Present
The skies above Darant City had become a battlefield.
Military aircraft filled the heavens, pursuing the Red Moon transport as it disappeared into the distance. Streams of tracer rounds lit up the evening sky while sirens echoed across the ruined city. Far below, every collision between Ragnor and Rumbler sent another thunderous shockwave rolling through the clouds, reminding everyone that the battle was far from over.
LIVE BROADCAST
"...the two remaining Demons are fleeing the scene while our military continues the pursuit. Meanwhile, Archangel Ragnor remains locked in combat with the unidentified giant believed to be responsible for today's catastrophe. Authorities have yet to release any information regarding the hostile, and evacuation orders remain in effect throughout the eastern districts."
The broadcast shifted toward the battlefield. Across the planet, millions watched in silence.
Families gathered around televisions. Restaurants, train stations, and city squares stood still as every screen broadcast the same images from Darant City. Moments earlier, those same faces had been filled with fear and uncertainty.
Now...
They were filled with hope.
People clenched their fists.
Children leaned closer to the screens.
Even strangers found themselves cheering.
"You can do it, Ragnor!"
"Take them down!"
"Save our city!"
Their voices rose across Nitchtron like a single chorus, each person placing their faith in the one warrior they believed could finally bring an end to the nightmare.
Inside the Red Moon transport
"We have to lose them before we break through the atmosphere," Lee said from the cockpit. The effects of Geyko's virus were finally beginning to wear off, allowing him to stand on his own again despite the occasional tremor running through his body. Outside, the ship shook violently as enemy aircraft continued their pursuit.
"If they follow us into space, we'll have the planetary patrol waiting for us too."
The transport lurched sharply to one side.
In one of the rear compartments, Shiba, Togo, Hiro, and the Yama Twins worked around two medical tables where Levi and Kayo lay unconscious. The twins carefully wrapped broken limbs and bandaged deep wounds while trying to stabilize them with the limited medical supplies available aboard the ship.
Shiba watched silently for a moment before speaking.
"You think they're going to be okay?"
Her hands remained clasped together, unable to hide the concern on her face.
One of the twins tightened the bandage around Kayo's arm before answering.
"They're in rough shape."
He glanced toward Levi.
"Broken ribs, fractured limbs, head trauma... and that's only what we can identify without proper equipment."
His sister nodded as she secured Levi's chest bandages.
"We won't know the full extent of their injuries until we get them back."
Hiro let out a long sigh, resting his forehead against the edge of the table.
"What I don't understand is how they even ended up fighting Rumbler."
He looked around the room in frustration.
"Weren't they at the welcome banquet with the rest of us? And I thought the Ancients weren't even supposed to start working on him until tomorrow."
He scratched his head.
"So how did Levi and Kayo end up in the middle of all that?"
Togo finally spoke.
"I saw them leave the banquet."
Everyone turned toward him.
"They were with a Nitchtronian woman."
Hiro stared at him.
"...And you didn't think that was worth mentioning before?"
Togo remained leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.
"It didn't appear they were in danger."
His expression never changed.
"And it isn't my place to question the Captain's decisions. My duty is to follow orders."
Hiro sighed, realizing arguing with Togo was pointless.
Shiba looked back at Levi.
"I'm sure he'll explain everything once he wakes up."
Silence settled over the room.
One of the Yama Twins finally broke it.
"The mission fell apart."
"The alliance collapsed.."
She finished tying the last bandage before looking toward Levi.
"And if the higher-ups learn Levi had something to do with what happened to Rumbler .."
She didn't finish the sentence.
She didn't have to.
The entire transport suddenly lurched sideways, throwing everyone off balance as another barrage of shots struck nearby.
Warning alarms echoed throughout the ship.
Back in the cockpit, Lee grabbed onto the controls to steady himself.
"Alright..."
He looked at the pilots.
"Let's lose them."
The pilots immediately steered the transport into a dense layer of storm clouds. As the ship disappeared into the gray mist, Lee formed a series of Rin (Power) and Retsu (Dimension) hand signs. Their shadow stretched across the clouds beneath them, and moments later the entire vessel merged with it, vanishing from sight just as the pursuing aircraft flew overhead.
The vessel remained hidden within the clouds' shadow for several tense minutes. Outside, Nitchtronian militia aircraft continued sweeping through the area, crisscrossing the skies in every direction as they searched relentlessly for any sign of the fleeing Demons. No one aboard the ship spoke. They simply waited, listening to the distant roar of engines as the search pattern slowly expanded farther and farther away.
Only when the last aircraft disappeared into the distance did Lee give the order.
"Now."
The transport emerged from the shadow, and the pilots immediately activated the ship's optical camouflage. It wouldn't fool enemy radar, but it was enough to keep them hidden from visual detection.
The engines roared.
Without looking back, the Red Moon left Nitchtron behind.
The vessel tore through the planet's violent atmosphere, volcanic winds battering the hull as it climbed toward space. Once they finally broke free of the atmosphere, the shaking subsided, replaced by the endless silence of the cosmos.
Lee remained in the cockpit, his eyes fixed on the scanners.
"We're not safe yet," he said. "By now they've probably alerted planetary patrol. Stay off the main routes and keep our signature as low as possible."
—
Four hours later...
The ship drifted carefully through the vast emptiness of space.
For the past hour they had been following the trail left behind by the Ancients' cargo platform. All that remained now were melted fragments of steel and scorched pieces of the mountain, scattered aimlessly through the darkness like the remains of a forgotten battlefield.
Nury was nowhere to be found.
Fortunately, Shiba had reconstructed the cargo's trajectory. By comparing its last known coordinates with the debris field, she had calculated the direction Nury would most likely have drifted after the platform separated.
It was their only lead.
Time, however, was quickly running out.
Nury had already been floating through space for more than five hours, and the oxygen inside her suit was nearing its limit.
Then—
"Sir..."
One of the pilots leaned forward, eyes widening.
"I found something."
Everyone turned toward the front window.
Far ahead, suspended within the darkness, a brilliant golden flame burned.
It shone so brightly that it illuminated the surrounding void, its radiance stretching across space like the light of a newborn star.
The bridge fell silent.
As the ship drew closer, they finally saw the figure at its center.
Nury.
She floated peacefully with her eyes closed, her golden hair drifting weightlessly around her as the immense flame enveloped her body like a divine halo.
For a brief moment, she looked less like a human...
...and more like a goddess sleeping among the stars.
Slowly, her eyes opened.
She looked toward the approaching ship.
The instant she recognized it, the golden flames quietly faded into nothingness.
Lee let out a long breath he hadn't realized he had been holding.
A faint smile crossed his face.
"Let's bring our captain home."
Moments later, the hatch opened, and the Red Moon finally welcomed back its last missing member.
The Nitchtron mission had come to an end.
Not in triumph...
but with everyone who mattered still alive.
—
Planet Nitchtron
Darant City's Main Militia Base
Footsteps echoed through the interrogation wing of the militia headquarters.
The corridor was silent except for the slow rhythm of leather boots striking the polished floor. A long brown council cloak trailed behind its owner until the footsteps finally came to a stop outside a reinforced interrogation room.
The door slid open.
Eczys stepped inside.
The room was small and dimly lit. Across the metal table sat Accix, his wrists restrained by heavy alloy cuffs bolted firmly to the desk. Though disheveled from his arrest, he remained strangely composed.
Eczys closed the door behind him and took the seat opposite.
Without saying a word, he placed a small digital device onto the table.
[The Heart of God...]
Silence settled between them.
Then Eczys finally spoke.
"Would you mind explaining what this means?"
His voice was calm.
Firm.
The kind of voice that demanded answers without ever needing to be raised.
He looked directly into Accix's eyes.
"You'd better start talking."
Accix remained silent.
His gaze drifted from Eczys to the device resting on the table.
For a brief moment, frustration lingered across his face.
Then defeat.
But beneath both emotions...
Something else.
Excitement.
A quiet anticipation that made his smile all the more disturbing.
A faint grin slowly spread across his lips.
As if the chaos that had unfolded on Nitchtron...
...was only the beginning.