Story Reader / Collab / Blazing Simulacrum / Story
The Twin Fires
>A hidden underground space somewhere.
Only the colossal clusters of red crystals refract fragments of light.
A silver-haired girl lies quietly among the crystal clusters.
...
Countless pieces of information flow through her M.I.N.D., as the invisible network attempts to reshape everything.
The girl's tightly closed eyes reflect all possible futures and all pasts.
It's as if she's in a vast, dark, and cold void.
The Ascension-Network is showing her everything.
The knowledge of all, the answer of all.
But this knowledge is not the antidote, neither does this answer offer redemption.
She needs to find a new answer, to break free from the cage that holds her captive.
However—
All futures seek to erase her, all pasts seek to replace her.
Sometimes she is a naive child, sometimes a frail old person.
Her existence is torn into countless pieces, devoured by hungry fishes <//INFORMATION>.
Sob... Lucia, you're cheating...
In the bedroom, before the disarray of chess pieces scattered across the board, the girl starts crying in anxiety as she realizes her defeat is imminent.
Luna...
Luna, you're running out of time.
Lucia...?
Luna, you can't stay—
Luna, you can't stay here forever.
Wh-who are you...! Lucia? Where did she go?!
I am you, Luna.
You have your own duty to fulfill. Luna, come with me.
A bittersweet smile graces her face as she extends her hand to the girl.
No...
Luna, you can't keep running away.
Luna, don't be afraid.
N-no!
Terrified, the girl forcefully pushes her hand away, scrambling to escape the bedroom.
Lucia... Lucia, where are you?
Lucia, save me! There's a bad person here!
Luna—! Don't go there!
She reaches out to grab the girl, but the girl has already opened the bedroom door.
This is bad...
Past the bedroom door, there lies a deep, unfathomable red corridor.
Fragile memories are being devoured, torn into fragments, as she and the girl appear to be pulled apart by a whirlpool—
Bit by bit, crushed by the immense crimson flood.
A crimson figure races through the deserted city streets.
As if to shake something off, Alpha twists the motorcycle's throttle to the maximum. The engine roars, unleashing a hurricane of red and white in its wake.
Tsk...
A glint of light flashes through her gray eye, previously hidden beneath her hair, as she abruptly adjusts her ride's direction.
After ascending a viaduct, the motorcycle hurtles forward, emerging from the severed end of the bridge and colliding with the side of a building at an angle nearly parallel to the wall.
The wheels send fragments of glass flying as it skids along the side of the building for several dozen meters before landing.
At the same time, a fierce explosion erupts on the road behind Alpha. If she hadn't reacted in an instant, the shell would have struck her directly.
Alpha twists the handle once more, but to her dismay, the engine remains unresponsive, letting out only a feeble whine. Rendered speechless, she never expects her ride to stall at such a crucial moment.
...Always at times like this.
The forceful gust from the blast lifts Alpha's tied-up hair. Alpha raises her head, casting a glance at the attacker who has been relentlessly chasing after her.
...
Perched on the fractured steel framework of a towering building, a girl donning a black coat stands steadfast, aiming a colossal cannon directly at Alpha.
Her expression remains hidden beneath the shadow of her hood. The only thing discernable is the spectral blue flame emanating from her left eye.
Once more, the black cannon's muzzle erupts with flames. Alpha's gaze sharpens as electric arcs surge from her waist.
In a blinding flash, her Kodachi enveloped in electric light intercepts the cannon shell, cleaving it cleanly in twain. In the following instant, the girl in black emerges from the dissipating smoke, her dark blade aimed directly at Alpha's face.
Thud!
Alpha swiftly sidesteps, drawing her sword with a backhand grip. The two blades clash with a resounding impact, creating a dazzling shower of sparks.
Utilizing the momentum from a rotation, Alpha skillfully deflects the opponent's force, retracting her sword to prepare for a counterattack. However, the opponent, realizing the ambush has failed, tactfully retreats, evading the incoming strike.
The two create a distance of approximately fifty meters, each assuming a vigilant stance, warily anticipating the next move from their adversary.
...Give me a break already.
I didn't want to waste too much time in a place like this...
Nonetheless, Alpha is not particularly eager to engage in combat with the enemy standing before her. After all, she doesn't even know why she's being attacked.
...Who are you? Construct from Babylonia?
Babylonia...?
Or an Ascendant coming out of nowhere?
Construct... Ascendant...
The person murmurs the terms Alpha mentioned as if encountering these concepts for the very first time.
...Not gonna answer? Fine.
Since you dare to attack me, you must be prepared to pay the price.
...
Seeing the girl in black not intending to answer, Alpha's mood somewhat lightens.
Given that she has been pursuing her relentlessly across the city, Alpha never really thought there would be a peaceful conversation between them from the start.
Besides, she is better at extracting information from people directly.
Lightning transforms into a crimson dress wrapping around Alpha's blade, with blue-white waves of energy bursting from her left eye.
As Alpha grows more powerful by the second, the taciturn girl in black tightens her grip on the hilt of the sword and steps forward into the red storm.
