“I’ll come find you again.”

That sentence hung in the air like a thin ribbon; Ling slipped into the dark, leaving Aer alone like a lantern without flame.

The world fell into darkness at once, like a hard cut in a film; in the ink-black, Ling saw only her own hands.

Suddenly, a flash bloomed ahead like a star; Ling drifted toward it, unable to resist, and reached for the glowing point.

Boom!!

Her fingertip met it, and the light burst like a cracked seed; the dark fled, and shape and sound poured back like tidewater.

Ling sat at the bedhead, watching Aer, fingers idly twining her hair like shy vines.

Hey, Aer, what’s the world outside like? Is it silver-white too, like our room glazed in frost?

On the word “outside,” a thin disgust shadowed Aer’s face, like smoke from a sour fire.

The outside—funny to say. It’s more interesting, yet I prefer this small room, a quiet pond without ripples.

One reason is no strife; another…

She glanced at Ling in her arms, and the answer glowed like a steady ember.

Too bad there are no lilies here; who knows when we’ll see lilies again, white as winter moons.

Ling popped her index finger into her mouth, her puzzled gaze flowing to Aer like clear water.

Pain? Is it worse than getting shots?

About like fifty-plus injections with no candy, a hail of needles with no sweetness after.

Ling’s face went a sickly purple, fear dilating her pupils like winter night.

Uh… then… I’m not going out… this place is fine… I love it in here.

Aer acted like she didn’t see the panic, her voice drifting on like a slow river through reeds.

It’s not all that. Outside has beauty too, like lilies, a flower that pulls you into its light like moon tide.

Terror and wonder braided together, and that braid tugged Ling’s curiosity like a kite string in wind.

Really? A world that scary still has something that good?

Aer took Ling’s small hand, her gaze soft and warm as spring sun on snow.

I’ll take you out to see it another day.

Ling’s eyes flashed with joy like fireflies; she dove into Aer’s arms, rubbing her head against Aer’s chest like a kitten.

Mm! I love Aer most! You must go with me to see the lilies!

Mm… I will, for sure.

With Ling nestled against her, Aer felt something fill her hollow spaces like warm rain after drought.

Crack!

The world shattered like glass; spiderweb fractures crawled especially across Aer’s skin like frost lines.

The scene shifted again, like pages blown by wind through a ruined hall.

Flames and ruins ringed them like a burning crown; cries for help tangled with alarms in a harsh chorus.

On a slab of wreckage stood Aer, with Ling asleep in her arms like a dreaming sparrow in a storm.

Test Subject 9527! Stop your pointless resistance. Hand over the Final Designation—it's beyond what you can imagine!

One after another, hulking lizard-like creatures closed in, a scaled tide around Aer, eyes cold as stones.

Aer looked down on them, queenly calm like cold moonlight; a book hovered at her side like a patient hawk.

Fools. If I give her to you, what fate do I have besides death?

Seeing talk fail, a lizard turned to its comrade, its gaze sharp as a blade in rain.

Negotiation failed. Request direct force suppression. These yokai, with a leader, will endanger the world.

The lead lizard hesitated for a breath, eyed Aer holding Ling, sensed her iron resolve, then cruelty flashed—and it swung its arm forward.

Approved! But do not strike the Final Designation!

Orders given, the creatures raised strange weapons, muzzles pointing at Aer like black eyes in a mask.

Aer eyed the cold barrels aimed at her head and smirked with contempt, a flint spark in dusk.

Why do you think that toy works on me?

Answering her came tat-tat-tat, a storm of bullets pouring toward her brow like iron rain.

Yet just before impact, they smashed against a green barrier, like hail on glass, unable to pierce that odd defense.

The lizards snarled at the sight, anger smoking up like pitch in summer heat.

Damn it. How did she learn magic? We cut off external contact and broke her mind, didn’t we?

One lizard fumbled a stack of files, words fluttering like dead leaves, and offered an answer.

Reports say this yokai is a book yokai. Back then, her combat rating was too low for heavy guard, so we stashed her away.

Judging by her current output, she’s a book yokai who can connect across worldlines like threads in a loom.

She must have learned magic from a version of herself in another world, an echo across mirrors.

Idiot! Why couldn’t you read her threat level back then, and only now?

No reply came. The speaker had turned to dust, a pinch of ash drifting back to nature like gray snow.

Has it still not arrived? She’s about to wipe out our research, like fire through parchment!

A bitter roar tore from the lizards, rough as broken metal grinding stone.

Move. I’ll handle this.

A lizard-like being armored in metal stepped forward, a greatsword in its grip, the blade glowing blue like glacial flame.

Aer watched it, wariness rising like frost; this was the enforcer all test subjects feared, a shadow with a leash.

Test Subject 9527, last chance: surrender or die.

Aer only smiled, a thin crescent like a hidden knife; she’d bled her way this far and feared nothing.

She raised both hands; seven-hued mana gathered like rainbows in a storm, birthing countless mana orbs in her palms.

Full-spectrum Arcana!

The orbs roared out, streaking for the greatsword-bearer like a swarm of comets.

Even as the barrage neared, the lizard spoke in a flat voice, emotionless as stone in a river.

Is that your answer?

It drove the blue-lit greatsword into the earth like a lightning rod.

Domain: Yokai Suppression!

Blue sigils spidered over the floor; Aer’s mana orbs unraveled like smoke, and pressure forced her to one knee, sweat beading like rain.

Seeing her pinned, the lizard’s flat tone cut with a sharp taunt, a paper blade across skin.

I thought you had something. Now you’re nothing but suppressed.

Aer didn’t flare. Her reply was as light as drifting ash on a breeze.

Oh? Really?

She slid a slender hand into her own body like reaching into a river; she grasped something and pulled—a green stone gleamed in her palm like a forest heart.

Huh?! Hey! What are you doing!