The barricade came apart with a sound like a wounded beast.
Ken and Ren leaned into the reinforced plating together, their massive frames straining as they dragged the heavy metal barrier away from the main entrance of Takashimaya mall. Steel groaned against marble, the noise echoing up into the hollow atrium and lingering there, sharp and ominous. Every scrape felt like an announcement. Every second felt deliberate.
Behind them, a line of hunters stood ready. Weapons were raised. Fingers rested near triggers and hilts. Faces were tight, stripped of bravado and humor. This was not a patrol. This was not a warning.
This was a line being crossed.
The entrance yawned open.
