From the far edge of the battlefield, high on a crumbling rooftop, a girl watched the chaos unfold. The silver of her hair caught the fading light, strands lifting in the wind that rolled in after Cradle's devastating blast. Her lips curled into a knowing smirk as she spotted Kentaro and Serica being flung away by the ship's shockwave.

"My… You're quite the brave one, aren't you, Kentaro dear," Rin whispered, almost as if the boy could hear her. She rose from her crouch, dusting off her dress, eyes glinting as she readied herself to act.

Though it might have seemed she'd been loitering while Kentaro carried out his reckless rescue mission, Rin had been moving pieces in the background the whole time, setting the distraction she'd been tasked with into motion. She knew the name, Alberline drew attention like a beacon… but she was only one person. Which was why she had help.

A voice called out from behind her.

"Hey, me. Didn't think I'd see myself standing around reminiscing."

Another voice, identical yet teasing, followed.

"Hey, me, seems you're relaxing a little too much."

Rin turned with a smirk.

Behind her stood an army of herself. At least twenty Rins stood on the rooftop, casually chatting, some resting their rifles, her Lilium & Noctis Sublimation Pistols, on their shoulders, others cradling the long, sleek form of her Rosegarde Sublimation Snipers. To an outsider, it would look like some cheap CGI gimmick, but for Spire, this was all too real.

Then, from the very back of the formation, a different voice chimed in.

"I guess I can be nice when I want to be, hehe…"

It wasn't another Rin.

The Rins parted like a tide, revealing a short-haired girl with a spring in her step. Her voice was playful, almost childish, but her age was clear, late teens, with a confidence that drew the eye. Her build was slighter than Rin's, but the easy way she moved carried its own kind of beauty.

Rin's eyes narrowed, though the smirk stayed. "Well, I do say… Finding you here was quite a treat. I appreciate you being so… Cooperative with me."

The girl tilted her head, grinning widely, then suddenly leaned to the side and threw up a peace sign.

"It's all right, Rin-Rin. All I want from you… Is to do this exact pose at me!"

Rin blinked. So did the rest of the clones.

Her smirk slipped. "…Surely you want something else."

"Nope! Just that! Please!" the girl said with absolute conviction, still holding the exaggerated anime-style pose, fingers in a V over her eye, body tilted, other hand cocked on her hip.

Rin's cheeks colored faintly. With a sigh of utter reluctance, she slowly copied the pose.

The short-haired girl lit up like she'd just witnessed the birth of a star. "WOOH! Rin-Rin, you look super cute like that! Especially in that dress, it shines! You could get any boy doing that, I swear!"

Rin's blush deepened, and for a fleeting second, she considered the possibility of using the pose in front of a certain someone. But she shook the thought away with a sharp exhale.

Straightening and smoothing her dress, she coughed. "Ahem. Well. That ridiculous display should count as payment, so if you don't mind, me and the me's will be taking our leave."

The girl gave a cheerful little wave. "Sure, sure! I've been paid, go on, Rin-Rin. See you later~!"

With a snap of her fingers, the rooftop filled with the flutter of fabric and the shimmer of displacement as the clones took to the air in formation, Rin at their head, streaking toward the main building.

*

As the door clicked shut, the Halcyon crew froze. Their eyes locked onto the figures just beyond the threshold. What they saw didn't line up with what their brains were telling them.

"KENTARO!!!" Shogo's voice cracked as he launched himself forward, boots scraping the deck, wings of his suit flicking out for speed. He came in like a guided missile-

But both Kentaro and Serica sidestepped at the last moment.

Shogo's momentum carried him face-first into the metal door behind them with a clang that rattled the hinges.

Kentaro didn't even flinch. "Hey guys," he said between breaths, a smirk curling at the corner of his lips. "Just made it… Heh."

The silence was deafening for a beat.

Then it was like a loaded video finally buffering. The crew erupted.

"""YEEEEEAAAAAAHHH!!!"""

Cheers bounced off the walls. Tenka crossed the room in quick, measured steps. Kentaro met her eyes; he could see the worry hidden under her hardened expression. She didn't want to show it… But it was there. She stopped in front of him, gave him a sharp jab to the chest, not hard, just enough to get his attention.

"Good job coming back alive," she said, voice low, before turning away.

"Thanks," Kentaro replied, only to be blindsided by a blur of motion-

"KENTARO! SERICA!" Yura's voice cracked as she slammed into both of them, her arms wrapping them up in a crushing hug. She'd been sick with worry, and now tears streaked down her cheeks. Kentaro let her stay there, holding her like the world had stopped for just this moment.

"Why only her?" Shogo whined from the floor, still rubbing his forehead.

"Serica, are you hurt?" Yura's words tumbled out without pause, her eyes scanning every inch of the other girl.

Serica shook her head. "Nope, thanks to Kentaro," she said, smiling softly.

"Hey, Yura…" Kentaro's voice dropped into that gentler register he used only for her. "Sorry for making you worry. But we're back. And now… One more mission. We finish this, and then we can go home."

Yura nodded into his chest.

Tenka's voice cut in, clear and sharp. "Right. This is it, the final mission. Everything that's happened so far ends here. So I'm asking all of you… Lend me and Kentaro your strength one last time today!"

"YEAH!!" The crew roared back.

Haruka stepped forward, tablet in hand. "Alberline wave signatures, faint, but Rin's doing her part. If we move now, we reach the Spire Building at the same time she hits. We avoid extra fighting. Emi has the suits ready. Use them sparingly."

Emi shuffled forward, avoiding eye contact. "They… Um… Drain a lot of energy. Please… Be careful."

Kentaro took his suit from her, grinning. "Thanks, Emi. Couldn't have done it without you."

Her face went pink. She turned quickly, pretending to be busy herself.

With Yura, Serica, Shogo, and Yumi suited up, they gathered by the teleporter. Yumi and Shogo had already gone ahead, Serica and Yura followed next, leaving Kentaro alone at the door, about to use the door crossing to the van.

He reached for the handle, only to feel a light tap on his shoulder.

Tenka stood there, eyes locked on his. "Listen, Kentaro… I've said it too many times, but please, be safe. You're walking into enemy territory. The chances of you dying are-"

"Heh. Tenka's so worried about little old me," Kentaro cut in with a teasing grin. "Guess I'm a lucky guy."

Her cheeks flushed instantly. "Shut up, jerk!" She snapped, kicking his shin.

"Ow. Yeah, I deserved that."

Tenka's glare softened. "Just… Get back safe. With everyone. Including Aria."

Kentaro's smirk faded into something more resolute. "That's the plan."

He stepped through the door.

*

Reiden rose from his chair, the smile on his face curling into something sharp. "Heh… They've escaped. That means they're coming for Siren." His voice was quiet, almost conversational, but it carried the weight of a man who already knew the ending.

Velza's heels clicked behind him. "Hmph. And yet those soldiers couldn't even take the boy out. Pathetic."

"It's expected. He has an Alberline with him," Reiden replied, stepping onto the metal floor. "But… Killing him might not be the best option anymore."

Velza's brow furrowed. "We're not killing him?"

"No." He glanced over his shoulder, his eyes glinting in the low light. "Now I'd rather capture him. Take his power for myself. That will seal our plan completely, turning what should be a couple-year project into a completed one overnight."

Velza hesitated; he never changed plans once they were set. That alone was enough to unsettle her. "…If that's what you want, I'll make it happen."

"Good."

They entered the detainment wing. Aria sat bound to the chair, her head low, hair hiding most of her face. She didn't even flinch as they approached.

Reiden turned to the lead scientist. "Have you implanted what I ordered?"

"Yes, sir. It's there."

"Excellent." His eyes slid back to Aria.

Velza's voice cut in. "What did you plant?"

Reiden chuckled, low and cold. "A fail-safe. For if the extraction fails… Or the boy gets here first."

Velza's eyes narrowed. "And you think I'd let that happen?" she snapped.

"Please, Velza. Don't get angry, it'll wrinkle your skin."

Her hands instantly went to her face.

"Like I said," Reiden continued smoothly, "if they come at full force, retreat. If not, kill them all… Except the boy. I want him alive."

Velza didn't fully understand, but she nodded.

"Sir, you may enter to speak with Siren."

Reiden's smirk widened. The double doors parted, and for the first time, there was no barrier between him and Aria. Her head lifted slowly… Her eyes were hollow. Dead. But when they locked onto his...

They widened in sudden, silent fear.

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