It feels weird… but good.
The late afternoon sun is gentle today, brushing its warmth over the rooftops like someone trying to say sorry after a storm. The trees lining the road sway with that faint autumn breeze, their leaves just beginning to give in to the season. We're walking back from school—me and Hayato. The same old path, same schoolbag on my back, same shortcut past the empty bakery, but somehow, everything feels brand new. Or maybe… I do.
It's been nearly two months. Two long, insane, what-the-hell-was-that months. The kind of months where you break into a lab, get arrested, get sentenced to death, get saved by a rose-witch president, and now… you attend Tanaka-sensei's class again like none of it ever happened. Life's funny like that.
Still, there's a strange peace in walking home with a lunchbox in my bag instead of handcuffs on my wrist.
I won't lie—I was nervous as heck this morning. My palms were sweating more than the time I had to fight an Oscuro in gym shorts.
"What if they ask where I was?"
"What if someone found out?"
"What if Ren says something dumb again like 'did you get plastic surgery or something?'"
All kinds of questions were dancing in my head like caffeinated rabbits.
But none of that happened.
Not a single suspicious look. Not a whisper of doubt. Nothing.
Turns out, Hayato had already covered for me. The guy who speaks five words a day actually made up an entire story that I had gone to Germany for vacation. Germany, of all places! Apparently, I was "on a family trip to explore Western Seishin culture." What does that even mean!?
And the worst part?
Everyone bought it.
Like, literally everyone.
Ren wouldn't stop bombarding me with questions the second I stepped into class.
"Brooo tell me German food is just currywurst and efficiency."
"Did you meet any cute blonde witches?"
"Did you do sword fighting with German knights??"
Daichi chimed in too, acting like a tour expert just because he watched a travel vlog once. "I heard the trains are so punctual, if you're late even by a minute, they call your ancestors."
Bro, I was in a cell, not a sightseeing tram.
And then there was Hana… sweet as always. Just smiled and welcomed me back with that quiet tone. Said she was glad I came back safely. I didn't deserve that.
Yuki, as expected, was watching me from across the classroom like she'd sniff out if I actually smuggled chocolate from Berlin.
But honestly?
It felt good.
Like, real good.
Even though every laugh, every question, every hallway chat was built on a lie…
At least, for those few hours, I got to be just me. Just a regular high schooler walking back home with a heavy bag and tired legs.
Not a rogue.
Not a traitor.
Not the guy who almost died trying to rescue a girl locked in a test chamber.
Just Takumi.
And that's more than I could've asked for.
"Tonight's the night," Hayato says, breaking the silence like a thunderclap.
I blink and snap back to reality.
Wait—tonight?
"Bro, seriously?" I turn to him. "At least give a guy some emotional warning before dropping bombs like that!"
He shrugs in his usual deadpan way. "You were zoning out like a daydreaming potato."
"That's called 'processing emotions like a functioning human,' dude."
I roll my eyes and nudge his arm. "Also, don't do that creepy voice drop next time. You sounded like you were casting a curse."
He actually smirks. "Maybe I was."
We walk in silence for a moment, then I add, "But yeah… I get it. Tonight's the night."
And just like that, the casual air fades, and the reality hits again.
The mission.
The one we've been planning since the day I got out. The operation to rescue Arisu.
It took the minds of two geniuses—Ruby-san, the mastermind president with her unpredictable magic and attitude, and Kaito-san, the clan's chief tactician who practically breathes strategies. Add in about two weeks of effort, every Hyakurensha pitching in with whatever they had… plus a few of Yora's flashy inventions that either work perfectly or explode impressively.
And of course, we trained. We trained till our bones screamed and our spirits cracked. But not one of us stopped. Not when we knew what we were up against.
Because tonight isn't just a mission.
It's war.
A quiet, precise, high-stakes war to snatch back a life that never deserved to be locked away.
The rogue Hyakuren… vs. the World Government.
Us — the so-called traitors.
Them — the so-called justice.
Truth vs. Lie.
Freedom vs. Control.
Heart vs. Law.
What we're about to do tonight… it won't just rattle a few cages.
It'll shake the entire tower they've built on secrets and silence.
And if we succeed—
No. Not if.
When we succeed...
Our so-called "crime" list?
Right now, it's long enough to exile us.
After tonight? It'll be long enough to make legends.
We won't just be fugitives — we'll be the most wanted ghosts in the system.
Hyakuren, the once honored protectors, will become a name feared by those in power.
But even if the world sees us as villains…
We know why we're doing this.
We're not fighting to be heroes.
We're fighting because someone has to.
Because no one else will.
"We're home," Hayato says, snapping me out of my thoughts again.
I blink. Huh?
Oh. Right. We're home.
I had zoned out again—classic me.
I totally forgot we live in a freakin' invisible house now, thanks to Ruby-san.
Seriously, it hides the whole damn HQ from the outside world… and sometimes from my own brain.
Man, I think a lot.
---
Back to black.
Just a few hours ago, I was surrounded by friends in classrooms, fake-laughing at Ren's terrible jokes and dodging Yuki's death glares. But now… here I am, zipped into a jet-black suit that feels more like a coffin than gear.
This is it — our infiltration setup.
Yora, Hayato, and I will be entering through the underground sewage tunnels beneath Nexus. Yeah, glamorous, I know. But it's the only way in without triggering a dozen alarms and getting our faces plastered on Cyberwatch's most wanted.
We're dressed in reinforced stealth suits — custom-designed by Yora. They're tight, insulated, gas-proof, and even have runic etchings to help suppress our energy signatures. Each of us is wearing a specialized mask — filters inbuilt, communication links secured, and vision modes adjustable. Basically, if the government decides to throw poison gas or flash bombs at us… we'll survive. Hopefully.
Hayato's carrying shock blades, pulsing with quiet thunder. That guy was born to stab things with elegance. Yora's got more gadgets than brain cells today — EMP nodes, digital key injectors, even a drone disguised as a rat. And me? I've got my flame core sealed and ready. Let's pray I don't have to light it up.
Kaito and Shizuka will be stationed at a helipad far from Nexus. Kaito will be managing the hacks, support, and communication grid, while Shizuka... she's our medic and plan-B extraction. Even from a distance, they'll be watching over us.
And then there's the President.
I don't even know what she's up to right now. She didn't brief us much — just said she'd join when the time is right. All I know is... she'll be our trump card. The hidden ace. The final stroke.
We're all in place. The pieces are moving.
Tonight's the night.
Let the game begin.
===
Mission: Operation Black Ember — Rescue Protocol: Arisu
Objective: Infiltrate the Nexus Underground via the sewer access point. Avoid detection. Navigate high-level security. Retrieve Subject: Arisu — alive and unharmed.
Team: Takumi (Flame core), Hayato (Sword specialist), Yora (Tech support), Kaito (Remote hacker), Shizuka (Medical backup), Ruby (Unknown role... trump card maybe?).
Difficulty: Suicidal.
Reward: The truth. And... the world's most ominous and twisted child's freedom.
Good luck, dear player. You're gonna need it.
===
A heavy silence cloaks the night. Not a star dares to shine. The wind, too, holds its breath—because tonight, something dangerous stirs beneath the city.
Deep under the Nexus headquarters, a metallic hatch opens with a quiet hiss. A shadow drops in first—swift, controlled. It's Hayato, masked and geared, behind him, Takumi follows silently, eyes scanning every inch. Yora steps last, a compact, glowing device in hand—something half-invention, half-magic.
Above ground, miles away on a nearby cliff masked by illusion, Kaito adjusts his visor. His fingers blur across a floating control pad, eyes glowing faint blue under his tech lens. Beside him, Shizuka stands alert near the chopper, her hands over a glowing sigil circle, ready to cast protective or healing barriers in an instant.
"Comm check," Kaito's voice buzzes softly into their earpieces.
"Online," Takumi replies, voice steady.
"Connected," Hayato adds.
"Signal clear," Yora says, tapping a node on his wrist.
The chessboard is set. The players are in position.
And Operation Black Ember has officially begun.
---
In The Sewage,
"Ugh—dude, next time remind me to invent nose-cancelling tech," Yora whispers, holding his mask tighter.
"Stop talking," Hayato mutters, "your voice makes this place worse."
Takumi carefully follows behind, watching the dim greenish glow of Yora's scanner device illuminate the moss-covered walls. "You two really know how to make a mission feel epic."
"No, you know how to get caught, get jailed, and then drag us all into this crapwater," Yora shoots back with a smirk under the mask. "Literally."
Takumi sighs. "You really gonna hold that forever?"
Yora taps his scanner, blinking at the readings. "Until my boots recover from this trauma, yes."
Hayato pauses up ahead, hand raised.
Silence.
Only the soft trickle of something unidentifiable echoes down the pipe.
He whispers, "Noise ahead. Keep low."
Takumi crouches instinctively. "Yora, lights off."
"Already did, Captain Sewer," Yora mutters, tucking his device.
They move in sync now. Steps measured. Breaths shallow.
And yet, even in the middle of their stealth mission beneath the most secured facility in the country, Takumi can't help but whisper, "I swear if something touches my leg, I'm quitting the clan."
"Something already did mine," Hayato deadpans.
Takumi freezes. "…You're lying."
No answer.
Yora snickers.
Takumi jumps. "Okay. Nope. That's it. Something definitely touched me."
Yora raises his scanner again. "Hold on… something's moving about twelve meters away. Small, low body mass…"
Hayato grips his sword handle.
A pause.
Then—
A squeaky screech.
From the shadows, a swarm of sewer rats dart across the path like a chaotic army of fur and teeth.
"…Rats," Hayato states.
Takumi exhales sharply. "Just rats. Phew. Thank the Spirit Realm."
Yora scoffs. "Bro, you almost had a heart attack over the local wildlife."
"I'm a flame wielder, not a rodent whisperer," Takumi whispers, brushing his pants like he was attacked by a demon.
Hayato keeps walking. "Focus. That was just nature's jump scare. We've got a job to do."
The trio picks up pace again, winding deeper into the network of pipes and grime.
As they step over a broken pipeline, their earpieces crackle.
Kaito's voice comes through, calm and calculated.
"Alright, listen up. From your position, take the left duct and climb the narrow maintenance tunnel. It'll lead you right beneath the central command's staff washroom."
Yora raises an eyebrow. "Washroom infiltration? Classy."
Kaito ignores the comment.
"From there, it's just one thin wall between you and the hallway leading to the command chamber. Stay low and silent. I've looped the CCTV and jammed the body scanners for two minutes. Make it count."
Takumi adjusts the strap of his mask. "Two minutes? That's the fastest I've ever had to pee in my life."
Hayato gives him a stare. "We're not here to pee."
"I know that! I'm just saying—never mind."
Kaito sighs. "I swear I'm guiding middle schoolers. Just notify me the moment you're on the floor above. And Takumi… don't trip on the soap dispenser."
They do as told.
The tunnel narrows. Really narrows.
"Bro… is this even made for humans?" Takumi mutters, crawling on elbows, his gear scraping against the cold metal.
"We're almost there," Hayato says from the front, voice composed, as always.
Behind them, Yora grunts. Loudly.
"Uh, guys," Yora huffs, "I think I'm stuck. Like... actually stuck."
Takumi glances back. "Oh no. No, no, no. Don't do this now, hippo-kun! We've got like, one minute before the scanner-jam ends."
"I have bones, okay?! They just have… padding!"
"More like a whole sofa set," Takumi groans, pushing against Yora's back. "Come on, mooove! This is our stealthy infiltration, not sumo practice!"
Hayato, from the front, gives the most dramatic sigh ever. "Both of you shut up. Yora, breathe out and push. Takumi, pull forward."
After some highly embarrassing heaving, shoving, and a lot of slippery pipe-sliding—
POP!
Yora shoots forward like a cork from a bottle, and the three of them tumble—
Straight out of a fake commode.
SPLASH.
A wave of questionable liquid—probably gutter water, possibly worse—slaps them as they land awkwardly inside the janitor's closet disguised as a utility washroom.
Takumi coughs. "Phew—oh god. I think I just swallowed a decade-old shampoo bottle."
Yora peeks around, dripping. "...Did we just get flushed into the mission?"
Hayato stands, soaked but unfazed. "Stop talking. Focus up."
Takumi wipes his soaked gloves on his equally soaked jacket. "Alright, grossness level: legendary. But we made it."
He presses the side of his comm.
click "Kaito-san, we're out. In one piece... more or less. The washroom."
A small pause. Then Kaito's voice crackles in calmly.
"Copy that. Cameras are on a loop for ninety seconds. Head left from the washroom, you'll see a corridor leading to Central Command's outer security bay."
Hayato narrows his eyes. "What about guards?"
"Two on regular shift. One patrol drone. Low risk if you time it right. Don't trigger anything, I've already masked your thermal signatures—don't make me clean up if you screw this up."
Yora grins. "Wouldn't dream of it, sir."
"Also," Kaito adds, "whatever you do… don't forget. This phase is just infiltration. You get seen now, the mission's done before Ruby even plays her card."
Takumi nods, voice quiet, serious. "Understood."
He turns to the others. "Let's move. Time to make history... from a freaking bathroom, of all places."
They nod in sync. No more jokes now—the tension in the air is sharp. Hayato leads, stepping out of the narrow washroom corridor with the quiet precision of someone who's done this too many times in simulations. Yora follows close behind, moving surprisingly light for his size. Takumi brings up the rear.
The corridor is dimly lit, humming with the low thrum of power from the overhead ducts. One security camera dangles above, but it's dead—blinded thanks to Kaito's interference.
A soft click in their comms.
"You're clear," Kaito's voice crackles in. "Seventeen steps forward, outer bay access on your right. Two guards on patrol just around the bend. Don't be seen."
The trio moves silently, hugging the wall. Each footstep lands with calculated restraint. Every breath is measured.
The metallic hallway stretches ahead. Just around the corner, faint voices of guards echo faintly—casual, unaware.
Yora starts to whisper, but before he gets a word out, Kaito's voice returns.
"Hold."
A brief pause. "Sending a pulse now. Lights will flicker. That's your window."
fzzzzk. The hallway lights tremble, dim for half a second—just enough.
They move like shadows.
In that fleeting second of darkness, the three figures slip past the open corridor. Not a sound, not a breath out of place.
The lights flicker back to life.
The guards, still mid-conversation, barely register the moment. One of them shrugs off the flicker, tapping the side of the control panel lazily.
Just ahead, the outer bay access blinks with a soft red light.
Takumi gestures. Hayato nods back, and Yora pulls out a small, oddly-shaped tool—one of his latest inventions. He presses it against the panel. With a light tick and a flicker of blue sparks, the security lock disengages silently.
"Door's open. Kaito-san, we're in," Takumi whispers.
"Good. Now turn left inside, keep low. You're near the internal security terminal. If you plant the suppressor chip I gave you, it'll shut down local surveillance for exactly sixty seconds. That's your next window—don't waste it," Kaito's voice replies, calm and precise.
They slip inside.
The air here is colder. More sterile. Machines hum softly, blinking with pale lights. Rows of terminal screens stand in silent wait.
Yora hurries to the nearest access point and snaps the chip into place. A sudden, quiet beep confirms the breach.
"You've got sixty seconds of blindness," Kaito confirms. "Make it count."
The team moves.
They weave past the consoles, slipping deeper into the heart of Nexus.
Takumi's heart pounds—not out of fear, but anticipation. Every step takes them closer to Arisu. Closer to uncovering the truth buried beneath the government's lies.
This mission—they all know—won't just change their lives.
The trio moves—silent, swift, determined.
Every corridor they pass bleeds secrecy. Past the humming server rooms, blinking consoles, and polished tiles that reflect their masked silhouettes. Somewhere beyond this maze… she's waiting.
Takumi scans the walls. Every arrow, every access route burned into his brain from Kaito's briefing.
"Left. Storage wing," he whispers.
"Target's 60 meters from here," Yora confirms, flipping open his modified scanner. "I'm detecting heavy shielding up ahead."
"Then that's where she is," Hayato mutters, tightening his grip on his sword's handle. "Let's move."
They slide along the walls until they reach a wide gate-like chamber—metal-plated and sealed tight.
Yora pulls out a cylindrical device and attaches it to the panel.
"Just thirty seconds…" he says. The device hums softly, sending a silent override into the lock.
Takumi looks around. Something feels off.
Too quiet.
Too easy.
The device flashes green—access granted.
The door slides open with a hiss.
And there—behind rows of glass pods and cryo-tanks—they see her.
A young girl, unconscious, inside one of the pods. Wires like veins run into her arms.
"Arisu?" Takumi murmurs.
But before they can move—
BEEEP.
Alarms blare.
"INTRUDER DETECTED. LAB 06. SECTOR 4B."
"Shit—Kaito-san! What happened!?" Hayato yells into the comm.
"I—I don't know! The suppressor was supposed to—" Kaito's voice breaks.
The lights turn red.
Doors slam shut behind them.
"Multiple lifeforms approaching fast," Yora growls, checking his scanner. "Too fast."
Arisu.
Takumi's heart jumps for a second.
Something's wrong.
He leans in. The breathing is mechanical. The skin too pale.
No aura.
No Seishinsu.
"Wait..." he mutters, his voice thin. "This... this isn't her."
Hayato steps forward. "What…?"
Takumi clenches his fists. "This is a decoy. We've been played."
Doors behind them begin to close—one by one.
"It's a trap."
Kaito's voice comes through the comm—shaken for the first time.
"Abort! Abort! This room isn't listed in the map I decrypted—shit—they knew you'd come here!"
Yora starts typing on his gadget, trying to override the door lock.
Hayato pulls out his sword, scanning the walls.
Takumi's chest tightens. Not just from the situation—but from within. His thoughts blur.
Where is she? Did they move her again? Or did they never intend to keep her here?
His mind races. Every plan, every backup, every exit—twisting into confusion. They were so sure.
And now...
Trapped in a room with a fake Arisu, surrounded by unknown tech, and no idea what comes next.
The silence feels heavier than any scream.
Takumi swallows. "Arisu... where are you?"