"You are a Star Bearer, Jenna?" Kagaro's thunderous voice echoed in the room.

Jenna's eyes opened wide with shock, and she swallowed hard before answering, "Yes, sir. I mean, yes, Kagaro-Senpai, uh, Captain Riyu Kagaro."

"Impossible! How is that even possible?" Kagaro's incredulity rang out in his bellow, his gaze intensely fixed on Jenna.

EPISODE TWO: DENSE AND UNEXPECTED - THE STARS

"When did you get it?" Kagaro's tone cut through the charged air, his hand around Jenna's shoulder firm and unrelenting.

Jenna blinked, confusion crossing her face. "When did I obtain what, Captain?"

"The star! I'm asking about when and how you received it?" Kagaro's voice climbed, shaking her slender body with the intensity of his hold until her teeth loosened within her cranium.

"Captain Kagaro! Kagaro--" Jenna's objection ended abruptly as she was suddenly released, Kagaro displaced by another force.

"Stop this nonsense, Captain," Yone broke in, his voice commanding as he positioned himself between Kagaro and Jenna. With a mighty push, Kagaro was slammed into the tiles, skidding across to the far end of the room with a harsh jolt against the wall.

"Having a star isn't about being all powerful. You know that, don't you?" Yone's voice was sharp, his eyes fixed on Kagaro's, revealing no sign of uncertainty.

Kagaro fisted his hands, the wall behind him creaking with the force of his rage. "Both of you, calm down. Don't scare the new agents because of some star tale you can't put together," Shimin interrupted, her voice unflustered yet commanding as she took Jenna's hands in a comforting gesture.

"Thank you, Shimin-senpai," Jenna said softly in gratitude.

"No issue. Can you tell me about your star?" Shimin's question was soft, her eyes brimming over with compassion as Jenna shook her head back and forth slowly.

"Impossible. You don't even know how you received one?" Kagaro let out an exasperated sigh.

"Don't get so upset because my sister gets something only worthy people like you receive, prison guardian," Momoko chimed in, moving forward to stand guard in front of Jenna. Her self-assurance was overwhelming, a far cry from Jenna's confusion.

"Momoko-neechan," Jenna exhaled, her voice shaking a little as she wrapped her arms around her older sister from behind, finding solace in her hug.

"You appear to have an issue with my sister, am I correct, prison guardian?" Momoko asked with a raised brow and a turned sense of arrogance.

"Don't try to dodge this. The question remains the same. How does she possess a star? And...how do you about..the prison guardian thing?" Kagaro's voice was cold, his eyes narrowing as he faced the enigma before him.

"Hah. That is a story for another day prison guardian. Hey, if this riles you up, then this could work up the sweat," Momoko snapped back sharply, her voice slicing through the room's tension. With quick movements, she reached into the pocket of her pants and pulled out a hairpin with five stars etched onto its surface, in much the same way that there were stars on Kagaro's wristband and Yone's bandana. With deliberate intent, she threw it down at Kagaro's feet.

A white, faint light emitted from the hairpin and spread an unearthly glow throughout the room. As they all stood in amazement, something slightly started forming in the middle of the light.

A man in his late thirties, his face coming into focus as the light died. "He's Leeney. Transforms into spears. Say hey," Momoko stated with a note of mockery in her voice.

"What? You've got a damn star too?" Kagaro's irritation hung in his voice as he stood up, his face growing more and more agitated.

Before Jenna could answer, Kagaro clasped her arm painfully and slammed her into the wall. "How did you obtain your star?" he asked, his tone edged with irritability.

"Hey!" Momoko jumped in, delivering a side kick at Kagaro. But his reflexes were quicker than a whip, and he merely caught her ankle in his palm, using the impetus to toss her against the wall with a strong throw.

"Stop playing games with me and tell me already! How and when?" Kagaro's voice echoed out, his eyes burning with intensity as he faced Jenna again.

"You are strong." Momoko grunted, clearing blood from her lips with the back of her hand.

"Do you need help? Are you alright?" Shimin crept over to Momoko gently, standing by her as she assisted her to stand.

"Kagaro! Get a hold of yourself. Do you want to strangle the new agents?" Yone's voice echoed around the room, his words stern as he spoke to his captain, who was obviously losing control.

"You'd better leave us alone, secret weapon," Kagaro hissed out the words, his rage evident.

"Hm?" Yone's face fell at the insulting word, his normally collected demeanor slipping at the insult of being thought of as nothing more than a pawn for winning. No one had ever called him nothing but a weapon. Ever. And now, his best friend had done it. There was no thought in his attack; he struck swiftly at Kagaro's face, his collected demeanor lost at such disrespect.

Kagaro rose, his face twisted in fury as he struck out at Yone, his punches flashing with precise intent. In turn, Yone struck back, sending quick, sharp jabs to Kagaro's face and arms. The room reverberated from their impact as they exchanged blows in a fierce clash.

Abruptly, Yone tripped over an elevated tile by the middle table, falling to the ground on his back. Taking advantage, Kagaro opened up with a flurry of punches, relentless in his attack until Yone was unable to stand.

"This has nothing to do with me. Even illegal import and export of US batteries is okay in comparison," Kagaro shouted, his anger-filled voice rising as he stood over Yone, who was half-frozen with pain, his eyes tightly shut in agony.

"Yone!" Shimin's voice pierced the tumult as she sped to his side. Despite being strong on the battlefield against the Jenemes, she realized that she could not cope with Kagaro and Yone's savagery.

"You are absolutely crazy, Kagaro," she cried, her voice stormy with exasperation.

"Don't shout at me for being crazy, Shimin. The crazy ones, if any, are those siblings here. Come on and say something already, Jenna Ornard," Kagaro growled, turning to face Jenna with his commanding voice.

"Believe me, Captain! I did not steal it or win it, nor was it given to me. I just.," Jenna's voice shook as she tried to explain.

"I just what!" Kagaro's rage overflowed, his eyes burning hot.

"I just. I just discovered it by the wrecks in America. By the..." Jenna stuttered, her words stuck in her throat.

"By the? Don't stop! Finish your goddamn sentence!" Kagaro shouted, growing more frustrated.

"...By the weapons depot that was broken into shards back when I was in the states. I discovered it there, and when I tried to defend myself against the bandits there, there was a sudden glow around me, it turned into a sword, an antique Japanese katana. I used it to defend me and the others with me who were running away. After I involuntarily killed one of the bandits, the head of the military instructed me to vacate the premises. He instructed me to board a nearby ship where a lady would be waiting for me. He instructed me to show her with this shoulder badge," Jenna demonstrated, indicating the badge that had set off the whole confrontation.

"With the five stars on it, and then I'd be safe," she finished, her voice shaking with emotion as she struggled to hold back tears. Momoko clenched her teeth, her heart paining for her sister as she sat helplessly by.

Kagaro let out a deep sigh, his expression calming as he gently assisted Jenna to her feet.

"And you? Miss Momoko?" Kagaro's eyes shifted to the young woman on the ground, his voice anticipative.

Momoko faltered, her mind racing as she tried to think of the right words. "Well, I, uh, wanted to rescue my little sister from the ship she was about to board on. I was there, but she had no idea, so I--"

"Stole it from the military office?" Kagaro interrupted, crossing his arms as he tapped his foot on the blood-splattered tiles.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I just. just wanted to save her! Back then, we were just immigrants. Jenna had no idea that I was thrown off there as well. And I didn't want her to see a helpless me so I didn't confront her either. But I had to be a guard behind her somehow .." Momoko's voice cracked with remorse as she purposefully did not meet Kagaro's eyes, the burden of what she did weighing heavily on her conscience.

"If you people would have bothered to respond to my questions in the first place, and if these people hadn't gotten involved, then this would have gone smoothly," Kagaro let out a heavy sigh, grabbing Momoko from the ground.

"Kill them first, then cry about it," Yone interrupted, spitting up flecks of blood.

"Sorry. Sorry," Kagaro apologized, his face mollified by regret as he stood Momoko up. A few minutes later, he departed the room, the tension trailing in his footsteps.

The other agents, who had been training along with them, who had come back from the break without them noticing, and observed the whole incident, waited eagerly for a command to send them away. "You may leave," Shibuyu instructed abruptly as she entered, and they all scattered away.

"Captain," Shibuyu shouted out, chasing after Kagaro.

"Shibuyu is from a different unit, but she is also our captain's top agent," Shimin told the flabbergasted Jenna.

"Why did he get so upset in the first place? I admit I stole the star weapon from the military headquarters, but is it that terrifying? I mean the military headquarters were completely destroyed so I basically just picked it up, honestly." Momoko asked, confusion writ on her face.

"Yes, Momoko-san. Theft, even if you didn't mean it, or it didn't seem like it, particularly an illegal weapon that is prohibited for use anywhere in the world and is categorized as 'a very dangerous resource' in the record book of the world, is quite terrifying," Shimin explained patiently.

"ILLEGAL? What do you mean, Shimin-senpai? Don't you use stars?" Jenna asked, intrigued.

"Oh, lovely Jenna. You are correct. JEO members like us use these star weapons, but only because the government has authorized them for use by JEO agents and ourselves alone, to kill the Jenemes with. These stars are not legalized by the government for standard military use yet, in any country," Shimin clarified kindly. "And that brings me to this. How did you even find it there?"

"What! Then why was it sitting in that old abandoned military base, and who constructed it?" Momoko grumbled, her forehead wrinkled in puzzlement.

"Mostly, the military weapon storage house merely holds them in prison. They cannot use them even if the stars choose them. Previously, the Japanese army allied with the Korean-US defense partner to devise a strategy to drive the Jenemes away. After that, our commander discovered an old Latin book that talked about the deceased individuals and protectors. Reading that, they decided to go to the old shrine which was quite famous for it's infrastructure at the time," Shimin went on.

"There, they discovered a lot of weapons buried in the graves. The graves contained only weapons and nothing else. As a means of defense, naturally, they carried it with them. There were hundreds of these weapons, like over five hundred of them. They transported them to their bases and, after distributing them equally among themselves, decided to utilize them during wars. But soon they realized that these were not ordinary weapons but very special ones. That is what they concluded around the time the virus started spreading a lot across the world. In a war, our first commander thought of utilizing the weapons from the shrine because all the others were drained, as in perhaps chipped away and so on," Shimin explained.

"Whenever he grabbed one of them, he was repelled by some force. He was amazed at the force. At first, he rationalized there was a force field device somewhere on the weapon and let it pass. Later, it began to nag at him when he wasn't able to use three of the weapons. So he began testing. He attempted to use all of them, grabbing one weapon at a time cautiously, but he was repelled until finally, he found one of the weapons that did not repel him at all. It was a scythe, and an unusual thing occurred," Shimin went on.

"The scythe started glowing, and the very next minute it disappeared. In that state of confusion, he returned to his office. That was when his secretary told him that he had a ring around his finger on the left hand. It was a metal ring. He was not a married man and didn't like jewelry either. He didn't think of putting rings or necklaces of any kind on, so it was unsettling that there was a ring on his finger when he hadn't worn one that morning. He didn't know how it ended up there. There were some small designs on it too. Five stars. He took it off his finger, and it turned into the scythe which had disappeared earlier. That is how the star weapons were discovered,"

As Shimin explained very carefully where star weapons originated from, another voice chimed in, picking up on the details. "Then we subsequently discovered that these weapons had some provenance. We scanned them on the computers and learned about their owners. If this was mythical, then our hypotheses should hold true. So I requested them to try calling out the weapons by names. When they did this, the weapons turned into people. These were the ghosts of those deceased individuals who were previously causes of some marvels in the celestial world. That is why it is also referred to as the spirit aid," the woman behind them paused to let the specifics sink in, fiddling with her uniquely shaped spectacles.

"Who are you. uh. Professor-senpai?" Jenna asked, intrigued.

The woman standing in front of her wore a long, white laboratory coat, a chaste contrast to the largely blue and green environment. "Professor-senpai? What a lovely, young woman we have in the JEO this year," she said with a smile.

"Kanazimi-san," Shimin greeted her respectfully with a slight bow. Her hourglass-shaped glasses, which she wore on the bridge of her nose, slid down slightly, a motion she rectified using the tip of her pointed finger. To the others, she was Doctor Gaieren, to Shimin, she was simply Kanazimi.

"Oh, Shimin. How you've grown," Gaieren said warmly.

"Oh, please. You are way too beautiful to remark on my cheeky appearance," Shimin answered with a smile.

"Ah? I believe you've become a nice young lady, Shimin," Gaieren replied.

"Really, thank you very much, Kanazimi-san. But when did you come? I thought you would come next Saturday?" Shimin asked.

"The airlines offered me a free entry, and our project finished earlier than planned," Gaieren said.

Really? So what are the findings? Any expectations?" Shimin asked with a touch of hope in her tone.

"Unfortunately." Gaieren's face wavered.

"I see. I see," Shimin sighed sympathetically.

"Don't worrt, Shimin. I will do my best to find a cure for this," Gaieren comforted her.

"I will wait, Kanazimi-san," Shimin answered appreciatively as Gaieren left the scene, leaving them with their own thoughts and theories.

"Uh. Shimin-senpai, is she your mother?" Jenna dared to ask.

"Yes. How did you guess?" Shimin answered.

"Appearance. You both look alike. Shimin-senpai and Shimin-senpai's mother speak like they don't know each other?" Jenna noted.

"This is work. In the office, we speak that way. Not at home, obviously," Shimin clarified.

"Alright. I see." Jenna faltered, her mind racing back to the nameplate on Gairen's coat.

"You are curious about the names? Gaieren, the name you saw on her nameplate, is what mother is known as in the office, a renowned scientist, and outside the office she is Kanazimi, my mother. Although I call her by her real name only," Shimin further explained.

"Just like you changed your name in school," Jenna said respectfully, bowing to Shimin.

Jenna turned around to depart with her sister, Shimin finally broke out of character, and words rushed out of her lips before she could come to terms with them. "How much longer are you going to be an elegant princess? At least in here you can be less formal and relax. Informalities are acceptable sometimes, not always."

"Okay," Jenna smiled at her, then left with her sister, who had been waiting at the door.

"I envy you, cat princess." Shimin muttered to herself.

"Cat princess?" Yone queried, standing up and plodding towards her.

"Nothing. It's nothing. Stop popping out of nowhere. Anyway, I am tired of what happened just now. I will be in my room, taking some rest. Much needed rest, if you will. If Captain Kagaro asks, then let him know," Shimin said, rubbing her forehead with her right hand as she walked off.

"I was always here though? What a pain," Yone muttered, watching her walk away.

Past
Date: 14th April, 3016
Location: Shinjuku science laboratory, southern region, Tokyo
Time: 3:30 am

"It's been two weeks, and we still have no coverage on the A-type Jeneme!" a young lady exclaimed, her frustration evident.

"Don't lose hope. Let's start electric charging in full force!" a young man encouraged, his voice filled with determination.

In the center of the laboratory, a green mutant hung up with metal constraints, being electrocuted as part of an experiment to determine what treatments could potentially cure the Sanguine virus. The virus that this mutant was.

"This virus has no cure," another young woman said gravely, her voice full of desperation.

"What! You are sure? Then will they remain like that forever?" the young man asked, full of worry.

"Likely. I do not know what to do," the woman said with resignation.

"Did you check the samples?" another woman, sporting spectacles and a lab coat that reached her knees, interrupted. The laboratory itself was faintly lit, with very little natural light penetrating the underground complex, a reason to remain discreet.

"Professor Kanazimi," the man said, clearly welcoming her.

"Yeah, yeah, it's me," she said, pushing up her spectacles from over the bridge of her nose. "Did you try that, Suyoki-san?" she asked the woman who had determined that there was no cure for the virus.

"No, Professor. But not because I forgot. It was because no police officer or military officer is willing to fight against them for us to be able to have a sample of the defeated infected," she justified herself, her voice laced with frustration.

"I see. Then we will do it ourselves," Kanazimi announced, her voice firm.

"Puroto-kun, get the military to give us permission for tanks and long-range rifles. Attempt to get some for yourself as well, but there shouldn't be any harm as long as we get what we require from there. Just their blood and skin sample are enough, but we won't lose a single one of those Jenemes if it all comes to that," she ordered, turning to the lone male member of the group.

"Roger," he saluted and hurried outside, intending to perform the task that had been delegated to him as quickly as possible.

"Raiko-san, load triggers. We may also need surveillance pouches," Kanazimi commanded the woman, her tone assertive and decisive.

"Comprehended," Raiko hurried towards the slab and loaded all the necessary items into a green sling bag. "What will happen to your daughter?" Puroto inquired as he entered, completing his part of the job.

"Oh? Puroto-kun. What did the military say?" Kanazimi asked, bubbling with excitement.

"Allowed. Unless and until we don't do anything stupid, that is," Puroto said with a chuckle.

"Copy that," Kanazimi laughed. It was a notorious fact that the laboratory personnel always performed reckless assignments and got into trouble nearly every single time, even when the assignments were as trivial as carrying an empty bag.

"What about your daughter, then?" Puroto inquired once more.

"She will be okay, Puroto-kun. I asked her to lock herself up in her room and keep the door shut. I even told her about the emergency secret door in one of our tiles. If something extremely dangerous comes near, she will know what to do."

"But Professor Kanazimi, the issue is that she is still a ten-year-old child, and the attack area is quite near your house as well. Not only that, she is a late bloomer too," Puroto conveyed his concern.

"You realize why my home is near the attack zone, don't you? I need to keep an eye on everything to be able to save this depleting world. And as far as my daughter's maturity with respect to her mental state is concerned, let her grow as she can. I'll be there for her," Kanazimi answered in a split of pure sarcasm and deep love for her daughter.

"Yes, ma'am, but it still is fairly dangerous to look at these things from your own bedroom window."

"They will never realize that I live there," Kanazimi said, shrugging.

"Even though it kind of looks like an underground chamber, it is still dangerous. You should bring your daughter over here. Our lab scientists can protect her,"

"You are lab scientists, not police or ninjas. I will see what I can do," Kanazimi said.

"You are a lab scientist as well, Professor. We are all experts in science and combat. Don't worry," Puroto reassured her.

Two hours later, Noimori Suyoki arrived with a little girl held in her arms. She wore a simple white frock and long black pigtails. Her eyes were enormous and glistening, and as soon as she set foot in the laboratory, the mass turned her direction, loving her adorable presence.

"Shimin," Kanazimi strode over to the girl and picked her up with one arm from Suyoki's hold. "Listen, Shimin. Mama is going to drive away the ugly greens and be home in a little while, okay?"

"No. Ugly greens so dangerous, mama. Shimin come. Shimin see. Shimin save. Mama! Don't leave Shimin. Shimin save!" Shimin recited, sobbing with tears running down her face.

"Now. Now. Who protects whom? I protect you, okay? Or would you like to protect me?" Kanazimi questioned, having a bit of a glare on her face towards the end of her sentence.

"No! You. Me." Shimin rubbed her eyes.

"Alright. Then be a good girl and watch mama win," Kanazimi grinned at her. Shimin grinned back proudly.

Past
Location: unknown location, Tokyo, japan
Date: 14th April 3016
Time: 5:00 am

"It's too dark to see anything from these binoculars, staying inside the tank at that. How is it going there, Raiko?" Puroto inquired.

"No, still no signals of any dangerous or recognized movements, Puroto-kun," Raiko replied, her voice muffled slightly by the equipment.

"How about you, Suyoki-san?" Puroto questioned further.

"No, Puroto-kun, but it's hard to handle Shimin side by side, so I think I am busy here," Suyoki replied, her voice holding a slight strain.

"I see! Raiko-san, if you do obtain any readings, do let me know, and I will report the same straight to Professor Kanazimi. Suyoki, maintain the rifle loaded to twenty rounds. We can't underestimate their numbers," directed Puroto.

"Roger," the women chorused, their tones firm in the earpiece as they set out the required gear as Puroto had instructed.

{Laboratory equipment for emergency purposes only (but they use it whenever):

Round loading rifles:

Use: shooting

Appearance: large rifles supported by tripod stands and they weigh as much as the combined average weight of three grown and healthy humans. It holds no trigger and instead has a string at the end of its length which is to be pulled to open fire. At the end of the length continuing with the body of the rifle is also a rear sight glass that helps view targets at farther distance (the string is below the body).

Working: each round is ten shots long. It can load up to twenty rounds at once but there needs to be a gap of at least a minute between each round. Loading takes around five to seven minutes yet its accuracy might vary depending on the bullets used.

Silver bullets cause more damage and are inaccurate as a disadvantage while bronze bullets cause less damage but have high accuracy. You can also adjust the shooting in two different ways; either one after the other with a bit of gap or a whole continuous single round like a machine gun.

Skills: to be able to handle high weight and recoil technique at peak. Understand the working of a rifle.

DVR binoculars :

Use: read signals relating to the Jenemes.

Appearance: resembles a normal pair of binoculars.

Working: it distinguishes the features of Jenemes spotted to make classifying them easier and on spot. Yellow signals refer to no intelligence, red signals refer to high intelligence, faint yellow signals refer to no intelligence yet high strength and faint red signals refer to high intelligence and strength.

Skills: to be able to distinguish colours. }

"Five minutes after five. This is Kanazimi. Can anyone hear me?"

Kanazimi's voice crackled over the radio as she huddled in the trunk of the jeep.

"This is Puroto. I can hear you, professor," Puroto replied from the front seat. This was a discretion plan. They had to stay hidden, and hence could only communicate through in-ear pieces, though being in the very same enormous jeep.

"I have enemy reading. Five of them. Large body type and thick hide. They are mutated ones, though. Intelligence level taken as zero, but strength appears to be high. They are moving towards the tank. I repeat, moving towards the tank," Kanazimi reported excitedly.

"Roger that," Puroto confirmed, his heart rate increasing as he readied himself for the inevitable fight.

Puroto connected Suyoki to his earpiece to tell her the same, but her voice boomed before he could utter a single word. "Puroto-kun, I'm getting readings here. Faint yellow signals."

"Ah, Professor just told me, Suyoki-san," Puroto verified.

"Understood," Suyoki said, her voice composed as she set the rifle in front of the window and started her readings.

"Five targets acquired. Shooting state is ongoing. One shot will be at the velocity of 105m/s. Firing ten shots, round one," Suyoki declared, releasing a flurry of bullets at the oncoming mutants.

"One down," she declared as the mutants were struck, green blood splattering on the road. Sadly, two of them escaped the hail of bullets.

"Well done there, Suyoki," complimented Puroto as they readied themselves for the subsequent rounds.

At the same time, Professor Kanazimi was thinking of obtaining samples from the Jenemes right at this moment. She silently slipped off the trunk of the jeep and pursued the escaped mutants unnoticed by her fellow scientists.

Shimin followed her mother out, going unnoticed by Suyoki who was busy firing shots, and decided to tag along.

"Where are you going, Shimin-san?" Suyoki finally noticed, shouting after her, but Shimin was set on tracking her mother's footprints.

Suyoki's frantic voice boomed in Puroto and Raiko's earpiece. "Shimin is following the mutants. I repeat, Shimin is following the mutants." Receiving the reading, Puroto and Raiko immediately hoped off the jeep, following her in a rush.

"This is all your fault, Puroto! We should never have brought a kid in such a dangerous mission!" Raiko yelled, running at full speed beside Suyoki.

"But she wouldn't have been safe by herself anyway!" Puroto shot back.

"Our professor is a handful too." Suyoki chuckled.

They arrived at a dilapidated house, panting for breath. Shimin looked around for her mother when she was grabbed and pulled behind a wall by a hand.

"Mama-" Shimin started, but before she could get another word out, Puroto charged ahead, prepared to fight. He saw someone pull Shimin behind the wall after all.

"Who?" Puroto asked, going into attack mode.

"Calm down, Puroto!" Kanazimi whispered frantically as he reached her.

"Professor Kanazimi!" Puroto whispered back, crouching beside her along with the others.

"Yes, I am. I noticed the other two Jenemes come here seeking cover. I cannot risk losing any of the samples. What if they are all different kinds?" Kanazimi whispered. They waited in silence next to her, looking over the wreckage cautiously at the aforementioned Jenemes.

Suddenly, the massive bodies of the Jenemes began to reduce in size, their green complexion returning to that of a normal human being. Kanazimi observed in awe, scribbling furiously as she did so.

"They're sane humans who are still able to manage this virus," she spoke quietly to herself.

"Look, professor. They're crying for some reason, and holding their abdomens in pain," Puroto whispered, looking at the two drop to the ground.

"Are they hurt? Your bullets missed them, didn't they?" Kanazimi asked Suyoki, who shook her head.

"Then perhaps they got hurt during combat or they can't fight the virus completely," Kanazimi assumed. The two men spotted them and immediately converted back to the mutants with a loud roar.

"Gross," Puroto grumbled, tensing up.

"And I haven't even enlisted in the military yet," Raiko groaned.

"No need. We just have to distract them so we can-" Kanazimi was cut short as one of the mutants attacked her from behind. They were on her, one of them instantly tearing apart her flesh, a wound now open on the side of her abdomen, while the other pierced its teeth in her arm.

Suyoki scooped up Shimin and took off running, holding her close, tears gushing out of her eyes like a dam had been opened.

"Help the professor, Puroto-kun! I'll take care of the kid!" Suyoki shouted as she took off, carrying Shimin in her arms.

"No! Let Shimin go. Let Shimin go, Suyoki-neechan!" Shimin shouted, fighting against her grasp.

"I won't," Suyoki growled, a hardening resolve in her tone.

"Let me go! Mama! Mama!" Shimin cried, nipping Suyoki's arm in anger. But Suyoki clung to her, determined to protect her.

"Why? Why? WHY?" Shimin sobbed, tears streaming down her face as she glared at Suyoki.

"You think we don't care about your mother?" Suyoki started, her voice caught in her throat. "You think we'll let Professor Kanazimi get hurt? No, Shimin-san! You're mistaken. Puroto-kun and Raiko-san are trying their best to rescue her. They will set her free! So you shouldn't cry. You shouldn't, Shimin-san," Suyoki said, and she carried her back to the jeep.

"Shimin-san, stay in the jeep. Clear? Don't make any more trouble for your mama," Suyoki commanded Shimin firmly, gripping her shoulders hard as she set her in the jeep. Shimin nodded somewhat, realizing how serious things were. Suyoki took a gun from the shelf in front of the driver's seat and dashed to catch up with the others.

"Professor Kanazimi!" Puroto, rifle in hand, crept between the mutant's arm holding Kanazimi down, swiftly aiming at its eye. In a swift strike, he got the mutant's eye, blood splattering over and around him, as the mutants groaned in pain and stepped back. Pouncing at the chance, Puroto hauled Kanazimi onto his shoulders and ran away from the towering thing.

"We are in deep trouble," Puroto admitted, bearing the burden of the circumstances.

"GET AWAY FROM MY FRIENDS!" Suyoki's voice rang out as she reached, firing at the mutants behind Puroto.

"Suyoki-san," Puroto said, swallowing hard as he watched her unleash her fury on the mutants. But his attention quickly turned to Kanazimi who was draped over his back,severe injuries threatening to take her away. Despite it all, Kanazimi tried to maintain a smile, her resilience shining through the pain.

Suyoki's anger got the better of her upon seeing Kanazimi's state, and she shot wildly at the mutants, with rage and desperation driving her.

"Ayeeeeee! You stupid girl. Let us go first," Puroto called out, shaken by Suyoki's unsuccessful responses. He led her away from the threat, dragging her to run with them.

Once they had passed the attack area and taken temporary cover behind a wooden building, Suyoki stopped firing to conceal their hide, but things were not in their favor. They were outnumbered, thanks to the war cry of the two mutants they had attacked, and outgunned against dozens of mutants with minimal ammunition and resources.

"Shoot 'em all! All of them should die!" Puroto whispered, his voice full of desperation.

"Dummy! This is not a rifle. Our only rifle is the long-range case, and it requires a stand and at least fifteen minutes to reload," Suyoki explained, frustration clear on her face. "With that much time lag and bulk, I couldn't have possibly brought it here!"

"Which means that what you are currently using is..." Puroto left his sentence hanging, sensing the seriousness of their situation.

"Yeah. It's a flash gun," Suyoki confirmed.

"What? Why did you stop firing before then? I mean yes, I told you to but...how can we possibly win with that, or even defend ourselves at all?" Puroto grumbled frustratedly, his fear evident.

"I didn't want you to know because you'd panic and scare the others as well. Naturally, now it's too late. You are shaking already. See, it can generate a light screen at least. Also, Raiko-san is carrying her laser torch with her," Suyoki scrambled the words quickly, attempting to comfort him.

"That's a torch, not a gun! It will just distract them. More so, it's crazy to trust these things when your life is on the line here. And even if we do trust this crazy scheme, I'm not sure how long it will hold up!" Puroto protested, his eyes brimming with fear and uncertainty.

"Stop complaining! Kanazimi-san also has some syringes, blades, knives, and scissors in her medical kit," Suyoki went on grudgingly.

"So technically, our lives are all depending on electricity supplies used during a power failure and a surgery kit," Puroto recapitulated, his voice thick with despair.

"Yeah," Suyoki nodded in utter defeat.

"That is not all! I also have smoke grenades!" Raiko interrupted, attempting to sweep some optimism into the strained atmosphere.

"Smoke grenades?" Suyoki caught her breath, sensing a glimmer of hope, but Puroto was skeptical and lost in thought. After a brief pause, he took a deep breath and started explaining his plan. A plan he had thought of, and a plan that was their only hope, only way out.

"As soon as we dash out of here, I want Suyoki-san to shoot repeatedly all over the place, making a flash screen. All of us must maintain the same speed apart from Suyoki-san, so that she can shoot behind us and get close to us simultaneously. Once we get to the telephone pole beside the convenience store ahead, Raiko, you will toss three of your grenades because I am assuming you must at least have five of those on you," Puroto directed.

"Seven," Raiko clarified.

"Good. We use three of them to produce a huge smoke screen just as we arrive at the pole. The moment the smoke envelops us, Raiko will toss her activated laser torch over to the other direction, far ahead, and half of the mutants will take off after it. Hopefully. We then flee. I will load my gun with the jagged things from the kit and bullets tied together, shooting directly ahead while the attachments will take random paths as they will untie themselves, uhm, physics, so to say. Suyoki-san, you will need to carry the professor for that duration," Puroto finished.

"Okay. Let's go, strategist. We will get out of this place. Alive," Suyoki said firmly. They proceeded at a fast pace, with Puroto leading, carrying a wounded Kanazimi on his back and Suyoki shooting to cause a diversion.

They arrived safely at the pole and took cover behind the convenience store while Raiko hurled the grenades, providing a smoke screen. Their own escape, however, was complicated. Puroto handed Kanazimi over to Suyoki as he began loading his gun. But alas, Suyoki stumbled against a stone, toppling Kanazimi, and the mutants closed in on them in a hurry.

Puroto shoot around with whatever he had made with the materials in hand, but it just wasn't enough. Jenemes closed in and his legs gave way beneath him. Pushing himself back the only thing he could think of was regret. Of not stopping Kanazimi when she ran away to get the samples. Of not keeping a close on her. Of getting Shimin in such a dangerous place. Of being completely, utterly helpless in this situation.

He shut his eyes, accepting his fate, tears streaming down his face. Suddenly, a gust of wind went past him. A lightning-fast move that put an end to the mutants' lives. A skinny little boy stood before them, gripping a whip, his hair wet with blood and covering his face.

Puroto opened his eyes just a wink, and upon seeing the heads of Jenemes rolling around, detached from their bodies, he moved back in a backward crawl, dazed by the sudden interruption. The blood showered on him like rain. The boy remained standing there, pale face and tattered clothing contrasting with the mayhem around them. Who was this boy? How did he manage to do what he did?

And then it began raining. Actual, real rain. The remaining mutants spread unchecked at the boy's intervention and charged at him with such fury, Puroto was almost scared for the boy, rather than of him, which he was just seconds ago. The boy jumped into the air, parrying their attacks with rapid movements and chopping their heads off with the whip as if they were pieces of confetti. Blood and rainwater blended, tinting the road with an ugly picture as he basked under the blood shower, the survivors of the mutated Jenemes' warlords lying scattered around him, the remaining half rendered lifeless.

A fierce gust of wind passed through, compelling Puroto and Raiko to involuntarily close their eyes. Upon opening them again, they discovered the mutants that had been surrounding the boy dead, their flesh dangling lifelessly from their bodies. The white-complexioned boy then bowed modestly to another young boy, who was apparently the final reason for the massacre.

"What in the world? Who are you?" Puroto questioned as the boy quickly removed his jacket and wrapped it around Kanazimi's waist. "If this woman remains here long enough, you will regret it," he said, glancing at Puroto with eyes still hidden his hair.

"Who are you, and who is the other kid?" Puroto insisted, but the boy did not answer as he walked towards them with a whip covered in green-red liquid, the blood of mutants.

"What are you doing? You'll pay for attacking us-" Puroto started, but did not get to complete his sentence before the boy tossed the whip at him. Puroto automatically closed his eyes in fright, and a massive groan echoed behind him that paralyzed him. He was certain he didn't have the guts to turn around.

"Be cautious, sir. Jenemes are everywhere, or at least in these places they are. In huge numbers at that. You'll be infected if you get too close," the boy cautioned matter-of-factly, his tone not menacing like Puroto had anticipated.

At the same time, Raiko dragged Kanazimi towards the jeep, while Puroto watched over the mysterious children. "My name is Kagaro. Riyu Kagaro, and the other kid, he is Yone. Ken Yone. Nice to meet you all here," the boy bowed.

"I am Puroto, and that one is Raiko. The wounded one is Professor Kanazimi, and the other unconscious lady right there is Suyoki. thanks to you, they can now be treated at least," Puroto acknowledged, feeling a mix of gratitude and curiosity towards the enigmatic boys as he carried Suyoki on his back.

"Mama," Shimin's voice broke through, tears streaming down her face watching Raiko enter the jeep with her wounded mother dangling in her arms.

"These boys rescued your mother. Riyu Kagaro and Ken Yone. Boys, she is Shimin. Jaienta Shimin," Puroto introduced, slowly laying Suyoki down on one of the seats.