The blizzard lifted an hour after Kenji injected the silent patch into the Kōrin Assembly's transmission hub. He watched from a hidden, snowy vantage point as Kaito Jin's strike team launched their assault.
The effect of Kenji's intervention was immediate and total. The Kyojin defense force—confident their frequency attack would neutralize the Sentinels' shields—was caught completely off guard. The Sentinels' armor didn't falter. Their energy shields held firm.
Kaito Jin, utterly oblivious to the subtle change in his own tech, mistook the stability for the sheer superiority of his Kōrin Assembly training. He was magnificent in battle, his chrome armor flashing as he used his Kinetic Reflection power to absorb and redirect the Kyojin's own blasts. He fought with a fierce, arrogant precision that Kenji grudgingly admired.
Within thirty minutes, the entire fortified bunker was neutralized. It was a flawless, textbook victory for the Kōrin Assembly.
The Bitter Reporting
Kenji didn't wait for the cleanup. He quickly rendezvoused with the Russian transport that took him back to the main Siberian base.
He found General Volkov in the command tent, a rare, wolfish grin on his scarred face.
"A clean victory," Volkov stated, slapping a report summary onto the table. "A full neutralization with minimal casualties. Commander Aoi is already hailing the success as proof of his doctrine's superiority."
"Funny how pure superiority needed a dirty technician to work," Kenji muttered, stripping off his heavy thermal jacket.
"Silence," Volkov commanded, though his eyes held amusement. "You have your paperwork. The custody documents are drafted and secured, guaranteeing your B-Rank status is tied to Hikari's welfare. They are stored in a neutral facility, untouchable by Aoi. And your titanium alloys are waiting."
Volkov's patronage was effective, but utterly cold. Kenji had risked his life and his sanity, and all he got was a transactional receipt.
"What's the next mission, General?" Kenji asked. He knew Volkov wouldn't let him rest.
"Rest is for the dead," Volkov said, turning serious. "The Kuro-Shogun has noticed our localized defense is stable again. They will shift tactics. Hoshina has been pushing a theory: the Kyojin are trying to establish a permanent Rift—a portal—in a heavily populated urban zone. They need a continuous supply line."
Volkov pointed to a detailed map of Chiba Prefecture, a dense coastal region near Tokyo. "Your ex-partner, Sanae Kinoshita, is leading the team responsible for neutralizing the Rift activity there. It's low-level now, mostly unstable environmental effects, but it could go critical."
"Sanae is on it?" Kenji frowned. Sanae was an A-Rank, but Rifts were S-Rank territory.
"Aoi sent her. It's another political play. If she stabilizes the Rift, he gets the credit. If she fails, the 'unstable' mother is out of the way, and Aoi can use the emergency to seize full military control," Volkov explained. "You will go to Chiba. You will work with the Seimei Initiative team on Rift analysis. Your job is not to fight the Kyojin, but to ensure Sanae succeeds."
"You want me to save her life," Kenji stated flatly.
"I want you to guarantee the stability of the Chiba coastline," Volkov corrected, his gaze intense. "Sanae's failure risks your daughter's safety. And if you have to use a little 'unconventional structural assistance' to ensure your family's stability, I will look the other way."
The Return to Tokyo's Shadow
Kenji was back in Tokyo airspace within twelve hours, flying low and fast toward the sprawling city lights. He was technically on official Seimei Initiative assignment now, but he felt like a fugitive.
He reported to the Seimei field headquarters in Chiba—a tense, overcrowded facility staffed by overworked analysts and weary Sentinels. Akari Hoshina met him in a secluded comms room.
"Volkov sent his favorite toy back," Akari noted, without any warmth. "You are here to analyze the Rift's structural integrity. You will not engage. You will not use unsanctioned force. You will not interfere with the Kōrin Assembly's operations."
"I always follow directions, Hoshina-san," Kenji lied smoothly. "Just point me to the junk that needs fixing."
Akari handed him a bulky tactical backpack. "Your new gear. And Kenji... Sanae is leading the forward team. She has already asked for your security clearance to be revoked. You are restricted to the secondary analysis perimeter."
"Perfect," Kenji sighed. "More time to look at schematics and less time listening to my ex-wife's superior attitude."
He knew the real reason for the restriction. Sanae didn't just distrust his methods; she was terrified of his new, volatile status.
The Cold Confrontation
Kenji was walking toward the analysis labs when he saw her. Sanae Kinoshita.
She was standing near the debriefing monitors, still in her A-Rank armor, her posture rigid with fatigue and stress. She was talking to a junior officer, her voice sharp and authoritative.
Kenji approached, carrying his new gear. "Kinoshita-san. Nice to see the heroes are still working the graveyard shift."
Sanae spun around, her face hardening instantly. "You. What are you doing here, Kenji? I specifically restricted your access."
"Volkov reassigned me. Structural analysis on the Rift," Kenji replied, meeting her cold stare. "Looks like your 'pure' methods can't figure out why reality is tearing itself apart. Good thing you have a technician on hand."
"Don't flatter yourself," Sanae hissed, stepping closer. "You are here because Volkov is using you as a pawn against Aoi. That B-Rank rank is a joke, a dirty political tool, and you are playing right into his hands. I saw what you did in the Ginza scrap yard—that was not human, Kenji. You're unstable."
"I'm unstable, but I'm stable enough to keep Hikari," Kenji countered, hitting her where it hurt. "I won the hearing, Sanae. And I won it by proving I would go to hell and back to protect her. A commitment your perfect A-Rank career never allowed."
Sanae flinched, but her resolve immediately hardened. "You won with threats and corruption, not commitment. Listen to me: this Rift is dangerous. If you interfere, if you use that chaotic, destructive power you used before, you will not only be arrested, but I will make sure you lose all rights to Hikari permanently. Stay in your lab."
She turned and stalked away, leaving Kenji standing alone. He knew her fear was real, but so was his conviction. He wasn't playing Volkov's game or Aoi's game. He was playing Hikari's game, and the rules required him to win, no matter the cost.
He looked at the tactical data streaming from the Rift. The energy was spiking, not randomly, but in calculated bursts. The Kuro-Shogun was building its portal, piece by terrifying piece.
Kenji knew he couldn't stay in the lab. If Sanae's mission failed, Chiba would be lost, and Hikari would be in the middle of a war zone.
He opened his new backpack, pulled out the titanium alloys Volkov had provided, and started working. He had to create a weapon that was surgical, subtle, and powerful enough to close the Rift without revealing his ultimate secret.