It was a cloudy day, July 10, 2169. Late afternoon. The city carried on with its usual buzz—traffic hums, market chatter, the dull pulse of a peaceful life inside the walls. But peace never reached far. Some of the chaos always found a way in.
A few kilometers out, the forest burned faintly blue in the dim light.
"I CAN BURN WITHOUT THE CROW!"
Itoshi's voice ripped through the trees, raw and full of fury.
[A Mountainous Forest, South Of Sawara Ward - Fukuoka]
ts is so long ↑
"You've got quite a view in this place, don't you?"
Aldrin hushed, sitting by the roadside barrier.
Beside him, Kara nodded with a small smile.
"Mhm!"
"Oi?! Are you just gonna sit down there?!"
Itoshi shouted, pointing straight at Aldrin from the field.
Aldrin shrugged, calm as ever.
"What the hell do you expect me to do?"
"Tch!"
In the mountainous forest south of Sawara Ward, Itoshi and Kirashi faced a handful of Seele—nothing unusual for their line of work.
The road was empty, the crops long dead, and the nearby house stood in ruins. Only the faint scent of burned soil lingered.
Ryujin and Ayro approached, joining Kara and Aldrin at the barrier.
"He's losing focus again..."
Ryujin muttered, watching the two younger fighters unleash bursts of fire and wind on the field.
"He's a kid, Ryujin,"
Ayro reminded, tone light.
No one replied. The air carried the dry sound of flame slicing through wind and dirt. The old berry fields were nothing but ash and broken stalks now, the ground trampled and cratered by the clash.
"They're a lot smaller right now, huh..."
Ayro said, leaning back against the barrier.
Indeed, the Seele here were barely two feet tall—smaller, weaker, but unnervingly fast. They darted between roots and rocks like insects.
"Klein class,"
Ryujin muttered. He recognized their twitchy movements and brittle bodies immediately—early-stage Seele, barely formed.
The comms crackled with a familiar, sharp voice.
"Quite unusual for them to appear in this region. I'm assuming they're part of the horde," Miss Gigi said.
Ryujin tapped the side of his earpiece.
"Are there more coming, ma'am?"
"Yes,"
She replied, her tone turning colder.
"More from the south as expected. Groß class... Flame."
Ryujin's eyes narrowed slightly, catching the faint tremor of heat drifting in the southern wind. "Hoh...?"
Itoshi took a step back, his long blue hair tied in a bun, knees sinking into the dirt as he tried to catch his breath.
Kirashi noticed from above, standing on a tree branch with his blade resting on his shoulder. "Hoh? Tired already, flame boy?!" he teased.
Itoshi looked up, baring his teeth—fangs slightly visible as he barked back.
"It's a tactical retreat!"
Kirashi laughed, jumping down.
"Can't catch a few small-circle bugs?!"
"They're freaking fast!"
Itoshi shouted in defense, swiping his arm to fling off sweat and soot.
The Seele before them skittered across the fields—small, dark, and twitching like shadowed insects.
Seele. Black creatures older—maybe far older—than the first Gifted man. No one truly knew what they were, only what could kill them. Each type had an element it bowed to.
Four elements. Four weaknesses.
Wind beats Earth.
Earth beats Water.
Water beats Flame.
Flame beats Wind.
A simple cycle—nature's oldest rule of balance.
They were further divided by class. The smallest: Klein, Meson, and Groß, none taller than five feet, their form far from reminiscing that of a human. Distorted, limbs placed in the wrong places, and heads unable to be seen. Manageable, but dangerous in swarms.
Then came Megalo and Menschlich—those that stood at the height of men, often leading the lesser ones. More humanoid. More Predictable.
And above all else—the true nightmares of this forsaken world.
Größer als Männer. Titav. Kolossal.
The giants.
The kind that didn't just kill—they erased. Towns, villages, entire regions wiped clean overnight even in solo. People said when one of those appeared in your district, it meant the gods had already stopped watching.
Itoshi took a deep breath, trying to sense where the Seele could be coming from. Focus. Precise and—
"OI ITOSHI?! ARE YOU SLEEPY?!"
A loud, idiot voice echoed through his ears.
His brows furrowed instantly.
"I'M TRYNA FOCUS HERE!"
he shouted back.
Ryujin, watching from behind, sighed deeply.
Just as Itoshi barked, their comms crackled to life. Miss Gigi's voice came through, crisp and unimpressed.
"You two—focus."
The pair instantly snapped into stance, eyes locked on the movement between the trees.
"Got it!" they said in unison.
They stood side by side as Miss Gigi's voice guided them through the earpiece.
"Kirashi, take the ones to the east—wait, no. Your right side. Itoshi, cover the left."
"Copy!"
Both answered.
Without hesitation, they bolted into the forest. Kirashi surged ahead with the wind at his feet, katana drawn.
Itoshi followed close behind, flame building up in his palms, blue light cutting through the misted air.
One goal—take them out in a single strike.
"UURAAAAAAGHHHHHHHH!"
They roared in unison.
Wind and flame erupted across the forest floor. Kirashi's blast tore through the leaves, exposing the hidden shapes. Itoshi's flame followed, scorching the ground and swallowing the shadows whole.
For a moment, victory felt certain. Both grinned, catching the sight of their marks.
Then—frozen smiles. Their eyes widened. Hearts dropped.
"WHAT THE HELL?!"
They shouted together.
They'd hit something—but not what they expected.
Ahead of Kirashi stood wind-type Seele. Weakness: flame.
Ahead of Itoshi—earth-type Seele. Weakness: wind.
Both froze. Then came the realization.
"MISS GIGI!"
They yelled.
"WE GOT THE WRONG SEELES!"
Her reply came instantly, no hesitation, no pity.
"Indeed."
"Eh?!"
They barked in confusion.
"Consider this part of your training,"
Miss Gigi said, tone firm.
"You'll face Seele you can't counter fast when the hordes come. Learn how to buy time for your squad mates."
The two exchanged looks. Then—
"Yes, ma'am!"
But before they moved—of course, the banter.
Their eyes met, lips curling into that familiar, reckless grin.
"Don't burn out, flame boy!"
"Catch your breath, homeless!"
They both laughed, the sound mixing with the rising wind and crackling fire, before charging back into the forest—training or not, neither of them intended to lose.
~~~Nagao Hospital~~~
Meanwhile, in the silent halls of Nagao Hospital...
"Tadaa!"
Jayu whispered, placing a small box on Tomori's bed.
"Ouh!"
Tomori's eyes lit up as she leaned closer, curious.
Jayu grinned wide.
Tomori smiled back and reached out, patting Jayu's head.
"Thank you, Jayu-chan!"
"Mhm!"
Jayu nodded proudly.
Tomori opened the box—her lunch, neatly prepared by Kara.
"What do we have here, Jayu-chan?" she asked playfully.
"Take a look!"
Jayu said, swaying side to side like an excited puppy.
The moment Tomori lifted the lid, the rich scent of teriyaki filled the room.
"HOH! TERIYAKI!!"
Jayu jumped with her, arms raised high.
"Teriyaki!!"
She cheered, then leaned forward eagerly.
"Take a bite, Tomo-nee!"
Tomori took the fork from the box, speared a piece, and ate. The warmth spread across her face as she smiled, eyes closed, resting a hand against her cheek.
"Hmm... yummy!" she hummed softly.
"Oh, Jayu-chan!"
"Yes, Tomo-nee?"
"Have you eaten?"
Tomori asked.
Jayu blinked, then smiled.
"Yes! I was eating with big sis and big bros before that... siren wailed."
Tomori paused, noticing the slight drop in Jayu's tone.
"Oh?" she asked quietly. "Are you okay, Jayu-chan?"
Jayu quickly brightened, forcing cheer back into her voice.
"Oh! Yes, Tomo-nee! Don't worry!"
Tomori blinked, studying her face.
"I know that tone... you hate it when they leave, don't you?"
She thought.
But instead of pressing, she smiled gently.
"Did you finish your food?"
"Mhm! Just about!"
Jayu replied, cheerful again.
Tomori took another bite and reached out, patting Jayu's head once more—
a simple warmth between two people who, in their own way, were waiting for everyone to come back safe.
The battle continued down south—wind and flame tearing through the mountainous forest.
Itoshi and Kirashi were deep within the woods, relying on nothing but their senses to hold off the Seele assigned to them.
Each clash echoed through the trees; bursts of fire and wind flared between the trunks like storms trapped beneath the canopy.
From Miss Gigi's command post, she could see everything through her screens—their locations, their movements, even where the beasts converged.
Meanwhile, back by the roadside, Kara, Ayro, Aldrin, and Ryujin remained seated on the same barrier. The wind whispered past their ears, carrying faint tremors of combat. Every so often, a pulse of blue flame lit the horizon before vanishing again into smoke.
The silence broke when Miss Gigi's voice came through the comms.
"Ryujin."
The others turned toward him immediately.
"Yes, ma'am,"
Ryujin replied, his tone low and steady.
"You'll move down the west road,"
Miss Gigi instructed.
Ryujin turned his head slightly, glancing toward the path leading uphill.
"You'll be facing them head-on—seven Groß class."
Ryujin didn't hesitate. He vaulted over the barrier and began walking up the road, boots crunching gravel with each step.
As he passed, Kara called out with a smile.
"Good luck, leader!"
Ryujin didn't answer. He simply lifted a hand halfway in acknowledgment and kept moving.
Miss Gigi's voice returned through the comms.
"That road will open to another field. It'll be easier for you up there. They're heading for Itoshi—just north of your position. Seems like his bait's still faintly active."
"Copy that, ma'am,"
Ryujin answered, adjusting his gloves as the wind began to pick up.
On the east side, just beside Shiihara River, the old houses stood drowned in vines and moss. Nature had swallowed what people left behind.
Kirashi stood by the riverbank, eyes closed, brows drawn tight. Focused. His training with Windgott honed his wind sense enough to feel every Seele movement through the air.
The faintest shift — a presence, a vibration — rippled through his perception like tremors through still water.
He stayed quiet, breathing slow. The rushing river drowned every other sound. Then, he inhaled deeply and opened his eyes. Red pupils, green iris — glinting against the dim, cloud-filtered sun.
"Found 'em."
He gathered wind at his feet, the ground rippling with dust and leaves. He crouched, ready to leap.
"One... two..."
He stopped. Exhaled. Straightened up.
"Eh. Dunno where am boutta crash in this place."
He started walking instead.
On the other hand, Itoshi's senses were more like guesswork. Deep in the darker stretch of forest, barely any light pierced the canopy. Every shadow looked alive.
A single stick snapped somewhere to his right — and he instantly lunged toward it, flames bursting from instinct. Nothing. Just bark and dirt. His focus was scattered, experience nonexistent.
He clenched his empty hand, frowning.
"How do I make time in this situation..."
His voice was low, muttering to himself.
"This type of setup's life and death..."
He paused.
"My rhythm could help me track them faster, but..."
He shook his head.
"No good."
Ryujin, on the other hand, had reached his objective. All he had to do now was wait—wait for them to arrive.
The forest was quiet. His eyes, deep purple, stayed fixed toward the south. Hands relaxed at his sides, his breathing steady.
"Ah—"
The silence broke with a chorus of screeches. They'd arrived. The sound echoed across the entire mountain range, sharp enough that even those deep in the woods turned their heads skyward.
Ryujin scoffed, his stance unmoving as the ground began to tremble.
"They're here."
The treetops swayed in the distance, bending with the coming force.
His spear formed in his right hand. He stood tall, the only stillness in a storm about to start.
~~~To be Continued~~~