The silence in the air the next morning felt like an invisible storm cloud looming over Takuma. He had thrown himself into the simulation work the day before, but the memory of Miu’s tear-streaked face refused to leave him. It was as though her hurt had woven itself into his thoughts, subtly tugging at him, no matter how hard he tried to focus.

Takuma walked into HQ, his usual sharp gaze scanning the busy halls. He passed rows of agents reviewing missions, technicians tuning equipment, and recruits training in sparring rings. To anyone watching, he appeared as calm and calculated as ever, but inside, his thoughts churned like a restless tide.

His team—Sora, Kaede, and Hikari—was waiting for him in the debriefing room. The three girls straightened when he entered, their chatter ceasing as they immediately shifted to focus on him.

"Morning," Takuma said curtly, placing a file on the table before sitting down.

"Morning, leader," Sora replied, her casual grin softening her words.

"You look... tired," Hikari added, her voice gentle but observant as always.

Kaede, ever direct, leaned back in her chair and smirked. "Big day ahead, huh? Or did someone keep you up late?"

Takuma ignored the comment, flipping open the file. "We’ve got a new mission," he said, his tone clipped, pushing away the remnants of yesterday’s conflict.

That caught their attention. Sora leaned forward, her excitement bubbling just beneath the surface. Hikari’s eyes sharpened, scanning Takuma’s expression for any clues, while Kaede crossed her arms, a small smirk tugging at her lips.

"The database issue is being managed, but a priority task came through this morning," Takuma continued. "It’s an infiltration job. A rival organization has been recruiting aggressively near the eastern sector. Their influence is starting to overlap with ours, which means potential intel leaks and resource clashes. Our job is to investigate their headquarters and gather information on their operations."

"Sounds risky," Kaede said, her smirk fading into something more serious. "What’s the fallback plan if we’re compromised?"

"There won’t be a fallback plan because we’re not getting compromised," Takuma replied, his tone final. He tapped the file. "You’ll find the mission details here. Gear up and be ready in thirty."

The girls nodded, their expressions focused as they rose to leave. But as they walked toward the door, Sora hesitated and turned back.

"Hey, Takuma," she said, her voice quieter than usual. "Are you... good? Like, really good?"

Takuma blinked, caught off guard by the sincerity in her tone. "I’m fine," he said after a pause.

Sora didn’t look convinced, but she didn’t push further. "Alright," she said, giving him a small smile. "Let’s nail this mission, then."

Once the room was empty, Takuma let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. He leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling.

Miu would have pushed harder, he thought, the memory of her determination creeping back into his mind.

Before he could dwell on it further, the door to the debriefing room opened, and the owner of the organization stepped in. His presence was commanding, his sharp suit and piercing gaze exuding authority.

"Takuma," the owner said, his voice calm but firm. "I hear you’ve been handling things well."

Takuma straightened in his chair, nodding. "I do my best."

The owner sat across from him, his gaze steady. "You’re leading a strong team. I can see the potential in all of them, but I need you to understand something: this mission is critical. If this rival organization gains the upper hand, it could mean more than just a few skirmishes. We’re talking about war on a scale that could compromise everything we’ve built."

Takuma’s jaw tightened. "Understood."

"I trust you to make the right decisions out there," the owner continued. "But remember—this isn’t just about gathering intel. It’s about establishing dominance. Make sure they understand who they’re dealing with."

Takuma nodded again, the weight of the mission settling on his shoulders.

As the owner stood to leave, he paused at the door. "And Takuma," he said, his voice softer now, "whatever personal conflicts you’re dealing with—leave them behind. Your team needs you focused. No distractions."

The door closed behind him, leaving Takuma alone with his thoughts.

No distractions, he repeated in his mind. But as much as he tried to compartmentalize, the image of Miu standing outside HQ, hurt and confused, refused to leave him.

Shaking his head, Takuma stood and grabbed the mission file. He couldn’t afford to falter now. His team—and the organization—were counting on him.

The mission was about to begin, and failure wasn’t an option.

Takuma gathered his thoughts and walked to the armory, shaking off the weight of his earlier emotions. He needed to focus. The mission was critical, and he couldn't afford distractions—especially not when the team was relying on him. As he entered the armory, Sora, Kaede, and Hikari were already gearing up, each one preparing with a precision that mirrored Takuma’s own.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Sora, always the first to speak up, turned as he approached. “You good?” Her eyes were scanning him closely, as if she could read his mood better than he could himself.

Takuma nodded, his voice steady. "Yeah. Just a lot on my mind."

Kaede grinned and slipped a knife into her boot. "Let it go for now. We’ve got a job to do, and I’m betting it’ll be way more interesting than whatever’s bothering you."

Takuma gave a thin smile, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Focus on the mission. We get in, get the intel, and get out. Nothing more."

Hikari, who had been quiet until now, adjusted the strap of her shoulder bag and nodded, her tone calm as always. “I’ll keep watch outside while you two handle the inside. You know where I’ll be.”

The plan had been set. They all knew their roles, and they trusted each other implicitly. Takuma's mind, however, remained clouded. Miu’s lingering presence in his thoughts gnawed at him, the hurt he caused her swirling in a storm of guilt. He knew he couldn’t let it distract him, but how could he ignore it?

"Let’s go," Takuma said finally, pushing the thoughts aside. He turned toward the door and led the team out.

----------------------------------------

The drive to the rival organization’s headquarters was uneventful, but the tension in the air was palpable. The dark streets passed by in a blur, and Takuma couldn't shake the feeling of something about to go terribly wrong. It wasn’t the mission that worried him; it was everything surrounding it. The way the owner had spoken to him earlier, like his personal issues could jeopardize everything.

The car pulled up to the building, a sleek, modern structure that contrasted sharply with the older, more worn-down appearance of their own HQ. Takuma’s sharp eyes scanned the exterior as they parked, and he signaled his team to move.

They slipped into the building with practiced ease, using shadows and silent footsteps to avoid detection. Takuma’s pulse quickened as they approached the main lobby, which was eerily quiet. No one seemed to be around, which only heightened his wariness.

Hikari, always the most observant, gave him a subtle nod. "No signs of activity. This might be easier than we thought."

But Takuma wasn’t so sure. The silence felt like a trap waiting to spring. "Keep your guard up," he muttered. "We’re not here to make friends."

They advanced further into the building, entering a high-tech control room with rows of monitors and computers. Takuma knew they needed to find the central server, where the real information would be stored.

As Kaede and Sora began hacking into the system, Takuma watched the door, his senses alert. Suddenly, a sound came from down the hallway—footsteps, quick and purposeful. Takuma motioned for the team to freeze.

A few moments later, two men in dark suits appeared at the corner. Takuma’s eyes narrowed, and without a word, he signaled for the team to move in.

It was swift and efficient. Sora used her agility to knock one man out with a well-timed strike, while Kaede incapacitated the other with a series of precise jabs. Takuma watched over them, his instincts sharp as ever.

Once they were sure the men were neutralized, they proceeded to the server room. Kaede accessed the system while Takuma kept watch. They were so close.

But just as Kaede was about to download the data, a loud crash echoed from the hallway.

Takuma’s heart skipped a beat.

"We’ve been made," he muttered, signaling the team to prepare for a fight.

The hallway erupted in chaos as the sound of boots pounding against the polished floor filled the air. Takuma’s pulse quickened, his senses heightening, the adrenaline surging through his veins. He motioned to his team, his voice calm but firm, “We’ve got company. Kaede, you stay on the download. Sora, Hikari, you with me.”

Sora grinned, cracking her knuckles. “Finally, some action.”

Hikari’s expression remained unreadable, but her hand tightened around the handle of her weapon. “Let’s make this quick.”

As Takuma and his team prepared for the incoming attack, the door to the server room flew open, and a group of six men in black suits flooded the corridor. They moved with precision, their faces expressionless, like shadows sent to eliminate any threat.

Takuma’s eyes flicked to the right—Sora was already in motion, charging forward like a streak of lightning. With fluid grace, she tackled the first guard, taking him to the ground with a vicious elbow to the side of the head. She moved faster than Takuma could blink, spinning to land a sharp kick on the next guard’s chest, sending him stumbling back into the wall.

Hikari, moving with eerie calm, slipped between the guards and disarmed one with a swift twist of her wrist. The guard barely had time to react before Hikari drove her knee into his stomach, sending him crashing into the ground.

Takuma, his body moving on instinct, met the remaining three guards head-on. He ducked under a punch aimed at his face, sidestepping to avoid another, and with a speed that left the men barely registering his movement, he struck. His first blow landed in the soft spot of the guard’s ribs, and with a satisfying crack, the man crumpled.

The second guard attempted to strike with a low sweep, but Takuma was faster. He leapt over the leg and twisted behind the man, his arm locking around the guard’s neck in a chokehold. Within moments, the guard was unconscious, slumped against Takuma’s chest.

The last guard hesitated, eyeing the situation carefully. Takuma turned to face him, his stance calm and deadly, but his eyes glinted with unspoken challenge. “Make this easy,” Takuma muttered, his voice low, almost dangerous.

The guard lunged, and Takuma sidestepped just in time, using the man’s own momentum against him. With a swift and well-placed knee to the back of his opponent’s knee, Takuma sent the guard to the floor, his face slamming into the cold tiles. A quick jab to the back of his neck and the fight was over.

Kaede’s voice rang out from behind him, “I’m almost done here! Just hold them off for a few more seconds!”

Takuma didn’t need to be told twice. He glanced over his shoulder, seeing Sora and Hikari already securing the hallway, keeping the remaining guards at bay. His team was in sync, every move they made complementing the others, a well-oiled machine in the heat of battle.

Kaede’s fingers flew across the keyboard as the final progress bar filled. “Done!” she shouted, pulling the drive from the system with a triumphant grin.

Takuma turned to her, adrenaline still coursing through his veins. “Nice work. Let’s get out of here.”

But just as they started to make their move, the sound of more footsteps echoed down the hall—heavier this time, as if the guards were mobilizing more forces. Takuma’s instincts screamed at him. They didn’t have much time before reinforcements arrived.

“Move!” he ordered, his voice sharp.

Sora, always quick to respond, grabbed Kaede by the arm, pulling her toward the exit as Takuma covered their retreat, his mind racing with tactics. They couldn’t go back the way they came. The building was too compromised.

They sprinted down the side hall, Takuma glancing over his shoulder to make sure none of the guards had regrouped too quickly. Hikari was already ahead, scouting out the path. She raised her hand to signal a turn up ahead, and they followed without question.

As they rounded the corner, Takuma’s mind flashed to the danger still lurking. They had the data, but the real challenge had only just begun. The building was full of enemies, and they were only one small team.

"We need to move fast," Takuma muttered, his voice tense. "Get to the extraction point—now!"

Hikari nodded, her pace never slowing. "On it."

They moved like shadows, quickly and quietly, but Takuma couldn’t shake the feeling that they weren’t just fighting for information anymore. They were fighting for their lives.