Sora stood under the moonlight, the night wind catching her white hair. She lowered her gaze and let out a slow, quiet breath. It wasn't fear, but a cold disappointment.
"I gave you a chance to atone," she said softly, her voice entirely devoid of warmth.
The drunken men only grinned wider.
"But then again," she paused as the mana streams beneath the crystalline floor hummed sharply, "I should have known it would turn out like this."
Even now, mercy came before punishment. She gave them one final chance to walk away, lifting her eyes to lock onto them. "Listen carefully. The Justice Regulators have already been notified."
For a single heartbeat, silence hung in the air. Then, the hooligans burst into ugly, drunken laughter. One of them doubled over, cackling, while another snorted so hard his liquor nearly sprayed.
"Justice what?" one wheezed.
"Maybe a bunch of sacred cats posing as heroes." The others erupted again.
"Holy kittens with shiny badges? Maybe they'll meow us to death!"
The leader threw his head back. "Hear that, pretty celestial girl? You think dropping some official-sounding name is gonna scare us? No one's coming."
Sora tilted her head slowly, genuinely speechless at their sheer stupidity. They were so intoxicated they had forgotten the single force every criminal in Elpis feared: the silent hand of order.
"No," she said, her voice dropping into a calm, pitying register. "They're already here."
The laughter died instantly as a rhythmic, metallic clatter echoed from the far end of the bridge.
Clack. Clack. Clack.
Six figures marched onto the Skybridge in disciplined formation, their synchronized boots sending a chill through the translucent walkway. The Justice Regulators had arrived.
Unlike ordinary city guards, their uniforms were sleek and highly advanced. They wore fitted black underlayers woven with glowing silver rune-circuits that pulsed like veins of law. Over it rested segmented white-and-gold armaments inscribed with rotating sigils, and a long half-cloak bearing the crest of balanced scales enclosed in a radiant halo.
Sleek, multi-function baton modules hummed with dormant mana at their hips.
Interesting, Null thought, his eyes narrowing as he analyzed their gear.
At the front of the formation walked the commanding officer. She was a tall, composed woman wearing a white mantle and silver-plated greaves. A radiant wings-and-scales insignia gleamed at her collar, and her right arm was entirely encased in a sophisticated gauntlet with silently rotating runic layers.
"Crescent Alley affiliates," the officer's voice rang out, cold and magically amplified. "You are under arrest for assault, public harassment, and obstruction of civil sanctity."
This should have been the moment fear sobered them up. But the thugs were too far gone. The leader stared at the officer and let out a slurred laugh. "Hah... another beauty?"
"Boss," a side thug snickered, his bloodshot eyes dragging shamelessly over her frame. "Tonight really is our lucky night. First the white-haired celestial girl, and now this uniformed woman too? What's with this city? Do all the beautiful ones come out at night?"
The leader took a stumbling step forward, leering openly. "Hey, officer lady... why don't you put those pretty hands to better use?"
The crew erupted into filthy laughter. Behind them, the terrified woman shuddered in disgust.
Null's expression went completely flat. They are beyond saving.
The commanding officer didn't even blink. Her blue-lit visor remained unreadable as she let out a slow, tired breath.
"Intoxication level appears severe," she noted, her tone clinical and professional.
The runes along her gauntlet pulsed with a dangerous brilliance. "Final warning. Cease resistance, drop to your knees, and place your hands where my squad can see them."
The leader barked out another laugh, looking back at his men. "She thinks we're scared."
Another thug openly licked his lips. "I'm more interested in seeing what's under that armor."
That was it. The officer slowly shook her head—a small, final movement.
"Understood."
Any trace of leniency vanished from her stance. She turned her head slightly to the disciplined squad behind her. "Squad. Subdue and apprehend."
The six regulators moved instantly with practiced, mechanical precision. Their staves unfolded with a sharp hum, blue runes igniting along the extended shafts.
The leader of the thugs barely had time to blink before an officer blurred forward, driving a reinforced gauntlet straight into his abdomen. The air exploded from his lungs, his body folding in half just as a second officer brought a baton down across his shoulder, cracking him hard against the translucent floor.
"Shit!" the others panicked. One swung wildly and missed entirely. An officer pivoted smoothly, sweeping the staff low to take out his legs.
Another thug lunged toward the female commanding officer, but her runic gauntlet flared. A compact shockwave burst from a circular sigil in front of her fist with a resounding boom, throwing him backward across the bridge and slamming him violently into the railing.
The remaining thugs were overwhelmed within seconds. Batons disarmed wrists, sweeps brought bodies to the stone, and the arrogant laughter evaporated into groans of pain. Blue hard-light cuffs clicked shut around wrists and ankles, pinning the entire group to the crystalline walkway.
The leader tried to lift his bleeding lip, his drunken bravado entirely gone. The commanding officer stepped forward, her white mantle fluttering in the wind.
"You were given mercy," she said, her visor reflecting his widened eyes. "You refused. Take them."
...
The regulators hauled the broken men upright as the bridge slowly began to breathe again. Near the railing, the rescued couple collapsed into each other's arms, sobbing in relief.
The officer approached them in measured steps, the intimidating glow of her gauntlet settling into a harmless pulse. Her voice was no longer clinical. "You're safe now. It's over."
The woman let out a broken sob, her knees buckling. The officer caught her with a surprisingly gentle arm, steadying her while the boyfriend bowed his head repeatedly. "Thank you... thank you so much..."
"You two," the captain gestured to her squad. "Escort them to the nearest comfort station. Have a healer check for distress."
As they were led away, the woman paused, looking back at Sora with tear-rimmed eyes. "Thank you. If you hadn't..."
Sora gave her a reassuring, saintly nod. "Please take care."
-
Silence returned to the Skybridge. The captain turned, her visor locking onto Sora with clear recognition. She marched over, brought an armored hand to her chest, and delivered a formal salute unique to the Justice Regulators.
"Young miss," she said respectfully. "Thank you for notifying us promptly. Your timely report and your attempt at de-escalation were commendable."
Sora inclined her head gracefully. "It was only the right thing to do."
A rare, genuine smile touched the officer's lips. "If more citizens acted with your composure, our work would be considerably easier."
Behind her, Null quietly folded his arms. She really does fit the role of a saintess frighteningly well.
[Conclusion: Subject Sora demonstrates exceptional civic intervention aptitude,] Fantasy Omniscience interjected.
'You sound impressed.'
[Affirmative.]
The captain's eyes flickered briefly to Null, giving him a quick, assessing glance before looking back at Sora. "Please rest assured, the Justice Regulators will handle the rest. Enjoy the remainder of your evening." Her eyes traveled knowingly between the two of them, acknowledging the interrupted date, before she turned sharply. "Squad. Move."
The synchronized clatter of boots faded into the distance, leaving the bridge to its pristine stillness.
Null let out a slow sigh. "Well, that was certainly a memorable first date incident."
Sora stared at him, and then, against all expectations, a soft, breath-light laugh escaped her. "Only you would phrase it like that."
Null's eyes lingered on her. The lanterns swayed overhead, and the moonlight brushed her white hair, but she looked far more beautiful to him now than she had an hour ago. He had just seen a different side of her—the girl who stepped forward when others shrank back.
Sora noticed his gaze. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Null blinked, entirely honest. "You looked cool."
Sora froze, a sudden rush of warmth painting her cheeks and ears a deep pink. "T-That is such a strange thing to say."
"It's true," he replied plainly.
Sora looked away, her fingers moving tentatively until they found his hand again. This time, it wasn't for a crowd or a joke; it just felt right. Their fingers intertwined seamlessly.
Null smiled faintly, glancing down at their hands. "Resuming the date?"
Sora looked straight ahead, trying and failing to maintain her ice-queen persona. "It would be absurd to let hooligans ruin the rest of the evening. I was enjoying it."
Null's eyes softened. "Great."
Couples cautiously returned to the bridge. They began walking again, moving slowly across the ribbon of moonlight, Just… existing in the moment.
The city below sparkled endlessly.
-
Fantasy Omniscience-san.
[Yes, Master.]
Regarding those justice regulators... weren't they a little too similar to the exact concept of modern police?
[That is correct. It is because—]
Because of that mortal pioneer?
[... Yes.]
Null smiled as they walked. 'Yep, it's decided. I definitely need to get an autograph from that guy.'