~~~March 31, 2169~~~
[8:00pm]
The full moon hung high over Kunigami, casting its pale light over the restless tides. Waves slammed against the harbor docks—relentless and unforgiving.
Despite the late hour, the fishermen and workers toiled tirelessly, hauling in the day's catch in hopes of earning a modest living.
"Another big haul tonight!"
A worker shouted over the roar of the surf.
"Yeah, this one looks promising. Wonder how much it'll fetch,"
A Fisherman replied, wiping salt from his brow.
"Whoa, this might be the biggest catch all year,"
Another worker noted, gesturing to the overflowing nets.
"No kidding! Alright, let's get this loaded."
As they worked in the dim light, something unexpected fell from the sky, crashing into the pile of silver fish—a dark, unsettling shape.
"What the hell was that?!"
The first worker jumped back.
"It came from the ship!"
Another worker pointed upward.
"Hey, everyone—come take a look!"
The first Fisherman called out, his voice tense. The workers gathered around, their flashlights flickering over the pile.
"Is he alive?"
another fisherman whispered.
"His head... there's blood everywhere!"
Another worker cried out, his voice cracking.
"Check him! See if he's okay!"
There, among the cold fish, lay Ayro—thrown like a child's toy by the Seele, bloodied and broken, 1,500 kilometers away from any help.
~~~Kirashi's Home~~~
Kirashi stood silently behind the massive Seele, his gaze piercing as if he could see into its very soul. The Seele turned slowly, its neck cracking as it faced him with a snarling grin.
"You look happy,"
Kirashi spat, his voice trembling with a lethal edge. They locked eyes in a heavy silence. Without breaking eye contact with the beast, Kirashi muttered to Kara—even though she stood directly behind the monster.
"Kara... hide."
Without hesitation, Kara dashed inside the house.
The Seele noticed the movement and lunged after her, but Kirashi seized the moment. With a swift gust summoned by his wind power, he grabbed the Seele by the neck.
"You afford to get distracted?"
The Seele shrieked and burst free, rushing at Kirashi and pinning him to the ground with a sickening thud. It didn't finish him; it stood tall again and advanced toward the house.
"Not yet..."
Kirashi wheezed.
The Seele slammed its massive hand down on Kirashi, sending waves of pain through his body that felt like shattering glass.
"Ahh!!!..."
Kirashi grunted, his ribs snapping.
"Don't go there..."
Repeatedly, the creature beat the fallen boy.
Despite the fractures and the mounting agony, Kirashi fought to stay conscious. Inside the house, Kara covered her ears, trembling violently. Tears streamed down her face as she prayed for his survival.
The Seele turned away from Kirashi for a moment, focused on the door.
Kirashi weakly reached out toward it, his vision blurring into a red haze.
"Damn it..."
Inside, Kara's thoughts raced in a frantic loop. Her hands gripped the sides of her hair, her knuckles white, her teddy bear resting at her side.
"What do I do?! What do I do?! Koya, Ryujin-sama, Ayro-sama, Kirashi-san... They're all... No! They're not dead yet, right?! I'm the only one left... only one... Oh no! Am I next?!"
Her hope drowned in fear as the Seele began pounding on the front door. The wood groaned.
"Get away... get away!!" she gasped.
The door shattered under the creature's monstrous strength.
"Get away!! Leave me alone!!"
Despite its enormous size, the Seele squeezed into the cramped home, its presence suffocating. It grabbed Kara by the neck, lifting her effortlessly.
Kara's breath hitched, her throat crushed by the grip. Tears spilled from her eyes, falling onto the Seele's hand.
The creature suddenly convulsed. It let out a roar of unbearable, screeching pain. It dropped Kara, clutching its own hand in agony.
"I-IT FELT.. PAIN NOW?.."
Kara thought, gasping for air.
She didn't wait to find out why. She scrambled through the window, clutching her stuffed toy as she fled into the night. She rushed to Itoshi first.
"Koya! Koya!! Wake up! Wake up!!"
No response.
Next, she checked Kirashi, who was barely conscious in the dirt.
"Thank god you're alive!"
"How about... the others?"
Kirashi wheezed.
"I don't know!... I don't know..."
Kara sobbed.
From inside the hut, the Seele's rage erupted anew.
Kara and Kirashi watched in horror as the beast ripped the roof clean off the house, towering over the wreckage like a demon.
Stones, straw, wood, and Kirashi's few belongings flew through the air as the creature slammed the ruined shelter again and again.
Kirashi watched helplessly as nine years of survival were destroyed in seconds. Tears streamed down his emerald gaze.
"How dare you... you bastard... Windgott-sama... sorry..."
Collapsed on the ground, Kirashi sobbed, then released a primal scream, pouring all his pain into the wind. Slowly, he pushed himself up. Kara was shocked, watching his broken body rise.
"What are you doing?!"
His eyes were bloodshot. His palms clenched into the dirt. His teeth gritted so hard the sound echoed through the chaos.
"I have to fight!"
"Stay down!"
Kara pleaded, her voice firm despite her terror.
"I can't! I have to fight. Let me fight,"
Kirashi replied—not pleading, but commanding.
Kara reluctantly stepped back as Kirashi rose, swaying on his feet. He spat blood.
"Oi! Bitch!"
The Seele turned, its eyes locking onto the defiant, bloodied boy.
"How dare you wreck my—"
Before he could finish, the Seele lunged, its fist connecting with Kirashi's face like a falling hammer.
Kirashi crashed into a tree and slumped to the base, knocked out cold. The Seele immediately grabbed Kara by the head again, lifting her up.
"Damn it..."
Kara choked. Her vision blurred. Darkness crept in from the edges.
"Sorry..."
And then... her eyes closed.
Suddenly, a man's voice echoed in the dark—deep, calm, and resonant.
"Stand up, Kirashi."
"W-What? It's dark... Am I dead?" Kara wondered in the void of her mind.
[What Kara saw]e
It was sunny inside Kirashi's home.
"K-Kirashi-san's home...? I-I can't move..."
Kara thought, her consciousness drifting in a warm, hazy glow. Slowly, her phantom limbs began to shift, and she stood up.
"I'm moving... but I'm not really controlling it..."
She stepped outside, the air smelling of pine and fresh salt, and saw an old man with long, flowing gray hair. He looked like the mountain itself had taken human form.
"Yo! Kirashi! Time to train!"
The man called out.
"Okay!"
A young, energetic Kirashi replied, sprinting toward him.
"Are these... Kirashi-san's memories...?"
Kara wondered, watching the scene unfold like a silent observer in a dream.
"Let's do what we practiced yesterday, alright?"
The man said, his voice deep and patient.
"Sure!"
"Go like this, then do that,"
The man instructed, demonstrating a fluid movement that seemed to make the air itself dance.
"Got it!"
"So sweet..."
Kara thought. She watched Kirashi's childhood unfold—a time filled with simple joy and the guidance of this old man, who clearly treated young Kirashi like his own son.
"Beautiful..."
She whispered.
Noon came and went, and then the scene shifted abruptly. Everything went dark, the sun replaced by the cold silver of a moonlit night.
She saw the man perched on the roof, his brush moving quickly across a piece of paper.
"W-What...? He's writing...? I thought these were Kirashi-san's memories... What's happening?"
"Windgott-sama! Dinner's ready!"
Young Kirashi's voice called from inside.
"Coming!"
Windgott replied. Before he stood up, he carefully slipped the letter between the straw roof tiles, hiding it at the very edge.
Kara felt a sudden jolt—the weight of her limbs returned, and she regained full control of her dream-body.
Driven by a pull she couldn't explain, she reached toward the roof, looking closely at the paper Windgott had been writing.
"It's for Kirashi..."
"Bring this to him, okay?"
Kara jumped, her heart hammering against her ribs. Windgott was looking directly at her, his eyes piercing through the fabric of the memory.
"A-Are you talking to me?"
"Who else?"
He smiled warmly, a look of ancient wisdom in his gaze.
"Windgott-sama! Who are you talking to?"
Young Kirashi asked, poking his head out.
"Nothing! Just the sky!"
Windgott laughed, waving the boy off.
"Okay, let's eat!"
Kara carefully pulled the letter from its hiding spot. As she read the contents, her heart swelled. The words were a lifeline, a final message of love and purpose.
"Okay, I got it!"
Suddenly, the warmth of the memory shattered. She was pulled back through the void—back into the cold, crushing reality of the Seele's grasp.
Her light blue eyes snapped open, no longer filled with fear. The letter from the dream was somehow still clutched tightly in her hand.
She took a deep, rattling breath through her mouth. A hiss of steam burst forth from her lips, and her eyes shifted, turning a fiery, incandescent red, blazing with pure anger and absolute determination.
"Kirashi-san! Wake up!"
She screamed, her voice carrying a weight it never had before.
Kirashi's eyes fluttered open in the dirt, his vision clearing just enough to see Kara standing defiant against the monster, the weathered paper held high.
"L-Letter...?"
He wheezed.
~~~To be Continued~~~