Unaware of the situation unfolding inside the complex, Zeke, Rei, and Takahiro remained stationed at the entrance of the danchi.
While Zeke and Rei sat calmly on a bench, Takahiro remained on his feet, pacing back and forth without rest. His unease was obvious even from a distance. He could not stop looking toward the interior of the complex, as if expecting someone to appear at any moment.
"I can't take this anymore. It's been over an hour since I last sensed Kotone's presence. Something is obviously wrong."
Without waiting for a response, he took a determined step toward the entrance, prepared to intervene on his own. However, a hand rested on his shoulder, stopping him.
It was Zeke.
"Come on, Taka, calm down or you'll get premature gray hairs. If you interfere now, the exam will be canceled. You'll be responsible for all three of them failing. Your niece will hate you, you know?" he said in his usual teasing tone.
"Zeke is right," Rei added in his relaxed, unhurried voice. "The three of them are quite far away. Besides, there are many buildings and small anomalies between us and them. None of us specializes in perception, so we can't completely trust what we're sensing from here. Most likely, it's simply an error."
Among the various roles an agent could take on, there were those who dedicated their entire lives to perfecting their perception. They were capable of accurately detecting what was happening several kilometers away, even distinguishing individual presences within crowds. However, none of the three belonged to that category.
"Besides, Kotone is quite a bit stronger than you," Zeke continued. "If a problem showed up, she should be able to handle it. And if she ran into something beyond her abilities, we'd notice a battle of that magnitude, don't you think?"
Takahiro knew both of their arguments made sense. In fact, a rational part of him agreed with every word. Even so, that did nothing to ease the uneasiness he felt.
"Strength isn't everything," he replied without taking his eyes off the interior of the danchi.
His fingers slowly curled into fists.
"I'm telling you, I have a very bad feeling about—"
Takahiro was unable to finish the sentence.
Suddenly, something caught his attention. He sharply turned his head toward the street on the opposite side of the complex. At the same time, Zeke and Rei jumped to their feet. All three stared in the same direction.
From the darkness of an unlit street, a human figure appeared.
He walked slowly, showing not the slightest hurry or concern. His footsteps echoed across the empty asphalt as he gradually approached. As he emerged from the shadows, his appearance became clearer.
He was a man of approximately thirty-five years old. His skin had a wheat-colored tone. He wore nothing but a pair of worn blue jeans. He walked barefoot and with his torso completely bare. His body was well-trained, with defined muscles and an athletic build. He had an attractive face and a short beard, as if he had stopped shaving a few days ago.
Anyone who saw him would have assumed he was a foreign actor or some magazine model. But to the three agents, the truth was obvious from the very first moment.
That man was not human.
The very air seemed to grow heavier with every step he took. An invisible pressure began to spread through the surroundings, tightening their chests and accelerating their heartbeats.
"Damn it! This is worse than we expected... The worst-case scenario has happened!" Zeke exclaimed.
Even he could feel that crushing presence pressing down against his skin. The carefree smile he normally wore had vanished completely.
Rei had also lost her usual sleepy expression. Her eyes were fully open as she stared intently at the approaching figure.
"Takahiro!" Rei shouted.
"I already did it!" Takahiro replied as he slipped his cellphone into the inner pocket of his suit jacket.
Just as they had agreed before the mission began, he had sent a message to the trio of girls informing them that the exam had been canceled. The order was clear: they were to hide and remain concealed until further instructions arrived.
However, that had not been the only message.
He had also sent an emergency alert to the Agency along with a formal request for reinforcements. Even so, he was fully aware that help would take time to arrive. Even if headquarters reacted immediately, no one could cover such a distance in a matter of minutes.
The three agents assumed combat positions without wasting a second. Takahiro moved forward to stand at the front of the group. His katana was already unsheathed, and the blade emitted a strange bluish glow beneath the moonlight.
A few steps behind him, slightly to the right, stood Zeke. Coiled around his arm rested his weapon: an ordinary-looking red rope that, in his hands, could become something extremely dangerous.
Finally, behind the two of them stood Rei.
The doctor slowly rolled up the sleeves of her blouse, revealing a bracelet made of small, simple-looking beads.
That was her weapon.
Unlike Takahiro's and Zeke's, it did not possess great direct offensive power, but it more than compensated for that weakness through its extraordinary ability to amplify spells.
"Be careful. We need to hold out for as long as possible until the reinforcements arrive," Rei said, immediately assuming the role of leader of the group.
Her voice remained calm, but her eyes never left the figure advancing toward them.
I wish Kotone could join us in this fight, but we can't expose her to a danger like this, Rei thought.
Zeke and Takahiro nodded.
Receiving orders from Rei brought back memories they thought they had forgotten.
Years ago, the three of them had been part of the same team under her leadership.
Back then, they had faced countless dangers and survived situations that would have ended the lives of most agents. Thanks to their results, they came to be regarded as one of the most successful teams in the entire Agency, accumulating an impressive number of completed missions.
For a moment, those old memories seemed to return.
However, reality did not take long to reassert itself.
The mysterious man finally stopped walking.
He remained motionless in the middle of the empty street. Then he cast an indifferent glance toward the trio blocking his path.
It was a cold, bored look.
As if he were looking at something completely insignificant.
There was no visible hostility in his eyes. No caution, not even curiosity.
His expression conveyed a single feeling.
He did not consider them a threat.
As if the three agents standing before him were nothing more than a minor obstacle barely worthy of his attention.