Reflynne Prison
The deep cells of Reflynne lay in dim shadow, the walls thick with reinforced stone and the air heavy with the weight of countless secrets. Kouki Nozomi led the group—Yami Kurikage, Akihiro Kongo, Nishi Sayuri, and Seiko Nakahara—through the narrow corridors, each step echoing against the cold floors. Ahead, the Suicidal Division waited, a tableau of controlled chaos behind layers of steel and glass.
Nogare Mirai and Zentake Hoshigari stood behind reinforced panes, their eyes sharp, reading the world beyond their confines. Kaito Mugenrei slouched in the corner of his cell, his greatsword resting against the stone, expression equal parts contempt and boredom. Gaikotsu Honekuni slept curled up on the floor, seemingly unconcerned with the visitors. Shinjitsu Jitsuzai lay blindfolded, arms bound, and Masaboru Hoshikage remained chained, a massive stone piercing his abdomen—a grotesque seat of restraint.
Kouki's voice cut through the air like steel, measured and commanding. "This is the prison with the highest security. Here are the members of the Suicidal Division." His eyes swept over the cells, taking in every figure with unflinching scrutiny.
"I have new orders for you, Nogare," Kouki added, each word deliberate.
Kaito, observing from his corner, muttered under his breath, "These guys are fools."
Kouki's gaze flicked to him briefly. He said nothing, letting silence hang as Yami stepped closer to the prison bars, her eyes scanning the unusual forms within. Her breath caught.
"He… he… he is the floating man… in Eldoria," she whispered, shock threading her voice.
Masaboru's lips twisted into a grin. "Hey, young lady, want to have some fun?"
Yami instinctively stepped back, and Masaboru chuckled, tilting his head. "You missed your shadow? Here it is."
A dark, ethereal form stretched at Yami's feet, writhing like smoke solidified into shadow.
"Don't be bothered," Kouki's voice cut through the tension. "He can't do anything while restrained."
Kaito snorted, and Zentake's laugh followed, loud and unsettling, echoing through the high-ceilinged chamber.
"Shut up, Zen," Nogare's low voice admonished, "don't make it obvious."
The adventurers stiffened, unease prickling through their spines. Kouki's jaw tightened imperceptibly, sensing the mocking undercurrent, but he maintained his composure. Akihiro subtly positioned himself between the Suicidal Division and the adventurers, warding off any sudden surges of malicious energy.
"Restrained? Who says we are restrained?!" Masaboru barked, and in that moment, the world seemed to pause.
Silence fell.
Not a whisper, not a shuffle—only the palpable stillness of anticipation. Then the world fractured.
Black and white replaced the familiar tones, each prison door shattering like splintered glass, reality itself warping under the immense psychic pressure emanating from the Suicidal Division. Walls bent, the stone floor rippled, and gravity seemed to shift with each breath.
And in a flash, it was over.
Masaboru Hoshikage, Shinjitsu Jitsuzai, and Gaikotsu Honekuni now stood tall before Kouki, free of their previous bindings, their presence radiating raw, untamed power.
Nogare strolled out of his cell, casual, his voice laced with amusement. "Why the rush? I told you to wait more."
Zentake followed, calm but bemused. "That was… crazy, big bro. You mad?"
Kaito simply walked past the debris of the shattered cells, muttering, "These fools."
Masaboru stepped forward, eyes blazing, voice sharp as iron. "Now state it, Guildmaster Kouki. Are you guys our friends… or our enemies?"
The question hung in the air, heavy and charged, a challenge that demanded a response yet dared no immediate answer. Silence pressed down like a living thing, the adventurers' hearts pounding in unison with the immense, unpredictable energy surrounding the Suicidal Division.
Every detail of the chamber—the warped walls, the shattered doors, the residual pressure—spoke of power that defied restraint, of beings who thrived on chaos yet remained bound by an unspoken code. Kouki's eyes never wavered from Masaboru's, steady, calculating, prepared to respond but recognizing the weight of the moment.
Outside the cells, reality seemed to hold its breath, waiting for the first decision. One choice, one word, could trigger a cascade beyond prediction.