Osaka didn't sleep.
Even past midnight, its veins pulsed—vending machines humming, signs flickering like half-dead stars, neon kanji bleeding their glow onto rain-slicked streets. The city was alive in its own way, whispering through alleys and echoing between buildings like it knew secrets no one else could bear.
Kenji shoved his hands deeper into the pockets of his black coat, breath trailing in faint puffs as he walked. His boots splashed through shallow puddles left behind by an earlier drizzle, each step a soft clap against the silence.
The Takeda estate loomed behind him in the distance. Even from here, he could still feel its weight. That place wasn't just a house—it was a fucking castle. Cold, quiet, dignified. Too many rooms. Too many shadows.
He clicked his tongue and muttered to himself, "How big does a house really need to be?"
It had only been one day, and already, the reality of where he was—the syndicate, the Umbra Division, the Takeda legacy—was sinking in. The Takeda weren't just rich. They were mythic. Tied into the bones of this city like old blood in the concrete. The way the others moved, spoke, even stood… it was like they were built different.
Kenji didn't feel out of place, exactly. He just felt… like an outsider staring at something ancient.
He turned a corner near a quiet ramen stall, its shutters pulled down for the night, when he saw someone ahead. A lone figure walking in the same direction. Her pace was slow, steady. No hesitation.
Black jacket. Combat boots. Long dark hair that moved like water behind her. She wasn't just walking. She was moving. With intention. With elegance. With danger.
Kaede.
Kenji squinted, watching her for a second longer than he should've. Cold, they'd said. Detached. Focused. The kind of person who didn't need anyone. Hell, she kill's people for a living. Not that he is any different.
He raised a hand lazily, calling out, "Yo. Night's too pretty to be spent walking alone, don't you think?"
She didn't stop. Just glanced back over her shoulder.
Expression unreadable.
No irritation. No amusement. Just… blank.
But she didn't ignore him.
Kenji jogged to catch up, falling into step beside her. "Kaede, right?"
She nodded once. "Kenji."
"You remembered. I'm flattered."
"I remember names that might matter."
He chuckled. "That's the coldest compliment I've ever gotten."
She didn't respond. Just kept walking, eyes fixed ahead.
Kenji took the silence as an invitation to keep talking. "Honestly, I couldn't sleep. Thought a walk would clear my head. A ve never been good at my first day at jobs"
She glanced sideways. "You'll adjust. Or you won't."
"Reassuring."
Kaede finally slowed just a little, her voice softer than before, though still distant. "You're not what I expected."
Kenji raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What did you expect?"
"Someone Quieter. Detached."
He grinned. "Give it a week. I might still live up to that."
This time, she almost smiled.
Almost.
The sound of footsteps interrupted them, soft at first, then growing louder. They turned to see Akihiro jogging toward them from the direction of the estate, one hand raised in apology, hair slightly tousled.
"Shit, Kenji—I'm sorry," he said, breathless. "I said I'd meet up earlier to get street food, but I slept off."
Kenji waved it off. "All good. I figured."
"Thank god," Akihiro muttered, glancing at Kaede. "Didn't expect to see you out here."
"Didn't plan to be seen," she replied flatly.
They walked in a loose triangle now, the three of them, their shadows stretching long under the amber streetlights. The world felt quieter here, like even Osaka's noise knew to keep its distance.
Then something shifted.
A presence—cold and sharp, like glass pressed to the back of the neck.
Footsteps again.
But slower. Softer. Measured.
They all turned, and there he was.
Ren.
He stepped out of the dark like it belonged to him, hands in his pockets, pale eyes reflecting the distant light like frost.
His face was unreadable. Lips flat. Shoulders relaxed. He didn't look at any of them when he spoke.
"Didn't think you three would be out here."
Akihiro raised an eyebrow. "You say that like you weren't just doing the same."
"I wasn't looking for company," Ren replied without emotion.
Kenji smiled. "We weren't either. Just chillin. You can join if you want."
"No."
Kaede didn't say anything. She just watched him, unreadable as ever.
Ren stepped past them like he was going to keep walking. But he stopped. Just for a moment.
Kenji tilted his head. "Come on. You don't talk much, but you've got presence. It's comforting in a creepy way."
Ren exhaled softly, like even responding was a waste of energy. "You're annoying."
Kenji twitched "I really don't like this guy. Whats your deal looking for a fight?" He said as he walked up to Ren.
Akihiro clapped him on the back anyway. "Yeah, yeah, he's always like this. You'll survive."
Then…
Everything changed.
There was no sound.
Just… pressure.
The air thickened. Grew heavy. Like someone had just placed a hand on the back of their necks and was pushing down. Not hard. Just enough to let them know it could get worse.
Kenji's breath caught.
Kaede stopped walking, her hand drifting slightly toward the gun tucked at her side.
Akihiro frowned, his entire posture shifting into something tighter. More ready.
And Ren… didn't move at all. Just lifted his eyes to the rooftops.
Kenji followed his gaze.
Two figures.
Silhouetted against the moon, standing atop a five-story apartment building.
They weren't moving. Just watching.
Still. Silent.
And the pressure coming off them was wrong.
Not chaotic. Not bloodthirsty.
Just controlled.
Like they knew exactly what they could do—and weren't even slightly impressed by those below.
Kenji whispered, "Who the fuck are they…?"
One of them shifted slightly, enough to see the gleam of metal—something long, maybe a blade. The moon caught the edge, flashing silver for just a heartbeat.
Kaede's breath was barely audible. "That feeling… it's suffocating."
Akihiro clenched his jaw. "I've never felt anything like this."
Even the city seemed to dim around them. The streetlights buzzed softer. The shadows stretched longer. Osaka's endless noise quieted to a hum.
The second figure tilted its head, slow and deliberate, like a lion inspecting its prey.
Kenji swallowed hard.
Ren finally spoke again.
"They're not here by accident."
His voice was quiet. Detached.
"No shit" Kenji said.
Ren's eyes didn't leave the roof.
Then suddenly...…