It was the late afternoon of July 7th, 2169, in Fukuoka—one of the dazzling walled cities of Japan in the Kyushu Region.
But to Ryo, the hero... no wall stood in his way.
Inside the cold white walls of Hara Sanshin Hospital, silence filled the room.
Not the peaceful kind.
The kind where even sunlight pouring in through the windows couldn't wash away the tension pressing on everyone's chest.
They listened—to the soft beeps of monitors, to each other's breaths, and to the loud, unspoken heartbeats of Kara and Tomori...
As the unfamiliar presence of Ryo Mukori loomed quietly over them.
Kara, Tomori, Jayu, and the "Neck"—that was Ryo.
All of them gathered in Tomori's hospital room.
Kara chose to sit near Ryo. Not too close... but not far either.
Jayu stood directly in front of him, hands behind her back, a curious glimmer in her bright green eyes.
Tomori remained still—postured, guarded. She wasn't trying to hide her caution. Not even a little.
"Are you... really the Neck?"
Jayu finally asked, tilting her head.
Ryo didn't answer immediately. He shifted slightly, his cyan eyes narrowing—not threateningly, just unreadable.
"That's what they call me,"
He said simply.
"Hoh!"
Jayu applauded.
"How is it being a hero?!.. Is it cool?!"
She added, her small voice brimming with excitement.
Ryo chuckled, eyes closed as he scratched the back of his head.
"Hehe... I guess so!.. Saving people and looking cool always felt right!"
When he opened his eyes again, Jayu was staring up at him with delight, innocence, and unfiltered wonder.
But Ryo's eyes told a different story.
They didn't reflect joy or warmth.
They spoke a language foreign to the child in front of him—distant, silent, heavy.
He looked away.
His gaze shifted to Tomori, who sat quietly on her bed behind Jayu.
Her eyes were still sharp. Still locked onto him.
Tracking every move he made.
And for a brief second, Ryo answered her glare.
He sent it back—colder, deeper, and even less forgiving than the burn behind Tomori's sunset eyes.
"Tsk... What is your problem... Why are you looking at me like that?"
Ryo thought to himself, frustrated.
There was silence between the squad and the stranger that was Ryo.
But Kara quickly broke it.
"Uh... Ryo-sama?" she asked.
Ryo turned to Kara.
The cold, dark cyan from his eyes seemed to vanish the moment his head turned.
"Yes?.. Young one?"
"Um..."
Kara stuttered, her head lowered as she nervously fiddled with her fingertips.
"C-Can I ask a question?"
"Sure!"
Ryo replied with confidence, his voice light.
"What... what exactly are you gonna do here?.. Sir?"
There was a pause.
Ryo blinked—caught slightly off guard. His eyes widened just a little before settling again.
"Because... I cannot think of any reason for a higher-up like you to be here at this moment."
She raised her head, her eyes meeting his directly now.
"Not to question your authority but... just curious."
Ryo slightly squinted, eyes locked onto Kara as a thought crossed his mind.
"This girl... there's something strange with her."
He took a moment, then finally replied.
"Ah... sorry. I was just curious about the squad that the country is being hyped on."
"Ah... is that right?"
Kara replied softly, her eyes drifting back downward.
Ryo closed his eyes as he smiled, as if to ease the mood.
But the silence that followed was long... too long.
An awkward stillness blanketed the room.
Yet even in that silence, a question still lingered—hanging unspoken in the air between Kara and Tomori.
"Is he an ally... or a foe?"
Tomori's sharp eyes never wavered. She remained on guard, unmoved.
And Ryo... was starting to grow visibly annoyed by it.
His frustration with her gaze festered—slowly but steadily.
Then—
Ryo opened his eyes.
Sharper than ever.
Deadlocked straight onto Tomori.
"Oi... girl, you got any problem?"
His voice was low, sharp, and cutting.
But before Tomori could fire back—
Click.
The door opened.
The soft click of a door echoing in a quiet room—replaced by a loud spray of white sand erupting into the air, as Kirashi's wind-infused sword landed head-first on a beast three meters tall.
The Seele didn't even get the chance to screech. It evaporated into thin air, consumed by a brutal burst of wind.
Kirashi exhaled—a huge, heavy breath ripped from his lungs.
His breathing was worsening fast.
"Dang it... I never thought they'd really get this big..."
He thought to himself.
"They're way different from those bitches back in Okinawa..."
Kneeling now, he planted his katana into the ground to support himself.
His eyes lifted, locking onto the eleventh beast still standing.
Everything else faded.
All he could hear was the soft crash of waves against the shore...
and his own loud, unstable breathing.
"Second to the last..."
He muttered to himself.
Slowly, Kirashi rose, steadying his breath as his lungs fought to settle.
He closed his eyes.
Another inhale. Slower this time.
Focus.
Smooth.
Determined.
Then his eyes snapped open.
"OK!"
He shouted aloud.
"Come at me!"
Just nearby—watching from a distance—stood their leader.
The no-doubt strongest in their squad.
Ryujin.
And in front of him,
the strange presence that hadn't lifted a finger until now.
The intelligent Seele—
unmoving... unreadable...
watching him.
"Why is there suddenly one here?... How many could there be in the sea..."
He thought to himself, eyes locked onto the single enemy before him.
Its stance hadn't changed. No sudden movements. No attacks. Just watching. Calculating.
Another thought crossed his mind.
"My water can't do anything against earth... I can only delay it from growing further to allow Kirashi's wind..."
His jaw tightened slightly.
"Wonder if it's sealed..."
He tapped his ear calmly.
"Miss Gigi?"
Her voice came through the comms instantly.
"Yeah?"
"The rest are still coming in a few days, right?"
he asked, his gaze never leaving the creature ahead of him.
There was a brief pause before she replied.
"Indeed."
"OK."
He exhaled through his nose, then thought to himself:
"I wonder if the squad can handle multiple of this... On that note..."
He smiled—subtly, but unmistakably.
Eyes still locked onto the unmoving beast.
"You seem to be happy."
And then—
The tall, shadowy creature that had been standing still the entire time...
slowly twisted its featureless head.
And without warning—
a massive, white, distorted smile split across where its face should be.
In the silence of the SUV, Itoshi slept.
Eyes closed, breathing steady and relaxed.
His hands rested behind his neck as he leaned back against the seat—
a small bubble gum still stuck in his mouth.
For a while, he remained still.
Then, in quick moments—
images began to flash behind his eyes.
A red beach.
A white mountain.
Pillars.
But one stood out.
Hishiki's face.
Itoshi's eyelids fluttered open slowly.
He blinked once, then stared at the ceiling of the car as he muttered.
"Hishiki?... Are you watching over me?"
The SUV remained still on the side of the road.
The breeze outside swayed the nearby trees, soft sunlight flickering through the windows.
Itoshi stayed quiet.
Somewhere far from the battlefield... Just near the shore...
Back at Hara Sanshin Hospital.
The door was already half open.
Everyone's heads had turned, frozen in anticipation from before.
But no words had been spoken yet.
The soft light from the hallway poured into the quiet room, stretching long shadows across the floor.
Then—
A figure stepped in.
Ryo's cyan eyes met Ayro's red ones as the door creaked open fully.
Neither of them spoke.
Not yet.
Ayro's eyes faced down as he slowly pushed the door open.
The moment it was fully open, his eyes twitched—caught by the sight of Ryo.
Ryo sat with legs crossed, back leaned against the wall, arms resting behind his neck.
One eye closed, the other fixed steadily on Ayro.
A slow smile spread across his face.
Ayro's eyes flicked toward the faint outline behind the hospital bed's curtain.
He knew Tomori was there, just out of sight.
It was the first time in a long while they'd see each other again—though she remained hidden for now.
His gaze then settled back on Jayu, Kara, and Ryo—who sat with that unsettling, relaxed smile.
The air thickened.
Ayro took a deep sigh, closing his eyes.
Slowly, his hand relaxed, and the dark sword began to fade.
He stepped forward, gently closing the door behind him.
"We'll talk,"
He demanded.
"But the girls can't see us."
Ryo smirked.
"Eh? They can still hear us, you know?"
"Tsk. I know you well enough already."
Ayro shot back.
Ryo shrugged and stood up, dragging two chairs toward them.
Silence loomed between all of them.
Ryo and Ayro sat face to face.
Ayro's expression was stiff, unreadable.
Across from him, a visible smirk remained etched on Ryo's face.
Just beyond the curtain—
on the other side of the hospital bed—
lay the rest of the squad.
Jayu snuggled onto Kara's side, completely unaware of the tension in the room.
She sat peacefully, squeezed into the same bed as Tomori and Kara without a care.
Tomori, however, was different. Her senses stayed sharp. She listened—closely—to every word exchanged between Ryo and Ayro.
Even from behind the curtain...
she didn't blink.
"So?... Something caught your interest, right?"
Ayro asked.
Ryo was staring at the wall, still smiling.
"Heh... maybe I do, maybe I don't," he replied casually.
Ayro sighed.
"Sure... 'hero'... How were you even allowed to get here?"
Ryo leaned forward slightly, still seated. His smile slowly faded.
"Did you forget?... I'm a Neck."
His voice dropped lower.
"Your stupid Trochanter can't do shit about it."
Another silence followed.
Ayro closed his eyes.
"He came for him, didn't he..."
He thought to himself.
Stillness lingered.
Then Ryo leaned back in his chair, expression now flat.
"It's a strange sight... honestly."
His eyes drifted toward the curtain behind him.
Ayro's gaze stayed locked on him.
"It's strange in many ways... Ayro-san."
Ryo's eyes snapped back to Ayro's crimson ones.
"I'm not seeing you with your twin... Ryujin-san."
Ayro didn't flinch. He just listened.
"Even stranger that Ryujin—that guy—"
Ryo scoffed.
"—built a flourishing squad. With three girls?"
He shook his head, lips curling.
"Ryujin must've gotten possessed or something."
Ryo let out a short laugh before continuing.
"That sudden change piqued my curiosity. I mean, just a few months ago, Segment 663 had what—two members?"
He raised an eyebrow.
"Now? Seven?"
He smirked.
"Filled with weird-ass characters too. When I first got the news..."
He snickered.
"I thought a circus was being constructed."
On the other side of the curtain, Tomori gripped her kunai tighter, Ryo's words echoing sharply in her ears.
Ayro crossed his arms, replying with a dry tone of sarcasm.
"Yes, indeed. Maybe Ryujin truly lost his mind."
Ryo smirked and scoffed softly.
"Hm..."
Then, with a light hum, he raised his left hand and began counting.
"Seven members..."
He lifted his left pinky, pointing at it with his right index finger.
"Ryujin. Gifted of water."
Next, he raised his left ring finger.
"Ayro. Non-gifted... but holds some unexplained magic."
Then he closed his ring and pinky, pointing now to his left middle finger.
"Kirashi. Wind-gifted... hasn't interacted with anyone for nine years."
With a cheeky smile, he pointed his middle finger toward Ayro.
Ayro didn't react.
Ryo continued.
Now raising his left index alongside the middle, he pointed again.
"Kara. Non-gifted. Has been living alone and sustaining herself for years. Non-fighter—but a healer."
Behind the curtain, Kara flinched.
She instinctively pulled Jayu closer in her arms.
Ryo raised his left thumb and pointed to it with his right middle finger.
"Jayu. The youngest in the squad. Also a healer. How in the world did he even get a child into his craziness?"
Then, raising his left pinky again, he pointed with his right index finger.
"Sixth. The newest member. A kunoichi. Wind-gifted."
Ryo chuckled, loud and mocking.
"Haha! When I saw the news that she joined this squad, I was certain this was a circus!"
Behind the curtain, Tomori flinched, her body tensing as she leaned forward slightly.
"This guy..."
She muttered under her breath.
But Kara's hands quickly reached out, gently gripping Tomori's wrist.
Tomori looked back.
Kara's eyes were closed—lips clenched tightly, trying not to show it.
Jayu, still seated on her lap, looked up at her with quiet confusion.
Tomori slowly eased her shoulders. She relaxed—but never dropped her guard.
On the other side, Ryo continued.
He closed his left hand and raised a single right index finger.
"And the funniest among them..."
Ayro's eyes narrowed.
The atmosphere shifted—heavy and still.
Ryo's smirk lingered.
"The Crow. Gifted of blue flame."
A pause.
Ayro stayed silent. But the tension in his body told enough.
Ryo leaned forward just slightly, his voice quieter now—deeper.
"Ayro-san... you already know why I'm here."
Ryo's right fingertip suddenly ignited—a slow burn in crimson flame. Far deeper in red than any ordinary fire.
Ayro's eyes locked onto the flame. Still seated, arms crossed, calm.
"So?... What about him?"
He asked flatly.
Ryo closed his fingers into a fist as he replied.
"Trying to save the flames, are we?"
Ayro flinched—just slightly.
Ryo's voice lowered.
"Give up now... the harder you try, the funnier you'll get."
Behind the curtain, Tomori kept listening.
Her breath slowed.
"This... is gonna get bad..."
She thought.
Ayro leaned forward, a sharp edge returning to his tone.
"Hoh?... You scared someone's about to overthrow you?"
Ryo didn't move.
Still seated—face lowered. Shadows consumed his expression.
Only his cyan eyes remained visible.
"Nah... he's not good enough for me."
He spoke calmly.
"But I'd like to see how far he can go."
Ayro clenched his fists as his thoughts stirred.
"Ryo... he's going to kill Itoshi... There's no way he doesn't see Itoshi as a threat to his reputation..."
Then Ryo leaned back, smile gone. The air turned heavy.
"So?... As an order of a Neck—a rank higher than yours..."
He said in a low voice.
"I command you to show me your Crow."
His entire right palm ignited, flame flaring in that same deep crimson.
Ayro's stare didn't break—but something within him did.
"He's going that far, huh?... He's planning to end this squad with his own hands..."
He thought bitterly.
Without a word, Ayro reached to his left ear, where his comm rested. He pulled it off—and crushed it in his hand.
Back at the beach—
The battle had just ended.
Ryujin stood still, breath slowing—until a sharp, continuous beep echoed in his ear.
He froze.
"Kirashi! Let's go!"
Ryujin shouted.
"W-What?!"
Kirashi, still catching his breath on the ground, blinked up in confusion.
"JEEZ! Alright!!"
He forced himself up and sprinted toward the SUV.
The two of them bolted—feet kicking up sand, hearts racing.
"Miss Gigi?.."
Ryujin called urgently through the comms.
"Ryujin-kun! Ayro's comms went offline!"
Miss Gigi's voice crackled through.
"What happened?! Can you see them?!"
Ryujin shouted as he sprinted, Kirashi close behind—his breathing heavy and uneven.
"I'll look into it!"
she replied quickly. Multiple beeps echoed through her feed.
"There we g—"
But before she could finish, she gasped.
Ryujin's eyes widened—and instantly sharpened.
He ran faster. Kirashi followed confused, but the weight of urgency pressing down on them both.
~~~To be Continued~~~