Back in Oshawa, Kira's eyes fluttered open. She was lying in a hospital bed again, but this room felt different, smaller, quieter, stripped of the endless noise of machines. The dream she had just woken from still burned vividly in her mind. An erotic dream. With Kentaro.

Her face remained expressionless, but inside she knew: she couldn't let herself forget it. Humans often forget their dreams eventually, slipping away no matter how hard they try to hold onto them. So Kira reached for her phone on the nightstand and immediately began furiously typing. Every detail. Every position. Every angle. Nothing could be left out.

Her fingers danced across the screen at a speed that almost looked inhuman.

Milly, who had fallen asleep, slumped against Kira's leg, stirred from the furious clicking. Slowly, she lifted her head, eyes half-lidded, until she realised what Kira was doing.

"K-Kira?!" She gasped, jolting upright.

Kira didn't even look at her, only raised a finger for silence while continuing to type.

"…Huh?" Milly tilted her head in confusion. "What are you… Doing?"

Kira's voice was calm. Cold. Like she was discussing the weather.

"I had an erotic dream of Kentaro. We were making babies. It felt nice. So I'm documenting every position, every crook and cranny he explored of my body. Passionately."

Milly froze.

"….."

Then.

"HUHHHHH?!" Milly nearly fell backwards off her chair, her whole face exploding red. "WHAT KIND OF DREAMS ARE THOSE?! IS THAT EVEN LEGAL?!"

Kira's eyebrow twitched. Her fingers finally slowed, though she still didn't glance up.

"Unless intercourse with your spouse is illegal, I see nothing wrong with it."

"…I-intercourse?!" Milly squeaked, clutching her own face as if that would keep it from overheating.

Smoke may as well have been coming off Kira's phone as she finished typing. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she placed it down. Her eyes turned serious. The air shifted.

"Milly. Tell me what happened after I fell asleep."

The weight in Kira's voice made Milly stiffen, her playful blush from earlier vanishing like it had never been there. Now her chest felt heavy, her throat dry.

"…I-" Milly hesitated, her fingers tightening around the bedsheet as if gripping it would stop her hands from trembling. She exhaled shakily, eyes lowering in shame. "I… Went after Kentaro. Behind everyone's back. I thought, I thought maybe if it was me, your friend, he'd listen."

Kira's gaze sharpened instantly. "And?"

Milly swallowed hard, her voice breaking as she forced the words out.

"I tried, Kira. I really tried. I told him everything, how Alberlines destroy families, how they're the reason we've lost so much. I begged him not to throw himself away for them. I told him it was madness to protect the same creatures that ruin lives."

Her hands were trembling now, clutching her knees. She couldn't look up.

"But… He wouldn't listen. Not to me. Not even for a second."

The memory of it made her stomach twist, her breath hitch. Her voice dropped to a whisper.

"He just… Looked at me with those eyes, so certain. Like I was the one who didn't understand. And then, he jumped. He didn't even hesitate."

Tears burned at the corners of her eyes, her guilt spilling out.

"I failed, Kira. I couldn't stop him. I couldn't protect you from this. And now-"

She bit down on her lip so hard it hurt.

"Now I don't even know if he's alive or-"

"He's alive."

Kira's words cut through Milly's like a blade. Cold. Certain. Almost desperate.

Milly looked up, shocked. Kira didn't know that for sure, but her conviction was unshakable.

Then, for the first time in days, Kira smiled. A faint, fleeting smile. She reached over and gently rested her hand on Milly's shoulder.

"Thank you, Milly. For trying. Truly."

Before Milly could respond, Kira pulled her into a tight embrace. Milly's eyes widened as tears welled up, guilt spilling over.

"…But I failed you," Milly whispered.

Kira shook her head. Her tone softened, but her words carried an edge of steel.

"No. It's not his fault. It's their fault. The Alberlines. They're twisting him. Warping his heart. If I eliminate them… Then, and only then, Kentaro will come back to his senses."

Her voice had changed, lower, harsher, conviction bleeding through each syllable.

Milly pulled back, studying her friend. She hesitated, then asked the question that weighed on them both.

"…So. Will you kill the girls Kentaro is with?"

The silence that followed was deafening.

Kira's face twitched. She stood slowly, turning her back to Milly as if the question had pierced her straight through. Her hands trembled faintly at her sides.

"…If that's what has to happen, then so be it."

Her words were flat. Icy. But even Milly could see the cracks in her armour-the guilt in her posture, the flicker of sorrow she tried to hide.

Milly decided not to push further. She forced a smile instead, changing the subject. "Very well then. Want to get food? I'm starving."

Kira paused at the doorway. "…Shrimp rice."

"Shrimp rice?" Milly tilted her head, baffled, before hurrying to catch up.

But as Kira walked down the hall, her mind echoed with a truth she couldn't silence.

"If I truly want to save Kentaro… I'll have to kill Serica and Yura. But… Could I really…?"

*

Kentaro turned his head, noodles still hanging from his mouth, and noticed the girl slip into the seat across from him. Half her face was covered by the mask sitting lazily on her head, shadowing her features. He blinked, chewing slowly. There was something about her, like a word stuck on the tip of his tongue.

Before he could ask, Serica slammed her bowl into the air. "ANOTHER BOWL PLEASE, MR. RAMEN MAN!" She yelled with the pride of a toddler finally finishing their vegetables, nearly knocking Kentaro's chopsticks clean out of his hand.

"Damn, Serica, you mustn't have eaten for days," Kentaro said with a grin.

Most girls would've taken that as an insult. Serica? She only grinned back, a streak of sauce still shining on her cheek. "Hmm, you're not wrong, it's been almost a whole day!"

Kentaro laughed, shaking his head. She was impossible. Beside her, Yura sipped her ramen delicately, as if the stall had suddenly become a royal banquet hall. She dabbed her mouth with a handkerchief and smiled primly.

"Yes, delightful. You've chosen well, Kentaro." Then, a beat later, she slipped, shouting, "Really delightful!" with a surprising burst of enthusiasm.

Kentaro chuckled and turned back toward the masked girl, not wanting her to think he'd ignored her.

"So… What did you say before?"

The girl smirked faintly, her fingers tugging her mask just a little lower, as if shielding herself from Serica's curious eyes. Her voice was light, casual.

"Oh, me? Don't mind me. Just here for ramen."

Kentaro tilted his head. Something about her presence was… Off. Not bad, not threatening. Just familiar. A strange echo, like the faint hum of Serica and Yura's aura, but softer, hidden. He rubbed the back of his neck, deciding maybe he was just tired.

"Oh, sorry then. Thought you were talking to me." He gave a sheepish chuckle.

The girl only smiled back, saying nothing more.

The four of them ate in silence after that, well, silence if one ignored Serica's battle cries for more noodles. Eventually, Kentaro and the others rose to leave. At the doorway, he glanced one last time at the girl.

Her hair caught the light, pink, shoulder-length, almost shimmering. Her clothes looked more like a stage costume than casual wear, sparkling faintly under the sun. He noticed the sharp line of her legs, slender, strong, yet graceful. His eyes lingered a second too long before he realised. Flushing, he quickly bowed in apology, unsure if she'd even noticed.

She only smiled, soft and unreadable.

When Kentaro stepped outside to rejoin Serica and Yura, the girl let out a long sigh, finally lowering her mask fully.

"Phew… He's gone."

The ramen master leaned on the counter, grinning knowingly.

"Ex-boyfriend? Husband?"

She laughed, waving a hand. "No, no. Potential… Maybe."

He blinked, confused, but before he could ask, she slurped the last of her broth and hopped to her feet. "Thanks for the food!" She chirped, handing over a small pile of coins, her last.

The man pushed them back gently. "On the house. Save it. Maybe use it on that 'potential.'"

Her eyes widened, shimmering like amethyst. She bowed so low her hair nearly touched the counter.

"THANK YOU! You don't know how much this means!" She cried before darting out the door, energy overflowing.

The old man chuckled, wiping his brow as he watched her vanish into the crowd.

"Ah… Young love." He shook his head, muttering to himself. "Still, that boy's surrounded by women already. Didn't look like much of a looker, but… Maybe he's got something."

And with that, the shop's curtains swayed as more customers shuffled in, the girl's laughter fading down the busy street.

*

The blades of the helicopter slowed as it touched down on the rooftop of Cradle's secondary base. Reiden Vale stepped out, immaculate as always, his shoes barely scuffed by the dust storm kicked up around him. His smile was faint but sharp, the kind of smile that looked like it could slice through steel.

He scanned the platform. Velza Cain was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a young officer snapped to attention and delivered the report, voice trembling under Reiden's gaze.

"Sir, Miss Velza was recovered through one of the emergency tunnels. She was badly wounded, clinging to consciousness. We suspect it was due to… Overuse of her Overdrive system."

Reiden's eyes flickered, so brief a change it could've been mistaken for the reflection of sunlight. "Ah… So even my Velza can be pushed to her limit. Interesting." He tilted his head upward, as though admiring the sky. "Though I doubt it was a single opponent. More likely… A storm of little things, all crashing down at once."

His lips curled wider, baring that trademark wolfish grin. "Very well. See to her recovery immediately. I will wait. Patience, after all, is my strongest weapon."

"Yes, sir!" The soldier saluted and hurried off.

At his side, Kestrel, usually unshakable, frowned. "Sir… Forgive me, but aren't you worried? This is Velza Cain. Whoever did this to her must've been no ordinary foe."

Reiden walked calmly, hands clasped behind his back. Kestrel and another soldier trailed after him like shadows. His voice was smooth, assured. "Worried? No. We can thank that silver-haired Alberline and her… Self-made army. Sublimation." He smirked, as if savouring the word. "Not just anyone can copy themselves like that."

Kestrel's eyes widened.

"Then that means… There's another Alberline. On top of the Silver-haired one, Ice Breaker, Dominance, and the Siren?" His voice cracked slightly at the weight of that truth.

Reiden nodded slowly.

"Indeed. Though Siren was useless in combat, she played her part. Motivation is still a weapon, and she gave Takamiya enough to prove his worth." His grin sharpened. "So in a way… We still won."

Kestrel's brows furrowed, confusion written across his face. How could this be called a win? They had lost soldiers, a major facility had been breached, Velza was injured, and their prized Alberline experiment had slipped through their grasp. By any measure, it was a disaster. But Reiden Vale wasn't "any measure." He was a man whose mind wove losses into victories, whose strength alone made corporations and syndicates bow in fear. Kestrel stayed silent.

They descended into the new office space, identical to the last, down to the polished wood and framed art. The only difference was the view, and Reiden stood by it, gazing down at the city as if it were his personal board game.

"We'll meet again, Kentaro," he murmured, eyes glinting with something cruel. Then, louder: "And next time… You won't just be my enemy. You'll be one of my targets to inherit."

The office fell quiet. His smile lingered, calm and terrifying.

Outside, the day slipped into night. The rescue for Aria had ended in success, but far away, back in his home town of Oshawa, the ripples were only beginning. For Kentaro. For Kira. For the Alberlines.

Would things ever return to what they were?

Find out in Volume 4.

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