On 30th January 2042, in the Shi-Zhang Corporation's main office, Madam Di-Xian was immersed in her work, her eyes glancing occasionally at the crimson lotus blooming on her desk. The quiet focus of her work was interrupted when Agent-Jun entered, his tone urgent.
"Madam, there's a client here who insists on meeting you urgently," he said.
She nodded, waving her hand, "Show him in."
The client entered, and Madam Di-Xian's eyes briefly widened in surprise. A young man in his twenties stood before her, one side of his face partially obscured by a bandage that covered his injured eye. His expression was hardened with grief and vengeance. After a moment, he spoke, his voice thick with rage. "I need your help," he said, his remaining eye alight with barely concealed fury. "This man killed my best friend. I want justice—no, I want revenge."
Madam Di-Xian gestured for him to sit down, her voice calm but attentive. "What happened?" she asked, leaning forward slightly.
The man, Chiang Xuang, explained the events that had unfolded only a day earlier. Chiang Xuang lived with his best friend Zhuing Xieng; they were more like brothers than friends, working side by side at the same company. Zhuing Xieng was Chiang's mentor, someone he looked up to deeply. As the holidays approached, the two decided to celebrate with a drink at the Shattered Lantern, a bar known for attracting the elite. They ordered their first drinks, a couple of glasses of champagne.
A short while later, both men felt their vision blur, and soon they fell unconscious. When they awoke, it was not the familiar setting of the bar that greeted them, but an empty field, cold with the biting morning air. Their shirts were gone, their bodies half-naked and chilled. As they struggled to sit up, they realised they weren't alone; several other captives lay scattered around them, confused and frightened.
Out of the early morning fog, a group of men approached, their steps confident and unhurried. The leader, a heavyset man clad in an opulent suit adorned with rings and a cigar clamped between his teeth, gave them a smug, mocking smile. In his hand was a rifle.
"Ah, finally awake, are we?" the man sneered. Chiang Xuang and Zhuing Xieng exchanged glances, their hearts pounding.
"Who are you, and what are you planning?" Zhuing Xieng shouted, his voice thick with fear and anger.
The man simply chuckled. "Hunting animals has lost its thrill, so we decided to try something more exhilarating. Hunting… people," he said, his lips curling into a twisted smile.
"This is illegal!" Chiang Xuang screamed, barely able to contain his horror. "You can't do this!"
The man laughed darkly, firing his gun into the air to silence him. "We are above the law. You peasants are simply here for our amusement, and peasants have no right to survive," he sneered, savouring every word.
One of his accomplices stepped forward, grinning, "You have a few minutes to run before the hunt begins." With that, he fired another shot into the sky, signalling the start.
Chiang Xuang, Zhuing Xieng, and a few others sprinted in terror across the field. The sound of gunfire echoed as some captives fell, taken down without mercy. Those who survived darted toward a nearby thicket of trees, hoping to escape. Yet the wealthy hunters continued to pick them off, savouring their fear like a rare delicacy. Only Chiang Xuang , Zhuing Xieng, and a young woman managed to survive the first onslaught.
Hidden within the foliage, they huddled together, desperately formulating a plan to escape. "One of us needs to draw them away," Zhuing Xieng whispered, his voice grave.
Chiang Xuang shook his head, his voice thick with guilt. "No. I can't let you do that."
"We have no other choice," Zhuing Xieng insisted. "It's our only chance. Just go. I'll hold them off."
At that moment, they heard the hunters closing in, rifles clicking as they scanned the undergrowth. Chiang Xuang hesitated, but Zhuing Xieng gave him a determined look. "You must go. Hurry!"
As Chiang turned to flee, he heard Zhuing Xieng's cry as the hunters' lackeys caught him and began beating him mercilessly. His friend's final words echoed in his ears: Run!
With adrenaline coursing through his veins, Chiang Xuang managed to scale the barbed wire fence surrounding the field. One of the hunters fired, and a bullet grazed his shoulder, sending a jolt of pain through his body. The barbed wire cut across his face, slicing through his eye, but he pressed on, fuelled by grief and rage.
Back in the present, Madam Di-Xian listened intently as Chiang recounted his harrowing experience. "Please," he begged, his voice quivering. "I want you to avenge my friend. Those people cannot be allowed to live after what they've done."
After a pause, Madam Di-Xian spoke softly, "Why didn't you report this to the SSCBF?"
Chiang Xuang's face turned steely. "The SSCBF serves the law, but the elite control the law. Even if I told them, they'd deny the case. Those men are untouchable."
Madam Di-Xian nodded thoughtfully. "I see. Very well. I'll take the case."
After Chiang Xuang left, Jun turned to her, his eyes blazing with a quiet fury. "Please, Madam, allow me to take this case. I want to bring them down."
Madam Di-Xian studied him for a moment, then shook her head with a slight smile. "No, Jun. I have a different team in mind for this one. Agent-90, Masud, and Roy—let them handle it. But first, we need more information on this Thomas Mason."
She visited her informant, Gonda, who quickly provided the details. "Thomas Mason is the ringleader," Gonda said coolly. "His accomplices—Antony Fredrick and Fitzwilliam Gregior—are just as brutal. They co-own the Shattered Lantern. It's a breeding ground for the elite's darkest indulgences."
Madam Di-Xian's eyes narrowed. "Wasn't that the same place where Edward Vistalonia was seen?"
Gonda nodded, his expression dark. "Edward is one of Mason's closest associates. Though I'm afraid that's all I've gathered so far."
"Let me know if you find more," she replied.
Before leaving, she asked Gonda if Wen-Li had received Agent-90's number. With a smirk, Gonda replied, "She did. But she doesn't know the number is masked. She might trace it, but she'll get nothing."
"Well done, Gonda," she said, smiling approvingly.
Later that night, in the dim, clandestine setting of an underground meeting room, she gave Agent-90, Masud, and Roy their orders. "Your target is Thomas Mason. He hunts the innocent for sport," she said, her voice chillingly calm. "Time has come for the hunters to become the hunted." The three agents' eyes glinted with deadly determination as they prepared for their mission.
For Mason and his friends, their reign of terror was about to end in blood.
The three agents reached the Shattered Lantern, where Agent-90 exchanged glances with Masud and Roy, giving a quick nod. They moved to the bar, sitting nonchalantly and ordering drinks, though Agent-90 had already noted the faint glisten on the glass rims—a telltale sign of a sleeping agent mixed into the alcohol. With a light tap of his foot, he signalled the others, alerting them. They exchanged subtle smiles, masking their awareness and chatting casually as they took small sips. Roy observed the patrons around them, noticing the slumped postures and half-closed eyes; it was clear that most of them had unknowingly consumed the drugged drinks.
However, the agents had anticipated this trick. Before entering, they'd each taken a specially formulated anti-sedative pill, effectively rendering the sleeping agent useless. They feigned sleep, allowing themselves to be taken along with the other dazed patrons when a truck arrived. Hauled into the metal container with the others, the three agents exchanged a brief, knowing glance—this would be their only opportunity to turn the tables on their captors.
Meanwhile, back at SSCBF headquarters, Wen-Li sat at her desk, the steady rhythm of raindrops against the windows filling the room with a sombre tone. The door opened, and Krieg stepped inside after a brief knock, his expression neutral.
"You requested to see me, Chief?" he asked.
Wen-Li nodded, her gaze serious. "Yes, Commander. I wanted to clarify something… You advised me to consider resigning from this department. Is my life truly at risk?"
"Yes," Krieg answered firmly. "There are forces aligned against you, and the true culprit is powerful. But the timing for the full truth hasn't yet arrived. Trust me… when it's time, you'll know."
With a wave, she dismissed him. Alone once more, she turned to the window, watching the sheets of rain splattering against the glass as thunder rumbled across the darkened sky. The words of Gonda echoed in her mind: "There's a traitor among you. Be careful." Wen-Li bit her lip in frustration. Who among us could be a hypocrite? she wondered.At that moment, Captain Robert and Captain Lingaong Xuein, his female counterpart, arrived. She assigned them the task of closely monitoring their teammates. The two captains exchanged a look of mutual confusion before Robert asked, "Is there a reason for this, Chief?"
She appeared on the verge of explaining but withheld her thoughts, replying instead, "Just do as I've asked."
Both captains nodded in silent understanding, immediately leaving the room without further question.
In the pouring rain, the scene shifted to the dense forest where Agent-90, Masud, and Roy stumbled forward, hands tied behind their backs. Mud clung to their clothes as Thomas Mason, the ringleader, marched them through the woods. Behind him, his accomplices Fitzwilliam Gregor and Antony Frederick moved like silent shadows, each carrying a weapon and wearing a predatory smile.
"Not many left now, are there?" Thomas mused with a smirk, though a frown creased his brow. He turned to Gregor. "Where did the others vanish?"
Gregor scratched his head, clearly perplexed. "There were plenty. But it's like they just… disappeared."
"That's enough." Thomas raised his pistol, aiming it at the three agents, his eyes cold. "This ends now."
Agent-90 caught Roy's gaze, a silent plan passing between them. With the cover of darkness and the roar of thunder, they ducked low, quickly slipping out of their loosely tied restraints. Without a word, they sprinted towards the nearest trees, vanishing into the shadows.
"After them!" Thomas barked, the three hunters raising their guns and firing into the stormy night, their shots muffled by the pounding rain.
Agent-90, Masud, and Roy moved swiftly, zigzagging through the dense undergrowth, knowing the hunters were close behind. Masud, breathing hard but keeping calm, drew his silenced Phantom Blade. Roy, gripping the Viper F9 combat pistol, scanned their surroundings, his gaze sharp and focused.
As Thomas led his men further into the thick woods, Agent-90's silhouette emerged from the shadows behind him. Before Thomas could react, Agent-90 pressed his Phantom Blade to the back of his head, releasing a silenced shot. Thomas staggered forward, clutching his wounded shoulder, and Agent-90 disappeared into the darkness.
Gregor and Frederick snapped to attention, their eyes wide with panic. "Stay alert!" shouted Frederick, his rifle trembling slightly as he swept it across the trees around him.
Perched on a rocky ledge above, Masud took aim with his Viper F9, locking onto Frederick's figure below. He fired a precise shot, the energy pulse zipping through the rain and striking Frederick's arm. Frederick let out a strangled scream, his rifle clattering to the ground.
"Enough of your games!" Thomas shouted into the night, pain lacing his voice as he struggled to hold his injured shoulder steady. But his bravado wavered, replaced by the undeniable tension of being hunted.
Agent-90 caught Roy's eye, a flicker of understanding passing between them. As thunder roared overhead and the rain intensified, the three agents ducked low and, with an agile twist, slipped out of the loose restraints around their wrists. They bolted towards the cover of the thick trees, disappearing into the shadows. Behind them, Thomas, Gregor, and Frederick snapped their guns up, firing shots into the stormy night, the blasts dulled by the relentless downpour.
The agents moved swiftly through the undergrowth, aware that the man-hunters would be hot on their trail. Masud, breathing hard yet resolute, drew his Phantom Blade—a silenced, sleek pistol glinting faintly beneath the rain-soaked canopy. Roy, with his Viper F9 Combat Energy pistol at the ready, scanned his surroundings, his eyes sharp with determination.
As Thomas led his team deeper into the forest, Agent-90's shadow appeared silently behind him. Before Thomas could react, Agent-90 pressed the Phantom Blade against the back of his head and fired a silenced shot. Thomas staggered forward, clutching his shoulder, and Agent-90 slipped back into the shadows without a trace.
Gregor and Frederick glanced around frantically, panic flickering in their eyes. "Stay sharp!" Frederick barked, raising his rifle and peering into the darkened trees.
From a rocky ledge above, Masud steadied his aim with the Viper F9, targeting Frederick's silhouette. He fired a precise shot, the energy pulse piercing the rain and striking Frederick's arm. Frederick cried out as his weapon fell to the muddy ground, clutching his arm in pain.
In the dense shadows of the forest floor, Roy advanced silently on Gregor, his Phantom Blade ready. With swift, calculated steps, Roy crept up behind him, positioning his pistol with a steady hand. He fired, the silenced shot muffled by rain and thunder, and Gregor collapsed into the undergrowth, groaning as he struggled to lift his rifle.
Only Thomas remained, clutching his wounded shoulder, his gun pointed aimlessly into the darkness. A crack of lightning lit the clearing, casting Agent-90's silhouette against the flickering storm as he stepped forward, his Phantom Blade aimed steadily at Thomas.
"You hunted the wrong prey," Agent-90 said, his tone cold and unwavering.
With a final shot, Agent-90 fired, and Thomas fell silent. The rain poured over the forest, washing away the traces of the struggle as the agents emerged victorious, the storm their only witness.
As they prepared to leave, Agent-90 glanced up at the sky, watching as thunderbolts and flashes of lightning tore through the clouds, momentarily widening his gaze with awe and intensity. Roy placed a steady hand on his shoulder, saying firmly, "We need to get moving; the weather's worsening."
Agent-90 gave a final look to the stormy heavens before nodding, both agents swiftly vanishing into the shadows of the forest as rain poured down, washing away any trace of the night's grim events.