COMING TOGETHER PART 2

The roar of my motorcycle echoed down the coastal road, salt air whipping past my face. Evelyn was riding pillion behind me, holding on just tight enough to stay steady.

Overhead, storm clouds swirled.

Taiga was literally riding a storm a few yards away, balancing on a swirl of wind.

Then he suddenly dropped down onto the sidewalk, panting hard, sparks crackling faintly around him.

I slowed and skidded to a stop beside him.
“Taiga, you still breathing?” I called over the engine.

“Yeah,” he said between breaths. “Just… need to catch my breath.”

Evelyn was already pulling out her scroll, checking the map.
“The docks are just up ahead,” she said, her voice clipped.

Taiga wiped his sweat and nodded, summoning another gust to carry him forward — only to nearly crash headlong into someone rounding the corner.

Both of them went tumbling.

“Seriously?!” Evelyn snapped, helping Taiga up.

“Theo?” Taiga said

He dusted himself off cheerfully. “Evening! What are you three doing out here?”

“Could ask you the same thing,” Taiga said, brushing himself off.

“I’m helping set up for the Astralis Tournament!” Theo said proudly.

“At night?” Evelyn deadpanned.

Theo opened his mouth to explain, but I cut in, swinging a leg off my bike. “We don’t have time for storytime. Bad guys at the docks remember.”

Theo’s eyes lit up “Sounds fun. Can I come?”

Jeanne shook her head. “No, Theo. It’s going to be dangerous.”

Theo just gave an enthusiastic thumbs-up.
“No need to worry — I’m combat-ready!”

Taiga hesitated, clearly torn.

Evelyn pinched the bridge of her nose and groaned.
“Fine. Whatever. This weirdo can do whatever he wants. But we have to get to the docks.”

Theo practically bounced in place.
“Great! Should I call the authorities?”

“Yeah, sure,” Taiga muttered. “Do that. And keep up!”

I revved the bike and we all tore off toward the docks.

Caelum’s POV

Lyra and I had taken out most of the impostors, but Silas Crowe was still standing.

I switched my Chronosphere into gun mode and leveled it at him — but before I could fire, something dark dropped between us.

An umbrella.

The strike hit the ground with a sharp crack, and the impact rippled outward like shattered glass. The illusion dissolved, revealing a girl with raccoon ears and pointed elf-like ears. Her umbrella spun once, twice, then clicked open again like a shield.

“What the hell…” I muttered.

“Alice,” Silas greeted with a smirk. “Nice of you to drop by.”

Alice just nodded once and twirled her umbrella.

“Now, this is a fair fight.” Silas said

I flipped my Chronosphere into sword mode, the blade locking into place with a satisfying hiss.

The battle split — Lyra darted at Alice, while I clashed with Silas.

He finally managed to pin me back against a crate, his cane pressing against my chest. The barrel clicked and swung toward Lyra.

The shot rang out — catching Lyra in the side. She hit the ground with a sharp cry, clutching her ribs.

“Finish her” Silas said to Alice which she nod

Alice lunged, umbrella blade gleaming — but a wall of ice erupted between her and Lyra, jagged and glittering in the moonlight.

I twisted my head and saw him — Taiga, panting but standing tall, frost clinging to his hands where he had shaped the barrier.

Behind him, Jeanne’s motorcycle skidded through the front gate in a spray of sparks. She and Evelyne leapt off mid-roll, weapons already drawn.

The sudden distraction I used to slam my head forward, breaking Silas’s nose with a satisfying crack, then rolled free, stumbling toward Lyra.

“You guys really need to work on your timing,” I said, wiping blood from my mouth.

Jeanne punched my shoulder “And you need to work on staying out of trouble.”

Lyra’s ears twitched, her eyes softening at the sight of her friends.

Jeanne cracked her knuckles. “We’ll talk later — if we survive this.”

I pointed at Silas and Alice. “Okay, quick briefing: guy with the cane is the boss, girl with the umbrella is trouble.”

“You boys take the boss. Me and Lyra will handle her,” Jeanne said “Evelyne, keep the bullets off our backs.”

Lyra moved first, vanishing and reappearing behind Alice. Her dagger flashed in a low arc, forcing Alice to spin her umbrella and counter. Illusions flared — half a dozen Alices surrounding Lyra in a ring of reflected moonlight.

Jeanne’s Chronosphere changes into a lance. She shattered one of the illusions — but the real Alice dropped from above, umbrella thrusting down like a spear. Jeanne manages to avoid it and kick Alice’s stomach, sending her skidding back across the dock.

Meanwhile, Silas thrust his cane to my chest — I twisted aside, hooked his wrist, and kicked him back. My blade sang as I swung for his ribs, but he blocked with the reinforced cane.

Taiga leapt in beside me, with vortex hands as he slammed both palms down, sending a shockwave that scattered three thugs like bowling pins and staggered Silas back a step.

Evelyne conjured a wide ice wall to block the incoming gunfire. Cracks spiderwebbed across the surface under the hail of bullets.

“I can’t hold this forever!” she shouted.

Taiga growled, frustration radiating off him. The clouds above darkened, lightning arcing through them. The storm tattoo on his arm began to glow, the dragon pattern coiling as if alive.

“Uh-oh,” I muttered.

Taiga thrust his hands forward, and a dragon-shaped bolt of lightning roared down from the clouds, tearing across the dock and scattering Silas’s men like ragdolls. The air smelled like ozone and burning metal.

Taiga collapsed to one knee, breathing hard as the tattoo faded.

‘So that what happened to giant robot’ I though about it before continue fighting

Lyra seized the opening, blinking behind Alice and slicing across her shoulder. Jeanne followed with a thrust that forced Alice back.

Above us, Evelyne shattered her failing ice wall into a cloud of jagged shards and sent them flying like guided knives, taking out the last of the henchman.

Then three helicopters came. Opening fire.

“Everybody down!” I yelled.

Evelyne had no choice but to throw up a massive dome of ice. Bullets sparked against it like hailstones, and cracks spread faster than she could reinforce them.

That’s when Theo strolled in.

His backpack open as dozens of floating swords deployed, spinning around him like a halo of steel.

“Whoa—” I started, but then Theo raised a hand.

The swords shot skyward like meteors, slicing through the helicopters’ rotors with surgical precision. The sky lit up in orange fire as wreckage rained down into the empty warehouses.

When the last one fell, Theo gave a cheerful wave. “Don’t worry! They’re abandoned!”

I blinked. “…Remind me to never make you mad.”

Silas snarled, blood on his face, realizing the battle was lost. He grabbed Alice and whistled for their ride. The last helicopter dipped low — but Theo simply raised his hand again and blasted it out of the sky.

The crash sent a wall of fire rolling across the dock. When the smoke cleared, the fight was over.

By the time the authorities arrived, we were sitting in a row, getting patched up by medics.

Lyra glanced nervously at Evelyne. “I… I’m not part of the Silver Claw anymore. But I’m not going to stop fighting for what I believe in.”

Evelyne let out a long breath. “I’ve had three days — and fought a small army — to think it over. And I’ve decided…” She glanced aside. “…I don’t care.”

Lyra blinked. “You… don’t care?”

“You said you left,” Evelyne said. “Then that’s all I need to know. The past is the past. Just… remember you have friends now.”

Lyra’s ears twitched, her expression softening. “…So we’re good?”

Evelyne hesitated, then gave a small, tired smile. “Yeah. We’re good.”

Taiga immediately threw his arms around both of them. “Group hug! We’re officially BFFs now!”

I raised a brow. “Taiga just hugged Evelyne without getting stabbed. Miracles do happen.”

Jeanne smirked. “Please. Wait until you see what they’ve been cooking in the dorm.”

“They cook? Together?” I said, stunned.

Jeanne nodded.

I sighed, glancing at the wrecked dock. “How do we explain this to the authorities…”

I turned to ask Theo for suggestions — but he was already gone.

Somewhere nearby, a car drove off, Theo inside, getting scolded by his “father” for “overstepping protocol.”

At the academy, Orion sat in his office sipping tea. Professor Aira entered with a stack of reports, setting them down with a grim look.

Orion skimmed the first page, lips curling into an amused smile.