The last traces of pink particles drifted through the air, fading into nothing. The group stood in silence, unsure how to even begin unpacking what had just happened.

For most of them, especially Kentaro, the same question burned: Why?

Why was an Alberline helping Halcyon? Sure, Halcyon was better than Spire or Cradle… But if that were the only reason, why now? And why go this far? Did Rin want to save Alberlines? Did she need them for her own purpose? Or… Was all of this somehow about Kentaro?

Tenka cleared her throat softly, pulling everyone's attention back.

"Again, team, I'm sorry for keeping such a thing from you." She bowed her head.

Kentaro was at her side instantly, lifting her chin before she could lower it further.

"It's fine, Tenka. Everyone makes mistakes. At least now we know, and maybe we can handle the whole Serica situation a little differently, right?"

Tenka gave a small nod. "You're right."

A few smiles broke across the crew before Haruka spoke up.

"So, Commander, what's the plan? We know where Aria is, but how do we get there? Rin said she'd handle whatever she needed to, which I'm guessing means distracting the Operators, or taking them out entirely, but Kentaro will still have to go inside. And there'll probably be Velza in there… And whoever else is with her."

Tenka crossed the room to her chair and sank into the Commander's seat. She turned back toward them with a steady look.

"Don't worry. First, we have Yura and Shogo, and we can send Yumi down as well, with Drone and Emi for support. And with Riku's surveillance skills, we should be able to move without drawing too much heat. Velza's the one who might cause trouble."

Kentaro caught the faint clench of Yura's fist before she muttered under her breath.

"If only I had my full strength… Maybe then..."

"That's true," Kentaro cut in, stepping toward Tenka. "Velza's strong, but we'll have Serica by then, hopefully, and that'll tip things in our favour."

Haruka's eyes suddenly widened.

"Commander, remember that thing you mentioned? What has the ship had installed recently?"

Tenka tilted her head in confusion, then it clicked.

"Oh, the new weapons. Not a bad idea. But we'd still need everyone out of the building first. And the moment we fire, our cloak is gone."

Kentaro frowned slightly. "Gun?"

The rest of the crew clearly had the same question.

"Yes," Tenka continued, "during our last maintenance stop, Vaelion got a set of military-grade weapons. They're… Extremely powerful. If we catch Velza off guard, they could take her down. But that means you'd all be in the crossfire."

Kentaro smiled faintly. "That's fine. I've got an idea."

Every eye turned to him.

"Once we get Aria, I'll use the tear drop pendant I've still got to teleport all of us back to the ship," he said confidently, smacking a fist into his palm.

A chorus of "Ohhh!" rippled through the room.

"Yeah, that's such a simple yet effective idea," Shogo said with a grin.

Tenka smirked. "Sure, but remember, the ship's teleporter is small. There's a limit to how many we can bring back at once."

"What if we teleport them to HQ?" Haruka suggested. "Shouldn't it be linked?"

A sharp click of realisation passed through Tenka.

"That's right. We send two people to come here and four over to the main base, which could very well work. Very well, then." She stood from her seat, her voice tightening with command.

"Right first, we take care of Serica and the bloom. Kentaro, I know you have that pendant, but don't risk yourself unless you have to. Remember, once you use it, you can't re-enter the same bloom. We'll support you from above, and when that's done, we'll storm the building with the people I mentioned earlier. So please, let's make this a success, but most importantly… Let's make sure we come back alive!"

"YESSIR!" the crew shouted in unison.

Tenka dropped back into her chair as preparations began. Her gaze lingered on the tactical screen, locked on the building Rin had pointed out.

"Bring it on, Spire," she muttered.

The teleporter platform hummed, its lights casting a faint glow across Kentaro's face. He had traded into more fitted clothes, black trousers and a black shirt, an outfit that looked more suited for a funeral than a rescue.

His hand rested on the teardrop pendant, the lifeline he didn't want to use unless absolutely necessary. He glanced back toward Yura, who stood at the front of the gathered crew.

"Ken… Please be careful. If you need me, I'll be down there without a second thought," she said, her gaze locking with his.

Kentaro nodded slowly, reaching out to pat her head. Her expression softened into a small smile at the gesture.

"Thanks, Yura. That means a lot. But hopefully, no offence, I won't be needing anyone's help… heh."

Yura gave a quiet nod.

Kentaro turned his attention to the rest of the crew.

"Everyone, once I'm done saving Serica, I want you to join me in saving Aria. I know it's dangerous, but I hope you'll stand with me."

Tenka smirked. "My, Kentaro, starting to sound all formal now."

"Indeed," Shogo added. "Reminds me of me when I was his age."

Kentaro gave him a deadpan look. "I'm actually disappointed in myself."

"Make that two," Yumi muttered.

An awkward pause hung in the air before Shogo lowered his head in mock defeat, and laughter erupted from the crew.

"Hah! Honestly, this moment would be perfect if we had Serica," Kentaro said once the laughter died down.

Tenka grinned. "Then go get her, Playboy."

"Right!" Kentaro stepped into the teleporter's centre. Light began to coil around him, twinkling brighter until the world around him collapsed into black.

*

Back in the Cradle facility, Milly pushed her way through the medical ward and into the changing zone. She passed officers and Operators who normally received a warm smile or polite greeting from her, but not today.

This wasn't the usual Milly.

Today, she wasn't in the mood for pleasantries or conversation at all. She had one mission, one goal: to speak to the man Kira was so worried about. The man who had suddenly become the centre of Cradle's attention. The man who could speak to Alberlines… And had somehow convinced them to live among humans.

She needed to know why. And if she could, she wanted to bring him to his senses.

Her boots clicked through the corridors. She passed the commander's offices without glancing inside until she reached the storage zone where unused suits were kept. She couldn't take one that was assigned to another pilot, Cradle would notice instantly. And in her current condition, not even Commander Isak would let her near a suit, let alone release her toward the bloom.

But Kira's words lingered in her head. She had an idea where Kentaro would be.

Carefully, she slipped into one of the unused suits, moving slowly so as not to reopen her healing wounds. A final check, and she was out the back door, heading for the bloom zone.

As soon as she took off, her pulse hammered in her ears. Her mind was a whirlwind.

"Is this the right thing? Am I crossing a line?"

The answer came fast, "firm."

"For Kira… I must."

She bounded from rooftop to rooftop, her suit carrying her easily. The city stretched out in shadows beneath her, silent. Tokyo was a city that lived at all hours, but since the incident, the streets had emptied. People had gone to ground.

Milly felt like she was the only one left.

The blue shimmer of the bloom came into view, swelling larger as she drew near. She slowed to a stop at a rooftop just short of the perimeter. The aura surrounding it was thick, opaque, a dark energy with a mirrored surface that reflected only her own face back at her. No one could see inside.

But she wasn't here to face an Alberline. She was here for Kentaro.

The bloom covered a massive area, and each quadrant had a watchpoint, a rooftop building stationed at the cardinal points. Twelve o'clock. Three o'clock. Nine o'clock, where she stood now. And six o'clock.

She checked left toward the nine o'clock building. Empty, no movement. She turned right toward three o'clock. The same, dead quiet.

Her heart sank. Doubt started to creep in.

This was a mistake. The risk isn't worth it. I should-

And then-

"I'M HERE, SERICA! PLEASE LISTEN TO ME!!"

The male voice rang out across the space.

Milly whipped around. She couldn't see him, but she knew that voice. On the far side, at twelve o'clock, was the man Kira had been losing sleep over.

"KENTARO!" she shouted, launching herself into motion. Rooftop to rooftop, she sprinted and flew, calling his name again and again.

Then, there he was. A dark silhouette standing at the railing, shouting into the bloom. As she closed the distance, his head snapped toward her voice. Recognition hit his face: shock, fear, surprise.

She landed hard on the opposite side of the rooftop, twenty feet from him. They stared across the gap. His hair was a mess, his eyes ringed with exhaustion. He looked like he'd been through hell.

Catching her breath, she finally spoke.

"You're Kentaro Takamiya. I need to talk to you."

Kentaro's expression tightened into something more guarded, more serious. He gave a small, deliberate nod.

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