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"The deeper you walk into a shattered world, the more familiar its scars become."
— Izayami Tsukihiro
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🌪️ Between Chaos and Memory
Thunder cracked like splintering glass as Izayami leapt across a crumbling platform of jagged black rock. One arm shielded his eyes; the other held the unconscious girl close to his chest. Her silver hair drifted with the wind, glowing faintly under the pale sun that flickered like a blinking eye above a dying sky.
The ruins behind them, the divine guardians he had felled — already fading from his senses.
But the burden in his arms remained warm, real.
After hours of silence.. "Still not waking up, huh…" he whispered, shifting her slightly as he leapt over a mountain . "You're heavier than you look."
The place around him unraveled around him like a dream coming undone. "...And what is this place anyway?"
One moment, twisted black trees rose from rivers of molten crystal. The next, rusted stoplights blinked weakly at intersections overgrown with moss, while ancient vending machines stood like forgotten sentinels beside shattered pavement.
Skies danced with fragments of multiple realities — some painted in stars, others in static.
The further he goes, the more the world resembled a version of Earth — but warped, filtered through broken memories and collapsed timelines.
A digital sign flickered to life on a toppled skyscraper wall:
"Welcome to Neo-Nexus Ward 07 – Population: Unknown"
It caught his attention. "...am i hallucinating?.."
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🏙️ Arrival in Mirashiro
After hours of silent travel, dodging fractured leyline storms, magical beasts and temporal anomalies, Izayami crested a hill and froze.
Below him lay a town.
But not just any town — this one thrived.
Wooden homes built atop ruins of old-world structures. Market stalls buzzing with activity. Smoke rising from chimneys shaped like dragon horns. Lanterns floated mid-air, powered by both tech and magic.
And the people…
Elves walked beside humans, cloaked in long silver robes and wielding spell-imbued canes.
Dwarves hammered away at hybrid engines, merging mana cores with diesel fuel.
Hybrids — beastkin, draconic-blooded, and celestial-marked — mingled with wandering merchants and guards clad in myth-forged armor.
"Is this even real?…" Izayami muttered. "How is this even functioning?"
He descended slowly, still cloaked in the spiritual suppression that concealed his true aura. The girl remained motionless in his grasp, wrapped in a brown travel-worn cloak.
As he entered the town perimeter, he expected guards to stop him — but none did. They merely glanced up, felt something, and instinctively stepped aside.
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🏮 Meeting the Chief
The surrounding looks like a mixture of modern and traditional architecture. Within minutes, people start to question his presence. Rumors traveled through the cobbled streets until a broad-shouldered elderly elf emerged. His presence was commanding, his features marked by battle scars and spiritual tattoos glowing faintly with rune magic.
"Traveler," the man spoke, bowing slightly. "You walk not with footsteps, but with big purpose."
Izayami met his gaze.
"I'm just passing through."
The chief's eyes fell on the girl. "And yet, you carry a burden not of this realm."
Izayami's fingers shifted slightly around the girl.
"It's none of your business"
He smiled and introduced himself with a strong, gravelly voice.
"Haruza Souta. Chief of Mirashiro."
Izayami nodded clearly not interested.
Ignoring his arrogance, Haruza didn't ask too many questions — only offered shelter, food, and a room in the floating sanctum perched atop the old train station tower.
"You're safe here," he said. "But safety is always temporary. Even the stars fall."
Izayami has no reason to reject the offer but there will always be a catch.
"Thanks for the offer..." he smirked. "..But what do you want in return?"
"You will soon find out."
"Fine.. Just so you know if any of you dare to lay a hand on me or my companion i won't be hesitate to take your life." His voice echoed to the sky causing Eternavexus to shake. It's not just a warning it's something beyond.
"As you wish." Haruza bowed.
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⚠️ A Familiar Stranger
As night fell, Izayami stood alone under a flickering lamp near the edge of town, the mysterious girl he had saved before was resting nearby in a suspended mana cocoon.
He felt it before he saw it — a pulse, a familiar rhythm. Footsteps approaching.
And then… a voice.
"Izayami…?"
He turned. There, standing beneath the ruined neon sign of a noodle stall, was a figure from his past. A boy — no, now a young man — with sharp eyes, a carefree smile, and an aura that felt just a little too still.
An old friend.
Someone he never thought he'd see again.
"It's been a while," the boy grinned. "You've changed."
Izayami stared, conflicted.
He didn't know yet that this boy…
Was no longer who he once was.
He is now the embodimen of something greater — older than gods.
"It's me, Haruto. Haruto Ayashi. We're classmates in middle school. Don't you remember?"
He tilts his head slightly.
"Yeah.. from class-A...." Izayami nodded.
"Yup." He replied.
"..How did you get here?" Izayami asked.
"I live nearby.." He smirked.
"But how did you know that I'm here?" Izayami's getting suspicious of him.
Haruto grinned.....
Izayami getting ready for an attack.
The air around them thickened — the a divine pressure coiled invisibly, waiting.
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📄 End of Chapter 4
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