Somewhere in the world, in isolated lands, a faithful follower of Sélestia was running with all his strength.
He jumped between rocks, sliding over stone, trying to escape as far as possible.
A large sword slammed into the ground right in front of him.
The fugitive dodged at the very last moment.
"Damn it!"
Barely had he changed direction when a hooded figure appeared on his right and launched an attack.
He blocked it with his own sword.
A rapid exchange began.
The hooded figure followed up with a kick that sent the faithful rolling across the ground.
Before he could even get up, he took a brutal punch from another individual to the face, slamming him against a rock.
He began to bleed.
No time to breathe.
The other mysterious hooded figure, with a massive build, followed up with another punch that shattered the rock.
But the faithful managed to dodge and tried to flee again.
Then he felt his arm being severed so fast he didn't even see the blade.
"No…"
His arm fell to the ground.
He pressed the wound with his other arm to stop the bleeding.
The two mysterious figures advanced.
— I told you, even if we let you live, you won't give us any information, right?
The least physically imposing one spoke.
The faithful clenched his teeth so hard his body trembled.
He tried to flee one last time.
But he turned around…
and faced a spectacular sight.
A massive black hole.
The event horizon.
Light was being swallowed into it, like a deadly fascination.
Before he could even understand, his head was already separated from his body in a single movement.
The last thing he saw…
was his own body collapsing at his feet.
It fell like a ragdoll.
White and lifeless.
The one who had just struck revealed himself.
David Hyperion.
His gaze was cold, merciless.
The two figures beside him removed their hoods.
The first, the least physically impressive:
Leon Hyperion, member of the lower branch of the family.
— Don't you think he could've still been useful to us?
Behind them, another man stepped forward.
Charles Hyperion.
— Keeping him alive would've been a waste of time. He was already resolved to die. He wouldn't have given us any information.
There was nothing to extract from him.
The third figure removed his hood.
A man with blond hair, blue eyes, a thick beard, and several scars across his face.
Deimon Hyperion, member of the lower branch.
— So, we continue.
David looked toward the endless horizon without a word, his expression filled with unwavering determination.
— …
Back with our protagonist.
Noa opened his eyes.
He was alone in a black, empty space.
— What just happened?
He looked around.
Nothing. Only void.
Trying to understand the situation, he deduced it might be related to a temporary technique, similar to the one used in the eliminatory phase.
"...But this energy… it feels familiar…"
…
— Noa Hyperion.
He turned around, slightly confused.
Suspended in the void, a blonde woman sat on a floating chair, a book in her hands.
— You know my name? And who are you?
She closed her book confidently.
— My name is Lyly. Class A Director. And yes, I know your name. We've met before.
Noa remained confused.
But he didn't recognize her.
Yet he was certain he had felt her energy before.
She floated closer.
Noa took a small step back from the sudden approach.
— We met a few years ago, when you were still part of the Order.
She paused.
— But thinking about it… it's not surprising you don't remember me. Back then, our conversation was brief… and you seemed so…
Noa listened carefully.
"If we really met back then, it wouldn't be impossible that I don't remember."
She slowly drifted back, eyes closed.
— As you probably guessed, I manage spatio-temporal transfers. So I have to send you to the combat zone now.
Noa turned around without asking further questions, ready to be teleported.
— See you later… Nono.
Noa stopped slightly.
— Wait, you are…
But he didn't have time to finish.
He was already teleported.
He found himself in the kingdom's mountains.
The soft light of sunset bathed the vegetation.
Clouds slowly drifted across the sky before disappearing behind the mountains.
The moon was already visible.
Noa lay on the grass, staring at the semi-starry sky.
He sighed and stood up.
A little further away, Tomaru Kira, member of team L.K, watched him silently from a rock in the shadows, juggling a small stone.
Next chapter : The voice of God's speaker