BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Chapter 9
| Illustrations |
| Prologue:Rebirth |
| Chapter 7: Siblings |
| Chapter 8: Thought and Felt |
| Chapter 9: Intervention |
| Chapter 10: Encounter |
| Chapter 11: Fusion |
| Epilogue |
| Extra Chapter: Fragments |
| Afterword |
Part 1
The clock was nearing three in the morning.
A few minutes after Naoto had defeated Spinner’s Apostle in the alleyway that night, men in black suits and white lab coats had appeared. They were from the Mitsurugi Agency, the same organization he had encountered at school the other night.
After efficiently collecting the creature's corpse, they told Naoto to go home, assuring him they would clean up the mess. They then began to collect samples of the creature's scattered bodily fluids.
Watching their skilled work, Naoto felt a sense of resignation. Surely, by tomorrow or the day after, the alleyway would be repaired as if nothing had happened. With no reason to linger, he decided to head home, but Raquel didn’t seem particularly cheerful. Naoto understood why. He didn’t feel good either.
It was past one in the morning. The fact that the Mitsurugi Agency had arrived so quickly and was so well-equipped this late at night meant they were under constant surveillance.
It made him sick to think that they probably had a detailed report of how he had run away and how Raquel had helped him, including their trivial banter. Still, he was grateful to have them take care of the scene, which they could never have handled on their own.
"Ugh... I'm so sleepy..." Naoto sighed as he soaked in the hot bath he had drawn as soon as he got home. He didn't mind staying up late, but tonight was particularly draining. Searching for a monstrous creature in the dead of night, being chased, and finally getting covered in some disgusting, unknown liquid - training was tougher than he had expected.
Naoto pulled his right arm out of the water and sniffed it.
(Is it really clean now?)
He had scrubbed himself more thoroughly than ever before. He was sure that the unpleasant smell and feeling were completely gone. Satisfied, he returned his arm to the warm water and gently rubbed it. As he relaxed, various images from that night flashed through his mind.
(Come to think of it, Kiiro wasn't there.)
The organization had been waiting for his “training” to finish. The situation was nearly the same as when he defeated Isa, but Kiiro was absent. She seemed to have a higher position than the men in black, and she probably didn't have the time to come out for every little incident like this. Whatever the reason, Naoto was relieved.
(If she had been there, I would have been stuck here for another thirty minutes...)
He chuckled to himself in the bath and then remembered something.
Kiiro's seductive smile at the hotel lounge lingered in Naoto's mind. Those suggestive words, one after another, and the soft, almost unreal feel of her... skin.
Naoto unconsciously placed his palm against his left chest. He wondered if Kiiro's heart was still beating in the same rhythm beneath her own chest. The thought sent a chill down his spine. After all, it was a heart. The idea that it was exactly like someone else's was anything but comforting.
"Ugh... whatever, I don’t want to think about anything anymore..." He was about to continue when the sound of a suddenly opened door interrupted him. "...Huh!?"
For a second, he couldn't comprehend the situation. Even after a few seconds, it still didn't register. Furrowing his brows in confusion, Naoto turned to see who it was, his mouth half-open in a daze as he wondered what was going on.
In that instant, his thoughts completely froze.
Standing at the door was Raquel.
Considering who else was in the house, it might not have been unusual. But the fact that Raquel was completely naked, her long blond hair down, and was about to enter the bathroom was not just unusual, it was impossible to ignore.
"You... what are you..."
"Oh, you're still in here?" Raquel pulled her loose hair behind her ear and stepped into the wet bathroom. Naoto immediately sank deep into the bathtub, trying to hide.
"W-w-w-what are you doing?! Why did you come in?!"
"Naoto, it's late. You should think about the neighbors."
"Don't tell me to be considerate when you're naked!"
"One minute you say to learn common sense, and the next you tell me not to talk about it. You really are an emotionally unstable man."
"Whose fault is that...?" Naoto knew it was pointless to argue, but he couldn't help himself. Still, he couldn’t just stare at her, so he shrank back in the bathtub.
Seeing this, Raquel let out a knowing "Ah" and a weary smile.
"Don't worry. Seeing a servant naked won't make me feel anything special. It's like seeing a dog with or without clothes." She said casually, as if teasing Naoto.
Naoto looked down. It's not like he wanted her to feel something special, but it hurt to be dismissed so easily.
Ignoring Naoto's hurt feelings, Raquel placed her small butt on the bathroom chair. She reached for the showerhead and turned on the warm water.
She was serious about taking a bath together. Realizing Raquel's intentions, Naoto felt his face pale. Yet, despite the situation, she continued nonchalantly.
"Naoto. I permit you, my servant, to wash your master's hair," Raquel said, brushing her long golden hair away from her chest. Her golden eyes urged him on, gazing at Naoto without any embarrassment or ulterior motives. It was as if she was simply acknowledging him, as he was, without any impure thoughts. It made him feel almost spoiled.
"How long are you going to keep staring at me like that? Hurry up. It's impolite to keep your master waiting."
"Okay, okay. I got it..." Naoto replied, somewhat annoyed. If he hesitated any longer, it would seem like he was the only one who saw Raquel as a woman. And that wouldn't do.
With a sigh of resignation, Naoto stood up.
(Don’t look, don’t look, don’t look...)
He chanted this mantra in his mind as he moved behind Raquel, who was seated on a chair.
He had never been so grateful for a fogged-up mirror. Even though he was drawn to her translucent skin and slender shoulders, he managed to gather her hair in a bundle.
"Wow..." he said involuntarily. Raquel turned her head.
"What?"
"N-no. Your hair... it's beautiful." It was an embarrassing thing to say, but he couldn't help himself. The feel of her hair in his hands reminded him of golden silk. It was smooth and silky, sliding cool against his palm.
"Yes, it is," Raquel replied indifferently. Her short answer made it clear that she didn't have any particular feelings about her own hair.
"Yeah, I don't know much about women's hair, and I've never seen blond hair like this before. But I think it's beautiful," Naoto said with a wry smile as he ran the warm water through the beautiful hair in his hands.
It really was beautiful hair. And yet, he felt it was a shame that Raquel didn't seem to appreciate its beauty. It would have been nice if she could look up at people with her chin held high and simply take pride in such a normal thing.
Now that he thought about it, there were times in kindergarten when he had bathed with Haruka, but he had never washed her hair. As for Saya, he couldn't even remember bathing with her, given her frail health.
(This is the first time I've ever washed a woman's hair)
Her hair was so thin and soft. He wasn’t sure how to handle it. Is this how it’s supposed to be? He carefully applied the shampoo that Haruka had bought for Raquel, working it into the golden hair that flowed under the water. The long strands seemed to wrap around his fingers, yet they easily slipped away from the ends.
It felt like he was handling something fragile. It was an unfamiliar task. His hands fumbled awkwardly, and he started to lose track of how he usually washed his own hair.
Still, Naoto rinsed the shampoo out, applied the conditioner, and rinsed again. By the time he washed Raquel's shoulders and back, where her wet hair clung, the embarrassment and discomfort of a high school boy had considerably faded.
"There. I'm done." He said, avoiding her gaze as he turned off the shower and leaned it against the wall. Raquel gathered her wet hair to one side and lightly squeezed out the excess water, letting out a shallow, disappointed sigh.
"You're not very good at this."
"Shut up! I've never done this before! If you want it done well, don’t make me do it!" Naoto's voice echoed loudly against the bathroom walls. For a moment, he panicked, wondering if someone had heard him. Raquel remained calm. She turned to look at Naoto with her big eyes, which softened as if to ease the tension.
"Well then, that's fine. For a first time, I’ll revise my evaluation and say you did a pretty good job." Naoto felt his temples twitch at her almost smug expression.
"...Should I say thank you?"
(Shouldn’t I be the one getting thanked instead?)
Naoto felt a sense of fatigue that went beyond mere dissatisfaction. Reluctantly finishing the task, he began to rise from the bath. However, Raquel grabbed his arm with her wet hand, stopping him.
"What’s wrong...?" Naoto asked with an exasperated look. Raquel answered with a serious expression.
"What do you mean? Next, it’s your body. Wash it."
"Please, Raquel-sama!!"
In a burst of energy that even surprised himself, Naoto dropped to his knees in the bath. He thought he had come to the bath to relax. But now he realized that the bath held various potential dangers.
Soaking in the reboiled water, Naoto felt cornered, resting his arms on the edge of the tub. Right in front of him was Raquel, who had just washed her hair and, reluctantly, washed her own body. She was sitting comfortably between Naoto's legs, which were awkwardly bent, hugging her knees in the tub, enjoying the Japanese bath.
How should he feel looking at that? Unsure, Naoto covered his forehead with his hands, leaning against the edge of the tub.
"How are you feeling?" Raquel's voice echoed slightly from in front of him. Naoto returned his gaze.
"Feeling? I mean, it’s fine. I’m really tired, though." Naoto replied, letting out a deep exhale. He had been quite tired during the Isa event, but today…
Between running around and getting covered in sticky fluids, he was mentally exhausted. His body could heal physical wounds quickly enough, but it couldn’t fix his mental state after experiencing death.
Naoto absentmindedly looked at his right hand, the one that had been destroyed and replaced. Then he remembered something.
"Hey, there's something I wanted to ask. During that fight earlier, while I was being chased, I thought my opponent was too fast for me, but as soon as we faced each other, his movements seemed to slow down. And when I punched him, it felt almost too easy taking him down. It was like my body felt a lot lighter than before..." He couldn't quite put it into words, but he definitely felt different from when he was fighting Isa. His body was performing at a much higher level than he expected.
Raquel dropped her gaze to her knees, which were illuminated by her golden eyes.
"I see, so that’s how it is."
"How what is?" Naoto asked, raising an eyebrow as he sat up straighter in the tub.
The water rippled. Breaking through the waves, Raquel touched Naoto's right hand. Perhaps because of the warm water, her usually cool fingertips felt warm now.
"Your right hand is made from my blood. I mentioned that before, remember?" Naoto nodded. He looked at his arm, which still appeared to be an ordinary human arm. "The fusion between my blood and yours is progressing. The vampire blood is starting to mix with your own, strengthening you. ... Normally, this process should be much slower."
"W-wait a minute. Isn't it bad that it's progressing so fast?" Naoto submerged his arm, which Raquel had touched, into the water and instinctively leaned forward. As he got closer to her pale skin, he felt flustered. But at that moment, feelings of embarrassment were secondary.
Raquel, observing Naoto's panic and agitation, blinked her long eyelashes once. "Normally, yes, it would be bad. It means that your transformation into a vampire is advancing faster than it should."
"Wha... wait, then...!"
"The acceleration increased because my father reattached your arm. He overwrote the magic I had used to slow the process.”
Naoto's mind struggled to keep up with the sudden and unexpected information. Raquel’s calm demeanor helped him understand, but once he grasped it, dissatisfaction set in.
So what? It’s great that he was getting stronger, but it was all thanks to Clavis. And because of Clavis, he was going to become a vampire much sooner than expected.
(That old man... doing whatever he wants!)
That meant Raquel's estimate of about a year before he turned into a vampire was no longer reliable. However, his thoughts would soon be swept away by Raquel's next words, spoken with a hint of dissatisfaction.
"The influence of blood fusion... In other words, it's been adjusted so that while the vampire transformation is suppressed, you can still gain strength from the fusion. So even though the blood fusion is progressing, the vampire transformation isn't, and as this fusion continues, you will naturally become stronger."
"Wait, is that really possible...?" Naoto asked with a deflated tone, the frustration he'd felt earlier evaporating.
"Of course it is. After all, it's my father." Her straightforward reply lacked any real explanation, but it was persuasive enough. Naoto nodded, feeling a bit more serious about it.
Raquel rested her chin on her knees. Though her expression was the usual calm mask, she looked somewhat like a sulking child, perhaps upset that her father had modified the arm she had created. Naoto found this aspect of Raquel endearing. While he smiled internally, an idea came to him.
"If that's the case, maybe I could actually fight Spinner properly?"
Naoto's body was no longer that of a normal human. Perhaps the outcome would be different from when he had encountered Spinner in the school hallway a few days ago. But Raquel shook her head firmly.
"That's not going to happen." Her tone was extremely serious. "That's why we're going to fight together."
"Together?" The atmosphere became too serious for any jokes, so Naoto tightened his expression and adjusted his posture slightly in the cramped tub. Raquel's golden eyes were fixed on him, reflecting his bewildered expression. Those eyes, like mirrors reflecting the souls of others, continued to watch him, blinking instead of nodding.
"You won't be the only one fighting. I will fight too. Otherwise... we won't win." Her calm yet sharp declaration carried an undeniable truth.
We won't win.
Naoto didn't have the confidence or foolishness to deny that statement. If Raquel said so, then it was certainly true that they couldn't defeat Spinner.
He needed to become stronger. For the sake of continuing to live as a human.
"Naoto." Raquel whispered, her voice echoing softly. She released her knees, placing her palms on the bottom of the tub, and slid closer to him.
"Y-yeah...?"
As she crossed the imaginary boundary Naoto had subconsciously set in the middle of the tub, she leaned in closer, looking up at him from a short distance and placing her hand on his chest. Her hand was warm. Her white cheeks were tinged with a soft pink, as if to show that blood flowed through her veins just like any human.
"Promise me. That you will definitely obtain the 'Azure.'" Her voice, filled with a mystical resonance, slipped from her slightly parted lips and flowed directly into Naoto's heart. Her voice, both demonic and pure as a vampire, was enigmatic, whether due to her knowledge or her ignorance.
Naoto couldn't tell if the warm air tickling his chest came from Raquel's breath or the steam from the bath.
"I... I get it. If I don't, things will get pretty messy, right? I have to get it." Unable to look away from her golden eyes, Naoto replied, determined to resist the pull. He felt something was different about her today. It wasn't like Raquel. Her gestures and voice were unusually weak and leaning.
Raquel's hand slid across Naoto's chest, clinging to his left arm, his human body.
“You are my servant. My possession, in a way. You have a duty to serve me. That’s why…” She spoke with an unusual intensity, creating a humid atmosphere in the already hot bath. Naoto leaned back slightly. As if he had lost his balance at a slightly different angle, Raquel's body and nose came closer.
Right in front of Naoto, Raquel's eyes blinked. The bright gold color flowed like liquid.
"Fight for me, obtain the 'Azure' for me... and then..." Raquel's words trailed off before she could finish. Naoto didn't know if she intended to continue or not. Honestly, he didn't care anymore.
Raquel stopped talking, her lips trembling, and then she fell face-first into the bath, as if being drawn in.
She had fainted.
It was heatstroke.
A cool night breeze flowed in through the slightly opened window.
The night had grown late, almost approaching morning. No voices could be heard from outside.
It was quiet, almost as if time had stopped. At this hour, he would usually be in bed, wrapped up in his blankets.
Naoto fanned himself, feeling incredibly sleepy.
The fan had been distributed by a pachinko parlor near the station during the summer, but he never expected he would need it at this time of year.
Carefully avoiding overheating, the gentle breeze brushed over him as he lay weakly on the futon spread out in the tatami room, where Raquel lay. Raquel, in the pajamas he had managed to put on her, lay weakly on the futon spread out on the tatami mat, her vampire cheeks flushed red.
Frowning weakly, she complained in a thin voice, her head spinning. “Ugh... ugh, what... happened to me..."
"Yeah, yeah," Naoto murmured as he waved the fan, "I know."
In Naoto's eyes, he could see an abnormally low number hovering over Raquel's head. It was probably much lower than it had been before her bath. But with a number this low, he couldn't tell exactly how weak she was. All he knew was that this was someone with extraordinary vitality, a vampire. And yet, she had fainted from heatstroke. It was both impressive and baffling.
"Okay, okay. Just go to sleep now... please, just go to sleep..." He wanted nothing more than for her to get some rest.
The clock was approaching four. Naoto sighed. He had school tomorrow…
Part 2
This town was like a maze. They must have been trying to cram as many buildings into a small area as possible. They'd created a network of narrow alleyways and lined them with buildings like walls. And yet, there were buildings and floors where fights were allowed to break out, creating holes in this orderly structure. It was incredibly inefficient and disorganized.
But this chaotic cityscape was a perfect environment for those who lurked in the shadows.
The moonlight sliced through the night sky, casting deep, bottomless shadows between the buildings.
A man walking through the shadowy alley paused at the entrance of a derelict building, its gaping mouth inviting him deeper into the abyss.
It was late at night, and everything was quiet. If he listened closely, he could hear the sound of a motorcycle roaring down the street or the laughter of young people gathered at the station plaza. But the man was not interested in such things. He climbed slowly up to the third floor of the building, as if savoring the exploration of this abandoned place.
The building had probably housed several shops and offices at one time, but now there were no signs of human activity on any floor. The third floor was no different. A large, empty space stretched out beyond a rectangular opening where a door must have once been.
The air was dusty. The windows, though cracked, were still tightly shut, preserving the stagnant air inside.
"It was a comfortable place."
A faint light from outside filtered through the window, illuminating the room.
The man who stepped into the dim light was tall and thin, with unusually long limbs. His hair, neatly combed and styled, was a gray color similar to that of weathered concrete, and his narrow eyes were a deep, murky black. A large tattoo, the meaning of which was unclear, marred his pale, thin face.
He was Spinner Superior. Existing since ancient times, he had hidden the great power of "magic" out of fear of human malice. He had broken free from the Mage’s Guild and walked the noble path of his own exploration.
Carrying abundant knowledge and ambition, he stepped into the room and looked around. He soon discovered what he was looking for.
It was in the back of the room, lying against the wall. It was a giant, caterpillar-like creature with a body of a deep blue color. It had a large mouth on its head, big enough to devour itself, which it used to capture and consume its prey.
But the creature, which was at least a meter long, was now in pieces. It had been hacked to pieces with a sharp weapon, incredibly quickly. Although it had been subjected to countless blows, from a distance, the deformed creature still retained the silhouette of a caterpillar.
A great deal of bodily fluid had splattered everywhere, even reaching the ceiling. The smell that filled the room was mainly that of the creature's bodily fluid.
But... there was something else.
"A girl, was it?" Pointing a long, sharp finger at the air, Spinner tried to identify the faint remaining scent. Then, he looked down at the creature that was now being devoured.
The Apostle, who had transformed into an insect, had been killed only a short time ago. But whoever had done it was no longer nearby.
"What a beautiful cut. A bit too ornate, but full of vitality and beauty..." he murmured, as if singing to no one in particular, and knelt beside the remains of the creature. He inserted his joined index and middle fingers into one of the deepest, sharpest cuts. The sound of flesh and wet fluid was almost obscene.
"This is..."
With his finger still embedded in the creature, Spinner's narrow eyes widened. He twisted his finger, taking more flesh from the fresh cut. Droplets of bodily fluid dripped onto his palm as he took a deep sniff. He could feel it. The aura of the one who had cut up the acidic Apostle.
Spinner smiled, his wire-thin arms and the delicate frame that supported them trembling with excitement. He couldn’t contain the pressure that was swelling from within. It was as if everything was aligning perfectly with his desires.
"Oh, what fate, what destiny! I never imagined that the 'Soul Eater' would appear at such a moment... This is surely the world's desire, no, the 'Azure's' desire. The 'Azure' must be guiding me towards the truth!”
There was no longer any need to create more Apostles and hide them among the masses. Everything he needed was already gathered around him.
Spinner hurled the Apostle’s flesh, which he held in his palm, toward the ceiling, as if offering heartfelt gratitude to the heavens, scattering blessings like flowers.
“I won't keep you waiting much longer, Raquel Alucard... Soon, you will be mine. I eagerly await the day I can hold your slender limbs in my arms.” His voice rose with the rapture of a lovesick maiden as he spoke his love to the distant white moon high above the ceiling. “Let us begin... for the night of our union, when you will become mine.” As Spinner's breath trembled, the creature, having lost its form, collapsed into a blackened mass at his feet.
Yet, the sound of the deformed creature's “kichi kichi” echoed through the room.
The night grew deeper. The moon in the sky gradually rounded. Soon, the moon would be a perfect circle.
Surely, its radiance would reach the twin eyes of the beautiful vampire, Raquel Alucard.
Part 3
Under the expansive, clear autumn sky, Naoto, Raquel, and Haruka had come to the rooftop of Shinkawahama First High School. The morning classes had gone smoothly, and they had a few minutes before the afternoon classes began. In other words, it was lunchtime.
Since there were no student council meetings that morning or afternoon, they were finally able to eat lunch together after a long time.
"I got a little carried away and made a lot, so dig in!" Haruka spread out a small leisure sheet she had brought from home and opened a lavish three-tiered bento box at its center.
The contents were just as extravagant as the bento box itself. Starting with Haruka’s signature tamagoyaki, chunky fried chicken, potato salad, and cherry tomatoes—regulars in the Hayami family’s bento—there were also asparagus wrapped in meat, homemade pickles, stir-fried sausage and potatoes, glazed carrots, fried eggplants, and so on, all packed in with a rich variety of colors.
In addition, each of them was given an onigiri wrapped in nori seaweed: two for Naoto and one each for Raquel and Haruka.
Looking at the large onigiri and the extravagant hanami bento spread out before him, Naoto couldn’t help but make a remark. He propped his chin on his hand as he sat cross-legged.
"You know this is for three people, right? There’s no way we can finish all this..." Despite being a high school boy, Naoto wasn't an exceptionally big eater. Of course, neither were Haruka or Raquel.
Haruka must have realized that she had gone overboard. With a slightly embarrassed but happy smile, she said, "But if we each eat one layer, I think we'll be okay."
"If we can eat one layer," Naoto replied.
Considering Haruka and Raquel's usual eating habits, it seemed like quite a stretch. In other words, he would end up eating more than one layer. With that in mind, Naoto accepted the paper plate and chopsticks that Haruka handed him.
A small wet wipe came with it. She was too prepared. It was like a field trip.
"Here you go, Raquel-chan, a plate for you too. Oh, do you want to take something?" Haruka handed Raquel a paper plate and fork with a cheerful smile.
Until then, Raquel had been staring intently at the bento without saying a word. When she was called, she looked up in surprise.
"U-uh, um, anything is... fine, I guess."
"Okay, then I’ll just grab whatever..." Haruka’s serving chopsticks wandered over the bento, nimbly picking up various side dishes. Following her lead, Naoto also took some side dishes for his plate and put his hands together.
"Itadakimasu!"
The first thing Naoto chose was the tamagoyaki. Perfectly round and fluffy, it was subtly sweet. The familiar taste brought him a sense of relief.
"How is it?" Haruka leaned in with a hint of expectation as she passed a plate piled with a balanced mix of meat and vegetables to Raquel. After chewing carefully and swallowing, Naoto nodded vigorously.
"Yeah, it's delicious. Well, it's always good."
"I'm glad! Fufufu, Nao-kun is so good at complimenting people."
"What’s that supposed to mean? And you’re pretty cheerful today," he said, glancing at Raquel beside him.
Raquel, who was holding a piece of carrot gratin with her fork, nodded seriously. "Somehow... it feels like there are flowers blooming all around me."
Wondering why she was in such a good mood, Raquel bit into the glazed carrot. Immediately, her eyes sparkled.
Although not as obvious as Haruka, Raquel was also very easy to read in situations like this. Naoto couldn't help but smile and took a bite of his onigiri. He didn’t mind the feeling of the nori seaweed stretching as he bit into the rice.
Mimicking him, Haruka took a bite of her rice ball. "Well, I haven't had breakfast or lunch together for about a week."
"But you’ve been eating dinner with us, right?"
A week was a bit of an exaggeration. Naoto stuffed his mouth with fried chicken, the fragrant ginger warming his stomach.
"Yeah, but... but it's been a long time since we've had breakfast and lunch together, right?"
"I guess so."
It was true. Naoto had felt a little lonely during lunches without Haruka's bento, and the mornings when Haruka didn't come to wake him up had been a rush every minute of every day.
(I need to become more independent)
This was like being a child dependent on his mother. Naoto reached for the meat-wrapped vegetables while reflecting on this.
"Hey, Nao-kun, there's something I wanted to ask you, remember?" Haruka began hesitantly, setting her plate aside and poking a small straw into her strawberry milk carton. She smiled shyly, and the pink in her cheeks deepened slightly. Naoto tilted his head, not understanding what she was talking about.
"Remember what?"
"I mean, the other day, when Saya-chan came to your house."
"Oh, right. I caused a bit of trouble then..." Before Naoto could finish his sentence, Haruka interrupted him in a flustered tone. She leaned forward, almost crushing the juice carton in her lap.
"No, it's not that! Before that! Before Saya came... um..." She trailed off. But even Naoto, dense as he was, figured out what she was trying to say.
"Ah..." He didn't know how to respond. He looked around, confused. He hadn't meant to, but he was suddenly reminded of that day. It was a cool afternoon, and they had been on the balcony with the laundry flapping in the breeze. They had kissed…
“It’s my first time,” Haruka had said with a smile. Remembering the look on Haruka’s face, Naoto felt a pang of guilt in his chest. He had forgotten. He had lied to Haruka that day. The kiss had probably been very important to her.
"Y-yeah, I remember, but..." A hint of guilt made Naoto's words falter. He ended up sounding evasive. He took a sip from the café au lait pack to cover his embarrassment.
But Haruka smiled, relieved, and placed her hand on her chest. "I-I'm glad. No, it's not that. I mean, it's nothing… It’s a bit lonely, but it’s not like I want you to do anything about it…"
Haruka's words became tangled and she started to speak faster. Naoto couldn't keep up and opened his mouth in confusion.
Noticing his expression, Haruka closed her mouth as if coming to her senses. After taking a deep breath, she shrugged her shoulders with a shy smile. "Um... so, I just wanted to spend more time with you, Nao-kun. I'm happy that we have even a little time together like this. That's all."
"O-oh, I see," Naoto replied, feeling a little embarrassed. He scratched the back of his head with his chopsticks and took a bite of his onigiri. The taste of the pickled plum was refreshing.
"Haruka really wants to be with you, Naoto," Raquel chimed in, having been quietly listening to their conversation while diligently eating her tamagoyaki.
Haruka jumped slightly, her hand flying to her chest. "Huh? Oh, um… yeah." At first, she was flustered, but then she nodded honestly. She smiled, making Naoto even more unsure of what to do.
Haruka held the strawberry milk carton in her lap and looked up at Raquel with a serious expression. Her kind, big eyes were fixed directly on Raquel. "Of course, I want to be with Raquel-chan too. Family is supposed to be together, right? Raquel-chan is almost like family to me too." She tilted her head and smiled.
Raquel, who was just about to put a piece of tamagoyaki in her mouth, rounded her eyes and looked down, seeming perplexed.
Naoto, who had grown accustomed to Raquel's expressions, couldn't tell if she was happy or not. But Haruka seemed to take it positively. With the same cheerful expression she had when she spread out the bento, she picked up a piece of cauliflower from the pickles she had made.
(Family...)
Naoto pondered this bitter thought. For Naoto, his family was more like Haruka and Yuki than his blood-related sister. But they weren't his real siblings or mother.
His real sister was Saya. No matter what the circumstances, no matter what grudges he held.
He had lied to Haruka. The first person he had ever kissed was Saya. And it hadn't been a loving kiss. Five years ago, on the day Saya had killed his family with Soul Eater, she had forced herself on him. She had said it was the most efficient way to drain his life force.
"Right! Hey, once the culture festival is over, the student council work will settle down. Why don’t we all go out somewhere together?"
"Yeah, I guess so," Naoto replied, nodding to Haruka's cheerful voice, but his mind wasn't on his friend.
Despite the beautiful weather and delicious lunch, his head was filled with troubling matters. Saya, Spinner, Apostles, and... the “Azure”.
After tomorrow, classes would end early, and the entire student body would be busy preparing for the cultural festival. There was only a week left until the festival. He wanted to take care of these troublesome matters before then.
(And speaking of Saya... I haven't seen her at all since then)
Given his younger sister’s diligent nature, he had expected to be pursued daily, constantly feeling her threat.
(I wonder where she is right now)
A mix of annoyance, worry, and indignation welled up in his chest, making him feel uneasy. To clear his head, Naoto took a big bite of his onigiri, including the pickled plum.
Part 4
After school, Naoto and Raquel headed towards Shika Street near the station, leaving Haruka behind to do student council work. However, instead of turning onto their usual route to school, they walked straight towards the station. Their destination was a supermarket that Haruka often visited.
It wasn't for casual shopping to pass the time. Haruka had asked them to buy groceries for dinner since she would be working until almost the end of school due to her extra work. Even if they went to the supermarket after school hours, it would still be open until 9:30 PM, so there was plenty of time. But since Haruka always cooked delicious meals without complaining, despite being busy, he felt he should at least do the shopping. Besides, he had a very important mission today. There was a time-limited sale on a pack of ten eggs for only 100 yen, starting at 4 PM.
Haruka had given him a shopping list with a fervent request to buy the eggs no matter what, and her determination had made Naoto flinch. She would definitely make a capable wife.
"Let's look around this area tonight," Raquel suggested, more like a statement than a question, as she looked around the street lined with stylish streetlights.
What they were searching for was Spinner's Apostles. Naoto sighed, his shoulders slumping wearily. He understood that he needed combat experience to defeat Spinner, and the thought of creatures like Apostles lurking in his familiar town made him feel uneasy. But he couldn't bring himself to clench his fist and say, "Let's do this."
Honestly, he wished he could pretend that the Apostles and Spinner didn't exist and return to the peaceful days of old.
"Speaking of which, Raquel," he turned to his side, intending to ask how many Apostles might be lurking around here, especially near the station.
But... Raquel was gone.
(No way...)
It wasn't that Raquel had disappeared. Something was happening all around Naoto.
All the sounds had ceased. The murmur of people, the sound of footsteps, even the barking of dogs on walks. There was no sound of cars, bicycles, or trains. Not even the wind.
In the unnatural silence, Naoto realized it wasn't just the sounds that were missing. Everything that made sounds was gone. The people walking through the bustling streets had vanished. There was no one. The city was still, as if time had stopped, and an empty, hollow feeling spread around Naoto.
He had seen this before.
It was when he was going to school with Haruka that morning. Suddenly, everyone had disappeared, and when he turned around, there was a girl there. She had golden hair tied in two pigtails, with large ribbons like rabbit ears. She looked a bit like Raquel, but she was much younger.
Recalling that memory, Naoto swallowed hard and looked behind him. The familiar scenery he had walked through was once again devoid of people. At the end of the straight path, a single figure stood still.
"Wha…" Naoto felt a jolt of surprise at the "figure," and his breath caught in his throat. He instinctively took a step back.
The being with crimson eyes staring intently at him was not a girl with blonde hair and black ribbons… but a stunningly beautiful man with long, glossy black hair cascading down his back.
Clavis Alucard.
In this ambiguous, surreal space, where it was hard to distinguish dream from reality, he was the only one exuding an aura that felt like a blend of awe and a cutting pain.
He approached slowly, gliding towards Naoto. The distance of about five meters was closed in a single breath.
Naoto was breathless. He looked up at the man who had suddenly appeared in front of him, feeling as if he were much taller, even though their heights were not so different.
He couldn't look away. It wasn't just his gaze; every part of his consciousness was drawn in, making him feel that if he wavered even slightly, he would lose his head. Those crimson eyes naturally instilled a primal fear as they looked at Naoto and suddenly softened.
"It’s been a long time, Naoto Kurogane." The soft, sweet voice was gentle, yet it held a power that seemed to command the very air itself.
Naoto swallowed involuntarily and asked, his voice strained, "Why... are you here...?"
It was absurd. He didn't even understand where he was, or whether this was reality or not, yet he couldn't judge whether it was unnatural for Clavis to appear here. Rather, it was Naoto who was being left behind in the situation.
Clavis narrowed his terrifyingly beautiful eyes and deepened his smile. "You speak as if you know where 'here' is."
"Well, it happened before. Something similar, where everyone disappeared. But it wasn't you I saw then." Clavis's tone didn’t seem particularly responsive, yet Naoto felt a chill deep in his gut and began to string together words of explanation.
As he spoke, he realized something. The previous encounter, when he had entered a dreamlike state where time seemed to pause, had only lasted a few seconds. He hadn't been able to move his body as he wanted, and he hadn't been able to ask the girl who appeared who she was.
But now it was different. Though the reality felt distant, the fear he felt towards Clavis was all too close, and he could speak freely.
"Hmm... So there is someone else who has intervened with you," Clavis mused, bringing his porcelain-white fingers to his lips.
It was a shame that he had involuntarily stiffened at such a small gesture. Trying to forget his obvious reaction, Naoto pretended to be calm and asked, "Intervened?"
To Naoto's question, Clavis replied in a sweet voice, "Phenomenon Intervention."
It was a word he had never heard before. The strange sound gave Naoto a slight dizziness. Perhaps it wasn't a word he was supposed to know. For some reason, he felt that way, and he pressed his temples. For Clavis, however, it seemed to be a perfectly ordinary word, as he needed a few seconds to think before explaining it verbally.
"It refers to the 'Azure’s' power to manipulate the possibilities that could arise by interfering with the flow of time. However, I lack the power to trigger Phenomenon Intervention. This is just a poor imitation. I can only stop the flow of time; I cannot interfere with the possibilities."
"So... you're stopping time?"
"Yes, that's right." His gaze, which had momentarily drifted away, returned to Naoto. Just that was enough to make Naoto…
Naoto had to swallow hard to keep from choking. He swallowed the tightness in his chest along with the stale air and shook his head.
"For someone like me, just being able to stop time is impressive enough... It’s kind of god-like, isn’t it?" he said, a bit sarcastically. After he said it, he wondered if that sounded a bit sarcastic, but Naoto didn’t feel like retracting his words. There were beings that could manipulate time and possibilities.
Borrowing a phrase from Kiiro, it was a "threat." Despite such manipulations, ordinary people like him remained ignorant and vulnerable to being toyed with by "someone."
With his brow furrowed in irritation rather than confusion, Naoto watched as Clavis shrugged and chuckled.
"That's quite a cynical view. As you say, it is the work of someone who is not human," Clavis said.
Although Clavis's smile seemed bright, Naoto felt a sense of dread creep down his spine. Perhaps it was because of the crimson eyes that peered at him from behind his long, doll-like hair, still curved in a smile.
Maintaining his smile, Clavis continued in a gentle yet unsettling tone, as if he were holding Naoto's heart in his hand. "You don't need to understand the rules of the outside world. And you certainly don't need to worry about this barren place where time is simply suspended, devoid of any possibilities. This is merely a means to an end. It's not my goal."
Naoto furrowed his brow, puzzled. "Do you want something from me...?"
"I wanted to have a leisurely chat with you. In a place where no one can disturb us," Clavis's lips twisted into a wry smile.
By "disturb," he probably meant the Mitsurugi Agency. With Clavis appearing in this city, Kiiro and the organization would be frantically searching for him. There was also the possibility that this included Raquel. Naoto felt a nagging sense of unease at being invited into this "barren place" while ignoring Raquel.
"What do you want to talk about?" Naoto asked, his voice tense. It was unhealthy for him to be alone with this incredibly beautiful and intimidating vampire. But at the same time, he was very curious about why Clavis wanted to talk to him so much.
The crimson eyes slowly scanned Naoto's entire body, painting him in a pool of blood-red color.
"I want to know why Raquel chose you," Clavis said.
Naoto made a small sound in his throat. “Chose” was the word Clavis used, both now and before.
"How would I know that?" Naoto shook his head, his face contorted in confusion. "You should ask her that."
"If that were possible, parents in this world could live a little more easily."
"Wh-what...?" Naoto was speechless. He hadn't expected such a domestic statement from this man. "I don't know... It's not that I was chosen. It's more like I was rescued by Raquel by accident.”
"I see... Well, then, let me rephrase my question. Naoto, what do you intend to do with the 'Azure'?"
The moment Naoto was called by his name, he flinched involuntarily. It felt like his heart was being squeezed in a vise, and now someone was lightly scratching at it. But he couldn't cower like this forever. Naoto took a deep breath and looked straight at Clavis.
"Of course, I want to return to being human and have a normal life," he said.
In less than a year, Naoto would become a vampire and lose his self and reason. He had to return to normal before then. A completely ordinary human. He would use the “Azure” or anything else to achieve that. And if he could erase Saya's annoying Drive, that would be even better.
"As I said before... if you wish, I will take appropriate measures to prevent you from becoming a vampire. I promise to fulfill your wish to return to being human if I obtain the 'Azure'."
"So, you want me to get Raquel to back off?" Naoto retorted reflexively. His tone turned somewhat aggressive without him realizing it.
As if in a flashback, Naoto remembered the first time Clavis had appeared. Raquel, who was usually arrogant and condescending, had cowered. Yet she had said that they would obtain the “Azure”.
"Do you not trust me?" Clavis asked with a cold smile. It was just a whisper, but it felt like a sharp blade to the throat.
Clenching his fist to steady himself, Naoto replied firmly, "It's not that. It's just that I trust Raquel more than you."
"I see," Clavis smiled. It was the smile of someone who wasn't human, a smile that didn't reveal what he was thinking.
"Can I ask you something?" Naoto asked, challenging him. Clavis extended his hand, as if to offer a truce.
"Go ahead."
"You..." Naoto hesitated for a few seconds, unsure of what to say. He couldn't think of the right words. He roughly scratched his head and gave up trying to find the right words. "I heard it from someone at the Mitsurugi Agency. You... you're the one from the mass disappearance incident, right? They say you made a huge number of people vanish all over the world. Is that true?"
"Yes, it is." Clavis replied without hesitation or doubt.
“Wha-” It was a surprisingly straightforward confirmation, devoid of hesitation or doubt. Naoto was taken aback and took half a step back. He wasn't expecting a denial. Nor did he want an apology or confession. But the answer that slipped out was far too casual.
Part 5
Before Naoto could ask why, Clavis, with his usual calm yet ominous voice, interrupted.
"Do you want to know what happened?" Naoto nodded eagerly.
In that instant, the surrounding scenery shifted as if curtains were being drawn. Naoto looked around in confusion. The bustling evening streets were gone, replaced by a dimly lit, gloomy atmosphere. The buildings, once crowded together with bright signs and logos, now looked like abandoned ruins.
The place looked familiar. It was an abandoned apartment complex.
In the deserted twilight of the complex, Naoto stood facing Clavis on a winding promenade.
"I have been fighting for some time to eliminate a certain Drive." Although the sky was still bright with evening light, the housing complex seemed to have welcomed twilight earlier than the rest, cast in a faint, eerie darkness. Against this unsettling backdrop, Clavis gazed around with a nostalgic look in his blood-red eyes.
"Five years ago, I fought someone with the Drive in question here. But it wasn’t easy. Many people were sacrificed. The number of people I sacrificed to eliminate that single Drive user must have exceeded one hundred thousand."
One hundred twenty-eight thousand nine hundred thirty-two.
Naoto recalled it as if it had fallen from the sky. That was the number of people who disappeared in the "mass disappearance incident" that Kiiro had mentioned, caused by Clavis.
Clavis turned his gaze back to Naoto and continued.
"The name of the Drive I was chasing was... 'Soul Eater'. You already know what that is, don't you?"
Naoto felt as if his heart had been seized. He held his breath, staring in disbelief at what he heard. But there was no doubt—he had heard it. Soul Eater. He couldn't count how many times he'd heard that name in the past few days. It was the power that had taken his family away five years ago, a power he had been unaware of until recently. And it was the Drive that his sister, Saya, possessed.
“That’s when I happened upon this.” Suddenly, Clavis's tone shifted slightly, as if the wind had changed.
(Has it become more colorful...?)
It was a subtle change, too subtle to be certain, but it left a distinct impression, and Clavis held out his white hand towards Naoto, palm up. In his hand, as if inviting him to dance, was a blue sphere. It was a bit too large to be held in a fist. Yet, it was the size of a marble, smooth and without a scratch. It was flawless, clear, and yet seemed to flicker faintly like a flame.
"Do you know what this is?" Clavis asked, implying that Naoto should know. The sphere in Clavis's palm glowed faintly. It was a dull, blue glow, as if ink had been dropped into water. A black blotch formed at the top of the sphere. It was like a few drops of ink had been dropped into water.
The smudged black gradually took shape. It was a symbol, and for Naoto, it was a number. It was the number that always appeared above people's heads, representing their life force. A vast eight-digit number floated above the blue sphere.
"This is..." Naoto knew that number. After all, he had just seen it next to him a moment ago. Naoto looked up at Clavis, his eyes wide with confusion. He didn't know how to interpret what he had seen and understood.
Clavis nodded slowly, as if reassuring him.
"Yes. This is Raquel."
"B-but this is!"
It was just a sphere. It didn't have her bright golden hair or her innocent golden eyes.
Clavis nodded heavily, as if confirming.
"To be more precise, I should say this is something that will eventually take the form of Raquel... This is the result of the countless lives I sacrificed. It has come together to form a blue crystal - an 'Embryo'."
Embryo, a term referring to a developing organism before it becomes a fetus.
"And this is also the key to the Azure."
"The key to the Azure?"
In other words, it was necessary to reach the Azure. Naoto stared at the blue sphere in Clavis's hand, as if drawn to it.
This is Raquel.
Does this mean that Raquel was created from this little sphere? From more than 120,000 lost lives? Naoto couldn’t understand it. He could only accept Clavis' words as they were and memorize them.
Clavis sighed softly, like velvet rubbing against velvet. His expression softened as he exhaled, a faint smile appearing.
"That key to the Azure, Raquel, has chosen 'Naoto Kurogane' as a partner in the pursuit of the Azure. Moreover, your sister happens to be a Drive user of that powerful Soul Eater. I think it’s only natural that I would take a special interest in you," he said, and Naoto felt a chill run down his spine at the smile.
Thinking back, it might have been obvious all along. But Clavis knew—he knew about Naoto's sister Saya and the Soul Eater she possessed, which he had presumably defeated at a great cost. Though it wasn’t stated outright, he probably also knew that Saya had appeared before Naoto.
(I take it back... I can’t trust Clavis Alucard.)
What he knew was different. What he saw was different. The place he stood was different. The sense of superiority he felt towards Raquel was on a different level. It was higher, farther away, and it felt strangely out of sync. Trusting him wholeheartedly would mean submitting to his transcendence.
"Why does someone as powerful as you want the 'Azure'? You can do anything without it, can't you?" Naoto asked his question naturally.
He had said it earlier. Clavis had said that he could somehow undo Naoto's transformation into a vampire, something that Raquel couldn't do without the Azure. Whether that "somehow" would be in a way that Naoto desired was another matter entirely.
Clavis gently closed his hand around the blue sphere. Was it a chicken? When his white fingers opened again, the mysterious sphere was gone. With a calm gaze, Clavis looked at his empty hand.
"There are countless things I cannot do. I want to return the world to the hands of humans. For that, I need the Azure." Once again, his red gaze slid back to Naoto, as if to pin him down like an insect. Avoiding the sharp pin, Naoto turned his eyes to Clavis's beautiful hands, whose beauty seemed unbecoming for a man.
"I don't really get it. What do you mean by returning to human hands?"
"It's exactly what it sounds like... Naoto Kurogane, what do you think of me?"
“Huh? What do you mean?” After a pause, Naoto turned to Clavis, who asked to change the subject, with a look of confusion on his face.
Honestly, he would say 'monster'. But was it appropriate to say that to his face?
As if seeing through Naoto's hesitation, Clavis chuckled.
"You can say whatever you want. To put it simply, I am a 'monster.'" Ignoring Naoto's apprehension, Clavis himself said the words Naoto had tried to avoid. Naoto couldn’t help but frown. Imagining how it felt for someone to call himself a monster filled him with a deep sense of loneliness. Yet Clavis continued without changing his expression.
"Beings that are not human... That’s what Drives create. It’s a power that exceeds what a person should have. Monsters are unnecessary in this world. That's why I want to erase monsters... and the Drives that cause them from this world.”
"Erase Drives? Wait, but that means..." Naoto hesitated, biting his lip. He remembered Raquel's words. Clavis, born from the Azure, was a Drive himself. If Clavis wanted to "erase Drives from this world"...
Clavis quickly answered the question that was weighing on Naoto's mind.
"Listen, Naoto. There shouldn’t be monsters like me. They shouldn’t exist. I intend to obtain the 'Azure' to erase 'myself' and everything like me."
In other words, to erase himself along with all Drives.
Understanding the meaning, Naoto didn't know what to say. He felt a bit confused. What exactly was the 'Azure'? He pondered this in the back of his mind. He had heard it was the power that made all possibilities possible.
Naoto wanted to use it to live as a human. On the other hand, Clavis, who sought the same thing, wanted to use it to die as a monster.
"...It's almost time." Suddenly looking up at the void, Clavis murmured in a slightly troubled tone. Narrowing his crimson eyes, he ran his fingers through his beautiful, glossy black hair before turning back to Naoto. "Naoto Kurogane, let me give you one last piece of advice. If you continue to seek the Azure, you will cease to be yourself. You will suffer more than you do now. Even so... will you seek the Azure?"
It felt like a threat, yet it wasn’t. It was just a question, as if questioning his resolve.
Naoto couldn’t see his true intentions. He buried his hand in his hair, messing it up, and responded cautiously.
"...Even if I don't, I'm going to become a vampire, right?" If he lost his sense of self, he might attack the people around him. He might kill the people he cared about. He couldn’t imagine what kind of suffering could be worse than that.
Naoto lifted his chin, answering firmly with a glare.
"Then it’s the same either way. Besides, I promised Raquel. I will get the Azure..."
Raquel is probably doubling down on that promise.
Clavis smiled, a blend of amusement and something darker.
"Would you still seek the Azure even if it meant fighting me?" The vampire casually spoke, his words threatening.
Naoto's expression twisted.
"W-Well, if it comes to that, I hope you’ll go easy on me," he stammered. Even now, facing Spinner, Raquel had told him he had no chance of winning. There was no way he could face Clavis head-on.
Clavis burst out laughing, revealing the most cheerful smile he had ever seen.
"I can show mercy. I promise to end it before you suffer."
Was he joking, or was he serious?
What was certain was that those words, tossed out in jest, pierced Naoto’s heart with fear. It would be effortless. With just a flick of those white fingertips, he could end Naoto’s lift as many times as he wanted.
"Ha... are you serious...?" Naoto wanted to slap himself for having the courage to say that much. He realized too late that he had stepped into forbidden territory. A feeling of unease gnawed at his stomach. But in an instant, Naoto was released from both that unease and the beautiful terror smiling before him.
"...To. Naoto? Are you even listening to me?"
"Huh...? W-What?" Startled by the reprimanding voice that came from beside him and slightly below, Naoto, flustered, took several steps back. The bustling crowd surged around him, overwhelming his thoughts. Voices from all directions flooded in, the air shifting.
Beside Naoto stood Raquel, looking concerned. Her sharp, captivating eyes fixated on him, glaring intently.
"Finally, you've looked at me. You've been so lost in thought since a while ago... Are you really serious about your training?"
"Training...?" It took a moment for his slow mind to understand that she was referring to exterminating Spinner's apostles. "Oh, yeah, of course," Naoto managed to squeeze out, his throat dry. He unconsciously put his hand to his forehead.
(Another... dream?)
But it didn’t seem to be the case. Naoto quickly pulled his hand away to look closely.
Something was off. It wasn’t just his palm; there was cold sweat beading where he had touched his forehead.
(Was I that scared?)
The memories weren’t vague like those after waking from a dream. They were clear. He remembered the exact distance between him and Clavis, and what they had talked about, whether it was in the deserted city or the empty apartment complex. What he had been told.
"Hey Raquel. Looks like he’s going to finish me off before I have a chance to suffer too much. That's kind of a relief." Naoto chuckled wryly, but Raquel seemed to get even more irritated. She tugged hard on his sleeve.
"What nonsense are you talking about? Honestly, what trivial thoughts have been filling your head? I can’t believe your mind is capable of ignoring my words."
"… Why are you so angry?"
For once, Raquel was expressing her emotions openly. No, it wasn't so much anger as it was frustration. A simmering resentment at Naoto for not listening to her. But Naoto was puzzled.
She had made sarcastic comments before, but had she ever conveyed her emotions so clearly? Of course, compared to the girls in their class, her anger was more restrained, but it was still a surprisingly expressive display for Raquel.
“I’m not angry at all.” She said, turning away and sulking.
"You are, clearly," he retorted.
"I told you I'm not!" she insisted, even more stubbornly.
Naoto couldn't help but chuckle. Was she acting like a child? He wondered if Clavis had ever seen this kind of expression from her.
"Okay, okay, my bad." If he kept laughing, he would just make Raquel angrier. Trying to suppress the laughter welling up inside him, Naoto raised his hands in surrender. At that, Raquel's expression suddenly changed. The anger that had been there a moment ago disappeared as if it had never existed, replaced by a dazed look as she looked up at Naoto. Naoto tilted his head, wondering what was going on.
At that moment, Raquel saw something. She saw the shadow of another man behind Naoto. It was a shadow, a hazy memory. But it was the presence of someone "Raquel" shouldn’t have known.
It was like a scene from the distant past, or a view of the distant future. It was vague and indistinct, but strangely, it moved Raquel's heart. She felt a strange affection. For that awkward expression, the way he twisted his mouth into a smile as he looked at her.
"Hey, Raquel..."
Was Raquel experiencing some kind of phenomenon interference? Thinking that as a half-hearted joke, Naoto started to speak, but Raquel suddenly turned around, snapping out of her trance.
"This is..." In an instant, the atmosphere around Raquel changed. It was a sharp, needle-like wariness. After a few moments, Raquel said softly, “I can feel the strong… power of the Azure.”
Startled, Naoto scanned his surroundings. All he could see was the ordinary sight of a bustling city. But he knew that beneath it, in the shadows, the seeds of danger had already been sown.
"You mean a Drive, right?"
"Yes, that's right."
Was it Spinner? Or Saya? Or someone else?
"Let's go..." Grabbing his bag tightly with sweaty hands, Naoto said in a low voice. Raquel nodded, her attention focused, and ran towards a path that led to the other side of the station. Naoto hurried to follow her.
The sun was still hanging low in the western sky. It was still too early for the e-wave. But little by little, the town was approaching the time of nightfall.
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