The Academy was still filled with buzzing energy from the newly licensed heroes, conversations and laughter echoing through the corridors as teams got to know each other. Display screens mounted on the walls showed footage from the ceremony, occasionally zooming in on particularly notable new recruits. But Kage had no interest in the formalities or the celebrations. He wanted action.

  He stood before the Job Posting Board, a massive digital display covering an entire wall in the main hall. His reflection glinted in the glass as he scrolled through the available missions with quick, impatient gestures. His eyes barely registered the Green and Yellow-Tier missions as he moved past them without a second glance. The lower tiers were for rookies, for those who needed to prove themselves. Only Red-Tier jobs mattered to someone of his caliber.

  His eyes settled on a particularly ominous mission, the red border around its description pulsing slightly to indicate its danger level.

  MISSION: MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCES IN SHIBUYA

  Threat Level: RED

  Location: Shibuya District

  Report: Buildings have been vanishing without a trace. No casualties reported—yet. Find the cause and report back to Higher-Up

  Raiden, Rei, and Hiro stood behind him, watching cautiously. Hiro's gills fluttered with excitement, while Raiden's expression remained composed, though his fingers twitched slightly at the mention of disappearing buildings.

  Raiden sighed, already anticipating Kage's recklessness. "We don't even know each other's strengths yet, and you're picking a Red-Tier mission?" His tone was measured but carried a note of concern—not fear for himself, but a strategic objection to rushing in unprepared.

  Kage ignored him, his eyes still fixed on the mission description, calculating, assessing. Red-Tier missions paid the best, and beyond that, they were the only ones that might present a genuine challenge. Everything else was just busywork.

  Rei, however, had his own reasons for not objecting. His expression remained neutral, but his mind was racing. He and Kage still wanted to meet Haikito, and a high-profile mission increased their chances of crossing paths with the enigmatic chairman. Besides, there was a part of him—a part he was still coming to understand—that craved the challenge, that wanted to test the limits of abilities he was only beginning to grasp.

  Kage reached for the approval box on the screen, his finger hovering over the confirmation button—but then hesitated, noticing a notification that flashed across the display.

  "Tch," he muttered under his breath, irritation evident in the slight tightening of his jaw—high-ranking official approval needed for Red-Tier missions. He had forgotten that particular bureaucratic hurdle in his eagerness to get started.

  Annoyed, he turned on his heels and headed straight for the announcer, his stride purposeful, coat billowing slightly behind him. The others followed, exchanging glances but saying nothing.

  Where is Haikito? The question burned in Kage's mind as he navigated the Academy halls with confident familiarity, despite being a recent addition to its ranks. The layout was complex, designed to confuse outsiders, but he moved through it as if he'd walked these corridors a hundred times before.

  The announcer sat in his office, reviewing reports on a sleek tablet when Kage kicked the door open without knocking. The heavy wood slammed against the wall, causing picture frames to rattle and papers to scatter from a nearby desk.

  "Where the hell is Haikito?" Kage asked, voice sharp and demanding, no pretense of respect in his tone or posture.

  The announcer didn't even flinch at the dramatic entrance, barely looking up from his work. His nonchalance suggested he was either used to such interruptions or had been specifically warned about Kage's temperament. "Mr. Haikito is away on a business trip."

  Kage clicked his tongue in frustration, the disappointment evident in the slight slump of his shoulders. "Of course, he is."

  The announcer smirked, a knowing expression crossing his features as he set his tablet aside. He reached into a drawer and removed a folder, sliding a stamped approval across the desk with a deliberate, almost theatrical slowness. "But he knew you would go for that Red-Tier job."

  Kage froze, his body tensing almost imperceptibly. His teeth clenched slightly as he took the document, scanning it quickly to confirm it was indeed authorization for the Shibuya mission.

  Approved.

  Before I even asked.

  The realization sent a flicker of annoyance through him, mixed with a grudging respect. Haikito was always one step ahead, always prepared, always in control of the game they were playing. It was infuriating yet impressive in equal measure.

  Rei, standing behind him, thought to himself, How is Haikito always one step ahead? The question had been nagging at him since the trials, a persistent mystery that seemed to grow more complex with each encounter.

  Kage exhaled, stuffing the approval into his pocket with less care than the document probably deserved. Fine. He'd play along for now.

  He turned to the team, his expression unreadable behind his designer shades. "We leave tonight. Get whatever you need and meet at Osaka Central Station—Platform 4 at midnight."

  "Tonight?" Raiden questioned, his blind eyes narrowing slightly. "That's barely enough time to prepare for a Red-Tier mission."

  "Good," Kage replied, his voice dropping to that dangerous tone that made even Rei's skin prickle. "Preparation breeds hesitation. Hesitation breeds failure."

  Hiro clapped his webbed hands together excitedly. "Midnight adventure! Should I bring snacks?"

  Kage ignored him, already walking away, his designer boots clicking against the polished Academy floor. "Platform 4. Midnight. Don't be late."

  As they dispersed to prepare, Rei found himself standing alone in the corridor, watching Kage's retreating figure. The mystery of Haikito—and whatever game he and Kage were playing—seemed to deepen with each passing hour.

  As Shinjuu and his team stood at the Job Board, his eyes locked onto the Red-Tier mission section with hungry determination. His metallic fingers tapped impatiently against his forearm as he scrolled through the options, eager to get his team into action as well.

  Before he could even reach for the Shibuya mission—

  The announcer's voice boomed over the room's speaker system.

  "Under NO circumstances will Shinjuu's team take a Red-Tier job!"

  The proclamation rang out across the hall, drawing stares from nearby heroes and causing Shinjuu's team to freeze in place. The message couldn't have been more public, more humiliating if it had been planned that way.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  The entire room turned to stare, curious eyes taking in Shinjuu's reaction, whispering starting almost immediately among the onlookers.

  Shinjuu gritted his teeth, the sound of metal grinding against metal audibly expressing his frustration. "What?! That Shadow Nerd gets to take it, but not me?! What kind of bias—"

  Bernard calmly stepped in, hands behind his back, his posture relaxed but authoritative. Despite being younger than Shinjuu, he carried himself with a composure that commanded respect. "Shinjuu, let's focus on training instead. We need to learn our weaknesses before we take any job."

  Josuke immediately nodded in agreement, eager to support any plan that didn't involve immediate danger. "Yeah, plus, can we send Mya on a solo mission or something? So she stops breathing near me?" His voice carried a desperate plea, only half-joking as he glanced nervously at the girl in question.

  Mya laughed, the sound melodic and deliberate as she flipped her hair dramatically. She moved closer to Josuke, invading his personal space with practiced ease. "Do you not love me, Josuke?" Her voice dripped with exaggerated affection, her eyes wide with mock innocence.

  Josuke visibly cringed, taking a step back and nearly bumping into Bernard in his haste to create distance between them.

  Shinjuu, arms crossed, studied his team with a critical eye, weighing their strengths and weaknesses against his own expectations. His initial anger gradually subsided as he considered Bernard's words. Perhaps there was wisdom in preparation.

  Bernard was composed and methodical—a strategic thinker whose abilities could complement Shinjuu's more direct approach.

  Mya was chaotic but capable—unpredictable in a way that could be an asset in the right circumstances.

  Josuke was... going to give him headaches. But there was potential there, raw and unrefined.

  "Fine, kids." He exhaled, relenting with better grace than most would have expected. His steel-coated shoulders relaxed slightly as he made the decision. "We don't need to compete with that Shadow-Nerd anyway! We'll train until our muscles deplete and our bellies are full of enthusiasm!"

  Mya and Bernard cheered excitedly, genuinely pleased with the training plan. Bernard was already mentally cataloging exercises they could implement, while Mya's enthusiasm seemed fueled largely by the opportunity to spend more time around Josuke.

  Josuke felt his soul leave his body, his expression one of pure dread as he contemplated what "training until muscles deplete" might entail under someone as intense as Shinjuu. The color drained from his face as visions of endless drills and impossible physical challenges flashed before his eyes.

  "Tomorrow, 2 PM. Academy training field," Shinjuu declared, his tone suggesting no room for argument or excuses. "Be there. We begin Hell Week!"

  Josuke internally screamed, resigning himself to his fate with the reluctant acceptance of someone who knew there was no escape.

  12:46 AM -- Bullet Train to Shibuya

  Later, as darkness fell over Osaka, the team assembled on the nearly deserted platform. The night air was cool against Rei's skin as he arrived precisely at midnight, finding Raiden already waiting, a small duffel bag at his feet.

  "You came," Raiden observed, sensing Rei's electrical signature before he even spoke.

  "Did you think I wouldn't?" Rei asked, genuinely curious.

  Raiden shrugged. "Kage doesn't exactly inspire loyalty."

  "I'm not here for Kage," Rei admitted quietly. The unspoken truth hung between them—he was there for answers, not for loyalty to their eccentric mentor.

  Hiro arrived moments later, bounding onto the platform with a backpack that appeared to be stuffed with... were those bags of chips protruding from the zipper?

  Kage was the last to appear, materializing from the shadows as if he'd been part of them all along. He said nothing about their mission, about Haikito, about what lay ahead in Shibuya. He simply nodded toward the approaching train, its headlights cutting through the night like twin beacons.

  As they boarded, finding an empty compartment in the late-night train, Rei couldn't shake the feeling that they were stepping into something much bigger than a simple mission—something that had been set in motion long before tonight.

  The sleek bullet train carved through the night, its windows reflecting the occasional lights of passing towns as it sped toward Tokyo. Inside the passenger compartment, most seats were empty at this late hour, the few travelers present either sleeping or absorbed in their own thoughts.

  Kage, arms crossed, sat with one leg folded over the other, completely at ease despite the hour and their mission. His designer clothes looked as fresh as they had that morning, not a wrinkle in sight. Across from him, Raiden sat with his hands steepled beneath his chin, deep in thought.

  What is Kage up to?

  Is he really our mentor, or is he just trying to get rid of us as soon as possible?

  The questions circled in Raiden's mind as he "watched" Kage through his electrical sense, tracking the minute changes in the man's electromagnetic field. Something about this entire setup felt wrong, rushed—like they were pieces being moved on a board in a game they didn't understand.

  Next to Raiden, Rei sat brimming with anticipation. He could sense the tension in Raiden, the coiled energy of a warrior prepared for conflict, but his own mind was occupied with different concerns.

  Am I ready?

  What does it truly mean to be called the devil?

  Where is Haikito?

  The questions had been circling in his mind since the ceremony, gaining urgency with each passing hour. This mission felt like a step toward answers, though he couldn't have explained why.

  Then, suddenly—

  Hiro shifted seats, sliding next to Kage with the casual confidence of someone completely oblivious to social boundaries.

  "Hey Kage," Hiro said innocently, his wide eyes blinking with childlike curiosity.

  Kage lowered his shades slightly, side-eyeing him with a mixture of annoyance and disbelief. Even after hours together, he still couldn't quite grasp Hiro's strange demeanor.

  Hiro grinned, his amphibian features stretching into an expression of pure mischief. "Can I lick you too?"

  Without hesitation, Kage's shadow extended from beneath him, a tendril of pure darkness stretching across the floor and up the seat, grabbing Hiro by the collar and placing him next to Raiden with efficient, unceremonious precision.

  Kage pulled his shades back up, settling deeper into his seat. "Stop being weird."

  Hiro simply nodded enthusiastically, his gills flapping slightly with the motion, apparently not at all bothered by being physically relocated via shadow manipulation.

  The train continued cutting through the night, its rhythmic movement the only sound as the team settled into silence once more.

  The train continued cutting through the night, its rhythmic movement the only sound as the team settled into silence once more.

  1:26 AM -- Bullet Train to Shibuya

  The train had entered Tokyo's outskirts, the landscape outside changing from occasional small towns to increasingly dense urban development. The city never truly slept, its lights creating a glow on the horizon that grew brighter as they approached.

  Raiden sat quietly, eyes closed in thought, his body perfectly still except for the slow rise and fall of his chest with each breath. Though blind, he could sense the electromagnetic pulse of the approaching metropolis—millions of electronic devices creating a symphony only he could hear, growing louder with each passing minute.

  Rei gazed out the window, his mind drifting between fear and excitement. The city lights reflected in his dark eyes, creating flickers of illumination that matched the racing thoughts behind them. What would they find in Shibuya? Would it lead him closer to understanding Haikito's interest in him, closer to uncovering his own mysterious past? The questions circled like predators, waiting for answers.

  Hiro, still excited from earlier, sat next to Raiden now, vibrating slightly with barely contained energy, his gills fluttering with each breath. His amphibious eyes darted around the compartment, taking in every detail with childlike wonder. To him, this wasn't just a mission—it was an adventure, a chance to test his abilities alongside his new teammates.

  And Kage?

  Kage simply sat still, arms crossed, waiting. The performative arrogance he typically displayed had melted away, replaced by something far more dangerous—focus. His breathing was measured, his body language controlled. There was a patience to him now, a stillness that contrasted with his usual calculated chaos. It was the calm of a predator who knew the hunt was about to begin.

  As they pulled into Shibuya Station, the doors slid open with a soft hiss. The platform was nearly deserted at this hour, but the pulsing heartbeat of the district could be felt even here—the distant thump of club music, the occasional burst of laughter from late-night revelers, the electronic hum of a city that refused to sleep.

  Kage rose first, adjusting his designer coat with practiced nonchalance. "Welcome to Shibuya," he said, his voice carrying an edge that hadn't been there before. "Let's find out what's making buildings disappear."

  As they stepped off the train and into the labyrinth of streets that made up Tokyo's most famous district, each member of Team Kage felt the weight of the mission settling onto their shoulders. This wasn't a training exercise or a classroom demonstration—this was reality, with real dangers and real consequences.

  The hunt was about to begin.

  Team Kage had arrived in Shibuya.