Rin's eyes lingered on the posters of Kaze Jūryoku that adorned the walls of her bedroom within The Eclipse Agency's headquarters, filled with longing.
She gently ran her fingers over Kaze's face in one of the posters, wishing she could see him again in person. The memory of his striking silver hair and intense light eyes still made her heart race.
"Kazu..."
A sudden knock at her door jolted Rin from her daydream. She whipped around angrily.
"What do you want?"
The door cracked open and Mei Tanaka peered in. "Sorry to bother you, Rin, but we've been summoned to the command room for an urgent meeting."
Rin's anger softened at the sight of the timid Mei. She had a soft spot for the gentle and principled Mei Tanaka who had befriended her when others kept their distance.
"Fine, let's go," Rin huffed, following Mei out into the sleek metallic hallway. Their footsteps echoed on the cold floors as they made their way to the command room.
Inside the vast chamber, the other ranking members had already gathered around Chairman Kurosawa who sat at the head of a long table. Rin's eyes drifted over each person in turn. S Rank Enforcer Daichi Fujimoto stood with his usual air of sophistication, hands folded neatly behind his back.
Dr. Hideo Yamada was present as well, his beady eyes observing everyone. And of course, the esteemed General Hiroto Nagasaki, who offered Rin a small nod of acknowledgement.
"Thank you for joining us," Kurosawa's deep voice rumbled. "Let us begin. Daichi, give us your report on the team's recent operations."
"Of course, Chairman," Daichi replied smoothly. "I'm pleased to share that under General Nagasaki's leadership, our teams have successfully captured three B-Rank Anomalies this month. Our research division is already hard at work studying their anolity."
"Oh, truly fantastic work! But what about our poor little C-rank enforcers? How's their training and enhancement coming along? Still struggling pathetically, or have they managed to crawl their way up from the bottom?" Kurosawa said,
"Remarkably well. The injections developed by Dr. Yamada have increased reflexes and stamina across the board." Daichi said.
As Daichi continued speaking about the promising results, Rin noticed Hiroto growing tense, a thin sheen of sweat visible on his forehead. His smile seemed strained as he gave occasional nods at Daichi's report.
Abruptly, the doors slid open and two enforcers named Saki and Miyu hurried into the room. They quickly moved to Hiroto's side and whispered something to him urgently.
Rin saw his already pale face blanch even further. After a brief, hushed exchange, the two enforcers retreated from the room just as suddenly as they had entered.
Kurosawa's sharp eyes tracked their exit before settling back on Hiroto. "What was that about, General?" he asked, his voice neutral but underlain with suspicion.
"Oh, nothing of consequence, Chairman, just a routine update on some of our field agents."
Kurosawa remained silent, continuing to stare at the fidgeting general. The tension in the room was palpable. After an uncomfortable pause, Kurosawa spoke again, his tone now frosted with menace.
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"Let us speak plainly. What is the status of Kaze Jūryoku and Sora Yamamoto?"
Rin's breath caught at the mention of Kaze's name. Hiroto opened and closed his mouth soundlessly.
"Well? I asked you a question, General," Kurosawa bit out.
"They...they are away on a confidential mission together. I thought it best to keep those details quiet until we have results." Hiroto's lie was transparent.
Rin watched in dismay as Kurosawa's face transformed, morphing from suspicion to outright, bone-chilling fury. An ominous pressure filled the room. She had never seen the chairman this enraged before. It was terrifying.
"Seriously Hiroto? You thought you could play me for a fool?" Kurosawa's voice was tight with anger. "You really believed I wouldn't find out about Jūryoku's betrayal?"
"Ch-chairman, I can explain," Hiroto stuttered.
"Silence!" Kurosawa roared. "You know I can't stand liars."
In a blur of motion too quick to follow, the chairman drew a sleek pistol from inside his suit jacket and fired a single, fatal shot directly into Hiroto's forehead. The general fell to the ground, lifeless, before his body even touched the floor. Blood was spread all around.
Rin stood frozen in horror and shock. An anguished cry tore from Mei's throat beside her. As Mei leapt into action, Rin gathered crackling electricity between her palms and body.
"You... you shot him!" she screamed, her voice cracking with disbelief. "Why, Kurosawa? Why would you do this?" The electricity around her flared, sparks flying wildly as her emotions spiraled out of control.
Rin stood frozen in horror and shock. An anguished cry tore from Mei's throat beside her. As Mei leapt into action, Rin gathered crackling electricity between her palms and body.
"You... you shot him!" she screamed, her voice cracking with disbelief and fury. "Why, Kurosawa? Why would you do this?" The electricity around her flared, sparks flying wildly as her emotions spiraled out of control.
Mei charged at Kurosawa with unbridled rage, her feet barely touching the ground as she harnessed her shockwave ability, aiming both hands directly at him. Kurosawa, unfazed, merely smiled, hands casually tucked in his pockets.
"Maximum Shockwave!" Mei screamed, her voice filled with fury. "You're dead, Kurosawa!" She unleashed her shockwave with everything she had, determined to make him pay.
But in a twist of fate, a portal appeared in front of her, swallowing her attack whole. Moments later, another portal opened behind her, redirecting her own shockwave back at her, causing her to bleed from her ears and collapse in defeat. Daichi, witnessing Mei's fall, felt a surge of mixed emotions.
"Step aside, Fujimoto. This is your only warning. I'm going to take down Kurosawa!" Rin said.
Daichi, in a moment of quiet defiance, adjusted his brown coat, his posture firm as he pointed a finger at her. "Rin, think this through. What you're about to do is a crime. I cannot, in good conscience, stand by and watch you take the chairman's life," he implored, his voice betraying a hint of desperation.
Rin's eyes flashed with a mix of anger and disbelief. "How can you be so blind?" She said, frustration boiling over. "The chairman you're so fiercely defending has blood on his hands—the blood of general Hiroto!"
Daichi's resolve didn't falter. "The agency is under his control. He has... the authority to make these harrowing decisions. General Hiroto was aware of the risks when he signed that contract with Chairman Kurosawa. There were alternatives, paths not taken. It's a harsh truth, but it's the reality we live in."
Rin stood her ground, her intensity surging like a tempest. The air around her crackled with raw electrical energy as her gaze locked onto Daichi. "I see then,If you are not gonna move, I will make you move!"
Unleashing her fury, Rin clapped her hands and shouted, "Thunderclap!" Electricity surged through the air, sending a swift and merciless barrage of electric waves across the area. The building reacted as if caught in a violent quake, the framework groaning under the assault. Fires spontaneously sparked to life amidst the chaos.
"I won't let you hurt anyone else!" Rin yelled, her eyes blazing with intensity as the electric waves amplified with her emotions.
Amid the bedlam, Dr. Hideo Yamada's voice pierced the deafening turmoil, his words saturated with a desperate plea for peace. "Enough! This madness must end!" he shouted, trying futilely to rein in the chaos that Rin had birthed.
A short distance away, within the eye of the metaphorical storm, Chairman Kurosawa maintained his composed stance.
His eyes were fixed sternly on the turmoil before him, his mind already formulating a response.
"Do not kill them, Daichi, I would prefer to keep them alive. Restrain them, by whatever means necessary.