The first group reached the central sector before the alarms had stopped ringing.
Kana advanced down the main corridor with Tatsu at her side. Kagami, Kasumi, Baku, and Kanzaki followed, accompanied by several hunters who had joined them along the way. No one spoke more than necessary.
This part of the building still looked much as it normally did, but the hunters moving through it told a different story.
Two men were carrying a female hunter on an improvised stretcher. Farther ahead, one guard was trying to establish contact over the radio while another secured an emergency door.
Tatsu approached the guard.
"We need the latest situation report."
The man straightened when he recognized him.
"We've lost contact with three security posts. The east corridor has been breached, and enemy activity has been confirmed on the underground levels."
"And the northern sector?" Kana asked.
"Communications are still working, but they're unstable. Several teams are trying to evacuate the injured."
"The infirmary?"
"Operational, for now."
Kana nodded and continued walking.
They eventually reached an intersection connecting several wings of the building. A small security station stood there, with a counter large enough to work on and two screens displaying the branch's access points.
One of the screens was completely black.
Kana approached the counter.
"We'll organize our response here."
Tatsu spread out a map of the building while two hunters brought over the latest reports. One had a shallow wound on his forehead; the other's uniform was torn, and a bandage was wrapped around his forearm.
"Start with the east," Kana ordered.
"The first remnants appeared near the maintenance access points. They destroyed two security posts and advanced toward the inner corridors. We don't know how many there are."
"Ordinary remnants?"
"The ones we managed to see were. But some of the attacks haven't been identified."
Kana studied the map.
"And underground?"
"Enemy activity is confirmed on the second underground level. We lost all camera feeds from the third level four minutes ago."
Tatsu raised his head.
"Were the cameras destroyed?"
"We can't confirm that. The feeds simply stopped."
Kana rested the tip of her cane beside the map.
She didn't like the situation. Two access routes had been breached, several security posts had gone silent, and they had no reliable estimate of the enemy's numbers. The invasion could be far larger than the initial reports suggested.
"How many hunters do we have available?"
The guard checked a document.
"We're gathering everyone who isn't currently assigned to a mission. Some are already fighting in their respective sectors."
"I don't want anyone advancing on their own. Tell the officers responsible for each sector to report their positions and wait for new orders."
"Understood."
Rapid footsteps sounded from the corridor.
Kato appeared alongside Yuna. Behind them came the second-year students, who had crossed a large part of the branch from the training sector.
Kana watched them approach.
Their exhaustion was obvious. Kenta was rubbing his shoulder, and Chiho had loosened the protective gear around her arms. Hana was breathing slowly, while Yui stretched the fingers of a hand that still trembled slightly.
All of them had been fighting in the tournament only minutes earlier.
"What's the situation?" Kato asked.
"Worse than I'd like," Kana replied. "But we can still contain them if we move quickly."
Yuna approached the map.
"Do we know what they're after?"
"No."
"How did they get in?"
Kana shook her head.
"We need to find that out too."
Kato examined the east corridor marked on the map.
Then he looked toward the doors.
Kana knew him far too well to miss that expression.
"Don't even think about it," she warned.
Kato looked up.
"About what?"
"I haven't assigned anyone yet."
"I didn't say anything."
"Exactly."
Baku let out a small laugh behind them. Kana turned toward him, but the instructor raised both hands as though he had done absolutely nothing.
"I didn't say anything either, boss."
"And I hope you keep it that way."
Kanzaki sighed.
"That would be a miracle."
Baku placed a hand over his chest, pretending to be offended.
Kana decided to ignore them and returned her attention to the map.
"All right. We can't send everyone to the same place. We'll divide into teams according to each sector's needs and maintain contact with this coordination point."
She pointed toward the east corridor.
"First, Kato…"
No one answered.
Kana raised her head.
The spot where Ginjiro had been standing only seconds earlier was empty.
"Kato?"
Yuna turned toward the corridor.
Ginjiro was already walking away, his hands in his pockets and his coat shifting with every step.
"Ginjiro!" Kana called.
He raised one hand without looking back.
"I'll take the east."
"I haven't finished giving orders!"
"Then carry on with everyone else."
Kato rounded the corner and disappeared.
Kana stared down the corridor for several seconds. Then she gripped her cane tightly with both hands.
"One of these days, I'm going to strangle that man."
"You'd have to catch him first," Kagami remarked.
Kana gave him a look that made him reconsider adding anything else.
Yuna, however, didn't laugh.
She was still staring at the corridor Kato had taken. She knew that his mana absorption allowed him to fight for much longer when there were sources of energy around him. She also knew he could end up draining his own companions if they fought too close to him.
Going alone was a reasonable decision.
That didn't make it a safe one.
Be careful, Ginjiro.
She didn't say it aloud.
Kana turned back to the map.
"Fine. Baku, you'll…"
She stopped.
Looked to her right.
Then to her left.
"No."
Kanzaki let out a sigh.
"Yes."
Kana slowly closed her eyes.
"Where is he?"
Tatsu pointed toward the stairs leading to the underground levels.
Baku was already heading down.
"Shishido!"
The man stopped and turned around.
"Boss! I was just thinking about you!"
"Get back here!"
"I'd love to, but I've got a date in the basement!"
"Baku!"
"If you find anything to eat, save me some!"
Kanzaki shook his head.
"Idiot."
Baku placed a hand over his chest.
"Masato! And here I thought we had something special!"
"We do. My patience, which is rapidly running out."
"Then take care of it! You haven't got much left!"
Baku burst out laughing and disappeared down the stairs.
Kana looked at Tatsu.
"Tell me that didn't just happen."
"I'm afraid it did, Mizushima-sama."
"Two. Two grown men. Supposedly professional hunters."
"Two of our most experienced hunters," Tatsu clarified.
"That doesn't make it any better."
Yuna let out a small laugh. Kana heard it and turned toward her.
"Don't laugh. Your partner was the first one to leave."
"I'm not defending him."
"He'd better come back without a scratch. Because if he survives the remnants, he'll still have to survive me."
Yuna smiled, but the expression didn't last.
She looked toward the east corridor again.
Kana noticed.
"Yuna."
"Yes?"
"Ginjiro has been fighting for many years."
"I know."
Yuna finally looked away from the corridor.
"That doesn't mean nothing can happen to him."
Kana didn't try to contradict her. She simply nodded and returned her attention to the map.
"Tatsu, notify the security teams that Kato has gone to the eastern sector and Baku to the underground levels. No one is to follow them without authorization."
"Understood."
"And when they get back, remind me that I have a conversation waiting for both of them."
Kanzaki folded his arms.
"A conversation?"
"A very long one."
"Then they might prefer to keep fighting."
This time, even Kana smiled briefly.
But her smile disappeared when Tatsu placed the latest casualty report on the counter.
Kana read it.
Then straightened.
"All right. We've wasted enough time. Everyone else, listen carefully."
Baku descended the final steps without stopping his whistling.
The staircase ended in a maintenance corridor illuminated by emergency lights. A pipe near the ceiling had burst, and water spread across the floor, mingling with small fragments of glass.
Baku walked a few meters.
Then he heard a scream.
It wasn't coming from very far away.
He stopped whistling.
He adjusted the short pickaxe hanging from his belt and studied the corridor stretching ahead of him.
His posture hadn't changed much.
But behind the mask, there was nothing playful left in his expression.
"Let's see what you've done down here."
And he kept walking.
"Kanzaki," Kana said, pointing toward the northern sector. "Take Sendai and Takashima with you."
Masato studied the map.
"Objective?"
"Evacuation. I want the northern route to the infirmary secured, and I want you to bring out as many injured people as you can find. We still have two teams in that area whose status is unconfirmed."
Kanzaki nodded.
"Understood."
Kana looked at the two students.
"You've both fought twice already. I don't want you wasting what little mana you have left chasing remnants."
"We can still fight," Yui replied.
"I should hope so. But Kanzaki decides when you fight and when you retreat."
"Yes, ma'am."
Kanzaki turned toward them.
"How much mana do you have left?"
Yui answered first.
"Enough."
"I didn't ask whether it was enough."
Yui fell silent.
Hana took a slow breath.
"I'm not sure. Maybe a little more than half."
"Can you maintain your perception?"
"Yes, but not for very long if I have to concentrate on the entire range."
Kanzaki nodded.
"Then don't. You'll only scan the areas we need to advance through."
He looked at Yui.
"And you?"
She studied her hands.
"I can still create barriers. The larger ones are going to cost me more."
"We'll work with smaller ones whenever possible. If you need to rest, tell me before your hands stop responding."
Yui nodded.
Kana waited for them to finish before continuing.
"Yuna. Take Arimoto and Wada with you. I want the western access protected. They're using it to transport some of the injured, and we can't allow the remnants to reach the infirmary."
Yuna examined the two students.
"How are you feeling?"
Kenta raised his hand.
"Fine."
"That isn't a measurement."
"I can still use fire."
"That isn't a measurement either."
Kenta lowered his hand.
Chiho spoke up.
"We used quite a lot during the two matches. I can still shoot, but I won't be able to maintain a continuous series of attacks like before."
Yuna nodded.
"That's useful information."
She looked at Kenta.
He sighed.
"I've got less mana than before too."
"Then don't waste it. If we have to fight, I'll handle the main defense. You two will follow my instructions."
"Understood."
Kana pointed to another part of the map.
"Kagami. Take Mura and Harada."
Kagami approached.
"Mobile response team," Kana continued. "I need someone who can intervene whenever a defensive line breaks. Don't remain in one place for too long unless it's necessary."
Harada studied the distances between the sectors.
"I can move ahead and scout the access points."
"Don't separate yourself from us any more than necessary," Kagami replied. "We don't know what's waiting on the other side of each door."
Harada nodded.
Kaito remained silent. His arms were still somewhat sore from the tournament, but he could continue using his physical reinforcement. Even so, he didn't try to convince Kagami that he was in perfect condition.
"Kasumi," Kana continued. "You'll go with the veteran hunters gathering in the inner corridor. I want the entrances to the archives and storage areas secured. If you find a breached access point, report it before advancing."
Kasumi closed her fan.
"Understood."
Kana looked over everyone one last time.
"Tatsu and I will establish a command post near the communications center. We need to know where the remnants are and restore contact with the isolated sectors."
Tatsu nodded.
"I'll also request reinforcements from the other branches."
"Do it. But make sure no one comes in without knowing where they can enter safely."
One of the security hunters approached.
"Mizushima-sama, what should we do about the training sector?"
Kana didn't even need to consult the map.
"Maintain the lockdown and leave a security detachment there. The first-years and Miyazaki are not to leave that area until they receive new orders."
"Yes, ma'am."
Kana looked at every face around her.
"Listen carefully. We are not trying to clear the entire branch of remnants. Not yet. Our priorities are rescuing the injured, securing routes, and finding out what the enemy is trying to accomplish."
She indicated the different sectors marked on the map.
"If you encounter a remnant capable of speaking, don't assume it's alone. Report its position and don't pursue it without support."
Kanzaki raised his head.
"And if one is blocking an evacuation route?"
"First, look for another exit. If there isn't one, do whatever is necessary to protect the injured."
Kana paused.
"I don't want any of you confusing victory with killing every enemy in your sector. If you manage to bring the people under your care out safely, you've completed your mission."
The students listened without interrupting.
Barely an hour earlier, the word victory had meant something entirely different to them.
Kana rested both hands on her cane.
"You may go."
The groups began to separate.
Yuna approached Kenta and Chiho to review the western route with them. Kagami gathered Kaito and Harada, while Kasumi headed toward the veteran hunters waiting for her.
Kanzaki checked the route through the northern sector one last time.
Baku had already left.
So had Kato.
Now it was their turn.
"Sendai. Takashima. With me."
Hana and Yui followed him.
The northern sector was unnaturally quiet.
Kanzaki walked in front, with Hana a few steps behind him and Yui bringing up the rear. They had left the main corridors and entered an area connecting several maintenance rooms to the secondary access routes leading to the infirmary.
The lights were still working, although some flickered. A vending machine lay overturned beside a wall, and broken glass was scattered across the floor.
Hana kept her perception focused on the surrounding areas.
Under normal circumstances, she could detect presences at a much greater distance. For now, however, she limited herself to scanning the nearby corridors and the rooms they were about to pass through.
Kanzaki had made it clear that she didn't need to monitor the entire branch.
"Two presences ahead," Hana said.
Kanzaki stopped.
"Hunters?"
"One seems human. The other…"
Hana closed her eyes for an instant.
"No. The other is human too. There's a lot of scattered mana, and it's making them difficult to distinguish."
Kanzaki looked toward one of the doors.
"Anything else nearby?"
"No."
They advanced.
They found two hunters beside a supply room. One was sitting against the wall with a bandage wrapped tightly around his thigh. The other held a short sword and watched the corridor, although his shoulder was wounded.
When he saw them, he raised his weapon.
"Identify yourselves!"
"Kanzaki Masato. We're from the command post."
The man lowered his sword.
"Thank God."
Kanzaki knelt beside the injured hunter.
"Can you walk?"
"I can," the man holding the sword replied. "My partner needs help."
Yui approached.
"I can create a barrier to cover them."
Kanzaki shook his head.
"Not yet. First, we need to know whether there are enemies nearby."
He looked at the hunter.
"What happened here?"
"Several remnants came in from the corridor connecting to maintenance. We tried to stop them, but more appeared behind us. We had to split up."
"How many were there?"
"At least six. The ones we saw looked like ordinary remnants."
"And the rest of your team?"
The man lowered his gaze.
"There were three others with us. One died. The other two headed toward the evacuation area."
Kanzaki looked down the corridor ahead.
"How long ago?"
"Five minutes. Maybe a little longer."
Hana immediately raised her head.
"There are more presences in that direction."
"How many?" Kanzaki asked.
"Three humans. And… wait."
She frowned.
"There are remnants too. I can't tell exactly how many because they're moving."
Kanzaki made a decision.
"Takashima, prepare a small barrier to protect these two. Sendai, stay with them and let me know if anything approaches."
Yui raised her hands.
"And you, sir?"
"I'm going to check the next access point."
The hunter with the sword tried to stand.
"I can come with you."
Kanzaki shook his head.
"Your partner needs help, and you're injured. Stay here."
Without waiting for an answer, he advanced toward the intersection.
Hana watched him while making sure the immediate area remained clear. She could sense several concentrations of mana beyond the walls, and she had to make a conscious effort not to distinguish every single one.
One of them moved abruptly.
Then one of the human presences began to weaken.
Hana's eyes widened.
"Kanzaki!"
He stopped.
"What is it?"
"The humans farther ahead. One of them is…"
Hana tried to concentrate.
The presence disappeared.
Her stomach tightened.
"I can't detect him anymore."
Kanzaki understood.
He turned toward the others.
"Takashima, help the injured man to his feet. We're taking them to the intersection. Sendai, tell me which route has the least activity."
He didn't immediately rush toward the place where that presence had disappeared.
First, he needed to move the two hunters somewhere they could escape if the situation deteriorated.
Yui created two barrier panels to cover the exposed side of the corridor and helped the injured man stand. The hunter with the sword supported his companion from the other side.
The five of them advanced to the intersection.
There, Kanzaki marked the safe route and instructed the hunter who could walk to follow the signs toward the next evacuation post.
"Don't stop until you find the medical personnel. If the route is blocked, return to the last marker and wait for assistance."
"Understood."
The two men left.
Kanzaki watched until they rounded the corner.
Then he turned toward the students.
"Now we go after the others."
The door leading to the next corridor was partially blocked.
A section of the ceiling had collapsed in front of it, and the frame had been warped by an impact. Intermittent blows could be heard from the other side, as though something were repeatedly striking a hard surface.
Hana stopped beside Kanzaki.
"There are two living humans."
"Remnants?"
"At least three, close to them."
Yui studied the broken stone.
"I can raise a barrier when we open it."
"Prepare one, but don't make it any larger than necessary," Kanzaki replied.
The instructor examined the frame and found a gap wide enough for them to pass through one at a time. He carefully removed some of the debris and opened the door just enough to look inside.
A remnant was pounding against an inner door.
Its body was hunched, its arms were far too long, and its jaw opened outward on both sides. Nearby, two smaller creatures crawled among the remains of the furniture.
A human voice came from behind the door.
"Is someone there?"
Kanzaki looked at Yui.
"Panel on the left. Keep the central passage open."
She raised one hand.
The barrier appeared just as the largest remnant turned toward them.
The creature slammed into the panel with enough force to make it tremble.
Yui gritted her teeth.
It was a very different impact from anything she had endured during the tournament. There was no pause after the blow. The remnant retreated only far enough to launch itself forward again.
Kanzaki advanced through the opening Yui had left and attacked the remnant before it could strike a third time. He forced it away from the barrier and back toward the destroyed furniture.
"Sendai!"
Hana had already detected one of the smaller remnants moving along the side.
"Under the table!"
Kanzaki changed position.
The creature lunged, but he intercepted it before it could reach Yui.
The third remnant climbed a wall.
Hana noticed too late.
"Above!"
Yui raised her arm.
A second barrier appeared over their heads.
The remnant fell against it.
The impact traveled through the mana structure, sending a sharp pain through Yui's fingers.
Kanzaki took advantage of the creature's momentary halt and knocked it away with a strike.
"Don't maintain both panels if you don't need them!"
Yui dismissed the upper barrier.
The larger remnant advanced again.
Kanzaki was already prepared.
The fight lasted less than two minutes.
To Hana and Yui, it felt much longer.
When the last remnant stopped moving, Yui lowered her hands and had to lean against the wall for a moment. Hana was breathing heavily, trying to keep her perception from expanding toward every movement she could sense in the neighboring corridors.
Kanzaki checked that there were no immediate enemies.
Then he approached the inner door.
"We're hunters! You can open up!"
Several objects shifted on the other side.
Finally, the door gave way.
Two hunters were sitting on the floor. One had a deep wound in his leg; the other kept a hand pressed against his side and appeared to be having difficulty breathing.
Nearby was the third man.
The one Hana had detected earlier.
He now lay motionless, propped against a cabinet.
Yui immediately approached.
"Is he injured too?"
Kanzaki knelt beside the man and checked his vital signs.
Hana didn't need him to say anything.
She had felt his presence fade while they were still on the other side of the corridor.
Kanzaki slowly withdrew his hand.
"He's dead."
Yui looked at the hunter.
"But if we take him to the infirmary…"
"Takashima."
Kanzaki's voice was firm.
She raised her head.
"The other two are still alive. I need you to help me with them."
Yui took a second to respond.
Then she nodded.
"Yes."
Hana approached the hunter with the injured leg.
The man tried to sit up and let out a groan of pain.
"Don't move," she told him. "We're going to get you out of here."
Kanzaki searched through the cabinets and found a folding stretcher. One end was damaged, but they could still use it.
While they prepared to move the injured hunters, Yui looked at the dead man one last time.
Kanzaki noticed.
"We're not going to leave him unidentified. But right now, we can't take all three."
"I understand."
The instructor gestured for her to come over to the stretcher.
"A dead hunter can't protect anyone. If you stay here trying to change something you no longer can, you're putting the people who still depend on you in danger."
Yui lowered her gaze toward the injured man.
This time, she took hold of the stretcher herself.
The return journey was much slower than the way in.
The hunter who was having difficulty breathing could walk with assistance, but he needed to stop every few meters. His companion lay on the stretcher, which Kanzaki and Yui carefully carried through the debris.
Hana walked a few steps ahead.
The mana scattered throughout the building was making her perception increasingly difficult to use. Traces of techniques used during the attack seemed to overlap with the presences she was trying to distinguish, and the exhaustion from the tournament was beginning to take its toll.
"Movement on the right," she warned.
Kanzaki stopped the stretcher.
"Close?"
"One corridor ahead."
"Can we avoid it?"
Hana closed her eyes for a moment.
"If we take the maintenance exit, yes."
Kanzaki studied the evacuation map posted on the wall.
"Then that's where we're going."
Yui looked to the right.
"Shouldn't we stop it? If it keeps moving, it could reach the other hunters."
"We have two injured people," Kanzaki replied.
"But we could…"
"That isn't our job right now."
Yui fell silent.
Kanzaki adjusted his grip on the stretcher.
"If it follows us, we'll stop it. If we can get out without fighting, we get out."
They continued toward the maintenance door.
For several minutes, they managed to advance without encountering another remnant. Kanzaki left a marker at the entrance to identify the route, while Hana checked that there were no immediate presences on the other side.
The next corridor appeared clear.
Yui let out a little breath.
"Finally."
She had barely finished speaking when Hana stopped.
"Wait."
Kanzaki halted the stretcher.
"What is it?"
Hana brought a hand to her temple.
"There's something…"
She tried to concentrate.
The presence she had just detected wasn't behaving like the others. It seemed to be moving above the corridor, although she couldn't locate it precisely among the structures in the ceiling.
"Another remnant?" Yui asked.
Hana nodded.
"One."
Kanzaki looked up.
"Where?"
Hana searched the ceiling with her eyes.
There was nothing visible between the lights and the pipes.
"I'm not sure."
The instructor ordered Yui to move the stretcher closer to one of the walls.
"Get ready to protect the injured."
She raised her hands.
A panel of mana appeared beside the stretcher.
Hana was still watching the ceiling.
The presence had stopped moving.
For several seconds, nothing happened.
Then a green thread descended between two pipes.
It wrapped around one of the stretcher's wheels.
"Yui!" Hana shouted.
The stretcher jerked to one side.
Yui expanded the barrier to protect the hunter lying on it, while Kanzaki grabbed the opposite end and prevented it from overturning.
The thread pulled taut.
Kanzaki pulled the stretcher in the opposite direction and managed to keep it against the wall.
Another thread dropped from the ceiling.
Then another.
One extended toward the door they had just passed through. Another slid between the debris and wrapped around a pipe.
Yui tried to expand the barrier, but Kanzaki stopped her.
"Don't use up all your mana. Protect the injured."
Hana retreated until she was beside them.
She finally understood why locating that presence had been so difficult. The creature had been moving through the spaces above the building's corridors, stopping whenever she tried to pinpoint its position.
Kanzaki slowly released one end of the stretcher.
"Sendai, stay with Takashima. Don't take your eyes off the ceiling."
He stepped forward and prepared a defensive position.
A silhouette began to descend from the beams.
First came the hands, with green threads extending from the fingers. Then the rest of the body emerged, hanging suspended above the floor for a moment.
Mukuro released the beam and landed in front of them.
He looked at Hana first.
Then at Yui.
Finally, at Kanzaki.
"Three," he murmured.
Kanzaki didn't respond to the observation.
"What do you want?"
Mukuro looked at the stretcher.
The hunter lying on it clenched his teeth and tried to sit up, but Yui told him to remain still.
"To pass."
Kanzaki indicated the corridor stretching behind the remnant.
"You've got that whole side to yourself."
Mukuro tilted his head slightly.
"No."
A thread pulled taut behind the hunters.
The door they had entered through slammed shut.
Yui immediately turned and created a second panel to protect the rear of the stretcher.
Kanzaki didn't take his eyes off the remnant.
"Then what?"
Mukuro slowly raised one hand.
Green threads began spreading across the walls, winding around pipes, doorframes, and the remains of the collapsed ceiling.
"I didn't come for you," Mukuro said.
Another thread tightened.
The stretcher trembled again.
"I came to make sure no one gets out."