“Get back!”

Tama’s fist rockets forward and slams into hardened steel. The machine clatters across the dirt, skids, then twists and snaps back onto its feet almost as fast as it fell.

Several more chase alongside the train, their thick mechanical hind legs firing in powerful bursts. Their heavy tails swing for balance while smaller arms stabilize their forward momentum.

I run with them, falling a little behind the train as I fire my spring legs to keep pace.

One of the Eidolons leaps, latching onto the side of a train car. It scrambles up the plating, just starting to peek its head over the roof when—Tzwoom!

Reina shoots its head clean off with her Sync Rifle.

The machine slams into the dirt and tumbles straight toward me. I sprint forward and vault off its body, firing my spring legs and launching myself high into the air.

I activate my antenna and my HUD flares—eight signals—just before I land back on top of the train in a roll.

“There’s eight left!” I shout.

A mechanical shriek tears through the air behind me.

An Eidolon lunges. I throw up my guard, but Tama crashes in first, her punch sending it flying several cars back. It skids, claws screeching as it latches onto the train’s metal plating.

Fearful cries echo from inside the car, then the Eidolon turns toward them.

Its claws dig in, tearing at the armor, metal groaning as it starts to break through—

“No you don’t!”

I launch myself forward, screaming as I kick with everything my legs can give.

The Eidolon staggers—but then it spins, its heavy tail sweeping my legs out from under me.

I go flying off the car.

“Ugh, not again!” I hiss as I slam into the dirt.

I lie there for half a second, lungs burning, then I force myself up. The train keeps moving but the Eidolons are still chasing it.

Reina’s voice crackles over the comms. “We still have seven Rail Runners at our side—and Rika’s fallen off the train again. Kanna, Isuka, we need you up here!”

Wait—seven? What happened to—

SKT—SKT—EEEK!

A ripped-apart Eidolon crashes into the ground in front of me.

I look back toward the train and spot Tama waving her massive mechanical hand in the air.

“Don’t fall behind, Bunny-chan~!”

I roll my eyes and smile. Don’t worry—I’m coming.

I drop into a sprinter’s crouch, focusing everything into my legs. Energy floods my augments as I charge them.

My Sync Rate climbs back to seventy-four percent. But I push harder, all the way to seventy-six.

With all that energy focused into my legs, I launch myself forward, bursting through the air. I kick off again mid-stride, alternating legs as I close the distance, sprinting hard until I reach the Rail Runner at the head of the pack.

I leap past it and pivot on my heel, my star blade flaring to life as I sweep my leg upward in a wide arc.

The blade cleaves diagonally through the Eidolon, splitting it clean in half.

“Haha! Six left!” I cheer—but before I can celebrate, another one rushes me. It leans back on its tail and snaps forward, kicking with both hind legs.

The impact slams into my chest and I go flying, hitting the ground hard, gasping for air.

I force myself back up just in time to see three more charging straight at me. I raise my hands, but a sudden cold snaps through the air.

Isuka streaks past, releasing a burst of white mist that washes over the Eidolons.

They freeze mid-stride, ice crawling over their bodies and locking their joints as their circuits seize.

Isuka circles back and lands beside me. “Come now,” she says calmly. “Let’s return to the train before we get left behind.”

“We don’t have time to deal with them here,” she adds, her voice cold and unwavering.

I nod and break into a run.

Ahead of us, Kanna stands atop the train car, wand raised as glowing glyphs spiral into formation around it. She aims downward and fires a narrow beam into one of the Rail Runners.

For a moment, nothing happens.

Then the Eidolon suddenly veers, leaps onto another Rail Runner, and begins tearing into its armor while still running.

The last one hesitates—looking back at the infighting pair, then at the three finally breaking free of Isuka’s ice—before slowing and falling back to leap onto the Eidolon under Kanna’s control.

Isuka and I reach the train together. I haul myself back onto the roof just as she lands beside me in a smooth, controlled descent.

Kanna scoffs and plants her hands on her hips. “Hmph. As useless as I expected you to be.”

I open my mouth to respond but she brushes past me, her shoulder bumping into mine without a second glance.

“Come on, Isuka. Tama.” Kanna says coolly. “Let’s finish off these clankers like real Idols.”

Without a word, the two of them follow her to the back of the train.

The remaining Rail Runners tear the possessed one apart, then wheel around and sprint back toward us as the other three regroup.

All five form up, running in tight formation as the train chugs along at full speed.

Kanna raises her wand and moves it with a smooth, deliberate motion.

Glowing glyphs bloom into existence above Tama and Isuka. Their augments flare to life, light surging through them as Kanna’s Sync Energy floods in.

Kanna’s Sync Rate dips—and Tama’s and Isuka’s climb.

I lock onto Tama’s Sync Data.

Seventy-six… Seventy-seven…

It passes her previous peak.

Seventy-eight.

Seventy-nine.

Eighty percent.

My breath catches. She’s not even breaking a sweat.

Tama and Isuka drop into a crouch at the same time—perfectly in sync.

Isuka’s expression is cold and unreadable, her focus absolute.

Tama grins, eyes narrowed, feral excitement flashing across her face.

Isuka launches first, leaning forward and propelling herself toward the Rail Runners. Tama follows, but instead of charging ahead, she rockets straight into the air, her gauntlets blasting as she climbs.

Isuka becomes a blur of white mist, spinning into a cyclone as ice spreads beneath her. The tracks freeze. The ground crystallizes. In a heartbeat, the Rail Runners are encased in solid ice.

Above them, Tama hovers.

The shark-toothed girl’s eyes light up. Flames burst from the jets on her legs and gauntlets as she hangs in the air, poised directly over the frozen Eidolons.

She twists her body and fire engulfs her fist, then her whole body as she comes down screaming toward the earth like a meteor.

Then—

 

BOOOOM!!!

 

Steam erupts everywhere. Ice and metal explode outward as the shockwave slams into the ground, rattling the rails hard enough to nearly throw the train from its tracks.

The brakes scream as the train grinds to a violent halt.

I sprint toward the back, heart pounding, searching through the haze.

As the steam clears, I see her.

Tama stands at the center of a massive crater, the tracks blown apart beneath her feet. She raises one hand high into the air, triumphant.

I can’t help but stare.

My mouth hangs open. My lips tremble. My heart starts racing.

That confident smile. That larger-than-life presence.

It makes my chest melt every time I see it.

Tama…

 

You’re just so amazing!

 

⁂

 

Seventy-six percent.

 

The number flickers through my mind like an insurmountable wall.

Sync Rate doesn’t rise in a straight line. It never has. The harder I push, the more my body pushes back—like the air itself is thickening, every step forward costing twice as much as the last.

Seventy percent is manageable.

Seventy-five is difficult, but I can hold it.

Seventy-six is where I’m at my strongest—but that’s where everything stops.

I’ve slammed into that ceiling over and over again. Thrown myself at it until my vision blurs and my limbs go numb. No matter how hard I try, the number never moves.

Every step past seventy brings an immense spike in power—enough to make all the strain feel worth it. But effort alone isn’t enough.

Focus. Breathing. Control.

One mistake, and it all collapses.

Seventy-six percent Sync Rate has always been my limit.

Until—

 

Seventy-seven.

 

It was a dark, windy night. The sun was barely peeking over the horizon, and my augments were worn down from weeks of poor maintenance.

High above me, a massive mechanical bird cut through the sky. Dangling from one of its legs was a girl—grinning with jagged, shark-like teeth, golden-blonde hair whipping in the wind as she hung upside down, one hand stretched out toward me.

My mind went completely blank.

And at that moment nothing else mattered. There was nothing in the world I wanted more than to take her hand in mine.

My Sync Rate jumped.

Despite my damaged augments, I hit seventy-seven percent—just enough to reach her.

And it was all because of Tama.

She lifted me higher than I’d ever flown. Pulled me out of the rut I’d been stuck in when I first came to the Institute. Made me feel safe, even in my darkest moments.

But every time I think about how much she’s cared for me—about all the affection she’s shown me—the same question keeps resurfacing.

 

Have I been doing the same for her?

 

⁂

 

BWEEEEEEEM!

 

The train whistle snaps me back into reality.

When my vision clears, Emi is sitting on the floor in front of me, hunched over my legs. She pokes and prods at exposed circuitry while I lean back on my bunk, watching her work.

Her multi-tool hands move with practiced precision, servo arms extending from her lower back as she fine-tunes the internals. After a moment, she seals the panels shut and straightens up.

“There we go, all done!” she says, smiling proudly.

I blink, then shake my head once to fully wake myself. “Oh—uh. Thank you, Emi. Is there anything you need help with?”

She laughs softly, shaking her head. “Nope. I’m just happy you let me fix your augments. Machines are so much easier to deal with than people.”

I let out a nervous giggle. “Well… you’re welcome, I guess. I’m happy to have your—”

 

Thunk!

 

Both of us jolt at the sudden sound.

“Tama’s on lookout with Kanna and Isuka, right?” I ask.

Emi nods.

I stay still, staring up at the ceiling.

Tama. Kanna.

My thoughts drift back to the fight earlier. Tama’s Sync Rate had jumped to eighty percent with the help of Kanna’s Sync Amplifier.

But that shouldn’t be possible.

Sync Amplifiers aren’t meant to push Idols beyond their limits—only to make it easier to hold what they can already reach. And yet Kanna had done it while boosting Isuka at the same time.

I sigh, my head drooping.

Every time I see Kanna in action, I’m reminded of how far above me she stands. It’s not fair.

I slide off the bunk and head toward the exit.

“Where are you going?” Emi asks quietly.

I turn back and force a calm smile. “I’m just going to get a breath of fresh air.”

“Um, okay.” She mumbles.

I turn away and my smile fades the moment she can’t see it.

The door slides open and wind rushes into the car. I step outside and let it close behind me, the sun beating down as I move to the guard rail and lean against it.

I take a deep breath as the wind rushes past, carrying a faint scent of ash with it.

We must be close to our destination.
The Hazumono Colony—gone without warning, without explanation. I can only imagine what kind of horror could erase an entire settlement like that.

My stomach twists as I exhale.

Before I can take another breath, a familiar voice carries down from the top of the train car.

“Come on, Tama, think about it!” Kanna says. “Most classes don’t even have one S-Rank Idol. There has to be some special reason the three of us were assigned together.”

Tama chuckles. “You really think so? Could just be a crazy coincidence.”

“Or it could be fate,” Kanna counters. “You saw how well the three of us handled those Rail Runners.” Her voice lowers, smooth and deliberate. “What if we fought together more often? Maybe even made it a permanent arrangement.”

My heart skips.

She wants Tama on her team?

I shake my head and reach for the ladder, climbing slowly, carefully, until I can peek over the edge.

Tama stands between Kanna and Isuka.

“I don’t know,” Tama says, rubbing the back of her head.

“Wasn’t your peak seventy-eight percent before our fight this morning?” Kanna asks, tilting her head. “I was able to boost you all the way to eighty.”

Tama smirks, flexing her gauntlet as she tightens her fingers into a fist. “I did feel a lot stronger when you were boosting my Sync Rate.”

Kanna steps closer—leaning forward just enough that Tama has to tilt her head down to keep eye contact.

“I can do far more for you than just boost your Sync Rate,” she says quietly.

Tama blinks. “Huh?”

“My family can co-opt that sponsorship you have with Leviathan Industries,” Kanna continues, her voice silky smooth. “We can help you and your family reach that dream of yours. You wouldn’t have to wait years to make it happen.”

Dream? Tama never mentioned anything about a dream. Is there something Kanna knows that I don’t?

Kanna steps back, her smile never leaving her face. “So,” she says softly, “what do you say?”

Tama hesitates, but my heart starts racing. I turn away, squeezing my eyes shut.

Please say no. Please say no!

But before she can answer—

 

“Enemies incoming.”

 

My eyes snap open and Isuka moves instantly, stepping forward and shoving both Tama and Kanna back. We barely have time to react before—

 

zrrrrrr—TSCH—SKREEEEE!!!

 

A spinning buzz saw slams into the spot where they’d been standing, tearing through the train’s armor before screeching to a halt.

Everyone’s gaze snaps forward.

Atop a nearby hill, just beyond the tracks, stands a six-legged Insectoid-Class Eidolon. Its long, prehensile tail coils behind it, and its spined back bristles with rotating buzz saws.

Tama scrambles to her feet and nods at Isuka. “Nice save, Icy-chan.” She smirks, letting out a short laugh. “Two fights in one day? I was hoping this mission wouldn’t be boring!”

“That’s not all,” Isuka says, her voice calm and cold as ever. “There’s more.”

As if on cue, movement crests the hill behind it.

Dozens of Eidolons pour into view—Rail Runners, Ravenous Beasts, and more of that insect.

 

The Buzzsaw Scorpion.