The outlander boy's eyes widened as he took in the sights of the endless city. The neon lights flickered and pulsed, casting an otherworldly glow on the towering skyscrapers that surrounded them. He couldn't help but marvel at the advanced technology that seemed to be integrated into every aspect of the city.

  Going through the unending walkways, he noticed the countless glowing screens placed everywhere he looked. However, one of them, the larger screen, caught his attention. A commercial featuring a girl, perhaps his age or a little younger, with her face covered by a veil through which only her pink eyes could be seen, said "Repent!" in neon letters and played on loop on the large screen inserted at the top of a corner building in that area.

  "Woah... This is surreal!" he gasped, mesmerized by the advanced technology of this world.

  Starfire noticed his awe and smiled.

  "The neon crystals are truly a marvel, aren't they? They're the key to unlocking this city's secrets."

  Kaito nodded, still trying to process everything he'd seen.

  "It's incredible! How did this all come to be?"

  "The sages of the Neon Cult have been studying and harnessing the power of the neon crystals for centuries. They've built an entire civilization around it."

  "Sages... Neon Cult... All of this couldn't seem stranger." said the boy, still in awe of the view of the metropolis around him, "But, this looks so amazing. It looks like a science fiction movie mixed with some old fairy tale."

  "Right… I don't know what you are talking about, but it doesn't matter. Come with me, I'll show you the main avenue." she sighed, crossing her arms, showing that she was a little disappointed with the boy's lack of knowledge.

  While they continued to walk, Kaito couldn't help but feel a bit overwhelmed. The bustling streets were filled with all manner of people, each going about their own business. He was so caught up in taking it all in that he didn't notice Starfire calling out to him.

  Suddenly, he realized she was right, he wandered off a bit. Starfire must have lost sight of him in the crowd. Feeling a bit sheepish, he stepped out from behind a tall, holographic billboard and called out.

  "I'm right here, Starfire!" he exclaimed, noticing that his friend was looking everywhere for him.

  "Don't disappear into thin air like that, Ghost!" she turned and spotted him, a relieved smile crossing her face, "Geez, I was starting to worry!"

  "Were you worried about me??"

  "Huh?! N-No, of course not!" her face blushed so hard, she looked she was about to burst up in flames, "A-Anyway, like I was s-saying..."

  "I guess I got a little distracted." Kaito couldn't help but chuckle, glad to have been found, "This place is amazing!"

  Starfire took his hand, pulling him closer to her, then let go and began leading him through the city once more.

  "I don't know where you came from, but your lack of direction truly amazes me!" she pointed out, while pouting at the fact that he was almost acting like a lost child.

  "So, what's the name of this place?"

  "You mean Techno City? Don't be silly, the whole world is this endless city, we refer to it as the megatropolis. How come you don't know that?"

  Kaito's eyes widened as the girl informed him of the name of the world they found themselves in.

  "A whole world... Just one big city?" he inquired, his voice tinged with a mixture of awe and disbelief, "And how did that come to be?"

  Starfire smiled, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

  "It's a long story, but the short version is that the humans were the first to harness the power of the neon crystals, following the steps of the ancient forgotten deities. They've been able to build this incredible metropolis that stretches as far as the eye can see."

  The boy nodded, trying to wrap his mind around the concept.

  "It's... It's unbelievable. How did you manage to make a living in such a crazy place like this, anyway?"

  "Well, some of us venture deep into these ancient ruins as scavengers, searching for the source of the neon crystals, as they are quite rare and valuable. The pyramid we just left was one of the first ruins humans encountered and is located right in the heart of Techno City."

  As they continued their walk through the bustling streets, Kaito couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement and wonder. The more he learned about this new world, the more he craved to explore it and uncover its secrets.

  While the two of them walked the lively streets, Starfire took the lead while Kaito followed close behind.

  "Just now you told me about the humans..." he then continued their conversation, inquiring, "And before you mentioned the term Drow. Do you mean they're not part of the same civilization?"

  "What's with the barrage of odd questions?" Starfire paused, turned to the boy, and said, "Alright, since you might have some amnesia or something, I'll explain."

  "..."

  She resumed walking, still leading the way through the city, and began her detailed account;

  "The humans are the people from the surface, the 'children of the gods' as they call themselves. However, while humans were thriving on the surface, two other civilizations were at war to dominate the Underdark - the world beneath the surface. They were the Drows and the Duergars... We all may be at peace now, but our rivalries span centuries."

  "It's like elves and dwarves!"

  "Like what??"

  "Oh, right... Nevermind." the young Shirai remembered that he was now in another world, so the folklore he knew was of no use, "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you. Please go on."

  Starfire then continued with her detailed explanation for a few more minutes, and soon realized that Kaito hadn't responded to her thoughtful explanation in a while. So she turned around to reprimand him for not acknowledging her efforts in explaining, but he was nowhere to be seen.

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  "Eh?? Ghost?!" she exclaimed, feeling frustrated and annoyed.

  A vein started to pop on her forehead as she grew increasingly angry at the oblivious boy for getting lost again.

  "I can't believe this!" she shouted into the empty air, "Where has that idiot gone now?!"

  ***

  Meanwhile, as Starfire continued her detailed explanation about the city's complex history, Kaito's gaze shifted from the skyscrapers and ancient ruins that lined the streets. A nagging feeling in the back of his mind prompted him to turn and look in the direction of a dimly lit alley across the bustling avenue.

  There, the boy saw two peculiar figures. They were dressed in shabby clothing, with long coats that seemed to conceal their true forms. The men appeared to be corralling a small girl, no more than ten years old, into the alley's dark embrace. Her wide, terrified eyes met Kaito's for a brief moment before she was pulled in further.

  "What's going on over there?" he thought to himself, sensing the danger around those figures.

  A fire ignited within the young man. Without hesitation, he thought about grabbing Starfire's arm and warning her, but he considered it a very dangerous situation, so he decided to just say nothing. And with that, he sprinted across the avenue, weaving through the sea of people and traffic.

  "Sorry, but there's something I need to take care of... I'll catch up with you later." he whispered to his friend as he headed towards his destination.

  While Kaito approached the alley, the sound of hushed voices and the girl's muffled cries echoed within. He gripped the hilt of his sword, ready to intervene. But first, he needed to assess the situation. Slipping into the shadows, he crept closer to the entrance of the alley, his senses on high alert.

  As the boy sprinted towards the two men, the sound of the little girl's cries amplified, urging him to move faster. The tattered clothing and identical face-concealing masks the men wore reminded him of the thugs he'd encountered in the Tomb.

  "Someone, help me! Someone, please!" she begged, her voice shaking as she struggled to free herself from one of the thugs' grasps.

  "Shut up! Just be quiet and come with us!" the vile man barked, dragging her deeper into the alley.

  With a growl, Kaito called out to them, "Back off!"

  "Huh?! Who the hell are you?" one of the thugs asked, his voice laced with contempt.

  "Fuck off, loser!" the other man sneered, readying his weapon, which appeared to be some kind of technological crossbow.

  "HELP ME, MISTER!"

  The little girl's desperate pleas reached a crescendo, igniting a powerful surge of energy within Kaito. His body moved with unparalleled speed and agility as he launched himself at the two men. He paid no heed to the technological advanced crossbow the other thug wielded, focusing all his attention on protecting the child.

  "Get away from her right now, you cowards!"

  A glowing bolt flew towards Kaito, piercing his left shoulder. But instead of blood, thick smoke flowed from the wound.

  "ARGH!" he grunted, as a sharp pain took over his body, "Damn, I didn't expect that one..."

  The unexpected twist caught Kaito off guard, and he instinctively unleashed his dormant abilities. His body began to phase through the walls, leaving the thugs baffled and terrified. Kaito reappeared behind them and delivered a devastating dive kick, sending them flying into a nearby dumpster.

  In the distance, a familiar voice, clearly frustrated, echoed through the air as she laid eyes upon the young man she'd been relentlessly searching for these past few minutes. He'd ventured down a dark alley on the opposite side of the avenue.

  Muttering under her breath, the drow girl grumbled, "There you are! How did you even...?"

  But she soon realized her predicament: the dimly lit area obstructed her vision, leaving her in the dark as to what exactly was unfolding.

  "I can't see too well from here... Hey, what is going on over there?" she called out, hoping for a response.

  In the alley, the little girl's tears turned to joyful sobs as the boy scooped her up into his slender arms.

  "Are you okay?" he tenderly inquired.

  She nodded, clinging to him tightly.

  The two thugs, now recovering from their earlier defeat, began to stagger back onto their feet. Kaito, his demeanor shifting, smirked knowingly, his eyes now glowing with an intense, newfound power.

  "Don't think we're done here!" the furious young man warned, his voice laced with menace.

  Without further ado, Kaito vanished once more into the very walls of the alley, preparing for the ensuing confrontation.

  Starfire, a distant observer of the entire scene, couldn't help but feel a chill run down her spine. Her smile widened as she watched Kaito's newfound abilities unfold. This had been quite the day for the two of them.

  She was still quite a distance from the dark alley but was hastening towards the spot.

  "What trouble did you get yourself into...?"

  The brave young man's eyes widened in shock as he realized the extent of his dormant powers. With inhuman speed and agility, he scaled the alley walls, leaping from one to the other, as if they were trampolines. The thugs, now utterly terrified, attempted to flee, but Kaito had other plans. He let out a fierce battle cry and launched another powerful dive kick, sending both men crashing to the ground. They were left dazed and disoriented, giving the young girl the opportunity to escape from their clutches.

  The two men, now cowardly and defeated, fled the scene, disappearing into the shadows that enveloped the deepest parts of the alley. Kaito removed the glowing bolt from his shoulder, and the wound promptly began to close, expelling that black smoke, leaving no trace of the injury. The surge of adrenaline coursed through his veins, leaving him exhilarated and frightened by the newfound power he'd unleashed.

  He turned to the little girl, his voice full of concern.

  "Are you hurt?" he asked.

  The young girl, visibly shaken, nodded and managed to whisper, "T-Thank you for saving me."

  Kaito's heart ached for her, but he couldn't afford to linger. A prickling sensation down his spine told him there were more ruffians like these in the shadows of the endless city.

  "Is your home nearby?" Kaito inquired, his voice laced with concern.

  "Yeah..." the little girl replied, still wiping away the tears that stained her face.

  "It's not safe here, so go back home and avoid these parts from now on, alright?" the boy urged, his eyes fixed on her well-being.

  "I promise! I don't have much... But here, accept this for saving me." she reached into her bag and pulled out a pair of neon-adorned fingerless gloves.

  They looked incredibly stylish, and Kaito imagined that if he wore them, he'd feel less conspicuous in this extraordinary world. However, his sense of honor initially made him refuse the offering.

  "You don't owe me anything, don't worry."

  "Please accept it!" she pouted, her big, pleading eyes begging him to accept her gift.

  "Alright..." reluctantly, he surrendered to her insistence, "If you insist, I will gladly accept your gift."

  He took those cool pair of gloves into his hands and slipped them on, instantly feeling a surge of confidence.

  "By the way, what is your nam-?"

  "Gotta go now, bye!" she replied before he could complete his sentence, darting towards the exit with a renewed sense of happiness, leaving Kaito bewildered by the turn of events.

  He waved to her as she disappeared from sight, "Take care!"

  Starfire, who had been watching from a distance, her heart in her throat, rushed over to Kaito.

  "Ghost, are you alright?" she asked, concern etched on her face.

  He turned to her, a spark of determination in his eyes.

  "I think I've just discovered something about myself, Starfire..." Kaito's voice trailed off as he looked back at his friend, his gaze heavy with contemplation.

  "You still owe me some answers, don't just stand there playing dumb." she crossed her arms, while preparing a good scolding for leaving her talking to herself earlier.

  "But..." a solemn expression had replaced the quick-witted demeanor they'd seen just moments before, and it contrasted sharply with the intensity of his thoughts, "I don't know if this supernatural ability of mine is a blessing and a curse."

  The magnitude of Kaito's newfound abilities left both him and Starfire awestruck and terrified in equal measure. Before the Drow girl could utter a word, the boy began to tremble violently, the physical manifestation of the overwhelming energy coursing through his body. His eyes rolled back in his head as he crumpled to the ground, completely unconscious.

  Starfire's heart leapt into her throat as she watched her new friend fall.

  "H-Hey, what's wrong?!" she cried out, rushing to his side and crouching beside him on the gritty, uneven alley floor.

  The events of the day had taken their toll on both of them, but as she leaned in closer, she noticed that Kaito's chest was still rising and falling with steady, deep breaths. The boy had succumbed to exhaustion, and now lay fast asleep in the midst of their chaotic circumstances. Starfire sighed, feeling a weight of worry and responsibility settle upon her shoulders.

  She scanned the area, searching for a solution to their predicament. Her mind raced, trying to piece together a plan that would get them both out of the alley and to safety. But for now, all she could do was wait, hoping that the morning would bring them some semblance of clarity and resolution to the baffling and tumultuous situation they found themselves in.