Location: Branch 09, Sector 9B, New Tokyo

  Within the glassy white corridors of Branch 09, Associate Director Reco walked frantically, cutting each corner with an aggressive turn. Beside him, sparse shadows sprinted past as he placed his hand over his face. There’s no doubt about it. That… thing, it belongs to him.

  He glared down the long corridor ahead.

  “The Six must hear about this.”

  He reached for the folder tucked beneath his arm and opened it as he continued his frantic stride down the white corridor, yet with each step his mind spiralled from one question to another. Within its pages lay a report describing an anomaly they had contained not long ago.

  Subject: Akari Hinamata

  Age: Six

  Gender: Female

  Height: 114 cm

  Description:

  First discovered hiding within the southwest forest near Moriyama Village, Akari Hinamata appears to possess an abnormally high V? capacity. However, her origins remain unknown.

  Preliminary analysis of her clothing at the time of containment, along with the wooden cane recovered from the village site, strongly implies a correlation to [REDACTED].

  “This girl…” he muttered under his breath. “What would he want from you?”

  He shook his head and glanced up once more. A sudden flash of movement in the shadows caused him to stop dead in his tracks. He had been too deep in thought to notice the passing groups of D.S.O. agents, their rhythmic footsteps echoing across the corridor.

  There were usually fewer than a dozen active agents on each floor. Now, however, the white corridors had become a stream of motion. Group after group of agents moved past the intersections in perfect synchronicity, their strides unnaturally fluid beneath the sterile lights above.

  Why are there so many?

  The folder shifted slightly beneath his arm. His gaze drifted toward a small group marching in his direction. Their black metal chest plates, marked with red stripes, signalled the D.S.O.’s frontline division, the Blood Wardens.

  Reco stood still, facing the direction he had been walking, before raising his hand with a soft snap of his fingers. The wordless command fell heavy across the marching agents’ heads, and so they halted at once. The blonde-haired woman leading the formation stepped forward, bringing her fist to her chest in salute.

  “C-Rank Operative Judy Despot, reporting, sir.”

  He glanced at the group of agents that trailed behind her.

  C-ranks? Hmm.

  “Despot, what is your mission?”

  Judy responded at once. “Delta Squad has been dispatched due to a sudden spike in Void energy nearby, sir.”

  “Multiple agents have failed to report back. Commander Takamura has therefore dispatched several squads.”

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  I see. That explains the chaos here. Still, to think Takamura would send this many troops over something so small… unless. Reco resumed his stride toward the inner wing.

  “Dismissed.”

  The squad dispersed into a blur behind him. Moments passed before Reco reached the end of the corridor, and upon turning, he was met with a looming blue glow that flooded the hall. He slowed as he neared it, his footsteps growing heavier against the white floor.

  The door is open? Perhaps I should remind Takamura of our most basic security protocols.

  The room was vast, its ceiling swallowed by darkness as the overhead lights were cut, leaving only the central display mounted upon the far wall to bathe the chamber in blue. Lines of terminals ran toward it in perfect symmetry. Every screen was angled toward the massive panel. At its centre, stood a figure draped in golden medals. Reco stepped into the chamber, passing the identification plate on the wall: [Command Centre]

  At first, the steady clicks of keyboards masked his footsteps. However, as he passed the agents, the room slowly fell into silence. A second had not passed before the entire chamber rose in perfect synchronicity.

  “Associate Director Reco, sir!”

  The man standing before the giant screen froze, his grip tightening around the edge of the table. Slowly, he turned his head, and a single word escaped his lips.

  “Reco”

  The associate stood only a few feet behind him now. “Why do you look so distressed, Commander?” The Commander’s gaze hardened. He drove his fist into the table. “Right in the middle of Sanctuary City. This makes no sense.”

  Reco raised a hand. “Calm yourself, Commander. Explain.”

  The Commander turned toward the massive screen that dwarfed them both and gestured to an intelligence agent seated nearby.

  “Switch to recording 0821.”

  The woman nodded and routed the footage to the central display. The room fell silent as the steady clicks of nearby keyboards faded. Reco glanced at his watch and exhaled. I do not have the time for this. A low groan rumbled through the chamber. Pens rolled from the flat surfaces of nearby tables. The Commander glanced at Reco once more before a voice emerged from the speakers hidden within the surrounding walls.

  “Dukhma asut iuh soehk mo.”

  Reco glanced around the room before returning his gaze to the Commander. “So demons can speak. That is not new knowledge.”

  The Commander shook his head. “Perhaps. However, this is different. It was the last transmission we received from Agent 0023, codename Alpha-3. I played it because our speakers are, well… disconnected.”

  Reco frowned. “Disconnected? I do not understand, Commander. Nor do I have time for abstractions.”

  The Commander leaned against the table behind him. “Several C-Ranked agents have vanished from the map, sir.”

  Reco stepped back slightly and exhaled. “Do not tell me you detained me over a few C-Ranks.”

  “Well, that and the B-Rank who has also vanished from the map.”

  The colour drained from Reco’s face. “Hold on. Are you implying that a demon capable of challenging a B-Ranked agent exists, right now, in New Tokyo? A city of sanctuary?”

  Commander Takamura straightened and closed the distance between them.

  “Reco, with your permission, I can deploy an S-Rank. Whatever thing lurks within this city must be vanquished. We cannot allow it to reach a civilian.”

  The associate glanced at the folder still tucked beneath his arm. “Commander where is the demon now?” he asked, urgency edging his voice. Takamura gestured to an agent at his right, and footage filled the massive screen behind them.

  “At exactly 03:00 hours, our spec cameras captured this image,” he said, pointing toward the display.

  A large horde of four-legged creatures coated in dark fur filled the frame. Reco stared at the screen in confusion.

  “Demon hounds? What are they doing here?”

  The Commander exhaled softly. “More specifically, Shadow Hounds. These were believed to be extinct, and yet over a hundred can be seen in a single frame.”

  “This is precisely why I must retain command over the S-Ranks, sir. They would have already been deployed.”

  Reco walked toward the screen, ignoring the Commander’s words.

  Takamura stepped after him, repeating himself. “Sir, this is exactly…” However, the moment Reco raised his hand, he fell silent.

  Reco pointed to a strange distortion within the still image. “Commander, perhaps I am blinded by the brightness of this screen, however does this not look unusual to you?”

  Takamura stepped closer, narrowing his eyes at the faint shape.

  “A blue pole?” he asked, confused.

  Reco adjusted his finger, tracing the edges of the distortion. No. That is not a blur. The realisation struck him. No… impossible.

  He stepped back abruptly, as though the image itself had burned his hand. He then spun around and stormed towards the entrance. Takamura tried to keep up with him, confused still. “Reco, sir. What is the matter?”

  Reco stopped and turned his head slightly. A thin stream of sweat ran down his temple. “Commander, relay this message to all branches across Gaia at once.” He looked directly at Takamura.

  “All available Pillars are to return to Sector 9.”

  This marks the end of volume 2. Next volume returns to the Exam arc.

  Thanks for reading!