Aboard the Fraxinus, the holographic screens filling the control room trembled slightly as the explosions and flashes of battle in Raizen's skies were recorded in real time. The Ratatoskr crew bustled about, their fingers dancing rapidly across the control panels, reporting the AST's condition, DEM's position, and the spirits' movements. Kotori sat in her chair, staring intently, even as her heart rate accelerated.
The aerial battle was utter chaos. Hundreds of Bandersnatch units lined up like swarms of artificial insects, attacking mercilessly. The vastly outnumbered AST appeared to be under pressure, and even the presence of Origami and Mana, fighting fiercely, was insufficient to counter the pressure. However, in the midst of this situation, something incredible happened.
In an instant, the hundreds of Bandersnatch flying through the air seemed to be sliced apart by invisible blades. The sound of ripping metal echoed, and the machines' bodies fell apart, sliced horizontally, vertically, and even diagonally. Small explosions colored the night sky, the shining metal fragments reflecting in the moonlight. Everyone on the Fraxinus fell silent for a few seconds, even the sound of their breathing audible.
"What… just happened?" muttered one of the crew members, his face pale.
Kotori, who had been squinting, straightened. "Zoom the camera in the direction of the source." Her voice trembled slightly, but remained firm.
The camera immediately panned, focusing on one of the tall buildings in the area. There, the silhouette of a man stood on the edge of the rooftop. His dark coat billowed in the night breeze, and his face was hidden behind a futuristic mask with striking crisscrossing lines. While the figure seemed unfamiliar to most of the crew, for Kotori, the sight sent shivers down her spine.
Her pupils constricted. Her breath hitched. "…Noir Blade."
The once-bustling room seemed to freeze. Several crew members turned to Kotori, realizing that their commander had just uttered a name that carried great weight.
Painful memories immediately flooded back. Kotori could still feel the chill of the night air when she had faced Noir Blade herself. The memory of being so utterly defeated, unable to do much, surfaced vividly. The pain, not only in her body, but also in her heart, a sense of helplessness that pierced her pride as a commander.
Her hands clenched on the table. "Why… did he appear here?" she whispered softly, more to herself than to anyone else.
On the other side of the room, Reine stared at the screen with a different gaze. There was no overt shock, but her eyes narrowed, full of analysis and caution. As someone who was more than just a human, she could sense the aura emanating from the figure.
Reine knew what kind of power could stop hundreds of Bandersnatch units in an instant without any apparent sign of movement. It wasn't just physical or technological ability, but something far more dangerous. The fact that this man remained mysterious, even to her, who knew so many secrets, made her even more wary.
Kotori closed her eyes for a moment, trying to suppress the turmoil in her chest. The image of Shido flashed through her mind. Her brother, currently desperately trying to save Tohka, faced with so many obstacles. If Shido were to face the Noir Blade… Kotori bit her lower lip. She knew it would be a nightmare.
"Shido... please don't..." Kotori thought, her heart filled with a terrified prayer. She could take many risks, could endure many wounds, but the thought of Shido fighting that man was too terrifying for her to face.
Unfortunately, Kotori didn't know the harsh reality that awaited her. Sooner or later, Shido's path would intersect with Noir Blade's. Whether by fate or Kaito's own choice, the meeting was inevitable.
While Fraxinus was busy with reports from the crew, panicked by the emergence of this dangerous variable, Kotori sat silently with a burdened expression. Reine, on the other hand, didn't take her eyes off the screen. Unlike Kotori, who was overcome with fear, Reine was busy analyzing, trying to understand the direction this grand stage would take.
However, beneath her calculating mind, even Reine had to admit one thing: Noir Blade was no ordinary threat. He was a figure who could change everything simply by standing on the edge of a building, his sword unsheathed.
And in Raizen's exploding skies, the shadow of the future grows heavier—no one knows whether the emergence of the Noir Blade will bring salvation, or destruction.
…
Among the ruins of a building engulfed in the red and blue light of an air explosion, a graceful figure in a black, lace-trimmed dress stood silently in the darkness. Kurumi Tokisaki, with a half-smile on her lips, gazed up at the sky, which had just been strewn with hundreds of Bandersnatch fragments. The moonlight reflected off her slowly turning watch pupils, recording every detail of the event.
Her tiny hand lifted to cover her mouth, and her characteristic laughter escaped, light yet mysterious. "Ara ara~ what a beautiful sight," she whispered, her tone sweet yet laced with something piercing.
Kurumi was not easily surprised. She had witnessed many miracles, fought against powerful enemies, and even herself was the embodiment of something far from normal. But this time, she had to admit her heart was shaken.
The hundreds of Bandersnatch fragments that fell simultaneously did not come from a random explosion, but from a sword slash so fast it was invisible to the naked eye. Even with her eyes accustomed to reading the flow of time, she caught only a tiny glimpse—a fine line that vanished before she could fully process it.
"Is this the kind of power he was hiding from me back then?" Kurumi thought, her watch pupils glinting faintly. During her encounter with Noir Blade some time ago, the man hadn't even drawn his sword. He'd used only his body, technique, and aura pressure, which had somehow been enough to render her powerless. The defeat was humiliating; of course, Kurumi wasn't the type of spirit to accept defeat lightly. But now, after witnessing the dismemberment of hundreds of DEM units in one swift movement, she finally understood.
The smile on her face widened slightly, darker, yet full of passion. "Ara ara~ so that's how… the reason he didn't need to use his sword back then. How interesting."
Nevertheless, Kurumi didn't rush to conclusions. Her mind worked quickly, weighing every possibility. There was one suspicion she'd harbored for a long time: that Noir Blade might be someone she knew: Arashi Kaito. A mysterious figure who somehow always appears on the sidelines of the grand stage.
But Kurumi wasn't the type to rely solely on intuition. She knew better than anyone that a mistake in reading someone's identity could have fatal consequences. Noir Blade was living proof; he was a wild variable, a shadow that moved beyond the script of spirits and humans.
"If he really is Kaito... then this game will be far more complicated than I imagined. But if not... I must know who he is, and what he truly wants."
Her watch eye spun slightly faster, detecting the ripples of time rippling around Noir Blade. There was something familiar, something faintly resembling the flow of time he controlled. Not identical, but enough to make the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. It was as if the man wasn't just moving quickly, but leaping between seconds.
Kurumi bit her lower lip, this time without a smile. "Ara ara... the more I suspect it, the more I can't ignore it." Her voice was quiet, yet determined.
While remaining hidden in the shadows, she observed the man in the dark coat's every move. How he stood still, how the cold aura he radiated made even the AST troops hesitate to move. She stored all of this in her mind, adding piece by piece of information to the larger puzzle that was Noir Blade.
But Kurumi also knew that now wasn't the time to confront him directly. She still had to confirm, still had to test, before being completely certain. There were too many variables on tonight's battlefield: DEM, AST, the spirits, even Shido himself, who was busy carrying out his mission. Attacking or approaching now would only waste her opportunity.
With light steps, she turned around, her dress swaying gently in the darkness. Her smile returned, this time more mysterious, as if enjoying the game that had just begun. "Ara ara~ Noir Blade... or should I call you Kaito-kun? Hmhm... I will find out the truth."
The shadows around her began to ripple, enveloping her body like a dense black mist. In an instant, her figure vanished, leaving only the faint echo of sweet laughter audible among the explosions and distant screams.
"Hehe~ this game is getting more and more fun."
And just like that, Kurumi disappeared, following the shadows to observe further, to confirm with her own eyes whether Noir Blade was Kaito or something far more dangerous.