LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 7: p.7 :...the unknown threat, only known to top 9's
10:27 a.m. - (23rd August 2026 [2126])
Schelvia City • Mirage District • Central • The East Gate
"...Kairos, do you see anything?" Alessandra Rayne's voice cut through the tense silence, her tone sharp and commanding.
She was the leader of the East Gate post, known among the Student High Council as Rank 16, the Digital Arts Leader, or by her more famous nickname, The Digital Sorceress. Her golden-yellow eyes were fixed on the sprawling skyline as she awaited her scout's report.
Kairos Lucent, Rank 19, the Augmented Reality Developer, and known as The Lightbringer, responded with a note of unease. "...I see something leaping between the buildings, but... it's strange. My drone scanner isn't picking up any body heat."
Kairos's hands expertly maneuvered the drone controls, his augmented vision glasses synced to its feed. He was perched lazily on the rooftop's edge, hunched over the remote as he scouted the area ahead.
Alessandra's eyes widened at the report. She pushed herself up from her crouched position behind the rooftop railing, her sharp gaze scanning the cityscape below. They were stationed atop one of the tallest buildings in the Mirage District, a vantage point meant for both observation and defense. Despite the blazing sun in the clear summer sky, her breath misted as if it were winter-another result of the city's erratic, corrupted weather patterns.
Her grip tightened on the metal railing as she squinted into the distance.
"...Where's it heading now?" she asked, her voice clipped but steady, her focus unwavering as she assessed the situation.
Kairos, still slouched against the rail, adjusted the drone's trajectory to follow the cloaked figure. "It's heading straight toward the central zone. Damn it... this thing is fast. How can it leap from building to building with just a single tap of its foot?"
He gritted his teeth in frustration, his drone struggling to keep pace with the agile target.
"Don't lose it, Kairos. We need to identify everything about it before it reaches the East Gate," Alessandra ordered firmly.
"Got it, Rayne," he muttered, his voice tense but resolute.
---
A few moments later, another voice cut through the air as two figures landed on the rooftop to join them.
"...Oof! Finally got everything set up, Rayne. We've placed a bunch of holo-walls on the streets and rooftops up front. Just making sure that thing can't leap further into the city," the first figure announced.
The newcomer was Juno Vexley, Rank 18, the Holographic Design Specialist, and nicknamed The Illusionist. Their energy was always lively, their tone confident as they approached the group.
Behind them, another figure walked past Alessandra and slumped down beside Kairos with an exhausted groan.
"Hrrgh~... Damn it. We had to use 78 units of holo-shield to secure the entire frontline. Since the drones were broken down, we had to deploy them manually," the newcomer grumbled.
This was Alistair Zephyr, Rank 21, the Digital Infrastructure Manager, better known as The Architect of Illusions. His typically calm demeanor was tinged with exhaustion as he settled beside Kairos, his breath misting like everyone else's.
"Good work, boys. Now we just have to wait," Alessandra said, her gaze fixed on the horizon, her tone as sharp as ever.
"No worries, Rayne. We've got it all locked down. Let's just hope this 'thing' gives up and goes back to wherever it came from!" Juno declared confidently, giving her a determined thumbs-up.
They leaned against the railing beside Alessandra, watching as the holo-shield-a massive honeycomb-like barrier of glowing blue pixels-began to rise across the frontline. The shield towered over the district at 70 feet high, its intricate tetrahedral structure forming an impenetrable wall.
Juno smirked as the final section of the shield clicked into place. "Heh. Not even a missile could break through that-"
"Rayne! It's getting close to the shield now!" Kairos suddenly interrupted, bolting upright as his vision glass feed showed the cloaked figure approaching.
"...It's not DERØXIRIZED. Damn it, this creature has intelligence," he cursed under his breath, his frustration growing.
"What? What do you mean?" Alistair asked with a tired groan, pulling himself up and casually taking Kairos's spare vision glasses to see for himself.
"You're just being dramatic," he muttered dismissively, slipping on the glasses. But as the feed loaded, his expression shifted from disbelief to panic.
"Wait... wait, wait! What the heck?! It's targeting the shield!"
"Told you," Kairos huffed, his focus still locked on the drone controls.
"What's happening?" Juno asked, hurrying over to the others, a hint of nervousness creeping into their voice.
Alessandra, sensing their panic, glanced back at the horizon. Her sharp eyes caught a flicker in the holo-shield's structure. At first, she thought it might be a glitch, but as she squinted for a clearer look, the truth became undeniable.
The flickering grew worse until, with a sudden burst of light, one section of the shield dimmed entirely.
"It's shooting down the shield's edges!" Alistair exclaimed, his voice filled with alarm.
"How does it know the technology's weak points?!"
Alessandra's heart sank. The frontline defense had been breached, and the cloaked figure was closing in fast. Her golden eyes locked onto the small, distant figure as it leapt effortlessly through the buildings, heading straight for their position.
"...Shit," she muttered under her breath.
But she couldn't afford to hesitate. As the leader, it was her duty to take charge. She gripped her Vitreous Pendant, the faint glow of yellow light spilling into her hand as it materialized into her weapon: the Malefic Gun, a sleek and deadly firearm pulsing with power.
Turning to her team, her voice rang out with unwavering authority.
"Listen up! This isn't about winning right now-it's about holding this thing back until the top 9 arrive for backup. They're the only ones who know how to deal with this! Juno, Alistair-materialize your Vitreous weapons now! We have to hold the line! Kairos, report to Elara and Selene at the East Gate. Tell them we need reinforcements immediately! Got it?"
"Yes, Miss Rayne!" the team responded in unison, snapping to action.
Kairos grabbed his equipment and leapt across the rooftops toward the East Gate, while Juno and Alistair summoned their own Vitreous weapons. Juno's weapon pulsed with vibrant green energy, while Alistair's dual blades glowed with an earthy brown hue.
Her grip on her Malefic gun tightens, yellow light pulsating ominously through its sleek design. The cloaked figure was now a clearer shape, bounding through the buildings with unsettling speed and precision, its movements sharp, calculated-inhuman. Alessandra's golden eyes stayed fixed, her breath a mist in the distorted seasons of Schelvia City.
"...We gotta hold this thing back... and buy some time for backup. Juno, Alistair... you both ready?" she asked, her voice firm and commanding. Her gaze lingered over her shoulder, seeking assurance from her team.
Juno smirked, giving a playful thumbs up, their holographic gauntlets shimmering in intricate designs of green and cyan.
"We're ready, Rayne!" they replied confidently, the energy of their weapon pulsating with determination.
Alistair, on the other hand, cracked his neck in a lazy stretch, letting out a groan as if shaking off exhaustion. Slowly, the dark gloves on his hands began to pulse with a deep brown glow, and a dual blade materialized within his grasp.
"The sooner we finish this, the sooner I can go home," Alistair said, his tone a mix of sarcasm and grit. His brown eyes met Alessandra's with a determined glare.
"Alright, alright... Then let's face this 'thing.' Even though we can't kill it..." Alessandra murmured, turning back to the rooftop edge.
The figure, now close enough to make out the flowing cloak and its faintly glowing silhouette, seemed to defy the logic of motion. With every leap, the tension in the air grew, the team's breaths frosting under the summer sun. Alessandra's Malefic gun began storing energy, the soft hum of its power growing louder with every second.
Finally, she whispered the word like a prayer-or a curse:
"ÂLYØÛ."
The air around her crackled as the name echoed, as if calling upon something greater than the four of them. Her Vitreous weapon surged with light, her fingers gripping tighter as they braced for the incoming confrontation.