C-Team: From Here To The Multiverse

The train pierced into Universe 61B, slicing cleanly through the dimensional veil as they hovered in orbit above the planet Yuto-Muto.

It was beautiful.

A cold, icy marble of a world — glowing with layers of deep cerulean, pale blue, and glacial white, the colors rippling across the surface like frozen ocean waves.

"Must be cold down there," Haru said, eyes flicking toward Celia's exposed midriff before quickly looking away. "You sure you're gonna be alright?"

"Probably not," she replied, amused. "But I'll manage. It's actually supposed to be warmer down there than you'd think."

"Huh… weird."

It bruised his ego a bit — assuming every planet followed Earth's weather logic. This was the Multiverse. The rules were different now.

The train began its descent, breaking through the stratosphere with haunting silence. The skies were a blur of translucent glacial rain, misting across the windows in patterns so delicate it looked like light itself was freezing midair.

If he weren't on a mission, Haru would've popped in his earbuds and zoned out to the ambience. Another time, maybe.

As they pierced the atmosphere, the world below unfolded. It was clearly nighttime — yet strangely vibrant.

Three moons hung in the sky like gods watching over the frozen earth:

One, large and blood red.

One, medium-sized and jungle green.

One, small and softly glowing gold.

They painted the snow-covered world in surreal colors, casting shifting hues across the ice like a dream you weren't sure you were supposed to remember.

The train came to a sudden halt.

"Time to get out," Celia said, already on her feet as the door slid open. She leapt out, boots crunching lightly into the soft snow below.

Haru followed right behind her.

The wind bit at his cheeks, but the air was breathable — crisp and fresh, like mint. He looked up at the sky again, only to find his eyes drifting back to her.

Celia stood in the moonlight, brushing her violet hair off her shoulder. The way the colors danced across her face… she looked ethereal.

No. Angelic.

"You ready to go?" she asked, catching the distant look in his eyes.

Haru jolted upright, giving his cheek a light slap like he was rebooting himself for the hundredth time today.

"Of course."

And just like that, the train behind them zipped out of existence — vanishing into the horizon faster than the eye could track.

"Uhhh… how do we get back then?"

A voice echoed inside his skull.

"When the mission's over, the train'll come back to pick you up!"

Haru blinked. "What the—?"

He looked down. His number — 87 — glowed faintly on the back of his hand.

"It's me," Abel said casually in his mind. "As your handler, I can connect to your covenant and guide you throughout your mission — voice-only, of course. Think of it as telepathic customer service."

"Makes sense," Haru muttered, still getting used to the idea that his number could basically take calls now.

Celia raised an eyebrow. "You good?"

"Yeah. Just… tuning into the multiverse."

Haru could feel the air brushing against his skin — crisp, clean, but surprisingly mild. It wasn't freezing like he expected. More like that early autumn chill: cool enough to feel alive, but not enough to hurt.

"Both of you," Abel said, his voice now coming through to both of them at once. They instinctively focused. "State your numbers for activation."

"Sure, but why?" Haru asked.

A faint sigh came through the link. He could practically hear Abel muttering "amateurs" under his breath.

"So we can track you properly and monitor your status in case anything happens. Safety protocol," Abel explained, curt but clear.

"Got it. 87," Haru said.

His number glowed faintly across his hand once more.

"78," Celia followed, the same shimmer lighting her skin.

"You're close to the base," Abel continued. "Head southeast. Walk for fifteen minutes. It's above ground. Stay along the high ground to avoid detection and approach slowly. Once you have a visual, we'll discuss the next steps."

"Got it," they said in unison.

Celia turned to him with a sheepish smile, brushing some of her hair behind her ear.

"So, uh… Haru?"

"Yeah?" he replied.

"I'm… not the best with directions, per se. So, uh—what's eastward?" she asked with a nervous chuckle, clearly a little embarrassed.

It was… adorable.

"Just follow me," Haru said with a confident wink.

He might've been new to all this, but when it came to taking initiative — when it came to leading — this was his zone. It was Time to be the man.

He led the way as she followed him closely and silently as he navigated the terrain.

He had to be careful with icy, snow-covered ground — one wrong move and they could be dealing with a whole new set of problems.

Sticking to the high ground meant scaling steep slopes with no handholds.

Haru didn't want to risk slipping, so he channeled a bit of Manna through his feet and core to keep steady as the wind roared in.

Celia was cruising behind him with no issue at all.

She really was a pro at this.

After about eighteen minutes — three longer than expected — they finally found the base.

They crouched down at a high perch, peering over the edge.

It was heavily guarded on all sides, surrounded by this planet's version of metal barbed wire — twisted, silver-black coils that sparked faintly in the wind.

The guards patrolling the perimeter were a mix of Eastern and Western natives, all dressed in advanced snow camo: sleek white and grey patterns with subtle glowing hex-tech lines stitched across the fabric, likely for temperature control or environmental sync.

They were tall too — at least six to eight feet, built like warriors.

This was Haru's first time on a truly alien planet, facing actual alien lifeforms.

It was surreal.

He'd seen things like this in anime and sci-fi movies — but this wasn't a screen.

The antennas, the weird pigmentations of their skin… they were unmistakably alien, but still carried an oddly human air.

They all appeared to be male.

Haru exhaled softly in relief. He didn't like hurting women.

Each soldier gripped a long, metallic spear — engraved with glowing runes and crowned with a pulsing blue crystal at the tip.

Definitely some kind of weapon.

Celia was already analyzing the scene.

Then Abel's voice cut in, crisp and clear.

"Those are cryospears. You might assume they fire energy bolts, but they're more like flamethrowers. They emit extremely hot blue flames that can cause serious burns.

You'll know they're ready when the tip glows red — boiling hot. 

They only burn for about five to ten seconds before risking overheating, which creates thick steam. When the steam fades, they've cooled down — takes around thirty seconds.

As for the soldiers, they're agile but physically weak. They can still hurt you — their claws are sharp — but getting hit by one of them should feel more like getting smacked with a heavy pillow."

Beyond the outer perimeter was the base itself — a large military complex.

It looked almost like something pulled from Earth's military design, except built with muted blues, silvers, and greys to blend seamlessly into the snowy backdrop.

It was massive.

"This is The Ant's base of operations," Abel continued. 

"At the center of that facility, the Worm is being held in suspended cryostasis.

One of you will need to draw out the guards and create a diversion. The other will slip inside and handle both the boss and the Worm.

Decide now — who's bait and who's infiltration."

Abel's tone was steady, composed, and final.

Haru and Celia glanced at each other.

They didn't know each other's full capabilities yet, so this was going to be based on trust.

"I don't know about you, Haru," Celia began, her voice focused now, all playfulness gone. "But my power's more AOE combat based. Unless you're the same, I should handle the outer court and keep their attention."

Haru thought back to the training room — the mannequins, the pressure, the grind.

"Sounds like a plan," he said. "I can handle groups, but I'm more effective one-on-one. Just give me the signal when it's clear."

"Of course," she replied with a confident smirk.

They both nodded.

It was time for the mission to begin in earnest.