Chapter 34: Storm at the Door

The storm hit faster than expected. Thunder growled outside like a hungry beast, and the rain pounded against the broken windows of their makeshift hideout.

Inside, Ryuuji had set up a line of mannequin "bodyguards" by the front door, each one dressed in a ridiculous mix of wigs, sunglasses, and old coats he found in a trunk. One mannequin even had a teacup glued to its hand.

"See? Instant intimidation," Ryuuji grinned, proudly presenting his work.

Mira stared at him like he'd grown a second head. "You really think a squad of trained killers will be scared of mannequins with bad fashion sense?"

"You never know," Ryuuji shrugged. "Fear comes in strange forms."

Hotaru didn't have the energy to argue. She stood by the window, fingers drumming against the windowsill, eyes fixed on the street. They were too quiet. After the chaos of their escape, this silence felt... wrong.

Sai sat at the table, scanning the decrypted files Tora had managed to pull up. His brow furrowed deeper with every line.

"This isn't just Kurogane's bounty list," Sai said quietly. "There's a list of...candidates."

"Candidates for what?" Hotaru turned toward him, arms crossed.

Sai's jaw clenched. "For replacement assassins. Kurogane's been experimenting — building a new generation. Faster, stronger... and completely obedient."

Mira made a face. "Like... brainwashing?"

"Or worse," Sai muttered. "Mind implants. Full control."

Kuro, perched on the table, hissed low, his fur bristling at the tone in Sai's voice. Even the cat knew this was bad news.

Before anyone could respond, a loud bang shook the front door.

Everyone froze.

Ryuuji's eyes darted to his mannequin army. "It's showtime."

"Shut up," Hotaru whispered, drawing her gun silently.

Mira already had her knife in hand, and Sai tucked a small blade into his sleeve. They moved into position like shadows, hearts pounding in sync with the rain outside.

Another bang — this time louder, splintering the already weak door. Through the crack, they saw a flash of sleek black armor.

"Bounty hunters," Sai whispered. "Kurogane sent the good ones."

Hotaru's mind raced. Their hideout was fragile, they had limited weapons, and — of course — Ryuuji's bright idea of defense was a parade of haunted mannequins.

The door crashed open, and the first bounty hunter stepped in, gun raised — only to stop dead, staring at the row of mannequins staring back at him. For a solid two seconds, nobody moved.

"What the hell—" the bounty hunter muttered. That's when Hotaru struck.

She kicked the nearest mannequin hard, sending it flying straight into the bounty hunter's face. He stumbled back, firing wildly into the ceiling.

"Nice teamwork, mannequin squad!" Ryuuji cheered.

"Focus!" Hotaru shouted, already flipping over the table to cover Mira, who lunged at the second bounty hunter entering. Mira's knife slashed across his arm, but he was fast — too fast.

Sai ducked low, grabbing an old metal pipe and swinging it upward, cracking the third bounty hunter in the knee. The man howled, but Sai followed up with a sharp elbow to the throat, dropping him.

The storm outside roared louder, almost drowning out the chaos inside. One of the mannequins caught fire from a stray bullet, flames licking up its plastic face — giving it a horrific, grinning expression as it melted.

"Why is this creepier than the actual fight?!" Ryuuji shouted, smacking another bounty hunter with a rusted frying pan he'd found in the corner.

Hotaru spun, ducking under a fist and slamming her knee into an attacker's stomach. "We can't hold here!" she yelled. "They'll just keep coming!"

Mira kicked the front door shut, locking it with a metal rod. "Then we run."

Kuro bolted toward the back door, yowling as if to say follow me, idiots.

They didn't need to be told twice.

Grabbing the files, their gear, and absolutely nothing else from this haunted trash heap, the team bolted out into the storm. Behind them, the old hideout groaned under the strain — until finally, the weakened walls gave way, collapsing into a heap of debris.

They didn't look back.

Soaked to the bone, hearts racing, they ran through the alleyways, disappearing into the night as the bounty hunters clawed their way free from the wreckage.

"Next time," Ryuuji panted, "can we hide somewhere with a functioning roof?"

"No promises," Hotaru muttered, barely suppressing a smile.

They were on the run again — but this time, they weren't just surviving.

They were hunting back.

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End of Chapter 34