"Quick! After her—she can't get away!"
With Razor's command, chaos erupted within the Mountain Lion Gang's headquarters. The promise of being promoted to the rank of elite guard drove every member into a frenzy, all scrambling over one another to capture Jane.
And Jane's situation was far more desperate than she'd anticipated.
The spatial nodes within Hollow Zero were a labyrinth—complex, unstable. Even the few relatively stable ones were hidden deep within buildings and required special keys. Without one, escape was impossible.
To make matters worse, the Mountain Lion Gang's HQ was located at the center of a massive complex. The only exits to the ground were sealed.
She had no way out.
Even with her exceptional mental fortitude, the tension was starting to get to her.
Has the Bureau still not arrived? she thought in a haze. If they had received her intel, they should be able to enter through an external node—that was her only real hope of survival now.
But she knew all too well—mobilizing the Bureau took time. And in a Hollow? Even longer.
Just then, a gust of cold wind hit her face, snapping her out of her thoughts. She looked up, eyes wide with dread—she'd unknowingly reached the rooftop of one of the buildings.
There was nowhere else to go.
She stopped in her tracks. A wave of helplessness surged through her, her hands trembling slightly.
Before she could even turn around, Razor and his pursuers caught up.
He smirked darkly, taking slow steps toward her. "So even a crafty rat in a Hollow eventually finds herself cornered."
"Jane Doe... I have to say, I'm impressed. You turned two of my elite guards in such a short time. You're not just skilled—you've got a real talent for manipulating minds, don't you?"
As he spoke, he inched closer. The crowd of subordinates behind him followed suit, closing in like a pack of wolves.
Jane's expression hardened. But she wasn't the type to roll over and wait for death.
At the edge of this hopeless situation, she made her move.
She lunged forward, tail whipping out a dagger from one pocket as her hand drew another from the opposite side.
She aimed to use a distracted thug as her opening.
But Razor had never taken his eyes off her. The moment she dashed forward, his device burst with an arc of lightning.
A surge of electricity exploded outward, slamming Jane back violently. She hit the ground hard, tumbling across the rooftop with a pained cry.
Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth as she looked up. The blow had wrecked her insides—she'd lost most of her strength.
Razor stepped forward and grabbed her hair, yanking her upward.
Her body hung limply in the air, her once-lively tail barely twitching.
"Looks like I win in the end," Razor sneered. "A rat like you dreaming of bringing down my empire? Pathetic."
Then, the man he'd recently named his second-in-command stepped forward, rubbing his hands together like a fly, grinning hungrily.
"Boss... why don't we let the boys have her? They've gone a long time without a taste."
Everyone knew exactly what he meant—and it wasn't about food.
Razor scowled slightly but quickly changed his mind. She could still be useful... and this might be a good way to make an example of her.
"Fine. But break her arms and legs first," he ordered. "A rat that can't run makes for a much better toy."
The lackey lit up with joy and moved to take Jane from his boss's grip.
But just as his hand reached out—
He froze.
Jane fell to the ground, groaning in pain.
Razor blinked, momentarily confused—until he saw the stunned expression on the man's face. He turned.
Standing on a nearby rooftop platform—
Was a figure.
Clad in a mask. A katana at his side. Spiky black hair swaying in the wind like a porcupine's quills.
Behind him hung the half-black, half-red moon.
And from within the mask, a single crimson eye glared through the shadows like a demon from hell.
Everyone froze, even Razor. None of them had seen how the man arrived.
That spot was a dead-end... Did he fly up here?
The silence drew Jane's attention. She struggled to lift her head.
She gasped.
Someone had infiltrated the Mountain Lion Gang's headquarters.
Her first thought—the Bureau is here!
But... there was only one person.
And that outfit... he wasn't a security officer.
If he wasn't with the Bureau, then why was he here?
Before her question could be answered, Razor stepped forward with narrowed eyes.
"I don't know what business you have here," he said coldly, "but let me give you some advice—this is Mountain Lion territory. You don't get to just walk in... and walk out."
Razor hated having his authority questioned. This masked intruder had just crossed the line.
And the reply he got—
Was razor-sharp and merciless.
"Prepare to say goodbye to this world. I mean all of you."