Off the coast of Itogami Island, in the Pacific Ocean.
As evening settled and night slowly approached, the once-vivid blue sea had turned crimson. The sight was ominous—yet, for some reason, strangely tranquil.
Across the waters, ships of unknown nationality, faction, or organization drifted about, and the occasional silhouette of a submarine broke the surface—lingering proof that the chaos from some time ago had yet to fully subside.
In one corner of this now-familiar scene, from the direction of Itogami Island, a streak of light tore across the sky, leaving a long tail of radiance in its wake as it sped toward a distant point.
The light moved fast—breaking the sound barrier with ease, accelerating into supersonic speed. After ten-odd minutes, it reached the airspace above a small island.
It was an uncharted islet, close to Itogami Island yet almost entirely forgotten. Barely two kilometers across at its widest, it could be circled on foot in half a day. Grassland and dense forest covered its crescent-shaped form, and from above, not a single building could be seen—it appeared to be a true, untouched wilderness.
"This should be it."
The streak of light faded to reveal Kaiser, white wings of the White Dragon Emperor unfurled behind him, as he gazed down at the island and confirmed his destination.
This wasn't just any random island—it was part of Itogami Island's administrative territory.
Itogami floated atop a ley line flowing through the ocean—an exceptional spiritual site from a magical perspective—but, being an artificial island, it shared the inherent limitation of not being able to fully block the effects of ocean waves and currents. This made it impossible to perform many types of earth-bound magic there, creating obstacles for demon research and technological development.
To compensate, companies based in the Demon District could apply for government permission to use nearby uninhabited islands under Itogami's jurisdiction as controlled zones, establishing specialized research facilities there.
This particular island belonged to Magus Craft, a renowned manufacturer of industrial-use magical robots.
"Magus Craft…" Kaiser's eyes glinted faintly.
Though famous, the company's fortunes had been in decline recently.
And yet, it was directly connected to Kanon Kanase—because the person who had taken her in five years ago was a researcher from this very company.
Kaiser tried to resume tracking Kanon's spiritual energy, but no matter how he searched, she was gone—as if her presence had vanished entirely. It made him wonder if she'd already left the island.
"…Better take a look."
Retracting his White Dragon Emperor's wings, Kaiser dropped from the sky and landed on a beach at the island's edge.
Thud!
Sand exploded around him as he touched down, a cloud of dust rising. He waved a hand to clear it and stepped forward.
A glance around told him that, while this was no barren wasteland, it was even more lifeless than one. There wasn't a single chirp of bird or insect. He couldn't even summon wildlife as scouts—there was none to be found.
"Should've brought the bird flock with me…" he muttered, scratching his head.
Still, it wasn't much of a problem.
"At worst, it's only two kilometers across. I can just walk it."
With that, he headed toward the forest bordering the beach.
The forest was utterly still, its darkness deepening as night fell—cold, silent, and heavy enough to stir unease.
The thick canopy blocked sunlight even during the day, so little undergrowth grew within. The terrain was level, and here and there, clear streams wound through cracks in the exposed bedrock—pure spring water, no doubt.
Rainfall was abundant in the waters around Itogami, so the island had no shortage of fresh water. But with no birds or beasts, and seemingly no fruit-bearing trees, food would likely be scarce.
For an ordinary person stranded here, survival would be uncertain.
Kaiser, however, was no ordinary person. While he still ate and drank, the immortality granted by the Hōgyoku meant he would never die from hunger or thirst—and he could fly away at any time. The surrounding sea was his domain, courtesy of the Trident.
The forest's darkness posed no challenge—he could see perfectly, and the Eye of Horus made the night his element.
He moved through the woods as if they were empty space, silver short blades orbiting him in a loose formation. They sliced cleanly through obstructing branches and roots, carving a path toward the island's center.
Eventually, he climbed a gentle slope, emerging at the shore of a mist-veiled spring surrounded by trees.
Splash…
The sound of water reached his ears. His gaze shifted instinctively toward one corner of the spring—and froze.
Something impossible had entered his sight.
Moonlight rippled across the surface, highlighting the center of the spring—where a figure stood.
The first thing he saw was a flawless, inviting white—skin, pale as snow.
Wet silver hair clung to a figure both slender and lithe like a fae, yet impossibly voluptuous.
The girl—no, young woman—paused mid-motion, water still cupped in her hands. Slowly, she turned her head toward him, their eyes meeting.
Glacial-blue irises, clear and brilliant as frozen rivers. An exquisite foreign face, the kind that could only be called divine.
"Kanon…" Kaiser's voice slipped out before he could stop it.
Indeed—the resemblance was uncanny. The silver hair, the glacial eyes, the Northern European goddess-like features, the saintly purity of her form—all matched Kanon Kanase exactly as he remembered her.
But in the next instant, he saw the differences.
Her aura was different. Her age, too.
Kanon was pure and innocent like a saint, but this girl combined purity with elegance and nobility. Kanon was a fourteen- or fifteen-year-old middle schooler, her body still growing—this girl was mature, tall, long-limbed, her curves fully developed.
And her eyes—Kanon's gaze was like that of a unicorn's foal: innocent, a little naive, with a trace of loneliness. This girl's were bright, resolute, filled with unshakable conviction and will.
If Kanon was an angel, this was a Valkyrie.
A Valkyrie who, right now, was utterly unguarded—and completely naked.
…
They stared at one another in perfect stillness, as though time itself had stopped.
Then—
Bang!
A flash of light and a sharp report split the air.
The flash was a bullet—one brimming with massive spiritual energy. Its source was the enormous, brass-instrument-like single-shot pistol that had appeared in the Valkyrie's hands without him noticing.
She had drawn it and fired in one motion, the muzzle spitting a blinding bolt straight at him.
Kaiser judged instantly: that shot could punch through steel plating and shatter solid rock.
Without hesitation, one of his silver short blades shot forward.
Shhk!
The blade, sharp enough to cleave space, sliced the glowing bullet in half. The pieces dissolved into nothing.
Bang!
Unfazed, the naked girl fired again, another burst of light screaming toward him as she lunged out of the spring, moving with lithe, predatory grace to reach the shore.
Shhk!
A second blade cut the shot apart, but the girl used the opening to dart into the forest, on the verge of vanishing.
"Bakudō #61: Rikujōkōrō!"
The words left his mouth by reflex. Six beams of light flew in from all sides.
Her reaction was fast—she moved to counter—but the beams were faster, locking around her waist and pinning her in place.
Her expression shifted as she struggled, but no matter how she fought, the glowing restraints did not yield.
"Hadō #4: Byakurai."
Lightning bloomed at his fingertip, lancing toward her in a blinding beam. Her pupils shrank—
Thud!
The bolt punched clean through a head—just not hers.
"…Huh?"
The girl blinked, looking over her shoulder.
At some point, a figure had appeared behind her, gun still raised in a firing stance… before slowly collapsing to the ground.