"Tell the President that I have an opening in my schedule."I said those words with a confident smile, tucking the White House letter into my coat.But the atmosphere in the Yozakura courtyard didn't relax. It snapped."You do not summon the Sovereign," Genjurou growled, his hand hovering over the empty space where his sword used to be. "You petition him."Behind him, five hundred Yozakura disciples drew their blades in unison. The sound was like a wave of steel crashing against the shore.SHIIIING.Agent Smith didn't flinch. His cybernetic eyes scanned the threat."We have authorization," Smith stated flatly. "And we have air support."He tapped his earpiece.WHOOSH.Two F-35 fighter jets screamed over the mountain range, breaking the sound barrier. The sonic boom rattled the tiles on the estate roof."Escalation," Ayaka hissed.She stepped forward, her heels crunching on the gravel. She didn't draw a weapon. She drew her phone."Agent Smith," she said, her voice dripping with S-Rank

"Arrogant," the woman in the crater muttered. "Just like the dossier said."She stepped out of the dust cloud. The moonlight gleamed off her power armor—a sleek, red-and-gold exoskeleton that hissed with hydraulic pressure. A massive spear, crackling with electricity, rested on her shoulder."I am Jessica 'Valkyrie' Ford," she announced, her voice booming with the confidence of someone who has never heard the word 'no'. "S-Rank Hunter. Captain of the US Special Forces. And your chaperone."She pointed the spear at my chest."But I don't chaperone weaklings."I tightened the towel around my waist.(It’s 2 AM. I am damp. I am tired. And now I have a magical mecha-girl in my backyard.)"I am not a weakling," I sighed, leaning against the doorframe. "I am a Sovereign. And Sovereigns have bedtimes."Jessica grinned. It was a wild, predatory grin."Big words for a man in a towel. The President says you're a god. The reports say you eat Angels for breakfast."She planted the spear in the gro

"Get it out," Ayaka said. Her voice was calm, which meant she was five seconds away from burning the house down.We stood in the living room of the Saionji Villa.Or rather, we stood on the perimeter of a military occupation zone.In the center of the room, right on top of a 17th-century Persian rug, stood a tent.Not a camping tent. A reinforced, carbon-fiber military bivouac meant for arctic warfare. A small generator hummed beside it, powering a mini-fridge and a weapon rack currently holding a massive electric spear."It is... secure," I said, trying to be diplomatic."It is a tent," Ayaka hissed. "In my living room. She drilled pitons into the marble floor, Renji. Pitons!"The flap of the tent unzipped.Jessica 'Valkyrie' Ford crawled out. She wasn't wearing her power armor. She was wearing a tank top, camo pants, and a smile that was entirely too bright for 8:00 AM."Morning, Husband!" she chirped, waving a protein bar. "Coffee is brewing. High caffeine. Good for the reflexes."

"Coming," I called back to Ayaka.I stepped into the limousine. The door shut with a heavy, expensive thud."We are late," Ayaka checked her diamond-encrusted watch. "The pilot is holding the runway.""Drive," I commanded the driver.(We need to be in the air before they check their phones. If I'm over the Pacific, maybe the Wi-Fi will cut out.)DING.Ayaka's phone chimed.DING.Runa's phone.DING. DING. DING.Suddenly, every device in the car—including the built-in TV—lit up.[BREAKING NEWS: THE SAINT UNMASKED?][LEAKED MEDICAL RECORDS REVEAL RENJI AMAGIRI HAS F-RANK MANA!][IS THE HERO OF SHINJUKU A FRAUD?]My stomach dropped through the floor. Snake’s Deadman Switch worked fast."What is this?" Runa frowned, looking at her screen. "F-Rank? This is enemy propaganda!""It looks... authentic," Sae adjusted her glasses, her detective eyes scanning the scrolling text. "The medical seal is genuine. Dated three years ago. Diagnosis: Mana Void Syndrome. Capacity: Zero."Ayaka looked at me.

"I'm going outside."The cargo ramp lowered with a mechanical groan.Instantly, the cabin depressurized.WHOOSH.A hurricane of wind slammed into the bay. Loose luggage, napkins, and a very confused Melody (who was trying to eat a tuna) were sucked toward the opening."Master!" Runa screamed, grabbing a safety rail with one hand and Melody’s ankle with the other. "You will be blown away!""The wind obeys me," I lied, my voice swallowed by the roar of the engines.I stepped onto the ramp.Below me, the Pacific Ocean was a blue blur. We were at 30,000 feet, moving at Mach 0.9.Two missiles were streaking toward us, trailing white smoke.(This is suicide. This is absolute suicide. If the skill fails, I’m a smear on the windshield.)I took a deep breath.[Skill Activated: True Flight.] [Cost: 0 DP (Permanent).]Gravity released me. The wind stopped pushing; it started carrying.I stepped off the ramp.I didn't fall. I hovered."Target acquired," I whispered.I dove.I flew straight at the