Following their former teacher, Tougou and Sonoko passed by crowds of people being herded into the deeper parts of Inariyama for shelter.

Children held their family's hands, while the elderly took a separate line. The young and the old walked in a regulated pace so that no unfortunate accident could happen, but Tougou believed that the shelter being a Kanpei-Taisha might have something to do with the calm atmosphere the people had.

However, words as loud as the footsteps of hundreds of people pierced through the air.

From anxious reassurances to accusations, many words and emotions reverberated through the ceilings, walls, and wooden floors. They pricked at Tougou's ears like a thousand needles, and it caused her heart to pound uneasily. It wasn't... It wasn't a wonderful thing to know—

"...Mimori-sama, please focus on your task."

Looking up from the floors, the black-haired girl stared at the back of the Taisha priestess. Taking a large yet even stride, Aki guided her former students faithfully, even as Tougou sensed a number of people glaring upon noticing the mask the woman wore.

"Ever since three years ago, Taisha has taken various blows," Aki said with a strangely composed, almost emotionless tone. "In order to protect mankind, by no means is there any price too high for us to pay. In the near future, Taisha will no doubt dissolve and vanish from history. But even if our days are numbered, and even if something is lost, a Hero such as you must not cast your head low."

Hearing her words, Tougou pursed her lips. In her mind, the words her best friend had once shouted at the stage glimmering in light resurfaced, and she was about to speak out when a certain blond-haired girl exasperated.

"...But," Sonoko said. "Believing that it's alright to sacrifice something you hold dear is wrong, Aki-sensei."

The two's former teacher did not look back, much less exposing any clue of reaction. All that Tougou could see was a rigid back devoid of hesitation or even emotion. But still...

"Indeed, there is nothing wrong with such line of thinking," Aki responded after a minute of silence. "There is always a way for us to reach a common ground. As long as we do not give up trying to find a better solution, a path surely exists, but…"

Without an answer, both Tougou and Sonoko glanced at each other. For some reasons, Aki seemed to hesitate. Why—

"Ah, there they are!" From ahead, a shout was heard. "Tougou-san! Sonoko-chan! Over here!"

Yuuna waved with a smile as her closest friends approached the shrine grounds in front of the honden.

She was glad that the Hero Club had fully gathered together, but the present situation soured the merry atmosphere. Also, she took notice of a Taisha priestess, but she looked… familiar. Looking back, her classmate raised an eyebrow as if he saw something odd.

Despite making a strange face, Issei shook his head and nodded. "Well, happy new year, Sonoko-chan. Tougou-san. Sorry, but we're going to celebrate later."

The girls formed small smiles. They said not to worry and Issei's expression relaxed somewhat, seemingly relieved. That felt kind of wrong for Yuuna. Even though I've been doing my best to reassure him...

"...Yuuna?" Karin called out. "Why are you puffing your cheeks?"

Huh? Was she? Placing a hand on her cheek, Yuuna realized Karin was right and tilted her head.

"Errm... I'm not so sure..." Yuuna glanced at Issei who had begun talking with the Taisha priestess at some point. The girl paused and put a finger on her chin, a glint flashing in her deep red eyes. "...No, I think I have a few ideas about it."

Her friend blinked a few times. Yuuna looked back at her, but Karin scooted over and discussed something with Fuu in low voices.

What was up with her? Was the tension affecting everyone?

Yuuna's thoughts were halted when she heard someone clearing their throat. All gazes gathered on Issei who was now standing in front of the honden with his scarf loosened enough to show his Adam's apple.

"Okay, as everyone knows, the light signal went up." The brown-haired boy's gaze sharpened as he inhaled. "That means there's a large breach. This is a matter of national emergency, but this particular signal means..."

Just like that, the morning air's temperature seemed to have dropped several degrees. It was a familiar, bone-chilling sensation. It was so eery it reminded Yuuna of the previous battles, and the crisis that had once struck her hometown.

"War, huh?" Fuu wondered aloud. The senior sighed and folded her arms. "Well, I kind of expected it. The gods above… I mean, the Aragami haven't been dealt with at all. They did send out endless minions with an overpowered Divine Artifact instead of finishing us off by their own hands."

After voicing her thoughts out, the Taisha priestess stepped forward and bowed her head slightly.

"That is because the rampaging gods do not consider mingling with 'impurity' as necessary." At the looks she had drawn, the priestess explained further, "Their belief is that the current humanity and those who fight alongside them as impure, a cause to purify. Why is that, a few theories exist, but the majority believed it has something to do with the gifted few, those who are born with powerful attunement to divinity."

Tougou narrowed her gaze into a chilling glare.

The priestess seemed unnerved as she raised her head slightly, but Issei raised a hand and waved.

"This isn't a good place to talk about that. Maybe later, but for now, we still have a threat to put out."

Oh, he was taking the lead again. But Yuuna had to agree, and everyone displayed the same conviction on their faces. After receiving nods of agreement, the boy raised his chin and pointed at the sky. Yuuna quickly realized what he meant with that.

"There's a wave of Stardust approaching from the northeast of Shimane. The Sentinels stationed there reported there's no sighting of Constellation, but their numbers are around a few millions."

She thought that she could easily say they could handle it, but the last part sent a chill down Yuuna's spine. What, what kind of...

"A few millions? Is that for real?" Karin asked, stunned by the intel.

"Well, unlike us, the enemy camp has the best soldiers backing them up." Issei scowled after he grunted in annoyance. "An endless army that can learn from previous mistakes, evolve after every encounter, respawn pretty quickly... And able to summon a freaking divine construct. If this was a game, I would've yelled at the developers for making hax mobs like that."

He grumbled under his breaths after that, but now it was Issei who went off on a tangent. Fuu slapped him on the shoulder to snap him out of it, and the boy coughed as he resumed the briefing.

"At any rate, if we use the spatial transfer magic to move between shrines, we can easily get to Izumo-Taisha and prepare a defensive line or two."

"I sense a 'but' there." Tougou pointed out.

"Yeah, well, about that…" Issei rubbed his neck. After a few moments, he hung his head down. "...I can only move two people with me. Anything more and the burden on the region's ley lines will multiply exponentially."

"...Is it that energy-consuming?"

"The northern part of Honshu doesn't have any people living there. Would you like them given up to the enemy, Tougou-san?" Issei showed a wry smile.

After shaking her head, Tougou stopped giving her inputs. But next to her, Sonoko raised a hand, and she received a sigh from Issei as if he knew what she wanted to ask.

"Also, if I used my reserves, it'd be hard for me to manage the Hero System properly," the boy confessed. "I can manage all of the Sentinels since their suits and weapons are of the same type, but the Hero System you girls are using is more difficult to handle. Not that it's wasteful, but we don't know if there's any Constellation Vertex out there or even those arrogant gods."

In other words—

"The situation will rapidly change once we entered the fray," Issei paused. "But more than anything, I won't compromise to get the ending I desire. That's why..."

Fate seems to have ways of toying with me.

Here she was, watching and listening to the children who had remained to fight against the inevitable. They had earned the rights to leave it all to the others, they had suffered and lost so much, and yet… they had decided to remain and do what they could.

That is exactly why they are Heroes, I suppose…

She could never sigh or complain about that.

Lamenting over their decisions would hurt them, and it would go against what she had kept on believing until now. To pity them… would mean escaping from her sins and punishment.

This is more difficult than I thought…

The Heroes were about to depart. Together with the Red Dragon Emperor, they would surely defend the country and protect the everyday life of everyone. The dragon had given his promise, and so all that remained was offering the necessary efforts to realize it.

Just like stories of old and all the rituals once enacted by mankind to be granted with the blessings of the gods.

But would that be alright? What if one day…

"...Aki-sensei?"

She made a mistake. She acted out of reflex and lifted her head, causing her to meet the gaze of a boy who had given up his mortality to change this hopeless world. Even though she was wearing her mask, she could feel his gaze piercing through the layer of deceit she had put up.

Aki felt her spine shuddering, fearing the worst to happen. The Red Dragon Emperor parted his lips… only to close them again.

The boy formed a soft smile and bobbed his head down as if understanding something beyond her comprehension. But... Aki did not say anything.

There was… there was no point. She didn't have the qualification to—

"We're going to take the first step to save the world," the boy whose soul was bonded with an ancient dragon said. "When we returned… I hope you can prepare some refreshments for us."

The boy waved and walked off. Ahead of him, his beloved friends waited for his arrival, and illuminated by the sunlight… a warm breeze brushed past her; as if whispering familiar words into her ears.

"Don't worry. I will look after them—"

A sound similar to a bell chimed. In the swaying winds, red flower petals danced, chasing after the figure of the dragon and the Heroes.

Together with a gasp overflowing with emotions, a final whisper vanished quietly into the winter sky.

"...See you again, Aki-sensei—"

Issei took in the sight of a wooden structure.

Feeling the polished wooden floor, he realized the spatial teleportation to Izumo-Taisha was a success. Inhaling, he immediately felt a difference in the air.

Anxiousness, fear, worry… and magic. A tremendous amount of magic was floating in the atmosphere.

[This is… is this entire region a power spot?] Ddraig muttered out, seemingly surprised.

Raising an eyebrow, Issei looked around. He recognized the prostrating figures of the local priests of Taisha, and he waved at them so that they could continue their duty. The masked men and women stayed still before they silently left him and his friends alone.

After confirming his privacy, Issei looked at his left arm.

"What do you mean by that, Ddraig?"

[...I suppose you're still a hatchling if you can't sense it.] Ddraig snorted and gave him an image of a dragon turning his head away. [This entire region has an unimaginable amount of magic. Look at the shrine's structure or the trees outside with your true eyes.]

What? Was there a need to be cryptic at this time? Issei shook his head, thinking it could be for later.

He stepped forward before he turned around, meeting the gazes of his friends who would join the battle together with him.

"Sonoko-chan. Karin-chan." The blonde and the brunette locked their gazes with him. "Are you ready?"

"As long as I'm with you, Han-kun, there's nothing to be afraid of~" Sonoko gave a sly smile.

"Ugh. I swear, that doesn't sound right." Karin huffed, placed a hand on her waist and nodded. "I'm always ready. Just give us the terminals already."

Issei chuckled. These two didn't change even for the slightest bit, huh?

Then again, there was nothing wrong with that. I like these two the way they are, anyway.

[Yeah, yeah. No need to repeat that cheesy stuff all the time,] Ddraig retorted. [At any rate, clap your hands. This shrine seems to have already been prepared for you, partner.]

That makes it easier then. Issei nodded and expelled the air in his lungs. He closed his eyes, focused his will and moved his toes as if clawing the grounds. Okay, here we go…

The boy raised both of his hands in front of his chest. When he brought them together, a clear sound echoed throughout the honden, but it continued on and reverberated throughout the entire Shimane.

At first, nothing happened, but suddenly Issei sensed something like invisible threads flowing from everywhere into the shrine's hall.

Those invisible power, the magical element in the air, converged into the space between him and his friends. The density of the energy alone was high enough that even a normal human could see a ball of light appearing out of the empty air, and that lump of power split into two.

They floated in the air, moving toward Karin and Sonoko who held the bright orb in their hands.

As the light show faded out, what was in their hands became a white phone which began booting itself up. The screen flickered into life and suddenly, two small forms appeared right next to them. One of them was a tubby crow in traditional Japanese clothing with large black eyes, and the other was a humanoid plush taking reference from an old samurai of the previous Era.

Before Karin could say anything, the red and black fairy of hers spoke up, "You brute!"

"...What?" Karin dryly stared at Issei.

He immediately looked away. That wasn't his problem. The fairy Yoshiteru was an Ancestral Spirit-type based on Ashikaga Yoshiteru, so he wouldn't know anything about him suddenly insulting Karin.

It wasn't like she had something to do with the conflict between the original Yoshiteru and the Miyoshi clan who had tried to usurp his rule a number of times.

No, serr.

"Heh he…! Nibosshi, your fairy is funny!" Sonoko gleefully pointed out.

Karin shuddered and shot her with a thousand-yard glare. However, the dopey smile Sonoko had would not vanish at all, so Karin grumbled and sulked.

Naturally, her face had turned as red as boiled shrimp. Such an irritable person...

"Let's not start some civil war while we have a foreign threat approaching." Issei clapped twice and drew the attention of the two to him. But suddenly, the tubby crow in Sonoko's hands flew out and perched on his head, not even forgetting to dig its claws into his scalp. "...Say, Sonoko-chan? Can I hit this guy?"

He wasn't pointing at the thing since it would be rude, but Sonoko pursed her lips nonetheless.

It's no good, huh…?

"Fine, fine… Anyway, do you want me to explain a few things about them?" Receiving a look from Karin, Issei nodded in acceptance. "The current Hero System is still experimental, but basically, it should work like before. It's just that the new system doesn't have the fairy's absolute defense, or Mankai and Sange features."

"So Taisha really did remove them…" Karin lowered her shoulders as if some tensions were blown away from them. "Honestly, after all that, I didn't expect them to actually follow their own words."

True, enough. The concern about Taisha was very reasonable, but the widespread Purification three years ago had reformed the entire organization from the ground up. In all honesty, the current members, save for a few, were absolute newbies who still had to get used to the new common sense ruling over the whole country.

And because of that, the state of the country is growing more and more unstable these days...

"You should thank your brother for this change, Karin-chan." Issei pointed at the terminal in Karin's hand. "After all, he's the head researcher of the Hero System. The Hero System in your hands is one-hundred-percent made with brotherly love."

Karin stilled.

The girl looked back and forth between Issei and her terminal. After a bit, she lifted the phone and furrowed her eyebrows.

"Can I have mine changed to another version? Preferably something made by a third-party."

Oh, you hopeless tsundere… it must be hard admitting to having a siscon brother.

"Deal with it," Issei bluntly replied. Then, as if sensing his intention, Sonoko requested the damned crow to come back, and the thing on top of Issei's head flew back to its owner. He sighed in relief. "Now, anything else?"

Sonoko raised her hand.

"Say, Han-kun," the blonde paused. "Why isn't Jukai activating?"

...Aww, shoot. She really did notice it.

"...That's because it's no longer possible to activate Jukai." Issei replied.

"...Huh? I didn't know that." Karin blinked and narrowed her eyes. "...Wait, are you hiding something?"

Issei gulped. He didn't reel back and show a drastic change of expression, but Karin's glare intensified. Quick! He must change the topic!

"I'll explain later! Anyway, there's no more question, right!? Right?! Now, let's go ahead!"

Issei turned around. He raised his left arm and spread it to the side.

With a simple thought, red lights started to encase his arm before extending to wrap around his limbs, torso, waist, and head. As he turned around, the infamous red scale mail formed, eight colorful jewels adorning them as a headgear firmly covered his head.

The plates clinked with his every movement. Power was liberated from the core of his soul, and Issei breathed out. The activation of Boosted Gear had finished, and it was then he witnessed two figures shrouded in light, each of them glowing with respective colors of passionate red and elegant purple.

"...It sure has been a while ever since I'm wearing this outfit." Karin raised her right arm, clenched her hand and gave herself a once-over. "It doesn't seem like there's any problem."

"Well, Han-kun has been working non-stop to prepare for this day, after all~"

"And returning home late at night like a salaryman working overtime," Karin sighed. "Since we're still at it, spill everything out later, Issei. No buts."

Ouch. Karin was never one with mercy when tearing apart excuses. There was no room for debate at all.

"Please go easy on me…" Issei hung his head low as he scratched his scalp.

Karin merely snorted. Walking past him, the two Heroes moved and drew their weapons. Karin summoned her twin swords into her hands, while Sonoko twirled a three-pronged spear with one hand.

"No promise." Karin rushed out of the honden and leaped away, heading straight in a direction where salt could be sensed drifting in the winds.

"Ah, not fair!" Sonoko followed after and leaped to a different direction. "Then I'll help evacuate the people and protecting the nearest towns!"

"Wha-you, Sonoko! Are you trying to steal my role!?"

"Eeeeh? But you didn't say anything about what you're going to do, Nibosshi~"

"Don't call me 'Nibosshi'...!"

As the two girls bickered voices faded away in the distances, Issei stared at the sky.

He shook his head in utter resignation. They still like doing everything at their own pace…

Still, it wouldn't be them if they did otherwise.

The girls he knew always understood their own limits and only do what they were best at.

Karin would immediately go to the coastline and reduce the enemy's overall number. In that case, Sonoko would follow up by helping the Sentinels while accelerating the evacuation process.

He had chosen the right people for this job. In all this, his role would be…

"...Looks like I'm stuck with getting rid the big fishes." Issei rubbed the space between his nose and lips and grinned. "Welp. Let's go, Ddraig!"

[You don't need to say it, partner!]

Leaping out of the shrine, six wings expanded from his back. The humanoid dragon flapped his wings and flew to his battlefield.

The scenery moved.

No. To be more precise, she was moving.

Every large step she took became a powerful leap that let her soar in the sky. When stomping the ground, it enabled her to jump much like a grasshopper. Had it been in any other circumstance, she would have felt amazed at how many physical laws she had shattered with just a single move.

Breathing out, the girl fixed her collar and helmet.

The green combat outfit she wore was imbued with Shinju's divine protection. While it could not compare with the ones used by the Heroes, it still allowed her to fight on even footing with the weakest enemy forces, the Stardust.

"It's here…!" Landing on the rooftop of an apartment, she looked back to the sea. Her eyes whipped to the left and right as one of the many results of the harsh training regimen she had gone through. Even if it was just her being paranoid, the habit she had learned calmed her down. "E-everyone, draw your weapons!"

The perimeter had been made. The line of defense was formed by stationing Sentinels in key points like a fishing net.

Along the coastline, green-uniformed youths equipped with tower shields and bayoneted rifles moved at once, changing their positions into firing stance with the barrels of their weapons aimed to the sea.

The leader of the Sentinels tried to stand firmly.

She felt her heart pounding in her ears. Was it her adrenaline, or was it her blood? She wasn't sure. She didn't have the time to make certain of it.

I have to do this, the girl no older than a fresh middle-school graduate told herself. Her left hand trembled as she moved it on the place her heart resided in. The girl gulped down and inhaled deeply.

Calm down. Calm down. Remember your training. Remember the lessons you were taught—

"...Before, there was a powerful barrier working to isolate the enemy from ruining the land," she recited. "But now, Shinju-sama's power has weakened. Humanity is running out of time, and… and us Sentinels are formed to find a solution for that."

Yes. Yes, that was it. Good, she didn't forget anything. She could do it. Her seniors and friends had helped her. Her close friend was similar to her, so she knew. She understood that there was nothing wrong with feeling anxious.

However… that didn't mean she could crumble. Not here, not now…!

"I didn't… I didn't sign up for this just to hide and cower…" The girl glared ahead and recognized dots of white appearing right above the Walls barricading Shimane's sea from the Outside. "...Kh! T-take aim!"

As she shouted, the girl raised her right hand toward the sky. Silence permeated. Only the sounds of the ocean waves crashing into the beach could be heard. At first the dreadful silence began to choke on her—

Then they screamed.

Countless bestial screams shook the heavens and earth. Chills ran down her spine, her heart rate rose as the otherworldly beasts painted the blue horizon pure white.

The girl couldn't stop her teeth from chattering. Every single cell in her body screamed in terror, her self-preservation instinct wrestling with her conviction in utter desperation.

She had to escape. She could move away and retreat.

A Sentinel's job was never to be on the offensive. She and her comrades' role was never at the frontline.

She was afraid. She admitted that she was a coward. She did not have the same willpower the Heroes she had seen in records have, and there was no way for ordinary people like her to catch up with them. She wasn't a flower, just a grass with no beauty or grace. She could wait out for the reinforcement to come and everything would return to normal.

Even so… I…

"...can't run away…"

Her hand was trembling. Everyone was waiting with bated breath. The people behind her had yet to finish evacuating, and the girl knew that her family and classmates were among them.

Was it right for her to abandon her home?

"I can't run away…!"

The army of the destroyers entered their range.

The girl gasped, and she swung her arm down.

"...Fire!"

With that signal, Shimane's defensive battle began.