A decent crowd had gathered by the port of Hakata as the SUV of Squad Segment 663 arrived to pick them up.
Inside the clinic, two members lay in their beds across from each other—Hoshi and Ayro. One was awake: Ayro.
To his left, Kirashi sat with his knees tucked to his chest, feet balanced on the edge of his seat. To his right, Ryujin leaned back in his chair, right leg crossed over the left, arms folded across his chest.
On the other side, Hoshi slept soundly, her stab wound patched and dressed. Beside her, Kara sat quietly with Jayu resting on her lap.
Itoshi, meanwhile, had pulled a chair into the center of the room, surrounded by his squadmates. Aldrin stood across him, just beside the front door.
Aldrin leaned against the door, arms crossed, and took a deep breath.
"So?.. You guys ready?" he asked, a small smile on his face.
The entire squad stayed silent.
Ryujin was the first to break it, exhaling as he stood up. He tucked his hands into his coat pockets and looked at Aldrin.
"Is there an ambulance behind our... convoy?"
Aldrin nodded without a word.
Then came a sound—subtle but constant.
Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.
Itoshi's shoe tapped rhythmically on the floor, his leg bouncing up and down. No one mentioned it.
Ryujin continued, already forming a plan.
"Alright... here's what we're gonna do. Hoshi gets out first, so she can get to the hospital quicker. Questions will come—we all know that. I won't be able to answer everything, but I'll handle what I can."
He glanced around the room, voice calm but firm.
"These kinds of commotions can take a while. We don't want Hoshi's treatment delayed just because the media's having a field day."
"Aldrin... can you contact our convoy and have the ambulance move to the front?"
Ryujin asked calmly.
"Sure!"
Aldrin gave a quick nod, tapping his earpiece and muttering into it as the line connected.
Ryujin turned back to the group and cleared his throat.
"Itoshi."
All eyes shifted to him—everyone except Hoshi, still unconscious, and Aldrin, who remained by the door.
Itoshi blinked. His tapping stopped. He cleared his throat, trying to steady his breath.
Ryujin held his gaze.
"We'll still cover your face... even if my ordeal already got bombed all over the place."
Itoshi's eyes dropped to the floor, his leg still.
Ryujin continued.
"We'll look deeper into what happened during that incident. It's not your fault—someone else was involved in that whole mess... probably that cyborg."
Ryujin shifted his attention.
"Next... Kirashi. Keep doing what you do. It might actually help keep attention away from our crow."
Kirashi nodded once.
"Got it."
"Everyone else—head straight to the SUVs. Avoid drawing attention. I can already imagine the reactions from the other squads with the kind of spotlight we're under. Everyone copy?"
In unison, with voices of different weight and tone, they answered:
"Copy!"
Ryujin gave a nod of approval, then approached Aldrin. The two exchanged a few words before stepping outside the clinic for a minute.
The room fell into silence.
So quiet, Jayu could hear Hoshi's soft breathing as she slept.
She glanced over at Itoshi, who now stared blankly at the ceiling—legs stretched out, arms folded behind his head.
Suddenly, Jayu jumped down from Kara's lap.
Kara didn't stop her—she gently let the little one's feet touch the cold ceramic floor.
The soft tap tap of her shoes echoed through the clinic as she ran straight toward Itoshi.
Without warning, she leapt—landing right on Itoshi's stomach.
"PUWOH!"
A blast of air burst from Itoshi's mouth as the full weight of a six-year-old child crashed onto him out of nowhere.
He coughed, wheezed, and flailed slightly as his breath was stolen.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
As Kirashi silently wheezed in the background, trying to stifle his laugh, Kara sat stunned.
Ayro, on the other hand, remained as serious as ever.
Itoshi's face was twisted in discomfort after what had just happened—but then, his expression slowly faded into something softer.
Jayu was pouting.
It was the same look she always gave him and Kirashi when she was upset—but this time, it felt... different. There was something deeper behind it.
"What do you want?"
He asked, his voice cold, brows furrowed.
"You're floating away!"
Jayu shouted.
Itoshi's face relaxed. He looked down at the small child sitting on his lap, her cheeks puffed in frustration.
He let out a deep sigh.
"Floating away...?"
Jayu nodded, gripping onto his jacket tightly as she took a deep breath.
"That wasn't your fault! You're thinking really hard about it, aren't you?!"
Itoshi blinked.
Her small hands were trembling.
He smiled faintly, a thought slipping through.
"She's right though... I have been thinking about it."
Her pink hair shimmered under the clinic lights as Itoshi gently placed a hand on her head, giving it a soft pat.
"Don't worry about it... I'm not."
Jayu suddenly raised her head to meet his eyes, those wide red irises that always seemed to hide so much.
"You're lying!"
Small tears glistened at the corners of her eyes.
Itoshi paused.
"Tears...? Jayu, this isn't something you need to worry so much about..."
He smiled again, gently.
"I'm not!"
"Really?!"
"Yes,"
He replied without hesitation.
Then, without warning, Jayu rested her head on his chest. He flinched slightly—less from the weight, more from the surprise.
He patted her head again as he stared at the ceiling.
"Jayu-chan... It shouldn't matter for you/. So why are you carrying this too?"
He looked down, running his fingers through her soft hair.
"It's not something for you to worry about..."
But then, Jayu's muffled voice cut through.
"You're still my hero!"
Silence.
Itoshi's hand paused mid-pat. He smiled quietly and resumed.
"Yeah..."
The warmth lingered in the room... until—
Kirashi clicked his tongue on the right.
"Tsk tsk tsk... Itoshi, you're getting a little too excited over a child..."
"Hah?!"
Itoshi's face scrunched up instantly.
Ayro suddenly spoke, voice cold and deadpan.
"You're blushing, kid."
Kirashi grinned wickedly.
"Hah! That landing probably gave him fantasies... and an erec—"
WHACK!
A hairbrush smacked him clean across the head.
Across from him, Kara stood with eyes closed, arms crossed, and a deep pout on her face.
"There's a child here."
Kirashi bowed his head to the floor in exaggerated shame.
"Sorry! Kara-sama!"
The door creaked open once more.
It was Ryujin, eyes wide as he took in the bizarre scene before him:
A simp kneeling in front of a pouty blue-haired girl...
A pedophile-looking teen with a child sitting on his lap in the center of the room...
He blinked slowly.
"Jeez... I was gone for like two minutes."
He muttered, deadpan, then sighed.
"Time for us to go."
Kara's face softened as she turned toward him.
Kirashi stood up, a confident smirk already painted across his face. Itoshi followed, rising while carrying Jayu in his arms, his expression serious again.
Even Ayro looked over to acknowledge Ryujin.
"Everything's all set. Prep up, Kara-san. You're going with Hoshi to the hospital, right?"
Ryujin asked.
With firm resolve, Kara nodded.
"Yes!"
"Alright... the nurses are on their way to move her. Just follow along with them—and bring Jayu."
Ryujin instructed.
Both Kara and Jayu nodded in sync.
Moments later, nurses arrived and quickly began wheeling Hoshi's bed out of the clinic.
Jayu jumped down from Itoshi's arms, following beside Kara as they trailed after Hoshi's stretcher.
For a moment, there was silence.
Then—
Kirashi leaned down... toward Itoshi's crotch.
"Ah... half."
He muttered thoughtfully.
"OI! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
Itoshi shrieked, hands immediately shielding himself.
Kirashi stood back up, a devilish grin on his face.
"Child gro-"
BONK!
The clinic exploded into chaos again as their usual sparring match reignited. Blows flew, feet stomped, and limbs flailed as a dust cloud of violence swallowed the room.
Ryujin pressed two fingers to the bridge of his nose, sighing like a man far too old for this.
"Jeez... Ayro, let's go with them."
Ayro simply nodded, rising to his feet like he hadn't just been through a brutal fight with Il-Min Song.
Without a word, he followed behind Ryujin and Aldrin, leaving behind the dust cloud of chaos as Kirashi and Itoshi continued making a scene.
It was 1:30 PM on a scorching sunny day in the city of Fukuoka.
Distinct murmurs and chatter echoed from the crowd gathered at the dock in front of the ship. Sirens wailed in the background, heightening the tension as everyone seemed to be waiting for one thing—the so-called "star squad" Segment 663.
"When will they come out?!"
"Show us the Crow already!"
"Is it true they have the demon child?"
Speculation buzzed louder than the cicadas in the heat.
Not long after, Hoshi was rolled out on a stretcher, her unconscious body hidden under medical sheets. Following closely behind her were Kara and Jayu, the two rushing forward alongside the paramedics.
"It's them!"
"Wait... pink hair—green eyes! That's the demon child!"
"So it's true!"
Some in the crowd noticed Jayu first. Others focused on the unmasked figure beside her—the famed kunoichi from Nagasaki.
"Who's that?"
"Is she a staff member?"
"She's wearing a kunoichi outfit... could it be?!"
The sharp click of cameras exploded across the pavement, capturing every angle under the brutal afternoon sun.
Moments later, the three entered the ambulance. The doors slammed shut, and the vehicle sped off. Dozens of eyes followed it until it disappeared behind the city's turns.
But the crowd was far from satisfied.
"There they are!"
Someone pointed excitedly as another figure finally emerged.
"It's the leader! Ryujin of Squad Segment 663!"
Elsewhere, a man watched it all unfold on a television. The screen reflected in his narrowed eyes as he took a slow sip from his soda can... then crushed it as soon as he heard Ryujin's name.
"Tsk."
Back on the dock, Ayro emerged behind Ryujin, walking alongside Kirashi and Aldrin.
"It's them!"
"It really is the squad!"
The crowd roared louder.
Behind the barricades, a group of high school girls waved signs and called out:
"Ryujin-san!"
"Ayro-sama!"
"Kirashi-kun!"
Kirashi didn't hesitate. He turned toward them with a bright smile and threw a cheeky wink.
"Kyaaaahhh!"
Even with the fanfare, a question echoed through the masses:
"Where's the Crow?"
"Is that the whole squad?"
"Show us the Crow!!!"
"Tsk... there's so many people,"
Ryujin muttered, just loud enough to be heard.
"This feels great,"
Kirashi whispered, still riding the attention.
Then—suddenly—silence.
Just a second of eerie stillness.
Then a shape emerged behind them.
A circular head.
A wide-brimmed hat.
A body covered in layers of straw.
Gasps and voices exploded.
"It's the Crow!"
"It's the Blue Flame Hero!"
"He came to Fukuoka too?!"
BONK!
A woman smacked the man beside her on the head.
"Of course he came! It's already confirmed he's part of 663!"
The man scratched the back of his head awkwardly as the sunlight hit the Crow's mask—his full costume revealed in the daylight.
So many eyes were on him.
"So many eyes..."
Itoshi thought to himself behind the mask.
He took a slow, deep breath.
Then he stepped forward—onto the paved road of the docks.
Itoshi walked forward, his legs trembling as countless eyes locked onto his form.
"It's the Blue Flame!"
"Show it to us!"
He kept his gaze on his squadmates ahead, doing everything he could not to look at the crowd.
"Crow! Over here!"
One of the reporters called out.
"Let us speak with you!"
But Itoshi ignored them.
Up ahead, the crowd swelled around the barricades as Ryujin calmly stepped past them.
"Ryujin-san! Ryujin-san! Over here!"
Cameras flashed. Mics pushed closer.
Ayro and Aldrin boarded their rides without a word.
Kirashi flashed a charming grin and gave a dramatic wave—before someone yanked him into the vehicle.
"We don't got much time. Be quick,"
Ryujin muttered under his breath.
"So! Is it true the Crow is a member of your squad?!"
A reporter shouted, camera trained on his face.
Ryujin didn't even flinch.
"Yes."
Just behind him, Itoshi kept moving forward.
"So... all the things that happened in Nagasaki—were they all staged?"
The crowd went still.
For just a breath, Ryujin glanced sideways—
He saw the cameras, the boom mics, the news vans, the hungry eyes.
"They'll twist it anyway,"
He thought to himself.
Then:
"Yes."
A surge of murmurs exploded across the dock.
"Then why would you fake all of that?!"
Before Ryujin could answer, the cameras swung again—this time toward Itoshi, who passed behind him and climbed into the next SUV without a word.
"W-Wait!"
Another reporter stammered, quickly shifting his question.
"What's the future plan for the squad? A-And the demon child—what will you do with her?!"
Ryujin's expression shifted.
He stepped toward the reporter, eyes sharp and voice low.
"Jayu is not a demon."
The newscasters froze, startled by the sudden weight in his tone.
Without waiting for a reply, Ryujin turned and entered the SUV, settling beside Itoshi.
Honk honk!
The SUV engines revved as the convoy began to move.
The reporters looked around at each other, dazed and scrambling.
The crowd was just as lost.
"Eh...? That's it?"
"They didn't even show us the Crow's face!"
"So it's true then... he's been a member since that incident last month?"
"Ehhh...? They've got a demon child and a flame user? That's just bad luck waiting to happen."
"Yeah... seriously unlucky."
More voices joined the mix—some curious, others doubtful.
"Why didn't they let the Crow speak?"
"They're hiding something... I swear."
"That kunoichi—what's her deal? Was she from Nagasaki?"
"Man, I feel bad for the kid. That girl didn't even look scared..."
A teenager leaned into his friend's shoulder.
"You think the Crow's dangerous?"
"Dunno. But he's not normal, that's for sure."
A camera crew whispered among themselves.
"Cut to commercial?"
"No. Keep rolling—someone's gonna spin this fast."
Back in Nagasaki, inside the same dim bar tucked away in the alleyways, a TV mounted in the corner echoed faint news chatter across the quiet room.
Ryo sat in the shadows.
A single flickering light above him revealed half his face—his cyan eyes fixed on the screen as footage of Squad Segment 663 played.
He muttered to himself, the words barely escaping his lips.
"Eh...? A demon child...? That girl from Kaba Island..."
A pause.
"And the Crow... walking side by side with a kunoichi...?"
He leaned forward slightly, placing his drink down with a soft clink on the wooden table.
"What the hell is happening with this squad..."
The TV showed a still image of the Crow, backlit by the sun. Ryo's eyes lingered.
Then—without a word—he stood up.
The door to the bar creaked open as he stepped outside, the sunlight washing over his black coat. He dusted it off lazily, then stretched his neck, inhaling deeply.
For a moment, he stood still—his eyes closed—just letting the air carry the scent of the coast.
Then he opened them. Cyan irises shining bright beneath the afternoon sun.
A slow smile crept across his face.
He licked his lips once, as if savoring something only he could taste.
"Let me have a taste of your flame... Crow."
~~~To be Continued~~~