The helicopter's engine roared through the cold early summer air, shaking the cabin as the city lights stretched beneath it.
Itoshi did not react.
He remained at the window, unmoving, letting the glow drift across his eyes. No tension. No distraction. No sign that the noise reached him at all.
Ayro tilted his head slightly.
"Heh... you seem distracted. Itoshi?"
Itoshi snapped his gaze toward him.
"Ah... sorry about that."
Ayro raised a brow, studying him.
The helicopter pressed northward through the sky. Ayro, Itoshi, Aldrin, and six U.W.D.S. field men—headed for Kitakyushu. Another Rhythm.
Ayro's voice slid into his headset.
"Hm? Worried, are we?"
A faint smile.
"Don't worry. Kara's with Ryujin."
He closed his eyes.
Itoshi looked back out the window, city lights drifting beneath them as his brows drew together.
"I know. But still—"
"They'll be fine. We'll head back as soon as we're done,"
Ayro said.
"I know..."
The word lingered longer than it should have.
Then, quieter:
"I can't believe we actually left her back there."
Ayro stiffened slightly.
"...Ah. Yeah."
Static cracked through their comms.
"You guys talking without me?"
Aldrin's voice came from the cockpit.
"She'll be safer there. We already agreed on that, right?"
"Yeah,"
Itoshi said.
Aldrin glanced back briefly before returning his eyes forward.
"We're almost there."
~~~Kitakyushu~~~
[July 15, 2169]
The helicopter dipped toward the north side of Kawachi Reservoir, far from the bustling seaside of Kitakyushu.
"Well... quite the place,"
Itoshi muttered.
As the skids touched the ground, the field men burst the doors open and fanned out, securing the perimeter. Itoshi followed, stepping into the open.
Moonlight shimmered across the reservoir. The wind tugged at his hair as he drew in a deep breath.
"They would've loved this place..."
Eyes closed, he inhaled again.
"Prominent... Rhythm..."
~~~Saga~~~
In the city of Saga, the rest of the squad mobilized at Saga International Airport, steadily fortifying their base.
Jeeps rumbled across the flat lowlands, their electric hum echoing faintly.
Ryujin stood apart, near the sea wall, listening to the quiet song of the Ariake Sea.
A soldier approached, tablet in hand.
"Sir! First Half has arrived in the city. Rhythm commencing in ETA three minutes."
Ryujin scanned the screen and nodded.
"Mhm. Send the front fighters here now."
"Yes, sir!"
The soldier saluted before issuing commands through his comms.
"Bring in the rest of the squad."
In a beat, A flood of light appeared behind Ryujin, accompanied by a quick beep from a jeep. Miss Gigi emerged, followed by Kirashi, Kara, and Tomori.
"This is going to be quite the battle,"
She said, eyes closed, remaining seated.
"We will do our best in the rear."
She paused, furrowing her brows.
"And don't let any of your squad members get hurt. Especially the ladies... and you too, Kirashi. Take care of them."
"Yes, mama- Ma'am!"
Kirashi saluted.
Miss Gigi sighed, smiling faintly.
"Take care of yourselves... okay?"
They all bowed, with Kirashi being a bit late as they said.
"Yes ma'am! Thank you so much!"
Then she leaned back and drove off.
The cold wind swept across the sea wall as the squad turned to sea.
"Nervous?"
Ryujin asked.
Kara chuckled.
"A little... yeah."
Tomori placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"Don't worry, Kara-chan. I'm here!"
"Yeah! I'm here too!"
Kirashi chimed in, peeking over Tomori's shoulder.
Tomori shoved him lightly.
"I came in first, man."
"Oke~,"
Kirashi replied, grinning.
Ryujin smiled at their banter, but the moment broke with a sudden beep from his wrist comms.
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
He scanned it and muttered,
"Commencing The Rhythm."
~~~Kitakyushu~~~
The water rippled, reflecting a soft blue hue.
Oh, what a beauty it was.
Itoshi's Rhythm had manifested. A soft, slow dance of blue flame enveloped him, coating his entire body like an aura.
The field men froze, eyes wide. For the first time, they saw it. Not just a man—they saw a force beyond reckoning, something that bent the future in its wake.
The flame made no sound. Yet the roar of the helicopter, deafening just moments ago, was swallowed entirely by Itoshi's presence.
As the aura slowly dimmed, the world returned: the hum of engines, the rustle of uniforms, the thrum of distant waves.
"Rhythm complete!"
The captain's voice rang through the comms.
Then—a thud.
Itoshi hit the ground, the echo of his fall cutting through the returning noise.
~~~Dream In The Battle~~~
Evening hung over the canals, the sky fading from soft gold to indigo. Streetlights flickered awake, their light fractured across the water in long, trembling ribbons.
Narrow alleys whispered under the hush of the city, cobblestones dark with shadow and damp.
He woke up along the edge of a canal, jeans rustling as he lowered himself onto the stone. The burn from the Rhythm lingered like a faint pulse in his chest. He drew his coat tighter and glanced down at the water, watching the reflections stretch and twist with every ripple.
"Yoo... Itoshi-kun!"
He jerked his head toward the voice, soft and warm, coming from behind him.
"M-Miz-sama!"
She smiled, wide and bright, the kind of smile that felt like sunlight breaking through the dusk.
They walked together along the cold, empty streets. Itoshi's footsteps echoed off the walls as the old street lamps flickered.
His eyes stayed glued to the ground, mind drifting to the edges of the universe. Miz watched him curiously, one brow raised.
"Like I thought... you are troubled."
She teased, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
Itoshi jolted, head snapping up to her as he stopped walking.
"E-Eh...?"
He exhaled slowly.
"There's nothing you don't know about me..."
Miz tilted her head, closing her eyes.
"Eh? Is that so?"
She continued forward, unbothered by the cold pavement beneath her bare feet.
Itoshi followed as Miz continued,
"So... what seems to be the problem...?"
"You know already... Ri—"
Before he could finish, Miz spun around and pressed a finger to his lips.
"Nuh-uh. Tell me!"
Itoshi's cheeks flamed as he looked down.
"Eh..."
Miz chuckled, brushing her lips over the finger he'd felt on his own.
His eyes widened.
"An indirect kiss-"
Miz flinched, hearing his thoughts. Her face immediately warmed as she turned away.
"N-Now tell me what happened."
Itoshi hesitated, then let out a small sigh.
"Ah... just worried about... Jayu."
Itoshi paused, gaze fixed on the canal.
"Will... she be alright?"
Miz halted, then turned to him, smiling softly.
"Mhm."
He exhaled in relief.
"Thank god..."
"Is that all you're worried about?"
She asked, walking beside him.
"Y-yeah, I guess..."
He admitted.
"Ok, ok!"
She paused, playful again.
"Let's go take a walk?"
"S-su—"
Itoshi started, but froze.
"Wait... we still have a mission!"
Miz chuckled.
"Pfft! Don't worry about it. Time here flows different from the real world."
"Oh... but still... I can't just relax knowing my allies could be fighting outside,"
He said, worry tight in his chest.
Miz's eyes widened, mouth forming a small 'O'.
"Itoshi-kun... is that really you?"
She teased, incredulous.
"Of course!"
He exclaimed.
"Ok... if you're that eager to help our friends, I'll cut straight to the point,"
She said.
Itoshi stiffened.
"Mhm!"
"New allies rise, and new enemies wake.
New power blooms within a remade world.
An ancient threat still whispers—
lingering like salt pressed into a fresh wound
by a soldier's unforgiving hand.
Oh, great child, forever unresting,
lost like a pup cast into the endless sea,
stranded on a lonely shore
where even the land remembers tears."
She exhaled deeply.
"I hope you understand it this time..."
Itoshi nodded.
"Mhm! I understand!"
Miz smiled and raised her hand, brushing her fingers gently against his cheeks.
"Well then... let's get back to wo—"
"Um... when will I get back here?"
He asked, voice small.
Miz went silent, dropping her hands. Her voice trembled, hesitant.
"Actually... Itoshi-kun... we're not going to see each other for a while..."
"W-What?"
"There's something I need to do. My time doing things like this are... very limited."
She looked down, eyes shimmering.
"You won't have your guide for quite a while... but don't worry. I'll reach out the moment I can."
As she spoke, Itoshi's vision began to fade. The world around him lightened, The familiar feeling of being pulled back to reality.
"W-Wait!"
He stretched a hand just in time, brushing the tears from her red-tinged cheeks.
Then he vanished.
Miz remained, frozen, lips trembling. Fingers lingered where his had touched. Tears slipped freely, tracing silent tracks down her face, eyes furrowing as the chill of the evening seeped in.
~~~Back Into Reality~~~
Itoshi's eyes shot open as gunfire ripped through the night. The helicopter lurched violently, metal shrieking as it dipped and rose midair. His skull rang. His lungs burned. Red light flooded the cabin.
"—Itoshi!"
He jerked upright, nearly slipping from the seat.
"What—what the hell is happening?!"
A field man's hand clamped onto his vest. He shouted toward the cockpit as Aldrin fought the controls.
"Sir! Rhythm has returned!"
Ayro was nowhere in sight.
From the pilot's seat, Aldrin gritted his teeth, gripping the yoke tightly.
"Ok, good! Itoshi! Grab on tight!"
Without hesitation, Itoshi and the remaining field men buckled themselves as bullets rained from below.
Itoshi's stomach twisted, and he vomited, the taste of bile bitter as the chopper bucked again. Gunfire finally tapered off.
He coughed, trying to steady himself.
"Wh-Where the hell is Ayro?"
A field man turned to him.
"He told us to go, sir!"
Itoshi's heart sank. Ayro wasn't here. And that meant... whatever was waiting below had already drawn first blood.
Itoshi unbuckled himself despite the warning shouts.
"S-sir!"
The field man called.
"Stay put! We're not in the clear yet!"
He didn't listen. Moving forward, his eyes widened as the flood of city lights poured in through the pockmarked glass.
"Ayro..."
The thought cycled relentlessly through his mind.
He pressed a hand to the window, staring at the city below, bullet holes cutting the view in jagged shards.
"Ayro!"
"I stayed too long!"
He shouted, teeth clenched.
Aldrin glanced back.
"Captain, calm him down. We're above the city's airspace now—we're safe."
Time seemed to slow. The field men's voices, muffled in his ears, repeated over and over.
"Sir! You have to sit down!"
Itoshi's thought spiraled:
"Who do you think you are?"
"You've taken too long enjoying your damn time!"
"Ayro might be dead—because of you!"
"You failed Jayu! And you faile—"
"Itoshi-kun!"
The shout cut through his chaos. He turned, eyes locking on the field man.
"Miz-sama!"
The moment hung, awkward and frozen, until he finally sank back into his seat. His hands trembled, chest still racing. The city below felt distant, wrong. And Ayro... was still out there.
~~~Saga~~~
The distant hum of engines and faint flashes of light carried through the flat lowlands of Saga.
Jeeps and armored vehicles moved steadily across the open fields, soldiers securing their positions, fortifying the base, unaware that the world outside their walls had already shifted.
Ryujin stood along the sea wall, eyes scanning the horizon, calm but alert. Beyond the city's edge, the dark waters of the Ariake Sea glimmered faintly under the moonlight.
Something was moving there—something ancient, something drawn by a power they could not yet sense.
The ripples of Itoshi's Rhythm in Kitakyushu had begun to stretch outward, brushing against distant shores.
Soon, the squad at Saga would feel the tremors of that awakening, even before the first Seele set foot on land.
[Higatayoka Park]
The silence of the evening lingered over Higatayoka Park. Field men stood on guard, waiting for the first signal of the mindless beasts.
Their screens flashed, breaking the stillness.
"Rhythm has commenced."
Weapons were raised. Eyes locked onto the dark waters of the Ariake. Clouds swallowed the moonlight. Flashlights flicked on, casting trembling beams across damp cobblestones.
A click—the last sound before silence returned.
Then the sea began to boil.
"Squad C! Seele's are touching down!"
Miss Gigi's voice cracked over the comms.
The captain flinched.
"Open fire!"
RATATATATATA! Bullets rained down on the boiling water—blue, yellow, green—churning ripples with every impact.
The captain reloaded frantically, gunfire ripping through the night until his arms went limp. He raised a hand.
"Stop firing!"
Ripples faded, leaving only tense eyes locked on the sea.
And then it emerged.
A Kolossal-class Flame Seele, massive and molten, lunged without warning. One field man didn't even flinch before it tore him apart, his upper half obliterated instantly.
Even before the captain could command, gunfire erupted.
"It's a Flame type! Water team!"
Water-infused bullets streaked from their rifles, sizzling against the beast's flames. It roared, recoiling as blue-green sparks erupted from its scorched skin.
~~~To be Continued~~~