The soldiers led Koharu to the base of the Golden Shield.
Where it met the ground, the barrier rippled—
a wall of shimmering golden light, trembling like liquid metal.
The commander barked:
> "Send her through!"
After unchaining her, the soldiers shoved Koharu forward.
She stepped into the void.
The golden light sealed shut behind her.
The sight before her was unlike anything she had ever known.
The sky was swallowed by pitch-black clouds.
A sooty mist drifted everywhere.
There was not the slightest hint of life upon the land.
An endless… wasteland.
Yet even a desert would not feel this dead.
No living being had ever crossed beyond the Golden Shield.
And now Koharu had entered the Void.
She turned back.
The shield still shimmered behind her.
But the gray mist that blanketed the void
had already begun to seep into her skin.
Sickly gray blotches marred her flesh,
like the early rot of decay.
She lifted her hand toward the surface of the shield.
Pain stabbed through her palms—
as if she had touched fire.
It was unbearable.
She jerked her hand away.
With nowhere else to turn, Koharu walked.
She wandered for a long time,
unsure what to do.
The land of the Void was barren—
the ground cracked and lifeless.
With each step, stones crumbled beneath her feet,
turning to dust that drifted back into the black mist.
Hours passed.
Not a single living creature crossed her path.
No sound of animals,
no rustle of leaves…
nothing.
At last, she found an unusual patch among the rocks.
A swamp-like pit of mud.
Its surface was coated with black, slimy, moss-like growth.
Koharu's stomach growled.
Hunger made her vision blur.
She hesitated.
But she had no choice.
She plunged her hand into the muck
and tore away a clump of that black moss.
When she placed it in her mouth,
an awful taste spread across her tongue—
like mud,
leaving a sour, rusty metallic aftertaste.
Her stomach churned.
She fell to her knees and vomited.
But her hunger remained.
With trembling hands,
she tore off another piece—
forcing herself to swallow.
Koharu ripped a piece of cloth from her dress,
scooped up the murky swamp water,
and tried to filter it.
It remained cloudy,
but she had to drink.
Just as she raised it to her lips…
A sound came from behind her.
Scraping… skittering… teeth grinding…
Koharu's heart jumped.
She spun around.
Dozens of creatures shot out from between the rocks.
They were the size of cats—
rat-like,
with glowing crimson eyes.
Their fur had fallen away,
patches of their skin looked rotten.
Koharu stepped back,
her heart pounding into her throat.
The creatures screeched,
charging toward her.
At that moment, Koharu looked at her hands.
They were shaking.
But inside her—Aurora…
the power hidden behind the eyes that saw hearts…
suddenly awakened.
A pale white light flickered at her fingertips.
It flared like a torch.
The light grew,
spreading across her entire body,
rising like a pure white flame in the darkness.
The rats halted.
With shrill cries, they recoiled.
As the light intensified…
they scattered in panic,
fleeing into the shadows.
Koharu gasped for breath.
For the first time…
she had used Aurora.
When the creatures finally vanished,
she leaned against a rock,
chest heaving.
She lifted her gaze toward the Golden Shield in the distance.
Her eyes narrowed.
Upon the surface of the shield…
something moved.
A shape…
as if attacking the barrier.
THUD!
The impact rang through the air.
Golden sparks burst where it struck.
Black smoke billowed up.
Koharu's heart raced.
She held her breath.
The thing struck again.
Explosions of golden light showered outward from the point of impact.
BOOM!
Waves of dark smoke rippled outward.
Koharu rubbed her eyes.
From this distance, she could only make out a silhouette.
Wings…?
Or something else—
she couldn't tell.
But one thing was certain:
Something was attacking the Golden Shield.
> "Who… would dare such a thing?"