At the Nomad headquarters, the atmosphere in the great hall was tense. Everyone had gathered anxiously, awaiting the outcome of the destructive elemental bomb that Kiryuu had set. Among them, Kiryuu appeared restless, his eyes fixated on the large screen displaying a live satellite feed. The bomb's detonator should have hit zero a few seconds ago, yet the anticipated explosion had not occurred. The tension in the room was mounting.
"Why hasn't it blown up yet?" one of the Nomad members whispered.
Kiryuu held his breath. The bomb was his masterpiece, a weapon of destruction meant to level everything within a five-kilometer radius. But according to the Nomad satellite feed, nothing was happening. No explosion, no devastation—only an eerie silence.
Suddenly, the satellite screen flashed white, blindingly bright. A massive shockwave followed, hitting their transmission systems hard. The shock reverberated all the way to the Nomad headquarters, causing their screens to flicker, and the images on the monitors blurred and became unreadable.
"What the hell just happened?" one of the technicians shouted in panic as they frantically tried to restore the disrupted transmission.
Fürst, Nomad's tactical leader, quickly approached Kiryuu, his face full of questions. "What's going on, Kiryuu? You said that bomb couldn't fail."
But Kiryuu remained silent, unable to answer. His mind raced. He knew exactly what had happened. Even though the images were distorted, he could guess the oddity on the screen—not due to an explosion that didn't occur, but because of something far more terrifying.
*No way… My bomb… my greatest creation… was sent into space?* Kiryuu thought. Someone or something had done what he had never anticipated. The advanced technology he had so proudly boasted about had been neutralized by a force beyond his comprehension.
Fürst and the others began demanding explanations. A barrage of questions filled the room, but Kiryuu remained silent. His fingers clenched tightly around the arms of his chair, his face pale. How could this have happened?
The tension was suddenly shattered by a flash of light in the middle of the hall. A teleportation magic circle formed, and in an instant, Maisei and Valetine appeared before them. Both of them looked ragged and severely wounded. Valetine collapsed, clutching his bloodied abdomen, while Maisei staggered, barely managing to stand on his last reserves of strength.
The once-tense room now shifted into complete confusion. All eyes turned toward Maisei and Valetine, and the questions about the bomb and Kaoru seemed to vanish in the presence of these two injured figures.
"That man…" Maisei whispered, gasping for breath, blood still dripping from the wound on his arm. "He… stopped it."
The room fell silent. Everyone, including Kiryuu, froze at those words. None of them had imagined that Kaoru, with the power he possessed, could accomplish something that even Nomad's technology couldn't overcome.
---
In the village of Gosha, chaos reigned. People were running around, working hard to care for the victims injured by the shockwave of the missile strike that hit the area. The once peaceful village had turned into an emergency zone, with two main locations designated as evacuation centers. The residents who had been rescued from the festival were gathered in two places—the gymnasium of Gosha Academy and the village's soccer field.
In the gymnasium, the atmosphere was tense and full of panic. The injured, both lightly and severely wounded, were laid out on makeshift mats and separated according to the severity of their injuries. The large room now felt cramped, filled with groans and cries of the wounded. Outside the gym, hundreds of unharmed survivors gathered on the field under the strict supervision of the Taimanin—elite warriors assigned to maintain security in the village. They remained on high alert, ready for any remaining threats.
Murasaki, one of the experienced Taimanin, moved swiftly among the rows of victims. Her face showed clear exhaustion, but she didn't stop for a moment. The number of victims arriving far exceeded the capacity of the available medical team. More than a hundred victims had already been registered, with varying conditions—some only lightly wounded, but the majority were in moderate to severe condition. Burns, broken bones, and trauma from the explosion dominated the grim scene.
"More bandages over here!" Murasaki shouted, pointing to a victim with burns on his arm. "And move this one to the severe area; he needs immediate treatment."
Sweat dripped down her face as she continued running back and forth, giving instructions to the medical team and volunteers who were working hard to handle the emergency. The number of injured was so overwhelming that they had to be grouped into several categories: minor, moderate, and severe. Those with only minor injuries were treated on the spot, while those with more serious wounds were moved to an area closer to the Taimanin for more intensive protection.
Amid the screams and chaos, Murasaki tried to remain calm. She knew that if she lost control, things would only get worse. Every second felt like a race against time, and Murasaki was feeling overwhelmed by the scale of the disaster.
"Murasaki, we're running out of medical supplies!" one of the medical team members shouted, his voice filled with anxiety.
"I know!" Murasaki replied, her teeth clenched in frustration. "Send an urgent request to the headquarters, and order the backup team to come down to the field! We can't handle this alone."
Meanwhile, outside on the soccer field, the atmosphere remained tense. Voices of concern began to rise from the survivors who were unharmed, many of them still shaken by the sudden attack. They stood in the middle of the now crowded field, staring into the distance with uncertain feelings. Thin smoke continued to rise from the direction of the destruction, serving as a grim reminder of the explosion that had just occurred.
Around them, the Taimanin stood guard, their weapons raised, eyes sharp and vigilant, watching for any suspicious movement. They knew the threat might not be over, and every second could be an opportunity for the enemy to strike again. In this tense atmosphere, a sense of safety seemed almost impossible, despite the ongoing protection.
Asuka, along with a few other members, tried to calm the anxious and traumatized villagers. Patiently, Asuka knelt before a young child who was crying, searching for her mother who had gone missing amidst the chaos. Asuka gently stroked the child's head, her voice soothing even though her heart was filled with worry. After managing to calm the child down and handing her over to a medical worker, Asuka took a deep breath.
She had been repeatedly trying to call Kaoru. Her fingers trembled as she bit her lip, hoping for any news, anything, from Kaoru. But each time she called, it went unanswered. The growing anxiety and fear made her heart race. In her mind, the worst possibilities kept swirling.
"What happened to you, Kaoru...?" she murmured softly, barely audible amidst the crowd.
Amid her worry, Shiranui, who had just finished handing out water to the refugees, noticed Asuka's tense expression from afar. Seeing the stress on the young girl's face, Shiranui decided to approach. With a gentle motion, she placed a hand on Asuka's shoulder, offering a bit of comfort.
"Asuka..." Shiranui called softly, her voice full of warmth and maturity. Her face bore a calming smile, even though she, too, harbored the same anxiety. "You've done your best. Don't put too much pressure on yourself."
Asuka turned, looking at Shiranui with eyes still filled with worry. However, Shiranui's gentle smile and reassuring touch on her shoulder made Asuka feel a bit more at ease, even if only for a moment. The girl let out a heavy sigh, trying to calm her mind despite the uncertainty still gripping her heart.
"I... I'm just worried. Kaoru hasn't answered my calls, and things are so chaotic. I'm scared something has happened to him."
Shiranui smiled again, this time more warmly. "I understand how you feel. But we have to trust that Kaoru knows what he's doing. He's strong, and I'm sure he's fine out there. We need to stay calm so we can help the people here."
Asuka nodded slowly, though her anxiety had not completely subsided. However, Shiranui's words gave her a bit of strength to continue her duties. Together, they blended back into the crowd of refugees, doing their best to calm them and provide whatever help they could.
But before Shiranui could continue speaking, a sudden scream echoed from the crowd. The hysterical shout pierced the silence, causing everyone around the field to turn their heads. A refugee pointed to the sky, eyes wide with terror. "Look! Up there!"
Everyone immediately looked up, and their eyes widened at the unusual sight. In the dim light of the moon and stars, a large silhouette flew among the clouds. It wasn't a plane, nor was it a bird, but something far bigger and stranger. Its body resembled a lion with powerful, wide wings—a griffin.
The mythical creature hovered low, its majestic wings beating the air with graceful yet powerful strokes. Under the moonlight, the eagle feathers on its wings shimmered like silver, while its muscular body cast a massive shadow on the ground below. A chorus of whispers and disbelieving gasps rose from the crowd of refugees. The griffin was clearly approaching the field, flying lower and lower.
The Taimanin immediately took their positions, weapons raised, ready for the worst-case scenario. Was this a new attack? Had this mythical creature been sent by the enemy? They couldn't take any chances.
However, as the griffin drew closer, all eyes focused on the figure riding the creature. A man with white hair, glowing red eyes that pierced through the darkness, dressed in a gray kimono and hakama that billowed gracefully in the night breeze. His expression was cold and calm, though there was an undeniable exhaustion etched into his features.
"Asuka!" a refugee shouted, their voice filled with shock.
Asuka quickly turned towards the voice and instantly looked up at the sky. Her eyes widened as she recognized the figure riding the griffin. "Kaoru!?"
Without hesitation, Asuka ran a few steps forward, her eyes filled with hope but also confusion. The man she had been trying to contact repeatedly by phone, the one she had been so worried about, was now appearing before her in a way she had never imagined. The griffin slowly landed in the field, the wind from its beating wings kicking up dust, creating small whirlwinds at their feet.
Kaoru gracefully dismounted from the griffin's back, his eyes scanning the area before finally meeting Asuka's gaze. Despite the exhaustion and burden that weighed heavily on him, a small, faint smile appeared on his lips, signaling that he was alright.
Still filled with anxiety, Asuka quickly approached him.