Without hesitation, Jin dashed forward. His body blurred — faster, sharper than before. Raizo, watching the move, narrowed his eyes.
"He's faster than before," Raizo muttered, impressed.
In one fluid motion, Jin slashed across the Rift creature's stomach with his glowing Rift claws. The impact landed clean, splitting the creature's torso open in a shower of black ichor.
But a second later, the wound sealed itself. Perfect. As if nothing happened.
"Damn…" Jin muttered, narrowing his eyes.
One of the operatives nearby — a younger man with short black hair and a sharp voice — called out, frustration bleeding into his tone.
"We already tried everything! It just keeps regenerating no matter what!" Toma shouted.
Daigo, still leaning lazily against a broken slab of concrete, sighed and waved a hand dismissively.
"Shut up, Toma. It's obvious," he said, yawning mid-sentence. "Only way we're beating it is if we destroy the Rift Core. Either hit it faster than it can heal… or smash it hard enough in one blow."
Toma gritted his teeth, clearly annoyed.
Another voice — lighter, more serious — chimed in. Miku, a girl with a halberd strapped to her back, added,
"Not like we're getting any openings. It's too damn fast for a monster that size."
Kenji, adjusting his grip on his spear, spoke calmly.
"Then all we have to do… is find the Rift Core first."
No one argued.
The scene shifted —
Back across the battlefield, Shiori, Hannah, Kaiori, and Ren were regrouping.
Shiori stood tall, scanning the thinning fog with sharp eyes, one fist still glowing faintly from her last strike.
Hannah, katana drawn, sliced clean through another Class 7 creature that lunged too close, a small smile playing at her lips.
Kaiori — weaponless but fierce — grabbed a stray Class 8 creature by the throat with both hands, her eyes flashing, and slammed it down with brutal force.
Ren flinched back as more approached, but stuck close behind Shiori, relying on her lead.
Their fight wasn't over either.
Back to the frontline —
Raizo summoned his twin Rift blades with a low hum of energy. Without a word, he blurred forward, attacking. His blades danced in deadly arcs, each strike forcing the massive Rift creature backward.
The full team moved in now —
Kenji, Daigo, Jin, Toma, Miku, and Raizo — everyone pressed in from different angles.
No fancy tricks. No showboating. Just pure coordination.
Jin ducked under a tendril swipe, carving along the creature's side. Raizo slashed low, severing a limb, only for it to regrow instantly. Kenji spun his spear like a staff, redirecting attacks aimed at his squadmates.
Toma hurled Rift axes, trying to distract its healing.
Miku provided cover, swinging her halberd with precision to strike at the creature's legs, causing it to stagger.
Kenji suddenly dashed in and sliced clean through the Rift creature's arm — severing it at the shoulder.
The limb hit the ground… and immediately regenerated.
Kenji clicked his tongue.
"Damn. Still too fast."
Daigo cracked his knuckles lazily, shaking his head.
"Not even close," he muttered.
Jin's eyes sharpened. He stepped forward, voice cold and certain.
"I know where the core is."
Miku and Toma looked shocked.
"You serious?!" Toma barked.
Raizo narrowed his eyes.
"It's obvious," he said.
Then, at the same time, Jin and Raizo spoke:
"The center. Where the heart's supposed to be."
Toma opened his mouth to respond — but didn't get the chance.
The Rift creature shrieked and tendrils whipped out, grabbing Toma by the leg and slamming him hard into the ground. The impact shook the earth.
Kenji reacted instantly, spear flashing — he sliced the tendril clean through, freeing Toma.
Daigo sighed heavily, then grinned — a real smile for the first time.
"…Guess we're all tired of waiting."
He stretched once, cracked his neck, then crouched low.
The ground under him fractured from the force of his sudden launch — dust exploding outward.
Daigo blurred forward, closing the distance in a blink — and punched the Rift creature straight in the chest, right where the heart should be.
BOOM—!!
The force of the punch sent a massive shockwave ripping outward. Dust swallowed everything. The Rift creature was blown back several feet, crashing into the broken landscape. Cracks spiderwebbed across the ground behind it.
Toma groaned from the dirt, looking up with a faint grin.
"That's Daigo for you," he muttered. "He doesn't even need Rift weapons… that's just his raw strength."
Everyone — even Shiori's group from afar — froze in shock.
The smoke cleared slowly.
The Rift creature stood again. A deep hole had been punched through its chest — but not deep enough.
It regenerated.
Kenji swore quietly.
"…Damn. The core's there. But it wasn't deep enough."
Daigo frowned, disappointed.
The energy around the battlefield dipped — everyone feeling that heavy pull of exhaustion and frustration.
Kenji, still gripping his spear, stepped forward alone.
"Move," he ordered.
Everyone did.
Kenji pointed his spear forward — Rift energy began gathering rapidly around it, swirling brighter and brighter.
He whispered something under his breath.
Then —
"Piercing Strike."
A massive burst of Rift energy exploded outward — the air screaming — and the full blast slammed through the Rift creature's chest.
A huge hole ripped clean through it.
The creature convulsed… twitched… and then collapsed.
Silence.
Everyone stared, speechless.
Kenji lowered his spear, breathing out slowly.
"Thanks, Daigo," he said quietly. "You gave me an opening."
The battlefield was finally still.
From the distance, Shiori's squad and the others rushed back in.
Daigo dusted himself off lazily.
"Told ya. It's over."
Just then, more figures emerged from the fog
Toma said slowly "took you guys long enough"
their weapons gleaming with the remnants of battle. Their leader, Hiroshi, flicked the blood from his blade and surveyed the area. "it seems you guys took the big one's down. We cleared the rest out too."
Yumi wiped her blades clean with a grin. "Nothing left standing. It's all ours now."
Takashi, his rifle slung casually over his shoulder, looked at the wreckage with a smirk. "But we're not done yet. We need the experts to lock this Rift down properly. No telling what could slip through if we don't."
Hiroshi gave a nod, signaling the team to regroup. "Get the backup in. This battlefield's secured, but we need those portals contained."
The last of Squad Kasen stepped back from the battlefield, their weapons slung, as Squad Gamma gathered near the center. The tension in the air hadn't eased — the weight of the battle still lingered. Shiori stood tall, scanning the surroundings, her eyes flicking from one squad member to the next. The sounds of distant Rift creatures fading into the distance brought only momentary relief.
"We're clear," Shiori said, though there was a hint of wariness in her tone. "But the portal's still unstable. We need containment protocols in place."
Squad Kasen's leader, Hiroshi, nodded. "Noted. We'll secure the area until backup arrives."
Shiori wiped her gloves off against her jacket and called into her communicator.
"All Rift creatures neutralized. Portal still active. Requesting containment team."
She turned back to the others, her voice steady.
"Backup will be here soon. Stay sharp."
The fractured members of Squad Gamma—Jin, Raizo, Ren, Kaiori—stood nearby, exchanging quick glances.
They all felt it: something wasn't over yet.
About thirty minutes later, the low rumble of heavy engines echoed through the cracked streets.
Two armored trucks pulled up — different from the usual RRD transports.
These were bulkier, older models reinforced with thick plating and strange symbols etched into the sides.
The doors slammed open.
An old man stepped out first, a thick cigar smoldering between his fingers.
His long gray hair flowed behind him, and a dark cloak half-draped across one shoulder.
A katana hung at his left side, the hilt worn but well-kept.
His presence alone made the air seem heavier.
Shiori stiffened in place the moment she saw him.
Even the leader of Squad Kasen blinked in clear surprise.
Toma muttered under his breath, almost disbelieving,
"…Jiro…?"
The fractured operatives shifted uneasily.
Even Jin instinctively straightened up, a cold instinct crawling up his spine.
The squad leader of Kasen, Hiroshi, stepped forward quickly.
"What are you doing here, Jiro?"
The old man exhaled a puff of smoke, chuckling low.
"I was nearby. Closest one to this sector. Decided to see it for myself."
Jiro's sharp eyes scanned over Squad Gamma, lingering a moment longer on Shiori.
"You're Shiori, right? The new squad."
His voice was rough but carried weight, like every word had been carved in stone.
One of the containment specialists behind him hurried over, offering a gas mask.
"Sir! You forgot your protection again!"
Jiro glanced at it lazily, then chuckled again.
"Right, right… can't have me kicking the bucket just yet."
He strapped the mask loosely around his neck, clearly not taking it seriously.
Meanwhile, Jin watched the old man carefully, his thoughts sharper than his expression showed.
(This guy's aura… it's unreal.)
Next to him, Raizo's hand tightened around the handle of his Rift blades without even realizing it.
(Strong… no — on another level.)
Jiro took a few steps closer, eyeing the massive dead Rift creature nearby — its body twitching slightly even in death.
He flicked the ash from his cigar and asked casually,
"Who took down that one? That's at least a Class 4… maybe 5."
Kenji, who had been standing silently near the others, stepped forward without hesitation.
He placed a hand lightly on his spear and said with formal crispness,
"I did, sir."
Jiro raised an eyebrow slightly, studying him.
"Alone?"
Kenji nodded once.
"With assistance from the squad… but the finishing blow was mine."
For a moment, Jiro simply looked at him — as if measuring his soul — before giving a small grunt of approval.
"Hmph. Good work. Keep it up, Rookie."
He turned back toward the trucks without another word, leaving a heavy silence behind.
Jiro waved his cigar toward the squads, speaking to his team.
"Contain the portal. Lock it down properly."
Jiro's gaze sharpened as he stared into the distance.
Through the thinning fog, faint figures moved — but they weren't Rift creatures.
They were human.
He exhaled a long breath of smoke and said calmly,
"Hurry it up. We're being watched."
The soldiers behind him, already rushing to contain the Rift portal, moved even faster at his words.
Shiori and the leader of Squad Kasen exchanged a tense look, immediately picking up the shift in atmosphere.
Jin and Raizo both felt it too — a creeping sensation under their skin.
These weren't just survivors wandering by.
Whoever was out there… had a reason to stay hidden.
Still keeping his hand casually near the hilt of his katana, Jiro turned slightly and muttered,
"If they try anything… I'll deal with it myself."
The containment team locked into full focus, working under the heavy silence as unseen eyes watched from the ruined buildings.
The battle was over —
but something new was just beginning