"The space inside his helmet was a silent witness to the young man's mounting anxiety. The dread of an impending catastrophe haunted every mile of the journey. The problem was, he wasn't alone. He was carrying a young girl who, at his own request to her parents, had been allowed to leave the house for the very first time. What on earth would he say to her parents if something went wrong?!"
***
"Finally," Arata muttered from inside his helmet.
A wave of relief washed over his face as the brightly lit sign of the workshop came into view. At the very least, he had succeeded in getting Sora home safely. The moment Sora hopped off in front of the door, Arata parked his bike and hurried toward the workshop entrance.
But when he turned around, he found Sora already sitting comfortably on the long wooden bench.
"Why are you sitting down?" Arata asked, his voice laced with confusion as he approached.
"I still want to sit here for a while," Sora answered nonchalantly, completely oblivious to the anxiety gnawing at Arata's mind.
"Er—hey... it's... it's late. You'll get sick!" he said, his tone a bit forceful.
"I'm going to wait for Yumi here; she's coming to pick up her scooter. You should go inside and rest," Arata suggested. He cast a fleeting glance at the dark sky before looking back at Sora with a thin, forced smile.
"I'll stay with you until Yumi gets here," Sora replied, settling herself relax on the bench.
"No, really... there's no need. Just go inside, please," Arata said, his voice starting to hint at panic.
His anxiety was peaking. His thoughts grew more chaotic seeing her insist on staying outside. Sora had no inkling of the danger Arata and the three Guardians within his pendant were bracing for.
"Why are you being so pushy? I'm not sleepy yet, and I still want to talk," Sora retorted, looking at Arata with a puzzled expression.
Great, now she wants to chat! What do I do? He was running out of excuses.
"Actually, what were you going to tell me about that lunch box?" Sora asked suddenly, her gaze now demanding an answer.
Arata flinched. He froze in a half-seated position over the bench for a second before finally letting himself land.
"Oh, that... the truth is, it rotted inside my backpack," he admitted at last. "It wasn't because I didn't want to eat it; I just... I couldn't eat it at the time."
He let the answer out with a small sigh, sitting back more firmly as if he had just passed a grueling test.
"Why?" Sora asked curiously, her face sporting a slight pout.
Arata began his story, his hands moving animatedly every now and then to bring the tale to life. The two teenagers became lost in conversation. Arata rambled on about the lunch box incident—thickening the story with lies, of course, to protect the massive secret he carried.
Sora seemed enthralled, occasionally chiming in while Arata was mid-story; her curiosity was impossible to hide. Their lighthearted laughter occasionally broke the silence, startling the night insects and making the atmosphere in front of the workshop feel less lonely.
Through it all, Sora's face beamed. She admired something deep within Arata. Resting her chin on her hand, her eyes were locked onto his face as if the rest of the world had simply vanished.
It seemed the lunch box issue was merely an excuse just to be near him. She had tucked the case of the spoiled lunch box deep into her memory; perhaps one day she would bring it up again as "ammunition" if Arata ever messed up again.
"Man... it's a good thing Kato showed up to help. Otherwise, I might not have ever seen you again.
Hahahaha!" Arata's laughter rang out, cutting through the silence of the night.
Arata managed a small smile, the image of Kato's mischievous face still fresh in his mind. However, the laughter in his heart died instantly when his ears caught the sound of footsteps coming from the darkness. His alertness spiked. His eyes pierced toward the source of the sound. His heart raced, and his hand almost reached for his pendant before he caught himself. Meanwhile, Sora remained caught up in Arata's story, as if she didn't have a care in the world.
***
"Something is approaching," Arata thought, his mind racing.
"Really? I can't feel anything," Mire replied.
"Yeah, I can't sense a presence at all. Could it be because it's masked by Cov's radiation?" Mire asked again.
"Hey, don't joke around at a time like this!!" Arata snapped.
"Just brace yourself for the worst-case scenario," Fero interrupted.
"Dammit, why does it have to be now?!" Arata groaned.
***
Beneath the dim glow of the streetlights, a silhouette emerged. The figure was a hazy outline, moving slowly toward the pool of light. Each step was deliberate, as if carrying a weight of hesitation. As the figure broke through the veil of light, the mystery of the shadow dissolved, revealing a familiar face.
"Yumi?" Arata blurted out, stunned. His anxiety vanished in an instant.
"This girl is really getting on my nerves," Mire muttered.
Sora, sitting beside him, looked up instinctively. Arata stood up by reflex, about to step forward, but his movement faltered. He was suddenly reminded of Sora's presence right there with him. A heavy pause hung in the air.
"You... you scared me!" Arata exclaimed, trying to mask his nerves with a small protest.
Yumi didn't answer. She only offered a thin, unreadable smile as she continued to walk toward them.
"Sora, let me introduce you. This is Yumi. She's the owner of the scooter I'm fixing," Arata said, making the introductions.
Sora stood up immediately and approached Yumi politely. "Hello, Yumi. I'm Sora," she said with a slight bow, offering her sincere respect.
"Hello, Sora. I'm Yumi, it's nice to meet you," Yumi replied. She returned the bow, but her eyes shot a sharp, fleeting glance at Arata before turning back to Sora.
Instantly, the atmosphere turned icy. An awkward silence enveloped them, with only the chirping of crickets and the hiss of the night wind creating a lonely symphony.
"Erm... I'll get your scooter ready now, Yumi. Just sit here for a bit while I prep it," Arata said, breaking the deadlock. He hurried toward the workshop, leaving the two of them in silence. He felt he had to escape that suffocating "magnetic field" immediately. "You two... just chat for a while."
Inside the workshop, while pretending to check the bolts on Yumi's scooter, Arata's consciousness split. Within his mind, a silent frequency opened—a conversation in the void that only he and the Guardians could hear.
***
Arata: "What's the situation?"
Jole: "Unchanged. It's still around here, lurking in the shadows."
Arata: "What should I do?"
Jole: "Nothing dangerous yet. However, you must remain fully alert, especially now that those two girls are with you. Their presence complicates everything."
Arata: "I was thinking the same thing. It'll be incredibly dangerous if that creature suddenly attacks while they're both here."
Jole: "True. But it doesn't seem like it'll make a move in the open. We'll just have to wait and see."
Arata: "Do you think it's waiting for me to let my guard down? Maybe on my way home later?"
Jole: "Most likely. However, I'm actually more concerned about that girl—Yumi. If she heads home alone, she could become a target."
Arata: "That's a real worry. In that case, I'll escort her back."
Jole: "A wise choice. She has already seen Cov, and vice versa. Their paths have already crossed."
Arata: "Right... Yumi never should have been involved or even been there at that time."
Jole: "Yes... but there seems to be something else behind that girl. Something we don't yet understand."
Mire: "True, I feel it too. It's not exactly something alarming... I don't know, I just can't put it into words."
Arata: "Really? What do you mean—"
"Arattaaaa...!"
The telepathic link was severed instantly. Arata flinched, snapping his head toward the source of the high-pitched, cheerful voice. "It's getting late!" Sora shouted from her spot, waving her hand.
"Yeah! I'm coming!" Arata called back. He took a deep breath to steady himself, then hurried to wheel Yumi's scooter over to the two girls.
Arata parked the scooter right in front of them. His eyes darted restlessly, scanning every tree shadow and dark corner surrounding the workshop.
"Here are the keys. Everything's back to normal," Arata said, handing the keys over to Yumi.
"Thank you, Arata. I'm sorry for troubling you both so late at night," Yumi replied softly. As she took the keys, her fingers brushed against Arata's, and she noticed something. "Your hands... they're freezing. Are you sick?"
Arata pulled his hand away quickly, forcing a stiff smile. "Ah, no. It's probably just the night air."
Standing beside them, Sora watched the interaction with an unreadable expression."I think you should probably see Yumi home, it's too late for her to be out alone", Sora said suddenly, breaking the akward tension.
Yumi looked startled. She glanced at Arata, then back at Sora. "No... that's not necessary... I'll be fine," she replied awkwardly.
Arata gave a firm nod. It felt as if the universe were aligning with his plan. "Alright. Sora, we're heading out. I'll make sure Yumi gets home safe."
"Be careful, Arata. See you later, Yumi," Sora said.
She waved her hand. But as Arata and Yumi started their engines, the smile on Sora's face slowly faded. She stared intently into the darkness of the road ahead of them, her gaze filled with an emotion that was hard to define.
---
Arata kept his bike pinned right beside Yumi, maintaining the perfect distance so he could react instantly if anything happened. Behind his helmet visor, his gaze sharpened, scouring every inch of the shadows along the roadside.
The night grew increasingly oppressive as streetlights became sparse, leaving behind an uncertain, flickering gloom. Arata tightened his grip on the handlebars until his knuckles turned white. The worry that had been a vague hum was now taking shape; the shadow of danger was slowly unveiling itself, preparing to manifest into something real.
He realized more than ever that the presence of Cov—and perhaps others—could bring utter destruction, and those around him could become innocent casualties. Yumi, riding calmly beside him, was the first living proof. She was never supposed to be dragged into this.
"Not now... please, not now,"
he whispered hoarsely, a desperate plea swallowed by the rushing wind and the vast, silent night sky.
Their engines let out a low drone as they entered the apartment complex where Yumi lived. The concrete structure looked sturdy, though its paint was beginning to fade, featuring long open corridors and rows of uniform steel doors—a humble dwelling that now seemed eerie under the dim, yellowish glow of neon lights.
Yumi parked her bike in an open lot sheltered only by a corrugated zinc roof. She took off her helmet and took a moment to fix her hair.
"Thank you for seeing me home, Arata. I'm sorry for being such a bother—"
"It's fine, Yumi. All that matters is that you're back," Arata cut her off quickly. His eyes didn't truly meet hers; instead, they continued to sweep the dark areas around the emergency stairs and concrete pillars. There was a strange, jarring alertness about him, as if he were watching something invisible lurking between them.
"I have to go. Go inside, and lock your door tight," Arata continued, his voice rushed, sounding like a man carrying a dangerous secret he couldn't afford to share.
Without waiting for a reply or further explanation, Arata kicked the throttle. The engine roared, tearing through the silence, leaving a vibration in the asphalt as he sped away until his red taillight was swallowed by the darkness of the main road.
Yumi stood frozen beside her bike. She stared straight at Arata's receding back, feeling a tightening knot of unease in her chest. That wasn't the behavior of someone who was just tired; there was something much darker beneath the surface. Arata's paranoid gaze earlier hinted at a massive secret, one intentionally locked away to keep anyone else from reaching it.
Yumi glanced toward the stairs leading to her front door—a sanctuary that should have offered peace. Yet, the image of Arata's restless face continued to haunt her. Something inside her refused to just go in, lock the door, and close her eyes as if everything were fine. Her instincts were screaming that something was being hidden.
With a firm motion, Yumi reached for her helmet again. Click. The chin strap snapped into place. She mounted her bike, turned the ignition, and instantly, her headlight cut sharply through the night, piercing the darkness.
---
Arata sped back into the darkness, but his mind was no longer on the road. The pendant around his neck began to throb, sending waves of warmth coursing through his entire body. The silence of the night was shattered—not by the sounds of nature, but by voices echoing directly within his consciousness.
Arata: "I think we have to do something."
Jole: "What do you mean?"
Arata: "We can't just let it keep terrorizing us like this."
Jole: "You want to fight it?"
Arata: "If that's what it takes to stop it."
Jole: "It won't stop as long as that pendant is with you. That has been the goal from the very beginning. And listen, Arata—even if you manage to defeat it, there will be others to take its place."
Arata: (Startled) "Dammit... there are others?"
Jole: "They are all under someone's control."
Arata: "What? Controlled? You mean there's a leader behind all of this?"
Jole: (Calm yet firm) "Correct. But you must hone your abilities if you hope to defeat them and avenge your ancestors. Truthfully, I still doubt whether your body can withstand the power of the Vault."
Arata: "We won't know unless we try!"
Jole: "As you wish. We follow it."
Arata pinned the throttle even harder. The roar of his engine tore through the cold night mist, the bike lunging forward like an arrow shot from a bow. The adrenaline of his youth surged; his racing heart was no longer fueled by fear, but by a fire of vengeance beginning to ignite his soul.
Mire: "It knows we're following."
Jole: "Let it stay that way. Keep on its tail, Arata!"
Arata: "Leave it to me!"
Mire: "Stay alert. It feels like it's leading us somewhere... its position is getting lower."
Jole: "We must prepare for the worst if this turns out to be a trap."
The faint shield of light that had been shimmering around them now glowed more intensely. Jole increased the energy output, creating a more solid barrier of protection. Meanwhile, Fero remained motionless, yet to show any significant movement despite the escalating tension.
---
Screeeeee-ch! The tires shrieked as Arata slammed on the brakes. He hopped off, leaving his helmet and bag on the seat, and stepped firmly onto the path leading toward a clearing in the heart of the silent forest.
Mire: "Here again? Hmm... It's here. I can feel it."
Arata: "Fine... we won't know the outcome unless we try."
Fero: (Authoritative) "Arata, ready your hand! Now!"
Arata leveled his palm. In an instant, a transparent object materialized in his grip—a solid, short cylinder pulsing with a faint, ethereal glow. He tightened his hold, feeling its weight.
Srekk... krtakk... tap... His footsteps were the only sound breaking the heavy silence. Finally, he stepped into the clearing—the same empty lot where he had first crossed paths with Cov.
Arata: (Doubting whisper) "There's no one here."
Mire: "There is. It's here. The radiation is overwhelming. Don't let your guard down!"
...a moment of silence...
Mire: (Flat and heavy) "It's approaching."
Arata flinched, dropping into a low, defensive stance. From behind the thicket of trees, a pair of glowing red eyes ignited. The sound of heavy footsteps shook the earth, followed by an eerie hiss of hot steam. The figure shoved through the brush, snapping branches with brute force.
Mire: (Screaming in Arata's consciousness) "That's Zed...!"
Arata: (Panicked) "What?! It's not the one we were following? Who is this now?!"
Mire: "Where is Cov? He's not here. Don't tell me..."
Jole: (Growling) "Correct... it's a trap. Don't panic!"
Fero surged energy into the object in Arata's hand. The cylinder's light intensified, revealing Zed's silhouette: a massive tiger encased in pitch-black iron armor. Its intimidating aura weighed heavily on the air around them.
Arata: (Trembling as he backs away) "What is this thing... it's enormous..."
Zed lunged! Arata threw himself into a roll, narrowly escaping the impact. Zed hit the ground with a bone-shaking thud before rebounding with lethal agility. It became a frantic cycle—Zed's relentless pursuit against Arata's desperate maneuvers, every second a hair's breadth away from disaster..
Fero: "Hey! Don't just dodge! Attack!"
Arata: "How am I supposed to attack?! It's too big!"
Mire took over Arata's physical control to execute tactical movements. However, Zed read the pattern. As Arata jumped, Zed slammed its hardened head into him with full force.
BOOM!
Arata was sent flying several meters. Although Jole's shield dampened the physical impact, the shockwave rippled through to his bones.
Arata: "Argh... why can't I do anything?!"
Fero: "Stop complaining! Quit dodging and use your instincts!"
Arata: "Fine... alright!"
Arata closed his eyes, centering all his remaining courage onto the object in his hand. Ziiinggg! The object vibrated violently, mutating into a foreign form that sparked with flashes of bluish-white energy. Zed tore through the air like a storm. Before Arata could even swing his new weapon, a massive blow sent him crashing to the ground. Zed gave him no room to breathe; the giant predator lunged instantly, unhinging its terrifying jaws, and—
CRACK!
Zed's jaws snapped shut, locking Arata's body inside.
Arata: (Muffled scream) "AGHHH!"
Arata was caught within those steel fangs. However, Jole's light shield flared brilliantly, holding back the pressure of Zed's jaws that should have crushed human bone in an instant. Arata could feel the heat of Zed's mechanical breath and the immense pressure against his chest.
Jole: (Groaning under the weight) "Arata... strike! I can't hold it much longer!"
Mire: (Siphoning her power into Arata's body)
In the midst of the death-grip, Arata moved his one free hand. With his remaining strength and a surge of overflowing rage, he slammed his energy weapon with everything he had into Zed's face. He did it repeatedly until sparks flew; his third blow landed squarely on its glowing red eye.
Zed: (Mechanical roar of agony) "ROOOOARRGHH!"
Seeing the reaction, Arata pressed the attack. In its pain, Zed instinctively loosened its bite. But suddenly, with a brutal swing of its head, Arata was tossed aside like a ragdoll. He went airborne, slamming into the trees with a violent thud before crashing to the ground without any chance to break his fall.
Craaaaash!
Arata lay stiff, his breath hitching amidst the excruciating pain. He tried to get up, but his muscles felt paralyzed from the impact. On the other side, Zed was in chaos, roaring and clawing at the face Arata had wounded.
Arata: (Prostrate, gasping for air) "Aghh... it's too strong. I'm no match for it..."
Arata coughed, tasting the thick, metallic tang of blood in his throat. If not for Jole's light shield flickering at the last second, his body would have been mangled inside those steel jaws. Yet, the protector couldn't block everything; the impact still vibrated deep into his flesh and muscle, leaving a crippling ache.
Jole: (Voice trembling from exhaustion) "Arata, get up! That shield is draining my energy, I can't guarantee I can block the next strike!"
Arata: (Desperate) "Argh.. fine, no harm in trying, right?"
Arata forced his body up, ignoring the stinging pain radiating through his muscles. He found his footing, stood tall, and then stepped forward slowly as if he were planning something insane.
Jole: (Panicked) "What are you doing, Arata?! This light shield hasn't fully recovered!"
Mire: "Don't be stupid... do you want to die?!"
Arata: (Firm/Ignoring them) "Fero, on my mark! And Mire, I'm going to need your ability soon!"
The three Guardians went silent. Arata locked his mind, taking full control of an attack strategy they couldn't even hear. Far in front of him, Zed lowered its body, preparing for the lethal pounce that would end it all.
Arata: (Whispering) "It's now or never...! Mire... NOW!!!"
Without waiting, seeing Arata begin his sprint, Mire injected a surge of her remaining energy into Arata's muscles. The jolt propelled Arata's body with massive strides, running head-on against Zed's storm-like charge. Both traded speed for impact. Right as the gap closed—
Arata: "FERO... NOW!"
Fero: "With pleasure!!!"
Smoldering red energy flooded the weapon in Arata's hand, sparking with a roaring crackle. Arata spun his body with all his might and hurled the weapon.
Whussszzzzz!
The moment the object left Arata's hand, it shot forward like a lethal projectile. Its vertical rotation created a disc of energy spinning at an incredible frequency, slicing through the atmosphere and leaving a trail of burning light in the air. The weapon struck Zed mercilessly at the peak of its momentum.
CRAAAASH!
The collision exploded with a dense, low-frequency thud—silent to the ears, yet the shockwave rippled through the ground, vibrating everything within range—followed by a blinding flash of light. The momentum of the strike brought Zed to an instant halt in mid-air, as if it had slammed into an invisible steel wall, before throwing it violently off its trajectory.
Its body went spinning, tumbling helplessly right over Arata's head. Arata could only look up, transfixed, as he witnessed the lightning-fast scene. A second later, Zed slammed hard into the earth, gouging a deep crater into the soil before finally coming to a halt after skidding several meters, motionless.
Arata stepped forward. His legs felt heavy, and a wave of hesitation hung over him, but curiosity and caution forced him to close the distance. There, Zed lay stiff. The weapon was embedded deep and silent, yet its aura remained feral. Its lethal rotation seemed to have been forced to a stop just before splitting the skull between Zed's eyes. The gaping wound it left was horrific; the nose and mouth of his formidable opponent were split vertically in perfect symmetry.
The object was still glowing fiercely. Static electricity and residual energy thrashed wildly around the wound, sparking erratically into the air as if that massive collision wasn't enough to satisfy the destructive hunger stored within it.
---
"What is that?!" Jole asked, his voice thick with both shock and confusion. The turn of events had defied all his expectations.
Fero: "Retrieve your weapon. Don't leave it behind like you did yesterday when facing Cov."
Arata: "What?!! Can't you see he's still alive..?!!!"
Fero: "Then hurry before he gets back up. Do you think manifestng Xyris is easy?"
Arata: "Xyris?? Is that what it's called?"
Fero: "Yes... now move!"
Arata: "Alright... fine... Jole, you ready? I'm going in."
Jole: "As you wish, young man."
Arata stepped forward toward the rigid, unmoving creature. He approached the head and found that its eyes no longer glowed. Trembling slightly, he gripped the exposed part of the weapon. Bracing his foot against Zed's face, he pulled with all his might.
Kret-t-taaaakkk!
The object was wrenched free. Instantly, Zed's body convulsed violently. Its eyes suddenly ignited with a brilliant red light. Arata recoiled in shock, leaping backward. With his adrenaline still surging, he immediately dropped into a combat-ready stance.
However, the red glow faded once more. There was no further movement. The impact had likely destroyed its core module or its brain permanently. Arata stepped back, creating a safe distance from Zed's carcass.
Arata: "So, this is Xyris?"
Fero: "Yes. But before it took that form... why on earth did you choose a weapon with a shape like that?"
Arata: "This? You know what this is?"
Fero: "I don't know what to call it, but I often see you using it in the workshop. It's made of solid iron, isn't it?"
Arata: "Heh... so you were paying attention! Right, it's solid iron. We call it a wrench."
Jole: "In all my life, I have never seen such a bizarre weapon in the entire galaxy. You hurl it like a combat disc, but the shape makes absolutely no sense."
Arata: "Throwing it is the best way to use it as a weapon. Actually, this thing is meant for loosening and tightening bolts," Arata explained plainly.
He stared at Zed's mangled face, then looked back at the giant wrench in his hand. "This thing is heavy. Even without the energy flow from earlier, if you have the physical strength and get hit by this, the injury would be severe. Especially if your face is the target... it would just be crushed to pieces," he added, a hint of horror in his voice as he imagined the sheer force of his own strike.
Fero: "So... it's a tool for repairs?"
Arata: "Yeah. I use it every day at the shop. It's just... there's never been a wrench this big before, but it's surprisingly light for its size..." Arata swung the object around to test its weight.
Jole: "Well... regardless of what it is, at least it performed its function."
Mire: "I love the idea," Mire added with a tone of genuine admiration.
Arata could only let out a small laugh at his Guardians' comments. In a life-or-death situation, he had saved himself with the very tool he used to fix his customers' motorcycles.