Inside Saori's Home
"Hey, Ryker!" Sol's voice thundered across the empty hall as he stormed toward him. "Where are the girls?"
Before Ryker could respond, Sol grabbed him by the collar and pulled him close.
"I… I don't know," Ryker muttered, wincing. "My head hurts. I… don't even remember falling asleep…"
"You don't remember?" Sol growled, his eyes burning with rage. "You gathered every single girl in one place—then fell asleep outside?!"
Jasmine stepped in, her voice sharp and furious. "You're reckless, Ryker! You made it easy for the enemy!"
"Damn it!" Shin slammed his fist against the wall. "All the girls… including Celica,Yumi, Akira and Aisa… are missing."
Ryker's eyes widened. "They all…?"
Sol's fist clenched. "You had one job—protect them."
Without another word, Sol punched Ryker hard in the face.
Ryker stumbled back and hit the floor, blood dripping from his lip. The room went quiet.
The sound of a crashing wave echoed across the island cliffs, but it was drowned out by the sound of fists—flesh against flesh.
"You think this is a game?!" Sol roared, grabbing Ryker by the collar.
He didn't wait for a response.
BAM.
A punch to the face.
BAM.
Another.
Blood splattered onto the dirt. Ryker didn't resist.
"Sol, STOP!" Amelia shouted, stepping forward.
But Sol didn't listen.
CRACK.
A final blow to the jaw knocked Ryker off his feet. He hit the ground, limp, dazed—eyes empty.
"That's enough!" Izumi and Tasuya rushed in, grabbing Sol's arms and pulling him back.
"We need to find them first!" Izumi snapped, voice steady but urgent.
Jasmine stepped up, eyes scanning the darkened forest surrounding the ruined camp.
"Everyone spread out on the island. Move!"
The team scattered.
Izumi knelt by Ryker. "Are you okay? Stay here. We'll find them. I promise."
He turned and disappeared into the woods.
Ryker didn't reply at first. Blood trickled down his cheek. He stared at the ground, unmoving.
"Tch… It's my fault," he muttered. "Tch… hhh…"
His fingers dug into the dirt.
"But… how can I sleep…?" he whispered. "After this… after all this…?"
He pushed himself up slowly, to his knees. Rain started to fall, gentle but cold.
He looked up.
A fire burned in his eyes.
"I will change this."
Midnight Across the Island
Jasmine Katsuragi's eyes scanned the darkened village streets. Her voice was sharp and clear, cutting through the cold night.
"King, Shin and Izumi—head to the church. Search every corner."
The three heroes nodded.
"Arisu, you're with me. We're going to the mansion. The rest of you—spread out. Search the island. No one rests until we find them!"
"Roger!" everyone responded in unison, their voices filled with urgency.
Without wasting another second, the team scattered, each pair sprinting into the shadows of the island, hearts racing with dread and determination.
Jasmine turned to Arisu, her eyes narrowing. "Let's move."
The night was far from over. The hunt had begun.
Inside the Church – King, Shin, and Izumi
The old wooden doors creaked as King, Shin, and Izumi stepped into the dimly lit church. The scent of incense lingered in the air, and candles flickered along the altar.
At the center, the church leader—Tetsu Katamaya—knelt in silence, hands clasped in deep prayer.
"Leader Katamaya," King called out, his voice echoing slightly.
Tetsu slowly stood, turning toward them. "Heroes… You've returned."
"We're searching for the missing girls," Shin said calmly. "We thought you might know something—anything."
Tetsu shook his head gently. "I've been here all night. Praying. Asking the heavens for guidance. But I've seen no one. Heard nothing."
"Are you sure?" Izumi pressed, stepping forward. "No strange movements? No visitors?"
"None," Tetsu replied, his eyes filled with sincerity. "If I knew something, I would tell you. They are our children too."
The trio exchanged glances.
"…Nothing," King muttered. "This place is clean."
"We'll keep moving," Shin said, turning toward the door.
Tetsu returned to his prayers as the three heroes disappeared into the night.
Inside the Mansion – Jasmine & Arisu
The grand doors of the mansion creaked open as Jasmine Katsuragi and Arisu Nakamura stepped inside. Shadows danced along the ornate walls, the scent of wine and burning wood lingering in the air.
Arisu narrowed her eyes. "Something feels off…"
They moved silently through the long corridor, heels echoing softly on the marble floor.
Suddenly, a low sound reached their ears—chewing.
They turned the corner.
At the end of the luxurious dining hall sat Hayato Renji, the owner of the mansion. He was calmly eating, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.
A half-devoured body lay beside him—one of the missing guards. Another guard stood nearby, stiff, silent, and clearly under some kind of influence.
Jasmine stepped forward, voice cold. "Hayato Renji. What is this?"
Renji looked up, unfazed. "Dinner."
Arisu drew her weapon. "You monster…"
Renji wiped his mouth with a silk napkin. "I found nothing, you know. About the girls. I don't know where they are."
"Then why are you calm?" Jasmine asked, fists clenched.
"I told you… I found nothing," Renji repeated, voice eerily smooth. "You can search the mansion. There's nothing left."
Jasmine exchanged a look with Arisu.
"This isn't over," Arisu whispered.
Without another word, they turned and left the grotesque scene, the image of the devoured man burning into their memory.
Dark Streets
The streets were cold and dimly lit, the moon casting pale shadows on cracked pavement. Fog drifted through narrow alleyways like whispering ghosts.
Tasuya, Amelia, Hiroshi, Saki, and Mio moved together, their eyes scanning every corner, every doorway.
A door creaked open as they knocked. A tired woman stepped out, face pale with fear.
"We're heroes," Tasuya said gently. "Have you seen or heard anything strange tonight?"
The woman's eyes burned with fury. "Strange? Strange is when all the girls on this island go missing after you claimed to protect them!"
Behind her, more doors opened. More people stepped out. Mothers, brothers, neighbors. Their faces twisted with anger.
"You told us you'd keep them safe!"
"You said this place was protected!"
"Now our daughters are gone!"
"Are you even heroes?!"
Amelia stepped forward, calm but firm. "We understand your anger. We're trying to fix this. Please, stay inside and stay safe."
"Safe?!" a man yelled from the crowd. "How can we trust you now?"
Mio looked down. Saki clenched her fists. Hiroshi scanned the rooftops with a cold expression.
Tasuya raised his voice. "We made a mistake. But we will not rest until every girl is found and returned safely. You have my word."
The crowd quieted, but their distrust lingered like a storm in the air.
As the heroes moved on, deeper into the night, only one thing was certain—
Time was running out.
Back at the Central Point – Midnight
The night hung heavy, weighed down by silence and failure.
One by one, the teams returned—exhausted, tense, empty-handed.
Jasmine stood at the center of the clearing, arms folded, expression sharp as glass. Sol, Shin, Izumi, Tasuya, Amelia, Hiroshi, Saki, Arisu, and Mio surrounded her, faces shadowed under the faint glow of lanterns.
"Well?" Jasmine asked, eyes moving between them.
Shin shook his head. "The church was quiet. The leader was praying. Nothing suspicious… but I didn't trust the peace."
Arisu stepped forward. "The mansion had guards. We searched the premises—nothing. Renji was eating dinner like nothing happened."
"The people are angry," Tasuya added. "We tried to calm them, but they feel betrayed."
"We didn't find a single trace of the girls," Saki said softly.
A heavy silence fell.
Sol clenched his fists. "It doesn't make sense. They couldn't have vanished without a trace."
Jasmine looked around at her tired, angry team.
"Every lead… dead," she muttered. "But someone knows something. And we're not stopping."
She turned to Sol. "Where's Ryker?"
Sol's eyes narrowed. "Still at the house. Sitting alone."
"Then let's go back," Jasmine said coldly. "It's time for answers. Whether he remembers or not."
The group moved like a silent storm, heavier now—with failure, suspicion, and a fire that hadn't burned out yet.