"Sacchan! Hey, Sacchan, get it together!"

September 28, 2047. 3:50 pm.

It was close to the appointed time for a Territory Battle. A team of eight people, assembled from the combined legion of Nega Nebulas and Prominence, gathered for the event at Wadabori Park. Though everyone was ready, there was one person who didn't appear to be.

It was their Legion Master, Kuroyukihime, known and feared as the Black King, Black Lotus. The girl had been looking quite dazed today. Her closest friend, Kurasaki Fuuko, was busy tending to her.

"Sacchan, are you OK?", Fuuko asked for confirmation as Kuroyukihime returned to normal for a brief moment.

"I… I'm fine, really.", Kuroyukihime replied, not wanting anyone to worry about her.

"Tch! Listen here, Kuroyuki! If you've got any problem, you should just goddamn say so! Stop trying to handle everything yourself.", Niko thundered from behind.

"I-I don't need you to tell me that!", Kuroyukihime retaliated.

"Senpai, is your Neurolinker OK?", Chiyuri added on.

"Well, I've had no problems with it. However, for some reason, it feels like I keep slipping away from this world, and memories flood into my Neurolinker that I can't seem to remember or find the meaning of. I've asked Haruyuki-kun to look into it, but even he could not find any abnormalities."

"Yes, there seems to be nothing wrong with the Neurolinker itself. But… maybe, just maybe, it could be someone calling Senpai from the accelerated world."

The person who just spoke was Arita Haruyuki. Having recently reached Level 8 as Silver Crow, he was made the fifth member of Nega Nebulas' Elements, named Aether after the postulated classical element said to be a medium of light: Crow's greatest characteristic.

Everyone looked up to him as Kuroyukihime's true partner as she slowly approached her long-coveted goal of discovering the truth of the accelerated world. To do that, they needed to challenge the final area known as the 'Castle', which they were putting on hold until Haruyuki reached Level 9. His childhood friends Kurashima Chiyuri and Mayuzumi Takumu had also nearly caught up to him, reaching Level 7 as Lime Bell and Cyan Pile respectively.

Kuroyukihime did not want to give her Legion any more trouble, so she spoke up:

"I just figured, if there is something out there, we need to find it and confront it like we usually do."

"That sounds unwise, Master.", Takumu commented.

"Yes, really unwise.", Seri added. "But then I guess you always were the reckless type, weren't you, Kuroyuki?"

"Shut up!", Kuroyukihime shot back with a deadly glare.

Finally, Fuuko said:

"Alright, change of plans. Currently, we should be expecting an eight-person team from Great Wall as per what Graph requested. Niko, you defend the flag. Pard, you come with me. Sacchan will participate in today's Territory, but she will not fight. If there is someone calling her, we should explore it together instead of leaving it behind to prey on her when we aren't looking."

Territory Battles had a simple rule of equal number of members from each Legion. This time, the opposing Legions decided to put together an eight-person team… at the request of a certain someone.

The team chosen for Nega Nebulas' side was: Haruyuki, Niko, Kuroyukihime, Seri, Chiyuri, Takumu, Fuuko and Pard.

"Fine by me."

"K."

And so, with their improvised battle plan ready, the team prepared to dive in.

"BURST LINK!"