The system chimed. The call connected.
Aurora's hologram popped up in front of the round table. She observed her surroundings, eyes scanning the dark room, lit only by the faint blue light of the other holograms.
Lady Harukaze stood to her left, arms crossed, calm and composed. Surrounding the table were holograms of Morgan, Kaisen, and Stelle. Saya stood behind Stelle, arms clasped behind her back like a soldier.
Aurora turned to Lady Harukaze.
"Apologies for the delay, My Lady."
Lady Harukaze chuckled.
"Don't apologize. You're right on time, dear."
"Status report on the borders?" Kaisen asked.
"Under control at the moment," Aurora replied. "New radars and SAM systems were installed recently. Ansar and Ravynne also haven't stopped scouting."
"Some good news at least," Morgan chimed in. "Meanwhile, they're trying to push into Alaska at the same time. We're fortifying defenses. The sudden threat of Excalibur's return makes the timing worse."
"What I am curious about is how someone could've gotten their hands on such a highly secured material?" Stelle asked.
"I had the same thought. So, I did some digging." Morgan shook her head in resignation. "I admit that security has been dipping to embarrassing lows, but our core facilities aren't compromised. My investigation leads me to believe that the moles captured years ago for selling classified research documents and equipment must've stolen a small portion they could get away with unnoticed."
Aurora's expression turned thoughtful. "A resonance signal suggests someone at least has a working prototype. But given the complexity of the cores that power us, it would take years to develop them from scratch without blueprints. I think that tracks. They must've been at it for a long time."
"If they don't have core blueprints, then we have a small window to trace their location before they learn about the resonance signal," Saya added. "Umbra and Tessa have the highest compatibility with it out of any Vanguard member. If there's a continuous signal for more than ten seconds, they can pinpoint the location."
Stelle cleared her throat. "According to Dr. Frank, creating such a core should require a facility that isn't supposed to go unnoticed. After the recent security breach here at East-Wing Warriors Academy, I guessed that the Rebellion stole personnel information, given their track record of targeted assassinations. But if this is another case of unauthorized Null research, then I suspect they also have information about research facilities here in Nexus Pentagon. We should tighten security and investigate."
"A reasonable suggestion," Lady Harukaze said, smiling. "Or... we could just wait and watch."
Everyone's gaze snapped to her.
Kaisen's eyes widened. "My Lady, correct me if I'm wrong, but... do you mean we should let the Rebellion infiltrate the facilities?"
Stelle adjusted her hat.
"This just got interesting."
Lady Harukaze chuckled softly. She clasped her hands behind her back and began walking around the table behind everyone at a leisurely pace. "It's a shame that the very system created to protect the innocent is also shielding the people playing a key role in corruption. The moment we try anything, they get tipped off."
She kept walking until she was standing directly behind Morgan. "The Rebellion has managed to accomplish what we couldn't. Sure, we condemn their methods, but every one of their targets has eventually been revealed to have committed... atrocities against humanity. Don't you think your student has done a great job so far, Morgan?"
"I don't support her actions, My Lady," Morgan replied without looking behind.
Lady Harukaze continued her walk.
"Personally, I'm quite impressed."
She slowly circled back to where she started.
"Since the Rebellion is here, I think we should let them find a trail we can follow. That way, the prey won't know a predator is coming. And pieces are already moving as we speak."
5:48 A.M.
At the abandoned shipyard, Kageri stood arms crossed. Hector flipped a coin while leaning against a container. Andreas sat on a bag of concrete powder.
Kageri groaned and looked up at Kuroha, who sat on a container, swinging her legs.
"How much longer?"
Kuroha rolled her eyes.
"Any moment now..."
That's when they heard sprinting footsteps against metal containers. Zen vaulted from one container to another until he stopped on top of the closest one, then jumped down, using his wind for a soft landing. He wore only his tracksuit—no gear, no deployed weapons.
He pulled down the hood, revealing his face, and looked at Kuroha.
"Consider me impressed for pulling this off."
Kuroha chuckled.
"It was either meet you here or I take you to our hideout after complaining to onee-chan"
Hector shook his head.
"It's really hard to bargain with this girl."
Kageri scoffed.
"I still don't understand why she favors you more than us."
"Talk business," Andreas cut in.
Kageri let go and stepped forward, right hand resting on the hilt of her sheathed katana, eyes narrowing at Zen. "What do you want?"
She unsheathed her blade and pointed it at him.
"And watch your words, or else..."
Zen sighed.
"I know. I'll... keep your names out of my mouth."
Another sigh escaped him, longer this time. His voice shifted, low and measured.
"You're working with The Foundation, correct?"
Kageri tilted her head.
"And why do you care?"
"No big reason...," Zen replied. "Except, we both know The Foundation is clearly partnered with Black Helix. So, as I worked through this jumble of faction networks, I realized either you've crossed your own moral lines or... you're using whatever infrastructure they have for your own goals. And I doubt it's the former."
Her grip on her katana tightened.
"Get to the point. Why does it matter to you?"
Zen crossed his arms.
"The point is, I need info."
"Then you're wasting our time."
She lowered her blade, sheathed it, and turned to leave.
"You're not getting anything from us."
Zen didn't even blink.
"Even if it meant letting the fools unleash a Null capable of rivaling the world—one that they don't realize they have no hope of controlling?"
That made her pause.
Andreas raised an eyebrow. Hector's gaze snapped to Zen. Kuroha remained unfazed, casually swinging her legs and staring at the dimly lit skyline.
Kageri looked back.
"You're horrible at bluffing."
"Because I'm not," Zen replied. "This conversation won't change a bit of disdain you have towards me. I'm not trying to. Nor will I be able to accept the path the Rebellion follows."
"But... I do believe we're both against messing with world-ending forces of nature such as Null—especially when Rogue Nulls are the very reason that led to the Rebellion's formation."
A long stretch of silence followed—one that made her own history flash before her eyes.
She exhaled, long and deep.
"What sort of information do you want from us?"
"The illegal kind. Anything even remotely related to unauthorized Null research." His gaze shifted to the skyline, mirroring Kuroha. "I can't tell you everything. Just know that someone here in Nexus Pentagon is trying to create something that even the higher-bracket black designations together might not be able to handle. I need you to pass along anything that would help prevent a disaster."
Kageri paused for a moment, thinking it through. Then her eyes finally relaxed, and she turned and walked away without a word.
Andreas watched her go, looked back at Zen, and gave a single nod. Zen nodded back.
Hector straightened up and turned to leave as well.
"If we're done here, I've got work to sort out."
Andreas stood up and followed behind. They walked away, and only Kuroha remained behind.
Once she was sure they were gone, she jumped down from the container and approached Zen, posture relaxed, hands clasped behind her back. "I can't help but wonder... What suddenly changed your mind to return to your enemies?"
"I've said it before... I never saw any of them as enemies to hate from the bottom of my heart. If anything, they're… rivals that I sometimes have to clash with when their methods get a little too extreme," he said. "Someone once told me that my loyalty to the Legion won't stay the same when I'm old enough to understand, and for the past five years, those words couldn't be anything but true. So here I am, doing something that can easily put a big dent in my track record."
Kuroha tilted her head, smiling.
"So you trust us more than the Legion?"
Zen smiled back.
"I'm just trying to find a solution without crossing into the realm of vigilantism. Just like she wants me to."
The door clicked open. Yuri entered the apartment, black skateboard tucked into the fold of her right arm—red eyes, blonde hair, average height for a sixteen-year-old, and a dark gray gear tracksuit.
She took off her sneakers and kicked them aside before stepping in.
In the living room, Skye was perched on the sofa, busy on her phone held horizontally.
She had the same face, hair color, body type, and attire—everything about her was identical, except her hairstyle and the fact that Yuri was slightly taller.
Yuri's hair was tied into a high ponytail. Skye's were tied into two high bunches.
Yuri rested her skateboard against the side of the opposite sofa and sat down with a tired but satisfied sigh. "Hey-a," she greeted.
"Hey..." Skye replied, attention fully on her phone.
Yuri tilted her head, eyes narrowing slightly.
"What ya watchin'?"
"Tournament match replays."
"Reviewing your old matches?" Yuri stared at her, expecting a reply.
Skye didn't.
Yuri closed her eyes and hummed to herself to act normal, then got up and walked away—except she quietly circled until she was right behind Skye. She leaned down, wrapped her arms around Skye's neck, and pressed her cheek against hers.
Skye got startled.
"Jeez..."
Yuri chuckled and looked at the match footage playing on the phone. "Hmm... This doesn't look like it's from our academy..."
When she noticed the video title included "East-Wing Warriors Academy," everything became clear, and she gave a teasing grin. "Ohh... No wonder you aren't bouncing around the house or busy finishing four cups of instant noodles for breakfast. You're watching combat replays of that special someone of yours."
Skye pouted, face turning red.
"S-shut up... I'm the older one here."
Yuri hugged her tighter, nuzzling her nose against Skye's cheek affectionately before finally stepping back. "Aww... Don't be shy. I think it's kinda romantic."
She walked back to the other sofa and sat down again, crossing her legs.
"At least you have someone to dream about. I haven't even found anyone interesting yet."
She waved her hand dismissively.
"But anyway, where did you get the footage, though?"
Skye set her phone aside and sat up straight, her expression deliberately nonchalant.
"Asked Sayuri-nee-san for links. Simple as that. I got livestream links too."
Yuri raised an eyebrow, amused.
"Aren't they still in the group stages? You plan to watch through all that?"
The main door clicked open again. Two girls entered this time. Kirin first. Yuna behind her. Both were covered in sweat. Yuna wiped her face with a towel, smiling to herself.
All four of them had identical faces, eye color, body type, and attire.
The difference? Kirin was the oldest and also the tallest, beating Yuri by an inch and a half. Yuna was second, sharing the same height as Skye. Both Kirin and Yuna had dark hair, unlike the other two. Kirin's was tied into a low ponytail with a butterfly ribbon. Yuna's were long twin tails. Their age difference was in minutes.
Yuna kicked off her sneakers and stepped in. Kirin sighed, took hers off, and neatly put all the sneakers away on the shoe rack, as always.
She finally stepped inside, hands on her hips, and her eyes locked onto two sitting on the sofas. "Sora, Yuri... Care to explain why you two were missing from today's morning sessions?"
Both groaned.
"What's wrong with skipping one day of training?" Yuri asked with a hint of resignation.
"I'm so bored of the same thing every day..." Skye complained.
Kirin clutched her head, muttering,
"Even to this day, I don't understand how Onii-chan tolerates you two."
Another sigh escaped her as she walked to the fridge for a cold drink.
"If you two do it again, Mom said she'll cut your allowances in half."
Another pair of groans followed, louder this time.
"Fine... We're sorry..." Both apologized in unison.
Meanwhile, the other sister was happily humming to herself.
"Yuna needs a shower⁓" she sang out. "Pass her a drink as well?"
Kirin tossed her a can of orange juice and continued rummaging through the contents.
"Sora, have you had your suppressant yet?"
"Not yet, but I'll have it now," Skye replied.
Kirin tossed her the prescribed drink, grabbed two lime sodas, walked over, and slumped down beside Yuri.
Yuri grabbed a can from her.
"Thanks."
"By the way, have you asked Mom about when we can visit big bro?" Skye asked, popping her drink.
Kirin took a long sip.
"Yeah... She said we can go when the yearly NAWC takes place in Nexus Pentagon."
Skye's face lit up.
"Really? Perfect! I need to make a shopping list."
"Yuna can't wait⁓" her voice echoed from the bathroom.
Kirin couldn't hold back her smile either.
"Calm down. It's still more than a month away."
Yuri chuckled, her tone teasing.
"Bet you can't wait to meet your boyfriend as well."
Skye puffed her cheeks, and a white pillow instantly came to Yuri's face.
Kirin's free hand shot up and caught it as she was taking another sip.
"Behave. Both of you."
It was already thirty minutes past six. Zen had just reached his apartment. He suppressed his footsteps, careful not to announce his return, and turned the knob of the door quietly after scanning his card.
But the moment the air inside connected, it warned him like a bro-code.
She was already standingthere.
He slowly pushed the door open and was met by Shiori standing in front of the main door—hands clasped demurely, already in uniform—with that deadpan face she always wore when disappointed. "Mind not quietly disappearing every night?"
Zen raised an eyebrow.
"How long... have you been awake?"
"Two hours and twenty-three minutes."
—then she immediately followed up with, "Where have you been?"
"...Taking a walk for some fresh air?"
"For over two hours? If I report that to Sayuri-sensei, she'll ground you again."
Zen decided not to answer that particular question.
Hint: Lying by omission.
"Did you check your phone?" she asked.
Zen pulled out his phone, muttering,
"It's probably silenced..."
He checked the notifications.
It read, "1 missed call(s)."
Just ONE. She knew he would either pick up on the first try or not at all, even after a dozen.
"Breakfast is ready," she said, turning around to walk back inside.
Zen followed behind after closing the door.
"You didn't have to wait that long."
"It is simply my duty as your caretaker."
"Taking the caretaker role a bit too seriously, no?"
"You're the last person I expect to hear from about taking something too seriously."
His words ran out. So he quietly washed his hands and sat at the table where the food on his plate was already cooling. Shiori sat down across from him.
Zen picked up a fork, took a small bite, and looked up at her while chewing.
"I've already had mine," Shiori replied preemptively.
He continued eating.
"Ever thought about having breakfast together, as roommates do?"
"I have mine at six A.M. sharp," she replied—then murmured very quietly,
"Or maybe I just enjoy watching you eat without distractions."
He didn't look up from his plate this time.
"Pardon?"
"Just speaking to myself," she answered as fast as he questioned. "So, when do we start? You did agree to teach me. I also brought my notebook of Tachibana sword techniques."
Zen thought for a split second.
"We can start right after breakfast. Academy training field?"
Shiori nodded.
"Academy training field."
"Alright."
"...Nice."