[Main Dream World: Mexus Squad Office]
"Was that… the Nertis?" Taro muttered, his voice thick with disbelief as he slowly turned his head from his Reibone, the blade still trembling in his grip, its green patterns pulsing like a frantic heartbeat against the dim glow of the office. The air around him felt heavy, charged with an unspoken dread. Nodoka stood beside him, her dark silk hair catching the faint shimmer of dreamlight seeping through the cracked window, her wide eyes darting between the sword and Taro, confusion etching deep lines across her pale face as she clutched the edge of her black outfit.
Mexus's face hardened, etched with a seriousness that carved shadows into the creases of his weathered skin, his gray eyes narrowing beneath the frayed brim of his straw kasa hat. The office around him buzzed with tension—scrolls littered his desk, their edges curling from spilled ink, and the faint hum of a rune-powered lamp cast jagged flickers across the walls. "Yeah, a yellow flag," he said, his voice low and gravelly, each word deliberate. "Intruders are in, and not some ants or cockroaches—they're big, fat, dangerous animals, from what they said. The Nertis don't throw warnings like this unless the Dream World's stability is on the line."
Taro's expression shifted, his green eyes darkening with a fierce resolve as he squared his shoulders, the black suit with its glowing green patterns creaking slightly. "Oh yeah, I guess there ain't no pest control then. We gotta go stop them ourselves—" His words were cut off mid-breath by a familiar voice slicing through the thick air like a blade.
The door flew open with a thunderous bang, wood splintering slightly as Kazuishi barged in, her silver hair glinting like molten steel under the dreamlight, strands whipping wildly as she stormed forward. Her sharp blue eyes, usually cool and composed, widened as she caught Taro mid-sentence, his mouth still open, hand gesturing toward the door. She raised a brow, the urgency in her tone faltering into a mix of surprise and suspicion. "Um… Taro? Where the hell have you been… and when did you get back here?" Her gaze slid past him, landing on Nodoka lurking behind, her black outfit a stark contrast to the ethereal glow. "And who's the doll?"
Nodoka let out a soft grunt, her lips twitching with irritation, wondering why people kept slapping that label on her like she was some porcelain figurine. Her fingers tightened on her sleeve, the fabric bunching under her grip as she shot Taro a sidelong glance.
Taro let out a deep, rumbling sigh, the sound echoing off the stone walls as he ran a hand through his messy green hair, tugging at the strands in frustration. "Those are all great questions… but I don't think we have enough time on the ground to cover that. The main thing is…" He flashed a lopsided, almost sheepish smile, his teeth glinting faintly. "…I'm back, and I've brought someone with me."
"I see… I suppose it's good to have you back then, Taro," Kazuishi replied, her voice catching slightly as she fake-coughed, masking a strained smile that barely hid the pink flush creeping up her cheeks. Her silver hair shifted as she tilted her head, studying him with renewed interest.
"Thanks, I guess," Taro chuckled, a low, nervous sound bubbling up as he scratched the back of his head, his fingers brushing against the rough texture of his suit. Meanwhile, Nodoka's eyes flicked back and forth between Taro and Kazuishi, her gaze sharp and analytical, a silent "wait, hold on?" brewing in her mind as she pieced together their dynamic.
She leaned in, her whisper loud enough to carry across the room, the words dripping with playful accusation. "Taro, why didn't you ever tell me you had a girlfriend?"
Taro and Kazuishi blushed simultaneously, their faces erupting into a deep crimson that clashed with the dreamlight's glow. "What, he's not my boyfriend!" Kazuishi snapped, her voice cracking with embarrassment, her hands balling into fists at her sides. "What, she's not my girlfriend!" Taro echoed, his voice overlapping hers, his green eyes wide with mortification as he waved his hands in denial.
Mexus cut in sharply, his tone a whipcrack that silenced the room, his gray eyes glinting with impatience under his kasa. "If you two lovebirds are done, can we kindly continue the discussion instead of kissing!" The words hung heavy, laced with a mocking edge that made the air feel thicker.
"Hmph," Nodoka huffed, crossing her arms tightly over her chest, her disbelief palpable as she fixed Taro with a skeptical stare, her dark eyes narrowing.
"We're not… lovebirds… and we're not… kissing!" Taro and Kazuishi shouted in unison, their voices rising to a near-scream, the embarrassment painting their faces an even deeper shade of red. The echo bounced off the walls, mingling with the faint hum of the rune lamp.
"Okay, okay… my bad," Mexus surrendered, raising his hands in a mock gesture of peace, his kasa tilting as he leaned back, clearly not up for prolonging the spat. "Let's move on."
Kazuishi took a deep breath, steadying herself, her silver hair settling as she straightened her posture. "Right… about the intruders, I've ordered most of our squad—who were scattered across the Dream World—to fall back here. The plains were buzzing with their footsteps, the air thick with their urgency. However, Uriel and Yaburu were already on the move the moment they heard the alarm, their silhouettes vanishing into the fractured skies. We only have a few here; the rest are trudging back through neon grasslands and crystalline rivers, their Reibones glinting in the distance."
"I see…" Mexus murmured, his voice dropping to a contemplative growl as he bent his head, eyes closing slowly. The kasa cast a deep shadow over his face, the office falling into a tense silence as he processed the gravity of the situation, the weight of leadership pressing down on his shoulders. After a long, drawn-out moment, he rose with a creak of his chair, resolve hardening in his stance. "Alright then, I'll be heading out." He pointed a calloused finger at Taro, his voice firm. "Taro, you're coming with me… The girl too, I guess."
As Mexus strode toward the door, his boots thudding against the stone floor, Kazuishi stepped into his path, her silver hair swaying as she blocked him with a determined glare. "Hold on, sir… logically speaking, doesn't it make more sense for me to go with you? I'm your assistant, a Night Crusader, trained to handle the shadows, while he's the lowest rank—a Dream Drifter, barely scraping by. It'd be better if I go, while he stays here with the girl to keep her safe." Her voice carried a hint of pride, her blue eyes flashing with conviction.
Mexus raised a brow, his tone turning icy, the air around him chilling as he spoke. "Oh? Night Crusader, huh? Remind me if my brain's grown faulty… but didn't Taro—when he didn't even have a rank yet—beat you in that sparring match, his green energy outshining your shadows?"
"Hmph," Taro grunted, his lips curling in displeasure, knowing full well the direction Mexus was steering this. He braced himself, sensing the inevitable jab.
Kazuishi turned her head away, shame coloring her cheeks a faint pink, her silver hair falling to hide her eyes. "I… I… I-I was caught off guard," she stammered, her voice faltering under the weight of the memory.
"That doesn't really matter," Mexus shot back, his voice cutting like a blade. "I never told or taught you to ever let your guard down, not in this world where every shadow hides a threat. Wouldn't Taro be a better pick? I've never caught *him* off guard—not once." With a swift, fluid motion, Mexus drew his Reibone, the blue energy crackling along its edge, and hurled it at Taro with blinding speed, the blade whistling through the air like a banshee's cry.
Taro's reaction was pure instinct—his hand snapped up, catching the Reibone mere inches from his chest, the impact sending a jolt up his arm. "Ugh!" he growled, his green eyes flashing with irritation as he flung it back to Mexus, the blade spinning back with a defiant hum. "Not cool, man."
"See?" Mexus asked, his tone unironically smug, a faint smirk tugging at his lips as he caught the Reibone with ease.
"He… he has precognition," Kazuishi tried to defend, her voice trembling, grasping at straws to salvage her pride.
Mexus's follow-up was immediate, his voice a low rumble. "It's not passive. It's honed skill—something you'd do well to learn."
"But please… sir… I need to prove—" Kazuishi pressed, her words desperate, her blue eyes pleading as she stepped closer, unwilling to let Taro take her place and determined to reclaim her honor.
"Kazuishi…" Mexus's tone shifted, turning stern and unyielding, his gray eyes locking onto hers with an authority that brooked no argument. "Stand down… that's an order."
Kazuishi trembled under his gaze, her silver hair quivering as she met his stare, then lowered her head, stepping back slowly, her shoulders slumping in defeat. The room seemed to shrink around her, the weight of the command pressing down.
Mexus opened the door with a creak, pausing to tap her shoulder gently twice, the gesture a rare softness amidst his sternness. "Maybe another day," he murmured, then passed through, his kasa bobbing as he moved.
Taro followed, patting her shoulder with a hesitant touch. "I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice laced with regret, then moved on with Nodoka, her dark eyes lingering on Kazuishi's slumped form.
Once they'd left, Kazuishi sank to her knees, the stone floor cold against her skin, a sob breaking free from her throat. "Ah… ahhh… ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Her cries echoed through the office, raw with pain and frustration, the sound bouncing off the rune-covered walls as tears streaked her silver hair.
Nodoka whispered as they walked, her voice soft and tinged with unease, the corridor's dreamlight casting long shadows. "That was rough… is he always like that?"
"No, he's not… it just kinda happens sometimes," Taro whispered back, his green eyes tracking Mexus's broad back ahead, the kasa swaying with each step.
"Well, I sure hope he doesn't do it again anytime soon," Nodoka said, dropping the whisper, her tone firm as she adjusted her black outfit.
"Yeah, I hope so too," Taro nodded firmly, his gaze steady on Mexus, the weight of the moment settling into his bones.
**[Elsewhere: Dream World]**
The trio—Rooftop Watcher, Rune-Masked Figure, and Void-Masked Figure—neared the Mexus Squad's territory, their boots crunching against the neon grass as they stumbled upon the massive gates of a squad entrance. The gates towered overhead, their metallic surfaces etched with glowing runes that pulsed like a living heartbeat, the air around them crackling with residual energy from past battles. The landscape stretched beyond—crystalline rivers glinted under a fractured sky, and distant echoes of dreamers' laughter mingled with the wind.
"Well… boys, maybe this is it," the Rooftop Watcher said, leading the way, his amber eyes glinting with a predatory hunger beneath his tattered cloak, the fabric fluttering like shredded wings.
With a forceful *boom*, he flung the gates wide open, the metal groaning under the strain, hinges screeching as they gave way. "Yo… Taro!" he called, his voice booming across the threshold, expecting a dramatic showdown, his jagged teeth bared in a grin.
But the scene inside was a stark contrast—peaceful, almost serene. Tomaka's squad meditated under a canopy of crystalline trees, their branches dripping with prismatic light, Reibones resting beside them like silent sentinels. The calm shattered as every head turned, faces hardening, including Tomaka's, her violet hair catching the glow, her deep blue eyes narrowing with recognition. They armed themselves in an instant, blades humming to life with a chorus of energy, the air thickening with tension. "It's the intruders!" they screamed, their voices overlapping in a frantic crescendo. "Let's get them!"
They rushed forward, a wave of silver and blue, but the Rune-Masked Figure acted with chilling precision. "They never learn, do they?" it muttered, its voice a raspy drawl as it bent down, plucking a handful of neon grass with skeletal fingers. It inscribed a rune with a glowing fingertip, the symbol flaring blue against the green. "Rune of Sharpness." With a flick of its wrist, it hurled the grass, the blades spiraling through the air. What seemed harmless at first—mere blades of grass—transformed mid-flight. As the Dremapols charged, the grass sliced through their necks with surgical precision, bloodless for a heartbeat before heads tumbled to the ground, rolling across the crystalline floor with dull thuds. Lifeless bodies collapsed in a grotesque heap, the stench of blood rising like a miasma, mingling with the sweet dreamscape air, a metallic tang coating the senses.
The Rune-Masked Figure stepped back, its wooden mask tilting slightly. "Ugh, not this part again," it groaned, the sigils dimming as if recoiling from the gore, its shadowy form shifting uncomfortably.
The Dremapols who'd stayed behind froze, their faces draining to a sickly pale, trembling in horror as they witnessed the grass end lives so brutally. Their Reibones clattered to the ground, forgotten, as their hands shook, eyes wide with terror, breaths coming in shallow gasps.
Tomaka, however, stood apart, her violet hair whipping in the sudden breeze, not gripped by terror but engulfed by a wave of despair. She knelt beside a fallen squad member, her trembling fingers brushing the severed head, the cold skin sending a shiver up her arm. "Why…" she whispered, her voice a broken thread, almost rhetorical, tears welling in her deep blue eyes. "Why would you do such an evil thing?"
"They were going to attack us first…" the Rooftop Watcher said, his tone shifting seamlessly, uncaring about the bloodshed as he adjusted his tattered cloak, blood splatters glistening like jewels. "Say, do you know any Dremapol who goes by the name of Taro?"
"I do," she exclaimed, her grip tightening on the head, her knuckles whitening as rage simmered beneath her despair.
The Rooftop Watcher's smile grew, a devious crescent stretching across his face. "Haha… great, I knew some of you Dremapols were good for… well, someth—" He was cut off mid-sentence.
Tomaka's voice hardened, cutting through the air like a blade. "But I won't tell you. You'd have to kill me first… and I still wouldn't let you know. Your spirits are far too unclean—tainted with a darkness that doesn't belong here."
"Huh?" The Rooftop Watcher grunted, his amber eyes narrowing as he face-palmed, the sound a sharp crack against his palm. "You as well don't want to help us? You guys must have this insane, uncontrollable desire to kill yourselves."
He sighed, a long, exaggerated breath that carried a hint of annoyance. "Fine then… have it your way." His voice rose, sharp and commanding. "Void!!!!"
The Void-Masked Figure stepped forward, its featureless black mask tilting as it raised a skeletal hand. With a surge of dark energy, it unleashed a more potent blast—a swirling vortex of shadow that tore through the air, the ground trembling beneath its force, crystalline shards cracking under the pressure.
But a counter struck point-blank—a half-shaped blue sphere of energy erupted from the side, its light clashing with the darkness, disrupting the blast with a deafening *boom*. A voice cut through the chaos. "Half Shape Blue Sphere!"
A Dremapol landed with a heavy thud before Tomaka—Brian, his rugged blonde hair disheveled and matted with sweat, his brown eyes blazing with a fury that seemed to ignite the air around him, blue fire flickering in their depths.
"Huh?" The Rooftop Watcher blinked, his amber eyes widening in confusion, his tattered cloak fluttering as he took a step back. "Who the hell are you?"
The Void-Masked Figure raised a brow—or what passed for one—its mask tilting slightly, the unseen object in its grip humming with a faint, ominous pulse.
"Who am I?" Brian's voice dripped with sarcasm, laced with a deep, simmering anger that rumbled in his chest. He stood tall, his Dremapol suit—scarred silver with faint red streaks—creaking as he clenched his fists, veins bulging along his forearms. "Again, again, always 'who's that guy'… (grunts hard) …but you guys want Taro… and don't have a clue of my existence!" He sank his hands into his hair, fingers digging in, nearly ripping strands out in his rage, the blonde locks falling messily over his face. "Every goddamn person… Taro this… Taro that… Argh!"
"If I hear that bastard's name… one more time…" He stomped the ground, the crystalline floor cracking under his boot, his face twisting into a snarl. "…I swear I'll kill you!" Then realization dawned, a mad glint sparking in his eyes, and he laughed—a wild, unhinged sound that echoed off the trees. "Wait… this time I can actually kill you guys....hahaha...you're intruders after all!" His laughter grew, a manic crescendo. "Hahahaha, I'm going to enjoy this!"
"Brian… please be careful—" Tomaka warned, her voice trembling with concern, her violet hair swaying as she reached out, but he cut her off, his fury boiling over.
"Shut… your… bitch… ass up!" he roared, his voice a thunderclap that silenced her, his brown eyes flashing with blue fire as he turned back to the trio.
He faced them fully, his stance wide, Reibone materializing in his grip with a crackle of red energy. "You guys—all of you…" He paused, letting the silence stretch, the air thick with his rage. "…you're dead," he growled, the final word a menacing promise, blue flames dancing in his eyes as he raised his blade, ready to strike.
---
Follow The Author
( Socials in sypnosis)