The corridor was narrow, dimly lit, and suffocating with the stale air that clung to the walls. Flickering, rusted lamps lined the walls, casting long shadows as Junpei, Rika, and the others moved through it in silence. The sound of their footsteps echoed with a dull thud against the cold, damp stone floors, amplifying the tension that thickened the atmosphere.
Rika, walking just behind her father, kept glancing at him, trying to read his expression, but Junpei's face was as hard as stone, his eyes focused straight ahead. It wasn't the first time she had seen him like this — guarded, calculating, but there was something different now, something unsettling. She couldn't shake the feeling of unease that crawled up her spine.
"Dad," Rika's voice finally cut through the tense silence, hesitant but filled with curiosity. "What did you mean earlier when you said you've been here before?"
Junpei's jaw tightened, and for a moment, he didn't answer. His eyes flickered with a memory — distant and painful. He exhaled slowly before nodding.
"Yes," he muttered, his voice rough with old emotions. "This place... it's the Veinweave." He glanced over his shoulder at her, his gaze softened for a second before hardening again. "It's not just a fighting ring. It's a system of tunnels and corridors that runs beneath the entire city, like a spider's web. My brother..." His voice faltered for a moment before regaining its strength. "My brother created this space."
Rika's brow furrowed, trying to make sense of it all. "Your brother? My uncle?"
Junpei sighed, his eyes still focused ahead. "It's not something I talk about much. My brother was different. He wasn't like me. He... he was ambitious, powerful. This place, these corridors, they were his playground. A base of operations for his group. The Veinweave spreads across the city, connecting hidden places, safe houses, and arenas. He built it all."
The corridor seemed to stretch on forever, the oppressive darkness closing in on them as they walked.
"How do you know so much about it?" Rika asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.
Junpei's steps slowed, his hand briefly grazing the cold stone wall beside him. "I used to come here," he said quietly, his voice heavy with regret. "Back then, I was different too. I followed my brother, believed in his vision... until I didn't."
Rika's eyes widened. The hardened fighter, the man she had always seen as an unshakable force, seemed almost... vulnerable in this place.
Endo, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke up, his voice low and cautious. "So, someone has repurposed this place?"
Junpei's eyes darkened, the softness from before gone. "That's what I think as well. But whoever runs this place is not a part of his group. That much I know."
They turned a corner, and the faint sounds of the crowd began to grow louder. The corridor widened slightly, the light ahead becoming brighter, more artificial. The smell of sweat, blood, and expensive alcohol wafted through the air as they neared the main arena. The energy of the place hit them in waves — a violent, twisted excitement that thrummed beneath their feet.
They stood there for a moment, the weight of Junpei's past and the uncertainty of what lay ahead pressing down on them. But then, from beyond the heavy doors that led to the arena, the familiar sound of Aura meeting metal echoed through the corridor — the unmistakable noise of a fight in progress.
Junpei's gaze sharpened instantly. "Let's go," he said, turning toward the doors, his focus back on the task at hand. He pushed the doors open, and the cacophony of the arena hit them like a wave, the roars of the crowd drowning out everything else.
As they stepped into the heart of the Veinweave, Rika could feel the tension mounting, the weight of their mission pressing heavily on all of them. And somewhere in the chaos, Kazuki was fighting for his life.
***
The atmosphere of the arena was stifling, alive with a palpable sense of bloodlust and brutality. The moment Junpei, Rika, and the others stepped inside, they were hit by the pungent mix of sweat, alcohol, and adrenaline.
The place was packed with a sea of faces, all crammed together under the flickering, uneven lights. Above them, massive screens replayed fights happening across the different stages, and the roar of the crowd swelled like a living, breathing beast.
Shoda's fighting ring was notorious, and seeing it in person only confirmed its grim reputation. Junpei's eyes darted from stage to stage, taking in the spectacle of violence. Every corner of the arena had a fight in progress — the participants locked in a deadly dance while the crowd egged them on, some waving money in the air, others screaming at the top of their lungs.
"How can people enjoy this?" Rika muttered, her voice barely audible over the chaos.
"It's the thrill," Endo replied, grimacing. "For some, this is just another way to feel alive. Weren't you trying to be like them a few years back?"
Rika ignored the last part and kept moving.
As they pushed their way through the throng of onlookers, Junpei's attention was drawn to a fight happening on one of the elevated stages. A large, burly man wielding a massive hammer swung it down with a thundering force. His opponent, a smaller man, dodged with unnatural agility, flipping out of the hammer's path and retaliating with a series of rapid punches. Each blow landed with a sickening crack, the burly man's flesh rippling under the impact.
"Looks like the little guy is gonna take him down," Endo commented, watching the hammer-wielder struggle to keep up with his opponent's speed.
Nearby, another fight was drawing attention. A lanky fighter with tattoos all over his face was facing off against a woman who wielded twin daggers with precision. The tattooed man sent shockwaves through the ground with each stomp, trying to disorient her, but she danced around his attacks with fluid grace, waiting for her moment to strike.
But none of this held Junpei's attention for long. As they continued to weave through the crowd, his eyes locked on a fight further ahead. The crowd around it was noticeably more captivated, their focus singular. At the center of the fight stood a woman — tall, slender, and striking. Her long black hair had streaks of yellow running through it, catching the light as she moved. Her body was clad in a black, skin-tight bodysuit, with a short sword strapped to her waist by a belt. The sword rested on her back, the hilt poking out just over her shoulder, waiting to be drawn.
Junpei slowed to a stop, his sharp gaze fixed on her. She wasn't Japanese — her features were unmistakably European or North American, her glowing blue eyes standing out against her fair skin. There was something in her demeanor that was both calculated and lethal, a sly smile playing on her lips as she stared down her opponent.
The other woman, clearly Japanese, was equally striking but in a different way. She had short grey hair, cut close to her head, and a look of intense focus. Her lean, muscular frame was tense, ready for action. As the announcer's voice boomed over the speakers, signaling the start of the fight, the Japanese woman wasted no time.
She leapt into the air with an impressive updraft, her body moving fluidly as if dancing on invisible currents. She twisted mid-air, and with a swift motion, sharp blades materialized in the space around her, forming a deadly cloak of steel. The crowd murmured in awe, watching the metallic glint of the blades hover beside her, shimmering like a storm of razors.
With a flick of her wrist, the blades surged forward, hurling themselves toward the foreign woman with terrifying speed.
But she wasn't there anymore.
Junpei's eyes narrowed as he scanned the stage, realizing what had happened. The foreign woman had vanished, disappearing from sight just as the blades were about to hit. The Japanese fighter, still hovering in the air, looked around in confusion, her sharp eyes searching for her opponent. The crowd buzzed, many craning their necks, unsure of what had just happened.
"Where did she—?" Rika started, but Junpei held up a hand, his expression tense.
On the stage, the Japanese fighter landed gracefully on her feet, her brow furrowed in frustration. She scanned the small fighting cage, but her opponent was nowhere to be found. For a moment, there was nothing but the sound of the crowd's murmurs and the fighter's own labored breathing.
Then, suddenly, the crowd erupted into cheers.
Before the Japanese woman could react, a flash of silver glinted behind her, and in the blink of an eye, a short sword plunged into her back with brutal precision. The blade entered through her torso, and in one smooth motion, the foreign woman twisted the hilt, sending a wave of pain through her opponent's body. The Japanese woman gasped, her eyes wide in shock as she stumbled forward, blood pouring from the wound.
The foreign woman appeared behind her, calm and collected, her glowing blue eyes fixed on the sword as she watched the life drain from her opponent. The crowd was on its feet, roaring in approval.
Junpei clenched his fists as he watched the Japanese woman fall to her knees, defeated. He could sense the raw power emanating from the foreign fighter — it was controlled, cold, and merciless.
The announcer's voice boomed once more, declaring the foreign woman the victor, as the lifeless body of her opponent slumped to the ground.
"That woman…" Rika whispered, her voice filled with unease. "Who is she?"
Junpei didn't answer immediately, his mind racing. He had seen fighters like her before — professionals, trained killers. But this one was different, more dangerous.
"What is she doing here?" he muttered, his eyes still locked on the woman as she calmly wiped the blood from her sword and sheathed it once more, her sly smile never faltering.
"You know her?" Eiji asked.
Junpei nodded while his gaze still locked on to that girl.
"Who is she?" Endo asked.
"Lucia. Lucia Eldveil." Junpei muttered.
"Eldveil?" Rika muttered to herself.
"Eldveil, as in the 'Eldveil' clan? The one known for being one of the best assassins in the world?" Endo asked.
Junpei nodded.
Soon the crowd began to settle down, the buzz of excitement lingering in the air, but Junpei couldn't shake the feeling that this woman wasn't here just for the fights. She had a purpose — and he was going to figure out what it was.