Chapter 40: No Rest for the Wicked

The narrow service tunnel smelled like rust, damp earth, and something faintly metallic — the kind of smell that clung to the walls of places meant to be forgotten. Hotaru led the way, her footsteps light but her mind heavy with thoughts.

Tora had his tablet out, a dim blue glow lighting his face. "The tunnel branches ahead. Left takes us out to an old drainage system. Right… I have no clue where that goes."

"Left then," Hotaru decided. "No more surprises."

"Oh, come on," Ryuuji said with a grin, "what's life without a little mystery?"

Mira smacked the back of his head. "Mystery got us almost killed by a giant murder machine ten minutes ago."

"Fair point."

They moved quickly, Kuro trotting along at their heels. Sai was unusually quiet, keeping to the rear, his eyes flickering back every few steps.

Hotaru noticed. "You sense something?"

He shook his head, but his expression was tense. "Just a feeling."

They pushed forward, the silence stretching between them — until a sudden metallic clang rang out from behind.

Everyone froze.

Tora's eyes widened. "That door we came through… it just locked itself."

"Someone's messing with us," Mira muttered.

"No," Sai's voice was low, almost a whisper. "This tunnel was never meant to be an escape route. It's a trap."

Before anyone could respond, bright floodlights blazed to life overhead, bathing the tunnel in cold white light. A distorted voice echoed from hidden speakers.

"Well, well. Look at the little rats scurrying through the maze."

Hotaru's blood ran cold. That voice — she knew it.

It was Kurogane's second-in-command, the one who had personally overseen her father's final mission.

"Your little stunt upstairs was entertaining, but the real show starts now."

Suddenly, gas began to hiss from vents along the walls, a sickly-sweet scent filling the air.

"Run!" Hotaru shouted, pulling her scarf over her mouth.

They bolted down the left path, feet pounding against the damp floor. The gas swirled around their ankles, rising fast. Tora was already coughing, his speed slowing.

"Hold your breath!" Sai barked, grabbing Tora by the collar and hauling him forward.

Ahead, the tunnel opened into a vast underground chamber — rusted pipes crisscrossed the ceiling, and the floor was covered in inches of stagnant water.

"We can't fight like this," Mira gasped, eyes watering from the gas.

"We're not fighting," Hotaru said. "We're getting out."

But as soon as they stepped into the chamber, a row of laser tripwires lit up around the perimeter.

"Oh, come ON!" Ryuuji shouted.

From a grated platform above, several figures emerged — Kurogane's elite strike team, armed and ready.

"Hey Hotaru," one of them sneered. "Miss us?"

Hotaru's knife was in her hand before she even realized it. "Not even a little."

The fight exploded instantly.

Sai vaulted off the nearest wall, his blade slicing clean through the first soldier's rifle. Ryuuji flipped over a tripwire, landing with a cocky grin as he disarmed another. Mira grabbed a broken pipe, using it like a staff to fend off two attackers at once.

Tora stayed low, tablet in one hand, scrambling to disable the lasers and open the emergency hatch at the far end of the room.

"Kuro!" Hotaru called.

The cat leapt onto Tora's shoulder, tiny paws tapping furiously on the screen. The lasers flickered for a moment — then shut down entirely.

"Got it!" Tora shouted.

But just as the path cleared, the gas vents roared to life again — this time from the floor beneath them.

"We can't stay here," Sai said. "This whole place is a death trap."

"No kidding!" Ryuuji swiped his knife across an attacker's chest, spinning toward the hatch. "Move, move, move!"

They broke into a sprint, diving through the hatch just as the gas flooded the chamber behind them.

The hatch slammed shut.

They collapsed in the next corridor, coughing, gasping for air.

"Are we… alive?" Tora wheezed.

"Barely," Mira said, voice hoarse.

Hotaru sat up, eyes blazing. "That voice. I know who it was."

The others turned to her.

"It's time," she said quietly. "No more running. We end this."

Sai placed a hand on her shoulder, his grip firm. "I believe in you."

Hotaru looked at each of her allies — her chaotic, ridiculous, wonderful team. They were dirty, exhausted, and one wrong step away from disaster.

But they were hers.

And together, they were going to take Kurogane down.

End of Chapter 40