Takumi and the five recruits—Haruko, Miwafe, Rin, Yana, and Makoto—arrived at the reported location, a quiet city street. The air was still, and there was no sign of the chaos they had been warned about. They spread out, each with an earpiece for communication. Takumi's voice crackled through the comms.
"Any sign of them? Speak up if you see anything."
Haruko's voice came in first. "Not on my side. Everything's clear."
Rin added, "All I see are some elderly couples taking an evening stroll—no seireis here."
Yana and Miwafe, paired up for the search, also confirmed no sightings. "We're clear too, Takumi," Yana said.
Silence followed. "Makoto, what about you? Have you seen anything?" Takumi repeated. "Come in, Makoto. Have you detected any seireis?"
No answer.
Meanwhile, Makoto was still wandering through his assigned area. He hadn't even bothered to put on his earpiece, leaving it dangling from his belt. As he walked, he noticed how perfectly normal the street looked. The windows were clean, the plants were well-tended, and not a single crack marred the sidewalk. The scene was too serene. He frowned. If a seirei were really here, shouldn't the area look damaged or abandoned? Why does this look like a regular street? The call felt like a false alarm, and he decided to head back to the building.
Just as he turned to leave, a shadowy figure, completely concealed in a dark outfit, materialized out of nowhere. The figure lunged, a blade glinting in their hand, aiming directly for his throat. Makoto's instincts screamed at him, and he jumped back just in time, his hand flying to his neck. He looked at his palm—it was slick with blood.
"What's your problem? You almost killed me!" he shouted, glaring at the figure.
Before he could say another word, the figure charged again, swinging their sword wildly. Makoto dodged and weaved, shouting at nearby civilians to get away. He reached for his earpiece to call for backup, but the figure's blade sliced through the wire, rendering it useless. Cut off from the others, a single thought flashed through his mind: What now? He had no choice but to fight back.
Closing the distance, Makoto neutralized the figure's weapon advantage by engaging in close-quarters combat. The figure shifted tactics, attempting a powerful kick. Predicting the move, Makoto slashed at their leg, then grappled them tightly, forcing them to drop their weapon. He held them in a firm lock, his mind racing. Could this be a seirei? He dismissed the idea as quickly as it came. Seireis were supposed to be harmless spirits with pale white skin and green eyes. This person didn't fit the description at all.
Suddenly, with impressive agility, the figure flipped over Makoto's shoulder, their foot kicking their dropped weapon into the air. They caught it in a fluid motion and broke away. But Makoto had been faster. He snatched their mask, revealing the face of Eliza.
Makoto stared, a flicker of recognition in his eyes. "Wait, aren't you from that… what's it called… Shelon Organization? What the hell is wrong with you?"
Eliza's face flushed with visible embarrassment. She closed her eyes for a brief second before charging at him again. But before she could land a blow, Haruko and Rin appeared out of nowhere, pinning her to the ground with practiced ease. Takumi rushed to Makoto's side, his face etched with concern. "Are you okay?"
Eliza struggled under Haruko and Rin's grip, but Haruko simply smirked. "You're not going anywhere." Yana and Miwafe joined them, and Miwafe's hands began to encase themselves in hardened ice. She looked at Takumi. "Should I knock her out?"
Takumi forced a smile, shaking his head. "No need for that."
Catching his breath, Makoto asked Takumi how they knew he was in trouble. Takumi explained, "You weren't answering your earpiece, and your phone was left at the building. We figured something was up and came to find you."
Looking at Eliza, Takumi remarked, "Good. She doesn't have any Standz abilities." He then ordered Haruko and Rin to take her back to the building for interrogation. As they restrained her, they were unaware that Ryota was watching from a distance through a hidden camera. He wore a sinister smirk; he had already planted a tracker on Eliza, and his plan was unfolding perfectly.
On the way back, Makoto voiced his unease. "Something isn't right."
Takumi looked at him. "What do you mean?"
Makoto explained, "We got a call about multiple seireis, but there wasn't a single one here. Instead, we found her. She knew exactly where I'd be and when to attack. During the fight, it felt like she was holding back. She saw Haruko and Rin coming but didn't try to escape. And trust me—Eliza isn't someone you can easily hold down. Yet Haruko and Rin are restraining her with no trouble. It's like she wanted to get caught."
Takumi frowned but laughed it off, trying to dismiss Makoto's concerns. "You're overthinking it. We're just going to interrogate her."
Makoto tried to shake off his unease but still felt a creeping sense of dread.
When they returned to the building, Eliza was tied to a chair. As the interrogation began, she suddenly started crying. The team exchanged confused glances. She looked at them with tears streaming down her face and muttered, "You idiots… why?"
Before they could process her words, a deafening explosion rocked the hidden hospital above them. Their heads snapped up in shock, and they immediately rushed to the elevators. As they ascended, the sounds of repeated blasts grew louder and louder. Makoto's mind reeled with panic, his thoughts consumed by Airi's safety.
The elevator doors opened to a scene of absolute chaos. Seireis, their eyes glowing with a malevolent light, were wreaking havoc. Haruko exclaimed, "Aren't seireis supposed to be harmless? What's going on?"
Takumi, sweat beading on his forehead, stared at their coordinated movements. "They're being mind-controlled… and they have powers? How?"
Miwafe's voice was filled with disbelief. "Who could be controlling them?"
Their question was answered as they spotted Ryota standing on a distant rooftop, a cruel smile on his face as he issued commands to even more incoming seireis.
Realizing the dire situation, Takumi steeled himself. "The Boss and Ninda aren't here, so I have to step up. Miwafe, Yana, evacuate the patients. Makoto, return to the Seirei Exorcist building and protect it. Rin and I will handle things here."
Makoto's voice was strained, thick with panic. "But I need to check on Airi!"
Miwafe cupped his face, her touch firm but reassuring. "Don't worry. Nothing will happen to her. Trust me."
Reluctantly, Makoto nodded, forcing himself to turn and head to his assigned post as the others prepared for battle.