The four of them rushed down the corridor toward the suit-up room. The sound of boots slapping against the polished floor echoed behind them. Inside, both the guys’ and girls’ sections were in chaos—soldiers racing against time to gear up for the mission.

Whizz!

Zippers flew open and shut in rapid succession. Gear gloves snapped into place, belts tightened, jackets thrown on. From fingertips to combat boots, the room swarmed with movement.

Other squads were suiting up fast, their eyes sharp, movements honed.

“Do you know how to use this gear thing?” Renji asked as he slipped on his gloves, his voice calm but low-key panicked.

“No, not really,” Ryoma answered, still trying to figure out which strap went where.

“No time—we’ll figure it out there,” Renji replied, sealing the last buckle on his jacket.

“Let’s go, Ryoma,” he added, already turning for the exit.

Ryoma glanced toward another unit. They were way ahead—fully suited and standing at attention.

“New Rev near the Chiba district. Let’s go, soldiers!” the unit captain yelled.

“Yes, Captain!” they chorused in unison before charging out.

“Wow,” Renji muttered, both impressed and annoyed.

“Let’s go!” he barked to Ryoma as they bolted out the door.

Renji wore a black tactical uniform, sharp yellow trim on the cropped jacket, utility cargo pants, and combat boots. His gear gloves glinted slightly with their built-in mechanism. Beside him, Ryoma had opted for a high-collared jacket with yellow accents, a matching belt, and the same gloves, fully suited for battle.

Renji scanned near the door, face twitching. “Where are they?” he asked, annoyed.

“They’re still inside,” Ryoma replied flatly, leaning back slightly.

“Women,” the two of them said at the same time, sighing.

The door hissed open.

Yumi and Kana stepped out fully geared.

Yumi wore a sleek black-and-gold uniform, high-collared fitted jacket with golden trim, a pleated mini skirt over leggings, wide belt, and polished gear gloves. Pink strands of hair fluttered above her bored face.

Kana came out beside her, dressed in a cropped black tactical jacket with yellow trim, cargo pants with a bold yellow side stripe, gloves, and combat boots. Her brown hair was tied back with her signature goggles sitting stylishly on her head.

“You’re late,” Renji muttered, shaking his head.

“Loser, let’s just get going,” Yumi said immediately.

Renji blinked. “Did she just call me a loser?” His voice was weirdly calm—offended but holding it in.

“Let’s go, guys—we’re already late,” Kana urged, hands on hips.

“I’ll let that slide,” Renji muttered, acting like he didn’t hear a thing.

The four dashed out, sprinting through the district streets.

The skies above this sector weren’t as clear as usual. There was a stillness hanging in the air—clouds hovering, sunlight dimmed, wind eerily quiet.

“Here,” Yumi muttered instinctively as they reached a rooftop.

She landed, scanning the area.

“It’s here,” she confirmed, glancing over the street below.

Civilians moved about calmly, unaware. Traffic flowed normally, horns honking, phones ringing, chatter filling the space.

“Wait—here? How’d you know?” Kana asked, descending softly with her hand gear, touching the ground light as a feather.

Renji tilted his head. “How did she do that?” His face twisted.

Ryoma extended his hand toward a building. A rope shot out from his glove, anchoring to a ledge as he awkwardly dropped down—but he managed to land without faceplanting.

All eyes turned to Renji.

Feeling the silent pressure, he flexed his hand and launched his gear rope downward.

“Easy,” he muttered confidently—and instantly slammed into the pavement.

“Loser,” Yumi said again, deadpan.

Renji sat up, dazed. “Why, you—”

“Can we focus on the mission?” Ryoma yelled.

“Okay, but where is the Rev? Because I can’t seem to find—” Renji began—

“Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

A scream tore through the block ahead.

Their heads snapped toward the sound.

“Haaaaa!”

More screams followed, louder, terrified. Civilians were panicking.

“It’s the Rev,” Kana said sharply.

Without another word, they bolted in that direction.

When they arrived, they saw it.

A tall, black-skinned Revenant stood in the middle of the street. Its posture was hunched, like it had dragged itself straight from a nightmare. One blazing red eye pulsed at the center of its face. Its dark body was striped in glowing, sickly purple.

Smoke drifted in the air. People ran screaming. Cars swerved and tore off down the road.

Renji, Ryoma, Kana, and Yumi walked directly toward it.

“This one looks strong,” Ryoma muttered, gripping his rifle.

“What’s the plan?” Kana asked.

“The plan is… we take it down,” Renji declared with zero hesitation.

“Yes, but we need an actual plan to defeat that—” Yumi began.

“Aaarghhh!”

Renji charged in.

“This guy,” Yumi said out loud, already moving to follow.

“Let’s move,” she ordered.

“Is she our captain?” Kana asked, confused.

“No idea,” Ryoma replied. “Anyway, let’s go.”

“Yep,” Kana agreed, following behind.

The sun hung above them, casting long shadows over crumbling buildings. The wind blew dust through the shattered streets. The stage was set.

Renji’s grip tightened on his sword.

He lunged straight toward the Revenant.

Renji’s boots slammed against the pavement as he closed the distance, his sword slicing forward with a sharp whistle through the air.

CLANG!

The Revenant stopped the strike effortlessly—its clawed hand locking the blade in place. Its dark, black skin shimmered under the sunlight, glowing purple streaks pulsing along its sinewy body. That lone red eye stared directly into Renji’s, cold and full of malice.

It didn’t flinch. It didn’t move. It was as if Renji’s attack meant nothing.

“Tch… Gene Unleash!” Yumi’s voice echoed sharply across the battlefield.

Her gear glowed—energy surged—and in a flash, her sniper rifle appeared in her grip, materializing out of thin light. The scope gleamed as she raised it to eye level, steadying her breath.

She narrowed her gaze. “Dammit, Renji’s in the damn way!”

Her gear gloves fired off—fwip! fwip!—ropes launched and attached to a ruined wall behind the Revenant. Her body flew up. She twisted midair—pink hair spiraling—then flipped over them.

From above, she locked on.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Her bullets screamed down toward the Revenant like beams of yellow lightning. Sparks erupted as they slammed into its body, carving deep scorch marks.

CRASH! Debris exploded behind it as bullets missed and cracked the ground.

Two bullets zipped just inches past Renji’s head.

“Watch it! You nearly hit me!” Renji yelled, ducking just in time.

“Not my fault,” Yumi replied casually as she landed on the opposite side with grace, chamber clicking. She already had the next round loaded.

“Covering fire!” Ryoma yelled.

His gear gloves launched him to the left-side wall. Blonde hair fluttered as he took position high up. His rifle gleamed, and he let loose.

TATATATATA!

A stream of bullets poured down on the Revenant’s exposed back.

The monster snarled as the bullets peppered its skin, then shifted violently.

With terrifying speed, it yanked Renji’s sword from his grip, lifted its other claw—and—

WHAM!

It smashed him.

Renji’s body flew backward like a ragdoll, hitting the pavement with a loud crack as he skidded across the dust-covered street. He coughed hard, wind knocked from his lungs.

His sword slid far from reach.

“Renji!” Kana’s voice cut through the chaos. Her eyes flared green. “Gene Unleash!”

Emerald cubes burst into existence around her, orbiting like sharp neon stars. She thrust her palm forward.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The cubes streaked out and exploded against the Revenant’s body, each detonation sending ripples through the air and cracks across the ground.

The creature’s gaze turned upward—locking on Ryoma still firing from above.

With a sudden snarl, it dug its claw into the pavement—scooping up dirt, rock, and steel fragments—then hurled the mass like a cannonball.

BOOOOM!!

“Shit!” Ryoma shouted.

The rubble collided with the wall below him—CRASH!—his rope snapped instantly.

“NO—!”

He lost balance, dropped, and SLAMMED onto the ground. His rifle clattered beside him.

But the barrage didn’t stop.

Yumi’s golden bullets continued to streak across the air—BANG! BANG!—and Kana’s emerald cubes detonated in flashes.

The Revenant growled, swiping madly, staggering from the combined assault.

Meanwhile, Renji stirred on the ground, coughing, eyes blurry. He forced himself up. His hand reached for the sword again.

He gritted his teeth.

Then—SLASH!—he swung upward, the blade catching the Revenant across its side.

The monster reeled.

Kana saw her moment. “He’s blocking my line of fire… fine.”

She snapped her wrists. The emerald cubes spun midair—then curved, sweeping around Renji in perfect arcs.

BOOM! BOOM!

The blasts hit from the flanks. Smoke poured from the impact sites.

Yumi didn’t let up. She crouched slightly—then her fingers slid over the trigger.

“Time to end this…”

The air around her muzzle glowed golden. A bright magic circle appeared at the tip—pulsing, humming with charged power.

She pulled halfway.

Charging—

A sharp, focused line of condensed energy swirled inside the barrel.

On the battlefield, Renji had both feet planted firmly. His eyes were locked on the Revenant. Sword drawn. Breath focused.

The monster’s body twitched—

And it moved—sidestepping to the right.

“Wait—!” Renji shouted.

BOOOOOOOM!!!

The golden bullet ripped through the smoke—

—and struck Renji square in the chest.

His cry ripped through the air as his body flew backward like a comet. His sword spun out of his hand as he smashed into the ground, hard.

His limbs trembled. His body didn’t rise.

The Revenant saw the opening.

It began to move toward him.

Renji gasped for his sword—but the shadow of the Revenant loomed closer, rising like a dark wall.

WHAM!

The Revenant kicked him.

His body tumbled across the street, crashing and skidding to a halt just near where Yumi had landed.

Yumi leapt over him with a sigh and muttered under her breath, “Loser.”

But as she landed—

Renji’s hand shot out.

He gripped her ankle—yanking her down.

“YOU—!” Yumi snapped, hitting the floor. Her furious eyes locked on his.

Meanwhile, Ryoma pushed himself from the rubble. His body shook, but he forced his knees under him.

The Revenant’s eyes flicked toward him.

Its claws scraped the ground, slow, heavy. Step by step.

It was coming.

“Kana!” Ryoma cried out.

“I know!”

Kana launched both arms forward.

Her cubes glowed brilliant green, spinning wildly. With a command, they flew in swarms—

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

A triple explosion blasted the Revenant square in the chest.

Its body jerked, and it collapsed backward.

It didn’t move.

“Why did you pull me down?!” Yumi snapped furiously.

Renji didn’t flinch. Still lying flat on the ground, he looked her dead in the eye. “You pulled me down first.”

“How?!”

“When you shot me with that stupid blast. Your eyes weren’t working right, right?” His voice was harsh, cutting through the rising tension.

Yumi’s lips parted slightly, her brows lowering. “…I’m sorry.”

Renji blinked, caught off guard.

She actually apologized.

“Oh…” he mumbled, unsure how to respond.

But then—Yumi’s eyes flicked away, her voice flattening. “Wasn’t my fault you couldn’t dodge a simple bullet.”

Renji’s nostrils flared. “Excuse me?!”

Kana, standing nearby, shook her head in disbelief. “Those two…”

She turned to Ryoma, helping him up with a hand. “Are you okay?”

Ryoma accepted her hand and stood slowly. “Yeah… thanks.”

“You’re welcome, teammate,” Kana said with a faint smile.

But then Ryoma’s eyes darted to the downed Revenant. His expression sharpened.

“I don’t think that thing is dead,” he muttered.

Kana followed his gaze. “Yeah… it doesn’t look dead.”

“We better kill it now while we have the chance,” Ryoma said as his eyes narrowed.

But before they could act—

“Yeah, I’m talking to you, loser!” Yumi’s voice cut through the air like a sword.

Kana and Ryoma turned. Again.

“What’s up with those two?” Ryoma asked.

“Honestly? I don’t even know anymore,” Kana replied flatly.

The two watched the madness unfold.

“Me? Loser?” Renji said, staring at her with disbelief. “You just shot me!”

“Yes, you, Renji. You’re a loser,” Yumi said again, still lying on the floor like she had all the time in the world.

“I fought two division units and won,” Renji muttered with pride, trying to keep himself calm.

“Lmao. General told me it was a Rev that made you do those things,” Yumi said mockingly. “You’re not strong.”

She tried to hide the hint of bitterness in her voice. “But I’ve fought Revs on my own and won.”

Renji’s eyes narrowed. “You mean weak Revs? I asked Naomi about you. She said you fought the weakest of them.”

He stared her down with a cold glare. “You weakling.”

Yumi sat up slowly, her jaw clenched.

“So what is this all about?” Renji asked, already frustrated.

Yumi’s gaze turned sharp. Her voice lowered just slightly. “I had the shot on you during that unit attack. I was the sniper, and I didn’t take it.”

Her words were like poison.

“Then you had the guts to trick me and beat me in front of the General,” she added.

Renji leaned up on his elbow, brow furrowed. “So that’s what this is all about, huh?”

Yumi didn’t answer, just exhaled hard and stared at him.

A brutal silence stretched between them.

Renji gave a tired smirk. “Maybe I won… because you were weak.”

Yumi’s eyes widened, fire igniting behind them. “That does it!”

She stood and cracked her knuckles, fury building in every breath. “Let’s settle this here and now!”

Renji rose just as quickly, pulling his sword into his grip, his face full of disbelief and rage. “Let’s go.”

Their feet planted. Eyes locked.

The tension between them was electric, a storm about to explode.

“Are they really going to fight each other now?” Kana asked, sweat forming on her brow.

“Maybe they forgot we fight monsters, not each other,” Ryoma added, blinking in confusion.

But the moment cracked.

THUD.

A sound.

A movement.

The Revenant’s claws twitched. Its massive body flinched—and then began to rise.

The red eye glowed once more.

Smoke curled from its skin, but its body was intact.

Ryoma’s voice went sharp. “It’s getting up!”

Kana braced herself, green cubes already forming again. “I knew it!”

Renji and Yumi paused mid-stance, their eyes slowly turning from each other… to the real threat.

The Revenant, hunched and furious, now stood taller than ever—its eye burning brighter, more focused.

And this time, it wasn’t just angry.

It was ready.