Somewhere on a snow-white mountain near the village of Nozawa Onsen.
"Aiya… this place really is freezing."
WHITE BEAR's breath misted white as he shivered.
He glanced around at the snow-laden trees, the gusts of wind swirling around him as if trying to remind him of something.
"Strange… I could've sworn someone just emitted an Esper signature around here. Where the hell did they vanish to?"
WHITE BEAR tucked his hands into his pockets, looking for all the world like a man who'd just been dumped.
"Hmph… coward."
"Who are you calling a coward… you bastard."
Whoooosh!!
A voice suddenly rang out from behind the white-blanketed trees. A bizarre figure stepped forward. He was draped in a cloak and a full black outfit. The most prominent feature was his mask.
A 'Spider-Man' mask.
"ALL… ALLL… something, right? Whatever."
WHITE BEAR mumbled, tilting his head slightly as if trying to recall who this person was.
"ALL ALL your head, WHITE BEAR!" The figure jumped up, his voice rattling out from behind that mask. "Don't tell me you've forgotten already."
"Listen carefully. My alias is… ALL SPIDER. Got it now, you moron?"
ALL SPIDER jabbed a finger resolutely at WHITE BEAR. And he was sick to death of the mannequin standing in front of him. He couldn't believe it. The organization's number one enemy was this utterly indifferent. But he had no intention of dwelling on that. His current mission was to face WHITE BEAR—not to win, but simply to pull a fast one on him and then bolt. That would force WHITE BEAR to leave, thinking JURA had withdrawn and there were no more issues here. At the thought, ALL SPIDER's heart skipped a beat. He wanted to—
"Ah, ah… you're…"
Whoosh whoosh!!
Before WHITE BEAR could finish, ALL SPIDER unleashed a barrage of bizarre black spider-silk threads, hurtling straight toward WHITE BEAR in a flash. It was like a mass of black whips ready to lash WHITE BEAR's backside.
"Dis… perse!"
Crash!
WHITE BEAR's voice rang out, ice-cold. He raised his hand just as the swarm of black threads was about to touch him. In that instant, everything vanished. More precisely, the black threads instantly disintegrated into dust, like white sand on a beach.
"Th-that… that move!" ALL SPIDER's jaw dropped. Even though he knew deep down that attack was useless, even though he'd seen it countless times before—witnessing that reality once more still left him utterly stunned. He gritted his teeth.
NOT BAD… YOU BASTARD!
"Hm… Your skill is always so useful, LIBRA LIGHT."
WHITE BEAR muttered, almost unconsciously, as he looked at his palm. He thought of his close friend and colleague who had helped him acquire this skill. Now he was just wondering what to eat for dinner tonight. Go home and eat? Or eat here and then leave after wrapping this up? He seemed utterly indifferent to the idiot gaping at him from inside that 'Spider-Man' mask.
"What now…?"
Meanwhile, witnessing that total apathy, that complete dismissal—ALL SPIDER's eyebrows furrowed, and the air around him seemed to heat up by a degree.
You're looking down on me. WHITE BEAR.
"By the way… let me ask… what exactly is your organization after in this place?"
WHITE BEAR asked offhandedly.
"Hmph. Do you really think I'd answer that just because you asked?" He sneered. "I never imagined the man the world calls the strongest could be this stupid. HAHA. You think asking such a stupid question will get me to talk? Huh? You…"
"BURST!!!!!!!"
A pink-flaming fist came from nowhere, punching straight through his stomach. The moment of impact, it flared with orange lightning that burst out in all directions like a brilliant firework.
Before he could even utter a grunt, he was sent hurtling through rows of trees. The successive shocks left him dazed. He couldn't comprehend what had just happened. All he saw was a blurry afterimage, and that pink-flame light enveloping a fist that had slammed straight into him. The punch detonated inside his gut like an activated bomb. He felt nothing, only that he was flying uncontrollably into the void.
No. My mission here wasn't to beat him, it was just to fight and run. But…
"Speak quickly. What are you people plotting here?" WHITE BEAR's voice rang out, steely and absolute. He slowly stepped forward, but the pressure he emitted felt like it wanted to crush everything. Every obstacle that irked his sight.
ALL SPIDER stood there staggering, blood seeping through his mask from his mouth, one hand clutching his stomach. WHITE BEAR's punch had destroyed most of his internal organs. He felt that power. The power of the strongest Esper. He no longer had the strength to even think about running. It was impossible. Only death came rushing in, seizing his mind.
Am… am I going to die… AAA… No way… Impossible… I can't die.
NEVER!
"DIE, WHITE BEARRRRRR!"
His muscle fibers momentarily bulged and surged.
Whoosh!
Hundreds of black webs shot out from both his palms, as if trying to swallow everything. The black threads lashed out like tentacles, rampaging wildly. They swept through the dense, snow-covered forest, slicing through the air in the chaotic, eerily silent chill of Nozawa Onsen.
CRASHHH!
"Huh… You already used that move just now. Aren't you bored of it?" Countering that savage onslaught was WHITE BEAR's suffocating silence. Just one touch. Just one raised hand. WHITE BEAR instantly turned that chaotic, drill-like mass of black threads into dust. It dissolved, transforming into a bland pile of ashes.
ALL SPIDER froze. His breath caught in his throat—he couldn't breathe. He couldn't breathe in this overwhelming atmosphere. The tiny spark of hope was extinguished facing the man before him. Age unknown. Silvery white hair, a black mask printed with bizarre shark teeth, and thick sunglasses reflecting absolutely sharp amber-green eyes. A man who, for centuries, had been both a thorn in their side and the most classic terror of the JURA organization.
I'm… going to die… won't I.
Thunk!
Suddenly, a wooden window frame appeared beneath ALL SPIDER's feet on the white snow, where nothing had been a moment before. A wooden door unexpectedly opened right under him. From inside, a familiar hand reached out, yanking him down before WHITE BEAR could react.
"Damn… they got away. How annoying. Running is all they're good at. I should've just killed him and been done with it."
WHITE BEAR grumbled to himself for letting his target escape. But honestly, he didn't care that much. His business here was done anyway, though he still didn't know what they were plotting. They'd just retreated without a word. Vanished.
"REX, you bastard… what are you scheming…"
"What were they trying to find here? Or was it simply… sabotage?"
"No. But if so, why was there no damage? I give up."
WHITE BEAR turned gently toward the ski slope nearby. Amidst the cheerful, bustling laughter in the freezing weather, the spectacular ski runs were what warmed everyone. Watching Misaki and Masaru playing happily together, his heart suddenly felt much lighter.
I wanna ski too…
---
In some dimension filled with tangled wooden window frames. The frames were clustered chaotically, creating winding, disorderly pathways. It was as if this was a window maze. The stench of rotting wood assaulted the nose, mixed with the musty smell of time. The window frames were stacked upon each other without any order, like a jigsaw puzzle made by a mad child. No ceiling, no walls—only windows leading… somewhere.
In that wood-scented space were three figures. Three blurry silhouettes.
"Ugh… Pain… it hurts like hell. Damn it… that… that WHITE BEAR…"
A weak groan, thick with the stench of blood, came from a strange guy in a black cloak and pitch-black clothes. The most eye-catching feature—the one that would grab any child's attention—was the red 'Spider-Man' mask he wore as if he were a real superhero.
He lay motionless, trembling from the earlier ordeal and the horrific wound in his stomach from taking WHITE BEAR's blow. Right now, he couldn't even cry if he wanted to. Because…
"It hurts… it hurts so much! Mommy."
"Come on, be quiet. If you squirm, your wound will only get worse, ALL SPIDER."
Right next to him was a girl with shoulder-length brown hair, her voice exuding helplessness yet shimmering with absolute confidence.
"I'll use Life Reversal. So lie still."
"I'm… counting on you, WINDOW."
"Yes, yes, hush."
Pplokol!
As she finished speaking, her hand emitted something resembling a grey flame, enveloping her palm. She gently placed her hand on ALL SPIDER's stomach. The internal injuries began to heal miraculously, even though ALL SPIDER's clothes still bore a massive hole.
"Ahh. All better. Woohoo!"
ALL SPIDER cheered, brimming with excitement. He started jumping around wildly like a robot that had just been fully charged. The terror of what had just happened faded somewhat, also because he was always healed by his comrades whenever he suffered a humiliating defeat like this.
"Pfft… You nearly died and you're still acting like an idiot. Without WINDOW's ability, you'd be dead for sure."
A young man's voice cut through the idiotic atmosphere. He stepped forward. A hand gently ruffled his messy, fiery red hair. His eyes, full of exasperation, directed their gaze toward ALL SPIDER.
"So what? At least I completed my mission. That guy was just too strong." ALL SPIDER rubbed his stomach. "I used my black whips to block that punch, but I didn't expect it to be that powerful. Otherwise, I'd be gone right now."
Thinking back on it, ALL SPIDER's throat tightened again, his voice choked in the air thick with the stench of fear. He still couldn't get over that punch. That kind of power he still couldn't comprehend.
"Of course. It was a punch enhanced by PINK PAIN. Ordinary defenses are useless against it."
The red-haired guy shrugged, speaking nonchalantly.
"Damn. Shit."
"We've completed the first step. All that's left now is to wait." The brown-haired girl suddenly spoke. "You know where that sword is, right, CHINSU?"
"Yep. Leave it to me."