Ayaka watched the purple flame burn harmlessly on Renji's hand. The flame didn't roar like a wildfire nor flicker timidly like a candle—it pulsed, alive, feeding on the abyss that lurked within him. Once again, a reminder of his strange origins. She had seen hellish red fire like her father's, orange like hers, piercing blue, even poisonous green, but never purple. Purple was alien—both divine and damning.
Hikari entered the underground training centre just as the flame winked out. She arched an eyebrow, catching the faint heat that lingered in the room.
"Nice to see you up, Renji. we have an emergency. You're both summoned to the tactical room."
---
The tactical room was a hollow of shadows lit by the glow of monitors and the eerie flood of green tactical lights. At the heart stood a supercomputer, its screen bleeding with maps and energy readings. Around it, the council of Sheshi had gathered. Flanking them stood two recent additions—Renji and Hikari, their faces catching the glow of the screens.
Master Daichi leaned on the table, his voice calm but edged with weariness.
"It's becoming increasingly difficult to hide these breaches in the veil under the hoax of gas leaks or radiation. The city is asking too many questions."
Arashi, as cold and unyielding as ever, dismissed the complaint with a flick of his wrist.
"The grandmasters and their immediate descendants kept order without the luxury of modern excuses. We should be able to do the same."
"Enough bickering" He said, straightening. "Tetsuya—give us the sit rep."
Tetsuya, the guild's tech genius, stepped forward. His fingers flew across the keyboard, calling up a shifting topographical map of Akakaze State. A glowing red pulse throbbed from beneath the surface.
"We've been tracking new readings. A swarm is on the move."
Daichi's eyes narrowed. "Swarm of what?"
"Honegumo." Tetsuya's tone was grim. "But these readings are strange—they're not migrating from the outer borders. They're coming from underground, here." He tapped the glowing circle on the map.
Renji leaned forward, arms folded. "How do we get to them?"
"They'll breach the surface," Hikari answered before Tetsuya could. "The Honegumo surface only to reproduce. Once they emerge, they'll scatter and hunt across the state. Three hours from now, they'll be loose."
"Then we wait for them at the breach," Arashi reasoned. "But how?"
Renji's voice cut into the silence.
"Sir… I think we should isolate this section of the map within a kilometer radius. Seal it with a containment barrier. We station soldiers here, here, and here." He marked three red dots on the map. "Snipers can hold nests at these vantage points. When the swarm emerges, we collapse on them from all sides. No escape."
Murmurs spread through the chamber. The young outsider giving orders—it would have been laughable under normal circumstances. But there was logic in his plan.
"Something like this will need experienced masters to maintain the barrier until the swarm is destroyed," Arashi said, studying Renji carefully.
Renji's jaw set. "Then let me go. I'll volunteer for the mission, and I'll ensure there are no casualties. Not while I'm still standing."
The conviction in his tone silenced the chamber.
Arashi's eyes lingered on him for a long moment before he gave the faintest of nods.
"I'm in too," Hikari said firmly. "You'll need me whether you want me or not."
"I'll lead the squad," Ayaka added.
Arashi nodded. "Good. You'll be assisted by Captain Kalfka. If anything spirals out of control, contact us immediately."
"Yes, Master!" they chorused.
---
Five minutes later, the soldiers were already suited up. Cloaks, armor, weapons—an array of steel and spirit. Rank E troops lined up, awaiting their orders, while Renji walked past them clad in his abyssal ninja suit, his hood draped low, his presence heavier than the armor they wore.
Captain Kalfka intercepted him with a smile that carried the respect of a seasoned warrior.
"Hey, Renji," he called out.
Renji inclined his head. "Captain."
"Your squadmates have their own means of transport. For you, though, the Sheshi prepared something special." Kalfka's grin widened. "A bike."
Renji blinked. "A… bike?"
"Ever ridden one?"
"Not a chance. Closest I've ever gotten was skateboarding when I was younger." A shadow of an old memory flashed in his mind—Hanzo's love for bikes, the roar of engines echoing in the night. Renji pushed it away.
"Well, today you're in luck." Kalfka pressed a button, and a section of the wall hissed open, revealing a small garage lined with armored jeeps, trucks, and two sleek motorcycles. At the center gleamed a Kawasaki Ninja, its black paint kissed with crimson streaks.
Renji stepped closer, eyes tracing the machine's curves. It wasn't just a bike—it was a predator waiting to be unleashed.
Kalfka patted him on the shoulder. "There's only one rule on bike riding, brother. Never take your eyes off what's ahead."
Moments later, the garage roared to life. Trucks, jeeps, and bikes rolled out into the night, engines growling like beasts answering the call of war. From the depths of the abandoned nuclear site, the Sheshi convoy emerged, slipping like shadows into the dark. Their package was simple: deliver death to the visitors clawing their way into their realm.
And at the center of it all, Renji revved his bike, the abyss inside him thrumming with a promise: tonight, the swarm would burn.