The walls of the operations room glowed with soft-blue screens displaying a 3D map of Tokyo. Red blinking points dotted the city grid—each one representing an active monitoring sensor. One of them pulsed violently in the eastern district. Commander Minato stood before the team, arms crossed, his voice calm but urgent.
"A Class-S Sentinel-level portal just opened in Sector 12. We detected the anomaly through our urban sensor network five minutes ago. Demonic signatures began spilling in— mostly Fiends, but there's a confirmed presence of higher-tier entities as well." Lucan stood beside his squadmates — Takeshi with his arms folded and jaw tight, Hana looking alert but anxious, and Reika already tapping the edge of her spell book. They listened carefully.
Minato gestured toward the digital map behind him. "Our sensor system is embedded into every street, rooftop, and traffic zone in the city. If a portal so much as flickers open, we get notified. Not only does it track location, it measures spiritual pressure levels and ranks the portal class."
He pointed to the red-hot blinking dot."This one was confirmed as Sentinel Class. That means it's serious. Civilians are already being evacuated. Your team has been selected for first-response."
Takeshi raised an eyebrow. "Us?" Minato nodded. Then his eyes moved to Lucan. "Lucan Elias will be the acting squad leader for this mission." A tense silence followed. Takeshi's mouth parted slightly, clearly caught off guard. Lucan blinked. "Sir?" "You've shown excellent composure and instinct in both assessment and engagement drills. You're ready. You'll coordinate with nearby GSSA hunters for backup if needed. But for now—this is your squad." Lucan said nothing for a moment. Then he gave a small nod. "Understood." Minato turned to the others.
"Your objective is to ensure the safety and avoid a huge number of casualties as much as possible ""Move out. Transport is waiting on the roof." As they turned to leave, Takeshi muttered under his breath, "Let's just see how cool you stay when the real fight starts." Lucan ignored him.
Scene: Tokyo – Sector 12 | Streets outside the portal zone
The air was thick with the scent of ash and blood. Crimson skies swirled above, and dark clouds pulsed with ominous energy. At the center of the chaos, the portal shimmered, releasing wave after wave of twisted demons and fiends.
Lucan stood at the front, flames licking subtly around his right arm as he scanned the battlefield. Reika, Hana, and Takeshi flanked him, waiting for orders.
Without hesitation, Lucan laid out the plan. His tone was calm but commanding.
Lucan: "Reika. Stay behind Hana and provide support. You'll probably be healing Takeshi more than anyone."
He smirked faintly as he turned to Takeshi. Lucan (smirking): "You'll need it."
Takeshi's eye twitched, lightning crackling across his shoulders. Takeshi: "Tch… You cocky—why you—" Lucan (cutting in, serious again):
"Hana, hit the middle ranks with your spells. Disrupt their front line and force them into the open. I'll sweep through the core and deal with the trash."
As Lucan stepped forward, Reika watched him carefully. This guy… he's treating this like it's life or death. No hesitation. Then Lucan's eyes turned sharp.
Lucan: "Engage all hostiles. Now."
Immediately, Hana leapt forward, her spell glyphs swirling in the air as she launched a barrage of blazing sigils into the enemy crowd. Demons exploded in flashes of violet light, limbs flying.
Takeshi surged in with a bolt of lightning, obliterating two fiends in a single charge. Electricity danced from his fists as he spun through the horde, frying a cluster of low-rank thralls.
Lucan calmly walked into the chaos. A group of snarling beasts charged at him—but with a single motion, a fiery wave burst from his hand, incinerating them instantly. He didn't flinch. As they gained ground, the battle intensified.
Suddenly—a massive energy pulse screamed through the air. A high-ranking Fiend emerged from behind the smoke. Its skin was armored in black bone, and purple energy glowed from its eyes and mouth. It raised its arm and launched a dark beam straight at Reika. Her eyes widened. She was healing Hana—she couldn't dodge in time. Lucan blurred. With fire propelling his speed, he reached Reika in a blink, grabbed her waist, and pulled her out of the way just in time. The blast tore through the air where she'd just stood.
He gently set her down behind cover. Lucan (looking into her eyes, calm but serious): "You okay?" Her cheeks flushed, her voice trembling. Reika:"I—I'm fine… thank you…" Her heartbeat raced. She looked away quickly.
Lucan turned toward the Fiend, his flames growing more intense. He advanced alone, exchanging flame strikes and dodging dark energy blasts. The Fiend was fast—powerful—and it was learning. Lucan's eyes narrowed.
It's… evolving?
The Fiend grew larger, faster. Its next strike sent Lucan skidding back.
Takeshi (rushing in beside him): "Don't hog all the fun!"
Lucan glanced at him, breathing heavily. Lucan (smirking): "You're slowing. Try and keep up." Takeshi: "Shut up and fight!"
The two launched into perfect synchronicity. Lucan lit up the Fiend's left flank with a wall of fire, forcing it to guard.
Takeshi capitalized, appearing in a lightning flash on the right, smashing his fist into its side with a thunderclap.The Fiend roared. It released a massive dark wave—slamming them both back. Blood sprayed from a gash on Lucan's arm, and Takeshi gritted his teeth, holding his ribs.
Reika (from afar): "Heal incoming—hold still!" A soft green glow enveloped them, and their wounds mended enough to push on. The Fiend, now glowing with unstable energy, charged with one final attack.
Lucan yelled: "Now! I'll open him up!" With a fiery uppercut, Lucan sent a shockwave through the Fiend's chest, exposing its core. Lightning crackled beside him.
Takeshi (yelling): "MOVE!" He drove forward, lightning-coated arm piercing through the Fiend's heart.
The monster let out a final distorted scream—then collapsed, disintegrating into smoke.
Both of them stood over the remains, panting.
Takeshi turned to Lucan. Takeshi (grudgingly): "Nice setup…" Lucan gave a faint nod.
Lucan: "Nice finish."
The squad regrouped as emergency GSSA support finally arrived.
But the bond had already been forged—in fire and thunder
[Scene: Mission Aftermath – GSSA Japan Branch]
The squad returned to headquarters after their first successful mission, exhausted but victorious. Despite the unexpected evolution of the Fiend, no lives were lost, and the civilians had been protected.
Minato stood at the end of the hallway, arms crossed as the team approached. His sharp eyes scanned each of them.
Minato: "You handled yourselves well. Better than expected."
Lucan gave a respectful nod, his expression unreadable. Takeshi looked away, hiding the spark of competitiveness in his eyes.
Minato: "But I received Hana's report. That Fiend… it evolved mid-battle?"
Hana: "Yes, sir. I witnessed it myself. It was like something triggered it—its power spiked suddenly and its form changed."
Minato (muttering): "An evolution… That's the second report this month." (He paused, then looked at them again.)
Minato: "I'll be following up. For now, rest up. You did well."
As they walked away, Minato watched Lucan closely, noting the subtle presence in his aura—the potential of someone forged in fire.
Minato (inner thoughts): That one… and Takeshi. They might become great friends… or fierce rivals.
Scene: Evening - Walking Home
The night was calm. Reika and Hana walked side by side through the quiet city streets. The cool breeze tousled their hair.
Hana: "You were amazing back there, you know?"
Reika (smiling softly): "Thanks. You too. That spell you cast during the ambush saved us."
A comfortable silence settled between them for a few moments. Then Hana spoke again, her voice lighter, teasing.
Hana: "Sooo… Reika."
Reika: "Hmm?"
Hana (grinning): "Be honest with me. Do you like Lucan?"
Reika stopped in her tracks. Reika: "W-What?"
Hana: "Come on, don't act clueless. I've seen the way you look at him when you think no one's watching."
Reika looked away, her cheeks tinted pink.
Reika: "He's… different. Quiet. Mysterious. But also strong, kind, and focused. It's hard not to notice him."
Hana (nudging her): "That's not a no."
Reika let out a small laugh, brushing her hair behind her ear.
Reika: "Okay, maybe a little. But don't tell him."
Hana (smiling): "Your secret's safe with me."
They continued walking under the streetlights, their laughter fading into the calm of the night.