Chapter 3: NIGHT OF RESTLESS DREAMS
Late that same night…
Back in the Kousaka household, the clock ticked past midnight, but neither Kirino nor Kyousuke could drift off to sleep. A shared sense of unease hung in the air, left over from the chaotic events earlier. Kirino had tried burying her nose in an eroge game—a familiar, if scandalous, pastime for a girl of her interests—but even those virtual escapades failed to calm her fraying nerves.
She glanced around her dimly lit room: posters of stylish anime idols lined the walls, figurines of magical girls crowding the shelves. Several anime Blu-rays were haphazardly stacked beside her laptop. Normally, these comforts would anchor her, yet tonight they felt… insufficient. Because now, Kirino knew that real magic—or something like it—existed in her world.
> Kirino thought: *"Those people… That boy named Takumi… He used powers I've only seen in anime. And that other girl, Misaka Mikoto—electric sparks danced around her hands like it was nothing."*
She shook her head. After seeing a literal portal open in her alleyway, how was she supposed to believe everything was just fine? With a frustrated sigh, she tossed aside her game controller and stepped into the hallway.
> Kirino spoke under her breath: "Onii-chan better not be asleep…"
At the far end of the corridor was Kyousuke's room. She rapped on the door softly. He answered almost immediately.
Kyousuke: "Couldn't sleep?"
Kirino: "No, obviously not. You?"
Her brother shrugged, though his eyes told a different story. He was just as frazzled, his hair messy from tossing and turning. He gestured Kirino in, and she shut the door behind her.
Kyousuke: "I keep thinking about that rift. You know… *that thing* we saw in the alley?"
Kirino: "I can't get it out of my head either. And those… people, with their supernatural powers."
She sat on the edge of the bed, picking at a loose thread on her shorts. Memories of the swirling teal energy, the crackling arcs of lightning, and the flickering illusions from Rin's gems kept replaying in her mind.
Kirino: "It was terrifying… but also… kind of amazing."
Kyousuke gave a short laugh. "Yeah, that's the problem, isn't it?"
They lapsed into silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Finally, Kirino spoke, voice subdued.
Kirino: "Onii-chan, do you think… maybe I should talk to them again? Figure out what's really going on?"
Kyousuke: "They said they're part of some organization that handles stuff like this. It's probably dangerous. Are you sure you want to poke around?"
Kirino bit her lip. "I don't know… but I can't just *not* know."
Kyousuke sighed, ruffling her hair. "Of course you can't. Because that's who you are."
She pushed his hand away, but a faint smile flickered across her face.
---
Takumi, meanwhile, had finally drifted into a shallow sleep in his apartment. Ruri Gokou and Rimuru—the two who stayed overnight—had woken with the dawn to do more scans of the residual energy in the city. By the time Takumi rubbed the sleep from his eyes, the living room was empty except for a small note Rimuru had left:
> *We'll be back soon—grabbing coffee and checking anomalies. Let's regroup before you go to school.*
Takumi read the message twice, then set it aside. He glanced at his phone's clock: 6:45 AM. School started at 8:00, so he had a bit of time to prepare—and possibly jump to HQ if needed.
He had just finished getting dressed when the door slid open. Ruri entered, carrying a plastic bag from a local convenience store. She still wore her signature Gothic Lolita ensemble.
Ruri: "Good, you're awake. I got breakfast—some onigiri and canned coffee."
Takumi offered a grateful nod. "You're a lifesaver."
She set the bag on the table, then sank onto the couch. "Rimuru stayed outside, running tests on the alley. Says the dimensional rift's energy is gone, but the *cause* might still be lurking."
Takumi frowned. "How do we figure out what caused it?"
Ruri tapped her chin thoughtfully. "We'll probably need to rely on the system's next instructions. Until then, we remain cautious. At least the damage is contained for now."
As Takumi took a bite of onigiri, he considered the possibility of running into Kirino or Kyousuke again. Would they appear at his school, or were they enrolled elsewhere? He knew Kirino attended a different high school—one known for its rigorous academics and sports clubs.
Still, the city wasn't that big. Their paths might cross again soon.
---
Takumi's phone buzzed, displaying the chat group interface.
Kazuma: *Morning, all. I'm bored at HQ. Anything new on Earth?*
Rimuru: *Energy scans negative for now. I'll keep checking.*
Mikoto: *I'm near Takumi's school, investigating. And also sampling local sweets.*
Rin Tohsaka: *I'm finalizing a report. Keep me posted if the rift or the siblings reappear.*
Takumi typed out a quick reply:
Takumi: *Thanks for the support, everyone. Heading to school soon. If anything happens, I'll let you know.*
He pocketed the phone and turned to Ruri. "Are you coming along with me today, or going back to HQ?"
Ruri shrugged. "I'll stay in the city for now. I have… errands." She hesitated, then added quietly, "If you happen to see Kirino, observe her reactions carefully. The shock of last night might drive her to reckless actions. She's not the type to let unanswered questions lie dormant."
Takumi nodded, grabbing his bag. "Got it."
---
The warm morning sun greeted Takumi as he walked toward school. The streets were alive with uniformed students, businesspeople hurrying to offices, and the ever-present hum of Tokyo's bustle. He spotted Mikoto casually leaning against a lamppost near the school gates, nibbling on a sweet pastry.
Mikoto: "Yo, Taku! Thought I'd check out your environment."
He chuckled at her enthusiastic greeting. "Just don't cause any blackouts, okay?"
She smirked. "I'll behave. Probably."
Curious glances from other students flickered their way, but Takumi escorted Mikoto past them, explaining, "She's, uh, my cousin visiting from out of town," to anyone who asked. Their stares lingered—Mikoto stood out with her confident aura and sporty casual wear.
As the morning bell rang, Takumi headed into class alone—Mikoto had promised not to follow him inside, figuring it might disrupt the normal routine. He found his seat by the window, sighing as he opened his textbook. The teacher began lecturing on literature, but Takumi's mind drifted, thoughts swirling with last night's events.
> Takumi thought: *"I wonder if Kirino's feeling any better this morning. Or if she's even in school…"*
He snapped out of his reverie when the teacher called on him to read a passage aloud. Clearing his throat, he did so, trying to focus on the mundane moment of daily life.
---
Meanwhile, across town, Kirino sat at her desk in a pristine classroom, her pencil tapping idly on a blank notebook page. She wore the same uniform as everyone else—immaculately pressed, with a stylish hair clip—but her eyes carried the weight of a sleepless night.
The teacher's voice was background noise. Kirino's thoughts were locked on the supernatural phenomenon she'd witnessed. She wanted answers—no, she *needed* them.
> Kirino thought: *"I can't just pretend it was a dream. That teal energy, that portal… it was real. Who is Takumi anyway? Why does his name sound so normal while he's obviously not normal at all?"*
She glanced at her phone under the desk, quickly flipping through social media. She found nothing about bizarre phenomena. No footage of swirling portals or lightning-wielding teens. It was as if the night's events hadn't happened at all.
> Kirino: *"Fine. I'll just have to figure it out myself."*
She stuffed her phone away and tried, with mild futility, to focus on the lesson.
---
By midday, Takumi's school was abuzz with its usual energy. Clubs promoted upcoming events, and students hurried to the cafeteria. Takumi slipped out of class to find a quiet spot on the rooftop where he could check in with the chat group.
Unsurprisingly, Mikoto was already there, leaning against the chain-link fence that surrounded the rooftop's edges. She gave a half-wave as he approached.
Mikoto: "You look tense."
Takumi shrugged. "Just thinking. Kirino's probably at her school, also dealing with what happened."
Mikoto: "Yeah… If she's a determined type, she'll want closure."
They watched the horizon in companionable silence, the hum of city life stretching below them. Finally, Mikoto nudged him.
Mikoto: "By the way, your class is gossiping about you and your mysterious 'cousin.' Hope you're okay with that."
He chuckled ruefully. "Guess I'll have to deal with some questions later. Better than them knowing the truth."
She nodded. "Don't worry, I'll keep a low profile. In the meantime, want to test your power again after school? I can help you refine your energy control. We've got plenty of time in HQ to practice."
Takumi: "Sure, that sounds good. Thanks, Mikoto."
---
The rest of the school day passed in a blur of lectures and idle chatter. As the final bell rang, Takumi gathered his things. Mikoto had slipped out earlier, presumably waiting for him outside. He navigated the bustling hallway, ignoring a few curious looks from classmates.
Stepping out into the late afternoon sun, Takumi shielded his eyes and spotted Mikoto by the front gate, sipping a vending machine drink. Before he could greet her, his phone buzzed:
Rimuru: *I've got a lead. Met a local store clerk who says they saw strange lights near an abandoned warehouse last night. Coordinates attached.*
Takumi's brow furrowed. He showed the message to Mikoto.
Mikoto: "Another potential rift site?"
Takumi: "Could be. We should check it out. But let's see what the others think."
They fired off a quick query to the group, and soon, Rin, Kazuma, and Ruri chimed in. A plan formed: rendezvous at the warehouse before dark, run scans, and see if there were any leftover anomalies. With time slowed in HQ, they could prepare thoroughly.
---
School ended for Kirino as well, but she didn't rush home. Instead, she wandered aimlessly through the neighborhood, pondering how to find that "Takumi" again. She had no contact info, no clue what school he went to, only that he probably lived somewhere in Tokyo. Her only real lead was the faint rumor that a boy with suspicious powers and an equally suspicious friend had been spotted near the same area.
Eventually, she did head home, hoping to glean some sense of normalcy from her usual after-school routine: modeling gigs, track practice, or maybe updating her secret blog about anime merchandise. But as she stepped inside the foyer, she ran into Kyousuke, who was coming out of the living room.
Kyousuke: "Hey, how are you feeling?"
She gave a half-shrug. "Not great, obviously."
He rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah… well, I've been looking around online for any mention of last night, but there's nothing. If it really happened… it's as if the world forgot."
Kirino dropped her bag by the stairs. "I didn't forget. I can't." She frowned. "Let's go out again tonight, Onii-chan, see if anything else happens. Maybe we'll find them."
Kyousuke: "That's risky. We almost got blasted by a magic explosion last time!"
Kirino: "I'm not letting this go. I need to know the truth."
Seeing the fire in her eyes, Kyousuke sighed. "Fine. But if we do this, we'll be careful."
Kirino nodded, relief mingling with determination. "Right."
---
Before Takumi and Mikoto scouted the warehouse in Tokyo, they hopped to the Chat Group HQ for quick preparations—only a few minutes in real-time. They arrived in the sleek main lobby, greeted by Kazuma who lounged near a holographic mission board.
Kazuma: "You guys ready? I picked out some gear from the armory."
He tossed Takumi a small device—a wrist-worn scanner that beeped when detecting dimensional energy. "Rin said it could help."
Rin emerged from a nearby corridor, wearing a confident smirk. "It's attuned to the same energy signature we detected near the Kousaka place. If anything is out there, you'll know."
Ruri sat nearby, flipping through her massive tome. "I'm coming along this time. After all, we can't let you hog all the excitement."
Rimuru joined them, carrying a stack of bottled potions. "These might help if anyone gets hurt. They speed up healing and replenish stamina."
Takumi accepted one gratefully. "Thanks. I still get drained using my powers."
Kazuma stretched. "Alright, group's assembled. Let's go see what's lurking at this warehouse."
---
Night fell across Tokyo once more, the city lights flickering on like a neon constellation. Takumi and the others appeared quietly in a back street near the warehouse district. Rusted metal fences and old storage buildings loomed against the night sky.
The group advanced cautiously, scanning for signs of anomalies. Takumi's wrist device beeped faintly, indicating traces of residual energy.
Rin: "There's definitely something here. Maybe a leftover echo of the same power that formed the rift before."
Ruri peered at a broken-down gate. "Let's check inside."
They crept into a large, open warehouse, dust swirling in the stale air. Stacks of wooden crates lined the walls, and shattered windows let in streams of moonlight.
Suddenly, the device on Takumi's wrist beeped louder, its indicator flashing red.
Mikoto: "Something's here…"
An eerie glow shimmered behind a row of crates. The group split, moving to surround the flicker of energy. As they drew closer, Takumi felt the now-familiar tingle across his skin. It was a swirl of chaotic light, smaller than before, but definitely a dimensional anomaly. Strange symbols floated within, too distorted to read.
Kazuma: "Is it stable?"
Rin: "No, it's fluctuating…like it's trying to open fully but can't."
Ruri lifted her tome, chanting under her breath. Wisps of violet energy coiled around her wrists. "I can attempt to seal it."
Rimuru: "Careful."
Just as Ruri stepped forward, a gust of wind burst from the anomaly, sending dust and debris swirling. The glow intensified.
Mikoto: "It's reacting to us!"
Takumi braced himself, teal energy sparking along his arms. The swirling light expanded, warping the air. He caught a glimpse of a vague figure—a silhouette? Something was *trying* to manifest.
Kazuma: "Uh… is that a monster?"
No one could answer before the silhouette took shape: a vaguely humanoid form, translucent and crackling with the same energy as the rift. It let out a distorted, echoing growl. Then, in a flash of movement, it lunged at Takumi.
He barely managed to dodge, rolling behind a crate as the figure's clawed hand slashed the air.
Mikoto: "Everyone spread out!"
She sent a jolt of electricity at the creature. It flickered, momentarily disrupted, but not destroyed. Rimuru attempted to ensnare it with a slime tentacle, while Rin hurled a gem, releasing a burst of shimmering mana.
The figure contorted, each attack passing through its semi-corporeal body. It howled, rattling the warehouse's metal beams.
Ruri: "Hold it still if you can! I'll chant a binding spell!"
Takumi summoned his largest energy sphere, launching it at the creature's center mass. The orb collided, forcing the figure to stumble. Rimuru's slime then coiled around it, anchoring it in place just long enough for Ruri's incantation.
Ruri (chanting): "O dark threads of the abyss, weave thy silent chains…"
Violet glyphs materialized, forming a ring around the struggling form. In a flash, the creature's writhing limbs froze, and it let out a final, distorted shriek before dissolving into sparks of light.
The rift behind it flickered one last time and snapped shut, leaving only silence and the echo of heavy breathing.
Kazuma: "That was… intense."
Rin: "A manifestation. Possibly an echo of something from another dimension, trying to break through."
Mikoto: "And it's getting stronger. The first rift we saw didn't have anything like that coming through."
Takumi wiped sweat from his brow. "So these anomalies might keep escalating, huh?"
Ruri lowered her tome. "Yes. And if a bigger threat emerges, we'll need all hands on deck."
The group exchanged uneasy glances. This was no random event—it felt more like a prelude.
---
Unbeknownst to them, Kirino and Kyousuke were only a few blocks away. Kirino had insisted on patrolling the area near their initial encounter. She'd read rumors online about strange lights in the warehouse district and dragged her reluctant brother along.
Kyousuke: "We've been walking for ages, Kirino. Can't we go home?"
Kirino snapped, "You can go if you want. But I *know* something's going on."
Just then, she caught a glimpse of a faint glow through the warehouse windows. Her heart rate spiked.
Kirino: "Over there!"
They inched closer, peeking through a gap in the metal siding. Inside, they glimpsed flickers of electricity and swirling arcs of energy—just before it all faded.
Kyousuke: "That was… Did you see that?"
Kirino: "Yeah. Let's sneak in."
She led the way around the side, looking for an unlocked door. Kyousuke trailed behind, anxiety evident on his face. By the time they found an entrance, however, the inside was dark and still—save for the Chat Group, who had just neutralized the threat.
Kirino pushed the door open a crack. In the dim lighting, she spotted silhouettes: a boy with teal sparks dancing on his hands (Takumi), a girl with electric sparks (Mikoto), a glimmer of slime on Rimuru's body, and others she recognized from the night before.
Kirino (whispering): "It's them!"
Kyousuke peered over her shoulder. "Are they… exorcising ghosts now?"
As the siblings watched, the group surveyed the area, presumably making sure the danger had passed. Kirino's mind raced. She wanted to burst in and confront them, but the memory of that destructive power made her hesitate.
> Kirino thought: *"I can't just walk up and demand answers… but I can't walk away either."*
She crept inside, hiding behind a stack of crates, Kyousuke at her heels. They listened, hoping to overhear something useful.
---
Rin: "I'll send the data to the system. Maybe it can trace the origin of that creature."
Mikoto: "We should continue to keep an eye on the city. Who knows where the next rift will appear."
Kazuma: "Hope it's not near a busy district. We don't need civilians panicking."
Rimuru: "Agreed. Let's do a final sweep and head back to HQ for analysis."
Takumi, feeling the fatigue from the battle, nodded. "Right. I'm just grateful no one got hurt."
At that moment, he felt a faint tingling again. Not from the rift—this was different. He glanced around the shadows of the warehouse. Something felt… off.
Takumi (quietly): "Guys… we're being watched."
The group tensed, scanning the darkness. Kirino and Kyousuke shrank back, hearts hammering. Before anyone could shout or run, a metal bar toppled from the top of a crate, clattering to the floor. The noise echoed through the silence.
Mikoto: "Over there!"
A flash of electric sparks illuminated Kirino and Kyousuke, crouched behind the crates.
Kirino: "Shoot!"
Kyousuke cringed. "We've been made."
---
Takumi exhaled, stepping forward with hands raised, trying to seem nonthreatening. Mikoto and Rin formed a defensive formation on either side, while Kazuma and Rimuru stood by in case the siblings tried something rash.
Takumi: "Kirino? Kyousuke? It's… you guys."
Kirino rose to her feet, jaw set. "Yes, it's us. We saw everything." Her voice wavered between anger and awe. "So you *are* some kind of magical task force."
Kyousuke: "We just wanted to understand what happened last night…"
The group exchanged glances. Ruri sighed, stepping forward. "I told you this would happen—she's persistent."
Kirino crossed her arms, ignoring the jab. "Listen, if you're saving the world from monsters or whatever, fine. But you can't expect people like us to just forget what we've seen. We want—no, *need*—to know why it's happening."
Kyousuke nodded in agreement. "She's right. This is too big to ignore."
Rin: "Look, it's dangerous. The less you know, the safer you are."
Kirino: "That's not for you to decide!"
Her outburst echoed in the cavernous warehouse. She clenched her fists, trembling with adrenaline. Takumi could see fear and determination mixing in her eyes.
He rubbed the back of his neck. "It's complicated… but maybe we can explain a little, so you're not totally in the dark."
Kirino's posture eased—just a fraction. "Then talk."
Mikoto: "Alright, but not here. Another anomaly could appear anytime."
Rin: "We can't exactly take them to HQ, either. That's against protocol."
Kazuma: "We could talk at Takumi's place. It's private enough."
Kirino seized on that. "Takumi's place? So that's your name, huh? Takumi."
He nodded, feeling oddly self-conscious. "Yes. Let's go before someone else stumbles on us."
With that, the group filed out of the warehouse, leaving Kirino and Kyousuke to follow. Although the siblings were still wary, curiosity compelled them onward. The night sky overhead shone with city lights as they made their way through deserted streets, heading toward Takumi's apartment.
> Kirino thought: *"Finally, maybe I'll get some answers…"*
---
As they walked, Kirino lagged slightly behind, her thoughts a whirl of questions: *What is this organization? Where do these powers come from? Is this city teeming with hidden magic I never noticed?*
Kyousuke paced beside her, equally tense. *"At least Kirino's not running off alone,"* he thought, relieved he could keep an eye on her.
Ahead, Takumi found his heart pounding with a mix of nerves and resolve. He was about to reveal at least some part of the Chat Group's existence to two outsiders—an unorthodox move, but maybe necessary for their safety. He cast a glance at Mikoto, who met his eyes and gave a slight nod of encouragement.
Takumi (to himself): "Alright… let's see if we can make them understand without risking everything."
With that thought echoing in his head, he led the unusual procession deeper into the Tokyo night, unaware of how drastically Kirino and Kyousuke's lives were about to change.