Returning to his room, Yoto found it eerily quiet. The usually lively atmosphere was absent, and only the faint voices of guards echoed through the halls. When he entered the squad's quarters, no one was there.
"Hayato? Yushin? Akemi?" he called, his voice trembling slightly. Silence greeted him.
On the table, he noticed a letter. His chest tightened as he unfolded it, reading the chilling words:
"Come to the location mentioned. Alone. You can only save two out of four. I'm looking forward to meeting you, Yoto."
Fear gripped him as his hands shook uncontrollably. He whispered, "What the hell is happening? Who is this person?"
The letter warned him not to seek help. Any attempt to involve others would result in his entire squad's death. Sweat poured down his face, and he buried it in his hands, blaming himself for their predicament.
But suddenly, something inside him shifted. He rose, his watery eyes now steely with determination. As he wiped his face, anger replaced his fear.
"We will save everyone in my squad," he said through gritted teeth, storming out of the building.
As Yoto moved toward the location mentioned in the letter, the calm atmosphere around him amplified his resolve. The chirping of insects was the only sound, and as he progressed, even the snow thinned out, as though he were entering a different world.
Standing beside a tree, he gazed at an abandoned city—an eerie remnant of a great war from long ago. The ruins stood as silent witnesses to countless tragedies. Yoto clenched his fists and muttered, "we will save everyone. If anyone dares to stand in my way, I won't hesitate to kill them."
Elsewhere, Hayato stirred awake. His vision blurred, and the faint sound of a voice calling his name broke through.
"Hayato, is that you?"
"Eiji?" Hayato croaked, his throat dry. Relief washed over Eiji's face.
"Thank god you're okay," Eiji said.
Hayato rubbed his eyes, noticing they were inside a cage. Confusion swirled. "Eiji, where are we?"
"I don't know," Eiji admitted. "I woke up here after falling asleep in the medical room. What's going on?"
Hayato stood and inspected the cage. Outside, two guards armed with guns stood silently by the door.
"Hey! Who are you? What do you want from us?" Hayato yelled. The guards didn't respond, their indifference infuriating him.
Hayato channeled electricity into his hand, attempting to break the cage, but his body felt numb. His power wouldn't activate. He slumped to the ground, sweating.
"Hayato, are you okay?" Eiji asked, his voice laced with concern.
"No… I can't use my power. My body feels… dead," Hayato admitted.
"Me too," Eiji replied. "It's like I just woke up from a coma. Do you think they drugged us?"
Hayato frowned, piecing together fragments of his memory. "The last thing I remember is resting in the medical room after our mission. Yoto wasn't with us… but where are Akemi and Yushin?"
"They're not here," Eiji said nervously.
Hayato's anger flared. He yelled at the guards, "Where are the others? Where's my squad? Answer me!"
The guards remained silent until a loud thud echoed down the hall. Alarmed, the guards moved toward the sound, guns drawn. Moments later, screams and gunshots rang out, followed by an eerie silence.
One guard crawled back into view, blood gushing from his neck. He reached out for help but collapsed before he could utter a word.
Hayato and Eiji froze in place, staring at the lifeless body in horror. Their confusion deepened when a familiar figure emerged from the shadows—Yoto.
"Yoto! Are you okay? Have you seen Akemi and Yushin?" Hayato asked, relief mixed with urgency.
"Yoto, who were those people? Why are we in a cage?" Eiji added.
Yoto said nothing, unlocking their cage in silence before storming out of the room.
"Wait! Where are you going?" Eiji called after him, but Yoto had vanished.
Yoto entered an abandoned theater, his footsteps echoing. On the stage, Akemi and Yushin were tied up, unconscious and vulnerable. His heart pounded with anger as he sprinted toward them.
A figure stepped out from the shadows, blocking his path.
"Yoto, you finally decided to save these two," the man said smugly.
Yoto stopped, his eyes narrowing. "You… Kashin? The commander of the Defense Squad?"
Kashin smirked. "Glad you remember me. But I'm not here for pleasantries."
In a flash, Kashin leapt into the air, slamming his foot into the ground where Yoto stood. Yoto dodged just in time, the impact cracking the ground and sending debris flying.
"Not bad for someone without powers," Kashin taunted. "But don't think you can dodge forever."
He lunged again, fists swinging. Yoto dodged and drew his pistol, firing. The bullets ricocheted off Kashin's steel-like skin.
"There's no point," Kashin sneered. "Your efforts are meaningless. Surrender and die."
From the shadows, Razor observed the fight, muttering to himself. "Come on, Yoto. Show me your power. Sir Genta needs to know if you're worth the trouble."
As Eiji and Hayato navigated their way down from the cage room, they descended cautiously toward the first floor. The silence was deafening, broken only by their footsteps echoing in the stairwell.
When they reached the first floor, the sight before them sent a chill down their spines.
The hallway was drenched in blood. Bodies of guards, wearing the same uniforms as those who had guarded the cage, lay sprawled across the floor. Their limbs were torn apart, and the walls were smeared with violent streaks of red.
Eiji gasped, his voice trembling. "Hayato… what happened here?"
Hayato couldn't respond. His breath hitched, his face pale as he took in the carnage.
Eiji whispered again, his voice barely audible, "Do you think… Yoto did this?"
Hayato remained silent, his fists clenched. The scene was a bloodbath, far beyond anything he could have imagined.
Suddenly, a loud crash shook the building. The sound came from outside, accompanied by the faint echoes of a struggle.
Hayato snapped out of his stupor and turned to Eiji. "Someone's fighting nearby. Let's check it out. Maybe we'll find the others there."
Eiji nodded hesitantly, and the two began running toward the source of the noise.
Yoto was on the defensive, his breaths ragged as he tried to keep up with Kashin's relentless attacks. Sweat dripped down his face as fatigue began to overtake him.
"Damn it," Yoto muttered to himself, his thoughts racing. "I'm running out of stamina. I need to find an opening, a weak spot… something. His body is like steel—even bullets can't leave a mark. What do I do? Yushin… Akemi… hang tight. I'll get to you soon."
Kashin's mocking voice echoed through the theater, cutting through Yoto's thoughts. "Why are you spacing out, Yoto? Have you given up on your life already? Hahaha!"
Yoto glared at him, determination flaring in his eyes. "Even if my legs can't stand… even if my hands can't hold a weapon… I will fight until I die. I will save them, and I will defeat you right here!"
Kashin grinned, his expression twisted with amusement. "Bold words from someone who's already lost."
With a deafening stomp, Kashin slammed his foot into the ground, causing the stage to tremble and a cloud of smoke to rise. When the dust settled, Kashin had Yoto by the neck, lifting him off the ground effortlessly.
"That's some big talk from a pathetic little worm," Kashin sneered, his grip tightening. Yoto struggled, gasping for air as he clawed at Kashin's hand.
In the background, Yushin stirred, her vision blurry as she regained consciousness. Her heart sank as she saw Yoto struggling, his face red and desperate for breath. Rage boiled within her as she struggled against her restraints, her wrists and ankles tied tightly.
"YOTO!" Yushin screamed, her voice trembling with fear and anger.
Kashin glanced at her briefly before turning his attention back to Yoto. "What did you say earlier? That you'd defeat me? Hah! Sir Genta seems oddly interested in you. He even sent me here to kill you himself. What a waste of my time. I should have just sent my subordinates to handle you."
Yoto's mind raced as his vision blurred, but he refused to give up. Summoning every ounce of strength, he drew a small blade hidden in his sleeve and stabbed at Kashin's neck.
The blade snapped on impact.
Kashin laughed cruelly. "Pathetic. I told you—you can't hurt me. Do you know what they call me? I'm the Absolute Defense. No sword can pierce my skin. No one can—"
Before he could finish, a powerful force slammed into Kashin, sending him flying across the theater. He crashed through the wall and into a building outside, the sound of destruction echoing in the air.
Smoke filled the theater, obscuring Yoto's vision. He collapsed to the ground, gasping for air, his body weak and trembling. As he struggled to sit up, a voice broke through the haze.
"I hope I'm not too late," the voice said calmly.
Yoto smiled faintly, his voice hoarse. "No… you're right on time, Nishi."
The smoke began to clear, revealing a figure kneeling beside Yoto. Razor, watching from the shadows, froze in shock, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"What… what is this?" Razor muttered to himself, sweat dripping down his face. "There are… two Yotos? Who is that other one? I didn't know there was another person who looked like him…"
Even Yushin, still bound, stared in astonishment. Her thoughts raced. What is happening? Why are there two Yotos? What are you hiding from us, Yoto?
The figure who resembled Yoto helped him to his feet, steadying him as the two faced the broken wall where Kashin had been flung.