As the blast echoed through the port, crowds began to gather, curiosity pulling them closer to the unfolding chaos.
Eyes wide, they jostled for the best view, hungry to witness every last fragment of the battle's aftermath.
Amidst the sea of civilians, Ryujin weaved skillfully through the throng, his eyes squinting with fierce determination as he pushed forward — every step driven by the need to reach Ayro.
Inside the warehouse, Ayro held Hoshi close as he leapt away from the shattered beam, landing hard on a metal crate with a loud thud that reverberated through the steel structure.
Protecting the kunoichi's head with one arm, he glanced back sharply.
"Shit, they already know we're here!"
Back in the open field, the hum of the crowd's chatter rippled through the air as Kirashi carefully carried Itoshi on his back, shielding his face from prying eyes.
He sprinted toward the waiting SUV where Kara stood just outside, worry etched deep across her face.
"Hurry up!!"
Kara shouted, her voice sharp with urgency.
Kirashi's face was stiff, worry etched deep as he quickly boarded the SUV.
"Get in, Jayu-chan!"
They scrambled into the vehicle as fast as they could, tires screeching as the SUV tore away from the danger zone.
Above them, the cyborg watched the chaos unfold with amusement.
"Hohoho! 10/10 stage play! Absolute cinema!" he muttered, a cold smile playing on his lips.
Inside the van, Jayu and Kara panicked, glancing anxiously at Itoshi's limp form.
Miss Gigi's voice crackled through the comms.
"What happened?!"
Aldrin answered, voice shaky.
"We don't know!! H-He suddenly fell to the ground!"
Miss Gigi slammed her fist on the table, frustration bleeding into her tone.
"Tsk... The cyborg is nearby. He sabotaged our show!"
Everyone on the comms heard the sharp edge in her voice.
Kirashi let out a heavy sigh.
"Jeez... our plan got blown."
Kara and Jayu removed Itoshi's mask and they both leaned over him, their hands glowing softly with healing light.
"Come on, Koya... hold on."
"Don't fall... hero!"
Ayro dashed for cover as bullets shredded the air around them.
"Shit! Humans really are a bigger pain in the ass than Seele's!"
He muttered through gritted teeth.
He landed hard behind a metal crate, farther from the men in black suits. For a moment, silence stretched out as Ayro struggled to catch his breath, still clutching Hoshi tightly in his arms.
Suddenly, heavy footsteps echoed nearby — the unmistakable thud of hard-soled boots.
"Well, well, well... Didn't expect a squad of U.W.D.S. to be here."
A cold, menacing voice muttered as a man emerged from the shadows, eyes locked on Ayro and the kunoichi.
It was the bald man.
He whistled softly, the eerie tune echoing through the nearly empty warehouse.
"You know, Ayro... there's something strange about your little doo-hickey right there."
His voice carried amusement as he slowly stepped closer.
"It's not really technology... but not quite a Gift either. It can't be magic."
He paused, raising his hand to signal his men to close in.
"It must be something else. I mean... dendrils? Neutralizer? Can copy other Gifts? What kind of monstrosity is that?"
The men in black suits began tightening their formation, slowly surrounding Ayro like wolves circling their prey.
The bald man smirked mockingly.
"But then again... I can see some good use for something like you. Unfortunately, you're the type that needs to be taken by force."
Ayro's eyes darted left and right, tracking the movements. His breath was ragged, Hoshi still unconscious in his arms.
Fighting while protecting her — alone — would be near impossible.
But he waited.
Waited for the first move.
The bald man grinned as his men stepped into the open. Their gloved hands sparked faint embers of flame, faint trails of heat distorting the air.
"You see, Ayro... unlike you U.W.D.S. fools, we don't waste flame talents behind masks. We own it."
Tiny flames danced across their fingertips, slowly growing brighter.
Ayro narrowed his eyes.
"Flame Gifteds... sellers."
The bald man continued with a twisted smirk.
"The best part? Our flames don't have to follow your rules. No public image to protect. No cameras. No witnesses. Just you, us—"
He paused and he added
"—and her."
Ayro felt his grip tighten around Hoshi.
"I need to end this fast," he thought, trying to steady his breath.
The flames grew brighter.
One of the sellers flared his hand forward—
The first attack.
A streak of flame shot towards Ayro.
The flame streak rushed forward.
Ayro twisted his body, spinning behind the crate, narrowly avoiding the attack while keeping Hoshi shielded in his arms. Sparks singed his coat as the flames licked past.
"Tsk!"
Another man lunged forward. This time, no flames — just brute force.
Ayro planted his foot, shifted Hoshi's weight into one arm, and with his free hand struck the attacker's elbow, dislocating it with a snap. The man howled in pain, dropping to the ground.
"One down."
But there were still more. They weren't backing off.
A third charged. Ayro kicked forward, slamming his knee into the attacker's stomach, but this time another grabbed at his back. With Hoshi weighing him down, his movements were slowing.
The bald man calmly watched, hands behind his back.
"See? No matter how good you are... protecting someone always cuts your power in half."
Ayro gritted his teeth as two men yanked at his arm. Another landed a punch across his face, making him stumble.
"Let go of the girl, Ayro. Or we'll break you apart to take her."
Ayro refused. He twisted, slammed one man into a metal beam—but another tackled him from the side.
The weight of bodies piled on him.
Finally, as he struggled under their weight, one of the men ripped Hoshi from his arms.
"NO!"
Ayro roared, trying to rise—but a rifle butt cracked against his temple.
Ayro fell flat against the metal floor, blood dripping from his forehead.
Two men dragged the unconscious kunoichi away toward the exit. The bald man crouched beside Ayro's barely conscious form, smiling.
The bald man crouched lower, watching Ayro struggle under the weight of his injuries.
"Hoh?.. I thought you were the coldest member of this squad..." he whispered mockingly.
"Why do I hear you screaming desperately for a girl that isn't even part of your squad?"
He paused, taking in a deep breath as if savoring the moment.
"Could it be...? You're actually worried about her?!"
Then, he burst into laughter, the echoes bouncing across the hollow warehouse.
"Monsters like you, showing emotions? What a joke!"
Ayro clenched his teeth, breathing heavily, unable to lift himself from the cold metal floor.
The men carried Hoshi further toward the exit. The bald man rose back to his feet, looking down one last time.
"Don't worry, Ayro. You'll see her again. Maybe..."
He paused.
"In the U.K.F!"
He turned, walking away laughing as he turned on a cigarette using his own flame, Ayro's vision blurred under the ringing pain.
Before Ayro's vision faded, a burst of light tore through the dark warehouse.
Water surged like a crashing wave, slamming into the flames and scattering the heat in an instant. The oppressive air turned cool.
It was Ryujin.
His steps were quick, spear in hand, eyes locked onto Ayro as he knelt beside him.
"Ayro?! Are you okay?! Where are they?!"
Ayro tried to respond, but his throat was dry, his mind fading. He could only barely lift his hand, pointing weakly toward the distant exit where the men were escaping with Hoshi.
Ryujin's jaw clenched. Without another word, he leapt up, his form a blur as water curled around his spear.
He stormed through the warehouse, chasing after them through the front.
Meanwhile, outside, the rest of the squad's SUV screeched into the off-limits port zone. Miss Gigi's voice came urgently through the comms.
"Team, regroup!"
Kirashi, still slightly out of breath from earlier, cracked his knuckles.
"Tch... now things are getting serious."
As Ryujin burst out of the warehouse, the sunlight hit his eyes — along with the sight of the tall bald man, standing by a black van near the edge of the dock.
One of his eyes was blind, cloudy and still. The other glinted with recognition.
The man turned slowly, locking eyes with Ryujin.
And he smiled.
As if it were fate...
The sea began to churn.
Thick bubbles rose from beneath the waves and the sirens blared — then claws, followed by massive arms of stone and scale.
Seele. Earth-types. Dozens. Emerging from the ocean like summoned demons.
Ryujin's grip on his spear tightened.
"You've gotta be kidding me..."
The bald man chuckled, then motioned to his men to get in the van — Hoshi still unconscious in the back.
"Looks like your schedule's full, Waterboy!" he called out mockingly.
The Seele roared as they made landfall, smashing onto the port and scattering terrified birds into the sky.
Amidst the chaos, Aldrin found Ayro and he moved quickly, hauling the injured Ayro away from the warehouse entrance. He was unconscious, blood trickling from a gash on his forehead.
"Hang in there, Ayro. We're getting you out of here."
Ayro barely managed a nod, clutching the side of his coat as Aldrin carried him toward the waiting SUV.
Inside, Kara and Jayu immediately prepared to treat him, their hands glowing with healing energy.
"You're safe now,"
Kara whispered, her voice calm but urgent.
"Just rest. We'll patch you up."
Jayū nodded, her tiny hands steady despite the tension.
Outside, the distant sounds of Seele and gunfire continued, but inside the SUV, the team focused on stabilizing their teammate.
With Ayro settled and healing underway inside the SUV, The driver pushed the vehicle to its limits.
The tires screeched against the concrete as they raced through the dockyard, closing the distance to where Ryujin stood his ground.
Outside, Ryujin faced the advancing Earth-type Seele alone, spear gleaming in his hands. Water swirled around him like a shield, crashing against the massive beasts as they lunged forward.
Through the SUV's windshield, Kirashi and Kara watched the lone figure battling the overwhelming tide.
"He's holding them off by himself..."
Kara murmured, eyes wide.
Kirashi cracked his knuckles.
"Time we join the party."
Aldrin nodded grimly.
"Hang tight, Ryujin. We're almost there."
The SUV surged forward, ready to back up their comrade against the oncoming menace.
Inside the crowded SUV, Kirashi yanked open the sunroof and vaulted out with practiced ease, soaring into the open air.
At the same moment, the left front door swung open.
"Ryujin-san! Get in!"
Aldrin called urgently.
Without missing a beat, Ryujin spun around and slipped inside the vehicle, spear still in hand.
Kirashi landed gracefully back onto the sunroof edge, chest rising and falling with heavy breaths.
"All done! Let's go!"
He shouted as the seele's ahead of them started to fade, his job was already done.
The SUV's engine roared as The Driver slammed the accelerator, tires gripping the pavement fiercely as they tore toward their next objective.
By the time the van of the bald man reached the far end of the port, it was already boarding a massive container ship.
"FLOOR IT!"
Ryujin ordered.
"But sir!"
The driver hesitated.
"FLOOR IT!!"
The driver pushed the vehicle hard, tires gripping the pavement as the van surged forward, packed with people.
There was no way for them to enter the ship, the van accelerated towards the hull, with no way in.
Suddenly, Itoshi's eyes fluttered open. From his seat between the two front seats, he slowly raised his left hand.
A soft blue glow began to shimmer on his palm as Jayu jumped onto Kara's arms.
Panic rippled through the van. Time seemed to slow as everyone understood what was coming—the crow's flame.
In a flash, a streak of brilliant blue flame shot forward from the rear seats, slicing through the cramped interior toward the windshield.
The fire pierced the glass, casting a cold blue light as it roared out into the open air.
Dust and debris exploded into the air at the portside of the container ship, the force of the flame scorching everything in its path.
The bald man's eyes burned with fury as he watched the blue flame carve through the ship's side. His teeth clenched tight.
"Damn it! What the hell?!"
He growled.
He spun around to his men, voice cold and commanding.
"Give me the girl! Don't stop this fucking ship!" His fist clenched into a tight ball.
By the time the dust settled, a massive gaping hole yawned in the ship's hull — large enough to swallow the SUV whole.
Miss Gigi's voice cut through the chaos.
"Everyone, move quickly! The hull's breached — water's coming in fast!"
Coughs and shouts filled the air as everyone scrambled for safety, gasping for breath in the dust-choked air.
Without hesitation, Ryujin charged outside.
Aldrin yelled,
"ITOSHI, YOU CRAZY BASTARD!"
Kirashi's voice rang out, fierce and alive.
"I AM ALIVE!"
Covered in dust and coughing, the squad spilled out of the vehicle—everyone except Jayu, Itoshi, and Ayro remained inside.
The ship lurched forward, engines roaring as it pushed through the water.
Suddenly, cold red beams from gun-mounted lasers crisscrossed the deck, locking onto the squad's position.
They were trapped—surrounded and targeted.
The bald man's voice thundered through the cavernous, emptied container hold.
"Give it all up! You're surrounded!"
As the dust settled further, everyone's eyes locked onto the figure standing on the upper deck.
There he was — the bald man — gun clenched tightly in his left hand, and in his right, the unconscious form of Hoshi, bound and masked, still breathing but fragile.
Gasps rippled through the squad.
Kara's voice trembled,
"H-Hoshi-san?"
Her eyes started to flare crimson, glowing fiercely with a mix of shock and despair.
Slowly, her knees buckled beneath her, and she sank to the cold metal floor.
Everything went white for Kara.
All she could hear was a single, soft voice whispering—
"Nee-san..."
~~~To be Continued~~~