37 Chapter 37: Remnants of the Past

[Receiving "Concealment Mask (SS)", "Training Bow 1 (B)", "Concentrated Bloodline Key (S)", "Blessed Earrings (A)", and "Intrinsic Reaper (S)"...]

[Receiving "Eve's Hidden Snacks (B)", "Mana's First Grimoire (S)", "Jewel Dragon's Core (S)", and "Experimental Phone (C)"...]

[Receiving "Reading Glasses (A)", "Ring of Promise (EX)", and "Genesis Wisdom Cube (SSS)"...]

...

Shiro couldn't think for a while after seeing one of the items that landed on his [Dimensional Storage], the "Ring of Promise (EX)". For reasons unknown, he has this strong impulse to wear it in this instant. His body started shaking uncontrollably, much to his confusion.

"W-why am I like this?" Shiro knows the fact that it's something deep inside him that caused all of this. He knew that its his past self reacting to something important, yet he doesn't know how to react.

For the first time, he got frustrated. He simply doesn't know what to do. He wants to remember, but he couldn't. There's also a worry inside of him that he might change once he remembers something.

Shiro doesn't know whether he could still act as carefree as before if his memory comes back. He's... somewhat lost.

Tears began pouring down from his eyes, with each of them dripping to the dry soil. Thankfully, no one was around here, so he got off with it by wiping it off using a handkerchief.

Unknowingly, he reached the house as he tried to resolve the conflict in his mind. Outside is a long line of infected Tiacuhs who came here due to their acquaintances.

Shiro entered the house in a daze as he tried to hide it as much as he can by speedily going to his room. Though, Kal'tsit still noticed this anomaly of his.

"...Did something happen?"

"No... Why ask?"

"Nothing."

Choosing not to dig deeper, she continued treating her patients. Meanwhile, Shiro locked himself in the room, sitting on the bed with a contemplating look.

After some time, he finally made his decision.

"I'll... face it. No matter what, I'm still myself. These memories... I will not waste it."

He became more determined to keep the current him, not only because his feelings told him so, but also because of the interesting experiences that he had.

What he's most afraid of is changing drastically - something that he doesn't want to happen as much as possible.

Taking out the ring, a bright light shone as he touched it. Once he did so, a certain memory entered his mind.

"The moon is beautiful, isn't it?"

"Ara? Where did you learn that?"

"From our world. Took a peek and its frequently used to compliment someone, right?"

In a balcony, two figures snuggled to each other. They are covered with a blur, making it so that Shiro couldn't identify any of them. However, he could identify the man hugging the woman from behind.

They are inside a tall palace, watching the night view of the Empire.

'It's... me?'

The man has a tall silhouette, possessing a pair of wolfish ears and a single bushy tail. Unmistakably, it is his Fenrir form when unsealed. Meanwhile, the woman has a similar pair of ears. The only difference that she had is her nine tails that playfully embraced the man's waist.

She chuckled upon hearing the man's reply, earning her a confused look.

"Why? Is there something wrong?"

"There's nothing. It's just that this innocent side of yours is cute."

The memory ended there, although Shiro learned of the woman's name in the end. As for the ring, he decided to place it back to his storage until he fully remembers her. He thought that it'll only hurt the woman if the lover that she had... is long gone.

"...Akagi."

*****

"...Leo?"

The moment Shiro took out the ring, a similar ring on Akagi's left hand shone. The white jewel embedded on top of it emitted a pure white light as it tried to establish connection with its other pair. However, it was unsuccessful due to the unimaginably huge amount of distance between the two.

"I failed... Even with my power, something as insignificant as 'distance' hinders me?"

With her strength, she momentarily went back to that second and traced the connection that the two rings had generated. She did it countless times until the she reached the end of the trail.

"Nothing will separate us..."

Stabbing the dagger in empty space, she pierced through a hole that would allow her to 'see' the general information of the world that she set her eyes into. Once she got the needed information, she disappeared from her spot.

*****

Shiro suddenly felt shivers on his back as he started to recover from his conflicting mind. Though, he didn't know if it denoted fear or excitement...

"...I should check out the other items. They might serve as a clue to my past." He muttered as he started taking out the things from earlier. The first one that he took out is the highest ranked items that he got with the exception of the ring, which is the "Genesis Wisdom Cube (SSS)".

It is a transparent golden cube bigger than his palm. In its center, a dim golden sphere could be found. Star-like dots glittered on the body of the cube as he touched it.

[Genesis Wisdom Cube (SSS)]

Details: A crystal cube containing the miracle that can save mankind. Contained within it is the power that can change the fate of countless worlds, forcibly erasing their pre-destined fate whilst giving them another hope for them to fight once more.

(Effects will be unsealed given the right conditions.)

A short and brief description of it is present, but he could still see the emotions hidden within it. Even he, someone who doesn't know the history of this cube, felt his blood boiling as he read it.

"This... is created by the past me? What kind of crisis did humanity face there?"

Shiro knew about 'miracles' as he'd read some books about it in the Matou Family earlier. He knew of their power, which is absurd. Simply put, they allow something impossible to happen. Reality Marbles are close to it while True Magics are classified as one.

After a while, he put it aside from his mind as he inspected the other items that he received.

*****

A/N: So this is the reveal that I've mentioned days ago. Azur Lane has a deep lore for a gacha game (and I also enjoyed playing it), so I thought that it'll be a waste since I haven't seen any Azur Lane fanfics (Except the nukes). Well, it's definitely understandable if you know of its story. Even I, someone who had played many events of it, couldn't get a good grasp of its lore's chronological order until I watched the 3 hour long video explaining Azur Lane's lore chronologically...

Happy reading~!