The next day, the morning sun shone on Tenguu City, still bearing the scars of the previous night's battle. In a deserted hospital room, a girl with long blue hair lay with a pale face. Takamiya Mana, an AST agent known as one of the strongest, finally opened her eyes. The white light from the room's lamp made her squint for a moment before slowly adjusting to her surroundings.
The door creaked softly. A young nurse entered with a relieved smile, rushing over when she saw Mana awake.
"Thank goodness you're awake, miss. How are you? Do you feel dizzy, have chest pains, or do you need anything?" she asked quickly in a worried tone.
Mana swallowed, her lips dry. "Wa… water…" she said softly, her voice hoarse.
The nurse quickly poured water into a plastic cup and handed it to her. Mana drank it down in a few gulps, then let out a sigh of relief. Her throat felt clearer. She looked blankly for a moment, trying to comprehend the situation.
"Excuse me… where is this?" she asked in a flat tone.
"This is Tenguu Central Hospital, miss. You were brought here last night after fainting. If you need anything else, just press the button next to the bed. I'll be out of here for now so you can rest."
After a quick blood pressure check, the nurse greeted her and then left the room, leaving Mana alone.
Silence reigned again. Only the thump of the monitor and the faint sounds of hospital activity outside could be heard. Mana closed her eyes, trying to remember what had happened last time. Fragments of memory emerged: lights, bangs, swift movements she couldn't follow, and then a figure clad in a black and gold mask, Noir Blade.
Mana's hands clenched, her fingers trembling. She bit her lower lip. The fight left a bitter taste. Not just because she lost, but because of how Noir Blade treated her. She, an AST agent who had repeatedly faced high-level Spirits, even once suppressing Nightmare, was defeated so easily. It was as if all her skill, training, and years of experience meant nothing.
She remembered that moment clearly: every attack she had was parried or dodged, as if Noir Blade had known her movements before she acted. It wasn't just his terrifying physical strength, but also his instincts, or rather, his foresight, that were impossible for any ordinary human. Now she understood why headquarters had assigned Noir Blade a "High-Level Threat" classification. The masked man wasn't just an ordinary target; he was a dangerous, unpredictable variable, more dangerous than even many Spirits.
However, beneath all that, something was even more disturbing.
Noir Blade hadn't harmed her.
He could have destroyed Mana's body, torn off her AST armor, or left her for dead. But all he did was knock her unconscious. And before she lost consciousness, Mana still clearly remembered that whisper.
'Sleep for now, little kitty.'
Mana covered her face with her hands, her cheeks burning. "Little… kitty…?" she muttered, her voice trembling with both anger and embarrassment.
The term felt so belittling. She, who had always been seen as the AST's sharpest weapon, was being treated like a naughty kitten. Her heart was boiling with rage at the trampling on her pride, but at the same time, there was something she couldn't deny. Noir Blade's tone when he said that… was different. It wasn't cold, nor oppressive like usual. His voice was soft, soothing, even warm.
Mana looked away, hiding the blush on her cheeks even though no one was watching. She couldn't ignore the fact that his voice made her heart beat faster. "N-no way… impossible…" she hissed, shaking her head.
She tried to regain her focus by remembering Noir Blade's battles with the others. When facing Kurumi, Kotori, and even Isaac of DEM, Noir Blade had been brutal, cruel, and merciless. But only towards her, he had held back. There had been no fatal wounds, no intent to kill. As if he…?
The thought made her body tense.
"No, that's ridiculous. There's no way he…" she muttered to herself, trying to deny it. However, the strange feeling remained, gnawing at her.
Mana stared at the ceiling. Question after question arose without answers. Who exactly was Noir Blade? Why was he being treated differently? And why did this strange feeling grow just because of a single sentence and a single glance from behind the mask?
It took Mana a few minutes to regain her composure. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then decided one thing: she couldn't remain silent. Whatever the reason, she was still an AST agent. She had to report about the fight, about Noir Blade's power, and especially about the fact that this threat was becoming increasingly serious.
With slightly trembling hands, she reached for the button beside the bed and pressed it. A bell rang outside. A moment later, a nurse returned.
"Miss Takamiya, how may I help you?" she asked softly.
"Yes," Mana replied curtly with a serious expression. "I would like to contact AST headquarters immediately. Please prepare the communication facilities."
The nurse seemed hesitant. "But… you still need plenty of rest—"
Mana looked at her with sharp, determined eyes. "This is urgent. Immediately."
The nurse was silent for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Yes, miss. I will take care of it."
After the nurse left, Mana leaned back against the pillow, staring out the window at the pale morning sky. Her fingers gripped the blanket tightly.
"Noir Blade… who are you?" she whispered softly.
The question hung in the air, unanswered. But one thing was certain—her encounter with Noir Blade had left a wound deeper than mere defeat. The wound clung to his heart, along with curiosity, anger, and… something he couldn't quite put his finger on.
…
In the Fraxinus's command room, filled with the pale blue holographic light, the tension was palpable. The large screen at the front of the room replayed footage of the battle between Noir Blade and Inverse Tohka last night. Every crew member on duty held their breath, as if they were witnessing a legend unfold before their eyes.
However, amidst the silence, two figures stood more solemn than the others: Itsuka Kotori, the young commander who always kept her sternness hidden behind her red ribbon, and Reine Murasame, a brilliant analyst who rarely showed expression but whose sharp, piercing gaze penetrated every detail.
The footage showed Tohka in her inverse form, a dark aura swirling wildly around her body. She attacked with destructive power capable of leveling a wide area. However, the masked figure they knew as Noir Blade responded coldly.
"Stop at this frame," Kotori commanded.
Reine pressed the panel in front of her, stopping the broadcast at the exact moment Noir Blade's blade transformed. Previously, the sword had appeared to be an ordinary katana with a faint aura. But in an instant, it turned pitch black, then emitted a dense, dark purple glow, as if absorbing the light around it.
"…This aura," Kotori muttered softly, crossing her arms over her chest. "It's not just a normal power boost. The weapon… is reacting, or perhaps changing form?"
Reine stared at the screen with rarely blinking eyes. "It could be. From the energy patterns recorded, that aura doesn't belong to a Spirit, nor is it any DEM technology we know. The resonance level is too stable for an artificial experiment. Even stranger, the aura is attached to the sword, not the body. It's as if the weapon itself has a consciousness or special properties."
Kotori sighed. "So, he possesses a weapon capable of surpassing the limits of ordinary humans. That's enough to make him dangerous… but this is just the beginning."
They fast-forwarded. In the next scene, Noir Blade shot forward. His body seemed to move, as if disappearing from view. Even the Fraxinus's high-resolution cameras failed to follow his every movement.
"Stop here," Kotori gave the signal again.
The screen stopped at the exact moment Noir Blade reappeared before Tohka. In slow-motion, it was clear how his body experienced a sudden surge of energy. His muscles, despite being covered by elegant dark clothing, showed subtle vibrations, a sign of a drastic increase in physical strength.
"Pay attention to his vitals," Reine said, typing rapidly. Holographic data appeared, showing Noir Blade's energy surge, which had increased severalfold in a short time.
Kotori frowned. "That's unnatural. Even Spirits can't flip their energy like a switch. Whatever the mechanism, he was able to instantly strengthen his body… without losing stability. It was as if his body was built to withstand that burden."
Reine nodded slightly. "And look here." She zoomed in on another segment of the footage. "This is the strangest moment."
The screen showed Noir Blade swinging his sword at Tohka. The slash was so fast that it seemed to rip the air apart. Then, immediately after, the space around Tohka formed a fine crack, like cracking glass. In an instant, the crack shattered, shattering into shards of light before disappearing.
The atmosphere in the command room grew heavier.
"…That wasn't just the effect of a normal energy attack," Kotori said, her eyes wide with seriousness. "He—he actually distorted space?"
Reine leaned forward slightly, her tone flat yet tinged with pressure. "From the spatial vibration pattern, yes. Her weapon… or rather, that aura-clad blade, is capable of severing the stability of the surrounding space. This is different from a spatial quake attack that simply explodes energy. It doesn't destroy matter… it cuts through space itself."
Kotori paused for a moment, then rubbed her forehead. "Then… that's beyond common sense. Even Spirits rarely reach this level. Even Inverse Tohka doesn't display such abilities."
The two returned to watching the footage of the rest of the battle. Noir Blade continued to pressure Tohka, moving at incredible speed, leaving a trail of slashes that each time caused the surrounding space to crack and shatter. Tohka, even in her inverse form, was overwhelmed.
Ultimately, the battle ended with Noir Blade's victory. But for Kotori and Reine, that victory wasn't a joyous one. Instead, it revealed a new, far more terrifying reality.
"Summarize all the data," Kotori broke the silence with a cold tone.
Reine typed quickly, bringing up a concise report in a hologram:
Noir Blade Analysis Summary
Shapeshifting Weapon – Noir Blade's sword can transform, turning pitch black and emitting a deep purple aura. This aura is unidentified, neither Spirit energy nor DEM technology.
Instant Body Enhancement – Noir Blade's body experiences a significant surge in physical strength without any signs of damage or instability. This indicates that his body has surpassed normal human limits.
Super Speed – His movements reach speeds nearly undetectable by Fraxinus's sensors. Even slow-motion footage shows him nearly disappearing from view.
Space-Shattering Slash – His sword strikes are capable of leaving cracks in the surrounding space, which then shatter like glass. This indicates the ability to actually injure or destroy the very fabric of space itself.
Kotori stared at the list and took a deep breath. "So we're facing someone with a weapon that can shatter space. With physical strength that surpasses Spirits... and speed that even Fraxinus has difficulty tracking."
Kotori gripped her command staff tightly, her face serious. "Noir Blade…how long can we keep watching before it's too late?"
The room fell into silence, filled only with the holographic data that continued to spin, emitting a pale blue light that felt even more tense than usual.