Schwarian pushed through the crowd, moving against the tide of fleeing civilians.
People slammed into him—shoulders, elbows, panic.
He didn't stop.
"Schwarian," Roselyn's voice came through his comm link, calm but edged. "Where do you think you're going?"
"Center of the city," he said, breath steady despite the chaos. "Where the Dweller is."
A brief pause.
"You really think you'll be of any help?" she replied. "Or will you become an obstacle? Considering your… fears."
Her tone sharpened slightly.
"Zeph and Senior Officer Eirwyn are already on site. Along with the military."
Schwarian pushed past another wave of people, nearly stumbling, then steadying himself.
"Don't worry, Handler Azur," he said.
A beat.
"I may have been afraid of monsters…"
His voice lowered.
"But those monsters were never the Dwellers."
He forced his way forward.
"They were the ones living among us."
Silence.
Then—
"Schwarian," Roselyn said, quieter now, but heavier. "I don't know what happened in your past."
A pause.
"But answer me this."
Her voice hardened.
"Do you really want to continue your training at the DSA?"
Another step. Another shove.
He didn't slow.
"Do you really want to become an officer?"
A beat.
"Yes," Schwarian said. "I do."
Roselyn didn't hesitate.
"Then listen carefully, Trainee Schwarian Blumhart."
The title lingered for a fraction of a second—
"Congratulations. You're now an officer."
Schwarian stopped.
The crowd rushed past him, brushing against his shoulders, but he stood still.
His eyes widened.
"Wait… what? How—?"
"We were going to promote you yesterday," Roselyn said calmly. "If you hadn't shown hesitation."
A pause.
"Zeph and I believed you weren't ready."
Her tone shifted—subtly.
"But now… it seems you are."
Schwarian exhaled, steadying himself.
"…Something like that," he said. "But yeah… you're right about one thing."
He lifted his head.
"I'm ready for this."
"Good."
No praise. No warmth.
Just acceptance.
"Your first assignment," Roselyn continued, "is to track the Anomaly."
Schwarian's gaze hardened.
"The Dweller is beyond standard engagement," she said. "Even Zeph and Eirwyn are still assessing it."
A brief pause.
"It's a risk," she added. "But I believe the Anomaly could be… useful in situations like this."
"Got it," Schwarian said, pushing past another surge of people. "Any leads on where he might be?"
A brief pause on the comm.
"About that…" Roselyn's tone shifted. "We just picked up something unexpected."
Schwarian slowed half a step. "What?"
"Frequency."
A beat.
"It just appeared—near the city center."
Schwarian's eyes narrowed.
"…He's heading toward the Dweller."
"Yes."
No hesitation now.
"Then I'm going to the center too."
"Negative," Roselyn cut in immediately. "Report to HQ first."
Schwarian frowned, still moving. "There's no time—"
"There is if you want to survive your first assignment," she said, calm but firm.
A pause.
"I have something for you," she added. "You'll need it."
Schwarian exhaled, jaw tightening.
"…Understood."
He changed direction.
Zeph was on one knee, gripping his sword.
The blade still burned—flames crawling along its length.
His breath came rough.
He glanced down.
A jagged crystal spike had pierced through his torso.
Blood spread slowly beneath it.
Eirwyn stepped forward.
Frost surged from his arm—
In an instant, the Dweller was encased in ice.
Frozen solid.
For a heartbeat—
Silence.
Then—
Cracks.
The ice shattered.
The Dweller broke free effortlessly.
Zeph clicked his tongue.
"…Tch."
He pushed himself to his feet.
His hand moved to the crystal lodged in his body.
He grabbed it.
And tore it out.
A sharp groan escaped him as blood followed.
The crystal clattered to the ground.
Zeph steadied himself.
Then swung.
Flames roared.
One arc.
Two.
Then a rapid succession—
Vulcan Claw.
Blazing slashes tore through the air toward the Dweller.
The Dweller reacted.
Its massive wings snapped forward—
Shielding its body.
The flaming arcs crashed against them.
Fire exploded outward—
But the Dweller stood its ground.
Zeph exhaled slowly, steadying himself despite the blood loss.
"Eirwyn…" he said, voice low but firm. "I'm going to integrate my body with the Skill Coin."
Eirwyn's head snapped toward him.
"Zeph—no."
For the first time, his composure cracked.
"With your age… and your current condition…" he said, tightening his frost-covered hand, "you won't survive it."
Zeph's grip tightened on his blade.
For a brief moment—
He went still.
"I have lived enough anyway…" he said quietly.
There was no hesitation in his voice.
The flames along his sword flickered—
Then—
The coin embedded within the blade began to disintegrate.
Crimson fragments broke away, dissolving into embers of light.
Zeph flipped the skull-engraved coin into the air.
It spun.
Once.
Twice.
The world seemed to slow around it.
Eirwyn didn't move.
Didn't speak.
He just watched.
The coin dropped.
Zeph caught it.
The moment his fingers closed—
The coin dissolved.
Not into light—
Into him.
Crimson energy surged through his veins, crawling beneath his skin like fire searching for escape.
His body tensed.
A low breath escaped him—
Not pain.
Not quite.
Something heavier.
Then—
Flames erupted.
Not from the blade.
From his fist.
Burning, violent, alive.
The air around him distorted.
The ground beneath his feet cracked slightly.
Zeph lowered his hand slowly.
His eyes lifted—
And locked onto the Dweller.
It advanced slowly.
Each step was heavy—deliberate.
The ground cracked faintly beneath its hooves.
Zeph tightened his grip on the sword.
Flames coiled along the blade, brighter now—denser.
Eirwyn's gaze shifted to it.
"Zeph… increasing output won't help if your attacks can't even pierce its skin."
Zeph didn't look at him.
"I'm still allowed to integrate," he said quietly.
A pause.
"Don't you think there's a reason for that?"
The flames pulsed.
"There is."
"It exists for situations like this."
Eirwyn exhaled, frost spilling from his breath.
"…If you say so."
A beat.
"Just try not to die."
His eyes flicked to Zeph's hand.
"How long can you hold it?"
Zeph glanced down.
His hand trembled—just slightly.
"Depends," he said.
"On when I give up."
A faint breath left him.
"And about life…"
His gaze returned to the Dweller.
"No one knows their time."
Eirwyn's eyes narrowed.
"…That kind of talk doesn't suit this era," he said. "Not when we have power like this."
Cold mist thickened around his arm.
Both of them lifted their heads.
The Dweller was already there.
Right in front of them.
Towering.
Its arm rose—
Claw poised to strike—
Before either of them could move—
A violent gust tore through the space between Zeph and Eirwyn.
A piercing wind.
It slammed into the Dweller.
The impact forced it back several steps, hooves grinding against shattered concrete.
Both Zeph and Eirwyn turned instantly.
A boy stood on the rooftop of a nearby building.
Dark hair shifting with the wind.
Amber eyes—sharp. Unyielding.
"Step back," he said.
"Humans."
His voice carried—clear, controlled.
"This isn't something you can handle alone."
His arm lifted.
Slow.
Deliberate.
The Dweller's attention shifted.
Locked onto him.
Then—
Spikes erupted.
A storm of crystallized death surged toward the rooftop.
The boy's eyes narrowed.
"MOVE, KID!" Eirwyn shouted.
Zeph said nothing.
He watched.
The wind changed.
The entire street seemed to breathe inward.
Then—
It snapped.
A vortex formed mid-air.
Violent. Pulling. Devouring.
The spikes vanished into it—
Swallowed whole.
Around them—
CCTV cameras exploded.
One after another.
Screens shattered.
Signals died.
The vortex collapsed.
The spikes fell harmlessly to the ground.
Silence.
The boy stepped off the edge.
No panic.
No rush.
The wind caught him.
Lowered him.
Gently.
He landed.
Calm.
His gaze lifted—
And met the Dweller's.
Those amber eyes didn't waver.
Eirwyn exhaled slowly, frost fading from his arm.
"…Zeph. This kid—he's not a Skill Coin user."
Zeph's eyes shifted.
Not to the boy—
But to the surroundings.
Every CCTV—destroyed.
No signal left.
No trace.
"…Yeah," Zeph said quietly. "He isn't."
A pause.
"Could he be…?" Eirwyn murmured.
Zeph exhaled.
This time, his eyes settled on the boy.
Steady.
Certain.
"He is."
A beat.
"The one we've been looking for."
The wind stirred again.
The Anomaly.