An hour after the incident.
The Tengu skies had cleared. The rain had stopped. The hailstorm had dissipated. Yoshino, along with Shido and Tohka, had vanished from the scene without a trace. But the damage they left behind remained. The ice hadn't completely melted. Cracks split the road. Building debris lay scattered, and the remains of three large buildings remained piled up in an area cordoned off by police tape.
The site had been secured.
But not by civilians… but by the AST.
Inside a temporary tactical base built near the destruction zone, technicians were busy with terminals and holograms. Visual data from surveillance cameras, satellites, and tracking sensors were simultaneously displayed. Digital diagrams showed the attack path, the collapse of buildings, and the ice composition of the Spirit's previous power.
But their attention was no longer on Yoshino.
It was on the masked man who had destroyed everything in one fell swoop.
"Slow re-zoom from the Sector 12 camera," ordered Lieutenant Kusuki, a mid-ranking AST officer leading the on-site investigation. His eyes were fixed on the main monitor, his brow furrowed.
The holographic display showed a scene from a camera in the neighboring building. Noir Blade's figure was seen standing… still… with his hands empty.
Then…
Suddenly, Zadkiel's head fell off.
The buildings behind him began to crack and collapse… one by one… like pieces of paper being sliced by a laser blade.
"Stop!" Kusuki ordered.
The image froze.
A technician turned from his chair. "There are no frames capturing his body's movement, sir. Even our motion sensors didn't detect any surges of kinetic energy or dimensional fluctuations."
"Conclusion?"
"He swung his sword… but his speed exceeded the limits of visual recording. At the very least… his slashing speed is estimated to be above Mach 15."
Kusuki glanced to the other side of the room. A woman in purple armor stood calmly. Her expression was cold, as always.
Tobiichi Origami.
"Your opinion, Tobiichi?" Kusuki asked.
Origami studied the footage for a moment, then said evenly:
"He slashed from a distance. At least 70 meters from the primary target, and over 100 meters if you count the last building. No Spirit energy. No body movement."
"Technology?" asked another technician.
"Negative," Origami replied. "No long-range weapons. No launchers or homing devices. It was… a pure slash."
They all fell silent.
A masked man who appeared out of nowhere had cut down a Spirit angel and three buildings with a single, invisible swing. No temperature increase, no explosion, no sign of an energy attack. Just the end result: utter, mute destruction.
"And are you sure it's the same person… as the previous incident?" asked Kusuki.
Origami nodded. "Same posture. Same coat. Same mask. And… an inexplicable aura."
"Weapon…?" another technician asked.
Origami pressed a button on the tablet in her hand. An image zoomed in. Just before Noir Blade disappeared, a long sword appeared in his hand, barely visible.
"A one-handed sword. About 100 cm long, with a thin blade structure. It doesn't seem to vibrate or flash like an energy weapon. In fact, it's… too quiet."
"A normal sword?" Kusuki muttered.
"No," Origami replied flatly. "A normal slash can't cut through a reinforced steel structure. Even a Class-Type Spirit couldn't do it with a single, silent swing."
Kusuki took a deep breath and stood up.
"Very well. From now on, we'll designate 'Noir Blade' as an independent entity. Not a Spirit. Not a normal human. And not our military unit."
"His status?"
Origami answered slowly, but firmly.
"Danger level unknown. Destructive potential… at least equivalent to a high-level Spirit."
Kusuki nodded. "Let's find out more. Track every previous appearance, and review all video records of Spirit incidents in the last two months. Look for a pattern."
All the AST members returned to work.
But there was something they all knew deep down, even though no one said it.
If that man wasn't an enemy… they could still hope. But if he were to stand before them intent on killing them, no weapon in the AST's arsenal could stop him.
And so far… Noir Blade hadn't told anyone, friend or foe, what his intentions were.
…
In the skies far above Tengu City, the giant dome-shaped ship hovered in stealth mode. Inside, the Fraxinus's control room was quieter than usual.
Normally, the main room was filled with the laughter of the Ratatoskr crew, or the casual conversation between Kotori and Reine.
But today… there was no sound except the gentle rumble of engines and the tapping of fingers on the keyboard.
The main monitor displayed real-time data from the AST's hacked secret communications network. A report with the seal "SECRET - AST TENGU FIELD UNIT" appeared in the center of the screen.
[Subject: "Noir Blade"]
Danger Classification: Upgraded to S-Special Level
Potential: Independent Non-Spirit Entity with the ability to destroy large-scale targets in a single physical action
Status: Unknown, Full Surveillance
Kotori stood with her arms crossed in front of the screen, her expression serious.
"So… they finally admit that man isn't an 'ordinary anomaly,'" she muttered.
Reine sat in the chair next to her, her eyes scanning the report as she typed notes into Fraxinus's internal system.
"The AST had no choice. He slashed through three buildings, finished off Zadkiel in one fell swoop, and left no trace of mana or residual energy. They can't explain it with mana theory or military technology."
"Unless…" Kotori muttered, "…that man isn't one of those."
At the back of the room, a small screen displayed three figures resting in Fraxinus's medical room: Shido, Tohka, and Yoshino.
Tohka sat on the edge of the bed, holding Yoshino's hand, still asleep from the emotional exhaustion and loss of Zadkiel. Shido stood on the other side, watching the little girl's face with sadness.
"She's still in shock," Reine commented quietly, glancing at the screen.
"Who wouldn't be," Kotori replied. "Zadkiel wasn't just a weapon; he was Yoshino's friend. And he... was destroyed in a single, invisible slash."
"Shido saw it too. But even he couldn't explain the sword's movements."
Reine touched the screen, replaying footage from the Fraxinus camera, which was recording the conflict area from a distance. They replayed the scene just before Zadkiel was cut.
The image showed Noir Blade standing. Still.
Then... suddenly, Zadkiel was cut.
Buildings collapsed.
But in the footage, there was no moment when the sword moved. No swing. No flash. No warning.
Kotori narrowed her eyes.
"Speeds exceeding 15 times the speed of sound…? Or spatial manipulation?"
Reine shook her head. "No. There was no spatial distortion. No energy pressure. This was… something incredibly clean. Like a blade that didn't touch the air."
"Cleaving without form," Kotori muttered. "He wasn't just fast… he was like… cutting the world itself."
The two were silent for a moment.
Then, Kotori turned to Reine. "And you're saying… all our sensors couldn't pick up any fluctuations from him?"
"Nothing. Normal heartbeat. No spiritual pressure. No form of magic. Even traces of his body temperature disappeared the moment he disappeared."
Kotori touched her chin, thinking deeply.
"…He moved silently, attacked without warning, and disappeared without a trace."
Then, she turned to Reine with a gaze that undeniably held a hint of worry.
"If that man decides to become Shido's enemy… or another Spirit… we won't be able to stop him, will we?"
Reine was silent for a moment. Then she answered quietly.
"Not with the power we have now."
Kotori sighed, then leaned back in the captain's chair. "But he hasn't shown any intent to kill anyone other than Zadkiel. And that… seemed like a demonstration. Not a massacre."
Reine nodded slowly. "Maybe."
Kotori turned to the medical monitor, staring at Shido's face.
"For now, the only thing we can do is keep an eye on him… and hope he doesn't decide to destroy anything else."
Meanwhile, in the medical room, Yoshino began to move her hands slowly. Her blue eyes opened slightly, her vision still blurry.
"Tohka…? Shido…?"
Tohka immediately hugged him lightly. "We're here, Yoshino. It's okay… you're safe."
Shido looked down and smiled gently. "We're all here with you."
But deep in his mind… one name still swirled around.
That man. That sword.
Noir Blade.
"Who… are you really…?"
….
Kaito's Apartment
Kaito was currently relaxing on the couch with a can of soda in his hand. He was thrilled to test Yamato's abilities. He could cut Zadkiel and several buildings behind him with just a slight opening of his sword.
"Yamato's power is truly incredible," Kaito muttered with a hint of admiration.
[Ding! Main mission completed.
Mission: Confront Hermit.
Status: Completed.
Reward: Armament Haki (Perfection) (S), 1x Rare Ticket, 5000 XP, 1000 PS]
[Armament Haki (Perfection) (S)]
Armament Haki is a form of Haki that allows the user to use their own spiritual energy to create, essentially, an invisible armor around themselves, granting them incredible offensive and defensive capabilities. The highest-level Armament Haki allows the user to flow Haki into the target's body and destroy it from within. This is an advanced form of Busoshoku Haki, typically used to enhance physical attacks and defenses. This enhancement allows the user to deal significantly more damage,even penetrate the opponent's defenses from within.]
Kaito stared at the notification for a few seconds.
Then, without warning, he shot up from his seat.
"FINALLY!!" he exclaimed, raising both hands in the air, his face beaming like a child who had just received his dream toy.
He spun around once in place, then punched the air in front of him excitedly.
"Perfection-level Armament Haki!? Damn…this…isn't just a regular version! This is an advanced version that even Luffy needed training on Hell Island to master!!"
He immediately opened his hand and silently summoned energy.
And as if answering his hopes, a jet black color with a metallic sheen began to creep from his fingers, enveloping his entire right arm up to his shoulder.
The Haki was dense.
Heavy.
But it felt light, as it blended with his body like his own breath.
Kaito was amazed.
He clenched his fist, not only was it strong, but it felt as if his entire muscle structure was now covered in an invisible armor.
"This… isn't just hard. It's devastating," he muttered, his eyes blazing with excitement.
Without hesitation, he slammed his fist into the floor, right onto the ceramic tiles of his apartment.
CRASH!
Without a loud bang, the tiles beneath him cracked cleanly in a perfect circle, with no debris scattered around. The attack was controlled, but still brutal.
Kaito jumped back to his feet and raised his arms high.
"Hahaha!! This world is getting more interesting! After Observation Haki, now the ultimate Busoshoku!? System, you really know how to make me happy!"
He grabbed one of the dumbbells from near the table, tossed it into the air, and then delivered a small punch with one Haki-imbued finger at the metal object.
CLANG!
The dumbbell bounced off the wall like a hammer, and Kaito smiled in satisfaction, his lollipop still tucked in the corner of his mouth.
"With this… I can face a heavy-duty Spirit without needing to fully transform. Even non-physical spirits won't be able to escape."
He stared at the large mirror in the corner of the room. His reflection was slightly different now, not because of any physical changes, but because of his aura. His gaze was sharper, deeper, and more confident.
He took a deep breath… then placed a Haki-clad hand to his chest.
"Vergil's experience, observation Haki, and now… this."
His face twisted into Kaito's signature lopsided smile.
"Step by step… I'm rebuilding the power of a different world. But this time… for a purpose of my own choosing."
He closed his eyes, letting the system absorb his body's information, and slowly… the Haki in his hand faded.
But even though it vanished from sight, his power never truly left.
It was the power of will.
And Kaito knew all too well that in this world, where spirits and magic existed, will would be the key to changing everything.
"status"
[ding!]
[STATUS]
Name: Arashi Kaito
Age: 17
Race: Human
Level: 35
Strength: S+
Speed: S
Defense: S+
Intelligence: EX
Charm: S
Skills:
-Photographic Memory
-Rokushiki (Perfection)
-Dante Sparda Physique
-Omnicore
-Cold Heart
-Observation Haki (Perfection)
-Vergil Battle Experience
-Armor Haki (Perfection)
Weapon:
-Captain Kaizo's Mask
-Yamato
System Points: 5000
Kaito was very satisfied with his current status. No one in the world could match him. Now he would proceed according to his plan. Nothing would change just because he got stronger.