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Tokyo – Subway Tunnels – 11:43 PM
The underbelly of Tokyo was far older than the city above.
Forgotten by time and passed over by maps, the old subway tunnels twisted deep into the earth. Once designed as a wartime shelter decades ago, the abandoned corridors were now home to nothing but shadows, rusted rails, and the smell of damp stone.
But tonight, those shadows breathed.
Heavy boots echoed against the wet floor. Six figures clad in black tactical suits moved through the darkness with machine precision. Each wore a visor, glowing faint green. Each held silenced weapons. Their formation was exact. Their target: Arata.
And Yuiri.
"No movement detected within twenty meters," whispered one of the soldiers.
The leader raised two fingers.
"Sweep Sector 5 and 6. Double check every access hatch. They're here. Somewhere."
---
Elsewhere in the Tunnel – 11:51 PM
Yuiri struggled to keep pace.
She had barely caught her breath since they'd entered the tunnel. Her hoodie was damp with sweat and rain. Her hands ached from gripping the rusted ladder they'd climbed down. But she didn't complain.
Not anymore.
Arata moved ahead, flashlight low, his footsteps silent. He paused, turned, and offered her a hand as they reached a broken junction.
"Careful here. Floor's weak."
Yuiri nodded, taking his hand. Her fingers wrapped around his with more strength than she thought she had left.
"Do you think they're still following us?" she asked, whispering.
"Yes."
No hesitation.
"Then why not keep running?"
He stopped, knelt down, and opened a small metal panel hidden in the wall.
"Because hiding won't stop them. If we keep running, we'll be running forever."
Inside the panel were a few old wires, a chipped console, and a blinking red light. Arata pulled a small data key from his coat and inserted it.
The console came alive.
"What is this place?"
"A backup surveillance node. Disconnected from NOKRA's main grid years ago. I've used it before."
Yuiri's eyes widened. She watched him pull up a map.
Dozens of red dots.
Each one moving.
"They're sweeping every path. But they don't know this system still breathes," Arata said.
He pointed to a blinking green dot.
"That's us. And that—" he zoomed in— "is where we turn the game."
---
Arata's Trap
They moved quickly now, deeper into the old sector.
Broken signs in kanji. Graffiti decades old. Dead silence.
Arata led her to a collapsed maintenance tunnel. A sealed hatch waited beneath a pile of steel. He brushed debris away and typed another code. The lock hissed open.
Inside: a narrow chamber lit by weak yellow bulbs. An old desk, a few monitors, and dusty crates.
"This was a NOKRA sub-lab once," Arata said. "Before they shifted aboveground. I found it last year. Hid a few things here."
He pulled a metal case from under the desk. Inside were tools. Weapons. A tablet. A bottle of painkillers.
He handed Yuiri a headset.
"Put this on. We'll be splitting up."
"Wait, what?"
"I'll draw them off. You head through the south duct. There's a manhole that leads into an old sewer exit. I'll send the signal when it's clear."
"Arata, no. What if they catch you?"
He looked at her. Calm.
"Then you keep going."
Yuiri clenched her fists.
"Why do you keep doing this? Risking yourself for someone you just met?"
He gave a small smile.
"Because I don't want to lose another person who didn't deserve to be in their hands."
---
Unit-13 Approaches
Elsewhere in the tunnels, Unit-13 moved swiftly. The leader checked the map.
"He's close."
One soldier stopped. He noticed a motion detector light blink, just once.
Then again.
He stepped forward—
Click.
A flash. A concussive blast slammed them backward. Smoke filled the corridor.
Arata's trap had sprung.
---
Yuiri's Path
Sweat trickled down Yuiri's face as she crawled through the narrow pipe. Her shoulders scraped the metal. Her breath came short. But she moved.
She had to.
The headset buzzed.
"Turn left at the next split. Two more meters. Manhole cover should be loose."
Arata's voice.
It steadied her.
She reached the opening, kicked the rusted cover, and pulled herself into the old drainage line.
It stank. But it was open.
---
A New Enemy Emerges
As Yuiri caught her breath, a low hiss echoed behind her.
She turned.
A figure stood in the tunnel. Not dressed like the others. Sleek black armor. No insignia.
His eyes glowed faint red.
"You must be the asset," he said, voice cold.
Yuiri backed up.
He stepped forward.
"Don't bother running. I'm not with them. Not really."
She narrowed her eyes.
"Who are you?"
He tilted his head.
"I'm what comes after NOKRA fails."
He raised a hand. Static crackled.
Yuiri raised her fists, trembling but ready.
---
Meanwhile – Arata Injured
Arata ducked another burst of gunfire, rolled behind a pillar, and checked his side. Blood. Not deep, but painful.
His breath came hard.
The headset crackled.
"Arata? Are you okay?"
"Keep moving, Yuiri. No matter what."
---
Fight in the Dark
Yuiri lunged at the new enemy, aiming a punch. He sidestepped, grabbed her arm, twisted.
She screamed but didn't stop. Kicked his shin. He grunted.
She escaped his grip, reached for a rusted pipe, and swung.
Clang!
Direct hit to his helmet. He staggered.
But he wasn't down.
He turned, eyes flashing.
"You learn fast. That's why they want you."
Yuiri raised the pipe again.
"I'm not theirs anymore."
---
Rescue
Just as the enemy stepped forward again, a flash-bang exploded beside him.
Arata limped into view, blood on his sleeve, gun in hand.
"Step away from her."
The man growled.
"You're bleeding. Brave. But dumb."
Arata smirked.
"Try me."
The man vanished into the smoke.
---
Aftermath
They emerged from the drainage tunnel into the empty streets. Rain had returned.
Yuiri was shaking. Arata leaned against a wall.
Neither spoke for a long time.
Then—
"That wasn't a regular soldier," she said.
"No. That was something else."
"He said... he comes after NOKRA fails."
Arata's expression turned grim.
"Then we better not fail."
---
Chapter 3 ends.