The street had fallen quiet.
Moments ago, chaos had ruled the intersection.
Now—
Only flashing police lights remained.
The gang members sat handcuffed on the curb under police supervision, their weapons confiscated.
Nearby, civilians comforted one another.
A child wiped away tears.
An elderly man bowed repeatedly.
A mother held her daughter close.
Safe.
At last.
Leon Mercer stood in the middle of the street.
Blood stained his coat.
Not his own.
His breathing had finally steadied.
The storm inside him had calmed—for now.
Police officers moved through the area, taking statements and securing evidence.
One officer approached cautiously.
Not with suspicion.
With respect.
The veteran policeman held a notebook beneath the glow of the streetlights.
"Sir."
His voice remained professional.
Yet there was unmistakable admiration in his eyes.
"You stopped an entire gang by yourself without causing any civilian casualties."
He glanced at the subdued criminals.
Clean takedowns.
Precise.
Controlled.
Like someone trained for far worse.
The officer looked up.
"For the report..."
He offered a small smile.
"May I have your name?"
The street seemed to grow quiet.
The wind carried cherry blossoms through the air.
Leon paused.
For years, his name had meant little.
In Mirekun City, names disappeared.
Survivors died.
Legends faded.
Yet here—
People wanted to know who had saved them.
Leon slowly sheathed his weapon.
His voice was calm.
Steady.
"Leon Mercer."
The words hung in the air.
Nearby, civilians whispered.
"Leon Mercer..."
"That's the man who saved us."
"The one from earlier—"
Phones continued recording.
The name spread from person to person like ripples across water.
The officer's expression softened.
He closed his notebook.
Then—
To everyone's surprise—
He offered a respectful nod.
"Mr. Mercer."
His tone carried genuine gratitude.
"On behalf of the department..."
He straightened.
"Thank you."
The officer reached into his pocket and handed over a card.
"If you ever need assistance, call us."
His eyes briefly shifted toward the group standing nearby.
A silver-haired girl.
A quiet young man.
An energetic pair watching with excitement.
He smiled faintly.
"You've got good people beside you."
Leon stared at the card.
Help.
Offered freely.
No price.
No hidden agenda.
That alone felt stranger than teleportation.
Then—
Applause erupted.
One person clapped.
Then another.
And another.
Until the entire street echoed with gratitude.
The elderly man Leon had saved stepped forward and bowed deeply.
"Thank you."
A young child waved excitedly.
"Ghost Guardian!"
The nickname spread quickly.
"Ghost Guardian!"
"That's him!"
"The Ghost Guardian!"
Leon blinked.
Ghost Guardian.
The title sounded almost unreal.
As though it belonged to someone else.
Then suddenly—
Warm fingers wrapped around his arm.
Shiori.
She stood beside him.
Her silver-blue eyes sparkled beneath the evening sky.
Not with admiration.
Not with worship.
With relief.
The kind only someone who had worried could show.
Her smile was gentle.
Beautiful.
And somehow—
It steadied him more than anything else.
"Leon-kun."
Her voice was soft.
Warm.
The kind of warmth he had nearly forgotten existed.
"You should rest now."
Her eyes drifted to the blood staining his coat.
Concern immediately replaced relief.
"Let's go home."
Home.
The word struck him unexpectedly.
Before he could respond—
Airi practically exploded beside them.
Her eyes shone brighter than the city lights.
"Did you see that?!"
She pointed dramatically.
"You're famous!"
She thrust her phone toward him.
Comments flooded the screen.
Ghost Guardian!
Who is that guy?!
He's incredible!
Airi grinned.
"Your popularity just skyrocketed!"
Daichi stepped forward next.
His grin was fierce.
Proud.
He held out a fist.
No words needed.
Leon stared at it for a moment.
Then—
He returned the gesture.
Their fists met.
Simple.
Solid.
Trust.
"Welcome to the team," Daichi said.
"No take-backs."
Finally—
Haruto approached.
Quiet as always.
His gaze met Leon's.
No fear.
No hesitation.
Only understanding.
Haruto gave a small nod.
A gesture so subtle most people would miss it.
But Leon understood.
The meaning behind it was simple:
You belong here.
No speeches.
No grand declarations.
Just acceptance.
Perhaps that was why it struck so deeply.
Police vehicles slowly departed.
The city returned to normal.
Streetlights flickered on.
Evening settled over the neighborhood.
And for the first time since REV X-99 destroyed Mirekun City—
Leon Mercer stood among people who wanted nothing from him.
No missions.
No orders.
No survival.
Just—
Him.
As the group began walking together beneath the fading sunset, Leon glanced upward.
The portal had not opened.
Not yet.
Only a faint distortion shimmered high above the clouds.
Waiting.
Watching.
A reminder that two worlds remained connected.
And somewhere beyond that unseen boundary—
Mirekun City still waited.
But tonight—
For the first time in years—
Leon allowed himself to walk beside others.
Not as a Runner.
Not as a survivor.
Not as a ghost.
But simply—
Leon Mercer.
The evening sky glowed with the fading colors of sunset.
The cheers had quieted.
Police vehicles disappeared into the distance.
The civilians had returned home.
Yet the warmth lingering in the air remained.
Leon Mercer stood beneath the streetlights.
Shiori beside him.
Haruto nearby.
Daichi and Airi still talking excitedly.
For a moment—
It almost felt normal.
Too normal.
Leon's expression darkened.
The warmth around him only made the memories sharper.
Mirekun City.
REV X-99.
The screams.
The blood.
The things he had become to survive.
His hand unconsciously tightened around the hilt of his machete.
No.
They didn't know.
Not really.
They had seen a survivor.
A protector.
A hero.
But not—
The truth.
The portal above flickered faintly.
Its familiar hum echoed through the night.
Leon's eyes lowered.
Shadows crossed his face.
His voice emerged quietly.
Heavy.
Like distant thunder.
"You still don't know the truth about me."
The group fell silent.
Even Airi stopped speaking.
Leon didn't turn around.
His gaze remained fixed on the darkening sky.
"When you see what I really am..."
His voice carried no anger.
Only certainty.
"And what this world made me become..."
His fingers tightened around his weapon.
"You'll run."
Shiori's eyes widened.
Haruto narrowed his gaze.
Daichi frowned.
Airi blinked.
Leon continued.
"You should."
The words struck harder than anyone expected.
Because he believed them.
Deeply.
Truly.
As though they were an unchangeable fact.
Then—
CRACK!
The portal opened.
Blue light engulfed him.
Shiori instinctively reached out.
"Leon-kun!"
But it was too late.
The light swallowed him.
And once again—
He vanished.
Silence remained.
Only the evening wind moved.
The place where Leon had stood was empty.
Yet his words lingered in the air.
You'll run.
No one spoke for several seconds.
Then—
Shiori stepped forward.
Her hand rested over her chest.
The worn ARB patch remained safely inside her pocket.
His proof of existence.
His proof that he always returned.
Her eyes trembled.
Not from fear.
From worry.
"What happened to you in Mirekun City...?"
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
The image of his exhausted eyes flashed through her mind.
His guilt.
His loneliness.
His pain.
Her grip tightened.
"No."
Her voice grew firmer.
Steadier.
"Whatever your past is..."
Her eyes lifted toward the sky.
"I won't run."
The evening wind carried her words away.
But somehow—
It felt as though another world had heard them.
Nearby, Airi shivered dramatically.
"True form...?"
Her eyes sparkled despite her nervousness.
"That's practically a final boss reveal!"
Then she paused.
Her expression softened.
"But if Leon-senpai was afraid to show us..."
She looked down.
"He must be really hurting."
Daichi crossed his arms.
His expression hardened.
"Monster or not."
His voice was firm.
"He jumped off a rooftop to save strangers."
He glanced at the street below.
"People show who they are through actions."
A grin slowly returned.
"If he thinks we're running away that easily—"
He cracked his knuckles.
"He's got another thing coming."
Haruto remained silent.
As always.
His gaze lingered on the spot where Leon had vanished.
Then—
Something caught his eye.
Near the curb.
A small device.
He bent down.
A metallic cylinder.
Compact.
Familiar.
A Lumen Flare.
One of the tools Leon carried from another world.
Haruto picked it up carefully.
Its surface bore scratches from years of use.
A survivor's tool.
A relic from hell.
He slipped it into his pocket.
His voice remained calm.
Quiet.
Steady.
"He's afraid of becoming a monster."
The others looked at him.
Haruto's eyes reflected the fading sunlight.
"But people who fear becoming monsters..."
He closed his hand around the flare.
"Usually aren't."
Silence followed.
Then Shiori straightened.
The uncertainty in her eyes vanished.
Replaced by determination.
For the first time—
The gentle girl everyone admired looked like someone prepared to fight fate itself.
She held the ARB patch close.
Her voice carried through the evening air.
"He warned us."
Her eyes shone with quiet resolve.
"But he still came back."
Once.
Twice.
Again and again.
Even when it hurt him.
Even when he believed he didn't belong.
Shiori smiled softly.
A smile filled with unwavering conviction.
"So next time..."
Her gaze lifted toward the sky between worlds.
"We save him too."
Daichi grinned.
Airi pumped her fist.
Haruto gave a quiet nod.
The group stood together beneath the night sky.
United.
Waiting.
Determined.
Far away—
Beyond dimensions.
Beyond worlds.
Leon Mercer landed hard upon a rooftop in Mirekun City.
Night had fallen.
The distant cries of Nightmares echoed through the ruined streets.
He slowly rose.
Alone once more.
Or so he believed.
Because for the first time in years—
There were people in another world waiting for him.
And they had no intention of letting him face his darkness alone.