Part 21: When the Sky Cracks
Location: Lowee – Wintervale District
Snow fell steadily over the white rooftops, as usual. But this time, the flakes shimmered unnaturally, flickering between blue and violet. Citizens looked up nervously. One child pointed. "Mom… the snow's glowing." The mother stared upward, clutching her child tighter as the sky above Lowee began to ripple— waves spreading outward like cracks across glass.
Rom and Ram's old guild trainer, Cloche, stood outside the guild office, hand on her sword. "Get ready to activate the barrier protocols. Something's coming." Far above, the edge of the dimensional breach pulsed— just once.
Location: Lastation – Industrial Zone
Power surged and flickered across massive factories and arc networks. The automated defense drones sparked violently, some shorting out scrambled. "We're losing command uplinks!"
Soldiers poured into the streets, weapons drawn, as a massive projection of Uni's voice echoed through the city: "All citizens, prepare for emergency sheltering protocols. Stay calm. We've got this."
In the command tower, Noire stood still, watching her city brace for what might be the last battle of an age. She whispered to herself, "We won't lose this world. Not again."
Location: Leanbox – Aerial Garden Sector
Massive floating islands that housed Leanbox's elite researchers and scholars began to shudder. The skies above Leanbox turned from green to deep indigo as rift energy crept through the atmosphere like cracks in a shell. Vert's voice echoed in the Grand Library: "All forces— form protective wards around the capital. Anyone with dimensional sensitivity, report any further anomalies immediately." Even the usually tranquil temples of Leanbox began preparing evacuation rites, old scriptures lifted from vaults to prepare for rift breaches.
Location: Planeptune – Main Plaza
People gathered in the square, staring at the sky where the clouds spun in a slow spiral. Histoire stood on a platform, her voice calming but urgent. "This is a temporary disturbance. Remain indoors when prompted. The CPUs are watching the skies— trust in them."
Some guild members were arming up. Compa stood at the ready, medical teams forming beside her. IF adjusted her gloves, whispering, "Well… here we go again."
Neptune stood on the tallest tower, watching the ripple spread outward. Her tone was surprisingly serious: "…They're scared. I don't blame them."
Nepgear joined her, still holding the sealed fragment container. "I think this time… they believe in us."
Neptune looked out over her city and nodded. "Then we'll show them they were right to."
Location: Across Gamindustri – All Nations
Guild missions abruptly halted. Monster sightings surged near dimensional hot spots. Unstable rifts began to flicker into existence at random locations, though none fully opened— yet. Across all four nations, one thing became clear. Something had awakened. And whatever came next would decide the fate of everything.