The city below was a ruin of smoke and ash. Streets split apart like veins carved into stone, towers reduced to jagged teeth, and the faint purple glow of Honkai corruption shimmered like oil on every broken surface. Somewhere down there, survivors clung to life. Somewhere down there, shadows lingered, waiting to strike.
The Rescue unit sat strapped into the cabin of a rattling chopper as it cut through the fog. The rhythmic chop of the blades barely masked the faint static hum of the monitor bolted to the wall in front of them.
Dr. Mei appeared on the screen, her white coat spotless, her voice calm as always though edged with a gravity none of them could ignore.
"This city has withstood a major Honkai eruption," she began, eyes darting down as though scanning multiple data feeds at once. "No Herrscher manifested during the event — a stroke of fortune that spared countless lives. Even so, corruption remains rampant. The air is volatile. The infected still roam. Your mission is to search for survivors and secure an evacuation point."
Her gaze sharpened, lingering for a moment too long, as though she could see directly through the monitor into their souls.
"Exercise caution. Avoid unnecessary risks. This is not a proving ground — this is life or death."
The line crackled once, and then Mei's image faded into the black of the screen.
Silence followed.
It was Chris who broke it. He leaned back against the steel frame of his seat, the chain of his silver necklace glinting faintly in the dim cabin light. He grinned, wide and confident, resting his hands on his thighs as though nothing could shake him.
"Well, that's a pep talk if I've ever heard one." He laughed, though it was short, meant more to stir the others than himself. "Don't worry, this'll be nothing. Easier than getting my hair this fabulous." He reached up and gave his afro a proud pat, smirking at the both of them. "Which, for the record, takes serious effort."
Yuzu, seated opposite him, barely managed a small smile. Only fifteen, his uniform seemed too large on him, sleeves brushing against his knuckles as he fidgeted with his gloves. His gaze lingered on the floor, voice quiet, almost swallowed by the roar of the blades.
"I'll be fine. Right? Yes… yes, I'll be fine." His hands clenched into fists. "It'll just be a quick mission. In and out."
Chris tilted his head, squinting. "Hey. Hey, don't spiral on me, kid." He leaned forward, snapping his fingers sharply, pulling Yuzu's attention back up. "We're gonna be fine. That's why there's three of us. You, me, and him."
He jerked his chin toward Viktor, seated between them like the immovable pillar.
"Speaking of," Chris said, his grin returning. "We're stuck together, so let's do this properly. Names, introductions, all that good stuff. Gotta know who I'm trusting my back with, right?"
Yuzu hesitated, then nodded, voice steady though quiet. "Yuzu. Just Yuzu. I… I'll do what I can."
Chris smirked, giving him a playful punch in the arm. "That's the spirit. You'll be fine, trust me. Stick with me and I'll show you how it's done."
Then, his amber gaze turned toward Viktor. "Alright, your turn, silent one. Don't think you're slipping out of this."
For a moment, Viktor said nothing. He simply sat still, eyes fixed out the small window of the chopper as the ruined city grew closer, a storm of shadow and memory waiting to consume him. Then, at last, he spoke. His voice was calm, low, yet carrying an odd finality.
"…Visage."
Chris blinked. "That's it?"
Viktor's gaze didn't leave the horizon. "That's all you need."
The name hung heavy in the air, enough that even Chris's grin faltered for a moment.
"…Visage, huh?" he finally muttered, leaning back with a shrug. "A codename I'm assuming... I like it." He smirked again, though softer this time, as though weighing the word in his mind.
Yuzu said nothing. But he glanced at Viktor briefly, as though searching for something — reassurance, strength, or simply understanding.
The city loomed closer, swallowing the horizon in its jagged shadow. The chopper shuddered as the pilot's voice crackled faintly through the cabin: "Drop zone in sight. Doors opening."
With a grinding hiss, the heavy steel doors groaned open. A rush of frigid, dust-choked wind blasted through the cabin. The ruined skyline stretched beneath them like the ribs of some dead giant, streets crawling with the shuffle of infected.
Yuzu flinched at the sudden openness. His hands snapped to the straps of his harness, knuckles whitening. "W-We're jumping?!" His voice cracked, eyes wide as he peered down at the impossible drop. His boots seemed glued to the floor, every muscle stiff with panic.
Chris only laughed, the wind whipping through his hair as he leaned close enough to nudge the younger boy's shoulder. "Relax, kid. It's just flying with style." He spread his arms wide, grinning into the chaos as if daring gravity itself.
Yuzu shook his head so fast it was almost a blur. "N-no way! That's not flying! That's— that's suicide!"
But before Chris could throw another quip, both he and Yuzu were silenced by the sight of Viktor. Without a word, without the slightest pause of hesitation, he stepped forward and dropped into the void.
No build-up. No warning. No fear.
Just gone.
Chris blinked once before bursting into laughter, slapping his knee. "Hah! Oh, I like this guy already." He turned, catching Yuzu by the collar before the boy could backpedal into the far corner of the chopper. "Come on, rookie — can't let him outshine us!"
"W-wait—no! I'm not ready!" Yuzu squeaked, but Chris had already launched them both into the open air.
The wind howled in their ears as the city raced up to meet them.
Viktor's descent was a predator's. He folded his body into the fall, his eyes locked onto a cluster of Honkai zombies stumbling through a street intersection below. The daggers strapped to his thigh gleamed as he drew them free. At the last possible second, his hand snapped out, catching a rusted lamppost. The steel groaned under his weight as he swung, slowing his fall just enough before he released, body twisting midair.
He landed like a blade striking its mark.
The daggers flashed in twin arcs, cutting through three infected in one clean motion. A fourth lunged, its corrupted maw screeching, only for Viktor to slam his knee into its jaw before burying a blade into its skull. The last collapsed as he pivoted, the motion smooth, efficient, and terrifyingly precise.
He stood among the corpses as though he'd merely stepped across a puddle. Not a breath wasted. Not a motion too much.
Chris, on the other hand, came down like a cannonball. He whooped into the wind, twisting midair before slamming into the street with both fists. Pavement cracked under the force, the shockwave knocking a half-circle of infected flat on their backs. "Now that's what I'm talking about!" he roared, swinging his massive frame up to his feet.
Yuzu, dragged along unwillingly, crashed into the ground far less gracefully. He tumbled, rolled, and only just avoided smacking face-first into rubble. Groaning, he pushed himself upright, muttering curses under his breath. Yet despite his trembling hands, his eyes flicked to the survivors peeking out from a collapsed storefront nearby, and he steadied himself.
Different styles. Different spirits.
But the three of them stood together now, in the heart of the ruined city.