Morning arrived, and light poured into Kanda's room through the gap in the curtains. Kanda was still wrapped up in the arms of the girls who had fallen asleep cuddling him after their late-night activities.
Knock Knock
"Kanda-sama, it's already morning, and you need to have your breakfast before today's mission," Claris called politely from outside the door.
"I understand, Claris. Give me five minutes, and I'll be there," Kanda replied, his voice a little hoarse from just waking up.
"Yes, Kanda-sama," she answered before her footsteps faded as she went back downstairs.
Kanda gently separated himself from the girls, who murmured sleepily but didn't wake up. Smiling warmly at their sleeping faces, he quietly headed for the bathroom to shower. After freshening up, he leaned over and whispered a soft "I'll be back soon" to the girls before leaving the room.
Downstairs, he found the maids bustling about. Instead of eating alone, he persuaded them to join him.
"Come on, it's better to eat together," Kanda said with an easy grin, waving them over.
"B-But Kanda-sama, it's improper..." one of the maids protested, blushing.
"I insist," he said with a chuckle, and eventually, the shy maids relented, sharing a lively breakfast with him.
Once he finished, Kanda headed to Antonia's house, where all the combatants had already assembled and were waiting for him. As he entered, everyone stood a little straighter.
"Good morning, everyone," Kanda greeted warmly.
"Good morning, Kanda-sama!" they chorused in return.
"Let's head to the war room," he said, and they moved together to the planning area.
In the War Room
Kanda stood at the head of the table, scanning the faces of the gathered combatants.
"The list of combatants for this mission remains the same, but we will be using different equipment," Kanda began.
"What equipment are we using this time, Kanda-niisan?" Antonia asked, tilting her head curiously.
"I'm glad you asked, Antonia-chan," Kanda said with a smile. "First, we'll bring Assistroids that specialize in jamming, hacking, and surveillance. We'll jam enemy signals around the objective, hack their systems to retrieve hidden data, and use surveillance to monitor any movements near our target."
He paused, letting the information sink in. A few heads nodded.
Kanda continued, "Second, I need all of you to wear these suits—except for those from Catia, since their uniforms already have similar functionality. These suits can render you invisible. Footsteps won't be heard, but remember: body temperature remains detectable. If you spot enemies with thermal sensors, you must neutralize them immediately to avoid compromising the mission."
Raven, standing by the door, brought in a few large cases. At Kanda's signal, he began distributing the suits to everyone except Kanda and the Catian combatants.
"These look sleek... Are they comfortable to move in?" one of the younger combatants asked as he examined the suit.
"Yes," Raven confirmed. "They're made with flexibility in mind. You'll get used to it quickly."
Kanda added, "I've tested them myself. No worries—you'll barely feel the difference once you're in action."
"How about you, Kanda-sama? Won't you stand out without a suit?" Maya asked, concern flashing across her face.
Kanda smiled slightly, tapping his earring. "My equipment has the same invisibility and noise-canceling function. I'll be fine."
Maya nodded in understanding, her expression relaxing.
"Is there any additional equipment we'll be using?" she asked.
"No, apart from the Assistroids and the suits, we'll stick to the usual gear," Kanda said. He turned to Antonia. "Antonia-chan, have the weapons been prepared and checked?"
"Yes, Kanda-niisan. I made sure everything was double-checked this morning. The armory is ready," Antonia reported proudly.
"Good job," Kanda said, smiling at her before he continued. "Now, about our approach: we'll use Catia's spacecraft to reach the target. It'll take about 30 minutes, much faster than any planetary aircraft. We'll jump from 5000 meters above the objective."
There was a small stir among the group.
"Five thousand meters?!" one combatant exclaimed. "That's pretty high up, isn't it?"
Kanda chuckled. "Don't worry. As soon as you jump, activate your suit's floating function. It'll slow your descent automatically when you get close to the ground."
A murmur of relief spread through the group.
He continued, "We need to jump because the spacecraft doesn't have invisibility. Even with jamming, they might detect it. Jumping from high altitude minimizes risk."
Kanda paused to make sure everyone was following.
"Maya, your team will secure the perimeter outside the objective and deal with any resistance. After that, you'll sweep a one-kilometer radius. If there are enemies, eliminate them quietly. I'll assign you some jamming and surveillance Assistroids."
"Understood, Kanda-sama," Maya said firmly.
"My team will infiltrate the facility, retrieve the intel, and neutralize any threats inside. Questions?" Kanda asked, scanning the room.
There was a moment of silence, then a small, hesitant voice spoke up. "Kanda-sama, what if the enemy deploys reinforcements while we're still inside?"
Kanda smiled reassuringly. "Good question. That's why surveillance is key. If reinforcements arrive, we'll know immediately, and Maya's team will intercept them before they reach us. Trust your teammates and your training."
Seeing no more questions, Kanda stood up.
"If there's nothing else, the meeting is adjourned. Combatants, get your gear and assemble at the spacecraft in 30 minutes."
"Yes, sir!" the group responded loudly, energy and determination filling the room.
Kanda watched them leave, a slight smile on his lips. Today's mission would be dangerous—but with such dependable allies, he felt confident they could pull it off.
~30 minutes later.
All the combatants for the mission had already gathered inside the spacecraft, which only needed to fly towards their destination. The hum of the engine filled the air, but the atmosphere inside was relatively relaxed, with occasional laughter and small talk between the team members.
Standing near the entrance hatch, Kanda turned toward a small figure waiting at the edge of the landing platform.
"Antonia-chan, I'll be going now with the others," Kanda said as he rubbed her head gently, making sure not to mess up her carefully combed hair too much.
"Pray for a smooth mission today, okay?"
Feeling happy with his patting, Antonia gave a bright smile.
"Yes, Kanda-niisan! I'll pray really hard! But..." she paused, puffing her cheeks slightly in mock seriousness, "you have to pat my head again when you come back!"
Kanda chuckled at her adorable request, ruffling her hair a little more roughly than before.
"Of course. I'll even give you double the pats next time."
"Stop that!" Sarah, Antonia's stern maid, shouted from the side, glaring at him. "Please treat the young lady with more respect!"
Waving his hand casually at both of them, Kanda smiled and stepped back as the hatch began to close.
He raised his hand one last time in farewell.
"Kanda-niisan, I'll pray for your safety," Antonia said quietly as she watched the spacecraft lift off and vanish into the sky. "Everyone's waiting for you to come home safely."
~30 minutes later.
The spacecraft had arrived at its designated drop point — 5000 meters above the target area. The target: an abandoned industrial complex that might hide critical information about Madam J's operations.
Inside, the combatants lined up in preparation, checking their gear and suits one last time.
"Alright, everyone. We've arrived," Kanda's voice rang through the cabin.
"We're starting the mission now. We'll jump from here directly to the site."
He moved to the hatch controls, opening the side of the spacecraft. A rush of cold night air flooded in.
"I'll jump first," Kanda continued, his expression serious. "Follow me immediately after. Don't forget to activate the landing stabilization on your suits."
The combatants all wore tight black bodysuits, reinforced with armor at their joints — shoulders, elbows, knees. The form-fitting suits emphasized their figures, drawing a sharp contrast between the bombshells like Maya, Claris, Raven, and the two other senior operatives, and the slender, lithe forms of Swallow, Hawk, and the remaining members.
(A/N: Their suits resemble Aoi's combat uniform from World Trigger, mixed with inspirations from Gantz.)
Kanda, dressed in all black with twin daggers at his hips, touched his earring, activating a device that briefly enveloped him in shimmering light before he turned invisible.
Without hesitation, he leaped from the spacecraft, diving like a bullet through the clouds.
Raven, Swallow, and Hawk followed closely, the wind screaming around them. Maya, Claris, and the rest quickly trailed after, maintaining tight formations.
They landed smoothly, about 100 meters away from the buildings.
"Form teams immediately!" Kanda ordered sharply.
Without missing a beat, everyone regrouped into their assigned squads.
"I'll lead my team inside the building. Maya, your team will start the external sweep as planned. Here, take these."
He handed Maya two small spherical drones — Assistroids.
"Got it," Maya replied coolly. She tucked the Assistroids into her belt pouch and signaled her team to move.
The Assistroids deployed, emitting jamming signals that would disrupt enemy communications and monitoring any incoming threats.
---
~Inside the building.
Kanda and his squad moved swiftly through the shadowed halls, neutralizing all resistance with brutal efficiency.
Once they secured the immediate area, Kanda handed another Assistroid to Raven.
"Bring this to the control room. Retrieve everything you can," he instructed.
"Understood," Raven replied before dashing off into the side corridors.
Kanda led the others deeper into the complex, heading toward the suspected production area. However, what awaited them was disappointing — rows of standard weaponry: bullets, rifles, grenades.
"No signs of anything special," Hawk muttered over the comms.
"Stay alert," Kanda warned. "Keep searching for anything unusual."
Suddenly, the room's lights dimmed. A low mechanical hum filled the air, and a massive screen descended from the ceiling, flickering to life.
Everyone immediately raised their weapons, tense.
A woman appeared on the screen — striking and composed, dressed in a sharp black military uniform adorned with crimson decorations. She wore a confident smile, her long silver hair can be seen swaying beneath a military cap.
"Hello, everyone," she said, voice clear and mocking. "I'm Madam J... or Jens, if you prefer."
Her piercing blue eyes seemed to look straight through the screen at them.
"If you're seeing this," Jens continued, resting one hand on her hip, "then congratulations. You've successfully infiltrated one of my little abandoned workshops. How diligent of you."
Kanda narrowed his eyes but said nothing, waiting.
"But alas," Jens chuckled lightly, tilting her head, "you're a little late. We abandoned this facility two days ago. However... since you made such an effort to come all the way here, I thought it would only be proper to leave a little gift."
Her smile deepened into something cold.
"And you, Ichijou Kanda," she said, voice dropping into a low, almost intimate tone, "I look forward to seeing how you'll handle it. After all... you remind me so much of 'him'."
The screen flickered and cut to black.
For a second, there was only silence.
Then — a deep rumble shook the floor.
Machinery groaned and collapsed. Equipment toppled over with metallic crashes.
"Incoming from below!" Swallow shouted.
They turned toward the source of the vibration — and what they saw made their blood run cold.
==At Madam J's hideout==
The rain fell steadily outside, tapping rhythmically against the large windows of Madam J's luxurious office.
"Madam J," said a man in a crisp black suit, bowing respectfully. "We have received confirmation. The enemy has entered the target facility."
Without turning, Jens replied, "And Ichijou Kanda?"
"Confirmed, Madam. He is among them."
A soft smile played on Jens' lips as she stared at the rain-soaked landscape.
"Good," she whispered.
"That's enough. Let them enjoy my little welcome party."
The suited man bowed and quickly left the room.
Jens remained there, watching the rain.
"Ichijou Kanda..." she murmured, voice heavy with emotions.
"You resemble him far too much. I wonder... will you also abandon everything to protect those damn cat-people? Hmph."
A flash of lightning illuminated her sharp expression.
"I will see them destroyed... and you, Kanda... will be the first to break."
END OF CHAPTER.