The streets of Kivotos were never quiet. Gunfire crackled in the distance, mingling with the rumble of armored vehicles, helicopters flying above and the occasional explosion. It was just another day in the academy city.
Sensei had given Du a simple task: defend a park from a gang that had been harassing students. Du was to hold of until reinforcements from SCHALE arrived
With only the dim streetlights flickering overhead, Du found a defensive position near a rusted old playground. The air smelled of earth and gunpowder residue.
The first wave of gangsters arrived—a ragtag group of students wearing patched-up uniforms and wielding an assortment of stolen weapons. They weren’t professionals, but they outnumbered Du, and their confidence showed.
Then, a single shot echoed through the night. A gangster, mid-charge, suddenly crumpled to the ground, his weapon clattering to the pavement.
Another shot. Another thug dropped. Panic spread among the gang as they scrambled for cover, frantically searching for the unseen sniper picking them off one by one. "What the hell!? Where is she shooting from?!"
Du took advantage of the chaos, firing and taking out one of the remaining enemies. Within minutes, the rest of the gang fled, their will to fight shattered.
Du scanned the rooftops, trying to spot the unknown sniper. Nothing. Until they saw a faint sniper scope glare coming from one of the buildings.
Cautiously, Du made their way toward the building, climbing up a fire escape. As they reached the top, they found a girl perched on the edge of the roof, her Mosin-Nagant rifle resting in her lap. She flinched at Du's sudden presence, nearly disappearing into herself as she tried to make herself smaller.
"H-hey..." she stammered, barely audible. Her light red eyes peeked out from behind her bangs. "I... um... I was just... helping..." Her voice trembled, as if expecting to be scolded.
She gripping the rifle tighter. A small rabbit-ear headband twitched slightly atop her head, and a few leaves clung to her uniform and hair.
"I-Im Miyu," she whispered. "I... I was just nearby, so... I thought... maybe... you wouldn’t mind...?"
