The sky was too quiet.
Raka stood still, his chest rising slowly. The wind had stopped. The broken city around him felt… paused. Like the world itself was holding its breath.
Waiting.
For something terrible.
"Raka…"
The voice came from behind him.
Soft. Familiar.
But wrong.
He didn't turn immediately.
"…You're not her," he said quietly.
Footsteps echoed on the cracked asphalt.
"I am her."
Raka closed his eyes for a second. Just one second.
Then he turned.
She stood there.
Same face.
Same eyes.
Same girl who once held his hand like she would never let go.
"…Aira," he whispered.
She smiled.
But it didn't reach her eyes.
"You still remember my name."
Raka stared at her. Every detail was perfect. The way her hair moved. The small scar on her left cheek. Even the way she tilted her head.
But something deep inside him screamed.
Run.
"This isn't real," Raka said. "You died."
Aira took a step closer.
"No," she said softly. "I was taken."
Raka clenched his fists. "By them."
"Yes," she replied. "By the system you're trying to destroy."
Silence.
Then—
"So what are you now?" Raka asked.
Aira smiled again.
"I am what they made me."
Her eyes flickered.
For a moment, just a moment, they turned cold—like glass.
"I am the one who will stop you."
Raka let out a slow breath.
"…Then you're not Aira."
Aira's expression didn't change.
"Does it matter?" she asked. "If I look like her? If I sound like her? If I remember everything she ever said to you?"
Raka's heart skipped.
"…What do you remember?" he asked.
Aira stepped closer. Now only a few meters away.
"You hate spicy food," she said. "But you always pretend you like it when I cook."
Raka's eyes widened slightly.
"You can't sleep without noise," she continued. "Even silence scares you more than war."
"…Stop," Raka said.
"And the night before everything ended," she said softly, "you told me—"
"STOP!"
Raka shouted.
The sound echoed through the empty city.
Aira stopped talking.
For a moment… her face softened.
"I remember everything," she said gently.
"That's what makes this so easy."
Her voice changed.
Colder.
Sharper.
"I know exactly how to break you."
Raka's body tensed.
"Then try," he said.
Aira tilted her head.
"…You're different," she said. "Before, you would hesitate."
"I learned."
"From pain?"
"From you."
Silence fell again.
Then—
Aira raised her hand.
The air around them shifted.
Raka felt it instantly.
A pressure.
Like invisible wires wrapping around his body.
He gritted his teeth.
"So this is how it is now," he muttered.
"Yes," Aira said calmly. "No more running."
The ground beneath Raka cracked.
Something was pulling him down.
Hard.
His knees bent slightly, but he didn't fall.
"You're stronger," Aira said, observing him. "But not enough."
Raka smirked.
"Wanna bet?"
In one sudden movement—
He stepped forward.
The pressure increased.
Bones creaked.
But he kept moving.
One step.
Then another.
Aira's eyes widened slightly.
"…Impossible."
"You talk too much," Raka said.
Then he dashed forward.
Fast.
Faster than before.
Aira reacted instantly.
Her hand moved—
And the air exploded.
BOOM.
Raka was thrown back, crashing into a broken wall.
Dust filled the air.
Silence.
Aira lowered her hand slowly.
"…Still human," she whispered.
Then—
From the smoke—
A shadow moved.
Raka stepped out.
Blood trickled from his forehead.
But he was smiling.
"That tickled."
Aira frowned.
"That should have crushed your ribs."
"It almost did," Raka replied casually. "You're getting rusty."
Aira's eyes flickered again.
"No," she said. "You're adapting."
Raka cracked his neck.
"Yeah. That's kind of my thing."
Aira took a deep breath.
Then—
She disappeared.
Raka's eyes widened.
"Fast—"
Too late.
She was already behind him.
"You can't win," she whispered.
A sharp pain shot through Raka's side.
He gasped.
Aira's hand had pierced through his defense—stopping just before his heart.
"So close," she murmured.
Raka grabbed her wrist.
"…You hesitated," he said.
Aira froze.
For a fraction of a second.
That was enough.
Raka twisted her arm and threw her over his shoulder.
She hit the ground hard.
CRACK.
The road shattered beneath her.
Raka jumped back, holding his side.
Breathing heavily.
"…You did hesitate," he repeated.
Aira slowly stood up.
Her expression… changed.
Confusion.
"…No," she said. "I calculated perfectly."
"Then why am I still alive?" Raka asked.
Aira didn't answer.
Instead, she looked at her hand.
Shaking.
"…Error," she whispered.
Raka's eyes softened for a moment.
"Aira…"
She looked up sharply.
"Do not call me that."
"That's your name."
"No."
Her voice was louder now.
Colder.
"I am Unit 7-A."
Raka shook his head.
"No. That's what they call you."
Aira's breathing became uneven.
"I am Unit 7-A," she repeated.
"You're Aira."
"I am Unit—"
"You're Aira!"
Silence.
The world seemed to freeze again.
Aira's eyes flickered violently.
Images flashed.
Memories.
Fragments.
Raka saw it.
He saw the struggle.
"…They didn't erase you completely," he said quietly.
Aira stepped back.
"No… that's not possible…"
"You're still in there."
"Stop talking."
"You hesitated because you didn't want to kill me."
"STOP!"
Aira screamed.
The air around them exploded again.
Buildings shook.
Windows shattered.
Raka was forced to shield his face.
When the dust settled—
Aira stood in the center.
Her body trembling.
Her eyes glowing.
"I… do not… hesitate," she said slowly.
Raka lowered his arm.
"You just did."
Aira's voice broke.
"…I am a weapon."
"No."
"I follow commands."
"No."
"I eliminate targets."
"No."
Raka stepped forward.
"You're a person."
Aira froze.
"…That word," she whispered.
"Person."
Her hands shook harder.
"I… remember…"
Raka didn't move.
"Good," he said gently. "Keep remembering."
Aira clutched her head.
"Stop… it hurts…"
"I know."
"They told me pain is unnecessary…"
"They lied."
"They said emotions are errors…"
"They lied."
"They said you are the enemy…"
Raka smiled sadly.
"…Yeah. That part is true."
Aira looked at him.
Tears formed in her eyes.
"I don't want to kill you," she said softly.
Raka's chest tightened.
"Then don't."
"I can't stop," she replied. "There's something… controlling me…"
Raka's expression hardened.
"The core system."
"Yes…"
Aira took a step back.
"You need to run," she said.
"I'm not leaving you."
"You have to!" she shouted. "If I lose control—"
"You won't."
"You don't understand!"
Her eyes turned cold again.
The glow intensified.
"I'm already losing it."
Raka's heart dropped.
"Aira—"
Too late.
She moved.
Faster than before.
This time—
There was no hesitation.
Her attack came straight for his heart.
Raka barely dodged.
The ground behind him exploded.
"She's serious now," he muttered.
Aira attacked again.
And again.
And again.
Each strike faster.
Stronger.
More precise.
Raka struggled to keep up.
"She's not holding back anymore," he thought.
Aira's voice echoed.
"TARGET MUST BE ELIMINATED."
Raka clenched his teeth.
"No…"
He dodged another strike.
Then grabbed her arm.
"Fight it!" he shouted.
Aira's body froze mid-motion.
For a split second.
"…Raka…" she whispered.
Then—
Her eyes turned cold again.
"THREAT DETECTED."
She kicked him hard.
Raka flew across the street, crashing into a car.
Metal bent around him.
He coughed.
Blood.
"…This is bad," he muttered.
He looked up.
Aira was floating slightly above the ground now.
Energy gathered around her.
"I will end this," she said.
Raka forced himself to stand.
"…Yeah," he said. "So will I."
He wiped the blood from his mouth.
Then—
He relaxed.
Completely.
Aira tilted her head.
"…What are you doing?"
Raka smiled.
"Trusting you."
Aira froze.
"What?"
"I'm done fighting you," he said.
"That is not logical."
"Maybe."
Raka dropped his guard.
Completely open.
"If you want to kill me," he said, "do it."
Silence.
Aira stared at him.
Processing.
Calculating.
Confused.
"…Why?" she asked.
Raka took a deep breath.
"Because I believe you're still in there."
Aira's hands trembled.
"I… I can't control it…"
"Then I'll help you."
"How?"
Raka smiled softly.
"The same way you saved me."
Aira's eyes widened.
Flashback.
A memory.
Rain.
Darkness.
Her hand reaching for his.
"I… saved you?" she whispered.
"Yeah," Raka said. "And now it's my turn."
Aira raised her hand slowly.
Energy gathered again.
Stronger.
Unstable.
"I… don't want to do this…"
"Then don't."
"I can't stop it…"
"Then fight it."
Tears streamed down her face.
"I'm trying…"
Raka stepped closer.
Even as the energy grew more dangerous.
"You're doing great," he said.
"Don't come closer!" she cried.
"Too late."
He stood right in front of her now.
One step away.
"If this is the end," he said, "I'm glad it's with you."
Aira's entire body shook.
"Raka…"
The energy reached its peak.
Everything around them began to crack.
The ground.
The air.
Reality itself.
"I… CAN'T STOP—"
"YES YOU CAN!"
Raka grabbed her hand.
Instantly—
A surge of energy shot through him.
Pain.
Unimaginable pain.
He screamed.
But he didn't let go.
"Come back!" he shouted.
Aira's eyes flickered wildly.
"…Raka…"
"I'm right here!"
The light intensified.
Blinding.
Then—
Silence.
Everything stopped.
The energy vanished.
The wind returned.
The world moved again.
Raka fell to his knees.
Breathing heavily.
Still holding her hand.
"…Aira?"
No response.
His heart stopped.
"…Aira?"
Slowly—
Her fingers moved.
Then—
She squeezed his hand.
Weakly.
"…Idiot," she whispered.
Raka froze.
Then laughed.
"…Yeah," he said. "That's me."
Aira opened her eyes.
Normal.
Human.
"…You almost died," she said softly.
"You hesitated again."
Aira smiled faintly.
"…I guess I did."
Raka helped her sit down.
They stayed there.
In the middle of a broken world.
Holding hands.
Alive.
For now.
But far away—
Something was watching.
And it was not happy.
"…So," Raka said quietly, "what now?"
Aira looked at the horizon.
Her expression turned serious.
"…Now," she said, "they send something worse."
Raka sighed.
"…Of course they do."
Aira squeezed his hand tighter.
"But this time," she said, "I'm fighting with you."
Raka smiled.
"That's all I need."
The wind blew again.
Stronger now.
Like a warning.
Or a promise.
And somewhere deep within the system—
A new command was issued.
ELIMINATE BOTH TARGETS.
To be continued…