The morning chatter in the classroom was a familiar hum, a comforting backdrop of teenage gossip and low-level complaints.
But the moment Tetsu stepped through the door, it died. The silence was instantaneous, heavy, and accusing.
Every eye in the room pivoted to him, and as he walked to his desk, the whispers began again, louder this time, like a rising tide.
"Tsk."
Tetsu clicked his tongue in annoyance, a barely audible sound. He sank into his seat, trying to ignore the pointed stares and hushed conversations.
Seriously? Still this? Are they ever gonna drop it?
He knew what they were talking about – the rumors, the suspicions. It was exhausting.
During English class, while the teacher droned on about Shakespeare, Tetsu discreetly pulled out his hand gripper. He squeezed it rhythmically, silently, building up the strength in his fingers and forearm.
He needed to get stronger. He couldn't afford to be useless again.
He was so focused on the burning in his muscles that he almost missed the vibration in his pocket.
He pulled out his phone. It was a message from Arata:
"Mission for you."
A map appeared below the text, showing a location he didn't recognize.
Already?
Tetsu thought, a jolt of adrenaline cutting through the monotony of class. He stood up, catching the teacher's attention.
"Teacher," he said, trying to sound as innocent as possible.
"Can I go to the restroom?"
The teacher's brow furrowed, a flicker of suspicion in his eyes.
He just got scolded for skipping the other day, and now he's trying it again? Unbelievable.
He remembered the last time Tetsu had 'gone to the nurse' and vanished for hours.
No way he's pulling that again, especially not with Toyotomi on patrol.
He pictured Toyotomi, the burly, unsmiling security guard who had a sixth sense for class-skippers, standing guard outside his office.
Yeah, there's no way you're slipping past him, kid.
"Fine, Ishizawa," the teacher sighed, waving a dismissive hand. "But make it quick."
Tetsu nodded quickly and bolted out of the classroom.
In the corridor, he immediately broke into a run, a new kind of panic setting in.
Ugh, this guy again. I need to come up with an alternative plan to escape the guard. How am I gonna get past Toyotomi this time? Damn it! The same old tricks won't work twice!
He was so deep in thought, racking his brain for a new escape route, that he didn't hear a voice calling his name.
"Tetsu."
"Tetsu!"
"Tetsu!"
He blinked, snapping out of his thoughts, and looked up. Saya stood there, a slight frown on her face.
Saya? What's she doing here?
"You got a mission from Commander, right?" she asked, her voice low.
Oh, so Saya also got the same mission?
Tetsu instantly understood.
"Yes, but…" He gestured vaguely down the corridor towards where he knew Toyotomi would be stationed.
"There's a problem."
A thought sparked. He remembered her crazy rope skills.
"Oh, that's right! You can manipulate ropes, right? Can you use them to take us through the wall or something?"
But Saya had already vanished. Tetsu heard her voice, surprisingly clear despite the distance, asking, "Can you let us through?"
He strained to hear Toyotomi's reply.
"You're not allowed to skip class. Go bac—"
The guard's voice cut off abruptly. Tetsu peeked from behind the pillar just in time to see Saya calmly showing Toyotomi something in her hand.
It was the discreet Darkside Destroyer's emblem, a small, polished disc.
Toyotomi's eyes widened almost imperceptibly.
"That yellow-haired boy, too?"
Toyotomi asked, his gruff voice surprisingly subdued.
"Yes," Saya replied simply.
Without another word, Toyotomi opened the gate, the one Tetsu had failed to bypass so many times, and let Saya walk through.
Tetsu, still hiding behind the pillar, was utterly dumbfounded.
So, he'll just open the gate that easily?
He felt a wave of profound, exasperated disbelief.
What have I been doing all this time? All those intense, failed attempts… I could've just shown him my badge? Seriously?
He shook his head, a mix of annoyance and grudging admiration for Saya's efficiency.
Outside, the familiar black car was waiting. Saya was already in the backseat. Tetsu slid in beside her.
"Is this alright?"
Tetsu asked, looking at her.
Saya raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"I mean, you're trying to keep a good reputation here," Tetsu explained.
"It's fine for me, I guess, since the teachers already think I'm a frequent class-skipper.
He secretly thought.
Even though I fail every time.
"But the teachers think you're a super serious student. This might cause suspicion."
Saya waved a dismissive hand. "Oh, about that. Don't worry."
"Why?" Tetsu pressed, genuinely curious.
Saya offered a faint, almost smug smile.
"Because the teachers still see Ishizawa Tetsu and Kamizaki Saya sitting in class right now."
The scene shifted. Inside Tetsu's classroom, a duplicate of Tetsu sat calmly at his desk, diligently taking notes. In Saya's classroom, another Saya sat perfectly poised, equally engrossed in her studies.
Saya's voice continued, a disembodied explanation.
"There are people who disguise themselves as us to misdirect the teachers. Don't worry, we are clear of suspicion."
The car pulled up to the edge of what looked like a ghost town.
It was Shiraiwa Village, an abandoned place swallowed by encroaching forest. Crumbling wooden houses, their roofs caved in like broken teeth, stood silent and skeletal, choked by overgrown vines. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and decay, a heavy, cloying sweetness that made Tetsu's stomach churn. Sunlight struggled to pierce the dense canopy of trees, casting the village in a perpetual twilight. The silence was profound, broken only by the distant caw of a crow.
Saya exited the car, holding a sleek, tactical suitcase.
Tetsu followed, stepping onto the cracked, weed-choked asphalt. Saya surveyed the desolate scene, her eyes narrowed.
"This is Shiraiwa Village, an abandoned village. This is where our mission will be."
She turned to Tetsu, her voice firm.
"And now. Let's begin."
Without another word, Saya manifested a rope, its ethereal glow contrasting sharply with the gloom.
It shot out, coiling around a gnarled tree trunk nearby, and with a powerful yank, she launched herself forward, a graceful silhouette against the dappled light, flying into the nearby forest.
"Ah, wai—" Tetsu called out, but she was already gone, disappearing between the ancient trees.
He sighed, shaking his head. "I'll search this way, I guess."
He activated his Electrokinesis, a faint crackle around his legs, and burst into a run, sprinting towards the eerie silence of the village.
He ran through the dilapidated streets, past crumbling storefronts and empty wells. The village was completely deserted, a hollow shell of what it once was.
This village has a strange rotting smell, he thought, crinkling his nose.
Well, whatever. I need to finish this mission quickly.
He continued forward, eyes scanning every shadow, every broken window. He was so focused that he stumbled, catching himself before he fell.
"Oh. I'm sorry," he mumbled instinctively, reaching out. Then he froze.
Oh, I forgot. This is an abandoned village. Why am I expecting people? I need to focus on the mission.
"Ouch," a small voice whimpered, speaking in a language Tetsu didn't recognize.
Tetsu looked down. Sitting on the ground, rubbing his knee, was a young boy, no older than seven or eight. Tetsu had stumbled right over him.
He felt a pang of guilt. "Oh, jeez, I'm so sorry!"
He extended a hand to the boy. The boy looked up at him with wide, frightened eyes, then grabbed Tetsu's outstretched hand with both of his own, clinging tightly.
Tetsu was surprised by the boy's action, a clear sign of desperation and a plea for help.
"Please help! My mom was sick!" the boy cried, his voice laced with urgency, but it was in that foreign tongue.
Huh?
Oh, crap. I can't understand this language.
Tetsu switched to English, the universal backup.
"Can you speak English?"
The boy only looked back, confusion clouding his face.
Guess that's a no, Tetsu thought.
Suddenly, Saya dropped from the air, landing softly beside Tetsu, her shoes sliding a few inches on the dusty ground. She had clearly been moving at high speed, likely trying to catch up or scout ahead.
She was about to say something, but then she saw the boy.
"Who's this boy?" she asked Tetsu, her voice calm.
"Please help! My mom is severely sick right now!" the boy blurted out again, his small voice cracking with desperation.
Saya's eyes widened slightly.
Chinese? she thought, then knelt down, her expression softening remarkably.
"Boy," she said in fluent Chinese, her voice gentle and reassuring.
"Can you tell me more about what's happening?"
"My mom is in danger right now!" the boy replied, tears welling in his eyes.
"Can you lead the way?" Saya asked.
The boy nodded vigorously, scrambling to his feet. He took them deeper into the village.
Tetsu noticed a few more people now, mostly elderly, huddled in doorways, coughing. They looked at Tetsu and Saya with a strange mix of fear and faint hope.
The boy led them to a large, dilapidated old house at the edge of the village. The door creaked open, revealing a dim, musty interior. Inside, a woman lay on a futon, thin and pale, wracked by constant, hacking coughs.
The boy ran to her side.
"Mama! I brought these people to help us!"
The woman tried to sit up, but a violent cough seized her, and she coughed blood into her hand before collapsing back onto the futon.
Saya quickly moved forward, her face grim.
"The disease is worse than I thought," she murmured to Tetsu.
She put her tactical suitcase down, swiftly entered a code, and opened it. Inside, nestled in a velvet lining, was a tiny, sleek metallic box.
She opened that too, revealing several small, dark pills.
She popped one into her own mouth without hesitation.
"This pill prevents infection. Drink it."
She handed one to Tetsu. He swallowed it quickly, a faint, bitter taste blooming on his tongue.
With the last pill, Saya knelt by the sick mother and gently placed it into her mouth. After a moment, the woman's coughing subsided, though she still looked terribly weak.
"This won't cure the disease after all," Saya said, standing up.
"We have to put an end to the source."
"But we haven't found it yet," Tetsu said, looking around the desolate room.
Saya turned, her eyes gleaming with determination.
"I've already found it. Let's go."
They walked back into the forest, Saya leading the way with an unerring sense of direction. Tetsu couldn't shake the image of the coughing villagers, the sickly scent hanging in the air.
It seems like everyone here is infected.
In the darkest moments, a flicker of hope sparked within Tetsu.
He imagined a future where the villagers could thrive again, where the laughter of children filled the air. This vision pushed him to take action, no longer allowing fear to paralyze him.
If I can find a solution, maybe we can rebuild together, he thought, letting hope guide his steps into the unknown.
He recalled the villages, where people were coughing:
They need better healthcare.
He remembered asking the boy, "Can you speak English?" but the boy couldn't reply:
They deserve better education.
He thought about the houses, which were in terrible condition:
They should have better housing.
We have to eliminate the source before this spreads further.
They soon reached a clearing, an unnaturally barren patch of forest where no trees grew. In the center of this desolate area, a monstrous figure squatted. It was a gigantic rat, easily the size of a small car, with unnervingly intelligent, glowing red eyes and matted, black fur.
A low growl rumbled in its throat as it detected their presence.
"This is our target," Saya said, her voice grim, a stark contrast to her earlier playfulness.
"E-201. The Plaguebringer. Level 3."
She had clearly found it earlier and retreated to get Tetsu, demonstrating her mission-first approach.
"Stay there, Tetsu."
Saya opened her tactical suitcase again, pulling out a gleaming, wickedly spiked flail. The heavy weapon looked utterly out of place in her small, slender hands.
""I'll be soloing it."
"Witness your partner's way of working."
Tetsu swallowed, a dry lump in his throat. The air intensified around them, charged with Saya's focused intent.
A strong gust of wind swept through the treeless clearing, rustling the remaining leaves on the distant trees.
With a determined glint in her eyes, Saya launched herself forward, sprinting towards the massive Anomaly, her flail swinging silently at her side.