The Starchaser

by FireMonkeyDragon

One moment he was fighting an alien invasion, the next he found himself stranded more than a decade in the past. With no way back but forward, Adam takes this opportunity and sets his eyes on changing history for the better. With the universe as his stage and the stars as his audience.

10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 - First Snow in Autumn VIII

---

[ The Kiana Birthday Special Chapter has been moved to the end of this Chapter. It was always meant to be added to the end of Chp 10, but as you can see, I couldn't finish this chapter in time for her birthday so I had to upload it separately. ]

[ If you ever want to reread the Kiana Special, remember to go to the bottom of Chp10! ]

---

"...am…,"

"...d…m…"

"Adam!"

The boy in question jolted awake to see a mildly miffed Mei gazing down at him with her hands on her hips.

He blinked and looked around; the chattering of his classmates filled the room as they mingled, some leaving the classroom to meet up with their friends while others pushed their desks together to have lunch.

It was then he realized that at some point during the previous class, he had dozed off, and the teacher didn't find out, thanks to the history textbook propped up on his desk like a shield. That or the teacher just didn't really care since sleeping in class was a normal thing for high school students, and seeing as he was seated in the first row, it was most likely the latter.

"What's up?" he asked, still half-awake.

Mei sighed lightly, releasing her minor irritation, and replied with her signature, gentle smile, "Nothing much, just waking you up so we can go join the others for recess,"

"Oh, right, yeah," Groggily, he grabbed his backpack and left the classroom with the purple-haired heiress by his side.

They traveled through the hallways, chatting as they walked, before going up a flight of stairs until they reached the top floor. The expansive blue sky and clusters of fluffy white clouds greeted them as they opened the door to the familiar rooftop.

Two weeks had come and gone since their little 'moment' on the rooftop during the final night of the festival. Since then, they, along with their friends, namely Sachi and Kazuha, had begun to hang out together on the rooftop during the more extended break periods.

Even though other friend groups occasionally populated the roof, the four of them had their own shaded spot in the corner where it was nice and cool at midday.

"Look who's finally here," Kazuha said as Adam and Mei reached their spot.

"Sorry, we're late," Mei playfully nudged the boy beside her, "This guy was sleeping pretty deeply, so waking him up took more effort than I realized,"

Adam squinted as he and the purple-haired girl sat down and took out their food, "There's no way it was that bad,"

"You remained so still I could stack three water bottles on your head before I got bored and left first," Kazuha said blankly, "Mei can vouch for that,"

"...Wait, what?" the black-haired teen's face scrunched in confusion and he looked at Mei for confirmation.

The heiress, who was now chewing on her sandwich, said nothing as she took out her phone, tapped on it several times, and flipped it around to show Adam the photographic evidence.

The boy's golden eyes widened when he saw that Kazuha was one hundred percent telling the truth. His head was hidden behind the history book, and the bottles were perfectly balanced on the back of his head, peeking out from behind the book like a mini plastic water tower.

"Delete it,"

Mei retracted her phone possessively, "No,"

"She's not the one who took it, my guy," Kazuha chuckled mischievously and turned his phone around, showing the same picture while waving it tauntingly, "It's on the group chat,"

Adam glared at the beige-haired teen, who accepted the challenge and stared back. After a moment, the black-haired boy gave up, rolled his eyes, and chomped on his bun.

"You are so lucky I'm lazy today," he mumbled.

"Why are you so tired today anyway?" asked Sachi, looking up from her salad.

"Probably because—" Adam turned his head to the light-green-haired girl on his left and stopped in his tracks, "—Wait, who are you?"

A surprised Sachi's jaws dropped, and her brows furrowed with annoyance, "Wha–?! What do you mean, who am I? We've known each other for over a month; how can you not recognize me!?"

"Wait, no, hold on…you're Sachi!"

"Woooow, aren't you observant,"

"When'd you dye your hair?"

"It's not dyed, this is it's natural color,"

"Huh? Seriously?"

Beside them, they could hear the suppressed snickering of Kazuha and Mei as they tried to hold back their laughter as they watched their interaction.

Adam whipped around and flicked his gaze between the two of them, "You guys knew?"

Simultaneously, they nodded.

"She actually dyed her hair brown a few days before you first arrived," revealed Mei.

"So it's not that surprising that you'd mistake her for a brunette," finished Kazuha, "The Kuki family are kinda known for their green hair,"

Still somewhat bewildered, Adam spun back and questioned Sachi, "Your hair is naturally, like genetically green?"

"Yeah, why? Is that weird?" Sachi deadpanned.

The teen allowed his thoughts to run through his mind for a minute before shrugging and calming down, taking another bite of his bun, "Honestly, not really. I know people with natural pink hair so…,"

"Oh, are you talking about Asakura-san?" asked Mei.

The black-haired boy bobbed his head, "Yeah, but also an old friend of mine, along with Miyuki and her sister, who's actually more lilac than pink, but the example still stands,"

"Since when were you two on a first-name basis?" the heiress quickly added, eyeing him inquisitively.

"Since last Friday, why?"

"No reason, just curious,"

"So, can we get back to my question of why this guy looks like he only got three hours of sleep last night?" The green-haired Sachi piped up.

"Y'know, now that you mention it, hasn't he looked like this all week?" Kazuha chimed in.

"They're not wrong," Mei agreed, glancing at the boy sitting by her side, "You do look a little worse for wear. Are you pulling all-nighters to study and do assignments?"

Adam scoffed, "Pssh, I wish that were the case,"

"So what's up?"

The black-haired boy felt the curious gazes of his three friends piercing into his skin and quickly succumbed to the pressure. But there was no way he was going to tell them that he was now living with Kiana, not that they knew who she was, however, just the idea of a teenage boy and girl living in the same apartment and reluctantly sharing the same room would summon a crushing wave of questions from them to drown him under.

So he thought of the next best and reasonably accurate thing.

"I, um… I adopted a cat,"

"Eh?!"

"Wait, what?!"

"Okay, honestly, I wasn't expecting that,"

"Yeah," Adam muttered, staring off into the distance as the haunting apparitions of multiple smugly grinning Kianas invaded his mind, "It's… a lot more work than I thought,"

"Aren't cats usually more laid back and self-maintaining, though?" asked Mei.

The black-haired teen rapidly shook his head, "Not this one. This one lounges around all day doing nothing. Sometimes it sleeps for hours on end and then gets up to watch anime or play games with the volume on max,"

"Your cat can play video games?" Sachi raised a brow.

"It's also too lazy to go and get its own food, so it keeps pestering me to make it for her, and I can't say no because the last time she went into the kitchen, the building almost burnt down and the police were called in due to 'suspicious smells'! And aside from that, as annoying as she is, I don't want her to die of starvation,"

"As someone who's kept a cat in the past, this doesn't sound that out of the ordinary," commented Kazuha.

"Yeah, well, on the flip side, sometimes she's way too hyperactive and doesn't shut up and doesn't leave me alone unless I play with her, so then to get her to stop, I have to comply and then before I know it, my schedule for the rest of the day is gone!"

"Fear not, my friend. I went through the same thing when I first owned a cat,"

"Does your cat hog the bathroom for half an hour!?" Adam jumped up and nearly shrieked before plopping back down, grabbing the side of his head as his eyes twitched when the memories of the last few days resurfaced.

"How does a cat hog a bathroom?" Mei whispered to Sachi.

"I don't know," Sachi whispered back, "Maybe he mistook a raccoon for a cat or something,"

"Ohh," the heiress began to nod in understanding but suddenly froze and tilted her head in thought, "...Wait, we don't have raccoons in Japan,"

"So, how exactly did you obtain this cat?" Kazuha asked as he patted his friend on the back reassuringly.

"I didn't," the black-haired teen replied, "It's a stray that moved in, got comfortable, and now it won't leave. It appeared the same night we went to the thing,"

"What thing?" the green-haired girl asked.

"The thing," Kazuha cooly replied.

"Thing?" Mei echoed.

"Y'know, the thing," Adam clarified.

It took a couple of seconds, but the purple-haired heiress quickly caught on and snapped her fingers, "Riiight, that thing,"

"What thing!?" Sachi exclaimed.

"Not important,"

"Don't worry about it,"

"Sorry, Sachi,"

The green-haired teenager huffed, folded her arms, and whipped her head to the side, "Fine! Keep your secrets,"

"So about that cat," Kazuha tried to continue but was sharply rejected.

"I'm not gonna talk about that cat anymore,"

"Then do you at least have a picture," Mei asked excitedly, her eyes sparkling like polished amethyst, "I want to see,"

"I don't. Sorry, Mei,"

"Then, can you at least tell me what it looks like?"

"It's small, white, blue eyes, and it has attitude issues,"

"That sounds rather cute, actually," the heiress giggled.

Adam sighed defeatedly, "Only in appearance,"

The lunch break continued as normal, the four of them talking and bickering about all manners of things, and their voices blended in with the noisy ambient sounds of an average school day during recess.

"Hey, have you guys heard?" Kazuha looked up from his phone and got the others' attention.

"Heard what?" Sachi asked.

"Apparently, a new first-year international student arrived today," the cream-haired male revealed, "Everyone's talking about it on the academy's forum. According to our compatriots, she's quite the looker, too,"

"Really?" the green-haired girl brought out her phone to see for herself.

"Now that you mention it, I did overhear some people talking about it in the hallway earlier," Mei mused with a finger on her chin.

"At this time of year?" the black-haired teen questioned, "Aren't midterms in two weeks?"

"It is a weird time to be joining," the heiress agreed, "Perhaps the school will give them extra time to prepare?"

"Well, either way?" Guess you're not the new kid anymore, huh," Kazuha chuckled as he jokingly elbowed Adam in the shoulder, "How do you feel?"

"Liberated. Enlightened. But most importantly—" Adam took a deep breath, a break from his dramatic announcement of his emotions before snapping out of character and finishing flatly, "—Thirsty. I'm gonna get something to drink,"

"Can you get me something as well?"

"Sure," Adam nodded, standing up and catching the coin that Kazuha flicked over, "Be right back,"

Heading down the stairs, the black-haired male entered the bustling and rowdy corridors of the main school building, walking past and weaving through the chaotic crowds of students. Most of the vending machines on the floor already had people waiting in line, so he continued until he could find one that was free.

There was still a good twenty minutes or so until the lunch break was over, so Adam wasn't in a rush, wandering the halls, turning corners, and descending another set of stairs to the second floor, more commonly known to the student body as the First Years' floor.

At Chiba Academy, each year level had its own floor in the building where most of their classes would be.

The Third Years had the fourth floor, which was also the top floor, the Second Years belonged to the third floor, and the First Years stayed on the second. Aside from a few club rooms, the extra staff room, and the cafeteria, the first floor was primarily used as a crossroad of paths leading to other areas of the school.

It was also home to the long glass case that contained numerous trophies and plaques, displaying all of the achievements that the Academy and its students had earned in its long history—a constant source of inspiration and motivation to anyone who walked by.

And eventually, the black-haired teenager's journey brought him down to the first floor. Why are all the vending machines so popular today? He had no idea.

Perhaps it was one of those days when the universe wanted to play a little, harmless joke on him.

"No way,"

A familiar face and voice suddenly invaded Adam's sight and ears, freezing him in place.

Perhaps the universe's little joke wasn't so little after all, or perhaps the universe's definition of 'little' was vastly different from the human perspective.

In this giant city of innovative technology, with a myriad of unique and charming districts that helped the urban skyline stretch far across the horizon—a city with a population that was comfortably over ten million.

Of all the locations.

This was the very last place he expected to run into her.

Kiana Kaslana.

His twin-braided, white-haired roommate stood before him in equal astonishment. Her sapphire eyes were stretched to the brim, and her jaw could not possibly drop any lower without detaching from her head.

A nearly inaudible breath escaped his lips when he saw that she was wearing the signature uniform of Chiba Academy,

"Impossible,"

With the stream of students constantly flowing back and forth around them, it was as if time had stood still for both of them as they continued to stare each other down, refusing to believe their eyes.

"What—?" Adam was the first to snap out of his bewildered shock.

But before he could question his roommate, in the blink of an eye, Kiana darted forward and took hold of his wrist before hurriedly dragging him through the hallways, him dangling in her grip like a fluttering paper lantern until they arrived at a less populated area of the building.

The boy didn't even get three seconds to comprehend what was happening and was shoved into a dark, cramped room, with the white-haired girl diving in immediately after, slamming the door shut behind her.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered harshly, almost immediately.

"What am I doing here? What are you doing here?" he hissed back.

"I go to school here. What's your excuse? Are you stalking me?"

"Why the hell would I waste my time stalking you? My standards aren't that low,"

Kiana punched Adam in the chest, forcing a surprised and pained yelp out of the black-haired teenager, "Rude!"

"Hey! That hurt!"

"And I'll do it again if you don't answer my question," the white-haired girl threatened.

"Isn't it obvious? Can't you see my uniform?"

"I can't see anything; it's too dark here,"

"I go to this school, too, you dimwit," Adam revealed, almost raising his voice.

"Wait, you do?"

"Yes! And I've been here longer than you, so if anything, I should be asking if you're the one stalking me,"

"O-Of course not. Same as you; my standards aren't that low,"

"Try saying that without stuttering,"

"That's not the point. How do I know you're not lying about being here for longer than me?"

"How—? Are you serious? We literally live together, and now you're suspicious about my attendance at this school?"

"I'm just being cautious,"

"If you were truly being cautious, then we wouldn't be roommates in the first place…and we also wouldn't be in…," Adam looked around, but aside from the faint outline of Kiana, all he could see was darkness, "...Wherever this place is…where are we anyway?"

"I don't know, I thought this was an empty classroom," Kiana admitted, also checking out her dimmed surroundings.

"Why would there be a classroom on the ground floor?"

"Why wouldn't there be a classroom on the ground floor?"

"Because all the classrooms are on the floors above. Half of the ground floor is just the cafeteria and the bigger nurse's office, and you would know that if you've been here for more than a week,"

"Ok, fine, I'm sorry for doubting you, I guess," Kiana murmured.

"Whatever, it's not a big deal anyway," The boy waved off her concerns, "Now if you're done, let's go. It's getting stuffy in here, and I'm sure we both have places to be,"

"Oh, trust me, I do have a lot more things to say, but I'm hungry, and that takes priority, so hurry up and open the door,"

Adam ignored her and slid his hand across the metallic surface of the door until he found the handle.

"What are you doing? Let's go," Kiana urged.

"I'm trying," The boy retorted, rattling the handle as he tried to push and pull the door open.

"It's just a door; how weak are you?"

"You try it then!"

"I will!" Kiana rapidly slid her hand up and down the door, "Wait, where's the handle? It's still too dark to see,"

The white-haired girl slightly jumped as she suddenly felt the black-haired boy's hand gripping onto hers and bringing it down.

"Here," said Adam.

So began Kiana's hopeless attempt at unlocking the door. Shaking the entire object, but it was as if it was welded into the wall.

"See? It's locked,"

"I know that Captain Obvious," Kiana growled before releasing her grip on the door handle, "I think I can kick it down,"

Adam nodded, "Do it,"

The girl raised her knee, chambering her leg to smash the door off its hinges. That was the plan if her knee didn't slam into Adam's on the way up.

There was a simultaneous yelp of pain as their patellas collided, both of them rubbing the point of impact as a numbness began to speedily spread through their leg.

It was through this painful interaction that they discovered how close they were to each other in the unilluminated room, but whatever feelings they had regarding that were swiftly drowned out by the urgent need to escape.

"Now what?" Kiana grumbled, straightening up again.

"We cry for help,"

The girl's bright blue eyes widened,

"What?"

Adam sipped in his breath and then, "HEL–mfgfgh!"

Kiana quickly slapped her hand over his mouth before he could finish. The boy promptly peeled it off and glared at the girl's shadowy silhouette.

"What are you doing?!"

"Stopping you from yelling,"

"Why? If someone hears us, they can unlock the door from the outside,"

"Yeah? And what would they think when they see a guy and girl alone together in a dark and tight room like this!?"

"So? We can explain ourselves afterward…actually wait, no, scratch that, you're gonna explain since you dragged me in here with you,"

"I dragged you in here because this is my first day here, and I don't want to be seen talking with you," Kiana finally confessed, "And I certainly don't want to be seen in this sort of situation with you either,"

"I'll have you know that my reputation at this academy is actually a lot better than you think," Adam scoffed and pointed out, "So I'm in more danger than you if we get found like this… And now that I think about it, yeah, it's probably best if we get out of this situation quietly,"

"Told ya," Kiana victoriously smirked before it morphed back into a frown as she contemplated ways to get out, "Now, how do we…?"

"So why don't you want to be seen with me exactly?"

"Can we not do this right now?" the twin-braided girl snappily urged, "Let's focus on getting out of here first,"

Adam shrugged, "Well, seeing as we might be in here for a while, I thought a bit of conversation could help us while we find ways to get out, and y'know, it can also help get the brain juice flowing so it's easier to think up ideas,"

"Argh, fine," Kiana relented, "It's because…because…,"

"You hate me?"

"Yes! No! I mean…,"

"So you don't hate me?"

"I…I don't dislike you…but I don't like you either," the girl took a short breath, "I guess I…I tolerate you,"

The boy snickered, "Well, you'll be relieved to know that I tolerate you too,"

Hearing his response, a light, unseen smile made its way to Kiana's lips that even she was unaware of.

"You didn't actually answer my question, by the way,"

"We'll talk about that at home,"

"Okay, okay, fine," Adam lightly laughed, "Hey, c'mon, let's search around here to see if there's a spare key hidden away somewhere,"

"I'm sure that would be a great plan," Kiana agreed, but her face dropped, "If we could see,"

"We've been in the dark long enough that I can make things out pretty well now," the boy informed her as he reached around and patted randomly in the darkness.

"...Wait!" The imaginary light bulb of epiphany lit up in Kiana's head as a brilliant idea had come to her. She reached into her pocket and retrieved her phone, turning on the flashlight with a complacent grin, "We have these!"

Adam winced at the sudden intrusion of light before gazing at Kiana. He had nothing to say and hadn't thought of using the phone's torch at all. It felt strange to admit, and it had never happened before, but the white-haired girl was the smarter one this time.

"Okay, yeah, I forgot about those," the black-haired boy sheepishly admitted, fishing out his own mobile device and activating the torch.

"Hihi~," Kiana triumphantly beamed, "Bow before my genius,"

"Don't get ahead of yourself. We still need to actually find that hypothetical key," Adam reminded her, lightly bopping the top of her head.

"Right," the girl nodded, her confident demeanor faltering slightly.

The shelf they rummaged through was only an arm's length away. As they brushed boxes and cluttered items aside, their location slowly became apparent.

'Detergent, spray bottles, wipes, a dustpan, sponges, and is that…a mop handle without the cloth-y part?' mentally noted Adam as he sorted through the objects along the wall and shelf.

"Ooh~ So this is where we are—," began Kiana, holding up a half-used bottle of window cleaning liquid.

"—The maintenance closet," Adam finished, placing a pack of paper towels back where he had found them.

"This is the most cliched hiding spot in the entire building," the black-haired boy continued, turning to his roommate, who rolled her eyes in response, "You didn't want anyone to see us talk, and yet you pulled us into the most cliched hiding spot in the—"

Kiana made a face and replied sarcastically, "I'm sorry~. I'm sorry I didn't take us to the luxury five-star resort of hiding places. I'll do some research next time so it'll make you happy,"

"And where are you gonna drag me the next time we see each other on campus? The gym storage room? Because you do know that is the most cliched hiding spot in the whole school,"

"I panicked, okay? This was the first door around the corner, so I went with that,"

"What were you gonna do if it wasn't the maintenance closet but the staff room or something?"

"I dunno, I didn't think that far ahead because I didn't think you'd actually allow me to drag you all this way," Kiana revealed.

"...Yeah, honestly, I'm surprised I allowed that, too," said Adam. There was a brief moment of awkward silence before he continued.

"So…new kid,"

"Don't call me that; I have a name," Kiana scowled.

"Would you prefer Tuna?"

"Would you prefer Pervert?"

"Touche,"

"What do you want? Did you think of a way to get out?"

"Not yet. But hey, you know the whole school is talking about you, right?"

"Hmph! As they should, they're now in the presence of the great, the undefeated, the illustrious Kiana Kaslana!" the girl proudly smirked and puffed her chest.

"Ooh, illustrious, that's a big word. Are you sure you know what it means?"

"It means that I'm well-known and respected,"

"Well, look at that. So you do have some brain cells left,"

"Of course, I need to fully understand every adjective I give myself—Hey! Wait! Whaddya mean by that!?"

"Don't worry about it, and just take it as a compliment,"

Kiana narrowed her eyes, "Certainly doesn't sound like a compliment,"

"What if I reword it to: you're smarter than you look?"

"That's better…I think,"

"Just don't get used to all the attention," Adam advised, "Speaking from experience, it only lasts about three days,"

"That's because you're you," Kiana countered smugly, crossing her arms, "I'm sure I can last a lot longer than you,"

"...Heh,"

"What?"

"Say that last line again slowly,"

Confused, Kiana raised her brow but went along with his suggestion, "I'm sure I can last a lot longer—"

There was a pause—a brief and quiet one. Adam couldn't read Kiana's expression in the unlit room, so it was difficult to determine what she was thinking and whether she had grasped the double meaning of her words.

"Agh!"

Only when he felt her hand jabbing into his side was he reminded that Kiana was more expressive physically than verbally.

"You really are just a pervert, aren't you!" the girl huffed, retracting her hand.

"Hey, I'm not the only one," the boy retorted, holding his throbbing flank, "You also had dirty thoughts just now, didn't you?"

"T-That's—!" Kiana sputtered.

She wasn't a big fan of the dark, as it would remind her of the painfully lonely nights she spent wandering and camping in the Siberian wilderness as a child. But at this moment, she was thankful for it. It was masking her heating cheeks, and her flushed face was the last thing she wanted her black-haired roommate to see.

"W-Whatever! Even if I did have those kinds of thoughts, that's completely normal for someone my age,"

Adam countered, "Exactly! And we're like the same age! So don't justify yourself while accusing me of being weird, you closeted degenerate,"

"Me!? Closeted!? Hah! For your information, I'm actually very open with my affection!"

"To what? Your reflection in the mirror? Is that why you spend at least half an hour in the bathroom every time?"

"I'm affectionate to the right person, you moron!" Kiana snapped back, smacking the boy harshly on the forehead.

"Ow! Hey, stop hitting me!" The black-haired teen recoiled.

"Don't be such a baby! I'm barely even touching you,"

"Well, it's clear that someone forgot Rule 5 of the roommate agreement," Adam pointed out, "For Furuta-san's sake, we're not supposed to fight each other anymore, remember!?"

"That only applies at home; we are not at home!" Kiana retorted.

The young male raised his brows and sharply exhaled in disbelief, "Really?"

"Yeah. What are you gonna do about it?" Kiana lashed out her hand in another attempt to jab Adam in the side.

But he was ready this time and slapped her hand away, "This!"

He lunged, catching the Kaslana off guard as he grabbed her cheeks, pulling and pinching them hard.

Kiana released a surprised shriek but quickly recovered to return the favor, squeezing Adam's face with her hands, "Chwo can pway dwat game!"

The noise of the two teenagers' scuffles was being emitted loudly from the maintenance closet. The thudding of the door, the clanging and clattering of items sweeping off the shelves, and the muffled battle cries of Kiana and Adam persisted for an uncertain amount of time.

The students who passed by all eyed the maintenance closet warily. They had no idea what was going on in there, and many didn't want to know either; the academy already had enough urban legends as is, and nobody was in a rush to add more to the list, especially as the year was coming to a close.

Like ants with a rock in their path, the students swiftly scurried around and away from the closet as if there were an invisible barrier produced by the door.

But there was one. One brave student who dared to uncover the mystery when the halls were empty, and he was all by himself. His well-maintained, fluffy, beige-colored hair bounced with every step as he strutted toward the maintenance closet.

He reached forward, turned the lock, gripped the handles, and yanked the doors open with dramatic flair, an imaginary spotlight beaming down and invisible confetti showering over his body.

Kiana and Adam flinched and released a simultaneous shriek of surprise as the sudden light blasted them in the face.

When they blinked out their daze, the white-haired girl looked at the newcomer in horrified confusion while the black-haired boy's face lit up as he met a familiar set of crimson eyes.

"Kazuha!" Adam exclaimed and exhaled with relief, "Thank god it's you and not some random other person,"

Kazuha raised a brow as he stared at them. They were still relatively tangled together from their aggressive tussle. Both of them had messy hair with strands spiking in every direction; their uniforms were all creased, looking as if they had rolled down a hill, and they looked out of breath.

Without thinking twice, the beige-haired teen raised his phone, and the hallways echoed with an audible—.

*K-CHAK*

The three of them blinked, two of them still registering what had just happened, while the third one's eyes sparkled with mischief and pride.

A gust of wind whistled between them.

Kazuha bolted.

A streamlined cloud of dust trailed his steps as he dashed down the hall with impeccable speed.

Adam's amber gaze remained locked on his friend's last known position for a split second longer, and his brain finally caught up with his eyes.

The astonishment of the situation instantly dissolved with an exclamation of realization. He shook Kiana off him and erupted from the closet with so much force that he skidded across the hallway's tile floor before stopping.

"Kazuha!" he roared but only received faraway cackling in response, "Delete! That! Now!"

"No way! This is gold!" Kazuha yelled back, his voice getting softer the further he ran.

Kiana swore she saw her roommate's eyes gleam dangerously with a concentrated focus before he kicked off the ground and sped toward the beige-haired teen.

Suddenly, a thin bolt of lightning zipped through her mind, her eyes jolted wide, and she immediately understood the situation.

"Hey!"

Not wanting to be left behind, the white-haired girl leaped out of the maintenance closet and launched herself into the pursuit.

"Get! Back! Hereeeee!"

---

"What's taking them so long?" Sachi huffed with her arms crossed, sitting beside Mei on a now-empty rooftop.

"Maybe they're having a hard time deciding what to get," Mei suggested, taking a sip of tea from her thermos.

"It's been fifteen minutes! They're not ordering at a Michelin-star restaurant; they're getting drinks from a vending machine,"

Mei shrugged as she returned the bottle to her bag, "It's not a big deal. If the bell rings, we'll send them a text and go back to class,"

"You think they're up to something else?" Sachi asked, eyes locked on the rooftop door.

"Like what?"

"I don't know; it's just a thought. But knowing them, it could range from getting distracted to film a fight in the courtyard to monopolizing the city's vending machine business,"

"I don't think—"

The two girls jumped as the door slammed open with a loud bang. Kazuha slid to a screeching stop. The running had ruffled his hair and crinkled his clothes, but he quickly and professionally fixed his appearance, stepped to the side, and cleared his throat.

"Presenting," the beige-haired teenager gestured to the open door.

Although Mei and Sachi couldn't see anything, they could hear the sound of rapidly encroaching footsteps.

A blur of black and white burst through the entryway, tackling Kazuha to the ground in a swirl of dust.

"Nowhere to run now, Kazuha," Adam grinned maniacally with a golden spark in his eyes.

"I have no idea who you are, but I finally caught you," Kiana growled, using her arms and legs to pin Kazuha down.

Kazuha laughed, "Hahaha, looks like you did,"

"What's going on?" Mei questioned, still stunned by their abrupt and over-the-top entrance.

"No time to explain," Adam promptly replied as he began patting his friend down, "Kiana, hold him tight,"

"Don't need to tell me twice,"

"Ha! Found it!" The black-haired teen beamed, pulling out Kazuha's phone and stepping aside.

"Quick, delete the thing!" Kiana jumped off the beige hair and rushed next to Adam.

"Kazuha, what's your passcode?"

"SachiTheCucumber123," Kazuha answered as he sat up.

"Hey! What?!" The green-haired girl whose name had been utilized for unpredicted reasons cried out.

"Don't worry; I'll change it later," He nonchalantly waved.

"That's not the issue!"

"I'm in!" Adam announced a little louder than needed.

"Where's his album? Where's his album?!" Kiana blurted beside him.

"Got it! Alright, now we just need to go to 'Today' and…it's…not there?"

"What?! Lemme see." The white-haired girl snatched the phone from her roommate's grasp and began fervently scrolling through Kazuha's album until she finally landed on the most recent picture.

"It's really not here; the only thing from today is a selfie,"

Kazuha burst out laughing after seeing the black-and-white duo's astonished expressions. Mei and Sachi stood on the side, watching everything play out without a clue as to what was going on.

"Gotcha～. Come on, do I look like the type of person to take blackmail photos?" the beige-haired teen asked as he got to his feet.

"Kinda," Kiana replied curtly, "You look like the pretty but suspicious villain in the generic romance manga,"

"Hrk!" Kazuha clutched his heart and reacted as if the girl's words had formed an arrow and shot him in the chest.

"I never thought my good looks would be used against me in this way," he said, but his voice dripped with faux hurt, "Adam, my friend, you know me for who I am. Am I really the type of person to—?"

"Yes,"

"You didn't even let me finish my sentence," Kazuha whined.

"Exactly. Like you said, I know you for who you are," Adam deadpanned.

"You truly do, my friend, my brother, my brother from another—Urghk!"

Having had enough of his rambling, Sachi jabbed Kazuha under the ribs and kicked him away.

"Sooo, who's this?" she inquired, examining Kiana from head to toe.

"No one important," the black-haired boy curtly replied, stepping in front of his roommate to block her from view.

"Hey!" Kiana snapped, aggressively pushing Adam aside, but he wouldn't let her actions slide so easily.

As soon as he got the chance, he countered and trapped Kiana in a headlock. Although caught off guard at first, the white-haired girl swiftly adapted to the situation and retaliated by expertly slipping out of his grip before returning the favor with a headlock of her own.

"You two certainly seem…close," commented the green-haired girl. While she would not say it out loud, she did find Adam's current position amusing and wouldn't mind him staying that way for a little longer.

"Like hell we are!" the black and white duo paused their scuffle to exclaim.

In the split second of distraction, Adam regained the upper hand and grappled Kiana from behind. A complacent laugh escaped his lips at the same time a squeal left his roommate's.

Sachi shot them a judgemental look, "Riiight,"

Having had enough of the spontaneous brawl before them, Mei sighed and marched forward. Neither Kiana nor Adam noticed her approach, as both were too busy trying to outmatch the other.

Without warning, the heiress grabbed her bodyguard by the ear and tugged him several steps away from his snowy-haired victim.

"Adam, stop it; you're better than this," she chided with a hand on her hip.

"No! Let me at her!" Adam retorted as he tried to escape from her grasp, his focus remaining locked onto his target.

"Adam~," a particular, foreboding sweetness dripped from Mei's voice, and a smile graced her lips.

The black-haired boy glanced at her and froze. His hair stood on end as he instantly realized the danger he was in if he continued.

"F-Fine," he looked away and relented, relaxing his posture before Mei released his ear.

The purple-haired heiress nodded contentedly, "That's better. It's not a good look for you to go around fighting people, especially girls,"

"I don't go around fighting— Wait, didn't we fight last week?"

"That's different,"

"...I guess?"

"And you," Mei stepped around and landed in between the black and white duo, acting as a barrier between them.

"H-Huh? Me?" Kiana pointed to herself after looking around, confused.

"You shouldn't be getting into fights, either. I haven't seen you around here before. You're the new student, aren't you? What would your parents think if you went back home all bloodied and bruised on the first day of school?"

The white-haired girl gave herself a quick examination, "But I'm not even that badly damaged,"

"Yeah, I didn't even hit her that—Gah!" Adam agreed but was quickly silenced when Mei jabbed him in the side.

"May I ask your name?" the heiress asked.

"K-Kiana Kaslana,"

"Well, Kiana-san, is there a specific reason why you're aggressive toward my friend?" Mei questioned.

"Yeah, is there a specific reason why you're aggressive toward me?" The black-haired teen reappeared by Mei's side and echoed with a taunting grin only to receive another elbow to his flank.

"Be quiet, and stop trying to provoke her," Mei hushed, "I'm trying to resolve this peacefully,"

"Then you should try feeding her a cookie or something," Adam whispered back, soothingly rubbing his side, before mentally adding, 'Worked last time,'

"Adam, I can't just bribe her with food. She's a human being, not a pet,"

The black-haired teen held her gaze for a moment longer before relenting with a sharp exhale, "Alright, future-queen-of-the-technological-world, do your thing,"

A pink hue filled Mei's cheeks upon hearing the spontaneous nickname Adam gave her.

"I told you not to call me things like that!" she berated under her breath.

Adam cracked a small teasing smile, "What? It's accurate,"

"I-I…You…," Mei repeatedly parted her lips and then closed them again. Her contractual bodyguard could see all sorts of rebuttals swirling in her head, but none of them came to fruition as she finally huffed, "W-Whatever, we'll talk about this later,"

"Because he started it!" Kiana exclaimed, jabbing an accusing finger at Adam and shifting the attention back to her.

Mei was just about to reply when the black-haired teen brushed past her and mirrored the Kaslana's movement.

"Me?! It was you who pushed me first!"

"I wouldn't have needed to if you didn't treat me so rudely!"

"It was a joke! Can't you take a joke like a normal person!?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, but what part of your actions did you find funny!?"

An uncharacteristic, quiet groan escaped Mei's lips as she watched the hot-headed black and white duo quite literally butt heads. It was almost comical how fast the two of them had gone from as calm as a tranquil forest to as raging as red-hot flames in a split second, with the only trigger being the other person's face and voice.

"Okay, that's enough!"

Like the roar of a lioness, Mei's fierce, authoritative tone rang out across the rooftop, freezing the bickering teenagers in place.

Even Sachi and Kazuha—who were merely spectators enjoying the free entertainment—flinched and turned their attention to her with their feet rooted to the ground.

The purple-haired heiress was always kind and warm-hearted to her friends and the people who worked for her family, and there were rarely ever disputes that couldn't be solved with peace and reason, so it wasn't a very uncommon occurrence for her to use such a voice, rare even.

Sometimes, she didn't even know if she had it in her. However, from the reaction of her peers, it seems she had nothing to worry about in that regard. Truthfully, she would've preferred an alternative way of quenching the spontaneous conflict between Adam and Kiana without raising her voice, but sometimes, the only way of extinguishing a roaring fire was with an even greater flame.

Without uttering another word, Mei snatched the black-and-white duo by the back of their shirt and wrenched them apart like a teacher separating two fighting children.

"Will you both quit it?! I don't know what's going on between the two of you, but can you just stop fighting for five minutes!?"

Caught off guard by her sudden strength, Adam and Kiana stumbled back, nearly falling over before they found their footing, though no attention was given to the one who shoved them apart.

It was a trifling setback to their tussle, and with an exchanged glare, the two were ready to continue where they left off. Kiana tore off her blazer and tossed it to the side while Adam untucked his shirt and rolled up his sleeves.

"I feel like we should head back to class," Kazuha whispered to Sachi, sensing the emitted bloodlust reaching a boiling point.

Sachi nodded, "I agree. I don't know what's happening, but I don't want to be caught in the crossfire…the bell is going to ring soon anyway,"

"Well, then, we'll be leaving first," Kazuha announced quietly, then stealthily shuffled to the door with Sachi in tow.

"Good luck, Mei," the green-haired girl encouraged before she and Kazuha exited the rooftop.

Now, only three remained.

"Hey," Kiana began and cracked her knuckles. Her blue eyes gleamed ferociously, and her voice sounded threateningly low, "We never settled our previous match, did we?"

"Hah?" Adam scoffed and taunted his roommate with a wave of his hand. His tone was equally dangerous, and his amber eyes flared ominously, "Shall we finish what we started then?"

"Thought you'd never—" Kiana kicked off the ground, dust flying from her position with her fist wrenched back, "—Ask!"

In the second it took for the white-haired girl to cross the distance, Adam carefully observed her movements and selected a counter from his mental arsenal. He slid one foot back, lowered his center of gravity, and braced himself for the right timing.

Then he struck, lashing out a roundhouse kick. Although Kiana acted first, compared to her arm, Adam's leg was the longer limb and, in theory, should hit her first. But the force behind Kiana's start was incredible in its own right, and she rocketed toward him. In the end, it would be speed that determines who lands the attack.

"Gyah!"

"Argh!"

Unexpectedly, Kiana flew right into Adam, sending them flying until they crashed against the rooftop's fence.

Rubbing their new bruises, Adam and Kiana hastily untangled themselves from each other and slowly picked themselves off the ground but froze when they sensed a shadow looming over them.

The black-and-white duo craned their necks to see Mei standing before them, arms crossed and peering down, unamused. Gray cloud clusters began to gather in the sky behind her, and the faint rumbling of thunder echoed from afar.

Mere seconds before, the heiress had intercepted their clash. Her movements were lightning-fast, and she stepped in to borrow Kiana's momentum and throw her into Adam. From what she had seen, Mei knew that her hand-to-hand prowess wasn't on par with them just yet, but it was enough to control this predicament.

"What's the big idea!?" Kiana growled, scrambling to her feet and facing Mei with a scowl, "I don't know who you are, but don't go butting into my business!"

Adam sprang up and slapped his hand over the white-haired girl's mouth, pulling her back, "Hey, hey! Do you even know who you're talking to?!"

"Does it matter?" Kiana slapped his hand away and pushed him off of her.

"Let me educate you, you country bumpkin," Adam reappeared at Mei's side, crouched on one knee with his hands raised, presenting Mei as if she were a priceless statue in a high-end art gallery, "Behold! Her excellency, the Almighty Narukami Ogosho, the Princess of Nagazora, the Heir of Technology's Future, the Queen of Thunder—"

At the same time, Mei dropped her previous stony facade, growing more flustered by the second from the nonstop barrage of descriptions and what she assumed were compliments, made obvious by the bright red glow on her face. She could feel herself heating up to the point that she wouldn't be surprised if steam started emitting from the top of her head and immediately hid behind her hands before anyone could imprint her expression into their memory.

"—Raiden Mei!" the black-haired teen finished proudly.

"...Ah…okay?" Kiana looked fixedly at the red-faced heiress, who was smacking Adam repeatedly across his back and shoulders.

"I can't deny that she's certainly pretty," the white-haired girl murmured to herself, "Is she an idol or actress or somethin'?"

A minute later, when Mei had calmed down, she turned to Kiana and cleared her throat, expelling any awkwardness that had plagued her before, recovering the gentle elegance she was known for.

"That wasn't how I intended to introduce myself, but nevertheless, it's as he told you, my name is Raiden Mei," pink briefly returned to her cheeks as she hurriedly added, "And it doesn't matter whether you know who I am or not,"

"I would like to apologize for my forceful action earlier. I don't like using violence to solve altercations, but I didn't see another option; I hope you understand," Mei continued with a slight frown, "I don't know what type of conflict propels both of you to fight like this, but can you please stop it? As far as I can see, neither of you gain anything from this aside from injuries and growing animosity toward one another. I, for one, do not wish to see anyone hurt, especially those who are close to me,"

A guilty look spread across Adam's features upon hearing Mei's last remark, and even Kiana's expression softened slightly.

"Kaslana-san was it?" The white-haired girl in question nodded at Mei's question before the heiress sternly added, "Please apologize to Adam,"

"What? I—!" The unwavering gaze of Mei was all it took for Kiana to swallow her retort, "F-Fine…,"

Kiana was unable to meet Adam's eyes, shuffling her feet on the spot as she mumbled out a quick "Sorry,"

Before the black-haired boy could respond, Mei nudged his shoulder, "Come on, you too,"

Adam pursed his lips, contemplating the action before relenting. Scratching his cheek, he averted his gaze, and similarly to Kiana, he quietly blurted out an apology.

The heiress raised a brow at their meager attempt at reconciliation but quickly let it slide, replacing her previous expression with a content grin, "See? We resolved the matter peacefully. That wasn't so hard, was it?"

An awkward atmosphere befell the black-and-white-haired duo. However, before anything could happen, the signature signaling chime of the school bell came to the rescue, and a quiet sigh of relief was released from their lips.

"Now, come on, we should all head back to class," said Mei, striding to the rooftop door before looking over her shoulder and addressing both Adam and Kiana, "I'm not going to tell anyone about your fight up here or wherever else they took place, but I can't help you if you get in trouble for being late,"

Wordlessly, Adam trailed after Mei, passing her as his steps echoed through the stairwell.

"Remember, next time before you start exchanging blows, try talking it out first. Who knows, you might achieve more from doing so than fighting," the heiress told Kiana, who hadn't moved from her previous position, "It was nice meeting you, Kaslana-san,"

Kiana watched as Mei hurried down the stairs, presumably joining up with Adam as they rushed back to class.

The girl's snow-white hair swayed with the breeze as she remained unmoved, but despite her stillness, internally, she was a whirlpool of thoughts and emotions as Mei's words–and beautiful appearance–replayed over and over.

She hadn't considered it much during the short time they'd lived together, but perhaps she was somewhat impulsive when it came to interacting with her black-haired roommate.

Even she had enough self-awareness to recognize that their relationship was a dangerous combination of flawed and unpredictable. It was like an ocean; harmonious one minute, then tumultuous the next.

Granted, the circumstances in which they were introduced to each other were far from ideal, and neither side really made an effort to connect and get to know each other better. Furthermore, despite the roommate agreement they wrote up together, their lifestyles and habits clashed like fire and ice. Peace and tranquility were just words in a dictionary in their apartment where chaos ruled over all.

Kiana knew that she and Adam lived very different lives before they met. With her traveling the world to find her father–Siegfried Kaslana–never staying in one place for too long, and Adam doing whatever the hell he was doing. However, their differences were made all the more apparent as their cohabitual life continued.

Maybe in the near future, she should find some time to work everything out with Adam before anything can escalate and spiral out of control.

But before that, she'd still have to finish the first day of school.

Brushing a stray strand of hair out of her eyes, Kiana left the rooftop and picked up speed as she entered the hallways before breaking into a full sprint, not wanting to go through the embarrassment of getting in trouble for being late on her first day.

As she rushed to her classroom, her entire body trembled, nearly causing her to stumble, and a low growl emanated from her stomach.

All Kiana could do was groan and continue on her path, mentally preparing for the next four grueling hours.

'Damn it! I forgot all about lunch!'

---

The dazzling Nagazora skyline after dark was a sight to behold. Neon lights of every color sparkled brilliantly in the night like precious gems adorned neatly on an obsidian wall. The sounds of cars, trains, and buses zooming through the rush hour filled the city roads and metros. At the same time, intense, pounding, high-energy music began seeping out the doors of the many nightclubs and bars, turning the smaller but trendier streets into a bustling hub of nightlife.

The cityscape was especially breathtaking from a high vantage point, such as the rooftop of the well-renowned and secret World Serpent safehouse, Hazakura Hotel.

Takeshi absentmindedly looked out at the city below, wearing his now-washed, unzipped jacket and holding a warm cup of takeaway coffee. Steam escaped his lips with every breath, the tip of his nose slowly turned pink, and his eyes became teary from the cold gusts of high-altitude wind.

The chilly air constantly ruffled his hair and tickled the skin of his exposed face and hands. His gaze traveled up to the clouds leisurely floating through the sky. Even though it was night, the billows of clouds were an unusual dark gray to black. Takeshi had an inkling that there was more to the ones above him. Something in his mind told him they were heavy with rain or snow.

He didn't know what caused him to have this thought. Perhaps it was plain boredom or the weatherman's constant warning of a storm on the news that had finally gotten to him. It could also be because rain and storms were frequent natural events in Nagazora, and there hadn't been one in a while, so surely the balancing laws of the world would send forth drizzling sheets of water any day now.

However, it could also be because the sky reminded him of his daughters, Miyuki and Sora.

Sora's name simply meant 'Sky.' Whenever Takeshi looked up, he would remember his youngest child and the bright grin she carried everywhere like her namesake, the pure, sunny sky.

Miyuki was named after the snow. Deep Snow, to be exact. The kind one would see after waking up in the morning after a night of heavy snow and blizzards, opening the windows to the sight of blankets upon blankets of thick snow piled up to half their height or more. Takeshi considered it fate that it was snowing heavily the day Miyuki was born, prompting the inspiration behind her name.

The day his eldest daughter was born was much like this one. Crisp, cool air danced in the atmosphere on a windy day, and the clouds were darkened and full of snow, threatening to burst.

It had been months since he had last seen either of them. More often than not, he wondered how they were doing while locked up in the basement of the Seirai Group's hidden facility. At first, he did not like that he had to disappear from their life for his job, but after working on the projects that Seirai was pushing forward, he was glad he did. He would rather die thousands of times over than see any of his daughters sitting on the cold metal table in the experimenting room.

Takeshi was a fugitive to the Seirai now, a traitor in their eyes; there was a very possible chance for the large corporation to track down his family and use them against him. But he swore to himself that he would do anything to distract the Seirai, at least until he could guarantee their safety.

However, he knew that he couldn't run forever. Like all wealthy corporations, the Seirai would lose patience and resort to extreme measures. He knew the only way to protect his family was to fight back, but he had no idea how. Until several weeks ago, all he could do was continue his deadly city-wide game of hide-and-seek.

It all changed when he received a message and met with a peculiar, masked young man.

The name of the organization the teenager worked for, World Serpent, was unfamiliar to him. He had heard it thrown around the base several times, but it had always flown past his head. While Takeshi had dug around on the internet, the only results that popped up were the supposed thirty-foot pythons lurking in the Amazon rainforest or the Norse myth of Jormungandr.

It was a more enigmatic organization than he ever thought, to the point that he thought the name was made up. But they were very real, and he would constantly be reminded of that fact. Every time he walked through the hotel halls, passing by the employees from room service to chefs to bartenders, the memory of the highly life-like android caretaker he had seen before flashed through his mind. More importantly, the entire hotel was operated by the World Serpent, and he was probably the only regular person who knew.

Whoever or whatever the World Serpent was, they were confident enough to be able to take on the Seirai and possibly even Massive Electric Corp. It was in his best interest to take their side. But he was a scientist, not a fighter. More brain than brawn, so Takeshi could only wait and watch while providing the Macaque with intel while the younger male was out in the field.

But if Takeshi was honest, he still didn't trust Macaque.

While the older man wasn't a psychologist, he did pick up a few things about reading body language and expressions through the years of working under someone. This came in handy especially during his time in the Seirai Labs, as he could see whenever the higher-ups were mad or irritated, thus allowing him to avoid them and any conflict that could come from it.

Macaque was different. It was nigh impossible to read him, and the mask that hid his face all the time didn't help. Takeshi couldn't get a hold of his true personality either. The first time they met at the docks, the younger male came off as a cold and serious person who wouldn't think twice about cutting down an innocent as long as it benefited them. Then, when they met again at the Hazakura Hotel, it was as if he had flipped a switch, being more carefree and making more jokes.

He had no clue which personality was the 'true' Macaque. Then again, there was also the chance that both of those personalities were mere acts too.

Even if they were allies now, Takeshi still had a fear clawing at the back of his head that somewhere down the line, their alliance would be silently severed, and Macaque would turn against him for his own goals.

[ "Make no mistake, Takeshi. We are not doing this out of the goodness of our hearts. We couldn't care less about your family and, to an extent, you. Our interests simply align," ]

The scientist recalled the assassin's words from the first time they met.

They shared a common interest in taking down the Seirai Group, which was why they were working together in the first place, but Takeshi couldn't help but feel like there was something more for Macaque and the World Serpent.

The assassin had questioned whether he knew the two individuals, Azar and Bison. He was familiar with the former; Azar was the head of all of the projects at the Seirai Base, and while he commonly communicated with the higher-ups, he rarely showed himself to the regular researchers.

The maroon-haired scientist honestly had no clue about the latter, the Bison. He had heard the name whispered around the base occasionally. Still, the title was so peculiar that he had always thought it was some character in a game or movie that the guards and other researchers were gossiping about. Only recently did he discover that the Bison was a real person who held significant power over the Seirai Base.

Whoever the Bison was, the man was even more elusive than Azar.

Either way, the situation was far more dangerous than he had initially expected, and it would only grow deadlier as time passed. Perhaps at some point, he should find his daughters and escape. After all, he was getting too old to be caught up in a war between two shady organizations.

"How's the scenery?"

'Woah!'

Takeshi's heart nearly jumped out of his throat, and he almost dropped the coffee out of surprise upon hearing the familiar voice. He whipped around to see the very masked young man he had just been pondering about.

'...Speak of the devil,'

Clearing his throat and reorganizing himself, the magenta-haired man replied, "Yes, it's very nice; I can see why this hotel is so highly praised,"

"You don't have to force yourself," Macaque said, "Even our safehouses have their flaws,"

Takeshi glanced around. There was no one else on the rooftop, as the hotel locked the roof's doors after a specific time for security reasons. But thanks to his new connection to the World Serpent, some strings had been pulled for him. However, that didn't explain how the younger man suddenly appeared behind him. At the very least, Takeshi would've heard the door open unless the masked boy had been lounging around on the roof before him.

"I thought the doors were locked; how did you get up here?" the maroon-haired scientist asked to sate his curiosity.

"I climbed, why?" Macaque replied matter-of-factly.

"...This building is sixty-five stories…"

"And? It's good training," the masked teen shrugged, "Besides, I'm confident in my speed, and no one can see me if I stick to the shadows,"

"...R-Right," Takeshi's eyes narrowed judgmentally, but shook it off as more important things needed to be discussed, "So, did you find anything from the convoy that we discovered? You were gone for five days after all,"

"Well…," Macaque leaned against the rooftop's fence and began to recount his discoveries.

---

5 DAYS PRIOR

The trucks came to a screeching stop. The doors to the vehicles and containers swung open as the private soldiers of the Seirai Group and the World Serpent defectors poured out, gathering in a large, loose group.

The Bison was the last to exit, holding the briefcase containing the captured Sugar. At the same time, Macaque silently remained lying prone on the roof of one of the containers, assessing the situation.

The former World Serpent enforcer turned around and barked some orders to his men before he marched away, disappearing down a tunnel accompanied by a small squadron of soldiers. The rest of them divided into smaller groups and headed off in their own directions, entering different tunnels and walkways.

Seeing that there was nobody around, Macaque slipped off his hiding spot and landed silently on his toes. Now having been granted a bit of time to rest and breathe, the young assassin scanned his surroundings, wandering through the area a bit while instinctively sticking to the shadows.

He, the trucks, and stacks upon stacks of red, blue, and green cargo containers were all located in what looked to be an underground military hangar.

How far under the earth were they? Macaque had no answer to this question. All he knew was that around fifteen minutes ago, they had entered a well-hidden passageway somewhere far from Nagazora.

However, before entering the artificial cave, Macaque picked up the scent of something cool and salty. Thus, he deduced that this base was located somewhere by the sea. One of the highways leading into Nagazora was built along the coastline, and seeing as it was accessible by vehicle, the possibility of it being near there was relatively high. A secret road leading down to the cliffside with a camouflaged gate was his best guess, and while such tactics to hide a secret base were cliched, it was still very effective.

Three tunnels led in and out of the room, each barricaded by a heavy metal door, presumably automated.

The assassin checked his phone. He was either much deeper underground than he thought, or there were jammers in the base since there wasn't any signal to contact World Serpent to request a scan of the location to generate a map.

'Old-fashioned way it is,'

With no other choice, Macaque proceeded in the same direction the Bison headed. The steel entrance was his only obstacle to getting through. Looking around, there weren't any keypads, handles, or scanners. It might as well have been a fancy part of the wall. There were barely any echoes when he tapped on the door, meaning that the metal was sturdier than he thought,

'Should I kick it down?' He asked himself but shook that idea away. The assassin was confident he could take on squadrons of mercenaries alone, but it would be a difficult and annoying task without his gear. Not to mention, he didn't want to draw any attention to himself, seeing as he does specialize in quieter missions.

Just as he pondered strategies to bypass the sealed gate, the reverberating rumble of an opening door invaded his left ear. Macaque whipped his head toward the sound to see the neighboring tunnel opening.

Immediately, he leaped onto a nearby stack of cargo containers, pressing himself down to avoid detection while observing the two guards who had just walked through the gate. Their helmets masked their faces, but the young assassin could pick up some murmurs from their direction. He inched closer and strained his ears to listen in on their conversation.

"Can't believe I'm on patrol duty again,"

"I know, right? The other guys get to go out on missions with the big boss, and we're here left to walk circles around this place,"

"And it's the same route every time. I mean, at least change it up so it doesn't get stale. Hey, was it like this when you were still in World Snake?"

"World Serpent. But yeah, pretty much. That's why I left with the boss. Thought we'd be doing bigger, better things. Who knew I'd still be patrolling even after all this time?"

"Sucks to be you…sucks to be me also. Been doing nothing but patrols ever since I joined the Seirai Private Army. Over in the building in the city and this base here. Looks like we're both experienced in patrolling fortified secret bases like this,"

"I personally wouldn't regard that Seirai Building in the city as 'secret,'"

"True. At least the pay is better here,"

"That I agree,"

Without warning, Macaque pounced from his hiding place and descended upon them. Neither of the two mercenaries had a chance to react as their heads slammed together, knocking them out cold.

The young assassin dusted his hands before dragging the two unconscious bodies behind a pile of containers. He searched their pockets and ended up extracting two identical key cards.

"I should take both just in case," he murmured to himself, standing up. His gaze landed back on the soldier duo he had knocked out, and after a split-second decision, he decided to shut them inside the container they were propped up against, "Someone will find them…eventually,"

Once he finished, he returned to the door he initially meant to enter. He waved the keycard in the air, hoping that whatever sensors allowed the two soldiers to enter would pick up on the signals from the card. The minor effort was rewarded when the doors emitted a light beeping noise and unlocked with a vibrating hum.

"Huh, that was easier than I thought," Macaque said to himself as he walked down the tunnel, "Now to actually find them,"

Keeping his steps as silent as possible, the young assassin traversed the twisting labyrinth of the Seirai's Underground Base. His eyes were constantly flicking around, searching for signs of cameras or motion sensors, and his ears were on high alert for any change of sounds in the area, such as footsteps or even a shift in the airflow in the vents above.

Occasionally, a patrol of three to five mercenaries would come his way, but slipping past them was an effortless task. For some reason, the base's lights were dimmed, perhaps to conserve energy to use in their experiments, but at least this allowed Macaque to slide in and out of the shadows like the protagonist of a stealth game.

Navigating the channels was troublesome without a map, but this wasn't the World Serpent agent's first time in these situations. Speaking from his experience, constantly moving ahead would usually lead him to where he needed to go, and the consistent patrols that passed by were another sign that he was heading in the right direction.

Depending on the type of facility, the more guard patrols he encountered, the closer to the target he was, while other places' objectives lay in locations with fewer patrols. From what he had seen and researched, the Seirai, along with Bison and his group of defectors, seemed to operate using the former system.

Soon enough, his path ended, and another metal automated door stood before him, though it was noticeably smaller than the one at the tunnel entrance. The masked teenager drew the card from his pocket and raised it. A small lightbulb on the door frame's corner flashed, and the doorway slid open.

Macaque stepped inside and was greeted by a corridor even darker than the one he was just in. The only light source was an eerie green glow at the end of the hall.

The idea of heading back and trying a different route crossed the assassin's mind, but he quickly steeled himself and took the first few steps forward. Curiosity drew him closer; it was a dangerous but often rewarding habit. It didn't help that the green luminosity looked strikingly familiar to the lights that radiated from the test tubes neatly stashed throughout World Serpent's R&D department.

'Well, they did steal one of our projects,' the teen recalled.

If his suspicions were correct, then Macaque was sure he was on the right path.

'But even if our files were stolen, there's no way any of them could be recreated so easily. I remember Jackal used years to compile and complete most of them, so there's no way some glorified assistant like Azar and Bison, who's essentially all brawn and no brain, let alone a bunch of random Seirai Group scientists, could replicate that in such a short time,'

The young assassin furrowed his brows, 'Then again. It does depend on their resources and which project was stolen. I just hope it's nothing too crazy,'

It didn't take long for him to reach the source of the haunting green hue. The light came from behind the thick windows adorned on both sides of the corridor, which were as large and wide as the walls.

Macaque slowed down, inspecting everything around him. Due to the light, he deduced that behind every glass panel was an enclosure of some sort. All were evenly built and spread throughout the corridor, with the same elongated emerald lamps fixed to the ceiling, close to the glass.

It reminded the masked teen of a long-abandoned aquarium, drained of all water and life, leaving behind nothing but the cold cement and weathered glass tanks—all ruins of its bright, flourishing past. Perhaps this entire hidden facility was a former marine science research center, and the World Serpent defectors, along with the Seirai Group, had repurposed and renovated it into what it is today, which would explain the base's proximity to the coast.

His footsteps went silent, and he stopped in front of one of the empty aquariums. The familiar crimson sight of blood left tainted, messy streaks across the glass and splattered, dried-up pools over the concrete floor.

The assassin inched closer, inspecting the bloodstained enclosure, "Did they keep captives here?"

His amber eyes narrowed when he noticed something was lying limp on the floor, within the shadows and just barely outside the range of the green light. It took a second Macaque to realize what it was—a human arm. The limb looked to have been severed for at least a day; torn flesh hung from one end with a crushed bone poking out. There was no hand, just a ravaged bundle of skin and meat.

"What the hell?" he murmured.

Suddenly the arm was sucked into the dark. The assassin jumped back in response; even with the protective barrier in between, his body instinctively shifted into a fighting stance.

From the unlit corners of the enclosure, a grotesque creature lumbered out.

It was a humanoid, but that was as far as it went for any semblance it had to a human. Nothing about it was anatomically correct. One arm was enlarged to the point it was as thick as a cannon barrel and long enough that the creature's beast-like claws were dragged across the cement with every step. The other arm was short and shriveled as if it had been dried in the sun for weeks. Its legs were akin to tree stumps, and what was once presumably toenails had stretched and solidified until they turned into sharp talons.

The torso was primarily unchanged from a human's; only the entire beast's skin was a crimson red with bulging veins pulsing with familiar purple energy. Its head was almost insectoid in appearance. Although eyeless, the top half of its head was still relatively recognizable as a human's, but the bottom half resembled that of an anthropoid, with mandibles flicking and twisting as it nibbled on the flesh of the severed arm.

Macaque grimaced and felt a shiver of disgust slither down his back, "What the actual—"

The creature twitched violently and lunged before he could finish his sentence, slamming its hulking arm against the glass. The assassin braced himself for a fight, fully expecting the window to break, but it never happened. The beast's arm simply bounced off as if the glass was a trampoline.

Dropping the arm from its jaws, it released an eerie, gurgling, animalistic, but still borderline human screech. Thankfully, the barrier muffled it; otherwise, hundreds of soldiers could come rushing inside the hallway.

But it was too early to feel relieved as the unknown creature's roar became the spark that set off dozens upon dozens of similar-sounding shrieks from the other enclosures all across the former aquarium hall.

Instead of fleeing from the area, Macaque took a step closer and scrutinized the disfigured creature inside.

"It looks like a…Honkai Beast of some sort. It doesn't resemble the traditional exo-armored kind. A zombie-type perhaps," quietly stated the masked teen, noticing more of the signature lines of vibrant purple coiling around the creature's body.

"Though, I've never seen one like this before… It actually kinda looks like those things floating in the tanks at the Biotech Department…" Then he noticed a tag stuck to the side of the glass.

[ NM-012 — CRUSTACEAN — FAILURE ]

The young assassin cocked his head to the side in perplexion, 'Crustacean? Like the Honkai Beast? It looks nothing like them, and what does it mean by 'failure'?'

'Well…whatever,' Macaque stepped back and continued down the hall, 'My task is to locate and confirm Azar and Bison's betrayal. These things mean nothing to me for now,'

He passed by twenty or so more of the bizarre-looking Honkai beasts as he paced down the corridor. Some resembled insects, while others had more fish-like features. Others were more mammalian, although there were a handful of creatures that looked downright alien. Some had more of the traditional white and purple color scheme of the Honkai beasts, while others still retained their human skin-like texture, albeit with glowing pink lines instead of veins.

Safe to say, it wasn't a quiet exit as they wailed and shrieked as the assassin walked past toward the exit. However, when he closed the door to the hallway behind him, all fell silent like the flick of a switch. Whatever soundproof material they had installed in that former aquarium tunnel was on another level.

Eventually, through various twists and turns in this maze of a base and a few more close calls with guard patrols, Macaque found himself at another dead end. Once again, an automated door stood in his way, and unfortunately, this time, neither of the two key cards he had picked up had worked.

'This could be it,' the assassin thought and closely inspected the door, 'Security is stronger here. Azar or Bison could be inside. Doesn't look like there's a silent way in, though. If I had the Archon Systems with me, I could probably redirect the electrical flow to crack it open, but I didn't think I'd need them for this mission, so I left them back at base. I should probably contact Gray Serpent and get him to send them over once I'm out of here,'

'Perhaps there's another way in. A hidden side or back door…' Macaque pondered, looking around for any suspicious edges or gaps in the walls. Finally, his eyes settled on the ventilation shaft above, 'Aha! I think I can fit in there,'

'This always works in the movies,' The masked teenager widened his stance, preparing himself to jump, but not before glancing over his shoulder to check if he was alone.

Then he leaped. It looked almost as if he was floating by the way he smoothly ascended to the air vent, punching the grate open and immediately grabbing onto the ledge, pulling himself into the dark, compact space. Once inside, he used his feet to slide the grate quietly back into place before proceeding to crawl toward his objective.

'Looks like it works in real life, too…smells like ass in here, though,"

The assassin manoeuvered through the ventilation system for a few minutes until his ears perked up at the echoing sound of what seemed to be voices. Macaque swiftly followed the trail until he arrived at a grate overlooking a room that he was unable to identify. Below him were two familiar people, one pacing about and the other lounging on a plush computer chair.

As luck would have it, they were Azar and Bison, his two targets. From the speed and intensity at which the former was talking, it seemed they were having some sort of dispute.

"I keep telling you to stop with these impetuous actions!" the bespectacled, old scientist urged.

"Is it impetuous if what I do assists in achieving successful results in what we are doing?"

"You should've run your plans through me first. What would you do if the police or, worse, World Serpent caught us? We no longer have their support to back us up and erase our traces, and if they suspect us of mutiny, we'll be eliminated on the spot,"

"Are you saying that we're not capable?" Bison snorted.

"I'm saying we need to remain cautious. We've only survived this long and continued what we're doing because of that,"

"You forget that we were World Serpent once! High-ranking members, too," the larger man reminded him as he leaned back in his seat. I'm not afraid of them. We know their techniques and how they operate from the inside out, and we have taken countermeasures to prevent their interference. Have some faith in our little operation, hm?"

"Even so, you were meant to get the payloads from the Seirai and return immediately!"

"And I did, and even with my little detour, I still arrived on time,"

"But an alien!?" the head scientist exclaimed, his graying hair scrunched in his fists, "What the hell do we do with an alien?!"

"That alien could be the key to our success!" Bison defended, gesturing for Azar to take a breath and sit beside him, "Listen. Before we left World Serpent, I discovered some old files buried deep within the archives,"

Azar slumped on the chair, his fingers fiddled with his beard as he glared at Bison, awaiting his explanation.

"More than a decade ago, in 1998, former World Serpent agent Hawk was deployed on a mission to Brazil to investigate a spike in Honkai activity along the Amazon River. But he wasn't alone. Schicksal had sent their own squadron of Valkyries for presumably the same reason. Now, Hawk knew he couldn't take on a team of Valkyries, so he hid and stayed unseen like a predator, watching their every move and tracing their every step. Soon, they encountered a horde of Honkai Beasts, a few Templar-Class, and a dozen Archangels and Chariots,"

Bison stops to refresh his drying throat with a swig from his nearby flask before continuing, "As one would predict, a battle ensures. The Valkyries, while victorious, suffered a casualty. Due to reasons unknown, they decided to retreat, leaving behind the body of the woman who sacrificed herself for her comrades,"

"Can't you skip to the important bit?" Azar grunted.

"Shh. I'm getting to that,"

"Ugh," the scientist groaned and rubbed his face.

"So, when he saw the fallen Valkyrie, Hawk was going to go over and quickly loot what he could before leaving. But he didn't even get the chance to move, and what he saw almost made his mind explode. The Valkyrie that 'died' suddenly rose to her feet, patted the dirt off herself, and went to rejoin her friends,"

Azar's brows crinkled, "...What?!"

"Exactly!" Bison clapped, "That Valkyrie was seen to have multiple lacerations and impalement through the torso. But she got up like it was nothing, completely healed; only her battlesuit was proof that she had sustained any type of damage,"

"That's…That's impossible. That's out of this world!"

"Precisely! Out. Of. This. World. Former World Serpent agent Hawk reported that he witnessed the Valkyrie speaking to something on her shoulder after her regeneration; when he went in for a closer look, he claimed that it was a small ball of dark fur with a glowing core and twig-like limbs. He couldn't stay any longer as the ball of fur seemed to have sensed his presence and increased its pressure to insurmountable degrees. Hawk immediately fled, escaping via the river,"

"What happened after?"

"Hawk went back to HQ and informed Gray Serpent and those androids kept close surveillance on that Valkyrie, collecting intel on both her and the alien until she and, coincidentally, Hawk died in the Second Eruption,"

"And that's how you discovered those things were weak to fire?" Azar asked.

"Yes, it was on the notes regarding this Valkyrie and her alien friend,"

"Does it have a name?"

"The Valkyrie was called Shub Niggurath, a member of the South American branch of Schicksal and was later transferred to the famous Squad Snow Wolf. But, regarding the alien, aside from some abilities witnessed, like Honkai resistance, invisibility, and regeneration, details are scarce,"

"And you think the one you captured was the same one?"

"Perhaps, perhaps not. Could be another one of their kind. I'm not sure, but we'll find out soon," smirked Bison, leaning back on his chair.

"Well, that's great and all, but…," Azar rose from his seat, "My question remains. What the hell do I do with your small, fluffy alien?"

"Come on. Think of the possibilities we can achieve with its abilities, Azar," Bison shot to his feet and excitedly patted the scientist on the back, "If we can somehow mass produce its power, we'll be unstoppable. Those fools back at World Serpent and the entire world will bow to us,"

"I admire your enthusiasm. Still, I have no idea how to do any of that," an irritated Azar confessed, brushing the larger man's hand off, "Besides, you can't even guarantee that the thing won't escape the moment you open its container. Heck, you can't even guarantee it hasn't escaped already,"

"It's still there, my friend. I personally checked before coming to see you," Bison reassured him.

"I'll repeat myself one more time. I do not know how to extract and replicate the abilities of that alien. Honkai Beasts, while challenging, is still doable. Something from outer space that only a handful of humans have seen is impossible," Azar stressed.

"We can try," urged Bison, his eyes glazing over with a touch of insanity.

"We can try after we succeed with what we're doing first. You should take heed of a saying from Shenzhou: 'A greedy rabbit is a dead rabbit.' We shouldn't pluck out more carrots than we can hold; we should stick with the one giant carrot we have in hand now,"

Bison snorted and slumped back on his recliner, "Very well, then. So tell me, how's things on your end?"

"We're making progress, but it's achingly slow," Azar divulged, folding his arms and leaning against a nearby desk stacked with neatly piled papers and books, "Especially now that traitor Asakura Takeshi went and ran off with the formula. But we've almost worked it out again,"

"Asakura Takeshi, the maroon-haired man who was part of your personal team?"

"Yes, him," Venom oozed out the lead scientist's mouth, and the sides of his lips twitched with restrained rage as he confirmed his associate's question.

Inside the ventilation shaft above them, the young assassin's body tensed, and his eyes widened at the information he just heard.

'Wait…What?! Takeshi worked directly under Azar? I thought he said he was just a normal low-ranked researcher,'

"And you're still searching for him? I thought we caught him already," continued Bison.

"We were close. Very close, and then he suddenly disappeared," Azar growled, digging his fingers into his biceps, "The Seirai boys said they've sighted him a few times throughout the city, but it seems that he's sought out protection from a powerful benefactor,"

The mercenary leader stroked his reddish-brown beard in contemplation, "Anti-Entropy? Japan is one of their territories, after all,"

"I highly doubt it," Azar rejected, "Anti-Entropy is tied to ME Corp and, to an extent, the Seirai Group. Takeshi escaped two weeks ago, and if he really did go to Raiden Ryoma with the stolen data drive, then this place would've already been burned to the ground by his Mechs,"

"Schicksal, then?"

"Oh please, as if those guys care up in their floating castle in the sky. If they did, then Takeshi would've been extracted from the country at the first chance. Well, unless they already have the technology and wouldn't have a use for him,"

"Then who on earth is protecting him?" Bison threw his hands up in mild frustration, "The police? The government? Or were our Seirai pawns mistaken?"

"Well… There is one other option," suggested Azar, pushing his glasses up, "But I know that neither of us would want this to be true,"

The giant man leaned forward, hiding his mouth behind clasped hands and tapping his foot as he sorted through his mind. Then, like a surge of lightning, it came to him. Bison slowly turned to stare at his accomplice, and his eyes sharpened in a mixture of annoyance and dread, "...Don't say it,"

"World Serpent,"

Silence permeated the room. The tension grew thicker as the seconds ticked, hardening as if it were a block of ice reinforced in the deep winter night.

"Damn it all!" The bulky man snarled, shooting to his feet and kicking his chair across the room, "Even now, we still cannot escape those stupid robots with their shitty umbrellas and their underlings!"

"Now, now, Bison, calm down a little. I never confirmed that it was them; it was only a suggestion," Azar assured, "If it puts your mind at ease, I don't think they're the ones backing Takeshi either. It's as you said earlier, we were World Serpent once and we know how they operate. If they found out about our defection, we would've long been erased from existence,"

Bison inhaled deeply, allowing the scientist's words to seep into his head. He straightened his back with a final deep breath, "You're right. Of course, you're right. This is why I keep you around, Azar. You are the brains to my brawn. You are my voice of reason, the advisor to a king,"

"You're not a king yet," Azar snorted.

"I agree!"

The clanging of the weighty metal grate dropping to the ground resounded through the room. Macaque announced his presence as he dropped out of the vent, landing smoothly on his feet.

The two World Serpent defectors whipped their heads toward the fallen metal frame. Their bodies instantly tensed, and their eyes and mouths widened in shock at the young assassin's sudden appearance.

"Y-You! Y-You're…!" Azar sputtered.

Bison was the first to recover from the initial surprise and acknowledged the intruder's presence with a low growl, "Macaque, of course,"

"You don't sound very excited to see me," The assassin smirked under his mask, "Should I redo my entrance? Perhaps knock on the door this time? I was going to find another way in, but I heard the words 'World Serpent' and couldn't help but appear straight away,"

"Looks like our contingency plans weren't as solid as you thought," the scientist hissed with frustration.

"No," Bison shook his head, though his glare never tore away from the masked teenager, "The countermeasures are very strong. Strong against most members and a majority of the Gray Serpents. But Macaque is one of the best infiltrators World Serpent has, and dare I say, perhaps best in the world. Given the opportunity, he could slip in and out of Schicksal HQ like a ghost. Heh, we must've gotten pretty far on the snake's radar if they sent him. I must say, I'm a little proud of myself,"

"That and an abandoned aquarium from the nineties doesn't exactly scream super secret secured base," Macaque quipped casually, "Oh, and thank you for the compliments, by the way,"

"I recognize skill when I see it,"

"How are you so calm?! Weren't you freaking out about World Serpent discovering us only a moment ago?" Azar whispered harshly.

"What's the point? We've been found out. No use fussing over it anymore,"

"So you admit you've betrayed us?" Macaque questioned.

"Betray is a strong word. How can I 'betray' something I never cared for," Bison retorted, "I prefer the term 'leaving quietly',"

"You sure took your time leaving an organization you 'never cared for.' How long has it been? Over two decades now?" the young assassin stated, "Pretty sure you were there even before I joined,"

"More time to witness World Serpent's flaws and mistakes and more time to contemplate my exit," said the hulking, bearded mercenary, "It's not too late for you; perhaps you should consider cutting contact too,"

"Thanks, but no thanks, I'm fine where I am now,"

Bison scoffed, "Why? Did they increase your pay? Give you better accommodations? Upgrade the perks of being their glorified servant?"

"If I said it's a little bit of all that and then some other things, would you believe me?"

The mercenary held his gaze for a moment before he grinned deviously, a pile of likely scenarios forming in his mind, "Ah, I get it. It's the Cioara girl, isn't it? Is it because she hasn't left yet that you remain? You two were always close. I don't blame you; she's grown into a beautiful woman. A little feisty for my tastes, but I do enjoy break—"

"While I am friends with Natasha, sorry, Raven, I wouldn't go as far as to say that she's the driving force behind the reason why I'm still with the World Serpent," Macaque interrupted.

"Hm? Then…perhaps is it because of… The Elysian Realm?"

For the first time that night, the young assassin's stance wavered, and his hands twitched as if to quickly form a fist and release it. It wasn't noticeable to untrained eyes, but to the experienced, even the slightest movement of muscle or shuffle of the feet was enough to tell them everything.

"Right on the dot, aren't I?" Bison cackled.

Macaque's gaze sharpened, and he scowled. His previously mischievous demeanor completely vanished, "A traitor like you has no right to speak the name of that place,"

"Struck a nerve? Ha, you're certainly defensive over it; I'm surprised you care. Last I checked, you were prohibited from entering the Elysian Realm. Look at you, all grown up and breaking the rules,"

A shiver ran down the lead scientist's spine as the air in the room thickened, and a menacing pressure began radiating from the masked assassin. Beside him, a similar type of bloodlust discharged from Bison like an invisible aura while the two stared each other down.

Azar gulped and shuffled back. It dawned upon him how dangerous the position he was in, and it seemed that the two former associates would start exchanging blows at any given moment. The scientist felt as if he was a rabbit trapped in between two tigers.

"I don't think you should be provoking him, Bison," the bespectacled older man warned, "He's going to kill us, a-and we cannot die until we've achieved our goals,"

"He won't kill us. Not yet. Not now,"

"H-How are s-so certain?"

"I've known him since he was a boy," revealed the giant mercenary, "He's always been the type to follow a contract word-for-word like some kind of personal code. If the contract was for our heads, well, he wouldn't waste time showing himself, and one of us would already be dead,"

"I've always told you that it was a bad habit. Although eventually, a hit will still be put on us for all of World Serpent to claim," the Bison continued, loudly addressing the young assassin, "If I were you, I wouldn't be wasting time and make the killing blow now,"

"Don't tempt me,"

"Such a stickler for the rules," Bison clicked his tongue, "All of them but one,"

"I won't say it again," the younger assassin clenched his fists and glared at the defectors, "Leave the Realm out of this,"

"Hmph, fine," the red-haired mercenary said, crossing his arms and leaning against his chair. "Now, I believe it's time for you to leave. You got what you came for, didn't you?"

"More or less," shrugged Macaque; his scowl hadn't wavered.

"Wait, what?! You're just letting him go like this?!" Azar spat with disbelief.

"Oh, yes, that's right. I should probably do something to celebrate the 'official end' of our partnership with World Serpent,"

"And that is?" the assassin's wary golden eyes remained locked on his former colleague.

An unperturbed smile reached Bison's lips, "I will offer you one chance. One question. One answer for you to bring back to your superiors,"

"What are you doing?!" Azar let out an exasperated gasp.

"Shut it, Azar," The mercenary stepped forward, dismissing his scientist partner from his sight, "Since World Serpent has yet to confirm our defection, Macaque and I are still considered members of the Wild Hunt. We have our own way of doing things. You never reached our ranks, so I don't blame you for not understanding. But even so, don't interfere,"

"Tch…," The bespectacled older man glared at his associate for a moment longer before tearing his gaze away and backing down, "Whatever, have it your way then,"

Bison returned his attention to his former colleague, "Have you thought of your question, boy?"

Under his mask, Macaque pursed his lips. The mutual trust the two once had in the past as members of the same organization was now nothing but transparent; nevertheless, the Bison's words held truth.

[ Wild Hunt ]

A World Serpent Special Unit that was founded centuries ago by the seventy-fifth Gray Serpent sometime after the 'Hero' was sealed away in the Sea of Quanta.

The purpose of this exclusive squadron changed and morphed, evolving with civilization and adapting to mortal life through the ebb and flow of time. By the turn of the century, the original reasoning behind its formation was lost to everyone but the Gray Serpent who started it all.

In modern times, it operated as a loose leaderboard binding the nine most powerful members of World Serpent together. Such powers were varied. For some, it was [Knowledge] of the Honkai and the other abyssal mysteries lurking in the unforeseeable void called the universe. For others, it was [Influence]over the world, weaving webs across the globe and wrapping humanity tightly in their threads, with events in history being nothing but vibrations along their inescapable strings. For the final group, power simply meant [Strength]in battle, nothing more, nothing less.

With such diversity among the Wild Hunt, it did not come as a surprise that no matter in what time period, past and present, members of the special squadron were regularly at odds with each other. Despite that, they were all part of the same greater organization, ultimately working toward the same major goal even if their methods were questionable, and thus, still held some degree of respect and trust amongst each other, no matter how minuscule it may have been.

Even though rumors and reputation presented the Wild Hunt as cold, blood-thirsty, and cruel, their internal disputes often resulted in negotiation instead of an all-out fight, prioritizing win-win situations over all other conclusions. It was not that they cared about each other's lives; no, most members wouldn't bat an eye if another wound up dead the next day. It was merely because it was the outcome that conserved the most time, energy, and resources that could be utilized to focus on other, more critical projects.

The Bison had turned against World Serpent, that was a fact, but the man had been a member of the exclusive unit for twenty years before defecting, and whether he liked it or not, those practices still remained, carved into his mind and body through years of life experience.

Was it a lingering amount of honor or a habit rooted into Bison's very being? Perhaps it was both. But Macaque knew he wouldn't get another chance like this, and while accepting this chance was simple, deciding on what question he should ask was another matter.

From their ultimate goals, the amount of power they had gathered, what projects they stole from headquarters, their relationship with the Seirai Group or why they left the organization. There were too many things he wanted to know but would only receive a single answer. He could try to embellish his words a bit and extract more information from a singular question, but Macaque was sure that the more experienced Bison would be able to see through his strategy.

However, before he did any of that, the young assassin needed to clarify one more thing.

"Wait. We both know these Wild Hunt talks are a two-way street. So what do you need from me?" he asked.

Hearing this, the former World Serpent mercenary glanced over his shoulder, catching the eyes of his scientist partner-in-crime. Confusion glossed over the older man's face as Bison complacently smirked and winked before he turned back to Macaque.

"Give us Asakura Takeshi,"

The young assassin stared wordlessly at Bison, but the apprehension swirling in his golden eyes betrayed his calm exterior.

"Don't play dumb with me, boy. The more I think about it, the more it makes sense that World Serpent is hiding him. They were always quick on the uptake. And I know you were listening in on us up in the vents, too. We need Takeshi for our plans to run smoothly, and you're the one who'll deliver him to us,"

A pin-drop silence permeated through the room; Macaque could hear the breaths of all three of them layered on top of his own beating heart and a faint ringing emitted from machinery further inside the base. After a minute of contemplation, the masked teen nodded.

"Fine. You'll get Takeshi. In return, tell me which project you stole from headquarters,"

"That's your question? Are you sure?"

"Yes,"

"Project Neo-MANTIS,"

Every muscle in the masked assassin tensed as shock coursed through his body and made evident through his expression.

"What?!"

"Surprised? I was certain you would've figured it out by now. You had to have passed the containment hall; that's the only path to this office,"

"...So those Honkai Beasts…,"

"Are not 'real' Honkai Beasts. Well…I guess they're technically half Beast, but for the most part, they're merely failed test subjects we're storing for research material and disposable once they've served their purpose,"

"You do realize that the Neo-MANTIS Project was abandoned for a reason, right?" stated Macaque sternly, "Even Jackal, who's, for lack of a better word, insane, opted to move on from it, claiming that the calculations weren't adding up and it was a waste of time and resources,"

"Cleo is a fool!" Azar spat, stepping up to his bulky comrade's side.

"She failed to see the potential in such work. If we only spent a little more time and money. If we had taken a few steps back and reworked vital areas of the NM-Algorithm, we would've succeeded. But no, that bitch simply values her own selfish pleasures and desires, ignoring the opinions of the rest of the department completely and treating us as if we're just decorations on her wall,"

"Have you forgotten that it's also the reason why we had to destroy the Latvia Base? The sheer output of Honkai Energy from this caused a small-scale eruption and almost brought Schicksal and Anti-Entropy upon us,"

"That won't happen again. The algorithm Takeshi discovered is the most promising one we've ever seen,"

"And how are you so sure?" Macaque retorted, "Jackal couldn't break the code. What makes you think you can?"

"Do not compare me to that useless woman!" Azar roared, "Unlike her, I have poured every inch of my being into perfecting the Neo-MANTIS Project. From the day she threw it in the dirt to now, it has been nothing but my priority. On my pride as a man who walks the path of scientific discovery and furthering human evolution! This will be my magnum opus!"

"Neo-MANTIS is nothing but a cheap copy. To this day, the world still hasn't been able to replicate anything the Previous Era was capable of, so what makes a middle-ranked scientist like you so confident?"

"I have the privilege of still being alive! I have analyzed their history! Their blueprints! And I'm certain I can make it better than they ever could,"

Macaque scoffed and shot the scientist a disgusted look, "Blueprints!? You must be dreaming or delusional if you think any of the [ Flamechasers ] actually showed you anything of importance! The only thing you've succeeded in is blending arrogance and stupidity together,"

"Why you—!"

"Enough!" Bison barked, his ear-ringing voice echoed through the office.

"Macaque. You have received intel from us directly to take back to World Serpent; in return, you will hand over Asakura Takeshi to me alive and unharmed. Currently, Gray Serpent has yet to officially classify me as a traitor and put a hit on my head. Until then, I am still Wild Hunt, as are you, and I expect you to respect the code of negotiation between members,"

The masked young man took a deep breath. Part of him considered breaking the strict regulations he applied on himself to, at the very least, eliminate one of them, but he held himself back. He was an assassin, not a murderer, and there was still a type of professionalism he maintained.

"Very well, I'll go,"

Bison nodded, "Good—no need to crawl through the vents. I'll notify the patrols to let you out the front door. But don't try anything funny. I'll be watching you the entire way,"

"Don't worry. My contract is to investigate, not kill. I won't harm any of your men," said Macaque, turning around to make his way out the door.

"I still can't believe we're letting this little shit out scot-free," Azar furiously added from the side.

The two former associates ignored him. Both knew that the lack of bloodshed that night was due to the dwindling honor and tiny, lingering amount of respect they held for each other. For when the new dawn arrives, those qualities that allowed for parley will be extinguished like rain on dying flames.

It was a certainty in their minds that when they next met, only one would come out alive.

---

…

…

…

PRESENT

"...And that's basically it," the young man gave a casual, satisfied nod after recapitulating the events of that night.

Takeshi stared at him wide-eyed in incredulity. His jaw dropped, his heart thumped rapidly in his ears, his palms soaked with sweat, and his breathing became erratic. Adrenaline pumped through his system as he rushed forward to grab the collar of Macaque's white hoodie.

"Y-You…You used me…As a bargaining chip!?" he screamed.

"Calm down,"

"Calm?! How the hell can I be calm when you sold me like I'm a piece of merchandise!? I thought we were working together!"

"We are,"

"I knew I shouldn't have trusted you! Ever since we met at the docks, my gut's been telling me to run away, but I persevered because I thought it was nothing but paranoia, and now I pay the price of not listening to my instincts!"

"And what makes you think I'm going to go through with the deal?" Macauqe asked, brushing the maroon-haired man's arms aside, causing him to stumble back a few steps.

"Five days have passed since then. As of yesterday, Bison, Azar, and all the others who followed them have been officially excommunicated from World Serpent, confirmed as traitors, and marked for death. Any agreement I had with them has now become invalid,"

"Remember, Takeshi, I grew up in this cold and heartless world of underground business. I'm not so impulsive to make deals I have nothing to gain or can't get away from," continued the young man, "Since we're partners for the foreseeable future, I expect a little more trust between us,"

"Trust is earned," Takeshi remarked quietly while taking controlled breaths to cool his seething.

"Exactly, and before we go any further with this partnership of ours, I believe we both have things to tell one another,"

The older man gazed at the ground and wrinkled his brows. He was always careful not to unravel the truth behind his work to anyone but had underestimated the capability of the young assassin. During Macaque's retelling of the prior events, nervousness crawled through Takeshi's spine as he knew it was only a matter of time before he had to confess the truth.

"You aren't exactly one of us, but we can do this using the Wild Hunt's code of exchange," said the young assassin, "An answer for an answer. Both of equal value. Any objections?"

Takeshi shook his head, "No,"

"Good," Macaque sat down on a nearby rooftop bench and gestured for the maroon-haired scientist to do the same, to which he complied, "Now, tell me, Asakura Takeshi, how far have they gone with Project Neo-MANTIS?"

"Well, as you saw, far enough to begin human trials, though mostly it was because Azar was getting impatient. Even being part of his personal team, we didn't get any say in it. Most of us were just there to get paid…including me. I didn't really think about the ethics behind it; I only cared about putting food on my family's table, not others,"

"Quite a different perspective to the you right now,"

The scientist nodded solemnly.

"It was a simple incident. There was a girl about the same age as my eldest daughter. On the experiment table, she wouldn't stop crying and calling out for her father, even when she…you know, turned. After that, it was mostly growls and grunts, but I could still faintly make out her shouting, Papa! I'm scared! Save me! I'm sorry!'" revealed Takeshi with his head hung low, "These things happened regularly, so I didn't think too much about it at first. But as I laid in bed that night, I guess something in me just…snapped,"

"I'm guessing it was because you couldn't bear the thought of 'What if it were one of your daughters' instead,"

"The image of it haunted me. Day and night until I couldn't stand it anymore. I had to get out. I had to put a stop to it. I couldn't live with the thought that I was harming families that are doing their hardest to get by and have a normal life, just like mine," Takeshi confirmed, leaning back on his seat, exhaling a stream of vapor in the cold, nocturnal sky, "Not as complicated a reason as you think, huh. I doubt you understand, anyway. Perhaps one day you will, when you start a family of your own,"

Macaque chuckled and folded his arms before similarly resting back against the bench, lifting his gaze to the stars, "I live in a world where men and women die young. That peaceful life is nothing but a fantasy for people like me,"

"Everyone deserves a chance at that type of life. Even someone like you," said the older man; the sincerity in his voice caught the assassin off guard.

"...I doubt it. Now, let's continue with what's important,"

"Well, I'm unsure of the methods they use, but the test subjects are supplied by the Seirai Group every month. From the investigation I've done, they pose as a charity, giving out jobs and other opportunities to attract the attention of people in need. A majority of them are from the homeless population, while there's sometimes a small group of runaway students," Takeshi divulged.

"That means the Honkai Beast DNA must be supplied by the World Serpent defectors. There's no way Seirai can acquire the genetic material themselves without gaining the attention of the Main ME Branch and Anti-Entropy," Macaque concluded, rubbing his chin in contemplation, "Though it does beg the question whether they have enough to sustain the Project long-term,"

"Before I left, we had just finished using a quarter of the genetic samples. So I'd say they still have a good amount remaining," said Takeshi, "But I don't know about the situation now. For all I know, they might've stepped up the experimentation rate and used up even more of the samples trying to recover the formula I created,"

"And where is that formula now?"

In an act of boldness, the maroon-haired man shook his head and rejected the assassin's inquiry, "Forgive me, but I'm going to keep that a secret just a little longer,"

Macaque replied with a simple raise of his brow.

"An answer for an answer, right? I've gone beyond your request and given you two. I think I have the right to withhold some intel, at least for the time being,"

"Very well. We need to build some more trust between us, so I'll respect your choice. In turn, I offer two answers as well, and I'll even throw in a third; I'm feeling a little generous tonight,"

"What is World Serpent?" Takeshi asked immediately.

The young assassin blinked and tilted his head to the side, "You worked for Azar this entire time, and you don't know?"

"I had no connection to him before I joined into this project. I was an average researcher working at ME Corp before all of this. That man is rather secretive about his personal life too. I've never heard him talk about anything other than the project and results," admitted the older man, "Though I did hear some whispers around the base, but I always thought the name World Serpent was from a game, movie, or whatnot. That is until I met you,"

"Right,"

"But from what I've gathered from the things I've experienced and the things you've said is that it's some sort of secret organization that has a moderate amount of control over the world,"

"You're not far off," confirmed Macaque, bringing his legs up to sit cross-legged, "Unfortunately, I have no jurisdiction to tell the more intimate details to the uninitiated. Just know that we're an old organization spanning back centuries to the dawn of civilization, and while our methods may be considered cruel and unjust. Everything we do is all for the sake of humanity's future,"

"The ends justify the means, sort of thing,"

"In a sense, yes," the masked assassin nodded, "There are, of course, exceptions. With the resources and power World Serpent has, we're bound to bring about people like Bison and Azar, who care more for their own self-gain than humanity. They're not the first, and they won't be the last,"

"We'll be facing those two again in the near future," Takeshi absentmindedly remarked.

"Along with the main Seirai forces," Macaque agreed before quietly adding, "...I never did figure out their relationship,"

On the rooftop high above all the noise and bustle of the city, the two males went silent for a minute, basking in the moonlight.

"So what's the plan then?" Takeshi spoke, shattering the brief moment of midnight tranquility, "Are you going to call upon your friends at World Serpent and storm through their gates?"

Macaque shook his head, "No. While the bounty on the defectors' heads is for all of World Serpent to take, not all of us are fighters. While Azar is rather defenseless, Bison has been a professional merc in the industry for the last two decades. He has the experience, knowledge, and counters for a majority of the tactics and attacks employed by the regular soldiers. Most in the organization would think twice before taking him on,"

"Aside from you…"

"Essentially, yes," the younger male confirmed, "I'm currently the only combat-oriented agent in Nagazora and Gray…the higher-ups have confidence in my abilities, so the contract I took is still in effect and has been updated from investigation to assassination,"

Takeshi raised his brows, "You're going back in alone? Wouldn't they know you're coming and have their security prepared to the maximum?"

"They do, and they will," replied Macaque, getting to his feet and heading to the rooftop railing, leaning over it as he peered out at the city glowing in the night, "I'll need time to strategize and prepare appropriately before I commence the mission. It's going to take a little while since we'll need to track down their new location,"

"Hold on!" Takeshi jolted and snapped his head in the hoodie-wearing teen's direction, "Did you say 'new location?' What happened to the old one? You were just there a few days ago,"

A laugh escaped Macaque's masked lips. He was momentarily astonished by the naivety of the scientist and had to remind himself that despite being a couple of decades younger, the lives they led were worlds apart, so it was only natural that the maroon-haired man didn't understand.

"It's because I was there a few days ago that they've packed up and changed places. They're not stupid. They know their location was compromised, and they would've begun with the moving process the moment I left their base," explained Macaque, "By now, they should already be at the new location—wherever that is—all set up as if nothing had happened and the old one should be destroyed or at the very least, wiped clean of any trace of their presence,"

"Then all those captives, they didn't execute them all, did they?"

"I doubt it. It'll be too much work and a pointless waste of time to purge and replace the ones they had before. They would've put them in the cargo containers and shipped to the new base. However, those failed test subjects, as you know, would've been considered too dangerous and erratic and disposed of,"

Takeshi went quiet for a minute, absorbing all of this new information into his system before he stood and joined the World Serpent agent by the roof's fence, "So…do you perhaps have any idea where the new base is?"

"Nothing solid yet," admitted Macaque, giving his arms a quick stretch, "Like I said, I'll need a little bit of time,"

"But the longer we wait—"

"I know,"

Dryness clenched Takeshi's throat, his eyes darted and his mouth open and closed as he struggled to come up with a response to Macaque, who seemingly shut down any opportunity for a reply.

Finally, he relented and released a quick sigh, "Then, is there anything for me to do?"

Much to his surprise, the masked teen nodded, "You'll be collecting intel on the Seirai Group. Now that Bison and Azar have shifted locations, I'm unsure what the Seirai will do in response. I won't have time to check for myself while I search for the new base, so I need you to do it,"

"And how the hell do I do that? They'll kill me if they see me,"

"They won't see you. At least not the physical body of you,"

"What do you mean?"

"You'll be doing it digitally, remotely from the safety of your hotel room. Hacking into their networks, using insect spy drones, listening to the bugs some of our other agents planted, all of that,"

"And just where am I supposed to get those? You think that kind of equipment grows on trees?" Takeshi scoffed.

"You're forgetting who this hotel belongs to, Takeshi," said Macaque calmly, "The gear you need is already here. Just let one of the Android Employees scan this,"

A card flew through the air and conveniently fell into the maroon-haired man's palm.

"This is?"

"Your ID,"

"My…ID?" Takeshi repeated warily.

The young assassin hummed in response as he climbed onto the fence he had been leaning against. Once he stood, balancing on the top, he turned around and gave a worded reply.

"As of this very moment until the contract closes, you are now a member of World Serpent operating under my personal cell," revealed Macaque.

He could see the expression of pure disbelief flash across the scientist's features, and before the older man could retort, the young assassin raised his hand to stop him.

"I know this is sudden, but you must understand that the situation has changed. Previously, we thought you were just a mere worker looking for help, but since discovering that you're the one who reworked the Neo-MANTIS algorithm, the higher-ups have a new perception of you," explained Macaque, "Your role in this mission has been promoted. Before you were practically a glorified, intel-providing hostage, but now they've decided to give you a more active role. That's why you've been approved to utilize the equipment stored in this hotel,"

"...R-Right," was all Takeshi could utter. A weird feeling washed over him at the revelation that he was nothing more than a prisoner under house arrest in their eyes, but quickly brushed it off as the masked teen continued.

"Honestly, I'm surprised by their choice too. But I'm not high enough rank to go against orders so… Rest assured though, it's not exactly official, just a temporary thing so you won't be with the World Serpent forever. Once the operation ends, you're free to leave and cut all contact," the young assassin told him, casually omitting the part where he'll be eternally watched by the Serpents' mindful eyes.

"Anyway, I've said what I came here to say, so I'll take my leave now," Macaque turned back to face the city gleaming around them; the chilly, high-altitude wind forcefully brushed back his snow-colored hood and rustled his black hair that practically camouflaged into the night, "As per usual, I'll be the one contacting you to exchange updates and further plans. Oh, and don't leave the hotel grounds unless you absolutely need to,"

Takeshi nodded. In truth, there was much more he wanted to say and know, but he was fully aware that he wasn't in any position to negotiate. All he had on his side was the Neo-MANTIS formula he had carefully hidden away. However, he had no doubt given enough time; even that would eventually be dug up by World Serpent.

Just as Macaque lifted one foot, preparing to step off the rooftop, a stray thought wafted through the maroon-haired scientist's head, and he rushed forward.

"Wait!"

The younger male looked back, "Yes?"

"The third question that you promised. I don't believe I've asked it yet,"

"Well if we're talking conversation-wise, you've actually asked fifteen," Macaque said matter-of-factly, then rubbed his chin as he pondered, "But if we're talking topic-wise…"

He shrugged, "I'll be nice and give you the benefit of the doubt; after all, there needs to be more trust between us. At least until Bison, Azar, and the Seirai Group have been eliminated. Very well, you have one last question left. Make it count,"

"Well…it's more of a request, really," Takeshi confessed, nervously rubbing the back of his neck.

"What is it? Do you want me to check on your daughters for you?"

"As much as I would greatly appreciate that. No,"

Macaque's eyebrows raised, "Oh?"

"We've thrown the word 'trust' around multiple times tonight, yet you still wear that mask around me, even though we're supposed to be working together. I don't think I can have any faith in this partnership, especially when I haven't even seen the other person's face,"

"...,"

"Honestly, sometimes it's like I'm talking to a scarecrow," Takeshi added under his breath.

"That's it?"

The maroon-haired man blinked, not expecting such a casual response from the younger male, "Yes,"

"Fine, just don't have any high expectations," the black-haired teenager reached up and pulled one strap off his ear, "I'm not a supermodel or anything,"

A gust of wind drifted by the instant his mask came off. Macaque took a deep breath through his nose, inhaling and exhaling in all the cool, fresh Autumn air that had previously been filtered by the fabric barrier across his face.

At the same time, Takeshi gasped. His eyes widened, and his jaws dropped. In his incredulity, he staggered back several steps, almost tripping over one of the roof's benches.

"I-It's you!?"

Letting his mask dangle in his fingers, Macaque chuckled at the man's reaction, almost as if he had known he would behave like this, "Not quite,"

In one swift movement, the assassin re-equipped his mask. The wind picked up, howling as it sped above Nagazora, sending ripples across their clothes and tousling their hair. With each strand dancing independently, all at once, they resembled flickering maroon and black flames, respectively.

"Actually, now that I think about it, I too have a third question for you," the assassin told him.

"What is it?" answered the scientist, holding his breath in anticipation.

"In order to bring down the combined forces of the World Serpent defectors and the Seirai Group. Are you prepared to do whatever it takes?"

The older man didn't like the last phrase spoken by his masked ally. He never did, whether it be in movies and definitely not in real life. The line was like a premonition that something terrible would happen sometime in the near or far future. It didn't help that he had picked up on a foreboding fusion of graveness, tranquility, and most bizarrely–while simultaneously, most disturbing–elation in the teenager's underlying tone.

His instincts were screaming at him, blaring the warning signs as if they were plastered to his retina. But once again, he ignored him. But this time, it wasn't out of fear and naivety but resolve. Resolve to destroy what he had blindly helped to create. To bring down the Seirai Group that had been ruining countless lives and, above all, to protect his family.

Takeshi nodded, the flames of determination ignited once more from within, "Yes. Yes, I am,"

"Good," Macaque pulled his hood over his head, it miraculously remained still despite the high winds, "Then we'll be meeting again soon, Asakura Takeshi,"

With a leap, the assassin soared through the air, appearing as if he were floating for a moment before he descended, piercing down like an arrow. The city's neon lights stretched into thin lines as he rushed by while the gales whistled violently past his ears.

The scientist dashed to the edge and peered over, but it was as if Macaque had simply vanished.

Slowly, he backed away and let out a pent-up exhale as he rubbed his face. His arms fell heavily to his side, dangling aimlessly, and his gaze traveled upward until it reached the silvery moon.

"What the hell have I gotten myself into?"

---

…

…

…

Alright, this definitely took WAAAY longer than I originally predicted.

So Kiana has met mostly everyone; her first encounter with Mei isn't as romanticized as it was in canon thanks to a certain someone's interference in the timeline, she and Adam are still trying to kill each other cuz that protagonist energy be clashing, and mostly more Macaque/World Serpent stuff happening in the background.

Those were the few things that were meant to make up this chapter…and somehow…

I swear I have a love/hate relationship with this chapter. Never before have I been attacked by a writer's block so intense before starting this. (Y'all never guess which scene caused the most blockage either…ALL OF THEM!) I basically got halfway through writing Chp11 by the time I wrapped up Chp10. It was that crazy.

I'm gonna keep this A/N short since this is a double upload, (if you're not following the story as it updates then Chp10+11 were updated at the same time.)

[ Kiana Special Chapter has been moved to below. It was always meant to be added to the tail of Chp10, but I had to upload it separately so I could make it in time for her birthday, if you reread the special you might be able to spot some references to the chapter above as well. ]

[ And yes, it is canon to the Starchaser Universe and a teaser for the future. ]

[ Which actually brings me to another point, should I write more birthday specials and/or more one-shots that occur inside the Starchaser Universe? Let me know. ]

---

KIANA BIRTHDAY SPECIAL

- By Your Side -

---

[ WARNING: Major Timeskip to 2017 ]

---

Amusement Parks.

An enjoyable location for people of all ages and from all walks of life. A place that emanates joy and the scent of caramel popcorn and overpriced soda. A place that gives beaming smiles and creates unforgettable memories.

The sun was setting, and the warm, golden solar object slowly sank below the horizon. Today, its spherical shape was perfectly lined up with the amusement park's towering Ferris wheel, giving the guests a wondrous view and a romantic atmosphere. In the carriages, families huddled together, and couples gently kissed, enjoying the company of their loved ones on an ordinary weekday evening.

Hyperactive screaming echoed around the Ferris wheel as the many rides remained active. From intense roller coasters with many loops and steep drops to the tamer tea cups and merry-go-rounds, even with the night slowly closing in, there hadn't been a drop in the number of people enjoying their time in the theme park. Instead, it seemed as if the population within had grown even more as people who came from studying at school or got off their shifts came searching for a place to relax and shout away their stress.

But in the unseen corners of the park, hidden inside the shadows of dusk, away from the eyes of the happy-go-lucky crowds, a single white-haired girl stood over the corpses of several inhumanely pale zombies.

A cyberpunk-esque, risque outfit hugged her slim, athletic figure. It was a skintight gold, white, and black costume that exposed her upper thighs, armpits, and toned midriff. But the most notable feature was the pair of cat ears on her head.

Her long twin braids fluttered in the wind, and her chest heaved as she caught her breath. Sky-blue eyes studied the bodies as they slowly began to break apart and dissolve.

"Is that all of them?" she asked herself, scanning the area while wiping the sweat sliding down her chin.

"No," Her gaze was cast to the ground, next to the head of a disintegrating zombie. She sucked in her breath, and her fists clenched, "It's not enough. I have to defeat even more…that's the only way…"

"Kiana!"

The familiar voice severed her from her thoughts. She whipped around to see a black-haired male in his late teens jogging up to her with a large paper bag in hand.

"Ah, Adam, sorry to keep you waiting," Kiana greeted him as he stopped before her.

Adam shook his head, "It's no problem. You worked hard today. Here, your normal clothes,"

"Thank you," the girl smiled softly, taking the bag from his grasp.

Without missing a beat, the boy removed his jacket and draped it over Kiana. The white-haired girl looked up at him, blinking in surprise.

"Aren't you cold?" she asked with concern.

Her companion offered her a reassuring grin, "I'll be fine. I'm more worried about you. It must've been tough standing out here all day wearing nothing but that,"

"Ahaha, a little," Kiana replied honestly, "It was a lot better during lunch since the sun was still up, but now it's…Ah…Ah…Achoo~!"

"I'm still surprised that someone who lived in Siberia isn't cold-resistant," Adam joked.

"Shuddup," Kiana pouted with a quick sniffle, tightening the grip on the jacket and pulling it closer around her, "It's been forever since then. My body is more adapted to warmer climates now,"

"Mhm. Now all this talk about the cold is making me cold, and I want my jacket back, so go and get changed already," The black-haired teen said playfully and gently pushed Kiana toward the locker rooms.

"Yeah, yeah," the girl waved nonchalantly and entered the changing rooms, though a faint smile played on her lips.

In the past, Kiana would've rolled her eyes and countered with a quip of her own, which would, more often than not, trigger Adam to fire back and, subsequently, herself again. Their heated back-and-forth bickering matches about all manner of things, from battle strategies to which fried chicken shop was better, were infamous between their respective squads and possibly even in the entire St. Freya Academy.

But those innocent days were long gone.

They felt like events that happened lifetimes ago when, in reality, it had only been half a year or so.

Nowadays, she was glad and thankful that Adam behaved relatively the same as he did back then. At first, she was suspicious, but eventually, whether it was an act or not wasn't important to her. With all the drastic changes in her world lately, at least someone close to her remained unchanged. Like a living souvenir from a bygone era, frozen in time and a reminder of what she was now fighting for.

Shaking those thoughts away, Kiana quickly discarded the skimpy cat outfit and swapped into clothes that suited the winter season. It consisted of a comfortable white turtleneck sweater, light-blue jeans, dark snow boots, and a trendy, beige trenchcoat that went down to her knees. Surprisingly, instead of keeping her signature hairstyle, Kiana reached up and released her braids and allowed her flowing white hair to cascade freely down her back.

However, there was one more step to her outfit change, and she had purposely procrastinated the step further and further back into the routine.

Kiana stared at her reflection in the changing room's mirror panel. There was a time when she would spend hours playing in front of the mirror, posing, confidently admiring herself, giving herself what she deemed 'inspiring' and 'cool' speeches, and roleplaying various situations she saw in movies and anime.

But these days, her reflection terrified her and even disgusted her. Only in horror movies did one's reflection morph and smile sinisterly back at them…unfortunately, this was Kiana's reality.

For she shared her body with her.

The monster that had slaughtered millions of innocent people and caused countless pain and suffering worldwide.

Worst of all, it forced her to harm and even kill the ones she loved.

She hadn't been showing herself recently, which was fine with Kiana; the less she appeared, the better for everyone.

The white-haired girl popped open a small lens case and raised a hand to her right eye, peeling out the blue contact lens, blinking a few times to re-adjust.

Glancing at her reflection, her heterochromatic eyes looked back. Her left eye was still her natural blue, while her right was an invasive amber.

A sigh escaped her lips, and she tore her gaze from the glass. There wasn't anything she could do about it now. But she swore that one day, she would expel the intruder and claim her body back. No matter what.

After packing her things back into the bag and hanging the cat outfit back on the staff uniform shelf, the former Valkyrie left the changing rooms.

Kiana's head swiveled from right to left after exiting, searching through the crowd until her sight settled on Adam, leaning against a lamp post, scrolling through his phone.

She strolled up to him, and just as she was about to call out to him, she paused when two young women who looked a little older than them approached Adam.

Through the ambient chatter of the theme park crowd, Kiana couldn't pick up on what they were saying. She could always use the Herrscher power to enhance her hearing and eavesdrop, but the Kaslana immediately decided against it. That power was only to be utilized as a last resort and not for petty reasons. It was already difficult to control and would give her a splitting headache every time, not to mention the constant, taunting whispering from her 'other self, 'and the less she had to interact with the other half, the better.

Kiana inhaled deeply, controlling her intrusive thoughts, and paced forward.

"Come on~ We'll show you how to have a good time,"

"Yeah~ Let these two big sisters spoil you just for today,"

"Sorry, I'm sure you guys are nice people, but I'm waiting for someone," Adam said, kindly turning down their offers.

"Huh~?"

"Who~? Are you sure you're not making this up? If you are, big sis is gonna be really, really sad,"

"I'm not making anything up; I'm waiting for—" At that moment, the black-haired teen caught his companion coming toward him in the corner of his eyes. He looked over and waved, "—And here she is. Kia—?"

Before he could finish his sentence, Kiana latched onto his arm and pulled him away without even acknowledging the existence of the two women talking to him.

"What's the hurry? Are you hungry or something?" Adam asked.

Kiana shook her head, her cheeks puffed up slightly, and refused to answer the rest of his question. Instead, she reached into her bag and retrieved a gray piece of winter clothing.

"Here, your jacket," she said, returning it to its owner.

"Thanks, Tuna," he replied, taking it and swiftly putting it back on.

Kiana momentarily froze, and her eyes went wide. She hadn't heard him call her by that insult-turned-nickname in a long time. A sudden wave of nostalgia for simpler times when all their friends could gather around the same dinner table every night came crashing down. She bit her lip to hold back the tears slowly shimmering in her eyes.

While Adam was distracted, Kiana quickly wiped her eyes and responded, "No problem,"

"So you worked as a part-time amusement park tour guide today, all so you could find and eliminate the Honkai beasts hiding inside the park?"

"Of course. The latter is my real job," Kiana insisted and briefly released her grip on Adam's arm to place her hands on her hips proudly, "I'm now Arc City's one and only protector, Cat Girl,"

The black-haired teen raised a brow and held back his laugh, 'Cat Girl? Really? Well, I'm glad to see that despite everything that's happened, her naming sense still remains the same,'

"Cat Girl, huh? Are you sure she doesn't need any help from another hero? Someone like Tracksuit Guy, perhaps?"

"Nope," Kiana rejected with her head held high as her lips curved into a mischievous smile, "Though I'm sure she'd accept the Neko Maid's help at any time,"

"No," the black-haired teen instantly shot down that proposal, prompting melodic laughter from his white-haired companion.

"Ahaha~ I'm kidding, I'm kidding," Kiana said after controlling her giggles, "But hey, I'd honestly really appreciate the help, y'know. Whether it's from Tracksuit Guy, Neko Maid, or just…" the Kaslana looped her arms around the black-haired teen again, "...You,"

Adam's ears turned red at the gesture. He looked away bashfully, rubbing the back of his head, "Well, they're all technically me, so…"

"Oh no!"

The sudden exclamation from Kiana brought his attention back to her. She was staring wide-eyed and mouth agape at her phone.

"What's up?"

Kiana didn't say anything at first but immediately switched from holding his arm to his hand and abruptly took off, sprinting and pulling Adam with her.

"If we don't hurry to the station now, we'll be stuck in the rush hour! C'mon, we have to hurry!"

---

"In the end, we still couldn't avoid the rush hour," grumbled Kiana.

The rhythmic clunking of the monorail speeding across the tracks echoed beneath all the combined, quiet chattering of the other passengers.

All the seats had already been taken, so the duo was forced to stand on the sides of the carriage. With the cramped and still-growing crowd, Kiana found herself up against the wall with Adam standing directly in front of her, shielding her from the remaining stream of people. While they weren't packed like canned sardines…yet, it was still a reasonably tight squeeze. The built-in heaters and the amassed body heat radiated through the train's multiple carriages, and Kiana could already feel the effect of it trailing down her neck.

"Even if it's that time of day, there's a lot more people than I expected," commented Adam, peeking around until his gaze landed on Kiana, "You have enough breathing space down there?"

The Kaslana looked up and nodded, though her uncomfortable expression remained, "It's still kinda suffocating, but what do you expect, there's so many people—WAH!"

A sudden, sharp turn on the tracks cut her off and caused all the passengers to stumble.

Losing her balance, the white-haired girl fell forward with a yelp.

"Watch out!"

But thanks to the black-haired boy's quick reaction, she was caught before she could collide with other people in the constricted carriage.

She breathed a sigh of relief, "That was close,"

"Are you okay?" Adam asked.

"I'm fine," She smiled, dispersing any worries her companion had.

Only when things had calmed down did she notice her current predicament. In her haste to stabilize herself, she had latched onto the closest thing available, and that happened to be Adam, with her arms locked behind his back. At the same time, Adam wrapped one arm around Kiana's waist to hold her in place while the other gripped the handle above.

She wasn't the only one to realize their intimate position as the black-haired teen teasingly smirked, "Doesn't this kinda remind you of all those times you dragged us into those weird, tight hiding places?"

"You mean like the maintenance closet?" the girl's lips curved up similarly.

"And that dumpster that one time we were on holiday,"

"Ugh, don't remind me. It seemed like a good spot at first, but I couldn't get the smell out of my hair for weeks,"

"You really wanted to avoid Theresa that day, didn't you?"

"I didn't have a choice. She was gonna force me to do my assignments, and that's the last thing I wanted on vacation,"

"Well, if you're done reminiscing, you can let go of me now," said Adam as he released his grip around Kiana, "If I remember correctly, it's gonna be smooth sailing until we reach our stop so we don't need to hold onto each other anymore,"

His female partner didn't reply nor move, and when he looked down to see if there was something wrong, he saw that her cheeks had puffed up in an adorable pout, and her chin rested on his chest as she stared back up at him.

"What?"

At first, Kiana still said nothing as she strengthened her clasp around the black-haired boy and then craned her neck to nuzzle against him—a wordless rejection of his suggestion.

"Warm," she finally spoke, her voice muffled by his cold-resistant clothes.

"I swear you're just like a cat sometimes," stated the black-haired teenager.

With her face still buried against his body, the Kaslana made a single meek noise, "...Meow~,"

At her antics, Adam released a quiet laugh and reached up, gently stroking her hair the same way he would to a small feline. After a moment, he stopped. His hand stayed atop the former Valkyrie's head before he eventually found himself with his arm around Kiana's waist again.

The duo of black and white remained in this close position for a while longer. The pastel orange and pink rays of sunset flashed through the windows, illuminating the carriages with their comforting glow as they traveled through the many colorful and bustling districts of the advanced metropolis known as Arc City.

The monorail mainly fell silent as most of the passengers were focused on the contents of their phones while others were still talking amongst themselves without raising their voices above a whisper. The commercials on the small TV screens by the automated doors of the carriage looped over and over, and they were the loudest things on the train. It was only surpassed by the speakers with a robotic female voice announcing which station was next and how much longer it would take to arrive.

"Hey," Adam started, deciding to break the ice as a stray thought wandered into his mind.

"Hm?"

"So if you're acting like a cat, but you're also a tuna…"

Kiana pulled back slightly and glared at him, "I swear if you ruin this moment by making a catfish joke, I'm gonna kick you out this train myself,"

Not wanting to disturb the other commuters, Adam held back his laugh but couldn't restrain his grin, "Right, noted. At least I tried,"

"Hmph," the Kaslana pursed her lips and wrinkled her brows before leaning back into the black-haired male's shoulder.

Suddenly, she recoiled again, "Wait, why do you smell like fried chicken?"

"Because…,"

"Did you eat dinner without me?!"

"What? No,"

"Then, shouldn't you smell more like coffee since you work part-time at a cafe?"

"They um…started selling fried chicken recently…today, actually,"

"Reaaally?" Kiana eyed him suspiciously.

"...Yes," Adam averted his gaze.

Just then, the soft chime of an announcement rang through the monorail, saving him from any further interrogation.

[ Attention all passengers. We will be arriving at Liliweiss Station shortly. If this is your stop, please prepare to disembark. Thank you. ]

---

* DING *

The elevator doors slid open, and the two of them stepped out into the hallway of their apartment building.

The building itself was only ten stories and was located in the city's outer districts. It wasn't the shortest residential building in Arc City, but it was far from the tallest or the most luxurious. There was much litter in the hallway, from empty beer cans to snack wrappers to crumpled pizza boxes and takeaway containers. Only two of the overhanging lights worked; the rest were either dimmed, blinking, or broken. Alcohol, blood, and other unknown substances were splashed across the walls and floor. On the other side of the hallway, surrounded by empty boxes of beer, was a disheveled man lying on his side next to reinforced corridor windows, muttering to himself.

The duo ignored their surroundings as they headed in the opposite direction to their door. A cat with a rat dangling in its mouth rushed past their feet as it stuck to the shadows.

It wasn't the best conditions to live in, and it was an inevitable downgrade from their dorms at St. Freya and the shared apartment back in Nagazora. However, after the most recent Herrscher of the Void incident, they were left without money or belongings. After working frantically upon arrival in the cyberpunk city, this place was the most affordable, and for the past couple of months, it was home.

Upon arriving at their unit, Kiana punched in the code, and with an acknowledging beep, the door slid open. If there was one good thing about their building, and all the buildings in Arc City in general, it was that due to the advancements in technology, the safety of its residents was all but ensured.

"Finally, we're back," Kiana exhaled, kicking off her shoes and strolling into their living room, leaping face-first onto the couch.

Their apartment was small and straightforward, with one bedroom, one bathroom, a living room connecting to the kitchen, and a short, compulsory balcony outside. The walls were painted generic white, and there weren't any decorations aside from a couple of green, purple, and blue succulents on the window sill. The furniture wasn't anything special, just the standard pieces any other unit would contain.

Their apartment wasn't sparkling and spotless, but it was far cleaner than the rest of the building. At least they had electricity and hot water…most of the time.

Adam took his time in entering, first stripping his jacket off before doing the same to his shoes, neatly placing both his and Kiana's to the side.

"Too much human interaction today?" he asked, plopping beside her after hanging his jacket on the couch's backrest.

The white-haired girl nodded, "A little. I mean, don't get me wrong, it was fun being a guide and all, it's just…"

"You thought there'd be fewer people since it's a weekday?"

"Exactly!" Kiana abruptly sat up, "I thought I'd have more time searching for the hidden Honkai Beasts, but I spent so much time walking around the amusement park in circles saying the exact same lines over and over,"

"Well, that's the most populated city in the world for you,"

"Ugh, and I thought Nagazora was crowded," the Kaslana groaned, leaning back when suddenly, a familiar scent invaded her nose, causing her to jolt up.

"There it is again!"

"What?" Adam blinked.

"The fried chicken smell!" she clarified and dubiously narrowed her eyes at her black-haired companion, "First, it came from you, but I thought it might've just been from the surroundings, so I stopped asking questions, and now it's coming from in here,"

They both said nothing, wordlessly staring at each other, one wide-eyed, feigning innocence, and the other sharpened by suspicion.

"Neko…Jump!"

Kiana pounced on top of Adam, who let out an unexpected cry as the girl pinned him to the couch by his wrists. Her long, snowy hair spilled forth, forming a silky wall between their faces, shielding their eyes from the outside world and making the only place they could look was at each other.

She chuckled and smirked victoriously; Kiana inched closer and demanded in a low voice, "Now, you're gonna tell me everything you're hiding,"

Staring into her dual-colored eyes, Adam finally relented and sighed, "And I tried so hard to keep it a secret. But then again, with that nose of yours—"

"Gah!" The black-haired teen reached up and booped Kiana on the nose, eliciting a surprised yelp from the white-haired girl.

With her defenses down, Adam took his chance to, quite literally, flip the situation. Now Kiana was the one pinned down, with Adam on top.

"H-Huh? W-Wait,"

Her cheeks were dusted pink after realizing the change in their position. A shiver of anticipation crept down her spine, igniting every nerve in her body as Adam leaned in until they could feel their breaths on each other's lips.

Kiana's eyelids flickered and grew heavy as the warmth of his presence trickled slowly into her skin. The moment she closed her eyes was the moment she missed his impish smile as he changed course to whisper in her ear.

"—I couldn't hide it forever," After finishing his prior sentence, the black-haired male hopped off her with a mischievous snicker.

He extended a hand to help her up. A look of disappointment flashed across Kiana's face before promptly disappearing as she accepted her friend's gesture.

"Come on, I got a surprise for you," said Adam, guiding Kiana into the kitchen.

Her eyebrows raised when she saw an expansive piece of cloth on the table, very obviously covering something. Coincidentally, the scent of fried chicken grew more potent, and instinctively, her mouth began to water.

"Is that…?" the girl stepped forward as if mesmerized by the unknown item hidden from her sight but discovered by her nose.

"Ready?" Adam asked, gripping the edge of the cloth.

Kiana gulped and nodded.

With a single, swift motion, the black-haired young man pulled the fabric away, revealing the treasures underneath, and Kiana's eyes instantly sparkled.

In the middle of the table was a large plate of crispy, golden, aromatic fried chicken screaming out to Kiana to devour them immediately.

"Exactly one-hundred-and-one pieces," said Adam, smiling at the girl's reaction.

"When did you—?" Kiana asked, whipping her head toward him, still in shock.

"Half an hour or so before I came to pick you up," he explained, "The store owner called me crazy when I ordered, but luckily they went through with it anyway. It was a little challenging to bring it all back here, though. I honestly didn't know if they'd stay warm enough until the both of us arrived home,"

"Well, I applaud you for your effort, but I'll have you know, I'm not gonna give you my share," Kiana pursed her lips and folded her arms, "Especially after the stunt you pulled on the couch,"

"Weren't you the one who jumped on me?" Adam countered as he maneuvered his way to the fridge.

"That's… No comment," Kiana began but decided against it and watched as her roommate extracted something from the fridge, 'I meant not finishing what you started, dummy,'

"I also bought—" The young man spun around and presented his findings, "—these,"

"Milk Tea?!" Kiana beamed, springing over to take a cup out of his hands, "You got milk tea, too?"

"Not just that, I got one more thing for you," Adam reached back, patting his hand around the fridge randomly until he found what he was looking for.

He pulled out a small white box wrapped in a soft red ribbon and set it on the table next to the plate of fried chicken.

"You wanna do the honors?" the black-haired male asked as Kiana sauntered up to him after shutting the fridge.

The white-haired female nodded enthusiastically. She placed her milk tea down and undid the ribbon before unfolding the box.

"Cake!" she exclaimed the moment she laid her shining eyes upon it.

It was the perfect size, not too large, but not too small. Round in shape and double layered, the dessert also came with light-blue icing drizzled over it, accompanied by crushed cookies as toppings.

"It's a little basic," the boy rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and quietly added, "And not as visually appealing as last year,"

Kiana fervently shook her head, her eyes glued to the pastry, and declared, "Cake is cake!"

"That's such a classic Kiana response," Adam chuckled.

"Hihi~ Don't expect anything less," the Kaslana grinned and perked up, "So! What's the occasion? What are we celebrating today?"

A shocked expression morphed on the black-haired teenager's face.

"Wait, you don't know?"

Kiana's grin faltered as she adopted the same look as her companion, "N-No? Why? Is it important?"

"You actually forgot?"

Kiana gasped, "Wait! Is it your birthday today?"

It took all Adam had not to widen his eyes any further. The two of them held their gaze for a moment longer, and the boy lightly flicked the girl on the forehead.

"It's yours, Kiana,"

She blinked. Once. Twice. Three times, and then the realization dawned on her.

"Wait, already!?" Kiana hurriedly patted down her pockets in search of her phone. When she finally found it, she ripped it out and turned on the screen. The date innocently greeted her in big white numbers.

"December 7th… It really is my birthday today!"

Her roommate let out a breath of disbelief, "You've been working so hard recently to the point that you forgot,"

"Well, the days kinda just blended together, y'know," Kiana replied, rubbing the back of her head bashfully.

Then, the white-haired girl gave Adam an appreciative smile, "But thank you… Thank you for remembering,"

"Of course," Adam's lips curved softly as he caressed her head, "It's your birthday. How could I forget?"

"Still…," Kiana spread her arms and enveloped him in a tight embrace, "Thank you,"

"No problem," he reassured, returning the comforting gesture.

Adam had no idea how long they stayed like that. It felt like an hour when, in reality, it could've only been a few seconds, but eventually, they separated. When he met Kiana's eyes, he sucked in his breath. The girl had the widest, most genuine grin he had seen from her in months. A nostalgic warmth filled his core. Bits of memories from their younger days replayed like a video in his mind.

But this wasn't the time to get emotional; he had to keep this positive, uplifting energy going a little longer.

"Now, come on, let's get this little party started!"

"Yeah!" Kiana cheered.

For the next hour, laughter and excited voices filled their small apartment as the world outside turned nocturnal. The moon replaced the sun, but the stars were left in the dark since the shining neon lights illuminating much of Arc City had quenched their tender sparkle.

The duo relayed stories to each other throughout the night; some they shared, others not, some exciting and action-packed, while others were funny and heartwarming. Meanwhile, the plate of chicken slowly but surely became a plate of bones. The tall cups of milk tea ran dry, and eventually, there were only two slices of cake left.

Their shared laughter, occasional bickering, and a quick eating competition. For just a moment in this deadly, hectic life of theirs, everything felt normal, like how it used to be.

Without realizing it, the hours ticked by, and like all good things, their little party had to come to an end.

Kiana offered to help clean up, only to be rejected by Adam, insisting that she relax since it was her special day. Eventually, she opted to watch him washing the dishes from the couch with a cushion clutched to her chest.

"I'm gonna get some air," she called out, getting up and opening the door to their balcony.

"Okay," the black-haired male replied, scrubbing the grease off the large plate.

A minute later, he finished and wiped his hands dry before stepping onto the balcony to join the former Valkyrie.

Kiana leaned forward against the railing, and her snow-colored hair fluttered elegantly in the Winter wind. A contemplative look replaced the bright expression she had at dinner as she gazed out at the neon-lit mega-city.

The monorails hummed as they zoomed past in the distance. Cars and trucks honked from the roads below, and faint music could be heard booming from the myriad of nightclubs, bars, and other similar facilities. The skyscrapers that made up much of Arc City's skyline stood above them like metal obelisks in a dense forest of steel. Blue holographic goldfish and whales swam between these towering buildings. There was really no point in them; it was just the wealthy corporations showing off their money, but at least they offered a nice aesthetic.

"Something wrong?" asked Adam worriedly after noticing her frown.

"I just…miss them," Kiana confessed, "Mei. Bronya. Class Monitor. Aunt Teri. And…Himeko-sensei,"

The amber-eyed male said nothing, listening intently as she spilled her heart out.

"In the past, when it was my birthday, Mei would prepare a giant plate of fried chicken just like you did. Then, whenever I'd try to sneak a bite, Bronya and Class Monitor would stop me and reprimand me for not waiting for everything and everyone to be at the table before eating. You and your squadmates would accompany me playing video games to help pass the time. Auntie and Himeko-sensei would then show up with a lot of edible goodies, and we'd all celebrate my birthday together,"

"...Everyone…," Kiana fell silent and remained that way for a while. When she opened her mouth again, her breath was shaky, "I wonder if everyone's doing okay?"

Under the light of the luminous glow of the moon and the vivid lights of the city, Adam saw that Kiana's face looked a bit lonely and distant.

"Hey…," she said softly, turning to him but afraid to make contact with his eyes, "Can I…still go back to everyone?... In the end, I'm always hurting them… My existence itself…Perhaps it's just—"

"Kiana," The young man interrupted sternly, "If you continue speaking like this, even I'll get mad at you,"

"...Adam?"

"What you just said is betraying the feelings of all of those who believe in you, cherish you, and are thankful to you,"

"But I…I…can't do anything,"

"But you have. You've already saved so many people in this city. None of you know each other, and you'll probably never see each other again, but your efforts are what brought them peace and another chance to be happy,"

"No," Kiana shook her head, "Compared to the price everyone else paid for me…this feels like…this isn't anything,"

"You've protected and still are protecting the ordinary but valuable daily lives of the people. That's already an extraordinary thing to do and definitely worthy of praise," Adam reclined against the railing, resting his elbows on the metal bar, and peered up at the moon, "Even if it's just a minor thing, keep doing it, keep pushing forward and eventually you will become the true Guardian of Arc City. Then one day, when the time is right, you'll be able to stand proudly and return to everyone's side where you belong,"

Despite his comforting and encouraging words, the white-haired young woman still looked unconvinced, "Do you think they'll still accept me like this?"

"Of course they will. Since we found each other again, I've been by your side all this time, and I can say for certain that you're still that brave, kind, and just Kiana Kaslana we all know and love," A warm smile played on the black-haired boy's lips, and he couldn't help but add, "Well, the only difference from before is that you've actually matured a little, just a little,"

The edges of Kiana's mouth twitched until they smoothed out into a slight upward curve. Drawing a breath of cold air, she found the courage to look him in the eyes again.

"I know I've said it a lot tonight, but thank you, truly. I know I said some things that weren't like me, so I'm grateful that you were here to accompany me and comfort me," An expression of conviction overtook Kiana's former melancholy features, "From now on, I'll remain in this city to carry out my responsibility. This is my promise to her, to you, and to myself. I won't run away, and I won't give up in order to one day rightfully stand by everyone's side again,"

A cool gust of air brushed past them, ruffling Kiana's snowy hair. With a content grin, she brushed a stray strand behind her ear and raised her hand to the boy standing in front of her.

"Until that day, you'll continue to be by my side, won't you?"

Adam nodded and took her hand in his, "Of course,"

Basking in the cozy warmth of each other's presence, they remained on the balcony, looking out at the ever-bustling city in comforting silence.

The city, in its nocturnal state, looked the same in all hours of darkness. The chill never dissipated, and time returned to being merely a concept. Neither had any idea how long they had been out on the balcony, and it was only when it started to snow that Adam felt Kiana's head against his shoulder, along with hearing her light snoring, that he decided to take her back into the safety of the apartment.

He gently placed her on the bed and wrapped her up in the snuggly duvet.

'She must be dreaming of something nice,' he thought when he saw her cheerful expression while sleeping.

Just then, the girl's phone started vibrating. Not wanting the humming to disturb her, Adam picked it up to turn it off. His brows furrowed when he saw what was on the screen.

[ Attention all officers near the Silver River District. There have been multiple reports of unidentified white and pink creatures near the Athletic Park. Please make your way to investigate as soon as possible. Thank you. ]

[ Attention all officers near the Topaz District. There have been multiple reports of armed people with pale, near-white skin terrorizing civilians at random. Please make your way to investigate as soon as possible. Thank you. ]

[ Attention all officers near the Glass Dome Center. There have been multiple reports of unknown jellyfish and birds making a disturbance inside the center. Please make your way to investigate as soon as possible. Thank you. ]

'A police scanner app?' the black-haired teenager sighed as he gazed down at Kiana with a mixture of pride and concern.

'You've been working hard is an understatement. You're overworking yourself while I'm having it easy standing around in a cafe all day. You deserve more time to rest,'

Adam dove into his side of the wardrobe and quickly and quietly changed into an outfit that allowed more free movement. It was the traditional combo of a black hoodie and sports pants, along with similarly colored shoes and a mask.

'I wasn't able to prepare a present for you this year. So allow me to lift some weight off your shoulders and share the burden with you. If you were awake right now, you'd definitely say that this is a lame gift, but…this will be my present to you. Let's protect this city together!'

He carefully pushed the window open, making sure not to create any creaking noises. Once he was sure he was able to slip through, Adam took one last glance at the white-haired girl's sleeping form before throwing on his hood, pulling up his mask, and leaping out the window.

"Happy Birthday, Kiana,"

---

KIANA BIRTHDAY SPECIAL - By Your Side