Chapter 61 - The Ghost’s Trail

The dust had barely settled from their fight, but there was no time to rest. The mercenaries had been hired to slow them down, not eliminate them outright. That meant only one thing—Shiro was playing with them.

Sai wiped blood from his lip and exhaled. "He knows exactly where we are. If we stay here, we're dead."

Mira sheathed her knife. "Then we move. But where?"

Tora tapped rapidly on his console, frowning. "I managed to hack their radio frequency before the fight ended. They're reporting back to an HQ not too far from here."

Hotaru adjusted her gloves. "Sounds like an invitation."

Ryuuji, who was in the middle of making a dramatic pose, paused. "Wait, wait, wait. We're chasing the people who just tried to kill us?"

Kuro, perched on his shoulder, flicked his tail in approval.

Sai smirked. "Exactly."

Ryuuji groaned. "Why are we always the crazy ones?"

They set out immediately, moving fast through the dark forest. The terrain was rough, but they were used to it. Every step was calculated, every movement silent.

After nearly an hour, they reached a hidden outpost nestled between crumbling factory ruins. The mercenaries were inside, their voices carrying in the cold night air.

Mira signaled for silence. "How do we approach?"

Hotaru grinned. "Let's do what we do best—improvise."

Sai raised an eyebrow. "Meaning?"

Tora cracked his knuckles. "Meaning I shut down their security, Mira sneaks in, and the rest of us cause absolute mayhem."

Ryuuji sighed dramatically. "Again with the chaos plan."

Hotaru smirked. "You love it."

"Yeah, yeah." He rolled his eyes but was already stretching like he was warming up for a performance.

Within minutes, Tora had disabled the alarm system, and Mira slipped inside unseen. The rest of them took position around the perimeter, waiting for her signal.

Inside, Mira moved like a shadow. The mercenaries were gathered around a monitor, speaking in hushed tones. She crept closer.

The screen displayed a single, haunting image—Shiro, smiling calmly, as if he had planned this from the start. His message flashed beneath his image:

"You're too late."

Mira's eyes widened. "Guys!" she whispered into her comm. "It's a trap—"

Before she could finish, the floor beneath her exploded.

Outside, the team saw the explosion and rushed in, but as the dust settled, there was no sign of Mira.

Only a single message carved into the wall in deep scratches:

"Hunt me if you dare."

Hotaru clenched her fists. "Shiro, you bastard."

Sai narrowed his eyes. "Now it's personal."

To be continued…

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