Hiro lay on the small futon, staring at the wooden ceiling above him.
The pressure from earlier conversations still lingered in his chest. He exhaled slowly.
So much responsibility was dumped on me in one day.
He pressed his arm across his eyes.
Yurei … Daisy… Marian… Elira… Bailey…
They were all counting on him in their own strange way.
Not as a hero.
Not as some legendary chosen one.
Just as someone who could stand beside them.
"…Gosh, when is Yurei coming back?" he muttered quietly.
The silence of the room answered.
He turned slightly on the futon.
Might as well sleep before—
"ALERT! ALERT! GATE DETECTED! GATE DETECTED!"
Hiro's eyes snapped open.
"What the—?!"
He bolted upright, heart pounding, and rushed out of the room. The hallway outside was chaotic.
Doors were opening. Footsteps echoed as the girls moved quickly, already dressed in combat uniforms.
Marian was fastening her jacket, Elira adjusted her bandage wraps, Bailey walked with military precision, Daisy zoomed past him.
"Daisy , what's happening?" he asked.
"Are you deaf? A gate appeared," Daisy snapped while moving toward the exit. "And we are the closest unit."
She didn't slow down.
Hiro chased after her, still wearing his pajamas.
Outside, the Imperial Base courtyard was already active. Armored equipment was being loaded. Weapon racks were opening.
Soldiers moved with professional efficiency.
He spotted an armored jeep waiting near the gate exit.
Hiro jogged closer.
"Can I come too?" he asked quickly.
Because being left behind while everyone fights sounds depressing.
Daisy didn't even look at him.
"You will only slow us down."
Ouch.
"Especially since your Mistress is not here."
Hiro knew what she meant. Once an awakened male was bound, voluntary beast transformation required mistress authorization.
Without Yurei—
I can't transform.
"I don't think it's a bad idea," Bailey said calmly.
Daisy turned slightly. Bailey continued.
"This will allow him to gain combat experience and evaluate our performance."
Hiro's eyes brightened.
"So I can come?"
The girls stared at him when he tried making puppy eyes.
Silence.
Marian sighed. "Alright. But stay behind us. Don't try to be a hero."
"Yes!!"
Hiro dashed toward the jeep—
And found there was no seat left.
Crap. There's no space. I guess I'll have to squeeze—
"Hiro , why don't you sit on my legs?" Marian said casually, patting her thighs with a teasing smile.
Hiro froze.
Daisy shouted from the driver's seat.
"Hurry up already!!"
Fuck it.
Hiro quickly sat on Marian's legs. The sensation of a warm and soft could be felt beneath butt.
Don't get a boner, don't get a boner
Hiro repeated those words like a mantra.
The jeep engine roared to life and they drove through the quiet city.
Residential buildings passed by — traditional Japanese-style architecture mixed with modern urban design. Wooden houses with tiled roofs stood beside reinforced concrete apartments.
Lantern lights hung outside small family homes.
Some windows were closed, others showed people watching silently as the military jeep passed.
The city felt strangely quiet.
Not peaceful.
Anticipatory.
"So where's the gate?" Hiro asked, shifting slightly as Marian's hands wandered teasingly near his waist.
"Sonu District downtown," Daisy replied.
"Bailey, what if another gate appears while all of us are here?"
Bailey shook her head slightly. "Two gates rarely manifest in the same region simultaneously."
"Why?"
"Gates require Aether density to materialize."
Hiro processed that. "So one gate usually consumes most of the local Aether?"
"Yes."
"And if another appears?"
"Another unit from a different zone is deployed."
Right. I forgot how many soldiers the Army actually has.
"Since this is a blue gate… the gatekeeper should be around Class Three, right?"
"Yes," Bailey said.
Blue gates were classified as low-risk but not harmless.
To close a gate successfully, someone must defeat the gatekeeper inside the spatial rift. Failure could result in a Gate Breach, allowing Abyssals to cross into the city.
A few minutes later, the jeep slowed, they had arrived. The Sonu District downtown intersection was barricaded.
Red tape stretched across roads.
Police vehicles blocked civilian access.
At the center of the street stood something terrifying and beautiful.
A swirling blue portal of Aether.
The portal distorted space around it, light bending unnaturally like water rippling across invisible wind.
Police officers maintained perimeter control.
A female police officer walked toward them.
"City officials have classified this as a blue-level gate," she reported. "Low level, but we have already sealed surrounding roads."
"We want to avoid another Gate Breach incident."
Bailey nodded."Give us a few hours."
She turned slightly, noticing Hiro.
"Why is there a civilian man with you today?"
"He's the Captain's slave," Bailey replied without emotion.
The police officer's eyes widened slightly.
"So your unit finally has a beast slave."
There was respect in her tone. The 13th Royal Unit was mocked by other military units.
Main Imperial combat soldiers often looked down on local law enforcement, viewing them as weak or overly cautious.
But this unit was different.
The police officer watched as the girls prepared their weapons. Marian stretched her shoulders.
Daisy checked ammunition.
Elira adjusted her wraps silently.
Bailey stood at the front like a spear.
And the boy , the only beast slave — stood behind them still wearing his pajamas.
The 13th Royal Unit.
Weakest on paper.
But there was something in the air.
Not arrogance. Not fear. Something stubborn.
The police officer thought quietly.
Maybe… not failures after all.
Inside the blue portal, shadows moved.
The gate was waiting.