Nagazora City, Senba Academy.
The sky gradually darkened, casting a soft, amber glow over the city.
Thud~
Inside the school's indoor gymnasium, the rhythmic sound of a basketball hitting the floor echoed. A white-haired young man, Kevin, was practicing his shots with a mix of determination and clumsiness.
Kevin had always been naturally athletic. From a young age, he could outrun and outjump his peers. But he never found satisfaction in relying solely on brute strength. To him, true mastery lay in technique—the kind of skill that, when honed through relentless effort, could lead to that glorious mont of victory.
Recently, he had developed an interest in basketball. It wasn't just a ga of physical prowess; it required finesse, strategy, and precision. If he could master it, he felt it would prove sothing profound about himself.
Today was his first serious attempt.
At one point...
Swish~
The basketball sailed smoothly through the net.
"Nice!" Kevin clenched his fist, his face lighting up with excitent. Even though it was just a simple shot, and even though he had been standing close to the hoop, the small victory filled him with a deep sense of satisfaction.
Unfortunately, neither his best friend, Su, nor the girl he liked, I. were there to witness it. He couldn't share this joy with anyone.
Just then...
Thud~ thud~ thud~
The basketball bounced a few tis before rolling to the edge of the court—right to soone else's feet.
"Huh?" Kevin froze. Had soone else been in the gym this whole ti? How had he not noticed?
He looked up and saw a black-haired young man who appeared rather ordinary, perhaps slightly handso. He didn't hold a candle to Kevin in terms of looks—Kevin wasn't vain, but he was confident in his appearance. Yet, there was sothing about this person—an aura of mystery, a depth that Kevin couldn't quite grasp. His eyes, though unfocused, seed to see through everything.
"Here you go," the black-haired young man said casually, picking up the basketball and tossing it back to Kevin.
For a mont, Kevin felt as though what had been returned to him wasn't just a basketball, but an opportunity—a second chance.
"Ah, oh... thanks," Kevin stamred, catching the ball. He was naturally outgoing, and curiosity got the better of him. "Are you a new transfer student? I've never seen you before!" He paused, noting the stranger's lack of a Senba Academy uniform but chose not to ntion it.
The black-haired young man twitched his lips, attempting a casual smile. "No, I just happened to pass by. I've been busy with a big project lately. Now that it's done, I thought I'd take a walk and look around."
"A big project?" Kevin pointed at him, then at himself. "Are you so kind of big-shot businessman? But you look about the sa age as ."
"People's paths in life are different," the stranger shrugged. "School isn't the only way forward... Of course, there are also many who want to study but can't due to various reasons." He paused, as if realizing he'd said too much. "Ah, never mind. Your friends are here. I won't disturb you any longer. Farewell."
He gestured toward the gymnasium door. "Good luck, hero of 'salvation.'"
"Huh?" Kevin was stunned. The door was still shut, and the gym's soundproofing was excellent. He hadn't heard any footsteps. How did this guy know soone was coming?
Before Kevin could ask, the stranger was gone—vanished as if he'd never been there.
At that mont, the door opened. Su and i walked in, chatting casually. Unlike Kevin, who excelled in physical activities, Su and I were more academically inclined, often staying late after school.
"Let's go, Kevin," Su called out. "It's ti to eat. Aren't we going to Eden's concert tonight? We're running a bit late."
I nodded in agreent, but they noticed Kevin staring blankly in the direction where the stranger had been.
"Was it an illusion?" Kevin muttered to himself. "No way... I haven't been staying up late lately. Could it be... I t a ghost?"
"Hey!" Su slapped Kevin's shoulder, startling him.
"Whoa!" Kevin nearly dropped the basketball. "Oh, it's you, Su. Why'd you walk so quietly?"
"You were too focused," Su said, rolling his eyes. "i and I called out to you several tis. What were you so jumpy about?"
Kevin hesitated. "Uh, it's nothing. I just t a strange person."
"A strange person?" I raised an eyebrow. "Why do you say that?"
"Because he was just here," Kevin gestured animatedly, "but when I turned around, he was gone."
I gave him a look that clearly said, What are you even talking about?
"It's true!" Kevin insisted. "Before you ca in, he even told soone was coming..."
"Uh, Kevin," Su interrupted, "isn't it possible that this gym only has one entrance? The one I and I just walked through."
Kevin froze. That was true. The realization sent a chill down his spine.
"Whoa," he exclaid. "Did I really et a ghost? But why was it a guy?"
(TL/N: indeed Kevin. I hope if I et a ghost it be will a busty milf ghost 🤧)
i blinked. "Huh?"
******
anwhile, outside Senba Academy, a black-haired young man walked side by side with a white-haired young man—a figure who seed both familiar and otherworldly.
"I didn't expect that the 'Enlightened One' of the future would also be at Senba Academy," the black-haired young man remarked. "I thought he'd be living in another city at this ti."
The white-haired young man replied, "Su was an exchange student at Senba Academy for a while. But he left before the 'Third Collapse.' We didn't et again until four years later, after the 'Seventh Collapse.'"
(TL/N: is it okay to use Collapse terms? or it's better to use "Third honkai impact"? for future chapter)
He paused, then added, "Eden's concert... Su and I only went to two of them. Tonight will be the last one."
The black-haired young man raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you going to see your best friend and your beloved?"
"No need," the white-haired young man said solemnly. "Just seeing them from afar is enough. This new era belongs to them... not to , a ghost who shouldn't exist."
The black-haired young man smiled faintly. "But you don't plan to disappear either, do you? What are you planning to do next?"
"I am a Fla-Chaser bearing the mark of 'salvation,'" the white-haired young man answered firmly. "That was true in the past, and it will be true in the future. I will protect this era from the shadows, watching over those who might try to destroy it."
His gaze lingered on the black-haired young man, as if seeing him as both a threat and a necessary evil.
This "second chance" had been granted by the black-haired young man, but it was born not out of benevolence, but from a deeper, more complex motive—a "malice" directed at certain individuals.
"You've chosen your path, Kevin... no, Kevin Kaslana," the black-haired young man said with a faint smile. "Just keep going, stay true to your beliefs."
"And you?" Kevin Kaslana asked. "Ling ke, now that you've achieved your revenge, what do you plan to do next?"
"?" Ling ke's lips curled into a slight smile. "It's simple. Just as I told the other you, the last 'big project' is done. Before the 'next act' begins, I want to take a walk—to see this... perhaps different era with my own eyes."
He stretched lazily, as if savoring the rare mont of freedom. "I haven't had this much free ti in a long ti. Consider it a little vacation."
Kevin nodded slightly. "Understood. Then, let's part ways here."
He turned and walked toward another path at the corner. But before he disappeared, he paused and said, "I hope we won't et again."
With that, the man who had chosen solitude walked away, leaving a trail of frost in his wake.
Ling ke watched him go, a faint smile playing on his lips. "How decisive."
He stopped thinking about Kevin. After all, he was now living for himself. The "next act" he had ntioned—the "first batch of actors" had already taken their places. During his free ti, he could enjoy watching them. It was his masterpiece.
Besides that...
"Tonight, there's Eden's concert?" Ling ke mused to himself. "In the original story, it was praised so highly... I'm really curious! Alright, let's see just how amazing it is to deserve the title of 'world's number one superstar.' I hope it won't waste my vacation ti."
And with that, Ling ke disappeared into the bustling streets of Nagazora City, ready to witness the next chapter of this unfolding era.
(TL/N: I'm back hehe.)
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