SCHELVIA CITY (2126)'BURRIED TECHNOLOGIES IN CENTURIES BLOOM'

11:01 AM - (23rd August 2026 [2126]) • Schelvia City • City's Heart • ALPHA O.CRESCENT.UNITY (A.C.U) • HQ • Meeting Room Chamber

...

"Four minutes later than my prediction... I see... should've considered the Noir. He's always unpredictable," Solaria mutters to herself, adjusting her glasses with a swift flick.

Upon hearing the sound of the chamber's large entrance door opening, two figures slip in-Yoshi Manami and Lucian Kallen. Lucian leads Yoshi into the meeting room.

All the other members cast dissatisfied and fearful glares at the figure walking behind Lucian.

No one dares speak.

"Heh, seriously? We're the last ones to show up?" Yoshi exclaims out loud, folding his arms behind his head casually as he walks past the neatly-seated members.

"...You say that like you've never been late on purpose, Noir," Lucian scoffs with a sigh, walking ahead but taking a different side of the table. He adjusts his own glasses before sitting down with the rest of the members. There members eye's lock onto yoshi as he walks past them, the tension palpable. He turns a chair and casually plops down, letting out a light groan. His hair slightly covers his violet eyes as he tilts his head back, gazing at the ceiling.

---

"...There you are, Shadow. Now, I think we all know we're gathered here. It's time for the meeting," Artoria speaks up, her tone soft yet firm. Her grey eyes narrow slightly as she glances at Yoshi, who's seated right next to her, at the empty seat beside her.

His place in the meeting is right beside Artoria's own 'throne.'

"...What's this meeting about, anyway? Also, what's with the lockdown?" Yoshi scoffs softly, narrowing his dull purple eyes as he glances at the rest of the members. Their glares meet his gaze, which instantly makes them look away in silence. Yoshi sits back in the chair with his legs crossed, his chin resting on his hand, which is casually placed on the chair's armrest. His position next to Artoria Vesteria is almost symbolic, as he is the one who can match her in combat...

---

Open Status

Yoshi Manami - Rank 8 (Tactical Combat Lead)

Nickname: THE NOIR PRINCE/ARTORIA'S SHADOW

Gender: Male

Despite being ranked seven places below Artoria and the other top three, who would normally be considered worthy of sitting beside her, it's because they lack the strength that matches hers. They only have knowledge and high position, which places them above Yoshi. But the truth is, only Noir can match Artoria's fighting style and her prowess on the battlefield...

The reason the students in Schelvia City know him as 'Noir' is that no one has met him or knows his real identity. Only four people in Schelvia City know his true name:

Artoria Vesteria

Wêrïn Eldoneta

Mieruko Miraileze

Winston D. Trivoer

Yoshi is one of only three people who can create an arsenal out of a Vitreous.

Close Status

---

"...Alright then... let me do the report," Solaria mutters sharply as she stands, adjusting her glasses. With Astra's help, she turns on the hologram, which projects a detailed map of Schelvia City on the round table in blue pixels.

"...At 5:56 AM, from Eastgate's radar, Astra's team, which was stationed in the East District, reported that something was approaching the district's gate from outside. It was only 900 meters away..."

"Alessandra, who was leading the team, sent the Helix unit (soldier mechs) outside the gate to deal with anything that could be approaching."

"...But it turns out this entity can withstand our Helix units and destroy them all."

"That's seven of them, right? The Helix units, I mean?" one of the members asks curiously, raising her hand before quickly lowering it.

"...Yes, there were seven Helix units, and this 'phantom' took them all down," Solaria answers, pointing at the outside area of the East Gate on the map. She taps the table nervously with her other hand.

"...And then?" Artoria asks, her tone firm yet soft, urging her to continue.

"...This phantom slipped under our Eastgate radar... it's as if it leapt through the massive gate. From there, the student council team stationed there took charge of the evacuation and attempted to identify this phantom."

"So, any description of the creature?" Yoshi speaks up softly, his gaze fixed on the holographic map projected in the meeting table, particularly at the East Gate.

"...I was scheduled to patrol there too..." Yoshi thinks to himself, recalling the argument he had with 3AA73 this morning about patrolling East Gate later that evening and night.

That's odd...

---

"Yes, we have a description and even a frame that captures this phantom, though it's a bit blurry," Solaria answers before signaling Astra to send the picture and footage from Kairos Drone to the hologram.

Astra nods, swiping her finger to upload them quickly. The hologram map fades and transitions into a large, clear image and video frame projected above the table.

Solaria takes a laser pointer from her chest pocket, using it to highlight the image as she explains.

"From what Astra's teams captured, this thing moves faster than the top 38s... meaning it can keep pace with the top 9s, as observed by Alessandra, the lead of the post."

Her small laser points at the cloaked figure in one of the paused video frames, casting a small red dot on the hologram where she indicates.

"...This 'phantom' has been confirmed to be neither DERØXIRIZED nor a student. From the frame, we can see it doesn't have any deformities or morphs in its body like a DERØXIRIZED would. Additionally, no student could move that fast without being noticed. And it came from outside the city... it also destroyed our patrol drones in the East District with precision accuracy, using a white Lynx Amr."

Astra zooms in on the picture of the cloaked figure at the moment when it points a rifle directly at the drone's camera, its violet eyes glowing beneath the hooded cloak. Long black hair flows out from under the bright cloak.

The final look before the drone is shot down.

---

"Ah, Solaria, I also received a report message from Mirage District, in addition to the footage."

Astra interrupts the silence, recalling something she just remembered.

"Hmm? Let us see the message, Astra."

Artoria demands softly, her grey eyes on guard, staring at the tablet Astra is holding in a hurry. Artoria's hand unconsciously caresses her empty scabbard, as if seeking comfort.

Astra nods slightly, turning her screen and swiping it up to reveal a new frame, which covers the table in a wide rectangular hologram.

Red Notice

---

EAST GATE - MIRAGE DISTRICT

Backup Required

Problem Unsolved

Entity Unknown

Weakness Unknown

Material Unknown

Description: Humanoid figure, white cloak, long black hair, violet eyes. Noir Princess? High intelligence. Confirmed to not be a DERØXIRIZED.

---

All their eyes widen. Yoshi's eyes narrow as his attention fixes on the red pixelated message displayed in the hologram.

'Noir Princess?'

He arches an eyebrow at the sentence, standing up abruptly without hesitation. He demands sharply.

"Let's go. We don't have time to chit-chat. They need backup. If you guys are late, I'll head there first."

He speaks firmly, the rings on his body pulsing deep purple, sensing his growing urgency. His violet eyes lock onto the members, daring them to stop him.

"Wait, Shadow. There's no need for you to go alone. We're all going to head to the Mirage District after this, so don't rush off alone," Artoria stands as well, halting him. Her hand gently rests on his shoulder, her grip soft yet firm. Her grey eyes hold an authoritative gaze, though something in her tone feels off-Yoshi can't quite place it.

Yoshi bats her hand off his shoulder lightly as he turns toward her, his violet eyes narrowing slightly in response. There's no offense behind the gesture.

"...And how long will that take? We don't have much time for this meeting."

"I know, you're right, Shadow. Just wait a moment," Artoria sighs in defeat, her hand falling by her side, clenching her empty scabbard.

"...Solaria! Is there anything left we need to know from the observation? Weaknesses or anything that would help us on the battlefield?"

Artoria turns to face Solaria and the others, demanding the information with a sense of urgency.

Artoria demands, turning to face Solaria and the rest of the group.

Solaria sighs, adjusting her glasses. She stands in silence for a moment. Astra leans in to whisper something in Solaria's ear, a quiet exchange.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes... I'm sure about it."

Astra answers with a determined nod, though concern lingers in her expression. Solaria sighs once more but forces herself to relay what Astra whispered.

Turning back to face the group, she speaks.

"...From the observations and footage, Astra concludes that this 'phantom' was sent to our city, and it seems harmless to us... to humans. It didn't attack any students in Mirage District as it passed through. It only destroyed the patrol drones... and it's heading toward the center of the city. Astra concludes that this phantom must be searching for something-or someone. Its weapon, with its pulsating glow, is unique, a signature of 'Vitreous' weapons. We think this phantom isn't just..any ordinary assassin sended to our city..."

... ... ...

11:06 AM - (Schelvia City Outskirts of the City's Heart Mirage District [East Gate])

Three figures of the Student Council lie defeated on the street, sprawled across the concrete. The phantom steps casually over their fallen bodies, her rifle's silencer grazing the street as she moves. Her violet eyes linger on the students she just incapacitated- defeated with nothing but her bare hands, without a single bullet being fired.

"Ты что-нибудь нашёл?.. NYXÖRA... и даже не думай убить хоть одного человека там."

(Do you find anything yet?.. NYXÖRÂ... and don't you dare try to kill a single human there.)

A voice, foreign in language, speaks to the phantom telepathically.

The phantom smirks, tapping the barrel of her rifle lightly against the concrete as she answers, glancing over her shoulder at the three students lying unconscious in her wake.

"Не волнуйтесь... я просто вырубил их... в этом нет ничего плохого, не так ли?.. Просто выполняю то, что вы приказали... Моя госпожа. И нет... Я пока не нашёл никого, подходящего под ваше описание... Моя госпожа."

(Don't worry... I just knocked them out... Nothing wrong with that, is there?.. Just doing what you asked for... My lady. And no... I haven't found anyone matching your description yet... My lady.)

The voice on the other end sharpens, rising slightly in a stern scolding.

"Разве я не сказал тебе просто перенести их??"

(Didn't I tell you to just carry them off??)

The phantom chuckles softly to herself, her eyes flicking back to the students on the ground.

"Но они продолжали следовать за мной, как рой пчёл... Это раздражает. Кроме того, это лучше, чем вырубить их навсегда... верно, моя госпожа?"

(But they kept following me like a swarm of bees... It's annoying. Besides, it's better than knocking them out for good... right, my lady?)

The voice scoffs, then shrugs it off before continuing with a more measured tone.

"Ты прав, NYXÖRA... Просто не делай ничего лишнего... Найди этого человека для меня и передай моё сообщение."

(You're right, NYXÖRA... Just don't do anything excessive... Find that person for me and deliver my message.)

"Конечно, моя госпожа... Я продолжаю свою обязанность."

(Of course, my lady... I will continue my duty.)

The voice sighs before it fades completely, leaving only the quiet hum of the city around the phantom.

She stands still in the middle of the deserted street, the stillness almost unnatural.Her white Lynx Amr pulses with glowing purple lines, its energy crackling in the air.

In an instant, she vanishes in a flash of motion, leaping up to the rooftop in a blur of speed. Her rifle rests casually on her shoulder as she continues her leap with unmatched precision, her focus unwavering.

One thing drives her now-her master's order to find this person, no matter the cost.

"Этому человеку повезло..."

(This person is lucky...)