High school student Kaito rewinds time to save his childhood friend IRyS, who was supposed to have died.
Just as the world is consumed by the Void Mist and all seems lost, a black-winged angel named IRyS falls from the sky before Kaito's eyes. Called the 'Savior,' IRyS was betrayed by the people she tried to protect. They branded her a demon's pawn, and they killed her.
In his moment of despair, Kaito screams—and a black clock appears in his hand. Trapped together in a frozen moment, IRyS asks
Hollow Reload: Saving the Dark Angel - Oath of Reversal, and the Shadows Begin to Move
Sea breeze.
The smell of rusted iron.
The night's chill lingering on the wharf.
Kaito clenched his fists.
The bleeding from Shunya's shoulder had stopped.
Emergency first aid.
The cloth torn from his clothes and wrapped around it was already stained dark red.
But there was no hesitation in his gray eyes.
"You can move."
"No problem."
Shunya stood up.
He pushed his back off the wall.
The scar under his left eye glowed white in the moonlight.
"What's the plan?"
Kaito pulled out Le Vainqueur from his pocket.
A jet-black dial.
The silver hands trembled slowly, but surely.
『Underground Facility』
White light on the dial.
"We're going back underground. Kouji-san is there."
"...A diversion, huh."
"Yeah. We split up."
Kaito gripped the watch tightly.
A cold sensation.
But there was heat deep inside.
"You find Kouji-san. I'll draw them away."
"That's reckless."
"I'm good at reckless."
Shunya's eyebrows twitched slightly.
Anger, or something else.
He let out a soft breath.
"...Don't die."
"You too."
The two ran into the darkness.
---
Third Warehouse District.
Crumbled walls.
Shattered windows.
Keep-out tape fluttering in the wind.
The warehouse at the very back.
Behind a broken container.
A rusted iron door.
The smell of oil on the hinges.
Kaito took a deep breath.
Cold air filled his lungs.
He pulled smoke grenades from his pocket.
Two of them.
Emergency ones bought at a convenience store.
Leftovers from last time, and a spare.
"Let's go."
"Yeah."
He pushed the door.
A creaking sound.
Stairs.
Narrow stairs leading underground.
Purple light seeped out.
He descended.
One step.
Another step.
The air grew heavy.
A crushing pressure on his lungs.
Mist.
A thin purple mist crawled at his feet.
The underground facility.
Strange devices on the walls.
Pipes crawling everywhere.
A massive glass cylinder in the center.
Purple mist swirled inside it.
A Mist Vein Amplifier.
Same as before.
But today was different.
"I sense them."
Shunya closed his eyes.
Mist veins seeped from his left hand.
Like thin smoke, dissolving into the air.
"Further in. Fifty meters ahead. There's a door. Beyond it... a human presence."
"Got it."
Kaito handed one smoke grenade to Shunya.
"I'll set it off first. Once the smoke fills the area, you charge in."
"Understood."
Shunya dashed off.
He vanished into the shadows.
Kaito walked alone toward the central control room.
Killing his footsteps.
Purple light.
The room's entrance.
Three people inside.
Black clothes.
A pendulum crest on their chests.
Pendulum.
One was watching a monitor.
The other two stood facing the entrance.
Kaito pulled the pin on the smoke grenade.
He threw it.
Fwoosh.
White smoke billowed out.
"Wha— What the!?"
"Alarm! Intruder—"
Kaito ran.
He dashed through the smoke.
To the control room.
Monitors.
Five screens.
Mist vein density.
Amplification rate.
External output.
—Artificial Mist Generation Program.
Kaito pulled out his smartphone.
Click.
Click, click.
He took pictures frantically.
"What are you doing there!!"
A roar from behind.
He didn't look back.
He ran.
Another smoke grenade.
He pulled the trigger.
Fwoosh.
The corridor turned white.
"Smoke! Someone—"
"My eyes, my eyes hurt—"
Kaito ran.
His heart ached.
His lungs burned.
But he didn't stop.
Le Vainqueur's hands trembled.
Pointing the way.
Emergency stairs.
He sprinted up the iron stairs.
Upward.
---
Outside the warehouse.
Before dawn.
The sky was beginning to turn faintly white.
The stars were fading.
"...Hahh, hahh."
He caught his breath.
Cold sweat on his back.
The hand gripping his smartphone trembled.
(Got it.)
He had the evidence.
All that was left—
"Kaito."
Shunya emerged from the shadow of a container.
He was carrying a man on his shoulder.
An emaciated body.
Gray hair.
Closed eyes.
Kouji.
Shunya's foster father.
"...Kouji-san."
"He's unconscious. But he's alive."
Shunya's voice trembled.
---
The harbor wharf.
The horizon was beginning to whiten.
The sea breeze carried away the smell of blood and sweat.
Shunya laid Kouji down on the ground.
"...Kouji."
A trembling voice.
Kouji's eyelids moved faintly.
Slowly, his eyes opened.
"...Shun...ya."
A hoarse voice.
Kouji smiled weakly.
"You've grown."
In that moment—
Shunya's expressionless face crumbled.
Tears overflowed.
From his gray eyes.
They fell to the ground, one after another.
"...I'm sorry."
A voice squeezed out.
"I'm sorry... I..."
Shunya sobbed like a child.
Holding Kouji's hand.
With trembling hands.
"I couldn't protect... you... or that person..."
Kouji gently placed his hand on Shunya's head.
"You came back... That's enough."
Kaito stood a little distance away.
A warmth spread deep in his chest.
(Thank goodness.)
—Bzzzt.
His smartphone vibrated.
An incoming call from Iris.
"Iris."
He answered.
"...Kaito...!"
Her voice was trembling.
"Help me... The Pharos staff... they were fakes."
A chill ran down Kaito's spine.
"Where are you?"
"Hikage Shrine... I'm in the main hall with Saya-san. But... there are so many people outside..."
"I'm coming right now. Don't move, no matter what."
"...Okay. I'll wait."
The call ended.
"It's the long-hand bastards."
Shunya stood up.
He wiped his tears.
Fighting spirit dwelled once more in his gray eyes.
"They moved up their schedule. They plan to force the ritual at dawn."
"Let's run."
---
Hikage Shrine.
The approach to the shrine before dawn.
They sprinted up the stone steps.
His sides hurt.
His throat tasted like iron.
But he didn't stop.
The three of them ran.
Shunya was carrying Kouji on his back.
The shrine grounds.
Nearly ten men in black.
All of them Pendulum.
In front of the main hall.
A wall of white light—a barrier.
Flickering faintly.
"Just like the plan."
"Yeah."
Shunya thrust out his left hand.
Mist veins overflowed.
Silver smoke enveloped the stone lanterns on the approach.
Crack.
A lantern toppled over.
"What the!?"
"Over there! Flank them!"
The members' attention was diverted.
"Go."
"You too."
Kaito ran.
Toward the main hall.
Taking the stairs three at a time.
In front of the barrier, the long-hand leader turned around.
Silver hair.
Sharp eyes.
A blade of mist veins in his right hand.
"So it's you. The rat who toys with time."
Kaito stopped.
He steadied his breathing.
"Hand over Iris."
"Ridiculous. It'll all be over soon."
The leader sneered.
"Once the Mist Return Ritual begins, the Void Mist will manifest. Tobari will be just like Nagiri. Just like the sacrifice twelve years ago."
Kaito pulled his smartphone from his pocket.
"Look at this."
He held out the screen.
Footage of the underground device.
The Mist Vein Amplifier.
The Artificial Mist Generation Program.
"This is proof of your cover-up."
The leader's eyes widened.
"Where did you get that—"
Kaito held the screen up toward the barrier.
"Iris! Look at this!!"
Iris peeked out from the entrance of the main hall.
Silver hair.
Purple eyes.
Wet with tears.
Beside her stood Saya.
A black-haired woman.
In shrine maiden attire.
Iris stared at the screen.
"...This...!"
"The Mist Return Ritual is a trap. It was a plan to kill you and artificially trigger the Void Mist."
"Shut up!!"
The leader raised his mist vein blade.
In that moment—
"Enough!!"
Iris screamed.
Her voice trembled.
But it was strong.
Stronger than anyone.
"I won't be anyone's sacrifice anymore."
A pale blue light overflowed from her back.
Around her shoulder blades.
A wing-shaped birthmark was glowing.
"Saya-san—"
"Yes."
Saya spread both hands.
White light raced across the shrine grounds.
The barrier expanded.
The Pendulum members fell to their knees one after another.
Their mist veins were fading.
They were being neutralized.
"Wha— What are you—"
"This is a reverse barrier. One that seals the mist."
Saya's voice was calm.
The light of dawn streamed into the shrine grounds.
Golden light from the horizon.
The mist was vanishing.
—Sirens.
The sound of Pharos vehicles arriving at the approach.
Legitimate staff members rushed in.
"Everyone, don't move!! This is Pharos!!"
The leader fell to his knees.
His silver hair disheveled.
"...Does Pendulum have no next move?"
A murmur.
A question directed at no one.
---
The main hall.
Iris slowly descended the stairs.
Her face still bore the traces of tears.
But she was smiling.
He saw it for the first time.
Not a savior.
The smile of a single girl.
"Kaito."
She took Kaito's hand.
A small hand.
A cold hand.
But warmth came through.
"Thank you."
Kaito couldn't say anything.
He just squeezed back.
Shunya approached, bringing Kouji with him.
"...Iris-sama."
Iris looked up.
"Shunya... I'm glad. You're safe."
"I... I..."
"It's okay. It's okay now."
Iris smiled.
"You came back. That alone is enough."
Shunya bit his lower lip.
He desperately held back the tears threatening to spill.
"Let's start from here. The four of us."
Iris nodded firmly.
"...Yeah."
Dawn.
Morning came to the city of Tobari.
---
That night.
Kaito stood in front of his house.
Exhaustion washed over him all at once.
But it wasn't a bad feeling.
(It's over.)
Iris was alive.
Shunya had become an ally.
He had crushed Pendulum's plan.
Mysteries still remained.
But—
(For now, I'll rest.)
"I'm home."
He unlocked the door.
There was an envelope in the mailbox.
A white envelope.
Sender unknown.
"...?"
He opened it.
Inside, a single photograph.
—Mom.
Yukie was tied up.
A harbor warehouse.
Fear on her face.
On the back of the photo, handwritten words.
『Let's meet at the Shirase Lighthouse Office.』
『Next time, I'll show you the real Void Mist.』
"...What the hell."
Kaito's hands trembled.
The photo fell to the floor.
Mom.
Mom is with Pendulum—
He put his hand in his pocket.
He gripped Le Vainqueur tightly.
Cold.
But the hands trembled with heat.
『Second Hand』
White light on the dial.
Kaito picked up the photo.
With trembling hands, he looked again.
His mother's face.
(I'll never forgive them.)
The darkness of night spread outside the window.
In the distance, a mist siren wailed.
A hollow sound.
It was the beginning of a new battle.
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