Chapter I

>PLANET NYKARA…

> ISLAND NYADA

> ALLIANCE SECTOR

> CITY Halsion

A wyvern glided past the gravity-defying island, below it the small city of Halsion on the edge of an Alliance sector.

Surrounded by two rings of walls, the city hugged the coast. The centre of the city was characterised by an encircling highway, which allowed for rapid advancement, with many gateways leading off. Also off the highway, a circular bridge connected the small neighbouring island of Nyada, the piers of which could even be seen from the sky. When viewed from above, the bridge and motorway were in the shape of the number eight.

The inner ring of walls was heavily cultivated, but the cityscape was characterised by comparatively smaller buildings. Only in the city centre were there a few skyscrapers. One building on the edge of the ring stood out, a complex several blocks high.

The complex itself was surrounded by a small wall separating it from the rest of the city, it was the military base of the city. As it was on the outskirts of the city, it had a small garrison of several thousand soldiers and a few ships to protect the city in case of failure until reinforcements arrived from one of the main bases.

Unlike the first ring, the second ring was built inconspicuously along the roads leading from the first. The rest was interspersed with fields and the like, allowing the city a limited degree of self-sufficiency.

The island of Nyada, which rose from the sea to the west of the city, was sparsely built with a few tall buildings. It had no walls of its own; the sea seemed to provide enough protection from whatever the walls on the mainland were protecting the city from.

Outside the second ring of the wall there were only a few buildings, presumably warehouses and other structures that did not require special protection.

It was early in the morning and the city was beginning to wake up.

⬢

> Bar THIRTEEN

> SEVEN O'CLOCK ELEVEN MINUTES

The gleaming bar reflected the morning light filtering through the windows of the busy restaurant. Bar Thirteen was a popular restaurant and many professionals and students used the restaurant and its location for breakfast. The restaurant was located on Nyada Island, close to the industrial park and the academy. Like every morning, there were many customers, and like every morning, there were many female students among them.

A small, trapezoidal serving robot moved around the restaurant, helping to keep the place clean with cleaning nozzles built into its musculoskeletal system. There were compartments on the sides for delivering orders to the tables. Orders could also be taken. People could either talk to him and select from the menu on his holographic screen that appeared above him, or they could order directly via their Personal Data Interfaces, PDIs.

The robot did all this with a smile on its face. The screens on the front and back were decorated with a cute smiley face in a retro pixel style.

But the little serving robot, which everyone called Sound because of the sounds it made, couldn't serve the crowd alone. That's where Ben came in. He was the owner of Bar Thirteen. Despite his age and the white hair, he had a well-trained body, one could only guess at the muscle mass under the shirt that was under the apron. Armed with a special PDI on his belt and an apron worn over one shoulder with a large 13 embroidered on it, he and Sound served the customers.

People enjoyed the food from the kitchen and talked to each other and to Ben, who was a well known face in the town, as Sound drove around the restaurant. The students, on the other hand, whispered and looked expectantly towards the counter.

Zane sat at the counter, as he did almost every morning before school, but today he seemed somehow distracted, staring into the deep black.

His blonde hair hung in his face as the girls' whispering suddenly grew louder and the sound of porcelain brought him back to the present. Still, his mind was unable to identify the source of the noise and he looked up in confusion. After a few seconds, his eyes fell on the source of the sound that had torn him from his thoughts.

A large plate lay on the counter in front of him, the smell of freshly roasted bacon and scrambled eggs wafting up to his nose, while a set of cutlery wrapped in a napkin lay next to the plate. Zane looked up again to see Zero placing a basket of fresh rolls next to the plate as he passed. "There you go." He smiled.

Zero, Ben's foster son, was the restaurant's cook and Zane's best friend. Like Ben, Zero wore an apron, but his was a regular version, just tied around his waist.

"I didn't order anything," Zane protested a little confused.

"Enjoy it. You'll need your strength for the test later. Today's on me," Zero waved Zane aside with a smile as he went back into the kitchen.

"But..."

"It's all right Zane," Ben laughed as he received a message from Tyler who was sitting next to Zane.

"Just take it, you still need to grow big and strong!" Tyler added with a mocking laugh.

"In that case, thank you," Zane thanked Ben and Zero, who might still be able to hear him in the kitchen, ignoring Tyler's gestures. If it had been a normal morning, he and Tyler would probably have had a fight. It was always like that, like cats and dogs. Usually it was Tyler who would make some kind of comment that would annoy Zane, who would then hurl a few words at Tyler. Most of the time it was just them trying to annoy each other.

Tyler was two years older than Zane and Zero and had already graduated from the Academy. He served in the island's defense forces and was an ATBS pilot. It was said that he was the best ATBS pilot in the city, but personally he didn't care about the rumors.

Then the ringing of the opening door caught their attention.

"Good morning, Carol. "Morning," Ben and Tyler greeted the new guest, while Zane, fork in mouth, just waved at her as the sweet taste of bacon spread through his mouth.

"Good morning, boys," Carol replied as cheerfully as ever to the greetings of the three. The two pearls on her headband shimmered in the sunlight. Her curly, waist-length, orange hair was tied up in a side braid that exposed part of her forehead. In contrast, she wore a fringe that covered only two-thirds of her forehead.

With the bag slung over her shoulder, she approached the counter as Zero leaned out of the kitchen and peeked around the corner: "Morning Carol, your breakfast is almost ready".

"Morning Zero!" she waved happily.

Zane finally finished eating and greeted Carol, "Morning Carol".

"Morning Zane," she greeted him. "Thanks, but you really don't have to, Zane. I can get something on the way."

"That's out of the question! You would only buy sweets and who knows what else," Zero reproached her.

"I can imagine," Ben laughed heartily.

"Hey! That's not true!" pouted Carol, who sat down on the barstool next to Zane.

"It's almost ready. Just give me a minute," Zero said as he placed a glass of hot chocolate he had already prepared in front of her. There was a brief glimmer in Carol's eyes. A smile seemed to appear on her face, but then it gave way to a pout, as if she remembered that she was angry.

As if to emphasize her indignation, she demonstratively puffed out her already puffy cheeks.

Her pouting didn't last long, however, when Zero held out his hand to her.

Like letting the air out of a balloon, Carol's cheeks shrank back to their original size and turned a soft shade of red. Her pout had given way to a smile.

Careful not to ruin her hairstyle, Zero's hand gently stroked Carol's head to caress her as Carol leaned forward slightly.

The sweet smell of hot chocolate filled the room as Zero walked back into the kitchen. On the chair where Carol had recently been pouted at, sat a completely satisfied Carol, her smile lighting up the room.

"You just wanted to be stroked, didn't you?" laughed Zane, her smile peaking.

"You have to go back to the hospital today, don't you, Carol?" asked Ben as she took a sip of her hot chocolate.

"Delicious," Carol smiled contentedly.

"You still have to go to the hospital for that dizziness?" Zane asked in amazement.

"Yes, they said they want to examine me more often from now on," she confirmed, turning back and forth on the rotating barstool.

"With today's possibilities?" Zane dug deeper in disbelief, questioning the medical knowledge of the doctors. "It's probably something chronic," Zero added, returning from the kitchen. "I asked before, but they didn't really know what it was either".

"Hopefully it's nothing serious," Zane expressed his concern.

"Okay, I need to run a few more errands. See you guys later," Tyler said goodbye on his way to the door.

"Bye Tyler". "Bye!" said Ben and Carol, who were now turning like a hurricane on the barstool.

"See you later Tyler. Thanks for coming," Zero added.

"I expect you won't screw it up, Zane," Tyler laughed as he waved at the group with the back of his hand.

"Yeah, um... thank you?" said Zane, confused. "Was that good luck or ... what was that?" Zane asked his friends as he chewed his breakfast.

"Probably," Zero laughed. "When do you have your appointment, Carol?" he turned to Carol, who was stumbling on the stool. After the carousel ride on the stool, both her eyes and the single strand of hair sticking out of her braid turned.

"At eight, but I don't want to go! I'll just sleep there anyway," she pouted, resting her arms on the counter and puffing up her cheeks again. "I'd much rather watch the exam with you."

Again Zero stroked Carol's head as she smiled at him. "Just stay healthy, ok?" he smiled back.

"OK, it should be ready," Zero turned to the kitchen.

"So how's school, Carol?" asked Ben, who had gone behind the bar and was polishing a glass with a cloth.

"Yes, very well, but it's boring since Aki isn't there anymore ..." she rocked back and forth in the chair.

"Right, she graduated from the Academy last year. What is she doing now?"

Zero came back from the kitchen with a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon and served it to Carol. "Yay! Bacon and scrambled eggs!" she said happily, grabbing it in front of everyone, who just smiled at each other.

⬢

"See you later, Zero. Bye Zane," Carol said as she walked towards the train station in the east of the island, her bag slung over her shoulder. In the distance, she could see the city and the bridge that connected the island.

"See you! I'll pick you up later".

"Yep! See you! And good luck, Zane!" waved Carol to both of them.

"Thanks! I'll do my best!" he called after her with a raised thumb.

"Aren't you a bit early, Zero?" Zane asked when Carol had disappeared from their sight. "You don't have to go to the Academy so early."

"Yeah right, because of the exam most of the classes are cancelled, so I'll use the time until then for some, uh ... errands."

"Aha ..." Zane knew what Zero meant, it was something that some in the city who knew about it despised him for. Ben and the city government also knew about Zero's 'errands', after all he passed through the monitored checkpoints. But since there had been no problems so far, he was allowed to go.

Zane wasn't exactly thrilled either, but he respected Zero and decided not to discuss the matter any further.

"Ok, see you later Zero! And thanks again for the breakfast," he said goodbye and turned towards the academy, which was located in the northwest of the island.

"Good luck! Asagi and I will cheer for you!"

"Thanks! Don't be late!" he called to him while Zane started to run.

"That's your job. I'm never late. "Zero laughed and waved after Zane.

Zane ran towards the Academy with a mixture of joy and nervousness. Today was the day of the final exam. Today was the day he would get closer to his dream.

Soon he would be like the heroes who ended the war 22 years ago.

Soon he would be able to protect everyone.

A smile crept across Zane's face at the thought.

It was a childish dream, yes, Zane knew that, but he didn't care. No matter how much he was teased and ridiculed for his dream, nothing stopped him. On the contrary, it only motivated him more and today was the day he could show everyone that his efforts had not been in vain.

Zane ran through the streets full of energy, it was early in the morning, so there were many others on the streets next to him. Mothers taking their children to school, clerks on their way to the office, and merchants delivering their parcels. Ghosts, little ghostly creatures, flew through the streets as Zane passed shop windows and advertising holograms.

But one group made it clear that the world was far from peaceful. Soldiers patrolled the city.

You would think that policemen would be keeping the streets safe, but not on Nykara, and especially not in a peripheral city like Halsion, which was the last major city before the Red Zone.

Redzones were one of three general classifications for areas on Nykara.

Bluezones described safe areas, they were usually highly technological and had the necessary infrastructure. Due to the high level of security and comfort they offered, most people on Nykara lived in such areas.

These were followed by Yellowzones, which were mostly sparsely populated and marked by fighting. While most of the walls in the Bluezones were left over from the Second Outbreak, the walls in the Yellowzones were mostly the result of those battles. Another effect of the fighting was that outside of cities such as Halsion, only the most basic infrastructure was available, and the buildings tended to have more practical backgrounds. They were mostly cheap and kept rather low, in contrast to the kilometer-high skyscrapers you would find in some Bluezones.

Finally, there were the Redzones, which made up the vast majority of the zones on Nykara. These were areas of unexplored wilderness where monsters still roamed, and where the occasional remnant of a city from the Second Outbreak could be found. Many adventurers and explorers were drawn to the Red Zones in search of adventure and knowledge. The Redzones were also of interest to governments for reasons of expansion.

Halsion was located in a Yellow Zone and therefore had only a small police presence, but a relatively large military presence. In the cities deeper in the Bluezones, the police took care of law and order within the city, while the military took care of external defense. In general, however, the police on Nykara played a rather subordinate role compared to all the regular military and private military contractors (PMCs) present.

The reason for the military taking over most of the security in the Yellow Zones was the increased risk of attack from local flora and fauna, as well as from other parties. But the situation in the Bluezones was also tense; the factional fighting had never really stopped, and Nykara was their new battleground. Even if they were only minor skirmishes compared to the Colonial War or the Second Outbreak.

Even before the Second Outbreak, the factions had been fighting for control of the planet, its resources and its secrets.

The fear of a third outbreak was omnipresent.

Zane walked past one of the holographic bulletin boards that took up an entire wall of a house. It reported on the latest military developments in New Horizon.

New Horizon was the largest city and the first colony founded on Nykara. Most of the other cities were separated by the Red Zones, so most of the battles were fought in the Yellow Zones on the edge of the area. Unlike New Horizon. It was one of the few cities where the factions clashed directly, and the battles for control never seemed to end.

Reading the report, Zane realized once again that he too would soon be fighting in the battles that raged everywhere. His goal to join the military mages would lead him to the front sooner or later. But Zane didn't want to fight for the sake of fighting.

What Zane wanted was to protect the humans. As he had once been protected.

Determined to achieve his goal, Zane clasped his hands together and turned back towards the Academy.

⬢

It was 8:23 when Zero passed through Gate Two on the south side of the outer wall and was registered by the surveillance systems. As in every city on Nykara, every entrance to Halsion was monitored. The threat of spies, saboteurs, terrorists or monsters in human form was omnipresent, and so the people had become accustomed to the constant surveillance.

The Gate itself was a massive structure within the walls, actually nothing more than a block that acted as a passageway. Between the city and the gate was another wall with a gate, dotted with watchtowers, but much smaller than the massive walls that surrounded the city. The space between the walls was empty, with only the road running through it, so the towers had a clear view of all vehicles and could open fire immediately if necessary.

The main gate itself could be barricaded with several heavy armored doors, which were regularly closed at night to keep the fauna of the area out of the city. It also acted as a control station, checking all vehicles and people entering and leaving the city. To this end, the ceiling of the gate was fitted with sensors and other detection devices that x-rayed vehicles.

Zero passed through the gate without a problem, the guards were used to him driving his pickup into the outskirts of the city. At first Zero had to explain exactly what he was doing there, but by now it was known and the soldiers simply waved him through after a quick scan of his pickup.

The buildings along the road were shabby and some were in such bad shape that they should be torn down before they collapsed and buried someone. The reason no one bothered with demolition or possible repairs was that no one lived on the outskirts. They were originally built with the intention of one day building a third ring wall around the city.

However, for various reasons the plans have been put on hold, and as a result the residents have left the outskirts to live under the protection of the inner walls. As a result, only a few, mostly merchants who used the cheap warehouses, came to the outskirts and let the other buildings fall into disrepair.

Zero, on the other hand, was a frequent visitor to the outskirts. His black pickup bumped along the dirt road. Any other vehicle would have simply compensated for the bumps with the stability function of the levitation drive, but not Zero's car. His pickup still had wheels. It wasn't uncommon to still have wheels, but they were usually used in vans that had to carry heavy loads, so a suspension drive wasn't cost-effective for them. However, small private vehicles with wheels were rare, being a more practical piece of equipment used mainly by the military or adventurers.

Zero turned into a side street and the pickup came to a halt at the side of the road. As Zero got out and walked to the right rear door of his car, he realized he was being watched.

A little girl rounded the corner from behind the wall of the next house. Her clothes worn and her skin covered in scratches and dirt, she held on to the ramshackle wall of the house as if to see who it was that had got lost on the outskirts of the city. In the slums of the big cities she would be mistaken for a homeless orphan, but something set her apart from the ordinary orphans, her unnatural red eyes.

Zero, on the other hand, didn't seem to mind being watched by a little girl in an officially uninhabited suburb. Zero opened the back door to reveal several paper bags of groceries on the back seat. He took out one of the bags and turned to the girl watching him, waving at her.

The little girl nodded, smiling, and looked back down the alley from which she had looked out. As if the little girl had given an order, more little girls suddenly came out of the alley and rushed towards Zero.

"It's Zero."

"Yay, Zero is here."

"Hi there!"

"Zero."

The lively group greeted him with smiles and Zero greeted them with a smile.

"How are you?" He asked as he took rolls out of his bag and gave them to the little ones, who accepted them happily.

Zero often visited the little ones because no one else cared for them. They were orphans, but Zero didn't know if they had been abandoned, or if their parents had died, or if they were even living behind the wall. No one would even talk to him about the children.

The eight girls in front of Zero were all between four and maybe thirteen years old. He didn't know their exact ages, as they had no IDs or anything else that could reveal their age or where they came from. When Zero first met them, some of them didn't even have names.

The only thing that united the girls and at the same time set them apart from everyone else were their piercing red eyes.

Infected.

That's what the girls born with red eyes were called. They were a remnant of the second outbreak.

According to Zero's knowledge, the infected were born when their mothers or fathers were infected with the blood of Akuryuma, the monsters fought in the Second Outbreak. The infected were always girls, and they all had red eyes. The red eyes, along with other factors, made it easy to identify them as such without having to examine their blood.

The fear of being infected by the girls and their descent from the "monsters" meant that they were viewed with dislike and hatred. It has happened that they have been beaten up in the street without anyone doing anything. On the condition that they dared to go into the cities and pass the controls. But the fear of their blood limited such attacks.

They were lepers, outcast monsters.

No one wanted to deal with the infected politically. There was a lack of both resources and political will to make a difference. As a result, they were driven out of the cities, "out of sight, out of mind", or into slums where they were left to their fate. Domestically, this was the simplest solution, and since the infected were not elves, humans or Mytics, their rights did not apply to them.

As a result, there were few organizations or people like Zero to look after the girls who were then punished by society.

The smiles of the happy girls made Zero forget that some people in the town had ostracised him and shouted insults at him. Zero's eyes fell on the girls' tattered clothes, covered in stains. "I think I should take your clothes back and wash them. Or I'll just buy you some new ones." The girls looked at Zero, partly confused, partly expectant, when a muffled sound like footsteps caught Zero's attention.

"NO, NO, NO!" Zero held his right hand out in front of him, clutching the bag tightly.

A black creature, several meters tall, was running towards Zero. A few meters away from Zero, it jumped up and landed directly on Zero, who fell to the ground. The bag of rolls in his hand made a high arc as it slipped out of his hands as he fell. But before Zero or the bags hit the ground, the creature's long, slender tail wrapped itself around the bag, leaving not a single pastry behind.

"UFF!"

The muffled sound of impact was heard as Zero's back hit the ground first. He managed to prop himself up with one hand, shielding his head from the impact.

Zero looked up to see a metallic hiss coming towards him. Zero looked straight into the mouth of the creature that had knocked him down. The mouth was lined with unnaturally shaped, metallic-looking teeth.

The creature, several meters long, was very similar in shape to a dinosaur. The black skin that covered most of the creature gave off a faint metallic glow. The abdomen, however, was a whitish grey from the lower jaw to the tail, this part of the skin appearing softer in contrast to the black areas of the skin, as the skin did not give off any light reflections.

Deep black metallic objects protruded from it in various places. Two rows of massive spikes protruded from its back. The oval head was smooth as glass, tapering backwards to form a kind of teardrop shape. There were also horn-like projections on the sides of the skull that grew backwards. It didn't seem to have any eyes, yet it seemed to be staring straight at Zero.

This creature was an Akuryuma.

The creature that had killed billions during the Second Outbreak towered over Zero, its razor-sharp claws resting on his shoulders.

The creature's head moved closer to Zero's face as its metallic hiss stopped.

"Stop it, Deadra," Zero laughed as the creature suddenly began to lick his face with glee, while the girls began to giggle.

"Deadra! Zero told you to stay hidden!" scolded the girl who had been standing guard with the creature. Her name was Sora. She seemed to be the leader of the group.

"So, did you take care of the girls, Deadra?" Zero asked the creature, stroking it behind one of the horns on the side of its head.

"You should come over more often, Zero," another girl laughed, while Zero could only answer with a heavy "Yes, I know ...".

It was late by the time Zero had finished unloading the pickup. He had taken several bags with him, filled with all sorts of things, including water bottles, bandages, various foods and even some chocolate. Sometimes he would bring leftovers from the restaurant where he had 'accidentally' prepared a meal. The girls always loved it, even though it was usually cold and did not taste as good as when it had been fresh. He had decided to bring some utensils with him and cook on site, but he had never got around to it, so it was usually just the food he brought over for a short time.

It wasn't much, and it wasn't the freshest, but it was all Zero could afford with his earnings from the bar. He noticed that one girl was missing. "Where is ..." Zero turned to Sora. She only answered with a shake of her head and a sad expression. Zero had been trained as a medic at the academy, but an infected person was simply beyond his abilities. As difficult as it was for him, there was nothing he could do for her. He could not treat her; he lacked the knowledge and materials to do so. Nor could he take her into the city; one attempt had already failed, and the soldiers had been checking him more closely since.

It was just after nine when Zero waved to the group as they headed back into the alley with their bags. One of the girls had overdone it and taken a bag almost bigger than herself. Deadra tried to support the bag while another girl lay on her back on her stomach. Another of the younger girls held onto Sora's shirt as they waved goodbye and thanked Zero as he drove his pickup back to town.

As always, it was a harder farewell for the children. Most of all, they wanted him to stay with them. But it was also hard for Zero, never knowing if they would all be there the next time he visited.

The engine of Zero's pickup roared as he drove back to the gate and the girls and Deadra disappeared into the alleys of the shabby houses.

It was 9:37 when Zero arrived at his last stop for the morning. The last part of the final exam would begin at ten o'clock. Zero's trip to the outskirts of the city took longer than he had expected. Fortunately, the part of town he was currently in was very close to the Academy and could be reached on foot in a few minutes.

The part of the city he was in was the Mytic Sector.

The Mytics, like the Spirits, were beings that until a few decades ago had been considered legends, such as angels and demons. But with the return of magic and magical knowledge, so did the Mytics and the Spirits. At first they appeared only vaguely, and stories of ghosts and monsters circulated in the early years. But soon humans became aware of their existence, and Mytics, like elves and other alien races, became a common, if still rare, sight.

Because of their natural affinity for magic, the Mytics were very powerful, even more powerful than the elves, who already had a high affinity for magic. Many wanted to secure their support, but relations between humans, Mytics and other races were difficult. Cultural, physical and political differences had to be overcome.

Relationships within the Mytics themselves were complicated, making it difficult to build relationships.

One measure of the Alliance was that Mytics had special rights in Alliance-controlled sectors and were under the protection of the government, whether they were officially part of the Alliance or not. The special Mytic sectors under guard were another measure. They also served to protect the Mytics from prying eyes and to provide them with a place to rest, since unlike ghosts, they did not usually just disappear.

The sector in Halsion, however, was very small. It consisted of a few houses surrounded by a simple wall with one or two soldiers standing at the entrances. Zero simply walked through the gate and greeted the soldiers, who also wished him good morning. It was one of the easier jobs for the soldiers in Halsion. Zero walked to one of the buildings and stepped through the gate into the front yard.

The front lawn was being mowed by drones as he reached the front door.

Zero stretched his PDI against the holographic display and the sliding glass door pulled aside with a welcome message. It was a modern six-story building. There was a lift, but as a trained paramedic, Zero usually took the stairs. When he reached the third floor, he walked down the corridor. Most of the holographic door signs he passed were blank, as were the apartments behind the doors.

The reason the Mytic sector was so small was not that they'd economized on size, but that there weren't that many Mytics in Halsion, which also explains the many empty dwellings. In general, the number of Mytics was negligible compared to the other races. The number of Mytics living in Alliance sectors was even smaller, as they tended to live in remote areas or on other levels.

Nevertheless, the chances of meeting a Mytic on Nykara were much higher than on other planets. The reason seemed to be a higher density of magic.

The fact that Halsion was a fringe sector of the Alliance did the rest. There were less than 30 Mytics in and around Halsion. Yet the building Zero was in was suspiciously empty, almost orphaned. The corridors were sparkling clean, and the lack of decoration made it look like a new building, as if the new inhabitants were about to arrive with their belongings. But it was quiet.

Zero stopped in front of one of the doors, looking at the empty doorplate of the apartment next door. What is Aki doing now? He thought to himself as he touched the holographic doorbell that appeared when he approached the door hanger with his finger.

"Oh no!" a voice drowned out the sound of the doorbell that spread through the apartment and echoed through the door.

"Clink," was the sound of breaking glass. Zero ducked his head and screwed up his left eye in pain.

"Ouch, are you OK in there?" he asked.

With the faint sound of hydraulics in the background, the door slid open and a horned girl greeted Zero nervously: "Good morning Zero!"

Her name was Asagi, her two black horns that started above her ears and grew up over her forehead indicated that she was a demon, representing one of the four major groups of the Mytics.

Her violet-blue hair was held back by a barrette on one side, leaving all the hair down to her shoulder blades on her left side. Two long strands hung in front of her ears. They were much longer than the rest of her hair and ended in a kind of triangular shape. In contrast, her eyes were a light red with a hint of pink.

Apart from her horns, there was nothing physically different about her.

"Are you all right?" Zero asked her, looking down at the floor of the corridor behind her.

"Yes, everything is fine!" She replied, wringing her hands in panic, trying to draw Zero's attention away from the floor. The corridor behind her was littered with broken glass and flowers lying in a puddle of water.

 "And what about...?" asked Zero, keeping his attention on the puddle.

"Let's go, Zero." She pushed Zero away from the door and down the hall. Zero, however, only began to move sparingly:

"But shouldn't we...?" objected Zero.

"Otherwise, we'll be too late!" Asagi confirmed her statement when the electric door closed behind them.

"But the ..."

When Asagi and Zero left the Mytic-Sector, the street was already busy. Many more people had made their way to the Academy. Many evaluators had gone to Halsion to watch the final exam, businessmen as well as military personnel or representatives of organizations. The final exams of the United Academies were like tournaments, at the end of which the participants expected one or two offers. Some were looking for bodyguards or wanted to increase their own security staff. Of all the patrons, the Alliance military was the most heavily represented. They were always looking for people, especially to add to their own mage forces, as the mages of the Mage Council stayed out of all political and military matters. Most would join the military after graduating from the academy, but the presence of a high ranking military official had something personal about it and might persuade one or two to join the military instead of joining the adventurers or following the path of the mage.

Despite the crowd of people on their way to the academy, they seemed to stay a few meters away from Zero and Asagi. Some girls whispered to each other, while some strangers who had come to the city for the exam were a bit scared.

"Is Carol in the hospital again?" Asagi asked, tightening his grip on the flap of the bag.

"Yes, we'll meet her later," he smiled.

"She will be sad that she can't watch the final competition with us."

"True, she was a bit depressed. But well, her health is more important and she can watch the tournament on the live stream."

"You take care of Carol like a big brother Zero!" she laughed.

"Maybe I'm a little overprotective," he replied with a laugh. "But while we're on the subject, what about you? Have you dropped another vase?" he continued, smiling.

"Um ... yes ..." she finally admitted with a flushed face.

"Your flat is just too small for your wings and tail".

"That's OK, I like being in the flat," she replied with a somewhat forced smile. "I'm just sorry about the flowers," she tried to change the subject.

Zero was not fooled and continued: "You could also move in with Ben and me. Like I told you many times before. It's really lonely without Aki, isn't it? "

"That's nice, Zero, but it's okay. I don't want to be a burden for you ..."

"You wouldn't," Zero smiled at the depressed looking Asagi.

"Thank you," she replied with a small smile on her face.

Zero knew what Asagi meant, Mytics had a hard enough time getting a foothold in society. Humanity hadn't changed over the centuries. It took time for them to get used to the new and unknown and to accept it. But even time couldn't change some things. Like the fear of demons like Asagi.

But not only humans, even some Mytics were afraid or despised because of their origin.

"There's Zero." "Hey, Zero!", it echoed when the two arrived at the forecourt of the academy.

A group of girls had immediately gathered around Zero. Many crowded around him, while the shyer ones watched from a distance. Attracted by the shouting of the girls in the courtyard, some of the girls who were already in their classrooms looked out of the windows and waved at Zero. The male classmates, on the other hand, stared disapprovingly at Zero.

"Good morning," Zero greeted the crowd that had gathered around him like vultures. "How are you?"

The girls responded happily, sometimes interrupting each other to get Zero's attention.

The reason for Zero's popularity was that, thanks to his paramedic training, he often took part in training sessions and looked after the injured. He was always friendly and even carried the wounded to the infirmary when they could no longer walk, giving him the image of a gentleman.

It got to the point where the girls would deliberately injure themselves or act like they were injured just to be treated by Zero. Also, many of the girls would come to Bar Thirteen just to see Zero. This came in handy for Ben as they were an extra clientele and he laughingly asked Zero if he could get more 'paying customers'.

Zane, on the other hand, was annoyed that Zero was much more popular with the girls than he was, and so it happened that he scared off the girls who were flirting with Zero, which hurt his popularity instead of helping it.

Zero, on the other hand, was resigned to it and did not care about his popularity. This inadvertently made him even more popular, as it gave him something unattainable that made the girls want him even more. Zero, however, did not understand most of this. Meanwhile, Carol and Asagi were envied by the other girls for the position they held.

In contrast to Zane, Asagi didn't mind Zero's popularity. She was even a bit happy about it. As long as Zero was around, she wasn't the center of attention. But despite all the hustle and bustle around Zero, she felt the people's eyes and heard their whispers and held her bag even tighter.

"Are you going to take the final exam Zero?"

 "I'm sure you would win Zero!"

"Of course, Zero would win!" the next one interjected.

"Thanks," Zero laughed. "But no, I'm just a medic. But now we should all go inside. The exam is about to start and some of you are going to take part, right? "

"Are you cheering for us Zero?" One of the girls asked shyly.

"Of course, I'm cheering for all of you!" A happy murmur went through the group. "Are you coming, Asagi?" The crowd started to disperse and everyone hurried towards the main entrance.

The academy itself was housed in a six-story building. Despite its size, the design was kept light and the entrance area was completely made of glass. The dimensions were comparable to those of a school, with most of the training facilities either underground or in the large open-air training area further to the west.

"Sorry Asagi ..." Zero said so that only she could hear as they approached the entrance area.

"It's ok Zero, you can't help it."

⬢

> Nine four o'clock, preparation room

The simple, modern room was filled with test subjects. Some were dressed in typical magician's clothing, which consisted of rather light clothes and the often worn magician's hat. Others had more military-style clothing, which was more practical. Some cyborgs also mingled with the group, their modifications limited to limbs such as legs or an arm. More advanced augmentations were strictly regulated by the government and were therefore less common.

On the walls were screens showing the interior of the underground arena and the filled stands. In the center of the room was a holographic projection of an A.I. and around it floated a holographic information board on which some of the test subjects already seemed to be receiving information.

Zane had arrived a little late and the other candidates were already chatting about the upcoming exam. He had taken a little longer in the changing room because he had doublechecked everything, probably due to his nervousness. The only difference was the pads on his knees and the empty gun belt strapped around his right leg. Everything else was hidden under his clothes, including shin guards under his trousers. He also wore a thin bulletproof shirt under his main shirt. The ammunition during the test was only practice, but it was still quite painful to hit. Zane looked around the room as another candidate approached. "Are you ready for the third part of the test, Zane?"

"Sure, I worked hard for today! And you Nathan?" He greeted Nathan with a handshake.

Nathan was on the same level as Zane and Zero. "Of course!" He replied, his light cyan hair hanging low over his face. "You're on time for once," he laughed.

"Surprised?" Zane laughed too.

Like Zane, most of those who attended the Academy were magical. The purely military training, such as basic soldier training or controlling an ATBS, could be done at almost any Alliance military base. But magic was different. Since the military only had a few training centers for magicians, the academies usually took over the training in the more remote areas. Students came from all the surrounding areas to be taught the various subjects. These included basic magical knowledge and adventure training such as survival in the wilderness. However, the academy also often took on regular school training, which meant that the proportion of magicians at the academy was relatively small.

While Zane was an allrounder, taking both magic and combat classes, Nathan was a pure mage and only took the relevant subjects at the Academy. Zero, on the other hand, only attended the regular classes with Asagi and Carol and took only one or two extra subjects, including his paramedic training.

"Barely," Nathan smiled as the door to the arena opened and a man dressed in military green entered: the insignia on the chest of his jacket indicated his officer rank within the Alliance's armed forces. Although the Academy stayed out of political affairs and did not ally with any faction, it was not uncommon for local forces to teach and assist in training, as the Academy's work also contributed to the security of the region. With a rifle on his leg and a cap on his head, he shouted: "OK, look out people!"

"Today's combat test marks the end of your military and magical training at the Academy," he demanded the attention of the examinees, his left hand on his hip and a tablet in his right.

"Today's third part is a hand-to-hand combat designed to simulate real combat. So you will be fighting real opponents. Even if it's only practice ammunition today, don't be reckless. Understand?"

"" Yes, Sir! "The crowd replied unanimously.

"Glad to hear it. As you know, the exam will be broadcast live today and your performance will have a direct impact on the Academy and its teachers, so don't mess up my reputation and do your best! "

"Yes, sir!"

"OK then! You will receive your grade within the next few days. Any questions? No? I thought so," he didn't waste any time and continued. "Then we can start! The first is..."

⬢

"Ladies and gentlemen, the next fight is almost upon us!" The voice of the commentator, who was in the lounge area with the referees and medics, echoed through the stands and across the arena.

The arena was divided into three ovals. The spectator stands were above the fighting area, in the outermost oval. The second oval formed an empty space between the arena itself in the third innermost oval and the auditorium. This second central area served as a buffer to the spectator stands and as a lounge area for the referees during fights. In addition to the buffer, the grandstand was separated from the arena by a shield to prevent damage from possible ricochets.

"And here is our first competitor, Kouji Leander," the commentator's voice echoed as the first shadow emerged from the tunnel that connected the arena to the preparation room.

Ok, it's about time, Zane thought, still standing in the tunnel. He shivered and slapped his hands on his cheeks to calm his nerves.

"And his opponent is Zane Seranis. Say hello to them both and we wish them good luck!"

Hearing his name, Zane stepped out of the shadow of the tunnel and into the arena. The crowd of students and adults clapped and cheered. He ran nervously up the stairs to the fighting area, ignoring the crowd. He was already nervous and the crowd didn't help. When he reached the stands, he looked nervously around, hoping to see a familiar face.

"Nervous?" Kouji laughed at Zane when his eyes fell on him. Kouji stood in front of him, his piercing, ochre-colored eyes fixed on Zane. Unlike Zane, he enjoyed the attention.

"Don't worry, I'll get you on the boards right away, then your nervousness will be gone," he laughed.

"We'll see!" Zane growled at Kouji, forgetting his nervousness for a moment.

"Ready?" The referee signaled for both of them to assume fighting positions. The two went to the positions marked by a line on the floor.

"The contestants are taking their places, what can we expect from this fight?" The commentator was warming up the crowd for the fight, while Zane's nervousness was rising again.

"Zane is nervous," Asagi commented, who was sitting with Zero in the stands.

"Yes, you can see it on his face, hopefully it won't affect the fight," Zero worried.

The fight would be broadcast on the city's big screens as well as the Academy's Galaxynet channels.

Carol, waiting in the hospital's waiting room, was also glued to her PDA, watching the live stream. When a voice drew her attention from the PDA: "Carol? It's your turn," one of the nurses said to her.

"Ah yes! Here I come," she replied frantically. "Good luck, Zane," she whispered to herself as she switched off the PDA and put it in her bag.

Oh, why now! It should have been Zane's turn now, Carol thought, reluctantly following the nurse.

At the same time, in the ATBS hangar of the military base, a mechanic called across the courtyard: "Hey Tyler, I fixed it."

Tyler was sitting outside the hangar on one of the huge crates of ammunition for the ATBS rifles, his PDA in his hands. He had also opened the Academy livestream. "Ah, thanks man, I owe you one," he said as he stood up and walked towards the hangar when his PDA vibrated and he looked at it.

"Good luck, Zane," Nathan said to himself as he watched the exam with the others in the preparation room.

The referee lowered his arm. "Begin!"

"And the fight begins!" It rang through the crowd and the cheering intensified again.

Kouji stretched out his arm, magical rings with runes, called compasses, immediately forming around his arm. A compass formed in front of his outstretched hand, but in the form of a round disc. The disc was surrounded by a ring of simple runes when Kouji shouted: "Diruptio!"

As if evoked by his words, a complex shape formed in the center of the circle, a rune.

"Duplicare!" Another circle appeared in front of the first and another rune formed on it.

"Area!" And another circle appeared in front of the other two.

Zane was so nervous that he didn't notice the referee's signal and stared in Kouji's direction.

Huh? A triple match? Is it starting already? Zane thought while Kouji activated his spells in a fraction of a second.

The confirmation came directly from the voice of the commentator, which echoed through the audience: "And Kouji starts strong with a triple spell!"

In the next instant, circles of the Diruptio Rune formed around Zane.

"Shit!" They surrounded me, I was too slow! Damn it! Zane looked around, the runes all pointing at him. And I haven't even got my shield up yet!

"I'll end this with one blow!" Kouji taunted him.

"What will Zane do now? Is this the end already?" The commentator asked.

"He was too slow..."

"Do you think he'll make it to zero?"

"Kouji doesn't hold back. Zane's been training hard, but he'll have to come up with something, otherwise it'll be over in a moment," Zero lowered his arms, which he had just crossed behind his head.

The glow of the circles around Zane grew stronger, a sign that they were about to activate and unleash their destructive spells. Forming three spells at the same time was a testament to the talent of the user, but it also depended on the complexity of each spell.

Diruptio was an arcane explosive spell that could cause massive explosions, depending on the amount of energy applied. Area, on the other hand, was an arcane spell that allowed the mage to move his spells around in space, but it only had a short range. The problem was the spell Duplicare. It duplicated the previously cast spell, but it also duplicated its magic consumption. Therefore, either the magic consumption was increased or the activation time was delayed, just like Kouji had done, so that the magic energy could be absorbed from the environment.

Kouji had taken advantage of Zane's confusion and combined the spells to surround Zane with the Diruptio spells. The spells would increase each other's explosive power and cause an explosion that would defeat Zane with one blow. It was a risky spell because if Zane managed to break free, the spell would fail and Kouji would have wasted the energy. But he had insurance in case Zane tried to escape, because he could cast the spells one after the other, which Zane also knew.

"Don't you want to give up? Don't complain if you end up missing an arm or a leg," he laughed.

The glow of the compasses became even brighter. Now or never... Zane thought to himself as he began to gather magic, cursing himself for his carelessness.

A huge bang rang out across the arena and a 20 meter fireball took Zane's place as the Diruptio spells activated.

The blast and heat of the explosion ripped through the arena. Kouji's blue hair waved in the wind from the explosion as his grin turned to a look of disbelief. Zane shot out of the fireball. A pillar of ice beneath his feet catapulted him out of the blast and into the air. As soon as he was out of the blast area, Zane pushed away from the pillar of ice, which had already disintegrated from the blast and the heat.

The explosion revealed a transparent sphere around Zane's body, a magical shield. The shield protected the wizard from both magical and physical attacks, such as bullets or swords. This universal utility ensured that it became a standard part of a wizard's repertoire.

A small amount of magic was needed to maintain the shield once it was created, but more magic was needed when it was depleted.

Zane had formed the shield in the short time before the explosion, while also forming the elemental magic for the ice pillar. However, he had concentrated on the shield because, according to the rules, if the shield failed, the battle would be lost. The result was the fragile ice pillar that had thrown him out of harm's way.

"There's Zane! He escaped the explosion! What a move!" The commentator was astonished, and there was a murmur from the audience as well.

"Yay, Zane made it!" Asagi said happily and clapped his hands.

"Not bad. He used his spell to catapult himself out of the blast area. His shield must have been damaged," Zero analyzed.

"I guess your one punch didn't work, huh Kouji?" Zane laughed as he flew several meters above the arena floor. "Now it's my turn!" While still in the air, Zane extended his left arm towards Kouji and a bluish-white circle formed in front of his hand. The next moment, small ice spears shot out of the circle and flew towards Kouji.

"Zane is going to counterattack!"

"Damn it!" Kouji cursed as he dodged the stakes with a roll and sprinted to avoid the next one. The ice stakes were about 50 centimeters long and shaped like knitting needles. They could do a lot of damage, but they were not strong enough to pierce armor or the like, and they shattered when they hit harder materials like the arena floor.

Damn, the ice spells use too much power! Zane thought as he lost the pillar's acceleration and began to fall. The heat from the explosions made it difficult for Zane to form ice because of the temperature difference.

"Diruptio!" From the floor of the arena, Kouji had stopped his sprint after Zane's attack and was now standing to his right, both hands in the air. A glowing Diruptio spell had appeared in the air to Zane's right. It was three times the size of the previous ones and already glowing brightly.

Zane's eyes fell on the circle as the glow intensified and the spell activated. "Shit!" Zane crossed his arms and managed to create a thin layer of ice in front of him at the last moment. The ice was immediately shattered by the explosion, sending Zane flying uncontrollably at high speed towards the occupied area.

"What an explosion!"

"That's it then!" Kouji said, confident of victory. If Zane left the arena now and fell to the ground, Kouji would have won the fight.

"Then I have to use this." Zane turned towards the ground and with an outward movement, as if conducting a concert, Zane stretched out his arms and a greenish shimmering rune formed in front of his palms. As if directed by his arms, the air currents that had formed in the arena began to obey his command.

Wind magic? You're taking every risk, aren't you, Zane? Nathan thought as he saw the greenish rune on the screen that Zane had formed. Zane was not trained in wind magic, much less the water magic from which his ice magic was derived. But the heat and ice of the attacks had set the air in the room in motion, making it easier for Zane to 'feel' the wind.

"What is he doing now? Zane is showing us wind magic in addition to his ice magic! "

A few meters off the ground, the wind caught Zane and lifted him back into the air above the arena. Still in the air, he turned around and looked at Kouji. In the meantime, the two had swapped their starting positions and Zane was already launching his next attack while Kouji followed his flight.

As if out of nowhere, a huge pillar of ice with a diameter of about 50 centimeters raced towards Kouji. Kouji jumped to the side and dodged when the next pillar came towards him. Kouji dodged again when a third pillar came towards him.

This time, however, Kouji was too slow and the pillar hit his shield, throwing him several meters away. The shield was like a hard shell and just like the balls in billiards were hit by the cue, Kouji's shield was hit by the ice pillar. The impact, even if it was only a graze, was so strong that Kouji's shield began to crack.

Zane's flight over the arena was nearing its end when he reached the other side. He flew out of the arena again, but as he was heading for the wall of the grandstand, another pillar of ice shot out of the wall of the grandstand, from which he kicked his legs and flew back into the arena. He hadn't touched the ground, so it was within the rules.

Kouji had recovered by now. I don't have much energy left, the wretch... Kouji shot a ball of concentrated magic at Zane. The name of the spell was Acul, one of the simpler arcane spells that only fired undirected, concentrated magic.

The Acul spell flew straight at Zane, who was still on his way back to the arena. Zane created another pillar of ice beneath him, catapulting him out of the line of fire just before the Acul spell hit the ice pillar, shattering it into a thousand pieces. Some of the shards hit Zane's shield as he heard Kouji's voice.

"I've got you now!" Kouji shouted with an angry expression on his face. He had pulled his pistol from its holster and aimed at the flying Zane, who had been thrown off balance by the dodge.

The moment he pulled the trigger, Zane had created a sheet of ice in the air, which he pushed with all his might with his left hand. The plate defied gravity for only a moment, but long enough for Zane to escape the trajectory of the ball. However, Zane was no faster than the approaching ball, and so it struck his magic shield.

Kouji must have used up a lot of his magic because he's reaching for the gun, Zane thought as the bullet passed him by.

The bullets flew out of the gun one by one as Kouji continued to fire at Zane, who seemed to be running through the air.

I have to go faster, Zane thought as he began to create sheets of ice as before, which he immediately pushed away. Shit, I have to stop this soon. I used too much power. The ice pillars used an enormous amount of energy and so far he had created six of them. He would not be able to produce many more, so he relied on the thin ice plates to repel himself. Besides, the wind magic had used up a lot of his supply and the damage to the shield was slowly becoming a problem.

However, Kouji had used up the ammunition of his pistol in no time without scoring a hit. When he realized that it was empty, he angrily threw it to the ground. The moment Kouji checked the ammunition on his pistol, Zane fired two ice pillars at him. The long pillars stretched from Zane towards Kouji.

Seeing the pillars coming towards him, Kouji created two small Diruptio spells and pressed them against the approaching pillars. Immediately, the pillars shattered into a thousand pieces and thick water vapor formed. He saw Zane coming towards him. He wasn't walking on the ground, but on the pillars he had created.

When the pillars broke beneath him, Zane jumped up and created a thicker layer of ice to catapult himself towards Kouji.

"Don't get cocky!" Kouji shouted at Zane as he formed two Diruptio circles in front of his palms and ran towards him.

"Zane is flying towards Kouji! Is the fight coming to an end?"

Both of them seem to have used a lot of magic, Zane for his flying spell and Kouji for his triple spell. Zane also uses more energy as he has to fight the heat of the explosion. This is probably the last action of both of them, Nathan analyzed the battle.

Zane formed the green circles again and held them under the soles of his feet like a frog about to jump. Zane's wind magic accelerated him again and he raced towards Kouji, his speed increasing significantly. At the same time, as Zane brought his arms forward again, he formed another magical circle in his left hand while holding his right hand out protectively in front of him.

"Diruptio!" Kouji brought forward the two palms he had just drawn behind him. But before the spells found their target, Kouji's shield cracked. At first, it was only a gap that had opened up on the right side of the shield. Kouji had hardly noticed that Zane had already passed him. But in a fraction of a second, cracks formed that spread across the entire sphere and the shield shattered like glass.

Zane had run past Kouji and destroyed his shield with the blade of ice that had formed around his hand and part of his forearm.

"Ice Blade"

Shocked by the feedback from the shield caused by the destruction, Kouji sank to one side and finally fell to the ground with a thud.

"Zane wins!" The referee raised his arm in Zane's direction and stopped the match.

"Zane won! What a fight," the announcer announced as the crowd cheered.

"Yes!" Zane said happily, clenching his fists in front of him. Boxes with Zane's name and face appeared on the billboards between the arena and the grandstand, officially announcing his victory.

"Yay! Zane won," Asagi said happily while Zero put his arms behind his head again.

"His hard training has paid off. But it was a close fight".

Angrily, Kouji hit the ground with his hand. How could I lose to someone like HIM? Amidst the chatter of the crowd, he heard footsteps approaching.

Turning around, he saw Zane standing in front of him. "Hey, good fight!" Zane held out his hand as a sign of fairness and to help him to his feet.

"What a sporting gesture!" The commentator drew the attention of the excited crowd back to Zane and Kouji.

"Tsch!" Kouji slapped Zane's hand away and ran off, while Zane looked after him incomprehensibly.

Very few in the stands had paid attention, as they were absorbed in their own conversations and the obligatory handshake was nothing special. The commentator paused for a moment and decided not to comment on Kouji's unsportsmanlike behavior. Zero and Asagi noticed this as well:

"That's not very fair to Zane...", Asagi said.

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it...", Zero replied.

A few boos accompanied Kouji as he left the arena and disappeared into the corridors.

You will stop laughing soon!

⬢

A faint light shone deep into the dark supply corridors of the arena. Kouji was sitting on one of the benches used by the technicians during their break. Only the light of the PDI he held in his hands illuminated the surroundings. Two other people stood a little further behind him, the light from the PDA only illuminating their outlines.

"Damn! What do you mean?" He swore, stroking the PDA.

Then one of the two shadows approached him, a girl in a white dress appearing as she stepped into the light of the PDA. Meanwhile, the light from the PDA was joined by another green light coming from the collar the girl was wearing. Carefully, she put her hands on his shoulders, trying to calm him down.

"What are you even doing here?" He snapped at them both.

"We were supposed to take you back," replied the other shadow, who was considerably taller than Kouji. With an annoyed expression on his face, Kouji reached for the bracelet on his left wrist.

Suddenly, the color of the light on the necklace turned red. The girl let go of Kouji's shoulders and fell to her knees. She shrugged, her face aching as she tried to put her hands on the ground. The other shadow also fell to his knees, another red light visible around his neck.

"Don't tell me what to do!" Kouji glared at them. "I know what to do myself!"

"Sorry, it wasn't my intention..." the shadow behind him stammered when Kouji interrupted him.

"Enough!" He scolded them as he threw the PDA against the wall.

The corner of the glass screen hit the wall and a deep crack cut through it. Fragments of the screen flew around before it fell to the floor and remained there. Just before the light from the screen faded, a strange symbol flickered, but the noise from the crack and the impact made it difficult to decipher.

⬢

At the same time

> Alliance Base

Sunlight streamed through the glass of the long corridor that ran along the outside of the base. A lone secretary emerged from the first door at the end of the corridor on the window side. A large PDA and some paper files in her hand.

The name on the sign by the door: Leon Leadway.

Leon sat at his desk, the glass front in front of him transformed into a screen. The screen was flooded with reports, maps, statistics, surveillance images and a small window with the live stream from Halsion.

 "Seranis ... hmmm," Leon said to himself, his gaze fixed on the PDA in his hand.

There was a picture of Zane in the corner of the PDA, surrounded by data.

As if he had seen enough, Leon got up from his chair and put the PDA aside. He walked towards the glass front, all the reports began to disappear and the window became clear, revealing the ocean in front of the base. To his right was the long glazed corridor the secretary had entered.

After a while, watching the clouds and the ocean to clear his thoughts, he tapped the air to his right and a holographic window appeared.

⬢

The door to the lounge opened with a hiss.

"Hey Zane," Nathan greeted Zane, who had thrown his jacket over his shoulder. "Good job out there!"

"Thanks!" Zane grinned back.

"Kouji seems pretty angry." Nathan wondered at his behavior.

"Yeah, I didn't think he was such a petty loser," Zane laughed and put his hand on his left hip.

"Don't say that, you almost lost in the first minute," Nathan replied, infected by Zane's cheerfulness.

"I was nervous, OK? You don't fight in front of hundreds of people every day!" Zane laughed sheepishly.

⬢

It was after 1pm when Zane and his friends arrived in the city center to celebrate Nathan and Zane's graduation. Billboards and screens were lit up everywhere. The shops were full of people, some of whom had just come for the exam. Even though it was the city center and there were lots of vehicles, pedestrians could easily get around the city center. The reason for this was that the pedestrian zone was on its own level above the street, which connected the shops on both sides of the street, creating a separate shopping street. The floor itself was made of a semitransparent glass material that allowed people to see the street below, but also served the purpose of illuminating the street below with daylight. The problem of lighting streets and lower levels in large cities led Halsion to this approach, even though the city was nowhere near the size of the cities in question.

"Congratulations again on your final exam, you two." Asagi congratulated them with a slightly tilted head.

The group had bought some crêpes at one of the stands on the boulevard to celebrate the day and were now enjoying them at the edge of the boulevard before Zero would pick up Carol.

"Thanks, Asagi," Zane replied with a big grin and a crepe in his hand.

"Thanks, but let's see how we did."

"I'm not worried about you. You have a 100% on the theoretical part anyway," Zane laughed at Nathan's statement.

"And what are you going to do now?" She continued, clutching her crepe with both hands.

"I've already applied for the next semester at the Magic Academy," Nathan replied.

"Right, that was your plan, but next term already? Then you won't be with us much longer," Zero remarked. "What about you, Zane? Are you sticking to your plan?" He hacked.

"Ah. Yes," Zane replied, crepe in hand, gesturing. "I'm going to enlist in the military."

"They'll be glad to have two talented people like you," Zero said.

"That's right!" Asagi added in support of Zero.

"What about you, Zero? Will you stay here in Halsion?" Zane asked. For better or worse, his plan would take him away from Halsion. Away from his friends, so he wished that Zero might change his mind and join him.

"Yes, I'm staying here," Zero confirmed Zane's guess. "I don't even know what to do out there."

"Looks like you're going to have to find someone new to patch you up, Zane," Nathan laughed.

"I don't get hurt that often..." Zane defended himself, a little disheartened by Zero's decision.

"You always exaggerate," Nathan added, smiling as he patted Zane on the shoulder.

"That's right," Asagi laughed with his hand over his mouth.

"Hey! I have to do my best if I want to protect everyone," Zane started to laugh.

"What about you Asagi?" Zero brought Asagi into the conversation, her eyes fixed on him. "You got an invitation from the military, didn't you?" He asked.

"I did," she nodded. "But I don't know what to do yet."

"Hey, that's great, just like Aki," Zane said happily. "Maybe you'll meet some more Mytics."

"I... um... maybe," Asagi hesitated when Zero came to her aid.

"Take your time with the decision Asagi, there is no need to rush. Just do what you want." He encouraged her and took a bite of his crepe.

"Zane is probably right, there are definitely more Mytics in the big cities than here. And it would certainly be easier... But Zero is right, no need to rush into anything," Nathan said.

"And if you both change your mind... I'll be happy to add you both to my team if you want," Zane laughed.

"You'll need the appropriate rank first, Zane," Nathan said to Zane.

"Yeah ok," Zane laughed and put his hands behind his head.

"Don't discourage him Nathan," Zero also laughed.

"Carol will probably stay here too, right?" Nathan continued.

"Probably ..." the group thought, Carol's face in front of them with a thumbs up: "I'm staying with Zero!"

"She's staying with Zero ..." Nathan withdrew his question.

"Yes," Zane confirmed to Nathan, biting into his crepe.

"It would also be Healthwise ..." Suddenly the wail of sirens interrupted Nathan.

"What's going on now?" Zane dropped his crepe in shock and covered his ears to block out the sirens. News flashed across the city, on screens, billboards and holographic messages, followed by a mechanically generated announcement:

"Alert! We are under attack. Alert! All military personnel, report to your unit immediately! This is not a drill! Alert! All civilians, evacuate immediately to the nearest shelter. I repeat! Alert! We are under attack..."

In the middle of the messages was the word "Alarm", while instructions ran in the information bars above and below.

Panic broke out as the sirens and announcements continued unchanged. Zane and his friends also stared in shock at the holographic message that appeared over the railing in front of them. Zane looked around uncertainly, people running in all directions in panic. Nathan stared at the message, Asagi clasped her hands in shock.

"Quick to the car," Zero took the initiative. As if freed from their trance, everyone followed Zero who ran in the direction of the car park where he had parked his pickup.

The mood was depressed, Asagi ran right behind Zero with fear written on his face. Even Nathan, who was usually so objective and calm, didn't seem to be able to cope with the situation. Only Zero, who ran ahead, could not be recognized by Zane. The civilians, including Zero and Asagi, had all made their way to the bunker. Only Zane and his group seemed to be rushing towards the car park.

Zane and the others had been prepared for situations like this during their training at the academy. All students studying a particular subject were instructed to assist the relevant departments. In this case, Zane and Nathan were to assist the military, to whom the Academy was subordinate in times of crisis. Zero, on the other hand, was to assist the hospital or the ambulance service as a paramedic. Evacuation of civilians, behavior in dangerous situations, all this was taught in simulations.

But this wasn't a simulation. It was an emergency, and no training could have prepared them for it. No one thought it would ever happen and the fear of what could happen to anyone plagued Zane's thoughts. He looked around again and saw the uncertainty of the others, he was not alone.

"I think tonight's party is cancelled." Zane tried to lighten the tense atmosphere.

"You would have just gotten sick of eating anyway," Zero laughed and turned his head to him for a moment.

Then Asagi started to giggle too, Zane had done it.

"Where do you have to report?" Zero asked keeping up the speed.

"The PDA said we should report to the next evacuation point," Zane replied.

"That would be the hospital," Nathan added.

"OK, I would have gone to the hospital anyway, I'll drop you off there," Zero replied.

"Shouldn't you be getting back to Ben?" Zane asked and Asagi gave Zero a questioning look.

"He'll be fine and besides, they need me in the hospital more than in the restaurant," Zero explained to the three.

"You're probably right," Asagi supported Zero.

"There's the car park," Zane commented. When they turned a corner, they saw the car park.

⬢

Meanwhile at the military base:

"All personnel to battle stations," echoed through the corridors of the base filled with soldiers.

The soldiers ran down the corridors, all dressed in the greenish military uniform of the Alliance. The standard uniform included armor for arms and legs, a helmet and a bulletproof vest.

"Come on! Come on!" A lieutenant shouted, yelling at the soldiers as they hurried to their stations and groups.

"Unit four to me!" a soldier signaled to a group of other soldiers.

Another stood beside an armory built into the wall and handed the soldiers their rifles.

The hangar, with its gates facing the sea, was also busy.

"Dock seven open! Ready to go!" Flight Control reported, before the message was drowned out by the roar of the ship's engines.

An extension of a crane moved aside as a cruiser, smaller than a battleship, began to move. The fortifications of the containers in the hangar shook as the cruiser took off.

The brackets that held the cruiser in the hangar moved back.

Technicians waved their glow sticks and signaled for the cruiser to take off. The hangar was already mostly empty, with only a few support fighters standing by. Most of the frigates and interceptors had left before the cruiser for tactical reasons.

The water below the hangar doors rose on all sides as the cruiser flew over them. It turned sharply towards the city and flew over the base. Several jets caught up from the stern of the cruiser and positioned themselves in front of it, escorting it into the operational area.

⬢

Leaves flew through the forest, blown up by the low-flying ships. The trapezoidal ships of the Teikoku had managed to jump just short of the city. Atmospheric jumps were complicated. You had to know the coordinates and the jump path, otherwise you would jump through a mountain range. Jumps into cities were also mostly avoided. The danger of colliding with the shields that protected most large cities was ever-present. But the danger of colliding with skyscrapers or other buildings, and the danger of getting caught in the crossfire, also had to be avoided.

For this reason, ships usually jumped in front of the city's shields in a sneak attack, giving the defender little time to react. It was the most effective way to win, and it kept casualties low. The enemy had to mobilize most of their fleets and troops first, while the attacker had the initiative.

Several frigates, cruisers and a Teikoku battleship flew off the city, just before the defensive perimeter outside the second wall. As soon as they arrived, fighters and transports took off from the cruisers and the ships began to fire on the city's defenses.

At the same time, several tactical missiles were launched from the battle stations and the military base. They raced across the city towards the Teikoku ships. Many of the missiles exploded in mid-air, hit by the defense lasers of the ships. Only a few reached their targets, the frigates and cruisers. However, the cruisers' shields were too strong for the tactical missiles to penetrate, so the only effect of the shockwaves from the explosions was to throw the ships off their trajectories for a brief moment.

Firing the missiles should buy time. Time to launch their own ships and defenses before the Teikoku ships passed the first ring.

The defenders behind the first ring opened fire immediately. Automatic and manned guns fired at the attackers for as long as they could. But the subsequent bombardment of the cruisers destroyed one defensive position after another. Undeterred by the defense efforts, the ships slowly pushed their way through the city's shields, modulating their own.

"Enemy has passed the first ring," rang out through the military network as the first Teikoku ships broke through the shield. Immediately, some of the ships began firing at the walls of the first ring.

The shields of the cities were usually determined by junctions, in walled cities like Halsion it was usually the towers in the walls themselves. One tower burst into flames under the fire of the frigates, and the section of shield that ran through the junction weakened.

The sound of incoming ships filled the sky above the city. They were the defense 6garrison ships that had launched from the base. Cheered on by civilians and soldiers in the streets, they flew over the city.

"Target sighted, begin attack," the vanguard jets began firing their missiles at the Teikoku.

The missiles shot through the air, and the battered shields of the Teikoku ships vibrated under the impact. Some of the shields collapsed and opened, giving the ships no chance to dodge the missiles and ground fire that followed. The Teikoku jets did not stand idly by and engaged the Alliance jets in combat. A game of cat and mouse ensued, with each side trying to shake off the other before being shot down.

The guns of the cruisers and frigates pounded on each other's shields, while the jets tried to stay out of the crossfire. The Teikoku battleship took up a defensive position in the breach above the first wall, while repelling the attacks of the cruisers.

While the battle raged in the skies, the battle on the ground had only just begun. One by one, the anti-aircraft guns on the defense posts had been taken out by the frigates, clearing the way for the ground troops to land. Urban warfare would soon follow.

⬢

The town center was empty. Not a single vehicle was on the road as Zane and the others made their way to the hospital. The roadside was littered with hectically abandoned vehicles, but none of them were in the middle of the road. Following protocols, the autopilots had carefully moved the vehicles to the side of the road to allow the military to operate.

A few minutes from the car park, Zero turned onto a road that led directly to the hospital in the south-west of the city. After a few meters, the display in Zero's car and the PDA's flashed as barricades opened up in front of them. Metallic barriers and concrete bolts blocked the road. Only a small path led to the front, at the end of which a smaller area was kept clear. On the other side of the square, the military had erected another barricade, this one serving as a lock. Several soldiers, a tech mage, a tank and two ATBS secured the lock and blocked any further progress.

As the pickup approached the barricade, the tank's turret took aim at the pickup and all its occupants. The message flashing on the display and PDA was a warning that they were entering a restricted area. The message contained explicit instructions. Ignore them, and the soldiers might mistake the vehicle for an enemy and open fire.

"We're here," Zane said firmly.

Without a word, Zero drove slowly up the path to the tank blocking the way. The left sidewalk was filled with civilians trying to get through the security gate to the bunker under the hospital.

Again and again, civilians were startled by the sounds of the battle as it penetrated the center of the city. Smoke from burning buildings and crashed ships began to darken the eastern sky. The fact that only noise could be heard indicated that the troops' defensive efforts were successful. Still, the civilians waiting impatiently to get through the sluice were tense. The reassurances of the soldiers charged with maintaining order did little to change this.

"We're supposed to report here," Nathan broke the silence as he leaned over to Zane and Zero. He and Asagi sat in the back seat while Zane took the passenger seat. Zero's car was kept in plain anthracite, only the blue LEDs emitted some light, giving the interior something noble. Meanwhile, Nathan had played the warning on the large screen in the center console of the car, using the instructions from his PDA. The point on the map was just behind the barricade.

"Stop," a soldier who had taken up position in front of the tank held out his hand. With the guns of the soldiers and the tank still trained on the pickup, Zero slowed down. With the faint screeching of the brake discs, Zero's car came to a stop beside the soldier.

Zero rolled down the window to speak to the soldier, who peered into the car, his gaze falling on the spot behind Zane and a brief twitch showing on his face.

"What brings you here?" The soldier asked, pulling his PDA out of his pocket. It was a special military version, covered by a sturdy shell to reduce impact and drop damage.

"Here are our IDs," Zero held his PDA, which was synchronized with the others, out of the window to synchronize it with the soldier's PDA, while Zane leaned towards the window and explained:

"We're from the Academy, we were told to report here to help out."

"How are things at the hospital?" Zero asked. "I'm a medic."

"The evacuation of the hospital is proceeding without any major problems," he said as he studied the data Zero had sent him. One of the ATBS started to move and came to a stop beside the pickup. A window opened on the soldier's PDA and a feed from the pilot appeared.

"I can confirm your identity, sir," the red-haired pilot reported.

"Tyler, is that you?" Zane asked as his face appeared on the car's screen.

"Glad to see you're OK," Tyler replied.

"Good, thank you Tyler," the soldier continued, relieved at Tyler's confirmation. "The command post is at the hospital, report there for further instructions," he pointed with his PDA down the road in the direction of the hospital.

"Thank you," Zero replied.

"Thank you," Zane added.

"All the help we can get is welcome," he said goodbye to the four. The nervousness in his voice was clearly audible. "Don't worry, you can count on us!" Zane interjected.

"Take care," Zero nodded and slowly drove past the tank, which pulled to the side and opened the barricade.

"Ok, see you guys, take care," Tyler signed off from his deep red ATBS.

"You take care too." "Ditto!" Zero replied, followed by Zane.

"See you soon Tyler," Asagi added while Nathan waved.

"Good fight too, Zane," Tyler replied before the transmission ended.

"I'll drop you off at the command post," Zero explained as they drove past the crowd that had come behind the barricade like them.

"I'm going to check on Carol at the hospital and see if I can help," he added as everyone looked out the windows.

"OK, good luck Zero!"

"I'll come with you Zero," Asagi replied late.

"Thanks, Asagi," Zero smiled and tilted his head back.

Behind the barricade, the soldiers had set up one of several small camps on the right side of the street to coordinate their forces while they led the evacuation.

The assault had begun just 33 minutes earlier and the evacuation of the civilians was going well, even though it was the first evacuation under real conditions. The fact that more people had come to the city for the final exams only made the evacuation slightly more difficult.

The reason for this was that Halsion, as a peripheral town, had enough evacuation bunkers in case of an attack.

The evacuation bunkers were strategically placed throughout the city so that civilians could quickly reach a bunker in the event of an attack. One of the bunkers was located at the military base in the north, another at the east of the city, another at the hospital in the south and a final one at the academy in the west. There was also a network of smaller bunkers in the city center.

Despite the distribution of evacuation shelters, it took time to evacuate several thousand civilians. Moreover, the shelters were not designed for long stays. They were only intended to provide protection for a short time until the enemy was driven out or reinforcements arrived, so the bunkers were relatively narrow. If a siege lasted longer, the civilians had to be flown out if possible.

"This way, please," a soldier waved at a group of civilians, pointing to the next assembly point.

It was the first attack on Halsion since its founding, and despite the successful evacuation, there was a lack of routine among both the civilians and the military. While a small portion of the military rotated, most soldiers were stationed in Halsion, and the years of peace had taken their toll.

"Look at all these people..." Nathan mentioned without waiting for an answer, looking out the window at the crowd.

"They've never seen battle before," Zane replied.

"Neither have we..." Zero added, resting his right arm on the back of the driver's door and driving the pickup with one hand.

"They're all scared," Asagi added, her worried gaze fixed on the crowd.

Zero's pickup drove down the street, past the civilians waiting to enter.

"Please stay calm," an automated announcement came from one of the evacuation bunkers. Young, old, humans, elves, everyone was waiting to get into the bunker, and so they crowded in front of the entrance.

A girl shivered as her friend held her hand. A child huddled against her mother, trying to ward off fear as the mother tried to reassure her. She wore a symbol of the Architect Church around her neck. Beside her, two businessmen argued as if they had just come from a meeting. A young man with a gym bag was also standing outside the bunker. An elf was questioning a soldier, while the bystanders were hanging on his every word. They all waited impatiently to be let into the bunker.

The soldiers tried to maintain some peace and order, but the tension among the people was palpable.

"Why are they even attacking us? There's nothing here!" Zane expressed his anger at the situation and turned to Nathan.

"I'm wondering the same thing, Zane," Nathan replied in his calm and matter-of-fact voice.

"But this can..."

"Calm down Zane, it won't help."

Zane looked at Zero, whose eyes were fixed on the road, the tension also visible in Zero.

"Zero is right," Nathan added. Zane's eyes went back to Nathan and Asagi, who tried to calm him down with a smile, as if to say that she understood his anger.

"You're right," Zane said, calming down and sinking back into his seat. "But still..." Zane didn't get a chance to put his thoughts into words because a huge bang made the inmates jump.

The next thing Zane and his friends knew, they were covering their ears.

The bang was followed by an unnatural sound, like someone trying to scratch a blackboard with their fingernail, or metal sliding on metal, but mixed with sounds that only a computer could make. The shrill sound was difficult to describe, yet it sounded as if something was tearing at the fabric of the world.

The noise echoed throughout the city, drowning out even the sounds of battle for a moment. After a few seconds, it gave way to a lesser but still disturbing sound, which itself seemed to slowly fade away. A white pillar of light, tapering upwards, rose from the direction of the explosion and sound. At the same time, something black in the center of the pillar of light seemed to be pushing towards the sky. It seemed to be another pillar of light within the first. The unnatural black center of the pillar seemed to devour any light that fell upon it. As if it threatened to consume the world itself.

People froze at the sight of the pillar rising high above the buildings in the sky. Uncertain of what was happening before their eyes. "What in God's name..." said one soldier, stunned, breaking the silence.

In the next moment, the initial shock of the explosion and the sound that followed were gone. People did not understand what had happened, but the sound of the explosion alone was enough to cause panic. Immediately people started to run wild as the soldiers tried to get the situation under control.

But all the soldiers' efforts were in vain, the crowd was already panicking. Some put their hands over their heads to protect themselves from another explosion. Others ran back into the town from which they had come or sought shelter in nearby buildings. Still others crowded the entrances to the bomb shelters.

The panic was so intense that hardly anyone noticed as the noise slowly seemed to disappear. Like the sound, the column seemed to shrink until it disappeared behind the houses.

"What happened there?" Zane asked, taking his hands from his ears as people ran past the pickup in panic.

"That's at the hospital!" Zero said, startled, and stepped on the gas. The sudden acceleration caused the pickup's tires to squeal and the bed to rise for a moment before the acceleration was transferred to the road and the pickup began to move.

Zero passed the fleeing civilians, who were coming in panic from the direction of the hospital.

"What was that?" Nathan asked, leaning forward to get a better view and now sitting between the two front seats.

"I hope everyone is safe ..." Asagi whispered and looked out of the window.

"That was no normal explosion, that's for sure!" Zane replied to Nathan, who had also leaned forward and was now resting on the dashboard.

They drove into the park that surrounded the hospital complex on three sides when Asagi yelled: "Zero, look out!" She leaned forward past Zane's seat and pointed to the road.

Suddenly, a person crouched down on the road in the middle of the pickup's path. The streets were empty now, all the civilians had left the hospital and fled. And yet this one person ran right up to Zero's pickup.

"Damn it! What is he doing there?" Zero cursed.

Zero stepped on the brakes and clutch. "Hang on!" He yelled, jerking the steering wheel to the right and then to the left. The wheels of the pickup squeaked as Zero hit the brakes. The truck began to sway from Zero's sharp turn. The speed was too fast for Zero to avoid the person.

The pickup drifted past the person, who appeared to be reaching for the pickup, and came to a stop in the middle of the road a few meters away with a violent jolt.

"Are you all right?" Zero asked and turned to Asagi and Nathan.

"Thanks, everything is fine," Asagi replied.

"What is he doing?" Nathan asked.

"Let's ask him, maybe he knows something!" Zane yanked the door open. The others got out as well.

"Hey! Are you hurt?" Zero shouted as the man staggered and turned towards them.

"I'll go check on him!" Zane shouted as he propped himself up on the bonnet with one hand and jumped over to the other side.

"Zane wait!" Zero tried to stop him, but Zane had almost reached the man.

"Hey, are you okay?" Zane put a hand on the man's shoulder. "Everything's going to be fine..."

The man stared at the ground, his suit covered in burn holes and most of his left sleeve ripped off. Zane guessed that the man must have been close to the explosion or had run outside through the flames. As Zane took a closer look at the man, who was leaning forward as if he were going to topple over at any moment, he noticed that only a stump of his arm was left under the torn sleeve. Had the explosion torn it off?

It didn't seem to be bleeding, and on closer inspection it looked like broken porcelain or glass, as if the arm had been broken. Zane's gaze continued upwards, and as it reached the chest area, he noticed that the man's shirt had also been torn off, exposing his torso. Purple veins and black spots emanating from the veins spread across his chest and seemed to run up towards his head.

Just as Zane's eyes were about to follow the veins upwards, something suddenly fell from above onto the back of his hand. It was a hair, no, a whole clump of hair.

"Are you all right?" Zane repeated hesitantly as he looked at the man's bowed head. The man hadn't made a sound. But now, as if awakened by Zane's question, he raised his head to look at Zane and grabbed Zane's shoulder with his right arm. A distorted grimace stared at Zane.

The man had lost all his hair and his face was sunken, revealing the shape of his skull. The ears and nose were gone, as if they had fused with the skin underneath, which stretched tightly over the skull. The lips also appeared to be partially fused and the skin stretched like threads over the mouth. His right eye socket was deeply sunken and there was nothing where the eye should be. The left eye, however, was overgrown, a large, pulsating, crystalline scar now stretching over it and across his skull. The black spots and veins in the chest seemed to be slowly spreading across the man's body, and fractures like the one in his arm were appearing on various parts of his body.

Panicking, Zane pushed the man or creature away from him. As he fell backwards, there was a sound of pain: "HEEEPPP MMM!"

The creature stumbled backwards and Zane saw the rest of the body, which had changed in the few moments Zane had held it. The porcelain arm seemed to have become shorter and black tendrils seemed to be sprouting from the rest of the arm. The left arm, riddled with fractures and veins, was unnaturally long and the hand had mutated into a four-fingered claw.

"Didn't you hear me? I said wait!" Zero grabbed Zane's right shoulder.

But the trembling Zane made no response to Zero's reproachful words.

"W ... What ... What is this?" Zane stammered, not taking his eyes off the creature.

Zero's gaze followed Zane's questioning words and fell on the man Zane had pushed away for no reason. At the same moment Nathan shouted, "Zane, Zero! Look out!"

"They're..." Zero began to stutter.

"Oh my god," Asagi put her hands over her mouth in shock.

The creature had regained its balance and was preparing to approach Zane and Zero. But more people were coming out of the side streets and one of the side doors of the adjacent building behind him. They too were covered in black spots and veins pulsed across their bodies.

One's left arm had grown very long, and another joint seemed to have formed. The upper garments were missing, revealing a sunken, almost parched chest. The shape of the chest and vertebrae were clearly visible.

A third was missing its head, and black crystalline shapes had formed at the base of its neck. The right hand was four times as large and the bone structure seemed to have changed dramatically.

Another man was leaning back so far that one thought his head would fall off at any moment. The white coat he wore identified him as a doctor. But so were the black spots and veins that covered his body.

The black spots on the first creature had now spread widely and more than two thirds of the skull had taken on the black color of the spots. It also seemed as if disturbances were being created around the creature. Like the flickering of an old television, the room seemed to be distorted almost imperceptibly.

"You are ... Infected ..." Zero identified the creatures slowly approaching them.

As if in response, the first creature let out a high-pitched scream.

⬢

This version is a purely grammatical rewrite. No changes in the Story