The Fang's Glare

The very next day, Aeri reported to Ayato about what Miko had revealed the night before. The matter was as serious as it could get, grave enough to need the presence of every Warden in ZEAL.

At exactly 12 PM, Ayato and Aeri waited inside Ayato's room for the others to arrive.

Ayato's room was modest, not the kind of space one would expect from ZEAL's leader. Three couches surrounded a square wooden table in the center, and a television sat mounted on the wall in front. Each corner of the room was decorated with various plants. The reason being is that Ayato proudly called himself a plant enthusiast, pretty much unusual for a gang leader. The walls were painted black, a reflection of his preference for darker tones. At the far end of the room, positioned perfectly in the center, hung a large ZEAL banner bearing the organization's signature white wings emblem.

"So? I'm willing to bet this is about what happened yesterday?" Ayato asked, folding his arms as he leaned back on the couch.

"That," Aeri nodded, "and something Rago and I discovered."

A few moments later, the door opened and in came Rago. Squad 3's captain. The Warden of Ember.

Following him was a slender woman who looked to be in her mid-twenties. She had a sharp bob cut and a single dagger strapped behind her waist. Mei Sanzora, Squad 2's captain. Warden of Silence.

Next was a shy looking girl with green hair and matching eyes. She gave a small, hesitant wave before entering on her tiptoes. "H-H-Hello, everyone." Junia Halcira. Squad 4's captain. Warden of Bloom.

Then came a loud man with a massive frame, cropped brown hair, and a matching beard. Thorne Hall. Squad 6's captain. Warden of Bastion.

Walking beside him was a more mysterious figure. Black and violet hair, his left eye violet and the right one black, his fingers, wrapped in bandages. Valen Cruz, Squad 7's captain. Warden of Rift.

And last to arrive, yawning as if he'd just rolled out of bed, was Kaien Arashi. Squad 1's captain. The Warden of Mist.

"Oh? You're all already here? How punctual… for gang members."

"As a Warden, you should be punctual too, Kaien," Mei remarked, clearly unimpressed.

"Oh, cut me some slack, Mei," Kaien grinned.

"Tch," Mei clicked her tongue, turning away with a roll of her eyes.

Ayato then stood up and all the wardens were at ease and bowed their heads. 

"Aeri." said Ayato. "Begin"

"The Shikkoku have taken over Ward 7," Aeri reported. "Rago and I arrived too late. By the time we set foot there, Raging Waters, our allied gang, was already wiped out. The ward was in ruins. There was no point in engaging combat in its current state so we prioritized the rescue. Rago's currently sheltering the remaining members at his base."

"So that makes eight wards under Shikkoku's control now, huh?" Valen muttered, arms crossed.

"Well, it might be more than just eight," Aeri added. "Just yesterday, we confirmed that Skullframes are being used by the Fangs too. If I'm right, the Shikkoku may already have influence in the other wards outside their domain. This was all happening right under our noses."

"Should we just crush them head on in an all out war?" Valen asked bluntly.

"That won't work," Aeri replied firmly. "We're outnumbered. And we haven't even confirmed the full capabilities of their Fangs. We need to act fast but strategically. Just like we did with Ward 11 last night. Reclaim what we can and build up our forces."

"Hmmmm. That might actually do the trick," Thorne muttered, nodding.

"So… are we just taking in the remnants of the gangs we beat?" Mei asked.

A heavy silence settled in the room. No one dared respond. The memory of Alen's betrayal still lingered, proof that not everyone taken in could be trusted. None of them wanted to repeat that mistake.

"Oh, and one more thing," Aeri said, her voice cutting through the already tense air. "One of my squad members reported this to me last night."

She pulled out a photo and placed it on the table. It was the picture of the Core Bleed circle squad 4 found in ward 11. 

"Miko, my squad member, studied it. Turns out the Shikkoku are using a forbidden form of core science. The exact same as the one we dismantled a decade ago."

Aeri looked around the room, and continued, her voice firm. "The Corruption Project." 

Silence followed. Cold and heavy as everyone stared at the image, recognizing it immediately. It was the very thing they had risked everything to destroy years ago.

"Captain, If we don't act now, the war we buried a decade ago might resurface. And this time, it won't be so easily buried." Said Kaien with a serious tone.

Ayato finally broke the silence.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. We must remain composed, especially now. Acting rashly without a solid foundation will only cost us dearly."

He looked around, meeting their eyes one by one.

"For now, we strengthen ties with our allied gangs. Joint training sessions, coordinated missions, anything to boost our combined strength and trust. We'll need them in the coming days."

He turned toward Aeri.

"We'll also be counting heavily on your squad. One way to shift the balance is to reduce their numbers piece by piece. First, we target any gangs that might already be under their influence. If we thin out their forces before the real war begins, we stand a chance."

All of them nodded in agreement. The only conclusion they could've gone to right now was spoken to them by their leader. They all knew the heavy responsibility that they will have to carry as the leaders of ZEAL in the upcoming days, months, or even years. 

—-------------------

Back at Squad 4's apartment, the air was filled with the aroma of sizzling food as Miko and Kaela worked side by side in the kitchen. On the couch, Seth and Sora sat under warm blankets, bandages wrapped around them. Clear evidence of yesterday's grueling battle.

"Yo, Miko! How much longer is that gonna take?" Sora called out, her eyes still fixated to the TV. "Ren might wake up any minute now!"

"Calm down, will you? We're working on it!" Miko answered without turning.

Seth chuckled softly. "I can't believe it."

"Believe what?" Sora raised an eyebrow.

"You're getting fond of Ren, aren't you?"

For a brief second, Seth could swear he saw Sora's cheeks turn pink.

"H-huh?! What are you even talking about?" she replied, clearly flustered.

"I think Seth has a point," Miko joined in from the kitchen with a teasing smirk. "You always check up on him. And don't think we missed that synchronized attack you two pulled on Drake. That combo wasn't just clean, it was personal."

"T-that was for the team! Obviously! And of course I'd worry about him, he's….he's…"

Before she could finish her sentence, footsteps came from the stairs.

Ren, looking half asleep, appeared with a puzzled expression. "I'm what?"

Sora froze. "Nothing! Just eat! I'm going to the training room! I'm skipping lunch!"

"You're gonna get thinner if—"

SMACK!

Sora smacked him lightly on the head on her way out, cheeks still faintly pink.

"Ow! C'mon, cut me some slack. I'm injured, you know?" Ren complained, rubbing his head.

The others just laughed.

They gathered around the kitchen table. At least, the four of them did. Sora had holed herself up in the training room ever since her little outburst, too embarrassed to face the group.

"You good now?" Miko asked, glancing at Ren's bandaged body.

"Well, my body's still aching," Ren replied, rolling his shoulder. "But my Drive Core feels stable. I probably just need a bit more conditioning."

"Fair enough."

"But still," Seth added, stirring his food. "I can't believe Alen turned out to be a traitor. Judging by his attacks, he was probably on par with Drake before he snapped."

"Yeah," Ren said with a nod. "But Shin Amano… that guy's in a whole different league. I'm pretty sure he could've floored Drake in seconds. Honestly, if it wasn't for him giving us the chance, we wouldn't have had the chance to reclaim our pride."

I didn't see how he handled Alen… but the way he took down that Dreadlock guy? That power, he's on a different level. Shin's stronger than me. I want to catch up.

Fast. 

The day passed by in a flash as peace lingered in the air. It felt comforting for squad 4 considering that they had just emerged from a brutal war and reclaimed one of the corrupted wards.

Aeri had instructed the squad to rest while they awaited their next mission. But she warned them that things would likely escalate in the coming weeks or even months, depending on Ayato's orders.

They were also briefed on the situation in Ward 7 and the fall of Raging Waters. According to Aeri, the remnants of the fallen faction had been absorbed into Squad 7, who now operated at the 11th ward.

That evening, on the rooftop of the apartment, Ren stood alone. Shirtless and drenched in sweat after an intense solo training session. His physique had noticeably changed since joining ZEAL. His body, once lean, now carried the hardened tone of someone shaped by battle.

"You're training?" came a voice from behind.

Ren glanced over his shoulder. Sora had stepped through the rooftop door, leaning casually against the railings. "Aren't you supposed to be resting?"

"I could say the same to you," Ren replied with a faint smirk as he joined her at the edge, both of them now staring out over the city lights.

After a brief silence, Ren broke the quiet. "If you don't mind me asking, why did you join ZEAL?"

Sora was momentarily caught off guard. Her posture shifted slightly as her eyes narrowed not in annoyance, but in memory. The weight of her past settled on her expression like a shadow.

"My sister and I were orphans from Ward 13," she began quietly. "I haven't met my parents so my sister was the only family I ever had. But two years ago, the Shikkoku attacked during one of their ward takeovers. We were supposed to be bystanders. Just civilians."

Her voice trembled slightly but remained composed.

"One of the awakened from Shikkoku burst into our home during the chaos. My sister… she had just awakened her Drive Core back then so she tried to protect me." Sora paused, trying to hold back her tears. "But she wasn't strong enough. They killed her. And all I could do was hide under the bed just like she told me to."

Ren remained silent, allowing her to speak without interruption.

"After that… revenge became my purpose. I started picking fights in different wards. Little by little, I grew stronger and eventually awakened my own Drive Core. That's when Warden Kaien found me and brought me into ZEAL."

Ah. That explains her being fond of Kaien, Ren thought.

"He taught me how to control my Drive Core, but more than that, he gave me direction. Taught me what ZEAL truly stands for. Not for revenge, but for peace."

Sora turned to him slightly. "Do you think we should fight to save the world or to destroy what's breaking it?" 

"Well, that's a hard question to answer if you ask me. But maybe down the line, a balance exists between them. But as gangsters and members of ZEAL, maybe it's our role to be the villains out there, destroying the rot so this world has a chance to be saved."

—---------------

On the rooftop of a towering skyscraper in Ward 13, a man with messy black hair stood tall. His dark red jacket hung loosely around his shoulders like a cape, swaying with the wind. Embroidered on the back was a pair of black fangs, sharp, ominous, and unmistakable. 

Beside him, a petite girl with pale yellow hair and piercing red eyes sat casually, idly playing with her nails as she hummed a soft, eerie tune, like a lullaby twisted by madness.

"Aren't you going to praise me, Lyra?" the man asked with a smirk. "My little brother's getting stronger out there."

Lyra continued to hum, seemingly unbothered.

"Still not ready to face me, little brother." His voice was calm, almost amused. Only his silhouette stood visible. His back was turned, face hidden. An enigma cloaked in the night's shadow.