"Will the professor be okay, Kai?"
Lyra stared at the figure in front of her. Her hands tightened around the back of the ATV as it rattled through the rain.
The person driving only gave a vague grunt in response.
"Hey… why do you look so upset?"
This time, the driver glanced back over his shoulder.
"Do I?"
Kai Mercer kept one hand firmly on the ATV's controls. Half his face turned toward Lyra. His voice was almost a shout against the screaming wind.
"He clearly said he wouldn't let anyone sacrifice themselves anymore."
"And yet that plan…" Kai clenched his jaw and stared ahead. "Even a kid could tell it was full of holes. But he still threw himself into a death trap anyway."
He lifted one hand into the air like he was protesting something, then quickly grabbed the handle again.
Right after that, Kai faced forward on purpose, clearly trying to hide his expression from Lyra.
Lyra blinked at him. Her voice was soft, but still clear through the heavy rain.
"Mm… but it feels like he really trusts you, Kai."
She leaned forward slightly and tilted her head, trying to peek at his face from behind.
"What's that supposed to mean…"
Kai wanted to snap back immediately, but the feeling of Lyra staring at him made him hesitate.
"Seriously…"
He shook his head hard, as if trying to throw away the conversation from earlier.
---
"I'm lending this to you."
After awkwardly taking off his shoes, LHT stood up and held out a glowing pair of boots toward Kai. Golden threads wrapped around them like living veins, emitting a soft light.
Kai's eyes widened.
"What the hell is this? Shoes inside shoes?"
He gave them a quick glance before answering flatly.
"I don't need new shoes, Professor."
"Ah." LHT shook his head. "These aren't normal shoes."
He waved Kai over with a suspiciously cheerful smile.
"Come here. I'll whisper it to you."
Kai looked doubtful, but still stepped closer.
LHT immediately leaned toward his ear.
Then—
"THESE THINGS ARE AMAZING!"
Kai nearly jumped out of his skin.
His ears rang from the sudden scream.
"What the hell are you doing?!"
Kai instantly shouted back.
LHT only grinned and patted him on the shoulder.
"Five seconds to teleport anywhere within sight."
He raised an eyebrow.
"So? What do you think?"
"Huh?"
Before Kai could react, the professor suddenly froze in thought, rubbing his chin.
"But more importantly…"
LHT pursed his lips with an unusually serious expression.
"…Never mind."
He waved the topic away.
"Just use them properly."
As he spoke, he poked Kai in the forehead a few times like he was knocking on a door.
"Oh right. After a while, they'll pull you back to your original position."
His gaze briefly turned serious.
"Don't abuse them."
LHT smiled and gave Kai's shoulder one last pat.
"Well then… I'm leaving this battlefield to you."
"Kai—"
Lyra's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Yeah, I'm listening. What is it?"
"Look ahead."
Kai narrowed his eyes.
Far away in the sky, something blood-red slithered through the black clouds.
Its enormous shadow stretched across the ground like darkness swallowing the entire battlefield whole.
"That serpent…"
Kai tightened his grip on the controls.
Without turning back, he shouted:
"Hold on tight! I'm speeding up!"
Lyra nodded and grabbed the vehicle tighter, though her eyes remained fixed on the gray sky above.
Professor… I hope your plan works.
The ATV suddenly drifted into a sharp turn with shocking precision. Its tires screeched across the wet ground before it shot straight toward the distant cocoon.
---
At the top of a ruined building.
LHT leaned against a cracked wall with his arms crossed. His coat fluttered gently in the rain.
Tick. Tickkkkkkkkk.
A faint sound came from the watch on his left wrist.
Right after that, a cold mechanical voice with a feminine tone spoke up.
"Professor—"
"—I've received a signal from Kai."
LHT's eyes snapped open like someone waking from a shallow sleep.
His gaze fixed directly on the pulsating cocoon in the distance.
His lips puffed out as he made childish mocking noises.
"Bleh bleh bleh…"
"Alright."
He stretched his shoulders and exhaled softly.
"Then let's begin Operation Happy x2."
LHT tossed the Everlasting Dream Wishing Stone into the air.
The crystal spun several times in the rain before falling neatly back into his right hand.
Just earlier, he had nearly pissed himself playing around with this thing because of the nightmares.
More specifically, he had been testing his own limits.
If I use one or two more large-scale activations… my heart might actually stop.
LHT smirked slightly.
Better tone down the flashy stuff a little.
The stone in his hand began spinning slowly. Pale pink light leaked out from it like the breath of a dream.
Pink mist spread through the rain and dissolved into the air like it had never existed.
Then—
Shapes began appearing inside the haze.
Yeah… better keep it restrained this time.
No need for full color or HD.
Just the original pink cotton candy version should reduce the strain on my body.
And then—
A pink cotton candy man appeared. He wore pink delivery-driver pants, a pink cape, and a giant S emblazoned across his chest.
Next to him stood another figure with a bat symbol on his chest.
Only…
From head to toe—
He was pink too.
The entire group behind them wasn't any better.
An entire squad.
Completely.
Pink.
One hundred percent.
"Magnificent…"
LHT crossed his arms and nodded in satisfaction.
"Go forth, my pink army."
"Destroy the red team with spirit and… sound effects."
"Oh right… sound effects too."
LHT narrowed his eyes, concentrating through the cold rain.
Maybe a chill ATV engine soundtrack would work… easier on the brain.
Lullaby music? Baby Shark?
He paused for a few seconds.
Wait… does this world even have copyright strikes?
Who knew.
LHT shrugged.
Fine. Chill ATV background noise it is.
The moment the thought crossed his mind—
The Everlasting Dream Wishing Stone began spinning smoothly like a freshly wound music box.
A bright melody echoed out.
As if an invisible conductor were guiding every note by hand.
It sounded exactly like the opening theme of some 90s magical girl anime LHT used to know.
In the middle of a battlefield drenched in blood and red lightning…
The music was absurdly out of place.
But who cared?
Who?
LHT blinked a few times like he was searching for anyone brave enough to complain before casually adjusting his glasses.
If I brought this thing back to my old world… I'd probably become the number one DJ.
He chuckled quietly and nodded as if approving his own genius.
Immediately, the "warriors" around him began moving.
Some shot into the sky.
Some cracked their shoulders and casually walked forward.
Others charged straight toward the battlefield like lunatics, radiating the energy of world-saving heroes.
LHT slipped his left hand into his coat pocket.
His fingertips brushed against the icy surface of the White Stone.
He slowly closed his eyes.
Establish connection.
In an instant—
His consciousness felt ripped away from reality.
An endless white void unfolded before him.
The horizon stretched infinitely into the distance.
Nothing existed except silence.
And ahead of him—
A lone door stood quietly.
LHT walked toward it.
He grabbed the handle and tried turning it.
Stuck.
The door didn't move at all.
As if someone on the other side had locked it from within.
LHT stood there for several seconds.
Then he let out a soft sigh.
"I'm heading out."
His voice echoed through the cold white emptiness.
"Even though I still don't know what promise you made with the professor…"
"And I still don't understand how you know my secret…"
He hesitated slightly.
"Sorry for… biting you that time."
No response came.
Not a single sound.
Only terrifying silence remained.
The kind of silence that felt like a girl silently glaring at him.
LHT slowly released the handle.
Then took one step back.
"Hope we meet again."
The moment the words left his mouth—
His body dissolved from the white space.
A few seconds later—
Click.
The door slowly creaked open.
A small girl cautiously peeked her head out.
Her quiet eyes stared toward the place where LHT had disappeared.
Then—
A pout slowly formed on her face.
---
LHT opened his eyes.
The sensation of being pulled back into reality made him stagger slightly.
The White Stone still rested quietly in his palm.
He slipped it back into his pocket.
Thankfully, his connection to the Everlasting Dream Wishing Stone hadn't been interrupted while linking with the White Stone.
LHT quietly exhaled in relief.
"Good…"
He adjusted his collar and casually walked through the rain like he was taking a stroll instead of wandering across a battlefield on the verge of exploding.
War cries echoed everywhere.
Metal clashed violently.
Something enormous writhed in the distance.
Yet somehow—
The entire scene had become bizarre thanks to the magical-girl-cartoon soundtrack still playing steadily in the background.
LHT walked with both hands in his pockets. The Everlasting Dream Wishing Stone floated around him like a tiny fairy.
Behind his back—
A gigantic shadow slowly rose upward.
Its wings spread open through the rain as if they could cover the sky itself.
---
At the frontlines of the battlefield.
The ATV sped through scattered groups of Eva Spawn.
Mud and water exploded beneath the tires.
"Kai! Clone things ahead!"
Lyra suddenly shouted while pointing forward.
Kai instantly jerked the controls sideways.
The ATV tilted sharply, barely avoiding an Eva Spawn that lunged across their path.
The tires carved a huge arc of water before changing direction.
The surrounding Eva Spawn briefly froze.
They turned toward the two humans.
A flicker of surprise appeared in their eyes.
As if they couldn't understand why anyone would willingly charge deeper into this place.
But very quickly—
That expression vanished.
Cold indifference replaced it instead.
As though they already knew…
If these humans took just a few more steps forward—
The outcome waiting ahead would be horrific enough that the creatures didn't even need to care.
"Just like the professor said…"
Lyra raised her voice over the rain.
"They're ignoring us."
Right then—
A THUNDEROUS ROAR EXPLODED ACROSS THE SKY.
The sound from ahead startled both Kai and Lyra.
Above them—
Red lightning began gathering.
The bolts intertwined like bizarre ancient letters being written across the heavens.
Kai clenched his jaw.
"It's starting its attack just like the professor predicted…"
Behind him, Lyra unconsciously grabbed onto his shirt tighter.
Kai tilted his head slightly toward her.
His voice sounded much calmer now.
"The rest is up to you."
"From this point on…"
His eyes locked onto the crimson sky above.
"This is our battlefield."
He reached his right hand over his left shoulder and raised one finger in a familiar signal.
Lyra bit her lip slightly.
But then she nodded firmly.
She raised her left hand.
And softly recited the command the professor had whispered into her ear.
"1779FCoY."
Instantly—
The speeding ATV suddenly froze in place mid-battlefield.
Lyra blinked in shock.
The vehicle stopped so abruptly in the rain that it looked like it had completely lost control.
But instead of skidding or flipping over—
It… hovered.
Completely motionless.
"???"
Before Lyra could react, an invisible force lifted both her and Kai off the vehicle.
Their bodies floated into the air.
Not even five seconds passed.
But it was enough for the sensation of weightlessness to leave both of them visibly stunned.
Below them—
The ATV began transforming.
Kai narrowed his eyes.
But instead of turning into some cool giant robot like he expected—
This transformation was completely different.
Click.
Click.
Clickkkkkkkkk.
Every part of the vehicle disassembled itself like it was being surgically reconstructed by futuristic technology.
The handlebars folded forward.
The front split open.
The body slid sideways.
The rear section burst apart into interlocking mechanical segments.
All four wheels rotated horizontally at once before restructuring into four miniature launch platforms.
Guns and cannon barrels emerged from inside with sharp metallic clack clack sounds as they assembled themselves onto the main body.
The exhaust pipes extended backward, warped, and connected into engines that looked almost identical to rocket propulsion systems.
Blue light began flowing across the vehicle's frame.
Like an artist drawing the final strokes of a masterpiece.
The thing floating before them looked so advanced it completely clashed with the ruined battlefield around it.
Now—
It no longer resembled an ATV at all.
Instead, it looked like a military hoverboard stuffed with an entire arsenal of heavy weapons.
Or more accurately—
A flying carpet designed by a technology addict.
Kai stared at it for several seconds.
"…No way."
From their suspended position, both of them were gently lowered onto a rectangular platform of light.
It resembled a giant holographic screen floating above the vehicle.
The moment their feet touched down—
Both Kai and Lyra stumbled slightly.
The "flying carpet" vibrated softly in the air.
Wind slammed into their faces.
Rain lashed into their eyes.
But thanks to their previous experience using flight armor—
Only a few seconds later, both of them regained their balance.
Kai cautiously shifted his body weight.
The platform instantly responded.
The vehicle tilted slightly according to his movement.
"…Oh?"
He tried again.
It responded again.
"This thing… is awesome."
Right then—
BOOMMMMMMMMM.
In the distance, the red lightning bolts across the sky struck downward all at once.
They carved glowing crimson circles into the ground below.
One of them—
Appeared directly beneath their feet.
"Kai!"
The instant the red circle was about to lock onto them—
The flying carpet suddenly tilted upward at nearly sixty degrees.
Then—
BOOOOOOOOM.
It blasted into the sky.
So fast the air itself seemed to tear apart.
Lyra lost her balance and instinctively grabbed onto Kai.
Rain whipped across their faces like lashes.
The sky and ground blurred into streaks of color.
Below them—
The Eva Spawn stood frozen.
Their eyes widened far more than normal.
They watched the two humans shoot upward into the sky.
Slowly—
The ground shrank farther and farther away.
The battlefield became nothing more than tiny specks of light.
And the place they had just escaped from—
The crimson circle trembled violently.
Then dissolved into distorted noise.
It sounded almost like the furious roar of a beast that had just missed its prey.
Lyra looked down.
Her heart was still pounding violently.
Then she turned toward Kai—
Who was steering the flying carpet at nearly a ninety-degree angle through the sky with the triumphant expression of someone riding a suicidal roller coaster.
Cold wind swept across her face in freezing waves.
But strangely—
Her feet remained firmly attached to the platform.
As though some invisible force was locking her body in place.
Like she was standing on a vacuum-sealed floor.
Lyra blinked.
Then asked nervously, yet excitedly:
"Can… can I drive it?"
Kai clicked his tongue.
The disappointment on his face looked exactly like a child getting a brand-new toy taken away.
"…I still wanted to play with it a bit more… I mean, test it some more."
But a few seconds later, he coughed awkwardly, trying to hide the excitement he clearly wasn't concealing very well.
"Yeah. Let's stick to the plan."
Author: :3 Honestly… I wanna play with it too :3
---
Lyra nodded firmly.
"Okay."
Immediately after—
The light platform beneath her feet vibrated slightly.
Click.
The holographic screen beneath them split apart into multiple layers.
A square block of light slid sideways, forming a perfect right angle in midair.
Kai was smoothly pulled backward like he was standing on an invisible conveyor belt.
In the blink of an eye—
Their positions switched.
Now Lyra stood in front.
Kai stood behind her.
Lyra took a deep breath.
Cold rain splashed across her face, sticking strands of hair against her cheeks.
Her hands slowly tightened in front of her chest.
You can do this, Lyra.
You can do this.
Kai stood behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
Lyra swallowed nervously.
"…Okay."
She carefully leaned forward.
Instantly—
The flying carpet vibrated lightly.
Then slowly rotated in midair.
Lyra blinked.
She shifted her balance to the left.
The "carpet vehicle" obediently tilted with her movement.
Her eyes lit up.
"Okay… I think I got it…"
Kai crossed his arms behind her.
"Ahem. We're still on a battlefield, you know."
Lyra let out a quiet laugh.
"Says the one who was even more excited than me earlier."
But very quickly—
That smile disappeared when her gaze shifted forward.
Far away—
The massive cocoon was still twitching beneath the blood-red sky.
Every pulse made the air tremble faintly.
Like the heartbeat of a living monster.
Lyra inhaled deeply once more.
Then slowly clenched her fist in front of her chest.
"Let's do this…"
She exhaled hard.
Her eyes suddenly sharpened with determination.
Behind the vehicle—
The propulsion engines began glowing.
Tick.
Tick.
A deep mechanical sound echoed out.
Then—
VROOOOMMMMMMM.
Blue flames exploded from the engines like someone revving a motorcycle in the middle of the sky.
The flying carpet shook violently.
The air around its frame distorted from acceleration.
One second later—
IT SHOT FORWARD.
Piercing through the sky like a spear.
Straight toward the battlefield.
More specifically—
Straight back toward the place they had just escaped from.
---
Down below.
LHT raised his head.
A streak of blue light had just ripped through the rain overhead.
The corner of his lips curved upward slightly.
"So they managed it after all…"
An AI voice immediately echoed beside his ear, sounding strangely sulky.
"Based on my calculations, their adaptability to changes on the battlefield is still slow, Professor."
"If it were me, I would've mastered the vehicle much more efficiently."
LHT tapped the surface of his watch.
"Don't underestimate them, Mrs. AI."
"The human brain needs time to adapt."
He pointed toward his temple.
"They're already incredibly fast."
"You're a super-intelligent AI."
"Why compare yourself to them?"
"…Understood."
Mrs. AI's voice dragged out reluctantly.
"By the way…"
"I'm a little curious."
Her tone shifted into its usual investigative mode.
"What exactly are you planning to do?"
LHT froze.
"In your plan, you deliberately glossed over your own role using the phrase 'I'm Professor X, you know.'"
"Did you really think I wouldn't notice?"
LHT's heart nearly stopped when he heard his own line repeated back to him.
Shit.
She saw right through me.
I thought I fooled her…
He stayed silent for several seconds.
Cold sweat almost broke out despite the rain.
Dangerous…
I need to be more careful from now on.
Slowly, LHT raised a hand toward the sky.
Toward the green shooting star diving toward the battlefield.
"They…"
He smiled faintly.
"Are going to play with the boss for a bit."
Then his finger shifted direction.
Pointing toward the enormous crimson shadow writhing in the distant rain.
His eyes slowly narrowed.
"As for me…"
A grin spread across his lips.
"I'm going to play with that thing instead."