident enough when I told him what would happen, so I am sure he will be fine."

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  Nata was left staring at Julia with worry, anger and sadness, clearly not happy with the news even with Hiroshi's confidence, as Edith gently patted her head.

  "Well, if he knows what he is doing, we shouldn't worry." Edith noted, as even she couldn't deny worrying some part with the news.

  "Anyways, while we are here, why don't we negotiate some agreement? I promise, it will be more promising and worth your while, than whatever deal Vaska did with you." Julia noted with a smile

  "What exactly do you have to give us?" Kat noted, clearly wanting to hear more worthwhile stuff, especially if she had to come all the way here because Nata smashed her phone by accident.

  "Plenty, that will help you against Chuvaki, but in return, I want something simple." Julia declared, taking Edith and Kat by surprise, but more than happy to negotiate.

  He has ran for a good while now, and to his dismay, there hasn't been much of a clue for a while. be it anything religious or spiritual, thanks to the city being new, there wasn't much of it around.

  'Damn it.' he muttered under his breath, as he had to take a moment to breath, ducking into alleyway and keeping all of his senses weary.

  Taking a moment of respite and keeping his eye out for his surroundings, things didn't seem to get helpful at all, as the wills kept roaming the city.

  "HIS THERE!" He could note a shout, and in his exhaustion, he wasn't able to spot as some of the hooded figures were approaching from behind him, as they took out scythes, ready to reap him dead.

  "Shit!" He noted, as he started to run once again, pushing over some wills as he took onto the streets.

  Going through winding turns, he had to hurry on finding a way out, but as he went on, more hooded figures took note of him, forcing him to take paths he didn't intent.

  Thankfully he was fast enough to get some distance, but his exhaustion was slowly catching up on him, yet he knew not to give up, not while there was hope.

  And as if his desperation called worth fortune, he noticed an massive tree in the middle of the park, not something that was there before, before his memory clicked.

  "NO WONDER IT LOOKED FAMILIAR!!!" Hiroshi shouted in delight, as he realized the park's center tree was non other than a withered mana tree.

  'That must be it!' he thought, as with all of his leftover energy, he ran with everything he had.

  It was clear it was pretty guarded as well, as more hooded figures were in the area, but it didn't matter for him now, as he was on the end stretch.

  As he saw the trunk of the tree, at the center of the park, he noticed that Oiwa had arrived there earlier than him, as she was ready to cause a distraction, and right before the guarding death angels took note of him, Oiwa punched one of them, causing a ruckus and some infighting between her and the guards.

  By the time those in guard could note Hiroshi, it was too late as Oiwa held them as close as she could, as with last dash, he reached out to get to the tree, and as few of the hooded figures just inches away from reaping him, he was able to touch it, and in blink of an eye, he was back into the real world, but his face crashed into the tree soon after.

  "Damn." He muttered, as he fell onto the ground, exhausted and panting hard, as he viewed to the sky, he could note it was starting to become late afternoon.

  Taking a moment to check his surroundings and himself, it seems he was safe, even if he was still an will.

  With some effort, he got up, as he saw plenty of people going around, not seeing him as expected, for he was a ghost for now.

  "huh? what? how?" however, someone else took note, as he saw an Leshy peak out of the tree itself, having been awakened by his trouble and shocked to see a spirit in front of him.

  "Sorry for the trouble." he said with a bright smile, before he went off in a rush to reach back into his body, leaving the poor tree-person confused on what was going on, before giving up and returning into the tree.

  "How long will they take" Olivia complained, not liking to staying in the hospital room with the zombie Hiroshi laying on the bed.

  "If they don't call me in a hour, we can return to the station." Sophia comforted, sharing on the sentiment.

  As they kept an eye out, as the zombie slowly tried to move, but thankfully the rope held him in place, however the sight didn't make it any more comfortable.

  Eventually, Sophia could feel a chill run down her spine, an sensation she was partly familiar with.

  Her presumption was right, as after a short moment, Hiroshi's body slowly stopped moving, and the monitors started to function normally.

  Olivia looked in confusion and worry, as Sophia sighed a relieve. "He may be back to normal." as she went to check on him.

  His body and spirit were fully tired, but as he didn't move, kept a calm breathing, and as she gently checked on his eyes, as they seemed to had become normal. "Yep, he is back to normal."

  "I... I need to go to bathroom." Olivia noted, as hearing he was finally was last straw, as she needed to get some seclution.

  "Sure, I will call Edith." Sophia noted, coming back on her seat and taking out her phone as Olivia went out of the room.

  Finding the bathrooms, and once settling onto the toilet, she couldn't help but weep in relieve, that the horrendous sight and worries were over for now.