Archer jolted awake, his head throbbing with the echoes of the massacre in the Badlands. The image of Celine's lifeless body flashed in his mind, and a hoarse whisper escaped his lips: "Celine…" His heart clenched, grief and confusion twisting like a knife in his chest.
"You finally awake, sleepyhead?" a voice called, sharp and laced with annoyance. Archer's eyes snapped open, his pulse racing as he shouted, "Celine, you're okay?"
"I'm not Celine, you dumbass," snapped a pink-haired woman leaning against the doorway, her arms crossed and eyes rolling. "You sure sleep a lot for a V.I.P.E.R. member."
Archer rubbed his aching temples, wincing at the pounding headache. "I thought you were someone else," he muttered, his voice thick with exhaustion. "And I'm not a V.I.P.E.R. member. I don't even know how I got here."
The woman raised an eyebrow, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Oh, you're not?" She smirked, but her eyes narrowed, studying him with a mix of curiosity and skepticism.
"I just… woke up here," Archer said, his voice faltering as he struggled to piece together his fractured reality. "It's like I was in a long sleep, like really long. The last thing I remember, I was a kid." His eyes widened, a sudden jolt of recognition hitting him. He bolted upright, his voice rising in panic. "The coated man! It's him, the man from the alley! Where is he?"
"Coated man? Oh, you mean Boss?" The pink-haired woman tilted her head, her sarcasm softening into intrigue. "You met him when you were a kid? Interesting." She straightened, gesturing toward the hallway. "Whenever you're ready, meet us in the next room." With that, she turned and left, her boots clicking against the floor.
"Us?" Archer muttered, his stomach knotting with unease. Are they some kind of organization? Shaking off his disorientation, he swung his legs off the bed and followed her, each step heavy with uncertainty.
To his shock, the next room was filled with thirteen people, their presence commanding yet strangely eclectic. Some lounged casually, others stood with a quiet intensity, but all eyes turned to him as he entered. His gaze locked onto a familiar figure sitting on the floor, a cigar dangling from his lips.
"You!" Archer exclaimed, pointing at Hayate. "You're the guy with the sword!"
Hayate grinned, exhaling a plume of smoke. "Well, well, Sleeping Beauty finally wakes up." His teasing tone carried a playful edge, but his sharp eyes assessed Archer carefully.
Archer stepped forward, his voice a mix of awe and accusation. "Who are you people? Why did you kill those V.I.P.E.R. men? And what was that speed you used?" His heart raced, the memory of Hayate's katana slicing through the firing squad vivid in his mind.
A man at the edge of the room, engrossed in a book with a weathered cover, looked up. His voice was calm but carried an undercurrent of conviction. "We are the Assassin's Code, a group of outcasts shunned by society for our… unique abilities. Those V.I.P.E.R. men were committing mass murder. They were in our way."
"Mass murder?" Archer's brow furrowed, his voice trembling with confusion. "They said we were infected, that we needed to be purged."
The man's expression darkened, his fingers brushing his eyes as if wiping away tears. "Infected?" he said, his voice heavy with disdain. "The only illness in this world is the government's paranoia. The 'infection' is a lie, a ruse they crafted out of fear. There is no virus, only the chaos they've sown."
Archer's mind reeled, his voice barely above a whisper. "A ruse? What do you mean?"
Hayate leaned forward, his cigar glowing faintly. "There are two types of people V.I.P.E.R. targets: those the government controls and those they can't. We know the truth, and that's why we're their most wanted."
"What do you mean, people they can't control?" Archer asked, his curiosity warring with a growing anxiety that tightened his chest.
The man with the book closed it with a soft thud, his gaze piercing. "Have you ever heard of Soul Energy?" He paused, then continued, "Of course you haven't, your last memory is from childhood. Soul Energy is the essence of life, the force that drives all humans. But some can wield it in a physical form—a rare gift. There are two types: those who train for years to harness it, and those born with the ability naturally."
Archer's eyes widened, his voice eager yet uncertain. "Wield Soul Energy?"
The man nodded. "The 'zombies' V.I.P.E.R. kills? They're just people under government control, manipulated to act feral to justify the slaughter. The real targets are those like us, those born with innate Soul Energy. The government uses their controlled pawns as a pretext to eliminate us, calling it 'the necessary sacrifice for change.' They fear us because of an ancient prophecy."
Archer's head spun, the weight of the revelation crashing over him. "This is… a lot to take in. Two days, and it's only getting more confusing. What's this prophecy?" he asked, his voice trembling with a mix of dread and fascination.
Before anyone could answer, a single, deliberate footstep echoed through the room. A voice, cold, silent yet loud and commanding, rang out: "Ultraschock."
The building erupted. The walls exploded outward, debris flying as the room shattered. Archer and the others were hurled through the air, crashing through the opposite wall into the open night. Dust stung Archer's eyes, his heart pounding as he struggled to orient himself.
"Itsuki, you found us already?" Hayate shouted, landing gracefully on his feet alongside the other members of the Assassin's Code, their movements fluid and practiced.
The pink-haired woman grabbed Archer midair, holding his tight to her chest, her grip firm but urgent. "Follow me!" she hissed, her eyes wide with alarm. "The others will catch up. We need to escape, now!"
From the chaos, Itsuki's voice cut through, sharp and taunting. "How much longer can you keep this up, Hayate?" He was nowhere in sight, a phantom in the darkness.
Before anyone could react, Itsuki appeared behind Hayate, his presence a blur of menace. "You think you're fast, Hayate? I'm faster than you can imagine. Shock Spiral!" A spiraling shockwave tore toward Hayate, the air crackling with energy.
Hayate dodged by a hair's breadth, his reflexes razor-sharp. "You keep surprising me with new tricks, Itsuki," he called, a fierce grin spreading across his face. "You say you're faster? Let's prove it, once and for all." He activated his ability, Yūrei no Tsubasa, Wings of the Phantom. Ten shimmering blades extended from his fingers, granting him deadly reach. Sparks flew as Hayate and Itsuki clashed, their attacks a blur of speed and precision.
Seven members of the Assassin's Code, including the pink-haired woman, pulled Archer away, urging him to flee. The remaining six faced Itsuki and an approaching army of V.I.P.E.R. soldiers, their weapons glinting in the moonlight.
Miles away, the coated man—Boss—watched the chaos unfold, his expression unreadable. He stood motionless, his ability dormant but potent, a silent force no one else perceived. Unknown to all but him, the ancient prophecy had already begun to stir, its threads weaving through the chaos.