Sara jumped to her feet and strode determinedly toward the house.

"Sara! Hey, where are you going?" called Jake.

"To look for a rope or something," she said tersely.

Working to keep calm, Sara entered the house. She headed further in, making her way around deserted clothing and household items.

The tomb-like chill and hush of the house was unsettling, giving Sara the tense feeling someone or something was lurking nearby.

She exhaled quietly. "Get a grip, Sara. Okay, think. What would Leon do?" She scoffed. "Leon would charge in, shoot or kick the crap out of anything that moves, then keep walking. Yeah… I haven't graduated to that yet."

A rustling noise behind her made Sara spin about, gun aimed. She found herself looking into Jake's stoic face.

"Easy, Wondergirl," he said. "Any luck?"

Sara huffed and lowered her weapon. "Not yet." An idea struck her. "Maybe there's a way to get to the well through the basement or cellar; maybe behind a wall or something."

Jake shook his head slightly. "Japanese houses don't have basements or cellars. And even if there was one, you'd have to tunnel your way through."

Sara's stomach went cold. "There's gotta be some way. I'm not just gonna leave Leon in that hole!" she snapped frustratedly.

"Hey! Relax; we'll get him out," Jake assured her calmly.

Sara exhaled sharply and nodded, fighting back her panic and trying to focus. The two separated, searching the house for anything useful.

Having hunted vainly through several rooms, Sara wandered into a back bedroom. A filthy child's futon remained on the floor which was strewn with various articles of children's clothing and toys. All useless items.

Heaving an exasperated sigh, Sara turned to leave. A distant scrabbling sound coming from above made her balk. She stood stockstill, listening hard.

"Sara, I'm coming up dry here," Jake said, entering the room.

She laid her finger to her lips. In response to his inquiring frown, she pointed upward. They listened intently for several seconds.

Nothing.

Sara shook her head. "Probably just a rat. We'd better keep look―"

Her sentence was abruptly cut off by a savage shriek coming from above. The ceiling over Jake's head fell through. An atrocious creature dropped down amid the rain of debris, knocking Jake to the floor.

It was a nude, mutated woman with a wild, grizzled shock of black hair. Open lesions on her body wept dark blood and mucus. She had pinned Jake down and was wrestling with him ferociously. He dealt her a smart blow to the face, but she only shrieked in rage and struck him back forcefully.

Sara opened fire before the creature could attack Jake more violently. The monster leaped off of him, her blood spattering over the floorboards. She cowered in a corner for a moment before raising her head to glower at Sara and hiss.

Sara recognized the disfigured face―the unlidded eyes and slit-mouthed grin that she had seen in the photo sent to Eito Matsuo. "Kuchisake-onna …" she breathed, staring at it in dismay. 

The kuchisake-onna prepared to pounce at her, but Jake was already on his feet. "No you don't, bitch."

He charged at the monster, slamming her up against a wall then giving her a knee kick to the stomach. He twisted her around violently and, with a swift jerk, he snapped her neck.

Jake tossed the limp corpse aside with a grunt then turned back to Sara. 

She blinked. "Nice. Thanks. Are you okay?" she asked.

Jake started to reply, but the thin, brittle wall beside him came crashing down as another kuchisake-onna burst into the room. She leaped over the first creature's corpse and lunged at Sara.

Sara instantly leaped out of her path. Jake fired off two rounds, but the kuchisake-onna was undeterred despite her gushing wounds. Sara attempted a quick headshot, but the creature swatted the gun out of her hands and seized her throat.

Jake rushed to Sara's aid, but she and the kuchisake-onna had whirled aside in a fatal dance as Sara grappled with her violently.

Sara stared into the hideous face, the stench of decay nearly suffocating her. Fury swelled within Sara, mingling with her desperation over Leon. She cried out in rage as she rammed the creature into a wall, her own strength equaling the kuchisake-onna's. 

The two slammed into a bookshelf, causing it to crash to the floor. 

Afraid to take any action that might injure Sara, Jake hung back, gun poised in case he got a clear shot. He never got the chance.

A powerful furor gripped Sara. She grabbed the kuchisake-onna's throat, constricting it with inhuman force. Bolts of orange electricity burst from her hands and her eyes glowed dark gold. An uncanny scream erupted from her lips as electric waves engulfed her and the kuchisake-onna. A few moments later, all that remained was a charred, smoking carcass.

Sara released it, stumbling backward weakly and coughing at the horrid odor of scorched flesh. She gazed at it in shock, remembering Halcyon Isle. She had destroyed a harpy B.O.W. in the same manner when she had been infected with the Omega Virus, its vile influence rapidly altering her mind and body. After the ordeal, her powers had remained dormant. Now they were reawakening with a vengeance.

Sara stared at her trembling hands. "My God…"

"Holy… shit," Jake said, his eyes trained solemnly on her, looking otherwise unfazed.

"It's getting stronger and easier to summon," she quavered. "But I don't know how to control it!"

"I hope you figure it out, Wondergirl. I don't wanna end up like that." Jake pointed at the blackened corpse.

"Avoid pissing me off excessively, and we should both be fine," Sara replied shakily.

Jake holstered his gun, snickering.

Sara smiled faintly, but her head swam and she swayed slightly.

Jake reached out to steady her. He studied her face, his brow furrowed. "Took a lot out of you, didn't it?"

Sara shut her eyes briefly. "Yeah."

The image of Leon's prone body in the well flashed before her, and her eyes flew open again.

"I'm okay now," she affirmed. "We have to get to Leon."

Jake seemed to appraise her momentarily. He nodded. His attention was suddenly arrested by something behind her. "Hey, look at that," he said, pointing. 

Sara turned to see. There was a panel in the wall where the upset bookcase had been standing.

With renewed hope, Sara eagerly ran to the wall. She tugged at the panel, but nothing happened. Undeterred, she struck it with her fist. The panel slid open, revealing a dust-coated staircase descending into a dark, narrow passage.

"Okay. Now I think we're getting somewhere," Sara said.

🌔🌕🌖

Leon came to slowly. He shifted slightly, groaning as the small movement shot waves of pain through his body. Fortunately, there were no broken bones. 

Exhaling softly, Leon rose and dusted himself off.  He looked up to see the high stone walls of the well and the steely sky above. 

"Terrific," he sighed, realizing his predicament. 

Where were the others?

Leon turned on his flashlight and activated his earpiece. "Sara? Do you copy?"

"Leon?! Oh, thank God! Are you okay?" Sara exclaimed, relief and concern evident in her voice.

"I'm stuck in a well; got a few new bruises, but I'll live. I'm feeling kinda lonely, though. Where are you two?" he asked. 

"We went into the house to look for a way to get you out," Sara replied.

"Found a hell of a lot more than that, though," Jake added in the background.

"We had some… unexpected company," Sara explained.

"But you're both all right?" Leon asked soberly. 

"Technically… yeah. We've come up empty-handed, but we did find a secret passage. Just sit tight; there's gotta be something in here."

Leon grunted. Inaction never agreed with him. He gazed at the rough walls surrounding him, wondering if he could somehow climb his way out. He stopped, transfixed by a very interesting discovery indeed.

There was a narrow opening in the stone wall to his left. Leon cautiously leaned forward and peered through it. It led into a dark tunnel.

"Sara," he began, drawing a gun. "The well leads to an underground tunnel. I'm gonna check it out."

Sara seemed to hesitate. "Please be careful," she said at last.

"Yeah, you, too," he urged her softly. 

Preparing himself for anything, Leon entered the tunnel. The going was rough as the ceiling was irregular, rising high in some areas then sloping so low that Leon nearly had to crawl in order to pass through.

At last the tunnel opened into a sprawling cavern. Leon entered the cavern and looked around. He found himself standing in an underground shelter.

Two metal bunk beds flanked the walls, each piled with rotted clothes. Weathered books and moldy papers littered the floor. In the far corner, an alcove had been hewn in the rocky wall.

Leon approached the alcove curiously, shining his light over it. A small table stood within it. Upon the table were several pictures of a little girl tacked onto a battered corkboard. An artificial wisteria bonsai tree and a little Japanese doll in a tattered kimono had been placed before the picture-filled board. Candle stubs stood on the floor of the alcove. Leon recognized the display as a tokonoma―a nonreligious shrine―built as a makeshift memorial.

He examined the photos. They had degraded some with age, but the child's face could be seen clearly enough. She looked to be about five years old. She had a pretty, cherubic face, but there was an undeniable melancholy in her eyes. She'd be a grown woman by now… if she was still alive. But who was she?

Leon drew his device and took shots of the photographs. Maybe Hunnigan could shed some light on the child's identity.

Leon was suddenly aware of footsteps approaching. He looked up to see the dim light of a lantern shining upon the wall. Immediately, he retreated to a corner and turned off his flashlight. Shrouded in darkness, he watched and waited silently.

Presently, a female entered the chamber. She was dressed in a dark kimono pantsuit, but Leon couldn't see her face. The woman placed the lantern on the floor and proceeded to replace the stubs with new candles. She knelt down and lit each one.  Bowing her head, she uttered a prayer in Japanese.

Having ended her prayer, the woman rose. She caressed one of the photographs sorrowfully then stooped to pick up the lantern. At that moment, Leon switched on his light and emerged from his hiding place.

The woman gasped, starting violently as the beam fell over her. Leon was surprised to see that her face was concealed by a silver mask bearing a mournful expression. 

"Anatahadare?! Mishiranu hito, dō yatte koko ni haitta no? ("Who are you?! How did you get here, stranger?") she exclaimed.

Leon raised his hands placatingly. "I'm sorry; I don't understand you. I mean no harm."

The woman stood erect. "An American," she said in heavily accented English. "Who are you?"

"I'm an agent with the Division of Security Operations. I'm searching for Hana Matsuo. I have a picture of her here."

Leon drew the photo from his pack, but the woman made no effort to look at it.

"She was kidnapped several days ago," Leon continued, watching the woman intently. "An intercepted message indicated this as her possible location. Do you know if she's here?"

"You are not with the agent from the Public Security Intelligence Agency," she answered suspiciously as she backed away.

Leon frowned in puzzlement. "What? PSIA agent? Wait!"

The woman paused. 

"I don't know anything about a PSIA agent, but I am trying to rescue Miss Matsuo. Please, if you know where she is, tell me. I can help her. Don't be afraid; I can help you, too," Leon insisted.

The woman stood analyzing Leon stonily for a moment. "I believe you," she said at last. "I read truth in your eyes. But it is you who should be afraid, sutorenjā ("stranger"). If you are wise, you will leave this place."

"But―"

"Leave Fukushū or die!" the woman declared.

Before Leon could speak, she turned and retreated. Leon instantly took off after her, but she half turned and tossed a handful of pellets behind her. 

Upon hitting the floor, the pellets burst into clouds of thick, dark smoke, stopping Leon in his tracks. He covered his nose and mouth as a fit of coughing seized him.

"Leave!" the woman reiterated, her voice echoing distantly. "Forget Hana. She is already dead!"

Leon tried to fan the smoke screen away, pursuing the woman despite struggling to breathe. He followed the sound of her fleeing footsteps, but could see nothing through the smoky obscurity.

Suddenly, there was a loud, faraway  explosion that made the ground tremble beneath Leon's feet. The quaking threw him off balance, and he had to shield his head and face from the falling debris.

At last the smoke and dust settled, and Leon found himself staring at a wall of rubble.

"Shit! She blew out the exit. Damn it!" Leon expelled a frustrated sigh.

There was nowhere to go but back.

Still trying to process what had just happened, Leon turned back and began making his way toward the shelter. He had scarcely walked ten paces when the sound of hushed conversation caught his attention.

Leon ducked behind a bend in the tunnel and turned off his light. The newcomers had gone silent, but he could hear the crunching of stones underfoot as they advanced. A pale beam of light fell over the tunnel floor. Leon gripped his guns readily, waiting for the strangers to come into view.

The light beam grew brighter as it came  nearer. Bracing himself for the encounter, Leon leaped out of concealment, his guns aimed at two figures.

"Freeze!" he exclaimed.

Two guns were aimed right back at him.

"Leon!" came Sara's voice.

"Jake? Sara?" Leon exhaled gutturally and lowered his weapons. "How did you get in here?" he asked, relieved.

"Through the passage we found," Jake replied. "Jesus, Hero. You've got more lives than a cat," he added, surveying Leon critically.

Leon scoffed. "Stay in the game long enough, and you'll catch up, trust me."

Jake smirked.

Sara looked Leon over. "You're all right?" she asked anxiously. 

"I'm fine," he assured her. "But we've got some new players in this act."

Here Leon proceeded to tell his companions about the shrine he had discovered and his encounter with the mysterious masked woman. He recounted their brief conversation, the warning she had given him, and her hasty escape.

"That explains the tremors we felt," said Jake. "I thought it might be an earthquake."

"Do you really think Hana is dead?" Sara asked.

"I dunno. I can only hope the woman was lying or mistaken," Leon replied. "I took some pictures of the little girl's photos," he added.

Leon produced his device and showed them the pictures. Jake and Sara studied them carefully.

"I wonder how she fits into this," Jake said. 

"I'm hoping Hunnigan can check it out; maybe ID her," Leon answered.

"The woman mentioned an agent from the Public Security Intelligence Agency," Sara said. "But the PSIA isn't involved in this. Headquarters would've briefed us otherwise," she reasoned.

Leon nodded pensively. "Something's definitely off. We've gotta get outta here and solve this thousand-piece puzzle."

"Guess we'll have to go back the way we came," said Sara.

The trio began ascending the path that Sara and Jake had followed. They hadn't walked far when Leon felt a cool rush of air stir his bangs.

"Wait!"

The others stopped and looked at him.

"There's a draft," he said. "There's gotta be another exit."

Leon stood still momentarily, trying to determine the direction of the draft. It hit him again on his right side. "This way."

Jake and Sara followed Leon as he led them to a narrow artery branching out from the main tunnel, its entrance a bottleneck opening that was easy to miss at first sight.

They were forced to crawl on all fours, inching their way slowly through the tight space. Another gust of wind told Leon they were close to the exit.

The tunnel rose to a height that was comfortable to walk in, and at last they glimpsed daylight. A few minutes later, they stood at the mouth of the cave, squinting their dazzled eyes as they stared out at the scene before them.

They had arrived in central Fukushū. The whole place was a mass of charred houses, burnt-out buildings and blackened trees. Piles of scorched wood and debris littered the streets. Drifts of ash and dirt eddied over the ground, coating everything. 

A large, impressive-looking edifice rose in the distance, sprawling out over several acres. Rising further yonder in the horizon was Deddoraito Castle, its great tower wreathed in mist.

"Deddoraito," Leon murmured. "Why do I get the feeling we're getting closer to the hornet's nest?"

His earpiece went off just then.

"Hey, Hunnigan. You've got something for us?" he responded.

An unfamiliar female voice laughed darkly. "Oh, yes. I have a store of surprises for you," she replied.

Leon's expression became severe, his eyes darting to Sara who was looking at him thunderstruck. Jake stared at them alternately, his hard gaze inquiring.

"Who the hell are you?" Leon growled.

"You may call me Osakabe, Agent Kennedy. You and your friends are trespassing on my domain. I don't like trespassers," the strange woman answered. "I deal with them in the harshest possible manner, believe me."

"How do you know my name?" Leon demanded.

"Oh, I know everything about you and your little group, Agent Leon Scott Kennedy: your meteoric rise from humble rookie cop to distinguished DSO agent; your newbie partner there, Sara Rios, herself a project X just two years ago. Then there's the copper-top tag-along, Jake Muller; bastard son of the late genius Albert Wesker." The woman laughed again.

Leon's jaw tightened dourly.

"What's your game, lady?" asked Sara.

"The game… of death."

Suddenly, the ground trembled violently, causing the three to stumble and sway as they struggled to maintain their footing. The pavement before them cracked open, the fissure spreading rapidly as the earth burst open into a gaping chasm.

The force of the rupture catapulted Jake forward and over the edge of the crevasse.

"Jake!" Sara cried in consternation.

Leon leaped after him, seizing his wrist just before Jake dropped. "I gotcha!" he declared. He grimaced as Jake's weight strained at the wound on his arm. Fresh blood seeped through the bandaging, but he tightened his grip. 

Jake strained to reach up for the edge. "Son of a bitch!" he ground out.

Sara appeared beside Leon and thrust her hand out to Jake. "Grab hold!"

Jake managed to stretch himself up high enough to snatch Sara's hand. Between them, Leon and Sara hauled him up quickly.

No sooner had they managed to pull Jake to safety than a deafening shriek shook the air. Seconds later, a terrifying monster erupted from the abyss. The trio scrambled away from the edge, turning back to face the new horror.

A grotesque, twenty foot centipede towered over them, its body oil-slick black. Twenty pairs of bright, yellow-green legs waggled furiously. It snapped its mandibles as it reared up, squealing and clicking.

The small group backed away slowly, eyes fixed on the looming B.O.W.

Above the din, Leon heard Osakabe cackling in his ear. "Jigoku e yōkoso, my friends! Welcome to hell!"

The transmission ended.

"Shit," Leon muttered, glaring at the B.O.W. "It's gonna be another really… long… bad day."