Echoes of Eruption

A Farewell to Nana

The sun dipped below the horizon, casting a golden glow over the small clearing where Emjay's team had gathered. The air was thick with grief as Nana's body lay wrapped in a white cloth, surrounded by flowers picked from the fields nearby. No one spoke as Kazuki stood frozen, staring down at the person who had become his closest friend—the person he had lost.

Leon stepped forward, clearing his throat. "Nana was more than a teammate. She was family." His voice cracked, but he held firm. "She fought beside us, laughed with us, and never gave up on any of us."

Kai placed a hand on Kazuki's shoulder, but Kazuki barely reacted. He was lost in his own mind, replaying the words she once said to him.

"I will tell you my answer when the war is over."

But she never would. The war had stolen that chance away from him.

The funeral ended in silence, with each member placing a flower on her grave before walking away. But Kazuki stayed, kneeling before the fresh mound of earth, unable to move. He had lost more than a comrade.

He had lost his future.

Kazuki's Past: The Path to War

Before the war, Kazuki Kaori had already stepped into adulthood. A college graduate, his days were filled with uncertainty, drifting between jobs, wondering if there was ever going to be a true purpose in his life. The world had always been in chaos, but he thought none of it mattered to him.

That changed the day he lost his family.

He never knew the enemies had taken them away from him. He had believed for years that their deaths had been an accident, a cruel twist of fate. But when he uncovered the truth—that they had been caught in the fire of the war he had ignored for so long—his world shattered.

Vengeance consumed him.

At that time, He had always been an analytical thinker. He didn't believe in miracles, and he certainly didn't believe in superpowers—until he found out he had one.

It had happened long before he joined Emjay's team, on a night when he was being hunted.

He had been following the trail of those responsible for his family's death when he was caught in an ambush. Five armed men surrounded him in a dead-end alley, their weapons aimed directly at his chest.

Instinct took over. His mind screamed at him to move, to dodge, to find a way out.

And then it happened.

The air around him seemed to shift. A second version of himself stood beside him, mirroring his every move.

Kazuki had no time to question it. He used the distraction to attack, his copy moving alongside him as if it knew exactly what to do. He fought with twice the strength, twice the speed. He felt every movement as though he was in two places at once.

But the second Kazuki vanished after mere moments, leaving him exhausted and gasping for breath.

The remaining enemies hesitated, and Kazuki used the moment to escape. He didn't understand what had happened, but he knew one thing—he had to learn to control it.

Through trial and error, he pushed himself, testing his limits. He discovered that his copies lasted longer the more he focused, but each one drained his energy. He could create multiple copies, but doing so for too long left him weak and vulnerable.

Eventually he had refined his ability, though he still had more to learn. It wasn't an invincible power—it came with risks. But it was a tool, and he would use it to destroy those who had taken everything from him.

Then he met Emjay's team. He didn't join because he wanted to be a hero. He joined because he wanted retribution. Because the people responsible for his family's deaths still walked free.

And then he met Nana.

She changed everything.

Unlike him, she didn't fight for revenge. She fought because she believed in something bigger than herself. "You don't need a reason to protect people," she had told him with a soft smile. "Just fight because you can."

For the first time, Kazuki had something more than vengeance. He had a cause.

They grew closer as comrades, and eventually, he fell for her. One day, he confessed.

But Nana only smiled at him, shaking her head gently. "I will tell you my answer when the war is over."

Then she had laughed softly, nudging his shoulder. "But now, let's end the war together, okay?"

Now she was gone.

And the war raged on.

For days, Kazuki locked himself away from the others. He didn't eat. He didn't sleep. He didn't speak.

Without Nana, without the hope she had given him, he didn't know if he could fight anymore.

A New Battle Begins

The world didn't stop for grief.

Five days after Nana's death, Emjay's team was forced into another battle. Kazuki wasn't with them. He couldn't be.

Their latest intel had led them to the battlefield, where their enemies waited.

Emjay, Leon, Kai, Bleaf, and Crimson stood ready. Across from them stood Aiziro, Lillie, Esami, Elijah. 

They charged into each other, Clashing weapons together, heavy breaths all around the battlefield.

in the middle of the battle, A figure appeared through the chaos and said. "I think I'm missing out on some fun here. Let me join you guys," they said casually, twirling a knife between their fingers.

Elijah grinned. "Evena, you finally arrived! you will enjoy this."

The battle erupted.

The Fight of Rivals

Leon teleported in rapid bursts, appearing behind Lillie and striking, only for her to barely dodge in time. He vanished again, tricking her into swinging at nothing. Lillie countered by sending a wave of energy toward him, forcing him to teleport just before impact. She smirked, thinking she had him cornered, but he suddenly appeared above her and landed a powerful strike to her side, sending her crashing into the ground. She groaned but flipped to her feet, swinging her blade at him in retaliation. Leon dodged, teleporting mid-swing and countering with a knee to her stomach, knocking the wind out of her. She barely survived, coughing as she struggled to stand.

Kai dashed across the battlefield, his speed making it nearly impossible for Esami to predict his movements. She anticipated his next attack, preparing to block—but Kai suddenly stopped running. Before she could react, he fired a precise shot at her shoulder, wounding her. She gritted her teeth, pushing through the pain. Esami lunged, aiming to strike, but Kai vanished in a blur. He reappeared behind her, delivering a hard kick to her side, sending her tumbling. Esami tried again to anticipate his movements, but he was too unpredictable, landing another shot—this time at her leg—forcing her to fall to one knee, panting.

Bleaf summoned a sharp blade with his power, but Evena smirked, raising her hand. Suddenly, he saw a car speeding toward him. Shocked, he fell to the ground, only to realize it was an illusion. But in that moment of distraction, Evena shattered his blade. Furious, Bleaf lunged at her with his fists, but she twisted away, weaving illusions to disorient him. Each time he swung, her form flickered, vanishing like a mirage. Frustrated, he paused, trying to find a weakness—only for Evena to land a solid kick to his ribs, sending him staggering back.

Aiziro landed a few solid hits on Crimson, but Crimson only smirked as his strength increased. "Big mistake," he muttered before delivering a devastating punch that sent Aiziro flying into a wall. Aiziro coughed, wiping blood from his lips. He retaliated with a powerful strike, but Crimson barely flinched, his body absorbing the impact. "That all you got?" Crimson sneered, before grabbing Aiziro by the collar and throwing him into the ground with a sickening crack. Aiziro barely had time to recover before Crimson threw a pole straight at him. The impact left him gasping for breath, blood dripping from his mouth.

The traitor stood before Emjay, dressed in a black suit with a mask concealing his face. They clashed, exchanging blows as they spoke.

"You still don't understand, do you?" the traitor said, dodging a strike. "This war isn't what you think it is."

"I don't care what excuses you have," Emjay spat, landing a hit that sent the traitor staggering. "You betrayed us. That's all that matters."

The Escape of Cowards

Just as victory seemed near, the sound of helicopter blades echoed overhead. A rope ladder dropped, and the enemy team quickly retreated, boarding the aircraft before Emjay's team could finish them off.

Emjay clenched his fists as he watched them escape. "Next time," he muttered. "Next time, we end this."

Despite the enemy's escape, they had won the battle. But not the war.

As they returned to their base, there was a silent understanding among them.

They would fight. They would win.

For Nana. For Kazuki. For everything they had lost.