AN UNEXPECTED EVENT PART 2

As soon as they arrived, Hana hopped off and raised her phone, snapping a photo of the shoreline. No matter how many times she came here, the view never failed to settle her thoughts.

She spotted Sora sitting on a bench with his sketchbook open on his lap.
“How’s the sketchbook looking today?” she asked.

“Wanna see?” he replied without looking up.

“Always.”

Hana flipped through the pages. As usual, each one was filled with Sora’s detailed sketches—landscapes, silhouettes, architecture. But she paused when she reached a drawing of a sprawling European-style palace.

“These look… familiar,” she murmured.

Sora gave a small shrug. “You thinking it too much”

But Hana’s chest tightened.

Before she could think about it further—

“Kyaaa!!”

A high-pitched fangirl scream cut through the air.

They both turned. In the distance stood a strikingly handsome girl dressed in a stylish, androgynous outfit—easily mistaken for a good-looking guy. A small crowd of girls had gathered around her, giggling and fawning.

“Hana… did you tell Ibuki we’d be here?” Sora asked, suspicion rising.

“I may have… mentioned it to her.” Hana said, stretching the words.

Sora groaned, face reddening. “Seriously, Hana? You know how I feel about her.”

“Yup. Which is exactly why I’m giving you a push.” Hana grinned—right before giving him a literal push toward Ibuki.

“H-Hey—!”

“Have fun!” she called, already sprinting in the opposite direction.

As Hana slipped farther away from Sora, she wandered into the small wooded area near the park. The forest air was cool, carrying the scent of earth and leaves. A squirrel scampered across the ground, cheeks puffed with food as it hurried to gather whatever it could before nightfall.

Everything felt peaceful.

Hana lifted her phone and began recording the squirrel’s tiny adventures. It dashed back toward a tree and then vanished right in front of her.

“…What the?”

Hana blinked, lowering her phone. She approached the same place the squirrel vanished and reached out cautiously. Her fingers slipped past the air—disappearing into something she couldn’t see.

Curiosity tugged harder than fear. Hana took a breath, stepped forward, and passed through.

On the other side, nothing looked different. Same trees. Same light. Same forest.

Then she heard it.

Clashing. Growling. The thud of something hitting the ground.

Hana followed the sounds, pushing aside branches until the forest opened into a small clearing—

Where a girl stood, facing down a horde of shadowy, werewolf-like creatures.

The girl’s long golden hair was tied into a high ponytail that whipped behind her as she moved. She wore sleek orange armor, a glowing staff gripped tightly in her hands, and on her back—wings. Real, shining wings that radiated light.

The shadowy horde lunged at her with snarls that cut through the stillness of the forest. Their eyes glowed red, teeth bared, claws scraping the ground.

The girl planted her feet firmly, gripping her staff. She swung her staff in a wide arc. A sharp burst of orange energy shot out, hitting the nearest monster. It let out a guttural screech and disintegrated into a puff of black smoke.

Two more leapt at her from the sides. She spun, wings unfurling gracefully, lifting her off the ground. With a precise thrust of her staff downward, a beam of golden light shot the monsters.

The monsters regrouped, circling her, faster and more coordinated than before. One lunged from above. With a swift twist, she dodged, letting the creature slam into another monster, knocking both to the ground.

Her staff glowed brighter. She spun it, sending a series of pulsing energy waves toward the horde. The blasts collided with the shadows, tearing them apart with explosive bursts of light.

One particularly large werewolf leapt forward, massive and snarling. The girl didn’t falter. She raised her staff high, channeling all her power. Wings stretched wide as a concentrated beam of golden light shot forward, piercing the beast’s chest. It howled, disintegrating into a swirl of shadows that scattered into the trees.

A deep, thunderous stomping echoed through the clearing. From the shadows emerged a colossal, bear-like monster, its body wreathed in darkness.

The girl tightened her grip on her staff and lunged—but before she could strike, the beast swatted her aside, sending her crashing to the ground. Dust rose around her as she struggled to get back up, every movement labored.

Hana’s eyes widened. Without thinking, she grabbed a nearby branch.

“Hey, ugly! Stay away from her!” she shouted, hurling it at the bear monster.

The branch struck its shoulder, barely slowing it. Before she could react further, shadowy werewolves reappeared, surrounding her.

“Oh no…” Hana whispered, her heart pounding as they closed in.

Suddenly, a wall of fire erupted around her, forming a protective circle. She stumbled backward, blinking in shock.

“Sora-nii!” she called.

In the distance, Sora appeared, stepping through the flames with calm determination. The monsters turned, redirecting their attention toward him.

He pulled out a device—a strange, circular gadget that looked like a hybrid between a smartphone and a wristwatch. He pressed a sequence of buttons: 1… 2… 3… then the call button.

A mechanical voice echoed from the device. [GO RISING STAR]

“HENSHIN!” he shouted.

Sora pressed the side of the device. Flames burst from the ground, engulfing him in a roaring blaze. As the fire subsided, he stood revealed—crimson armor gleaming under the fading sunlight. From his back, a pair of intricate crystalline wings spread wide, catching the light and scattering sparks across the clearing.

Hana’s jaw dropped. “S-Sora-nii…”

The shadowy monsters roared, rushing toward Sora, their snarls echoing through the forest. But he didn’t flinch. Crimson armor gleaming, wings unfurled, he dashed forward in a blur, leaving trails of fiery sparks in his wake.

The bear-like monster swung a massive claw. Sora somersaulted over it, landing nimbly behind the beast. With a swift strike of his armored fist, he slammed the bear’s side. Orange sparks flew as cracks appeared in the shadowy form.

The werewolves lunged from all directions. Sora spun, wings slicing through the air, kicking up flames that struck multiple monsters at once. One by one, they disintegrated into shadows, leaving black smoke in their wake.

The bear roared, swiping at him again. Sora jumped, using his crystalline wings like blades, cutting through the monster’s shadowy fur. Landing, he extended his device—now glowing with energy—and slammed it to the ground.

A shockwave of fire erupted in a wide circle, tossing monsters off their feet. The golden-haired girl seized the opening, blasting the remaining werewolves with her staff. Together, their attacks created a perfect rhythm, tearing through the horde.

The bear, the largest and strongest, charged, its glowing eyes fixed on Sora. Calmly, flames enveloped him, forming a spinning column of fiery energy around his arm.

With a mighty leap, he struck the bear with a blazing, spiral punch. The impact sent the beast flying into the trees, where it disintegrated into a cloud of shadow.

Sora landed, detransform, breathing steadily. He glanced at Hana.

“Are you ok? Are you hurt?” Sora said.

Hana stepped forward, awed. “Yeah… but Sora-nii, what was that? You were on fire and—”

A voice cut in. “Thank you for saving me,” the golden-haired girl said. “I never knew there was another Celestial patrolling in this realm.”

“A… Celestial? What’s that?” Hana asked.

“Trouble. We need to go,” Sora said, grabbing Hana’s hand.

“Wait—” she started.

“Goodbye, hopefully forever” he said, brushing her off without looking back.