In the dark alleyway of Chernoborg. A group of tactically geared operators were crouching behind a shield wall, waiting for their opportunity to spring out and dash for their lives. Among them, a blonde-haired girl was yawning wide. So wide that it could make people ask if she's doing it intentionally.

"What are we waiting for? Don't we have what we need already?"

"Not yet. The wind is still picking up."

Amiya replied without turning her face.

"We have to maximize the efficiency of our smoke. More wind means less smoke."

She cut her words short, like a symbol of a don't disturb sign. Her eyes focused dead straight, studying any changes in the air. Seeing such a conscientious response, Cagliostro curled a corner of her lips upwards.

"So you know your trade. Hmph. I thought you're just a clueless brat forced to ascend to a throne."

Cagliostro twisted her tone to sound exactly like a bitch. As if she was hoping her target would retaliate in a fit. But it seems like Amiya would not give her such luxury and ignored her completely.

If Cagliostro did turn into a bitch, this is the perfect chance for her to snark away. Instead of continuing her assault, however, Cagliostro only snickered once and averted her gaze away. After a moment or two, she felt a gaze staring at her without the slightest hint of modesty. Disturbed by the rude act, she slowly turned her face around.

"You keep staring at me, Gran. What is it?"

"Hm? Oh, it's nothing."

"Hoo? Are you perhaps entranced by my beauty?"

Cagliostro snickered.

"Hmm.."

Gran looked like he's seriously deliberating for a moment.

"I guess I am."

"Ha?"

"Well, you certainly are cute. I mean, Amiya and the others are cute too, but your frilly clothes doubled, no... Tripled your cuteness."

Gran's words flowed out with no restraints as if it's the most natural thing to do.

"And that small tear on the back of your clothes revealing a small part of your skin is oddly alluring to me too, I can't stop looking at it."

Cagliostro turned her head in a blitz, trying to see the spot Gran mentioned. But it's useless. The spot he mentioned is beyond her line of sight. Without a mirror or such, she can't check it herself. Understanding her vain attempt, she gave up, and her cheeks slowly flushed with rose-red bloom as she averted her eyes.

Mysterious changes occurred in her body. Her heart skipped several beats, her face feels hot, and she can't shake off the thought of the particular spot Gran mentioned before. She tried to speak and give a reply - a normal one, if not snarky reply as usual, but her stuttering prevented her to do so.

This is weird. This is not like herself. As Cagliostro realized that her body's getting flustered, she faked a cough to hide her true feelings.

"That perverted part of yours... You're Gran for sure. Did you really lose your memories?"

"I'm serious, I don't remember anything," said Gran plainly, "Your face looks oddly familiar though."

Cagliostro gave a sidelong glance to Gran.

"Then there's still hope to bring your memories back. Don't worry, I'll get you out of here when all of this is over."

"Get out? Like, leaving Amiya and everyone else?"

"Naturally."

"I.. Don't think I can do that."

"Ha? Why?"

"You certainly look familiar and I feel like I can trust you, but I feel the same way with Amiya. I don't think they're bad guys. It feels… Wrong to leave them just like that."

Amiya's bunny ears twitched. It seems like she heard them.

"So uh... Sorry. I think I'm going to stick around with them."

The side of Amiya's lips slightly curved upwards. Seeing this, a certain emotion boiled inside Cagliostro. Not enough to pop her vein, but enough to irritate her mood.

What is this? Did she just get dumped?

"Hoo... Really? Then I guess I have no choice but to tag along with you guys."

Cagliostro glanced at Amiya with slightly squinted eyes.

"Is that okay, leader Amiya?"

Amiya returned her gaze for a split second before focusing forward again.

"We can sort that out. As long as you answer our questions when we get back to Rhodes Island."

"You mean an interrogation."

"..."

Cagliostro's snarky remarks were ignored by Amiya. Her focus remained on the wide road in front of her, carefully observing any slight changes in the air.

As with the others around her, every single operator was at the ready. Scanning every nook and cranny of what little field of vision they had. Except for the distant chaos and the dust blowing past the road, no other sound was made. As if no one was even breathing, they lie in wait under the shadows.

After a moment, Amiya's right ear twitched and flipped to the side.

"The wind is starting to change, stand by."

Weapons raised higher, shields clenched tighter, and breaths stopped in sync.

And suddenly, the winds stopped blowing.

"Now!"

Tsssk! The sound of matches being lit nearly at the same time resounds. As they threw their matches in each of their smoke grenade bottles, greyish smoke burst out of the bottle opening. One by one, black carbon bottles were flung in an arc above the shield wall. It scattered in every direction, hoping to spread the effect as wide and as effectively as they can. It took several seconds for the smoke to build up, as expected of makeshift grenades, but they have no other option but to wait a little bit longer.

Obviously, it attracted enemy snipers, and loud commotions erupted at the opened windows. Some bolts were shot. Apparently, some panicked that their prey might get away before their reinforcements arrived. But it didn't do anything. The shield wall stood firm.

After a minute that felt like a thousand, smoke filled their entire vision. Their grenades worked.

This is it.

"Rescue team!"

It's now or never.

"Move out!"

Thunderous rumble of a dozen souls kicking off the ground in sync was a sight to behold, adding to the chaos caused by the smoke that has now carpeted the whole street.

Loud shouting in the distance marked the incoming arrow barrage they will soon face. They left their enemy with no choice but to indiscriminately shoot at the smoke, hoping to hit at least several of the scurrying prey.

And so, the arrow rain commenced. Dozens of arrows flew through the air and dived into the sea of smoke. Being completely taken off their sight, the arrows strayed far from their intended targets; striking into innocent rubbles and ruins instead.

With only several stray arrows that landed several inches from their limbs, the group remained relatively intact. Several arrows grazed their clothes or a fraction of the skin. Not enough to slow any of them down.

After a while, the thick smoke gradually disappeared and the faint sight of the ruined city returned. At this moment, they have run far enough for the arrow rain to be reduced to a mere trickle. They almost made it out alive.

"Keep moving!"

Just a few breaths away and the end of the smoke field is within their reach.

Blood pumped faster in Cagliostro's veins, adrenaline rush raised her excitement. This is it. This is the rush of persevering through what seems like an impossible obstacle. Just like what they always did, back in the old days of soaring through the skies.

She unconsciously turned her gaze to Gran, the source of all of that memory. He's laughing. It seems the feeling was mutual.

"We did it! We did it!"

His contagious laugh made Cagliostro chuckle as well, sending an extra surge of energy to hasten her running steps.

This is fun. Maybe this world is not so bad after all.

Maybe, as they try to bring Gran's memories back, they could make new memories of their own here. A new adventure, to brag about to the crew back home.

It's perf-

Wait.

Something is wrong.

Was everything going far too smoothly? Though the plan was devised and executed by themselves, Cagliostro can't shake this weird feeling away. She frantically looked right and left to find anything out of place. And just then, she could feel something.

A murderous gaze, sharp enough to kill as is, was locking onto them. To be precise, locking on one of them. Cagliostro turned her head around, and that's when she saw it.

Through the slowly disappearing smoke; a man in chromatic black and white, as if no other color could corrupt him, is standing on top of a ruined building. He stood perfectly still, with his eyes trained behind the sights of a carbon fiber crossbow.

They are at least a couple of kilometers apart. With the scattering winds blowing in a seemingly random direction, it should be impossible to hit a moving target this far. But the sniper remained calm, taking all the time in the world. Still aiming down his target:

A man draped in a black coat.

This is bad. She couldn't explain it, but this is bad. He will make the shot and he will succeed. Cagliostro just knew it.

"Gran!"

He didn't hear it.

"Damnit! Gr-"

It was then.

A bolt, as dark as death itself, launched from its barrel. Soaring through the dusty sky in an arc with tremendous speed, and she could see it approaching by the seconds. In several heartbeats, it will strike the man she's desperately trying to save.

Yet he didn't realize it. Basked in an ecstasy of escaping from the claws of death, not knowing he's walking straight to another impending doom.

"Damn it!"

With every ounce of energy she has left, she kicked the ground as hard as she could. After a split second in the air, their bodies collide. One second, she could feel how Gran was pushed out of the way, out of harm's way. The next second, the world suddenly came to a complete still as if time was frozen. No, it was perhaps more accurate to say time slowed down to a fraction of a second.

Cagliostro could feel her body hovering in the air as if her body was as light as a feather. Her mind scrambled to grasp what just happened until the sharp pain on the left side of her body and a figure of what looks like a long, black shaft sticking out from her sobered her up.

It is, for certain, that the arrow has struck her straight at her back and pierced through her chest. A burning sensation quickly spread over her body. So hot and painful, that her consciousness rapidly fades away.

Her body has now flung several meters away, and the weight of her eyelids are too much to bear. As her eyes start to close, she could feel her body dragged back by gravity. She did an involuntary somersault and rolled a dozen times on the ground before stopping completely and laid on her side.

All sound grew distant, and darkness was all she could see.

After several moments of high-pitched ringing, a faint sound tried to force its way in.

Incoherent mumbles slowly turned into a distant call - of her name. Again and again, the voice tried to reach the barely unconscious girl. Her mind begged her to ignore everything and just succumb to the darkness, but the voice prevented her to do so.

As the sound grew significantly louder, she tried to pry open her heavy eyelids.

A broken shaft, and the worried face of a young man. He's shouting, screaming something close to her name. He's several inches away from her face, yet his voice still sounds so far away. With a speck of consciousness left in her, she tried to move her lips and vibrate her vocal cords.

"Gr… a…"

Was all she could muster before another sharp pain shocked her body. Her body convulsed and a soundless scream escaped her mouth. All thoughts escaped her mind, and her consciousness took a deep plunge.

The world spins before disappearing completely.

The last thing she could hear was Gran's faint voice.

Screaming 'Medic!' over and over again.