The newspaper lay on the general's desk inside a destroyed hq, its pages perfectly aligned, as if even chaos had to follow UJC protocol.
The headline was bold.
REBELLION LANDS A HIT ON UJC BY SUCCESSFULLY STEALING CLASSIFIED INFORMATION FROM PLANET ________
A man was forced forward and made to stand before the desk.
"Well, hello, Mayor," the UJC General said calmly.
"King, actually," the man corrected weakly. "We follow the old—"
"SILENCE."
The word struck harder than a slap.
"You are not ordered to talk, Your Majesty."
The king froze.
"So," the general continued, resting his elbows on the desk rotating his coffee mug until it's handle poit towards the man, "you allowed our classified scroll to be stolen by some guinea pigs of all beings…
and then you show the audacity to speak?"
"They were—"
"Smarter. Better. Faster," the general cut in. "Than your thousands of soldiers. Than our fundings."
He leaned closer disturbing man's safe space.
"You were bested by bunch of teenagers."
The king clenched his fists.
"We will fix our mistake. Just give us—"
The general smiled.
"Funny you mentioned second chances."
The smile vanished.
"Because there isn't one for you your highness."
"No—wait! Our planet will suffer!" the king begged, pressing his hands together. "Just—please!"
The general turned away slapping the dirt away from his uniform.
The next morning, a new headline spread across the galaxy.
UJC TAKES ACTION — CAPITAL PLANET STRIPPED OF ASSETS AND TRADE SYSTEM, ISOLATED FROM THE GALAXY WHAT CONSEQUENCES WOULD THE CAPITAL PLANET FACE ?
Meanwhile somewhere In a small village on planet Aoyama
A thunderous sound tore through the sky.
Haru Aoyama stirred in his bed, yawning as sunlight crept through the window.
"…Wow," he muttered. "So the meteor really did fall today. Exactly at six."
He stared at the ceiling.
"Ayra wasn't lying."
Flashback.
Ayra appeared in his memory as a goofy puppet, flailing dramatically.
"Believe me, dude! Meteor strikes at six! Don't set an alarm! Don't do homework! We'll one thousand percent get a holiday because of the festival!"
Haru sat up.
"Oh yeah. She said that."
He cleared his throat.
"Rem, is there a holiday notice?"
Silence.
"…Rem?"
"There is no notice for a holiday."
Haru's face drained of color.
"1000%…?"
He collapsed back onto the bed.
"…Someone is dying today."
Haru left the house still pouting, uniform half-buttoned.
If I get in trouble again, he thought, my reputation is finished.
A familiar voice echoed behind him.
"Haru~ yoo 😎"
Before the blink of an eye, Haru had Ayra cornered against a wall.
"Any last wish?" he said calmly. "Not that I'll grant it."
"Whoa, no need to rush your execution," Ayra replied. "I have a plan."
"Spill it."
"Why don't we just bunk class together?"
Haru stared at her.
"Bunk? What is this, 2080?" he snapped. "You fossil. They can track us with Rem."
He sighed dramatically.
"And if I get caught skipping class, my image is ruined."
Ayra crossed her arms.
"We aren't skipping because we're afraid."
She smirked.
"We're skipping because we're rebellious. That's what we'll spread through propaganda."
Haru imagined it instantly.
'Haru, you're so cool!'
'So badass!'
'Just take my hand already!'
"Ayra—"
She waved her hand in front of his face. "Haru. Haruuu."
"Oh. Oh!" Haru snapped back. "Ayra, I have a genius plan."
She waited.
"…Let's skip class."
Ayra stared.
"…Wow," she said flatly. "Why didn't I think of that, genius?"
Haru struck a pose.
"Then let's go," Ayra said.
"But where?" Haru asked. "Definitely not your house again."
Ayra pouted. "What's wrong with my house?"
"The theratops," Haru replied instantly. "And their stink."
A single imaginary panel flashed by—chibi theratops with the words: EAT MOLDS.
"They moved," Ayra said. "…Most of them."
Haru sighed.
"Then how about the Poketown Festival?" Ayra suggested.
"Festival?" Haru blinked.
"Yeah. It's the 100th Meteor Fall Festival."
"Why are we celebrating asteroids?" Haru asked. "Isn't that bad?"
Ayra stared at him like he was hopeless.
"Wow. You seriously don't know history."
She suddenly stood on a bench, fake mustache on her face, holding a stick like a professor.
"TLDR," she announced. "Our planet was poor. No intergalactic trade. Asteroids brought tradable substances."
She pointed dramatically.
"Not enough for luxury. Enough to survive. UJC allowed us to keep it tax-free."
She paused.
"But there's always a reason. That's politics and it's out of my ability to learn it, Haru."
"…Holy yap," Haru muttered.
Ayra pouted. "You just can't focus."
She sighed. "We should hurry so you don't miss your stupid UJC show."
Haru brightened.
"UJC show? No way. Don't tell me you got tickets."
Ayra pulled them out.
Haru hugged her instantly. "Sometimes you're awesome."
"Okay, okay," she said, smiling. "Don't act like a child."
At school, the teacher frowned.
"Haru?"
"Absent, sir," the students replied.
"Absent?" the teacher muttered. "He left his house."
"Rem," the teacher said. "Give me the list of students who left for school."
Groans echoed.
"Rem is such an old model," one student whispered.
"Older than time itself," another added.
"Rem, don't embarrass me," the teacher hissed.
"I can play seven instructional videos on how to embarrass yourself," Rem replied.
"…Just give me the list."
"Haru Aoyama left for school. Ayra uploaded a leave application yesterday."
The teacher froze.
"Yesterday…?"
That sly little— she hacked it again
The teacher calls coordinator office asking them to track haru and ayra
Moments later, the coordinator spoke.
"They're heading to Poketown."
The teacher's face went pale.
He called the mayor.
"Sir… we have a problem."
Poketown buzzed with life.
Ayra hummed happily."lalalala"
"Haven't you worried about getting caught?" Haru asked. "Bunking records don't help political dreams."
"It's fine," Ayra replied. "You can't go to school with incomplete homework which means WE can't go to school."
Haru sighed. "dont expect thanks That's your fault to begin with."
"And," she added cheerfully, "I hacked the system and uploaded a fake signed application for me."
"…You didn't do it for me?"
Ayra smiled sweetly. "I asked for your Rem password remember."
Ayra immitates haru with exaggeration "no i am not sharing my password, I don't wanna be stalked no oh god no you will stalk me and i am stupid haru dumb haru "
"Ok I get it."haru cuts in
"So am I getting it now?"
"No."haru replied without hesitation
As the duo entered the festival, warm light spilled over them. Endless rows of purple lanterns stretched across the streets, each stamped with the blue-and-gold crest of the UJC. Music, laughter, and spellfire crackled through the air.
As expected, Ayra dove straight into the food stalls, already stuffing her mouth with something fried and unidentifiable.
Haru barely noticed.
Holographic statues of legendary majicians lined the entrance to the UJC Aoyama Branch Tower, their cloaks fluttering endlessly in looping projections. Spells froze mid-cast, glowing like captured stars.
Haru stopped walking.
"One day," he said quietly, "I'll have a statue like this."
Ayra glanced back, cheeks puffed out. "You've got money, right?" she mumbled. "'Cause… uh… tickets were expensive."
Haru sighed, rolling his eyes.
After more wandering, more laughter, and significantly more food, they finally entered the theater, taking their seats as the lights dimmed.
Haru leaned forward in his chair, barely able to sit still.
The program was about to begin.
The lights in the theater dimmed.
A hush fell over the crowd.
Then—
"Oi! Turn it up!"
A drunk theratops staggered down the aisle stinking, a gun bulging unmistakably from his pocket. Murmurs rippled through the seats, fear sealing most mouths shut.
Two voices cut through the tension at the same time.
"Sit down."
Haru blinked.
So did everyone else.
All eyes turned to the boy who had spoken alongside him—a skinny, blond stranger sitting a few rows ahead.
The thug stopped in front of him. "What'd you say, brat?"
"I said sit down," the boy replied plainly.
Did he not hear me? the boy thought.
"You want it, don't you?" the thug growled, stepping closer.
Want what?
The boy glanced at the thug's empty hands. …I'll just nod and hope this works.
He nodded.
The thug snapped.
A punch flew.
The boy dodged.
Gasps filled the theater as the thug swung again—and again—and again. Each strike missed by inches. The boy's body moved instinctively, smoothly, like it wasn't even thinking.
His eyes flicked sideways.
That guy…
He spotted Haru.
He told him to sit down without hesitation. Serious guts.
That moment of distraction cost him.
A punch landed squarely on his face.
The boy crashed into the seats as the thug pulled his weapon free.
"Not so courageous now, are we?" the thug sneered.
"Hey."
The thug turned.
Haru was standing.
"Why don't you try showing that strength on someone actually strong?"
The thug faced him fully.
"Yeah, I'm talking to you," Haru continued calmly. "Three-eyes."
The audience sucked in a collective breath.
"I almost feel bad for you," Haru added. "Imagine having a face like that—and then getting an extra eye just to see it."
The audience scoffed in unison.
"At least you don't have a nose," Haru went on. "So you don't have to smell your moldy ass. Unlike the rest of us."
The silence was brutal.
Someone whispered, "He… he didn't have to say that."
The thug raised the gun at Haru—
—and collapsed.
A dull clang echoed as a metal pipe hit the floor.
Ayra stood behind him.
"Don't go too hard next time, dumbass," she said lazily.
Haru grinned. "Going hard is what heroes do."
Ayra struck a pose as the crowd cheers her.
The theater erupted into applause.
Haru helped the boy to his feet. "You good?"
"Yeah…" the boy muttered. "Thanks."
"What's your name?" Haru asked.
"Rei Kunegami."
Haru blinked. "A surname? So you're not from Aoyama."
"How'd you know?"
"We don't have surnames here."
"Oh." Rei scratched his head. "I'm a UJC intern. I was here to arrest that rebellion member."
*…He's really weak though.*haru thought
"Wait," Haru said. "So we caught a rebellion?"
"Yeah." Rei smiled nervously. "What's your name?"
"Haru Aoyama."
"Ayra," she said sharply. "Now shut up—I'm posing."
Rei hesitated, then blurted out, "Will you two be my friends?"
"Sure," Haru said instantly.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Ayra replied. "Let me pose."
Haru leaned in. "Do we get a public saver card?"
"Oh—uh—I only have one," Rei said. "She should take it. She attacked."
"Don't need it," Ayra said.
"I need it," Haru said.
"Then I want it," Ayra snapped, snatching it away just to spite him.
"You're the worst," Haru groaned.
Rei, mildly terrified, nodded in agreement.
Rei stepped out of the theater, the air cool against his face.
"Lalalala," he hummed, swinging his arms. "Today was great."
He pulled out a thin book as he walked—Political Alliances and Interpersonal Bonds. His eyes scanned the page as he muttered aloud.
"To make alliences, one should offer a gift…"
Rei stopped.
"Oh. So that's how friends are made."
Minutes later, he stood at a stall, staring at a handful of suspiciously overpriced fruits.
"…I've been scammed."
He sighed, then straightened, clutching the bag proudly.
"I'll buy them souvenirs," he decided. "Then I'll have friends too. Like big bro."
His communicator buzzed.
The smile vanished.
"Yes," Rei said, voice flat. "I'll do it myself."
At Mayor's Office
"How could you let that happen?" the Mayor snapped into the call.
"No matter what," he continued coldly, "Haru must not see it. Officers—move. Now."
At Poketown Theater
The lights flashed—
Then the world shattered.
An explosion tore through the UJC branch tower nearby, shockwaves rippling through the theater as screams filled the air.
AaaaasaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaàààââáÁà
"Attention. The scroll has been stolen. I repeat—the scroll has been stolen."
Alarms blared as people rushed for the exits.
Through the chaos, the announcement continued, clear and unmistakable.
"HARU AOYAMA."