Nijin and Hiyori arrive at the S.O.S Headquarters. The vast interior is calm, but an unspoken tension hangs in the air.
A Guard approaches them from the front and bows slightly.
Guard: "Master Nijin, it is an honor to see you here."
Nijin: "Where is Lucas?"
Guard: "He is in his office, Master."
Nijin: "Take me to him."
Without another word, the guard turns and leads them deeper into the headquarters.
At the same time—
On the rooftop of a tall building, Volt stands quietly, his eyes fixed on the Kiroku Clan, whose base lies only a short distance away. Cold wind brushes past him as lightning flickers faintly around his body.
Suddenly, a voice speaks from behind.
Mysterious Man: "From this height… the sky feels much closer, doesn't it?"
Volt turns his head slightly, looking at the man. Then he lifts his gaze upward.
Volt: "You're right…
but today, I'm not in the mood to look at the sky."
The man smiles faintly.
Mysterious Man: "Sometimes, simply looking at the sky is the wiser choice.
Going too far ahead isn't always the right path."
Volt lets out a low chuckle.
Volt: "Hah… you deliver threats very cleanly."
Mysterious Man: "I'm not threatening you.
I'm warning you."
At that moment, Volt feels it—
A heavy, overwhelming presence.
Volt's expression hardens.
Volt (thinking): This presence… it's different. Way different.
Volt cracks his neck and rolls his shoulders, electricity sparking lightly around him.
Volt: "If you came here to fight me, then stop wasting time.
I don't have much of it."
The man calmly extends his hand forward.
Mysterious Man: "Fighting you won't even take me a moment."
In the next instant—
Something bursts out from Volt's shadow and throws a powerful punch straight at him.
Volt (thinking): What the—?!
Volt barely dodges as the punch slices through the air. In the blink of an eye, the mysterious man vanishes.
Volt scans the rooftop.
Volt (thinking): Where did he go?
And that shadow… it looked exactly like me.
Suddenly, Volt launches forward at lightning speed, his body turning into a streak of electric light—
—but the shadow runs alongside him, perfectly matching his pace.
Volt's eyes widen.
Volt: "That's impossible…
How can it use my powers?!"
Volt gathers electricity into his arm and releases a devastating attack.
Volt: "Lightning Strike!"
A bolt of lightning crashes down—
—but the shadow mirrors the exact same move.
Two lightning strikes collide, exploding in a blinding flash. The shockwave tears across the rooftop, yet both figures evade each other at the last second, landing on opposite sides.
Sparks crackle in the air.
Volt clenches his fists, a grin slowly forming on his face.
Volt: "Heh…
Now this is getting interesting."
Elsewhere—
Master Nijin stands inside Lucas's office. The atmosphere is heavy, the air thick with unspoken hostility.
Nijin's gaze sharpens.
Master Nijin: "When you were appointed Chief of this place, I clearly told you to stay away from our clan."
Lucas leans back slightly, completely unfazed.
Lucas: "You should be thanking us.
We protected your sealed vault."
Nijin's expression hardens.
Master Nijin: "Oh?
Removing the Kiroku Clan from that place—this is your idea of protection?"
Lucas straightens his posture.
Lucas: "We had no other choice.
As the Chief, I am required to take harsh decisions.
And no one understands that better than you do."
He pauses, then continues calmly.
Lucas: "Forgive me, Master Nijin… but from now on, the sealed vault will become S.O.S property.
I have already sent a request to the government."
Nijin's eyes narrow.
Lucas: "At this very moment, a battle is being fought to protect it."
Silence follows.
Then Nijin speaks—his voice low, dangerous.
Master Nijin: "You don't even know what the sealed vault truly is.
If you did… you would be thanking fate that it remained hidden from the world."
He takes a step forward.
Master Nijin: "If you fail to protect it…
the price you'll have to pay will be unbearable."
Lucas doesn't respond—but the tension between them is unmistakable.
Meanwhile—
Inside the territory of the Kiroku Clan, Ryujin patrols through the ruined streets, his senses alert.
He looks around and mutters under his breath.
Ryujin: "The battle has already begun…"
Suddenly—
A violent force rushes toward him.
Ryujin reacts instantly, drawing his sword and blocking the attack just in time. Sparks burst into the air.
Standing before him is a woman, her eyes sharp and dangerous. Her nails are long—shaped like knives, gleaming under the dim light.
Both of them shove each other back, creating distance.
The woman smirks.
Mysterious Girl: "Your sword skills…
they're quite beautiful. Just like you."
Ryujin exhales calmly, adjusting his grip.
Ryujin: "Thank you.
But I can't return that compliment about your nails."
The girl laughs coldly.
Mysterious Girl: "That's fine.
I despise praise anyway."
In the next instant, she attacks—
Her massive blade-like nails slash through the air in multiple directions, tearing apart the space between them.
Ryujin moves with precision, dodging every strike by mere inches. The ground cracks where her nails land.
She keeps attacking relentlessly—left, right, above—
Ryujin evades them all, his coat fluttering as he slips through each deadly swing.
Steel meets air.
Claws meet nothing.
The clash intensifies.
Ryujin's eyes remain calm—but focused.
Ryujin (thinking): Fast… and lethal.
But not enough.
The battle rages on.
On the rooftop—
Volt is locked in battle with his own shadow.
Lightning flashes as Volt attacks relentlessly—one strike after another, each infused with lethal speed and precision.
But every time Volt moves—
The shadow mirrors him perfectly.
The same stance.
The same timing.
The same attack.
Volt grits his teeth.
Volt (thinking): Every attack I use… it uses the exact same one.
Is it copying me…?
Refusing to back down, Volt makes a sudden decision.
He rushes forward—this time without using his powers—and throws a raw, physical punch.
The punch passes straight through the shadow.
Volt's eyes widen.
Before he can react—
The shadow does not copy the attack.
Instead, it grabs Volt's wrist.
Tightly.
The air trembles.
A violent lightning strike explodes from the shadow's hand and crashes directly into Volt's body.
BOOM—!
Volt is thrown back, electricity ripping through his veins. He crashes to the ground, smoke rising from his body.
Pain floods his senses.
Volt coughs, forcing himself up—only to drop down on one knee.
Breathing heavily.
Injured.
The shadow begins to distort.
Its form breaks apart like smoke being torn by the wind.
And from within it—
A man steps forward.
Calm.
Unharmed.
Eyes sharp and unreadable.
Volt looks up at him, teeth clenched.
Volt: "What kind of ability is this…?"
The man stands silently for a moment.
Volt: "Who are you…?"
The man finally speaks.
Franklin: "My name is Franklin."
The wind howls across the rooftop.
Lightning crackles faintly in the distance.
Volt stares at him—realizing, perhaps for the first time—
This opponent is nothing like the others.
And the real battle has only just begun.
....To be Continued.....