A blue and white light silhouette passed quickly through Tokyo's bright sky.
A human shadow with a pair of spectacular energy wings glided above the forest, leaving a trail of light that slowly faded.
That person was none other than Azlan, who was addicted to flying with Divine Dividing, a Longinus-Class Sacred Gear said to be capable of threatening gods.
Each flap of his transparent wings gave him a sensation of freedom, a feeling very foreign to him who was accustomed to feeling trapped on war-torn ground.
[You learn quickly, Azlan. Your current flying proficiency is equivalent to your predecessors who mastered their flying skills to an expert level.]
A heavy and deep voice echoed in his mind. The blue color on his wings blinked each time Albion, the legendary Heavenly Dragon, spoke from within him.
"Good to hear. I was worried I would disappoint your expectations, Albion. You know I'm an uneducated fool. So, don't be surprised if I learn slower than others."
[...]
Albion was at a loss for words at Azlan's claim. If previous hosts—heroes, kings, and legendary wizards—heard this, they would consider Azlan boasting or being excessively self-deprecating.
However, seeing Azlan's life memories, Albion knew it was the truth. The 15-year-old teenage boy had never received formal education like children his age, due to his country being continuously plagued by war since he was born. Survival was the only lesson he mastered.
[Actually, where are we? You've been flying for almost two hours, aside from the living dead, we haven't seen a single living human. This is very strange...]
Not wanting to touch Azlan's old wounds, Albion deftly changed the topic of conversation.
"I want to know too. By the way, Albion, do all light orbs contain Sacred Gears? Can humans have more than one Sacred Gear?"
Azlan squinted as he slowed down, his mind returning to the previous night's phenomenon.
[Hm? Light orbs? I don't understand what you're talking about. And the last question, no. You need to remember that Sacred Gears are gifts from the God of the Bible to chosen humans. There has never been a case of humans having two Sacred Gears.]
"...???"
This time it was Azlan's turn to be confused. His confusion was so deep that he stopped his flying momentum, hovering still in place, high above Aokigahara forest known as a suicide spot in Tokyo.
The wind rustled gently, moving the ends of his rough hair.
"Albion, you don't know about the light orbs?"
He asked again, his voice full of astonishment, his wings trembling slightly to maintain balance.
[I don't know.]
The answer was straightforward without a trace of lies, Albion sounded genuine.
Finally, Azlan explained yesterday afternoon's celestial phenomenon to Albion.
The sky suddenly turned pitch black like night in the blink of an eye, accompanied by the world rumbling as if heading toward doomsday. Then, a large crack appeared in the sky, and from within it, spewing hundreds—perhaps even more—light orbs that fell like a meteor shower.
[Hmm... The phenomenon you described is foreign to me. I don't know whether each light orb contains a Sacred Gear or not. Try to find another light orb for comparison. That's the only way to solve that mystery.]
Albion sounded interested, even curious. After all, the way he reincarnated into Azlan—through a 'light orb'—wasn't a common method.
Something was wrong.
"I'll try my best. At that time, each light orb flew in different directions. Honestly, one light orb landing right near me was pure luck. Want to find it again in this vast world? That's... very difficult, like looking for a needle in a haystack."
Shrugging resignedly, Azlan wasn't too optimistic. However, in his heart, a promise had been spoken.
If there were clues, he would search for them. Not just to satisfy Albion's curiosity, but also wanting to strengthen himself.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
With a little hope, Azlan flew around the area, his eyes scanning every corner, every broken window, and every deserted street for clues, trying to find humans.
Unfortunately, he had to return empty-handed. Let alone humans, he didn't even find traces of their recent presence—like campfire remains or newly opened canned food—as if Tokyo had long been abandoned and only inhabited by zombie hordes wandering aimlessly.
On the way back to the convenience store used as a temporary shelter, Azlan suddenly braked roughly, stopping his fast flying momentum in mid-air.
[Stop!]
"Did you detect humans, Albion?"
Albion had mentioned that although he resided in Azlan's soul, he could still sense and see within a hundred-meter radius. Thus, Azlan asked him to notify him once he found something special, especially humans. After all, he likely missed many things with his limited perception.
[Your luck is quite good, Azlan. Just as we were discussing light orbs, we found one of them. It's below you, in the alley.]
"Really? You're amazing, Albion! Where is that light orb? I'll go there immediately."
Although Azlan's expression was calm, anyone could tell he was very happy from his enthusiastic-sounding tone.
There was no other choice.
One light orb gave him supernatural power—Divine Dividing, a Sacred Gear capable of threatening gods!
So what about other light orbs?
To answer his doubts, Azlan needed to obtain a second light orb!
[Turn right at the intersection ahead, then straight for about fifty meters. There's a small alley on the left. The light orb is there.]
*WHOOSH!*
Without wasting time, the wings on his back flapped strongly, propelling Azlan to shoot like a missile, turning nimbly avoiding obstacles blocking his path.
In less than ten seconds, he had landed gently, hovering one meter above the ground in front of the narrow alley entrance. Since Azlan made no sound, the surrounding zombies wandering back and forth didn't sense his presence.
His eyes focused on the light orb emitting a dim glow, as if hiding from view, lying on top of a foul-smelling trash can.
[An eyeball? That's not a Sacred Gear, I can confirm it from its aura.]
As soon as Azlan stood in front of the trash can, Albion informed him of his discovery.
"I see... Since it's not a Sacred Gear, then it's okay for me to make it my power, right?"
[Wait! Don't be rash, Azlan! We still don't know—]
Not waiting for Albion to finish speaking, Azlan had already extended his hand and touched the light orb.
However, unlike before where the light orb containing Divine Dividing directly integrated with him smoothly, this time he received a stream of basic information about the eyeball in the light orb, as well as a confirmation whether he wanted to fuse.
"Heavenly Eye... Based on its description, it's very powerful. Become mine!"
Thirsty for more power to survive, Azlan answered 'yes' in his mind without hesitation.
*SHUAAA!*
The next second, the light orb shattered with a hissing sound, the eyeball inside shot into Azlan's eyes at lightning speed.
"ARGHHHHH—!"
Unlike the integration with Divine Dividing which was very gentle and almost imperceptible, the fusion process with this Heavenly Eye was very painful. Even Azlan who prided himself on his mental fortitude couldn't restrain himself from roaring in pain. It felt like his eyes were forcibly gouged out, then new eyes roughly inserted.
[Azlan! Fly quickly! Zombies are approaching!]
Albion's voice sounded urgent, awakening Azlan from his suffering. The groans of the living dead became increasingly clear, attracted by his roar of pain.
"Ngh.."
Still closing his eyes as blood flowed from the corners of his eyes wetting his cheeks, Azlan flew into the air without looking, relying on instinct and Albion's guidance.
*WHOOSH!*
A strong gust of wind from the flapping of Divine Dividing's wings hit the alley, scattering the trash cans, and spreading a rotten smell mixed with the smell of fresh blood. He shot upward, leaving the increasingly frustrated zombie screams below.