The boy stood in the broken yard like he owned it.
Not scared.Not tense.Not impressed.
Just… bored.
Like he walked into a convenience store, not the aftermath of the biggest battle of my entire life.
His silver eyes drifted over Ami, Yergba, Sam, Grey, and Tey—unbothered by the fact that every single one of them had a weapon aimed at his head.
He smirked.
"You all look like you saw a ghost."
Ami pointed her blade at him, fury tightening every muscle.
"Don't come closer."
He rolled his eyes."I literally just saved your idiot Keeper's life by warning you. You're welcome."
Grey muttered, "Saved is a strong word…"
Tey whispered, "More like… arrived to administer trauma…"
Sam stepped between me and him, hands shaking, voice cracking.
"A-aki… d-don't… don't let him near you…"
The boy scoffed.
"Relax. If I wanted to delete him, I'd have done it before you blinked."
Ami glared, raising her sword.
"You keep talking like you're untouchable. Try me."
He gave her a look of lazy amusement.
"I'd rather not get ripped in half by your psycho sword aura. So chill."
Yergba snarled, lightning sparking across her fists.
"Explain yourself before I knock your teeth out."
He shrugged."Fine. But you're not gonna like it."
He pointed a thumb at his own chest.
"Name's Kairo. Keeper Class. Rank S."
My stomach flipped.
Keeper.Just like me.
Ami hissed softly, "Impossible… there can't be another Keeper alive…"
Kairo grinned.
"That's what THEY want you to think."
Sam swallowed hard."Th-they…?"
Kairo's smile dropped.And for the first time—he looked serious.
He pointed to the ground where Luci had vanished—a faint black scorch mark still pulsing faintly with demonic energy.
"That girl you fought?Luci?"
I clenched my teeth.
"Yeah."
Kairo shoved his hands into his pockets.
"She wasn't acting alone."
A chill crawled up my spine.
Ami stiffened.Yergba went wide-eyed.Grey and Tey exchanged nervous glances.
Kairo continued, voice low:
"She belongs to another Keeper."
My heart dropped.
"No… that can't be—"
Kairo cut me off.
"It gets worse."
He walked closer.Ami stepped in front of me.Yergba too.But he ignored them like they weren't even there.
"There aren't just two of us."
Sam took a shaky step back."There's… more?"
Kairo nodded.
"Way more."
The yard went dead silent.
Only the wind dared to move.
He lifted his hand—black digital particles forming into a sigil in the air.
Another Keeper's mark.
Except this one was different.
Warped.Corrupted.Dripping like tar.
Ami's breath caught.
"That symbol—"
Kairo tapped it with a finger.
"This belongs to Luci's Master."
Yergba frowned."And who the hell is he?"
Kairo let out a humorless laugh.
"You're not ready."
He dropped the sigil—it faded into smoke.
Then he pointed the tip of his shoe at me.
"Aki."
I flinched.
"You're the glitch Keeper."
I blinked, confused.
"Okay, what does that even mean—"
Kairo crouched so he was level with me.
His silver eyes stared into mine.
"Your power isn't supposed to exist."
My stomach flipped again.
Ami whispered, "…Aki…"
He continued, voice low, sharp:
"Keepers aren't meant to have instinct awakenings.""They aren't meant to sync with blades that rewrite reality.""And they definitely aren't meant to tap into system-level authority."
Grey muttered, "System-level…? That's—"
"Illegal," Kairo said."Beyond forbidden. Beyond void-class."
He jabbed my chest lightly.
"You're a bug in the code."
Ami snapped, "Don't touch him—!"
But Kairo kept going.
"And the system wants bugs exterminated."
My breath shook.
"Wait—system? What system?!"
Kairo stood again.
"You think the gacha abilities just 'appear'?""You think Keepers are chosen randomly?""You think your power came out of nowhere?"
He smirked and crossed his arms.
"Bro.There's a whole hierarchy above you."
Ami whispered, "A hierarchy…?"
"Yeah."Kairo nodded."And they control everything."
He raised a finger.
"And the Keeper who controls Luci—"
His voice dropped to a cold whisper.
"—is one of the highest-ranking members."
Sam staggered backward.
"No… n-no way—"
Kairo's expression darkened.
"They call him Caligo."
Yergba frowned, confused."He sounds like a bootleg Halloween decoration—"
Kairo cut in immediately."You won't be laughing when he shows up."
Ami swallowed."When? Not 'if'?"
Kairo shook his head.
"He's already after you."
My blood went cold.
"Why me?"
Kairo gave me a long, exhausted look.
"Because you're the only Keeper in history whose power breaks the rules."
He pointed at the sky.
"The system glitched the day you were born."
Then he pointed at my chest.
"And it's terrified of you."
I blinked rapidly, heart pounding.
"But… but I didn't do anything—"
Kairo barked a laugh.
"EXACTLY. That's what makes you dangerous."
Sam whispered, tears forming again, "Aki… this is too much…"
Ami's hands trembled around her sword.
Yergba looked ready to punch the universe.
Grey and Tey whispered calculations under their breath.
And Kairo looked between all of us.
"Listen."
He stepped closer—this time gently gripping my shoulder.
"I didn't come here to fight you.""I didn't come here to recruit you.""And I didn't come to threaten you."
He leaned in.
"I came here because Caligo isn't sending minions anymore."
Ami's jaw clenched.
"What do you mean…?"
Kairo's voice dropped to a whisper so cold it froze my chest.
"He's coming himself."
I swear my heart skipped.
Sam gasped, losing balance.Yergba cursed loudly.Grey dropped his scanner.Tey grabbed my arm.
Ami moved closer, instinctively holding me.
Kairo stepped back and sighed.
"You all better get stronger. Fast.""Because when Caligo appears…"He pointed straight at me.
"You're dead."
The wind blew through the ruined yard.
No one spoke.
Then—
Kairo snapped his fingers.
A distortion opened behind him—like a digital tear in space.
He stepped into it casually.
"Oh yeah."
He glanced over his shoulder one last time.
"There's one more thing."
Everyone held their breath.
Kairo smirked, eyes sharp.
"There are more Keepers hiding on this planet.""Some friendly.""Some… not."
His voice echoed as he disappeared into the portal:
"Aki—your real story is just starting."
And then—he was gone.
Leaving the six of usin a broken yardunder a broken skywith a future that suddenly felt a lot heavier.
I exhaled shakily.
"Great…""Just great…""So there's more of them…"
Ami sat beside me, gripping my sleeve tightly.
"Then we'll fight.""I don't care if there's ten or a hundred.""I won't lose you."
Yergba nodded, lightning sparking."We'll crush every Keeper who touches you."
Sam leaned against me tiredly."I'll heal you… every time… until I die…"
Grey and Tey stood beside me like loyal sentinels.
And for the first time—
I realized something terrifying and comforting:
I wasn't alone.
Not anymore.