Jin exhaled slowly, looking out toward the compound's distant skyline. "That thing… it could've taken out all of us if Kenji hadn't stepped in."
Kenji adjusted his gloves, his expression unreadable. "It was a calculated response. I don't expect thanks."
Raizo was silent, his eyes narrowed, shoulders tense beneath his long coat.
Ren brushed off his jacket, shaking his head. "It kept regenerating. That wasn't normal Rift behavior. Not even close."
Kaiori groaned as she rolled her shoulders. "My body's killing me. Everything's sore."
Hannah, trailing behind the rest, let out a quiet breath. "I'm fine. Just tired. I've never seen something tank that many coordinated attacks."
At the front, Shiori finally turned to face them, her voice calm but firm. "We supported the main squad and left without casualties. That's not luck—that's control. You all did well."
As they moved across the rooftop toward the descending elevator, another voice cut through the wind.
"Squad Gamma."
A woman was waiting at the elevator doors. Her white RRD officer coat shimmered faintly under the helipad lights, marked by a red armband. Two armored guards flanked her, their visors dark, rifles magnetically sealed to their backs.
"I'm Lieutenant Sayaka Nara, Forge Liaison Division. You're to follow me immediately."
Shiori gave a nod. No one argued.
⸻
RRD Headquarters — Secure Armory Chamber
Five minutes later, they stood inside a restricted access chamber—dark alloy walls humming faintly with embedded circuitry. The air was sharp with Rift energy. In the center of the room stood a waist-high, reinforced black box locked to a display pedestal.
Sayaka stepped forward. "Your performance at Echo Ridge has been officially reviewed and verified. Despite being a support squad, you executed on mission parameters while operating under extreme Rift interference and showed command-level cohesion during an escalating threat event."
She turned toward Shiori.
"As of this moment, Squad Gamma is promoted to Tier 4 classification."
A visible shift rippled through the squad.
Kaiori's eyebrows lifted.
Ren blinked, then nodded slowly.
Raizo didn't react at all.
Hannah gave a faint smile.
Kenji said nothing.
Jin furrowed his brow, glancing toward Shiori, who stepped forward.
Sayaka continued. "Tier 2 squads are eligible for Singular-Class Rift weapons—and this one has been stabilized for a squad leader with precision control and tactical discipline."
She typed a six-digit code into the terminal at the base of the pedestal. With a hiss of pressure, the sealed box unlocked and slowly opened—revealing a short, gleaming weapon resting inside a cryo-insulated sheath. Frost curled outward.
"This," Sayaka said softly, "is Aokiba."
The room chilled by degrees. The weapon gleamed with a faint blue pulse—delicate, but deadly.
Aokiba," Sayaka said softly. "Blue Fang. Short blade class. It's crafted around a real Cryo-type crystal—one of the earliest stable fragments ever recovered from a Rift incursion. It reacts to control, not brute strength. You won't swing it like a hammer."
As she spoke, the chill in the air intensified. Even the lights dimmed slightly, responding to the Rift pressure rising from the weapon.
"Aokiba forms volatile ice on contact. It's perfect for takedowns—silent and sudden. In close quarters, it can release a spike burst or a high-velocity ice spear. But it isn't just a weapon—it leaves trails behind. Lingering frost. Especially potent in Rift-heavy zones."
Her gaze turned sharp.
"It's not forgiving. The blade will resist if you're unstable or reckless. That's why it's reserved for leaders who strike with intent—not emotion."
Shiori stepped forward.
She reached toward the weapon, her fingers brushing the hilt. It was cold—but not harsh. There was something older in its design. The kind of cold that settled into bones and memory.
She drew the blade.
Tiny arcs of pale frost spiraled out behind it—quiet and controlled.
Sayaka gave a rare, almost respectful nod. "Treat it well, Captain. Aokiba remembers everyone who's failed to control it. Let's not add to that list."
Shiori didn't respond. She didn't need to.
The blade felt like it had always been hers.
⸻
RRD Helipad – Later
Rain started to fall.
The second helicopter slammed down on the landing pad, steam hissing from its struts. Doors opened fast—Squad Kasen disembarking without hesitation.
Hiroshi led the way, expression hard.
Daigo cracked his knuckles.
Miku stepped down, halberd across her back.
Yumi was grinning with dried blood still on her face.
Toma winced as he limped forward, axe chipped.
Takashi followed quietly, rifle in hand.
Waiting at the edge of the pad was Jiro, hands behind his back, coat dampened by the growing storm. He'd flown back earlier with Squad Gamma—but stayed behind to wait.
"Glad you made it," Jiro called over the wind.
Hiroshi narrowed his eyes. "We took longer because of the Rift storm. Transport had to reroute."
Daigo scoffed. "Still finished the job."
Jiro raised a brow. "Gamma got back first."
Toma frowned. "Of course they did. They were just support."
Miku glanced over, scrolling through her tactical log. "Their coordination wasn't bad. The spear-user's movements were… surgical."
Yumi tilted her head. "Kenji, right? Yeah. He's the one who killed the thing. Got in close and finished it before it could regenerate again."
A faint shift came over Jiro's expression. Like something clicked into place.
"So it was him," he said, low. "I suspected it. But I didn't know for sure."
Hiroshi glanced at him. "That a problem?"
Jiro didn't answer at first. Then: "Not at all. Just confirms a few things."
The squad said nothing more as the rain fell harder, gathering in shallow puddles across the rooftop
Hiroshi exhaled slowly. "We were all pushing it back—but he broke the loop."
Toma kicked the ground. "They're Tier 2 now, aren't they?"
Jiro nodded once. "Promotion confirmed."
Yumi smiled faintly. "Let 'em rise. I like seeing how high people get… before they fall."
The rain began to come down harder, tapping against the concrete, mixing with the fading rotor noise.
Hiroshi looked toward the dark skyline. "Next time, we lead. And we end it."
Jiro watched the storm gathering over the city—distant flashes of light blooming behind the clouds.
"Let's hope next time," he muttered, "there's something left to save