Common Realms, Grand Province
Xavier and Adrian zip into the Common Realm's lively streets. "Wha… where the hell are we?"
Adrian's gaze lifts onto the large, blue concrete building in the distance. "This is the Grand Province's Forensic Investigation Unit," he mumbles. "During our investigation, I discovered footage from a camera facing away from Lila and Kaelan's encounter."
"Away? How could that contribute to the investigation?"
"Follow me - I'll elaborate later."
They journey up the concrete staircase leading into the building's front yard.
—
"Can we get a break!? We've been working our asses off since early this morning!"
A tan-skinned woman with long, shiny brown hair and light-blue eyes slouches into her cushioned seat. Aside from her sits a tall, slender male with pale white hair. "Vero, the police are depending on us to conduct the forensic investigation! You know what happened last time we took a break…"
Her head leans onto the male's shoulder, and her arms shoot towards the roof. "Come on, Rufus! The only good fight was between gravity boy and that freakishly strong beast! We could be doing something fun inste-"
The door busts open. "I need some assistance from you two," Adrian calls to the duo. "Vero, can you provide me with your forensic plugin? I'm in the middle of an investigation."
"Classic Adrian," Rufus moans, "always bursting in here when you need help." Rufus notices Xavier's awkward expression. "I've seen you before… Aren't you from the northeast?"
Xavier nodded. "Death Desert, to be exa-"
The glow within Vero's eyes strengthened. "FINALLY, SOMETHING FUN!" She grabs the tape from Adrian's hand and rolls through the room with her chair. The tape drops next to a wired keyboard connected to a small desktop, and the sounds of her quick typing fill the room.
Each wearing a dumbfounded expression, the boys quietly observe Vero's efficiency.
"That's Vero," Rufus whispers to Xavier. "She's an Anatan student studying forensic investigation here in the Grand Province…"
"Mmm," Xavier mumbles. "When Death Desert hosts a speedtyping competition, I'll be sure to keep her in min-"
"ALL DONE!" Her finger pushes onto the desktop mouse. "Say, why are you just examining a 60-second long clip of shadows?"
Adrian leans towards the mouse. "Watch closely."
A few moments pass, and three shadows zoom past the camera's line of sight. Seconds after their passing, a swirling purple mist sabotages its signal. Xavier's eyes winced. "Purple mist..?"
The mousepad slides across the table, and the moment rewinds by twenty frames. "6 seconds in - in one frame, there are three shadows soaring through the streets. Once the purple mist forms…"
He clicks onto the next frame. "That number decreases to one."
Xavier's pupils shrunk. "The Advanced Transformation user could've used the purple mist to help their comrades escape…"
Adrian finger lifts towards the top left of the screen. "Vero's plugin supports your claim."
VEROSENIC STATS - 100% TRANSFORMATION-CLASS POWER (ADVANCED TYPE) reads on the top left. He rewinds by a singular frame, and two other variables appear. "50 percent of normal transformation magic is split between the two other mages, each wielding 25% of the surrounding power," Vero summarizes. "The power's remainder belongs to…"
"The Advanced Transformation user," Xavier finishes, "who makes 50 percent of it!"
Adrian swings the mouse across the table. "About thirty seconds after the two mages disappear, a new power emerges! Gerald Romanti's unidentified-type flames tie with our suspect's ratio!"
His finger pushes onto the space bar, and Gerald's shadow fades into the purple mist.
"First of all," Xavier begins, "those three exact mages continued after Fire Moon's other members were pulled into battle. If there were three transformation mages present during the Royal Complex incident and the Common Realms escape…"
A rush of satisfaction dominates the detective duo. "THEN THEY WERE THE SAME MAGES THAT INFILTRATED THE ROYAL COMPLEX!"
Adrian lifts the wooden pencil and writes "GERALD VS. PURPLE MIST and ROYAL COMPLEX INCIDENT" above the final two circles. "Purple Mist successfully restricted Gerald from chasing Fire Moon's transformation mages into the grassfield. All these events on our timeline lead to the present, where a potential Uraview infiltration is underway…"
Volume 13, Chapter 63 - Purple Mist
We open in a large cave on the Common Realm's outskirts. Inside the cave meditates Chrome, radiating a large amount of Pyron's firepower within his body. "Everything is going according to plan," his voice hums. "The final active members of Fire Moon overtake the Grand Province with a swift infiltration. Through multiple locations and countless battles, the finale is finally underway. This is the last stand, Team Pyron - will Fire Moon bring the Dark Province's rise, or will the Grand Province remain!?"
---
A loud, persistent ring infiltrated Xavier's mind. "Shit, what the hell was that!?" His eyesight blurs for a moment, and his head begins to spin.
"Xavier, are you okay!?" Adrian exclaimed, cautiously wrapping his arm around his shoulder. Before he could reply, another ring - this time much stronger, sounded in his head. "There's a strong presence in the air… is it who I think it is?"
---
Chrome's radiating power undergoes a gradual climb. An image of the Common Realm's streets flashes inside his mind, often intercepted by seconds of absolute silence. "Yes… this power! This link is exactly what I planned - one targeted to the man I fought in the Town Square yesterday afternoon!"
---
"I don't know who's behind this link, but figuring out the details is crucial!" Xavier shouts. His own voice failed to overtake the constant ringing - instead, it strengthened with each movement and sound he made.
---
"Fall into the ultimate trap, Phantom Protector! Your niche in Team Pyron is crucial - if you're defeated, the entire mission fails!"
---
Xavier's eyes bulged. "Chrome… HE'S USING PYRON'S FIREPOWER TO ESTABLISH A PROXIMITY TRANSMISSION LINK WITH ME!"
Everyone gasped. "Chrome?" Vero asked. "That's the guy from the Town Square fight yesterday!"
A stressful exhale released from Adrian's chest. "Seems like he's seeking an uninterrupted fight. Do you need any help in battle?" Xavier's hand lifted, wiping the sweat from his moist forehead. "Don't worry, I'll return here alive and well - if I don't, what would be of my friends?" The impact of their colliding hands forced a loud clap that echoed through the room. "That isn't the only thing on the line - I enjoy having post investigation feasts with my partners, so maintain your word no matter what!"