Chapter 56 - Hacked, Trapped, and Slapped

The air inside The Playground tensed like a drawn bowstring. The moment Tora's screen flashed red, Hotaru's instincts kicked in. No time for doubts. No time for planning. They had been found — and that meant Shiro's first move was already in motion.

A loud BZZT crackled through the walls, and all the monitors flickered to static.

"Oh hell no," Tora groaned. "This old junk can't handle a cyber-attack! It's like sending your grandma to fight a drone strike."

"Less talking, more fixing!" Hotaru barked, drawing her sword.

Suddenly, the floor under them lurched, and the entire bunker tilted sideways. Ryuuji toppled off the couch with a loud thud, landing face-first.

"WHOEVER DESIGNED THIS PLACE NEEDS TO BE PUNCHED!" Ryuuji shouted, his voice muffled by the carpet.

"Fun fact — that was Shiro!" Sai called, barely managing to stay on his feet. "So, feel free to punch him when we meet."

Before anyone could respond, several small metal spheres rolled out from hidden wall panels, emitting sharp beeping sounds.

"Are those —?" Mira started.

"MINI EXPLOSIVES!" Tora screamed.

"WHY WOULD YOU STORE THOSE IN YOUR OWN BASE?!" Ryuuji yelled, scrambling behind the couch.

Hotaru grabbed Mira's wrist, yanking her toward the door. "Move! Move!"

Kuro leapt onto Tora's head, yowling like a battle cry, claws digging into his hair.

"WHY ME, YOU TRAITOR CAT?!" Tora shrieked.

The first explosion rocked the room, sending a spray of sparks and debris flying everywhere. Sai kicked over the kitchen table to block the blast. "Shiro must have rigged this place the second he left it."

"Great!" Ryuuji coughed through the smoke. "Your old buddy's a paranoid lunatic!"

"Yeah, but I'm crazier!" Sai grinned.

Hotaru spotted a small maintenance hatch high up the wall. "There! A ventilation shaft. Kuro, Tora — get it open!"

"Why do I have to—OW! Get off my head, cat!" Tora shook his head furiously, sending Kuro flying like a furry missile toward the vent. The cat, somehow graceful despite the chaos, dug its claws into the hatch and yanked it open with a metallic creak.

"See? Teamwork!" Ryuuji said cheerfully, dodging another explosion. "Now let's all climb into the one space where we can suffocate together."

"Shut up and climb!" Hotaru pushed him toward the vent.

Mira went first, followed by Kuro, then Ryuuji. Tora squeezed in next, his butt almost getting stuck until Mira yanked him through.

"DID YOU JUST TOUCH MY—" Tora's voice echoed in the vent.

"Shut up or I'll touch it again," Mira deadpanned.

Sai helped Hotaru up last. As they crawled through the narrow shaft, more explosions rocked the base below, the heat licking at their heels.

"Question," Ryuuji said, his voice echoing. "Where exactly does this vent lead?"

"Hopefully outside," Sai muttered.

"Hopefully?!" Tora snapped. "You lived here and you DON'T KNOW?"

"Hey, it's been years, okay?! My memory's not a hard drive!"

They crawled for what felt like an eternity, the vent shaking with each distant blast. Then, the shaft suddenly ended — with a sheer drop into a dark pit.

"Oh, wonderful," Mira sighed.

"No problem!" Ryuuji said, slapping Tora's back. "You first."

"Why ME?!" Tora protested.

"Because you're the hacker, and hackers always die first in horror movies!" Ryuuji said with a grin.

"NOT FUNNY!" Tora shouted, but Hotaru gave him a light shove, and down he went, screaming all the way.

The others followed, landing in a pile of old cushions, rusty metal parts, and what might have once been a sofa. Kuro landed gracefully on top of Tora's face.

"Off! OFF!" Tora sputtered.

The space they landed in was an old sewer junction, dimly lit by flickering emergency lights. Water dripped ominously somewhere nearby.

Sai dusted off his jacket. "Welcome to the sewer escape route. Classy, right?"

Hotaru barely had time to reply before a chilling robotic voice crackled through hidden speakers.

"Running already? I expected more from you, Hotaru."

It was Shiro — his voice smooth, mocking.

"SHOW YOUR FACE, YOU COWARD!" Hotaru shouted into the shadows.

A nearby wall lit up with a hologram of Shiro's face — pale, silver hair falling into his eyes, a twisted smile on his lips.

"Why would I do that when it's so much more fun to play with you from here?" Shiro chuckled. "Run all you want. I'll always know where you are."

"Wanna bet?" Tora said, pulling out a small EMP device from his belt. "Say goodbye to your fancy holo-face."

He slammed the device against the wall, and the hologram fizzled out instantly.

"See? Hackers are useful!" Tora grinned.

"Yeah, yeah, hero moment. Let's MOVE before Shiro sends us more exploding surprises," Sai said.

As they sprinted down the sewer tunnel, Hotaru glanced back — just once. Shiro's smile lingered in her mind, but so did something else — a flicker of hesitation in his eyes, like a ghost of the person he used to be.

There was no time to dwell on it. Right now, survival came first.

"Next stop — a safehouse that's not rigged to kill us," Hotaru said.

"Do those even exist?" Ryuuji asked.

"We'll find out," Mira muttered.

And with that, the hunted crew disappeared into the dark.

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End of Chapter 56

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