The rhythmic clatter of the train echoed through the vast metal compartments as Team X headed toward Kingston. The air inside the cabin was thick—not with tension, but with the kind of noise only young warriors could generate.
"I'm telling you, Yagumi," Xzavier growled, sitting forward in his seat, "if we went blade-to-blade, I'd leave you in ashes."
Yagumi barely looked up, his tone as cold as the steel blades strapped to his back. "You'd be unconscious before your first swing finished. You rely too much on your emotions. That's why you'll never surpass me."
Xzavier shot to his feet. "Say that again!"
"I said," Yagumi replied, slowly standing as well, "you're reckless. You'll get yourself killed long before you ever become the Titan of Eidolon. Not even in a dream world"
The temperature in the cabin practically dropped. Sparks were ready to fly.
Across the aisle, Sensei Gara and Kaze sat cross-legged on a bench, sharing a pair of earbuds connected to a tablet.
"Wait, wait," Gara whispered, eyes glued to the screen. "Did Kaito just cheat on Reina again?"
Kaze nodded, taking a bite of jerky. "She's gonna set his apartment on fire. Bet."
While the drama unfolded on-screen, Hageshi stood at the back of the train car, arms crossed, chest puffed.
"I mean, come on," he boasted loudly. "One mission and we're already being deployed to Kingston? Team X is clearly the elite squad. And me? I'm the spearhead. The genius. The prodigy. The frost that—"
A sudden, deafening BOOM shook the train. Metal screamed. The lights flickered.
"What the hell?!" Xzavier snapped, drawing his Flame Blade instantly.
Before anyone could react, the roof above the car was torn apart like paper. Wind howled into the train car as a black blur dropped into the middle of the aisle, slamming down with a thunderous impact.
Levine Shishiroma stood tall—Xzavier's older brother. His cloak billowed, and his expression was sharp, menacing, unreadable.
"Hello, little brother," he said coldly. "Still playing soldier?"
Xzavier's eyes widened.