I exhaled, hand resting on the hilt of my Kogetsu, trion blade gleaming faintly in the infernal light. The other triggers—Senku and Grasshopper—were loaded and ready, but I knew this opponent was no ordinary trion soldier. This was a master, one who can cut down seasoned Border agents like grass in a storm.
Viza's eyes, calm and cold, turned toward him, "Tell me, boy—will you throw your life away for this city as well?"
My reply was measured, with my voice steady even against the weight of Viza's aura, "Throwing it away? No. I just hope you can keep me entertained."
Without another word, I vanished—Grasshopper springboards erupting under my boots. I shot forward like a silver streak, Kogetsu flashing in an upward arc aimed for Viza's throat.
A glimmer, then a whip-crack sound.
The blade strike stopped short as something invisible diverted it. One of Organon's rings had interposed itself, sparking with my trion as steel screamed against nothingness.
I twisted, blade snapping back in a blur, striking thrice in rapid succession—slashes from different angles, my footwork precise, reminiscent of a swordsman from another age. Each swing flowed like water into the next, his movements carrying a sharp elegance echoing Vergil's Dark Slayer style.
With a casual flick of his wrist, Organon's blades spun outward, slicing the air in sweeping arcs. I caught the shimmer as I used Senku. My afterimage scattering just in time as the ground where I stood was shredded into ribbons.
Reappearing above, I angled my blade downward, channeling momentum with a Grasshopper platform midair, then descended like a spear.
The strike hit. Sparks flew—my Kogetsu cleaving against one of Organon's orbiting blades. For a heartbeat, I pressed forward as my trion flared. But the pressure on the other end was immovable.
Viza's calm voice cut through the clash, "You're stronger than most. But strength without inevitability... is wasted."
In an instant, Organon's orbit shifted. Blades curved around me like a cage closing in. I darted back, Grasshoppers blooming underfoot, ricocheting between the orbiting blades with surgical agility. My afterimages blurred around Viza, surrounding him in a ring of faint silhouettes.
Viza's eyes narrowed as my presence seemed to come from everywhere at once.
Then—I stepped through the ring of afterimages, Kogetsu sheathed.
Viza felt the killing intent.
An Iai slash.
Lightning-quick, precise, honed like the bite of inevitability itself.
The ring of Organon intercepted—but only barely. One blade sparked as it blocked the strike, and for the first time, Viza's calm expression hardened, eyes narrowing in sharp appraisal. I slid to a stop, Kogetsu destroying the pavement.
My gaze locked on Viza, "Not wasted."
Viza chuckled faintly, the kind of sound a predator makes upon finding prey that might actually bite back, "Interesting. Very interesting."
The air around them tightened, every spark, every breath threatening to ignite another clash. The war raged on all around, but at that moment, the battlefield belonged only to them.
The invisible blades of Organon whirled like a storm around Viza, each arc a promise of death. But I stood unshaken, with Kogetsu resting at my side, the faint hum of trion around myself sharpening the air.
I whispered under my breath—more to myself than to Viza, "Time to end this."
In an instant, I vanished before Viza's eyes.
Grasshopper blooms erupted across the battlefield, launching myself at impossible angles, my afterimages scattering like fragments of light. Viza's eyes tracked me, Organon's blades shifting with practiced precision, cutting down every false image.
But then the rhythm shifted. One afterimage did not vanish.
Before Viza could react, I was already at his flank—Kogetsu flashing in a flawless iai-draw slash. The strike was so sharp that even Organon's orbit struggled to intercept, two of its blades shrieking as they deflected the cut. Sparks and raw trion exploded outward.
I didn't pause. I pressed in.
Step. Slash. Sheathe.
Step. Slash. Sheathe.
Each motion was seamless, flowing into the next like a dancer's rhythm. My movements blurred, a relentless cascade of precision strikes from impossible angles. Vergil's Dark Slayer style incarnate—disciplined, untouchable, inevitable.
Viza's calm composure finally cracked as he staggered backward, Organon's orbit faltering under the onslaught.
Viza stammered, "Impossible..."
My eyes narrowed, as my voice cut sharper than any blade, "You should've finished me the moment I drew my sword."
With one final Grasshopper burst, I appeared directly above Viza. The Kogetsu gleamed silver in the burning light of Mikado, trion surging along its edge.
The blade fell.
A thunderclap of trion erupted as the slash carved through Organon's defensive orbit. Viza's body was launched backward, his trigger faltering—the rings of Organon scattering lifelessly into the air before dissolving into pure trion.
Viza collapsed to one knee, his black trigger torn from him.
I landed lightly, Kogetsu sheathing with a soft click. I extended my hand, and Organon—now stripped of its master—floated into my grip. The weapon pulsed with a faint resonance, as though recognizing its new wielder.
I walked towards Viza and bound him with a capture line. Organon's black gleam shimmered faintly in my hands.
I snapped my fingers before the Shadow Generals appeared before me, "It's time to end this. Notify the others. Detain the invaders and take their triggers away. Leave the leader's black trigger to Border HQ as well as the scattered Rabbit Trion Soldiers."
All the Generals bowed, "Understood!"
All the Generals along with their armies scattered all over the battlefield, helping Border quell the invasion.
Back to Wednesday and Enid's battle with Ranbanein, he roared, firing a storm of bullets that ripped the ground apart. Enid charged forward, claws flashing as she swiped projectiles aside, grinning even as sparks burned her cheek. Wednesday advanced in contrast—calm, unhurried, her Scorpion whipping into thin arcs to slice apart streams of fire with precision.
Ranbanein shifted his trigger, the barrels collapsing together for a concentrated barrage. He tracked Enid, firing directly into her path. The blast slammed her into rubble, cutting her shoulder open.
"Enid!" Wednesday's voice was low but sharp. Her Scorpion split into twin blades, and with perfect timing she hurled one like a knife. It struck the Horn's side, severing glowing conduits. Sparks exploded.
Enid pulled herself free from the rubble, and laughed. "That tickled!" She leapt high, claws glowing brighter, and tore across Ranbanein's chest plate, carving deep trion gashes.
The Horn trigger spun toward her again, but Wednesday was already underneath, slicing surgically at its weak joints. Every cut disrupted its rhythm, until finally she coiled her Scorpion whip around the central housing and yanked.
The weapon faltered.
Enid dropped from above like a wild beast, both claws slamming down with force enough to shatter. The Horn trigger cracked, Ranbanein staggered, and his massive body collapsed, dissolving into trion fragments. In its place was Ranbanein's mortal body as he put up his hands in surrender.
"Ahaha—you got me.." Ranbanein sulked at his defeat.
Wednesday tied Ranbanein up with trion to prevent any escape.
Amid the wreckage, the Chelidon Horn Trigger remained, pulsing with faint energy.
Enid's eyes lit up. She dismissed her claws and stepped closer, reaching out. The moment her fingers touched the weapon, trion surged into her, engulfing her in searing light.
When it faded, her form was transformed. From her head curved glowing crimson horns, alive with power. She now wore a striking black-and-red coat, its tails flowing dramatically behind her, paired with short black daisy dukes and sheer pantyhose shimmering under the firelight. In her hands rested the reborn Chelidon Horn, reshaped into a massive trion gun that hummed with shifting potential.
Enid twirled once, bouncing on her heels, and then squealed. "Wednesday! I look amazing! I've got horns! A gun! A whole new outfit!" She struck a pose with the weapon, sparks crackling from its core. "Tell me this doesn't make me look like a total badass."
Wednesday tilted her head, her face unreadable, but her eyes lingered. "Like a wolf dressed for the slaughter."
Enid laughed, unable to contain her excitement. Her gun pulsed, shifting its shape with every heartbeat—one moment glowing with condensed power, the next reconfiguring into a heavier form as streams of trion energy spiraled around her.
Without hesitation, she fired, and the battlefield lit up in a storm of light. Explosions blossomed across the ruins, beams tore through lingering Trion soldiers, and an entire squad of Rabbits was erased in seconds.
Hovering above the ground for a moment, lifted by trion wings born of the weapon itself, Enid shouted down gleefully, "This is the BEST DAY EVER!"
Not long after, Anet silently appeared in front of the girls, "My King had ordered it is time to end. Meet up with him."
Without giving Wednesday to speak, Anet went back to the shadow but until Anet let out a light snort.
Wednesday's eye twitched before Enid just patted her back, "She's still the same. Let's meet up with hubby~!"
Wednesday calmed down her emotions and nodded before heading to Border HQ to meet up with Nitocris.
When the girls were near, loud explosions littered the area. Destroyed buildings and trion soldiers alike. Above HQ, the thunder of artillery intensified. Chika and Nitocris fired their Ibis triggers in perfect unison, beams lancing across the city and annihilating swaths of Trion soldiers.
Enid flew up with her new Trigger while Wednesday used Grasshopper and a modified Scorpion to head up to the roof of Border HQ.
Enid landed beside Wednesday, her new weapon glowing like a heart of fire in her hands. Her horns pulsed as she looked up at HQ. "Chika! Nitocris! Did you see that?! I've got my own big gun now!"
Nitocris glanced down from her perch. Her gaze lingered on Enid's horns and her new uniform. "You're using their Trigger? How bold but it suits you."
Wednesday ignored Enid's enthusiasm and said, "It's time. Let's meet up with Y/N. He should be waiting for us."
Enid came up from behind Wednesday and hugged her as she nodded like a pecking chicken.
Wednesday's eye twitched but kept her composure.
Nitocris laughed at the scene before turning to Chika, "Well it was great being your friend Chika. Good luck."
Meanwhile, the Shadow Army made their presence known to the enemy.
In the southern sector, Mira's Speiraskia collapsed as Igris knocked her out, and her portals closed like snuffed candles.
To the west, Hyuse fought valiantly, Lampyris swirling, but the Shadow Army was endless and soon captured.
From the northern ruins, the Aftokrator Mothership was taken control by restraining Mira.
Enedora raged within the eastern block, Vorvoros flaring—but he was restrained by Mathayas and Anet.
Only Hyrein remained. Seeing Enedora restrained despite using Vorvoros, he knew they lost. Not to Meeden's warriors but to these shadowy figures. Hyrein de-transformed and willingly got restrained.
Meanwhile, the sky above Mikado City was still burning when the streets finally went silent. The collapsing buildings faded into the background, leaving only the devastation. The Aftokrator invasion had failed—a victory that Border needed to acquire more support.
From every direction, Border units converged on the battlefield. Tachikawa's squad, their blades still humming with trion; Ninomiya's snipers, surveying the areas; the Miwa Unit, pale and exhausted but determined after the chaos. The commanders arrived last—Kido, Rindo, Shinoda, and Netsuki, their expressions heavy. They halted as they came upon the sight before them.
Border froze. For a long moment, no one spoke. The silence stretched, filled only by the restless hiss of trion energy dying out. The rank-and-file agents stared in disbelief. To them, it looked as if the invasion had been turned on its head not by Border, but by an outsider wielding power beyond comprehension.
"Is this... all his doing?" someone whispered, though the answer was obvious.
Commander Shinoda's eyes narrowed as he studied the battlefield. Kido's face was unreadable, but the tightness in his jaw betrayed his unease. Rindo, by contrast, exhaled slowly, as if trying to process the enormity of what he was seeing. Though in the back of his mind, Yuugo and Soichi's presence in Border, says otherwise.
The inevitable truth settled over them. I had defeated Viza, captured Ranbanein, secured their Black Triggers, and bound the strongest warriors of Aftokrator in chains.
Mira, her body chained. Hyuse, defiant even in defeat, his bracelet trigger Lampyris lying at my feet. Enedora, stripped of his Vorvoros. And finally, Captain Hyrein, hands bound behind his back.
The weight of it pressed against every Border agent present, reshaping their understanding of power itself. Shock rippled through the crowd, mixed with awe, fear, and the faintest edge of respect.
The silence broke when you finally turned toward Border's gathered ranks, a faint smile tugging at my lips.
"Hey guys," I said, my tone strangely casual, cutting through the oppressive tension. "I guess the jig is up."
My words seemed almost surreal against the backdrop of devastation. The agent who had brought Aftokrator's elites to their knees spoke like an old friend of theirs. Even after interacting with him, they never truly knew him.
I continued, "I really did have fun with all of you. I'll leave these Aftokrator Neighbors to you."
The Shadow Army shifted behind me, handed over the Aftokrator Neighbors to Border. The Black Triggers, Alektor and Vorvoros pulsed faintly as they were placed in front of the commanders.
My eyes fell on familiar faces in the crowd.
"Chika," I said with my voice softening, "I hope you find happiness. And I hope you find your brother."
Chika's lips trembled, her fingers tightening around her Ibis. Tears threatened, but she held them back, only nodding.
"Yuuma," I continued, turning toward the white-haired boy, "I hope you still have fun here. This world needs that energy."
Yuuma gave a small, lopsided grin, the kind only someone who lived half in light and half in shadow could manage.
"And Mikumo..." My gaze lingered on the dark-haired strategist.
His eyes widened slightly when I spoke his name. "Don't let Chika down. I know you like her."
A flush of red crept across his face, and he tried to cover it with a cough, but the ripple of whispers through the agents behind him betrayed the impact of your words. Some teasing eyes were shown his way.
By my side, Igris presented the spoils: Mira's Speiraskia and Hyuse's Lampyris. I touched them lightly before handing them to your companions.
"Wednesday," I said, placing Speiraskia into her pale hands. The portal trigger folded into her, the trion markings etching themselves across her new uniform. Her expression didn't change, but her eyes gleamed with a quiet satisfaction.
"Nitocris," I said next, presenting Lampyris to her. The metallic glow spread across her arm, fusing with the presence she already carried.
The three of them now mirrored Enid's, clothed in black-and-red Aftokrator uniforms, horns or markings glowing with alien majesty. They stood arrayed at your back, a trio of otherworldly generals.
The ground trembled as reality itself split before me. An aurora curtain unfurled behind us, shimmering in cascading colors of grey, blue, and violet light.
I looked back once more and nodded to them, "'Til we meet again."
Then, with slow and deliberate steps, me and the girls walked toward the light. The Shadow Army parted like loyal guards, bowing as I passed. One by one, our figures dissolved into the rippling aurora, our forms becoming streaks of color before disappearing entirely.
But even as I vanished, my shadows left one final mark. The Shadow Army descended upon our residence, lifting it whole into the abyss of darkness. In its place, they stacked an immense pile of gold, glittering brighter than any trion crystal. Atop it rested a single note, ink black as midnight, addressed to the Border estate office.
When the agents finally approached, the message was simple:
For your hospitality and friendship~
And with that, we were gone. The aurora faded, the shadows vanished, and only whispers remained.