?At the break of dawn, along a jagged line of stone, small flowers appeared—nestled between the rocks, clustering every few hundred meters.

  ?They were likely a species of Phalaenopsis. The Doctor recalled an old tale of their extraordinary vitality, blooming even in the deepest, most desolate valleys. Among them, the yellow petals dappled with purple spots seemed particularly resilient.

  ?The altitude: 1,200 meters.

  ?Following this trail of flowers—the only signs of life in a "forest without trees"—the researchers finally found their way home. In that moment, a single thought united them: We will return.

  ?They had realized that filling the massive depressions of the subsided land with carbon-based composites would solve everything. The orchids marked the stable ground. They discovered that the grey torii gates of an ancient shrine were located on one of these reclamation sites—just one of several rare "sanctuaries" where birds gathered within this supernatural wilderness.

  ?Determined to map every inch of this "Human-Exclusion Zone," the four eccentric youths resolved to push forward. Out of respect for the land’s final inhabitants, they were prepared to go through fire and water to chart the unknown.

  ?"So, in the end... what was that beast?" Clamo asked.

  ?"Beast? Was there a beast?" Amethyst replied with a question of her own.

  ?Clamo: "I mean the one that possessed the Doctor when everyone collapsed."

  ?Doctor: "Ah, you remembered that! To be honest, I’m the one who understands it least. Ha ha!"

  The Doctor toyed with a glass of ginger ale, feigning a slight tipsy stagger.

  ?Clamo: "I don't know about that. Wasn't Tora-emon(Byakko) there from that very moment?"

  ?Doctor: "No way."

  ?Clamo: "Then where did you two meet?"

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  ?Doctor: "It was a mistake in my ordering... I was trying to build a cat-shaped robot..."

  The Doctor lowered his voice, whispered so Byakko wouldn't hear.

  ?Clamo: "What if someone swapped the parts?"

  ?Tora-emon(Byakko): "No one did."

  The whisper was overheard.

  ?Amethyst: "Wait, Tora-emon? How can you be so sure?"

  ?Tora: "I might as well say it straight. I came from a place where I wasn't supposed to leave."

  ?Clamo: "What!?"

  Everyone’s eyes widened.

  ?Clamo: "Did the Doctor 'tame' you through some kind of spiritual subdual?"

  ?Tora: "Close, but no. First off, I don’t recall ever being 'owned'."

  ?Clamo: "Then..."

  ?Tora: "Whatever you're thinking right now is probably the truth."

  ?Amethyst: "A heart-to-heart connection... how poetic."

  ?Doctor: "Ame-chan, please."

  ?Tora: "How many years do you think I’ve lived? I don't have 'poetic' hobbies. Though, I'll admit, my encounter with the Doctor was a 'eat or be eaten' sort of affair."

  ?Doctor: "It’s true. He’s lived with me since before I can remember. Back then, people called him an 'imaginary friend.' They were relentless about it. Not that I minded."

  ?Tora: "Exactly. We've shared joys and sorrows for ages... but tell me, young lady. This world has become a place where only the self-proclaimed 'strong and righteous' survive. Why do you think I came here now, like a predator kicking them while they’re down?"

  ?Amethyst: "I suppose... you might have been hailed as the King of Beasts in your homeland, but here, you're treated like vermin."

  ?Tora: "Hahaha! You get it, don't you!"

  For the first time, he laughed.

  ?Tora: "To put it simply: I leapt from what you scientists call the 'Fifth Dimension.' I escaped that freedom to tether myself to this world of time and gravity, using the Doctor’s body as a vessel. 'Heaven' is too free; I could see your every word and action before you even took them. It was boring. And besides, there are too many 'heroes' nowadays. Around here, that makes me the monster. Fine by me. I’ll stand by those of you who couldn't become heroes. Just... don't go breaking the world."

  ?Amethyst: "Is such an act even permitted? I don't know..."

  ?Tora: "The Doctor simply reached a point where she could finally see me. I’m no 'servant' or 'imaginary-whatever.' I’ve got no patience for those fancy foreign words."

  ?Doctor: "I am human, after all. After six months of ascetic training, I managed to cast him out of my physical body through sheer willpower. That’s when he slipped into the cat-robot and... well, transformed it."

  ?Tora: "Spot on. So there was no 'culprit' swapping parts from the start. I told you, didn't I?"

  ?A certain legendary director—famous for his distaste for the internet—once viewed spirits as lifeforms from a higher dimension. Perhaps he wasn't far off the mark.