And somewhere deep inside him—
A terrifying thought began forming.
What if Aron was never here?
What if he had left him behind?
Black-coated agents moved through the crowd with precision—fast, controlled.
Not panic. Not confusion.
Containment.
"Clear the area. Now."
No shouting. No hesitation.
Civilians were pushed back—not violently, but with no room to argue.
Then the weapons came up. Not aimed wildly.
Locked. Measured.
They surrounded Zekai, but no one stepped closer.
[ EXTERNAL RESPONSE DETECTED ]
Organization: BSA
Units: Armed
Intent: Containment / Neutralization
Threat Level: Moderate → Rising
---
They shouted at the civilians.
"Everyone, clear the area immediately."
"This area is now restricted."
At the same time, the agents raised their guns and aimed directly at him.
"Don't move."
"Identify yourself. Now."
Zzzzsup!
[ INSTINCTIVE REJECTION ]
Hostility Response: Delayed
Cause: Unknown Pressure Field
Effect: Engagement Hesitation
---
Their formation tightened—but their feet didn't move.
Even the air around Zekai felt… avoided. Even with guns—they hesitated.
One of them adjusted his grip. Just slightly.
Like something about Zekai didn't match what he was trained for.
"Hey… hey… he feels like bad news…"
"Something's wrong with him…"
"...Why does it feel like he's the dangerous one here?"
Weapons stayed trained on him—but no one wanted to fire first.
Weapons clicked. Safety off.
"Stop right there!"
"Who are you?"
He didn't answer.
"What's that in your arms?"
"Which world do you belong to?"
He didn't respond.
'Think whatever you want about me… Right now, I can't feel anything.'
"I don't have anything to say."
Zekai didn't even look at them.
The civilians couldn't understand what they were saying.
"Another world?"
"He looks human… then why are they saying that?"
"Hey, didn't you see? He just appeared out of nowhere from the sky."
None of them were asking the same question.
But all of them wanted the same answer.
Earlier, Zekai and Aron had disappeared.
Along with them, forty-three civilians and BSA agents had vanished without trace.
Now—only Zekai had returned. Carrying Aron's lifeless body.
Hearing that, the agents lost their patience and stepped forward.
"Don't you understand what we're saying?"
"Leave. Now."
One man from the crowd spoke up.
"Why should we leave? Who are you to tell us that?"
Immediately, the agents raised their guns and aimed at the civilians.
"We are government agents. This is your last warning."
"Obey… or face consequences."
Hearing that, the civilians had no choice but to leave.
"Damn… we're missing a good scene," someone muttered while backing away.
Before anyone could process it—something fell from the sky. A strange sound echoed from above.
A sound—wrong. Too heavy.
A body hit the ground. Not whole.
Everyone froze in place.
[ MASS EVENT DETECTED ]
Object Classification: Human Remains
Source: Distortion Layer Residual
Return Process: Incomplete
---
Then another.
Then more.
Pieces of people. Arms. Legs. Heads. Broken torsos.
They weren't falling.
They were returning.
The sky didn't open. It rejected them.
They fell one after another onto the road. The remains of the missing forty-three people.
They didn't fall all at once.
More followed. Then more. Like the sky hadn't finished returning them yet.
[ CASUALTY UPDATE ]
Missing Subjects: 43
Recovery Status: Partial
Survival Probability: <1%
---
Those weren't bodies falling. They were being rejected.
Not all of them came back the same way.
Screams filled the air instantly.
"AHHHHHHH—!"
"What is happening?!"
People panicked.
"No—no—what is this?!"
"Why are human bodies falling from the sky…?!"
One of the bodies hit the ground— right in front of someone filming.
The phone slipped from their hand.
No one picked it up. People backed away in horror.
One of the agents, who seemed like the unit leader, reacted immediately.
"Oh no… this is bad."
He shouted to his team.
"Move! Clear everyone out—now!"
He pressed a button on the watch strapped to his wrist and sent a voice signal.
"Unit 5, command repeat—situation is out of control. Initiate emergency protocol immediately."
A reply came within seconds.
"Command acknowledged. Code X activated. Initiate the process."
After receiving the order, he quickly scanned the surroundings. The civilians had already dispersed.
Another agent removed his gloves and raised his hand. A black energy formed in his palm.
In the next moment, the air distorted—then the surrounding area blurred and sealed, as a layered barrier formed around Zekai and the agents.
From the outside, no one could see what was happening inside.
Inside the barrier, the agents' tone turned harsh.
"We don't have time to talk."
"Talk. Now. Or we end you right here."
Zekai's grip tightened, just enough to hurt.
He heard them. He understood every word. It just didn't reach him.
[ STATUS RESPONSE ]
KILL THREAT DETECTED
[ DO OR DIE ]
"No!"
His vision was blurred.
'I can't see anything clearly.'
After shifting through that dimension, the overwhelming power inside him… he still didn't have control over it.
Zekai remained still. He hadn't done anything.
And yet—he was the one being cornered.
Then—a weak sound came from among the scattered bodies.
"…help…" The voice didn't belong in the silence.
It broke it.
A man was still alive.
His body was mangled. He lay on the ground, barely conscious.
One of his arms was gone.
Two severed hands lay beside him.
Neither of them were his.
Blood spread beneath him as his eyes struggled to open.
[ SUBJECT DETECTED ]
Name: Helmith
Vital Integrity: Critical
Survival Probability: 27%
Immediate Aid: Required
---
His eyes opened—just enough to prove he wasn't dead.
Yet.
The chaos hadn't ended. It had just begun.
The world hadn't recovered.
It had only just begun to understand something was terribly wrong.
✦ Chapter 26 - BSA ✦