Location: D.S.O. Branch 15, Sector 9D, Osaka

  A soft chime echoed from the ceiling above, fading down the long corridor as the branch’s announcement system stirred to life, a woman’s voice following a moment later.

  “Attention all agents. Please remember to return all issued weaponry back to the armoury before clocking out for the evening.”

  “Jeez, that thing is loud,” an agent muttered as he struck the side of his ear with his palm. “It’s like her voice keeps bouncing around in my head.”

  The agent walking beside him shifted his eyes toward the struggling man without turning his head.

  “It’s not even that loud, Zero-Twelve.”

  Zero-Twelve turned toward his partner, his eyes widening as he stared at him in disbelief.

  “Not that loud? Brother, I would happily give you these ears for a day.”

  The two stood there for a while, arguing over why Zero-Twelve had not bought the earmuffs from the market they had passed earlier.

  “Well, y’know, there’s no need for them. Who wears earmuffs in autumn anyway, huh?”

  His partner shifted back slightly, confused at the remark. “Eh? That’s normal. Besides, if you’re going to whine five days a week it only ma…” He paused.

  The sudden echo of familiar footsteps pulled the two back into formation, their feet drawn together as their right arms crossed over their chests. Both agents fixed their gaze straight ahead, stiffening their posture into the rigid stance of protocol.

  “Captain Fujin Emiko, ma’am.”

  Before them stood a tall brunette, her dark hair rested neatly against her pristine black cloak, its edges were lined in gold.

  “Zero-Twelve, Zero-Five, you are to keep the corridors moving at all times.”

  The pair responded immediately. “Yes, ma’am!”

  Captain Fujin stepped past them without another word, her gold-lined cloak swayed lightly behind her as she continued down the corridor. The sound of her footsteps eventually faded into the distance, leaving the hallway quiet once more as the two frozen agents slowly regained their breath. Zero-Twelve was the first to move as he lowered his arm from his chest and exhaled slowly. Zero-Five glanced down the corridor after her, then leaned slightly toward his partner.

  “Twelve, is it just me or is she a bit different today?” Zero-Twelve continued his stride forward. “Huh, haven't you heard?”

  Zero-five shook his head in confusion.

  “Well, apparently Lord Hirato is here.”

  Zero-Five slowed slightly. “Lord Hirato? The Takashi Hirato?”

  Zero-Twelve gave a short nod. “Hmph.”

  Five let out a silent breath as they continued down the white corridor. “Why would a Holy Pillar want to train here of all places?”

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  Twelve shrugged his shoulders. “Don’t know. Apparently he had some kid with him.”

  Five frowned. “A kid? Lord Hirato doesn’t have any family...”

  The two walked in silence for a moment, the sound of their boots echoed softly along the corridor.

  “Wait,” Five began, turning toward his partner. “Does this mean he’s got an appr…”

  “Careful,” Twelve cut in, his voice dropping slightly. “You know how much trouble we’d get in for gossiping about that.”

  They continued forward without another word, passing a closed door along the corridor as the quiet hallway stretched ahead.

  The sound of heavy metal echoed across the white chamber, its sharp ring vibrating through the smooth walls as a brief glint of silver cut through the open space and vanished again as quickly as it had appeared.

  “Listen, your movements are too slow,” a stern voice spoke from somewhere within the empty room.

  A moment passed before two black boots appeared in the far corner of the room and settled firmly against the floor, each marked with the small, winged emblem of the D.S.O. The rest of the figure followed soon after, and within seconds Akari Hinamata stood with her back against the wall. Her blue hair fell neatly past her shoulders, its bright colour standing out against the sterile white walls of the training chamber.

  She held her blade in a firm grip as she faced the open space ahead of her. Despite her gaze being fixed on the tall door across the room, her focus had long drifted somewhere far beyond it. Something else had occupied the large chamber with her, someone concealed within the open space.

  Where is he?

  Another moment passed before a silver glint manifested at the edge of Akari’s right eye. The blade surged forward in a sharp lunge. She leaned backward and lowered her chin as the strike shot past her face, followed by a gust of air that threw her blue hair aside.

  That was close. Actually no, this is my chance!

  Akari lifted her elbow and struck the passing blade with the side of her arm, forcing the weapon off its original path for a brief moment and opening a narrow window for a counterattack. At the same time, she threw her blade into her left hand. The moment her fingers closed around the grip she twisted her waist toward the blur behind the enemy blade and drove her own forward with full force. Yet as the strike travelled through the air, her thoughts had drifted beyond the blur.

  It’s just like before. It feels… too easy.

  She had trained for two years now, ever since the day she agreed to join the D.S.O. and began her lessons under him. Keeping up with his attacks had always pushed her to her limit, and predicting the movements of a man who seemed to vanish within open space had proven nearly impossible.

  So, she asked herself, why did this strike feel different? Why had the silver flash slowed before her eyes? Why had she known exactly where to strike? Akari’s eyes widened as a sudden weight pressed against her senses, every instinct in her body screaming that the next movement would end in disaster. The warning drowned every other thought in her mind before she could question it, her body had even responded on its own. Her feet locked against the floor and her hands halted mid-strike, the blade suspended in the air as the realization finally settled over her.

  If I move, that will get me.

  Only then had Akari noticed the sharp, cold edge that rested against her neck. A blade had already reached her skin, its silver edge positioned just beneath her jaw from the direction she had faced moments earlier. Her gaze slowly shifted along the length of the weapon, only to find her mentor standing behind it.

  “Impressive, Akari,” Takashi said.

  Akari frowned slightly as she studied the blade that rested against her neck. It was not the same one she had followed only moments earlier.

  W-How does he do it?

  “That first strike you reacted to wasn’t real,” Takashi continued. “It was an advanced application of my Void Sense.”

  He loosened his stance, allowing Akari to finally breathe.

  “Instead of using Void Sense to perceive the world around me, I projected the movement of a blade through the void. Most people wouldn’t be able to dodge something like that without having mastered Void Sense themselves.”

  He lowered the weapon slightly.

  “And yet you still reacted to it. Akari, you perceived an invisible attack and prepared a counterattack.” Takashi studied her confused expression for a moment before continuing. “And yet you’re not a user of Sound, are you?”

  Akari lowered her gaze to the blade in her hand as Takashi let out a quiet laugh and turned away, the sound echoing briefly through the white chamber. “See you later, Akari.” He walked toward the tall door across the room and took his cloak from a nearby hook as the white door slid open. As he stepped through the doorway, he placed a hand against his head and muttered to himself, “An offensive Water Arts… what have I gotten myself into.”