Ten days earlier near the outer borders of the Children of Echoes tribe, chaos reigned as battle cries clashed with the inhuman screeches of the Abyss.
"Kuh!! At this rate… we're finished!" the tribal chief shouted, parrying a strike before retreating behind a stone outcrop. "Damn it, I should have listened to the Archon sooner…!"
"Chief!" a breathless warrior ran up, armor scorched and battered. "They've broken through the southern line! Our defense is collapsing!"
The chief's jaw tightened. "Reinforce the southern flank now! Don't let them near the village!"
The warrior nodded and dashed off, but the chief's voice followed. "And send a runner to the Stadium of the Sacred Flame… tell the Lord Archon… that I accept her proposal. If we keep fighting alone, Natlan will fall. The six tribes must stand as one. Tell her we need her fire."
"Chief…" the warrior from the Children of Echoes murmured, still catching his breath.
The chief met his gaze, eyes sharp with purpose. "Can you do it? Deliver the message yourself?"
"With everything I have, Chief!" the warrior said, pounding a fist over his heart. "I'll stake my life on it!"
"Good. Then go—run like your ancestors are watching."
The chief watched him take off in a sprint toward the Stadium of the Sacred Flame, disappearing into the smoke and ash.
Gritting his teeth, the chief turned to his remaining warriors—his brothers, sisters, kin. He raised his voice.
"My people! Are you still with me?! Will you still fight along with me?!"
"YES!!"
He raised his blade high. "We hold this ground until the Archon's fire reaches us! For our tribe, our homes, and Natlan's future! We will not fall here!"
"For Natlan!!!"
The warriors of the Children of Echoes fought with unyielding resolve, bloodied but never broken. Even as wounds they got and as their numbers thinned, they still refused to fall. For every Abyss monster they cut down, more emerged from the rift, an endless tide that seemed to mock their bravery.
Is this the end…? Is this how our tribe falls? The chief clutched his bleeding arm, gritting his teeth as he leaned against his weapon. "Is this my punishment for doubting the Archon… for ignoring the warnings of our god?"
The ground trembled. The Abyss advanced again, slower now, savoring the final blow. Warriors around the chief braced for impact, some barely standing, others shielding the wounded behind them.
Then, it happened.
The air smells like burnt.
A wave of heat suddenly swept across the battlefield, so intense it silenced even the howls of the Abyss. The warriors blinked through the rising steam, confused. Several Abyss creatures growled uncertainly, halting their charge.
"What… what is this heat?" one of the warriors whispered, sweat trickling down her brow.
Another pointed skyward, voice cracking. "There—look! Someone's falling from the sky!"
All eyes turned upward.
Through the haze, they saw him.
A boy, no older than eighteen descended like a comet. His white coat flared in the wind, a golden greatsword blazing in his grip. Flames emitting from his sword surround him, awaiting for his command to be unleashed and his eyes… They burned like the sun.
The chief's breath caught.
"Who—?"
The boy's voice cut through the storm, clear and commanding.
"Shamash… Unleashed."
With both hands gripping the flaming hilt, he swung the sword down like judgment itself. The moment the words left his lips, light exploded outward a radiant sun born. A blinding burst of golden fire engulfed the battlefield, roaring like a god's decree.
When the second sun faded and the blinding light receded, silence fell across the battlefield. The boy stood alone in the center, his golden greatsword resting at his hand. The ground under him was scorched and molten, glowing like freshly spilled lava. Cracks ran through the earth, steaming with residual heat. There was no trace of the Abyss, not even ashes remained. It was as if they had been erased from existence.
Around him, the wind carried only the hiss of cooling stone and the faint awe-struck.
"…Finally… I released the feelings that were held back in that match."
—--
"Really, thank you for your help, traveler!" the chief said, gripping Noah's hand with both of his own and shaking it with fervent gratitude.
"Ahaha... Please, Chief-san, it's not a big deal," Noah laughed awkwardly, scratching his cheek. "I was just passing through, really."
"Nonsense! You are our tribe's savior! You burned the Abyss away with the sun!" the chief insisted with sparkling eyes. "How could we not show our gratitude?"
With a small sigh and a wry smile, Noah gave in. "...Then I'll accept. But only because you're making it hard to say no."
The chief chuckled and nodded. Around them, the warriors of the Children of Echoes remained in stunned silence, still processing the devastation Noah had left behind. The once battlefield was now nothing but scorched wasteland, a sea of molten stone and blazing heat. The lava is still oozing from deep cracks, the air thick with a firestorm's aftertaste.
Elysia stood a short distance away, raising her camera to capture the still burning field. "Log entry complete: 'The Day Captain Finally Released His Long-Repressed Desire.'"
"...Can you change the title? 'Released His Long-Repressed Desire' sounds way too embarrassing," Kiana mumbled, fidgeting with her hands. Her cheeks were blazing red, clearly thinking about the… alternative meanings.
Lumine, Miss A, and Elysia exchanged a look, then all turned toward Kiana with amused expressions.
"Hohoho! Your mind's the one making it weird, Kii-chan~ Or is that your hidden desire talking?" Miss A grinned, playfully elbowing her.
"W-What?! N-No!! I'm not like that!" Kiana flailed, her voice rising in protest as she glared at Miss A. "Stop saying weird things!"
Miss A gave a lazy shrug, still smirking. "Mhm~ Sure, sure. Totally innocent~"
"You little—!"
Lumine sighed ignoring the bickering duo. She looked toward Noah, who was still deep in discussion with the chief.
"...Guess Noah really needed to vent after that match got cut short," she added, watching him.
"Hmm, hmm. Just when he was about to go all out, the connection got cut. Welp," Elysia sighed with mock sympathy. "Good luck, Abyss. You're going to need it."
She flicked through the frames on her camera, then added, "Maybe if they had someone on Touya-kun's level, they could've held out a little longer. That might've absorbed some of Noah's leftover frustration."
"Ellie… that's asking for the impossible," Lumine deadpanned. "He crushed Heralds, Lectors, and even an Iniquitous Baptist using just his regular weapon. They're already commander-level of the Abyss."
Lumine pointed to the still burning wasteland. "This is the result of Noah using his Divine Key. Just what kind of miracle will the Abyss gonna need to match Touya or something that can take this level of power from Noah?"
Elysia paused, blinking slowly. Then without a word, she placed her camera down and folded her hands together like in prayer.
"Rest well, fallen souls of the Abyss," she murmured solemnly. "And may your next respawn be less one-sided."
—--
That night, while the Children of Echoes celebrated their survival with laughter and song, Noah, Kiana, Elysia, Lumine, and Miss A gathered quietly near a modest bonfire, sharing a meal and drinks away from the crowd.
Noah's eyes wandered to the villagers dancing under the firelight. There was grief, yes—but they danced to honor the fallen with joy instead of tears.
"So Noah," Lumine said between bites of her BBQ Beef Heart Skewers, "what's the plan from here?"
The rest turned to him, expecting a usual calm directive. But Noah remained silent for a beat, gaze stayed on a group of children laughing as they circled a musician.
"…I don't know," he said honestly. "The Force didn't guide me here. I just heard the Abyss was active in Natlan..... so I came."
The girls' expressions all twitched in sync at his nonchalant confession.
"…So let me get this straight," Miss A said slowly, leveling a flat stare at him. "You came all the way to Natlan… just to barbeque Abyss creatures. Which by the way, didn't even have the chance to leave a speck of ash. That's your whole reason?"
Noah gave her a blank look, then nodded seriously. "Yep."
Elysia threw her hands up. "Unbelievable. Not even a vague hope of finding a heroine in distress? No dreams of becoming a beloved hero of the nation of war?"
"Ellie, let's not give Captain the chance to pick up another one," Kiana muttered mid-bite, her skewer still halfway to her lips. Her eyes shimmered gold for a brief moment before fading back to blue. "Aren't we enough for him already?"
"That's right, El-chan!" Miss A puffed her cheeks and slammed her mug down. "We already have to deal with Ma-chan and Syl-chan back in his home world! No more competition allowed!"
Lumine raised an eyebrow, a small smirk playing on her lips. "In that case... maybe it's better if you focus on fulfilling your promise to Touya."
Noah blinked and leaned slightly toward Miss A, a teasing glint in his eyes. "Nee, Alice, got anyone in mind who's suitable for Touya?"
"PFFT—!" Miss A nearly choked on her drink, quickly turning away to avoid spraying it everywhere. "Y-you! Why do you always use my name just to drop affection bombs out of nowhere?!"
Noah took a calm sip from his mug and smiled. "Because you always react in the cutest way possible."
"...You absolute menace, Captain…" she groaned, face down on the table. "I should've never let my guard down."
Kiana stifled a laugh behind her hand, Elysia giggled openly, and Lumine simply smirked as Miss A squirmed under their knowing gazes.
"Don't worry, Alice," Kiana said with a wink. "Your reactions are 90% of why he does it."
"Wait—you too?! Are you all in on this now?!" Miss A wailed.
"Unanimous agreement," Lumine deadpanned, raising her skewer in a mock toast.
"So… any solid candidates we can pair up with Touya?" Noah asked again, brows raised with a teasing glint.
Miss A tapped her finger on her chin, then lit up. "Hmm… how about Fufu? Or Buer? Or even our sweet Nahida-chan?" Her eyes sparkled. "Oh! Oh! What about Ganyu?! She's elegant, mature, hardworking—perfect big sister energy!"
"...Nahida-chan aside, Buer, Furina, and Ganyu are all great options," Noah admitted with a nod, "but they're kinda… tied up with, y'know, divine duties."
Miss A sighed dramatically, lifting her mug. "Then we wait. 500 years tops! Some amazing candidates are bound to be born by then."
Noah gave her a flat look. "...You do realize Touya's human, right? He's not gonna live that long."
"Minor detail." Miss A only shrugged, casually sipping from her mug as Noah sighed in defeat. Kiana leaned in slightly, her expression curious.
"...You really meant that promise you gave to Touya, huh, Captain?" she asked, tilting her head.
Noah scratched the back of his neck. "Hmm… maybe half? Actually, more than that if I'm honest." He chuckled awkwardly. "You see, Touya's... pretty dense."
"Very dense," Elysia muttered under her breath.
"Oi, oi! Don't lump me in with him!" Noah protested, but the unimpressed stares from Kiana, Elysia, Lumine, and Miss A made him pause.
"Fine, fine. I admit it—I used to be like that too," he grumbled, biting back a groan as the four girls raised their eyebrows in synchronized judgment.
Trying to divert the attention, Noah cleared his throat. "Anyway… Touya's really close with Masha's sister, Alya. I've treated her like my own little sister since we were kids. The three of them—Alya, Mahiru, and Touya—always stuck together."
He leaned back, eyes drifting toward the children running around the bon fire. "I don't know when Alya started liking him. They grew up together, so Touya never saw it. And well… Alya being Alya, she hides her feelings behind that tsundere act of hers. So their relationship's been frozen in time like that."
Miss A clicked her tongue. "Ugh. Classic childhood friend curse."
"Exactly," Noah muttered. "If nobody gives them a push, they'll be like that for the next decade.""
"...So you want them to get together? Like, officially-official?" Lumine asked, her tone half-teasing, half-curious.
Noah nodded without hesitation. "Yeah. I trust Touya. I know he'll protect Alya with everything he's got. And… I wouldn't be comfortable handing over my precious sister to just any random guy."
The four girls exchanged a look.
"Then… Noah," Elysia said carefully, her voice dipping slightly. "What do you think about Fujimiya-kun?"
"Fujimiya-san?" Noah blinked. "Hmm, he seems decent? His shield spells are impressive... though I'm still confused why I punched him during the match."
The girls fell silent, trading glances that screamed internal group chat activated.
Kiana's eyes flicked sideways — Should we tell him?
Lumine subtly shook her head — Too risky. He'll panic.
Miss A's brow furrowed, lips pressing into a thoughtful pout — But what if he figures it out himself soon?
Elysia just grinned and nodded — Let's keep him in the dark. It'll be more fun that way.
"...You're all being weird again," Noah said flatly, watching their suspicious expressions. "Did I say something?"
"It's nothing," Kiana replied sweetly.
"Absolutely normal girl things," Miss A added with a too-innocent smile.
"We have concluded," Lumine said solemnly, as if announcing a verdict.
"And we will act accordingly," Elysia added with a dramatic whisper.
Noah just stared at them. "...Haaaa? What even—? Okay, sure… I'll just pretend I understood any of that."