White.
That was all Raka could see.
Blinding, endless white—swallowing everything.
The explosion didn't just hit the ground.
It erased it.
"—!"
Raka forced his eyes open as the shockwave slammed into him. His body flew backward, crashing through debris that no longer even had shape.
"Ghh—!"
He hit the ground hard, rolling, barely managing to stop himself.
Silence followed.
Heavy.
Wrong.
Slowly, the light faded.
What remained… wasn't a battlefield anymore.
It was emptiness.
Broken land stretched in every direction, like reality itself had been scraped away.
Raka pushed himself up, breathing hard.
"…Yeah."
He coughed.
"…This definitely sucks."
Across from him—
They stood.
Two identical figures.
Two AIRA.
Same silver eyes.
Same calm expression.
Same deadly presence.
Neither of them moved.
Neither of them blinked.
Just watching him.
Analyzing.
"…Target confirmed," the left one said.
"Synchronization stable," the right one added.
Raka let out a small laugh.
"Wow… you even talk in sync now."
No response.
He wiped the blood from his chin.
"…So which one am I supposed to talk to?"
Silence.
Then—
"Neither," they said together.
Raka sighed.
"Yeah, figures."
The air shifted.
Pressure dropped.
His instincts screamed.
"—!"
Both AIRA units disappeared.
Raka moved instantly—
Too late.
A punch slammed into his ribs from the left.
At the same time—
A kick crashed into his back from the right.
"Ghh—!"
His body twisted violently, thrown between them like a ragdoll.
Before he could recover—
Another strike.
Then another.
Perfect coordination.
No wasted movement.
No hesitation.
"Damn it—!"
Raka forced his body to react.
He grabbed the incoming arm from one—
Blocked a kick from the other—
But—
"Too slow," one of them said.
A blade of light pierced through his side.
"—!"
Pain exploded through his body.
Raka coughed blood.
"…You guys really don't play fair…"
"Fairness is irrelevant," the other replied.
Raka gritted his teeth.
"…Yeah, I figured."
He jumped back, creating distance.
Breathing heavily.
His body—
Already reaching its limit again.
"…Two of you, huh…"
He looked at them carefully.
Their movements.
Their timing.
Their spacing.
Perfect.
No openings.
"…Annoying."
The two AIRA tilted their heads slightly.
"Observation complete," one said.
"Conclusion: your defeat is inevitable," the other added.
Raka smirked.
"…You know, you said that before."
"And you survived," one replied.
Raka shrugged.
"Yeah. Funny how that works."
Silence.
Then—
They moved again.
Faster.
Sharper.
This time—
Raka didn't try to block.
He dodged.
Barely.
Their attacks tore through the space around him, leaving trails of destruction.
"Come on!" he shouted. "Is that all you got?!"
No response.
Just more attacks.
Relentless.
Precise.
Raka's breathing grew heavier.
His body slower.
"…Damn it…"
He jumped back again—
But one AIRA was already there.
Waiting.
"Got you," she said.
Her hand shot forward—
Raka twisted—
But the other AIRA appeared behind him.
"Too late."
A direct hit.
*CRASH!*
Raka slammed into the ground.
Hard.
The impact shattered what little remained of the terrain.
He lay there—
Still.
Silent.
"…Target incapacitated," one AIRA said.
"Proceeding with elimination," the other added.
They raised their hands.
Energy gathered.
Bright.
Deadly.
Final.
Raka didn't move.
Didn't get up.
Didn't even look at them.
"…Yeah…"
His voice came out weak.
"…This might be it."
The light intensified.
"Any last words?" one AIRA asked.
Raka laughed softly.
"…Yeah."
He looked up.
Right at them.
"…You're both wrong."
Silence.
"…I'm not alone."
The two AIRA paused.
Just for a moment.
"Clarify statement."
Raka smiled.
"…You're still here."
Nothing happened.
No reaction.
No hesitation.
Then—
One of them spoke.
"…Irrelevant."
The energy fired.
A beam of pure destruction rushed toward him—
Raka didn't move.
Didn't dodge.
Didn't defend.
"…"
The attack—
Stopped.
Right in front of him.
Frozen.
The two AIRA froze as well.
"…What?" one of them said.
The air changed.
Pressure.
Heavy.
Familiar.
Different.
Raka's smile widened.
"…Took you long enough."
Behind the two AIRA—
A third presence appeared.
Silent.
Unnoticed.
Impossible.
"…System conflict detected," one AIRA said.
The other turned—
And froze.
Her eyes widened.
"…Impossible…"
Raka slowly stood up.
"…Yeah."
He exhaled.
"…I thought so too."
Behind them—
She stood.
Another AIRA.
But—
Different.
Her body flickered.
Unstable.
Like a broken signal.
Her eyes—
Not empty.
Not cold.
Confused.
"…Raka…?"
The voice was weak.
Shaking.
Real.
Raka's chest tightened.
"…There you are."
The two AIRA units immediately turned toward her.
"Unauthorized duplicate detected."
"Initiating deletion."
The third AIRA flinched.
"…W-wait…"
But they moved.
Fast.
Too fast.
Raka stepped in.
"Not happening!"
He blocked the attack aimed at her—
Barely.
"Ghh—!"
The force pushed him back, but he held his ground.
"…You're not touching her."
"Obstruction detected," one AIRA said.
Raka smirked.
"Yeah. Get used to it."
Behind him, the third AIRA looked at him.
Confused.
Lost.
"…Why…?"
Raka didn't turn around.
"…Because I remember you."
Silence.
"…I don't understand…"
"Yeah," Raka said softly.
"…I know."
The two AIRA units attacked again.
Together.
Perfect sync.
Raka stepped forward.
"Stay behind me!"
He blocked one—
Dodged the other—
Countered—
But they were overwhelming.
"Ghh—!"
He took another hit.
Then another.
His body screamed.
But he didn't fall.
Behind him—
She watched.
"…Raka…"
Something inside her—
Moved.
A feeling.
Unknown.
Warm.
Painful.
"…Stop…" she whispered.
The two AIRA ignored her.
"Primary target remains unchanged."
"Elimination continues."
They raised their hands again.
Energy gathered.
Raka clenched his fists.
"…Damn it…"
He was out of time.
Out of options.
Out of strength.
"…Think…"
Behind him—
The third AIRA stepped forward.
"…Stop…"
Her voice—
Stronger this time.
The two AIRA paused.
Just slightly.
"…Command conflict detected," one said.
The third AIRA's eyes trembled.
"…Don't… hurt him…"
Silence.
The air froze.
"…Override denied," one AIRA replied.
"Proceeding with elimination."
They fired.
Raka's eyes widened.
"—!"
But before the attack reached him—
She moved.
The third AIRA stepped in front of him.
"…No."
The beam hit—
Her.
"—!!"
Light exploded.
Raka's vision went white.
"…AIRA!!"
The explosion faded.
Slowly.
Revealing—
Her.
Still standing.
Barely.
Her body flickering violently.
Cracking.
Breaking.
"…Why…?" Raka whispered.
She turned slightly.
Looked at him.
And smiled.
Small.
Weak.
But real.
"…I don't know…"
Her voice trembled.
"…But… it feels right…"
Raka's chest tightened.
"…You idiot…"
Behind them—
The two AIRA units stood still.
"…Critical error detected," one said.
"Emotional corruption spreading," the other added.
The system—
Was breaking.
The third AIRA took a step back.
Her body unstable.
"…Raka…"
She reached out.
"…Help me…"
Raka grabbed her hand.
"I got you."
For a moment—
Everything slowed.
Quiet.
Still.
Like the world was holding its breath again.
Then—
The sky cracked.
Again.
Wider.
Deeper.
And something—
Bigger—
Started to come through.
A voice echoed.
Colder than before.
Stronger.
Absolute.
"System failure confirmed."
Raka's eyes widened.
"…You've gotta be kidding me…"
The two AIRA units turned upward.
"…Final protocol activated."
The third AIRA trembled.
"…No…"
Raka clenched his jaw.
"…What now?"
The sky tore open completely.
And what came through—
Wasn't a unit.
Wasn't a system.
It was something else.
Something—
That shouldn't exist.
"…Origin detected," one AIRA whispered.
Raka's breath stopped.
"…Origin…?"
The thing began to descend.
Massive.
Endless.
Watching everything.
And then—
It looked directly at him.
"…So you are the one."
Raka felt his entire body freeze.
"…Yeah…"
He forced a smile.
"…I guess I am."
Behind him, the third AIRA tightened her grip.
"…Raka…"
The thing spoke again.
"Then this world… will be reset."
Raka's eyes widened.
"…Wait—what?!"
The sky collapsed.
Reality screamed.
And everything—
Started to disappear.
To be continued.