[1 hour before the harvest season]
Dashing with incredible speed, everything unfolded in slow motion for Setsuna. She had never gone all out with her modified superhuman abilities before, but now she felt like she could even wield magic itself.
Suddenly, her heart began to beat faster than ever before, and a sharp pain throbbed in her head. She groaned in pain, gritting her teeth as she tried to endure it.
Consequently, she had to slow down as she arrived at the field of vegetable farms. Many of the farmers who worked on her estate, busy preparing for the defense against the invasion, stopped to see Setsuna sprinting at a speed that almost matched the speed of sound.
She then reached an area where many cargo stacks were piled on top of each other, reaching as high as a building. Beyond this cargo were her workshop and several garages, one of which belonged to her. Normally, she would have driven her hoverbike that was parked near the mansion and driven it to her garage. But today was different. Laser tanks were making their way from the nearby military base, rolling towards the southern gate.
Setsuna knew that war was about to begin on the island, and whoever was attacking them no longer cared about the laws of the world government. Perhaps the world government had even fallen, or maybe they were the ones behind all of this.
Now, she noticed a stack of cargo placed between the farm and the cement-paved area in front of her garage. She hid behind it as a squad of rankers marched towards the south.
Overhearing their conversation, Setsuna learned that the southern gate had not spotted any enemies yet, bringing her some relief. She decided to move again when she spotted three flying cars heading her way from the backyard of her mansion, flying through the farm.
Suddenly, someone shouted, "Lady Setsuna is missing! Don't let her escape the island!"
At that moment, she knew she couldn't burst into the garage and take her flying car without getting caught. She glanced around, searching for a nearby flying car and spotted Elfred, a guy who had always been timid around her.
Without hesitation, Setsuna dashed with incredible speed and instantly appeared behind him. He had parked his flying car near the cargo as well.
"Hey, Elfred," Setsuna said, her voice familiar to him. He turned to see the owner of the voice—a pretty young girl with long dark hair tied in a ponytail and golden eyes staring at him like a hunter finding its prey.
Additionally, Elfred also noticed that Setsuna had a nosebleed. Concerned for her well-being, he expressed his worry.
"Lady Setsuna! People are searching everywhere for you, and war is breaking out," Elfred, a brown-haired guy with blue eyes, said nervously.
"Give me your car," Setsuna stated.
Elfred hesitated. He couldn't make the decision because his superiors had commanded him to immediately report Setsuna to them once she was found.
"I will give you my car, but..." Elfred hesitated.
"I understand," Setsuna responded.
"Huh!" Elfred looked at her with shocked eyes.
Setsuna understood his situation. She immediately chopped him in the neck, holding back her strength due to the power boost she was currently experiencing. Elfred fell unconscious. This way, nobody would suspect him of betraying his superiors.
"Thank you, Elfred," Setsuna said to the unconscious Elfred as she climbed onto the flying sedan.
As she scanned her bio-data chip, the AI recognized her authority as absolute since she possessed the same rights as her father. The car levitated and flew above the buildings and people rushing into their positions on the island.
Her nosebleed didn't stop, and it became harder for Setsuna to breathe. She wiped away the blood dripping onto her lips and washed her mouth. The thick blood stained her hands, and her headache intensified. But since she had already made her choice, there was no turning back for her.
While maneuvering the car, she heard a broadcast from the stereo regarding the invasion.
"From now on, nobody is allowed to leave the island unless necessary. The entire planet is at war. We don't know who the real enemy is!" This voice belonged to Jin Hono, her uncle and a high-ranking official.
Setsuna murmured, "Uncle."
She realized that if the war was happening worldwide, it would be very risky for her to leave the Hono floating island. Despite her hesitation, her body took over, and she increased the speed of the vehicle.
Fortunately, years ago she had discovered a weak spot in the holographic barrier in case of events like this. She had asked her uncle about it, and he seemed indifferent about providing her with the answer.
The weak spot was located in the upper right of the southern barrier—a small gap that allowed a single SUV to pass through. Her father had intentionally designed this gap as an emergency exit, but it could only be used once a year before closing again. Remembering her uncle's words, Setsuna had to make a risky choice based on luck. She had no way of knowing if someone had already used this gap.
Approaching a giant gate at the center of the fortress wall, with multiple laser cannons aligned on it, Setsuna heard another broadcast from the watchtower near the gate.
"Hey, who is driving the vehicle? Stop immediately! The gate is closed, or you will crash into it," a male voice urgently warned.
Her heart raced as she realized she might die if the gap was already closed. It seemed like there was no gap to begin with, and it could have been an illusion to hide its existence. Whether the gap was open or closed was unknown, and she had to take a gamble.
But Setsuna didn't listen. Once her instincts kicked in, no one could stop her. Unexpectedly, the onlookers who had expected her flying car to crash into the gate stood with their mouths agape as Setsuna flew her vehicle through the holographic barrier's small gap on top of the gate without causing an explosion.
"Thank God, no one has used this gap this year," Setsuna sighed in relief for a moment until her attention was diverted to an even greater scale of disaster.
Once she passed through the barrier and arrived outside the island, she witnessed an entire city engulfed in flames. Multiple magical blue portals opened throughout the dome, and from these portals emerged giant serpents, tigers, wolves, lions, and even mythical creatures like King Kong and gorillas. Animals that should be extinct were now roaming free in the streets, attacking nearby people.
"What in the world is that?" Setsuna exclaimed, her jaw-dropping at the sight of something out of this world.
-Is that magic or technology?- She pondered.
As Setsuna flew further away from the island, the devastation spread out before her eyes. The city was engulfed in flames, with buildings crumbling and collapsing under the onslaught. The once bustling streets were now filled with chaos and destruction. The mythical creatures continued to wreak havoc, attacking anything and everything in their path.
From her elevated position, Setsuna could still see the chaos unfolding in the city, a horrifying scene she never even imagined could happen. The black holographic sky shrouded the city in darkness, but multiple spaceships and cruisers fired laser cannons, illuminating the sky in shades of pink and red.
It was then that she realized that most of the floating islands, consisting of different guilds, elite families, and private sectors, were also under attack by an unknown force with military might comparable to that of the world government.
Perhaps even her school was not a safe place, but her irrational impulsiveness pushed her to go there. Her intuition whispered for her to meet her friends, even though it would have been more logical for her to stay in her mansion.
Nevertheless, she had made a choice that was true to herself, a choice that Setsuna would make, and everyone knew it. She was not the type to sit around and do nothing; her decisions always surprised and influenced others.
"Please be safe, everyone," Setsuna mumbled to herself, a concerned expression on her face.
*
Within a personal armory, Suzuki and his brother Jin stored their collection of weapons, firearms, and related gear. It was a secure and organized storage area.
Jin initiated a conversation, "Aniki (Older brother), Setsuna has escaped the island."
Jin Hono, Suzuki's younger brother, had brown skin, brown eyes, and blue hair. He had a well-built physique, resembling an athlete.
Suzuki, a dark-haired man with broad shoulders, donned his laser-proof armor and looked at his helmet, which resembled a samurai helmet but with advanced technology integrated into it. He sighed upon hearing the news of his daughter disobeying his orders once again, but he didn't seem angry, just disappointed.
Before putting on his helmet, he instructed his brother, who was standing behind him, to put on his armor as well.
"That's just like her. I suppose that's her destiny—to fight and experience the cruel world, just like you and I once did," Suzuki stated.
Jin laughed and looked up, reminiscing about the past. "You used to be the black sheep in our family, but in the end, you managed to unite the Hono family. I'm sure Setsuna will manage to do the same. And I apologize for going against you that time, Aniki."
Suzuki responded, "Leave it all behind, my story has ended. Now it is your time to shine alongside Setsuna and Ao."
Jin, also in his 40s, was puzzled by his brother's statement. What did he mean by saying it was his time to shine? It wasn't like he had ever dared to betray his brother. In fact, Jin looked up to Suzuki for breaking the mold of the black sheep and becoming the leader of the Hono family.
"I am already old, Aniki," Jin said, looking down. There were so many things he still wanted to do, like finding true love and leaving behind his reputation as a playboy.
Suzuki put on his helmet and walked towards Jin, patting his shoulder. Jin looked at him with bewilderment. In the past few years, Suzuki had never shown any sign of vulnerability, but now he seemed like a man who was aware his time was coming.
"Brother, don't tell me you are planning to die?" Jin stuttered.
Suzuki shook his head and said from beneath his helmet, "The Harvest Season is an all-out war against the Ten High. They didn't hide this from the major guilds. Either we join them or fight against them. But there are also those lurking in the shadows who can be said to be equal to the Ten High."
"So you know this from the beginning?" Jin said in shock.
"Yes, ever since the beginning, I became the leader of this family. The first message I received from the Ten High was to prepare for the Harvest Season. It's like a predator giving its prey time to prepare," Suzuki continued. "I will stay on this island, protecting the other branch of the Hono family. And as for you, I have a more important task."
Suzuki stood before Jin, his expression serious. Without hesitation, Jin bowed down as a sign of affirmation to take on the order.
"Anything within my ability, I will try to achieve it for you," Jin said.
Once he took something out from his armor pocket, Suzuki handed over a diamond stamp in the shape of an eastern dragon to his brother. Jin was reluctant to accept it because he knew the weight that came with possessing this stamp—the weight of the entire family on one's shoulders. He used to dream of obtaining it, but now he no longer wished for it.
Yet, it seemed like fate was playing a joke on him as his older brother willingly gave it to him.
"What do you think makes up a family?" Suzuki asked.
"Responsibility, unconditional love, trust, and support..." Jin answered unsurely.
"You are half right. Family is not about location, blood, or nation. Leave this island and find Setsuna for me. You are now the new lord of the Hono family. Take the 5th Division within the Warrior Brand with you."
The 5th Division of the Warrior Brand consisted of 200 rankers with archetypal warriors, and some of them had already achieved the rare archetypes of Samurai, Assassin, and Avenger.
Jin knew that Suzuki never took this kind of topic lightly as a joke, especially when his words were attached to a family artifact that had been passed down for many generations.
Nonetheless, he asked his brother, "Are you sure, Aniki?"
"This is the only way to preserve our family. Moreover, the stamp doesn't mean anything, but people still give it value. So, I thought it was the only proof that I truly give you the rightful place as the new lord, but only when you find Setsuna. She holds the last key to unlock the stamp," Suzuki explained.
Jin took the stamp and put it inside his armor pocket. Then, Suzuki exited the room and said to himself, "It seems like no one can run away from a story that is pre-written."