Teji's voice was low. Cold.
"Why are you here?"
Agent 3 stood still for a moment, calm as always. He shifted his feet slightly, grounding himself.
"We came for you. Direct order from Boizano. Mission: eliminate Agent 4."
Agent 2 clicked his tongue, scratched the back of his head, and gave a short shake of the head.
"Yeah… They said you killed Agent 5."
He let out a short, dry laugh.
"Honestly, thanks. I didn't like that guy anyway. Always acting like he was above all of us. Like some kind of Boizano god or something."
He paused, the smile dropping from his face.
"But still… a mission's a mission. And orders are orders. We're supposed to kill you, Teji."
Teji's face didn't change. He stayed quiet, unreadable.
Agent 2 took a step forward, voice softer now, more personal.
"But I don't want to, man. We trained together. You're my friend. So how about this—just surrender peacefully. No need to die here. Let Boizano decide what happens to you. Who knows… maybe they'll go easy on you."
Teji finally spoke. His tone stayed the same. Cold. Steady.
"I won't."
He took a step forward. His eyes locked on theirs.
"We both know how Boizano handles people they call 'traitors.' Surrendering just means dying slower."
Agent 2 looked down, jaw clenched. Then he sighed.
"…Yeah. That's what I thought you'd say."
He lifted his head. His expression hardened. His body shifted into a fighting stance.
"Then we've got no choice. We'll settle this now. Right here."
He nodded once.
"Sorry, bro."
Without a word, Teji drew his weapons.
The bayonet slid out with a sharp, clean sound, held tight in his right hand.
Then, with a fluid motion, he pulled the karambit from behind his back, the blade curving like a predator's fang in his left hand.
The metal caught what little light there was—just enough to glint off the edges. A warning in steel.
Agent 2 blinked and tilted his head, surprised.
"Eh? Since when did you start using a karambit, Teji?"
Teji's voice was low. Firm.
"I only use it when I need to."
Agent 3 narrowed his eyes, his body lowering slightly as he scanned Teji's stance.
"…Alright," he said. "I understand."
They all stood still for a moment.
No one moved.
The air grew heavier.
The fight was about to begin.
Without another word, both agents pulled out their own bayonets.
The metallic slide of their blades echoed through the still air like a final warning.
No more talking. No more waiting.
Then, they moved.
Agent 2 rushed in first—fast, wild, reckless. His grin stretched wide, eyes burning with the thrill of battle.
His bayonet slashed through the air in a blur.
Teji ducked under the first swing, the blade just inches from his face.
In the same motion, he twisted his torso and brought his karambit up, aiming straight for Agent 2's ribs.
But the strike never landed.
Clang!
Agent 3 was already there—sharp, focused—intercepting Teji's attack with a clean, perfect block.
Steel met steel.
Sparks flew.
Teji pushed back and spun out to create space, but Agent 2 didn't let up.
He charged in again from the left, blade swinging low.
Teji blocked it with his bayonet, then twisted to the right—only to catch a glimpse of something coming fast—
Thump.
A boot slammed into Teji's left chest.
Right over the old wound. The one from Agent 5.
"Gh—!"
Teji staggered back. His breath caught, like someone had punched the air out of his lungs.
His body dropped to one knee.
His right hand clutched his chest. His bayonet hung lower now, barely staying up.
Blood dripped from his fingertips.
He pressed the hilt of the bayonet against the wound, trying to stay steady.
His breaths were sharp. Ragged.
A faint tremble ran through his body.
Agent 2 paused mid-step, blinking in surprise.
"Bro… what's wrong with you? Did you mess yourself up earlier? Or… did I just kick too hard?"
His voice still carried that same joking edge, but his tone was softer now. Less sure.
Then he saw it.
A dark patch spreading slowly under Teji's shirt.
Blood.
More than just a scratch.
"…Oh," Agent 2 said, frowning slightly. "That spot… You got hit there before, huh?"
Teji didn't answer.
He just kept breathing through the pain, his eyes locked on them. Quiet. Focused. Burning.
Agent 2 scratched the back of his head, then raised a hand toward Agent 3.
"Alright, no hitting that spot again. Got it Ben? Let's not kill him too fast."
He turned to Teji with a crooked smile.
"Don't want you dropping dead before we finish this properly."
Agent 3 gave a short nod. His eyes didn't leave Teji.
"Understood."
Teji moved.
Slowly. Carefully.
He stood back up, his body tense with pain—but standing all the same.
His grip tightened around both blades.
The blood still ran down his side, but the fire in his eyes didn't fade.
It burned brighter now.
Sharper.
He didn't say a word.
But his silence said everything.
The real fight was only just beginning.
They moved again.
Agent 2 rushed in first—like a charging beast—bayonet raised, swinging wide and wild. No form, just force.
But Teji didn't bite.
He sidestepped cleanly, letting the blade slice through empty air, then ducked low and exploded forward—straight toward Agent 3.
Target: the brain.
Agent 3 didn't flinch.
He raised his blade at just the right angle, deflecting Teji's bayonet with calm precision.
Then came a swift counter—his own bayonet arcing toward Teji's neck in one smooth, silent motion.
Teji dropped low, the blade grazing over his hair.
He spun at Agent 3's side, karambit flashing like lightning, aiming straight for the ribs.
But Agent 3 had already seen it coming. He stepped back, just far enough, letting the curved blade miss by a breath.
Clink. Clash. Slice.
They circled tightly—two shadows locked in rhythm.
Steel rang sharp between them. Sparks danced through the air with every hit.
Teji moved fast, aggressive—pressing forward with sharp angles and sharp eyes.
But Agent 3 was like a wall with no cracks. Always in position. Always in control.
Every strike Teji threw, Agent 3 met with perfect blocks.
Every attempt to break through, Agent 3 closed down with quiet, flawless steps.
Then—BAM!
A hard impact slammed into Teji's ribs.
His body jolted.
His balance wavered.
Agent 2 had returned to the fight.
Teji stumbled half a step to the side, trying to regain control.
Agent 2 stood behind him with a wide grin, casually cracking his knuckles.
"You forgot I'm still here, bro?"
Before Teji could even breathe, Agent 2 charged in again.
This time, it was a full roundhouse kick—coming fast and heavy.
Teji raised both arms on instinct.
WHUMP!
The kick crashed into his forearms with a deep thud.
He slid back a few feet across the ground, boots dragging lines in the dirt—but he didn't fall.
His bones held. Reinforced. Hardened.
Agent 2 blinked, caught off guard.
"Huh… still standing, huh?"
But it wasn't over.
Behind the distraction, Agent 3 moved like a shadow.
Fast. Silent.
He slipped past Teji's lowered guard and slashed his bayonet upward across the shoulder.
Shhhk—
A thin red line bloomed across Teji's right shoulder.
Not deep. But sharp enough to burn. Sharp enough to remind him—this was real.
He pivoted quickly to avoid the follow-up, planting his foot hard and backing up.
Eyes sharp.
Mind racing.
They weren't playing.
They were hunting.
And Teji?
He was still breathing.
Still standing.
Still fighting.
Teji hissed through his teeth. His body was already worn from before — and now, their coordination was suffocating.
One moved like a storm, fast and wild.
The other, like a blade, clean and precise.
Together — overwhelming.
He backed off fast, boots skidding slightly on the ground, breath heavy and uneven. His karambit trembled in his grip. Not from fear.
From the weight of the fight.
The nonstop pressure.
His muscles ached. Blood trickled down his shoulder. His lungs burned. But his eyes — they were still locked in, still sharp.
He glanced at them both.
Agent 2 — wild grin, bouncing on his heels like he was having fun.
Agent 3 — cold eyes, still and focused, like nothing surprised him.
Different styles.
But they fought as one.
No wasted motion. No gaps between them.
They weren't just skilled.
They were built for this.
They were trained to be perfect — together.
And Teji?
He was alone.
But even now…
He wasn't done.
Not yet.
Agent 3 stepped forward, blade angled low, blood smeared across the edge.
His voice came steady, like he wasn't out of breath at all.
"You're a good agent, Teji. You always finished your missions clean. Fast. No mistakes."
He paused, almost like he meant it.
"But right now, in that condition… you're going to die."
A short silence.
"Honestly, I thought we could be teammates a little longer."
Teji met his eyes.
Blood ran down his arm, soaking into the bandage beneath his shirt. His breath came slower now, deeper.
And then—his voice, cold and sharp:
"I never joined Boizano to make friends."
The words hit like a blade of their own.
Agent 2's smile dropped, just a little.
"What?"
His voice cracked slightly, less playful.
"So what was all that training? All those years together? I thought we were already friends, man…"
Teji didn't reply. His stare was unflinching.
Agent 3 exhaled through his nose, the faintest trace of disappointment in his tone.
"I expected that answer from someone like you, Teji."
He shifted his stance. Blades ready.
About to close the distance—fast.
But then—
Bzzt.
A soft buzz came through his earpiece. Faint, but clear.
Agent 3 paused.
Touched a finger to his comms.
A short silence as he listened.
Then, calm and firm:
"Copy that. Understood."
His eyes flicked back to Teji, unreadable.
Something had changed.
"We're falling back. We're done here."
Agent 3 stepped back without lowering his blade, his tone cool and final.
Teji's eyes narrowed, his chest rising with sharp, confused breaths.
"What? Weren't you sent to kill me?"
Agent 2 gave a lazy shrug, his grin returning—this time more crooked than playful.
"Actually, nah. We were just here to stall you. Buy some time."
He tilted his head slightly.
"Boizano had another goal today… kidnapping our real target."
Teji's heart skipped. His hands clenched tighter on the blades.
"Real target…?"
His voice was low. Controlled.
Barely.
"Then why me? Who the hell is your target?"
Agent 2 scratched the back of his neck like this wasn't a big deal.
Like it was just another mission.
"Uh… I think the name was… Tamiki."
The world around Teji stopped.
His breath caught. His muscles locked. His blood ran cold.
No.
No, no, no.
Without thinking, he yanked his phone from his pocket. Hands shaking, fingers fumbling, he tapped the screen and hit her contact.
It rang.
Once.
Twice.
Click.
The call picked up.
But it wasn't her.
It was a man. Calm. Cold. Cruel.
"Agent 4… so bold to challenge Boizano," the voice said, smooth with mockery. "Now… you face the consequences."
Teji's heart pounded in his ears.
And then—
Faint, but unmistakable. A voice in the background.
Her voice.
"Tejiii! Help meee!"
Screaming. Desperate. Terrified.
Then—
Click.
The call ended.
Silence.
Teji stood frozen, staring blankly at the phone screen.
His brain tried to move, tried to think, but everything slowed.
Tamiki's scream echoed in his head, over and over again, twisting something deep in his chest.
It didn't feel real. But it was.
It was.
His blades slipped from his hands.
Clink.
They hit the ground with dull, empty thuds.
Then the phone.
Dropped from his fingers.
Thud.
He didn't blink.
He didn't breathe.
He just stood there, staring at the ground.
His voice came out flat, quiet — almost like it belonged to someone else.
"...No…"
A whisper. Hollow. Broken.
He clenched his fists, jaw tight, chest heaving—but he didn't move.
The fire in his eyes had dimmed, swallowed by something colder.
Something deeper.
"You took her…"
Teji's voice was quiet. Too quiet.
His body was still. But something behind his eyes had snapped.
Agent 2 blinked, shifting his weight, awkwardly scratching his cheek.
"Hey, man… chill. It's just a girl."
He gave a half-hearted laugh. "Since when did you care about people—especially girls?"
That sentence.
It echoed in Teji's mind like a curse.
Like poison.
Just a girl.
Just a girl.
Just a girl.
The words spun and crashed inside his skull, getting louder, sharper, until—
—her smile.
Tamiki's smile flashed in his mind.
Bright. Genuine.
The way she used to look at him like he wasn't broken. Like he mattered.
Her voice, warm and teasing, almost too real.
Then her scream.
That last scream over the phone.
It hit him again.
The echo turned into a roar inside him.
His jaw clenched. His fingers curled. His heart didn't beat—it pounded like war drums.
Without warning, both Agent 2 and Agent 3 stiffened.
Their instincts flared.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
They weren't the predators anymore.
They were the prey.
Agent 2's face tensed, eyes darting around like the air itself had shifted.
"Why… why does it feel like we're the ones being hunted now?" he muttered, swallowing hard.
Agent 3 didn't answer. His eyes locked on Teji.
And for the first time…
He felt it.
Fear.
Something in his chest pulled tight, like ice crawling up his ribs.
The air felt thick—too thick to breathe.
Even the wind had stopped.
Like the whole world was holding its breath.
"What is this feeling…?" Agent 3 thought, sweat forming at his brow.
"Why am I… scared to face Teji?"
Agent 2 took an unconscious step back. His voice wavered.
"W-What the fuck is this…?"
The silence deepened.
The sky seemed darker.
The shadows seemed to stretch a little longer.
Then—
Teji looked up.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
And the moment his eyes met theirs, the world cracked.
His gaze wasn't calm anymore.
It wasn't human.
The whites of his eyes were laced with red, like veins of rage crawling through glass.
Black tendrils slithered and twisted around his pupils, like ink in water.
His stare was empty. Cold.
Merciless.
Agent 3's heart sank into his gut.
Agent 2's breath caught. His fists clenched on instinct.
"Yo, Ben…" he whispered to Agent 3, his voice small, "You seeing this?"
Teji didn't blink.
His voice came out like frost on steel—low, sharp, and final.
"I'm gonna kill you."
Not loud.
Not dramatic.
Just a statement.
A promise.
Agent 3's grip tightened around his blade.
Agent 2's hands trembled.
Because deep down, they both knew—
Teji wasn't fighting to win anymore.
He was fighting to end them.
[End of Chapter 11]