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The Past Affects the Future

  INT. MEDICAL ROOM – SHORTLY AFTER HAJIME WAS STABILIZED]

  The door to the room slams open again.

  The Music Club bursts in—Yu, Makoto, Emily, Angel, Bondo, Amy, Rizra (limping), Daka (with a bloody head wrap), and even Rei (snacking on chips).

  Their faces all carry the same emotion: terror—followed by relief as they see Hajime alive.

  Makoto (panicking):

  “IS HE DEAD?! IS HE DEAD?!”

  Emily (stern):

  “Makoto. SHUT. UP.”

  Angel (clutching her chest):

  “Thank the heavens… I thought we were too late…”

  Yu (looking at Hajime, quietly):

  “He’s stable… but not conscious.”

  Daka (weakly):

  “…I failed him…”

  Rizra (sitting down hard):

  “No one failed. He just… went full idiot again.”

  Rei stands beside the bed, solemn for once. He gently puts down his bag of chips and kneels beside Hajime.

  Rei (serious for once):

  “You crazy bastard… I didn’t even get to say one pervy comment before you passed out.”

  Makoto (sniffling, looking at Hajime’s ruined left arm):

  “Dude… his arm… it’s gone…”

  Amy (softly):

  “He burned it out using magic far beyond his limit…”

  Bondo (hands in pockets, staring at the floor):

  “He was ready to die… just to protect us.”

  There’s a silence. Everyone stares at Hajime—unmoving on the bed, hooked up to glowing magical seals and machines.

  Daka (sitting near Sockoo):

  “…We owe him. Big time.”

  Sockoo, still holding Hajime’s hand, eyes shut, whispers:

  Sockoo:

  “He didn’t do it for the tournament… or for pride. He did it because he refuses to lose the people he loves.”

  Emily (surprised):

  “…He

  us?”

  Rei (smirking):

  “Maybe. Or maybe just you, Emily. Maybe not Makoto. Definitely not Makoto.”

  Makoto (angrily):

  “HEY! I was the one who

  him!”

  Rizra (tired):

  “You fainted when I hugged you.”

  Makoto:

  “IT WAS THE INTENSITY—”

  Angel (cutting in gently):

  “Guys… let’s not fight here. Hajime wouldn’t want that.”

  They all fall silent again. The medical machines hum. Outside the room, fans are screaming. The world is still spinning. But inside this room, the Music Club has stopped—just to be here.

  Yu (sincerely):

  “Get better soon, Hajime. You’re the reason this team works.”

  Amy:

  “We’ll protect you now.”

  Sockoo (still holding his hand):

  “I’ll be right here… whenever you decide to wake up.”

  Suddenly…

  Hajime’s fingers twitch.

  Everyone leans in, eyes wide.

  Makoto:

  “Wait… wait is he—?!”

  Hajime’s mouth barely moves. His voice, raspy and weak, escapes:

  Hajime (whispering):

  “…rage on… desu…”

  And then he faints again.

  The entire group bursts into emotional laughter and tears.

  Emily:

  “Yup… he’s still Hajime.”

  INT. MEDICAL ROOM – LATER THAT NIGHT]

  The room is dim. Magic monitors softly beep. Hajime lies in bed, wrapped in bandages, one eye barely open, healing slowly. His ruined arm is starting to regenerate—flesh knitting itself back together in slow pulses of red light.

  Sockoo sits at his bedside, arms crossed, watching the glow with curiosity.

  Hajime (yawning, eyes barely open):

  “Mmm… my fingers are itchy… that’s a good sign, right?”

  Sockoo (glaring):

  “You nearly

  You think a ‘good sign’ is gonna fix the trauma you just gave all of us?”

  Hajime (groggy laugh):

  “Yeah yeah… rage on… desu…”

  Sockoo watches silently as his wounds keep healing at a slow, yet steady pace. Then she blurts out:

  Sockoo:

  “I’ve always wondered… how

  your immortality even work?”

  Hajime stops. His smile fades a little. He stares at the ceiling.

  Hajime (quietly):

  “I have these… things inside me. They’re called ”

  Sockoo:

  “Huh? Breakers? Like, they keep you immortal or…?”

  Hajime (nodding slowly):

  “Yeah. Basically, they’re sealed around my heart. As long as they stay intact, my body will keep healing… no matter what happens. Even if I’m blown to pieces… I’ll come back.”

  Sockoo (frowning):

  “So if they’re broken?”

  Hajime (tilting his head):

  “Then I’m human. Fully. I lose immortality for a long while… weeks, months… depends on the damage. Until the breakers repair themselves. During that time, if I die… it’s game over.”

  Sockoo looks stunned for a second, taking that in. She taps her finger on her thigh, processing.

  Sockoo:

  “So you’re telling me your

  has like… magic locks guarding it?”

  Hajime (shrugs, still drowsy):

  “That’s the closest way to explain it. Just perks of being a God Successor, I guess.”

  Sockoo’s eyes narrow.

  Sockoo:

  “You still don’t know what a God Successor , do you?”

  Hajime (groans):

  “Nope. I thought that weird boss guy would explain it when we beat him that one time. But instead of giving me answers, he got arrested and sent to… who knows where.”

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  Sockoo:

  “Yeah.

  Real helpful.”

  Hajime stares blankly at the ceiling, sighing.

  Hajime (quietly):

  “It sucks… being chosen by something you don’t understand. Being powerful but still lost.”

  Sockoo looks at him. He sounds more honest than usual. Not dramatic. Not cocky. Just… lost.

  Sockoo (after a pause):

  “Well. Until you figure it out… you’re not alone, stupid. You got us. Me.”

  Hajime (smiles faintly):

  “Yeah… I got my ”

  Sockoo (mock annoyed):

  “That doesn’t even make sense.”

  Hajime (grinning sleepily):

  “Exactly…”

  He closes his eyes again, letting his body heal.

  Hajime (softly):

  “Wake me up before the next tournament round… or if Rei does something perverted again.”

  Sockoo (soft smile):

  “You’re gonna sleep forever then…”

  She sits quietly beside him as the night continues. His wounds slowly repair. But something in Hajime’s spirit still burns—

  [INT. RECOVERY ROOM – EVENING]

  The room is lively. Daka and Rizra sit on healing beds while Emily channels soft green magic into them. Magic light hums gently in the air. Hajime is still asleep in the corner, a blanket draped over him.

  Angel is resting with bandages, and Sockoo is leaning on a chair with her arms crossed, still exhausted from earlier.

  Makoto chats with Amy, who shyly keeps glancing at Bondo. The atmosphere is surprisingly warm despite all the injuries.

  Suddenly—

  Amy (curiously):

  “So… do we know who we’re fighting next?”

  Daka (eyes still closed, calmly):

  “I sent Rei to check. Like… two hours ago.”

  

  “Wait. Where is that idiot?”

  As if on cue, Rei bursts through the door, hands on his knees, panting dramatically like he just ran a marathon.

  Rei:

  “I RETURN! The mission… was dangerous… the road was long… but I made it back… in one piece!”

  Everyone stares blankly.

  Daka (sits up, annoyed):

  “Alright, cool. So who’s our next opponent?”

  Rei pauses. His proud expression shifts into a nervous smile. He scratches the back of his head and holds up a paper with the team matchup…upside down.

  Rei:

  “…I can’t read.”

  Silence. Everyone freezes.

  Daka (slowly):

  “…You mean to tell me… it took you two

  to realize… you couldn’t read the damn paper?”

  Rei (defensive):

  “Hey! I was following the arrows and pictures and everything! I got lost in the art, okay?!”

  Emily (rubbing her temple):

  “You followed the …?”

  Makoto (teasing):

  “Bro went on a

  instead of just asking someone.”

  Angel (sighs):

  “You could’ve asked literally

  staff member to read it for you.”

  Rei (shrugs):

  “I panicked! Everything looked official and scary!”

  Daka (pointing furiously):

  “You’re scarier than any official I’ve ever met!”

  Rei sheepishly hands the paper to Emily, who quickly flips it over and reads it.

  Emily:

  “We’re going against… Team Nova next.”

  Everyone instantly goes quiet.

  Sockoo (serious):

  “…Nova?”

  Amy:

  “Wait… the one with that quiet guy…?”

  Makoto (swallowing nervously):

  “…Sei.”

  Daka (cold sweat forming):

  “The masked one… with the gray hair.”

  Rizra (grunts as she sits up):

  “So that’s who we’re dealing with…”

  Hajime, still half-asleep, suddenly murmurs from his corner:

  Hajime (dreamily):

  “That guy… looks familiar…”

  Everyone’s tension rises. The jokes are done. The room shifts back into focus. Team Nova isn’t just strong—they’re . And Sei, their trump card, is still an unknown mystery.

  Sockoo (clapping her hands):

  “Alright, we need a meeting. Everyone rest up. Tomorrow… strategy.”

  Rei (quietly):

  “…I still think I did good.”

  Daka (grabbing a pillow):

  “I’m gonna throw this at you now.”

  [SMACK.]

  Cut to black.

  INT. MEDICAL RECOVERY ROOM – NIGHT]

  The laughter slowly fades. Hajime is asleep again, Rei is sulking from the pillow hit, and most of the team has either gone quiet or started talking in small groups.

  Rizra sits up slowly, her wounds almost fully closed thanks to Emily’s healing. Her eyes, usually relaxed or tired, suddenly widen—not in fear, but in .

  A distant chill passes through her spine. She stiffens.

  Daka (noticing):

  “…Rizra? You good?”

  She doesn’t answer immediately. Her gaze is fixed ahead, staring at the wall—but she’s not

  it. Her mind is somewhere else.

  Daka (a little more serious):

  “Hey. Rizra.”

  She finally blinks, snapping out of it.

  Rizra (calmly):

  “It’s nothing.”

  Daka (leans forward, suspicious):

  “You sure? You looked like you saw a ghost.”

  Rizra (standing up):

  “I said it’s nothing.”

  She tightens her glove, her usual casual air gone. Her back is straight. Her tone sharper than usual—low, clipped, focused.

  She steps toward the door with purpose.

  Daka:

  “Where are you going?”

  Rizra (pauses at the door):

  “…To think.”

  Daka (calls out):

  “About what?”

  Rizra (without turning):

  “…Next fight.”

  She opens the door and walks out, the hallway light cutting across her face for a moment—revealing a strange mix of

  and .

  As the door closes behind her, Daka sits back, arms crossed, staring thoughtfully toward the door.

  Daka (to himself):

  “…What did you see, Rizra?”

  Cut to:

  [INT. EMPTY TRAINING ROOM – NIGHT]

  Rizra walks in alone. She closes the door behind her and leans against the wall. She exhales slowly, then clenches her fists.

  Rizra (low whisper):

  “…I know that presence.

  I know that pressure.

  That guy… Sei…”

  Her eyes narrow.

  Rizra (whispering):

  “Why is someone like

  here?”INT. ABANDONED TRAINING HALL – NIGHT]

  The moonlight streams through cracked windows. Dust floats in the still air. Rizra stands near the door. Across the empty space, Sei—silent, pale, gray-haired, masked—lowers his hood slowly as if he’s seen a ghost.

  His calm expression trembles for the first time in years.

  Rizra (gently):

  “Hey, Sei… it’s me. Rizra. Remember?”

  Sei’s eyes widen behind his mask. He steps forward one slow pace.

  Sei (soft, disbelieving):

  “…Rizra?”

  (beat)

  “I thought… everyone from back then died. Amaka… Ivy… Nana… and… Nata…”

  He trails off like the name itself is a wound.

  Sei (quietly):

  “I thought you would’ve too. Especially after what happened. After how you felt about him.”

  Rizra smiles softly, with a little sadness behind it.

  Rizra (warmly):

  “Yeah… back then, I probably

  ended myself if Nata died. I really did love him.”

  Sei looks down. A flash of guilt, or maybe pain.

  Rizra (calmer, more certain):

  “But not anymore. I still care, but it’s not the same. I’ve moved on. He’s more like… a sibling now. A stupid, reckless one, but still.”

  Sei slowly nods, relief starting to creep into his features—until Rizra speaks again.

  Rizra (firmly):

  “And Nata… he’s not dead.”

  Sei freezes, stunned.

  Sei (in disbelief):

  “Rizra… we saw his body. At the funeral. There was nothing left.”

  Rizra (looking out the window):

  “I know. That’s what makes this weird. The body was there. Everyone believed he died… even me.”

  She looks back, eyes focused and thoughtful.

  Rizra (quietly):

  “But Hajime is alive.”

  Sei’s breath catches. The name lands like thunder.

  Sei:

  “…Hajime?”

  Rizra:

  “He calls himself Hajime Hamamoto now. But I’m telling you—it’s Nata.”

  Sei (whispers):

  “Impossible… unless…”

  A long silence falls between them. Old memories flash between their eyes.

  Rizra (uncertain):

  “I don’t know how. I don’t know … but he’s here. Alive. Fighting, leading people, making friends… raging forward like he always did.”

  Sei (slowly, almost afraid to ask):

  “…Does he remember?”

  Rizra hesitates.

  Rizra:

  “Bits. Pieces. But not . Not the old days. Not the pain. Not the betrayals. Not… what we did.”

  Sei clenches his fist.

  Sei (softly):

  “Then maybe it’s better that way.”

  They both fall into silence again. The ghosts of the past linger in the cracks of the room.

  Rizra (softly):

  “You still have guilt in your eyes.”

  Sei:

  “…Wouldn’t you?”

  She says nothing.

  Rizra (finally):

  “He’s not just alive, Sei. He’s strong. Stronger than anyone I’ve ever met. But he’s still fighting something inside… and I think… I think the real war is just beginning.”

  Sei (quiet):

  “…Then I guess we both have a part to play again.”

  Rizra (nods):

  “Guess so.”

  The air hangs heavy. The past and present finally met. INT. ABANDONED TRAINING HALL – NIGHT CONTINUES]

  The quiet moonlight outside contrasts with the brewing storm inside. Rizra’s hands are clenched at her side, still trembling from her earlier conversation. Sei stands a few feet away, calm but firm, his eyes reflecting history—one soaked in blood and silence.

  Rizra (softly at first):

  “I like this version of him better.”

  Sei lifts his head slightly.

  Rizra (with a growing smile):

  “Back then… he looked dead inside. Just a machine. A weapon. A boy who didn’t know how to live—just how to kill. He didn’t even know emotions existed.”

  Her voice wavers between relief and reflection.

  Rizra:

  “But now… he smiles. He laughs. He has friends. He has , he has , and that weird crew of misfits. He’s not killing… he’s .”

  Sei (quietly):

  “People can’t hide from their true selves forever.”

  Rizra tilts her head, her smile fading.

  Rizra:

  “…What do you mean?”

  Sei steps forward, shadow casting across his mask. His voice is calm, but the weight of his words crush the air around them.

  Sei (somberly):

  “What will you do when Hajime remembers ? When all those locked doors in his mind burst open—when the killing, the training, the blood… rush back in?”

  Sei (hardened):

  “What if it

  him? What if it him again?”

  Sei:

  “What if he remembers… that

  never stopped it? That you stood by him, even when he became something monstrous?”

  Sei (closing his eyes):

  “I watched him, Rizra. Watched him kill a father in front of his son. No hesitation. No remorse. Just… silence.”

  Rizra’s eyes widen slightly, heart starting to ache.

  Sei:

  “When I asked why, he was cleaning his shuriken and knife like it was just another chore. He said—”

  Sei (harshly):

  “He was ten, Rizra. . And he already sounded like an executioner. A menace. A monster. A dev—”

  CRACK!

  A loud, furious slap across the face. Sei’s head turns from the force—he didn’t flinch, but he didn’t expect it.

  Rizra’s eyes burn with rage. Her voice shakes not with fear, but fury.

  Rizra (yelling):

  “DON’T CALL HIM THAT!”

  Her scream echoes through the empty hall.

  Rizra:

  “ That word cursed him! That word

  him! That word

  away every part of him that was human.”

  Rizra (tears welling):

  “You all stopped

  him! You didn’t see a child, or a victim—you all saw a

  in a boy’s body.”

  Rizra (quiet, broken):

  “…So he became what you saw.”

  Sei looks away, his fist clenched now too. The air is heavy. The silence that follows is unbearable.

  Rizra (softly, with pain):

  “He

  human, Sei. He

  human. All that killing, all that numbness—you think he wasn’t screaming inside?”

  Rizra:

  “You want to talk about true selves? Maybe —this smiling, awkward, ridiculous Hajime—is who he always wanted to be.”

  She turns to the door, voice now tired and raw.

  Rizra (quietly):

  “I don’t care what memories come back. I don’t care if he remembers all the blood, the pain… or me. I’m going to protect

  version of him, no matter what.”

  Rizra:

  “Even if he forgets me completely… I’d rather he be alive and happy, than remembered and broken.”

  She opens the door to leave, the moonlight falling on her face. But before she exits, she looks back one last time.

  Rizra (firmly):

  “Don’t curse him again, Sei. He already lived in hell once. He deserves peace now.”

  And with that, she walks out, leaving Sei alone, surrounded by old shadows and heavy truth.

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