Chapter 54 - Through the Fire and Shadows

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The sound of heavy rain hammered against the metal roof of their temporary hideout. The room was dim, lit only by a flickering lantern Mira had salvaged from the wreckage of their old base. Hotaru sat by the window, her fingers unconsciously tracing the scar on her palm — a scar she got when Sai pulled her out of a burning alley years ago.

Renji stood near the door, arms crossed, his usual relaxed smile missing. Tora tapped away at a tablet, his brow furrowed in concentration. Ryuuji was balancing a knife on his fingertip, probably out of boredom, while Kuro curled up on Mira's lap, asleep but twitching his tail occasionally, as if dreaming of some high-stakes battle.

"Alright," Hotaru finally spoke, her voice cutting through the silence. "We need a plan. Kurogane is hunting us actively now, and after that explosion trap at the warehouse, it's clear someone fed them our exact location."

Mira exchanged a quick glance with Sai. "You're saying there's a mole?"

Tora's typing paused for a second. "Logically, yeah. No way they could time that ambush so perfectly unless someone tipped them off."

Renji raised a brow. "You suspect me? I'm new, after all."

Hotaru shook her head. "It could be anyone. But I'm not wasting energy accusing my own team unless there's proof. Right now, survival comes first."

Sai leaned forward, his expression serious. "I traced some signals from the comms they were using during the ambush. They weren't coming directly from Kurogane HQ — they bounced through an encrypted local server."

"Meaning?" Ryuuji asked, flipping his knife effortlessly.

"Meaning the mole might not even be in this room. Someone outside could have leaked our location… someone with access to our encrypted communications."

Mira's eyes widened. "Jin?"

The room went dead silent. Jin — the old chef who trained Hotaru and once ran an underground network of information brokers — he knew all their safehouse locations. But Jin was loyal… wasn't he?

"No," Hotaru said firmly. "Jin wouldn't do that. But…" She hesitated, her mind racing. "There was someone else who knew. Someone who used to work under Jin. A former apprentice."

Tora cursed under his breath. "You're talking about Shiro."

Mira shivered at the name. Shiro — the ghost hacker who vanished years ago after betraying Jin and selling intel to the highest bidder. If Shiro was back, things just got a lot worse.

Suddenly, Kuro's ears perked up. His fur bristled, and he leapt from Mira's lap onto the windowsill, growling softly.

"What's wrong, Kuro?" Hotaru asked, rising to her feet.

A second later, the window shattered as a smoke grenade crashed through, filling the room with thick black fog.

"Move!" Sai shouted, grabbing Mira's wrist and pulling her toward the back exit. Renji drew his blade, slashing at a shadow slipping through the smoke.

The team burst into action — weapons drawn, instincts sharp. Through the smoke, a figure appeared — masked, clad in Kurogane black.

"That's not a random grunt," Hotaru said, recognizing the insignia on the attacker's arm. "That's a Reaper Unit."

"Perfect," Ryuuji grinned, twirling his knife. "I was getting bored."

The fight exploded in the cramped room — kicks, blades, and gunfire mixing with the rainstorm outside. The floor cracked beneath their weight. A loud creak echoed through the house.

"This place won't hold!" Tora shouted. "We need to get out now!"

Hotaru grabbed Kuro, and the team sprinted out just as the ceiling gave in, collapsing behind them. The house crumbled into a cloud of debris, burying the Reaper under wood and steel.

Soaking wet, coughing from smoke and dust, the team stood under the rain, panting.

"What now?" Mira asked, voice trembling slightly.

Sai brushed his wet hair back and grinned despite the chaos. "I know a place — an old hideout Jin once showed me. If Shiro really is involved, we'll need every bit of cover we can get."

Hotaru nodded. "Lead the way. And on the road, we figure out how deep this betrayal runs."

They disappeared into the stormy night, the shattered house burning behind them like a funeral pyre.

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End of Chapter 54

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