11:33 AM - AUGUST 23RD, 2026 (2126) - SCHELVIA CITY - SKY NETWORK - MIRAGE DISTRICT [EAST GATE] - "GATE TO THE CORE"
ARRIVAL...
The cabin's pace slowed as they entered the Mirage District through the Sky Network, the once blurred landscape outside the window gradually sharpening. Now, the towering buildings of the Mirage District came into view.
Inside the third cabin, five of the top Nine stood from their seats, moving toward the open cabin door that still drifted forward in motion. The cityscape below stretched endlessly, yet they remained unfazed, standing at the edge of the moving aircraft, ready to jump on Artoria's command from the first cabin.
None of them wore parachutes. They were hundreds of meters above ground level, yet their expressions showed no trace of fear.
Some cracked their knuckles, while others rolled their necks in preparation. A few tightened their grip on their weapons, fingers flexing instinctively. One leaned against the open frame of the cabin door, arms crossed, gazing down at the city below as if it were nothing more than a mere playground waiting to be conquered.
This was routine for them.with command of Artoria they would descend to the warzone any moment
-.-..-....-.-.-.-.-. -. -.-..-....-.-.-.-.-.-.
2ND CABIN - MONITORING CABIN
"We're here, Artoria... Mirage District, East Gate."
She speaks to the conceal mic button on her collar informing Artoria..
Solaria's voice was calm, yet firm, as she gazed out of the cabin, her golden irises reflecting the shifting skyline. The speed of their transport had slowed significantly, though the Sky Network ensured they had arrived within minutes from the Core.
With a practiced motion, she adjusted her glasses with a flick of her fingers, securing them higher onto her nose.
Her sharp gaze then shifted slightly-landing on Alessandra, who sat at the front of the cabin, engrossed in the glowing holographic screens projected before her tablet. Various security camera feeds floated in the air, providing real-time surveillance across Mirage District.
Alessandra's brows furrowed in concentration as she sifted through the feeds, scanning for any signs of the Phantom.
"Where is the Phantom now, Alessandra?" Solaria inquired, her tone laced with underlying urgency.
She stepped closer, peering over Alessandra's shoulder at the floating holograms, assisting in the search. Her sharp eyes landed on one specific screen-a live feed displaying a Student Council member standing in the middle of a deserted street.
Solaria's finger hovered over the projection before pointing at the screen.
"Alessandra, where is this security camera view taken from? And isn't that one of the Student Council members?"
Alessandra, caught off guard by Solaria's sudden question, glanced at the screen before her. Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Hah?"
"Oh, don't 'hah' me, Alessandra! Tell me where this is."
Solaria's voice hardened with authority.
Alessandra turned her full attention to the screen, her fingers quickly navigating the controls. The camera feed showed a young female Student Council member standing alone in the street. The girl's eyes were wide, her pupils dilated in a strange, unnerving way. She appeared both terrified and entranced, her body moving forward as though drawn by an unseen force, disappearing from the camera's view as she stepped beyond the lens' range.
Solaria's expression darkened.
"That girl... she isn't acting on her own. She's being led somewhere."
Alessandra, now recognizing the street, tapped the hovering screen. The hologram expanded, providing a clearer map overlay of the Mirage District's current location.
"It's the street leading to the Gate to the Core... It's directly beneath us, under this Sky Network cabin!" Alessandra's voice rose in alarm.
Solaria's pulse quickened.
"Change the camera feed-track the girl!" she commanded.
Alessandra's fingers worked swiftly, switching the live surveillance feed to the nearest available camera. A new hologram window materialized, overlaying the previous footage.
The Gate to the Core came into view.
The Student Council girl was there-standing still, her body tense and trembling, as if resisting something unseen.
But that wasn't what sent a chill through the cabin.
A figure paced before the shut gate.
The Phantom.
Its white Lynx Amr Rifle rested lazily against its shoulder. A living, fluid-like cloak billowed around its form, shifting colors under the reflection of the sunlight, glistening like moving fabric.
The Phantom's movements were slow. Calculated.
It wasn't trying to force its way through the gate-it was waiting for something.
Solaria's expression hardened.
"What the-Alessandra... the Core gate. It's secure, right?"
"Of course, it's secure! But forget that-we need to inform Artoria immediately. That girl-she's a hostage!"
Before Alessandra could finish, a massive red hologram materialized, overlaying all the current screens.
The entire cabin flashed in red warning lights.
⚠️ RED NOTICE ⚠️
⚠️ RED NOTICE ⚠️
⚠️ RED NOTICE ⚠️
Additional caution holograms popped up, displaying another intruder-this one sprinting and leaping across rooftops, moving at inhuman speeds as it approached the Mirage District.
"Another one!?"
Alessandra gasped in horror.
This wasn't a mere infiltration.
This was an invasion.
Her hands worked rapidly, broadcasting the live camera feed to the rest of the Student Council members in the other cabins.
They needed to know.
This was no longer 1 versus 9.
This was now 2 versus 9.
-.-..-....-.-.-.-.-.-. -.-..-....-.-.-.-.-.-.
11:40 AM - FIRST CABIN / LEADER
"Shadow, like I said-we're landing there on a truce."
Artoria's tone was firm, her gray eyes locked onto Yoshi, who stood across from her, leaning against the cabin wall near the open door. His dull purple gaze met hers, unfazed and unreadable, his hands casually shoved into his pockets. The Mech-Ring around his neck pulsed faintly with a dim violet glow, its energy built on anticipation.
"You don't need to play the knight in shining armor from some Tello tale," she continued. "We're not here to be the aggressors. There's only one threat, and that phantom is on its own."
Yoshi exhaled softly, tearing his gaze away.
"I know, I know... but if the phantom makes a wrong move-if it so much as raises its rifle-I won't hesitate to blow its head off with mine."
His voice was calm, almost casual.
Then, more quietly-"Besides... something about it seems familiar. I wouldn't mind interrogating it, assuming it even speaks."
He rolled his shoulders lazily before tapping the Mech-Ring on his neck, adjusting its fit.
-.-..-....-.-.-.-.-.-. -.-..-....-.-.-.-.-.-.
Among those in the cabin, Yoshi was the only one not wearing a full booster Mech-Armor, which could enhance a person's capabilities sixfold. Instead, he relied solely on his Mech-Ring, a device that tripled his abilities.
He preferred it this way. Too much power meant instability. His fighting style was built on adaptability, switching seamlessly between long-range precision and close-quarters combat in mere moments.
He was a pivot. A strategist. A combat leader
After all, he was-
Yoshi Manami - Rank 8 (Tactical Combat Lead)
Alias: The Noir Prince
Though he commanded no official squad, when it came to battle, he was always ahead. His name was both feared and admired among the lower ranks, whispered by those who had never even seen him fight.
Artoria's Shadow.
A rumor. A title. A reality.
---
[A FAMILIAR PRESENCE]
Artoria narrowed her eyes. "Familiar?" she echoed.
Yoshi glanced at her sideways, his voice quieter this time. "Just... reminds me of someone. Someone I used to know-outside Schelvia."
He kept his explanation vague, unwilling to let Artoria pry further. He couldn't tell her. Not yet. Not about the phantom's resemblance to his mother. Not about the long-lost sister he had searched for in vain over the past ten years.
Artoria studied him, intrigued. Her fingers brushed over the empty scabbard at her side, a subconscious habit of grounding herself.
"Outside Schelvia?" she mused. "Shadow... are you talking about our parents? Or someone you've been longing to see agai-"
Before she could finish, a holographic screen materialized before them in a burst of red pixels.
---
⚠️ RED NOTICE ⚠️
LIVE FEED - MIRAGE DISTRICT
A flickering video displayed the second phantom, breaking through the East Gate at unnatural speed. It sprinted across rooftops, closing in on the first phantom-already positioned near the Gate to the Core, directly beneath their Sky Network Cabin.
Artoria clenched her jaw.
The way it moved-the calculated footwork, the sheer precision-it was her speed. Her agility... there's someone matches her other than yoshi..
Impossible.
She tensed, gripping her scabbard, mind racing.
Meanwhile, Yoshi's reaction was subtler. His purple eyes widened briefly before flickering toward Artoria, gauging her reaction. A smirk tugged at his lips.
Now she was agitated
A smirk tugged at his lips.
"I think it's time we depart, Artoria. Pretty sure the others are just as shocked as you are."
He pushed off the wall, stepping closer to the open cabin door. The wind whipped against him, ruffling his black hair as his Mech-Ring pulsed with violet light. His eyes scanned the Mirage District below, narrowing as he spotted the second phantom weaving through the city.
Now that there were two phantoms, he could get away with anything.
He could handle one.
He was confident of that.
His fingers curled uncurled on his side, warming up.
Then-his Vitreous flared to life.
With a flicker of deep purple energy, a weapon materialized in his grasp-a sleek black rifle, lined with pulsating violet circuits.
Lynx Amr-'Lyn', one of his chosen three.
Raising the rifle, he peered through the scope.
The second phantom came into focus through the scope lense ..
His heartbeat slowed.
sharp realization came..
A sharp intake of breath.
Then-his grip tightened.
"Artoria!"
She snapped out of her daze, turning toward him. "What, Shadow?"
Yoshi lowered his rifle, resting it against his shoulder. "I think this phantom is the real deal."
Artoria frowned. "Of course it's real. What are you getting at-"
"That's not what I meant," Yoshi cut in, turning to fully face her. "The two phantoms... they look identical. I think we're dealing with a clone."
Artoria's expression hardened.
A clone? Another unknown factor from outside the city.
She bit her lip, then quickly raised her hand to her collar, pressing against the concealed mic that linked to the Top 9.
"All Top 9s-this is your leader speaking!"
"As you've all received from Alessandra in the second cabin-there is a second phantom approaching Mirage District! But listen-this is not an ordinary phantom."
"According to Shadow's analysis, we're dealing with a 'CLONE'."
"We will land at the Gate to the Core and move as a team. NO ONE raises their weapon unless necessary. That was my command before, and it still stands. We're departing now!"
The Sky Network cabins suddenly filled with hurried footsteps.
In mere seconds, the third cabin dropped first-Top 9 members jumping out into the air.
The second cabin followed-Solaria and Alessandra leaping into the sky.
The front cabin remained. Their turn.
Artoria turned back to Yoshi.
"Let's go, Shadow. It's time."
She stepped beside him, poised at the edge of the open cabin door.
Yoshi shifted his rifle, smirking slightly. "And the second phantom?"
"It's heading in the same direction as the first," Artoria confirmed. "We confront the one on the streets below us , first."
A pause. Then-
"And no separating this time, got it?" she warned.
Yoshi gave a half-nod. "No promises I'll hold my bullets if the phantom makes a wrong move."
His foot hovered over the edge.
Then, as if testing her patience, he added playfully-
"But if the phantom makes a wrong move and I shoot first... will you scold me?"
Artoria sighed, shaking her head.
Without a second thought, she clapped his back-hard
Shove.
Yoshi tumbled out of the cabin, diving straight into open air.
"Just don't use HËQÂ during this mission, Shadow."
Artoria followed, stepping into the air, plummeting toward the city below.
she leaped from the cabin.
Yoshi chuckled under his breath, watching her descend through the sky, her movements precise and controlled. He Then,loose his gripping on his rifle letting it dematerialize.., he took one last glance at the sky Network above...
His instincts whispered a single truth.
This wasn't just a mission.
This was a reckoning.
Without hesitation, he rolled onto his front, surrendering to the rush of the wind as it tore through his dark hair. His three braided strands twisted and danced in the turbulence, wild and untamed. The mech rings embedded in his body pulsed to life, glowing with a deep violet hue, their neon lines flickering like veins of light across his form. As he plunged through the boundless summer sky, the warmth of the season clashed against the sheer velocity of his descent—a fleeting moment suspended between gravity and freedom.
And so, they descended into the warzone below