The vehicles were speeding ahead…
Two days had passed since they had separated from Taka.
"It's obvious we're headed to Dragonomica…"
Denis was thinking to himself.
He had even asked Mia about it.
And she had said:
"We won't stay there long… After that, you'll return to Taka."
Denis wanted to stay with Mia.
But he didn't have the courage to say it.
And he knew he wouldn't be allowed to anyway.
Last night, Ayato had received news…
Security had been significantly heightened…
Denis knew something was wrong.
He could feel it—feel him…
How strange…
Another day passed…
One more day…
From life, from the world…
The Old World, huh?
But people don't accept change…
How?
No matter how much you change…
You're still the same person.
The world might have collapsed…
But it recovered.
And they added a single word in front of its name—
The New World.
But in truth, the New World was created within the Old.
Complex, yet philosophical…
People don't change…
Nor do other living beings…
Change is just doing
something you would have never done before.
The old self who wouldn't kill an ant,
and the new one who becomes a murderer—
The difference is simply:
Doing what you never would've done before.
That… is "change."
Still complex… but philosophical, right?
Want to hear something else about it?
Philosophical—or maybe not…
If you know something bad will happen eventually,
but it takes a long time to come true…
Then the odds of it being truly bad are very high…
For example:
Maybe some people in this convoy right now are predicting the Dark Angel will attack.
But who could ever know the exact moment?
Suddenly, in the middle of these desolate roads—
Someone came flying, crashing into the lead vehicle,
lifting it with kaishi, and throwing it into the others.
Orders were given to fight.
Weapons roared to life.
Fire, bullets, gunshots…
Someone even launched an RPG…
What could they do? What can you do
against the bearer of a fragment whose main ability is healing?
Ayato stepped out of the vehicle and ordered Liv to drive far away.
"It's… him."
Mia's eyes filled with tears…
Was it really her?…
Did she truly want to kill?
Why?
All for a fragment…?
The answer is simple:
Fragments become one with the body, and if not extracted before a certain threshold…
the only way to take them is by killing the host.
If the host is spiritually strong enough to withstand it…
They might survive… in a coma… paralyzed…
Bullets did nothing to the Dark Angel…
She had slaughtered almost the entire convoy's armed forces…
They called for backup…
Ayato was in the open…
But the kaishi wouldn't let him get close…
She struck again…
She shredded the kaishi thrown at her—
But suddenly they grabbed him and pulled him toward the Dark Angel…
Ayato tore his clothes apart to break free…
His body was covered in wounds and cuts…
"…You bastard…
Satellite: NEMUTTE IRU YORU NO IBUKI!"
He vanished in a flash—
And tore the Dark Angel apart…
But what good did it do?
The dismembered limbs reattached immediately…
Helios kaishi are made to instantly retrieve detached body parts and fuse them back.
Zack just happens to use them as armor and weapons…
Ayato was pushing his limits…
For a 19-year-old to achieve this—it was remarkable!
Satellite demands extreme stamina…
That's why its bearers usually try to finish fights fast…
But in the end—
The Dark Angel took advantage of his fatigue and launched a kaishi at Ayato's left side—
It entered from the front, and exited the back…
"Shit…"
She quickly recovered and delivered a brutal spinning kick—
Ayato was hurled backward—
She took the opportunity and ran—
Toward the last vehicle driven by Liv, where Denis and Mia were—
Using kaishi, she accelerated, launched herself forward, and slammed the ground—
The road shattered—
"No!" shouted Denis.
She kept attacking the vehicle—
Grabbed its front and lifted it into the air—
"Shit..!" Liv drew her weapon and fired desperately—
A kaishi broke through the door, grabbed Liv, and threw her aside—
She dropped the vehicle back down and went around to the back—
The moment the rear door opened—
Denis attacked.
"Denis!"
But a kaishi caught him—
There was a dagger in his hand—
"I'm gonna kill you..! What the hell are you doing?! ZAAAAACK!! STOP, GODDAMN IT!
STOP!!"
She punched Denis in the stomach—
"Nooo!" Mia screamed—
Blood spilled from Denis's mouth, and the kaishi threw him aside—
Liv attacked again—
But the kaishi slashed her and tossed her away—
"B-brother..?"
Two kaishi grabbed Mia by the waist and pulled her out of the vehicle—
Someone handed Denis's dagger to the Dark Angel—
She gripped the hilt…
Mia's tears wouldn't stop…
"I-is it really you…? I… I promised to tell you everything… At the very least… do you remember that…?"
The substance covering the Dark Angel's face peeled away—
The kaishi opened like a flower…
Mia saw Zack's wounded, bloodied face—eyes shut tight…
Blood was trickling from his closed eyes…
A few of Mia's tears fell onto Zack's face…
The kaishi closed around his face again—
And that symbol returned…
He raised the dagger into the air—
And suddenly—threw it aside…
Denis writhed on the ground…
"M-Mia..!"
Suddenly Mia heard a sound…
Her abdomen grew cold and numb…
A massive kaishi had pierced her stomach…
The Dark Angel slipped her hand under Mia's left shoulder—
And grabbed something—
Pulled back swiftly—
In her hand…
Mia's heart.
Denis tried to scream—
But couldn't…
Suddenly, Mia's body began to glow—
Brighter and brighter—
And finally—
Eight tiny "lights" emerged from different parts of her body—
The Dark Angel caught them…
And this time, her body glowed—
Then dimmed again—
The lights… and a life…
Mia's lifeless body collapsed in a pool of blood…
Her eyes were still open…
Tears were still streaming…
For the last time…
The Dark Angel began walking—
Into the distance…
Denis tried crawling toward Mia—
But he lost consciousness… and passed out…
⸻
File #029
Sacred Sphere
Peripheral auxiliary fragments enhance the core fragment and allow the bearer to reach their maximum potential.
This power can be further amplified with other "Common" fragments.