At the Fuyuki City Police Department, Shiki went through an indescribable ordeal before finally obtaining brand-new identification papers.
Now, with the documents tucked away, he began planning his next move.
Before awakening, he had been robbed by scammers. Now penniless, he decisively chose to borrow some travel money from Justitia.
"Justitia, thanks for covering my expenses."
Shiki muttered quietly, the corner of his mouth curling with a hint of teasing.
Then, Shiki embarked on the long journey home.
He bought a ticket and boarded a long-distance bus, bumping along the road.
Outside the window, the scenery constantly changed. Osaka's bustling prosperity and Nara Prefecture's old-world simplicity passed before his eyes one after another.
The bus traveled along Aichi Prefecture's coastline, passed through Shizuoka Prefecture and Kanagawa Prefecture, and finally arrived in the international metropolis of Tokyo.
The moment he stepped into Tokyo.
Shiki looked around, and a rare trace of nostalgia appeared in his eyes.
Traffic flowed endlessly through the streets. High-rises gleamed with metallic luster beneath the sunlight, shops lined the roadside in dazzling variety, and pedestrians hurried along with the distinctive fast pace of a major city.
Following the roads from his memories, Shiki headed toward northwestern Tokyo, quietly hoping to see the familiar Academy City.
However, when he looked out, that unforgettable city was nowhere in sight. He nodded lightly and muttered, "If Academy City really existed, that would've been great. Too bad... I'm afraid I can't avenge some people."
There were two possible routes back to his home in Chiba Prefecture.
One was by road, but it required making a huge detour north. The other was by sea.
In 1991, that world-famous underwater tunnel had yet to be completed.
Shiki chose the sea route. As the ship slowly sailed through the waves and drew closer to