Tokyo, Japan
Inside of a hidden chamber of a deluxe bar owned by the Mistress, located in Roppongi.
June 18th, 2026
1: 06 AM
The air inside the hidden chamber of the grand deluxe bar, owned by the Mistress, was thick with smoke and tension. The dimly lit room pulsed with an eerie glow from the red lanterns hanging from the ceiling, casting shadows over the figures gathered within.
Ryuji Takahashi stood at the center, his jaw clenched, his eyes burning with a hatred so intense it threatened to consume him. His fists tightened at his sides, knuckles turning white as he stared down at the table before him -
A table covered in maps of Tokyo, surveillance images of the Dawning Devil, the face of the Dawning Devil, reports of his activities so far.
Seated across from him was Maria Tachibana, the woman he once loved. She is a proud descendant of a long samurai lineage. Her sword, a beautifully crafted katana passed down through generations, rested against the table. Her long, raven - black hair cascaded over her shoulders, framing a beautiful and striking face that had once stirred something deep inside Ryuji...
but now only ignited old wounds. The tension between them was palpable, an unresolved storm lingering in the air.
The third figure in the room, a woman whose name remained unknown to all but the Mistress herself, watched them both with a quiet amusement. She was unreadable, her intellect razor - sharp. Unlike the others, she didn't belong to a bloodline of warriors. She was something else entirely - an enigma. A strategist, she seems. She adjusted her gloves, her eyes, covered in shadows, scanning the documents on the table.
Surrounding them were the dark red ninjas - loyal, fierce, and deadly warriors from the Takahashi ninja clan awaiting their orders, each one highly trained in the art of assassination. They moved as one, their disciplined bodies barely making a sound as they stood in attention, awaiting the plan to unfold.
Ryuji exhaled sharply, slamming his fist onto the table. "Seven days."
"Seven fucking days. That's all we have to find him, break him, and deliver that bastard to the Mistress. Seven days to take down a fucking man we know nothing about." He added, infuriated by the situation given to him.
He turned his burning gaze toward Maria.
"Do you understand how infuriating this is? We have nothing on him, NOTHING!" His aggressive voice echoed through the chamber, sending a wave of unease through the gathered assassins.
Maria didn't respond. Her dark brown eyes are darted against Ryuji's eyes filled with anger, vengeance and hatred.
"That devil bastard. He butchered my father. My brothers. He wiped out my family like they were nothing more than fucking insects under his boot. " Ryuji expressed with a silent rage.
Ryuji's breathing grew heavier. His rage was deeper than orders from the Mistress - it was personal. His hands trembled as he recalled the images seared into his memory. The blood. The screams. The cold, detached gaze of the man who had slaughtered his family.
Suddenly, Maria spoke.
"Because they were scum and they became targets, Ryuji - kun." Maria uttered with cold and nonchalance
Ryuji's hands suddenly slammed against the table. "Don't you fucking say that. Not from your mouth, you bitch!" His voice cracked slightly, betraying a mix of fury and something deeper - something raw and unresolved.
"I don't fucking need you here. You should have stayed out of this." He added angrily.
Maria scoffed, leaning back with practice indifference, though her fingers curled slightly on the hilt of her blade.
"You think I came for you?" She challenged.
"I came for the Mistress. This mission is bigger than your petty revenge." She added.
The tension between them crackled like wildfire. The air was thick with the weight of everything unsaid - the echoes of the whispered promises, stolen nights under cherry blossomss, the way they had once moved with perfect harmony. Once, Ryuji had loved Maria more than anything. Now, she was a reminder of everything he had lost.
Ryuji's jaw tightened, his eyes flashing dangerously. "You'll only be a hindrance, a burden. Or much worse, a reason for a failure."
Maria's fingers curled into fists at her sides, her breath hitching for a fraction of a second before she masked it with cold defiance. " A burden? Is that what I was to you before? Or is it easier to pretend I never mattered because you can't handle the past?"
"Don't," Ryuji growled, stepping forward.
"Don't act like what we had was anything but a mistake. You left, Maria-chan. You chose your honor, your family, your damn code over me." Ryuji argued.
Maria's lips parted, her eyes flashing with something unreadable - pain, anger, regret. "And you chose to become this....this Harbinger? A killer who slaughters without remorse. You became everything I fought against."
"I became what I had to be to get my vengeance." Ryuji snapped.
"Because your precious honor didn't save my family when this..."
Ryuji then slammed his fist on a photo of Ray.
"Fucking bastard tore them apart like they were nothing. He butchered them, Maria-chan. My father, my brothers. And you expect me to let that go?" Ryuji said.
Maria's gaze softened for the briefest moment before hardening again. "I never asked you to let go of your pain, Ryuji-kun. But revenge will not bring them back. It will consume what's left of you."
Ryuji laughed bitterly, the sound devoid of warmth. "You still don't understand, do you? There's nothing left of me. The only thing keeping me alive is my hate and anger. And in seven days, I will have my revenge. Whether you're standing beside me or in my way."
A tense silence fell between them, charged with unsaid words and shattered memories.
The unidentified woman finally stepped forward.
"Enough. We have limited time, and every second wasted on personal quarrels puts us at a disadvantage. If you want vengeance, Ryuji-kun, you need strategy. Not just blind rage." Her voice cutting through the tension like a blade.
Maria Tachibana tore her gaze away from Ryuji, inhaling deeply before nodding. "She's right. We need a plan. A real one. In order to defeat this Dawning Devil guy." Then stared at Ray's photo.