The main hallway of Raizen High School turned into a chaotic scene. Footsteps echoed through the glass walls, as if fueling the growing tension. Shido walked briskly with a serious face, accompanied by Kurumi, who always wore a faint smile, a smile that was hard to decipher, somewhere between sincerity and playfulness.
That day, their goal was one: to save Tohka. But to achieve it, they would have to overcome an impossible obstacle.
Kurumi covered half of her face with her small hands, her red eyes gleaming coldly.
"Time, Shido-san, has always been the most valuable currency. And we are spending it in the riskiest way possible," she whispered softly.
The shadows on the floor moved, unfolding like a whirlpool. In an instant, Shido and Miku were drawn inside. They fell into a strange world, Kurumi's shadow dimension.
The sky was dark, adorned with giant clocks that ticked slowly, as if each second was a knife approaching their throats.
Shido turned to Miku. The girl stared at him coldly, distantly.
"Miku," Shido's voice was low, filled with tension, "please. Tohka is in danger. I can't save her alone. I need your voice, I need your strength."
Miku snorted, looking away. Her long purple hair swayed gently, contrasting the bitter tone that escaped her lips.
"Why should I believe you? Men only know how to destroy. I've had enough."
Shido clenched his fists. Miku's words stabbed, but he didn't give up. He knew that behind that wall of hatred lay a deeper wound, and he had to find it.
Meanwhile, in the real world, the battlefield erupted into chaos. Kurumi's clones emerged from the shadows, wielding black rifles that fired time bullets. Each blast reversed the flow of movement, some slowing drastically, others speeding up until they were destroyed in an instant.
Kaguya and Yuzuru struggled to hold on. Arrows of light shot out in a barrage, piercing the clones' bodies and exploding into flashes. Yoshino rode Zadkiel through the air, her giant ice doll flapping its wings and raining down a hail of pointed slugs. Dozens of clones vanished, but another shadow quickly spawned a new army.
Kurumi's laughter rang out amidst the din, low and seductive. "Good... fight. Give me a little entertainment until this clock stops."
The explosions mixed with hail, sparks, and the sound of clashing metal, making the school seem like a small battlefield.
In the shadow dimension, Shido was still trying to penetrate the walls of Miku's heart. He had spoken sincerely, had promised his loyalty, but Miku's face remained impassive, as if untouchable.
The giant clocks in the sky trembled. A loud chime echoed, making the entire space crack like glass.
"...No." Shido stared wide-eyed. He knew his time was up.
The shadows began to open again, drawing them out. Kurumi's voice was faint, accompanied by a soft, mocking tone.
"Too bad, Shido-san. Our show is over. Let's retreat for now."
A moment later, they returned to the real world. Shido staggered, his breath ragged. Miku stood nearby, still holding doubt in her eyes, though a flicker of wavering emotion could be seen.
A black mist enveloped the hallway. Kurumi's clones exploded into shadowy fragments, obscuring the view. When the mist cleared, Kurumi, Shido, and Miku were gone as well.
Kaguya fell to her knees, her face covered in sweat.
"It's pointless…" she muttered.
"Confirmation: they have a goal. We're just being toyed with," Yuzuru replied flatly, though his chest heaved heavily.
From above, Yoshino still held Zadkiel, her eyes moist. He could sense this was just the beginning.
…
On the other side of town, in a dimly lit high-rise apartment, Kaito sat alone on the sofa. The room was silent except for the faint sound of a fan. A cup of cold coffee lay on the table, while a holographic screen displayed data from DEM.
He had been waiting for a long time.
When the long siren wailed, the heart of the city trembled. An earthquake alarm sounded, signaling that DEM was beginning a major operation. Red light swirled outside the window, painting the walls with a blood-tinged glow.
Kaito opened his eyes. Their crystal blue glow was cold. He stood up slowly, calmly, without a trace of hesitation.
On the sofa lay the elegant dark attire, the Noir Blade. He put it on with steady movements, then reached for the futuristic mask, its lines faintly glowing. The mask concealed his face, leaving a mysterious aura that pierced the hearts of anyone who saw it.
Staring at his reflection in the windowpane, Kaito whispered in a low, cold voice that cut through the silence.
"…Time to act."
In an instant, his body vanished, leaving behind an empty apartment with curtains fluttering in the night breeze.
…
The night sky above Tengu City had turned into a battlefield. Red and blue lights flashed alternately, explosion after explosion lit up the sky. Hundreds of DEM Bandersnatch units flew like swarms of metal insects, attacking indiscriminately. The rumbling of their engines mingled with the screech of sirens and the sound of buildings collapsing under the impact of energy bullets.
The AST troops tried to withstand the onslaught with all their might. Their armor glinted in the firelight, their wings spread wide, and energy bullets fired in rapid succession at the enemy. But the Bandersnatch were too numerous, seemingly endless.
At the forefront, Mana Takamiya spun rapidly through the air, her maneuvers sharp as a knife. She fired energy bullets at the enemy's engine core, sending several Bandersnatch plummeting to the ground in flames. Meanwhile, Origami Tobiichi moved coldly, emotionless, her body gliding through the air with perfect precision. Each shot struck a vital enemy point, one shot, one kill.
However, before them stood Ellen Mathers, DEM's most powerful mage. With a calm face and a faint smile, Ellen deflected all attacks without seeming the slightest bit pressured. The energy sword in her hand spun gracefully, cutting through the projectiles raining down on her.
"Not bad," Ellen said casually, deflecting Origami's shot with a single swing. "But you know very well, your power isn't enough to take me down."
On the other side, one of the DEM mages formed a massive barrier that reinforced the Bandersnatch army. The already overwhelmed AST attacks were even more unable to penetrate that defense.
The sky was filled with light, but it wasn't a beautiful light. It was a flash of destruction, a never-ending hail of bullets.
Meanwhile, from the top of a tall building, a man stood silently. His black coat fluttered in the night breeze, his face covered by a cold, expressionless, futuristic mask. He simply watched with a sharp gaze, as if gauging every detail of the battle above.
He was Noir Blade. A figure few had seen in person, yet his name and reputation had spread far and wide.
Kaito, or Noir Blade, sighed softly. With a leisurely step, he reached for the hilt of the sword tucked at his waist, Yamato. His movements were simple, even lazy, yet filled with confidence.
In an instant, his body vanished.
All that remained was a blur, moving so fast the naked eye could not follow him. In midair, he cut through the crowd of Bandersnatch, his sword swinging at an unfathomable speed. Each swing left a thin, invisible line, as if space itself were being torn apart by the blade.
There was no loud clash, no war cry. Only a tense silence.
Then, with one smooth movement, Kaito re-sheathed Yamato.
Click.
The small sound echoed clearly in his ears, though drowned out by the din of battle. And as if on cue, something terrible happened.
The hundreds of Bandersnatch that filled the sky suddenly fell silent. In an instant, their metallic bodies were torn into perfect pieces. Some were sliced horizontally, some vertically, and many shattered diagonally.
A series of explosions colored the sky. Metal fragments and flames flew, creating a terrifying yet beautiful sight—like an artificial meteor shower. In an instant, the sky, once filled with enemies, was now empty, leaving only fragments slowly falling to the ground.
The previously desperate AST could only stand frozen in place. Several pilots stared open-mouthed, unable to believe what had just happened.
"W-what… what just…?" one of them muttered in a trembling voice.
The AST lieutenant, who was overseeing the battle, glanced around, trying to find an answer. Finally, something caught his eye.
Atop one of the tall buildings stood a figure.
A man in a dark coat, a futuristic mask with a faint glow, and a chilling aura that sent shivers down anyone's spine. He stood tall, composed, as if this entire chaos meant nothing to him.
The lieutenant's pupils constricted drastically. His breath hitched. He knew exactly who he was looking at.
Hands trembling, he picked up the communicator, his voice nervous and almost trembling.
"Noir… Blade…"
The communication channel suddenly fell silent. The name, known only from rumors, was now real before them. Noir Blade, the mysterious shadow that appeared suddenly on the battlefield, only to vanish after slaughtering the enemy in an instant.
Ellen paused, her eyes narrowing at the building. "So, you finally appear…" she said coldly, her voice almost threatening.
Origami turned her head, her breathing still heavy after the brief duel. Her eyes widened slightly, then narrowed in alarm. The figure's aura was different, sharp and oppressive. She gripped her sword tightly, her body tensing. She had only one conclusion in her mind: the being there was no ordinary ally or enemy. The Noir Blade was a dangerous, unpredictable variable.
On the rooftop, Kaito stood still. The night wind ruffled his coat, his silhouette like a dark shadow refusing to submit to the laws of the world. He didn't speak, simply staring up at the sky, now filled with falling debris. The silence he created was more terrifying than any war cry.
And that night, all AST, DEM, and Origami realized the same thing. The battle in the sky had just changed direction. Because the shadow known as the Noir Blade had entered the stage.