Darkness swallowed everything.
The sound of rushing air and echoing metal filled Yū's ears as he fell through the trap. His body hit cold steel with a painful thud.
"Ugh… I really hate this. Why does this keep happening to me?" he groaned, rubbing his head.
The room was dimly lit, surrounded by thick steel walls, wires, and pipes running along the ceiling. A faint red glow pulsed from a nearby monitor.
"Ren? Mr. Kitsune? Muramase?" Yū called out, his voice echoing.
No response.
Just when he thought it was over, a loud beep broke the silence. The monitor flickered on, lighting up the room with static before focusing on an image, a tall man in a black coat, wearing a white mask and a top hat.
The man grinned beneath his mask.
"Welcome, my precious guests," he said in a smooth, taunting voice. "You've come a long way… for one little girl."
The camera shifted. Behind him was Mari, tied to a chair, eyes covered with a blindfold and a strip of cloth over her mouth. She trembled, muffled cries barely escaping.
"Mari!" Yū shouted, fists clenching.
"I know that you want her," the masked man chuckled. "Good. That'll make this game more exciting."
The screen split into four feeds, Yū saw Ren, Kaito, and Ayato, each trapped in their own chambers.
Ren looked pale, clutching his mysterious case. "Uhh, seriously? Out of everyone, I'm the one with the heavy case?"
"Bastards!!" Kaito barked, trying to break a pipe loose from the wall. "Where's my sister, you bastard?!"
Ayato stood calmly, hands in his pockets, analyzing the surroundings. "Well… this is interesting."
The masked man tilted his head, amused.
"You're all such fascinating toys. But I'm afraid playtime comes with rules."
He snapped his fingers. The floors rumbled, red lights flashing around them.
"In each chamber, one of my men awaits you," he announced. "Defeat them… and you might earn the right to see her again."
Ren's jaw dropped. "Wait—what?! I didn't sign up for—"
Before he could finish, a hidden door slid open beside him, and a tall figure in armor stepped out, dragging a heavy weapon.
Ren blinked. "Oh no. Oh no no no, I'm still recovering, you know—"
Meanwhile, in Yū's room, the air thickened. From the shadows emerged a lean man with glowing red veins and jagged arms shaped like liquid metal blades. His smile was cruel.
"Let's play, boy," the man said.
Yū stepped back. "You again… the guy from the alley?"
The man grinned wider. "Kikiki. Call me Ogre."
Yū's stomach twisted. "Wait—you're supposed to be dead!"
"Dead?" the man said mockingly. "Death is just another door… and someone was kind enough to drag me back through it."
His arms stretched.
Is he some kind of Death Trigger too? Yū thought, dodging the slash that carved the wall. Sparks flew.
He could feel his pulse racing, but he forced a smirk. "Man, why does it always have to be me?"
Elsewhere, Kaito's opponent stepped out a massive brute with gray, metal-like skin cracking at the joints.
Kaito's eyes widened. "Oh, you bastard!! I'm gonna kill you."
The brute cracked his knuckles. "You're still alive after what I did to you earlier? You've got great luck, weakling. Thought you could save your sister with that kind of Trigger?"
Kaito growled. "Don't you dare mention her."
And in Ayato's room—
"Long time no see. Didn't think we'd meet again like this," a voice echoed.
Ayato turned, eyes narrowing. The man stepping out of the shadows smiled with familiarity.
"So you finally came out… traitor."
Ayato chuckled softly. "Guess this will be fun, then."
---
Behind the screen, the masked man's gaze lingered on the girl's image.
His mind drifted back to the moment everything began…
A Few Hours Earlier—
Ogre walked in, carrying a sleeping little girl.
"Kikiki… I brought good news. And a little gift."
"Why did you—" the masked man started, but a voice boomed through a nearby radio.
"Shimei."
The single word shook the room. The voice was deep, commanding enough to make even the air tremble.
"Yes, Master," the masked man said, immediately kneeling. His other self — Ogre — and the brute beside him also dropped to one knee.
"Explain."
"Yes, Master," the masked man began. "For the girl who lost her affinity and became a Trigger, we've confirmed her identity. The boy from the alley as well. But as for the one with the variant essence, we're still searching. As for this little girl…" he glanced at Ogre. "My other self brought her back. I'd like to hear his reason."
Ogre grinned. "Heh. It's quite simple, Master. While watching the boy from the alley, I saw him speaking to another one, a male with a young girl beside him. The girl even waved goodbye. So I assumed they were connected."
He paused, his grin widening.
"At first, I planned to take the man, use him as bait to lure the boy out. But when my men moved in, they realized that guy was a Trigger. So instead… they grabbed the little girl."
The masked man's tone darkened. "You acted on assumption."
Ogre's laughter echoed. "An insurance, nothing more. The boy's been guarded lately especially with that Aria girl and her escorts nearby. If we couldn't get him directly, I wanted leverage."
The Master's voice rumbled again. "And did you learn anything about the boy?"
Ogre's grin turned sharp. "Yes. During my surveillance… I confirmed something interesting. The boy" he looked up, eyes glinting. "is a Death Trigger."
Silence followed.
"What's the boy's name?" The voice asked
"It was Yū Kisaragi, Master"
"Kisaragi?" the voice repeated.
"Yes, Master. His name is Yū Kisaragi."
"Did you find more about him?"
"Yes, Master. There's only one thing that we find about him. He lives with his uncle Satoru Kisaragi. We can't find anything more about him. Unfortunately."
The deep voice laughed, dark and amused.
"Satoru... I see, guess he's still alive" it said ominously.
"So this boy… Yū, was it? I'll take it he'll try to rescue the child?"
"Most probably," Ogre replied. "That kid always jumps into something he shouldn't."
"Then test him," the Master ordered. "But do not let him die. I don't want to incur the wrath of Satoru Kisaragi. It would be best if we could train this kid… and perhaps gain Satoru on our side."
---
Back to the Present
The masked man raised his hand.
The lights dimmed. The chambers trembled.
"Let the battle Begin."
Then, staring at the monitor, he thought to himself.
"Why is Master so concerned about this boy's uncle…?"
---End of Chapter 15---