Bullets.
Bullets.
More bullets.
Do these bastards have an infinite stockpile or what?I sigh, leaning against a concrete pillar already cracked from the gunfire. The smoke of gunpowder burns in the air, mixed with the metallic scent of blood. The sharp sound of reloading clips echoes. They're reloading.
My cue.I spin the pistol smoothly in my hand and leap out from cover. The world slows for a moment as I advance. One, two, three. Three targets, three shots.
The bullets pierce their skulls like precise punctures—bodies drop like sacks of meat.The echo of the shots still reverberates off the walls as I step firmly toward the scientist. She stumbles back, and without hesitation, I fire at the ground—the bullet explodes inches from her boot.
"W-what…?!" Her voice falters, eyes wide.I close the distance in a fluid step and grab her waist firmly. In one swift motion, I pull her against me and press the barrel of the pistol under her chin. The sterile scent of her lab coat's perfume mixes with the cold sweat on her skin.
Our eyes lock. Hers tremble. Mine, cold and sharp as ice."How about you tell me… what the hell is going on here?" I say softly, pressing the gun harder against her jaw. "This isn't just race or human trafficking, is it? I saw that lab… Or should I call it a dissection room?"
"Y-you're a terrori—"
"Don't make me repeat myself." My finger slides to the trigger, steady. "Answer, miss…"
I glance at the badge hanging from her lab coat.
"…Ada."She swallows hard, trying to steady her voice.
"O-okay… You're right. But… there are buyers who want organs. An elf's liver, for example… it can extend a human's lifespan by a hundred years…"
"Fascinating." I spin her by the heels, like a broken toy, and press the pistol to the back of her head. "Now, no stalling. Open the cage… or I open your skull."Sweat drips down her neck. Her fear is palpable, seeping into the air.
"K-Kronos…" she whispers, stammering. "W-why are you doing this? Is it because… of the laws? The system that degraded men?"I let out a dry, humorless laugh.
"Not just that." My voice is cold, controlled. "The Empress stripped away free speech, silenced anyone who questions, censored everything that doesn't fit her narrative… But that's not the main reason."She starts typing the code into the panel beside the cell. Her fingers tremble.
"So…" she ventures, glancing back. "What's the reason?"The panel's light flashes green. The cell's lock clicks.
"Freedom," I say. "And most importantly… my parents."A sharp click.
The cell's latch releases with a metallic snap. Ada steps aside nervously as I approach the cell. I remove my soot-stained white coat and crouch down.The Kitsune is curled up in the corner, trembling. Her black ear fur is disheveled, her pink eyes half-open but still conscious. I cover her with the coat, feeling her weak breath against my arm.Click.
The sound makes my eyes narrow in an almost instinctive reflex.
I turn my head slowly—and see her. Ada.
Arms extended. Glock aimed straight at my head."I've already called for reinforcements," she says, her voice tense, forced. "You're under arrest for terrorism, Kronos."I stand slowly. Not out of fear, but calculation. She's trembling. Her fingers waver on the gun. It's only a matter of time.
In a fluid motion, I grab her arm and spin my body with a sharp strike. She loses her balance, twists in the air, and crashes hard to the ground. Her reflex shot goes off—I tilt my head back, and the bullet ricochets off the ceiling, sparking and tearing a hole in the steel structure.Ada lies sprawled, her face pale, eyes wide with shock. I extend a hand to her.
"Come on, get up." She raises the Glock in a gesture of surrender. I take it, remove the magazine, and lock the slide with a click.
"For science! And for the Empress!" she suddenly screams, lunging at me like a maniac. She tears my shirt with both hands.
"Huh?!" I step back, caught off guard.Ada freezes, her face red as a lantern, staring at my chest.
"H-hot…" she mumbles, then her eyes widen. "I-I mean… are you really human?"
"Flesh, bone, and scars." I flash a lopsided grin and wink. "But if you wanted to check out my 'physique,' all you had to do was ask, sweetheart."She looks away, embarrassed. I extend my hand again.
"Since you ruined my favorite shirt… hand over that lab coat."
"Uh… okay," she says, slipping off the coat and giving it to me.I return to the Kitsune, whose breathing is slower now. I cover her with the lab coat as the fabric of my jacket slips to the floor. I crouch beside her, gently adjusting her ears. They're cold.Then… BOOM.
The corridor door explodes with a deafening blast. Shrapnel flies.
Thugs storm the room with heavy weaponry. Ada runs toward them.
"Thank the Empress, you're here!" she says, smiling.But what she gets in return… is the barrel of a rifle raised right to her face.
She freezes.
The thug pulls the trigger.
"Damn it," I whisper.I make a knife appear in my palm and throw it without hesitation. The blade slices through the air, cuts through time, and deflects the bullet by inches. The shot hits the wall. Ada stumbles back, eyes wide.
"Talk about a change of plans, huh?" I toss the jacket into the air and slip it on with a quick motion. "Looks like you're disposable to them, Ada."She chokes on the realization. Before she can say anything, a new voice echoes from the end of the corridor. Deep. Cold. Authoritative.
"Kill them all. Then blow the building."Silence for a second. My gaze hardens. So that's how it is.
"Cleaning house, of course," I mutter, turning. I crouch and carefully lift the Kitsune into my arms.
"A-am I… going to die?" Ada murmurs, her eyes wide, lips trembling.I don't waste time. I pull her with one arm and sling her over my shoulder like she weighs nothing.
"What a question, sweetheart…" I say with a sigh, walking toward the approaching chaos. "I'm helping you out only because you were a good girl… but I'm still pissed about my favorite shirt."Machine guns roar.
The metallic sound of rifles cuts through the air like swarms of furious wasps. Bullets fly everywhere. The Kitsune in my arms curls tighter, her body trembling. Her fox ears flatten, sensitive to the chaos.I move forward.
I slide between columns, leap over debris, twist my body to shield them both. One thug fires at a large pressurized tank on the side of the room. The impact sparks.BOOM.
"No freaking way…" I mutter, my eyes widening for a second.
"We're going to die!" Ada screams from my back. "You can't jump that!"The explosion spreads like a wave of fire, devouring everything in its path. I make a quick calculation. Only two options here: burn to a crisp or…
My eyes lock onto a window.
I click my tongue.
"Hold on tight."I sprint toward the window, my footsteps echoing through the narrow corridors. Behind me, the heat of the explosion licks at my heels.
"AAAAHH!" Ada screams.
"Three… two…" I leap through a gap. "One!"I crash through the window with my shoulders and soar through the air. The world blurs into a haze of lights and smoke.
We land on the rooftop of the neighboring building, concrete beneath us. I roll with the impact, shielding both of them with my body. Pain pulses through my back, my arms… and the spots where bullets grazed me.Boom!
Behind us, the entire building collapses in a fireball. The blast makes the surrounding windows rattle. Chunks of metal and concrete rain down."You…" Ada says, still breathless. "You're completely insane."I stand slowly. The Kitsune is curled against my chest, her eyes teary. So fragile. So alive. I hold her more firmly.
A wave of dizziness hits me. Blood drips from my shoulder and waist."Are you okay?" Ada asks, stepping closer, now more concerned.
"I've had worse nights," I reply, leaning against a wall. I look at the Kitsune. "What were you going to do with her?"Ada hesitates. The silence hangs heavy.
"She… she's blind. And mute," she says finally, her voice low. "To them, she's useless. No one would miss her. They planned to sacrifice her."My gaze darkens.
"I know a doctor who can help. One of the best." I look straight at her. "And you? Where are you going now? The Empress knows your name.""Run. As far as I can," she replies.
"I can help with that," I say. "I can get you a helicopter. Clean exit. Guaranteed safety."She stares at me, wary.
"'Get'?" she repeats.I take a deep breath. The mask on my face begins to retract with a soft hum, revealing my blood- and soot-streaked face.
Ada freezes. Her eyes nearly pop out of her head.
"Sirius?!" she chokes, covering her mouth.The mask snaps shut again with a subtle click. I'm just a shadow once more.
"You in or not?"She hesitates for only a second.
"Yes," she says finally.I give a faint, tired, but genuine smile.
"Good choice."I press a finger to the communicator on my jacket's collar. Blood drips down my arm, warm and thick. Adrenaline still screams in my veins.
"Aegis. Release the helicopter. Armored, with anti-missile systems," I say, my voice hoarse.Ada stares at me, confused, still unsure what to expect. Then, the metallic sound of rotor blades slices through the sky like razors. A coal-black Black Hawk emerges from between the ruined buildings, descending with surgical precision onto the rooftop. The aircraft's lights flash across our faces in bursts.The rotor's wind tousles her hair and kicks up dust and debris from the ground.
"Artificial intelligence," I explain without looking. "Just give the command. It'll take you anywhere on the map."She stares at the helicopter like it's a miracle, then looks at me. There's something more in her eyes. A hesitation. A weight.
"Thank you… really," she says, climbing the helicopter's steps.
"Thank me when you make it out of the country alive."She grips the door, about to step inside, but turns back.
"His name… the leader. Cazram. That's what he's called."Cazram, huh? Sounds like the name of a final boss in some shitty game no one ever beats.She gives me a final wave before the doors close and the helicopter lifts off. Its silhouette fades into the night sky, shrinking to a speck among the stars. The sound of the blades vanishes like a sigh.
A warm hand touches my face.
I turn my gaze. The Kitsune stares at me, blind, yet… alert. Her fingers slide across my soot- and blood-streaked cheek.
"Now it's my turn to take care of you," I murmur, more to myself than to her.[…]The back door of Lyra's house creaks as I push it open with my shoulder. The air inside smells of lavender and cold coffee. The lights are dim but warm. Comforting. I'd almost forgotten what that feels like.
The Kitsune sleeps on my back, tied with an improvised sheet. I feel her breath against my neck.
Lyra's in the kitchen, her back to us. When she sees us, her eyes widen.
"Sirius… what the hell is this?!" she says, rushing over.She helps untie the Kitsune carefully. Her expression shifts from shock to concern.
"I said I'd pull it off," I comment, exhausted.
"You're bleeding!" She supports the girl gently, resting her against her shoulder. "Damn it, Sirius, you look like you just walked out of a war movie."
"Treat her first," I say, pressing a hand against the wall to keep from collapsing. "I can handle it."Lyra shoots me that "proud idiot" look only she can pull off, but she doesn't argue.
I slump into a chair with a low groan, my body screaming for a break. Dried blood pulls at my skin around the cuts, my shirt a shred away from total collapse.
"Check her first," I say, sinking into the worn upholstery.Lyra moves with precision. The Empress's doctor resurfaces without hesitation. She grabs tools from a metal case—the clink of instruments echoes through the quiet room.
The Kitsune rests on the couch, curled up, her large, empty eyes fixed on nothing. Lyra approaches and gently tilts the girl's face.
She clicks on a clinical flashlight and moves the beam across her eyes.
"Blind," she murmurs, her lips tight. "Seems temporary. Pupillary reflex is still responding… faintly, but responding."She stands, sliding a finger across a tablet attached to her arm. She positions the device over the Kitsune's throat and scans.
"Vocal cords are damaged. Nothing torn, just inflamed. If she rests…" She pauses, glancing at me. "Her voice might return in a few days."I take a deep breath. Silent relief. A knot inside me loosens.
"So it's reversible?"
"Yes…" she says, still looking at me, but now with a heavier tone. "But we need to have a real talk about this."Oh. Here it comes. I can already feel the medical lecture brewing.
I tilt my head back and let out a long, theatrical sigh.
"Gonna start the speech?"Lyra crosses her arms, the tablet now pressed against her chest.
"Sirius, she was in physical collapse. So are you. Do you know what that means?"
"That we survived. And that I'm stubborn as hell."She rolls her eyes and shakes her head.
"That you're a functioning idiot."
I flash a tired but genuine smile.
"The best kind of idiot."She stares at me for a few more seconds… then softens. She walks back to the Kitsune and adjusts a pillow under her head with care.
The Kitsune lets out a soft sound, almost a sigh, and turns her face slightly toward Lyra's warmth.
"She trusted you… even without seeing, without speaking. That's rare, Sirius."I look at them. The scene is strangely… peaceful. For a moment, it feels like the world outside isn't burning.
"Yeah…" I say, my voice quieter. "Maybe I've still got something worth keeping."