Lounging on the couch, Den lets out a soft mumble, "So, I saw the tram barreling toward me, but in the end… nothing happened."
Well, that tracks. So that's how you figure out what kind of mess you're in, huh?
Nero feels the pulse of Yamato humming inside him, confirming it's still there. Yeah, for her, if there's any doubt, all it takes is one good swing of that blade to cut through the noise.
"That's right," Kairi says, answering Den. "The Boss yanked you out of harm's way just before you got flattened, dragging you into this world."
After dropping that on Den, Kairi turns her sharp gaze back to Nero. "I'm the only one who can slip through shadows and hop between dreams at will—well, aside from the Boss. Right now, I'm also the only shot you've got at busting out of this dreamscape."
Escape?
Nero's brow twitches. Run away? Yeah, that's not happening. Ditch her uncle and leave an entire city's worth of people trapped in this nightmare to rot? That's not how the Sparda family rolls.
What? Her old man pulled something like that? Pfft, that's different. Dude carved out his human side like it was a bad tattoo—hardly counts as human anymore.
Still, Nero mulls over Kairi's pitch. Even if she's not bailing, Ain and the others don't deserve to be stuck here. It's nothing but danger for them, and they're not exactly bringing much to the fight.
"Won't 'it' notice?" Nero shoots back.
"Our power comes from the same source as the Boss's," Kairi replies coolly. "So, no. It won't."
She pauses, then adds, "If it weren't for my power cloaking this apartment, you'd already be nabbed."
Huh. Now that she mentions it, that makes sense. Nero was snatched right out from under Nanna's nose. Sure, Nanna's whole "I'm all-knowing in this dream" shtick might be a bit exaggerated, but the fact she can pop up anywhere means she's got a pretty tight grip on what's going down in this place.
…Wait a sec. If that's true, Kairi's blatant betrayal happened right in front of Nanna. She's probably scouring the dreamscape for her as we speak.
"Thanks for the assist," Nero finally says, giving Kairi a nod.
But then, a sharp, grating voice cuts through from the couch. "Hah?" Riki snorts, her tone dripping with mockery. "You planning to hightail it outta here?"
"You guys are the ones who need to split," Nero replies, unfazed.
"Didn't say I'm running," Riki fires back with a cold huff.
Kairi frowns at her. "Riki, this isn't the time to throw a fit. You need to—"
"What, 'face reality' again? Spare me," Riki snaps, her icy glare locking onto Kairi. "Yeah, I'm clueless about reality. You all keep me in the dark about everything—how am I supposed to see what's real?"
"Alright, Riki, cool it," Sosei chimes in, trying to smooth things over. She straightens up and gives Riki a gentle look. "I'm sure Hachiman has her reasons. Mutsu too…"
But Riki's not having it. "Reasons don't mean they get to clam up about everything."
Kairi shuts her eyes and lets out a sigh. "If it was something you'd believe just by hearing it, we wouldn't be in this mess."
Nero gets it. If telling them "Ace has a problem" would make them spill the beans and trust her, this whole mess wouldn't be what it is. The real kicker? Even now, Ace hasn't slipped up once. So even if Nero laid it all bare, it'd probably just backfire.
But what's the move? They're just pawns who got played. All Nero can do is figure out a way to get them out before they get in any deeper.
"I'm not going anywhere," Riki declares, her voice hard as steel. "If I bail now, I'll never forgive myself."
What about the others?
Nero glances at Sosei, who shakes her head. "Our families and friends are still here."
Ain hesitates but nods along with Sosei.
Den—yeah, she nods too. "I'm not letting that day happen again," she says firmly.
That leaves Runa. Nero eyes her, chomping on a spoon with those starry eyes, and lets out a sigh.
Runa might actually be the most useful one here. After training with Dante for a bit, her combat skills could probably outshine Nero's if he's not transformed or using Yamato. More than that, nobody could manipulate her—she's too chaotic, the ultimate wrecking ball for any intricate scheme. Factor her into a plan, and it'll unravel faster than a demon horde in Dante's crosshairs.
Nero's gaze shifts back to Kairi. For a moment, she wonders if she should just knock everyone out and have Kairi drag them out by force.
The apartment door swings open silently, and a masked figure with purple hair and a killer figure struts in.
"No weirdness out there—uh, wait. Why's the vibe so tense?" she asks, blinking.
"Good work," Kairi says, not forgetting to thank Myamu. She nods, then turns back to Riki, her expression heavy. "Riki, I can't force you. But I need you to think this through."
"Save it. I'm not leaving," Riki says, her tone unshakable. "Even if I can't do jack, I'm protecting my family and friends."
Nero closes her eyes, letting out a quiet sigh. She scraps the knockout plan.
She's gone soft.
Riki clearly took Nero's earlier lesson to heart. No more grand talk of "saving the city"—just a straight-up vow to protect her loved ones. She's still as weak as ever, but there's something real in her now, grounded and solid.
It's like Nero back in the day. If she hadn't had that burning need to protect her family, that grit to chase power no matter what, Yamato never would've chosen her. She wouldn't have tapped into the will etched into that blade and fully awakened it.
So how could she shut down Riki and the others when they're carrying that same fire?
By now, a good chunk of time has passed. Myamu suddenly perks up, wide-eyed. "Hold up, hold up! Fuko, you're not seriously planning to ditch, are you?"
"What else is there?" Kairi says, glancing at her. "The Boss is done for. We can't stop 'that thing' anymore. If that's the case, might as well let it ride—maybe the damage'll be less that way."
(End of Chapter)