Goldfish Bowl
The island of Goldfish Bowl was like a mysterious jewel in the middle of the ocean, shaped like a tilted crescent moon as if it had been hand-carved by ancient gods. Dense green forests covered its center, intertwined like a living tapestry, while a white sandy coastline stretched outward, glimmering under the sun. The island's diameter did not exceed two kilometers—small enough that anyone looking from the sky might think they could circle it in half a day. No houses or signs of life could be seen from above; it was like an isolated mass, an uninhabited, desolate land, bearing a strange name: Goldfish Bowl.
The old plane of the Magus Craft company wobbled slightly in the air before landing on a narrow dirt strip carved among the trees. Kojou and Touka disembarked, surrounded by a heavy silence that was broken only by the distant sound of waves and the whistling wind through the branches.
"Are you sure someone's here?" Kojou asked, his voice low but filled with suspicion, as he extended his spiritual senses across the area. In an instant, his awareness encompassed the entire island, searching through the shadows of the forest and between the rocks, but the result was only a sense of a single presence besides them.
In the pilot's seat sat the cold-eyed man, Kirishima Lowe, waving his hand carelessly, a twisted smile curving his lips as if he enjoyed their uncertain fate.
"I don't know… but Beatrice ordered me to bring you here," he said mockingly, then added with a sarcastic tone, "Well… we'll meet again… if you make it out of here alive."
Swish!
As soon as he finished speaking, Lowe pushed the control yoke forward, and the plane shot away from the island at speed, leaving Kojou and Touka behind, showing no sign of hesitation or guilt.
"Wait!!" Touka shouted, her eyes gleaming with anger. With a swift motion, she drew her Sekkarō from her guitar bag, ready to strike and destroy the plane before it left them behind. But suddenly, she froze as a pale, strong, unwavering hand appeared before her.
"No need…" Kojou said calmly, eyes half-closed, "I'm sure the gods won't forgive a despicable man like him."
His voice was filled with a strange confidence, as if he truly believed the heavens would punish Lowe. He even clasped his hands in front of his chest, closing his eyes in feigned reverence, and began murmuring a peculiar prayer.
"I hope you get struck by lightning, fall into the ocean… and become a hearty meal for the sharks."
Had this been the world of Campione, perhaps the earth would have trembled in response to his prayer, and Erica and the others would have burst out laughing at the sight of a man capable of killing gods and stealing their powers, yet raising his hands to beg for their aid.
But this time…
Rumble!
The sky shook as if responding to an invisible call. From the scattered clouds, golden lightning bolts erupted, sharp as celestial swords, streaking toward the retreating plane.
BOOOOM!
The air trembled with a violent explosion as lightning struck the plane's left wing, instantly igniting it. Flames painted the sky with a black smoke cloud, tongues of fire dancing among the metallic edges. Lowe's scream echoed from afar but was lost amidst the thunderstorm.
"Impossible…" Touka muttered in shock, her wide eyes fixed on the horrifying scene. Her grip on the Sekkarō remained tight, but it soon slackened as she turned to the side.
As for Kojou… he stood coldly, hands in his pockets as if watching a free fireworks display. A calm smile appeared on his lips—the smile of someone who saw exactly what he expected.
"See, Touka? I told you… the gods show no mercy to traitors."
At that moment, the plane completely lost balance, tumbling madly through the air before plummeting into the ocean with a deafening crash, followed by a massive explosion that lit up the sky for a moment.
WOOSH!
Flames and smoke shot upward, gradually dying down as the sound of tearing engines faded. Nothing remained but the smell of burnt metal and frightened seabirds screaming as they flew away.
"Did… did you really do that?" Touka asked in a trembling voice, uncertain whether what she saw was mere coincidence or some hidden power responding to Kojou's prayer.
But he didn't even look at her. He sat on a rock near the shore, stretching his legs lazily, resting his chin on his hand.
"Who cares? The important thing is that he got what he deserved," he said indifferently, closing his eyes as if preparing for a nap amidst all the destruction.
Touka remained silent, staring at the dark sea that swallowed the plane, her heart heavy with questions that had no answers.
"There's no time to dwell on that. We need to find food and water, especially since we don't know how long we'll be stuck on this island. In the worst-case scenario, we may have to live here forever."
Despite her serious words, his expression was clearly relaxed. He could leave the island at any time, yet he had no intention of doing so for now, curious about what Magus Craft planned by isolating them on this island, and equally curious about the other presence on the island, who clearly did not seem to be on Magus Craft's side either.
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