Outside the remains of the Yaoshima shopping center, a mysterious man stood quietly among the scattered rubble, seemingly unbothered by the destruction surrounding him. A tall top hat rested neatly on his head as he tucked his fingers beneath his chin, studying the enormous pile of debris with an unusually curious expression.
"Whoa-ho! Now this one's certainly something else. Look at the damage it caused... Quite the mess, I'd say." He tilted his head slightly, examining the shattered entrance and the partially collapsed structure. "I wonder if I can track down what happened here..."
After taking a few more moments to inspect the surroundings, the man reached toward his belt and retrieved a peculiar camera. Its exterior was unlike an ordinary photographic device, with several small mechanical components and a glowing display embedded along its sides.
"Hmm... Let's see here. I should be able to replay the events from a few days ago. This oughta be simple enough."
With a curious little chuckle, he pressed one of the buttons on the camera. Its lens immediately illuminated with a soft blue glow, projecting a translucent image into the air above its display. At first, the footage appeared distorted, displaying nothing more than scattered silhouettes and fragments of movement. However, as the man adjusted a small dial on its side, the image gradually sharpened, revealing a detailed reconstruction of the events that had unfolded inside and around the shopping center.
The projection expanded, transforming into a floating, three-dimensional playback of the incident.
The footage began with the surrounding streets outside the shopping center, where the Yaoshima City Police Department had established a heavily guarded perimeter. Dozens of officers were stationed along the barricaded boulevard, escorting the remaining civilians away from the danger zone while emergency vehicles continued arriving at the scene. The evacuation was nearly complete, but the atmosphere remained tense. Beyond the police blockade, the occasional crash and distant rumble from inside the shopping center reminded everyone that the threat was still very much alive.
The man adjusted the small dial on his camera, causing the projection to shift toward the interior of the shopping center. The image flickered briefly before stabilizing, revealing the enormous Malform tearing through the corridors. Its black-and-bone exterior stood out against the surrounding destruction, while thick clouds of smoke drifted around its massive frame.
"Oh-ho! Now that's quite the nasty-looking fellow," the man chuckled, leaning closer to the projection.
The footage continued, showing Nene desperately fleeing through the corridors as the creature pursued her. Its enormous claws tore through walls and display cases, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. Just as the Malform cornered her, Itsuki came rushing into view, completely disregarding his injured arm.
"Nene!" he shouted, desperately charging toward her. "Hold on! I'm coming!"
The man's expression shifted slightly as he watched the footage unfold.
"Oh? And who's this young man?"
The projection captured Itsuki arriving just as the Malform caught Nene, violently tearing away her lower leg. Her agonized scream echoed through the recording as Itsuki froze for a brief moment, witnessing the horrific scene unfold right before his eyes.
But instead of retreating, he charged straight toward the creature.
The mysterious man tilted his head, his fingers returning beneath his chin.
"My, my... That's quite the interesting reaction..."
"Hmm... Hmm... Now this is one I particularly like. That boy certainly put on quite a show, didn't he? Ahaha! What a fascinating little discovery. I'll have to make sure I keep a copy of this recording." With a pleased chuckle, the man pressed a button on the side of his camera, prompting its display to flicker briefly before securely saving the footage. Satisfied, he switched the device off and slipped it back onto his belt.
"Now, let's see... What was that boy's name again?" he wondered aloud, tapping his chin as he navigated through the information stored inside the camera. It didn't take long before he found what he was looking for. "Ah! Here we are. Shirai Itsuki. Just a high school student, you say? Goodness gracious! To think he awakened his Binder through nothing but sheer stubbornness and willpower. Students these days never cease to surprise me. Absolutely remarkable!"
He paused for a moment, his expression becoming somewhat thoughtful as another familiar face crossed his mind. "Though, come to think of it, something rather similar happened with the other boy, didn't it?" He tilted his head, searching through his memories before snapping his fingers. "Yes, of course! Kisaragi Takumi. Another young scholar who managed to construct his own Binder through a similar awakening. My, my... What an interesting pair those two are."
A mischievous grin slowly crept across his face as he considered the possibilities. "Perhaps it's about time I invited them both for a little chat. I'm sure we'd have plenty to discuss."
With that thought firmly settled in his mind, the mysterious man retrieved his camera once more. He pressed another button, and a small sheet of paper gradually emerged from its mechanism, which he promptly caught between his fingers. Taking a pen from his coat, he began scribbling something onto it before giving a satisfied nod.
"Well then... We'll be seeing each other soon enough."
With those words spoken aloud, a sudden flash burst from the camera. In an instant, the man's figure vanished, leaving behind only a faint silhouette that lingered for a moment before fading away like smoke.
The following morning brought brighter skies over Yaoshima, offering its citizens and academy students a much-needed sense of normality despite the Malform still roaming somewhere out there. For the most part, however, things remained peaceful.
Meanwhile, Takumi, Timotheo, and Itsuki were making their way through the academy corridors, heading toward their classroom. "Aw, man! Aw, man! I seriously hope we're in the same class, Taki! It'll be just like the good ol' days, hangin' out together all summer! Lemme guess, you're totally pumped too, huh? Bet you're just buzzin' with excitement behind that poker face of yours!" Itsuki exclaimed, practically bouncing with energy as he playfully nudged his best friend.
Takumi simply glanced up at him, wearing a warm, amused smile. Walking alongside them, Timotheo joined the conversation, his arms resting behind his neck. "Sheesh... If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I'd never believe you if someone told me this guy was your best friend. But hey, I guess it's still better than dealing with Lyss constantly yapping about her serious devotion to something, or pestering you about your schoolwork every five minutes."
Takumi blinked at the mention of her name before turning his attention toward Timotheo. "Speaking of Lyss... Where is she? Shouldn't she be in class with us?"
Timotheo responded with a shrug, seemingly unable to offer much more information. "Not sure, really. She said she'll be skipping the first two classes because she has something more important to take care of. Apparently, she's already informed Cinder and the school, so everything's been arranged. As for where she's going or what she's doing, I honestly have no idea."
Listening to his explanation, Takumi lowered his head slightly, resting his fingers against his jaw as he fell into thought. Now that he mentions it... Lyss has been acting rather strangely lately. Half the time, she's off somewhere by herself, doing things she never bothers telling us about. I got those same strange vibes from her on my very first day at the academy, when some files went missing. Could she have something to do with that? And that's not all... I've noticed her talking on the phone quite often ever since we first met. I wonder what she's been up to without any of us knowing. Is it something private? Perhaps something personal...?
Before Takumi could dwell on the thought any further, the school bell rang, echoing through the corridors and signaling the start of their classes.
"Well, guess this is where we split up. Itsuki, you should probably hurry and figure out which class you're in before the teachers come looking for you." Timotheo said with a casual wave, already breaking into a jog as he headed down the corridor.
Once he was out of earshot, a brief silence settled between the two. Itsuki squinted slightly, then shifted his eyes sideways without even turning his head. "Sooo, Taki..." he began, drawing out the word.
Takumi turned toward him, patiently waiting for whatever question his best friend had in mind.
"...Where do I check which class I'm supposed to be in?"
Takumi raised a finger and pointed toward a nearby notice board. "There's a board over there with all the classes listed, along with their assigned students, organized alphabetically by name. Just find yours and use the map to locate the classroom. Alternatively, you can check the academy's online portal, which every student has access to."
Itsuki followed the direction of Takumi's finger, his eyes immediately settling on the board. With a cheerful little skip, he made his way over, throwing a quick thanks over his shoulder before leaning closer to inspect the numerous names and class assignments. His finger wandered down the list as he searched, occasionally moving back up whenever he lost track of where he was.
"Hey, remind me again... What class are you in, Taki?"
Takumi watched him struggle with the board for a moment before answering with his usual composed expression. "Class 1-A."
That was all Itsuki needed to hear. His eyes immediately darted toward the corresponding list, scanning through the names with renewed enthusiasm. A few seconds passed before he finally spotted the familiar name, and his face lit up with an enormous grin.
"Aha! There it is! Let's see..." His finger stopped beside the entry, and he leaned in for a closer look. "WOO-HOO! HELL YEAH, BRO! We're in the same class! That's all I needed!"
Before Takumi could even react, Itsuki practically launched himself away from the board and hurried back toward his best friend. He swung an arm around Takumi's shoulders, pulling him close while casually resting some of his weight against him. The sudden enthusiasm nearly threw Takumi off balance, though he seemed far too accustomed to Itsuki's antics to be particularly surprised.
"See?! Can't escape me, Taki! We're meant to be together! Fate itself brought us here!"
Takumi simply looked at him from the corner of his eye, his expression remaining largely unchanged. Yet the faint smile tugging at his lips made it clear that he didn't exactly mind the company.
To be continued...