Part 1: Daily Training and Strategic Orders
A cold morning mist swirled through the bamboo grove. Inside the Crimson Aegis compound, silence still reigned supreme.
"Ha... Ha..."
Takuto's heavy breathing shattered the morning's stillness. He had nearly finished his ten-kilometer run. His legs felt as heavy as lead, but he refused to stop. Every time he closed his eyes, the image of his mother lying in a pool of blood pushed him forward.
'I can't stop... I have to become stronger.'
Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, clinging to his chin before dripping onto the earth. Within a single month, Takuto's physique had changed significantly. No longer the frail student he once was, his muscles had grown lean and firm. Yet, inside, he still felt a hollow void.
After his workout, Takuto took a cold shower, changed his clothes, and walked down the corridor. Just then—
"Takuto-sama... Good morning."
Mika Izumi greeted him with a smile, holding a tea tray. Seeing her long green hair swaying gently in the morning breeze was the most peaceful sight in Takuto's world.
Takuto: "Thank you, Izumi-san. And please... drop the 'Sama.' 'Kun' feels more natural for me." Takuto replied, feeling slightly embarrassed.
Mika: "Understood... Takuto-kun." Mika gazed into his eyes with her emerald-green orbs. "Rinoka-sama has requested your presence. She wants to discuss an important strategy."
The atmosphere in Leader Rinoka Shizune's room was heavy. Shizune stared into her teacup before breaking the silence.
Shizune: "Takuto... You've been here for a month. While your body has improved, your Phoenix Eye remains dormant."
Takuto lowered his head. It was true. His eyes had not emitted those crimson Stellar Flows since the first battle.
Shizune: "The Shadow Syndicate has been quiet, but not without reason. They are searching for our location." She looked up at him sharply. "The longer you hide here, the closer the danger comes to everyone in this base. That's why... I've decided to send you back to school."
Takuto: "What? But... won't it be easier for them to find me out there?" Takuto asked in surprise.
Shizune: "That is exactly the point." Shizune's voice grew solemn. "We aren't using you as bait, but if they see you moving in the outside world, they will focus on following you rather than searching for this base."
Shizune: "During that time, we can trace them back to their superiors. Furthermore... the Phoenix Gaze is a power that awakens through intense emotions. If you stay in this peaceful camp forever, that power will die. You must return to your normal life. Only when you face danger will your eyes truly shine."
Sora, standing beside her, nodded.
Sora: "You aren't alone, Takuto. We will be watching from a distance. You are still under our protection."
Takuto fell silent for a moment. Shizune's logic was sound. If he stayed hidden, he would only bring trouble to the people of Crimson Aegis. To grow stronger, he had to climb over these walls.
Takuto: "I understand... Leader. I'll go."
Part 2: Shadows of Normalcy and Silent Encounters
The first day back at school felt like entering a foreign world for Takuto. The laughter of students and the sounds of footballs in the courtyard felt like distant echoes to him. When he entered the classroom, all eyes were on him.
"Hey, Takuto! Are you feeling better?" a friend called out.
Takuto: "Yeah... I'm okay." Takuto forced a smile and took his seat. But his gaze instinctively drifted to the empty desk nearby.
Ayano-senpai... They said she hadn't been to school in three days.
'Did she really disappear... or is she watching me from somewhere?' Takuto slumped onto his desk and let out a long sigh. He never realized before how boring and lonely a "normal life" could feel.
In the evening, Takuto returned to his part-time job at the cafe near Katawa Marketing...
The bustling atmosphere of the cafe, filled with the rich aroma of coffee, helped drown out Takuto's thoughts for a while. By the time his shift ended and he stepped outside, twilight had already claimed the sky.
On his way home, Takuto intentionally avoided the path he used to walk with Ayano, opting instead for a narrow side alley. At that moment, his Stellar Flow began to pulse erratically. Among the piles of trash by the roadside, he saw a girl curled up on the ground. Her clothes were tattered, and her hair was matted with dust.
Takuto approached her cautiously.
Takuto: "Hey... are you alright?"
The girl looked up, trembling. In that instant, Takuto felt a sharp pang in his chest. What he saw in her eyes wasn't a will to live; it was an absolute, crushing loneliness—the look of someone who had surrendered, believing that no one could ever save her.
Takuto: "Here... eat this." He offered her a bread roll and a bottle of water he had brought from the cafe.
She continued to stare at him with fearful eyes. Takuto understood that look—the look of someone who desperately needed help but was too afraid to trust anyone.
Takuto: "Don't worry... I'm not a bad person."
Only after he spoke again did she reach out, snatching the bread and eating it ravenfully.
"Thank... thank you..." her voice was barely a whisper.
Takuto: "My name is Takuto. What's yours?"
"Aoi... Aoi Mizuka..." she murmured, lowering her head again.
Though a strange aura surrounded her, to Takuto, she felt like a fallen star abandoned by the world. He gave her a small amount of money and guided her to a safer bench nearby. Though uneasy, he had his own responsibilities to attend to, so he headed home.
When he opened his front door—
"Welcome back... Takuto-kun."
In the living room sat Kaori Ichinose. Her hair was damp from a recent shower, and she was wearing an oversized t-shirt. The faint, fresh scent of soap filled the room.
Takuto: "Wh-?! Kaori-san! Why are you here?" Takuto's face turned bright red.
Kaori: "Shizune-sama assigned me to watch over you closely. From today onwards, I'll be living here with you," Kaori said calmly, making herself comfortable on the sofa.
Takuto: "But... we're a guy and a girl..." Takuto stammered.
Kaori fell silent for a moment, her own face flushing slightly before she turned to look at him.
Kaori: "I... I'm embarrassed too. But you are my savior. I can't leave you alone."
She stepped closer, looking directly into his eyes.
Kaori: "Takuto-kun... something is wrong. Did you encounter something outside?"
Takuto's heart raced. Being this close to Kaori's gentle gaze made him nervous. He was about to tell her about Aoi when Kaori placed a hand softly on his.
Kaori: "Just rest well tonight. We'll think about the rest tomorrow."
Under the warmth of her hand, the tension in Takuto's mind began to melt away like snow. It was a feeling he had never truly known before—the feeling of "home."
Part 3: The Void Oculus Shadow and the Onset of Attack
The next evening, the air after work was unusually still. Takuto walked home, carefully avoiding any glance toward the old paths he once shared with Ayano. His shadow stretched long under the streetlamps.
Suddenly, a strange vibration erupted in his chest. Though his Phoenix Eye hadn't released its full power yet, his vision blurred, and his blood felt like it was beginning to boil.
'What... what is this?'
An abnormal, cold, and profoundly dark Stellar Flow was drifting through the air. It was a mixture of hatred, pain, and isolation that made Takuto's own spirit feel heavy. Driven by instinct, he followed the energy.
When he reached the bench where he had left Aoi Mizuka the previous night, he found her sitting there, motionless. But this time, Takuto could clearly see dark, bluish Stellar Flow shadows coiling around her like serpents.
'This girl... she isn't ordinary.'
As Takuto froze in shock, two figures radiating black auras suddenly emerged from the shadows. It was Koji and Leo from the Shadow Syndicate.
"Found you! The owner of the Demon Eye (Void Oculus)!" Koji sneered. "Come with us quietly, and you might live."
Aoi said nothing, her head bowed, but the deep blue shadows around her grew more violent.
"Hey, kid! Get lost!" Leo barked at Takuto. "Don't interfere in things that don't concern you!"
Despite his fear, Takuto didn't take a single step back as he looked at the vulnerable Aoi. Anger began to surge within him. 'Are you people... going to hurt someone else again?!'
Takuto: "Don't you dare... lay a finger on her!"
As Takuto shouted, his eyes transformed into a fiery crimson red. Red Stellar Flows swirled around him like a miniature storm, but his body trembled under the sheer pressure. It was clear he was still struggling to control the power.
"Is that... the Phoenix Eye?!" Koji was momentarily stunned but quickly regained his composure. "Wait... the kid just got this power. He's still weak. There are two of us—there's nothing to fear!"
Just as Koji and Leo drew their daggers to strike—
CRACKLE!!!
A bolt of red lightning descended from the sky, slamming down between them. In an instant, before Koji and Leo even realized what had happened, they were slammed into the ground, unconscious.
Kaori stood there, sheathing her dagger, red lightning still flickering across her body. She looked genuinely furious.
Kaori: "You... what were you thinking, wandering off, Takuto-kun?!"
Takuto flinched at her shout.
Kaori: "I'm living with you so I can be by your side! Protecting you is my duty... why did you walk into danger alone?!"
Takuto: "Ah... Ichinose-san... I..." Takuto was at a loss for words. Seeing her this worried—and angry—felt strange to him.
Kaori: "Hmph. Cowards," Kaori muttered, glancing at the fallen Syndicate agents. Only then did she notice Aoi. "Who is she?"
Takuto: "Oh... she's Aoi Mizuka."
Before he could finish his sentence, both Takuto and Kaori felt a crushing pressure that made their entire bodies go numb.
Kaori: "Takuto-kun! Look out!!!"
With Kaori's warning, a high-speed wave of yellow electricity erupted from the shadows. Kaori tried to block it, but the enemy was faster.
(BANG!!!)
Kaori was sent flying through the air, crashing into a brick wall. As Takuto rushed to help her, a heavy kick caught him square in the chest, sending him sprawling backward.
"Not bad... but everyone is slow in front of me."
A new enemy stepped out of the darkness, his eyes glowing with the yellow light of an Electro Flash.
"Looks like I'm lucky tonight. Both the Phoenix Gaze and the Void Oculus..." He smiled cruelly at Aoi.
As Kaori struggled painfully to stand, Takuto looked over at Aoi. Her eyes had turned a deep, abyssal blue, and black markings were appearing beneath them. The darkness radiating from her began to swallow even the enemy's yellow lightning.
The true battle of this silent evening had only just begun.
[END OF CHAPTER 3]