Hina's Perspective
The screens went black.
Vetrex's image vanished as though it had never been there at all, leaving behind nothing but the echo of his voice—
Then it is war.
For a single, fragile moment…
No one moved.
The city seemed suspended in time.
The heavy clouds above still churned unnaturally, dimming the night sky, while the ruined highway below remained scarred by the battle—burned vehicles, shattered asphalt, and twisted metal scattered as far as the eye could see.
The silence stretched.
Then—
It broke.
"Shina! Hirito! Over here!"
"Please, just one statement!"
"What exactly are your powers?!"
"Are there more like you?!"
The noise surged back like a tidal wave.
Reporters rushed forward from every direction, microphones extended, cameras flashing relentlessly. The glare of lights struck my eyes, forcing me to squint as voices overlapped into an overwhelming blur of questions.
Police officers followed behind, trying to maintain order, but even they couldn't hide their curiosity. Some of them looked at us with awe.
Others—with uncertainty.
I froze where I stood.
"…There's too many," I whispered.
My chest tightened slightly as the crowd pressed closer.
Young miss, Ryuna's voice echoed inside my mind, calm but urgent.
Your energy is nearly depleted.
My breath caught.
…What?
You cannot maintain your current form much longer, she continued.If you revert here, your identity will be exposed to the entire city.
My eyes widened slightly.
Not here.
Not like this.
Across from me, Hirito shifted subtly. His expression didn't change, but his voice dropped just enough for me to hear.
"…Same problem."
So his dragon had warned him too.
I swallowed.
"Then we need to leave."
"Yeah," he replied simply.
Another reporter stepped forward, nearly stumbling in her urgency.
"Shina! Hirito! The people need to know—what happens next?!"
My lips parted slightly—
But before I could respond—
Something inside me stirred.
A faint warmth.
Familiar.
Lingering.
My remaining energy.
I glanced around.
The broken highway.
The collapsed vehicles.
The injured city that had barely survived.
And without fully thinking—
I raised my hand.
"H-hey… wait," I murmured.
Hirito looked at me.
"…What are you doing?"
"I still have a little power left…"
The light began to gather.
Faint at first.
Then slowly growing.
Soft particles of glowing energy drifted from my fingertips, illuminating the air around me.
The reporters fell silent.
The cameras focused.
The entire crowd watched.
Confused.
Curious.
Then—
The light spread.
It flowed outward like a gentle wave, brushing across the broken asphalt. Cracks in the road began to glow faintly before sealing themselves, the jagged edges smoothing out as if time itself was reversing.
A damaged police car trembled slightly—
Then lifted.
Twisted metal straightened.
Shattered glass reformed.
Burn marks faded.
Gasps spread through the crowd.
"…What…?"
"She's… fixing it…?"
The light continued moving.
Across debris.
Across destruction.
Across everything the battle had scarred.
The ruined highway slowly restored itself piece by piece.
Not perfectly.
Not completely.
But enough.
Enough to bring order back to chaos.
I felt my strength fading rapidly.
My arm trembled.
"…That's… all I can…"
The light flickered.
Then faded completely.
Silence followed.
Stunned.
Absolute.
Every person there stared.
At the restored ground.
At the repaired vehicles.
At me.
"…She healed the city…" someone whispered.
My vision blurred slightly.
That was unwise, Ryuna said gently in my mind.
But… admirable.
I lowered my arm slowly.
"…We're leaving," Hirito said quietly.
Before anyone could react—
He grabbed my wrist.
The shadows at his feet deepened instantly.
"Wait—!"
"Don't fall behind."
The world twisted.
Darkness swallowed everything.
And the noise—
Vanished.
Wind rushed past us as we reappeared.
I stumbled slightly, catching my balance as my boots touched the rooftop surface.
"…We're… here…"
The city stretched out beneath us.
From this height, the chaos seemed distant—sirens echoing faintly, lights flickering across the skyline.
But up here—
It was quiet.
Peaceful.
For the first time since everything began.
My body felt heavy.
The light around me flickered weakly.
Unstable.
Young miss, Ryuna's voice echoed urgently, you are about to reach your limit.
Across from me, Hirito exhaled quietly.
"…Same."
We stood there for a moment.
Just breathing.
Then—
He stepped forward.
And extended his hand.
"…Hey."
I blinked.
"…What?"
He met my gaze.
No hesitation.
No teasing.
Just simple clarity.
"Partners?"
The word lingered in the air.
I thought about everything that had happened.
The fight.
The chaos.
The way we had moved together without even knowing each other.
Slowly—
I reached out.
"…Partners."
Our hands met.
Firm.
Warm.
A quiet agreement sealed without needing anything more.
We both smiled.
Just a little.
Then—
If you two are finished, Ryuhou's voice cut in dryly.
You are seconds away from collapsing.
Please return immediately, Ryuna added.
We let go.
"…Right."
"Yeah."
And without another word—
We separated.
Hina's Perspective – Home
The moment I stepped into my room—
The light shattered.
My transformation dissolved instantly into particles, the energy unraveling as the white leather suit disappeared.
The glow vanished.
My strength disappeared with it.
I fell onto my bed.
"…I'm… back…"
Every part of my body felt exhausted.
Like I had nothing left to give.
A soft thump landed beside me.
I turned my head.
"…Ryuna?"
She was there.
But smaller.
Much smaller.
Her once radiant form had shrunk into a tiny version of herself, small enough to sit comfortably on my pillow. Her glow was faint now, barely illuminating the space around her.
"This is my depleted state," she explained calmly.
I stared.
"…You're tiny."
She crossed her small arms slightly.
"…Energy consumption requires recovery."
Then—
Her stomach growled.
Loudly.
I blinked.
"…Wait. You get hungry?"
"…Yes."
I sat up slowly.
"…What do you eat?"
She looked at me expectantly.
"Food."
I paused.
"…I have leftover lasagna."
Her eyes lit up.
"That will suffice."
I couldn't help but smile.
"…Alright."
Later – Hina's Room
I returned with the plate and set it down.
Ryuna immediately began eating.
Surprisingly fast.
"…You're kinda cute like that," I said, resting my chin on my hand.
She paused.
"…Cute?"
"Yeah. You're so small."
She tilted her head.
"If you dislike it, I can return to my original size once I recover."
My eyes widened.
"N-no, no!"
She blinked.
"I like this size!"
"…Less intimidating?"
"…Way less."
"…I see."
She continued eating.
Later That Night
The television played softly in the background.
"This just in—two unidentified individuals have successfully repelled the monster attack earlier tonight…"
Footage of the battle appeared.
Then—
Us.
"…The public has begun referring to them as 'Hirito' and 'Shina'…"
My face warmed slightly.
"…believed to be Tokyo's first line of defense against an emerging supernatural threat…"
The image shifted.
Vetrex.
"…The individual known as 'Vetrex' has issued a city-wide threat…"
I stared at the screen.
"…So it really is war…"
Ryuna curled up beside me.
"Yes."
Her voice was soft.
But certain.
"The war between Light and Chaos has begun."
I looked at the city lights through my window.
Then slowly clenched my hand.
"…Then we'll fight."
Because now—
It wasn't just about surviving anymore.
It was about protecting.
And I had already made my promise.
The house was quiet.
Too quiet.
I sat on the edge of my bed, the faint glow of the television flickering across the walls while the news continued to replay footage from earlier.
"…Shina and Hirito…"
My fingers tightened slightly around the bedsheet.
Hearing those names out loud still felt unreal.
They're talking about us…
Ryuna, now small and resting beside me after finishing her meal, had curled up comfortably near my pillow. Her soft glow pulsed faintly with each slow breath.
You should rest, she said gently within my mind.Your body has reached its limit.
"I know…" I whispered.
But just as I was about to lie down—
The front door opened.
I froze.
"…Mom's home."
The sound of heels echoed against the floor downstairs—measured, composed, familiar.
My heartbeat picked up.
"…Right now?"
Remain calm, Ryuna advised.
"I am calm."
I absolutely was not calm.
I quickly stood up, smoothing out my clothes and taking one last glance at Ryuna.
"…Don't move."
"…I will remain here," she replied simply.
Taking a steady breath, I stepped out of my room and headed downstairs.
Living Room – Night
My mother stood near the entrance, setting her bag down neatly as if nothing unusual had happened today.
As if the city hadn't nearly been destroyed.
She turned the moment she noticed me.
"Hina."
Her voice was firm.
Composed.
Always composed.
"I'm home."
"…Welcome back," I replied, bowing my head slightly out of habit.
Her eyes studied me carefully.
Sharp.
Observant.
"Were you affected by the incident today?"
Straight to the point.
Always.
I straightened slightly.
"No, mother."
A pause.
"I went home immediately once the teacher dismissed us."
The lie came out smoother than I expected.
My chest tightened slightly.
She continued watching me for a moment.
"…I see."
Silence stretched between us.
Then she spoke again.
"You did well to avoid unnecessary danger."
Relief—small but real—settled in my chest.
"…Yes, mother."
She turned slightly, adjusting her sleeve.
"The city is becoming unstable. You will prioritize your studies and return home immediately after school from now on."
"…Understood."
Another pause.
Then—
"Is there anything else?"
I hesitated for just a second.
Then shook my head.
"No, mother."
"…Good."
I lowered my gaze slightly.
"Please excuse me, mother. I have to study now."
She nodded once.
"You are dismissed."
I turned and walked away calmly.
Step by step.
Only when I reached the stairs did I allow myself to breathe properly again.
Hina's Room
The moment I closed the door behind me—
I exhaled.
"…That was close."
Ryuna looked up at me from the bed.
"You handled that well."
"I almost didn't…"
I sat down again, running a hand through my hair.
"…If she finds out…"
Ryuna's voice softened.
"Then we will deal with it when the time comes."
I looked at her.
Then smiled faintly.
"…Yeah."
But for now—
The secret remained safe.
Hanato's Perspective
Darkness peeled away.
The shadows that once clung to my body dissolved like mist, unraveling piece by piece as the transformation ended.
The black leather suit faded.
The red markings dimmed.
And the power—
Vanished.
I stood in the center of my room, now back to normal.
Hanato.
"…That's a weird feeling every time," I muttered.
A small weight landed on the table nearby.
I glanced over.
Ryuhou.
But—
Smaller.
Much smaller.
The once imposing black dragon was now reduced to a compact, almost chibi-like form, his wings tucked neatly behind him, red eyes still glowing—but less intensely.
"…Don't say it," he said flatly.
I smirked.
"…You're tiny."
"…I am conserving energy."
"And hungry?"
"…Yes."
I walked over, stretching slightly.
"Same here."
Ryuhou crossed his tiny arms.
"I require nourishment to restore my strength."
I opened the fridge casually.
"…You eat normal food too?"
"Yes."
I paused.
"…That's convenient."
A moment later—
I pulled out a slice of dark chocolate cake.
Ryuhou's eyes lit up immediately.
"…Acceptable."
Living Room – Night
The television played in the background as I dropped onto the couch, controller in hand.
Ryuhou sat beside me, already digging into the cake with surprising efficiency for his size.
"…You're not even pretending to be refined anymore," I said.
"I never claimed to be."
"…Fair."
I started the game.
The screen lit up.
The familiar sounds filled the room.
For a moment—
Everything felt normal.
Then the news cut in.
"…Earlier tonight, two unidentified individuals now known as 'Hirito' and 'Shina' successfully stopped what authorities are calling a 'Class-Level Threat'…"
Footage of the battle appeared.
Me.
Her.
The fight.
"…Witnesses report that the individual known as Shina was also seen restoring parts of the damaged highway…"
I paused the game briefly.
"…They noticed that too, huh."
"Of course they did," Ryuhou replied.
"…Figures."
The screen shifted.
Vetrex appeared.
"…The mysterious figure identifying himself as 'Vetrex' has issued a direct threat to Tokyo…"
I leaned back slightly.
"…Yeah. That guy's a problem."
Ryuhou took another bite.
"He is more than that."
"…Yeah."
Silence lingered for a moment.
Then I picked the controller back up.
"…Still."
I smirked slightly.
"War, huh?"
Ryuhou glanced at me.
"…You are not concerned?"
"Oh, I am."
I resumed playing.
"…But I'm also not the type to back down."
The sounds of the game filled the room again.
Outside—
The city buzzed with uncertainty.
Inside—
Two newly awakened Guardians sat in silence.
Resting.
Recovering.
Preparing.
Because whether they liked it or not—
Tomorrow would come.
And with it—
The war would begin.