1:12 A.M. – New Osaka, Sector 7
The rooftop wind sliced like razors, but Silver Guardian stood tall, his long silver-lined coat billowing behind him like a blade in a storm. Below, the neon lights of the corrupt city blinked lazily, unaware of the chaos about to unfold.
Kaito Renshiro — no, not Kaito, not right now — Silver Guardian — flexed his fingers in his gloves. The micro-sensors in his suit synced with his pulse, scanning the building below: Yamato Financial Tower, front for black-ops arms trafficking and laundering dirty money for politicians.
His voice echoed softly into his earpiece."Reina, do you copy?"
A burst of static, then:"Do I copy? Please, I hacked three satellite relays while making ramen. You're green. Floor 43 has the vault. You've got twelve guards. Infrared grid. Zero alarms — until you step in."
Silver Guardian grinned beneath the mask. "Perfect."
He jumped.
Forty-three stories down, the wind roared like a demon, but he timed his boots just right. Magnetic soles hissed to life, and he landed silently against the glass like a silver ghost. A flick of the wrist deployed his digital lockpick — the window slid open like butter.
Ten minutes later, alarms blared.Twenty guards, not twelve.The vault? A trap.The data? Wired with a virus.
Reina's panicked voice crackled. "Get out! Get out! It's a decoy!"
Too late. The tower's self-destruct sequence had triggered. The floor shook violently, chunks of steel ripping from the walls.
And yet—In the midst of it, Silver Guardian calmly planted a black drive into the core server.He whispered:"Upload the truth. Let them see."
Then he vanished into smoke.
7:45 A.M. – New Osaka University
Kaito Renshiro yawned obnoxiously as he stumbled into his literature class, still brushing ash out of his hoodie. His hair stuck up on one side. His notebook was blank. Aika Tsukino, sitting at the front, glanced back at him with narrowed eyes.
"Late again," she said, arms folded. "That's the third time this week."
"I overslept," Kaito mumbled, slumping into his seat. "Had a late-night... documentary binge. Very emotional."
From the back, Reina Takahashi peered over her laptop, raising an eyebrow. Her fingers paused over her keyboard.
Last night, the Silver Guardian had stopped an explosion that could have killed hundreds. A corrupted tower collapsed and leaked damning evidence of government involvement.
And somehow, this guy — this sleepy, sarcastic, ash-smudged slacker — had zero interest in the news.
She narrowed her eyes. "Suspicious…"
Later that Day – The Cafeteria
Kaito bit into his melon bread. "Why does every save-the-world mission end with me running from explosions?"
Miyu Kanzaki, now disguised as a transfer student, stood a few tables away, watching him. Her mission was simple: kill the Silver Guardian.
But something was wrong. She had tailed him all day — and sensed nothing. No aura, no combat stance, no edge.
Was it possible… he was just a lazy idiot?
And yet…
When Kaito smiled lazily at a passing janitor and helped him pick up spilled soup cans without anyone noticing — something in her paused.
10:00 P.M. – Kaito's Apartment
He kicked his shoes off, pulled off his hoodie, and peeled away the hidden Silver Guardian suit underneath. Dropping into his chair, he cracked open a can of soda and groaned.
"Another corrupt senator exposed. Another near-death escape. And I'm still behind on my poetry homework."
He blinked at the screen. A breaking news report aired:"Silver Guardian Strikes Again — Terrorist or Savior?"
Kaito sighed, sipping his soda. "I really need a vacation."
His phone buzzed. Reina's text:
"Meet me. We need to talk. I think I know who Silver Guardian is."
Kaito stared. Then smiled.
"Game on."