Ultimus Stat- World Trigger

Planet Zebc

The world was crumbling around them, and no effort seemed sufficient to save the dying planet. But some still tried, despite knowing that every living thing in the universe eventually faces death. Planet Zebc wasn't just dying; it was being killed.

"Chancellor Euphemia!" A man's voice broke through the chaos, his words steeped in pain and grief. He held the woman in his arms tighter, tears streaming down his face.

" Aiger…" Euphemia's voice was faint, strained. Her pink hair, like bubblegum, and her spring-green eyes were dimming. Her almond-brown skin was marred with blood. She reached out to gently touch the young man's face, her own tear-streaked.

"I'm glad you're still alive, Aiger," Euphemia said with a trembling smile. She tried to mask her agony.

"I'm none of your concern right now! Not when you're…" Aiger choked on his word, unable to finish them. His head hung low, disappointed in himself. 

"I couldn't do anything, Euphy," Aiger choked out, his words faltering. "We've lost everything. It's all ending."

A shush interrupted his despair. "Aiger, can't you crack a smile?" Euphemia's words were an attempt to lighten the heavy burden on his soul. But the truth is those words were on her mind the most. They have known each other since childhood and she can count of 1 hand the time Aiger smiled. But instead of a smile, tears streamed down his face, his grief overwhelming.

"AFTOKRATOR!" Aiger's voice thundered with raw anger, scanning every shadow for an enemy. His gaze fell upon a towering figure, his presence casting a dark pall over the scene.

"Get me out of here, En. The mission is complete. We have the world trigger," the man said coldly, glancing at the fallen woman and the distraught soldier. His weathered face and icy eyes spoke of countless battles and a lifetime of hardship, silently condemning all who dared meet his stare.

Aiger's rage flared as he met the man's gaze. "AFTOKRATOR!" he roared, each word dripping with venom. "I swear, with every fiber of my being, I will hunt you down to the ends of the neighborhood. Zoron, etch the name Aiger Concella into your soul. I, Aiger, First of my name, Keeper of Euphemia's, 53rd Chancellor, vow that you and all you represent will perish!"

Zoron remained unmoved, his expression cold and indifferent as he and his crew retreated, leaving Aiger to rage against the dying world.

As the world crumbled around them, Euphemia's final words echoed in the void. "Aiger I hope you know I truly did love you," she whispered, her lips meeting his. The taste was bittersweet. Euphemia And Aiger alway had a complicated relationship. Slave and master, friends and lover, general and soldier, royal and peasant. But care was alway there. " Do you think in another life we live happily ever after," her hoarse voice rose. 

" I don't know euphy, I don't know." Aiger's defeated voice responded. She looked saddened by his response but not unexpected. She didn't really think so either.

" Here Aiger this is my gift to you, please-" her mouth moved but her final words rang silent to aiger ear swallowed by grief and regret the only thing on his mind was how he couldn't save him home, his friends, his family. Euphemia began to glow and everything went white, their world fading into oblivion, leaving only echoes of a love lost and a vow of vengeance sworn.

Present

As the sterile scent of antiseptic filled my nostrils, I slowly opened my eyes. Fluorescent lights blazed overhead, and a dull, persistent beep echoed in the room, syncing with my heartbeat. I struggled to sit up, confusion clouding my thoughts. The last thing I remembered was a vague sense of anger and chaos, but the details were slipping away like sand through my fingers. An IV tugged at my arm as I tried to take in my surroundings.

A woman, seemingly in her early 30s, laid sprawled across my legs. She had a black hair in a pixie cut and a beauty mark under her right eye. Her serene expression in sleep contrasted sharply with the turmoil I felt.

The room was painted gray and dull with one window which painted my left side. The room was dark with the only light source being the moon. with two chairs beside me. She had pulled one close, using my legs as a pillow. An urgent whisper tugged at the back of my mind.

"Takumi," a faint voice murmured as if the speaker had just awakened. The sharp pain in my body jolted me, and suddenly, everything came rushing back. Zebc, Aftokrator, Euphy!

I ripped the IV from my arm, stumbling out of bed. The woman who had been sleeping on me shot up, her eyes wide with alarm.

"Takumi!" she cried, her voice a distant echo against the pounding in my ears.

I ripped the door open and ran out looking for her., a single name blazing in my mind. "Euphemia!" I shouted, desperation clawing at my throat. But before I could take another step, my legs gave out, and the world spun into darkness.

Aiger/Takumi's Perspective

When I awoke again, panic did not seize me. My mind was a storm of chaos, but I focused on my surroundings. Three people stood before me: the woman who had been sleeping on me, now conversing with another woman in a white coat. The third was a tall man with round glasses and messy dirty blonde hair.

"That must be a worker at this care facility," I thought. The man with the glasses noticed my awakening and approached with a bittersweet smile, as if a burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

"Takumi, you're awake," he said, his voice a mixture of relief and caution. "I'll get the nurse to bring the equipment, " the woman in the white coat added, stepping out of the room for a second.

The woman from before leaned closer, concern etched into her features. "How are you feeling, Takumi?"

I looked down at the restraints binding me to the bed. "Why am I restrained?" I demanded, frustration lacing my voice.

"Sorry, buddy," the blonde man said, scratching his cheek nervously. "You had a bit of an episode last time. Overexerted yourself and caused some issues. The doctor said it's normal to wake up sporadically after a coma."

"A coma?" The word felt surreal. "Are we still on Zebc?" My question was direct, my eyes searching theirs for any sign of recognition. The two people exchanged confused glances.

"The planet," I clarified, impatience creeping into my voice. Their confusion remained unchanged.

The woman gently placed a hand on my shoulder. "Honey, we're on Earth."

Everything clicked into place. I was on another planet and apparently in another body. Was this your doing Euphemia? A chancellor was granted unimaginable power from the world trigger even I didn't know its limits. Or was this an act of being I could not fathom. What have I done to be tortured like this, to be the only survivor of my home. It was already a humiliation that I lost the only solace in my fate is that I would die with my comrades and friends. Here I am safe being cared for by somebody else's parents. My anger wore on my face and what I can assume was this body father asked if I was okay but before I could answer the doctor came back in.

"Sorry for the wait," the doctor said, returning with equipment and a nurse. She directed the nurse to draw blood from my arm and then sat beside me, clipboard in hand. "So, how are you feeling today? I know it's only been a couple of hours since your episode, but I need to know how your body feels. Can you move okay?"

I clenched my fist, testing my motor skills. "It could be worse. I just feel sluggish, like I'm moving through sand."

The doctor noted my response. "Okay, Takumi, let's get to the important questions. Do you remember why you're in the hospital?"

I shook my head. The mother gasped, tightening her fist but not in anger. the father comforted her. "Shoko, don't overreact. It could be a momentary lapse," he whispered.

" You were caught in a restricted zone while a neighbor invaded. You were caught in the crossfire and struck by debris. You were in severe conditions but ultimately you pulled through and survived after surgery. 

I mauled over this woman's words. But what caught my attention was the word " neighbor." 

"Can you describe this " neighbor" to me?" I asked. At least if this world was connected to the neighborhood I could at least get revenge.

" from what's been released from the public neighbors are monsters from a different dimension set on conquering our world." The doctor explained. 

" Is that all you know of these neighbors?" I asked again, intending on getting more answers. With the shrug of her shoulder the doctor simply said that's all the public knows.

I let that information sink in, mauling over what the doctor just said. This can't be all the common folk know.

" You said I was caught in the crossfire. So was there a fight. People who fought these monsters off." I said digging for more information.

"yeah an organization called border is tasked by the government to protect us from these monsters but that's really the extent that we as the public knows."

Border? so basically like the battalion back home. Maybe a little less complex.

" Do you know where I can get more information on this border?" I asked. My eyes were focused on the doctor's answer. My heart was beating faster every second she didn't answer. Zoron flashed through my mind and fear or sorrow didn't grip my heart but excitement. if this organization is what I think it is then.

 "Well there's the internet-" the doctor was interrupted.

" I think we're going way off topic" the father interjected.

" oh yeah, sorry" the doctors apologized to this body father and responded saying no problem but you could tell he was anxious. The doctor looked back at me and resumed her questioning.

"Do you remember your name?" the doctor asked.

"From what I've been called so far, Takumi." The father sighs looking over to his wife knowing what's going through her mind. To not let his own emotions get the better of him until he got all the facts, he comforted his wife.

"Do you know these two people behind me?" the doctor asked, her tone gentle but firm. The parents watched me intently, hope and fear mingling in their eyes.

I looked at them, searching my mind for any flicker of recognition, that maybe I had this body memory but came up empty. I shook my head slowly. The mother choked up, tears welling in her eyes. She rushed over to my bed, her voice trembling. 

"Takumi, it's me, your mom. And this is your dad."

Her words hung in the air, heavy with emotion. She cupped my face in her hands, her eyes pleading for a sign of remembrance. The father stood behind her, his face a mask of sorrow. I pushed the mother's hand away, hating the physical affection from people let alone strangers.

"I'm sorry," I said quietly. "I don't know who any of you are."

The mother ignored my physical annoyance at her touching me but I let her, understanding what she might be going through. tears spilled over as she hugged me tightly. "It's okay, honey. We're here now, and we'll help you through this."

The father placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "We'll get through this together, son. Just take it one day at a time."

The doctor gave them a moment before speaking again. "We can't be sure this is true, will have to run more tests to see. But memory lost is not uncommon for people getting out of long term comas. But we can't be sure." The doctor tried to reassure this body parents. So that what they did for the rest of the day was simply running a test.

One week later

It's been a week since I woke up in this body. And there has definitely been an adjustment phase.

"Come on, Takumi, just a few more steps, and you'll complete your goal for today," Nurse Rumi encouraged me, her voice steady and supportive.

That name. I'm still not used to being called that. It sounds so foreign. Like I said, there's an adjustment phase, including physical therapy. With a deep breath, I tried to lift my leg, my arms trembling as I gripped the beam to keep my balance. Sweat dripped down my chin, and my breath came out in ragged gasps. As soon as my foot touched the mat beneath me, I exhaled a sigh of relief.

"Yeah, that's it. I—I can't—I feel a cramp coming. Fuck," I muttered to Nurse Rumi, my voice strained with exhaustion. I let go of the beam, my strength completely spent, and she caught me before I could collapse.

"It's okay. You did great, Takumi. No need to push yourself too hard," Nurse Rumi reassured me with a warm smile.

I, a Keeper, reduced to such a weakened state that a few steps leave me utterly exhausted. The first thing I need to do is get this body back into shape. I'm not use to being so pathetic.

"Here, Takumi." Nurse Rumi pulled my wheelchair closer, ready to take me back to my room. I sighed and sat down, letting her wheel me away.

I couldn't help but feel frustrated about my situation. I'm stuck in a foreign world, trapped in this weak body, and confined to a medical room with no information. My old life as a keeper felt like a distant dream.

The only thing I had for any type of information was the news and it was just mundane stuff with almost nothing about border. And when it was about them, the information on the organization was sparse.

"Don't pout, Takumi," Nurse Rumi said softly, noticing my scowl. "You have surpassed the timeline we set for you even taking a couple steps in only a week is amazing. It's still a process, so just be patient. You'll be walking in no time."

I didn't respond to her comment aloud, but in my mind, I couldn't help but grumble. I'm not pouting.

She was right though. I was walking faster than I even expected. I was never a doctor in my past life. Even though I knew basic of first aid and how to work a medical trigger, I was still moving at an incredible pace, which was still slow to me. I suspect my symbol is at play but could my symbol even be transferred over from another body to another. Your symbol was connected to your trion gland, it was personal and unique to every person. Mine being enhanced intuition. Or maybe my body assimilated with this one making it stronger. Everytime I have questions I can't even find a answer cause i'm confined to this stupid situation 

A voice interrupted my thoughts. "You know, a young, beautiful nurse like Rumi trying to cheer up a moody teenager deserves at least a thank you."

I turned to see a woman standing near my room's door. Her presence was commanding, yet warm. she wasn't the same as before, more composed I presumed.

Nurse Rumi blushed at the compliment. "Oh, thank you, Miss Kage. You're very beautiful yourself."

I studied the woman who was supposed to be my mother—or at least the mother of this body. Her eyes softened as she looked at me, but my own gaze remained firm and unyielding.

"Guess I'm not like other teenage boys," I said, my voice carrying a hint of defiance. I was aggravated with this whole situation so I was more hostile than usual.

The woman, Miss Kage, sighed but smiled gently. "No, I suppose you're not." 

 Nurse Rumi continued to push me back to my room and then help me enter my bed as my mother followed. " Ok there you go Takumi, you should be comfortable. Just bell me if you need anything." A thank you from Ms.Kage was my response to her.

Now, it was just me and my supposed mother. The room felt smaller when it was just the two of us, the sterile walls pressing in as if they were conspiring to force us into conversation. The silence hung heavy, like a dense fog that neither of us could navigate.

As always, she arrived promptly at 12, her entrance so predictable it could have been set to a metronome. She'd pull up the chair by my bedside, a slightly worn thing with a faux-leather cushion that let out a faint creak when she sat down. And then... nothing. We sat there, the seconds stretching into minutes, with only the faint hum of the hospital's air conditioning and the distant chatter of nurses breaking the stillness.

Occasionally, she tried to strike up a conversation, her voice tentative, probing. "How are you feeling today?" or "Do you need anything?" The words never really seemed to reach me. I didn't hate her. I didn't even dislike her. But her presence felt like sandpaper against my nerves, scraping away at my already thin patience.

I could feel her eyes on me, the weight of her gaze heavy and insistent, like she was willing me to look up. She wanted something—connection, recognition, maybe just a spark of hope—but I refused to give it. Instead, I buried myself deeper in the book I was pretending to read: The History of the Katana. I wasn't even on the same page I'd started with; the words were just a blur of ink as I stared at them, trying to lose myself in the illusion of focus.

The awkwardness was thick, almost suffocating. Every little movement she made seemed amplified: the slight rustle of her clothes, the soft exhale of a sigh she probably didn't even realize she let out. Most of all, the way she fidgeted with the ring on her finger, twisting it around and around. It seemed like a nervous habit, something she did when the silence became too much for her.

I hated that I noticed it.

It was frustrating, this dance we kept doing. Her waiting for me to speak, me waiting for her to leave. The tension simmered between us, unspoken and unresolved, like a pot about to boil over. But neither of us dared to touch it, so we just sat there, two strangers bound by something neither of us could fully name.

"Um, how was your physical therapy today, Yuyu?" The nickname felt strange, one of the many things I was still getting used to.

"It was alright," I replied, trying to sound more enthusiastic than I felt. Maybe if I gave her what she wanted she'd leave me alone.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, their concern evident.

"As good as I can be, I guess," I muttered, not wanting to dive into my frustrations.

"And the nurses? Are they treating you well?"

"Yeah, they're fine," I said, nodding slightly.

There was a brief silence, both of us searching for something more to say. But I paid it no mind as I dove into the history book of the country I was in, which was called japan. I learned that from the nurse. She had a very confused look when I asked her where I was in the world.

 "Do you want me to leave?" She asked .

I lifted my head from my reading, ready to say "yes," but the words caught in my throat when I saw her face. Her expression was a mix of disappointment and fear, making my heart soften. Choking on my initial response, I let out an unconfident "no."

Her face brightened with a smile she couldn't hide, and I realized how much my answer meant to her.

I had never been the most social person. Growing up in an environment where forming social bonds was a luxury, I had always been too busy surviving. Yet, at this moment, I felt a small, unfamiliar warmth. warth that I would never hold for a stranger. But I buried does feelings as quickly as they popped up

"Look, I hate this awkwardness," I said, my voice trembling. "I know how hard this is for you. I'm your son, yet I don't have a single memory of you. And you probably want nothing more than for everything to go back to normal. But that's not the reality. To me, you're a stranger showing way too much affection."

I paused, the weight of my words hanging in the air. "I know that's hard to hear, but it's the truth."

My words echoed through the hospital room, making it feel even emptier than before. Her face fell, and for a moment, I didn't regret my honesty. It needed to be said. But somehow I still couldn't look her in the eyes.

"Takumi," she began, her voice heavy with emotion. "I gave you that name. The day you were born, and I held you in my arms, I knew I would name you after my big brother., your uncle"

A dry chuckle escaped her lips, "You weren't an easy pregnancy, not like Aiko. She slipped right out, but you were different. There was a chance you wouldn't make it. To keep things short, you were weak, and if I went through with the birth, it could have severe effects on me. I might have even died during childbirth. But I wasn't giving up on you. I felt your strength and knew we could make it."

She paused, her eyes distant as she relived the memory. "The birth was probably the most physical pain I've ever experienced. You finally came out, but you didn't respond. Thinking you had died was way worse than the pain of birthing you. But just as the doctor was about to give up, you started wailing like a baby bird. 'You're alive, my baby's alive,' the words rang in my head."

A warm smile graced her face. "The doctor said I lost a lot of blood. My body felt so weak, I was sweating profusely, and my throat was dry as sand. But when I held you in my arms, your eyes met mine, and the first thing you did was grab my hair and coil it around your tiny hand. The first word that came out of my mouth was Takumi. You showed the strength I always knew you had. So I named you after the strongest person I knew, your uncle."

She was now staring straight at me, her eyes pleading for me to look at her. I obliged.

"To you, I may be a stranger, but to me, you're my little boy, my son. No matter what—whether you had every single memory or none—something that will never change is my love for you, Takumi. No matter what, I will always be there for you. When you're down, I'll help you up. When you're alone, I'll come around. When you're lost, I'll guide you. For no other reason than because I am your mother. You get me?"

Tears welled up in her eyes as she tried to stay strong. She got up from her seat while I sat speechless, unable to process my emotions as they swirled in a whirlwind of confusion.

"Maybe I'm not taking your feelings into account, and I'm sorry about selfish," she said, her tone resolute. "But I'm not going anywhere."

She softened a bit, placing a phone on the table. "I came to bring you your phone. You were practically glued to it. I thought you'd miss it. It has everyone's numbers in it—your father, your sisters, and me. If you wanna talk."

She began to walk away, but for some reason, I grasped her hand. She looked back at me, surprised. I didn't know what compelled me to speak, but I did.

"I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything." Silence lingered for a moment until I broke it.

"Are you coming tomorrow?" My face crunch finding my word cringy but my mouth just moved on it own

A huge smile graced her face as she responded, "Yeah."