"Lines of Fire"
Eiji swung hard and low, his harness line whistling in the wind. Danger wasn't just part of how he moved—it was the way he breathed.
Behind him, Jun, Emiko, and Hikaru followed, each tethered to the same route, keeping tight formation.
A quick glance at his watch. One minute left.
He shifted his weight, gliding effortlessly to the next anchor point, linking carabiners with the kind of speed that made rookies dizzy.
"Emiko—adjust your scoopers for wind speed! Go lighter!" he called over comms.
At seventeen, Eiji wasn't just second-in-command of Team Dreamtop—he was their senior runner, and today, time itself was the enemy.
They zipped past a carrier tram packed with commuters. Some gasped, others cheered.
Watching kids swing between towers for loot, resources, and glory had become a spectacle—a dangerous sport for some, survival for others. Runners were starting to look like modern folk heroes… or fools, depending on who you asked.
The morning fog was heavy, muting the city's sharp edges. Eiji hated fog—too many surprises hiding inside it.
"Wait—did you hear that?" Hikaru's voice cut in.
A drone emerged from the mist, dead set on Emiko.
Eiji reacted before thinking—his line swung out in a hard 190-degree arc, boots slamming into the drone, sending it tumbling back into the grey.
But if there was a drone… there were runners.
They came in fast—Team Sabbath—bursting through the fog in steel-black and deep-blue gear, almost military in design. Rank 3 on the unofficial runner boards, backed by corporate money, and bristling with the latest tech. They didn't just run—they performed, streaming their stunts for massive audiences and payouts.
"Keep your eyes on the target. Don't engage," Eiji ordered.
Too late.
Arishima, Sabbath's leader, veered close, his voice taunting over comms. "Eiji and his merry little free-runners. Out saving the world again? How noble."
Eiji's jaw tightened. Arishima loved baiting rivals into public races—humiliating them live. Just last month, a girl had died taking that bait. Sabbath hadn't even slowed down.
"You trying to kill someone with that drone?" Eiji asked evenly.
Arishima laughed, double-swinging off a tram car, drawing cheers from passengers. "are you still listening to that old man of yours?"
Eiji stayed silent. Sabbath was trying to get to their loot first—cutting off their mission meant cutting off their pay.
"They're moving to intercept," Jun warned.
"Separate lines. Single formation. Emiko, watch our six," Eiji said.
"This is a race now?" Emiko asked.
"It's survival," he answered.
Above, Sabbath shifted position. Arishima's voice crackled: "Draw them in and leave Eiji to me. I've got a surprise for him."
Arishima dropped on Eiji's line , just behind.
His team trailed the others.
Drones hovered higher, broadcasting the tension to the city below.
Then a voice hit Eiji's comm—steady, deep, and commanding. Lord Kazunoni.
"Eiji, what are you doing?"
"Lord Kazunoni,"
"Its Okay, can you beat that asshole and make it back - all of you?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good. Then show them why we run. I'll be watching you all,"
Eiji's mouth curved into a grin. He nodded once to himself.
"Arishima, you want a race, don't you? Well then, I will give you!"
This startled Arishima for a moment, he hadn't expected his bait to be taken on this one. Eiji had always been too smart and composed to be drawn out for a race there was also the talks that Eiji was a better runner than himself.
Well, He would show them all.
"I see you finally came to your senses, well then, show me what you got!" Arishima returned.
The race was on.