Now already afternoon, the 13th unit stood in front of the Wastelands and Hiro felt a single thought.
The Wastelands were… wrong.
Even under the blazing afternoon sun, the land felt dim.
The sky above was clear, the sun high—but its light seemed swallowed by the terrain below, as if the very ground rejected it.
Gray.
Black.
Rotting.
The earth was cracked and uneven, veins of dark energy pulsing faintly beneath the surface like a diseased heartbeat.
Twisted remnants of what were once trees clawed toward the sky, their bark charred and lifeless.
The air was thick.
Heavy.
Every breath felt… contaminated.
Hiro stood at the edge, staring.
"…So this is the Wastelands…"
A chill ran down his spine. Yurei stepped beside him.
"When the first Purple Gates appeared," she began, "this land was overrun."
Her voice was calm—but carried history.
"Abyssals flooded the world. Humanity nearly went extinct." Hiro listened silently.
"Then came the Awakened women… and the Beast Slaves." Her gaze hardened.
"Together—we pushed them back."
She gestured toward the wasteland. "But the damage remained."
Hiro looked again.
The ground.
The air.
The silence.
"This corrupted Aether…" he muttered.
He could feel it.
It pressed against his skin, trying to seep in—like something alive.
But something inside him pushed back,his own Aether.
Pure.
Defensive.
"…It's annoying," he said.
"So it's a good thing that training you here will increase your resistance" Yurei added.
But seriously how did humanity even survive before the first awakened women appeared Hiro thought as he stared into the horizon of the Wastelands.
Marian stretched lazily behind them. "Stop admiring the scenery and transform already."
"Yeah," Daisy added. "We didn't leave Elira behind just to watch you stand around."
"Seriously…" Bailey muttered.
"But why am I training here in the first place" Hiro couldn't help but ask.
"You are a S class Spirit Type, there's no telling what will happen if you transform in the city" Bailey answered.
Well that does make sense Hiro thought but let's focus on the task on hand
Hiro exhaled.
"…Alright."
He stepped forward and closed his eyes.
Transform…
He focused inward and searched for something.
Anything.
A spark.
A pull.
A sensation— Nothing.
…
He raised his fist dramatically.
"TRANSFORM!!!"
Silence, wind passed and nothing happened.
Five minutes later and he was still standing there, in the same pose.
"…This is awkward," Marian said.
"Of course he's a dud," Daisy sighed.
"Maybe performance issues?" Bailey added.
Hiro slowly lowered his hand. "…What the hell…"
His chest tightened.
What if I'm not special…?
"No."
Yurei's voice cut through his thoughts.
"You are not a failure."
He looked at her as she stepped closer.
"I have an idea."
A faint blush touched her cheeks.
"…It might work."
"It's fine—let's tr—"
Before he could finish—
She grabbed his collar.
Pulled him in and kissed him. Everything stopped.
Hiro's eyes widened.
Her lips were soft.
Warm.
His brain shut down and as if a switch had been flipped.
Then—
Heat.
A burning sensation erupted in his chest and It spread violently.
Like fire.
Like something waking up.
His heart pounded.
His vision blurred.
Yurei pulled away slowly. Their eyes met for a brief second
Then—
He began to glow.
Bright pink light burst from his body.
"AHHHHH!!!"
A shockwave exploded outward, the ground cracked and air rippled.
"It's starting…" Yurei whispered.