~~~Cape Hedo Cafe~~~
"An abandoned café?"
Itoshi blinked in confusion as he asked, watching the helicopter rise and disappear into the distance.
To which, Ryujin answered with confidence.
"Yeah. Apparently, this is our place for the night."
"Ah..."
Ayro turned to Itoshi, a cheeky smirk tugging at his lips.
"Scared of spiders?"
"Not really... but—"
He glanced at Kara, who was visibly trembling.
"Spiders...?"
The four stepped inside the dusty old café with Kara clinging behind Itoshi. Wooden floors creaked under their boots.
"I kinda thought we'd have lights or something."
Arms crossed, Ryujin shot.
"It's an abandoned café, dummy."
Scratching the back of his head, Itoshi argued.
"I know, I know... but come on—we're working under a high-end organization, right?"
"Well.. We're still soldiers...Anyway. Ayro, can you stay on watch tonight?"
With no hesitation, Ayro followed the leaders order.
"Yeah, sure. I'll take the lookout."
"Itoshi, Kara—come on. Let's check the rest of the place. We'll sleep on the second floor, above the café."
Ryujin commanded.
In chorus, the pair followed up,
"G-Got it!"
After a short exploration of the dim rooms and cobweb-covered corners, Itoshi found his way to the rooftop.
He looked north, where a faint red glow lit the sky far in the distance.
"Hmm... Tokyo, huh."
From behind him, A girl calls.
"Oh! Koya, there you are!"
Itoshi turn around, facing Kara.
"Oh—sup."
Kara walked over and sat near the edge of the rooftop, legs dangling just above the railing.
"Hey! be careful down there."
Itoshi hushed nervously.
Kara simply snickered, not making an eye contact with Itoshi.
"Come sit."
He hesitated, then joined her. Kara spoke the moment Itoshi relaxed.
"We're doing something new! Isn't it interesting?"
"I guess so. Life's not gonna be like it used to be."
Itoshi answered, tone low.
"Yeah..."
With determination, Itoshi added.
"No more waiting for the Seeles to come. We'll face them ourselves now. We've got to get stronger from here on out... What do you think, Kara?"
Kara turned to him, with a smile.
"I think it's exciting. We're gonna go to places we've never seen. Meet people who are all different, colorful in their own ways."
Itoshi raised a brow as he turned his head to Kara.
"This isn't a vacation.. y'know."
Kara then chuckled, Eyes closed as she covered her mouth with her right palm.
"Hehe, I know that."
And then.. Silence.
"Aren't you scared?"
Itoshi asked.
Kara didn't answer immediately, she paused, seemingly trying to reconvey her thoughts on Itoshi's question.
"Dummy. Of course I am. I don't know what's gonna happen tomorrow, or the day after that. It's scary.. It's gonna take time to adjust... But being with you? I think I can manage that."
"...Oh."
Kara suddenly gasped, grinning as she shot her finger toward the starry night sky.
"Look!"
Itoshi looked at Kara, then turned quickly to the sky.
"Ah!"
"Koya! It's Leo!"
"Constellation?"
Kara giggled as she spoke.
"Yeah! Did you know it's the twelfth largest constellation out of all eighty-eight?"
"Mhm...."
Then Kara continued her little trivia.
"Its name comes from the Latin word for 'lion.' Because it kinda looks like one!"
"Oh... It does look like one.. that's so cool!"
They sat side by side, as Kara excitedly shared everything she knew about constellations. Under the quiet stars, with the unknown ahead of them, for a moment—they simply existed in peace.
~~~March 31, 2169~~~
[12:24AM]
Ryujin and Itoshi were fast asleep, their backs resting against the wall on the café's second floor. Kara slept in a separate room, using Itoshi's "luggage" as a cushion—he'd given it to her to make sure she'd be comfortable.
Meanwhile, Ayro stood watch by the front door, fully alert and keeping his senses sharp.
Suddenly, he heard the rustling of leaves behind the café. He didn't sense the presence of a person or a Seele, so after a moment's pause, he chose to ignore it.
[2:10AM]
Ryujin's eyes snapped open, a sharp instinct pulling him out of sleep. He sat up quickly, his heart steady but alert, and scanned the dimly lit second floor.
Without a word, he rose and made his way downstairs, his footsteps soft but purposeful against the old wood. He pushed open the door and stepped into the cool night air.
Ayro stood by the entrance, as vigilant as ever. His arms were crossed loosely, one hand resting near the hilt of his blade.
"Hoh? Can't fall asleep?"
Ayro asked.
"Nah. Something's here,"
Ryujin replied.
Ayro turned slightly, giving him a sidelong glance, his curiosity piqued.
"What do you think it is?"
Ryujin's gaze shifted toward the woods in the distance. The trees swayed slightly in the breeze, their silhouettes stark and skeletal under the moonlight.
"Most likely Seele. It's the kind of night they creep in for a chance at a special flame. It's perfect for it, actually."
Ayro narrowed his eyes.
"Mostly Seele? You think there's someone else out there too?"
"I can't say for sure. But something feels... off. I'll stay out here with you. Just in case,"
Ryujin said.
"Go ahead,"
Ayro replied.
The two men took their positions, silent and poised, the tension between them unspoken but mutual. The breeze carried a faint rustle of leaves, the kind that prickled at the edge of instinct.
Inside the café, Itoshi and Kara remained asleep—peacefully unaware of the growing unease outside.
Kara lay curled on her side, her head resting gently on Itoshi's makeshift cushion, her breaths soft and steady. Itoshi, always a light sleeper, stirred faintly but did not wake.
Out beyond the clearing, hidden by the thick underbrush, a faint silhouette crouched low. A figure, cloaked and still, watched the café from a distance.
The moon glinted off a pair of binoculars as the observer adjusted their position. They watched Ryujin and Ayro's every movement with unnerving patience, their presence cloaked well enough to avoid even Ayro's sharp senses.
Something was indeed out there—and it was watching.
[3:00am]
Ayro stepped back inside the café, glancing at the old wall clock still ticking away in the shadows.
"Hmm. They say bad things happen at 3 AM—"
Before he could finish, a chilling, metallic screech tore through the quiet night, echoing from the deep woods.
"You jinxed it,"
Ryujin's voice drifted in from outside.
Ayro shrugged, unfazed, and stepped back out onto the porch.
"How many do you think?"
"I heard one, but I sense more,"
Ryujin replied, his posture shifting into a combat stance.
Suddenly, the sound of frantic footsteps rushed down the stairs. Itoshi appeared at the doorway, his eyes wide and his breath uneven.
"What was that?!"
"A Seele. Stay upstairs. Protect Kara,"
Ryujin commanded without looking back.
"We're not sure what element we're dealing with yet."
Itoshi saluted instinctively in agreement.
"Got it!"
He turned on his heel and rushed back up the stairs to his sister's side.
Outside, Ayro's eyes narrowed as he focused his senses on the treeline.
"Hang on..."
"What is it?"
"That's odd. Their numbers are fluctuating—rising, falling. But they're not dropping below eighty... That's a lot,"
Ayro noted, his usual lazy tone replaced by genuine concern.
Ryujin gritted his teeth.
"Tsk. A real handful."
The bushes rustled violently. Both Ryujin and Ayro turned sharply toward the sound, pulses steady but minds sharp. A single Seele emerged—a Meson-class.
It was small, but its brown, rocky hide shimmered like flint in the moonlight.
"Meson-class? It's earth-type. Great,"
Ryujin muttered.
"No wind tonight,"
Ayro added, noting the lack of natural advantage.
"How many?"
"Quite a few."
More of them began to pour out from the underbrush like a landslide. Meson-class, earth-type—the numbers climbed rapidly. Sixteen, then thirty, and they kept coming.
"Perfect. Ready?"
Ryujin asked.
"Always. We're dead, though,"
Ayro replied with a dry half-smile.
"I like your optimism."
They sprang into action. Ryujin extended his arms toward the distant shoreline, pulling a massive volume of water from the sea and blasting it toward the Seele.
The torrent knocked several off their feet, but their heavy frames resisted the push. Ayro summoned shadowy, ink-black hands from the ground, snatching up enemies and slamming them deep into the soil.
Seeing Ayro's unconventional tactics, Ryujin teased,
"Seriously? Lol."
"What else are we supposed to do?!"
Ayro shot back, working his shadows harder.
"Where's a decent gust when you need one?"
Ryujin wondered aloud.
From the window above, Itoshi leaned out, shouting over the din of the battle.
"Hey! Do you need help?!"
Ryujin looked up at the boy.
"Can he generate wind? Wait—no."
An idea sparked.
"Itoshi! Get down here!"
"Okay!"
Itoshi didn't waste a second, jumping down and joining them in the field.
"What do I do?!"
As Ryujin parried a rocky claw, he barked the order.
"Burn the bushes!"
"Burn... the what?!"
"Just do it!"
"O-okay!"
Itoshi concentrated, and blue flames erupted from the tall, dry brush surrounding the café. A ring of sapphire fire formed around the perimeter.
"Will it bring enough cold air?"
Ryujin thought, calculating the atmospheric shift.
Itoshi rushed back to Ryujin's side, panting.
"All done!"
"Good! Ayro, push the Seele into the ring!"
"Got it!"
Ayro's shadowy arms acted like a rake, hurling the earth-types inward toward the intense heat of the blue flames.
"Now what?!"
Itoshi asked.
"It's a gamble."
The three stood at the café's entrance, eyes locked on the blazing perimeter. The Seele didn't retreat; they were relentless, pushing through the ring despite the heat.
"Get inside. Both of you,"
Ryujin ordered.
"Okay!"
Ayro and Itoshi retreated into the doorway. Ryujin remained at the threshold, watching. Waiting.
Then—a sudden, violent gust of cold wind swept across the battlefield, pulled in by the rising heat of the fire. The flames roared higher, twisting and spiraling into a massive tornado of fire.
"Yes!"
Ryujin shouted. He lifted his arms and began walking casually toward the inferno, his silhouette framed by the light.
"Did he just yell 'yes' and walk like a zombie?"
Itoshi asked, bewildered.
Ayro just stared, speechless.
The firestorm intensified. Screeches rang out as dozens of Seele were caught in the vacuum and consumed by the blue heat.
"Their numbers are dropping!"
Ayro called out. Ryujin just smirked.
"I can't hold this much fire—!"
Itoshi strained, his hands trembling.
"Ayro, tell me when they're under twenty,"
Ryujin commanded.
"Okay!"
The vortex sucked in more wind, fanning the flames even higher. The earth-type Seele tried to anchor themselves, but they were thinning out.
"The wind's too strong! We're at risk!"
Itoshi warned.
"Not yet!... Not yet..."
Ayro's breath hitched—the signal.
"Now!!"
Ryujin dropped his hands. A colossal drop of water, condensed from the humid night air and the ocean spray, descended from the sky like a falling lake, dousing the flames instantly.
Silence returned.
"YESSS!!"
Ayro and Itoshi cheered in unison. Ryujin gave a small, modest shrug, though the smirk remained.
"Most of them are gone!"
Itoshi exclaimed.
"Don't celebrate yet. That only bought us time,"
Ryujin warned.
Out beyond the steam-filled clearing, the remaining Seele stood still—shaken, but not gone. The quiet didn't last. A low, deep rumble followed... and then a fresh wave emerged from the black of the forest.
The night was far from over.
~~~To be Continued~~~