Stockverst, the capital of Hessenstadt, Europe...

27 October, will be remembered as days of a certain massive incident. Regardless of the output, the city was in crisis at that time...

A slight difference between mere few seconds will result drastic result involving thousands of innocent lives.

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Almost twilight, mesmerizing gradient of bright layer of blue meet ominous orange, like a sign of an ending.

"Have you located them all yet?" The white haired man asked to the boy that still silently concentrating. "It's vague. The number is around 20, but they all had big firepower... Around 70% of them is plastic explosives, but the rest is a powerful explosives aimed to destroy the most crowded place of the city."

Danny take out his headset and seen Noir with worried face. "I can't exactly pinpoint them all in such range, but I could tell their location if we're nearby. At least I know all the coordinate, just don't know the exact location." He spoke still in his mature tone, as still under the effect of his Phantasm.

"I'll mobilize the every expert and anti-terrorism squad that we had. I'll also contacted my friends, and hope they willing to help us." Reynold speak, as he tried to dial a number. Since he had military background, the friend he mentioned must be someone from there.

Noir and the rest was restless, thinking hard, searching for any possible solution to help. Suddenly, Melisa spoke, seems to have an epiphany. "Wait.. The one that set the bomb is that jumper guy, isn't it?" Everyone look at her and nod.

"Then the bomb must be placed outside of a building! Maybe the big one. Because he only could teleport to any place that he could see.. And, you know.. Skyscrapers stand out the most. The bomb set in crowded place, right? Maybe park and mall also included."

Everyone stay motionless, unless Reynold that are smiling, and he rarely smile since he's a serious man. "Melisa, sometimes you're a genius." He even chuckled softly. Noir still in speechless awe, and Almerich, the one that always called her a numbhead, were dropping his jaw in shocked, disbelieve face. Melisa just concluded that? This Melisa? He can't believe this.

They underestimate her for being a simple-minded. The truth is, everyone else overlooked the case and forgot a simple details, a small, but important one. This what Melisa just realize, because she can't understand the heavy subject. Turned out her simplicity helped sometimes.

"Why don't I realize sooner!!" Danny screaming in excitement. Cheerfulness lit back in his face. "According to the coordinate, almost every bomb does located in big buildings, but I just realize that..."

Image of records play in his head in fast forward, heading to every direction of the city and reflect on each other like sonar to detect any unwanted object. "There!! They set in high places, so no one could reach it!" He take out his headset and smile brightly.

Almerich also now back to his composure. "He use his advantage of teleportation to put the bomb in places that not even an expert could touch... But because of that, we also could predict where he put the bombs!" Almerich never expect that the simple explanation from Melisa turned out to contain such crucial information.

"We don't had much time yet. Can you pull the bomb by using your Poltergeist?" Noir asked, and Almerich shook his head. "It's too risky. To levitate them are simple, but to pull it into our location are like suicide. Since the wind around the chopper will disturb the levitation slightly, and if anything goes wrong, it could crash into us. Even worse, we're moving right now, and by just a slight disturbance on the pathway, the bomb could ended up getting struck by the wing, and we're all dead. I could carefully levitate them all, but we need to move at slow speed and I need to take time pulling them one by one. However you know we didn't had the time..."

He sighed. "No other choice. I'll flight through the city and take all the bombs by myself!" He stand up and headed to the edge of the choppers, but Noir pull his hand. "Don't be careless, Almer! You don't fully mastered self-levitation yet, you can't even flight longer than five minutes!" Almerich draw back and sit down, trying to discuss it with him.

"Then who else had the capability to fly? I could control object levitation with my Phantasm, and it would be fine! We don't have much time to think, Noir!!" Noir shook his head fast. "You can't levitate yourself and the bomb at the same time! When you pull them down, you'll lost your balance. If you failed, you would crash along with the bombs!!"

While the two argue, Melisa suddenly speak again. "Why don't you ride a bike then? You could put out all the bombs without having to levitate yourself. Right, Noir?" She smiled at the two. Almerich about to complaint, but aborting it.

"We obviously need to fly in order to reach the bomb, since my Phantasm can't cover that much of a distance... But I had some better idea thanks to you..." Almerich smile back.

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Stockverst, Command Control 17:52 PM

Fahmir and all the other high class authority was busy handling numerous task; mobilize forces, contact their agents, evacuate the civilians, and of course, racing against time to locate all the bombs.

"Fahmir, what you gonna do 'bout the bombs!?" Usman, as head of investigation unit of SPD, were handling the hardest task. Along with the other high-ranked authorities, he help figuring out locations of the bombs itself. "No need, Usman. My unit already dealing with them. You mobilize the anti-terrorism force to evacuate the civilians, and possibly to disarm any nearby bombs in their locations, if there are any."

Fahmir feeling that the Mirage were in responsibility for this. They're the target, and they need to clean all this mess now.

Suddenly, Fahmir heard voices in his head - a telepathy. "All unit of Mirage! The bombs finally have been located, and they all set in crowded area such as skyscrapers, malls, or even some crowded public places! The bombs always placed outside the building, and most are set in places like rooftops and other high locations, so it can't be accessed through normal means. There are few that are located on public places such as park or highway, so the bomb disposal team could clean them easily." Christine speaking via her Phantasm.

"Alright..." Fahmir whispered, finally have a lead. All that's left is to found a way to dispose the rest of the bombs. Suddenly, she spoke again inside his head. "Also, Almerich would handle the rest of them. He said that he would do it with a bike."

Her call end, and Fahmir leave confused, alone in the crowd. Nobody other than him could understand what just happened in his mind.

"With bike!? What have gotten into his mind!?"

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Almerich set his communication device into his ear as Noir set his bike. He need to use it, so Danny could tell him all the location of the bombs.

"You sure this would work better than the chopper?" Noir asked. "Sure. I can't guarantee our safety, but it would be faster than using an aircraft."

He start his engine as he wear his vision google for riding. "Alright! Don't blame me if we're crashing!!"

The vehicle start running and soon reach the maximum speed. "Now, Almer!!" The black haired boy smack his hand into the bike as he channel his power, making it levitate into the air and rocketing into the sky like a jet.

As he release his hand, Almerich throw open his hand wide, locking all the nearby skyscrapers with the bombs as Danny give him the direction. In split seconds, he able to pull out most of them into his arm, and meld them together as the bike dive down into the land.

"Almer!!" Noir in panic, and Almerich feeling nauseate due to the vertigo rushing and overusing his energy, but he manage to levitate the bike as it smoothly landed. A really close call as he use his power few meter from the crashing point, and the bike drift through, trying to stop the movement, and causing sudden rejection as they almost throw into the road. As the smokes fade, turned out Noir able to control his bike just fine.

Almerich still hugging Noir tightly, and then exhale in gratitude for being still alive. "We need to at least do that two more time, Noir." He slightly exhausted. Pale and sweating cold. "Faster than chopper, but really dangerous!" Noir complaint, as what they just do basically like challenging death.

"But it's more effective. Now go again, because we had no more time to waste!"

As the bike running again, Melisa and the rest was sitting in a rooftop of a certain building, with their helicopter just landed. Tybard laughing in amusement and approval, proud with the two. "These two are insane... I like them."

Danny still concentrating, while Melisa slightly confused. "Why they need to jump in like that? That's so dangerous!" She asked Tybard. While the man trying to found the right word, then Reynold suddenly spoke between them. Alerting them of his existence.

"Bike in maximum speed actually move few times faster than helicopter, while aircraft move really fast, but had many limit, such as altitude and complicated operation regarding to velocity and wind current. The only reason why helicopter move faster than bike is because they move on the sky instead on the land. Some motorcycle can move at speed beyond 300 km/h, which already exceed the speed of average helicopter. Even an average bike, if it could go at full speed and somehow launched into the sky like a high-speed projectile, with constant, or even increased speed, then they could move far faster than any military chopper."

Reynold chuckle. Amused on how Almerich could have the most crazy idea sometimes, but still a genius as always. "He could not levitate himself while he also levitate other object, because it require great amount of concentration, experience, and energy. So he could not flight while handling the bombs..." Reynold pause as he walk into the edge, watching them launched their bike into the sky again.

"But with this technique, he only need to levitate the bike when they about to take off and landing. While floating for few seconds, he could use his power freely to take all the bombs without needing to levitate themselves." He chuckle again. "A brilliant yet dangerous plan. I never know he such a gambler, just like Fahmir."

Melisa only understand half of his explanation, but he agree that Almerich could be a genius sometimes. Only sometimes, she think.

"One more time!!" The two just landed once again, and the detonation time draw closer. "Almer, you're on your-" Noir realize his friend is exhausted, but he cut his words. "Now!!" And so, he drive again as fast as possible as Almerich use all his remaining power to levitate them.

"I can't flight again, I must able to pull every one of them!!" He calculate everything, and when they reached the peak of altitude, far in the sky, the bike drop through the clouds as Almerich close his eyes, concentrating.

"Wait... Almer!? Almer!!" The boy did not respond. His head teared by the vertigo, and as they approach the city skyline again, he open his eyes and instantly throw open his hand, pulling all explosives in one try.

As all was captured, he grab tight on Noir and use what's left from his power to land the bike. Noir trying to get his engine work as they glide down like a falling aircraft into the road. Sparks and loud crying heard when the tires meet the asphalt, and the boy trying to stop his berserking metal horse as it shriek and drift through the roads, finally stopped before they crashed a buildings.

Noir still shivering by all the adrenaline, sweat drop down as he totally beat. Meanwhile, Almerich were half awake, still hugging his partner, exhausted, but his instinct suddenly wake him up. The bomb is still there, with them!

"This is the last one... Danny!! Tell Melisa that I'll do it now!!" He scream into his communication piece in his ear. The bomb could explode at anytime soon, so he need to launched them all into the sky right now. He took hew seconds as he inhale deeply, as he merged all the bombs into a ball and shoot them into the sky.

"Melisa, now!!" Danny yell, and she already steady in her archer posture. "I must hit it... Only one chance, or everyone would die..."

"Bow of Artemis, please... Destroy my target!!"

She release her arrow as the shining bolt fired into the sky, aimed at the big ball. Upon impact, devastating series of explosions color the night sky as its overwhelming fire lit the sky like a massive firework.

Along with the firework, the threat finally end. The city back to safety now, without even one casualty.

Almerich fall asleep, or at least, resting in his friend's back. Noir tried to start his engine again, and it turned out to be still working. "What a tough boy, you are. I promise I'll fix you later." They headed into the direction where everyone are.

Polices the rest celebrating with triumph, finally could had peace on mind as everything under control now. Fahmir chuckle by his own, still slightly sweating. "Those two are so insane... I owe them some celebration later."

Melisa and the rest was glad that she manage to hit the bombs, and now rejoicing as they meet up with Noir. After twenty minutes of walking, they reached their location where Noir and Almerich are resting in a park. His bike won't run further than that.

"Noir!!" Melisa and the rest approach the two as Melisa gave him a hug, glad that he was safe. "Really, you're so cool when you do that stunt!" Tybard smirking, and everyone were in merry.

Then Almerich suddenly awake. He didn't sleep, but he was resting just now. He sense someone coming. Someone else with a Phantasm.

A mysterious man appear as he drop down from the sky, and then landed in thin a air as his feet didn't touched the ground. "Sorry to disturb the mood, Mirages..." A man in white-violet leather coat appear. His hair is in pale lavender color and most noticeably, he wear round frameless glasses, typically for professors.

"This wavelength... So it was you..." Almerich growl, seems recognizing the man. The other look at him as he start talking. "In Grand Parlor mall, I sense someone stalked us from afar. Especially right after Laya take down the bank robber."

The mysterious man chuckle as he jump down, finally touching the ground. "Pardon me, but I simply a watcher. I had no negative intention." He sway his hand as what appear to be a wand-sized needles appear. From the structure, it's seems to be solid, but the color is crystalline indigo with glowing red dot in the center.

"A Phantasm!?" Reynold are the first to recognize the familiar magical energy pattern, and this ability obviously a Phantasm. "Yes.. My Phantasm, Thousand Threads, is power to create threads that connected into each of this needles."

"And without you to realize, you all have been connected to my threads, far before we have meet. Far before those bandits appear." Suddenly, glowing ethereal threads appear, and it's connected into each of everyone in the place. Yet it never been visible all this time, and they're untouchable as any solid object pass through them.

"Almost forgot... If you harmed me, then everyone connected with my thread would receive the same damage." He shoot a twisted smile. Intentionally not revealing on whose the thread connected with, and how many.

"Who are you!? And you mentioned the bandits... So you're..." Noir stand up and prepare his blade, yet the man didn't respond even slightly. "Yes... At first, my duty is just to collect all your data from afar... But you interest me, especially three of you. Noir, Almerich, and Tybard. You three had the greatest potential for me."

"You... Just tell me who you are and what you want!!" Noir didn't hesitate to attack, and so does the rest. The man smile a creepy grin as his glasses reflect the light in the park.

"My name is Ernest, Ernest Pachbell. We're part of the shadows, and we'll watch you from the darkness... That's all you need to know." He pause, somehow making everyone lower their stiffness. "I act by my own value, and I see that your potential is too good for "them". So I thought I'll gave you a warning and a chance to win the game... Here a special gift from me."

With still puzzling manner, he throw a piece of paper, pinned by his needles into the ground. "I hope you take consideration on that. Remember, I'm not on his side, and also not yours... Mirages."

His body disappear into thin air as he become fragments of light. Seems to be done with a teleportation or similar ways.

Everyone still in tension. "What the..." Reynold loosened his stance. He almost going to use his Phantasm, but if he's telling the truth, then he would burn his own friends.

"He probably a friend of Varain and Deva." Noir conclude as he took the paper. It's a very old paper, written in language he don't understand. "He probably does, but I somehow think that they move with different agenda." Said Almerich.

"Why? Do you trust him?" Said Melisa. "No way. But the thugs didn't mentioned this guy, so he didn't go to their place with this guy. I don't think those bandits lie. If the does, they won't mentioned Varain and Deva at all."

"I go with what Almerich said." Reynold spoke. "If he against us, he won't introduce himself just now. He had so many chances while we're busy with the thugs and bombs."

Noir put the paper to his pocket. "I'll give this to Fahmir later. We probably should return to our place now."

Meanwhile they goes, from the rooftops of a nearby buildings, Ethan still watching as they took his offer.

"What you're planning to do... Ernest?" He get startled as someone in deep dull voice speaking behind him. Deva just appeared from the shadows. "I hope you're not interfering with my work. I believe that you're not a dumb one who would try doing such stunt." Deva stare with his cold eyes.

"Absurd. I take side to whose benefit me most. After all, of course you know how smart I am, right?" He smirked, and Deva ignore his last statement. "Whatever. I already got my data. You could do it as you please."

The man in black disappear again as his shadow consume his existence. Ethan fixed his glasses with his finger as he smirked.

"You would be surprised when you know what I up to, my friend."

And so, the night continue. The Mirages celebrate their victory with a party. The polices and all the other authorities take care of all the mess, and citizen goes back to their daily life.

No one expect than the so-called crisis of Stockverst is nothing but a small trial compared to what await in the future.

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Author's Note

Thanks for reading, and glad to be back writing my book again! :D

The current arc end now, and honestly, for more than a month, I'm struggling to figure out which arc should be next. After many consideration, I finally took my decision, and thus can end this arc quickly. 

Hope you guys would like the next arc, and see you on the next week! ^^

Edit: The chapter originally are shorter, but after many edit, it became over 3K. Hope it's not too long.

EDIT: I reword Reynold's explanation about how bike can go as fast as a jet. At that time, I didn't fully understand how fast a jet can be, since there's many type of jet. I'm still correct on saying that bike can go faster than a chopper, so I reword Reynold's dialogue as this: 

"Bike in maximum speed actually move few times faster than helicopter, while aircraft move really fast, but had many limit, such as altitude and complicated operation regarding to velocity and wind current. The only reason why helicopter move faster than bike is because they move on the sky instead on the land. Some motorcycle can move at speed beyond 300 km/h, which already exceed the speed of average helicopter. Even an average bike, if it could go at full speed and somehow launched into the sky like a high-speed projectile, with constant, or even increased speed, then they could move far faster than any military chopper."