𝐕:𝟏 𝐄:𝟏
𝐒𝐮𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞
Three months had passed since the new era of Astro Opera began.
The practice ground was crowded. Students trained below while instructors observed from a distance. Above them, the Astro Opera moved smoothly through the sky, its massive body responding to Detro's careful control.
Everything was normal.
Too normal.
Then the sky split open.
A burning slash descended without warning and cut through the spaceship.
Once.
Then again.
The Astro Opera shuddered violently. Alarms screamed. Control vanished. The ship spiraled out of the sky and slammed onto an unknown planet, metal tearing apart as it crashed.
When the dust settled, silence followed.
Bodies lay scattered across the wreckage.
No one moved.
Another spaceship descended and landed calmly in front of the crash site—as if it had been waiting.
The hatch opened.
An alien stepped out.
Daizo.
Vice Head Untras forced himself upright, barely standing. Blood stained his face. His breath came in short, broken pulls.
Someone else stood too.
Clive.
Daizo paused.
What?
How is a student standing after that blast?
His gaze lingered on Clive for a moment before a smile formed.
"A coincidence," Daizo thought.
Clive swayed on his feet. His right arm was broken, hanging uselessly. He wiped the blood from his mouth with his left hand, forcing himself not to fall.
Daizo walked toward Untras.
"Look at that," he said mockingly. "Your student is still standing. Huh. How weak. Just a student."
Untras moved.
His fist slammed into Daizo.
Daizo was sent flying backward—but he never fell.
He stopped in mid-motion and stood straight again.
Untras froze.
"You… you're still alive?!"
"Of course," Daizo replied calmly. "I am, Untras..."
Clive watched, his mind racing.
He… how can he…
Untras sprinted forward again.
Tiny cubes formed at the corners of his eyes—one at the right corner of the right eye, one at the left of the left. His eyes turned a thin, glowing green. The same color spread across his arms as his outfit tore under the pressure.
"Come again," Daizo said, smiling. "This will be fun."
He raised his right hand.
A sword appeared.
Its blade gleamed unnaturally sharp, marked with strange red symbols that pulsed faintly.
Untras closed the distance and punched.
Dozens of tiny cubes burst forward, slamming into Daizo and forcing him back. Daizo slid across the ground—then rushed in again.
His sword descended toward Untras's head—
—but more cubes formed instantly, blocking the strike.
"Sir!" Clive shouted. "You can't hold the fight!"
"Escape," Untras commanded. "Take your classmates. Get them out of here!"
Daizo pushed harder. The sword pressed down. The cubes trembled.
Untras dropped to one knee.
"I said escape, Clive!" Untras shouted again.
Daizo laughed.
"What a coward," he said. "Commanding a student to run."
Then his smile vanished.
"Remember how you hit me last time?" he whispered. "Feel it."
Tiny blade-like particles appeared beside Untras.
They rushed toward him—
—and stopped.
Daizo's eyes narrowed.
"Why… aren't they moving?"
Clive stood between them.
A soft, sky-blue power flowed from him, holding the particles in place.
"You weak thing," Daizo snarled. "When two lions fight, no mouse is allowed!"
He increased the pressure on Untras.
"Stay away from my sir," Clive said.
His eyes turned completely white. Thin white lines spilled outward from them.
Blood dripped from Untras's mouth as he struggled to breathe.
The particles shattered.
A sword formed in Clive's hand.
"Can i win? No... So why I fighting..." Clive thought.
"Then I'll fight for my sir—even if I lose.
That's what he always does." He inspired himself.
He moved.
The blade tore across Daizo's back.
Daizo staggered forward.
"How dare you?" he roared.
Untras collapsed onto the ground, barely conscious, drawing slow, painful breaths.
In a blink, Daizo was in front of Clive.
Tiny move? he thought.
Clive's slash came faster—sharp enough to tear the air itself.
A violent blast erupted.
Clive was thrown far away, crashing across the ground.
"He dares too much," Daizo said coldly. "Speed alone never makes a fighter."
He turned back toward Untras.
Broken blade particles rose again, circling him.
"What will you do now, Untras?" Daizo asked.
His sword dragged along the planet's hardened ground.
Sparks flew.
Small flames followed.