Kaizen boomed down the street, engine thriving like his life depended on it—which, technically, it did. Wind whipped through his hair; helmet tossed on the handlebars because he had bigger concerns than safety.
His earpiece buzzed with Ren's voice.
*CALL SESSION*
Kaizen: "Yo, Ren, where exactly am I supposed to meet you?"
Ren hesitated, a pause so long Kaizen swerved to avoid a pothole.
Ren: "Uh… what made you change your mind?"
Kaizen pouted griping the handlebars tighter.
Kaizen: "Holy fuck, you telling me or not?"
Ren: "Alright… meet me at the team hangout spot."
Kaizen: "Copy that."
Call ended.
The wind cried past him as the cityscape blurred.
"Well, well, All my life I thought I could live a smooth life trying to be safe. Guess now, I'm just a reckless asshole." He said trying to shake the feeling of unease he had.
TEAM HANGOUT
When he arrived, Yui, Daichi, and the rest of the crew from the floodgate ruins were already there. Familiar chaos, familiar faces—but Ren was glowing with pride.
"Wait… you fucking qualified?" Yui asked.
"Yeah… but I don't want to handle my first artifact alone. I need backup." Ren replied. His smile small and nervous.
"And you needed me because…?" Kaizen asked leaning against his bike smirking.
Before Ren could answer, Daichi exploded.
"Seriously Kaizen what made you change your mind?" he asked.
Kaizen's eyes flashed, remembering the words that had almost cursed him:
Kaizen (thinking): "…What's the worst that could happen?"
Sinna, lounging a bit too calmly nearby, smirked knowingly.
"Check the screen again, genius." Sinna said.
Kaizen scanned the interface in his mind. Words glowed like a death sentence:
Failure to complete ultimate tasks = Forced entry into Boss Dungeon. Survive 7 days. No exceptions.
"Ah… yeah. That's a 'no thanks' scenario in my book." Kaizen muttered bitterly under his breath.
Turning to the group, he shrugged, "Change of plans, I guess."
Ren tried to hide his nerves, so he waved his tablet.
"Okay, look, check this out. Gate rank. If things get too… roasty, we just make a run for it. Simple." Ren said to the group.
"You always say that, but you never run first." Yui shot.
"Because someone has to set the goddamn pace, Yui. Lead by example."
"Yeah, lead by example straight into a meat grinder, more like." Daichi added.
Ren rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath: "Scared little hunter, but somehow reckless asshole still gets the spotlight."
"Little hunter? I thought you qualified for 'legend-in-training.' Scared? That's just… extra flavor." Kaizen smirked leaning in closer.
"Extra flavor my ass. If we die, I'm blaming you." Ren replied.
"Dying's boring. Let's make it interesting." Jin added.
Yui groaned, Daichi laughed, Ren looked like he wanted to throw his tablet. The arguing, teasing, and sass rolled on until agreement was reached—more chaotic than organized.
The gate purred louder, a pulse under their feet. The air smelled like ozone and danger. Every shadow seemed to jolt. Every whisper of wind carried the promise of teeth and claws.
"Welcome to the party, asshole." Kaizen muttered, voice low.
With that, he stepped forward, letting the darkness swallow him.