March 7th saw Yuki surrounded by a swarm of women, each flaunting herself brazenly before him.
A wave of irritation surged through her. Her brow furrowed. She pushed through the crowd and planted herself firmly in front of him.
"What's all this?! Blocking the road like this you looking for a fight?!" She pouted, her gradient-colored eyes sweeping coldly over the women.
They burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Oh, sweetie, we are looking for a fight! Just not with you with this handsome guy behind you!"
"Yeah, exactly! A real good fight!"
"Handsome~ My bed's super soft. The 'fighting' would be so comfortable~"
"Don't listen to her! At my place, it's me and my sister. Could have a real 'group brawl'~"
"I..."
One after another, they fired off lines so blatant, so dripping with innuendo, that even some of the men nearby found themselves blushing.
March 7th, however, blinked in utter confusion.
"Uh... what are they talking about? I don't get it." She turned to Yuki, her face a perfect picture of innocence.
Yuki's lips twitched into a faint, helpless smile. He shook his head slightly, as if amused by the sheer absurdity of the situation.
Seeing March 7th's pure bewilderment, the women howled with laughter.
"Pfft—hahaha! Oh my god, you don't even get that?! How are you ever gonna land a man, sweetie?!"
"Seriously! Go study up a bit before coming out next time!"
"Hey, little guy~ If this clueless girl isn't your type, why not come home with me? I know plenty. I'll make you feel things you've never felt~"
"Or maybe you do like the innocent type? I can play innocent too~"
They kept mocking March 7th while continuing their shameless pursuit of Yuki.
Hearing their taunts, March 7th felt her temper flare.
"Don't look down on me!"
"What business is it of yours what I do or don't know?!" she shot back, indignant.
Before the situation could escalate further, five figures in crisp uniforms, fully armed, stepped in and interrupted.
"Law Enforcement conducting official business! Civilians, clear the area!"
At the stern command of the lead officer, the surrounding crowd scrambled. Within moments, they had scattered, retreating a hundred meters away. Even the women who had been shamelessly throwing themselves at Yuki scattered like leaves in the wind.
"Hey! Why's everyone running?!" March 7th blinked, confused.
She didn't have long to wonder.
The five enforcement officers encircled them. It was clear they were the targets.
"What do you want?!" March 7th tensed, eyeing them warily.
The man at the front clearly the squad leader, with an air of rigid authority stepped forward. "State your identities. Where have you come from?"
With surveillance blanketing the city, it was no surprise that two unfamiliar figures appearing out of nowhere had been flagged. Yuki hadn't bothered to hide their movements, so the local authorities had naturally taken notice.
March 7th leaned closer to Yuki, whispering nervously, "What now? They're asking who we are!"
This whole "sightseeing" idea had been hers. Now that trouble had arrived, she was already feeling a bit shaky.
Yuki gestured for her to calm down.
"Don't worry. I'll handle it."
He stepped forward calmly, scanning their gear briefly before fixing his gaze on the small camera mounted on the squad leader's shoulder. A live feed. Someone on the other end was watching this entire exchange.
"We're not from this planet," Yuki stated calmly, "but we mean no harm. My companion and I are simply here to meet with a local scientist."
The squad leader's brow furrowed in suspicion.
Meanwhile, in a research facility on the other side of the city, a room filled with monitors buzzed with activity. Seated before the screens were the planet's power brokers politicians, scientists, and officials of various ranks. They watched the live feed from the squad leader's camera, observing the exchange.
"He says he's looking for a scientist? Which one? Professor Bell? Professor Brown?"
"Can we trust two unknowns who just appeared out of nowhere?"
"Regardless, if they claim to have no hostile intent, perhaps that's enough for now."
"But how did they even get onto the planet? There's no record of any ship entering our atmosphere!"
"Exactly. What if they're Stellaron Hunters?"
The room erupted in debate. Some feared the pair were infamous Stellaron Hunters, the cosmos's most wanted criminals; others argued they seemed harmless, here only to meet a researcher.
Yuki was already aware of their discussion.
"You can choose not to believe me. You can even choose to use force against me." His tone was flat as he addressed the camera directly. "But the consequences of that choice... might be more than you're prepared to handle."
"Think carefully before you decide."
It was a threat delivered with chilling calm.
Some in the monitoring room bristled with anger. They called for Yuki's immediate arrest.
But cooler heads urged restraint. If this man had slipped past all their defenses unnoticed, he was no ordinary traveler. Provoking him without understanding his true strength could backfire disastrously.
Before they could reach a consensus, Yuki extended his hand to March 7th. She took it without hesitation.
And then,
They vanished.
Gone. In the blink of an eye, right before the five enforcement officers and every watching screen.
"What?! Where did they go?!"
"Find them! Order the squad to search immediately!"
Panic rippled through the monitoring room.
Then, a voice echoed through the room, Yuki's voice.
"There's no need to search. I've already reached my destination."
A pause.
"As for those who spoke of arresting me, who threatened me... this is their end."
Before anyone could react, several individuals in the room, the ones who had most vehemently called for Yuki's detention, crumbled. Their bodies dissolved like sand, leaving only small piles of dust where they had stood.
Those who remained stared in horror, their skin crawling.
An invisible killing. Omniscient awareness of their thoughts from afar. The sheer impossibility of it left them shaken.
Then, a thought struck them.
There were beings in this universe, rare, blessed individuals who received the favor of Aeons. Granted power from a Path, they became something more than human: Emanators.
Each Emanator wielded strength beyond mortal comprehension.
What they had just witnessed... was it the work of an Emanator?
The possibility took root. Under strict orders from the highest authorities, everything that had happened today was sealed. The identities of Yuki and March 7th became the planet's most closely guarded secret.