The masked people tightened their circle around us. Their silent steps echoed like falling stones in a cave. My heart punched hard against my ribs—too many of them, too quiet, too prepared.
Lucarious leaned close to me and whispered, "Bro… I know I joke a lot, but this? This feels like the wrong kind of party."
I swallowed. "Don't do anything stupid."
"I'm an angel stuck on Earth," he murmured. "Everything I do is stupid."
The man in the black coat—the one who opened my door—stepped forward. His presence felt heavy, like the air itself bowed to him. He raised one gloved hand, and the room fell into a painful silence. Even Lucarious stopped breathing.
Then, with slow, steady movements, the man reached for his mask.
He removed it.
My blood ran cold.
It wasn't a human face.
The skin was too smooth. Too perfect. His eyes were silver, like polished blades. No pupils. No emotion. Only reflection—my own terrified face staring back at me.
Lucarious flinched. "No… no way… you—"
But before he could finish, the creature spoke.
"Lint Saito," it said, voice calm, almost polite. "Sir Kinard will not be seeing you today."
My throat tightened. "W–Why? He ordered me to deliver the files."
"I know."
The creature smiled without warmth.
"And that is exactly why we cannot let you leave."
The circle of masked figures drew closer.
Lucarious snapped his fingers, and a faint spark of light curved around his hand. "Touch my friend," he warned, "and I'll send you to judgment myself."
The silver-eyed creature tilted its head, like a curious animal.
"You speak boldly, fallen one. But you are outnumbered."
Lucarious whispered to me, "Lint… if this gets bad, run."
"I'm not leaving you."
"You might not have a choice."
Before I could answer, a loud metallic click echoed behind us.
The doors slammed shut.
Then the lights.
One by one, they went out—pop, pop, pop—until only a single spotlight remained above the creature's head, painting his face in harsh white.
He lifted a hand, and the masked figures parted, making a narrow path.
"Come," he said. "Sir Kinard has changed. He has chosen a different plan… one that does not require your survival."
Lucarious stepped in front of me, wings exploding out of his back in a flash of white feathers and golden sparks.
His voice shook with rage.
"Stay away from him."
The creature's silver eyes glowed brighter.
"This," it whispered, "will be entertaining."
And the masked army lunged.
A sudden crack split the air.
A bullet tore through the creature's skull, snapping its head back. Its body collapsed in front of me—heavy, lifeless, eyes still glowing faintly as they faded.
Smoke drifted in the air.
I turned.
A man stood behind the falling body—black leather jacket, black pants, a dark cloth covering his face. His gun was still raised, barrel warm and smoking.
He pulled the cloth down.
My breath froze.
It was Akira.
"Well, well, well," he said with that mocking smile of his. "I can't let you die yet, my friend."
Anger rose in my throat. "Why did you save me? And why the hell are you here?"
Akira walked toward me, slow, confident. His eyes locked onto mine.
"My dear Lint," he said, voice dropping into a deeper tone, "give me the pen drive."
Before I could react, he grabbed my collar and yanked me closer.
"Lint Saito," he growled, "you keep getting in my way. Move… or get crushed under my path. Because I'm not stopping. Not now, not ever."
Rage ignited in my chest. I grabbed him by the neck and slammed him to the floor. The impact echoed through the hall. In one motion, I pulled a gun from my pocket and pressed it to his head.
"We both want peace, Akira!" I shouted. "Peace is the duty of every human! But you—you're choosing war!"
Akira's eyes narrowed.
In a flash, he twisted the gun right out of my grip. The metal flew from my hand and clattered across the floor. Before I could stand, he shoved me back with brutal force.
He rose to his feet in one clean movement and drove his fist into my jaw.
Pain exploded across my face. I hit the ground hard, mouth filling with the taste of metal. Blood dripped down my chin.
I tried to stand, but he hit me again—another punch, this time on my left cheek. Stars burst in my vision.
He grabbed my collar once more and slammed me against the pillar beside us. The stone dug into my back.
"HOW CAN YOU FIGHT FOR THESE BASTARDS?" he roared.
"Do you forget how you lost your mother?"
My breath stopped.
"She raised you alone. A widow since you were one.We grew up playing in each other's home . She wasn't only your mom , I love her like my own mother .She got raped by your own class teacher . She was respecting him as an honorable teacher of her son and that bastard- that monster raped her . She cried for help begged him not to do that in front of his own son . She requested me to take you away from there and that monster didn't stop and when his thirst ended on her innocent soul , he killed her . You are supporting these monsters Lint ? These bastards?
His voice broke, rage mixing with pain.
"You have NO IDEA how many innocent lives these humans destroy."
He let go, letting me slide down the pillar. My legs shook. My chest burned. My mind screamed.
I grabbed his jacket, desperate, weak, but refusing to fall.
"Then choose justice, Akira," I whispered. "There are laws. There are people meant to protect us."
Akira pushed my hand away.
"I am justice."
He reached into my pocket, took the pen drive, covered his face again, and walked out of the building like a shadow slipping into the night.
Lucarious landed beside me, wings half-open.
"You're just letting him go?!" he shouted. "Say the word—I could've stopped him! Why did you let him walk away?"
I wiped the blood from my mouth and whispered,
"It's already too late. Get ready for war…
Because now I'll show him what justice really means."