[Back at the Apartment]
When Akira stepped through the threshold of Elysia's apartment, a heavy silence greeted him. He crossed the hallway, his face impassive, betraying no emotion. Reaching the entrance to the living room, he paused, observing the scene unfolding before him.
Elysia sat on the couch, her shoulders tense and her gaze fixed straight ahead. Beside her, Yumi maintained a calm, almost detached demeanor, starkly contrasting the charged atmosphere in the room. Across from them, occupying armchairs and chairs arranged in a semicircle, were the other members of the team.
Rhéa, alarmingly pale, seemed unable to sit still. Her fingers nervously tapped the armrest of her chair, and her eyes darted between Elysia and the door.
Akira took a moment to observe each of them, noting the signs of tension and worry etched on their faces. Without a word, he stepped into the room, instantly drawing all eyes. A shiver seemed to ripple through the group at his arrival, as if his presence had just materialized their worst fears.
"I see everyone's here," he said in a calm voice, a faint smile on his lips. "Perfect."
Dorian was the first to react, standing abruptly from his seat. "What's this all about, Elysia?" he demanded, his voice a mix of anger and fear. "Why did you call us all here?"
Elysia opened her mouth to respond, but Akira cut her off. "I'm the one who asked Elysia to gather you," he said, a glint of amusement in his eyes.
A murmur of confusion ran through the group. Kael straightened, his brows furrowed. "And why should we listen to you?" he asked warily.
Akira shrugged. "Because you don't really have a choice," he replied simply. His light tone contrasted with the thinly veiled threat in his words.
The silence that followed was heavy with tension. Thalia was the first to break it. "Elysia," she said softly, "what's going on?"
All eyes turned to Elysia, seeking answers, but Akira interrupted again.
"Don't waste your time. She doesn't know why you're here either," he said. "Alright, let's not drag this out. Let's go."
Since he had come to fetch them, Akira turned to leave. Yumi rose and followed, with Elysia and her team trailing behind.
---
When they stepped out of the building, a black van was waiting, with Hernandez at the wheel. When Elysia and her team saw him, their eyes widened. But they had no time to ask questions, as Akira spoke up.
"Are you just going to stand there staring?" he said, walking past with Yumi.
Once everyone was inside, Hernandez started the engine, heading toward Arlington. The journey passed in silence until Elysia spoke.
"Tell me, Akira," she began, "is that, by any chance, Hernandez, the Hammer of God?"
"Yup! Why?" Akira asked.
"It's just that it's been a while since we've seen him, so it's a bit strange that he's here," she explained.
"Like you, he didn't really have a choice," Akira said with an amused smile. "Besides, he's the best qualified for what I need."
"I see," Elysia nodded.
The other team members said nothing despite their curiosity, unwilling to get involved in Akira and Yumi's affairs.
"You two seem pretty close," Thalia whispered to Elysia.
"It might look that way, but our relationship is a lot harder to describe," Elysia replied with a pained smile.
"Looking closer, he's pretty cute," Thalia commented. "Totally my type."
At Thalia's words, Elysia's cheeks flushed red. She quickly turned her head, hoping Thalia wouldn't notice.
"What's wrong?" Thalia asked.
"N-Nothing, it's nothing," Elysia replied quickly.
"Alright," Thalia nodded. "Let's pray we're not getting dragged into something dangerous," she murmured.
After that, silence reigned for the rest of the journey until they reached their destination. It was a plot of land surrounded by security barriers set up by the Hunters' Association. Very few hunters were present; one could even say there were none, except for the security agents checking those coming and going. After the verification, Hernandez parked somewhere nearby.
"Are you finally going to tell us what we're doing here?" Dorian asked, irritated.
Without bothering to respond, Akira got out and said, "Get ready. We're going through the gate."
---
After what seemed like thirty minutes, the group stood assembled before the portal, each equipped with their gear. Elysia and her team wore their usual combat outfits. Akira and Yumi, on the other hand, were dressed simply in comfortable clothes, with backpacks slung over their shoulders.
At the checkpoint, a stern-looking hunter stopped them. "Identification and authorization, please," he demanded firmly.
Hernandez stepped forward, presenting a badge to the hunter. "Exploration request," he said calmly.
The hunter examined the badge closely, his face betraying slight surprise when he saw Hernandez's name. He glanced at Akira and Yumi, then at the rest of the group. "Alright," he said finally. "You're cleared to pass. Be careful on the other side."
The group gathered before the shimmering portal. Hernandez entered first, followed by Akira, who stepped forward and crossed through. Yumi followed immediately. After a brief hesitation, Elysia and her team followed suit, disappearing one by one into the blinding light of the interdimensional passage.
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The plans are now available.
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