'Zunans are mysterious and quite intriguing creatures,' Toshiro mused silently.
Before him on the long library table lay an open book. The table stretched the length of the aisle, matching the bench, situated between two towering shelves that ran parallel to one another, leaving just enough space for someone to pass through.
His glasses rested beside him in their case.
'According to the books, the Zunans appeared in the 14th Century and immediately attacked humans.' He spun a pen idly in his hand, his gaze fixed on the page yet somehow distant.
'They appeared and immediately started ripping out human hearts to eat them. It's interesting how they showed no desire for the hearts of other animals; cattle, pigs and they knew their prey instantly.' He raised his chin slightly, resting it on his right hand as his focus shifted to the student seated opposite him. The young boy had delicate features and long black hair that fell over his face, partially veiling his eyes. His yellow eyes were staring at Toshiro and widened with a start when Toshiro looked up.
"Ah, sorry, Secretary Toshiro. I didn't mean to stare," the boy said, his voice trembling slightly as he struggled to maintain his composure.
"It's fine," Toshiro replied, his attention drifting to the book the boy was reading. "I see you've taken an interest in Zunan origins."
"Oh, uh.....yeah." The boy scratched his head despite the lack of an itch. "I just wanted to better understand them, you know?"
"You won't find those answers in books," Toshiro said, his eyes returning to his own text. "Apparently, not even the writers of these books know. Or, if they do, they've made certain no one else finds out."
A flicker of shock and disappointment crossed the boy's face, though Toshiro didn't bother to look up to see it. "Really? Sorry to ask, Senior, but... how many books have you read on this?"
"I lost count," Toshiro replied calmly. "Probably over a hundred. So let me save you the trouble. After reading all of them, I've realized something. While I don't know exactly where the Zunans came from or why they crave human hearts so desperately, I do know this: whatever phenomenon created them was aware of humanity's existence. They were born exactly for that purpose."
The boy flinched back in his chair, visibly struggling to process the weight of the statement. "What are you implying, Senior? Are you saying they were literally made just to kill humans?"
Toshiro's gaze sharpened as he met the boy's eyes. "Take it with a grain of salt, but the evidence suggests so. The Zunans don't attack any other animal. And the moment they arrived, they went straight for human hearts, as if they'd always known. At least, that's what the books say."
He let the words hang in the still air. Nearby, a few other cadets had stopped pretending to read, their attention drawn to the quiet conversation.
"But you should read for yourself," Toshiro continued, his tone devoid of emotion. "It will help you understand better. What's your name, by the way?"
"Oh, uh, I'm Yuma—Yuma Sato. Second year." A slight smile formed on Yuma's lips, pleased that the upperclassman had asked.
"Nice name," Toshiro remarked. "Just keep researching. Only knowledge can uncover the unknown."
With an enthusiastic nod, Yuma replied, "Yes, Senior. I will."
Toshiro's attention drifted back inward, his eyes resting on the book before him without truly seeing it. The chapter heading read: 'MYTHS OF THE FLAMING GOD.'
'I wonder how the Flaming Being came to know of the situation on Earth,' he thought. 'Most books say it took several months before the Flaming Being appeared after the Zunan crisis began. The author of this book described the Flaming Being so elegantly you can tell he believed he was witnessing a god.'
Toshiro let out a shallow sigh, allowing his thoughts to gather.
'A humanoid figure made of flames of divine presence. Gold and blue they were, covering even his wings, which spread wide, wider than an eagle's. That's how he described him. And after he appeared, he did something that set every Zunan on Earth ablaze in an instant.'
He turned the page, though his thoughts and his reading remained disconnected, two streams running parallel.
'But by then, humanity had already been brought to the brink of extinction. I'm not certain of the world population at that time, but various records suggest only several thousand people remained. He certainly took his sweet time making an entrance. Though perhaps I shouldn't judge, I don't know why he took so long, or if he was even obligated to help in the first place.'
"A bookworm till the end, huh?"
The voice came from his left. Toshiro didn't need to look to know who it was.
"Hey, Kiligaku. Since you're here, I assume everyone is at their hostels." Toshiro
ignored the question, asking his own.
"Yep. It took a while, the Fourth Years were having their final lecture on the Anabasis. Those youngsters are finally about to taste what real power feels like."
"I see," Toshiro remarked, closing his glasses case and picking it up. He rose to his feet and met Kiligaku's gaze. "Then I suppose the only ones remaining are the ones in here."
He glanced at the cadets seated at the same table, who were now staring openly at the two upperclassmen.
"Seniors, is there an emergency?" Yuma asked hesitantly.
Toshiro and Kiligaku began walking away. "Nothing to worry about, Yuma. It's the same as last year."
Yuma looked confused. 'Same as last year? What happened last year that's happening today?'
"I think it's about the hostel damage assessment thing," the girl sitting a few inches to his left whispered. "It's the only reason that makes sense for why they'd want everyone gathered at the hostels."
She was physically taller than Yuma even while seated. Her auburn curls rested gently on her shoulders, held back by a headband that swept her hair away from her face. Her eyes were a light, striking teal.
"But then where are they going?" Yuma asked, his gaze drifting from her to the departing figures of Toshiro and Kiligaku as they made their way toward the reception desk and the exit beyond. "Have they forgotten about us in the library?"
"I doubt it," she replied gently, her eyes also tracking the two seniors. "Let's just wait and see."
Toshiro and Kiligaku reached the reception desk. Toshiro's eyes met the receptionist's, and he gave only a sharp nod before continuing toward the exit. Kiligaku followed without a word.
The receptionist was a slightly short man with a round face, a neatly trimmed mustache, and short, brushed hair. His eyes were pale blue, and his hair was a striking grey–not from age, as his youthful features made clear, but his natural color. He reached for the microphone on his desk.
"Attention, cadets. A mandatory summons from the Secretary of the Cadet Council. All of you must report to your hostels immediately. Do so without fail, failure to be punctual will be penalized as usual."
His voice, amplified by the small speakers mounted along the library ceiling, echoed through the vast room, ensuring no one missed the message.
Upon hearing the announcement, the cadets in the library abandoned whatever they were doing and began making their way toward the exit. The sound of books snapping shut and hurried footsteps filled the air. Kiligaku glanced back briefly.
'I see. He must have told the librarian to make the announcement the moment he exited,' he thought, his gaze shifting to Toshiro. 'A little dramatic... but eh, who cares. Guess even the stoic Toshiro enjoys aura farming.'
"Have Pathro and Sumire already departed for Tokyo? I can't sense their energy," Toshiro asked, his expression blank as ever.
"They left about thirty minutes ago," Kiligaku replied. "Luckily, the helicopter arrived sooner than expected."
"I hope he didn't forget about selecting nominees for the next Cadet Council. The fourth years have their Anabasis tomorrow, correct?" Toshiro's tone carried a hint of skepticism. "Since it begins early in the morning, the only opportunity to handle that is today. I hope he doesn't get carried away while he's out there."
Kiligaku let out a chuckle. "Yeah... I'm sure he'll remember this time. After all, with graduation happening tonight, he just needs to make it back in time to prepare for everything."
'The Anabasis, huh,' Toshiro mused silently. 'The parting gift left by the Flaming Angel. Before he departed, he warned that the Zunans would continue to be a threat and that humanity needed to be capable of defending itself. Knowing we were utterly powerless against them, he eventually left behind a portal to a realm called Shinkai. A place where one can gain the ability to grow stronger. That's how super soldiers like myself are forged.'
The growing clamor of cadets rushing toward their hostels pulled him from his reverie. He watched them pass, many casting questioning glances his way, their eyes brimming with unspoken curiosity.
"Well," Toshiro muttered with a defeated sigh, "this is going to be an annoying task."
"At least Pathro and Sumire are having fun sightseeing," Kiligaku offered.
---
A thin veil of clouds stretched across the sky, casting dark shadows over Tokyo. The roads of Minato Ward remained congested with vehicles and pedestrians crowding the walkways. Minato was one of Tokyo's prominent wards, renowned for its bustling business district and striking architecture. A clock tower at a nearby roundabout displayed the time just past two in the afternoon. A slow, biting wind swept through the streets, prompting passersby to bundle up against the cold. It was, after all, the heart of winter.
Pathro and Sumire's helicopter descended gently onto a designated landing zone in a less congested area of the ward. Sumire manually slid the door open, and the two of them hopped out.
"Thanks, sir," Sumire said to the pilot. "We don't take it for granted."
The pilot wore camouflage military fatigues and a mask that left only his eyes visible. "Nah, don't mention it. Just doing my job." He pulled the mask down, revealing a clean-shaven head with shaved sides that accentuated a sharp, stylish cut. His black hair was trimmed neatly at the front, and his slit sky-blue eyes glinted in the dim light. "So, what time will you be coming back?" he asked curiously.
Sumire glanced at Pathro, silently prompting him to answer.
"Probably around five," Pathro replied. "Or, let's say half four. Graduation starts at six, so..."
The pilot checked his phone, which read 14:23. "Alright, that gives me nearly two hours. I'll be here waiting. See you guys then." He flashed them a smile.
Sumire and Pathro waved back before turning and heading toward the city.
"Man, it sucks not being able to fly or just create a portal," Pathro grumbled, kicking a loose stone out of his path. "Would save us the trouble of riding in a helicopter."
Sumire glanced at his annoyed expression. "Couldn't agree more. The instructors could have just opened a portal and saved us the hassle. It's like they don't even care about our graduation."
"They don't," Pathro replied flatly. "They literally left all the planning to us." He let out a frustrated sigh. "Ah well. At least they gave us free rein with the academy's account. Those filthy rich instructors don't care how much we spend because they know we can't possibly drain it."
He pulled two ATM cards from his pocket and tossed one to Sumire. "It'll be faster if we split up. I'll handle the food. You handle decorations and anything non-food related."
Sumire nodded, catching the card deftly. "Fair enough. Let's meet up later, then."
Without another word, Sumire blurred out of sight, moving at speeds that outpaced sound. Pathro stood still for a moment, feeling the delayed gust of wind wash over him in her wake.
'Sometimes I forget we're fast enough to run on water,' he mused. 'But carrying a ton of supplies while doing it? That's just negative aura. I really hope I learn to fly soon.'
He let out a wistful sigh and turned to glance back at the helicopter, its rotors already beginning to spin in preparation for takeoff.
'Tomorrow really is my final day as a cadet... and as president, huh?' He clenched his fist, the weight of the moment settling over him. 'And tomorrow is also my first day facing the infamous Zunans. My entire purpose at the academy, five years of training–ends and begins tomorrow.'