My Farewell

Shouma's grin twisted into something sickeningly amused as he casually bent down, wrapping his giant hands around the rookie's limp corpse.

"Ugh." Aiko turned her head. "This dude's already dead. What the hell is he—"

With zero hesitation, Shouma hurled the body like a wrecking ball—straight at a nearby desk, where he assumed Kairi's crew had taken cover.

"Heads up!" Jin barked, grabbing Aiko by the arm as they dived out of the way.

CRASH!

The body obliterated the desk into splintered wood, a sickening crunch echoing through the hallway. Takeshi's lifeless form landed in a heap among the wreckage, blood pooling beneath his cracked skull.

Shouma let out a low chuckle, rolling his shoulders. "Oh, my bad. Did I get one of you with that?"

Rin, standing a few feet away, stared at the mess before exhaling slowly. "What a waste of a human dumbass."

Kairi flicked her wrist, cracking her knuckles. "You done playin' with corpses, or do we gotta wait for you to find another one?"

Shouma's smirk widened. "Funny. But don't worry—when I'm done, you'll be the next one getting tossed."

Kasumi, still red-eyed from her earlier grief, stepped forward, voice cold. "Keep talking, dead man."

Shouma cracked his knuckles again, stepping forward.

"Then let's get started."

And just like that—the real fight began.

Kairi gritted her teeth, her muscles coiling as she exploded forward, sprinting straight for Shouma—

"Kairi, stop!"

Celeste's voice cut through the tension, sharp and commanding.

Kairi skidded to a halt, boots scraping against the polished floor. Her eyes snapped to Celeste, irritation flickering across her face. "The hell do you mean, stop?"

Celeste stepped forward, her glare unwavering. "He's not the one you need to kill right now."

Kairi clenched her fists, her heart thudding like war drums. She knew exactly what Celeste meant. Kayd. That bastard was still waiting for them beyond the door at the end of the hall.

Shouma grinned, rolling his shoulders. "Yeah, listen to your little friend. I'll keep you all entertained while the boss handles the real business."

Kasumi spat to the side, her knuckles white. "Tch. You're buying time, huh?"

Celeste's voice remained firm. "Kairi, go. Now. We'll handle this."

For a moment, Kairi's jaw tightened. Every instinct in her body told her to stay and rip this brute apart, but… she knew Celeste was right.

She exhaled sharply, then turned on her heel, bolting down the hallway toward Kayd's door.

Shouma didn't even flinch. He just laughed, stretching his arms. "Guess that means the rest of you get to die first."

Kasumi stepped up beside Celeste, cracking her neck. "We'll see about that."

And with that—the battle was set.

Celeste tightened her grip on her weapon, eyes never leaving Shouma. "Kasumi, Rin, Aiko—go after Kairi. Now."

Kasumi's head snapped toward her, eyes still red from tears, her breath sharp. "What?! No way—"

Celeste didn't waver. "You're wasting time. You know damn well Kairi needs backup against Kayd."

Aiko hesitated, gripping her knife. "But what about you—"

"Jin and I will handle this," Celeste cut in, stepping forward. "You think I'm letting that bastard walk away after what he's done? We've got unfinished business."

Jin rolled his shoulders, a smirk playing on his lips. "Tch. Guess that means I get to have some fun, huh?"

Shouma chuckled, his massive frame looming over them like a monstrous shadow. "Heh. Cute. But I don't think any of you are making it out alive."

Celeste ignored him, staring straight at Kasumi. "You want revenge? Then make sure Kayd doesn't get away. This isn't just about Unknown anymore. It's about ending this nightmare."

Kasumi gritted her teeth, her body shaking. Then, after a long pause, she cursed under her breath and turned toward the hallway. "Tch… Fine. But you better not die."

Celeste allowed herself a small smirk. "Same to you."

Aiko, Rin, and Kasumi rushed down the hall, disappearing behind the heavy doors where Kairi had gone ahead.

The second they left, Celeste exhaled slowly, her gaze shifting back to Shouma. "Guess that just leaves us."

Jin cracked his knuckles, stepping beside her. "Yeah… Let's finish this."

And with that, the fight truly began.