In a dark room he bled. In a dark room he panted. In a dark room, he was not alone. A single, streaking beam of light was focused on him, cutting through the gloom like a blade.
"I don't know anything..."
Hawthorne wasn't alone. He was with him—Joonas.
"Hoh? Where did all the pride go, Hawthorne-san?"
Joonas's voice was playful, mocking, and almost melodic.
Hawthorne barked, his voice cracking under the strain of his injuries.
"You'll fucking regret everything you did."
Joonas smirked, his shadow stretching long and distorted in the beam of light.
"Regret? No, no. I don't do regret, Hawthorne-san. Only results."
Hawthorne's voice trembled. What Joonas had done in just a few hours had already crushed the prideful man he once was.
"Like I told you... I don't know anything."
Joonas reached into a toolkit and picked up a pair of pliers, clicking them open and shut with a slow, deliberate rhythm. He began to count on his fingers like he was reciting a nursery rhyme.
"One, two, three... look at all these little nails for me."
Hawthorne's eyes filled with pure panic.
"No! No more! I don't know anything!"
Joonas snapped his fingers. Two men emerged from the darkness and seized Hawthorne's arms, pinning him back into the armchair. Zip ties were pulled tight, the plastic biting harshly into his wrists.
Joonas tilted his head, feigning deep thought.
"Three on the left... one on the right... hmm... which one sings the sweetest when it's pulled?"
He glanced at one of the silent guards.
"Hey. Which shall I take this time? A pinky? Maybe the thumb? That one screams louder."
The guard stayed silent, staring straight ahead. Joonas pouted, looking genuinely disappointed.
"Tch. No taste for music. How boring. Guess I'll play conductor myself."
He crouched beside the tied-up Hawthorne, the pliers gleaming under the spotlight. His grin widened, teeth catching the light. He leaned in close, his voice dropping to a terrifying whisper.
"Will you marry me?"
Without hesitation, he clamped down and tore the fingernail from the ring finger of Hawthorne's left hand.
~~~THE ROOM THAT OBSERVES ALL~~~
"Are they found?" the third silhouette hushed, his voice low and impatient.
Hachi leaned over the terminal wall, his face lit only by the flickering glow of the monitors.
"From satellite data, a fire was started in the old town."
Images of thermal blooms flickered across the display.
"About four minutes later, another fire ignited south of the town."
"They must be them,"
Bao-Shi, the first silhouette, theorized.
Hachi hesitated, zooming in on the pixelated chaos.
"We're not certain yet."
"How can you be uncertain? They're the only ones there,"
Silhouette Four demanded bluntly.
"No—we've also detected a presence: a high-grade Seele in the area, and also..."
Hachi paused, his brow furrowing as he read the life-sign data.
"Also?"
"I hate to say this, but... we have detected a possible presence of a juvenile. There are currently eight lives detected in the area. We can confirm five as Squad 663. Two more may be the pilots if they survived. That leaves one for the child, and another for a Class D demon."
Silhouette Three grunted in frustration.
"Just go search for them already!"
"By air it's impossible. The island's defense missile system misfires—the same missile that hit the helicopter,"
Hachi's voice tightened.
"By sea is also near-impossible; a storm is heading toward Japan. Our boats can't handle those waves, and the government won't authorize deployment."
Silence settled in the dark room for a few moments, the sound of the server fans whirring below them.
"This is a test. Let them be,"
Silhouette Seven concluded.
"But—" someone started.
"I agree. Let this be another chance for the squad to prove themselves,"
Bao-Shi added.
"We can't risk the Rhythm on this. Do you even have a backup plan?!"
Another silhouette demanded.
Hachi adjusted his glasses.
"Don't worry, sir. They have Ashura."
~~~KABA ISLAND~~~
[MAY 1, 2169 - 8:44PM]
Ayro raised his blade, his muscles tensed to deliver a finishing blow to the stunned demon—but a cry stopped him cold.
"Wait..."
Ayro's breath caught, his eyes widening as he lowered his guard.
"A little girl!?"
From the shadow of a broken house, a small figure stepped forward into the moonlight. Her voice trembled, but she spoke again, louder this time.
"Wait..."
"What are you doing here?! It's not safe!"
Ryujin called out, his tone sharper than intended as he scanned for other threats.
Tears welled up in the girl's eyes, her voice cracking as she cried out.
"H-Hurting others is b-bad!"
Ayro and Ryujin both flinched.
"Right... demons look like ordinary people through a child's eyes. What do I do?"
Ayro thought, his chest tightening.
"I can't let this child see what we're about to do,"
Ryujin decided grimly, his hand tightening on his weapon.
Suddenly—
"Oi!!!"
Both men's heads snapped toward the voice. Itoshi came sprinting down the road, panting hard, his blue hair sticking to his sweaty face.
"Oi!! I came back!"
He shouted, his eyes darting across the scene—until they landed on the girl.
"A-A child?"
Ryujin and Ayro locked eyes, signaling him wordlessly: Get her away.
But Itoshi hesitated, confused by the lack of combat. Then, a sickening sound cracked through the air—bones shifting and joints snapping as the demon's ruined body twitched violently, beginning to regenerate. The girl's head turned slowly toward the sound.
"Damn it!"
Ayro lunged forward, shadows flaring at his feet like rising smoke. He threw himself in front of the girl, spreading his arms wide to block her view.
"No... you can't see that."
The demon seized its chance. With a guttural roar, it drove a jagged, newly formed claw straight through Ayro's back. The tearing of flesh was sharp and merciless.
"Ayro!"
Itoshi's voice cracked, horrified.
"Itoshi! Take her away!"
Ryujin barked, stepping forward to engage the monster.
"But—!"
"Hurry! This bastard's not getting away anymore!"
Grinding his teeth, Itoshi nodded. He scooped the girl into his arms and bolted back up the road, his boots thudding against the debris.
"Hi! How are you?"
He forced out between panting breaths, trying to soften her fear as he carried her away from the blood.
The frail girl clung weakly to his neck.
"What's your name?"
He asked, trying to keep his voice steady.
"Jayu..."
Itoshi managed a small smile despite the burn in his lungs.
"Jayu? What a nice name... I'll take you to safety, alright?"
"Ai... Jayu..."
She murmured, dazed.
He glanced down at her, tightening his hold as he navigated around a collapsed wall.
"How long have you been here?"
Her lips quivered.
"H-hurting others is bad!.. H-he could die!"
Itoshi's eyes widened. Her words sliced deeper than the air in his chest.
"She sounds like me... back then..."
"Well... you don't have to see that, Jayu-chan... Monsters like them will hurt us."
"M-Monster? What do you mean?.. It's not right to call an elderly like that... Let alone, hurt them!"
Jayu insisted, tears streaking her cheeks.
Itoshi nearly stumbled, his throat tightening.
"Do kids... not see demons?"
"You misunderstood. We're not killing him."
"T-Then what?..?"
"He... stole something from us. We're just taking it back. That's not bad, right?"
It was a white lie, tasting like ash in his mouth.
Jayu stayed quiet for a long moment.
"Don't worry, we're not gonna hurt him. Or you,"
Itoshi assured softly. After a moment, he asked, almost whispering:
"Are you with someone?.. Are you all alone out here?"
"I'm all alone..."
She paused, her voice small.
"Mama died a few weeks ago."
Itoshi's lips pressed tight, but he kept running, holding Jayu closer and gentler than before. "Oh... sorry..."
"What are you gonna do with him?"
She asked faintly.
Itoshi forced a small, strained smile.
"If kids go to school and adults go to work... where do you think naughty people go?"
"They get grounded?"
A genuine chuckle slipped from him.
"Yes, indeed. They get grounded."
Meanwhile, back on the field, Ayro's shadows burst upward, wrapping the demon in thick, writhing tendrils. They squeezed and pulled, binding the regenerating monster in place despite the hole in Ayro's own chest.
"My body... it's getting lighter..."
Ayro's gaze shifted toward Ryujin as the shadow cocoon he had used to restrain his leader finally flickered and dissolved.
"Ryujin... it's on you now."
The last of Ayro's strength left him. His shadows released their grip, and he crumpled to the ground. Ryujin stepped forward, a smirk tugging faintly at his lips. His voice was calm, and his movements were steady—but his eyes were cold and empty.
~~~To be Continued~~~