'No… This isn't possible…'
A dome of air hid beneath the South Atlantic.
Between the sea's inhabitants and flying demons, the true despair—the stench of death—came from a being whose very existence surpassed even the most capable Arbiters. Human weapons could not pierce its skin, and from its mouth poured the fires of hell. The blood of hundreds of Sefiras drenched the streets, along with bodies impaled upon the walls.
It was a victory, yet also a defeat; more demons had fallen than Sefiras on that occasion.
But this was also the reason why, in a world beneath the sea, even the breath of its sovereign could drown the planet.
Death was present…
For mankind had angered the foulest sin.
Brown eyes swept over the massacre and the ruins; only rubble remained, one slab crushing him beneath its weight. His heavy breathing revealed the weakness of one who could advance no further.
[Energy: 0%]
A screen, adorned in a nearly faded crimson hue, floated just ahead.
'A Sephirot…' he thought, staring at a charred body before him—utterly lifeless.
Everything was lost…
Humanity's first offensive had failed completely.
The final hope ended with the clash of blades that echoed across a deluded battlefield. Sparks raced through the air—the last ones, meant to end the confrontation.
Suddenly, two figures appeared before the eyes of the one who could no longer move.
'Izu…'
The King of Envy extended his arm, gripping the throat of the final victim. His blue scales were impenetrable, without weakness; tentacles fell like strands of hair, with ears shaped like fins.
And within the grasp of the invincible lay the lifeless body of a man whose white hair gradually returned to its natural black.
Suspended nearly four meters above the ground, the man let his arms hang—each hand gripping a sword—revealing damaged blades.
His navy-blue hanfu was completely stained with blood, as was his dry hair.
The last lotus petal fell to the ground.
"Izu…" Seeing that scene, murmurs slipped from his lips—laments born of disbelief, followed by denial.
Tears streamed from his eyes, tracing a blood-soaked face down to trembling lips.
"Izu…"
Eyes that shone like a natural light turned toward the owner of that pain.
His vision blurred once more. When his eyes opened with a blink, a blade-shaped tail extended toward him.
Feeling his body torn to pieces—and those same pieces brutally crushed—his green eyes flew open.
He woke up.
Drenched in sweat, he awoke gasping. His head spun from the sudden change, accompanied by a sharp pain in his heart.
He clutched his chest and tried to steady his breathing.
'That… wasn't a dream!' he thought, eyes wide.
Memories surged, only to accelerate his anxiety.
[About the Individual]
Name: [Azbell Gian]
Age: [18]
Angel Card: [The Savior]
Level: [1]
Rank: [Feeble]
Potential: [120]
Suit: [Hearts]
Status: [Revealed]
'I'm… five years early?!'
He was certain his age was wrong.
Rolling over on the bed, he grabbed the smartphone tossed onto the desk beside him. Quickly, he caught his reflection on the glossy screen: he looked young, his hair freshly kept, unlike the years he had spent living in a war zone.
His skin still bore the marks of corruption—nearly pale and noticeably dry.
He touched himself, incredulous.
Tears formed, pooling in his eyes.
'Did I… really come back?'
Unlocking the phone while sniffling, he opened the verified DSSP app. As he logged in, Azbell swiped to check the date.
It was December twenty-fourth, two thousand ninety-five.
'I really went back five years…'
The DSSP app opened, displaying a notification…
[Revealed, your time is approaching!]
That was the message title, catching Azbell's attention. In truth, he already knew its contents…
[Hello, dear Revealed! We hope this message finds you well. We would like to remind you of our commitment: the journey to Atziluth is scheduled for December thirtieth. Below, please check the members of each squad in Sector Four.]
Azbell quickly scrolled to the end, searching for a specific squad…
[Squad Zeta]
Captain: Takashi Katayo
Members:
Erika Von Berta
Erik Von Berta
Izumi Kairen
"Izu…" he muttered, whimpering, lamenting in profound pain.
***
Thrown near the gear shift, Kimisu's phone vibrated relentlessly.
As he drove through the casual traffic of Hamburg, Kimisu leaned on the steering wheel, his eyes nearly closing from sleep.
But that drowsiness was about to end.
Stopping at a red light, Kimisu glanced at the phone—already irritating him—only to see an incoming call: Kartpie, the Chief of Security of the Asian Sephirot Association, Karpy.
"Hey, Kartpie. How are things?" Kimisu said after answering.
"Don't use that nickname on a protected line!" he shouted, severely irritated.
"Huh? I've been your friend since the academy—and now… your superior. Why can't I call you Kartpie? Got some assistant listening in?"
Even though he spoke jokingly, two assistants were indeed listening—and laughing.
Karpy cleared his throat, signaling the trainees.
"What do you want?" Karpy asked, returning to a serious tone.
"Call Izami… And let me make direct calls, damn it! It's a pain having to ask you every time!"
"Ask the Association's president," he replied bluntly. "I'm redirecting you…"
"What's wrong? You gonna sulk because of—"
"Because of what?" Izami's voice replied quickly.
Without Kimisu noticing, Karpy had switched the call's connection. Izami was now on the line.
"Izami! Hey, where are you?" Kimisu asked cheerfully, changing the subject at once.
The light turned green, so Kimisu tossed the phone onto the dashboard and kept driving.
"At home… Ayumi and I came back to sort things out. We had to take Ichiro to Ayumi's parents' place. I came to close the dojo…"
Hearing that last part, Kimisu perked up.
"What? No! The dojo is your source of income… Now that the kids are going on vacation, it's the best time. Don't start with that. Leave Izumi with me. Enjoy Ichiro and Ayumi-san…"
"I know, I know… But I don't plan on leaving Izumi alone…"
"You called me, now follow my rules. You stay home, I'll take care of Izu-kun. In less than a month, you'll be together again… And there'll still be time to take down the Christmas tree together," he said, checking the rearview mirrors.
"Hm…"
"Hm… nothing! Calm down."
Izami sighed. He was as exhausted as Kimisu—unlike him, though, his fatigue was both physical and mental.
"Things were going so well with him… Izumi didn't ask for this. Those poorly explained criteria drive me crazy… I could have prepared him so he wouldn't become a Sefira…"
"The criteria aren't poorly explained, Izami. They don't exist… The archangels choose, and that's all there is. Unfortunate is the fate of those who do not desire it."
The sound of a wooden chair scraping across the floor echoed through the call. Soon after, Izami sat down and took a deep breath.
"The last face he saw was my father's… In the portrait that was right in front of him when it happened."
"Yeah… What a tragic fate… Anyway, forget it, brother. I was thinking about Izu-kun. What do you think about teaching him shikigami and the art of dreams?"
Izami fell silent for a moment…
"Come on! You taught him the Rain Blade and Sea Fist arts, didn't you? I want to teach him how to summon a shikigami—and, as a bonus, the art of dreams… So he won't depend on anyone."
"Just seconds ago I was saying I didn't want Izumi becoming a Sefira… and you're asking me that?"
"Stop lying! You and him are both liars… You expected him to be a Sefira, but the same doesn't apply to Ichiro. Why are you playing this game?"
"Because only now could I see how unprepared he was!"
"Most people aren't prepared for this, Izami! Stop being an idiot! You know what? Forget it! I'll do what needs to be done—thank me when your son is alive and back home!"
"Kimisu!"
"I'll send you a report at the end of every day about his treatment. Just so you know, it'll be free! See you, brother."
Not wanting to hear Izami's voice again, Kimisu ended the call immediately.
'What a dramatic, spoiled bunch… I'm not asking anyone's opinion anymore!' he thought angrily, turning the final corner.
Driving toward the DSSP parking area, Kimisu quickly searched for an alternate route, heading straight into the residential district—private, reserved solely for Sefira activities.
The place where Izumi was staying.
"Hope those uniformed guys cleared my access…" he muttered, searching the glove compartment for a card.
[You are attempting to enter a restricted and private area of the German Government.]
A robotic voice announced from the intercom.
'I know, I know…' he rolled his eyes, inserting the card into the reader.
A security camera shifted toward Kimisu's face, performed a flawless scan, and then granted access.
The steel gate slowly opened.
Continuing along the road, Kimisu searched for Sector Four, second house—where Izumi was staying with the twins.
'According to Kinney's report, Izumi is already able to see people's prana… That's great. I think I can take him to Yetzirah like this…'
Driving alongside a massive plaza connecting the DSSP's main building to the Sefira condominium, Kimisu reflected on how drastically the structure of this world had changed…
Forty years ago, when Kimisu awakened as a Sefira, the Revealed suffered far more than usual; instead of going to Atziluth, they were thrown directly into the Domains…
However, when the number of casualties during the Revelation process surpassed the number of newly formed Sefiras, the World Governments changed course: now, academic training had become fully systematic.
There were Associations for each continent, national selections of Sefiras, squads, pantheons, ways to rise in Rank…
And still, the demons prevailed.
Not a single Demon King had ever been injured throughout history; not even demonic races had been completely exterminated.
It was… a disappointment.
But unlike Izumi, who had completely lost hope…
Kimisu saw a new page being written.
'Apparently, all members of Squad Alpha are natives of the frontier… That's good. They're used to hell.'
'I shouldn't worry about Atziluth for now… Izumi will be with Takashi, so he'll be fine. The real problems will be the Temphioth…'
He ruffled his hair, rubbing his eyes in discomfort.
'Yeah… maybe I should be worried…'
Parking the car in front of Squad Zeta's house, Kimisu carefully stepped out, gazing at a simple two-story home with a small field stretching behind it.
And in that very field lay the reason for Kimisu's sudden shock: leaping back in surprise, unprepared, his eyes widened with curiosity.
The sound alarmed the entire neighborhood—a projectile exploded in the sky, echoing as if through the mountains…
A shot had been fired.