The silver aircraft sliced through the morning clouds like a blade of light.
Delhi had long disappeared behind them.
Below, the world became a blur of sky, ocean, and drifting sunlight.
Inside the cockpit, blue holographic panels floated around Aelina like constellations.
Her fingers moved swiftly across the controls, guiding the stealth craft with inhuman precision.
Aarav sat in the co-pilot seat, still trying to process the fact that less than twelve hours ago, he had been living a normal life.
Now he was flying in a futuristic aircraft toward Tokyo to rescue another girl from the future.
Rohan, strapped into the seat behind them, stared out the side viewport.
"I still think I'm dreaming."
Without looking back, Aarav replied, "If this is a dream, it has way too much cardio."
Rohan let out a dry laugh.
"At least Dream Me has good dialogue."
Aelina's holographic map pulsed.
Tokyo appeared in glowing blue lines.
A red signal flashed beneath the city.
SECOND UNIT: MIRA-700
LIFE SIGNS: ACTIVE
THREAT LEVEL: CRITICAL
Aarav leaned closer.
"How much time?"
Aelina's expression tightened.
"Thirty-two minutes until full Hunter containment."
Rohan frowned.
"Containment meaning…?"
Aelina answered coldly.
"Either capture or termination."
The words settled heavily inside the cockpit.
Aarav clenched his fists.
"We're not letting that happen."
Aelina glanced at him.
For a moment, the hard light in her eyes softened.
"You truly mean that."
Aarav looked at her.
"Of course I do."
Silence filled the cabin for a moment.
Then the city came into view.
Tokyo.
A sea of towering glass buildings, elevated rail lines, and neon signs still glowing faintly in the early morning haze.
The city looked alive.
Fast.
Massive.
Unstoppable.
Aelina guided the aircraft downward.
"We cannot land at a public terminal."
Rohan raised an eyebrow.
"Obviously."
A new route appeared on the hologram.
SHINJUKU SUBLEVEL ACCESS
Aarav frowned.
"Under the city?"
Aelina nodded.
"Mira's chamber is beneath Shinjuku Station."
Rohan blinked.
"Of course it is."
The stealth craft banked sharply and descended between the skyscrapers.
The manoeuvre was so sudden that Aarav had to grip his seat.
The aircraft slipped between buildings before vanishing into a maintenance tunnel hidden between two service structures.
The walls opened.
A concealed landing shaft.
The craft descended into darkness.
Moments later, it landed inside a narrow underground hangar.
The doors opened.
The three stepped out.
Cold air rushed through the tunnel.
Above them, faint vibrations echoed.
Trains.
The entire city was moving overhead.
Aelina raised her hand.
The map projected forward.
"Fifty metres ahead."
The tunnel led into a maintenance corridor beneath the station.
Pipes lined the ceiling.
Emergency lights flickered red.
A faint smell of smoke lingered in the air.
Aarav slowed.
"Smoke?"
Aelina's face darkened.
"She's fighting."
They ran.
The corridor opened into a massive underground chamber.
Aarav froze.
The place looked like another containment vault.
A giant cylindrical pod stood shattered at the centre.
Glass shards covered the floor.
Sparks burst from damaged consoles.
And standing in the middle of it all—
Was the girl from the transmission?
Long black hair cascading down her back.
Eyes glowing a fierce violet.
A dark bodysuit traced with silver nano-lines that pulsed like living circuits.
Unlike Aelina's calm elegance, this girl radiated raw intensity.
She stood with one hand extended.
Dozens of metallic fragments floated around her in the air.
Nanoblades.
Each one is sharp enough to cut steel.
8
Around her lay three destroyed Hunter units.
Armour torn apart.
Weapons shattered.
Rohan stared.
"…She did that alone?"
Before anyone could answer, the girl's head snapped toward them.
Her violet eyes locked onto Aelina first.
Then Aarav.
Then Rohan.
Her expression hardened.
"Why did you come?"
Her voice was colder than winter steel.
Aelina stepped forward.
"Mira."
Mira's eyes narrowed.
"I told you not to come."
A loud metallic sound echoed behind them.
The chamber doors slammed shut.
Red warning lights activated.
A new voice filled the room.
Mechanical.
Emotionless.
"All units confirmed."
"Origin anomaly detected."
"Phase two containment initiated."
The ceiling panels above suddenly opened.
Hunter drones.
Dozens of them.
Far more than the ones in Delhi.
Rohan's face went pale.
"…Why is Tokyo worse?"
Mira looked up and smirked.
"Because they were expecting me."
The first drone fired.
A red beam shot downward.
Mira flicked her fingers.
The floating metal shards moved like lightning.
SLASH!
The drone split in half.
Sparks rained from above.
Aelina stepped beside her.
Blue energy gathered in her palms.
For the first time, the two future girls stood side by side.
Silver light.
Violet light.
Past the tension between them, Aarav could feel it.
Power.
Different centuries.
Different evolutions.
One purpose.
Protect the future.
Mira glanced sideways at Aelina.
"You brought humans with you."
Her eyes shifted to Aarav.
Especially him.
For one brief second, something unreadable flashed in her expression.
Recognition.
Then she spoke softly.
"…So it really is him."
Aarav frowned.
"What does that mean?"
Before anyone could answer, the entire chamber shook.
A massive Hunter unit descended from the ceiling.
Twice the size of the others.
Heavily armoured.
Red core glowing at its chest.
A boss-level enemy.
Rohan muttered, "This one definitely skipped the tutorial."
Mira's violet eyes sharpened.
Aelina's blue light intensified.
And Aarav realised one terrifying thing.
This battle was only the beginning.