Itoshi and Kara reached Ayro at last.
He stood there, a lone figure against the hush of settling dust, one hand clutching his left shoulder—the same he had thrown into the storm to soften the blow.
Each step he took toward them was slow, deliberate, as though the earth itself resisted his passage. Pain traced his spine like a silent shadow, but his eyes held the kind of fire that refused to dim.
In the space between them hung the echo of what had just passed—violence, sacrifice, survival—and in Ayro's faltering gait, there was poetry written in grit and blood.
"Ayro!"
Itoshi called out.
~~~UWDS Asia Headquarters~~~
"Dang, Hachi. Your squad really attracts the worst possible kind of people huh?"
UWDS Trochanter (Squad 660) said, leaning back with a smirk.
"What the hell! It's their first day! How come nothing interesting has happened to my squad yet?! Not even an encounter with those cowards!"
Nali (Squad 97) shouted, slamming her palm on the table.
"Hehh? Really thirsty for action are we, Nali?"
UWDS Trochanter (Squad 152) teased, swaggering past her.
Nali growled—a deep, rumbling sound that made the trochanter of Squad 152 pause mid-strut. His swagger tripped over itself, and for a second, he looked like a man rethinking every decision since breakfast.
She took a step forward; he took one back. Tactical retreat, obviously.
Nali, usually the picture of cool composure and quiet decency, had a not-so-secret love: chaos. The moment battle stirred, so did she—eyes sharp, heart quick, fingers twitching for action.
She hated being left out, especially when things exploded. Nothing irked her more than standing on the sidelines while everyone else got to dive, dodge, and deal damage. Calm as she seemed, the second someone said "stay back," she was already halfway in.
The moment Nali sat down with the other trochanters, her mood did a full nosedive. One glance around the table was enough. Her brows knitted, lips tightened, and without a word, she slammed both legs up onto the table with a thud that made a few mugs jump.
The message was clear: she was grumpy, she was left out, and someone was definitely going to hear about it.
"Damn it! Hachi! Why the fuck do you always get the interesting shit!?"
Nali ranted, voice echoing across the room.
Hachi didn't reply. He glanced at Nali's boots on the table, then back at his notes, pretending to read something deeply important.
The silence stretched, heavy with the weight of her glare—and her boots. But still, nothing. Not a word, not a twitch. Either he was the calmest man alive... or smart enough to know poking the storm would only make it worse.
"Tsk. Not even a damn reply?!"
Nali snapped, glaring harder.
"Haha, seems like Squad Segment 663 are gonna get a lotta points at the end of this day."
UWDS Trochanter (Squad 660) laughed from the other side of the room.
"Curse you, David! Like hell you're doing any better!"
Nali fired back immediately.
"Meh, I'm fine with that. At least my kids are not getting abused by a crazy witch."
David (Squad 660) replied casually, though his smirk faded fast.
Nali was furious—seething. The moment David spat out "crazy witch" the temperature in the room seemed to drop a few degrees. She rose from her seat like a brewing storm, every step toward him slow, deliberate, and spine-chilling. Her eyes locked onto him with the kind of focus that made grown soldiers forget how to breathe.
But just as she was about to close the distance, a sudden gust of wind surged through the room—Mugi, trochanter of Squad 330, hands raised and powers flaring.
The whirlwind wrapped around her like a cage, holding her back with effort. It was no easy feat holding off the ravaging witch, but Mugi managed—barely. David, wisely, said nothing further.
"Damn it Mugi! LET ME GO!!!"
Nali shouted, struggling against the wind.
"The higher up is coming. Fix yourself."
Mugi warned, voice calm but strained.
In a split second, the "crazy witch" just disappeared—at least, in the sense that her anger shifted into cold, controlled silence. One moment, she was seething, ready to unleash chaos, and the next, she sat back down, as if the storm inside her had calmed. After knowing a higher-up was coming, she held herself in check, her fury now simmering beneath the surface. No words, just a quiet storm waiting to break when the time was right.
The door to the dark room creaked open slowly, its hinges groaning like an old man waking from a long sleep. And there he was—Mr. Hasegawa. The room seemed to hold its breath as he stepped inside, his presence as commanding as it was familiar.
His eyes swept over the group, lingering just a moment longer on Nali, who had returned to her brooding silence. Back for more wisdom, it seemed, though none were sure if the kind of knowledge he imparted was ever truly the kind anyone wanted to hear.
"She went crazy once again did she?"
Mr. Hasegawa thought, expression unreadable.
[A few moments later..]
Everyone settled in, the tension palpable. Mr. Hasegawa, fully aware of the squad's run-in with the World Elemental Special Control Unit, stood at the front, his gaze sharp.
"Seems like they really want to have Itoshi huh? Any leads to why?"
Mr. Hasegawa asked, his voice calm but edged with concern.
No one answered the old man's question. The silence stretched, heavy with uncertainty. Despite everything that had happened, they still didn't have enough information to understand why the World Elemental Special Control Unit wanted Itoshi in their hands. The question lingered in the air, unanswered, like a puzzle with too many missing pieces. Mr. Hasegawa's eyes narrowed, the weight of the unknown pressing on everyone in the room.
"Sorry sir. Still looking for more answers. All we know so far is it's because of 'The Rhythm'."
Hachi (Squad 663) replied, straightening up in his seat.
"They must be trying to uncover something... Didn't they try to get Ryo back then too?"
UWDS Trochanter (Squad 152) added, leaning forward with a furrowed brow.
"Apparently... Yes."
Hachi (Squad 663) confirmed quietly.
"What is it they're trying to uncover... Hachi, go meet Hawthorne tomorrow."
Mr. Hasegawa instructed, setting his pen down with a soft click.
"Got it sir."
Hachi (Squad 663) nodded firmly.
"Wait... He's gonna leave?!"
Nali (Squad 97) blurted, disbelief flashing across her face.
"Higher ups' orders, Nali."
Mugi (Squad 330) said eyes closed, his tone even but sympathetic.
Nali pouted, her arms crossing over her chest as she leaned back in her chair.
"Aww! How boring."
She muttered, her voice laced with frustration.
On a piece of paper, the old man began to write with steady, deliberate strokes, each word seeming heavier than the last. He jotted down sensitive information—the whereabouts of Hawthorne.
The location, wherever it may be, was written in a way that ensured no one else could ever see it. His hand moved with practiced ease, knowing full well that whatever was on that paper was not for the eyes of anyone else in the room.
The secrecy of it hung thick in the air, a silent warning to anyone who might dare to look too closely.
One quick glance at the paper, and Hachi swallowed it whole—like it was just another snack. The room fell silent.
Nali blinked, and Mr. Hasegawa didn't even flinch. The rest of the Squad Trochanters? Stunned, unsure whether to laugh or panic.
~~~Shioizaki Park, Nagasaki~~~
[9:32pm]
When they first reunited, Ayro looked at Itoshi and, without missing a beat, said,
"He is a wind user."
The words hung in the air, matter-of-fact, like a simple observation that carried far more weight than it seemed. Itoshi blinked, trying to process the sudden revelation.
Itoshi's eyes widened as the realization hit him. He quickly understood what Ayro meant, the pieces falling into place.
Meanwhile, Kara, who had been nearby, sprang into action. Without hesitation, she moved to Ayro's side, her presence a swift and quiet reassurance.
"Let me heal you up... Ayro-san."
Kara said, kneeling beside him.
Kara placed both palms on Ayro's left shoulder, and suddenly, a soft green glow radiated from her hands.
The energy pulsed, calming Ayro as his muscles relaxed under her touch. The air hummed with the power she was channeling.
"Healing magic?! When did you learn that?! That's amazing!"
Itoshi exclaimed, his tone a mix of awe and excitement.
"I asked Jayu-chan to teach me earlier.. It ain't much but I hope it helps."
Kara replied with a small smile, focusing her energy.
Once healed, Ayro raised his left palm and gently patted Kara's head—a silent but sincere gesture of thanks.
With urgency, Ayro sprang to his feet.
"Let's go back, you two," he said, his tone sharp. "Let's meet Kira and Ryujin."
~~~To be Continued~~~