Blast! Just as the last grains of fate slipped through the hourglass, Kirashi struck true, silencing the earth-type Seele before it could reach Aldrin, Kara, and Jayu.
"Kirashi! You're a lifesaver!"
Aldrin called, still out of breath, Jayu limp but safe in his arms.
"I thought we were done for..."
Kara exhaled, collapsing onto the soft grass.
Kirashi smirked.
"Almost forgot, earth-types aren't exactly the fastest."
Jayu stirred faintly in Aldrin's arms, still half-asleep, blissfully unaware of the chaos that had unfolded moments earlier.
Kirashi glanced at Ryujin.
"Let's get out of here before they send the whole zoo after us."
The three nodded, hearts pounding but spirits reignited—for now.
~~~UWDS Africa HeadQuarters~~~
Hachi raced through the sprawling logistics sector of the African headquarters of UWDS, eyes scanning the bustling corridors, searching desperately for someone amid the whirlwind of activity.
The automatic doors slid open with a hiss as he burst inside, laptop clutched tightly in one hand, voice cutting through the noise.
"Is Wandia here?!"
"Yeah?! What do you want, Hachi?!"
Zainab Wandia, an Mswahili—born in Swahili—head of logistics and an avid spell enthusiast, stood amidst the controlled chaos of the headquarters.
Her curiosity for magic rivaled even her expertise in operations.
"Do you know anything about this barrier spell?"
Hachi hurried toward her, urgency thick in his voice.
"Huh? A barrier spell, you say?"
Hachi's fingers flew across his laptop, tapping rapidly. Images from Ryujin flickered to life on the screen, casting blue light across the floor.
"Know anything about it?"
"Hm... It's a low-grade barrier spell. How big is it?"
Wandia concluded.
"According to satellite imagery, it completely encompasses Kaba Island,"
Hachi replied.
"Ah... That explains the disrupted flow of the barrier,"
She said, pointing upward as a thought bubble appeared out of thin air.
"The bigger the diameter, the more the flow gets disrupted—unless you're really good with magic or a very strong demon."
She paused.
"That kind of veil is quite complex..."
"How do we take it down?"
Hachi asked, turning to her.
Wandia clicked her tongue, a sly grin forming.
"Five bucks per word."
She extended her palm, fingers curling in a practiced gesture—a silent but unmistakable demand for payment.
"You know the drill."
"Ugh, you corrupt ass enthusiast,"
Hachi groaned.
"Wanna get something or not?"
Wandia shot back, brow raised.
"Fine!"
Wandia began, counting each word on her mind like a cashier:
"1. Haha 2. well 3. like 4. any 5. other 6. spell, 7. if 8. you 9. want 10. to 11. make 12. it 13. go 14. gone, 15. you 16. would 17. need 18. the 19. person 20. who 21. created 22. it 23. to 24. well... 25. make 26. it 27. disappear."
She paused, grinning.
"Hoh! That's 135 bucks already."
Note: She's not counting out loud, she's filling Hachi up like any other normal conversation.
Hachi clicked his tongue.
"Tsk... Let's say we don't know who created it. Is there any way to bring it down?"
"28. Well, 29. since 30. it's 31. a 32. low 33. grade 34. barrier 35. due 36. to 37. its 38. size, 39. it's 40. pretty 41. much 42. brittle... 43. But 44. do 45. you 46. have 47. any 48. leads 49. on 50. who 51. made 52. the 53. barrier? 54. Because 55. he 56. could 57. make 58. it 59. smaller 60. but 61. stronger."
Wandia chuckled softly.
"Hihi! 310 bucks!"
"Our closest lead is the demon. It's the only one capable of making magic like that on the island..."
"Hoh?"
"But the thing is... it's already dead,"
Hachi continued.
"Ah... tsk tsk... 62. Well 63. then, 64. that 65. makes 66. things 67. easier 68. for 69. you. 70. Since 71. it's 72. quite 73. brittle 74. just 75. like 76. I 77. said, 78. brute 79. force 80. will 81. do. 82. But 83. it's 84. definitely 85. not 86. a 87. force 88. your 89. squad 90. can 91. handle 92. at 93. this 94. point 95. in 96. time. 97. Ah! 98. I 99. know! 100. Try 101. one 102. of 103. the 104. missiles 105. I 106. made!"
"A missile, huh? Okay! Got it, thank you, Wandia!"
Hachi said, already turning to leave.
"With pleasure!"
Wandia smirked.
Hachi snatched up his laptop and bolted out the door without looking back.
Wandia stood frozen, eyes wide in shock as her team watched him vanish down the hall.
"OIIII!!! MY 540 BUCKS!!! DAMN YOU, HACHI!"
[Outside the Logistics Room]
"I got some info... Hm..."
Hachi sprinted back to his office, laptop clutched tight, mind racing as fast as his feet. He barreled through the door, flipped on the lights, and let the sudden brightness cut through the haze of urgency.
"A missile, huh?..."
He muttered—then his eyes snapped wide as a bolt of inspiration struck.
"That's right! The broken Ground Defense Missile! Alright!"
He tapped his earpiece twice to open the comms, voice steady but urgent.
"Gary?"
"Gary here!"
Came the brisk reply through the channel.
"Are there any extra old drones near Kaba Island?"
Hachi asked.
A few rapid clicks answered in his ear.
"Drone, drone, drone... Let me check... Ah! Got some! They're pretty small though. How many do you need? And what for?"
"Ok, good. Where are they stationed?"
Hachi asked.
"Sagano Island,"
Gary replied.
"Ok! I only need one."
"But..."
Gary hesitated.
"Yeah?"
"Boss, it probably won't be able to leave the area. The airspace where it's at is off-limits due to a malfunctioning Ground Defense Missile."
"That's exactly the reason."
Hachi dropped the comms for a heartbeat, then burst into his office, flinging the doors open.
He flipped on every light, flooding the room with harsh white, and collapsed into his chair. His fingers hovered over the keyboard, brain already skimming possibilities.
"I want you to take one small drone..."
"O-Ok?"
"Make it fly above Kaba Island. Don't let it get hit by a missile until it reaches the island's airspace."
Hachi commanded, voice sharp.
"Roger! Preparing the drone now."
Hachi sat back for a beat, eyes fixed on the lagging map on his screen—one small drone riding into a storm, the thin thread they hoped would cut the veil.
~~~Sagano Island~~~
[10:57pm]
One of the small drones from the abandoned airbase on Sagano Island suddenly flickered to life, its dormant systems awakening as its lights pulsed in a rhythmic glow.
The soft hum of its electric-powered machinery filled the empty hangar, dust swirling as its rotors spun to life.
Under Gary's control, the drone rolled onto the dark, weathered runway, its sensors calibrating for flight. With a final systems check, it positioned itself for liftoff, ready to soar into Kaba Island.
~~~UWDS Africa HeadQuarters~~~
"The Drone is all set. Order for take off?"
Gary confirmed.
Hachi hesitated for a bit before a voice from T.R.T.O.A. through his earpiece ordered him to continue.
"Go."
Hachi's eyes widened as he heard One of the Skulls Voice piercing to his ear.
"Go."
~~~The Room That Observes All~~~
The Seven Skulls watched in eerie silence as the drone hummed to life, its long-dormant systems stirring after years of neglect on Sagano Island.
Now, it awakened for one final mission—entering Kaba Island's airspace, ready to lure the broken missile system into striking.
Cold flickers of light danced in their eyes as they observed, each aware that what came next could shift the course of the world.
"Using an old drone to break the barrier, huh?"
Lakhmia murmured, half-impressed.
"No... more like the drone's bait. The broken missile system will do the breaking,"
Bao-Shi countered, voice calm but edged with pride.
"That's exactly what I said!"
"Nooo~ you said he's using the drone to hit the barrier, which wouldn't even make a dent."
Bao-Shi smirked.
"You fo—"
"Enough already, you two!"
The seventh silhouette snapped, tone sharp and echoing through the dark chamber.
"Tsk."
"Tch."
"Bao-Shi? That's your airspace. Aren't you concerned about the people nearby?"
Ubuvila asked, turning his shadowed face toward him.
"Hmm? Ah... not really. Kaba's far enough from the nearest city. I doubt it'll do anything major."
Bao-Shi replied lazily.
"But won't that stain your reputation as the Skull of the Asian Continent?"
"Nah... all the blame will fall on the Japanese government."
Bao-Shi chuckled, his grin unseen beneath the dim glow.
Silence reclaimed the room.
Only the soft, rhythmic hum of the drone filled the void as it crept deeper into forbidden airspace—each Skull watching in still, breathless anticipation as the sky awaited its spark.
~~~The Old Drone~~~
[10:59pm]
The drone, guided by Gary's steady hands, soared high above the airspace of Fukue Island, rapidly closing in on Kaba Island.
Its sleek frame sliced through the night sky—a ghost from the past returning for one last mission.
Suddenly, a thunderous blast tore through the darkness—a violent rupture that echoed across the sea and sent a jolt through the comms. A defense missile had fired.
Inside Gary's control station, warning beeps erupted in a frantic chorus. Red alerts flared across every screen, painting the room in panic. The drone had detected the missile, and time was running thin.
"Ah... Here we go!"
Gary grunted, eyes locked on the monitors.
"Hachi-san? We want it to be hit above Kaba Island's airspace, right?"
"That's right,"
Hachi confirmed through the comms, his voice calm but tense.
"Got it!"
Gary's fingers danced over the controls. The drone jerked left, evading the incoming missile by mere meters.
A sharp dive sent it skimming past the explosion, the shockwave shaking its metallic frame. "Not today," he muttered, forcing it back on course toward Kaba Island.
"It's only one missile and it's already quite troublesome!"
Another distant roar split the night—the second missile.
"Okay! Almost there!"
But before Gary could exhale, the drone's feed cut out. The monitors went black. Red error codes flooded the display, and the low hum of static filled the room.
"W-What the—?! Boss! I lost signal with the drone!"
"Nah, we're all good. The drone reached the island. Thank you, Gary."
Hachi's voice came through steady—before the comms abruptly cut off.
Gary sat back, headset slipping from his ears as he blinked at the blank screens.
"O-Ok..."
His brow furrowed. Even without the visuals, he couldn't shake the feeling—
whatever Hachi was planning next was far from ordinary.
~~~Kaba Island~~~
[11:01pm]
"Gust Slice!"
Kirashi made quick work of the two Earth-type Seele, his katana flashing through the air as powerful gusts of wind tore through their defenses.
The creatures barely had time to react before they were reduced to dust, their forms scattering into the night like sand caught in a storm.
"Too easy."
Kara collapsed to her knees, tears of joy welling up in her eyes. Her breaths came in short gasps as the weight of the nightmare finally lifted from her chest.
"It's finally over!"
"Oi!! Are you guys ok?!"
Itoshi and Ryujin arrived at the school yard, rain beginning to fall around them. Ayro lay unconscious on Ryujin's back, wrapped tightly to prevent any jarring movements.
Ryujin's eyes widened as he noticed a drone incoming.
"The barri—"
A sudden explosion split the sky open, the ground quaking beneath their feet as a fiery blast erupted above them. Everyone instinctively looked up, shielding their eyes from the blinding light.
"Another one incoming!"
Kirashi pointed out.
Moments later, a second explosion—far larger—struck the barrier with a thunderous boom. The impact rippled like a shockwave across the heavens, and with a final deafening crack, the magical dome surrounding the island shattered.
Shards of the barrier dissolved into glowing fragments, vanishing into the sky like dying embers.
Rain began to fall in earnest, pouring into the island as though the heavens themselves had been waiting to breathe again.
"The barrier is down! Let's get to the boat!"
Ryujin ordered.
The team didn't hesitate. Fatigued, soaked, and battered, they sprinted through the storm-soaked yard, down the narrow forest path, and finally onto the worn dock where the old boat waited like a promise of salvation.
Their boots pounded against the wooden planks, some stumbling, some limping—but all moving forward.
As soon as they clambered aboard, there was a moment of stillness. Not silence, not peace—but stillness. The kind born from sheer exhaustion, where even relief takes a moment to settle in.
Water dripped from Kara's soaked hair as she leaned against the side of the boat. Itoshi dropped to his knees with a sigh, then slowly dragged himself into the shelter below deck.
Kirashi followed, his katana still in hand, but his arms limp with fatigue. Ayro was gently laid on a small cot, still unconscious, but breathing steadily.
Ryujin stayed outside, standing at the stern, his eyes focused on the rain-soaked horizon.
Lightning forked the sky in the distance, revealing the raging waves ahead—angry, chaotic, and unwelcoming.
At the helm, Aldrin gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles white. The engine sputtered beneath him, growling against the crashing waves as he steered the vessel into deeper waters. His eyes were narrowed, focused, refusing to let exhaustion claim him yet.
The storm wasn't letting up.
A deafening crash of thunder rolled across the sea, and the boat rocked violently to one side. Kara cried out and braced herself, while below deck, Itoshi held onto a steel pipe embedded into the hull.
"Damn sea's throwing a tantrum..."
Itoshi muttered.
Kirashi, now half-asleep, replied.
"Let it rage... As long as we're not stuck back on that cursed island."
"Hold steady, Aldrin. The worst of the current will pass once we clear the reef."
Ryujin ordered, still not going inside the deck.
"I know. Just a bit more..."
A moment later, lightning illuminated the sea once again—this time, revealing the distant outline of Naru Island, faint through the rain and fog.
They weren't out of danger yet. But they were no longer trapped. And for now, that was enough.
~~~To be Continued~~~