His breath caught in his throat.
It was just so surreal.
The city had been obliterated, erased from existence.
In its place lay a crater so massive, it looked as if a meteor had touched down.
Human shadows floated toward the sky.
It was a sight so absurd that it had to be a dream or a hallucination.
However, Shido was only vaguely aware of his surroundings. There was something far more unusual before his eyes.
✦ ✦ ✦
A girl.
A lone girl stood in front of him, wearing a peculiar dress made of light.
“Ah…”
Her voice faded into a soft sigh.
Her physical presence was so mesmerizing that it made everything else seem like a pale imitation of reality. Her dress caught Shido’s attention, woven from a strange material that wasn’t exactly metal or fabric. It flared out into a glowing skirt that was so striking, he nearly lost consciousness.
However, her countenance seemed to dull its light, forcing everything else into the background.
Long hair as dark as night cascaded down to her waist, coiling around her shoulders like smoke. Her eyes were fixed up on the clear sky, and they were an indescribable color. Her face would have made goddesses green with envy, though it was clouded with gloom, lips pursed.
In an instant, she had captured…
His gaze.
His attention.
And his heart.
She was just that beautiful…
To a fault.
To an extreme.
One might’ve even called it violent.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Wh-who…?” Shido stammered, stunned.
He knew this might be sacrilegious—and that he might be divinely punished for it.
The girl slowly lowered her gaze.
“My name?”
Her voice was pure honey, decadent sound waves traveling through the air.
“I don’t have one,” she admitted, sounding somewhat distressed.
Their eyes met…and that was how Shido Itsuka’s story began.