Endo and Eiji stood in the dimly lit corner of the bustling arena, grinning like children who’d just discovered a hidden treasure. Their eyes met, the thrill of victory coursing through them. They had bet everything on Kazuki, and against all odds, their gamble had paid off—big time.

"I’m gonna buy a Mustang," Endo muttered, his grin widening as he imagined the sleek machine in his driveway, its engine purring under his control.

Eiji, on the other hand, was lost in his own fantasies. "Forget the car, man. I’m thinking about being surrounded by sexy girls, living the good life." He chuckled to himself, his eyes glinting with the thought of easy money and carefree days.

Just then, Endo felt a hard slap on the back of his head, knocking him out of his daydream. He winced, turning to see Junpei standing behind them, his expression unreadable.

"What are you two grinning about?" Rika asked, appearing beside Junpei, her eyebrows raised in suspicion.

Endo and Eiji exchanged an awkward glance, trying to suppress their smiles. "Nothing," they both replied, far too quickly.

Junpei didn’t say anything for a moment, just looking at the two of them. His eyes narrowed slightly, his lips pressed into a thin line. Finally, he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Something big is about to go down in this place. And we need to leave before that happens."

The weight of his words cut through their excitement like a cold blade. Endo and Eiji’s grins vanished, replaced by wide-eyed stares of shock. Rika, too, looked startled, her face suddenly pale.

"You felt it?" Endo asked, his voice quieter now, the gravity of the situation sinking in.

Junpei nodded, his gaze distant for a moment as if he was already looking past them, seeing something none of them could. "Yeah. I can feel it in my bones. This place… it’s about to erupt."

The tension in the air seemed to thicken around them. The distant thumping of the crowd, the echo of shouts and cheers, all faded into the background, replaced by an unsettling stillness.

Junpei turned to the group, his voice firm but calm. "I need you three to group up and look for Kazuki on the right side of this place. I’ll take the left route."

Without hesitation, the four of them nodded in agreement. Whatever it was Junpei was feeling, they trusted him. They didn’t question it. They didn’t have time to.

Endo, Eiji, and Rika quickly turned and headed off in the direction Junpei had pointed out, their footsteps falling in sync as they moved through the crowded, chaotic space. The roar of the arena seemed to grow distant as they pushed forward, weaving through the mass of people, eyes scanning for any sign of Kazuki.

Junpei lingered for a moment, watching them go. He clenched his fists, a knot forming in his stomach. Something was definitely off. Something was about to change, and not for the better.

A long time back, Junpei had learned the skill to sense the impending danger to a certain degree. Today, this skill might prove to be the most important in his arsenal.

With a deep breath, he turned and headed in the opposite direction, his mind racing as he prepared for whatever was coming next.

***

The hallway stretched endlessly, dim lights flickering, casting long, distorted shadows on the cold marble floor. Naito’s eyes flicked to the woman striding toward him, the click of her heels echoing in the eerie silence.

The Hotdog Lover appeared, wearing a plain black dress that clung to her form, her previously pink hair had been dyed black and framed a face twisted with malice. Her eyes gleamed under the dim light, and she wore a headset over her ears, it was there so that she could defend herself against Naito’s ability. Naito didn’t have time—his instincts screamed danger.

“It’s you, huh,” Naito said, halting in his steps, his eyes narrowing.

Emi grinned, raising her hands. Thin, sharp thorns formed from tips of her fingers, extending like deadly claws. They glimmered in the faint light, dangerous and predatory.

"You looked lonely. I thought you might want some company," she taunted, her smile darkening with each step.

“Company is always welcome,” Naito replied, his voice laced with sarcasm, as he unsheathed the dagger he had taken from the guard earlier. He twirled the blade in his hand, preparing for what was coming next.

With a wicked grin, Emi lunged at him, her thorn-clad hands slashing through the air. Naito dodged swiftly, the claws slicing through the empty space where his head had been just a second earlier. The air cracked as her claws tore through the wall behind him, leaving deep gashes in the concrete.

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She was fast.

Naito twisted his body, bringing his dagger down toward her exposed side, but Emi blocked it with her thorned hand, sparks flying as metal met her Aura-infused claws. She leaned in close, her breath hot against his skin. "I got rid of every guard on this hallway... just so I could kill you in peace."

Naito's lips curled into a grin. “How romantic.”

They broke apart, circling each other in the narrow hallway. Emi’s thorns gleamed ominously, ready to strike at a moment’s notice.

"Did you really think we didn’t know you were here?" Emi asked, her voice dripping with contempt. “We kept you in a cell that made it easy for you to figure out the guards’ routines. That L-shaped turn you used? We wanted you to find it.”

Naito’s grin faded slightly as he processed her words. They had been watching him the entire time. His undercover mission hadn’t been as smooth as he thought. He clenched his dagger tighter, his knuckles turning white.

“You really thought you were clever, huh?” she continued, stalking closer, her claws ready to rip him apart. “We even know that the Poachers are coming. But alas—you won’t be alive when they get here.”

Naito scoffed, rolling his shoulders to loosen the tension in his muscles. “You talk too much for a lowly bitch about to get her ass kicked—again.”

With a sudden burst of speed, Naito darted forward, slashing at Emi’s midsection. She parried with her claws, but Naito was relentless. He spun, delivering a sharp kick to her leg, throwing her off balance. She stumbled, but quickly regained her footing, her eyes burning with fury.

“I’ll make you scream,” she spat, slashing at him with wild precision. Her claws whistled through the air, each strike aimed to kill. Naito barely dodged one swipe, feeling the air shift as her claws passed inches from his face.

“Stronger people than you have tried,” Naito taunted, ducking under another swipe and retaliating with a quick jab to her side with the dagger. He felt the blade connect, tearing through her dress and skin. Emi gasped, stepping back, clutching the wound with her free hand. Blood seeped between her fingers, but the pain seemed to fuel her anger.

“You’re gonna die slow, you bastard,” she snarled, her claws gleaming as she launched at him again.

The hallway felt narrower as they clashed, each strike and counterstrike echoing through the desolate space. The flickering lights above seemed to dim with the intensity of their battle. Naito was quick, his dagger flashing with every calculated move. But Emi’s claws were relentless, and the sound of metal scraping against her thorned hands filled the air like nails on a chalkboard.

In a swift motion, Emi swiped at his face. Naito barely dodged, but her claws grazed his cheek, drawing blood. He winced, wiping the blood with the back of his hand.

"That all you got?" Naito grinned, eyes burning with determination. "I’ve fought ghouls tougher than you."

Emi let out a sharp laugh. She simply said “Fuck you.”

She lunged again, but Naito anticipated her move this time. He sidestepped her charge, grabbed her arm, and with a brutal twist, slammed her into the wall. The impact cracked the concrete, and for a second, Emi’s breath hitched. But she recovered fast, driving her elbow into Naito’s ribs.

The force made him stagger back, and Emi swung her claws toward his throat, aiming to end it. But Naito ducked just in time, delivering a swift uppercut to her jaw. The force of the punch sent her some distance back.

“Not bad,” Naito muttered, catching his breath. “But you’re still not on my level.”

She wiped the blood from her lip, her eyes burning with rage. “We’ll see about that.”

Emi lay on the cold marble floor, gasping for air. Blood seeped from her wounds, her black dress torn and stained with crimson. Naito stood over her, his gaze locked on to her as he walked towards her.

Emi’s hands twitched. Slowly, she raised them, her fingers trembling. The thorns that once jutted from her fingertips began to dissolve, evaporating into the air like mist. In their place, thin threads—pink and ethereal—started to emerge, almost invisible, shimmering faintly in the dim light of the hallway.

Naito’s steps halted. His eyes narrowed as he caught sight of the threads beginning to stretch out from Emi’s fingers, slithering through the air like living creatures.

"What the hell—?" Naito muttered, but before he could react, one of the threads grazed past his wrist, slicing into his flesh with razor-sharp precision. He winced as the sting of the cut hit him, blood trickling down his hand.

Emi grinned, weak but triumphant. "You didn’t think I’d go down that easily, did you?"

Naito tried to step back, instinctively raising his dagger to cut through the approaching threads. But they moved too fast, weaving through the air with unnatural speed, surrounding him before he could create enough distance.

The pink strings multiplied, spiraling around him in a deadly dance. He slashed at them with his dagger, but for every string he severed, two more took its place. Soon, the web closed in on him. The threads snaked around his limbs, tightening with each passing second. Cuts began to appear all over his body—deep, burning wounds that stung with every movement.

“Damn it!” Naito cursed under his breath, gritting his teeth as he tried to break free. But the more he struggled, the tighter the threads became. Blood seeped from the new cuts, staining his clothes as the strings constricted him like a predator closing in on its prey.

Naito’s chest rose and fell heavily, his mind racing. Every movement caused more of the strings to tighten, their sharpness biting into his skin. Cuts lined his arms and torso, and a particularly deep gash across his shoulder sent waves of pain shooting through his body.

Emi's grin widened as she watched him struggle.

Naito glared at her, refusing to let the panic show on his face. The threads pulled tighter, pressing against his skin. More blood began to drip to the floor, creating small puddles around his feet. He clenched his fists, his breathing ragged.

"I didn’t want to use this here," he muttered under his breath, his voice low and dangerous. "But I guess I don’t have a choice, huh?"

His expression changed in an instant, the cockiness fading from his face. His eyes began to glow—an eerie, radiant light that seemed to pulse with energy. The air around him grew heavy, thick with tension, as if the entire hallway could feel the shift in power.