03:13 AM – The Breach
The first sound was the metallic clink of boots hitting wet concrete.
The second was the slow, deliberate scrape of a blade sliding free from its sheath.
Arata's muscles tensed. His breath fogged in the cold air as he adjusted his grip on the pistol.
The sniper stood in the alley like an ink-black shadow come to life, his cracked visor glinting under the dim streetlight. Rainwater dripped off the edge of his hood, making him look carved from darkness itself.
He tilted his head slowly, studying the safehouse as if memorizing its walls. Then, without warning, he started walking toward the side door.
Kaede was already moving. "Back room, now," she hissed at Yuiri.
Yuiri froze for a heartbeat before nodding and darting into the garage's storage section.
Arata stayed in the main room, eyes locked on the sniper's silhouette.
The First Strike
The door shuddered once.
Then again, harder.
On the third hit, the hinges gave way. The door flew open, slamming against the wall as the sniper stepped inside, the blade catching the bulb's yellow light.
Arata fired first — a clean, sharp shot aimed for the shoulder. The bullet struck metal — a hidden plate under the man's jacket — and ricocheted off with a flash of sparks.
The sniper didn't flinch. He moved fast, closing the distance between them in three long strides.
Arata barely had time to duck the first swing. The blade sliced through the air where his neck had been a moment earlier.
Kaede was behind the sniper now, revolver drawn. She fired twice, both rounds punching into the man's side — but his body armor ate them like candy.
He pivoted, lashing out with a kick that sent Kaede sprawling into a stack of crates.
Rain and Gunpowder
The fight turned vicious in seconds.
Arata swung the butt of his pistol into the sniper's wrist, forcing him to loosen his grip. He tried to capitalize with a follow-up punch, but the sniper caught his arm and twisted, pain flaring down to Arata's shoulder.
Before he could recover, Kaede was back on her feet, lunging with a rusted crowbar she'd grabbed from the workbench.
The blow connected with the sniper's helmet, shattering the visor completely. A brief glimpse of pale, scarred skin and cold grey eyes flickered before he shoved her away.
Rainwater from the open door pooled under their feet, mixing with oil and dust. Every step was a slip waiting to happen.
Yuiri's Decision
From the shadows of the storage room, Yuiri could see everything. Her hands trembled — not from fear this time, but from something sharper: resolve.
On the bench beside her was a small, half-assembled flare gun Kaede had been repairing earlier. Without thinking, Yuiri grabbed it, shoved a cartridge inside, and stepped back into the main room.
"Arata!" she shouted.
He ducked instinctively. The flare streaked past him and exploded in a blinding burst of red light right in front of the sniper's face.
The man staggered, slashing wildly at the air as his vision burned white.
"Move!" Arata grabbed Yuiri's arm, dragging her toward the side door.
Kaede covered them, swinging the crowbar at the sniper's blade until they had enough space to escape into the alley.
The Chase
They ran.
The streets were slick and empty, the neon signs above flickering weakly in the mist. Behind them, the sniper's boots struck the pavement in an unbroken rhythm — steady, relentless, like a predator that never tires.
Kaede led them through a narrow passage between two apartment blocks. Garbage cans clattered as they passed, a cat hissing and vanishing into the dark.
They emerged onto a wider street lined with shuttered shops. Arata spotted a half-collapsed fire escape and pointed. "Up!"
Kaede didn't argue. They scrambled onto the ladder, pulling themselves up floor by floor as the sniper closed in.
A bullet tore through the metal beside Arata's hand, the heat of it brushing his skin. He didn't stop climbing.
Above the City
They reached the roof, the city stretching in every direction — a jagged maze of lights, smoke, and rain.
For a brief second, it felt like they had space to breathe.
Then the sniper appeared below, leaping onto the lower ledge with terrifying agility.
"He's not human," Yuiri whispered.
Arata's jaw tightened. "No… he's just trained to be something worse."
Kaede scanned the rooftops. "Two blocks over — old comms tower. If we can get there, I've got gear stashed."
They started moving, jumping narrow gaps between rooftops. Every landing sent shocks through their knees, every slip bringing them inches from a deadly fall.
The sniper followed, matching every move.
The Rooftop Duel
By the time they reached the halfway point, there was no running left.
The sniper caught up, forcing them to a wide rooftop with nowhere else to go.
Arata stepped forward, raising his pistol. "Yuiri, stay behind Kaede."
The sniper drew a second blade — shorter, curved, made for close combat.
What followed was less a fight and more a dance of survival. Every strike came with killing intent; every block sent shudders down Arata's arms.
Kaede darted in from the side, swinging the crowbar at his legs, but the sniper caught it mid-swing and twisted, wrenching it from her grip.
He turned his blade toward her —
And Yuiri moved.
She grabbed the crowbar from the ground and swung with every ounce of strength she had, connecting with the side of the sniper's head. The blow knocked him off balance long enough for Arata to tackle him.
They crashed to the ground, rain splashing up around them.
The Fall
The struggle was brutal — fists, elbows, knees, steel scraping against concrete. Arata managed to wrench one blade free and toss it away, but the sniper slammed an armored knee into his ribs, forcing the air from his lungs.
Kaede joined the fray, grabbing the sniper's arm. Together, they forced him backward toward the edge of the roof.
He slipped — for a heartbeat, his body hung over the alley below.
Then he let go.
Not of them — of the fight itself. He dropped backward, vanishing into the shadows below.
Aftermath
The three of them stood in the rain, chests heaving, hearts still racing.
Kaede spat onto the rooftop. "He'll be back."
Arata didn't argue.
Yuiri wiped the rain from her face, her hands still shaking. "I… I hit him. I actually—"
"You bought us time," Arata said, meeting her eyes. "That's more than enough."
The Message
Back at the comms tower, Kaede dug through a hidden compartment, pulling out a weathered metal case. Inside was a shortwave radio and a small data drive.
She plugged the drive into the radio's side port, and the machine came to life with a soft hum.
"Sending the burst now," she muttered.
A string of distorted beeps and static filled the air. When it ended, Kaede exhaled.
"That message will reach someone who can help us. Or kill us faster."
Yuiri looked between them. "What did you send?"
Kaede's expression darkened. "Coordinates. Of what NOKRA's really after."
The Twist
Before Arata could press her for more, the radio crackled again.
Not with static — with a voice.
A voice Arata hadn't heard in years.
"Arata… if you can hear this, it's already too late. They know about the Vault."
The line went dead.
Arata's hands curled into fists.
Yuiri whispered, "What's the Vault?"
He didn't answer. Because if it was what he thought… they were in far deeper trouble than he'd ever imagined.
End of chapter 7