'distant death'

"Damn, this tastes good," I exclaimed as I savored a freshly baked slice of pizza. Austin, Alex, and I were indulging in this delightful treat at a food store nestled within a bustling shopping center, brimming with lively individuals.

As I munched on my pizza, I noticed peers my age strolling through the mall, some even donning the Cristaia academy uniform. I chose to ignore them and focus on my meal. Suddenly, Alex piped up, interrupting my thoughts. "Hey, do you want to go to the arcade?" he asked eagerly, his mouth full of pizza.

"Are there arcades here?" I replied, a note of surprise in my voice. A smile spread across my face as I added, "Why not? It sounds like fun."

Austin, however, seemed less enthusiastic. "I don't know... I'm never really interested in that sort of thing," he muttered.

Undeterred, I urged him to join us. "Come on! It'll be fun, and I'm sure you'll find something you like. Arcades are great!" I exclaimed between bites of pizza.

Austin reluctantly conceded. "Well... I hope it's not too boring," he said, finishing his slice.

--

"Ohhh yeahhhh!" I screamed, fully immersed in a dance game that reminded me of Dance Dance Revolution but with a futuristic twist. The game required quick, agile moves to rack up points, and I was determined to dominate. Alex and I danced feverishly, our moves drawing a small crowd of onlookers.

"This is fun, isn't it?!" I shouted to Alex, my smile beaming. However, he remained intensely focused on the game, his eyes fixed on the screen. "Hey, where's Austin?" I asked, suddenly realizing he wasn't by our side. "I don't know, keep playing!" Alex replied without missing a beat.

Determined to showcase my skills, I unleashed my best breakdancing moves, spinning and twisting with finesse. I even incorporated some prohibited moves, defying gravity with a mid-air jump and graceful handstand.

"Player 2 has won!!" the machine proclaimed, and I couldn't help but grin from ear to ear. Turning to Alex, I gloated, "I win, hahaha!"

He simply rolled his eyes and muttered, "Yes, yes, idiot."

Unfazed by his playful jab, I smiled and asked, "Well, I'm going to see where Austin is. Do you want to keep playing?"

"Yes," Alex replied, already selecting another song. I wandered off, weaving my way through the bustling arcade. It was a futuristic wonderland, filled with an array of machines and virtual reality attractions. After a while, I spotted Austin engrossed in an FPS game.

I approached him and asked, "How's the game?"

Without taking his eyes off the screen, Austin casually replied, "It's something entertaining." I watched as he deftly wielded a virtual 3D gun, its green hologram blending seamlessly with the real world. His aim was impeccable as he swiftly dispatched his enemies.

Before long, the screen turned green, signaling his victory. "Well, I'm going to go do something else," Austin announced, setting down the hologram gun. Intrigued, I took his place and began playing. "Is this fun?" a voice asked from behind my shoulder.

"Yes, it's decent," I replied, my focus still on the game as I mimicked Austin's earlier prowess. Turning to my side, I noticed a man donning a cowboy hat and sunglasses, his attire a stark contrast to the typical arcade-goer. His black uniform, adorned with blue lines, stood out amidst the vibrant surroundings. "And that style?" I commented, a smile playing at the corners of my mouth as I continued playing.

The man chuckled and explained, "Being a teacher is tough, you know? I sometimes need to visit places like this to unwind. Game rooms are perfect for helping me relax." I studied his unusual attire, a black uniform with blue lines, and a cowboy hat. I didn't recognize him from any of the academies, but I smiled politely and replied, "Haha, yes, I can only imagine. Being a teacher must be quite frustrating."

I gripped the gun with a little more force, my finger squeezing the trigger as I shot at the enemies in the game. My aim was true, and I easily won the match.

"Not bad, kid," the man in the hat commended. "Did you come to see the academies' event?"

"Something like that," I replied nonchalantly, stretching my arms above my head. "I have to work with my friends," I added.

"Well, goodbye, old man," I said, turning to walk away. That guy exuded strength and experience, and I knew better than to underestimate him.

I made my way back to Alex, who was sipping from a bottle of water in a quiet corner, observing the other players. Joining him, I asked, "Hey Alex, before I spoke to a guy with a black uniform and blue lines, wearing a cowboy hat. He looked like an adult. Do you know anything about him?"

Alex took a swig of water and shook his head. "No, nothing. A Cristaia teacher would wear a different type of uniform, and I checked—no teacher wears that kind of uniform. What did he tell you?"

"He just mentioned that he came to this place to calm down," I relayed casually. Alex's eyes narrowed, and he said, "Just in case, we should be more careful."

I nodded in agreement and asked, "Where's Austin?"

Alex glanced in one direction, and I followed his gaze. Sure enough, Austin was approaching us with a casual stride. "Let's leave the place quickly. I have something to show you," he whispered urgently.

Without hesitation, Alex and I followed Austin out of the arcade, our curiosity piqued. As we navigated the mall, Austin filled us in. "It seems like there was some trouble. I managed to get security camera footage from almost the entire mall. Take a look at this," he said, pulling out his phone.

The video revealed the same man with the cowboy hat appearing out of thin air in the bathrooms, as if he had teleported or used some form of magic.

"That means he..." I trailed off, searching for an explanation.

"Space magic," Alex confirmed. "It's probably teleportation or something similar. Plus, he used his ability in a public place, so I doubt he's a professor at an academy..."

"I also have this, which probably answers your question," Austin said, playing another video from the security camera footage. Several Cristaia students appeared in the video, divided into groups of classmates, a typical sight in schools.

However, one group stood out like a beacon in the darkness—five people, two boys and three girls. I was surprised to see the two boys, one of whom I recognized as Heiser from the ice cream parlor.

I also spotted a boy with blonde hair and golden eyes, and my eyes widened in recognition. "Castian Goldheart, oh shit..." Alex whispered next to me, his eyes wide. Castian Goldheart, the person with enormous potential. SSS-rank potential, but reaching SSS-rank is absurdly difficult, even for talented monsters like Castian.

I also saw two girls I didn't recognize, one with crimson red hair and the other with blue hair.

"The one with blue hair is Annie Waterfall, a noble from a powerful house, and the one with crimson hair is Lucy Sunblaze," Alex explained, his hand on his chin. "They're like celebrities, even appearing in fashion magazines."

"That makes it even more strange," I said, narrowing my eyes. "Tell me honestly, are you a stalker?"

"Nope!" Alex quickly denied. "They're just well-known, that's all."

I sighed and shook my head. "Well, do you know where Kaila's group is now?"

"Yes, they're on the second floor of the shopping center," Austin replied.

"Okay... but I'm curious about something," I said, my eyes narrowing. "How the hell did you hack into the security cameras of this shopping center without anyone noticing?"

Austin answered, "As you know, I'm not much of a fighter. I'm more of a support guy, good with computers and all that. I also have a pretty useful skill. But, changing the subject, we need to protect Kaila, but as Dante said, let's do it without being noticed."

I nodded and smiled. "Well, time to dance."

--

[Third-person POV]

The guy with the cowboy hat, played an arcade game with a calm expression on his face. His brown eyes were focused on the screen, his fingers tapping the controls with precision. Suddenly, his phone vibrated in his pocket, and he answered the call.

"James, did you find the target?" a hoarse voice asked on the other end of the line. James replied, "I'm inside a shopping center, and the objective is on an upper floor where I am. I'm just taking a break for a while. That object you gave me gave me a slight headache, though."

"An object like that is invaluable, so I hope you complete the mission, or I'll have to send your... companions to the area," the hoarse voice threatened.

James sighed. "Yes, yes, it will be an easy mission. You know how I do my job."

"I hope so... 'Distant Death'..." the voice said, and the call ended. James sighed and muttered, "I hate that nickname..."

He finished the arcade game and left the arcade, walking through the mall and exiting into the city. He walked for a while until he reached an alley, where he jumped and landed on the roof of a nearby building. Crouching down, he touched a silver bracelet on his hand, and a black box resembling a large briefcase appeared in the air next to him. He opened the briefcase and grabbed a large, imposing sniper rifle.

James began to assemble the weapon, his movements efficient and practiced. Once he finished, he sighed and said, "I hope this is worth it..."

He looked at the briefcase and noticed five blue bullets inside. He grabbed one and examined it. "So, this bullet contains compressed space magic? If I shoot this at a building, it will completely destroy it? That's crazy..."

He loaded the bullet into the sniper rifle and took aim, looking through the scope. The view through the scope was different, as he could see the Mana of the people inside the building, like fireflies in the darkness.

He spotted five distinct Mana signatures, one of which stood out. Typically, Mana would appear blue, but one signature was gray, another shone like a beautiful diamond, and another looked like shattering glass. Slowly, he identified the Mana signature of Kaila Keplar.

"Bingo..." James murmured with a smile.

James pointed at Kaila's Mana form and touched a button on his weapon. The gun began to glow slowly, and he muttered, "Well, I'm sorry, but even your dead body is useful..."

James didn't shoot, instead sighing and asking, "Who are you?"

"No one, I'm just watching," a voice replied from behind James. James turned to see a person in black casual clothes and a clown mask. "Oh, you're a hero coming to save the day?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

The person with the clown mask smiled. "Haha... maybe."

James heard that voice again and said, "Aren't you the guy from the arcade? Are you a mercenary?"

Dante remained still for a few seconds, then shook his head. "No... I'm your father..."

James sighed. "What a cliche."

With incredible speed, James raised his sniper rifle and touched a button on the gun. A shot rang out, and a bullet, fired without making a sound, sped towards Dante.

Dante quickly grabbed the bullet with his hand and sighed. "Is that all?"

James looked at the bullet in Dante's hand and shook his head. "Nah."

He touched his silver bracelet, and his gun disappeared, reappearing next to the briefcase on the floor. Two new guns materialized in James' hands, and he smiled. "Hey, do you know western movies?"

Dante smiled back and two guns appeared in his hands. "Obviously, I know them. Do you want to try?"

Dante and James pointed their guns at each other.

"1... 2... 3... 4... 5!" James counted down, and then disappeared in a blur, reappearing behind Dante. The guns fired, the bullets flying without making a sound.

Dante dodged the bullets with agile movements, jumping into the air and maneuvering through the air with precision.

He landed on the ground and said, "Not bad. That sound thing is new. I want to try it. Now, why don't you try my beauties?"

Dante pointed his guns at James and fired, the bullets silent as they sped towards their target. James quickly dodged, his movements just as swift. Dante ran and pushed himself off the ground, his leg raised for an axe kick. But James was too fast, taking cover and disappearing from sight.

James touched the ground with his hand, his landing cushioned by a blue Mana barrier. "Ugh... I don't like noise very much, you know?" he said with a smile.

Dante appeared next to him and attempted a knee strike, but James narrowly avoided it. James quickly pointed his gun at Dante's face and fired without hesitation. The bullet passed through the clown mask, heading straight for Dante's mouth. James watched as Dante's mouth bit down on the bullet, stopping it from penetrating further.

"Haha... damn crazy," James said, a smile on his face.

He stepped back and said, "But seriously, this is really annoying. I don't like attention... I'm just doing my job."

"It's funny," Dante replied, his smile visible through the broken part of his mask. "I'm also doing my job, and I don't like to get directly involved in these types of missions, you know?"

James and Dante locked eyes for a few seconds, then disappeared in a blur. Residual images of their movements remained, the soundless gunshots slowly breaking and piercing the walls of the alley.

Dante and James reappeared in the alley, facing each other once more. Another part of Dante's clown mask was broken, revealing more of his mouth.

"You're interesting," James sighed. "It seems I won't be able to complete my mission this time..."

"But maybe they can," James said, and suddenly Dante's bracelet began to vibrate. James smiled. "Well, bye, boy. Maybe we'll meet again in the future, though I wasn't serious this time."

He touched something on his neck, and suddenly he disappeared as if he had teleported.

"Fuck!" Dante muttered, touching his bracelet. It was a video call from Austin.

"What happened?" Dante asked, confusion in his voice.

"Is that a clown mask...?" Austin said. "Well, leaving that aside, come quickly! There might be problems!"

Dante sighed. "Well, time to go back. I hope there aren't any more enemies. I think the worst will come when the event begins..."