—
The chamber flashed red as alarms pulsed like a heartbeat. Syndicate enforcers poured into the room—six at first, clad in dark armor with glowing crimson visors. Their weapons weren't ordinary rifles—each one emitted a low hum, charged with anti-aura tech designed to counter gifted fighters like Hoshiro.
Kazuki ducked behind a shattered console, cursing. "I thought this was a stealth mission!"
"It was," Hoshiro muttered, stepping forward, mask gleaming under the flashing lights. "Until they broke the rules."
In one breath, he vanished. The air split with a crack as he reappeared midair, slamming his boot into the nearest enforcer. The man flew into a vat, shattering glass and spilling green fluid across the floor.
Two more opened fire. Blue light shimmered around Hoshiro's body as he dodged, flipped, and closed the gap. His blade moved like a whisper—silent, elegant, deadly. Sparks danced as steel met steel.
Meanwhile, Kazuki activated his twin pulse-knives and took on the rear line. "Let's go then! I'm not just here for comic relief!"More enemies spilled in—ten now, then twelve. But Hoshiro's movements only grew faster, his aura deepening from blue to violet. His strikes left trails of light as the chamber turned into a whirlwind of energy and chaos.
Then—BOOM.
A shockwave threw everyone off their feet. The central vault door creaked open slowly… and from the shadows stepped a new figure. A tall woman in a crimson cloak, eyes glowing golden.
"Enough."
Her voice was like ice and thunder.
Hoshiro froze. His grip tightened.
"…Ayame?"
She smiled bitterly. "Hello, hero."
—