The winter chill lingered in the air as Shido Itsuka slid open the balcony door of the Spirit mansion, a steaming cup of hot chocolate warming his hands. The sky was clear, stars shimmering against the dark canvas of night. It had been nearly a week since the chaotic events involving Nia, and a strange sense of calm had settled over their lives. A calm that, from experience, Shido knew wouldn't last.
"Aren't you cold out there?" Tohka's voice called from inside.
Turning, Shido smiled at the sight of her wrapped in a thick blanket, eyes wide with childlike concern. "I'm fine. Just needed some fresh air."
"Is there something troubling you?" Another voice joined in. Origami stood nearby, her analytical gaze studying him with precision.
"No, it's nothing," Shido lied, taking a sip from his cup. The truth was more complicated. Ever since Westcott had stolen Nia's Qlipha Crystal and obtained Beelzebub, a sense of foreboding had nestled in his chest. Something was coming. He could feel it.
As if sensing his thoughts, the communicator in his ear crackled to life.
"Shido," Kotori's voice was tense, lacking its usual commanding confidence. "We need you at the Fraxinus. Now."
The command center of the Fraxinus hummed with nervous energy as Shido stepped onto the bridge. Screens flickered with data, and the crew moved with an urgency he hadn't seen since the Origami incident.
"What's going on?" Shido asked, approaching his sister.
Kotori sat in her commander's chair, the ever-present lollipop absent from her mouth—a bad sign. "We've detected an anomaly."
"Another Spirit?"
"We think so," Kotori replied, gesturing toward the main screen where a pulsing red dot marked a location just outside the city limits. "But something's different. The spatial quake readings are off the charts—stronger than anything we've recorded before."
Reine approached, her permanently exhausted expression somehow even more pronounced. "The signature doesn't match any of our existing Spirit profiles. There's an unusual energy pattern that our systems can't properly categorize."
"What does that mean?" Shido asked.
"It means we're dealing with something new," Kotori said, her eyes fixed on the screen. "And potentially more dangerous than what we've encountered before."
"Any visual confirmation?"
"Not yet. The quake just hit a few minutes ago. AST is mobilizing, but they're not at the site yet."
Shido nodded, his resolve solidifying. "Then I should get there first."
"Are you sure?" Kotori's commander persona faltered for a moment, revealing the concerned sister beneath. "We don't know what we're dealing with."
"That's exactly why I need to go," Shido replied. "If it's a Spirit, we need to make contact before the AST turns this into a battlefield."
After a moment's hesitation, Kotori nodded. "Alright. We'll teleport you nearby, but not directly to the crater—too risky without knowing what's waiting there." She straightened in her chair, commander mode fully reengaged. "But Shido, at the first sign of unusual danger, we're pulling you out. No arguments."
The teleportation left Shido slightly disoriented as he materialized at the edge of a forested area. The night air felt charged, an electric tension that raised the hair on his arms. Through the trees, he could see a faint glow emanating from what must be the crater.
"I'm in position," he reported into his earpiece. "Heading toward the site now."
"Be careful," Kotori's voice replied. "AST units are still five minutes out. You have a small window."
Shido moved cautiously through the trees, guided by the strange glow ahead. As he approached the crater's edge, he felt an unusual sensation—a heaviness in the air that seemed to press against him, as if the very atmosphere was reluctant to let him pass.
The crater itself was massive, easily twice the size of any he'd seen before. But what caught his attention wasn't the scale of destruction—it was the figure at the center.
A man.
Shido froze. All previous Spirits had been female—it was practically a defining characteristic. Yet there, at the crater's heart, lay an unmistakably male form.
"Kotori," he whispered into his communicator, "are you seeing this?"
A moment of silence, then: "Yes. This is... unexpected."
Gathering his courage, Shido carefully descended into the crater. As he drew closer, he could see the man more clearly—tall and well-built, with long black hair splayed around him like a dark halo. Most strikingly, he was completely nude, his pale skin almost luminous in the strange ambient light.
Before Shido could approach further, the man's eyes snapped open—piercing golden irises that seemed to glow with their own internal light. He sat up abruptly, his gaze darting around in confusion before fixing on Shido with alarming intensity.
"Where am I...?" The man's voice was deep, cultured, with an accent Shido couldn't place. "Who... Who am I...? What is this place...?" Then, as if suddenly realizing his state of undress, his expression shifted from confusion to outrage. "WHY AM I NAKED?!"
The sudden shift from disorientation to indignant fury was so unexpected that Shido nearly stumbled backward.
"I—I can help you," Shido said, recovering his composure and taking a cautious step forward. "My name is Shido Itsuka."
The man's eyes narrowed, studying Shido with cold calculation. Then, something seemed to click in his mind. His posture changed, shoulders squaring as an imperious expression settled on his aristocratic features.
"Yes... Yes, I remember. I am Alaric... Alaric Krest." He rose to his feet with unexpected grace for someone who moments ago seemed disoriented. "I am the Emperor of the world."
Shido blinked, unsure how to respond to such a declaration. In his experience with Spirits, each had their own unique quirks and beliefs stemming from their isolation and trauma. But this was different—there was a certainty in the man's voice that sent a chill down Shido's spine.
"Emperor Alaric," Shido tried, deciding to play along, "you're in danger here. There are people coming who might try to harm you. I want to help."
"Help?" Alaric's voice dripped with sudden contempt. "You? A mere plebeian? How presumptuous."
In the distance, the whine of AST thrusters cut through the night air. Time was running out.
"Please, we need to go now," Shido urged, extending a hand. "I can take you somewhere safe."
Alaric glanced at the offered hand as if it were a particularly disgusting insect. "Do not touch me, commoner. Your familiarity is offensive."
"Shido," Kotori's voice came through his earpiece, "AST is approaching fast. Whatever you're going to do, do it now."
"Look," Shido said, growing desperate, "I understand you're confused, but—"
"I am not confused," Alaric interrupted, his voice hardening. "I am perfectly lucid. What confuses me is why a subject would dare speak to his emperor in such a manner." His eyes narrowed as he glanced up at the approaching lights in the sky. "And what are those peculiar flying machines?"
Before Shido could answer, the first AST units appeared overhead, their realizers illuminating the crater with harsh white light.
"Spirit identified," came a mechanized announcement. "Commencing attack."
"No, wait!" Shido shouted, but it was too late.
The AST opened fire, energy blasts raining down toward Alaric. Shido expected panic, fear, or at least surprise—the typical reaction of newly awakened Spirits. Instead, Alaric's expression shifted to one of cold fury.
"How dare you," he whispered, the words barely audible yet somehow filling the crater. "How dare you attack your sovereign."
Without warning, a blinding flash of golden light erupted around him. When it faded, Alaric stood transformed. Gone was his nakedness, replaced by an elaborate black armor adorned with golden patterns. A tattered obsidian cape flowed behind him, moving against the wind as if possessing its own will. Most striking was the sword that had materialized in his hand—a long obsidian blade with intricate golden designs that seemed to absorb the surrounding light.
"Elohei Kedem," he spoke the words with ritual precision, raising his sword. "You insects require a lesson in respect."
"Shido, get back NOW!" Kotori's voice screamed in his ear.
Shido stumbled backward as Alaric pointed his sword skyward. "Uriel... Kaf."
A sphere of darkness formed at the sword's tip before erupting into a beam of pure black energy that tore through the night. It struck the AST formation with frightening precision, scattering the armored women like leaves in a storm. Their barriers held, preventing fatalities, but the sheer force sent them tumbling through the air.
"What power..." Shido heard someone whisper through the comms.
Alaric lowered his sword, a look of disdain on his face. "Pathetic. Is this the best your realm can offer in resistance?"
He turned toward Shido, golden eyes burning with cold fire. "You. Peasant. Explain where I am and what those flying insects were. Now."
Shido swallowed hard, trying to maintain his composure. "They're called the AST—Anti-Spirit Team. They're humans who hunt beings they call Spirits. I think... I think you might be one of them. A Spirit."
"Spirit?" Alaric tested the word, clearly finding it distasteful. "I am no ethereal phantom, boy. I am Emperor Alaric Krest, sovereign of the seventeen kingdoms of Cledra, conqueror of the Dragon Courts, and master of all I survey." He glanced around at the unfamiliar surroundings. "Though it seems I have been... displaced."
"Shido," Reine's calm voice came through the earpiece, "try to keep him talking. We need more data."
"Where is Cledra?" Shido asked, genuinely curious. "I've never heard of it."
Something flickered across Alaric's face—a moment of uncertainty quickly concealed behind imperial arrogance. "It is... elsewhere. The details are not your concern."
Before Shido could press further, the sound of approaching AST reinforcements filled the air.
"More insects," Alaric muttered, raising his sword again. "How tiresome."
"Wait," Shido pleaded, stepping between Alaric and the approaching AST. "They're just doing their job. They don't understand what you are."
"Then enlighten them," Alaric replied coldly, "or remove yourself from my path."
"Shido," Kotori's voice was tight with tension, "we need to try something else. This isn't working."
"What do you suggest?" Shido whispered.
"Let's bring him to us. If he's a Spirit, our containment systems should hold him."
"Are you sure?"
"No," Kotori admitted, "but we're running out of options."
Shido took a deep breath and turned back to Alaric. "Emperor," he said, choosing his words carefully, "would you be willing to come with me to a place where we can speak more... appropriately? Away from these disruptions?"
Alaric considered him for a long moment. "You would presume to dictate my movements?"
"Not at all," Shido said quickly. "I merely wish to offer you the respect and privacy that someone of your... station deserves."
Something like amusement flickered in Alaric's golden eyes. "Well spoken, for a commoner. Very well. Lead on."
"Kotori, now," Shido whispered.
The familiar sensation of teleportation enveloped them—but something was wrong. Instead of the smooth transition Shido was accustomed to, this felt jagged, as if Alaric's presence was disrupting the process. When the light faded, Shido found himself exactly where he expected to be: the Fraxinus command center.
What he hadn't expected was the sight of Alaric standing calmly beside him, examining his surroundings with casual interest.
"Interesting conveyance," Alaric remarked, as if being teleported was a minor curiosity. "Crude, but effective."
The command center erupted into chaos. Security systems blared as containment fields automatically activated, enveloping Alaric in layers of shimmering energy barriers.
Alaric didn't even flinch. He simply glanced at the barriers with mild annoyance. "How rude."
"How did he—?" Kotori began, rising from her command chair.
"Come aboard?" Alaric finished for her. "Your little teleportation spell pulled at me, so I allowed myself to be brought along. Did you expect otherwise?"
"The containment fields should be holding him," one of the crew members reported, frantically checking readings. "They're designed to contain Spirit energy."
"And they might," Alaric replied, running a finger along the inside of the barrier as if testing its consistency, "if I were merely a Spirit, as you call it." His golden eyes fixed on Kotori. "But I am so much more."
With a casual gesture, he pushed against the barrier. It held for a moment, then began to crack like glass, lines of fracture spreading across its surface.
"Impossible," someone whispered.
"Reinforce the barriers!" Kotori ordered. "All available power!"
The containment field glowed brighter as more energy was channeled into it. Alaric paused, seeming to feel the increased resistance. For a moment, Shido thought they might actually hold him.
Then Alaric smiled—a cold, empty expression that never reached his eyes. "An admirable effort."
With a single, decisive motion, he drove his obsidian blade into the barrier. It shattered like crystal, fragments of energy dissipating into the air. The command crew scrambled backward, terror evident on their faces. Even Kotori took an involuntary step back.
"Now," Alaric said, sheathing his sword with deliberate slowness, "shall we dispense with these childish attempts at imprisonment and have a civilized conversation? I have questions that require answers."
The command center fell silent, all eyes fixed on the imposing figure. Kotori was the first to recover, straightening her shoulders and stepping forward.
"I am Kotori Itsuka, Commander of the Fraxinus and leader of Ratatoskr. You're aboard our vessel."
Alaric studied her with new interest. "You command this... vessel? Despite your youth?"
"Age is irrelevant to capability," Kotori replied, some of her confidence returning. "And I'm older than I look."
"Indeed," Alaric said, a hint of genuine respect in his voice. "Well then, Commander, perhaps you can explain what this place is, and why your flying soldiers attacked me without provocation."
"The AST are a military unit designed to combat the threat posed by Spirits," Kotori explained carefully. "Beings like yourself who appear through spatial quakes and possess extraordinary powers."
"I am not 'like' anything," Alaric corrected her. "I am unique. As for these 'spatial quakes,' I assume you refer to the disruption that accompanied my arrival?"
"Yes," Reine interjected, stepping forward. "Spatial quakes are destructive phenomena that occur when Spirits cross from their dimension into ours. They've been happening for at least thirty years."
Alaric's expression darkened. "Thirty years? Impossible. The empire could not have fallen so long ago."
"What empire?" Shido asked.
For a moment, genuine confusion crossed Alaric's face. "The Empire of Cledra. My empire." He frowned, as if trying to grasp at fleeting memories. "I ruled seventeen kingdoms, united under my banner. We had conquered half the known world before..." He trailed off, his expression hardening. "Before the betrayal."
"Betrayal?" Kotori prompted.
"By my advisor," Alaric's voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "My trusted friend. He drove a knife into my heart and left me to die as darkness consumed my world." His golden eyes blazed with sudden intensity. "Darwel. That was his name. Darwel Blackthorne."
Shido and Kotori exchanged glances. The name meant nothing to them, but the pain and rage in Alaric's voice were undeniable.
"I'm sorry," Shido said quietly. "That must have been terrible."
Alaric's gaze snapped to him, suspicious of the sympathy. "Your pity is neither required nor welcome, boy."
"It's not pity," Shido insisted. "It's understanding. Many of the Spirits we've encountered have experienced trauma or betrayal. It seems to be part of what transforms humans into Spirits."
"I was never human," Alaric declared with absolute conviction. "I was born to rule."
Before anyone could respond, warning klaxons blared throughout the ship. A tactical officer called out, "Commander! We've got incoming! DEM forces approaching rapidly!"
"How many?" Kotori demanded.
"At least three Bandersnatch units and... confirmation on Ellen Mathers in a CR-Unit."
"The Strongest Wizard," Kotori muttered. "Damned Westcott. How did they find us so quickly?"
"They must have detected the unusual Spirit signature," Reine suggested.
Alaric watched this exchange with growing interest. "These newcomers—they are enemies of yours?"
"Yes," Kotori answered. "DEM Industries. They hunt Spirits too, but not to contain them or negotiate—they capture and experiment on them. Extract their powers."
"I see," Alaric said, his voice suddenly thoughtful. "How interesting."
Something in his tone made Shido uneasy. "What are you thinking?"
Alaric smiled, and for the first time, it reached his eyes—though it brought no warmth to them. "I'm thinking, young Shido, that I should like to meet these... experimenters. It would be educational."
"That's not a good idea," Kotori said quickly. "Ellen Mathers is extremely dangerous, even to someone with your power."
"Is she?" Alaric's smile widened, becoming predatory. "We shall see."
Without warning, he vanished—simply disappeared from where he stood.
"Where did he go?" Shido exclaimed.
The tactical officer's voice was panicked. "He's... he's outside the ship! Somehow he's teleported into open air!"
"On screen!" Kotori ordered.
The main display flickered, showing an external view. There, floating in the night sky as if gravity were merely a suggestion, was Alaric. His black armor and cape stood in stark contrast to the moonlit clouds, the gold accents catching what little light there was. Opposite him, Ellen Mathers hovered in her CR-Unit, flanked by mechanical Bandersnatch units.
"Can we get audio?" Kotori asked.
"Working on it," came the reply. After a moment, external microphones picked up the confrontation.
"—unusual Spirit," Ellen was saying, her voice cold and professional. "Sir Isaac will be most interested in studying you."
"Study?" Alaric's voice carried a dangerous edge. "You presume much, woman. I am not some specimen to be dissected. I am Emperor Alaric Krest, and you will kneel or you will perish."
Ellen actually laughed—a sound so rare that Shido couldn't recall ever hearing it before. "You're either very brave or very foolish. Either way, you're coming with me."
"I think not," Alaric replied. With graceful deliberation, he drew his obsidian sword. "Uriel."
The blade glowed with golden energy, power radiating from it in visible waves. Ellen's expression shifted from amusement to caution.
"So that's your Angel," she said, readying her own weapon. "Impressive, but it won't save you."
"This is going to be bad," Kotori muttered. "If they fight here—"
"We have to stop them," Shido said urgently.
Before anyone could move, Ellen attacked, her Territory expanding as she launched forward with blinding speed. Her blade aimed directly for Alaric's heart—a strike that would have incapacitated any normal Spirit.
Alaric didn't dodge. He didn't even raise his sword to parry. He simply stood, or rather floated, perfectly still as Ellen's blade struck him square in the chest.
And stopped, as if it had hit solid stone.
Ellen's eyes widened in genuine shock—an expression few had ever witnessed on the Strongest Wizard's face. "What...?"
Alaric looked down at the blade pressed against his armor, then back at Ellen, his expression one of mild disappointment. "Is that all?"
With a casual gesture, he batted her away. Despite her Territory, Ellen was sent tumbling through the air, barely regaining control several hundred meters distant.
"Truly," Alaric called after her, "I expected more from the so-called 'strongest' of this realm. How disappointingly ordinary."
Ellen's face contorted with rage—another unprecedented display of emotion—as she readied herself for another attack.
"This is bad," Shido said, turning to Kotori. "We have to do something before they level half the city."
Kotori nodded grimly. "Preparing defensive measures. If we can create a barrier between them—"
She never finished the sentence. On the screen, Ellen had launched into another attack, this time with her full power unleashed. At the same moment, Alaric raised his sword, black energy swirling around the blade.
"Decree," he intoned, his voice echoing with power.
A wave of darkness erupted from his sword, meeting Ellen's charge head-on. For a split second, the two forces seemed evenly matched—then the darkness engulfed Ellen's Territory, swallowing it whole. When it dissipated, Ellen was frozen in mid-air, her body rigid, face locked in an expression of shock and fury.
"What's happening to her?" Shido asked, horrified.
"He's... controlling her somehow," Reine observed, studying the readings. "Some kind of paralysis effect."
On the screen, Alaric floated closer to the immobilized Ellen. "Kneel," he commanded.
To everyone's astonishment, Ellen's body began to move against her will, her limbs jerking as if pulled by invisible strings. The look of pure hatred on her face made it clear she was fighting with every ounce of her legendary willpower—and losing.
"I said," Alaric repeated, his voice deeper, resonating with power, "KNEEL."
Ellen's body convulsed, then bent, forcing her into a kneeling position even as she hovered in the air. The Bandersnatch units around her, responding to some silent command, opened fire on Alaric.
The energy blasts disappeared into his cape as if swallowed by a black hole.
"Insects," Alaric muttered, not even bothering to look at them. With a contemptuous wave of his hand, the Bandersnatch units were crushed by an invisible force, crumpling like empty soda cans before falling from the sky.
Alaric returned his attention to Ellen. "Now," he said, his voice almost gentle, "you will return to your master with a message. Tell him that Emperor Alaric Krest has arrived in this pitiful realm, and that he is not to be trifled with. Tell him that the next time he sends his puppets to capture me, I will not be so merciful. Tell him that I will be watching, and when the time is right, I will come for him."
With that, he released whatever power was holding Ellen. She remained floating but regained control of her body, hatred burning in her eyes.
"This isn't over," she spat.
"No," Alaric agreed, sheathing his sword. "It has barely begun."
Without another word, Ellen retreated, disappearing into the night sky.
Alaric turned toward the Fraxinus, his golden eyes seeming to pierce through the hull directly at the command center viewing screen. A moment later, he vanished—and reappeared on the bridge beside Shido.
Everyone flinched back, hands moving to weapons before Kotori's sharp command stayed them. "Hold! No hostile actions!"
Alaric surveyed the command crew with casual disdain before focusing on Shido and Kotori. "Your enemies are formidable, if unimpressive. I suspect the master they serve may prove more interesting."
"That was incredibly dangerous," Kotori said, struggling to maintain her composure. "You could have caused incalculable damage to the city below."
"Yet I did not," Alaric pointed out. "I showed restraint, which is more than your flying soldiers did when they attacked me unprovoked."
"Why did you let Ellen go?" Shido asked, genuinely curious. "You clearly could have... hurt her."
"Killed her, you mean?" Alaric raised an eyebrow. "Because a messenger is more valuable than a corpse. And because I wished to see what your reaction would be."
"My reaction?"
"Yes. Whether you would be pleased by the defeat of your enemy, or horrified by the potential for bloodshed." Alaric's golden eyes studied Shido with unsettling intensity. "You're a curious creature, Shido Itsuka. You claim to help these 'Spirits,' yet from what I gather, you strip them of their power—their very essence."
"It's not like that," Shido protested. "I help them control their powers, integrate into society—"
"By making them dependent on you," Alaric finished for him. "By becoming their... what? Savior? Master? Beloved?" He laughed, a sound like ice cracking. "How noble. How utterly self-serving."
"You're wrong," Shido insisted, feeling a flash of anger. "I care about them. I want to protect them."
"As a shepherd protects his flock," Alaric agreed, "until it's time for slaughter."
Kotori stepped forward, her patience visibly wearing thin. "Enough. You're aboard my ship, and while I appreciate your restraint with DEM, I won't tolerate these accusations."
Alaric regarded her with something approaching respect. "You have spirit, Commander. I can see why your underlings follow you despite your youth." He glanced around the command center once more. "This vessel is impressive, if primitive. I shall permit you to continue operating it in my name."
"In your—" Kotori sputtered. "We don't work for you!"
"Not yet," Alaric replied with absolute certainty. "But you will. All of you will. It is inevitable."
"And why is that?" Shido asked.
Alaric's golden eyes met his, and for a moment, Shido glimpsed something ancient and terrible behind them—a void that seemed to stretch into infinity.
"Because I am the Emperor," Alaric said simply. "And this world, like all others, was made to bow before me."
With those words, darkness enveloped him like a cocoon. When it dissipated, Alaric was gone, leaving only a lingering sense of dread in his wake.
The command center remained silent for several long moments before Kotori finally spoke.
"Well," she said, her voice uncharacteristically subdued, "that could have gone better."
"What do we do now?" Shido asked.
Kotori sank back into her command chair, suddenly looking every bit her actual age—a young girl burdened with responsibilities far beyond her years.
"I don't know, Shido," she admitted. "But I do know one thing."
"What's that?"
She looked up at him, her eyes deadly serious. "We're in way over our heads."