I clutched her arm as time resumed, my heart still pounding from the sudden burst of sound and motion. The station gradually came back to life—voices, footsteps, the hum of alarms—yet amid the returning chaos, she moved with a confident ease, completely unfazed.
Everything about her screamed that she belonged to a world outside my own, something bigger, something untouchable. And now, somehow, I had a grip on it.
Her silver eyes flashed with surprise, then something sharper.
"You can stop time," she remarked, tone casual, as if she were commenting on the weather.
I blinked. "How… did you know? And who even are you?"
"Sora Amanai. But most people just call me the strongest Cyberdaemon ever." She flashed an exaggerated grin before waving off her own words. "Anyway, I saw what you did to the aberration back there. That's how I know. What I don't know however, is your name"
"Ah right, I'm Jin Aida" It slipped my mind that she had no idea who I was.
Before I could press further, her attention snapped elsewhere. "Speaking of which… there's another one. We should get going."
She extended her hand. Hesitantly, I took it. The moment our fingers met, the world around me blurred—then suddenly, we were on top of a building. Below, people scattered in panic.
I paused, disoriented. "Wait. If you can teleport, why did we have to run out of the station first?"
Sora chuckled. "I dunno, I just felt like it. And I knew you'd chase me, so I let you."
I stared at her, dumbfounded.
"Hey, it was funny! You even stopped time just to catch up to me." She laughed. "We were having a moment, you know, like those romance dramas."
"Nah, I think it was just you."
"Hey —"
Before Sora could finish her sentence, a flash of lightning snapped my attention forward. Below, a figure battled a Cyber Aberration. This one looked less developed than the one Sora had killed—its transformation incomplete, similar to the one I had faced. The fighter, a young man crackling with electricity, sent arcs of lightning toward the creature. His attacks were effective but raw, like he was forcing out his power rather than wielding it naturally.
Sora stepped closer, eyes locked on the battle. "There are three evolution stages for these things," she murmured. "Each form gets significantly stronger but it's really rare for them to evolve, much less reach the final form. The one I fought earlier was at the second stage. This one's still in its first, like the one you fought. You can tell by their features—by the second stage, they usually grow horns."
She glanced at me. "You'll notice that Ren, the guy fighting the aberration, is having a harder time than I did. That's because there's a ranking system between us Cyberdaemons, and I happen to be number one."
"Oh actually?"
She smirked. "Nah, I'm messing with you. There's no ranking system, but I swear I'm up there in strength!"
I narrowed my eyes. "I don't know what to believe when it comes from you."
"Oops, my bad." She didn't sound sorry at all.
Below, Ren let out a sharp breath before raising his hand again. Electricity surged through the air, crackling wildly as he aimed a final blow at the aberration's core. A blinding light swallowed the street, followed by a boom that shook the building we stood on.
When the dust settled, the aberration was gone.
"Why are you always so lax, Sora?"
She grinned. "Did you really need my help that badly?"
The guy—Ren, apparently—just stared at her with an irritated yet familiar look, like this was a regular occurrence.
Sora simply laughed. "Relax, Ren. I knew you had it handled. I was just explaining things to Jin over here."
Ren turned to me. "Who's he? Your new victim?"
Sora cackled. "Fortunately, no. But he's linked with a daemon, so I'm bringing him to HQ."
She clapped a hand on my shoulder. "Jin, meet Ren Asakaze. He handles all the stuff I can't be bothered to deal with."
Ren sighed. "Nice to meet you, I'm Ren Asakaze. The person stuck cleaning up after Sora all the time. Anyway, you already saw but I can control electricity." He flicked his wrist, sending sparks dancing between his fingers and then he raised his hand.
I dapped him up. "I'm Jin Aida."
"So what's your deal?" Ren asked.
"Well.. I think I can control time. But I don't really understand it yet."
Ren gave me a strange look, then turned to Sora. "Hey, isn't that—"
"I know," Sora cut in. "That's why we're heading to HQ now."
I glanced between them, confused. "Huh?"
Before either of us could react, Sora grabbed both of us. In an instant, the world blurred again—only this time, when it reformed, I found myself standing in a place I'd never seen before in my life.
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