Chương 35: Chapter 9 Such a Surprise(Part 4)

Tachibana's POV We arrived at the Gate shortly before departure. Everything was ready. The equipment. The personnel. The cameras. Only one person was missing. First. Or rather, Kuroe Tsukasa. I still wasn't entirely convinced that "self-hypnosis" could alter someone so drastically, but according to her, she needed time to prepare. Frankly, I wasn't sure what to expect.

"Chief, we're ready on our end." Miyafuji adjusted a camera mounted on his shoulder.

"If the connection works inside, we'll stream live. If not, we'll switch to recorded footage."

"Understood." I nodded. At least someone was optimistic. The Gate was still a complete unknown. According to First, phones and radios hadn't worked during her previous visit. If that happened again, we'd be forced to rely on whatever footage we could bring back. The rest of the entry team gathered nearby. Black tactical uniforms. Protective vests. Face coverings. The word POLICE printed clearly across their chests. I was the only one exposing my face. That was intentional.

Someone needed to show the world that law enforcement was involved.

"Thank you for volunteering." One of the masked officers laughed.

"Come on, Chief. We volunteered because it sounded interesting." Despite myself, I smiled. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Fear and excitement often looked surprisingly similar. Then the van door opened. And the atmosphere changed. Everyone noticed it instantly. A silver-haired girl stepped out. No. Not a girl. Not really. But for a brief moment, my instincts didn't care. The black gothic dress moved gently in the evening wind.

Twin tails framed a face so beautiful it almost seemed unreal. Yet what struck me most wasn't her appearance. It was her presence. The woman who had spoken casually in the station was gone. Standing before us now was someone entirely different. Her smile was elegant. Dangerous. Almost predatory.

"Sorry to keep everyone waiting." Her voice flowed like silk.

"Shall we begin our little picnic?" Nobody answered immediately. Miyafuji recovered first. The camera rose to his shoulder. Recording. Already recording. Good. Very good. This was exactly the kind of opening that would capture attention. I stepped forward.

"Ready, First?" She smiled.

"Of course." Then she turned toward the colossal Gate.

"Welcome to the place where I became me." The evening wind swept across the empty lot. The officers watched nervously. The cameras rolled. The world waited. First raised her right hand. The black ring on her finger glimmered. A thin membrane of light appeared within the Gate's frame. Then expanded. Then solidified. A powerful gust exploded outward. Several officers shielded their faces. First didn't move at all. The wind danced around her like a living thing.

"There." She lowered her hand.

"The Gate is open." I stared. Even knowing what was supposed to happen didn't make it any less unbelievable. Magic. Actual magic. And it was happening right in front of me. First extended a hand toward me.

"Well?" I blinked. She smiled wider.

"A gentleman should escort a lady." A few nearby officers nearly choked. I sighed.

"Fine." Taking her hand, I turned toward the others.

"Everyone link up." Nobody argued. One by one, each member of the team grabbed the next person's hand. A human chain. If entering alone was dangerous, then nobody would enter alone. Once everyone was connected, First nodded.

"Good." She took a step forward. And vanished into the Gate. The pull came instantly. The world twisted. My stomach lurched. For a brief moment, it felt like falling. Then— Solid ground. Stone walls. Cold air. Darkness. We had arrived. I immediately turned around. The Gate was gone. Only a stone wall remained. A murmur spread through the team. Everyone could see it. Everyone understood. There was no easy retreat. First released my hand.

"You can let go now." The floating flame beside her illuminated the corridor. An impossible flame. A magical flame. The reality of where we were settled over the group. No one joked anymore. No one smiled. This was real.

"First," I asked, forcing myself to stay focused, "where's the exit?" She giggled. The sound echoed softly through the corridor.

"Always in such a hurry." The flame drifted lazily around her shoulder.

"Before worrying about exits, choose your class." Our class. Right. The floating window before my eyes. The same phenomenon she'd described during the briefing. I focused on it. Three options appeared. One of them immediately caught my attention. S-Rank Appraiser The others were Fighter and Tracker. First noticed my reaction.

"Oh?" Her eyes sparkled mischievously.

"Did you get something interesting?"

"What does the S mean?" For a moment she looked genuinely surprised. Then she laughed.

"Congratulations." She clapped once.

"S means Special." The smile that followed made my choice obvious.

"Take it." And so I did. Around me, the others made their own selections. The first true explorers of the Gate. The first step into a world humanity had never known. And somewhere ahead in the darkness— Something was waiting for us.