Somewhere in Tokyo
The sleek black car sped through the narrow roads, weaving past traffic. Ryker Tensai sat in the passenger seat, one leg lazily resting over the other, a wireless controller still in his hand, half-focused on a paused screen on his phone.
Jasmine Katsuragi, seated behind the wheel, kept her eyes on the road. Her expression was sharp and composed — as always.
"Remind me again," Ryker said, without looking up, "why are we headed to a mall on a sunny morning when I could be setting a new high score?"
She didn't look at him. "Three convicts escaped from Tokyo Max Prison last night. Witnesses saw them heading into the Mitsuki Mall. Our mission is to catch them before they disappear into the crowd."
Ryker yawned. "Catch them, huh?"
Jasmine side-eyed him. "What? You were hoping for a kill order?"
He finally looked up from his game, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "You never know. Maybe they want to be caught... or maybe they want to die."
"Don't go overboard," she warned.
Ryker stretched his arms behind his head, grinning. "No promises. But I'll play nice… unless they give me a reason not to."
Jasmine smirked. "Just don't turn the mall into a war zone."
"No guarantees there either," he said with a wink. "But hey, let's make this quick. I left my game paused on the final boss."
As the mall came into view, the quiet hum of tension settled between them.
Mitsuki Mall – Late Morning
Ryker and Jasmine stepped through the glass doors of the mall, the cool air brushing against their faces. It was crowded—families, couples, groups of teenagers. Normal. Peaceful.
Too peaceful.
Ryker looked around, hands tucked into his pockets. "Looks fine to me. Not exactly the chaos I expected."
Jasmine didn't reply immediately. Her eyes scanned the crowd like a hawk. "Don't be fooled by calm," she said flatly. "They're here. Somewhere."
"But how do we find them in this sea of people?" Ryker asked, raising an eyebrow. "We don't even know what they look like."
Jasmine's tone was sharp. "Criminals... they're different. You'll notice. Something about the way they move, how they avoid eye contact, or how they stick too close to exits."
Ryker let out a small hum of amusement. "Sounds like you've been chasing rats your whole life."
She shot him a look. "Just keep your eyes open, Tensai. This isn't a game."
He gave her a lazy smile, but his eyes were already shifting — scanning, calculating.
"Fine. Let's play 'spot the psycho.'"
Inside the Office of the Guild
The air in the room was still. A soft hum from the ceiling fan echoed above as Shidou Shiranui sat behind his desk, fingers steepled in thought. Across from him stood Kurota Kai, his presence calm but heavy, like a storm waiting to break.
"I never imagined I'd be helping a criminal organization," Shidou said quietly, not lifting his eyes.
"You already are," Kurota replied without hesitation. His tone wasn't judgmental. It was just… truth.
Shidou chuckled dryly, bitterly. "So it seems. All eyes on Ryker Tensai now, huh? Let's see what he does next."
Kurota's eyes darkened. "Yoichi Ishikawa thinks he'll devour Ryker."
Shidou leaned back in his chair. "Yoichi… He's the leader of the Hero Association. A prodigy. Japan's so-called symbol of justice. But even he doesn't understand the boy."
Kurota didn't argue. Instead, he stepped closer to the window, where light cut across half his face like a blade.
"Ryker is a masterpiece," he said, almost reverently.
Shidou narrowed his eyes. "Then why don't you want him teaming up with Sol?"
Kurota was silent for a moment.
"Sol… is the only one who can save this world," he said at last.
Then, without another word, he turned and walked toward the door.
Shidou didn't stop him. He watched the man leave, the silence swallowing up the room again.
"…And yet," Shidou muttered under his breath, "a masterpiece can destroy just as easily as it can save."
Meanwhile Inside the Crowded Mall
Ryker Tensai and Jasmine Katsuragi moved through the mall with sharp eyes and steady steps. The sound of chatter, children laughing, and music from nearby stores filled the air. But underneath it all, a quiet unease lingered. Somewhere in this normalcy, criminals were hiding.
After a long and tense search, they finally arrived at the first checkpoint — a quiet corridor near the mall's back exit.
Jasmine stopped, scanning the area. "You find anyone?"
Ryker sighed, crossing his arms. "No. I don't think there's anyone here." His tone shifted, more casual now. "I'm thinking of going home."
Jasmine turned sharply. "What about the mission?"
Ryker's expression grew serious. He stepped closer, his eyes locked with hers.
"Jasmine Katsuragi," he said slowly, his voice cold. "I know you're older than me… and stronger… maybe even smarter. But if you're playing with me—if this mission is a joke or a distraction—"
He leaned in, his presence suddenly heavy.
"Then I'll destroy them. All of them."
Without waiting for a reply, Ryker turned and walked off, his footsteps echoing down the corridor.
Jasmine stood frozen, the tension still in her chest.
"...He cracked it," she whispered, a chill running down her spine.
Just as Jasmine was about to turn and follow Ryker, the peaceful hum of the mall shattered.
Screams.
The sound of footsteps—rushing, panicked, chaotic.
People were running, bumping into each other, dropping bags, dragging children behind them as they fled.
Jasmine's eyes snapped to the commotion. She rushed toward the main hallway, pushing past the crowd. Her instincts flared.
"Stop!" she shouted, reaching the exit doors.
And then she saw it.
A figure—masked, blood on his sleeve—stood calmly at the center of the chaos. His eyes burned with malice. A second, then a third man emerged behind him.
Prison escapees.
Criminals.
Real. Armed. Dangerous.
Jasmine's heart pounded. "H-How… How is this possible?" she whispered, stunned. "They told me… there was no one here."
Her fingers tightened around her blade.
The crowd kept screaming. Chaos rising.
But Jasmine's focus narrowed.
She had a job to do.
Ryker had just stepped out the side entrance of the mall, hands in his pockets, when he froze.
Screams.
Loud. Desperate. Terrified.
He turned his head slightly, eyes narrowing.
"Tch... that's not normal shopping panic," he muttered.
Then he heard it—a woman yelling, the pounding of rushed footsteps, the crash of something shattering inside.
Without hesitation, Ryker spun on his heel and walked back toward the entrance. Fast. Focused.
As the automatic doors slid open, a wave of panic and noise hit him.
He saw people flooding out of the mall, pushing past each other, crying, yelling.
And then he spotted her.
Jasmine, standing firm near the escalator, sword drawn, eyes locked on a group of masked men moving through the chaos like sharks through water.
One of them raised a weapon.
Jasmine didn't flinch.
Ryker cracked his neck slowly, a smirk forming on his lips.
"I was just starting to get bored," he said, stepping forward.
Jasmine's eyes flicked toward him, surprised.
"You came back?" she asked.
"I heard your scream in my head before I heard it with my ears," Ryker said casually. "Now move. I'll handle this."
"But they're—"
"Criminals," Ryker interrupted, his eyes glowing faintly now. "My favorite kind of stress relief."
He stepped into the fray as the crowd continued to flee.