At exactly 16:00 PM, the four arrived at headquarters. The atmosphere was far from what they expected. Instead of the usual calm, they were greeted with the unsettling sight of dozens of members gathered in the hall, standing in a ritual-like circle. Each one brandished strange bombs in their hands, murmuring in unison.
The chilling part—
They were speaking Korean.
Ichika, Takeshi, Akari, and Rikuu froze at the entrance, hesitant to take another step. Slowly, the ritualists opened their eyes, fixing their gaze directly at the newcomers.
"I see you're here," Reina said in her usual sharp tone, stepping forward. Her eyes narrowed as she scanned them carefully. "However… where is the attractive man with the fair skin?"
"Attractive, huh?" Ichika thought, her lips twitching. "Nope. Never. He'll never be yours."
Akari raised a brow, pointing to herself. "Right he—" She paused mid-sentence when she realized Rikuu wasn't beside them anymore.
"Huh?" she muttered.
"Right here, I guess," Takeshi said under his breath, noticing Rikuu in the corner… gently patting Asahi's pet hamster with unusual tenderness.
Ichika felt her cheeks warm. She smiled without even realizing it.
Reina caught her expression and smirked knowingly. "It'll be heaven if he does that to me," she thought bitterly.
"...Ichika, right?" Reina tilted her head. "You're blushing because of Rikuu, aren't you?"
"N-No! I'm not!" Ichika panicked, flailing her hands. "Not even blushing, I promise!" Her voice cracked as her face turned a brighter shade of red. "I-It's not like that!"
Rikuu walked over calmly, oblivious to the storm brewing between the two girls. He gave both Ichika and Reina a light head pat.
The two froze, their eyes wide, then immediately dropped their shoulders with embarrassed smiles—like hamsters being spoiled.
"Must be nice, huh?" Hanabi whispered teasingly to Daichi.
"How would I know? I don't like that kind of thing," Daichi muttered, though he averted his eyes quickly.
On the other side, Takeshi caught Akari staring. Her lips were slightly pursed.
"Do you want that too?" he asked quietly.
Akari's eyes widened. "N-Not exactly… But if someone did that to me, I wouldn't say no."
Takeshi smirked. Without hesitation, he ruffled her hair, mimicking Rikuu's gesture. "Like this?"
Akari stiffened but quickly hid her smile, cheeks faintly pink.
Before more chaos could unfold, the heavy doors creaked open.
At last, Akihiko entered. His voice echoed firmly across the chamber as he addressed the gathered operatives:
"Operatives, 이 부패한 세상에서 누군가는 죽고 누군가는 살아남을 것입니다. 하지만 당신의 운명이 무엇이든, 담대하게 행동하세요. (In this corrupt world, some will die, some will survive. But whatever your fate is, be bold.)"
The strange part was—
None of them spoke Korean. Not even Akihiko himself. Yet, every single one of them understood the meaning perfectly in their minds.
With a rare smile, Akihiko continued, "Because of this dangerous mission, I'll allow Asahi and Nagisa to accompany you. There's a reason they are your superiors."
"I'll be hunting murderers outside Tokyo with Shoto," he added. "The rest is in your hands."
With those words, Akihiko and Shoto departed, leaving the group with nothing but his faith and their will to survive.
"Well then," Nagisa said, breaking the silence. "Shall we head out?"
"You guys want to take the risky ride," he asked with a sly smile, "or do you prefer walking?"
"We're fine either way," most of the group responded at once.
"I want to ride whatever that is! I want to do risky things!" Ichika and Reina shouted at the same time.
They immediately exchanged sharp glances.
"Tch…" both muttered, rolling their eyes at each other.
Nagisa chuckled. "Looks like we'll ride." He turned. "Takeshi, Daiki, Aoto—help me prepare."
"With all due respect, sir," Daiki said, "I saved my strength for the mission."
"I can assist," Yuto offered.
"That works," Asahi replied simply.
He led them down a corridor, pressing a button on the wall. With a rumbling sound, a massive hidden door slid open. Behind it… were enormous tigers, their golden eyes glowing faintly.
Yuto's jaw dropped. "No, no, no! What the hell is this!?"
"Don't panic," Asahi said calmly. "They're subdued. As long as you wear the Kakusu emblem, they'll recognize you as allies. They'll follow your oral commands."
Aoto frowned. "But there are only six… and we're twelve."
"Then two per tiger," Asahi replied simply.
He handed each helper a chunk of beef and a massive apple. "Feed them first. They'll need their strength."
After the tigers were fed and calmed, they returned to the others.
The reactions were immediate.
"P-Put that away! I'm not riding that thing!" Ichika, Reina, and Hanabi all cried out in unison, small tears brimming in their eyes.
Takeshi, Daichi, and Akari couldn't hold back their laughter.
"Now, now… be quiet," Nagisa said politely but firmly.
The three straightened up reluctantly, still trembling.
"You'll ride according to Akihiko's pairings," Asahi explained.
At that moment, Asahi and Nagisa snapped their fingers.
From the side halls, twelve commanders marched in perfect formation. Each one carried a combat kit: pack grenades, revolvers, polished blades, karambits, and thick Kakusu combat jackets.
"As your commanders, they stand above you in rank," Asahi announced. "But they have chosen to serve, not lead. Respect them."
Each commander approached, handing over a set of fighting gear.
One by one, the operatives accepted them, bowing their heads as they made humble pledges.
Once the ritual ended, the commanders silently left the chamber.
"…Why would superiors serve us?" Rikuu asked quietly, unsettled.
Nagisa answered, "They aren't required to. After their promotion, they were given a choice—lead missions constantly, or support them. Those twelve, and three others, chose the latter. It's why they stand behind you now."
The weight of his words lingered in the air. The air grew heavy, as though foreshadowing the chaos to come.