Then Kiriya got dragged deeper into the crazy things Ren did. At first, it was fun—the cool gadgets, the sense of wonder. But over ti, he learned just how dangerous Ren’s inventions could be if they were ever exposed to the public. One such ti was when Ren and Kiriya tested a device called the Ball of Quantum.
Inside Ren’s private shed.
Ren chuckled quietly as he watched Kiriya frown at the strange, gleaming object on the workbench—a glass orb with thin wires snaking through its surface. "This one’s called the Ball of Quantum," Ren explained, his voice brimming with enthusiasm. "Basically, when you power up the module, it creates a ’local quantum layer.’ You can... well, see like, three copies of yourself—instant parallel universes."
Kiriya raised an eyebrow. "A local quantum layer? How does it work?"
Ren pressed a small button on the side of the orb, and the surrounding LED lights flickered rapidly. "When plasma energy from the TAF feeds into the orb, it causes a fluctuation in the quantum field—a visual superposition phase. Your eyes won’t catch all the dinsions directly, but with high-res sensors, we can capture alternate ’designs’ of things that exist in parallel positions."
Kiriya glanced at the monitor, which displayed an abstract interference pattern. "That’s... cool. But why did you build this in your shed?"
Ren winked. "Experint. You know how ghosts are said to be see-through? That kind of mystic concept was actually once discussed in quantum physics... This little guy? It can make you like a ghost... invisible, undetectable by 21st-century sensors."
"I honestly don’t know how to react. I an, that’s incredible, and... I’ve been in your mad experints for what—two years now?"
It had been two years since Kiriya first stepped into Ren’s shed. Since that day, his life had taken a wild turn. Not because he wanted it to—but because he couldn’t just let his friend walk this path alone. A path, frankly, way too dangerous for kids their age.
"Oh, co on... It’s not that big of a deal," Ren said with a small grin.
Kiriya let out a long sigh. "You know, sotis I envy normal kids. All they worry about is howork, crushes, or the newest video ga. ?" He pointed at the quantum orb on the table. "I’m involved in underground quantum experints with a tech maniac who looks like a harmless schoolboy."
Ren laughed. "That might be the nicest thing anyone’s said to today."
Kiriya rolled his eyes and sat on a stool littered with wires and tiny bolts. "So what’s next? You do realize that if this orb falls into the wrong hands—"
"—it becos a tool for erasing existence," Ren cut in sharply. "I know. That’s why I’ve perfected the control system. It only activates with sync from my TAF. Anyone else tries? Boom. Self-termination."
Kiriya went silent. He recognized that tone. The calm one that tried to hide exhaustion and pressure. Ren always acted like everything was fine so people wouldn’t worry. But Kiriya knew. He always knew.
"Ren..."
"Hm?"
"I hope you know when to stop."
Ren chuckled lightly. "Stop? The world never stops, Kiriya. And as long as there’s still a step I can take forward... I won’t stop. Not because I love the challenge, but because if I do stop... everything I’ve built might disappear."
Kiriya didn’t respond. He just stared at the quantum orb. It pulsed softly, like the heart of their small world, a dim light blinking in rhythm like the heartbeat of an unwritten future.
"Haah, I hope this doesn’t go on forever. So... what are you gonna do with the orb?" he asked, resigned—like he’d officially accepted his role as Ren’s full-ti test subject.
Ren turned, a half-smile forming on his lips. He raised his hands and made a fra with his fingers, pointing it at Kiriya like a director framing a shot. "So... interested in trying sothing new?"
Kiriya snorted. "What’s that supposed to be?"
"Visualization," Ren said nonchalantly. "You’re in the fra. The future pioneer."
"Don’t tell you’re planning to—" Kiriya paused. "You’re making your guinea pig again, aren’t you?"
Ren gently patted his shoulder. "C’mon, I’d never do that to a friend. I’m not that heartless. Besides... it’s safe. Within limits." He winked. "Also, I’m thinking of combining sothing else with it."
"Sothing else?"
"Yeah... like a suit."
Kiriya wanted to protest. Every bit of logic in his brain scread don’t. But at their age, logic often lost to curiosity. And as he looked at the orb—this little glowing sphere, pulsing like the heartbeat of a miniature world—and then at Ren, whose eyes were filled with hope... he gave in.
"...Are you sure it’s safe?"
---
Sowhere far from the crowds.
Two elentary school boys pedaled their bikes along a quiet hill road—just to be clear, they were still in Kyoto, yes, still in Kyoto... heading toward an old, unused temple. The afternoon sun slipped through the leaves overhead, casting long shadows that seed to guide them along the path.
Ren carried a cloth-covered bundle in his bike basket, and when they reached the temple’s silent courtyard, they stopped. A breeze rustled the small wind chi hanging from the temple roof, its soft chi welcoming the two explorers of the future.
"This place is... kinda creepy," Kiriya muttered, eyes scanning the moss-covered walls.
"But it’s quiet," Ren replied. "Perfect for testing."
They laid out a mat on the temple grounds and unwrapped the bundle. Inside—an all-white suit of armor, handcrafted with small fingers and big ideas. Sleek in design, mostly white with silver trims. The helt had two red eye-lenses and an aerodynamic shape, inspired by chaleon skin and fragnts of tokusatsu-style armor.
"This... is aweso," Kiriya whispered, his fingers running along the armor’s surface, almost like he had to make sure it wasn’t just a dream.
"It’s called Bugtlon," Ren said with a cheeky grin. "At first I wanted to na it Chaleon because of its camouflage system, but that felt too generic. So I mashed it up: ’Bug’ because it’s still a prototype and full of errors, and ’tlon’ from ’chaleon.’"
Kiriya stared at him, half-impressed, half-annoyed. "You’re naming this high-tech armor with the word ’bug’ in it?! And ’tlon’? Shouldn’t it be just ’lon’?!"
"Well, the T stands for ’Tech.’ Besides, I’ve got my own brand going—Techno," Ren said proudly, arms crossed.
Kiriya could only sigh, then turned back to the now-activated armor. A low hum filled the air, and his body was slowly wrapped in a faint shimr as the camouflage system adapted to the surroundings.
"Whoa..." he breathed, watching himself nearly vanish from sight. "This... is insanely cool."
"Press the button on your right wrist. That’ll sync with the internal breathing system and activate the thermal dampener too," Ren instructed, standing beside him and monitoring everything from a small handheld screen linked to the suit.
Kiriya complied, and as he pressed the button, the temperature inside the suit adjusted. He felt a stream of cool air flow through like a personal AC unit.
"This... actually feels comfortable," he said, voice slightly muffled behind the helt.
Ren smiled, then glanced up at the darkening evening sky. "But don’t get the wrong idea. This isn’t just for fun."
"I know." Kiriya turned to him, the helt letting out a soft chanical sound as it followed his head movent. "Alright, what now?"
"The suit functions as I explained before. But if you want the complicated version, I can break it down—"
"No need. It’ll be dark before you finish yapping."
"Fair enough... Press the chest emblem to activate the Ball of Quantum."
Kiriya looked down. A faint glowing circle had ford on the chest of the suit. As his hand pressed it, a soft hum ca from the backpack unit—and then, slowly, his body began fading from view due to the quantum tunnel effect.
Ren stood frozen, staring as Kiriya’s figure slowly dissolved into the air like mist.
"That’s—That’s amazing," he whispered. The chanical whirring of active quantum systems echoed in the silence.
Kiriya moved carefully, feeling his body transform into sothing intangible. "You see this?" he said excitedly. "I can walk right through that thick tree!"
Ren stepped closer—just a single step—and reached for Kiriya’s shoulder. His hand passed right through. The suit’s sensors gave off a soft chi—warning of molecular phase disruption.
Kiriya hissed in surprise. "Hey! Don’t push !" He pulled back, his voice rising slightly. "I feel like... a scarf in the wind! Why would you—?"
Ren raised his hands and pulled back gently. "Oops. Sorry, my human-hand calibration isn’t complete yet. But hey—it’s aweso, right? You’re really—"
Kiriya scowled. "If you try touching again, I’m bailing." His tone was doubtful, but not unfriendly.
Ren nodded quickly. "Relax—I’m not gonna ss around." He held back a wide grin. "Next ti, I wanna make so gloves. Ghost-hand mode. But for now, let’s shut it down."
Without another word, Kiriya lifted his left hand. His fingertip pressed the glowing emblem on his chest again. A soft micro-explosion popped in the air, and his body re-materialized—completely visible once more. The suit’s sensors returned to normal, and a green indicator light blinked, signaling system stability.
Kiriya removed his helt slowly, brushing his bangs into place. "Cool," he said firmly, then looked straight at Ren. "But—what’s it good for, besides sneaking into Mr. KFR’s office? Got any real plans?"
Ren glanced at the small screen on his belt. "It can act as a shield too. Like saving you from a bullet or dodging on a battlefield." He scratched his head, his voice turning slightly hesitant. "But... there’s no tested protection yet. Quantum wave can phase you out for a bit, but if things go wrong, you could get multiverse infection."
Kiriya clenched his fist. "You know the risks. But I think it’s worth it."
"That’s just the first half." Ren stepped forward, excitent rising in his voice. "The other part: quantum sync. If you switch to sniper mode, bullets can phase through you—or even bounce back at the attacker."
Kiriya turned, impressed. "This is crazy. You’re teaching how to be a super ninja."
Ren frowned. "Ninja? Hm. I’d say more like... ’surprise assassin.’ Think of yourself as a blink-and-you-miss-it cao hitman."
"So if I pop up in a hallway, enemies get confused." Kiriya added, voice rising in excitent. "I like that!"
Ren grinned. "Exactly. We’re building this device for portable stealth. Not a toy. If you can handle it well, I’ll keep upgrading it so you don’t just survive—you can strike back."
Kiriya went quiet for a mont, shaking his head. "But seriously... we’re not going to need this for an actual war, right?"
"Oh co on, I was just joking about bullets and ninjas," Ren said casually.
"You sure sounded serious... But hey, if you’re developing it, keep going," Kiriya replied.
"Hey, I’ve got an idea... How about you beco my sidekick?" Ren said.
"Haven’t I already been?" Kiriya replied.
"No, I an not as Rentaro... but as Techno!" Ren declared.
"You’re saying nonsense again... but fine. If I had to, I’d na myself Agent-K!" Kiriya shot back.
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