Part 1
"Ughhh…"
The sensation of waking up was the worst. Especially when you woke up to find your hyperactive little sister performing imaginary breakdance moves on your stomach while singing the theme song from the latest superhero animated series. Aside from a handful of individuals with peculiar preferences, anyone would be annoyed.
July 17th, Monday. Yesterday was the last day of summer vacation, so today was the first day of school. Rubbing his still-blurry eyes, Kael muttered in a low voice:
"Ouch, Elara. My... energetic little sister."
"Oh-ho! Big Bro Kael is awake!"
Only then did Elara realize Kael was conscious. His little sister, with one foot still planted on Kael's stomach—Elara, turned her head while tidying her light brown bangs, similar to Kael's but with a more fashionable cut. Her pigtails bounced as she looked at Kael with her round, enthusiastic eyes.
Incidentally, despite being caught in the act of "attacking" her brother in the morning, she didn't look the least bit sorry or embarrassed. In fact, she seemed pleased that Kael was finally awake.
Oh, and from Kael's position, he could clearly see the crookedly hung poster of Elara's favorite boyband on his ceiling. It was quite a... motivating sight to get up immediately.
"What is it, my greatest big brother in the whole wide world?" Elara chirped, with no intention of moving her foot. For the record, Kael felt far from "the greatest in the world" at that moment.
"Alright, get off. You're heavy, you know."
Elara nodded exaggeratedly and leaped off the bed. Kael's stomach received a final impact that felt like a solid punch.
"Gahk!"
"Ahahaha, Gahk! Ahahahaha!"
"..."
Kael silently pulled the blanket over his head.
"Aaa! Hey~! Why are you going back to sleep!" Elara raised her voice, shaking Kael's body.
"Ten more minutes..."
"No way~! It's already late!"
After sitting up and wincing from the dizziness caused by his still-reeling head being shaken, Kael opened his mouth with a groan.
"R-Run..."
"Eh?"
"...Actually, I've been infected with the 'If-I-don't-sleep-for-10-more-minutes-I'll-delete-my-little-sister's-online-game-account-virus,' also known as the V-Account-Annihilator-Virus..."
"W-What!?" Elara was as shocked as someone who had just found a rare cheat code.
"Run... while I can still control myself..."
"B-But, what will happen to you!?"
"Don't worry about me... as long as your account is safe..."
"No way! Big Bro Kael!"
"Graaaaarrgghh!"
"Kyaaaaaaaaaaa!"
Kael threw off his blanket, flailing his arms wildly and roaring, while Elara fled with a feigned scream.
"...Hhh." Exhaling, he covered himself with the blanket again. Checking the time on his phone, it was still before six in the morning. "What a great time to wake someone up..." Grumbling, he suddenly remembered something.
As his half-asleep brain slowly woke up, last night's memory returned. Their parents had been on a business trip out of town since yesterday. Because of that, Kael was temporarily in charge of household matters, so Kael, who was terrible at waking up early, had asked Elara to help him.
"Ah..." Feeling guilty for possibly overdoing it, he quickly got out of bed. Smoothing down his spiky hair and stifling a yawn, Kael lazily left his room. Just then, a small mirror hanging on the wall caught his attention. A teenage boy with slightly messy dark brown hair and faint dark circles under his hazel eyes stared back with a weary gaze. "...Need a haircut," he muttered with a sigh, then descended the stairs to the living room.
"...Huh?" A slightly different scene than usual greeted him.
The coffee table in the middle of the living room was overturned, as if it were a barricade. Behind it, two light brown pigtails trembled slightly.
"..."
Pausing his steps, Kael approached the side of the table. Sure enough, Elara was sitting there, hugging her knees and shaking.
"GRAAAAAARRRGHH!"
"Kyaa! Kyaaaaaaa!" When Kael tapped her shoulder, Elara let out a desperate scream as if she had just seen a real Phantasm.
"Calm down, calm down! I'm back to normal."
"Gyaaaa! Gyaa… ah? B-Big Bro Kael?"
"Yeah, that's right."
"You... You're not scary anymore?"
"It's safe now. I'm Elara's friend."
"Oh, oooohhh." As Kael spoke to her in a soothing tone, Elara's tense face slowly relaxed. It was as if she were a stray kitten finally willing to be petted.
"Sorry, sorry. I'll get breakfast ready right away." After letting Elara go, Kael returned the table to its original position and went to the kitchen.
Working for a high-tech research company, Kael's parents traveled often. At times like these, it was always Kael's responsibility to prepare meals, so he was used to it. In fact, he was confident his skills with the automated kitchen appliances were better than his mother's.
As Kael took cereal and milk from the food storage unit, he heard a voice from the holographic news console in the living room. It seemed Elara had calmed down and turned it on. Come to think of it, Elara seemed to have a routine of having breakfast while watching virtual celebrity news or the latest game reviews. Well, most of that content usually just served as background noise. After browsing a few channels, Elara finally settled on a typically boring local news program.
"—This morning, in the Nova Commercial District Sector—"
"Huh?" Hearing the content of the news program, which usually just served as BGM, Kael raised an eyebrow. The reason was simple. From the news anchor's clear voice, he heard a familiar area name.
"Nnn? That's pretty close. What happened?" Leaning against the kitchen counter, he squinted at the holographic screen displaying an aerial view.
On the screen, an image of an absurdly destroyed street was being shown. Buildings and roads had been reduced to piles of rubble. The devastation looked like the impact of a meteorite, or perhaps the site of a giant battle. Kael furrowed his brow and let out a held breath.
"Ahhh… So it's another 'Lunanima Rift'." As if fed up, he shook his head.
'Lunanima Rift' referred to the phenomenon of inter-dimensional tears that appeared randomly, releasing strange energy and, sometimes, spectral entities called 'Phantasms'. It was a general term for energy bursts, spatial distortions, area annihilations, and similar things that occurred for no known reason at random times and places. Like the rampage of a cosmic storm, destroying whatever it passed through, it was a completely nonsensical phenomenon.
The first event occurred about fifty years ago, annihilating a remote research city in the polar region. The casualties were few, but the impact on humanity's understanding of reality was immense. Since then, similar incidents had occurred on a smaller but more frequent scale worldwide, and Stellara City, built upon the ruins of ancient technology, became one of the most active hotspots.
"But haven't things been a bit calmer lately? Why is the frequency increasing again?"
"I wonder why...?" At Kael's question, Elara, still staring at the screen, tilted her head.
After the major "Nova Central Fall" incident ten years ago, the appearance of Lunanima Rifts had decreased in intensity. However, in recent years, this mysterious phenomenon had begun to reappear with alarming frequency, especially around Stellara.
Of course, humanity did not sit idly by. The Chronosentinel Order, a global secret organization, was formed to deal with this threat. They developed advanced technology and trained special personnel to detect, contain, and, if necessary, neutralize the Phantasms that emerged from the Rifts. In Stellara itself, an early warning system and super-advanced underground shelters had been built throughout the city. The destroyed streets could also be repaired at incredible speed by the Order's special construction units, although the details of their work were highly classified.
"Isn't this area prone to Rifts anyway? Especially last year."
"...Hmm, I guess so. Maybe it's a sign..." Elara murmured, resting her chin on her hand.
"A sign? Of what?"
"Nnn..., it's nothing." This time it was Kael who tilted his head. Not because of what Elara said, but more because her tone sounded a little... worried, unlike her usual self.
"Elara, come here for a second."
"..." Gulp!
Elara held her head with both hands and turned stiffly. A strange sound came from her throat. Seeing the object in her mouth as expected, Kael let out a short sigh, "I knew it." Even though breakfast was about to be served, Elara was already chewing on her favorite starfruit-flavored energy candy.
"Hey! Didn't I tell you not to eat sweets before breakfast?"
"NNNnnn! NNNnnnnn!" While trying to hide the candy wrapper, Elara pouted.
Kael resisted the urge to smile at her antics. "...Good grief. You'd better finish your breakfast properly!" In the end, Kael gave in. He ruffled Elara's hair and returned to the kitchen.
"Hehe! Big Bro Kael is the best!" Kael just waved his hand and went back to preparing breakfast.
"...Come to think of it, there's the club orientation after school today, right?"
"That's right~ I'm going to try signing up for the e-sports club!"
"I see... Elara, what do you want for your lunch bento?" After Elara thought for a moment with a "Hmmmm," she shook her head, then suddenly stood up straight.
"Big Bro Kael's Special Melted Cheese Fried Rice!" It was Kael's signature dish that was always his sister's favorite.
Kael straightened up, and with the flair of a professional chef, he bowed. "Your order will be prepared shortly at 'Restaurant Kael'."
"Ehh~ Yaaay!" Chewing on her now-finished candy, Elara replied with a joyful voice.
Kael smiled. "Alright then, I'll meet you at the school gate during the lunch break."
"OHHHH! Really!?"
"Yeah. So, don't wander off anywhere."
Elara rubbed her hands together excitedly. "Don't break your promise! It's a promise! You have to come even if a Lunanima Rift opens up or a giant Phantasm attacks the city or aliens invade the school!"
"No. If aliens invade the school, we won't be able to have a peaceful lunch."
"You just have to come!"
"Alright, alright, I get it." Hearing Kael say that, Elara enthusiastically raised her hand in the air, exclaiming "Yesss~!"
Kael didn't even think that he might be spoiling his sister too much. Well, today was special. Starting tomorrow, they would have to be more frugal, but today was the first day of school after the holidays. A little luxury like this should be fine. Well, who knew if homemade cheese fried rice counted as a luxury.
"Nnnnn..." Kael stretched lightly and opened the small window in the kitchen. The sky had cleared up. It seemed like it would be a good day.
Part 2
It was around 8:15 AM when Kael reached the gates of Stellara Apex High School. After checking the digital notice board for his class assignment, he entered the magnificent main building, heading for the classroom where he would spend the next year.
"Year 2, Class Helios-4, huh?"
Stellara Apex High was one of the most prestigious schools in the city, partly funded by the Chronosentinel Order as part of its talent development and research program. The school was equipped with advanced facilities, including a mini-research lab and, of course, a large-capacity underground shelter with its own self-defense system. For this reason, the entrance competition was quite fierce, so Kael, who had decided to apply just because "the facilities are cool and it's close to the transit line," had to study quite hard.
"Mmmm...." With a light hum, he observed the classroom. There was still some time until the homeroom teacher arrived, but a large number of students had already gathered. Some were clustered in groups, laughing cheerfully about being in the same class again, some sat alone with headsets on, looking bored, and others were busy comparing the latest gadgets... but it seemed there were no faces Kael knew well.
As Kael moved his head to check the seating chart displayed on the interactive screen at the front of the class,
"—Kaelen Vance."
Unexpectedly, from behind him, a quiet voice spoke in a flat tone.
"Huh...?" He didn't recognize the voice. Curious, he turned around. A slender girl was standing there. The girl had shoulder-length, straight, jet-black hair with a precise cut, and a face that could be described as perfect, like a porcelain doll.
Perhaps no one could fit the description 'like a doll' better. While possessing an artificial elegance created with precision, at the same time, her face showed almost no emotion. Her steel-gray eyes stared straight at Kael.
"Eh...?" Kael quickly looked around, then tilted his head. "...Me?" Since he couldn't find another Kaelen Vance nearby, he pointed at himself.
"Yes." Without any particular expression, the girl immediately replied, giving a small nod towards Kael.
"How do you know my name...?" Kael asked, and the girl, as if confused, tilted her head slightly.
"You don't remember?"
"...Um."
"I see." Kael replied uncertainly, and the girl, who looked... slightly disappointed? gave a brief comment and walked towards a seat near the window. Just like that, she sat down, took out a thick data-slate, and began to read.
"What... was that all about?" Kael scratched his head and frowned. In any case, it seemed the girl knew about Kael, but had they met somewhere before?
WHACK!
"Gahk!" While Kael was lost in thought, an incredibly hard slap hit his back.
"WHAT WAS THAT FOR, LEO!?" He instantly knew who the culprit was and shouted while rubbing his back.
"Hey, you look pretty lively, you conqueror of imaginary Phantasms." Kael's friend, Leo Maxwell, with his messy blond hair and his signature mischievous grin, folded his arms and chuckled.
"...Conqueror of Phantasms? What are you talking about?"
"Come on, don't play dumb. You were just chatting with Rina Volkov, right? Our school's ice queen. How'd you get close to her, huh?" Slinging an arm around Kael's shoulder with a smirk, Leo asked.
"Rina Volkov...? Who's that?"
"Come on, don't be like that. You were just talking, weren't you?" Leo pointed his chin towards the seat by the window. There sat the girl from before. As if noticing their gazes, the girl looked up from her data-slate and turned to look at them.
"..." Kael's breath caught in his throat as he awkwardly averted his eyes. Leo, on the other hand, smiled and waved his hand with a chummy attitude.
"..." The girl, showing no particular reaction, returned her gaze to the data-slate in her hands.
"See, she's always like that. Of all the girls, she's the hardest to approach, colder than polar ice or a killer professor's glare. How did you get her to talk?"
"Huh...? W-What are you talking about?"
"No way, you really don't know?"
"...Hmm, was she really in our class last year?" When Kael said this, Leo spread his arms in an 'I can't believe this' gesture, making a shocked face. He really liked to imitate reactions from old movies.
"Come on, this is Rina Volkov. She's the super-genius pride of our school. You've never heard of her?"
"No, this is the first I'm hearing of it but... Is she really that amazing?"
"Amazing doesn't even begin to describe it. Her grades are always at the top, and in the joint inter-school strategic simulation recently, she scored an insane number and became an instant legend."
"Huuuh? Why is someone like that in a public school like this?"
"Who knows. Maybe there's a special reason? Or maybe she's actually a secret agent from the Chronosentinel Order in disguise?" Leo chuckled.
Shrugging, Leo continued. "Anyway, that's not all. Her physical abilities are also top-class, and at the same time, she's beautiful. In last year's 'Student Forum's Most Popular School Idol' ranking, she was third, I think. Didn't you see it?"
"I didn't even know such a thing existed. Besides, third place? Why not first?"
"Because first and second were seniors who already graduated. So technically, she's the top in our year."
"...Aaah." Kael laughed weakly.
"By the way, you, Kael, ranked number 5 in the 'Most Mysterious and Unpredictable Student' category."
"That high!? And what kind of category is that?"
"Well, the reasons included: 'often daydreams,' 'looks like he's hiding a big secret,' and 'his gaze is sometimes like he's seeing something others can't see'."
"That sounds more like I'm weird than mysterious!"
"Relax. In the 'Literature Club's Favorite Bromance Pairing' poll, you and I made the top five."
"I'M NOT PROUD OF THAT!" Kael shouted. He was a little worried about being part of that pairing.
However, it seemed Leo didn't mind at all, as he crossed his arms and returned to the original topic. "Well, anyway, it's no exaggeration to say she's the most famous person in school. Kael, your ignorance has managed to surprise even the all-knowing Leo Maxwell."
"What kind of character are you trying to be?" As Kael said this, the familiar bell signaling the start of class rang.
"Oops." Now he remembered, he still hadn't found his seat. Kael followed the seating chart on the screen and placed his bag on the chair two rows from the window. At that moment, he realized it.
"...Ah." As if by fate, Kael's seat was next to Rina Volkov's. The girl had already closed her data-slate and put it away before the bell finished ringing. She then sat staring straight ahead, with a perfect posture as if measured with a ruler.
"..." Feeling a bit awkward for some reason, Kael averted his gaze to the front of the class, just as Rina had done.
As if on cue, the classroom door slid open. From it, a young woman with thin-rimmed glasses and a friendly smile emerged and walked to the teacher's desk. From around, the students whispered excitedly.
"So it's Ms. Arisa..."
"Ah, our homeroom teacher is Ms. Arisa."
"Seriously? Yeahhh!" —Generally, good things were said.
"Alright, good morning, everyone. For this school year, I will be your homeroom teacher. My name is Arisa Kirana." The teacher in charge of Inter-dimensional Civilization History – affectionately known as Ms. Arisa – spoke gently and bowed.
Her youthful face and her relaxed yet firm demeanor had gained her popularity among the students.
"...?" Amidst the excited students, Kael's expression tensed. Sitting to his left was Rina, who was staring intently at Kael.
"..." For a moment, their eyes met. Kael hurriedly averted his gaze. Why was she looking at him—no, she didn't have to be looking at him, it was possible her gaze just happened to be in his direction, but for now, Kael couldn't relax.
"...W-What is going on...?" he muttered quietly, as beads of sweat began to form on his temples.
About three hours had passed. The club orientation and the beginning-of-year announcements were over.
"Kael~. You don't have plans after this, do you? Wanna hit up the new game cafe in the Neon District?" As the students finished their preparations and left the classroom, Leo, with his bag slung over his shoulder, started the conversation.
Kael almost nodded, but with an "ah" he stopped. "Sorry. I have a promise to keep today."
"WHAT? With a girl?"
"Ahhh, yeah... you could say that."
"NO WAY!!" Leo struck a dramatic pose as if he had just heard the most shocking news of the century. "What happened during summer vacation!? You're not satisfied with just talking to the Ice Queen Rina Volkov, but now you have a promise with a girl!? Didn't we swear to become eternal wizards together!?"
"No, I don't remember a promise like that... and anyway, it's just with Elara." Kael replied, and Leo let out a theatrically relieved sigh.
"What the heck, don't scare me like that!"
"You're the one who jumped to conclusions."
"Meh, if it's Elara-chan, then it's fine. Can I come?"
"Mm? Ahh, I guess that's okay..." Just as Kael finished speaking, Leo placed his elbow on Kael's desk and spoke in a low voice. "Hey hey, Elara-chan is in junior high now, right? Is it okay if she has a boyfriend or something?"
"Huh?"
"Uhm, no hidden meaning behind this but, what would Elara-chan think of a guy who's three years older than her?"
"...Actually, never mind. Don't you dare come." Kael narrowed his eyes and, annoyed, pushed away Leo's approaching face.
"Haha. Anyway, I'm not such a scumbag that I'd interrupt a happy sibling outing. I try to play by the rules."
"You always say a little more than you should." Holding his cheek, Leo put on an unexpectedly straight face as he spoke. "But dude, don't you think Elara-chan is super cute? Being able to live with her under the same roof must be the best."
"If you actually had a little sister, I'm sure you'd change your mind."
"Ah... you hear that a lot. So is it true that guys with little sisters don't have those kinds of fantasies?"
"Yeah, they're not girls. They're just creatures called little sisters." Kael stated firmly, and Leo smiled weakly.
"Is it really like that?"
"It's really like that. If you're trying to find something that isn't a girl, it's probably a little sister."
"Then, an older sister?"
"...Same thing, just an older version?"
"Wooow, age discrimination!" Laughing, Leo replied.
—At that moment.
WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE—————
"Huh!?" The classroom windows vibrated violently as a low, ominous siren echoed throughout the city.
"W-What's going on?" Leo opened the window and looked out. Startled by the siren, a flock of synthetic messenger birds flew frantically into the sky. The students still in the classroom all stopped their conversations and stared, wide-eyed.
Following the siren, a calm and clear mechanical voice, probably for ease of understanding, sounded from the city's public address system.
"—This is not a drill. This is not a drill. A high-level spatial anomaly has been detected. Lunanima Rift emergence confirmed in the Old Industrial Sector. Citizens in the vicinity, please proceed immediately to the nearest shelter. I repeat—"
In that instant, the once-bustling room was filled with the held breaths of the students.
—Rift Emergency Alert. Everyone's premonition was confirmed.
"Oi oi… Seriously?" Leo spoke in a dry voice, his face slightly pale. However, in terms of tension and anxiety, Kael, Leo, and the other students in the class were relatively calm. At the very least, no student seemed overly panicked. After this city had repeatedly faced Rift incidents, children like Kael had been continuously trained in evacuation drills since kindergarten. Moreover, this was Stellara Apex High. There was a super-advanced underground shelter that could accommodate all students and staff.
"The shelter is downstairs. If we stay calm and follow procedures, everything will be fine."
"R-Right, that's right." Leo nodded at Kael's words. As quickly as possible without running, they left the classroom. The corridor was already filled with students, forming a line towards the emergency exit to the shelter access.
—Kael frowned. There was one person moving in the opposite direction of the line—a female student running towards the main exit of the building.
"Rina Volkov...?" Yes, running down the hallway with her uniform skirt fluttering slightly was Rina Volkov.
"Hey! What are you doing! The shelter is the other way—"
"I'm fine." Rina paused for a moment, saying only that in her typical flat tone, and once again ran off.
"Fine... what...?" Confused, Kael turned and joined the line of students with Leo. He was a little worried about Rina, but maybe she had urgent business or was part of the school's emergency response team. In fact, even though the warning had been issued, it didn't mean the Rift would immediately expand or a Phantasm would appear instantly.
"C-Calm down! It's okay! Remember 'C-A-L-M'! 'Cause Agitation Leads to Mayhem!'" From the front, Ms. Arisa's voice could be heard trying to calm and direct the students, even though her acronym sounded a bit forced. At the same time, small chuckles were heard from some students.
"...Seeing someone more flustered than me is calming for some reason."
"Ahh, I know what you mean." Kael laughed lightly, and Leo replied with a similar expression. Faced with a teacher who seemed to be trying hard yet remained composed like Ms. Arisa, instead of feeling insecure, the students' tension actually seemed to have eased.
And thus, as Kael remembered something, he reached into his pocket and took out his phone.
"Hm? What's up, Kael?"
"Nothing. Excuse me for a second." Evading the question, he selected the name 'Dearest Elara' from his contact list and made a call. However—it wouldn't connect. Every time he tried, the result was the same.
"...Damn it. Did she manage to evacuate?" If his sister was still in her adjacent junior high school area, it would probably be fine. The problem was the possibility that she had already left the school and was heading to the place they had promised to meet for lunch, which unfortunately wasn't too far from the Old Industrial Sector. In truth, there should be a public shelter nearby, so there usually wouldn't be a problem... but for some reason, Kael couldn't shake the ominous feeling.
Ignoring the fact that the warning had been issued, for some reason, an image of Elara waiting for Kael like an obedient puppy popped into his mind. In his head, Elara's words, "It's a promise! You have to come even if a Lunanima Rift opens up!" spun and echoed.
"W-Well, we did promise to meet there even if a Rift happened, but... even she wouldn't be that stupid... Oh, right, I have that." Elara's phone should have a GPS tracking service installed. Manipulating his phone, he opened the city map application, on which there was a small red marker icon.
"..." Seeing it, Kael's throat tightened. The icon showed Elara's location right in front of a small cafe on the border of the Old Industrial Sector, the very place they had promised to meet.
"You idiot..." Cursing, he put his phone away without turning off the screen and slipped out of the student line.
"H-Hey, where are you going, Kael!"
"Sorry! I forgot something really important! You guys go on ahead!" Answering Leo while facing the other way, he ran towards the main exit against the flow of the line. Just like that, Kael quickly changed his shoes at the locker and, as if about to fall forward, he ran out of the building. Passing the school gates, he ran down the hill in front of the school.
"...Since it's come to this, we'll evacuate normally... after I pick her up!" Running as fast as he could, Kael let out a silent shout. Spread out in Kael's vision was a truly terrifying sight. Streets with no moving vehicles, a city without any sign of people. On the streets, in the parks, even in the shops, not a single person was left. The presence of the people who had been here just moments ago lingered, but the actual figures of those people had vanished. It was like a scene from a post-apocalyptic horror movie.
Stellara City, carefully rebuilt while nervously dealing with Lunanima Rifts. Never mind public facilities, even the percentage of households with private shelters was the highest in the country. Because Rifts had been frequent lately, people evacuated quickly. But even so…
"Why is that idiot stubbornly waiting there...!" he shouted, then opened the map app on his phone again while still running. The icon showing Elara's position remained in front of that cafe. Deciding that Elara's punishment would be a long lecture on the importance of safety, he kept moving his feet at high speed towards his sister's location.
His legs ached, and his fingertips were numb. His head was dizzy, his throat was getting dry, and the sound of his own ragged breathing was loud in his ears. Yet, Kael didn't stop. Things like danger or fatigue couldn't enter his mind, because it was filled with the single thought of getting to where Elara was.
But—
"...?" While running, Kael glanced up. He thought he saw something move at the edge of his vision, in the sky towards the Old Industrial Sector. "What is that..." Kael frowned. There was a flash of blue and silver light, too fast to see clearly.
Before he could think about it further—
"Uwahhhh...!?" Kael instinctively covered his eyes. The street ahead of him, leading to the Old Industrial Sector, was suddenly engulfed in a blinding purple light. It was followed by a deafening explosion, and a powerful shockwave slammed into Kael.
"What—" Kael reflexively wrapped his arms around his face and planted his feet firmly, but it was useless. The wind pressure, like a massive gale, made him lose his balance, and he was thrown backward.
"What... What happened...?" Rubbing his eyes, which were still blinking from the glare, he pushed himself up.
"—Huh—?" Seeing the sight that spread through his vision, Kael let out a stunned sound. After all, the block of buildings at the end of the street leading to the Old Industrial Sector, in the brief moment when Kael had closed his eyes— Without a trace, had 'vanished,' replaced by a smoldering crater, smaller than the one on the morning news, but still horrifying.
And, in the center of that crater—
"That girl— why is she in a place like that?"
It was the girl from the prologue. The girl with silver hair and the cosmic scythe. She seemed to be facing something, or someone, that emitted flashes of silver light from across the crater. Their movements were fast, accompanied by clangs and bursts of energy.
Before Kael could process it further, a figure landed nimbly not far in front of him, between Kael and the crater. The figure was covered from head to toe in a kind of sleek yet powerful silver and dark blue exoskeleton combat suit. Small thruster units were attached to its back, and in its hands, it held a pair of large energy pistols. Its helmet then retracted, revealing a face Kael knew all too well.
"Rina... Volkov...?" he muttered in disbelief.
Rina glanced at Kael for a moment, her expression still cold and focused, but with a hint of surprise in her eyes. "Kaelen Vance...? What are you doing here? Evacuate immediately!" Her voice, though still flat, sounded louder and more authoritative through her helmet's speaker.
Before Kael could answer, the silver-haired girl with the scythe in the center of the crater seemed to notice their presence. She raised her scythe, and its cosmic blade began to glow with a threatening dark light.
"Phantasm target, 'Nova' class. Priority: Containment or Elimination," Rina's voice sounded again, more to herself or perhaps an internal communication. She raised both of her energy pistols, aiming them at the girl with the scythe.
"—Stop!" Kael shouted without thinking. There was something in the scythe-wielder's gaze—sadness, confusion, like a wounded and cornered wild animal. Not pure menace.
Rina turned her head slightly. "Don't interfere. This is not your business."
The girl with the scythe, perhaps provoked by Rina's movement or Kael's shout, swung her scythe in an elegant yet deadly sweeping motion. A slash of dark energy shot towards them.
"Get down!" Rina yelled, shoving Kael aside with one hand while firing back with her pistols. The energy from Rina's shots collided with the dark slash, creating a small, blinding explosion.
When Kael managed to open his eyes, Rina had already dashed forward, engaged in close-quarters combat with the silver-haired girl. The clang of metal on metal, or rather, energy on energy, echoed in the air, punctuated by flashes of light and shockwaves that made the ground tremble.
Kael could only sit limply, watching the unthinkable battle with wide eyes, while in his pocket, his phone vibrated violently—Elara was calling.