Dawn broke over the city as the Yankai team prepared for their mission. Unmei, Yoichi, Kazu, and Fukaime were assigned to investigate the Yokai attack that Atama had briefed them about the night before. Each member stayed alert and focused on what might happen next.
The four of them arrived at a quiet and remote area of the city. Old, crumbling buildings surrounded them, casting strange shadows under the gray sky. They looked around but found nothing unusual. Minutes passed without any signs of activity, and they began to relax, exchanging confused glances.
"Do you think this was a false alarm?" Fukaime whispered, watching their surroundings.
Kazu, the oldest and most experienced member of the group, frowned as he looked around. He felt an uneasy tension in the air. "Stay alert. This place doesn't feel right," he said.
Just then, movement in the shadows caught his eye. Dark, twisted figures appeared from the crumbling walls, closing in on them. Yokai—dozens of them—each with glowing red eyes and distorted shapes, were ready to attack. "Ambush!" Kazu shouted, pushing Unmei out of the line of fire as the Yokai lunged at them.
The battle erupted into a blur of chaos and flashing powers. Yoichi used his teleportation ability to dart around the Yokai, striking from unpredictable angles. Fukaime wielded her weapons with swift precision, consistently finding her targets. Unmei, charged with adrenaline, channeled his powers, landing powerful hits against the advancing Yokai.
However, the Yokai were relentless, swarming and overwhelming the team. Despite their best efforts, each member suffered hits, and bruises and cuts accumulated as they continued to fight. In the heat of battle, Kazu's quick reflexes saved them more than once. He used his puppetry skills to control some of the Yokai, turning them against each other, and his mind control slowed their attacks, giving his teammates a fighting chance. But for every Yokai they defeated, another seemed to appear, pushing them to the edge of their strength.
As the last Yokai fell, the team was left gasping for breath, bruised and bleeding. Kazu, who had taken the brunt of the attacks, staggered while clutching a deep wound in his side. Yet he forced himself to stand tall, swallowing his pain as he reassured the others.
"Is everyone okay?" he asked, his voice strained.
Unmei nodded, concern flashing in his eyes as he noticed Kazu's injuries. "Kazu, you're hurt pretty badly…"
Kazu forced a smile. "Nothing I can't handle."
With their mission complete, the team returned to headquarters, exhausted and battered. They entered Atama's office to give their report, with Kazu leading the way, hiding his pain behind a stoic expression. As the oldest in the group, he knew he would have to bear the responsibility of explaining what had happened.
Atama listened in silence as Kazu recounted the ambush and how they had barely managed to escape. But as soon as he finished, her expression hardened.
"Kazu, you're the oldest on this team," she said, her voice sharp. "It was your responsibility to protect them. You should have been more vigilant. How could you allow them to get ambushed like that?"
Kazu's face fell, her words striking a painful chord. He opened his mouth to respond, but the pain in his side made him hesitate. He lowered his gaze, clenching his fists as he tried to maintain his composure.
"...I'm sorry," he muttered, barely audible.
Atama continued, her disappointment clear. "You're supposed to be a leader out there, Kazu. This isn't a game. If you can't take responsibility for your team, maybe you shouldn't be leading them."
Her words cut deep, each one sinking into Kazu's heart. He felt not only the sting of physical pain from his wound but also the ache of her disapproval. She didn't see how hard he had fought or that he had protected them at every turn. To her, he had failed, and nothing else seemed to matter.
Unmei and Yoichi exchanged worried glances, concerned for Kazu. They wanted to speak up for him, to explain how he had saved them multiple times. But Kazu shot them a warning look, silently urging them to drop it. He didn't want them to defend him; he didn't want to cause any more trouble.
Finally, Atama dismissed them, her words lingering heavily in the air. Kazu nodded silently and walked out of her office, his face a mask of calm despite the turmoil inside. The others followed him, concern etched on their faces as they watched him hold his head high.
Once in the hallway, Kazu paused and took a deep breath. His shoulders were tense, and his hands trembled slightly as he fought to contain his emotions. Without a word, he turned and walked away, heading toward his dorm.
Unmei stepped forward, wanting to follow, but Yoichi gently held him back. "Give him a moment," Yoichi whispered. "He needs time to process."
Unmei bit his lip, feeling helpless as he watched Kazu's retreating figure. He wished he could ease Kazu's pain, to show him that he wasn't alone and that his team understood all he had done for them. But for now, all they could do was give him the space he needed.
As Kazu disappeared around the corner, Unmei felt a resolve building within him. He wouldn't let Kazu face this alone. One way or another, he would make sure Kazu knew he was valued and that his efforts hadn't gone unnoticed.
Though Kazu's heart was breaking inside, he walked away with silent strength, using the pain and disappointment like a shield. For now, he bore that weight alone—but in time, he would come to realize that his friends were there, ready to support him whenever he needed them.