Kagami leaned against a moss-covered stone wall, her spear stuck loosely in the dirt beside her, after Ryo called her.
"Choose a few hunters," Ryo's voice sounded, calm but sharp. "Form a group. Your priority is to gather information about Shinji. If he's planning something big, we need to know before it happens. I'll be searching, too."
Kagami hesitated only a second before answering. "Understood. I'll start the selection today."
"Good," Ryo replied. There was a brief pause on the line, only his faint breathing could be heard. "And Kagami."
She blinked. "Yes?"
"Take care," he said, his voice softening for just a split second.
The call clicked off.
Kagami sat up and exhaled slowly, looking at the silent forest around her.
"You too, you idiot."
Then she pushed off the wall and disappeared into the trees, already planning her team.
Elsewhere there was the sound of someone exercising.
Kouji's wooden sword broke with a sharp crack, the upper half clattering across the dusty ground.
He froze mid-swing, staring at the broken handle in his hands. Sweat ran down his face, his breath was tough from hours of uninterrupted practice.
Across the field, the man didn't even flinch. "Too much pressure on your wrists," he said simply, leaning on a wall.
His violet eyes flickered to the splintered blade. "It's just a school athletic field, we just borrowed it. I don't live here either. So... get another one. In the nearby town. They'll have some."
Kouji nodded, still panting. "Understood."
He wiped his face with his sleeve and slung his bag over his shoulder.
The city was brighter than he expected.
Kouji strolled through the cobbled streets. The chatter of voices and the smell of fried food filled the air. He stopped in front of a small shop window—and froze.
There was a cardboard cutout there.
Ketsu.
Or rather, a glossy painted picture of him from the Dungeon broadcast.
Crimson clothing, expressionless eyes, that terrifying stance. Surrounding the picture are shelves full of "Crimson Devil" shirts, pins, mugs, and even action figures.
Kouji's stomach lurched. His reflection stared back at him from the glass.
He quickly turned away.
The shop he needed didn't have any wooden swords at the end.
The clerk just shrugged.
So Kouji stepped back onto the street with a bitter laugh.
"Great. I guess I'll just... find a stick in the nearby forest or something. The man will be mad."
He adjusted his bag on his shoulder and made his way toward the tree line just beyond the edge of town.
Then before he made a step—
A hand rested on his shoulder.
Every muscle in his body instantly cramped.
"Found you," a voice said, low and deep.
A pressure penetrated his lungs.
"…What—" he rasped.
He slowly turned his head, his heart pounding – and he froze.
A smooth mask with a beak stared back at him.
A Plague doctor's mask.
The lenses reflect the sunlight while his figure is covered in shadows.
"Why didn't I sense him?"
He tried to move — nothing.
"I can't… breathe."
The world swam.
The pavement seemed to tilt, as he lost all his energy.
And then.
It went dark.
Followed by light.
Kouji screamed as he woke up.
Breathing still felt hard.
He ran into the bathroom, looked into the Mirror but—
Nothing.
"What was that?"
Kouji's eyes widen as he turns his head towards the footsteps.
"Oh, you're awake," Yumi said, whilst entering the room, "I made breakfast."