Smith and the five (Jack, Miwafe, Rin, Vanessa, and Mark) arrived at the location where the reported seireis were supposedly wandering. They spread out to search for any signs of the spirits but found nothing. Smith, wearing an earpiece for long-distance communication, had given one to each of the team members. He called out, asking if anyone had spotted any seireis.
Jack responded, "Not on my side. Everything's clear."
Rin added, "All I see are some elderly couples—no seireis here."
Vanessa and Miwafe, who had paired up, also confirmed no sightings. Turning to Mark, Smith asked, "Mark, what about you? Have you seen anything?"
There was no response. Smith repeated, "Come in, Mark. Have you detected any seireis?" Still, no answer came.
Meanwhile, Mark, wandering through his assigned area, hadn't even put on his earpiece yet and was completely unaware of the ongoing communications. As he walked, he noticed how clean and normal the street looked—no signs of a natural disaster or anything out of the ordinary. Confused, he thought, If a seirei were really here, shouldn't the area look damaged or abandoned? Why does this look like a regular street? Mark began to wonder if the call had been a false alarm and decided to head back to the Seirei Exorcist building.
Just as he turned to leave, a mysterious figure dressed in a fully concealed outfit appeared out of nowhere and lunged at him, aiming to slash his throat. Thanks to Mark's enhanced reflexes, he jumped back in time, holding his neck in shock. When he checked his hand, it was covered in blood. Glaring at the figure, he shouted, "What's your problem? You almost killed me!"
Before he could say more, the figure charged again, swinging their sword wildly. Mark dodged as best he could while shouting at nearby civilians to evacuate. As he reached for his earpiece to call for backup, the figure sliced it in half, rendering it useless. Realizing he couldn't contact the others, Mark thought, What now? With no other choice, he decided to fight back.
Closing the distance, Mark neutralized the figure's weapon advantage by engaging in close combat. However, the figure shifted tactics, attempting to kick him. Predicting the move, Mark slashed at their leg and grappled them tightly, forcing them to drop their weapon. As he restrained the figure, Mark wondered aloud, "Could this be a seirei?" But he quickly dismissed the idea. Seireis are supposed to be harmless spirits with pale white skin and green eyes. This person doesn't fit the description.
The figure suddenly flipped over Mark with impressive agility, kicking their weapon into the air, catching it, and escaping. However, Mark managed to grab their mask, revealing their face—it was Elizabeth.
Mark stared at her, trying to recall where he had seen her before. Then it clicked. "Wait, aren't you from that… what's it called… Shelon Organization? What the hell is wrong with you?"
Elizabeth, visibly embarrassed, closed her eyes for a moment before charging at him again. Before she could land a blow, Jack and Rin appeared out of nowhere, pinning her to the ground. Smith rushed over to Mark and asked, "Are you okay?"
Elizabeth struggled under Jack and Rin's grip, but Jack smirked, "You're not going anywhere." Vanessa and Miwafe joined them, with Miwafe encasing her hands in hardened ice. She asked, "Should I knock her out?"
Smith forced a smile. "No need for that."
Mark, catching his breath, asked Smith how they knew he was in trouble. Smith explained, "You weren't answering your earpiece or your phone was left at the Seirei Exorcist building. We figured something was up and came to find you."
Looking at Elizabeth, Smith remarked, "Good. She doesn't have any standz abilities." He then ordered Jack and Rin to take her back to the building for interrogation. However, as they restrained her, unbeknownst to them, Cobi—watching everything through a hidden camera—smirked. He had already planted a tracker on Elizabeth, and his plan was unfolding perfectly.
As they headed back, Mark voiced his unease. "Something isn't right."
Smith asked, "What do you mean?"
Mark explained, "We got a call about multiple seireis being spotted, but there wasn't a single one here. Instead, we found her. She knew exactly where I'd be and when to attack. During the fight, it was clear she was holding back. She even saw Jack and Rin coming but didn't try to escape. And trust me—Elizabeth isn't someone you can easily hold down. Yet Jack and Rin are restraining her with no trouble. It's like she wanted to get caught."
Smith frowned but laughed it off. "You're overthinking it. We're just going to interrogate her."
Mark tried to shake off his unease but still felt something was off.
When they reached the Seirei Exorcist building, Elizabeth was tied to a chair. As they began questioning her, she suddenly started crying. The team exchanged confused glances before she muttered, "You idiots… why?"
Before they could process her words, a deafening explosion rocked the hospital above them. Looking up in shock, they immediately rushed to the elevators. As they ascended, the sounds of repeated blasts grew louder. Mark, now panicked, worried about Bri's safety.
When they arrived, they saw seireis wreaking havoc. Jack exclaimed, "Aren't seireis supposed to be harmless? What's going on?"
Smith, sweating in shock, observed their movements. "They're being mind-controlled… and they have powers? How?"
Miwafe asked, "Who could be controlling them?"
Their question was answered as they spotted Cobi smiling from a distance, issuing commands to even more seireis.
Smith, realizing the dire situation, steeled himself. "The boss and Ninda aren't here, so I have to step up. Miwafe, Vanessa, evacuate the patients. Mark, return to the Seirei Exorcist building and protect it. Rin and I will handle things here."
Mark hesitated. "But I need to check on Bri!", feeling panicked and unreasoned with as
Miwafe cupped his face, reassuring him. "Don't worry. Nothing will happen to her. Trust me."
Reluctantly, Mark nodded and went to his assigned post as the others prepared to fight.