"Now that we've lost the Parasite Keys, the Lost Area is truly..."

He stood beside the brunette in Jenock's briefing room. She was leaning against the rail, staring at the floor. Her usually dead-serious expression was gone, and in its place was a dejected look.

"What do we do now...?"

His eyes narrowed. "Reina-san."

She didn't respond, but somehow, he knew she was listening.

"Let's think of another way to save Professor Mito." That was when she finally faced him. "It was our mistake to use the students for our own gain."

Her eyes widened, realizing that truth. She turned away, as if it would've hidden the guilt she felt.

"The students continued to fight on, firmly holding on to their hope." He continued. "We too, must continue on, and find another way to save him."

It could've just been empty words to cheer her up. But they all came from him.

She was already in graduate school when she first met him. When her father would tell her stories about his classes, the names of students he'd mention in front of her would only be the ones who could impress him from the bottom of his heart.

"They're usually the kids who'd sit at the front row." He had said.

However, when she became his assistant in one of his seminars, she hadn't expected to see a 14 year old boy among them.

At first, he seemed out of place with all the college students around him, but his focus and ability to seemingly grasp on to the lecture's topics made him blend in rather quickly.

When it was over, and the majority of the students had left the hall, she approached him. She was wary that such a young child was there, but when asked, he had replied with his own questions, all of them far more advanced than what anyone else had asked in the Q&A session earlier. This shocked her, and it must've shown on her face because he had a rather uncomfortable look.

Her father let out a small laugh. "I apologize for my daughter. It's just rare to see a young mind so interested in something this complicated. Even my own class hadn't asked me these kinds of questions, and they're going to be part of an essay they have to write soon!"

"I suppose..." He held out a hand. "My name is Kaidou Jin. It's nice to meet you."

She took it and they shook. "Mito Reina. Likewise."

"So... 'Mito-senpai'...?"

"You're not enrolled here, so it's not quite appropriate to address me as your senior."

"That's true. Then, is 'Reina-san' alright?"

"That's fine if I can call you 'Jin'."

"I'd prefer it if you do."

"Then that settles it."

After that, the boy's attention was on her father, asking for all the small details the other students seemed to have overlooked. Her father was more than happy to stay behind and answer them all. Soon, she had to leave for her own class, but they'd always cross paths when she helped in her father's lectures.

However, one day, he came to the university without an invitation.

He came with a short, red-haired man in a coat. The man seemed to have a need for him.

She was the one who spotted them by the gate, and led them to the staff's room where her father was. When her father came to greet him, he bowed.

"I want to thank you for always having me."

Her father was taken back by those words. "Why, of course! Any teacher would be happy to have a student that is so engrossed in their subject no matter the age." He then beamed at him. "And I heard from your principal, congratulations on graduating! You should only be on your second year in middle school, yet here you are finishing high school already!"

"Thank you..." The boy returned it with a small smile of his own, but it quickly dropped again. "I came here because I wanted to inform you in person. That is... I will not be attending your events for a while."

"Oh? Why is that?"

"I'm going to join the fight against Detector."

Nothing else needed to be said after that. He was an LBX player after all. Of course he wouldn't be able to sit aside and watch the LBXs he loved tear the world apart.

Occasionally, they would see him on TV. In 2051's Artemis, in an interview with Jessica Kaios and Haibara Yuuya... And the final fight against Mizel. It was an understatement to say that she and her father were worried about him in that battle, but it had all pass and none of the 10,000 children the world had sent to Tokio City were badly hurt.

Her father sent him an email after that battle, congratulating him. At that time, the plans to create Kamui Daimon had also just been approved, so he used that opportunity to tell the boy about it. She was the one who joked about inviting the boy to become a teacher, seeing how skilled he is, but she didn't expect her father to take her seriously and do it.

Of course, the offer was rejected, but a few months later, once reconstruction around the world was complete, the boy returned to Country A to continue his studies. He joined a research group her father was in, as well as attend his classes as an official student. As a result, they started seeing each other much more often, with him constantly asking her to teach him when her father was too busy. The three of them grew closer like that. He's become like a little brother to her.

Which was exactly why, when her father didn't come home as he promised, he was the first person she called.

If there was one person in this world that she could believe in...

She took a moment to process everything before determination replaced her gloomy expression.

He gave her a single nod. That was all she needed for her faith to return.

~~~~~

Ezeldarm's students were all gathered and kept under guards within their class. Seredy was barricaded in the school shed, while Ayabe was detained to the lab. Spare guards scoured the whole island all night for a single missing student.

Itan Kyouji.

~~~~~

"So... Dreamer Knight, huh?" Nikolai muttered as the group of ex-Rossius friends headed to the main school building together.

Hannah gave a small smile. "Are you familiar with it?"

"'Familiar'? Hannah, that's Evangeline Mech's LBX from 2050's Artemis!"

"Wrong. Her LBX was only called 'Dreamer'. This," She held up her LBX for him to see. "...is D. Knight."

"Same thing!" He said, rolling his eyes. "But well, now I know what present you got from her."

Kageto's head snapped in their direction. "Wait, you're telling me you two met the Evangeline Mech?!"

Hannah shrugged. "It was at an event Tiny Orbit held. Its main attraction was her lecturing about maintenance. She taught a lot of things to a lot of people."

"When was this?!"

"Almost two years ago? Kiyoka should know her too since her brother is Sendou Daiki."

"I knew that..."

"What I'm wondering about is why are you so surprised about Nikolai? We all know who he's related to."

"And speaking of the devil..." Nikolai slowed to a stop when he spotted a certain teacher staring at them from the front gate. He sighed. "Well, I guess it's about time I ask." The group let him take the lead.

Their ex-vice-commander had a hand on her hip as she smiled down at them. "I think congratulations are in order?"

"Whatever." He responded casually, no longer caring enough to keep up the student-teacher act they somewhat had before. "Tell me, Niara, did you know everything from the start?"

"From when I got to the island, yeah. It's in the contract, after all." She raised an eyebrow at him. "But you were here before me, and seeing how you act, you knew too."

"We've got Muraku to thank for that."

"Nikolai..."

"It's fine." He cut off before the purple eyed boy could protest. "If there's anyone in this school we can trust, it's her and Jin-san."

"Aww, I'm touched."

"Oh, save it. I'm only saying this because I know you told dad." He said, clicking his tongue. "When I called him yesterday to let him know about the whole ERP and World Savers deal, he sounded too calm, too... ready... Like he's always known something was going on, but only managed to get the clarification of what that is from me."

She chuckled. "Yeah, I may be a little responsible for that. Honestly, when I was first told about it all, my first instinct was to tell you and your parents, and then send you home. I didn't want my baby cousin involved in this sort of thing, but..."

"By then I already knew more than you did. I just kept up an act so no one would get suspicious. Seeing that, you could already tell I didn't plan on running away."

She chuckled, confirming his words. "Mind if I ask, how many more of you knew before yesterday?"

"A lot." Muraku put bluntly, hinting for her to stop there. Thankfully, she did.

"I can see you have your share of secrets. That's completely fair." She said, nodding to herself. "Well, in that case, I'll answer one more question to even things out, then I'll be on my way."

The group turned to each other, all of them thinking of the same thing. Or rather, the same person.

"What happened to Professor Mito?"

She clicked her tongue at that, her expression turning stiff. "Yeah... I was hoping you wouldn't ask that..." She shook her head. "I don't know any more than you kids do."

"Niara..."

"I'm serious." She frowned. "You're better off asking Jin or Miss Mito. Those two came to this island for the sole purpose of finding him, while I'm here because I wanted to teach kids about LBXs. Jin only told me about this whole thing when Harness and Jenock joined forces, and even then, he didn't give much detail."

"So, what do you plan on doing now?"

"Well, right now, I'm going to the headmaster's office to call home."

"You're gonna call dad?"

"No. My home. As in, mainland." She sighed. "I gotta check in with that slouchy bastard and make sure Eva doesn't get too worried."

All but her cousin made confused faces at the mention of 'that slouchy bastard', but they decided not to pry. She had already answered their one question, after all. With nothing left to say, they separated and went on their own ways.

~~~~~~~~~~~

They never told us how Miss Mito and Jin knew each other, so I made this up because I think it's about as close to canon it could get.

We know from the W novel that Jin finished high school in Country A before he went to fight with Detector, and that he went back to research LBXs a few months after the Mizel Crisis. So then, I thought, why not just spin a whole story from that? And tada! Backstory :D

Rewatching WARS like twice before continuing to write this fic gave me sibling vibes from them so yay! A new family for Jin!