Squad Gamma walked down the halls toward their quarters. The lights flickered a little, and the hum of ventilation was the only sound besides their footsteps.
Kaiori rubbed her sore shoulders, still feeling the pain from the fight. She kept moving without saying much.
Ren stood near the door, his armor dirty and scratched. He rubbed his face with tired fingers, quiet and worn out.
Jin looked over their scuffed armor, noticing the marks from the battle. Each one showed how close they'd come—and how hard it was.
There was a heavy silence between them.
Finally, Jin spoke up. "So… why didn't we get Rift weapons? We just got promoted to Tier 4, right?"
Ren shrugged, still not looking at Jin. "Sayaka said only the squad leader gets the special weapons. So, that means Shiori's the only one."
Jin frowned and walked a bit faster. "Feels like we should've earned more than just a title."
Ren sighed. "Maybe. But those weapons are hard to control… and it's still our first day. They want someone who won't mess up."
Shiori's voice cut in quietly but firmly. "It's not about who's ready yet. The Rift weapons need discipline and focus. That's why only I have it for now. But that doesn't mean you won't get your chance."
Kaiori caught up, her voice rough. "Yeah… Feels like we're right outside that door. Close, but not allowed in."
Kenji walked behind them, calm as always. "With or without weapons, it's how we fight that counts. The blade doesn't do it all."
Jin's jaw tightened as he looked ahead. "Sure. But having an edge wouldn't hurt."
Raizo glanced at the floor, then muttered without looking up, "If you need a weapon to matter, maybe you weren't worth much to begin with."
Jin looked back at him but didn't argue. Raizo didn't seem interested in starting anything.
They kept walking down the halls toward their quarters. The air inside felt heavier than the rain falling outside.
They reached the end of the hall. A thick metal door marked "Sector V" stood closed, with two guards in full RRD armor stationed on either side. They nodded as Shiori stepped forward.
A scanner slid out from the wall and scanned her face with a soft flash. A moment later, the door unlocked with a quiet click and slid open.
Inside, the atmosphere shifted.
The halls were busy officers in standard uniforms, analysts with tablets, tech crews moving equipment. Conversations echoed quietly, and a few people gathered around a briefing room screen. One trainer was giving orders to a pair of new recruits further down the corridor.
No one inside was wearing armor.
As Squad Gamma stepped through, still in full gear, they drew a few looks. Nothing direct just passing glances, a few raised brows.
Shiori didn't react. She kept walking, and the rest followed.
As they moved deeper into Sector V, eyes followed them. Conversations hushed. People glanced their way, noticing the full gear amid the standard uniforms.
Kenji leaned slightly toward Shiori, voice low. "Where exactly are we?"
Shiori's gaze stayed straight ahead. "This is the Vanguards Division. RRD's strongest and most combat-capable unit. They lead direct assaults on the most dangerous Rift Creatures. Members are chosen for power, resilience, and the ability to fight in unstable Rift Zones under extreme pressure. When brute force is needed, the Vanguard is first in."
Jin frowned and muttered, "They don't look very strong."
Shiori shot a sharp look over her shoulder. "Don't judge a book by its cover."
The murmurs died down as the squad kept moving.
The hallway buzzed with quiet chatter as Squad Gamma moved through Sector V. Suddenly, a Vanguard recruit stumbled in front of them, nearly colliding with Jin. His face was flushed, and his breathing quick.
Two other Vanguard members smirked.
"Clumsy rookie. Maybe you should watch where you're going."
"How'd you even get in here? Vanguard Division, huh?"
Squad Gamma started to move past without reacting.
Shiori's voice was calm but firm. "Ignore them."
But before they could go, Jin stopped, his jaw tightening. He stepped forward, voice low but clear.
"That's enough. Show some respect."
The bullies turned, surprised by Jin stepping in.
Shiori shot Jin a quick glance, signaling caution.
The hallway grew tense, eyes flicking between the two sides.
Jin's eyes locked on the bullies, steady and unyielding. The tension thickened, but no one moved.
One of the bullies sneered, stepping closer. "You really wanna start something?"
Jin didn't flinch. "I'm saying don't waste my time."
Shiori stepped forward, voice calm but firm. "Enough. We're not here for a fight."
The bullies exchanged looks, then backed off slowly.
The hallway settled back into its quiet hum.
Shiori turned to the squad. "Let's keep moving. Eyes open."
The squad resumed walking, the weight of the encounter lingering.
Jin's jaw tightened, but he stepped back, eyes still burning with quiet frustration.
Shiori gave him a hard look. "Don't let your pride get the better of you. We have bigger things to focus on."
Jin swallowed, nodding slowly.
The squad moved forward, the echo of footsteps filling the hall.
Ren glanced at Jin. "He's got a point, but… sometimes you can't just walk away."
Kaiori smirked. "Guess we'll see how long he can hold his tongue."
Hannah stayed quiet, watching the retreating bullies, a flicker of unease in her eyes.
Shiori led them onward. "Let's keep moving. Sector V's closest exit is right up ahead."
As Squad Gamma rounded the corner, their eyes caught the glow of a large digital bounty board mounted against the wall.
The glow of the large digital bounty board filled the corridor with a cold, pale light. The screen showed a shifting montage of faces and profiles each one marked with varying levels of threat, rewards, and warnings. Among them, one figure seemed to dominate the space with an almost eerie presence.
A pale silhouette with stark white hair fell in jagged layers around a face sharp and unforgiving. His eyes, a piercing silver, seemed to cut through the haze of the room, filled with a chilling calm. A faint scar traced down his cheek, a mark of battles long past. The cold image of Tetsuro Kisaragi lingered in the glow, silent but commanding.
Beneath the portraits, names flickered across the screen—none familiar except one.
Tetsuro Kisaragi
A bright red warning flashed beside it: EXTREMELY DANGEROUS
Underneath, stark and unsettling, it read: ABILITIES: UNKNOWN
Below that, a bold line caught their eyes:
REWARD: 14,000,000,000 YEN
The squad froze.
Kaiori's eyes widened. "14 billion? That can't be right."
Jin swallowed hard, voice low. "That's insane… Whoever this guy is, the RRD's putting a massive target on his back."
Ren narrowed his eyes, voice calm but serious. "If the reward's that high… he's not just dangerous. He's a nightmare waiting to happen."
Hannah's gaze lingered on the screen, unease flickering in her eyes. "Unknown abilities… and that price? He must've done something terrifying."
Shiori's expression darkened as she took a slow breath. "Remember that name. You don't want to be caught off guard."
Raizo glanced at the screen quietly, voice low. "The kind of enemy you don't want to meet."
Without another word, they turned toward the exit just ahead, the bounty board's cold glow fading behind them—but the name and the staggering reward lingered heavy in their minds.
Ren glanced back once more. "Unknown abilities, 14 billion yen… That's the kind of enemy that could change everything."
Shiori kept her pace steady, eyes fixed ahead. "Focus on what's in front of us. We don't know enough about Kisaragi yet. Besides, it's not our problem. It's the Vanguard's."
The squad reached the exit in silence.
Shiori didn't slow down, and the others followed quietly behind her.
They passed through the checkpoint, the soft beep of the scanner breaking the stillness, then stepped into the corridor leading back to their sector.
No one looked back.
They exited Sector V.