105:21 JST – Shinjuku Ward, Nishi Shinjuku Residential Block.
3 days after the Nishiyama Building Incident
The rain hadn't started yet, but the clouds had gathered over the city, like they remember what happened three days ago. Sekhmet's apartment was small, a studio tucked on the third floor above an old stationery shop. It had a great view of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office.
She stood barefoot on the polished wood floor, brushing her long curls into something resembling order. She hummed as she continued brushing her hair. The room caught the tune gently and kept it in, a perk she had been looking for weeks. Her singing or humming was very distracting and caused a couple accidents. Since for whatever reason, it stops people from what they are doing just to listen to her. So an apartment with noise-cancelling walls was a must for her.
As she finished fixing her hair, her green eyes glanced toward a desk in the room. An acceptance letter lay on it. A couple months ago, she thought she wasn't going to be able to enroll this semester because she didn't come from a prestigious school.
Before she moved, a letter with the Crucible insignia was in her letter box. She'd rushed back inside, already bracing to see the rejection letter. Only to be surprised that she was accepted.
"Today's the day," she whispered, voice airy but sure. "Let's try not to scare anyone." She pulled on a dark red halter top, a green, oversized sweater hanging just off her shoulders, jeans, and her sneakers. Gold rings clicked gently against her tea cup as she drank. "Acht-I should've put some oat milk in it. It's still too hot."
She set her tea cup down, then grabbed the badge next to it. As she pinned the badge on her bag, her eyes caught the framed photo on the wall. A group of unfamiliar faces in formal wear. She turned away from it.
Outside, a tram rolled by, its lights stuttering in the pre-dawn murk. Sekhmet slipped in her earpieces to play her favorite song and smiled, "this is the best way to start my morning." She locked the door behind her and stepped into the streets of Shibuya.
07:11 JST - Shibuya District
The city was already alive. Shibuya's streets shimmered under the waning haze of last night's rain, puddles catching the dim reflections of the neon signs.
The scent of grilled onigiri and fresh bread lingered in the air, mixing with the smell of traffic. Sekhmet stood at the edge of the curb, waiting for the signal. A child tugged on her mother's coat beside her, speaking in Japanese.
"Mama… her hair's like a painting."
"Hush. Don't stare."
The mother pulled her daughter gently behind her, but Sekhmet smiled anyway. "Good morning ma'am," she said gently as she curtly bowed. Her daughter popped out from behind her and waved. "Good morning, pretty lady!" Sekhmet knelt down, "I hope you have a great day at school today little one," she beamed.
"Kaede, what do we say?" her mother prompted. Kaede hesitated, her little mind pondering what she had to say.
The walk light turned green.
Sekhmet stood up and stepped forward, not before waving back at the two. "You two have a great day!" She called out. Kaede waved back to her, "Thank you miss! I hope you have a great day at the Crucible!" She exclaimed. Sekhmet noticed Kaede's mother flinching slightly at the word.
As Sekhmet walked, people noticed her. They always did because she looked different from them. Brown skin, Green eyes. Some glanced, then looked away quickly. Some whispered behind her back.
"A beauty, a shame that she's a foreigner."
An elderly man bumped into her shoulder deliberately. He said nothing and kept walking.
Okay… nice to be reminded that natives don't like how I look.
As she continued walking, she spotted a delivery bike riding too fast and not paying attention. A kid was walking right into their pathway. Sekhmet reached out instinctively and stopped the kid from stepping off the sidewalk. His mother bowed low. "Thank you very much for saving my child!" Sekhmet returned the bow.
She resumed her walk, weaving through the morning crowd. Greeting the store owners as they open up shop. Up ahead, a group of teens hovered around a vending machine, harassing the people passing by.
One of them stared too long at Sekhmet walking past them.
"What is she, a foreigner that loves to cosplay that cat lady from Blanche?" The leader pointed out. His friends laughed.
"Blanche? She doesn't look anything close-" one of his cronies stopped short when she passed by.
"She smells like… I dunno. Something sweet, like flowers…" he whispered, infatuated with her scent.
"You mean the Higanbana flower? Something you've been constantly talking about?" The cronie with glasses asked.
The others laughed harder, "Look! Shinra is at a loss for words. He's doing his devilish smile again!" The leader of the group yelled before the cronie with glasses elbowed him.
He fell to the ground, the wind was knocked out of him. "Why'd you do that idiot?" He coughed out. The one with glasses pointed out the badge on her bag, "Kenta, she's wearing that badge you dumbass."
The leader finally caught his breath before looking at Sekhmet again. "Shit, seriously?" The laughter died. Their eyes flicked to her again… spotting the obsidian badge with a silver phoenix in it.
Sekhmet didn't react. She adjusted the strap of her bag before turning around, "Hey, thanks for the compliment, kiiro kami otōto (yellow haired little brother). The rest of you, you never know who can understand and speak your language." She smiled before turning back around.
She wasn't in a hurry.
This is my day.
My beginning.
She passed a bookstore with its shutters half-rolled. The owner, a thin man with a hunched back and a tired smile, stopped sweeping the entrance when he noticed her. "Ah, Sekhment-chan," he greeted, eyes flicking to the Crucible insignia on her bag. "Off to school?" He asked.
Sekhmet nodded and gave a small bow, "Yes, Kobayashi-san. It's the first day of the semester." He smiled as he started back sweeping the storefront, "Not often you see a youngster this awake. Most mornings are just tired faces and hunched shoulders. I see your Japanese has gotten better. Have you been practicing?"
Sekhmet smiled, "I have been practicing. It's nice to have someone open this early to help me study, Kobayashi-san." Kobayashi laughed. As he walked into his store, he invited her in. "Books don't sell themselves young lady," the man chuckled, tapping the broom on the counter. "Can you read Japanese better?"
"I'm still learning," she replied sheepishly, hands behind her back. "But I'm better at music than kanji." As if on cue, a street artist just down the road strummed the first few chords of a nostalgic city pop tune. Without meaning to, Sekhmet found herself humming along. Her voice was low, steady, sweet. The bookstore owner blinked at her, then smiled wider. "You sing well."
She laughed lightly. She'd never thought much of her voice, but people always seemed to pause when they heard it. "It's easier than remembering what's said where." The bookstore owner chuckled before giving her a small notebook. "Go on, then. Make the Crucible a little more human, will you?"
She nodded. "I'll try." As she walked out of the store, a stray cat emerged from an alleyway, brushing against her leg. She crouched and scratched behind its ear gently. "You're out early, huh Mika."
08:12 JST — Yamanote Line, Counter Clockwise to Shibuya
The Crucible. Located at Shibuya's northern border, the rumors made it seem like it was a military installation or a fortress. As Sekhmet was on the train, it passed by the Crucible. Giving her a perfect view of the campus, "So much for the 'military fortress' rumor," she muttered to herself. The train was full of accepted students, better known as cadets. It was loud and rowdy, everyone was excited to be going to the school.
"I'm calling it now, we're in the top dorm." one cadet said, adjusting the strap of his bag. "No way House Kestel gets the royalty dorms again."
House? Kestel?
"Please." A taller girl scoffed beside him. "They recycle their formations every semester. House Thorne's gonna crush 'em."
Formations? I barely knew what they were talking about, but it was enough to remind me I was walking into a world where I didn't belong.
"Did you hear about last year's trial?" someone cut in. "A guy from Myrrin almost bled out in the glade." Sekhmet winced.
Did I… choose the wrong Anti-Spiral College?
A cadet with glasses whispered to the person on their right, "did you hear about the slaughter in the Kabuchiko ward a couple days ago? "They said they pulled thirty bodies out — all mutilated."
Sekhmet felt sick
This the life I signed up for?
As she sat there, a cadet tapped her shoulder. Sekhmet snapped out of her world and looked up to see a Gyaru with bleach-blonde hair in curled twin drills, nails sparkling sticking her hand out to her. She could only assume she greeted her and said her name. Sekhmet shook her hand, "I'm Sekhmet Isshin-Namikaze. Sorry—I didn't catch your name." The gyaru beamed with joy as she shook Sekhmet's hand. "No worries! The names Shirogane, Yu-Yevon. Is it okay if I call you Sin?"
Sin?
Sekhmet blinked. No one had ever shortened her name before. "Sure… I guess that works with me." She replied quietly. Shirogane squealed as she sat next to her, "Okay bestie! I need to know the hair routine, how the hell do you manage all-that?" She asked excitedly as she waved her hands around. "I—I uhh… wake up early in the morning to take care of it. I usually mist the whole thing, then put leave-in conditioner before combing it out," she explained.
Shirogane stared at her.
Sekhmet tilted her head sideways. "That's it?" Shirogane asked in disbelief. "Yeah… That's it," Sekhmet replied, nodding her head. Shirogane looked at her in disbelief, "Impossible. Your hair looks like it jumped out of a game trailer, and you're telling me that's all you do? I have to fight tooth and nail just to get this style," she protests.
Sekhmet chuckled as the train slowed at a stop. She pulled out her phone and put in her earbuds. Shirogane leaned in immediately. "Wait, is that 'The Leviathan Trilogy'? I love that song!" She sat up and, without hesitation, started belting the first verse—completely off-key. Heads turned as their conversations were interrupted by the off-key singing. "W-wait, maybe not so loud—" Sekhmet tried to quiet her. But then the next verse came on and she couldn't help joining her. At first, it was instinct. She would just sing a few notes, but when the rhythm picked up, so did she.
One by one, the other cadets stopped. A few looked around, puzzled. Sekhmet's voice rose, like she was back at home. Her singing brought the train car to life. Sekhmet sang like she meant every word. By the next chorus, she wasn't holding back. She closed her eyes, head tilting slightly as her voice oozed with soul and fire. The cadets watched in awe. Some smiled. Some froze. A few even whispered.
"She's… really good."
"Wait—who is she?"
"She's a foreigner, right? But that voice…"
Shirogane just stared at the singing Sekhmet with her eyes and mouth wide open as the final chord faded. "What?" Sekhmet asked, flushed from the sudden rush of joy. Shirogane looked at her astounded, "Bitch were you born on a stage? Cause that was insane. You got everyone's attention in this car," she pointed out. Sekhmet looked around and saw all the eyes on her.
Embarrassed, she covers her face with her scarf. "I wish I could disappear now," she whispered more to herself.
-THUNK-
Heavy metal panels slammed down over the windows. A quick hiss of compressed air sealed the doors shut. Some cadets screamed while another fell to the floor. A low, pulsing alarm kicked on. [EMERGENCY: MAG-RAIL 07. CARRIAGE LOCKDOWN IN EFFECT.]
A boy pounded against the locked door. "We're locked in." He announced. A long, dragging scrape echoed above. Then a wet, distorted hiss reverberated through the vents. Something was breathing up there.
"There's something on the roof!" Shirogane screamed, clutching onto Sekhmet. Its heavy thumping paced back and forth. Like it was trying to find something. "Hey Sin, I'm scared." Shirogane whispered as she looked at Sekhmet. She froze. "Hey Sin, you okay?" Shirogane asked shakily, poking her face.
Sekhmet snapped out of her trance and looked towards Shirogane. "Sorry, Shirogane… I spaced out for a second," She said it quietly, like she didn't want to admit she wasn't fine.
-crackle-
"Cadets of the Crucible. This is Commander Hoshino. A Spiral has been confirmed to be on your train car. Your carriage is in lockdown to prevent it from attacking you. Your seniors are en route to your position. Remain calm.
08:26 JST — Daelic Crucible Outskirts
One squad car darted between lanes, since the streets weren't clearing for them. A woman was hanging out the window, "Come on! Move out the way! We got a Spiral in the city. Mitsuki! Punch it NOW!" She screamed out.
Mitsuki was somehow holding her belt, keeping her from falling out of the speeding car while steering. He gritted his teeth as he shouted, "HEY NISHIYAMA! Get your ass back in the car! I can't do two things at once!"
She didn't listen
"Drive Form: Initiate"
Mitsuki's Drive formed on his left arm and he yanked Nishiyama back inside. She shot him a glare, arms crossed. "Yup. Classic. I try to keep you alive, and I somehow become the asshole," he muttered under his breath before he sped up. They saw a black mass skitter across the roof of the train car. The Spiral was all limbs and eyes, carving deep gashes into the car's surface.
Nishiyama burst out of the vehicle while it was still moving. "Later Miki, can't let you get credit for the kill~!" She said joyfully as she tumbled outside.
"Drive Form: Initiate!"
She grabbed the air, light appeared under her hand and out came a Katana. "Ah, ICHI! Oh my god…" Mitsuki sighed, annoyed at her actions. "I swear, this girl does not know when to just… calm down. Even during that mess in Minatoku last year. Same damn sprint, same damn grin—" he trailed off. He then grabs the radio in the car, "This is Tooru Mitsuki from Theta-4, I need an aerial fighter to support the running Ava Nishiyama."
-crackle-
"This is Koby, I am en-route to Nishiyama-senpai's position."
"Roger that 1-1," Mitsuki replied before putting the radio down. As he steps out of the car, his gauntlet starts to glow.
"BOOST! Level 1 reached." the glove relayed.
"Eh, I might need another one to catch up to her, she did run ahead before I stopped." Mitsuki whispered to himself.
"BOOST! Level 2 reached," the glove relayed.
He sets himself in a runner's starting position before chasing after Nishiyama. Once Koby flew over him and picked up Nishiyama, Mitsuki exhaled slowly. Then pushed off the earth like a spring loose from tension. As he got closer, he vaulted over light posts and fire escapes, scaling the narrow buildings. "Why did I even decide to follow that girl?" He questioned as he slingshotted himself up a small building.
Static comes from the earpiece
"1-1 this is Silver Phoenix, what is your status?" A voice called out over the comms. Koby put his free hand on the earpiece, "This is 1-1, I have 'Mad Dog' with me. We are approaching the scene, Handler Jinguji." The car shuddered beneath them as their boots clanged against the reinforced metal.
"Roger that '1-1', what are the details of this Spiral?" Jinguji asked. Koby looked over to see Nishiyama already battling the Spiral. He blinked a couple of times, "I see why Tooru-senpai wants to retire now…" he whispered under his breath before pulling out his scanner.
SPIRALIZATION FACTOR: 4100DATABASE SIGNATURE MATCH: GRUNT
"Spiral scanned, it's a grunt." Koby announced.
"A grunt? That makes no sense for one to be out here in the morning," Mitsuki replied over the radio.
"You're right, 'Ddraig'. Grunts usually show up at night—or guarding a Spiral nest," Jinguji added.
"Jin… how many times do I have to tell you not to call me Ddraig? Doesn't it say not to call me that on file?" Mitsuki sighed.
08:32 JST — Rooftop of Train Car 4 — MagLev Track 7
Metal screamed as claws raked across the train. Nishiyama slid low beneath a swinging limb. "Oooooh, you're fast for a grunt~!" she grinned. "Let's see if you bleed pretty. '1-1', I need some cover fire!"
Koby spread his wings, hidden under them were small compartments that gleamed. "On it Mad Dog!" He replied before blasting the Spiral with it.
-THOOM-
"Direct hit! A scout shouldn't be standing after that," Koby boasted. Nishiyama grinned—but something felt off. She hadn't even broken a sweat. No thrill, no pressure, no fun.
"Silver Phoenix, the target is do—" before she could finish, the Spiral lunged out of the smoke. Koby reacted late, "Mad Dog, on your right!"
Nishiyama looked to her right to see the Spiral inches from her face.
-DINK-
Nishiyama fell backwards as Mitsuki's fist collided with the Spiral's faceplate, sending it skidding across the rooftop. "Ichi… what did I tell you about dropping your guard when you haven't seen the body for yourself?" He questioned her.
Koby looked at Mitsuki, then the roads below, then back at Mitsuki. "Wait—Tooru-senpai? How'd you even get up here that fast?" He asked. Mitsuki pointed at the Drive on his left hand, "Thanks to the boosts from my Drive, I was able to catch up."
The Spiral shook off the hit and screeched. Mitsuki looked at it and nervously sighed, "Jinguji… we might need backup on standby. It tanked a Level 3 hit from me."
Silence
"Request approved, sending reinforcements." Jinguji relayed.
Mitsuki stuck his hand out to Nishiyama, "Come on Ichi, we got a job to do." She nodded and quietly took his hand before she retook her stance.
I know that those boosts take a toll on his body, but there's no need to go that high.
The Spiral's many eyes locked on them as it started to charge at them.
Within the Train Car
The roof trembled again.
Sekhmet sat perfectly still, scarf still half-covering her face. She looked around her, some cadets were whispering to each other. Others whimpered, while the religious ones prayed for salvation. She looked toward Shirogane, who hadn't let go of her arm.
Everyone in the car is scared… What could I do to ease the tension?
She wasn't calm herself, her heart pounded every time she heard the muffled clanging above. She expected the roof to give way and the Spiral to kill them all. As she looked around, everyone else looked smaller than they had before. They were frightened, rightfully so since none of them had a means to kill or even injure a Spiral.
Without thinking, she started humming to calm her nerves. As she hummed, the whispers quieted. A cadet looked up towards her, then another. Eventually, she caught the attention of all the cadets. As she started humming louder, she got more confident in herself.
"Hey, she's singing the same song as earlier. Does anyone have a speaker?" Shirogane whispered. A cadet raised their hand and gave the speaker to her. She found the song and raised the volume to max. Sekhmet's voice started to sound fantasy-like behind the music.
"Why do I feel like... nothing bad can happen right now?"
"Is it just me or is it... warmer in here?"
As Sekhmet continued to sing, she started to glow a soft white. It was barely visible at first, but as she continued to sing, it slowly got brighter.
One of them reached out, fingertips grazing the edge of the glow. "It's like she's… pulling the fear out of the room," they whispered. Shirogane's jaw dropped.
"Sin… What the hell are you?"
On the roof of the Train Car
The clash froze, just for a second. Mitsuki, Nishiyama, and Koby stood across from the Spiral.
No one moved.
"...Did it stop?" Koby whispered.
Mitsuki didn't answer right away. "I don't know," he muttered. "I can't find an opening."
Then Nishiyama felt it.
A warmth, faint and strange, drifted across her skin. It was warm, like a distant voice caught on the wind. It curled into her being and soothed her nerves and got rid of her nervousness.
She was… Calm
"…What was that?" she whispered.
The Spiral twitched. Its head jerked a couple times before it screeched. The stillness shattered as the metal buckled under its claws. It began tearing into the train roof again.
"Not today, you're not killing my juniors," She stated as she ran forward, one hand gripping her katana. It started to glow as she put up a two finger sign in front of her.
"Sonic Reverb!" A compressed wave of sound enveloped her blade.
"Ichi, wai—!" Mitsuki started, but she was already moving. He put his hands in his hair and started ruffling it in frustration, "Ahhh! This girl is gonna give me gray hairs."
Koby sighed, seeing the reasons why command never assigned more people to Theta-4.
Mitsuki wants to stop fighting Spirals and live an easy life, while Nishiyama wants to fight the Spirals with her life on the line.
Koby opened his wings and provided covering fire for her. "'Mad Dog', I got your back!" he called out while Mitsuki stopped ruffling his head and clutched his left fist.
"BOOST! Level 7 reached," the glove relayed. He reset his footing and rushed forward, covering Nishiyama's blind spot. He hit the Spiral in the same spot, making the small crack in its armour larger. The Spiral cried out in pain as it slid back from the impact.
-crackle-
"Silver Phoenix to interim squad Alpha, during that downtime, all of your Sync rates spiked for a couple seconds. What the hell is happening over there?"
Mitsuki ducked beneath a retaliatory swipe. "That's—no. That's not possible." Another strike came close.
Mitsuki swore. "Unless… no, that thing wasn't frozen. It was focused." A cold thought wormed its way in. "You think it's targeting a cadet?"
Koby shot another volley of concentrated light magic at the Spiral's joints. Chitin shattered, forcing the creature to stumble. "That doesn't make sense!" Koby barked. "Spirals don't think like that. Hive logic, sure—but individuals? Even a normal grunt shouldn't be smart enough to single out a target!" The Spiral hissed and lunged again.
Koby grabbed Nishiyama's free hand and hurled her skyward. She twisted mid-flight as her katana caught the light. "Time to take a nap," she calmly said as she plunged the katana deep into the cracked plate. It convulsed, spasming violently before falling still.
Nishiyama dismissed her Drive, exhaling as the katana vanished in a shimmer of light. She pressed two fingers to her earpiece. "Mad Dog to Silver Phoenix, the Spiral is dead. Requesting med teams and retrieval units to assist with cadet extraction."
-crackle-
"Copy that, Mad Dog. Good work Alpha team."
Koby landed and took a deep breath, his wings collapsed behind him. "...Anyone else felt that shift earlier?" he asked, glancing at Mitsuki.
Mitsuki nodded slowly, eyes narrowing at the roof. "Yeah. It was like…" he paused. "Like it got a command from the Hive." A faint sound drifted up through the still-settling dust.
A voice.
Koby turned his head toward the sound and leaned down, listening. "That's coming from inside."
Click.
He turned.
Nishiyama was holding up her phone, grinning ear to ear. Mitsuki had his out too, recording. "Aw, look at him," she teased. "Caught you zoning out like a main character."
Koby blinked.
"Wait—what? I was just—!"
Mitsuki snorted, "No no, don't stop. You looked like you were about to confess your heart to the wind."
"Should've had sparkles around you," Nishiyama added.
Koby sighed, wings disappearing. "I hate you both,"he muttered, voice muffled by his hands dragging down his face. Nishiyama chuckled. "You say that, but you look moved, '1-1'."
"Shut up," he groaned.
"Jinguji," Mitsuki said into his earpiece. "Dismiss the lockdown on Car 4."
"Copy that, dismissing lockdown. Be ready to assist the medical teams if needed."
With a heavy clunk and a hiss of decompression, the emergency seals hissed open. Mitsuki stepped toward the edge. "Let's go calm 'em down," he muttered.
Nishiyama dusted her pants, "hope they don't think we're Spirals now."
Within the Train Car
A faint chime sounded overhead. Then:
–LOCKDOWN DISMISSED–
The doors slid open with a sharp hiss, morning light flooding into the cabin. Sekhmet immediately stopped singing as the cadets around her reeled, shielding their eyes from the light. Some leaned against the seats, hands still trembling.
"Is it over?" Shirogane asked,fingers still gripping Sekhmet's scarf. Even as the light flooded the cabin, a few cadets blinked rapidly, unsteady on their feet. The train's internal transfer door slid open and three figures stepped in.
The girl in front strode in like a hero on a stage, hands on her hips. "No need to fear my juniors, I Nishiyama Ava have slayed the Spiral. You are all safe now!"
She blinked. No screams. No gasps. Just… silence.
The boy with the hanafuda earring standing just behind her, covered his mouth to stifle a laugh.
The taller boy ruffled the hair of the girl, "Hey Ichi, it looks like they weren't that scared."
Nishiyama snapped her gaze at the boy with the hanafuda earring, "Shut up Koby! I can hear you laughing," she barked, raising her fist.
Koby held up both hands, backpedaling. "Wait, Nishiyama-senpai, don't hit me! I give, I give!" He turned to the taller one. "Mitsuki-senpai—help me out here!" he pleaded through his laughter.
As the three bickered in the aisle, Shirogane leaned toward Sekhmet, "Hey, Sin… are those our seniors?" she whispered, fingers nervously tugging at Sekhmet's scarf. Sekhmet gently caught her hand to stop her. "I… think so, Shirogane." she replied, unsure of her answer. One of the girls near the rear suddenly gasped and stood up.
"W-Wait! Are you THAT Mitsuki Tooru? The Boosted Gear user from Theta-4?" Whispers surged through the cabin.
"No way, seriously?"
"I saw his fight clip on the student net!"
"Is that really him?"
Mitsuki groaned and rubbed the back of his neck. "Here we go…"
Nishiyama beamed like she'd just been announced as royalty. "Yup! And that's me next to him, the Spiral-slaying extraordinaire! And the other half of the Theta-4 team!"
Koby quietly muttered, "I'm here too, y'know…" Then another cadet gasped, pointing past her. "Wait… isn't that the angel guy with the wings? That's Kirishima Koby, right?"
"Oh my god, he's real?"
"I thought he was just a myth from the last Spiral broadcast!"
Koby blinked, genuinely surprised. "Wait… me?" Nishiyama stared at the crowd, then at Koby. Her eye twitched. "Are you kidding me right now?" The cadets weren't looking at her.
A practiced grin tugged at the corner of her lips, but it didn't reach her eyes.
"…Whatever," she muttered, stepping aside. "I'm the one who made the killing blow." She stood near the corner of the cabin, arms crossed.
A low-pitched tone sounded from below—followed by synchronized footsteps. The main doors slid open and a team of Crucible personnel entered: two medics, a retrieval team, and a woman in a long coat. One officer barked instructions. "If you are uninjured, remain seated. Any cadets showing signs of shock—point them out."