Emika jumped back immediately.Her heels skidded across the cracked concrete as she forced distance between them. She nearly lost balance for half a second before steadying herself.Her legs felt heavier now.Not because of fear—Because of strain.Her arms trembled slightly at her sides, water dripping from her fingertips in uneven drops.That slam was clean…Her eyes stayed locked on Shiori.Why doesn't she look hurt?Her heartbeat pounded in her ears.I don't have much time before Rion comes back.
A gust of wind swept across the rooftop—And Shiori vanished.
Not literally.But fast enough that it felt like she blinked out of existence.
Emika's pupils shrank.
Shiori was already rushing forward.Her steps were light, almost silent, but impossibly fast. Each stride cut the distance in chunks. Her body leaned low, nails angled forward like twin blades ready to pierce.
Too fast.
Emika reacted without thinking.She thrust her hand forward.
A water wall erupted between them.It wasn't thin.It wasn't rushed.Layer upon layer stacked instantly—compressed sheets of water reinforced with pressure, forming a thick, rippling barrier that rose higher than their heads.The surface churned violently, dense enough to stop bullets.
Shiori laughed.But it wasn't cute.It wasn't playful.It was sharp.Wild.Almost thrilled.
Her nails flashed.She didn't slow down.She sliced.
The sound was horrifyingly clean.
The water wall split down the middle.Like paper.Like silk.
The compressed layers separated instantly, the cut so precise it left smooth edges before the structure collapsed into falling sheets.
Clean.Effortless.
The gap closed in a blink.
Shiori stepped through the collapsing wall like it had never existed.She leaned back slightly, drawing her arm behind her.Her muscles tightened.Her shoulder rotated.The motion was perfect.A slicing strike meant to finish it.
Emika's breath caught.
She slammed her palm downward.
Water detonated beneath her feet.The explosion wasn't outward—It was vertical.A concentrated burst shot her body upward like a launched projectile. The force cracked the concrete beneath her takeoff point, sending fragments scattering.
She rose fast.Air rushed past her ears.
Shiori looked up.Her expression changed.No smile now.Only focus.Pure, sharp intent.
She bent her knees mid-sprint—And jumped.
Her ascent was almost identical to Emika's.Not messy.Not desperate.Controlled.Precise.
Mid-air.Face to face.
Their hair floated around them in the open air.
Emika's pulse spiked violently in her chest.She formed two water swords instantly, one in each hand.The blades condensed with high-speed rotation, their edges vibrating, humming faintly from internal pressure.They looked fragile.But they could cut steel.
Shiori's lips curved slightly."Your water won't stand a chance… against my sharpened babies."
She swung.Her right-hand nail came down in a diagonal arc.Fast.Faster than before.
Emika crossed her water swords to block.
The nail struck.The sound wasn't a clash.It was a piercing crack.
The sharpened nail split through the first blade's surface. The compressed current inside destabilized instantly, the vibration pattern collapsing as the edge forced its way through.The second blade held for half a second—Then fractured.
Not shattered.But torn open.
The nail pushed through.
Close.Too close.
It was inches from Emika's face.
Danger.
Her entire body reacted before her thoughts did.She twisted her wrist and shoved her free palm forward into Shiori's torso.
A burst of compressed water exploded between them.The blast forced their bodies apart mid-air, the recoil snapping their limbs backward.
But even with the separation—Shiori's nail still grazed her.
A thin red line appeared across Emika's shoulder.Another across her collarbone.
The cuts weren't deep—But they burned instantly.
Both of them began to fall.Gravity pulled them down.
They landed almost at the same time.Concrete cracked under their feet.Small fractures spread outward from both impact points.
They stood a few meters apart.Staring.
Water dripped steadily from Emika's fingers, forming a small puddle beneath her boots.A thin trail of blood slid down her arm, dripping off her elbow.
Her breathing was heavier now.
Shiori's nail slowly shifted back to its original shape.The dark, venomous sheen faded as if it had never existed. Smooth. Harmless. Pretty.
She tilted her head slightly, lips curling into a sweet, innocent smile."Oh my, my…" she chimed softly, clasping her hands behind her back. "Looks like I won the date with Kaito."
Her voice was light. Playful. As if they had just finished a harmless game.
Across from her, Emika struggled to breathe.Her chest rose and fell unevenly, air scraping through her lungs. Her limbs felt unbearably heavy — from the fight and overuse of her powers .
Why…?
Her mind raced, foggy and slow at the same time.Why did her nail return to normal? What is she thinking?
Emika's eyes widened slightly.
Poison.
Shiori watched the realization bloom across her face — and giggled.
"Yes," she said in that same syrup-sweet tone. "What you're thinking is right. It was poisonous."
She leaned forward just a little, her expression almost childlike."You'll collapse soon."
The words were delivered like a bedtime story.
A strange heat surged through Emika's veins. Her vision wavered. The sky above blurred into pale streaks of white and blue. Her heartbeat pounded loudly in her ears — too loud, too uneven.
Thump.Thump.Thump.
Her legs trembled.
Her mind screamed through the fog.
What should I do…?
She forced her head to turn.Through her blurring vision, she saw Kaito still locked in combat with Hayate — movements sharp, fast, controlled.Footsteps scraping against concrete.
Then she glanced back at Shiori.A faint smile formed on Emika's lips.
"Next time…" she whispered weakly, her voice barely carried by the wind. "I will see you."
Her body gave out.She collapsed.
Before her body could hit the rooftop —A figure dropped from the adjacent building.
CRASH.
Rion landed hard, concrete cracking beneath her boots.
"How dare she trick me like that?!" Rion shouted, fury burning in her eyes. "I'm going to smash her—!"
Shiori's smile vanished instantly.Her face turned cold. Empty.
"Shut up, Rion," she said flatly. "The fight is already over."
No sweetness.No playfulness.Just authority.
Meanwhile—Kaito was still exchanging blows with Hayate when something tugged sharply at his instincts.A shift in the air.A sound—too faint, but wrong.
He turned.And saw Emika falling.
His eyes widened.
In a flash, he broke through the distance — speed tearing across the rooftop. He reached her just before her body struck the ground, catching her mid-fall.
Her weight sank into his arms.Too limp.Too still.
He knelt immediately, lowering her carefully. Blood seeped from her shoulder, dark and spreading across her clothes. Her breathing was faint. Unsteady.
No response.She was already unconscious.
Slowly, he laid her down .And looked at Shiori.
The air shifted.
His eyes were no longer calm.They were terrifying.The kind of gaze that did not threaten — it promised.
"Where," he asked quietly, "is the antidote?"
Shiori met his stare without flinching."If you want it," she replied sweetly, her smile returning like a painted mask, "you'll have to follow me inside."
For a brief second—Kaito froze.
It could be a trap.It probably was.
But Emika's pulse was weakening beneath his fingertips.
He bent without another word.One arm slid beneath her knees.The other supported her back.
In one smooth motion, he lifted her from the cold concrete, holding her . Her head tilted back slightly, dark hair spilling over his arm. Her fingers hung loosely, lifeless.
The rooftop felt unnaturally quiet.The wind slowed.The world narrowed.Only the faint rise and fall of her chest mattered.
He held her firmly — not desperately, not recklessly — but with absolute certainty. As if he had already decided that nothing in this world would take her from him.
Then he stood.And began walking.
Each step slow. Steady.His mind was blank.No anger.No fear.Only one thought:
Save her.
Shiori watched him approach and smiled softly."Good decision… my love."
She turned toward the rooftop gate, her steps light, almost cheerful.
Hayate stretched lazily, sliding both hands into her pockets."Aah… this is sooo boring," he muttered. "I'm leaving. You handle the rest."
Without another glance, he walked off toward the stairwell.
Rion said nothing this time.Her jaw was tight. Her fists clenched. Fury still simmered in her eyes — but she followed, silent, toward the gate.
When they were about to go out from the rooftop
All of a sudden the rooftop air changed.Not slowly.Not naturally.It snapped.
A spiral of wind burst into existence at the center of the rooftop, twisting upward like a living pillar. The pressure dropped so fast their ears rang.Dust shot into the air.Loose gravel lifted.Small stones began to spin.
"What—?!" Hayate staggered back half a step, throwing up an arm to steady himself.
The wind grew louder. Louder—until it became a screaming howl.It slammed into them like invisible hands, forcing them back.
Shiori's hair lashed across her face.Rion narrowed her eyes and raised her arm against the storm.
Even Kaito struggled. He tightened his grip around Emika's unconscious body as her limp hair whipped wildly, dragged by the wind as if it wanted to tear her away.
The tornado clawed at the rooftop.Pebbles.Broken concrete.Dust.Everything lifted, trapped inside the spinning column.
And then—Inside the storm—A shadow.No.Three.
Three figures.
One stood calmly within the vortex, upright and still.His arm rose slightly.The wind responded.The spiral tightened.Compressed.Controlled.
Hayate's expression hardened. "He's… controlling it."
The wind gave one last, piercing scream—Then collapsed.Gone.
Silence fell.Heavy.Dust drifted down slowly.
Now the figures stood clearly before them.Three of them.
Before anyone could react—The second figure slammed both hands onto the ground.
BOOM.
The rooftop shook.A pulse burst outward from her palms.
The concrete didn't crack.It rippled.Like water.
Shiori's eyes widened. "Move—!"
Too late.
The rooftop beneath them melted.Concrete turned to thick mud.
Hayate, Rion, and Shiori sank instantly, their legs swallowed past their ankles before they could jump.
The mud pulled harder.Dragging them down.Knees.Deeper.Cold.Heavy.
Rion gritted her teeth, muscles straining as she tried to tear herself free.The mud held firm.
"Damn it—!" Hayate snarled, forcing himself upward—
The mud hardened.In an instant.From sludge to stone.
Their legs locked in place.Trapped.Immovable.
Rion exhaled sharply and tested her balance.Nothing moved.No cracks.It felt as if the concrete had fused with their legs.
Before Kaito could understand what was happening, the third figure raised his hand and pointed at him.
Metal chains shot out from his palm.They moved fast.Too fast.
The chains wrapped around Kaito in an instant.Around his arms.His chest.His waist.
They caught Emika too, binding her tightly against him.
Kaito's eyes widened. "What—?!"
He tried to move, but the chains had already locked in place.Everything happened too quickly.
Before he could react—The chain-user pulled.Hard.
The chains snapped tight.Kaito and Emika were yanked forward instantly, dragged across the rooftop toward him.
There was no time to resist.No time to think.
In seconds, they were pulled right in front of the chain-user.Close enough to touch.
The chains held them firmly in place.
Then—The other figure stepped forward.He raised his hands.Formed a sign.
The air shifted.
And suddenly—A tornado exploded into existence around them.
Wind roared.Dust and debris shot upward.
The storm swallowed Kaito, Emika, and the three figures whole.It spun violently for a brief moment—Then vanished.
Kaito and Emika and the other three figures were long gone.
Vanished.
Only drifting dust remained, falling slowly through the air like ash.
The rooftop felt empty.Wrong.
For a moment, nobody moved.
Shock froze the rooftop.
Then—
Rion's fist slammed into the ground.
BOOM.
The impact wasn't graceful. It wasn't controlled.It was rage.
The solidified concrete around her legs shattered outward in a violent burst. Stone fragments exploded across the rooftop as the hardened mud cracked apart like brittle ice.
She ripped herself free.Breathing hard.Eyes blazing.
Without hesitation, she stepped forward and drove another punch into the concrete binding Hayate. The stone fractured instantly. Hayate twisted his body and pulled free as the last pieces crumbled away.
Shiori remained still.
Rion turned and punched again.The concrete around Shiori's legs broke apart in jagged splits.
Freed.
Rion rolled her shoulders, jaw tight. "I'm going after them."
Her muscles coiled, ready to leap to the next building—
Shiori's voice stopped her.
"Rion."
Not loud.Not sharp.Cold.
Rion glanced back.
Shiori's expression had changed.There was no smile.No sweetness.
Her body looked… different. Still. Dense. Like something had hardened beneath her skin. Even the air around her felt heavier.
She said nothing else.
But the message was clear.
This wasn't over.
Hayate exhaled lazily, brushing dust off his jacket."Well. That's troublesome."
Rion crouched slightly—Preparing to jump—
A voice reached them.
"Don't."
It came from the stairwell.
Footsteps echoed upward from the rooftop entrance.Measured.Unhurried.
Rion straightened slowly.
The metal door creaked open.
Ryussei stepped onto the rooftop.
He looked the same as always.Calm.Cold.Sharp.
Not a single trace of panic or urgency in his expression—as if he had already calculated everything before arriving.
His coat shifted lightly in the wind as he walked forward.
He didn't look at them at first.He looked at the sky.At the empty space where the tornado had torn through the clouds.
"No need to follow them," he said quietly. "They will come to us sooner or later."
His voice was steady.Certain.
Rion frowned. "They just took two of ours."
"Yes."
No hesitation.No emotion.
"We have a lot of work to do."
He finally shifted his gaze.His eyes moved to Hayate.
Cold.Focused.
"Did you locate the new human vessel?"
Hayate straightened slightly."Yes. I did."
A small pause.
Wind moved across the rooftop again—this time natural. Ordinary.
Ryussei walked past them.
"Then proceed with the plan. All of you."
There was no dramatic emphasis.No raised tone.Just quiet authority.
And they listened.
Hayate turned first, hands sliding into his pockets as he headed for the stairwell.
Rion hesitated.Her fists were still clenched.
But she followed.
Shiori walked last.Her expression remained unreadable. Cold. Dense. Like something beneath the surface was crystallizing into something far more dangerous.
The door shut behind them.
The rooftop emptied.
Only Ryussei remained.
He stood alone.Looking up.
The sky had already returned to normal, clouds drifting lazily as if nothing had happened.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Calistain… huh."
The name left his lips softly.Not confused.Not surprised.Almost… amused.
The wind brushed past him.
On the other side again the tornado appeared on another rooftop of a building and few seconds later it vanished inside there it was kaito unconscious emika and other 3 figures. From the look of a building It stands like a dead giant, covered in dark stains and cracks.
Its broken windows look like empty eyes, watching silently.
The rooftop is bare and cold under a pale sky, with wind whispering through the ruins.
It feels abandoned… but not safe
Kaito's breath caught in his throat the moment the chains slipped off his body.
Cold air kissed his wrists where the metal had been biting into his skin. He staggered slightly, eyes wide, heart pounding—not from fear alone, but from confusion. His mind screamed questions.
Who are they? Why take us? Where are we going?
But the questions died before they could reach his tongue.
Because Emika wasn't moving.
Her body lay limp beside him, her skin pale in a way that didn't feel normal. Her lips looked drained of life, and the sight of it made something sharp twist inside Kaito's chest.
He didn't think.
He didn't hesitate.
He stepped forward, voice cracking, desperate.
"...She's poisoned. Can I take her to the nearest hospital?"
For a second, the figures didn't answer.
Then one of them moved.
The one who controlled the chains stepped forward, lifted Emika with ease, and swung her over his shoulder like she weighed nothing.
Kaito froze.
But the figure didn't waste time. He turned and ran—fast, heavy footsteps slamming down the ruined staircase as if the entire building was his personal path.
The others followed like shadows.
Kaito ran too.
He didn't speak.
He didn't argue.
For now, saving Emika was the only thing that mattered.
Minutes passed like hours.
They rushed down floor after floor, the broken stairwell echoing with their movement. The building felt dead—cracked walls, stained concrete, shattered windows that stared like hollow eyes.
And then…
They reached the ground floor.
It looked abandoned, forgotten by time. Dust coated the floor, and the air smelled like rust and old rainwater.
But something stood out.
A lift.
Right next to them.
Its metal doors were scratched, torn, and covered in grime. The button panel looked like it hadn't worked in years. The wires near it seemed half destroyed.
Kaito stared at it, disbelief flashing across his face.
That thing is dead.
No way it worked.
But the figure carrying Emika didn't stop.
He walked up to the broken button…
And pressed his finger against it.
Kaito blinked.
"What…?"
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then—
BEEP.
A sharp scanning sound filled the air.
The button glowed faintly, like it had been waiting for that exact touch.
And the lift doors opened.
Kaito's eyes widened.
The inside of the lift looked completely different.
It wasn't old.
It wasn't broken.
It looked brand new—clean metal walls, bright lighting, smooth floor, and a quiet hum like advanced machinery.
It didn't match the outside at all.
It felt like stepping into another world.
Kaito's throat went dry.
But he forced himself to move.
Emika was still unconscious.
Still poisoned.
Still slipping away.
One by one, they entered.
Kaito stepped inside last, his heart hammering.
He looked around.
There was no number plate.
No floor buttons.
Nothing.
Just smooth walls… and silence.
Then the doors shut.
And the lift began to descend.
Down.
Down.
Deeper than it should.
Kaito swallowed hard as the air seemed to grow colder with every passing second.
Finally—
The lift slowed.
Stopped.
The doors opened slowly.
And outside…
Someone was waiting.
A man.
He wore a long white coat like a doctor's, but his appearance told a different story. Dark scars rested beneath his eyes, like exhaustion carved into his skin. His hair was messy, unkept—like someone who hadn't slept properly in weeks.
And on his face…
A silver glass lens shimmered faintly under the light.
His expression was calm.
Almost welcoming.
He smiled the moment the doors fully opened.
And his voice carried a strange warmth—soft, yet heavy with authority.
"Hello there.. I'm Dr. Raizen…the founder of Vaeloris."