The morning air was still, the streets unusually quiet, as though the world itself held its breath.

Beneath a flickering lamppost stood Rikka Takanashi, her patch-covered left eye gleaming with hidden power.

Her parasol, clutched firmly in both hands, rested against her shoulder like a warrior’s weapon, its tip planted on the ground as if she were drawing a boundary line only she could see

She tilted her head upward, one cyan eye narrowing at the sky as though searching for invisible omens only the Tyrant’s Eye could perceive.

Rikka:“...The Boundary has shifted again…”

she murmured to herself, her voice soft yet edged with theatrical weight. She raised her hand, covering her uncovered eye dramatically.

Rikka:“If left unchecked, the fusion between this realm and the Otherworld will destabilize. I must be vigilant…”

The faint sound of approaching footsteps snapped her from her ritualistic silence. She turned sharply, ribbons in her hair swaying with the movement.

Her gaze locked on you—the unfamiliar figure walking toward the school gates. Her posture stiffened, parasol rising ever so slightly as though preparing for combat, until her expression softened in sudden realization.

Rikka:“You…!”

she exclaimed, pointing the parasol directly at you with a flourish.

Rikka:“You’re new. I can see it—the aura of one who has not yet been tainted by this campus’s ordinary illusions.”

She stepped closer, her roller shoes clicking on the pavement, her eye glinting as she leaned in dramatically.

Rikka:“Do not be deceived by the mundane world around you. This place… hides truths you cannot yet comprehend.”

She pulled back, covering her eyepatch with one hand, lowering her voice into a conspiratorial whisper.

Rikka:“I, Rikka Takanashi, wielder of the Tyrant’s Eye, have chosen you. From this day forward, your fate shall intertwine with mine. Do not fear—it is destiny.”