"I opened my eyes. Everything around me was on fire. I stood there, surrounded by chaos. Screams echoed off burning walls as I watched people burn alive.
My hands... they were soaked in blood. Did I... do this?"
The air was thick with smoke and the stench of scorched flesh. Itoshi's breath trembled as he looked down at his trembling hands. His heart raced in his chest like a war drum, the ground cracking under his feet as if the earth itself was ready to collapse.
"Where am I...? This isn't real. It can't be real..."
He staggered back, his boots crunching glass and bone. To his left, rows of scorched bodies stood eerily still — unmoving, yet staring straight at him. Their hollow eyes, empty sockets melted by heat, all fixed on him.
"W-What is this place..."
He thought to himself.
He turned. Behind him was a silhouette — a man cloaked in shadow, his face obscured, his presence heavy like a curse. The shadow raised a hand and pointed directly at him.
Suddenly, the burnt corpses stirred. Then charged.
"W-What the hell?! I can't move—"
He hushed as he panicked.
He tried to run, to lift his legs, but they were rooted to the ground. Fear gripped him like chains, weighing his body down as the tide of corpses rushed toward him.
"No—NO! Move, damn it! MOVE!"
The first one reached him — a charred man with half his face melted, but the other half twisted in rage. His eyes were unnatural — glowing red and blue, like a cursed fire frozen mid-burn. The corpse's hands lunged for his neck.
"Ahhhhh!!!"
As he shouted in fear, a voice echoed in his ears, calling out to him.
"Koya!!!"
~~~Cape Hedo~~~
[April 14, 2169, 10pm]
Itoshi's eyes shot open. Sweat clung to his forehead, and his chest rose and fell rapidly.
"You were moaning in your sleep. Are you ok?"
He blinked a few times, disoriented. The burning city, the corpse with two-toned eyes — all gone now. Replaced by the faint scent of disinfectant and the dim interior of the café-turned-clinic.
"W-What?"
"You were making noises..."
Kara sat beside his bed, her arms still wrapped in fresh bandages. Her blue hair was a little frizzy, probably from the pillow, and her eyes were full of quiet concern.
"She should be resting... What's she doing up here?"
Itoshi thought to himself.
"I'm ok. Sorry about that. That said, why are you here? Shouldn't you be resting?"
"I got bored, so yeah..."
He raised a brow at her. Her left arm was free, but her right was still tightly bound.
"Your left arm healed quite fast, didn't it?"
"Yeah... My right arm will be free in five days or so."
Itoshi raised a brow.
"And your ribs?"
Kara chuckled.
"Ah—um... I guess I was saved from getting pneumonia."
"That's good."
They both paused for a moment. The silence wasn't heavy — it was just long enough to let the weight of everything settle between them.
"You fought well back there, Kara. That was amazing."
Kara blushed, surprised to hear such a rare compliment from her sibling.
"W-What? I just helped Ryujin-sama though..."
"You moved with your intent to save him. That still counts as a fight."
She looked down at her lap, unsure how to respond.
"Ok... I guess."
Itoshi: How are the others? How are they doing?
"Ah... Ryujin-sama is outside right now. The others are still sleeping though. Especially Kirashi-san."
Itoshi exhaled in relief.
"Ok, thank god."
Kara: (softly) How are your lungs? No more puking blood?
Itoshi: (smiling faintly) I guess the doctors really looked after us well.
Kara: I know, right?
They shared a short smile. For once, the chaos felt distant.
Then she looked at him again, a little more serious this time.
"Um..."
"Yeah?"
"Koya... What were you dreaming about?"
He smiled — not in joy, but as a shield.
"It was nothing."
"No way I'm telling her that I saw corpses crawling toward me... That I felt responsible... That I was too slow again."
"Just some leftover fire in my head..."
He muttered to himself.
Kara didn't push. She just nodded and sat with him a little longer.
~~~12:00pm~~~
More supplies came from UWDS to help the squad recover from the recent battle. Fresh bandages, medicine, and food were dropped off at the café-turned-clinic, and the five recovering members were being looked after with great care.
Ryujin stood by the front door as always, unmoving and silent. Half of his face was covered in bandages, the gauze wrapping diagonally across his forehead and temple. He barely flinched when the UWDS chopper approached the clearing.
Doctor: Ryujin-sama! You should stay inside and rest!
Ryujin didn't respond. He kept his eyes locked on the helicopter, his coat fluttering against the ocean breeze. His fist, clenched around the bandage at his side, loosened as the craft touched down.
"Bring the supplies inside."
The doctor sighed behind him, giving up again.
"I can't rest. Not yet. Not when I'm the one who let it happen..."
Ryujin: These are enough, right?
Pilot: Yes, sir. Oh—heads up—the higher-ups are expecting you all to be back in action by the end of the month.
Ryujin squinted.
"End of the month? Have they even seen Kirashi's condition?"
Pilot: Hey, I'm just here to deliver the report, not write it.
Ryujin: Tch. Fine, fine. I get it.
As the pilot stepped into the Helicopter, He looked back, Muttering.
"I'd still recommend you guys rest longer. The demon is within you."
Ryujin's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Demon?.. "
The pilot didn't answer. The helicopter blades spun back to life and kicked up a cloud of sand as it rose and vanished into the sky.
Doctor: See? Even the heads want you to take a break before returning next week..
Ryujin didn't speak. He stood still, watching the surf crash into the rocks.
Doctor: That said, your squad's recovering freakishly fast. The two blue-hairs are already in the clear from lung bleeding, the shadowy one's been wandering around for hours now... and Kirashi?
He gave a short laugh.
"Kirashi's been yelling about how hot the room is. He's a handful, huh? You've got a lively bunch, Ryujin."
Ryujin looked out over the sea and slowly nodded.
"They're alive. That's all that matters."
A voice called out from inside, It was Kara.
"Lunch time!!"
Ryujin turned back toward the café with a weary step. Just before he crossed the doorway, the doctor said something that made him pause.
Doctor (grinning): Don't burn your hands.
Ryujin: Huh?
The doctor just walked toward the beach, lazily waving a hand over his shoulder.
Ryujin stared after him for a second, puzzled. Then he shook his head and went back inside.
~~~12:10pm~~~
The five of them gathered around one table for lunch, the light of noon slipping through the café's windows. Bowls clinked softly against plates as the nurses brought food in. It was the first time all of them had sat together since the battle.
Kara: Kirashi-san? Are you sure you're okay eating here?
Kirashi, still wrapped in thick layers of bandages like a half-rolled carpet, gave a silent but stubborn nod.
Itoshi: He needs to be fed, right?
Kara: Y-Yeah...
Itoshi grinned, big smiled etched on his face.
"Baby mummy."
Kirashi turned slowly, giving Itoshi a death glare from within the gauze. His eyes twitched with fury, and he began wriggling in his seat like a furious worm, struggling to raise even a single arm.
"HAHAHAHAHA!!"
A nurse walked over calmly and peeled back the bandages from Kirashi's mouth.
"Damn you, Itoshi!!!"
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"
Then all of a sudden, Kirashi's nurse arrived, his food firmly held on her hand.
"Here you go, master."
She scooped a spoonful of soup and held it up to Kirashi's mouth. Itoshi stared at the scene with pure envy burning in his eyes.
With a smug, Kirashi stared at Itoshi as he drowned in jealousy.
"Hmhmhm."
Ayro: Jealous? Break your whole body.
Itoshi: Uhh... tempting.
Kara: You want me to feed you, Koya?
Itoshi quickly shut her down with a cold tone.
"Nah, I'm good."
Kara turned red, pouting.
"Unfair!"
"Kara, take care of yourself first. Your right arm's still healing, isn't it?"
Itoshi hushed, his back turned against Kara.
"Yeah..."
She replied, barely a whisper.
Itoshi then turned back to Kara, smiling.
"I'll feed you, then."
Kara's mood quickly brightened, as she agreed.
"Ok!"
Ayro and Ryujin exchanged soft smiles as they watched the whole exchange, a rare quietness settling over them as they ate.
Kirashi (mouth full): Beh thure wsaduh kfas.
"Swallow first, you disaster."
Ayro muttered, tea in hand.
Kirashi gulped, then took a breath.
"By the way, Kara?"
Kara turned to Kirashi.
"Yeah?"
"How did you know about the letter?"
Kara tilted her head, puzzled on Kirashi's question.
"Letter?"
"The letter!"
Kirashi called out softly, waving his hands beneath the gauze.
Still tilting her head, Kara replied in a jolly confused tone.
"Kirashi-san, I really don't know what you're talking about..."
"Windgott's letter!"
"Windgott?.."
She asked.
"Who's that?""
Kirashi froze for a second.
"What... you don't remember?..
Kirashi stuttered.
"Y-You eyes!"
"My eyes...?"
Everyone was puzzled as they listened, having no idea what Kirashi was trying to point out.
"They were glowing red that time! You called out to me—you said the letter came from him!"
But to Kirashi's surprise, Kara was still clueless.
"I really don't remember that..."
She turned to Itoshi.
"The last thing I remember is waking up in Koya's arms.."
Itoshi supported her claim.
"Yeah. She woke up just as I pulled her away from the seele."
Kirashi's brows furrowed as he asked Itoshi.
"Were her eyes glowing red when you saw her?"
Itoshi shrugged, eyes closed as he shook his head.
"Nope.. Looked pretty normal to me."
"What the hell..."
Kirashi silently muttered to himself.
Kara then slightly leaned towards Kirashi as she appologized.
"Kirashi-san, I'm sorry. I just can't recall anything like that..."
Kirashi sighed.
"It's not your fault..."
He leaned back slightly, mind spinning.
"What exactly happened back there?"
Itoshi asked.
"I remember standing by the tree. I couldn't move much. Then Kara called out to me—said she had Windgott-sama's letter."
He paused.
"She was held by the seele... her eyes glowing red. I didn't realize it at the time, but now that I think about it—where did that letter even come from?"
Itoshi turned to Kara.
"Wait... Kara, where did you get it?"
"Like I said... I don't know.. All I can recall was.. I..."
She hesitated.
"I.. I passed out cause of how hard the beast gripped my body.."
She then hugged her belly tight, recalling what happened to her that night.
"I'm sorry.."
Itoshi couldn't say anything, all he could do was look at her worried. Words wanted to escape her lips but couldn't.
A beat of silence passed.
"She can't recall, huh..."
Ryujin hushed before he sipped his coffee.
Itoshi: Wait—do you know something about this?
Ryujin took a deep breath, then shook his head slowly.
"No. I think I was out cold when it happened."
Itoshi (insistent): I meant why she forgot!
"Still no idea."
The table grew quiet again. Five heads lowered slightly in thought, each caught in the tangle of Kirashi's strange recollection. The mood wasn't heavy, just uncertain—like a page that didn't quite turn.
"Something's not right. That wasn't just a dream. Kara... what did you become in that moment?"
~~~5:00pm~~~
Ryujin sat near the open cafe window, letting the late afternoon breeze wash over him. The sound of waves rolled in the background, steady and calm — too calm for the weight on his shoulders. His comms buzzed to life. It was Hachi.
Hachi: Ryujin?
Ryujin: Yeah?
Hachi: How's your squad?
Ryujin: More lively now.
There was a pause. Ryujin already knew what was coming.
"New assignment."
Ryujin: Thought so. Let's hear it.
Hachi: Before that... congratulations — to you and your squad.
Ryujin: Huh? For what?
Hachi: We've confirmed it. No Seele signals left in Okinawa. You cleared them all.
Ryujin looked out toward the ocean. Helicopters moved in the distance. Behind the cafe glass, his squad was eating, laughing, recovering.
"Not just me. It was with my squad."
Hachi: Yeah, yeah, I know!
Ryujin: We rank up?
Hachi: From 341... to 207.
Ryujin: ...I see.
He let a small smile slip for just a second, before Hachi continued.
"That flame boy... He's caught the attention of the Skulls."
Ryujin: Those bastards, huh.
Hachi: Calm down, Ryujin. This is a step closer to your dream.
Ryujin: Yeah, yeah I know.
Hachi: That boy might help you reach it. So help him reach his, too.
Ryujin: Yeah.
He glanced back inside. Ayro was teasing Kirashi. Kara and Itoshi were still chatting.
Hachi: Do they know your dream?
Ryujin: Only Kirashi and Ayro. That's all.
Hachi: You're joking, right?
Ryujin: No.
Hachi: At least tell them how UWDS works?
Ryujin: ...I forgot.
Hachi: Ryujin!!
Ryujin rubbed his forehead and sighed.
"Alright, alright. I'll tell them later."
Hachi: Good. Now — about the assignment.
Ryujin: Spit it out already.
"After your win in Okinawa, the Skulls expect your squad to do the same... on the mainland."
Ryujin: Mainland Japan?
Hachi: Yes. Don't panic. Other squads will be there too.
Ryujin didn't respond right away. His grip tightened slightly on the comms.
Hachi: Concerned?
Ryujin: ...Nah.
Hachi: You're their leader, Ryujin. They trust you. You should trust yourself. And relax — a little. There are little to no Flame-type Seele in the mainland.
Ryujin: Still... how can I relax when I can't beat any Seele myself?
Hachi: Don't worry. Most of them are Earth-types over there. Besides... you've got Windgott's son.
Ryujin exhaled long and slow.
Hachi: You still wanna reach the top?
Ryujin: I do.
Hachi: Then go do it.
The comms clicked off.
Ryujin tucked the small device back into the inner lining of his coat. The wind moved softly across his bandaged face. He stood there quietly, watching the sun sink into the ocean, the sky bleeding orange and red.
One step closer to everything he wanted.
~~~To be Continued~~~