The Shibeno Slum was a place where the streets were littered with trash, stray cats, and discarded cans of beer. It was a perfect location for Shingo’s garage. It was cramped, but it was where Shingo and Gale could work on their bikes and cars.

Shingo’s team of four gathered in the garage to discuss their next mission, a mission that they knew would be dangerous and possibly fatal.

Shingo wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. “Phew! We just finished tuning up Gale’s car and my bike. I got a feeling we’re going to need them in tip-top shape for the hell of a chase.”

Gale laughed nervously. “I can’t imagine we’ll be involved in a Western movie-like pursuit. Imagine all the coppers and choppers pouring down on us like an avalanche.”

Chiyo spoke in a calm and measured voice. “Whether the mission will end in success or failure, that pursuit is bound to happen. That’s the outcome from my analysis after considering all our options.”

Mariko shivered. “Moreover, I sense the presence of a familiar, yet very offensive and fierce force. It’s like a balloon being pumped on and on to the point of bursting. I don’t like this mission, Shin. Can you please persuade your hot-headed boss into aborting it?”

Shingo frowned. “We know and we agree that this is wrong. Yet it’s too late and futile to stop Hayato now. Recklessness is part of his nature and he will reap nothing but disappointment.”

Gale spoke up, his voice filled with conviction. “However, I, Shingo, and Chiyo have a life debt to Hayato. So, we must help him all the way and prevent the consequences of his folly from befalling him.”

“Well, we have no choice but to blindly go forward. So, do you have a plan to illuminate our way through?” Mariko asked, looking at Chiyo.

Chiyo paused for a moment before speaking. “This is the most speculative idea I have because I only know what the public knows about the GI. I don’t know if it can be called a plan or not.”

“Please elaborate. You’re the smartest among us, Chiyo,” Shingo urged.

Chiyo told her plan in detail, her eyes unblinking until the finish. Shingo’s eyes widened. “That’s the craziest, out-of-the-box thinking I’ve ever heard, and I like it.”

Gale grinned. “Let’s call Hayato, let Chiyo convey her plan to him, and see his reaction. I bet my little finger he’ll consent to it.”

Chiyo smiled. “Why, thank you. I don’t expect it to go through, though.”

Mariko looked skeptical. “But the result will most likely be the same. We have to escape the building and outrun the pursuing GI agents.”

Shingo nodded. “Yes, but at least we’ll have a greater chance to come out from the lion’s den alive and in one piece. Call away, Gale.”

Gale picked up his phone and dialed Hayato’s number. Chiyo told the boss her plan, and there was a long silence. Finally, Hayato spoke. “I see. That’s a bold move. I like it. Let’s do it.”

An hour later, the group emerged from the garage, ready to face whatever awaited them. Shingo grinned. “All right! The boss has given us the order to move out. Let’s join the Skull Mask Squad and hope for the best.”

About thirty years after its foundation, the Goemon Agency once became at the forefront of the conflict between the Yakuza and the Daitoshi City government. The truce between them was dearly paid, and the price was the blood of nearly a thousand GI agents and Yakuza gangsters, not counting innocent lives lost.

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Ironically, the conflict between the Yakuza and the GI was about to be rekindled anew, and the reason was merely over a kidnapped idol girl named Reika Diose.

As absurd as the reason was, the Yakuza squad led by Hayato Mori launched the surprise attack on the GI Headquarters Tower in the morning anyway.

The Skull Mask Squad swarmed the front gate. As expected, the GI agents and security bots came pouring out from the building. The two squads clashed at once.

However, Hayato Mori and his group of gifted, young fighters took a long route from behind the Yakuzas and encircled the front courtyard until they reached the alternate emergency entrance at the side of the building. Taking the stairs first, they entered the emergency door and came into the office rooms on the third floor. That was Chiyo Higashi’s plan.

Shingo was too busy sneaking behind the squad and going straight to the third floor, he didn’t see Shiori and the defending agents on the first floor of the building. Such was the play of fate.

Soon thereafter, Shingo, Gale, Mariko, Hayato, and Chiyo found themselves locked in a fierce battle against the highly trained GI agents inside the towering walls of the GI HQ Tower. The agents moved with calculated precision, striking swiftly and then retreating, as if to lure the team further into the heart of the building.

With each clash of steel, Shingo wielded his katana with skill and finesse. His movements were fluid and precise, dancing between his opponents with a grace that belied his young age. Meanwhile, Gale relied on his kung-fu expertise, delivering lightning-fast strikes and devastating blows with his bare hands, each strike filled with controlled power.

Mariko channeled the light magic within her, casting protective barriers and mending the wounds of her comrades. Her spells radiated with a gentle glow, infusing the air with an ethereal energy. Chiyo, the lightning mage, unleashed bolts of crackling electricity that danced through the air, striking their foes with electrifying precision.

Hayato, known for his double claws, fought with unparalleled ferocity. His movements were a blur as he engaged multiple enemies simultaneously, each swipe of his lethal claws leaving a trail of blood in its wake. His determination to rescue his girlfriend, Reika Diose, fueled his every strike.

As the battle raged on, the team found themselves slowly being led to the seventh floor, and the elevators were barred. It was clear that their opponents had a plan, a strategy they were methodically executing. Amidst the chaos, the team exchanged brief words, their voices filled with urgency and determination.

“We need to stay focused and keep pushing forward,” Shingo shouted, his voice cutting through the clash of weapons. “They’re leading us somewhere for a reason.”

Gale nodded, his fists still flying in a blur. “They’re testing our mettle. Let’s show them what we’re made of.”

Mariko’s healing magic enveloped her allies, soothing their wounds and rejuvenating their spirits. “Stay strong, everyone. We can overcome this.”

Chiyo unleashed a powerful Chain Lightning spell, the crackling arcs of electricity illuminating the battlefield. “Let them feel the power of the storm!”

Hayato’s eyes burned with determination as he lunged forward, his claws striking true. “We won’t let them stop us. Reika is counting on us.”

With each step forward, the team’s resolve strengthened. They were determined not to falter, to face whatever awaited them on the seventh floor.