The siren blares loudly in the sky, hunting those who have fled— a constant echo of the danger they left behind.
Kaijou sets up metal poles in ventilation systems, and other hidden, accessible spots. "I know they will find us here."
Hayami nods, preparing a hole through the stairs to set up booby traps. "You're right. They know we can't go far, so they will search this area until they find our location."
Meanwhile, Bakura is setting up the doors, contemplating on how to leverage their strategic place.
Kaijou's gaze falls on Bakura, he taps his chin, eyes narrowing. "Maybe you should block one path heavily."
Bakura tilts his head, considering Kaijou's words. "Why not both? Leaving one wide open would put us at a disadvantage, no?"
Kaijou steps down to Bakura, reaching towards the door. "Not really, the balance lies on us, not the structure here."
"Look at it carefully, you'll find that if we guard both doors evenly, we risk it being too easy to break in from both sides. If we just guard the clear entry and heavily barricade the other, most people would head towards the easy one, right?"
Bakura nods slightly, unsure of his original plan.
"But knowing them, they'd still choose the heavily barricaded entry, since they would expect me to set traps up behind the open entryway. It's a simple yet effective trick, that forces them to rethink their approach."
Bakura blinks before he nods slowly, as if the pieces finally fit. "That makes sense. Now I understand how you predict people so easily."
Kaijou chuckles, shrugging off the compliment. "Well, not every prediction is accurate, and not every lie is the truth."
Hayami finishes up all of her traps, as she exclaims from floors above. "Hey! Be careful! You two might step in the traps!"
Bakura hollers below. "We got it, don't worry!"
After that, the three split up with their own tasks. Bakura scavenges for weapons, Kaijou analyses the advantages they have, thinking on how optimise it. While Hayami watches from above to report any unusual sights of the Ascendants.
Kaijou glances at Bakura. "Rather than just metal poles, what else have you found?"
Bakura, still searching for weapons that could be used, turns around. "Oh, I found this knife here, it's a little dull, but it should do the trick."
"That's excellent, I'll have it. Hayami?"
"Yes?"
"Do we have anyone lurking around suspiciously?"
Hayami scans out, using the binoculars they had found in the building. "Eyes are clear up here. No Ascendants inbound. But as we know— they are relentless... they will never stop until our dead body is on the table."
Kaijou sets up something, as he mutters. "That is alright... we can use what we have, we have the upper hand here."
After a while...
Kaijou stands on the edge of a window frame, he spots Ascendants below alongside Kotinari and Shinji. "They sure are unyielding..."
Bakura taps his metal pole to the floor. "So, what's your game plan?"
Kaijou steps off the edge, and walks to the staircase. "I already have a trap, let them in the stairway and shatter the lights once you hear a thud, which is my signal."
Hayami's voice could be heard above. "Kaijou, Bakura, get ready... They're inbound."
A group of Ascendants stops by the entryway, they break their way into the heavily barricaded entry, rushing for the stairs.
Unbeknownst to them, Kaijou positions himself below a hole in the stairs. He pulls a string.
A makeshift wall slams shut the exit. A thud is heard, as Bakura smashed the lights above with a metal pole.
Kaijou stabs their feet below with his knife, one falls, causing the other to be in a chaotic position.
Kaijou climbs up and massacres the small wave. Bloodshed left and right in the dark as Ascendants yelp in pain.
Where is everyone! Help!
Fuck! I'm hit!
AGH! Help! He's on me!
As one by one falls, Kaijou wipes some blood off and exhales. "Tch.. they were a part of the system, they had to die."
Kaijou climbs the stair above, blood covers his clothes. "Fools, they went for the heavily barricaded entry thinking I wouldn't set traps behind it."
"They now realise both entryway leads to the same stairs, so they'll be wary of that— Bakura. Let's head down and operate below."
Bakura nods. "There will be more... these unlucky ones are the dummy to scout out our arsenal."
Kaijou walks past Bakura, his expressions unreadable. "They served their purpose, now they must die for serving the wrong side."
"A cruel strategy for a cruel place, how unexpected."
A wave unnamed Ascendants enter, Kaijou and Bakura defends fiercely, taking them out efficiently.
Outside, Kotinari cracks his bones. "That kid got me good... But this time, we'll eat him."
Shinji cocks his pistol.
Hayami's eyes widen, she warns to Kaijou and Bakura below. "Kaijou, Bakura! Kotinari and Shinji are making their entry... be advised, they're carrying firearms."
That didn't scare Kaijou or Bakura, as they smirk. Indeed, it's a fool's game to bring a gun into a close combat.
Bakura walks to his position, his hand gripping his metal pole tightly, ready to swing at them with full force.
Kaijou watches the entry carefully, his senses on high alert. Suddenly, a chair is thrown forward—a bomb attached underneath. "Duck down!"
They duck to their respective sides, as a bomb explodes. Covering their area in debris.
Kotinari jumps from the window, kicking Bakura's pole away, and grips his neck with a terrifying smile. "You're mine."
Bakura struggles to breathe, as Kotinari's grip tightens. He is losing consciousness He starts to control his breathing, and focus more on counter attack.
Kaijou on the other hand moves in the debris, he has already memorized the layout of the building, so his vision is clearer than Shinji's.
He visualises Shinji's figure spinning around looking for him. A gun in hand. Shibuma mutters in Kaijou's mind.
Oh, he brought a gun to a knife fight... where he would usually win, here? You have the leverages...
Shinji checks every room, every corner for Kaijou. "Oh, boy, come out... it's not the time to play hide and seek with your elders, right?"
A rock is thrown to his side, Shinji panics and his gaze immediately locks onto it. "You bastard... playing these stupid games yet again! I'll definitely enjoy killing you today!"
Kaijou appears from behind, Shinji spins quickly, shooting behind— but it hits nothing. He yells in frustration. "Come out, you little—"
Kaijou kicks his gun, and stabs his shoulder. "You are an experienced assassin, you should've known... this isn't your place."
Shinji scrambles, he backs away and flees the building, not letting Kaijou retrieve his knife. "Kotinari! Fall back! That fucking kid... Got me!"
Bakura wrestles with Kotinari, as they both struggle to gain leverage over the other.
"Damn." Kotinari mutters, after hearing Shinji's scream. He grabs Bakura and throws him to the wall. "You're lucky this time... after all, I could've killed you if I wanted..."
From outside, a bullet hits Kotinari's shoulder as he stumbles. Bakura seizes the opportunity to grapple him.
Kotinari narrows his eyes, he delivers a kick to equalise the pain, but he pauses as Bakura hesitates. His bleeding shoulder holding him back. "And you're lucky... that kid is with you."
Kotinari jumps out of the window, running to the Ascendants hurriedly.
Sora watches as Kotinari and Shinji escapes from the building, blood tainting their clothes. He clutches his ribs, where Kaijou had struck earlier... "Seems like even they failed."
"What's your call, Yamada?"
Yamada furrows his eyebrows, impatient... "One more wave, the final one... You, Kouja, Saichi and Daijo."
"If you also fail, then back off. He's getting stronger from everyone's blunders."
Sora walks forward, preparing his weapons. Daijo, Saichi and Kouja, huh? Never heard of them before... older generations, perhaps?
Saichi and Daijo enters first, Kouja pauses behind them, glancing back at Sora. "Not tagging along?"
Sora gazes at Kouja, he sharpens his knife. "I will, don't mind me."
Kouja smirks. "After all, you're Yamada's precious asset too."
He walks forward into the building.
For the first time, Sora looks hesitant... Kaijou you... you are so annoying— it bothers me so much... I swear... I'll kill you.
His mind flashing back to his earlier days in Ascendants Order...
I opened my eyes... even as an infant, I felt the excruciating pain... I had undergone genetic modifications, just like everyone— just like Kaijou.
Years go by, I had grown a distant relationship with a particular person, Kaijou. A name that I don't like saying often.
Then, Yamada reveals why I was here— as an Ascendant. An experiment.
"Sora right? I recall it being what Kaede called you."
I didn't say anything, and just nodded to him.
"It's simple, your parents sold you to us. For status and wealth."
I was shocked. My parents? All this time, I had one?
"However, as I've said, they have already abandoned you and does not want you to come back."
I stood silently, that was enough for me... I was never loved, never cared about.
"The world's unfair, I know. I've seen it right before my very own eyes. Nothing ever made sense."
I grew angry... yeah, the world was unfair, but did that justify him tormenting other children just to be his weapons?
"Do you think I had an easy life, Sora? I built all of this from scratch. I did it all just to get revenge on that guy who always proved me wrong!"
"Now you see, Sora. Kaijou had always prove you are wrong right? Use that as a fuel to always go against him. Prove him wrong and that you are the strongest."
Back then it meant nothing— But when I first met Kaede...
"Darling... I believe Sora fits your name."
"I know I can't do much, but it is the only act of humanising you all. To me, you all are humans, not tools or weapons made to participate in wars. Sora means the sky, symbolising limitless potential and freedom. Please find peace with yourself, okay?"
I had always noticed her attempts to humanise us all... Yet, when her death came... I looked at Kaijou— the vulnerability... the despair and chaos, something I can't quite name... but something that I didn't dismiss entirely...
"Kaijou had an anchor, I had none— My sincerest apologies, Kaede. But I think... I've made up my mind now."
The spark of determination fuels my will to beat Kaijou... to make him fall... to finally see him break.
"If I had nothing, then I'll make sure everyone deserves nothing too."
Sora stares at his knife, as he concludes his story in his mind... Then, a hand taps his shoulder.
"Yo? You've been spacing out." Kouja says with a flat tone.
Sora stands up, cracking his neck. "Let's do this."
Sora and Kouja follows closely where the other two has gone. Checking every spots thoroughly to not step in another trap.
"Remember, they have eyes up there, and Kaijou has a pistol from Shinji's. Here's my plan, we split up and enter a different entry."
Kouja hums, examining the heavily barricaded entry, "I'll take this with Sora. Daijo and Saichi, you two go in from the open entry."
Daijo and Saichi nods, walking to the other side of the entry.
Kouja grabs a smoke grenade from his waist, as he pulls the pinch. "We'll fog this place up, force Kaijou into close combat since he has a gun."
Sora nods, tapping his earpiece. "Daijo, Saichi, if anything happens, say it out loud."
Inside, Kaijou clenches his teeth, peeking at the window. "Bakura, they are splitting up. Hayami, I need you down here to assist Bakura."
Kaijou hands a mask to Bakura. "Wear it, if they're planning to trick us, we'll play dirty too."
Kaijou and Bakura puts on their masks.
"Great, Bakura, you'll disguise as me and hold Sora from the sides. I'll take the out the ones going for the open entry."
Bakura switches his metal pole with Kaijou's acquired pistol, and heads to their position.
Saichi and Daijo pushes forward, dead bodies surrounding the floor... pure bloodbath.
"Damn Kaijou— what a monster..." Daijo mutters in disgust.
Saichi walks forward, "His position is still unknown, and he has a gun, be wary."
A figure moves, Daijo spins, pointing his gun... "I swear, he's here. He's watching."
A bullet flies, hitting Daijo's shoulder as he stumbles. "Saichi! Up there!"
Saichi chases after the figure, he speaks into his earpiece. "It's Kaijou here! Sora, you should be able to handle Bakura, he's with Hayami!"
Daijo clutches his wound, with a smile. "Oh, you fucked up, Kaijou... Sora and Kouja will easily overwhelm Bakura and perhaps capture Hayami..."
The figure pulls his mask down. Not Kaijou. But Bakura.
"Oh, who said I was with Hayami?" he says with a calculated smirk.
Over the earpiece, Sora yells in frustration. "Idiots! Kaijou is here! You've been tricked!"
Kouja's voice could be heard in exchange. "Sora! He's got a metal pole, get down!"
Saichi freezes... his eyes widening. "How the hell... did he know?"
Bakura steps forward, slowly, menacingly... "He knew that you all would split up, and have us cornered. Your true goal is to capture Hayami, right?"
"Because you can't capture me and Kaijou... so you resort to the weakest— let's just say, don't underestimate us."
Bakura shoots a bullet at Daijo, Saichi steps forward, shielding him as the bullet hits him. "Daijo! Run... go."
Daijo looks nervously and ran down as fast as he could and Bakura just stares. "You have the qualities of being a good person, yet you protect the bad ones. Why? It's pointless. As you could see, when given the chance to live, he took it and ran. And leave you alone to your demise."
"It's not that.. I've already made my mind, that I wanted to sacrifice."
Bakura pauses, he exhales. "Get out of here."
Saichi looks at Bakura's eyes. Before slowly walking away..
Back to the entrance, Sora slams Daijo to the wall, hands tightening around his throat. "You fucking coward! Why did you not tell us it was Kaijou?! We stormed in with smoke bombs only expecting him and Hayami! And then Kaijou almost killed me? Are you fucking stupid?!"
Everyone just watches — even Yamada. But his eyes weren't judging Sora. They were studying him. Saichi arrives but stays silent.
"How the hell do you want to beat him then?" Daijo mutters.
"By not playing a fair game against Kaijou, you moron."
Sora walks away from the building. Letting go of Daijo.
Mark my words… Kaijou. You've done it twice, but not forever. I'll keep pushing… and one day, I'll break you. And it will feel good.