Sora stood there in the moonlit center of the Skybridge, white hair stirring softly in the night wind.
For a moment—her lashes lowered.
A slow, quiet breath escaped her.
Not fear. Not frustration. Something colder. Something closer to disappointment.
"I gave you all a chance to atone."
Her voice fell like frost. Soft. But utterly devoid of warmth.
The drunken men only grinned wider.
Sora's silver gaze lowered slightly.
"But then again…" A faint pause. "…I should have known it would turn out like this."
The bridge seemed to grow quieter. Even the mana streams beneath the crystal floor hummed more sharply.
Still—even now—the saintess tried once more.
Because that was who she was. Mercy before punishment. A final path before judgment.
Her gaze lifted. Cold. Steady.
"Then listen carefully."
The words came slow. Measured. Every syllable carrying quiet authority.
"The Justice Regulators have already been notified."
Silence. For exactly one heartbeat.
Then—the hooligans burst into laughter. Loud. Ugly. Drunken.
One of them nearly doubled over. "Justice what?"
Another slapped his shoulder, cackling. "Bro, do you know what that even is?"
The third one snorted so hard liquor nearly sprayed from his nose. "Don't ask me."
A wheezing laugh. "Maybe a bunch of sacred cats posing as heroes."
The others erupted again.
"HAHAHAHA—!"
"Yeah, holy kittens with shiny badges!"
"Maybe they'll meow us to death!"
Even the leader threw his head back and laughed.
"Hear that, pretty celestial girl?" He wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. "You think dropping some official-sounding name is gonna scare us?"
His grin sharpened. "No one's coming."
Sora looked at them.
Then—very slowly—she tilted her head.
Speechless. Not because she was shaken. Because she genuinely had nothing left to say.
They were that drunk. That far gone. So intoxicated they had forgotten the single force every criminal in Elpis feared. The silent hand of order. The blade behind law.
A small shake of her head. Almost pitying.
"No." Her voice was calm again. "They're already here."
The laughter stopped.
Not because they believed her. Because—from the far end of the bridge—came the sound.
Clack.
Metal. Measured. Rhythmic.
Clack. Clack. Clack.
Bootsteps. Perfectly synchronized. Every step precise enough to send a chill through the crystalline bridge.
The remaining couples near the exits froze.
The hooligans slowly turned.
And from the lantern-lit entrance of the Skybridge—a squad emerged.
Six figures. Moving in disciplined formation.
The Justice Regulators.
Their uniforms were unlike ordinary guards. No chainmail. No city watch armor. This was something far stranger. Far more advanced.
Each wore a fitted black underlayer woven with glowing silver rune-circuits that pulsed faintly across the fabric like living veins of law. Over it rested segmented white-and-gold armaments that looked less like armor and more like engineered relics. Angular shoulder plates inscribed with rotating sigils. A long half-cloak hanging from one side only, marked with the crest of balanced scales enclosed in a radiant halo.
Their gauntlets were mechanical-magical hybrids—layered plates with retractable rune emitters embedded along the knuckles and wrists.
At their hips hung weapon modules. Not swords. Not guns. Multi-function armaments. Sleek baton-like relics with shifting geometric chambers that hummed with dormant mana.
Null slightly exclaimed. Interesting.
At the front of the formation walked the commanding officer.
A woman. Tall. Composed.
Her white coat-like mantle flowed behind her, split at the sides to reveal silver-plated greaves beneath. A radiant insignia shaped like intersecting scales and wings gleamed at her collar. Unlike the others, her right arm was entirely encased in a sophisticated gauntlet-like armament. Its surface was engraved with moving sigils that rotated in silent layers.
The woman officer's voice rang out. Cold. Amplified.
"Crescent Alley affiliates."
A pause.
"You are under arrest for assault, public desecration, harassment, and obstruction of civil sanctity."
For one brief moment—silence.
The mana streams beneath the crystal floor pulsed brighter. The other onlookers at the edge of the bridge held their breath.
This should have been the moment reason returned. The moment fear finally sobered them.
But—the hooligans were too far gone. Too drunk. Too rotten.
The leader stared at the officer for a second—then slowly grinned. Not with courage. With intoxicated stupidity.
"Hah…" He let out a slurred laugh. "Another beauty?"
One of the side thugs let out a low whistle. His bloodshot eyes dragged shamelessly over the commanding officer's frame.
"Boss…" A disgusting grin spread across his face. "Tonight really is our lucky night."
Another laughed, swaying in place. "First the white-haired goddess…" He jerked a thumb toward Sora. "…and now this uniformed woman too?"
The third thug's gaze crawled indecently over the officer's mantle and armored figure.
"Damn…" "Even the city's women are top class."
One of them snickered drunkenly. "What's with this city?" "Do all the beautiful ones come out at night?"
The leader took a stumbling step forward. Still grinning. Still leering.
"Hey, officer lady…" His tone was thick with mockery. "Why don't you put those pretty hands to better use?"
The others burst into filthy laughter.
Behind them—the terrified woman shuddered. Her boyfriend's face twisted in disgust.
Null's expression flattened. They are beyond saving.
The commanding officer, however—did not so much as blink.
Her blue-lit visor remained fixed. Unmoving. Unreadable.
Then—she exhaled. A slow, measured breath. Almost tired. Almost disappointed.
Her head tilted slightly.
"Intoxication level appears severe." Her voice remained calm. Professional. Clinical.
"Final warning." The runes along her gauntlet pulsed brighter.
"Cease resistance."
A pause.
"Drop to your knees and place your hands where my squad can see them."
The leader barked out another laugh. "Hear that?" He looked back at his men. "She thinks we're scared."
Another thug openly licked his lips in the officer's direction. "I'm more interested in seeing what's under that armor."
That was it.
The officer slowly shook her head. A small movement. Quiet. Final.
"Understood."
Her voice lost even the last trace of leniency.
She turned her head slightly. Just enough to address the squad behind her.
"Squad."
A beat.
"Subdue and apprehend."
The six officers moved instantly. No hesitation. No wasted motion.
The baton-like armaments at their hips unfolded with a sharp mechanical hum.
CHKK—VVMMMM
Silver-white rods extended into segmented enforcement staves, blue runes igniting along their length.
The leader barely had time to widen his eyes. "Wha—"
Before one officer blurred forward.
Fast. Far faster than any drunken thug could react.
THUD
A reinforced gauntlet drove straight into his abdomen. All the air exploded out of him. His body folded. Eyes bulging.
Before a second strike—a sharp baton impact across the shoulder.
CRACK
He hit the crystal floor hard.
The others panicked. "SHIT—!"
One tried to swing wildly. Missed. An officer pivoted smoothly and drove the staff into his legs.
WHAM
He collapsed screaming.
Another thug lunged drunkenly toward the female officer—only for the commander's rune-gauntlet to flare.
A circular sigil formed in front of her fist.
Then—BOOM
A compact shockwave burst outward. He was thrown backward across the bridge and slammed into the railing.
That armament wasn't merely restraint-based. It had concussive output.
Meanwhile—the remaining thugs were already being overwhelmed. One officer swept a baton low. Another followed with a clean strike to the wrist. Weapons dropped. Bodies hit the floor.
Within seconds—the laughter was gone. Replaced by groans. Pain. And the metallic click of restraint cuffs.
Blue hard-light shackles locked around wrists and ankles.
One by one—the hooligans were pinned to the crystalline floor. Helpless.
The leader tried to lift his head. Blood on his lip. Drunken bravado finally gone.
The commanding officer stepped forward. Her mantle fluttered in the night wind. The blue glow of her visor reflected in his widened eyes.
"You were given mercy."
A pause.
"You refused."
Her gauntlet's runes dimmed slowly.
"Take them."
The squad moved as one. The thugs were hauled upright. Bound. Broken. And finally—silent.
The Skybridge, once desecrated—slowly began to breathe again.
The frightened couple collapsed into each other's arms. Sobbing. Safe.
The last of the hard-light restraints clicked shut. A sharp, crystalline sound. Final.
The once-rowdy hooligans, now reduced to groaning silence, were forced to their knees beneath the glow of the Skybridge lanterns. Blue restraint sigils pulsed around their wrists and ankles, binding them with quiet authority.
For a moment—only the wind remained.
Soft. Cool. Moving through the bridge like a long exhale after held breath.
The commanding officer did not immediately turn away.
Instead, her gaze shifted first—not to Sora. Not to Null. But to the trembling couple.
The woman's shoulders were still shaking. Her hands clung desperately to her boyfriend's clothes as though she feared he might vanish if she let go. The young man—Ren—held her tightly, though his own hands trembled almost as much.
The officer's expression softened. Subtly. A professional softness. The kind worn by someone accustomed to seeing fear after violence.
She approached them in measured steps, the white mantle at her shoulders stirring gently behind her.
When she stopped before them, the runes on her gauntlet dimmed further, its intimidating glow settling into a faint, harmless pulse.
Her voice, when she spoke, was no longer cold.
"You're safe now."
Simple words. But the effect was immediate.
The woman let out a broken sob she had clearly been holding back. Her knees nearly gave out. The officer was quick to steady her with one arm. Gentle. Surprisingly gentle.
"It's over." She said again, quieter this time. "No one will touch you."
Ren bowed his head repeatedly, his voice rough with emotion. "T-Thank you… thank you so much…"
The officer gave a small nod. Then glanced toward two members of her squad.
"You two."
A short gesture.
"Escort them to the nearest comfort station. Have a healer check for physical and emotional distress."
"At once, Captain."
Two regulators stepped forward immediately, their armored forms somehow less imposing now. One offered the woman a stabilizing hand. The other gently helped Ren to his feet.
The couple hesitated for a second—then both looked toward Sora.
The woman's eyes were red with tears. But grateful.
"T-thank you…" Her voice cracked. "If you hadn't…"
She couldn't finish.
Sora simply gave her a small, reassuring nod. Soft. Warm. The same saintly gentleness returning now that the danger had passed.
"Please take care."
The couple was led away slowly, still clinging to one another as they disappeared toward the bridge's exit.
Silence returned once more.
Then—the officer turned.
Her gaze settled on Sora. For the first time, there was clear recognition in her eyes. Not just of a civilian. But of someone who had acted first.
She walked toward Sora, boots striking the crystal bridge in measured rhythm.
Clack. Clack. Clack.
When she stopped before her, she brought one armored hand to her chest in a formal gesture. A salute. Unique to the Justice Regulators. Precise. Respectful.
"Young miss."
Her voice was calm now. Controlled. But no longer distant.
"Thank you for notifying us promptly."
A small pause.
"Your timely report prevented this situation from escalating further."
The officer's eyes flickered briefly toward the arrested thugs. Then back to Sora.
"And your attempt at de-escalation before our arrival was commendable."
Sora blinked once. Then gave a small incline of her head.
"It was only the right thing to do."
The officer studied her for a moment. Then the faintest smile touched her lips. Rare. Professional. But genuine.
"If more citizens acted with your composure, our work would be considerably easier."
Behind Sora—Null quietly folded his arms. Watching. Observing.
Then, inwardly—She really does fit the role of saintess frighteningly well.
Fantasy Omniscience responded immediately. [Conclusion: Subject Sora demonstrates exceptional civic intervention aptitude.]
You sound impressed.
[Affirmative.]
Null almost laughed. Almost.
The officer's gaze shifted briefly toward him as well. A quick, assessing glance. Then back to Sora.
"Please rest assured."
Her tone returned to that cool, commanding clarity.
"The Justice Regulators will handle the rest."
"Please enjoy the rest of your evening without concern."
The words were courteous. But there was something quietly knowing in the way her eyes moved once between Sora and Null. The almost-empty Skybridge. The moonlit night. The interrupted date.
A faint understanding seemed to pass through her expression.
Then—she stepped back. Turned sharply. And resumed command.
"Squad. Move."
The regulators marched away with the restrained hooligans in tow, their synchronized footsteps fading into the distance.
Clack. Clack. Clack.
And as the noise gradually disappeared—the bridge returned to its earlier stillness.
Moonlight. Wind. Starlit mana beneath their feet. As though the disturbance had been swallowed by the night itself.
Sora let out a soft breath.
Then slowly turned back toward Null.
For a moment—neither spoke.
And then Null finally sighed.
"Well." A small pause. "That was certainly a memorable first date incident."
Sora stared at him.
Then—against all expectation—a soft laugh escaped her lips. Natural. Breath-light.
"Only you would phrase it like that."
Her shoulders relaxed slightly as she said it. A faint smile still lingering at the corners of her lips.
Null's eyes lingered on her. Quietly.
Because despite everything—the bridge was beautiful again. The lanterns swayed overhead. Moonlight brushed the silver of her hair. Her laughter still seemed to echo softly in the night.
And somehow—she looked even more beautiful now than she had before.
Maybe because he had just seen another side of her. Not just the composed saintess. Not just the flustered girl from the dessert shop. But the girl who stepped forward when others stepped away. The girl who chose mercy before force. The girl who stood beneath the stars and made the night itself seem calmer.
His gaze lingered a second too long.
Sora noticed. Of course she noticed.
Her expression shifted.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
Null blinked.
Then, with suspicious honesty—"You looked cool."
Silence.
Sora froze. Then her cheeks warmed. Immediately.
"T-That is such a strange thing to say after all that."
"It's true." He said it plainly. Matter-of-factly.
Which somehow made it worse.
Her face turned slightly away. The faint pink along her ears deepening.
"You say unnecessary things too casually."
A small pause.
Then—her fingers moved. Tentative. Light.
She reached for his hand again. Not because the crowd expected it. Not because of the earlier teasing. But because now—it felt right.
Their fingers met. Then intertwined. Natural. Warm.
Null glanced down. Then up at her.
A faint smile touched his lips.
"Resuming the date?"
Sora looked forward. Trying and failing to sound completely composed.
"It would be absurd to let hooligans ruin the rest of the evening."
A pause. Then quieter—
"I was enjoying it."
Null's eyes softened.
"Good."
And so—they began walking again. Step by step.
The Skybridge stretched ahead of them like a ribbon of moonlight. Couples slowly began to return now that the danger had passed. Soft conversations resumed. Hands found hands. A distant laugh drifted through the air.
The place was alive once more.
They walked more slowly this time. Not rushing toward the next destination. Just… existing in the moment.
The city below sparkled endlessly.
---
'Fantasy Omniscience-san'
[Yes, master.]
'Regarding those justice regulators, weren't they too similar to the concept of police?'
[That's correct. It's because—]
'It's because of that mortal pioneer?'
[... Yes.]
'Yup, it's decided. I really need to get an autograph from that guy.'