Time: 7:45 AM — Outskirts of Tokyo
Aiko's breath came in ragged bursts as she sprinted through the debris-strewn streets, the Seal on her palm burning with intensity. It felt like fire, but deeper—like something inside her was coming to life, something that couldn't be controlled. Her heart raced, her pulse erratic, and yet, she didn't stop.
Behind her, the sounds of Ashwalker's heavy boots echoed, the sound of steel scraping against pavement like a predator closing in. Every step she took felt more desperate, more frantic. The Seal—this damn mark on her hand—it wasn't just burning; it was pulling, twisting her in unnatural directions. She didn't have time to analyze it. She just had to run.
Ryoji's voice cut through the static of her thoughts. "Keep moving, Aiko! We can't afford to stop!"
Aiko glanced to the side—Ryoji and Miura, Kane, Zhenya, and the rest of the squad, all moving with calculated precision, dodging obstacles, clearing the path. But Ashwalker wasn't far behind. His heavy armor, his glowing vents—he was like a walking furnace, an unstoppable juggernaut.
She couldn't keep this up forever. They needed an exit.
Aiko's hand throbbed as the Seal flared again. It wanted something. It was calling out. A strange hum filled the air—faint, at first, then louder. It wasn't just her own senses going haywire. Something else was vibrating in the ground beneath them, calling to her.
"Aiko! Focus!" Ryoji's voice snapped her back to reality.
She shook off the compulsion, her legs pumping harder as she reached the edge of the town. The towering buildings, the maze of alleyways—everything blurred into one frantic, deadly race. They were so close to the outskirts, to the old highway, where Miura's team had parked the extraction vehicle.
Just a little farther.
The city stretched ahead, wide and open—far less cover. But at least it was a way out.
Suddenly, a sharp crack split the air. A bright flash of light pierced the horizon—Ashwalker had launched some kind of projectile, a missile-like device that screeched through the sky. The blast came in waves, sending ripples through the ground. The shockwave pushed Aiko off balance, sending her crashing to the ground.
Her palm slammed into the asphalt, and the pain in her hand was excruciating. She screamed—though the sound was lost to the world around her, drowned out by the chaos.
Her Seal burned harder than ever before.
It felt like it was tearing her apart.
She could feel it—something reaching out from the Seal. Something that was too vast, too old. A connection to something beyond her control.
A voice, low and metallic, sounded inside her mind. It's time. You must accept it.
"No," Aiko gasped, her voice breaking. "I don't—can't—"
Her body jerked, involuntarily, as her heart thundered. Energy surged within her, and she wasn't sure if it was the Seal's influence or her own survival instincts.
But she couldn't afford to think. She had to get up. Get moving.
Ryoji was there in an instant, his hand on her shoulder, pulling her up. "You with me?"
She nodded—barely.
"We don't stop," he said, voice hard. "We don't go down like this."
They made it. They reached the highway. The extraction vehicle loomed ahead—Miura's team already there, weapons ready, scanning for threats.
But Ashwalker wasn't far behind. He emerged from the smoke and wreckage, towering and relentless. The ground beneath him seemed to tremble with every step. He reached for his weapon—a massive, scorched blade—raising it high.
Ryoji didn't hesitate.
He grabbed Aiko's hand, his grip iron-tight. "We're getting out of here. Now!"
Miura's team opened fire.
But Ashwalker was a wall. Bullets bounced off his armor like rain on stone. He didn't flinch. He only kept moving, faster now. He wasn't alone, though—behind him, Division Zero agents began to materialize, as if they had never left, their forms emerging from the wreckage and smoke.
Aiko's hand continued to burn, and she could feel the pull deep within her—the Seal was calling her somewhere else. Somewhere farther than Tokyo.
"Aiko!" Ryoji shouted as he pulled her toward the vehicle. "We don't have time for this. The Seal—"
"It's pulling me," she whispered. "It's not just a mark. It's a beacon."
And then it happened.
The hum grew louder, overwhelming. The air shifted. A massive wave of energy shot from her palm, crashing through the air like an invisible tidal force. Ashwalker faltered, his chestplate splintering as the shockwave slammed into him.
He took a step back.
The agents faltered, confusion spreading through their ranks.
Miura's team took the opening, firing at Ashwalker with everything they had. Ryoji shoved Aiko into the extraction vehicle. "Go!" he yelled to the driver, a hard command cutting through the noise.
The vehicle lurched forward, its engines roaring as it shot down the highway, away from the chaos, away from Tokyo.
But Aiko could feel it.
The Seal, burning bright, was calling her to another place. Somewhere far from Japan.
And she had no idea what waited for her there.
Time: 12:15 PM — Airport, International Terminal
They were out of Japan. But only for a moment. The weight of the Seal in Aiko's hand hadn't lifted; if anything, it was stronger now. They'd managed to secure false identities and board a plane just in time, leaving Tokyo in the rearview mirror.
But as the plane touched down at an international airport, Aiko couldn't shake the feeling that their escape wasn't an escape at all.
Something waited for them here—something tied to Ryoji's past, to the people he'd once known, to the alliances he'd made, and the enemies he'd left behind.
They disembarked from the plane, Miura's team following closely, scanning the crowd. Ryoji kept his eyes on Aiko, his focus unwavering. He didn't trust what had been set into motion.
And then, through the crowd—Aiko saw him. A figure stepping forward, tall, broad-shouldered, moving like a shadow through the light.
A voice hit Aiko's ear, low and deadly. "Ryoji…"
The blood drained from his face.
Aiko froze. "Who is that?"
But Ryoji didn't answer.
Instead, he reached for his sidearm. His voice was a low growl. "Get down."
To be continued… Chapter 47...