The theater finally settled.
Blue light glasses glowed across the darkened hall as the audience leaned back into their seats, the earlier disturbance already fading into murmurs and sighs. The screen flickered to life.
The program began in an old, cartoonish style.
Smiling UJC maJicians filled the screen—walking through enemy territory, waving confidently at the camera. Scenes cut rapidly: raised staffs, glowing sigils, and then—
Dead yokais.
Their bodies lay scattered like discarded props, while the maJicians continued smiling, unbothered.
Haru sat frozen.
Around him, rows of people stared through their blue lenses, faces unreadable. Haru had already taken his glasses off. His eyes reflected the screen's light, wide with awe.
This is real…
This is power Of maJicians.
He turned sharply toward Ayra, excitement bubbling in his chest.
"Ayra—did you see that? One day I'll be on that screen too—"
She was asleep.
Glasses still on. Head tilted slightly. Completely gone.
Haru stared at her, then sighed.
"…Of course."
The screen shifted again.
"Here at the UJC, life is heaven.
We and our fellow maJicians work twenty-four seven to protect our galaxy from yokais."
Explosions, heroic poses, glowing weapons.
"And now—you can join the war too."
"Yes, you."
Haru leaned forward.
"Me?" he whispered. "I can too?"
He turned back again. "Ayra, they said I can—"
Still asleep huh.
The screen shifted again.
"And now… an important announcement for the planet of AOYAMA—"
BOOM.
The sound tore through the building.
The ground shook. Lights burst. Screams exploded all at once.
Fear flooded the theater.
People ran. Seats toppled. Glasses shattered. The world turned into noise and chaos.
Haru reacted without thinking.
He scooped Ayra onto his back and ran.
Feet pounded the floor. Cries echoed behind him. Somewhere, something collapsed with a deafening crash.
As he burst out of the theater, the screams thinned—overtaken by distance and speed.
Then—
From behind him, from the ruined hall—
A voice rang out.
"HARU AOYAMA."
His steps faltered.
At the mayor's office.
"Locate Haru immediately," the mayor snapped into the communicator.
"He must not be injured. In any way. Anyone else—but not him."
"Yes, sir."
The officers moved.
Haru forced himself to keep running.
I'm hearing things.
That's all.
Behind him, inside the shattered theater, the program glitched violently.
"HARU AOYAMA."
The voice distorted.
"Star Child… it's time to come back to us."
The mayor's hands trembled.
Fear crossed his face—fear of losing something he refused to name.
"I am sorry."
A cry cut through the smoke.
"Help… please!"
Haru skidded to a stop.
A woman lay trapped beneath a fallen log, her house burning around her.
Her little children's with her.
"My legs… I can't move—"
Haru lowered Ayra carefully and grabbed the log.
He pushed.
Nothing.
He screamed and pushed harder.
The log shifted just enough.
"Go!" he yelled. "Crawl—go!"
The woman dragged herself free and disappeared into the smoke with her children's help.
The log collapsed again.
Pain ripped through Haru's arms.
Why did I stop?
Tears burned his eyes.
I should've run.
I should've saved Ayra.
I'm going to die here—like some useless rock in the galaxy.
I am sorry Ayra.
"I don't want to die," he whispered.
"I want to be a maJician…"
The weight suddenly lightened.
Haru looked up.
Rei was there—lifting the log with him.
"Long time no see," Rei said brightly.
Together, they shoved it aside.
Haru collapsed, gasping.
Rei laughed. "You looked like a kid who lost his favorite toy. Way too dramatic."
"I was going to die," Haru snapped. "How else am I supposed to react?!"
Rei tilted his head. "It's just dying. No need to complicate it."
Haru stared at him.
Is he insane?
An apple bounced off Haru's chest.
"I'm not hungry."
"Oh. That's not food," Rei said cheerfully. "That's me offering a trade to form an alliance."
"…You mean friends?"
"Exactly!" Rei smiled. "Big bro has more than me. I wanna beat him."
"You've got a screw loose."
Rei blinked. "??"
A siren blared.
"WARNING! REBEL MEMBERS IN THE AREA! RUN IF YOU DON'T WANT TO DIE!"
Haru hoisted Ayra again.
"So how do we get out now?"
"Lucky you," Rei said. "I know a way."
They slipped into the narrow backstreets of Poketown.
"She always sleep like this?" Rei asked.
"Yeah. Even explosions don't wake her."
Rei's smile flickered.
"…I see."
They reached a dead end.
"…This is a wall."haru said.
"I'll make a hole."rei replied.
"What?."
Rei pulled out his umbrella.
A sword slid free.
Haru's breath caught. "You're not an intern… you're a maJician."
Haru looks in admiration.
Rei posed dramatically—
—and got the sword stuck.
Haru turned away, disappointed.
"I uhh I will just make a hole," Rei said quickly.
"Yeah just do that.."haru turned sighing
The announcement echoed again.
"DESCRIPTION OF REBEL MEMBERS: A tall, muscular theratop—"
"—and a lean boy with blond hair carrying an umbrella disguised weapon."
Haru froze.
Wind picked up. Causing a UjC flag from a house's wall to fall .
A thud sound is heard.
Slowly, he turned his eyes widen.
Rei stood still.
No smile. No expression.
The sword finally slid free.
Flames ignited along the blade.
"I'm sorry," Rei said quietly.
"I shouldn't have met you."
"My urge to make friends…"
His eyes were empty.
"…is why you have to die."
"..I with all my heart really am."
", SORRY."