The night after the attack, Hano Medical University was locked down tighter than ever before. Guards patrolled every hallway, surveillance drones hummed through the air, and armed personnel manned every entrance. But for Shin, simply waiting wasn't an option.
The sniper's words still echoed in his head: "Phase Two has no heroes."
He couldn't let Izanami dictate the next move. Not again. Tonight, he would hunt them instead.
Inside a dimly lit operations room, Shin stood with Riku, Akane, and a handful of trusted UW operatives. Director Sayuri appeared on a secure holo-feed, her expression grim.
"You're proposing to leave the facility?" Sayuri asked.
"Yes," Shin said without hesitation. "If we sit here and do nothing, they'll strike again tomorrow—maybe worse. We need to track their squad, get intel, and shut them down before they regroup."
Riku crossed his arms. "I'm with him. We can't keep waiting to get shot at."
Akane exhaled, lowering her bottle of sake. "Fine. But this is off the books. If anything happens, I'll have to deny it was sanctioned."
Sayuri nodded reluctantly. "Go dark. Capture, not kill, if possible. We need information on their movements and where they're keeping Code Number 8."
Shin tightened his gloves. "We'll bring someone back alive."
Two black, unmarked SUVs slipped out of Hano under cover of night. The streets of the city were alive with neon lights and late-night chatter, but their convoy stayed to the shadows.
Akane, sitting in the back with Shin and Riku, tapped her tablet. A red dot blinked on the map.
"Our informants picked up chatter. An Izanami cell was seen slipping through an abandoned industrial district two hours ago. They're likely regrouping after today's failure."
Riku cocked his pistol, sliding a magazine in with a satisfying click. "Let's finish this fast."
Shin nodded. "No mistakes."
The convoy stopped two blocks from the district. The team disembarked, moving through alleys and weaving past rusted factory buildings. The air smelled of oil and damp concrete.
They found them.
Five Izanami operatives huddled in a warehouse, their voices low, discussing tomorrow's "main strike."
Shin signaled the team to split up. Two UW operatives circled left, Riku took the right flank, while Shin and Akane moved in from the front.
At Shin's hand signal, they moved.
A flashbang burst into the room, blinding the operatives. Before they could react, Shin stormed inside, slamming one against a wall and driving his knee into another's stomach. Riku swept in from the side, knocking a rifle from an operative's hands before taking him down with a sharp elbow to the jaw.
Akane fired a warning shot into the ceiling. "Drop your weapons now!"
Three surrendered instantly, dropping their gear and raising their hands. One, however, lunged at Shin with a combat knife.
Shin sidestepped, grabbed his wrist, and twisted hard, forcing the blade to clatter to the floor. He slammed the attacker face-first into a crate, knocking him out cold.
Within seconds, it was over.
Akane zip-tied the prisoners' hands as Riku checked their gear for intel.
Shin crouched in front of the conscious ones, his voice low and dangerous. "Talk. Where is Code Number 8 being held?"
One of the operatives sneered. "You think you'll save him? He's already one of us."
Shin grabbed her collar, pulling her close. "Then prove it. Tell me where."
The woman's defiance cracked under Shin's glare. She glanced nervously at the others. "…A cargo ship. Dock 17, east harbor. He's being moved tomorrow morning."
Akane's eyes widened. "That's only a few hours from now."
Shin let the woman go and stood, turning to the others. "Secure them. We're going to Dock 17."
The team dragged the prisoners to the SUVs, leaving a small guard detail behind to handle them later. Shin and Riku climbed back into their vehicle, adrenaline pumping.
Riku smirked slightly. "Finally taking the fight to them, huh?"
Shin's jaw tightened. "We're not letting them get away this time. Tomorrow, we get Code Number 8 back."
Akane loaded her rifle, her eyes sharp. "Then let's move fast, because if Izanami suspects we're coming, they'll either relocate him or kill him."
The SUV engines roared to life, speeding through the quiet streets toward the docks.
For the first time in days, Shin felt a surge of purpose. No more waiting, no more defense.
Early in the next morning, the hunters would become the hunted.