The afternoon bustle of Uminari never waned. Merchants cried out above the clamor, the scent of grilled squid tangled with the sweetness of iced juice, and the humid sea air clung to every breath with sticky salt.
Luna drifted along with the crowd, aqua eyes glimmering with curiosity and mischief. The weight of earlier battles still clung faintly to her, but within this cheerful chaos, she almost forgot she was walking a path of danger.
Just as she slipped toward a side alley—
A muffled argument cut through the air. Rough, sharp, utterly out of place amidst the market's laughter.
She paused, her ears twitching to the sound. At the narrow turn, the crowd thinned, leaving behind only ragged stalls and stacked crates.
Peeking around—
A bearded man clutched a metal chest, veins bulging across his forearm. Its surface pulsed faintly with blue light, as though it carried a beating heart within.
Opposite him stood a robed figure, voice low and biting.
"Old Jet, hand it over. The Blackwing Organization doesn't let rats hoard their treasure."
"Spare me your lies!" the bearded man barked, hoarse yet unyielding. "I risked my neck to steal this. Why the hell should it belong to you?"
The robed man's eyes hardened. With a flick of his wrist—
"Shadow Claw Strike!"
Black energy tore from his palm like talons ripping the air, raking toward the bearded man.
Boom!
Stone and sparks scattered, puddles bursting into spray. The bearded man was flung back, the chest nearly slipping from his grip.
"Damn you!" Blood spat from his lips as he ripped a short blade free.
"Frenzy Blade Spin!"
The blade whirled with earthen aura, tearing into the black haze, its howl forcing the claws to scatter.
The robed figure steadied, sneering. "Not entirely useless."
"Take this—!" The bearded man thrust forward, rage twisting his face.
"Riftstone Thrust!"
The blade's edge shone with crushing force as it lunged for the man's chest.
"Child's play." The robed one lifted his arm, black mist swirling before his palm.
"Shadow Burst Shock!"
The strike slammed home.
"Ghh—!" Blood sprayed as the bearded man staggered, dropping to his knees. The chest slipped free, clattering at the robed man's feet.
He stooped, triumph gleaming in his eyes as he lifted it.
"This power is far beyond your reach."
He turned to leave—
"Hold it."
A clear, playful voice cut through the dust.
The robed man froze. From the sunlit edge of the alley stepped a girl.
Aqua hair shimmered like flowing water, eyes sharp and mischievous, lips curled with a daring smile. She carried no fear—only the thrill of challenge.
Luna.
"Sorry," she said brightly, "but I can't let Blackwing walk away with something like that."
Blue mana surged at her wrist, the air rippling.
"Courting death!" the robed man spat, claws of mist lashing toward her.
Luna's eyes sparkled. She tapped her foot, body weaving aside in a swift arc. Her hair whipped as she swept her hand back—
"Crystal Barrier!"
A wall of ice shimmered into place. The claws slammed through it with a deafening crack, snapping nearby tarps against their poles.
"Not bad." Luna smirked, her gaze sharpening.
She crossed her hands, mana flaring—
"Crystal Rain!"
A storm of icy shards screamed downward, pelting the street as stone cracked and splintered. The robed man whirled his mist in frantic defense.
"My turn!" Luna blurred forward, light blazing at her palm.
"Sacred Spirit Blast!"
Boom!
A blue-white beam roared into his chest. He stumbled back, the chest tumbling free once more.
It struck the ground with a heavy clang, seams glowing faintly—pulsing like a heartbeat.
Luna's eyes gleamed. With a quick hook of her arm, she swept it into her grasp, lips curling in triumph.
"This box… now it's mine!
Dimensional Vault—store!"
Blue light flared, swallowing the chest into nothingness.
Yet as it vanished, a tremor shot through her hand. Cold—alive—like something breathing, pulsing back at her.
"…Not ordinary cargo." Her sly smile dimmed into wary curiosity.
The robed man snarled, ready to strike again—only to halt as Luna's gaze fixed on him, cold and sharp. The weight of her aura pressed heavier than when he had crushed the bearded man.
She scoffed, turned on her heel, and in a shimmer of magic, melted into the crowd. Only his fury remained, burning in the dust.
——
Further down, the chaos faded. Luna slipped into a quiet alley where sunlight trickled through the gaps between buildings, painting her hair in silver-blue.
With a snap of her fingers, light shimmered, and the chest reappeared at her feet. Its glow pulsed faintly, steady and alive.
Luna crouched, studying it.
—That pulse. Not merely like a heart. It was resonating with her magic.
As her hand neared, a sharp pressure clenched her chest. It felt as if something inside had opened its eyes and stared coldly back.
"…Interesting." A chuckle slipped from her lips, excitement woven with caution.
She sealed it back into her vault, tucking her hands into her pockets as she tilted her face skyward.
Only the pulse, and the name Blackwing, lingered in her mind.
"Blackwing… what do you plan to do with this?"
Her boots struck the sun-baked stone with renewed rhythm. Curiosity and battle spirit surged within her, fanned by the forbidden pulse.