A strange feeling surged through him — one he hadn't experienced since gaining consciousness. His fingers and legs trembled. Fear. That was the emotion Yuuta felt as he stared at the crater beside him — the same spot where his body would've been, blown apart by a weapon he didn't even recognize.
"You're not the one who attacked me," he said, eyeing the small dagger in the young woman's hand. Surely that little thing couldn't have caused such damage.
"Oh? It can talk?"
Hana, Commander of XTR's Third Unit, raised a brow.
"Trust me, talking is the least of your worries," Desmond said, now standing a cautious distance from Yuuta.
Hana narrowed her eyes, examining Desmond more closely. Something about him felt familiar.
"Curry Desmond?" she muttered.
Desmond gave a dry chuckle. "I'm honored to be recognized by Aoi Hana, captain of the Third XTR Unit. Though I can't say your intervention here makes me feel any safer."
"You're right. Ever since you resurfaced from the underground, there's been a hefty price on your head. A price I could use." She paused. "But the thing is, you're not my mission."
She turned—
Yuuta was gone.
Her eyes shot back to Desmond, whose expression matched her own surprise.
A chill ran down Hana's spine. She instinctively bent her head to the side, just in time to avoid a punch. She pivoted, stabbing her dagger into a pressure point in Yuuta's arm. His arm fell limp, bleeding, but not profusely.
"Now I see why the top brass wants you alive," Hana muttered, raising her dagger and locking eyes with Yuuta. "A rogue with this level of intelligence is definitely worth keeping."
She lunged, slashing toward his chest. Yuuta sidestepped, dodging several more precise strikes before leaping back. But Hana didn't give him time to breathe. She dashed forward in a zig-zag motion, confusing his line of sight before landing a solid kick to his gut. He crashed through the wall and landed outside.
"Careful, Captain. We might end up paying for property damage," Chikao's voice rang in Hana's earpiece.
"Calm down. The Top will handle it— I hope."
Yuuta erupted from the rubble, fists flying toward Hana. She parried with lightning speed and landed a counter-blow to his face, disorienting him. Then, a sharp strike to his chin sent blood spilling from his lips — but Yuuta grinned, enjoying the fight.
"Ahh!"
He lunged again, fists flaring. Hana danced around each hit, spun, and struck his ribs with a vicious kick. Yuuta crashed through yet another wall, this time landing in the street.
It was a quiet, crime-ridden alley rarely visited by civilians.
Yuuta rose slowly from the debris, his body covered in bruises — healing, but unnaturally slow. His muscles ached, but his focus was singular: defeat Hana.
"You still got some fight in you, huh?"
Hana stepped from the building, hands in her pockets.
"Hmm? You're beat up," she noted casually. "Let's wrap this up. I've got a concert to catch."
She raised her hands up to her face
Yuuta, exhausted, charged. He was nearly upon her when clap — the sound echoed through the street. Hana vanished.
"Behind you," she whispered.
Before Yuuta could turn, her foot slammed into his chest, bones cracking beneath the force. He flew several meters, but before he hit the ground, another clap — Hana reappeared midair and kicked him straight back into the lounge.
Yuuta tumbled across the floor, staring blankly at the ceiling. Blood filled his mouth. His chest barely rose and fell.
"I hope he's not dead," Hana muttered, stepping over debris toward the fallen boy. She ignored Desmond and Yasuke, who stood frozen at the edge of the room.
She crouched beside Yuuta, checked his vitals, and gave a light nod.
"He's alive."
Activating her earpiece: "Chikao, I need you down here. Come carry this kid."
"Roger that, Captain."
Hana turned toward the men behind her. Desmond's face held a strange satisfaction — too much for someone who'd just lost a valuable asset.
"You look awfully pleased for someone who just lost a recruit," she remarked.
"Me?" Desmond scoffed. "Nothing pains me more than that… But then again, it's something I'll never experienced. The pain."
He dusted off his coat, glancing at the remains of his bodyguards.
"Mutants die every day. More are born. And just because someone joins XTR doesn't guarantee they'll stay forever, right? You, of all people, should know that."
Hana's brow twitched.
"As far as I'm concerned, I've never lost a recruit," Desmond said, and calmly walked out of the bar.
Hana sighed, rubbing her forehead. Her thoughts drifted — but not to anything in this bar. She still had a concert to catch—
"ARGHHH! HE'S BACK!!"
Yasuke screamed, pointing behind her. In panic, he tripped over broken wood.
Hana, heart tensing, turned slowly, bracing for the worse case scenario but to her shock, the figure standing there wasn't the same rogue she had fought few seconds ago.
Messy short black hair, blue eyes, a puffed cheek, and an exhausted expression.
It was Benchiro Yuuta.
"My head hurts... Where am I?" he groaned, clutching his temples.
Hana stepped closer, eyeing him carefully.
"Kid… I think the real question is: who are you?"