Chapter 15 Helios 9 Scouting Mission

His hands finally found what he was looking for—a small card, slightly crumpled from being shoved into his pocket. He held it up, his voice wavering between excitement and uncertainty.

"She gave me this! A guest access card! She told me to show it to the guards, and they would call her in. Maybe… maybe we can do something with this."

But even as he said it, his voice lacked its usual conviction. The weight of reality pressed down on him. A guest pass wasn’t exactly a golden ticket into a classified facility—especially not when that facility had gone dark.

Makiko clapped her hands together and shot Shujinko a playful grin.

"Alright, genius boy, before you drown in your own sorrow—how about this?"

 She slung an arm around his shoulder and gave him a little shake.

 "We take a nice, casual walk toward Helios 9. Just to see if we can spot anything from a distance. Who knows? Maybe we’ll get lucky and catch a glimpse of your girlfriend on the way."

She winked at him, emphasizing the last word just to watch his face turn red.

Shujinko immediately stiffened.

 "S-She’s not my—!"

"Relax, relax. But seriously, sitting here sulking won’t do anything. If we wanna know what’s going on, let’s go see for ourselves. Worst case? We get some fresh air and waste a little time before they announce it all over the local news."

She tilted her head toward Akarui. 

"What do you think, snack man? Up for a little adventure?"

Akarui smacked his hands together with a big grin.

"Hell yeah! Count me in!"

 He slung an arm around Shujinko’s shoulders and gave him a playful shake.

 "And while we’re at it, let’s stop somewhere for some real food. This snack gave me zero energy, and a growing man like me needs fuel!"

He poked Shujinko’s ribs, making him flinch. 

"Especially you, Stick Man. Seriously, do you even eat? If a strong breeze hits you, I swear you’ll snap in half."

Shujinko scowled, shoving Akarui’s arm off. 

"I eat just fine, thank you very much."

Makiko smirked, crossing her arms.

 "Could’ve fooled me."

Akarui laughed, already walking ahead. 

"C’mon, let’s move! Food, then Helios 9 scouting mission. Maybe we’ll find Professor Girlfriend along the way!"

Shujinko groaned. 

"I hate you both."

"Lies~!" Makiko and Akarui sang in unison.

After grabbing a quick bite, the trio made their way closer to the observation tower at the edge of town. They climbed up the steps of the tower, the view revealing the vast stretch of the Kuro Mountain range in the distance, where the mysterious concrete coffin lay buried deep inside. And there, the ominous, towering figure of Helios-9 stood in the distance. Its face was visible, but far enough away that it seemed like a faint outline against the sky. There was no way to see anything clearly from here.

With a collective sigh, they each plopped down on the metal chairs that lined the observation deck, feeling a sense of quiet disappointment wash over them. The view was beautiful, yes, but it was clear they weren’t going to get any closer to the truth today.

Akarui broke the silence with a laugh, “Well! The facility still stands, that’s a good sign, right?”

Makiko gave a thoughtful glance at the mountain before responding. 

“Maybe we should return to the university. The professor might be back by now.”

Shujinko, who had been quietly gazing at the far-off peak, let out a small sigh, rubbing his neck as he looked back at his friends.

 “Yeah, probably. As much as I want to see her… I don’t think we can just walk all the way to Kuro Mountain on foot. We’d be exhausted before we even got halfway there. It’s probably best to head back, hope the professor returned, and see if we can get some answers that way.”

Akarui nodded with exaggerated understanding, as if it were all part of a grand plan.

 "Alright, alright, let's go back then. At least if we go back to the university, we can get some hot coffee. Now that sounds like a good plan."

Makiko shot him a sideways glance, but couldn’t help the faint smirk tugging at her lips. 

“You’re always thinking about food, aren’t you?”

Akarui grinned widely. 

“Hey, a full stomach helps me think better!”

Just as the trio stood to walk back, the ground beneath their feet began to tremble. At first, it was subtle—a slight vibration that made the metal chairs hum quietly. But then, the vibration intensified, and the whole observation tower started to shake violently, its rusted frame groaning under the strain. A sharp, spine-chilling sound echoed through the air as the quake rattled the tower harder than they could comprehend. Before they could react, the shaking sent them sprawling to the ground, their bodies hitting the cold, unforgiving metal with a harsh thud.

For a moment, there was nothing but the disorienting noise of the quake, the whine of the tower's structure protesting under the pressure. Then, a deafening BOOM split the air, so loud that it seemed to shake the very earth itself. The explosion came from the direction of Kuro Mountain, from the very place Helios-9 stood.

“What... what the hell was that?” Akarui shouted, his voice cracking from the panic and confusion.

Shujinko could barely speak, his breath coming in short, shocked bursts as he tried to steady himself.

 “That came from Helios-9... Was that an explosion?”

Makiko, still gripping the side of the tower for balance, looked toward the distance, eyes wide with disbelief. Thick clouds of black smoke began rising from the site of Helios-9, billowing into the sky like twisting storm cloud. 

The trio stood frozen, speechless, eyes locked on the rising smoke, their thoughts completely scrambled. The silence that followed was suffocating. It was as though the world itself had paused, holding its breath, waiting for what might come next.

Then, just as they thought the tremors had subsided, the ground beneath them quaked once again—a second violent shake that sent them stumbling back. This time, it felt different. The quake was deeper, more violent as it rumbled through the air.

Makiko gasped, her eyes widening in horror. 

“What... what is that?”

Shujinko clenched his fists, a cold sweat forming on his face.

 “We need to get out of here… right now.” 

But even as he said it, a new sense of dread gripped him, a feeling deep in his gut that something even worse was about to happen.

Akarui’s usual boisterous energy had disappeared, replaced by a look of genuine fear.

 “I— I think we should go to the university. Right now. Get some answers.”

As they quickly left the observation tower, still shaken from the violent tremors and the eerie sounds that had followed, the trio’s eyes instinctively turned toward Kuro Mountain. It wasn’t until they reached the base of the tower that they saw something that made their hearts skip a beat.

A chopper, silhouetted against the smoky sky, was flying away from the direction of Helios-9. It appeared to be heading toward the distant horizon, there was no mistaking its purpose. It had come from the facility—its position and flight path were too direct to be anything else.

Shujinko pointed at the chopper. 

“Look! A helicopter... it’s leaving Helios-9.”

Makiko squinted, trying to make out any details. 

“That’s... that’s definitely from the facility, isn’t it? What’s going on?”

Akarui looked from the helicopter to the smoke rising from the mountain, his mind trying to process everything.

 “Do you think they evacuated? Maybe they got out of there before... whatever that happened?” 

Shujinko bit his lip, staring at the chopper as it slowly disappeared into the distance, blending into the haze.

 "It's possible. The explosion could’ve triggered some sort of emergency evacuation. Or maybe..."