23rd August 2026 [2126]
(4:38 AM • Outskirts of Hanao City • Grand Gate [EAST] • Pendallium Yume • Astrophe Tower • Balcony)
...THE BLUE HOUR...
(A few hours before the incident)
A cold gust of wind swept across the balcony, rustling the figure's well-fitted coat. The metallic sheen of their goggles caught the dim pre-dawn light, reflecting a faint, eerie glint. A wide grin stretched across their face-unfazed by the biting chill that would send most seeking warmth.
Their gaze remained fixed on the horizon, the vast cityscape of Hanao sprawling before them, bathed in the final remnants of the night.
Were they concluding something? Or had this decision already been made long ago?
The sun had yet to break over the cold expanse. The frigid air would be unbearable for most without proper warmth, yet this figure stood motionless on the balcony, the crisp wind whipping through the fabric of their coat. The only detail betraying movement was the small, glimmering dot that flickered across the lens of their goggles.
Their grin faltered slightly.
Annoyed, the figure let out a quiet groan, shifting their weight as their eyes locked onto the blinking red indicator. Without hesitation, they acknowledged the incoming message-eyes darting across the data reflected in their goggles.
Turning their back to the horizon, they leaned against the metal railing, resting an arm over it as they tilted their head up, exhaling mist into the cold morning air.
A vision of pixelated text unfolded before their eyes, disrupting the dawn sky with its digital glow.
---
-.-..-....-.-.-.-.-.-. -.-..-....-.-.-.-.-.-.
•TAMED NOTICE•
REQUEST: ACCEPTED
MISSION ASSIGNED TO:
• YORU MANAMI •
TITLE:
• "The Keeper ÑYXÖRÂ" •
HUNT MISSION: HEXER
STATUS: ON HOLD
• REASON: NEED FOR BACKUP (REUNION) •
Subject: Yoru Manami
Assigned from (HTT) for the mission.
Tasked with assembling key fragments leading to the "EYES OF SEVEN."
Host of one of the fallen century's technological relics-ECHOES.
The first successful subject linked to an Echo through the HTT project after centuries of failure.
Trusted operative. Highly accurate. Strategically sound.
One of Hanao City's highest-ranked challengers.
Family Identity: Unknown
Age: 17
REWARD REQUESTED BY YORU MANAMI:
'NISSHOKU NO GYOKUZA'
("Throne of the Solar Eclipse")
---
MESSAGE FROM YORU MANAMI:
"I'll take the mission. But don't expect me to handle it alone-my role here isn't just to clean up the mess others leave behind. All this for a 'HEXER'? If the 'EYES OF SEVEN' is truly within reach, then I have my own reasons for getting involved. As for the requested reward, make sure it's prepared when I'm done. No delays. No excuses."
---
... END OF TRANSMISSION ...
-.-..-....-.-.-.-.-.-. -.-..-....-.-.-.-.-.-.
The red glimmer on his goggles faded as the transmission ended, leaving the pre-dawn sky stretching vast and silent before him. The cold wind howled past the tower, but the figure remained unfazed, fingers idly drumming against the metal railing.
"Yoru Manami, huh?" he muttered, rolling the name over his tongue as if savoring its weight. His grin widened once more, something unreadable flickering behind his lenses.
"Another puppet for my board... I hope she's worthy of the reward she desires."
With a scoff, he straightened, pushing himself away from the railing. A misted breath curled into the air as he exhaled slowly.
The cold wind did nothing to him. His gaze, hidden beneath the dark tint of his goggles, remained fixed on the horizon. The wind howled past the tower, but he remained still, lost in his thoughts.
The search for the "puzzle pieces" that would lead to the "EYES OF SEVEN" had finally begun.
He would not risk laying a finger on this mission himself. No, that would be reckless. Instead, he had made a proposal-a dangerous game, played in secrecy. Let the strongest, the most worthy, ascend to the top.
And that was where Yoru Manami came in.
Her name alone carried weight. "Yoru"-night. Fitting. He had a feeling she wasn't just another pawn. She might just be a Bishop.
"An Echo host... a relic from the past." He chuckled, the sound low and amused. "ÑYXÖRÂ, huh? I wonder what kind of imbalance this will bring to the world."
His grin curled into something sinister-mocking, almost. The world was already teetering on a fragile balance, shattered by the Erased Centuries, by the launch of ZESTROPEDIAN.
The catastrophe of 66 years ago had changed everything.
Now, the world stood divided into three dominant forces:
ALNILAM
ALNITAK
MINTAKA
And within these power struggles, the nobles and elites clawed at the remnants of human history, desperate to control the next era. The puzzle had been torn apart, and now they sought to force it back together-no matter what disaster their ancestors had left behind.
The answer to everything-the solution they all chased-was the EYES OF SEVEN.
"Oh, what a mess they've left for us to clean up."
---
A low chime resonated through the air, barely audible over the wind-a subtle alert.
He didn't turn. He merely adjusted his stance, slipping one hand into his coat pocket while the other idly toyed with the edge of his glove.
"You're early." His voice carried effortlessly through the cold.
Footsteps approached, light yet deliberate. A shadow stretched across the balcony floor as another figure stepped forward-cloaked, face partially obscured beneath a dark hood.
The stranger paused just beyond arm's reach. Eyes glinted beneath the fabric, unreadable.
"Tamed accepted your request," the newcomer spoke, voice smooth yet edged with caution. "Yoru will be moving soon. Your part of the deal still stands."
The man chuckled softly. "Of course it does. But tell me-" he finally turned, just enough to glance at the figure from the corner of his goggled eye- "-do you think she knows?"
A pause.
"Knows what?"
He exhaled, amusement laced in his tone. "That she's being led exactly where we need her to be."
Another gust of wind swept between them, carrying the distant sounds of the city waking below. The hooded figure remained silent, but something in their stance shifted-subtle, yet noticeable.
"Relax," he mused, pushing off the railing. "... She only knows of the 'EYES OF SEVEN' by name. She's gathering the clues for us-hunting HEXER for us. And in return, she gets what she's worthy of."
He took a step forward, the metallic click of his boots barely registering over the wind. As he passed the hooded figure, he clapped a hand lightly on their shoulder, voice dropping to a whisper.
"And if she doesn't?"
His grin widened.
"Then we make sure she does her job right... She's our Bishop now."