Rain fell softly over the city, blurring neon lights into trembling reflections on the wet streets.
For most people, it was just another quiet night.
For The Aegis Bloom, it was routine.
Aoi Kanzaki landed first, her boots touching the pavement without a sound. A soft glow surrounded her as the rain seemed to bend away from her presence, light scattering like petals in the dark.
"Distortion confirmed," Mio Takahashi said calmly, her voice steady as ice.
She stood a few steps behind, blue light forming faint crystalline patterns in the surrounding air.
"Emotional residue is strong. It's been feeding for a while."
Reina Moriyama cracked her neck and smirked, flames flickering to life along the edge of her blade.
"Then let's end this before it grows legs and starts running," she said. "I hate it when they drag things out."
Aoi glanced at her, offering a gentle smile.
"Let's be careful. There's always someone behind an Echo."
They all knew that.
Echoes never appeared without reason.
They were born from emotions left to rot—grief, anger, regret—twisting into something that could no longer be ignored.
And somewhere nearby, a human heart was still hurting.
The air shifted.
From the shadow of a narrow alley, something crawled into the light.
The Echo's form was unstable, its body stretching and collapsing like a broken reflection. Long limbs scraped against the ground, its surface rippling with distorted faces that screamed silently before sinking back into the mass.
Reina clicked her tongue.
"Creepy as ever."
The Echo let out a shrill cry and lunged.
"Formation," Mio said.
The Aegis Bloom moved as one.
Aoi raised her staff, light unfurling into gentle ribbons that wrapped around the Echo, slowing its movement. Reina dashed forward, her flames cutting precise arcs through the air, forcing the creature back. Mio snapped her fingers, ice spreading across the ground, freezing the Echo's escape route.
It was clean. Controlled.
"This one's weak," Reina said confidently. "Aoi, you can—"
The Echo shrieked again.
Its body swelled violently, dark veins pulsing as something snapped inside it. The air grew heavy. The light restraining it flickered.
Mio's eyes narrowed.
"… It's evolving."
The Echo tore free, slamming Reina back with raw force. She skidded across the pavement, sparks flying as she dug her blade into the ground to stop herself.
"Aoi!" Reina shouted.
"I—I've got it!" Aoi pushed more light into her spell, her core glowing brighter—but the Echo resisted, its screams growing sharper, more desperate.
Something was wrong.
Then—
A shockwave split the air.
The Echo's body jerked violently as something struck it from the side, the impact so precise and brutal that its form warped inward.
A shadow landed between the girls and the monster.
Tall. Still.
Black armor traced with faint crimson lines caught the city's light. Rain slid cleanly off its surface. A single red visor glowed beneath a smooth, expressionless helmet.
Silence fell.
"… Who?" Reina breathed.
The figure straightened slowly, turning his head just enough to acknowledge them.
"Apologies for intruding," he said, his voice calm, smooth. "But you looked like you could use a hand."
Before anyone could respond, he moved.
The Echo barely had time to react before the knight was upon it. His strikes were efficient, merciless—no wasted motion, no hesitation. Each blow tore through the creature's unstable core, forcing it back, breaking it down piece by piece.
Aoi felt her breath catch.
This wasn't purification.
This was destruction.
"Hey!" Reina shouted. "Stay back! That thing's ours!"
The knight paused just long enough to glance at her.
"If I were in your place," he said evenly, "I'd be angry too."
He stepped past her flame, close enough that the heat reflected off his armor.
"Anger suits you," he added. "But it clouds your aim."
Reina bristled.
"The hell did you just—?!"
"Careful, miss."
The knight's voice shifted as Aoi stepped forward, light gathering in her hands.
"That light is far too kind," he said gently, "for something that's already broken."
He looked at her—really looked.
"… Still," he murmured, "it's beautiful."
Aoi froze.
Behind her, Mio studied him in silence.
"You're not looking at the monster," the knight said without turning. "You're looking at me."
A faint tilt of his head.
"I suppose I've earned that much attention."
With a final strike, the Echo collapsed, its form unstable, trembling—defeated, but not erased.
Aoi lifted her staff, ready.
Then the knight stopped.
He lowered his weapon and took a step back.
"Tonight's prey…" He turned toward them, rain dripping from his armor. "…belongs to you."
His visor lingered on Aoi.
"After all," he said softly, "you still believe it can be saved."
He turned away.
"Wait—!"
Reina reached out and grabbed his arm.
The movement was instinctive.
In the next instant, everything changed.
The knight did not pull away.
Instead, he turned smoothly, taking Reina's hand with surprising gentleness. Before she could speak—or breathe—he lowered himself to one knee.
Her eyes widened.
He lifted her hand with both of his, bowed his helmet, and paused just short of her knuckles.
A kiss that never quite landed.
"A knight," he said quietly, only for her to hear, "should never ignore a lady's courage."
A brief pause.
"Even when it burns."
Reina's grip loosened.
When she looked up again—
He was gone.
Only rain remained.
Aoi stood frozen, heart pounding.
Mio exhaled slowly, eyes dark.
"… He's not an enemy," Aoi whispered.
Mio shook her head.
"Even so, we cannot let our guard down..."
The city lights flickered above them.
And somewhere in the shadows, a masked knight disappeared into the night.