Chapter 38: Into the Lion’s Den

The cold night air cut against their skin like tiny blades as Hotaru, Tora, Ryuuji, and Sai stood outside the heavily guarded facility. The building loomed over them, its steel walls reflecting the faint glow of the moon. Mira had stayed back at the base to keep watch through the hacked security feeds, while Jin had prepared emergency supplies in case things went south.

Hotaru took a deep breath, her mind steady but her heart racing. This was no longer just about finding answers — this was about survival, revenge, and uncovering the truth about her father's death, about Sai's past, and about the real power behind Kurogane.

Tora's fingers danced over his tablet, disabling cameras one by one. "Alright, you've got a three-minute window before backup power reboots the system. After that, we're on our own."

"Three minutes? That's generous." Ryuuji grinned, cracking his knuckles. "That's two minutes more than I need to charm some information out of the guards."

Sai ignored him and adjusted the blade strapped to his waist. His face was calm, but Hotaru could see the slight tremor in his fingers. This was personal for him too — this was where his life had shattered years ago.

"Ready?" Hotaru asked, her voice low but firm.

The others gave silent nods.

They slipped through the side entrance, shadows blending into the darkness. Inside, the facility smelled of disinfectant and metal, the kind of place where life was treated like machinery — built up, broken down, and replaced without hesitation.

The first hallway was clear, thanks to Tora's work, but the second they stepped into the central corridor, the lights flickered back to life.

"System rebooting," Mira's voice crackled through their earpieces. "You're officially on your own now. Good luck, team."

"Great," Ryuuji muttered. "Why does this always happen when things start getting fun?"

Hotaru led the way, her footsteps light as air. They had a map thanks to Sai, but the facility had been modified since his escape. What was once a storage wing now hummed with experimental machinery — strange tubes filled with green liquid and bodies suspended inside.

"What the hell…" Tora whispered. "They're experimenting on people?"

Sai's jaw clenched. "This is what Kurogane does — they build weapons out of humans."

Suddenly, an alarm blared through the halls.

"INTRUDERS DETECTED. SECTOR 7 LOCKDOWN IN PROGRESS."

"Seriously?! We didn't even touch anything!" Ryuuji groaned.

"Move!" Hotaru shouted, grabbing Sai's wrist and pulling him into a sprint.

Doors slammed shut behind them as they darted through the maze-like corridors. From ahead, heavy footsteps echoed — guards armed to the teeth, their eyes covered with advanced visor tech.

"Let me handle this," Ryuuji smirked, stepping forward.

"Not the time to flirt, idiot!" Tora yelled.

"Relax," Ryuuji said, holding up his hands. "Gentlemen, we're actually here for a job interview. Could you kindly point us to HR?"

The guards raised their rifles in response.

"Guess not." Ryuuji ducked low, sweeping the legs out from under the first guard while Hotaru leapt forward, her knife flashing in the dim light as she disarmed the second. Sai moved with quiet precision, knocking out a third guard with a quick pressure point strike.

Tora, meanwhile, was typing furiously on his tablet. "Give me 30 seconds, and I can unlock the emergency stairwell to the lower floors."

"Twenty seconds," Hotaru said, panting slightly.

"Fifteen," Sai added, gripping his blade tightly.

"Ten!" Ryuuji shouted, kicking the last conscious guard square in the chest.

"Done!" Tora slammed his tablet shut as the door ahead slid open with a metallic hiss.

They descended into the deeper levels of the facility, where the real horrors awaited. The lower floor was even colder, and the walls were lined with files — physical records, tapes, and photographs of every subject that had passed through the facility.

Hotaru's breath caught in her throat as she spotted a file with her father's name on it. Hands trembling, she opened it — only to find page after page of gruesome medical reports, detailing how his body was used for experiments even after his death.

"They… they never let him rest," she whispered.

Sai placed a hand on her shoulder, his grip warm despite the cold. "We'll make them pay."

Just then, the wall at the far end burst open — a monstrous figure stepping through the smoke and debris. Half-human, half-machine, its eyes glowed crimson as it zeroed in on Hotaru.

"Target acquired."

Hotaru drew her knife, her fear swallowed by fury.

"Then come and get me."

End of Chapter 38