Time moved differently in Kaito Yamada's private dimension.
The landscape stretched infinitely—a twilight sky that never changed, a silent wind over rolling plains. This world was his wish made manifest: a pocket reality where one day in Kuoh equaled a hundred here. A place to train. To prepare. To evolve.
He called it the Evershade.
And in it, Kaito had lived a month already.
---
Day 1–30: Fire Beneath the Surface
Kaito's training wasn't just physical—it was metaphysical, emotional, psychological. He wasn't aiming to become strong in a linear sense; he was nurturing the very thing that made his Sacred Gear thrive: evolution through emotional struggle.
He tested himself mercilessly. For every strength, he forged a weakness to overcome. He practiced swordsmanship under zero-visibility storms, cast magic with broken bones simulated by his own will, and fought doppelgängers of himself constructed from his worst fears—each memory, each flaw, given shape and sword.
On the twelfth day, he faced his guilt for leaving his family behind in the real world.
On the seventeenth, he faced his growing arrogance.
On the twenty-fifth, he fought the temptation to simply wish for perfection.
He didn't use his wishes to cheat training. Every bit of strength he gained in Evershade was earned.
But he did make one adjustment.
> Wish 5: I wish for emotional echoes of my potential futures to appear as combat simulations in this realm.
And so, he fought future versions of himself—villainous overlords, broken protectors, tyrants cloaked in righteousness. He bled, screamed, and shattered across the battlefield, each version a warning of what unchecked power could do.
At the end of thirty subjective days, Kaito stood atop a monolithic tower in the heart of Evershade, breathing deeply.
His aura had changed. Subtler now. Focused. The silver-black gauntlet of his Sacred Gear pulsed with every heartbeat. The gem in its center had shifted to violet, indicating its emotional evolution: Restraint through Resolve.
He summoned a screen.
[Return to Real World: 0.3 Days Passed]
Kaito smiled faintly. "Time to wake up."
---
Real World: Kuoh Academy, 9:15 PM
When Kaito stepped back into reality, the world greeted him with silence—and blood in the air.
He stood atop the school roof, scanning the skyline.
His senses buzzed.
He followed the scent.
---
Abandoned Church, Edge of Town
It was supposed to be empty.
But Kaito knew better.
He approached the rusted gates slowly. The church loomed before him, tall and oppressive, its stained-glass windows shattered. Shadows crawled unnaturally across its walls.
Inside, he sensed them.
Raynare. Dohnaseek. Kalawarner. Mittelt.
The fallen angels.
They were here early—canon-breaking early. Kaito frowned.
He reached into the wish interface.
> Wish 6: I wish to view current story alignment status.
[Status Display]
Story Progression: 1%
Canon Divergence: 12%
Critical Events Altered: 1
Timeline Tension: Rising
"Twelve percent already?" he muttered. "Guess I'm the butterfly."
He vanished in a shimmer of light and reappeared in the church rafters, cloaked in concealment. Below him, Raynare stood in her civilian guise—Yuuma Amano—speaking with Dohnaseek.
"Why wait?" Dohnaseek hissed. "The Sacred Gear carrier is unguarded. Let us take it now!"
Raynare frowned. "You don't understand. He's being watched. I can feel devils nearby. And worse… something else."
"You're afraid?"
Raynare's violet eyes narrowed. "I'm cautious. There's a new player on the board. I've seen him."
Kaito's heart skipped. She noticed me.
She continued. "He doesn't belong here. Not devil. Not angel. Not even dragon. I felt his aura brush mine yesterday… and it vanished like smoke."
Dohnaseek stepped back. "A god?"
"No," she said. "Something else."
Kaito had heard enough.
He dropped from the rafters.
They spun, weapons materializing—light spears for all three.
Kaito raised his hand. "Easy."
Raynare snarled. "You."
Kaito smiled. "Hello to you too, Yuuma."
"You're not supposed to be here."
"Neither are you," he said. "You're two weeks early. Issei hasn't even awakened the Boosted Gear yet."
Raynare froze. "How do you know that?"
"I know a lot of things."
In a blur of light, Dohnaseek hurled a spear.
Kaito caught it midair.
"Don't."
He crushed it between his fingers. Magic shimmered across his gauntlet.
Raynare stepped back. "What are you?"
Kaito's smile faded.
"I'm the one rewriting the game."
He vanished.
Reappeared behind Mittelt. Knocked her out cold with a flick of magical pressure.
Kalawarner screamed, launching a barrage of spears. Kaito summoned a barrier—one forged not of light or shadow, but thought. Every spear shattered harmlessly.
"You're outmatched," he said softly.
Raynare charged, spear glowing with unholy light.
Kaito didn't move.
Her blade halted inches from his chest—stopped by his gaze alone.
He touched her forehead.
> Wish 7: I wish to seal her memory of this encounter, preserving only fear and confusion.
Raynare collapsed, unconscious.
Dohnaseek fled.
Kaito let him go.
The church was silent again.
---
Back in Kuoh
The next morning, Issei Hyoudou woke up feeling strange. He couldn't place it, but something inside him stirred—like a sleeping beast yawning for the first time.
At the same time, Rias Gremory received a report from her familiars.
"A fallen angel attacked the church last night," Akeno said, reading the scroll. "One of their own is injured. Another missing. The church reeks of magic… but not any we recognize."
Rias stood at her window, looking toward the forest.
"There's a storm coming," she whispered. "And someone's already shifted the wind."
---
Kaito's Apartment, Evening
Kaito sat at his desk, sipping tea. He was calm, but his mind raced.
That fight had proven it—he wasn't invisible anymore. The world could feel him now. He had become more than a ghost. He was a ripple in still water.
And ripples always become waves.
He opened his wish menu again.
> Wish 8: I wish to create a familiar forged from my spiritual essence, capable of independent growth and observation.
A soft light shimmered, coalescing into a small foxlike creature with golden fur and violet eyes.
It blinked up at him.
"Name?" the menu asked.
Kaito typed: Yoru.
The fox stretched, then leapt to the windowsill.
Kaito smiled. "You'll keep an eye on Raynare for me."
Yoru yawned.
---
Unknown Location: Grigori Intelligence Division
Azazel stared at a crystal screen showing static.
"No signal from Raynare's group. Just… a burst of null magic."
Shemhazai frowned. "Null?"
"Like someone erased the moment. Not even a time loop. It's just gone."
Azazel leaned back. "We've got a new player."
He grinned. "I love new players."
---
Somewhere Beyond Time
A dragon stirred.
Red scales the size of cities shifted.
Great Red turned its gaze briefly—curious.
And in the heart of infinite void, Ophis opened her eyes.
Someone had touched the dimensional fabric… and left a fingerprint.