CHAPTER 49: NO BREAKS...

""KENTAROOO!!""

Two voices shouted in unison, shrill enough to make even the ocean waves hesitate.

Kentaro’s entire body froze. Slowly, like a man awaiting a death sentence, he turned around, his heart racing at a hundred miles per hour.

His eyes widened as he saw the freight train coming towards him.

"...Uh oh." He muttered as he gulped.

Next to him, Yura stifled a laugh, covering her mouth with delicate fingers.

"It seems... you’ve been caught," she said, her voice calm yet mischievous.

Kentaro looked at her with desperation in his eyes.

"Yura, this isn’t what it looks li-"

Before he could finish, Yura leaned in and gave him a quick, bold peck on the cheek. A faint blush crept up her face, but she played it off with a cool composure.

She took a step back, knowing that Serica and Kira’s train was coming, while giving Kentaro a cute, shy look.

Kentaro instinctively touched his cheek, his mind spinning.

"See this as a reward," Yura said softly, "for taking time out of your chaotic day to be kind and spend some time with me."

Despite the situation, Kentaro couldn’t help but smile.

"Thank you... Really, spending time with you was amazing," he whispered.

Yura turned away, clearly flustered but wearing the faintest smile.

"You too," she whispered back.

But before their quiet moment could settle, the chaos arrived like a hurricane.

"KEN! KEN! KEN! KEN!" Serica shouted as she charged.

"HUSBAND! TELL US!" Kira snapped, hot on Serica’s heels.

The two stopped in front of Kentaro, exchanging venomous side glances before simultaneously yelling:

"WHO WENT OUT WITH YOU FIRST?!"

"HUH?!" Kentaro yelled, arms flailing in pure panic.

Shogo’s voice crackled over the comms, laughter barely restrained.

"Looks like you’ve been caught, my dear sir. Normally I’d help, buuuttt. Haruka just made curry, soooo... I’m officially off duty! They don’t pay overtime here, so good luck, champ!"

"Shogo, you absolute bastard..." Kentaro muttered under his breath as he looked at both girls who were staring into his soul.

Before he could attempt to defuse the situation with no plan in mind, another voice cut through the tension.

"FOOLS!"

The girls froze, turning their heads toward the sound.

Yura walked calmly toward them, each step deliberate. She passed both girls, claiming Kentaro’s arm like it had always belonged to her. Her purple sundress swayed gently in the breeze as her breast slowly squished his arm; she tilted her head with a proud, victorious smirk.

"You two were... Insufficient. It was I who had the true honour of being Kentaro’s first date." She paused and coughed, her cheeks flushing as she realised her mistake. "No, I mean, it was Kentaro who had the honour of taking me out on his first date!" she quickly corrected herself, her face reddening in embarrassment.

"... ..."

"WHAT?!"

Serica and Kira screamed in unison, faces flushed in disbelief. Their eyes locked onto Yura, who had a confident red smile, then back to Kentaro, though they didn’t say it, they both wanted to know if that was the truth.

Kentaro slumped, mentally checked out as the argument began to spiral out of control. There was no way he could say it was the truth, but he didn’t have an answer; it seemed like any answer he could give would cause a bigger argument.

"Today’s been too long," he muttered as he dropped his head. "I just wanna go to bed..."

*

In western Oshawa, the lights of a towering skyscraper glimmered against the night sky.

Inside its topmost floor, a lone woman walked down a silent corridor, her dark hair swaying with every purposeful step. Her dark eyes, eyes that shimmered crimson under moonlight, carried a weight of command.

This was no ordinary officer and definitely not an ordinary human. This was CommanderTenka, Halcyon’s iron-willed leader... And the person who cherished Kentaro more than anyone else in this world.

With a soft hiss, the mechanical double doors to the conference room slid open.

Two figures awaited her.

The first, clad in a tailored black suit and an elegant sunflower-brimmed hat, exuded sharp authority and mystery.

The second, dressed in a pristine white suit with flowing chestnut hair, leaned casually against the table, their demeanour calm yet calculating.

"Commander Tenka," the black-suited woman said with a faint, knowing smile. "At last, you’ve arrived."

Tenka strode forward, offering a crisp salute.

"Indeed. My apologies for the delay."

The white-suited figure waved it off.

"It’s fine. Though... From what we’ve heard, the boy’s been rather busy, hasn’t he?" She said with a small grin growing on her face.

Tenka paused for a moment, the corner of her lips twitching into the faintest of smiles.

"Yes... He has," she said, finally sitting down. "Which is exactly what we need to discuss."

The woman in the black suit let out a faint, knowing smile, her crimson-painted nails drumming softly against the polished conference table.

"Kentaro Takamiya seems to be inheriting the abilities of every Alberline he’s connected with," she said, her voice smooth yet edged with calculation. "Exactly as you theorised, Commander Tenka."

The other woman, clad in a sharp white suit, leaned forward, her tone cutting.

"And the pattern’s becoming clear: the more emotionally compromised he gets, the deeper his access to their power. A double-edged sword, but... It is very useful."

Tenka sat with her usual calm poise, eyes half-lidded, fingers interlocked on the table.

"Useful indeed," she agreed. "Should Cradle push us further, we’ll have a weapon stronger than even they could anticipate. But..." She let the word hang like a knife in the air. "There’s another player now, one with similar ambitions but entirely different motives."

The black-suited woman scoffed. "Reiden."

The white-suited woman’s lips curled into disdain. "That smug bastard never did know when to quit."

Tenka allowed herself a small smile.

"Perhaps. Still, everything is unfolding just as I intended. Kentaro is... Growing. But we have yet to discover the repercussions of him using the power of the Alberlines."

Both women nodded, agreeing with Tenka’s statement.

Then the white-suited woman shifted, then slowly reached into her jacket pocket. With deliberate grace, she placed a single photograph on the table and slid it toward Tenka.

Tenka’s gaze dropped, her expression hardening as her fingers lifted the glossy image. The photo was grainy, captured from a drone on the island’s cliffside. But there was no mistaking the figure standing there, alone, watching.

"Rin," Tenka murmured.

"She’s been near him," the black-suited woman said, voice low and suspicious. "We don’t know why. What’s her goal?"

Tenka didn’t answer immediately. Instead, her crimson eyes narrowed, her silence deliberate, before she finally shook her head.

"We can’t say. Not yet anyways..."

Both women exchanged a glance, a wordless, practised form of communication, before turning their sharp gazes back to Tenka.

"Find out," the black-suited woman ordered. "And... There’s another matter."

Her tone darkened.

"An Alberline surfaced near your home city."

Tenka’s grip on the photo tightened slightly, her mask of composure cracking for just a second. Then, as quickly as it came, her calm returned.

"We’ll handle it when Kentaro returns," she said evenly. "If she’s not causing damage yet, that means she’s partially stable. There’s no reason to panic."

The white-suited woman interjected, voice silk over steel.

"For now. But early reports suggest... Unusual capabilities." She leaned forward, her long brown hair slipping from her shoulders as she whispered:

"She controls others... With her voice."

Tenka rested her chin on her knuckles, her eyes glinting faintly with something between intrigue and calculation.

"Sound manipulation... Interesting," she said softly, her gaze still locked on Rin’s photo. "This could complicate things."

Before either Chairwoman could respond, the heavy steel doors of the conference room banged open with a metallic echo. A young soldier, breathless and pale, stumbled in, his boots squealing on the polished floor.

"COMMANDER TENKA! CHAIRWOMEN!" His panicked voice cracked. "We... We have a major situation!"

The black-suited woman slammed her hand on the table, her sharp voice cutting like a whip.

"Spit it out, soldier!"

The man’s throat bobbed as he swallowed hard, sweat glinting on his brow.

"The Alberline that appeared in Oshawa..." His words shook the room. "She’s been spotted again. But this time, in the heart of Tokyo!"

The conference fell silent for one tense, electric heartbeat.

"Tokyo?" The white-suited woman’s eyes widened with fear and confusion. "Impossible, it’s only been days since her last emergence!"

The soldier only nodded, his entire body trembling.

Tenka clicked her tongue softly, stood. There was no time to waste by sitting around; she needed to go back and start the preparation to head out as soon as Kentaro got back. Tenka bowed politely to the two Chairwomen. Despite the storm brewing behind her calm face, her voice was steady and laced with quiet resolve.

"Well... It seems our little island vacation is over," she said, straightening her jacket. "Once Kentaro returns... Halcyon is taking a trip to big city Tokyo."

The women nodded their heads.

"We wish you good luck, come back with results." They both said in unison. Tenka saluted, acknowledging their orders.

She left without another word, the heavy doors closing behind her, leaving only the two Chairwomen and the ominous photograph of Rin on the table, staring back like a silent warning...

[The End Of Volume 2]