Ayame Yomogawa was swamped with responsibilities.
The Kotetsujyo had just docked, the hiss of steam and the grinding of gears echoing across the iron-clad platform. Sparks from welding torches scattered like fireflies as workers scrambled to repair and refuel the armored train.
The Industrial Revolution had transformed the world, forging steel and steam into progress. Yet, alongside that progress came calamity.
From the darkness of that age, an unnatural disaster emerged—monsters clad in iron-hard flesh, whose only weakness lay in the heart sealed within their chest. They were relentless, and those bitten by them rose again as the same monsters that killed them.
The world named them Kabane.
They multiplied like wildfire, drowning the land in death and fear.
In the Far Eastern islands, humanity built fortified settlements called stations, walled bastions to ward off the endless tide of Kabane. Survival was possible only through the steel rails that connected these stations, and upon them roared the armored steam trains—the Hayajiro—that became the lifeline of all who remained.
At Iwato Station, renowned for its ironworks and heavy steam machinery, a massive black train loomed on its tracks, like a fortress of iron and smoke.
Ayame Yomogawa, daughter of the station's ruling family, stood at its side. Clad in a crisp kimono now flecked with soot, she oversaw the bustle of workers, her calm voice cutting through the chaos. Even after witnessing the strange, miraculous phenomenon of that mysterious chat group, duty bound her first. Her people needed her.
Only later would she unravel the mystery that had shaken her world.
Elsewhere—
"...Kato Megumi?"
Hiratsuka Shizuka blinked at the request form in her hand, rubbing her temple.
Why on earth was Kato Megumi filing a leave slip? And at this hour?
With a tired sigh, she approved it. "Kids these days…"
"Megumi, what are you doing here?"
The voice was casual, almost playful, yet carried a weight that pulled attention.
Haruto Amakawa stood at the entrance of the mall, sunlight slanting against his lean frame. His sapphire-blue eyes flicked toward the girl before him, their lazy glint betraying both curiosity and familiarity .
Kato Megumi, dressed simply yet radiantly, raised her head with a small, knowing smile. Her calm tone carried no hint of surprise.
"Haruto-kun. What a coincidence."
A coincidence, was it?
Beside him, Sakurajima Mai's lips twitched ever so slightly. Of all mornings, on a school day no less, why was Megumi here at the exact moment Haruto was? Why after joining that strange chat group, and why immediately after asking Haruto what he was doing?
What a coincidence indeed.
Her violet eyes narrowed ever so faintly, a ripple of unease threading through her usually unshakable composure.
Kato Megumi, however, regarded her with equal calm. "This must be Sakurajima Mai—the one from the chat group, right?"
Haruto's brow arched, his voice smooth with intrigue. "Oh? So you can see her?"
Megumi nodded. "I don't know why. But I can."
"Interesting." Haruto's gaze narrowed, analyzing the threads only he seemed to notice. "Perhaps your abilities resonate with one another. Or perhaps it's the chatgroup itself."
Mai's eyes widened slightly. "So… she also has some supernatural ability as well?"
Haruto chuckled lowly, slipping his hands into his pockets. "Ability is big word for it. But yes, Mai. She also suffers from supernatural causes."
To him, her presence was clear:
[Name]: Kato Megumi
[Level]: 0
[Ability]: Mysterious Presence
Unlike Mai's ability, Megumi's was softer—less absolute, more subtle. A passive veil that made her easily overlooked unless she chose otherwise.
Resonance, then. Two anomalies pulled together by circumstance—or perhaps by inevitability.
Either way, Haruto wasn't about to complain.
"Since you're here, Megumi, you could help Mai with her shopping. It's… a little awkward for me to buy her undergarments, don't you think?"
His smirk was faint but deliberate, teasing both girls without shame. He knew full well Kato's arrival was far too neatly timed, but he didn't press it. Not yet.
Kato's lips curved faintly. "Of course."
Then, in that same light, polite tone, she turned to Mai. "But Mai-san, is it really proper to stay in a man's house? If you'd like, you can stay at mine."
The words were courteous, yet the undertone was unmistakable.
Mai's answering smile was equally flawless. "Thank you for the offer. But it's just temporary. Besides…" Her gaze lingered briefly on Haruto before sliding back to Megumi. "It's a trade."
The word hung in the air like a blade.
Megumi's eyes flickered, but she said nothing more.
With Megumi's assistance, buying clothes and necessities for Mai was swift and efficient. Haruto, as always, leaned back and let the world move around him, content to observe rather than interfere.
While Mai disappeared into the fitting room, Megumi finally spoke again, her voice soft but steady.
"Haruto-kun… do you really have superpowers?"
Haruto's lips curved, mischief gleaming in his eyes. "Why don't I let you see for yourself?"
His hand moved, slow and deliberate, brushing against her cheek.
"...!"
Cold seeped into her skin, a frost that wasn't natural, carrying an undeniable weight of otherness.
Impressive indeed.
But Megumi didn't flinch. Her calm remained unbroken, her reply simple. "Remarkable."
Then, her gaze sharpened with uncharacteristic directness. "So the chat group… it's all real? Did you really sleep with Busujima Saeko?"
Haruto stilled for half a heartbeat, then exhaled a low whistle. Bold girl.
His grin returned, cool and careless. "Yes. It was just a trade."
Then, tilting his head, his words dropped lower—teasing, but edged. "Does your opinion of me fall because of that?"
Megumi met his eyes, unwavering. For a long moment, the world seemed to still between them.
"Yes," she said finally, with disarming honesty. "Even if I understand it was just a trade, it changes how I see you."
Haruto studied her, a flicker of something unreadable in his gaze. Yet when Mai stepped out of the fitting room, his smile returned, easy as ever.
"Done already? Then let's pay."
"Mm." Mai nodded, her arms full of shopping bags.
As they walked, Megumi lingered behind for a moment, her eyes softening as they traced Haruto's back.
Her lips parted in a whisper, so quiet even she could barely hear it.
"…But I'm still jealous."