[Paris]
A man sat in his office, the dim glow of the evening sun casting long shadows across the room. He exhaled slowly, tapping his fingers against the polished wooden desk before rising to his feet. With hands tucked into his pockets, he walked toward the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing down at the bustling streets of Paris. Cars moved in orderly lines, people hurried along the sidewalks, and the world carried on as usual.
Then, suddenly, he felt something.
A shift in the air. A presence—faint, yet unmistakable.
His expression darkened as he narrowed his eyes, scanning the horizon. But just as quickly as it appeared, the sensation vanished. Gone without a trace. His brows furrowed for a moment before a slow smile crept onto his lips.
"So… you've finally shown yourself, Shun." David murmured in Spanish, his tone carrying an edge of anticipation.
Turning away from the window, he strode back to his desk, picked up his phone, and swiftly dialed a number. He placed the device on speaker and leaned back into his chair, fingers tapping against the armrest as he waited.
After a few rings, a voice answered in Spanish. "Hello?"
"To my office. Now." His words were calm, yet carried an undeniable weight. Without waiting for a response, he ended the call and set the phone down, his gaze fixed on the door.
Moments later, it swung open. A man dressed in a sharp black suit entered, his posture straight and professional as he stood before the desk. His yellow eyes studied the seated man carefully.
"Do you need something, sir?" His voice was measured, respectful.
The man at the desk laced his fingers together. "Gather at least ten Evolvers. We're going to Japan." His voice was smooth, unwavering. "Make sure every single one of them is at least S-rank or higher."
The suited man—Daniel—stiffened. A flicker of unease passed through his otherwise composed expression. "Sir… you know we can't fight in Japan." His voice was quieter this time, cautious.
The man at the desk tilted his head slightly, amusement flashing in his eyes. "Oh? Are you afraid because it's his domain?" He chuckled softly before leaning forward. "I understand your concern, Daniel. But it's been over ten years. No one has seen or heard from him since. Look at the crime rate—it's rising again. If he were still here, do you think the world would be falling apart like this? Some countries are even on the brink of war." David paused, a smirk tugging at his lips. "He's gone. So make the arrangements."
Daniel hesitated, then lowered his head slightly. "...Understood, sir."
Without another word, he turned and left the office, closing the door behind him.
The man at the desk exhaled, his smirk widening as he leaned back into his chair.
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[A Few Days Later – Izu Ōshima, Japan]
The sun hung high in the sky, casting a golden glow over Izu Ōshima Island. The dense tropical foliage rustled with the occasional sea breeze, but deep within the cavernous tunnels beneath the volcanic slopes, a different kind of disturbance was unfolding.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion echoed from a cave nestled under the volcanic mountain, sending a shockwave through the ground. Dust and debris scattered as the sound of steel cutting through flesh followed immediately after.
"These damn spiders are annoying," Hina muttered, her voice calm but laced with irritation. She flicked her blade, sending dark green blood splattering onto the cavern walls as the massive, six-meter-tall evolved spider collapsed lifelessly before her.
"How many left?" Hinata asked, turning slightly as she wiped a streak of monster blood from her white-and-light-blue katana before sheathing it.
"None," came a sharp but quiet response.
Standing a few steps ahead was Yuki, her grip firm on a 46 inch long black sword, its blade so dark and polished it almost seemed to absorb the dim cavern light. The ground around her was littered with giant spider corpses, their twitching legs curling inward as a thick, musky scent filled the cave.
Hinata raised an eyebrow. "You really went all out. What's the rush? Don't tell me… you just can't live without your husband?" she teased, her tone light.
Yuki froze for a second, a faint blush dusting her cheeks, but she quickly regained her usual cool expression. "It's not like that," she replied smoothly. "It's just… he's been acting weird lately. That's all."
Hinata hummed in thought before sighing and taking a seat on a large volcanic rock, its surface still slightly warm from the island's natural geothermal heat. "Now that you mention it… Jin's been acting strange too. Ever since that bounty incident, he's been calling me every thirty minutes whenever I'm out of the house."
"Thirty minutes?" Yuki scoffed. "That's nothing. Look at this."
She pulled out her phone and turned the screen toward Hinata. A list of unread messages from Shun, timestamped every ten minutes, flooded the screen.
Yuki took a sip from her water bottle, exhaling slowly. "I think they did something. You know anything?" she asked, passing the bottle to Hinata.
Hinata took a few gulps before shaking her head. "Nah. I doubt he'd keep something from me, but honestly? I don't really wanna know. Same goes for you, right?"
Yuki smirked slightly, tucking her sword away. "Yeah… probably."
The two sat in companionable silence, the occasional drip of water from the cave ceiling and the distant cries of tropical birds outside the only sounds filling the space.
"It's like highschool days remember these two vanished without a trace and come back with injury's" Hinata said softly as she looked Yuki.
"Your right.." she stopped then she turned her head towards the care entrance. "Come out." Yuki said in sharp voice her grip tightened on her sword and Hinata was ready to take out her sword too.
"Damn, you really sensed us," a woman's voice echoed as six figures emerged—four women and two men.
Hinata's gaze sharpened as she turned to face them. Her tone grew cold. "And who are you?"
One of the men stepped forward, his eyes scanning them carefully. "Which one of you is the wife of Kurosawa Shun?"
Yuki's expression darkened, her grip tightening on her sword. "That would be me. What do you want?" Her voice was sharp, edged with suspicion. "And how do you know my husband?"
The woman at the front smirked, twirling the long, golden-engraved Stick in her hand. "Oh, perfect." She paused, studying their faces more closely. Then, realization flashed in her eyes, and her smirk widened.
"Wait a minute… why do you two look so familiar?"
Her smile grew as she finally put the pieces together. "Oh, now I remember! Hinata—the Head of Tokyo's Evolver Branch. And Yuki—the Vice Head." She let out a low whistle, tapping the staff against the ground.
The woman chuckled, twirling her golden-engraved staff. "No wonder he sent six of us. You know, we only need Shun's wife. You can leave."
Hinata's expression darkened, her jaw tightening. "And who do you think you are to order me?" Her tone was ice-cold, laced with irritation. "Now tell me—what do you mean by 'only need Yuki'? What exactly do you intend to do?"
The woman smirked, tilting her head. "Oh, we kill her." She said it so casually, as if discussing the weather.
Yuki's eyes narrowed, her white irises glinting with deadly intent. Her grip on the black sword tightened. "You really think you can?" Her voice was sharp, laced with restrained fury.
"Do I need to take them alive?" Yuki asked, her stance shifting slightly, ready to strike.
Hinata exhaled, her hand resting on the hilt of her katana. "Just leave that woman alive. We need her to spill some information." Her voice was soft but carried a weight of finality.
Then, in the blink of an eye—BOOM!
A massive shockwave exploded from where they stood, the sheer force obliterating the cave behind them. Their figures had vanished, leaving nothing but destruction in their wake.
[Chapter 13 end]