As Kirashi gasped for air, he shouted out loud,
"JEEZ!!! ITOSHI'S BAIT WORKS A LITTLE TOO WELL!"
~~~Mogi Ferry Terminal~~~
It was 11 AM. The whole squad had arrived at Mogi Ferry Terminal, down south of Nagasaki, as sirens blared in the distance.
"And how the hell did these flames cross the sea?!"
Alongside Kirashi, Ryujin stood firm, facing the beasts. It was a rare moment — Ryujin engaging Flame-type Seele here in the coastal region.
Suddenly, a whisper crackled softly in Kirashi's ear.
"They swam."
Miss Gigi replied with zero clues.
Kirashi grimaced, holding his ear as he dodged a heavy swipe.
"Yeah, I know they did! But... aren't they supposed to die underwater?!"
"They didn't touch the water."
Kirashi halted, puzzled.
"Hah?!"
"Focus."
She quickly commanded.
His attention snapped back just as a massive beast slammed down toward him.
Twelve Größer als Männer class Seele had landed on the ferry port — six Earth-types, six Flame-types — a deadly balance of power.
The pair stood firm, facing all twelve Seele by themselves, successfully creating a protective barrier that prevented the creatures from breaking into the terminal's inner docks.
As one of the Flame-types lunged toward Kirashi, his mind wavered for a moment.
"Seems like the kunoichi isn't gonna arrive anytime soon..."
He thought to himself, exhaling sharply.
"I must handle this on my own... remember breathing and timing."
He took a deep breath, feeling his core steady, then slipped between the swiping claws of four Seele closing in around him.
Their molten claws burned against the air, but Kirashi flowed between them like wind cutting through smoke.
Still, the opportunity for a clean strike remained elusive. The beasts attacked in unrelenting coordination, denying him any clear opening.
Behind him, Ryujin stood like an immovable wall, his own rhythm calm, watching Kirashi closely while keeping the Earth-types at bay with precise sweeps of his weapon.
The pressure mounted.
"There is no opening!"
Kirashi growled—but then a crooked grin spread across his face.
"How I miss this feeling!"
The rush. The edge. The razor-thin balance between survival and failure. His mind flashed to the countless battles of his past — fighting alone with no one to depend on but himself.
In these moments, it was only him and his wind. The rest of the world faded.
Kirashi slipped between vicious swipes, his breathing sharp and controlled, sharpening his senses with every movement.
Each dodge was smoother, more precise. The rhythm of danger fueled him.
Meanwhile, Ryujin's spear whirled with brutal grace. His years of experience showed in his fluid motion—economical, calculated, deliberate.
In just a few exchanges, he had already brought down two of the Flame-type Seele, their hulking bodies collapsing into smoldering heaps.
As he spun his spear in a brief flourish, Ryujin's eyes remained locked on the remaining beasts, but part of his mind monitored Kirashi's flow.
"Seems like he's still gonna last..."
He thought, closing his eyes for a brief moment.
"Oh well... nine years of this. He knows the dance."
The battle raged on — bursts of wind pressure, crashing water, molten earth, and the screeches of Seele echoing across the port under the cold night sky.
And yet, far above, unseen by both fighters, another pair of eyes watched intently. Hidden behind one of the nearby cranes,
Ryo-Ryo Mukori's cyan gaze never blinked, not missing a single frame of the battle.
"Where are you... Crow..."
He whispered.
The hunt continued.
A brief pause fell upon Ryujin as his spear rested at his side. His eyes drifted for a moment toward the forested mountains surrounding the port.
There was something... off. A faint sensation crept over him—a distant gaze, watching from the dark.
Kirashi noticed his brief stillness and called out, still breathless.
"Ryujin?! Tired already?!"
Ryujin shot him a cold glance, saying nothing. Without a word, he spun his spear once and lunged forward, piercing through two more Flame-types with ruthless precision.
Their charred bodies collapsed as steam hissed from their remains.
Kirashi chuckled to himself.
"Leader is a showoff!"
He stepped forward now, gripping his katana. The remaining four Seele—two Earth-types and two Flame-types—rushed toward him, their shrieks cutting through the night.
Kirashi inhaled deeply, steadying his core. His breathing slowed as he compressed the surrounding wind tightly around his blade, pulling in every ounce of air he could.
A thin stream of wind spiraled along the edge of his sword.
And then—
FWOOOSH!
A single slash. He didn't aim for the creatures directly, but rather the space between them. The compressed wind followed the arc of his blade like a silent predator.
In a fraction of a second, the air itself carved through the oncoming Seele, slicing most of them cleanly apart before they even realized what hit them. Their bodies fell with a heavy thud, and a brief, eerie silence followed.
But the cost was steep. Kirashi stumbled slightly, now breathing heavily as his energy drained. His chest rose and fell, but his eyes remained sharp.
"Good. I can still go further."
Only four Seele remained—two Earth-type and two Flame-type—still stalking forward.
~~~Kawaguchimachi, Nagasaki~~~
The familiar chime of the bell rang softly as Ayro stepped inside the restaurant. The warm scent of cooked meals filled the air, but his focus was elsewhere.
"Welcome, sir— Oh."
The girl behind the counter froze for a brief moment when she recognized who had entered. She quickly masked it with a polite smile as she approached him.
"Welcome to our restaurant!"
Ayro walked forward, his tone calm but direct.
"Ah... is Hoshi here?"
Through the small opening leading to the kitchen, murmurs began to ripple among Hoshi's co-workers the moment they overheard his question.
The girl hesitated, sighing softly before answering.
"Ah... just this morning..."
She paused, choosing her words carefully.
"She resigned."
Silence briefly loomed over the place, oddly heavy despite the quiet chatter of customers eating their lunch around them.
"Ah... I see."
Ayro replied, keeping his voice neutral as not to sound rude or concerned. Without another word, he simply took a seat and ordered his lunch like any other customer.
But his mind wandered elsewhere.
A couple of moments later, Ayro quietly exited the restaurant, hands in his pockets, eyes sharp beneath his bangs.
"Hm... I tried to sense her wind as I ate... but I didn't find it."
His thoughts spun as he walked.
"There's no way she's already out of my range in such a short period of time..."
Without wasting any more precious seconds, Ayro began moving toward the nearby ports. His mind locked onto the information Kara had given him last night — every small detail of the man Hoshi described.
From one dock to another, Ayro advanced with surgical precision.
"Shinnagasaki... Aikawa... Kakidomari... Nagasaki... Matsugae... Nagasakiminato..."
At every stop, he left behind faint traces of his dark power—small residual markers for his extended senses to pick up.
The dark tendrils that lingered beneath the surface could search where his eyes could not, but they required careful control. He made sure to keep them subtle, invisible to the average person.
Soon, Ayro found himself sitting deep within a narrow alley between two old warehouses, perfectly centered within the radius of multiple ferry terminals. His back pressed against cold steel as his eyes shut tightly, focusing.
"Doing this requires too much focus..."
He gritted silently.
"But... I must track him at any cost. My dark recon has very limited range... I need to be positioned at the core."
The quiet hum of the sea filled the air as he sat there, motionless, waiting for even the faintest signal to come back to him.
Then, his eyes twitched.
A faint pulse. Barely there, but unmistakable.
Slowly, his crimson eyes peeled open, glowing faintly in the dark.
Without wasting a second, Ayro pushed himself off the ground, leaping into the air. In one fluid motion, he landed on the rooftop of a nearby warehouse.
His figure moved swiftly under the sunlight, his senses sharpened as the dark tendrils extended further from his elevated position.
[Toishimachi, Nagasaki]
Nine Kilometers away from Mogi, The bald man stood calmly at Toshi Port, Toishimachi, Nagasaki.
His lone figure waited near the dock as the ferry engines rumbled to life. In his grasp, a large black briefcase—far too large for casual travel.
He glanced around with dull, uninterested eyes, the fresh slash across his right eye glistening faintly under the port's floodlights.
Meanwhile, not far from the coast, Ayro landed atop Maki Island, crouched low, his breath heavy from the rapid sprint. The sea breeze bit into his skin as his glowing eyes scanned the movements of the port below.
His sharp gaze finally locked onto the man.
"There you are."
Without wasting another moment, he bolted down toward the dock, landing swiftly behind a line of departing passengers. The ferry's horn blared, signaling imminent departure.
Ayro stormed to the ticket booth.
"One ticket. Now."
The ticket seller raised his brows in surprise.
"Ehh?! The ferry is about to leave... go b—"
"I need this. Let me buy your ticket!"
Ayro cut him off, cold and firm.
Caught off guard by Ayro's intense glare, the seller hesitated, then slid the ticket across the counter.
"Alright... but you'll be in the small—"
Before he could even finish, Ayro snatched the ticket and rushed aboard.
"That's not a problem."
The ferry gate clanged shut behind him.
Ayro entered a small storage room within the ferry. The faint hum of the engines vibrated through the metal walls, blending with the distant chatter of passengers outside.
He shut the door quietly behind him, the latch clicking into place.
In the warm daylight filtering through a small window, only the sway of his hair moved as he took off his hat and removed his coat.
Swiftly, he changed into darker, looser clothing — clothes better suited for blending in unnoticed.
Outside on the ferry's open deck, the bald man stood near the rail, his briefcase resting at his side. The golden afternoon sun sparkled across the waves as seagulls glided above. Holding his phone to his ear, his voice remained calm but irritated.
"Yeah... I'm coming to Fukuoka now. You guys completed?"
A few meters away, leaning casually against the wall, stood a tall man with long blonde hair, hands in his pockets. His eyes wandered over the sea, but his ears caught every word.
The bald man scratched his back with an annoyed grunt.
"Yeah... I wasn't so lucky in Nagasaki. I almost got one but..."
He clicked his tongue, leaving the thought unfinished.
"Yeah yeah... I'll be going."
Ending the call, he turned and disappeared through one of the ferry's side doors.
The tall blonde man peeled himself off the wall, casually strolling in the opposite direction, still pretending to enjoy the scenery.
Back at Mogi Ferry Terminal, the last of the beasts lay defeated. Kirashi collapsed onto the hot pavement.
"Ugh! I'm beat!"
Without missing a beat, Ryujin tapped his comms to reach Ayro's signal.
"Yo... update? Ayro?"
"I'm on a ferry heading to Fukuoka. It looks like they're using Fukuoka to ship their victims. But I need to confirm if we're tracking the right man."
Ryujin closed his eyes, letting out a slow sigh.
"Okay. We'll meet you in Fukuoka once you confirm he's the one."
"Copy that, Ryujin. Also, the kunoichi isn't at her job. Just saying."
Ryujin cracked a half-smile, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Figures... She's got her own plans, huh?"
Kirashi groaned, pushing himself up from the pavement.
"Tch, she's always doing things her own way."
Ryujin glanced at Kirashi, then back to his comm.
"Keep your guard up until Ayro confirms. We can't afford any surprises."
Kirashi wiped sweat from his brow, eyes narrowing with determination.
"No way I'm letting those seele bastards catch us off guard again."
The blonde man continued to follow the bald man, leaving faint traces of darkness in his wake. His thoughts were conflicted.
"Is he really the one?"
"We're finally making progress... but where could Hoshi be right now?"
He watched silently as the man sat alone on the ferry deck.
Out of nowhere, the bald man stretched his back, letting out a loud sigh. He stood up and muttered to himself.
"Man! Being a seller is a pain."
The blonde man's eyes widened in shock.
"What the hell?! Did he really just say that out loud?! IT'S... IT REALLY IS THAT BASTARD!"
The bald man suddenly turned around, flashing a sinister grin.
"Yo!" he called.
The blonde man gasped, immediately stepping back. But before he could react further, several men dressed in black emerged from the corners, giving chase.
Streaks of flame shot toward him as he bolted, barely dodging the fiery bursts.
Sliding across the narrow bridge of the ferry, he sharply turned toward the port side, rushing to find a place to hide.
The men stormed after him, closing in as he disappeared into one of the ship's compartments.
"There's no way out, punk!"
One of the men shouted.
They kicked the door open—only to find an empty bathroom. The small window above the toilet was shattered.
"HUH?! THE BASTARD GOT AWAY!!"
Meanwhile, far from the ferry, Ayro landed on the dark sands of Nodahama beach, his breathing heavy, sweat dripping from his face.
"It really is that man... I gotta tell everyone... This is perfect... we're heading for Fukuoka..."
He swallowed hard, wiping the sweat from his brow.
"But Hoshi-san though... where could she be?.."
Back at Mogi Port, Ryujin boarded the SUV as his comms buzzed. He tapped his ear.
"I... I found him, Ryujin."
A faint smile formed on Ryujin's face.
"Good work... Ayro."
A few moments later, Ryujin opened another channel, reaching out to Miss Gigi.
"Yeah?"
Miss Gigi answered, clearly irritated.
"I'm busy preparing your new papers for Fukuoka, you know?"
"How many Seele are surrounding Nagasaki right now?"
Ryujin asked, ignoring her complaints.
"Ah... so you're just gonna ignore what I said."
She sighed.
"Your baiting worked too well. The Seele are gathering by the sea, closing in on Nagasaki. Seems like the higher-ups finally noticed what you're doing, Ryujin."
"Indeed... Thank you, Miss Gigi."
As the line went silent, Ryujin muttered to himself.
"We're moving to Fukuoka... the Seele will follow Itoshi. The higher-ups are going to notice the sudden shift in their direction. Tch... guess there's no helping it."
He paused for a moment, eyes narrowing.
"On that note... Hachi-san still hasn't contacted us in a month..."
[A Few Hours later in the Boys Room]
"Eh? Nadohama is so far away... why did Ayro-san choose not to get picked up?"
Aldrin asked, scratching his head.
Inside the boys' room, everyone was gathered, packing up their things in preparation for their upcoming departure.
Itoshi and Kirashi exchanged glances, both shrugging at Aldrin's question. Neither had a clear answer in the absence of their two leaders.
Ryujin entered the room just as the sunset cast golden rays through the window blinds.
"Ah... you guys are already prepped up?"
He asked, glancing around.
"Pretty much... yeah,"
Itoshi replied.
"What about the girls?"
Ryujin followed up.
"Not sure..."
Itoshi shrugged.
Without wasting time, Ryujin quietly closed the door behind him and faced the squad, his tone turning serious.
"Listen up. Ayro has confirmed it. The bald man is connected with the Sellers. They're preparing to commence their shipping operation into Fukuoka."
By the balcony, hidden behind the wall, Hoshi in her kunoichi outfit listened quietly to their conversation.
"Fukuoka, huh?"
She thought to herself.
Inside the room, Ryujin continued.
"We're leaving by evening. Aldrin, be ready — you'll be flying again. And Itoshi, Don't forget your Scarecrow."
Aldrin nodded with determination.
"Okay!"
Itoshi on the other hand was not excited.
With everything set, Ryujin exited the boys' room and moved to knock on the girls' door.
"Coming!"
Kara called out as she opened the door.
Ryujin stood calmly.
"You girls good?"
"Almost done!"
Kara replied, a slight grin on her face.
"Alright. I'll be right back. Head to the boys' room after this and let them know I've left, okay?"
Kara blinked but quickly nodded.
"Copy that!"
As Ryujin walked down the quiet hallway, he tapped his comms and spoke softly.
"Where are you now, Ayro?"
Ayro's voice came through after a brief pause.
"I've arrived in Fukuoka."
"Alright. I'll delay our departure for now... I'll wait for the kunoichi, right?"
"Yeah,"
Ayro confirmed.
"Let her and Kara talk first."
Back in the boys' room, a heavy silence lingered. Each of them sat in their own thoughts.
Then Kara softly broke the silence.
"Guess we're really leaving Nagasaki... huh?"
Kirashi chuckled lightly, trying to lift the mood.
"I was just starting to get used to the streets."
"Same here!"
Aldrin chimed in with a grin.
But Itoshi leaned his jaw against his palm, his expression unchanged.
"Boring."
"Come on, Itoshi-nii!"
Jayu pouted.
"Nothing impresses you, huh?!"
"Shut up,"
Itoshi mumbled, still gazing off with furrowed brows.
Kara's eyes lowered as her thoughts wandered.
"We're really going to leave... I wonder how Hoshi-san is doing... I'm not even going to get a chance to say goodbye... Will she be okay?..."
Her fingers tightened around the small teddy bear resting on her lap. Jayu, sitting beside her, quietly watched as Kara's lips trembled slightly.
By midnight, the waiting time for Hoshi's arrival had finally run out. With no further signs from her, Ryujin gave the order—it was time to leave and say goodbye to Nagasaki.
The team gathered downstairs, hauling their bags filled with small memories from the city's shops. The electric vehicles purred quietly as they rolled through the empty streets under the dark sky.
Their convoy of six SUVs came to a halt at the same athletic track where the Crow had recently fought. In the center of the field, a helicopter awaited them, its rotors slowly turning. The pilot was already seated, leaving the co-pilot seat open—reserved for Aldrin.
One by one, they boarded the helicopter and took their seats. As the aircraft slowly lifted off, Kara leaned against the window, watching as the shimmering lights of Nagasaki unfolded beneath them.
"Goodbye... Hoshi-san..."
She thought, her eyes reflecting the city's final glow.
Everyone else had fallen asleep, including Jayu, resting peacefully beside her. Aldrin, seated up front, glanced back.
"Kara-san, you should get some rest too."
Kara gave him a small nod.
"Mhmm!"
Before Kara could drift off, memories of all the fun moments and new lessons from Nagasaki flooded her mind.
Leaving was inevitable, but she knew there was nothing she could do except keep moving forward. A soft smile curled on her lips as the helicopter blades roared above.
The chopper glided forward, flying across Omura Bay and over Ariake Sea. In the distance, the glittering lights of Saga and Fukuoka began to emerge, painting the dark horizon with new beginnings.
~~~To be Continued~~~