22. The Eve Of Chaos
The late Saturday morning sun bathed Nagazora's city park in a soft golden hue, its light filtering gently through the canopy of trees.
Birds chirped cheerfully, the rustle of leaves adding a soft rhythm to the laughter of children playing tag on the grassy fields. Couples strolled hand in hand, and street vendors called out their wares, adding to the tranquil symphony of the park.
Kenji walked the winding cobblestone path, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his jacket. He moved with a casual air, his gaze drifting across the park, but his mind was anything but calm. Something gnawed at him, a constant itch he couldn't scratch.
The feeling of being watched.
It wasn't the first time he'd felt it. For the past few days, the sensation had grown sharper, more insistent. It was like a shadow that clung to his every step, invisible but undeniably there.
He paused near a small pond, its surface rippling as a light breeze danced across the water. Ducks floated lazily, their tranquility a stark contrast to the storm of thoughts brewing in his head. Kenji let out a slow breath, staring into the reflection of the sky in the water.
"Relax," he muttered to himself, his voice barely above a whisper. "Danger Sense isn't going off. If someone's watching, they're not here to hurt me… yet."
The thought didn't exactly comfort him. He scanned the park again, his sharp eyes flicking from face to face. Parents on benches, joggers passing by, vendors handing out snacks—all normal. Perfectly normal.
And yet, the itch at the back of his mind remained. He turned his head slightly, his eyes narrowing as he glanced toward the treetops. Nothing. Just the wind rustling the leaves.
"Himeko," he muttered under his breath. "It's gotta be her, right?"
It was a plausible answer. She had come to Nagazora to find him. A Valkyrie as skilled as her would know how to stay hidden, how to observe without being seen. But if it was Himeko, why hadn't she approached him yet? Why this game of cat and mouse?
His gaze lingered on the horizon, where the city's skyline framed the park in the distance. The sun hung low, casting long shadows. The uneasy feeling gnawed at him, refusing to be ignored.
"Just show yourself already," he grumbled, his voice low and frustrated. "If you're watching me, at least make it less creepy."
A couple walked by, laughing at a shared joke, their happiness cutting through his mood. Kenji forced a smile to blend in, though his hands remained buried in his jacket pockets, his fingers twitching with restless energy.
After a few more minutes, he moved to a bench beneath an old oak tree. The dappled sunlight danced across his face as he leaned back, trying to relax. But even in the quiet of the park, the sensation didn't fade.
Someone—or something—was out there.
...
Far above the park, cloaked by advanced technology and the overcast sky, an Anti-Entropy drone hovered in near silence. Its matte black exterior blended seamlessly with the clouds, rendering it invisible to the naked eye.
Advanced sensors tracked Kenji's every move, relaying a constant stream of data back to AE's monitoring base.
Inside a discreet van parked a few blocks away, a group of agents sat before an array of monitors, their faces illuminated by the blue glow of the screens.
"Subject is stationary," one agent said, tapping at their keyboard to adjust the drone's focus. The live feed zoomed in on Kenji sitting on the park bench, his expression calm but his posture tense.
"He's suspicious," another agent noted, their tone flat but focused. "Look at how he keeps scanning the area. He knows he's being watched."
The lead agent, a grizzled man with a headset and a permanent scowl, leaned closer to the main monitor. "Doesn't matter. As long as he doesn't spot the drone or our operatives on the ground, he's just guessing."
The camera feed switched momentarily to show a wide-angle view of the park. Several plainclothes AE agents mingled with the crowd, their earpieces nearly invisible.
One sat on a nearby bench pretending to read a newspaper. Another was buying a coffee from the vendor's cart. Yet another leaned casually against a tree, scrolling through their phone.
"Team Three, report," the lead agent said, his voice low and authoritative.
"We're in position," a voice crackled through his headset. "No unusual behavior from the target, but his body language suggests he's aware of something."
"Keep your distance," the lead agent instructed. "He's paranoid. We don't want to alert him."
The agent at the monitor spoke again, her voice tinged with curiosity. "The energy spikes are faint, but they're still there. Even at rest, he's radiating anomaly energy."
One of the undercover agents' voices chimed in over the comms. "Sir, should we initiate contact if we see an opening?"
"Negative," the lead agent snapped. "We wait. The Director's orders are clear: no interference until the artificial eruption is complete."
The team fell silent, their focus returning to the monitors. Onscreen, Kenji stood up from the bench, stretching casually before continuing his walk through the park.
The drone adjusted its position, maintaining its lock on him as he disappeared down a shaded path.
In the van, the lead agent crossed his arms, his expression grim. "He's smart. A lot smarter than he looks. But we've got him in our sights now."
The hum of the drone's engines was inaudible over the park's natural sounds, its shadow invisible to the untrained eye.
But Kenji's instincts, honed by battles and sleepless nights, were sharper than most.
And while he couldn't see them, he knew better than to trust the peace around him.
---
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Even with the creeping unease clawing at the back of his mind, Kenji wasn't about to let it stop him. The Night Runner didn't take breaks. Especially not now, with the strange sense of being watched growing stronger every night.
Tonight, though, he had decided to push himself further. If whoever was watching him wanted to see what he was capable of, then he will gladly show them.
"Alright," Kenji muttered, rolling his shoulders and bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet.
The cool night air kissed his face, sharp against the faint sheen of sweat already forming on his brow. "Time to step it up."
He took a deep breath, steadying his racing heart as he summoned the familiar feeling of One For All. The energy coursed through him, a tide of controlled chaos surging in his veins.
His muscles tensed, his body trembling slightly as he pushed past his usual limit, forcing himself to maintain 35% of the quirk's output.
The strain was immediate. It wasn't unbearable, but it was far from comfortable. His muscles felt weak, as if they might snap under the pressure.
His breath came in measured bursts, every inhale a reminder to keep his focus sharp.
"Hold it," Kenji whispered to himself, his jaw tightening. His fists clenched, his knuckles white. "Just hold it. No slipping. You've got this."
And then he moved.
A loud boom echoed throughout Nagazora.
To anyone watching, it would have looked as though he'd simply disappeared, the rooftop where he had been standing now vacant. In reality, Kenji had launched himself forward with a force that cracked the rooftop tiles beneath him.
The city blurred around him as he soared through the air, landing gracefully on another rooftop several blocks away before launching himself again.
The wind roared in his ears, his hood flapping wildly as he vaulted over alleys and skimmed the tops of streetlights. His movements were precise yet frenetic, like a storm barely contained.
He wove between chimneys and antennae, his boots barely making contact with the rooftops before he propelled himself forward again.
...
Inside the dimly lit van parked near the industrial district, a tense energy filled the air as Anti-Entropy agents huddled over their consoles.
Monitors flickered with live drone footage, data streams, and graphs that surged erratically with every passing second. Kenji's blurred figure darted across rooftops, a streak of shadow and light moving at impossible speeds.
"He's so fast?!" one agent shouted, their voice cutting through the hum of machinery. Their fingers danced across the keyboard, trying to stabilize the feed.
The drone's advanced cameras struggled to keep up, the live footage jittery as it attempted to lock onto its elusive target. Unprepared for the severe speed increase.
"Current speed estimate: 10 thousand kilometers per hour… and climbing!" another agent called out, her voice tinged with disbelief.
"10 Thousand?!" a younger technician exclaimed, his wide eyes darting between the monitors. "Since when was he able to reach this speed!"
"Focus!" barked the lead agent, his sharp tone silencing the room.
His piercing gaze remained fixed on the screen, where Kenji's blurred silhouette leapt effortlessly from one building to the next, closing vast distances in seconds. "Keep tracking him. I don't care how fast he goes—don't lose him."
The drone operator grimaced, beads of sweat forming on his forehead as he adjusted the controls. The drone's feed zoomed in, but the footage remained frustratingly blurry. "I'm trying, sir, but at this speed... we didn't prepare our higher grade cameras for this."
Meanwhile, another agent turned their attention to a graph displaying fluctuating anomaly energy readings. The spikes were climbing erratically, each one sharper and higher than the last. "Sir," she said, her voice tense, "The anomaly energy readings have almost doubled in the last 30 seconds."
The lead agent's brows furrowed, and he leaned over her shoulder to examine the data. "Doubled?
The technician at the adjacent console chimed in, his voice low and filled with awe. "He's not just running fast. Look at the trajectory." He pulled up another feed that mapped Kenji's movements across the city. "These patterns—they're deliberate. He's testing himself, this isn't a routine patrol."
The lead agent rubbed his chin, his eyes narrowing. "So, he's experimenting with his capabilities. Why.?"
A younger operative glanced up from his station, hesitating before speaking. "Do you think he knows we're watching?"
The question hung in the air, heavy with implication. All eyes turned to the lead agent, who straightened and crossed his arms, his expression unreadable.
After a long pause, he finally answered. "Probably. He's sharp, and he's been feeling someone watching him for days. But whether he knows it's us doesn't matter."
The operative who had asked the question frowned. "Doesn't matter? What if he realizes—?"
"As long as he doesn't know about the artificial eruption," the lead agent interrupted, his tone cold and firm, "Everything will be fine."
...
Onboard Himeko's ship, the atmosphere crackled with tension as Himeko and her crew focused intently on the live feed.
Kenji's movements painted streaks of motion across the screen, a blur of speed that defied conventional expectations. Every leap and sprint was accompanied by data spikes flashing on adjacent monitors.
"He's definitely faster than yesterday," one technician muttered, his voice laced with disbelief. He tapped a few keys, refining the feed's frame rate in an attempt to capture a clearer view. "Current calculations put his speed at just over 10 thousand kilometers per hour."
Himeko's brow arched, her crimson eyes narrowing as she studied the screen. "Over 10 thousand? Didn't expect him to be capable of Hypersonic speeds. From the looks of it, he's not just running; he's thinking with every step."
Her voice carried a mix of respect and intrigue, her arms crossing as she leaned back slightly. Watching him dart across the city like a living lightning bolt, she couldn't help but admire the sheer control in his movements.
Seeing him using the same control and finesse that a trained Valkyrie would have, made her respect him just a tad bit more.
"Captain," another officer called from the energy analysis console, his tone tinged with urgency. "Anomaly energy readings are spiking in real time, higher than we've recorded before. it's synchronizing with his movements."
Himeko turned her attention to the monitor displaying the energy data. The spikes rose and fell in perfect rhythm with Kenji's accelerations and decelerations. She tilted her head, her lips curving into a smirk.
"So, it's not just a passive enhancement. He's actively decreasing and increasing the output depending on whether he's landing or jumping. Not bad."
Her words hung in the air as the crew absorbed the implications. One technician hesitated before voicing the thought on everyone's mind.
"Captain… if he's moving this fast, sustaining this level of activity… shouldn't we assume he's using some kind of advanced gear? Maybe a artificial stigmata or—"
"Look closer," Himeko interrupted, her tone sharp but not unkind. She pointed at the screen, where Kenji's figure darted down an alley, vaulted over a fence, and landed with eerie precision on a rooftop.
"No mechanical assistance. No visible tech enhancements. That's all him. And judging by his stride and how he conserves energy mid-jump… This is all hid natural ability."
Another technician nodded, awestruck. "Still… maintaining that kind of speed and precision for long periods without equipment or stigmata—it's beyond human. His stamina must be—"
"Superhuman," Himeko finished, her voice laced with admiration. But her smirk widened slightly as she tilted her head, a glint of challenge in her eyes.
"But even superhumans have their limits. Keep watching. He'll burn out eventually."
Suddenly, the live feed shifted as Kenji came to a stop atop a taller building overlooking the city.
The camera zoomed in automatically, and for the first time that night, his figure stood still. Himeko's sharp gaze narrowed further as she leaned closer to the screen.
"He knows," she muttered softly, her voice carrying enough weight to silence the entire deck.
The crew exchanged uneasy glances. "Knows what, Captain?" one officer asked hesitantly.
Himeko's lips quirked upward into a sly grin. "That we're watching him."
The drone's camera feed showed Kenji standing still for a moment, his hooded figure silhouetted against the city lights.
Then, in one fluid motion, he crouched, his head turning slightly—just enough that the faint glow of the drone's camera reflected off his mask.
"He looking straight at us! We don't have the same cloaking technology as Anti Entropy. He's caught sight of our drone!" a technician called out, his voice trembling with disbelief.
Without warning, Kenji shot forward like a missile, his acceleration so sudden that even the drone's enhanced tracking took a few seconds to keep up.
He disappeared from view for a split second before reappearing a block away, his motion too fast and unpredictable for the camera to follow smoothly.
A trail of faint red sparks lingered in the wake of his leaps, making him look like an incarnation of lightning.
The room buzzed with murmurs of awe and confusion. One officer's voice rose above the din, tinged with awe. "Is he… is he challenging us?"
Himeko leaned back, her arms crossing once more, but this time her posture radiated satisfaction. "Not challenging. He's showing us his hand. Saying, 'If you're coming for me, this is what you'll have to face.'"
Another technician turned to her, their face pale. "Captain, should we pull back the drones? If he's aware of them—"
"No," Himeko said firmly, cutting through the suggestion. "Let him know we're here. He's not running away. He's daring us to come closer. And you know what?" She allowed a chuckle to escape, her smirk widening.
"I might've underestimated him. This… just got a lot more interesting."
The crew exchanged uneasy glances, but Himeko's eyes remained locked on the screen, watching as Kenji vanished into the city's labyrinth of rooftops.
"Keep the drones on him," she ordered, her voice firm yet tinged with excitement. "No interruptions. Let him run. Let's see how far he's willing to take this."
As the room fell into a focused silence, Himeko allowed herself a quiet moment of reflection. Whoever The Night Runner, he wasn't just another rogue element. He was something far more compelling. Far more dangerous.
And far more worth the effort.
---
After about three hour's of patrolling, Kenji was finally reached his limit. He stopped a couple of robberies so fast that the robber didn't even know he was knocked out. Spooked a couple people too.
"Damn it," he hissed, shaking out his legs as he slowed to a stop on the next rooftop. His chest heaved, his breaths coming in sharp, ragged bursts. His muscles screamed in protest, and his head throbbed faintly from the effort.
"Alright, not bad," he muttered, glancing down at his hands. The faint tremor in his fingers told him he was nearing his limit. "But I can't keep this up all night."
Even as he said it, the feeling of being watched lingered, more intense than it had been earlier.
He glanced around, his sharp eyes going back to that small reflection of light he saw in the sky.
"Whoever you are," he murmured under his breath, his voice tinged with frustration, "I hope you're enjoying the show."
Despite his best efforts, 35% was becoming unsustainable. With a reluctant sigh, he dialed it back to 20%, the familiar strain of his usual output settling over him like an old coat. The relief was immediate, though it came with a twinge of frustration.
"Still not there yet" he muttered, clenching his fists.
For now, he couldn't afford to burn out. Not when the city needed him. Not when whoever was watching him was still out there.
With a final deep breath, Kenji took off again, his pace slightly slower but no less determined. His focus was sharper now, his movements calculated as he scanned the streets below. Whatever was coming, he'd be ready for it.
---
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The research facility buzzed with quiet anticipation as rows of scientists and technicians worked diligently at their consoles. The glow of monitors reflected in their faces, casting eerie shadows in the dimly lit room.
At the center of it all stood Cocolia, her imposing figure silhouetted against a massive screen displaying the artificial eruption's progress:
[Artificial Eruption Completion: 95%]
She took a step forward, her sharp heels clicking against the metallic floor. The room fell silent as every researcher turned to face her, their attention rapt. Cocolia's piercing gaze swept across the room, her voice cutting through the stillness like a blade.
"Tomorrow," she began, her tone even but charged with conviction, "we will achieve what we could not before. We will take the next step in humanity's fight against the Honkai, and this time, we will not fail."
Her words hung in the air, heavy with promise and determination. She gestured toward the screen, where graphs and simulations displayed the impending eruption's energy output.
"Our last attempt to awaken the power of a Herrscher failed," she continued, her expression hardening. "But failure is merely a lesson, one we have learned well. The Herrscher of Thunder may have eluded us, but this anomaly energy—this untapped force—will be ours!"
She paused, letting her words sink in before continuing. "The Night Runner, the so-called anomaly, is the key to understanding and controlling this power. His very existence proves that humanity can adapt, can evolve. Tomorrow, we will not only initiate the artificial eruption but also secure the anomaly energy for ourselves. For humanity."
A murmur of agreement rippled through the room, but Cocolia silenced it with a raised hand. Her voice dropped, carrying an edge of warning.
"Make no mistake—this operation must be flawless. There is no room for error. Anti-Entropy does not fail twice."
She turned her gaze to her lead researchers, her blue eyes sharp. "Is everything in place? Are the containment measures ready?"
One of the senior scientists nodded, his voice steady despite the weight of her gaze. "Yes, Director. All systems are primed, and the energy dispersion matrix is stable. The eruption will be fully under our control."
"Good," Cocolia said, her lips curling into a faint, satisfied smile. "Tomorrow, we take control of our destiny. Dismissed."
A loud applause thundered through the base and as the researchers returned to their work, the atmosphere buzzed with a renewed sense of purpose. Cocolia lingered for a moment, her gaze fixed on the glowing progress bar.
"Tomorrow," she murmured to herself, her voice filled with quiet determination. "Tomorrow, the anomaly will be ours."
---
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On the Hyperion, the atmosphere was quieter, the hum of the ship's systems filling the observation deck. Himeko leaned against the console, her eyes fixed on the sprawling cityscape of Nagazora displayed on the monitors.
Behind her, one of the ship's senior researchers approached, a tablet in hand. The man cleared his throat softly, drawing Himeko's attention. "Captain Murata, we've finished analyzing the patterns of the anomaly's movements."
Himeko turned, her sharp crimson eyes locking onto him. "And?"
The researcher tapped on his tablet, bringing up a detailed map of Nagazora. Red and blue lines crisscrossed the city, marking the areas where the Night Runner had been tracked. At the center of the map, one location was highlighted with a pulsing yellow marker.
"This point," the researcher explained, "is the only consistent location in all our data. Based on his nightly patrols, he always returns to this spot. We believe it's his home or base of operations. We have narrowed it down to one apartment building. To this room which belongs to a man named Kenji Aoyama."
Himeko studied the map, her brow furrowing slightly. "So that's where he disappears to," she murmured, almost to herself. She straightened, nodding to the researcher. "Good work. That gives us a place to start."
The researcher hesitated, then asked cautiously, "Will you confront him tonight, Captain?"
Himeko shook her head, her fiery hair swaying with the motion. "No," she said firmly. "Not tonight. He's been pushing himself hard these past few nights, he's likely exhausted. If I confront him now, he'll be more defensive, more likely to lash out."
She crossed her arms, her gaze drifting back to the map. "But I also can't wait too long. If Anti-Entropy is monitoring him as closely as we are, they won't sit idle for long. Tomorrow," she decided. "Tomorrow, I'll make my move."
The researcher nodded, understanding her reasoning. "I'll keep monitoring the area and update you on any changes."
Himeko gave a small nod of approval. "Do that. And make sure the team's ready. I want this handled cleanly—no unnecessary aggression. If he's half as clever as he seems, he'll listen and not escalate."
"Understood, Captain," the researcher said before retreating back to his station.
As the observation deck quieted once more, Himeko let out a slow breath, her gaze fixed on the glowing marker on the map.
Her instincts told her this encounter would be pivotal, not just for Schicksal but for the young man she was about to meet.
"Rest up while you can, Night Runner," she murmured under her breath, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "Because tomorrow, we're going to have a little chat."