On a quiet green plain, a brown-haired boy with nerdy glasses sat beside a small house, nervously checking the time.
That boy was Kirishima. Ever since Rael had contacted him, he hadn't been able to relax. He still didn't fully understand why Rael wanted to go after these people so recklessly.
"I owe him my life… I don't want to be ungrateful," he muttered, adjusting his glasses.
"But how does he even plan to pull this off?"
"Yo, Kirishima."
"Ahh!"
A voice from behind made him jump out of his skin.
"Rael-san?! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" Kirishima clutched his chest.
"Wait—how did you even get here? I didn't see you come in."
Rael gave a faint smile but didn't answer.
"So, is this your new secret base now?" he asked, amused.
"Don't make fun of me! This is just a little spot I use to relax sometimes. It's my grandparents' old place. Come in."
Rael stepped inside, removing his space bag from his shoulder.
"Rael-san… you look different."
"Huh?" Rael looked over, confused.
"You're taller. Stronger, too. What the hell happened to you? You're not on some kind of drug, are you?!"
Rael chuckled awkwardly. He had almost forgotten—it had only been one week in this world.
Instead of answering, he pulled out the drone from his special bag and tossed it onto the table. Kirishima stared at it, slack-jawed.
"Don't freak out. I'll explain everything."
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"So you're telling me… you became some kind of superhuman after meeting a random guy who made you an offer?!" Kirishima nearly shouted.
"Well… yeah. That's the short version," Rael replied casually, skipping the complicated parts.
"I also got information on those people after fighting one of them."
"You fought one of them?!" Kirishima asked, now analyzing the drone more closely.
"I told you—I can defend myself now. You don't need to worry about me." Rael created an energy blade in his hand.
Kirishima's jaw dropped again. "You got all this in less than two weeks? Man, I'm seriously jealous!"
"Still… I'll need your help. I plan to infiltrate them today—around 6 p.m. I want you to use this drone to record the journey, monitor the location, and collect any information you can."
"Wait—me? Rael-san, I don't even know how this works!" Kirishima replied, holding up the drone with a baffled look.
"No worries. It's thought-controlled. Just wear the helmet. The guy who sold it said it has attack and defense modes, night vision, and full camouflage."
Rael placed the helmet into his friend's hands.
"So… will you help me?"
...
Kirishima stared into Rael's determined eyes and sighed.
"I already know I won't change your mind. So… fine. I'll help."
Rael smiled and patted his shoulder.
"But first—let me test this thing out!" Kirishima said with a spark in his eye.
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"All right, so just wear the helmet and…"
Kirishima lay back on the bed, slipping the helmet on.
Moments later, a metallic dome formed over his body.
[Welcome to the Nano Control System. Establishing connection…]
The drone suddenly began to glow. Its appearance was similar to a miniature spaceship.
[Connection established]
"This is so cool!" Kirishima shouted, though his voice now had a faint robotic tone.
"Kirishima, try flying it around," Rael suggested, noting that the voice was being projected from the drone itself.
"Okay."
Just by thinking, Kirishima guided the drone in midair.
"It's like second nature! I can even play music in this thing—check this out!"
Suddenly, metal rock music blasted from the drone.
Rael raised an eyebrow. "That's a lot of features for 700 Lumen…"
Is this technology common on that floor?" There was nothing like this in Rael's world; it seemed like something out of a movie.
"Wait—there's an attack mode!"
"Kirishima, wait—!"
But it was too late. The drone turned red and launched a small energy ball toward Rael.
*BOOMM!*
The shot exploded against the floor, blowing a hole through it.
Kirishima watched the scene in utter disbelief, yet a wave of relief washed over him the moment he saw Rael was unharmed.
"Well… looks like we need a bit more practice." Rael rubbed the back of his neck.
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"Kirishima, can you hear me?" Rael spoke into a small earpiece.
It was almost time. A few hours had passed since their training, and now they were ready to put the plan into motion.
"Loud and clear. A ship is approaching. I see several men onboard, but they look like regular humans."
"They're probably just pretending. This place is too remote. Stay alert, and keep recording."
>[Understood. Activating Camouflage Mode…]
The drone shimmered for a moment, then vanished into the air.
In the distance, Rael approached the meeting point near the docks. Several groups, all looking serious and excited, had already gathered there.
Rael listened carefully to their chatter, watching how they behaved.
"Man, today's going to be epic. I can feel it!"
"I heard we'll get a full tour of the island too."
"Some members from other sects are coming, so yeah, it's probably big."
After a few minutes, a large ship docked. Two stern-looking men exited, wearing black vests. The crowd immediately fell silent and formed a line.
Rael followed suit, keeping his eyes sharp.
"Time to find out what the hell you people really are."