After a tense exit from the casino, the team regroups at the school for an emergency team meeting. The principal's office, usually a place of authority, now feels gloomy since Surata has not returned.
Yorui tilts her head down, her brow furrowing deeply, worried about his absence. Koroki, with his slouched and laid-back pose, remains quiet but is in deep thought about Surata.
Seto breaks the ice, "So, gambling was your idea of gaining intel?"
Koroki and Yorui's nerves jolt like a circuit. They stand uncomfortably, wanting to hide their faces. Slacking off your first mission is a one-plane ticket to Ishio's wrath, something that Koroki fears.
"Well, at least you spoke to Tiger." Seto looks down, covering part of his mouth with his hand. "So, there really is something going on."
Koroki speaks up. "I think Surata found something." His mind recollects Surata gesturing at him from the casino.
"I'm aware," Seto states. "I know where he's at."
"How?" Koroki asks.
"I used my Noye on Surata while he was chasing the boy. I'm a sensor-type Noye user. I can see things from people's perspective. Do you remember when I touched your shoulder?"
Though it was subtle, the children vaguely remember Seto touching them before they arrived at the casino. It wasn't anything noticeable, though; it was a normal pat.
"People who I touch with my Noye will be marked and can use their eyes without them knowing."
The children tilt their heads and stare at each other. They repeat Seto's words, hoping it will make more sense the second time.
Seeing how troubled they are, Seto breaks it down, "Think about it like me burrowing your eyes. I can see what you see. That's how I saw you guys with Tiger. For some reason, I could barely use my Noye at that time, but I know roughly where Surata's at."
Understanding more of his abilities, Yorui's worries fade, now filled with hope.
"So, where is he?"
___
Several hours after being tranquilized, Surata's eyes flutter open, regaining consciousness. The cold, unforgiving stone floor presses against his cheek, planting him in this harsh reality.
"Where am I?"
Disoriented, he pushes himself up, his muscles resisting. As his vision clears, he looks around to find himself surrounded by the large, steel bars of a prison cell. The cell is empty, decorated by the warm air- no bed, no sink, not even a toilet.
He heads to the bars, gripping the bars. Hundreds of cages line up around Surata, filling the enormous room.
The sheer cold silence makes him feel like he's dreaming.
Surata tries to remember how he got here. "How did I end up in here? What happened?"
A voice from the distance interrupts his thinking. "Oh, you're finally awake."
The voice draws Surata's attention to the cell opposite his. "You're the kid from earlier."
At least he sees someone he recognizes.
The boy, huddled with his face buried in his knees, mutters, "I'm not a kid, and I have a name."
"What's your name, then?"
"Not telling you."
"What's this kid's problem?" Surata's nerves tick, a spark of anger in his chest, irritated by the boy's attitude.
Surata hears coughing from the boy's cell. His nerves cool down, and his eyes expand softly. "Hey, are you okay?"
The boy swiftly gets up, looking worried. "Shut up!" The boy turns his attention away. "Are you alright, 'sis?"
"Who is he talking to?"
Surata inspects the boy's cage. He was focused on the boy he failed to notice someone else inside the cage with the boy: a teenage girl. She looks older than the boy, and judging from the kid, she is his older sister, Aya.
She lies on the cage floor, her thin body covered by a tattered white blanket and a small, rough, white pillow. Her skin is pale and translucent compared to her brother's. Every breath she takes is taxing, each one a struggle. Her voice is a soft yet raspy whisper, interrupted by bits of coughing. "I- I'm al... right."
"No, you're not 'sis. You're sick! We need to get out of here! You need to get medicine."
"Don't worry... when the Keibai starts," she says, forcing a weak but heartfelt smile. "I'm sure someone will buy you. Then, once you have enough money, maybe you can buy me someday." Her words are meant to comfort, but the underlying sadness and the forced optimism in her voice makes the boy's heart ache.
"Keibai? What are you guys talking about?" Surata asks, overhearing the conversation.
"You're a Shikari and don't know about the auction? What an idiot! You guys are so-"
Aya softly interrupts her brother, placing her hand on her brother's hand. "It's alright. Just tell him."
Listening to his older sister, the kid recollects himself. "The Keibai is an underground auction under the Toihe Casino. High, prominent, and highly status figures from the underworld gather to buy auctioned goods. It's like a black market. They sell pretty much anything illegal, from Noye-infused weapons to Noye users, like us." The boy gently touches his eyepatch.
"These kids are Noye users? They sure don't look like it."
"The point is, we are stuck in here until the Keibai starts. If you never showed up, you wouldn't be here with us. Why did you come?"
"Because you looked like you needed help."
"We don't need help from a shikari." The boy snaps, eyes flashing with anger.
"Why not? Shikaris are here to protect the people."
"If they're here to protect the people, then why are we in this prison!? It's you people that put us in here in the first place!" The boy's fists clench, his voice trembling with rage as he glares at Surata.
"Kenji, that's enough," Aya interjects, her voice weak but firm. Despite her sickening condition, her eyes hold a steely determination that silences her brother's anger.
Surata recalls when Kenji first rejected his help.
Go away, Shikari! Leave me alone!
Surata's heart sinks and his spirit weakens, feeling sorry for the boy. Shikaris are meant to be protectors, not aggressors. The realization chews at him, gouging his sense of purpose.
Surata's mouth remains shut, unable to find any words; the silence between them thickens.
Aya directs her attention to Surata, her gaze softening despite the pain in her eyes. "I'm sorry about that, Surata. Elio… told me that was your name when he met you. It's true that a shikari b-brought us here. We've been here for two years." Aya unwraps from the cover, struggling to stand up. "It's only a matter of time before we get bought by someone and be free from this hell."
Kenji tries to stop Aya from moving too much or her condition will end up worse.
"Your surname is Aoi, right Surata? The son of Ishio Aoi." Aya limps her way towards the front of the cage, hoping to see Surata more clearly. "Then it makes sense why they didn't kill you and put you in here. Your blood, like ours, put us in here.
Surata quietly clenches his fist, "But even so, I don't have my Noye. What's someone like me going to be worth?"
Aya rests her hands on the cold steel bars, gazing at Surata with a slight smile leaking from her face. "The fact that our last names hold so much meaning makes us more interesting to others."
Surata approaches the bars in his cage, dazzled by Aya's beautiful appearance—her luscious, long white hair resembles the white clouds in the sky. Though dirty from the cage's environment and her raggy oversized clothing that matches her brother's clothing, her hair still shines brightly in that gloomy cage. Like Kenji, an eyepatch conceals her right eye.
Being starstruck by Aya's beauty, Surata raises the question, "What's your blood then? What's your last name, Aya?"
Aya hesitates for a moment, her eyes flickering with an eternal struggle. The sincerity of Surata's words pulsated from his cage. She feels no hostility or lies in Surata's pure aura. She lets out a slight chuckle, her tone becomes lighter and softer. "Shioku."
"Sis…"
She carefully removes her eyepatch.
A large Noye mark hides behind her closed eyelid that resembles,
"奥"
"We are from the Shioku family. This mark was given to us when we awakened our Noye. It symbolizes our ambition to fully understand our power that is brought down from generations. People sought out this power. Because of this mark, the Shikari people took out my right eye and Kenji's left eye."
Surata stays silent for a moment, understanding the pain and suffering these siblings have gone through. "I can't believe Shikaris did this to them. We are supposed to be their protectors." Surata's heart aches as tears dwell up at their expense.
All this time, Surata always looked up to Shikaris. They are his role models. He believed that the war was the end of the conflict. After learning the truth about the siblings, Surata's doubts crawl into his head as he grinds his teeth.
"First Majuro. Now Tiger. I didn't know there were more people like them out there. Does this mean, one day, I might do something like this?"
Surata sits down, bowing his head. The only words that can satisfy his heart are, "I'm so sorry! I'm sorry you guys had to suffer like this! I wish we knew about this sooner."
Surata angrily clenches his fist. The grip on his fist causes his skin to tear and drop blood.
Aya holds her chest, reaching out to Surata with her other arm. "Don't apologize, Surata. You didn't do anything wrong-"
Surata's fist tightens, his knuckles turning white as his nails dig into his palm. "I know! But it's people like me who are hurting innocent people. This isn't right! If they don't apologize, then I will take the blame for them."
Aya's heart flutters, touched by the sincerity in his voice.
Surata gets up on his feet and heads to the back of the cage. "You guys don't have to trust me. After all, I said I'm a shikari. But just know, I will…. find a way to help you escape." His voice is clear, with every word filled with resolve. Surata sits down again, with an intense gaze staring into the distance. "That's a promise." He lays down back on the floor, his head resting on his crossed arms.
Aya's coughs resume as she staggers back to her bed, with Kenji helping her walk.
"Sis, you didn't have to tell him about us."
"Kenji. I know… we were brought here by Shikaris. But there's something different about Surata. It's like… my heart tells me we can trust him."
The conversation ends, as Surata falls into deep thought, determined to save the siblings.
___
Back at the school, Seto informs the children of Surata's whereabouts.
"So, Surata is gonna be auctioned at the Keibai tomorrow?"
Seto talks to himself. "I knew about the Keibai, but I didn't know Tiger was the one in charge of it."
Yorui imposes a question, "Do you know where the auction is?"
"When I infiltrated the back, I noticed a huge metal door. So, I used my Noye on some suspicious workers to confirm my suspicion."
"How are we going to save him?"
"We're going to crash the auction!"
The team composes a plan that will begin at the start of the auction- bring Tiger down and save Surata.