Darkness

Rin Asakura stormed down The Eclipse Agency's shiny corridors, sparks flying from her clenched fists. "It's not fair, it's not fair, it's not fair," she vocalized her frustration, making it clear to all who witnessed her passage. Her words, ripe with emotion, quickly sparked rumors throughout the agency, signaling a deep-seated issue at play.

"What's got her so riled up?" a D ranked agent asked Sato as they watched Rin disappear around a corner.

Sato, the C-rank enforcer, shook his head. "You didn't hear? They found Kaze."

The agent's eyes widened. "No way. But isn't he..."

"Extremely dangerous? Yeah," Sato said. "And Hiroto just assigned Sora Yamamoto to track him down."

"Sora? The freak who never leaves HQ?" The agent scoffed. "Why waste our top enforcer on that basket case?"

Sato lowered his voice. "Word is Sora might be our only counter to Kaze's abilities. This situation has stirred up some real tension in the upper ranks."

The agent nodded slowly, wheels turning behind his eyes as he processed the implications. Sato clapped him on the shoulder. "Back to work. We've got our own jobs to do."

Meanwhile, Rin reached the command center, a high-tech room outfitted with display screens, holographic projectors, and rows of control consoles. Hiroto stood at the front of the room consulting with Daichi and Mei. Rin stormed up to them, electricity arcing wildly.

"You bastard!" she shouted at Hiroto. "How could you choose him for this?"

The commanding officers looked up in surprise. Hiroto raised a hand to calm her. "Rin, control yourself. This is neither the time nor place-"

"Shut up!" Rin yelled, lashing out with a bolt of electricity. Hiroto deflected it with a tech shield as gasps echoed through the room.

"Stand down, Rin," Daichi said firmly. His tone left no room for argument.

Fuming, Rin took a seat, glaring venomously at Hiroto. Mei shot her a worried smile, attempting solidarity, but Rin's gaze remained fixed ahead.

Hiroto smoothed his uniform and turned back to the display screen. "As I was saying, Sora has been deployed to retrieve Kaze."

"But why him?" Rin demanded. "he's not even an S rank enforcer."

Daichi and Hiroto exchanged a look. Mei leaned forward, curiosity piqued.

"True, Sora is only an A-ranker," Hiroto conceded. "However, his...unique abilities make him our best option for this mission."

He tapped the screen, bringing up Sora's profile. "All S-rank agents wear suppressive bracelets to control their powers. But Sora's abilities are so unstable, he requires suppression even at an A Rank level."

Rin scowled. "So what? he's still just a lab rat you keep locked up."

Hiroto's expression hardened. "Mind your attitude. Sora possesses a rare counter to Kaze's Gravity manipulation. His enhanced nocturnal senses will track him down."

He rested a hand on Rin's shoulder, beginning, "And he received the same experimental drug that was given to you in your youth. While it only fully worked on you, he gained some advantages as well. Like-"

Interrupting him sharply, Rin shrugged his hand off, her eyes blazing with fury. "I don't give a damn about any of that. I need a smoke break; this mess is pushing me to my limit. I feel like I'm about to set this whole place on fire!"

She stormed out before Hiroto could respond. An uneasy silence settled over the remaining Enforcers.

"Her emotional investment in Kaze clouds her judgement," Hiroto muttered.

Mei bit her lip. "She's not the only one conflicted over this."

"Perhaps not, but we all have a role to play," Hiroto said. He straightened, authority radiating from his crisp uniform. "Kaze remains a threat to national security. Whatever it takes, we must reacquire the asset."

Mei lowered her gaze, discomfort playing across her delicate features. Daichi put a steadying hand on her shoulder before turning back to the display.

"Let's finalize the mission parameters," he said calmly. "Sora should be at Kaze location right about now."

The command staff returned to their work, tensions simmering beneath the surface as they manipulated forces beyond their understanding.

Back in the forest Kaze clicked his tongue in frustration as he watched Usagi's tornado continue to rage, uprooting trees and tearing through the dark, moonlit forest. "Tch, even with my Graviton Surge technique cranking gravity up tenfold, it's still not enough," he muttered, frustration laced with disbelief at the technique's insufficiency.

Giving up on that approach, Kaze moved closer to the tornado's base. "Hey!" he yelled up at Usagi, who was riding atop the swirling winds. "I won't kill your uncle, just relax kid!"

Usagi opened his tear-filled eyes and called down, "Do you promise?"

Kaze rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah just calm down already," he said impatiently.

Usagi managed a small smile as he wiped the tears from his cheeks, but then his expression turned to one of worry. "Uh, Kaze, I-I can't stop it. Help!"

"Just try and imagine yourself in control of your abilities. Now close your eyes and focus," Kaze instructed.

Usagi squeezed his eyes shut, picturing himself calmly ending the tornado. But despite his efforts, the winds continued to howl around him. The tornado started thrashing more violently, and Usagi cried out in desperation, "Kaze, help me!"

Kaze rolled his eyes in annoyance. "I guess I've got no choice here," he muttered. Reaching for the suppression bracelet on his right wrist, he prepared to remove it.

But just then, Dr. Keito came rushing back into the clearing with his family holding him upright. "Stop!" Keito yelled. "You'll lose control without that bracelet. You haven't learned to restrain your powers on your own yet. You'll only end up harming the boy. I have a better solution."

Kaze looked over at Keito in surprise. "Uh?"

"I know I've caused you great harm in the past," Keito said solemnly. "But please, allow me to help now. Usagi is my nephew, after all."

Scratching his head, Kaze responded, "Yeah, whatever. So what's your big plan for stopping him then?"

Keito reached into his lab coat and pulled out a suppression bracelet identical to the one Kaze wore. Kaze's eyes widened in surprise. "You had one of those this whole time?"

"Yes," Keito replied. "And you'll need to fly up to Usagi and clamp it onto his wrist if you want to stop that tornado."

Kaze took the bracelet from Keito and used his gravity manipulation powers to launch himself into the air. Battling the fierce winds, he slowly managed to maneuver closer to Usagi. With a final burst of effort, Kaze reached out and snapped the bracelet around Usagi's wrist.

Immediately, the tornado began to weaken and dissipate, leaving Usagi to free fall helplessly toward the ground below. But Kaze swooped in and caught the boy before he could hit the forest floor. Usagi had passed out from exhaustion.

Kaze floated back down and handed the unconscious Usagi over to Keito wife. "Here, could you hold him for me?" he asked.

"Yes, anything you wish, sir," Keito's wife responded timidly.

Keito's two young children clung to their father's coat, rendered speechless by everything they had witnessed.

Keito carefully took Usagi into his arms, then turned to address Kaze with an urgent expression. "This bracelet won't be enough to contain Usagi's abilities long-term," he warned. "As you can see, it's already flashing yellow - it's going to overload and break soon. When it does, Usagi will lose control all over again."

But before Keito could explain where to find a stronger suppression bracelet, the sound of gunshots suddenly split the air. Keito's wife and two children were struck down in an instant, collapsing lifeless to the forest floor.

"No!" Keito cried out in anguish.

Kaze's eyes widened in shock as two girls wielding guns emerged from the shadows. In perfect sync, they said "Oh no, we missed!" and laughed gleefully.

The red-haired girl, a jagged scar running beneath her left eye, spoke up first. "Hello there, Dr. Keito. So nice to see you again after all this time." She took aim at Keito, but Kaze managed to stop her bullet before it could hit its mark.

"Who the hell are you two?" Kaze demanded.

"I'm Saki," said the redhead with spiky hair and frayed headband barely holding back her unruly bangs. Fiery amber eyes blazed below the spikes.

"And this is my twin sister, Miyu," she said, directing attention to her sister, whose elegant black hair was gathered into a flawless ponytail, her astute eyes peering through the lenses of her silver glasses. "We're B-rank agents, here to capture you and the boy," Saki continued. "We also have orders to eliminate witnesses."

Miyu's fingers found their way to her combat knife, which began to radiate with flames. Her eyes were icy and deliberate.

"So sorry Dr. Keito, but you'll have to die tonight," Miyu said, aiming her combat knife.

Overcome by grief and rage, Keito gathered up the bodies of his slain family. "Please, I'm begging you - kill them for me," he pleaded to Kaze. "I will be your servant, do anything you ask. Just please, grant me this vengeance."

Kaze smiled slightly. "Hmm, I guess I've got myself a new mission now," he mused. Cracking his knuckles, he prepared to attack the twins. "Gravit—"

But he was cut off as a blade of pure darkness suddenly stabbed through his left leg. Crying out in pain, Kaze looked down to see a smiling young man rise up from the shadows beneath the earth.

Keito, in utter disbelief and barely able to speak, recognized the figure. "Sora Yamamoto," he whispered, as the air around them turned noticeably colder, heralding another presence.

Sora Yamamoto appeared as if materialized from the darkness itself, his entrance both chilling and stealthy. He was notably marked by his distinctive eyes—one gray, the other black—alongside his spiky hair, and a custom Bureau uniform that featured a prominent high collar.

Despite his shorter stature, there was an unmistakable robustness about him, suggesting a hidden strength. He stood momentarily still, his gaze piercing and observant.

The twins, upon seeing him, instantly brightened. "Master Sora, you're here!" they exclaimed, their voices filled with joy amidst the unfolding drama.

Despite the agony of his leg wound, Kaze laughed mockingly. "So they sent you after me, huh? I've beaten you plenty of times before. The Eclipse Agency must be really stupid if they sent an A-ranker."

Sora simply bowed politely. "It's an honor to finally meet you again, Kaze Jūryoku. As the Eclipse Agency's most valuable S-rank asset, I'm sure you'll provide quite the challenge."

Kaze braced himself for the coming battle, ready to unleash his full power against this arrogant fool.

Sora walks to a tree and says "We fought many times and you always did beat me but…" He touches the tree, enveloping it in darkness and making it disappear.

"Do you know why you always won before?" Sora asks.

"Because you're weaker than me, obviously," Kaze laughs mockingly.

Sora extended his hands towards Kaze and declared, "Eclipse Strike!" He summons a sphere of dense darkness and launches it at Kaze. "Have we ever fought at night before, in the darkness?"

Recognizing the ability, Kaze casually puts his hands in his pockets. "Vortex," he says, as the sphere slowly vanishes. "Nothing's changed, I guess."

"Look again," Sora says. To Kaze's shock, the sphere negates his Vortex and keeps moving closer.

"What?!" Kaze yells as the sphere explodes on impact, blinding him and sending him flying into a tree.

"Kaze!" Keito yells.

Sora approaches and says "Understand now? There's a difference, don't you think?"

As blood trickled down his forehead, Kaze's fury mounted, recognizing the night's dark embrace amplified Sora's powers. But could the shadows alone elevate Sora to rival his strength? What hidden force could possibly be at play here?