Neo-Tokyo High School — Monday Morning
Kazuki walked through the school gates. He looked different than he did six months ago.
He stood straighter. He walked with a silent, predatory grace. He didn't flinch at loud noises anymore.
The "Limiters" (glasses) were still on his face, but they weren't just for sensory dampening anymore. Aeva had upgraded them. They were constantly scanning the crowd for threats, feeding biometric data into his optic nerve.
[SCANNING: NO THREATS DETECTED.]
He sat at his desk in the back of the class. He didn't sleep through history anymore. He stared out the window, watching the birds. To him, the birds were flapping in slow motion.
"Class, settle down," Mr. Sato announced. "We have a new transfer student joining us today from Sector 1."
The door slid open.
A girl walked in.
She had short, jagged black hair and piercing grey eyes. She wore the school uniform, but she wore it like it was combat armor—stiff, formal, uncomfortable.
She didn't look nervous. She scanned the room with a cold, tactical precision.
Her eyes stopped on Kazuki.
For a split second, her gaze lingered on his chest—right where the Velocity Core was hidden under his shirt.
Then, she looked away.
"My name is Rina," she said. Her voice was flat. "I hope we get along."
Kazuki felt a buzz in his glasses.
[ALERT: HEART RATE ANOMALY DETECTED.]
Her heart rate was... slow. Too slow. 30 beats per minute.
Like an elite athlete... or a soldier in deep stealth.
Mr. Sato pointed to the empty desk next to Kazuki.
"You can sit next to Tanaka. He's... quiet."
Rina walked down the aisle. Her steps were silent.
She sat down next to him.
She didn't say "Hi." She didn't smile.
She leaned over and whispered, barely moving her lips.
"You have terrible posture for a weapon."
Kazuki froze. He looked at her slowly.
"Excuse me?"
"Your left shoulder is stiff," Rina whispered, staring at the blackboard. "Old injury? Plasma burn, probably."
Kazuki's heart hammered against his ribs. The shoulder injury was from the fight with Kaelen six months ago. Nobody knew about that except Aeva.
"Who are you?" Kazuki whispered back, his hand drifting toward the hidden baton in his bag.
Rina turned her head. Her grey eyes were icy.
"I'm the person who is going to grade you."
The Rooftop — Lunch Break
Kazuki skipped lunch. He went straight to the roof.
"Aeva," he spoke into his comms. "Run a background check. Name: Rina. Transfer student from Sector 1."
"On it," Aeva replied. "By the way, I analyzed the 'Porcelain Mask' symbol from last night."
"And?"
"It's not Helix," Aeva said. "It's older. It's a crest from an ancient assassin clan called the Void Walkers. They were supposed to be wiped out in the 2020s. They specialize in hunting 'Metas'—people with powers."
The door to the roof opened.
Rina stepped out. She was holding a carton of strawberry milk.
She walked right up to Kazuki.
"You're talking to your Handler," Rina stated. It wasn't a question.
Kazuki cut the line. He took off his glasses.
"You have five seconds to tell me who you are, or I throw you off this roof."
Rina sipped her milk. "My name is Rina. I am a Void Walker."
Kazuki tensed. "The assassin from the bridge."
"No," Rina shook her head. "That was my brother, Kenji. He's the dramatic one. He likes masks and cryptic messages."
She crushed the milk carton in her hand.
"I prefer efficiency."
"Are you here to kill me?"
"I'm here to see if you're worth killing," Rina said calmly. "The Helix is returning, Tanaka. My clan has hunted them for centuries. We know about the suit. We know about Renji."
She took a step closer. She was fast. Almost as fast as him.
"My clan believes the Velocity Suit is a curse. A magnet that draws monsters to our world. My orders are to destroy it... and the pilot."
She looked him up and down.
"But my brother thinks you might be useful. So we made a bet."
"A bet?"
"Survive until midnight," Rina said, her eyes flashing dangerous. "Kenji is coming for you tonight. If you survive him... the Void Walkers will help you fight the Helix. If you die... well, then you were too weak to save the world anyway."
The school bell rang.
Rrrriiinnnggg.
Rina turned around and walked back to the door.
"Better do your homework, Tanaka. Kenji doesn't leave scraps."
[To Be Continued…]
Options for Chapter 25:
The Ambush: Night falls. Kenji (The Porcelain Mask) attacks Kazuki at the garage. It's a battle of Speed vs. Stealth/Illusion.
The Team Up: Kazuki decides to attack first. He tracks Kenji down, but Rina intervenes, turning it into a 2v1 training exercise.
The Upgrade: Aeva finishes a weapon for the Mark II suit just in time for the fight—a Sonic Disruptor.