At the Darkside Destroyer's base, the air in Arata's office felt unusually heavy, thick with unspoken anticipation.
He stood before Reiji, his posture ramrod straight, a grim document held tightly in his hand. The faint scent of stale coffee hung in the air, mixed with the sharper, metallic tang that always seemed to cling to Arata.
He extended the document, its pages rustling softly.
"Reiji, read this."
Reiji took the document, the thick, recycled paper cool beneath his fingertips.
His eyes, usually dancing with mischief, quickly scanned the detailed report, his expression hardening with each line, a familiar grim set to his jaw. He could feel the weight of the words, the implications of the statistics and intel.
"I see," he replied, his voice firm, losing its usual playful cadence.
"Then we'll have to deal with it as soon as possible. We will go there and annihilate the—"
"Wait," Arata interrupted, holding up a hand, his gaze unwavering, cutting off Reiji's customary eagerness for direct action.
"We don't have to annihilate them. There's a better way."
Reiji lowered the document, a questioning look on his face, his brows furrowing.
"What is a better way, Commander? With EERF, usually direct engagement is the most efficient."
"Set a thief to catch a thief," Arata stated, his eyes unblinking, the old adage hanging in the air like a challenge.
A subtle shift in the atmosphere, a hint of something unexpected.
Reiji's brows furrowed for a moment, deep in thought, processing the implications.
Then, his eyes widened in sudden understanding, a slow smile spreading across his face as the pieces clicked into place.
"Do you mean that we should... turn their own prey to hunt against them?"
"You're right," Arata confirmed, a rare, faint smile—a mere ghost of a curve on his lips—touching his mouth.
It was a sight so unusual, Reiji almost blinked in surprise.
"Therefore, the most suitable person for this mission is... You guessed it right, Reiji?"
Reiji's grin returned, wide and confident, a familiar gleam in his eyes.
"Yeah."
And it will be his first upper-level mission. He's certainly earned it after the last one.This is going to be interesting.
He thought, a spark of mischievous anticipation.
You're about to step in the deeper end of our work.
Meanwhile, Tetsu, still confined to his medical bed in the sterile, subtly humming medical bay, was utterly engrossed in his phone.
His thumbs flew across the touchscreen, a flurry of precise movements, guiding a small, neon-blue geometric shape through a treacherous, obstacle-filled landscape in a rhythm game. The synth-wave music pulsed through his left-eared earphone, vibrating against his eardrums, the colors flashed in a mesmerizing kaleidoscope, and he was so agonizingly close to beating his personal high score, the digital number taunting him from the corner of the screen...
Suddenly, a call from Arata appeared on his screen, a jarring interruption that caused him to lose concentration for a crucial millisecond.
His geometric shape crashed into a jagged red spike, and the dreaded "Game Over" flashed in angry red letters, accompanied by a mournful, electronic sigh.
"Damn it!" Tetsu muttered, a wave of profound, disproportionate disappointment washing over him.
He sighed, a long, drawn-out exhalation, then reluctantly accepted the call.
"Good evening, Commander," he said, trying to inject a tone of respectful professionalism despite his simmering frustration.
Commander Matsuzaka never directly called me before. Why now?
"Good evening, Tetsu," Arata's voice came through the speaker, crisp and clear, devoid of emotion.
"Are you free now?"
"Yes," Tetsu replied, already anticipating some dull administrative task.
"How can I help you?"
"Go to room A-400," Arata instructed, his voice firm, leaving no room for argument.
"There's something important for you."
"Important?"
Tetsu wondered aloud, a flicker of genuine curiosity replacing his annoyance.
What could be so important at this time?
"What is it, Commander?"
"Yes," Arata confirmed, a slight pause before delivering the crucial word.
"About the EERF."
The word 'EERF' hit Tetsu like a sudden, unexpected electric shock. It wasn't just a word; it was a jolt of ice water down his spine, a sudden, sharp clarity amidst the lingering confusion.
"EERF!?"
He practically jumped from his bed, the medical machines momentarily protesting with a symphony of beeps and whirs as wires tugged and monitors flickered.
Across the room, Yasu, who had been meticulously organizing some patient files, nearly dropped a stack, putting a finger to his lips and hissing "Sheesh," as Tetsu's sudden, undignified movement caused a slight disturbance, drawing curious glances from other patients in their capsule beds.
Oh, shoot!
"My bad."
Tetsu immediately apologized, glancing nervously at the other Destroyers in the room, some of whom had stirred, their eyes half-lidded.
I forgot some Destroyers were also brought here, recovering from their own fights.
"Ishizawa?"
Arata's voice, firm and slightly impatient, cut through his apology.
"Can you hear me?"
"Ah, yes!"
Tetsu replied nervously, quickly trying to regain his composure, his heart still hammering from the mention of EERF.
"Understood. I'll be there soon, Commander. Immediately."
Minutes later, Tetsu stood in front of Room A-400's door, its sleek, unmarked surface reflecting the corridor's fluorescent lights. He took a deep breath, steeling himself, the air in his lungs cold and sharp, and pressed the electronic doorbell. Almost instantly, the door slid open with a soft hiss, and Arata opened it, his face unreadable. Inside, Tetsu saw Arata and, to his surprise, Reiji.
Agatsuma is not here?
He noted, his eyebrows raising slightly in a fleeting moment of surprise, but he kept the observation to himself.
"Come in, Tetsu," Arata gestured, his hand sweeping towards the interior.
"Have a seat."
Tetsu walked into the room, a subtle hum of anticipation, tinged with a growing apprehension, in his chest. He took a seat on the comfortable, dark grey sofa.
Arata turned to a large display screen that materialized from the wall, its surface glowing with a topographical map.
He pointed to a small, pulsating red dot on the map, ominous and foreboding.
"We've detected the EERF's activities here."
Tetsu leaned closer, his eyes widening in a mixture of disbelief and growing horror as he recognized the area.
The location was unmistakably his own school, Seiryu High. He saw the familiar layout of the buildings, the sports fields, the surrounding streets.
My school? But... how?
"There are some premises in Japan that were built by the EERF to lure civilians into their trap," Arata explained, his voice grave, each word a chilling pronouncement.
"We call them rogue premises. And your school, Seiryu High, is one of them."
He paused, letting the information sink in, allowing the full weight of his words to settle over Tetsu like a cold shroud.
"The people in there capture students with Kinesis potential and abduct them. The victims are then used for experiments."
Tetsu felt a profound chill run down his spine, far colder than the air in the room. His mind reeled.
My classmates, my friends, even those I didn't know well... all potential victims. All this time, it was right under my nose, a wolf in sheep's clothing.
A knot of dread tightened in his stomach.
"This will be your primary mission from tomorrow, and every day after that."
Arata continued, his gaze direct, unblinking, pinning Tetsu in place.
"You will be a spy. Under your student identity, you will gather information about the EERF within the school."
A spy, Tetsu thought, the word feeling heavy and dangerous, a cloak of responsibility settling over his shoulders.
So I'll be living a double life?
Reiji stepped forward, his tone slightly lighter, trying to diffuse some of the tension, yet his eyes remained serious.
"More like a watcher, actually. You just have to check for any suspicious actions within the school that might be EERF-related. Keep your eyes open for anything out of the ordinary, any new faces, any strange disappearances."
"What if they realize I'm spying on them?"
Tetsu blurted out, a hint of desperation in his voice.
I'm a Destroyer, not an actor!
Reiji chuckled, a dry sound.
"High school is full of distractions—gossip, crushes, upcoming exams. Just be one of the many faces in the crowd. Blend in, focus on being 'just another student.'"
What if I slip up? What if I say the wrong thing?
Arata's voice was calm, reassuring. "Just stick to what you know. Schoolwork, sports, or your favorite game. Keep it casual. Be boring, if you have to."
Reiji grinned, a flash of his usual irreverence. "Or just make sure to throw them off—tell them you're obsessed with studying! No one would suspect a nerd. They'll probably run away screaming."
Reiji's expression then turned serious, all traces of humor vanishing. His eyes, usually so playful, now held a deep gravity.
"But you're right, this mission won't be easy. If you're discovered, they might eliminate you without a second thought. Despite that, knowing the risks, do you still want to participate in this mission, Tetsu? This is a choice, not an order."
Tetsu met Reiji's gaze, his own resolve hardening, a cold determination settling over him. The thought of his classmates, innocent and oblivious, being taken, experimented on... that fear dwarfed his own.
"Yes," he said without hesitation, his voice clear and firm.
"I want to do it. I have to do it."
Reiji smiled, a hint of his usual teasing returning, but it was warmer now, laced with genuine respect.
"Alright. Now, do you want the good news or the bad news?"
Tetsu blinked, confused. "What?"
"Just choose one," Reiji insisted, clearly enjoying Tetsu's bewilderment.
"Then... good news," Tetsu replied, a nervous curiosity bubbling up, despite the serious context.
"In this long-term mission," Reiji announced, a flourish in his voice, "you'll be paired up with another Destroyer. That person will be your temporary companion within the school, your backup, your eyes and ears."
A companion, Tetsu thought, a flicker of relief and interest.
That's good. I won't be completely alone. I wonder what kind of person it'll be. Someone strong? Someone reliable? Someone I can get along with? Or another Reiji? Please no.
"What's the bad news? Please don't tell me that 'it's your companion is a Reiji v2.'"
He asked, sensing a peculiar tension in the room, a subtle shift in the air between Reiji and Arata.
At his question, both Reiji and Arata visibly flinched, their faces twitching imperceptibly, turning their faces away from Tetsu as if sharing a secret discomfort.
Cold sweat beaded on Reiji's forehead, and he cleared his throat, a nervous, almost theatrical sound.
"The bad news... is..." Reiji hesitated, glancing at Arata, who simply gave an imperceptible nod, a stoic signal for him to continue.
"Mizuki... Mizuki has—"
"Agatsuma?"
Tetsu interrupted, a sudden surge of alarm, a premonition of dread.
"What? What happened to her? Is she alright?" His mind raced, imagining all sorts of terrible scenarios.
Did she get hurt on a mission? Was she injured trying to find me in the sewers?
"You should've asked what will happen to yourself," Reiji muttered under his breath, his voice barely audible, a profound sense of self-pity in his tone.
"Huh?" Tetsu was utterly confused, unable to decipher Reiji's cryptic remark.
Suddenly, the door to Room A-400 slid open with a soft hiss, a sound that seemed to slice through the tension.
Mizuki walked inside, her silhouette framed by the brighter light of the corridor.
She was smiling, but her eyes, usually cool and analytical, held a darkness, a predatory glint that made Tetsu's blood run cold, a primal instinct screaming danger.
"Welcome back, Ishizawa," she said, her voice deceptively sweet, dripping with an almost venomous honey.
Tetsu looked at Mizuki, then back at Reiji, his confusion mounting, a sudden realization dawning on him.
"So what happened to her?" he pressed, still not quite grasping the full picture, but a cold fear was beginning to bloom in his chest.
But Reiji and Arata, with an almost supernatural swiftness, had vanished.
Tetsu blinked, they were gone, as if swallowed by the shadows, leaving him utterly alone with Mizuki.
Then from behind, a cold hand clamped down on Tetsu's shoulder, Mizuki's grip surprisingly strong, digging into his flesh.
He whirled around, his face paling to an ashen white as he met Mizuki's terrifyingly calm, yet utterly menacing, expression. Her smile was gone, replaced by a chillingly blank stare.
"Ishizawa."
She purred, her voice low and dangerous, her grip tightening until his shoulder screamed in protest.
Could you explain to me why you disobeyed my order in the last mission? Why did you go charging in like a headless chicken?"
Tetsu's heart pounded against his ribs, a frantic drumbeat of pure terror. His mind raced, searching for an escape, a way out.
He tried to bolt towards the door, screaming, a desperate plea torn from his throat.
"C-Commander! Reiji! Help!"
But Mizuki's free hand shot out, a blur of motion, grabbing his leg with an iron grip, sending him sprawling to the floor with a painful thud.
She knelt beside him, her face inches from his, her eyes glittering with a chilling, almost maniacal delight.
"Let's have a really friendly, short talk together. Okay?" she said, her voice dripping with malevolent sweetness, each word a promise of pain.
Oh, hell nah.
This isn't friendly. This isn't short.
This is… retribution.
Tetsu's mind screamed, his heart hammering against his ribs like a trapped bird. He tried to scramble away, his hands scrabbling uselessly against the polished floor, but her grip on his torn uniform was surprisingly strong, unyielding.
She dragged him, effortlessly, towards another door, one connecting directly to the main briefing room.
The cold metal of the door handle gleamed under the fluorescent lights as she pulled it open with a deliberate, almost theatrical slowness.
Then, with a sudden, violent shove, she tossed him inside, and the heavy door slammed shut behind him with a resonant thud that vibrated through the floor.
A beat of terrifying silence, then Tetsu's terrified screams ripped through the air, raw and desperate.
The sickening sounds of smashing, of impacts that resonated with bone, echoed through the connected room. Outside, in the main briefing room, Reiji and Arata, now hiding under the large, sturdy briefing table, winced in unison, their faces pale.
They had strategically, or perhaps comically, hidden themselves under the large, ornate table in the main room, winced in unison.
Tetsu's bloodcurdling scream, amplified by the base's comms system, vibrated through the floorboards. It was a sound that spoke of pure, unadulterated pain, far beyond mere discomfort.
"Tetsu," Reiji prayed, a genuine plea in his voice, his usual bravado momentarily forgotten. He squeezed his eyes shut, picturing the young man's determined, albeit bruised, face.
"Please survive."
Arata remained stoic, but a slight tremor in his hand, gripping the edge of the table, betrayed his own unease.
"She's unstoppable once she is snapped," he murmured, almost to himself.
"She used to be a torture master. Throughout three years, the prisoner who could hold the longest during her torturing session was 46 seconds.
"And now she found a weird interest in experimenting with her torture methods with Anomalies. That's why in this organization, she was entitled with a nickname, The Torturing Demon."
From outside Room A-400, a new figure was running, breathlessly, through the corridor.
Her footsteps, light but urgent, slapped against the polished floor. She was a girl with vibrant orange hair that bounced with each stride, about a year younger than Tetsu, maybe sixteen or seventeen.
She wore the sleek, dark Darkside Destroyer uniform, perfectly fitted, a testament to her recent promotion.
She arrived at the door of Room A-400, her chest heaving, a faint sheen of sweat on her brow. She pressed the electronic doorbell, the soft chime echoing inside.
Reiji, who had just been hiding under the table, sprang out with surprising agility, straightening his uniform with a quick pat.
He practically strode across the room, opening the door with a sense of urgency and relief.
"You've finally come," he said, his voice tinged with genuine gratitude, his eyes scanning her for any signs of injury or fatigue.
"Just in time, it seems."
Just then, the connected room's door, the one leading from the medical bay, burst open with an undignified crash.
Mizuki, looking exasperated but clearly having exerted herself, practically tossed Tetsu onto the floor of Room A-400.
He landed with a graceless thud, a heap of limbs and torn fabric. He was disheveled, with small wounds and scrapes everywhere—a faint purple bruise blooming on his eyes from his intense "friendly, short talk".
His clothes, specifically his Darkside Destroyer uniform, were rumpled and torn in several places, clinging damply to him from his exertion, or perhaps, from the residual effects of the electric shock. A faint smell of ozone and antiseptic followed him.
Tetsu groaned, a low, pained sound, then slowly pushed himself to his feet, sighing deeply, trying to brush off imaginary dust.
He looked up, his eyes still a little unfocused from the ordeal, and his jaw dropped slightly in surprise as he saw the orange-haired girl standing there.
His confusion was palpable.
He turned to Reiji, who was now closing the door behind the new arrival.
"Who... who is she?" he rasped, his voice still a little hoarse.
"She's a Destroyer who just recently got promoted to Level 3," Reiji explained, a hint of his usual charm returning, then looked at the girl with an encouraging smile.
"Please introduce yourself, Kamizaki."
The girl walked forward, her posture confident despite her obvious exhaustion from running, her orange hair swaying slightly.
She extended a hand towards Tetsu, her movements fluid and professional.
"I'm Kamizaki Saya," she introduced herself, her voice clear and earnest, with a bright, youthful tone.
"Level 3 Destroyer #62. I hope we can work together in this mission."
She offered a handshake to Tetsu, her smile genuine and friendly.
"Nice to meet you!"