Victory is not a loud shout.
Rather, it is a deep breath.
It is a breath that is ragged, uneven and uncertain whether the next one will hurt more than the previous one.
The ENMA-KAI disappeared into the ruins and we remained still for a while. The BLACK LOTUS were dispersed on the shattered overpass like the victors of a minor conflict— and indeed that is what we were. The smoke cleared little by little. The fire was put off, and blood was congealed.
The system had acknowledged our control.
Still, control weighed down.
Eventually, Akino put his sword back into its sheath. The sharp metallic sound was louder than it should have been. This sound communicated to all the people the same thing:
The battle was over.
Only then did the people really start to feel their wounds.
Taro breathed out through gritted teeth as Chiemi completed the procedure of stabilizing his ribs. Her hands trembled when she withdrew, her fingers stained with blood, some of which was not his.
"You are lucky," she murmured, more to herself than to him. "One more stroke and—"
"I know," Taro answered, struggling to smile. "I sensed it."
Sasha ripped a piece from her sleeve and tied it tightly around her shoulder, her jaw so tight that it could crack a tooth. Small, angry flickers of fire were still coming out of her skin—her power would not-still again after the war was over.
Rei was sitting on a piece of concrete, her knees pulled to her chest, her light dim and flickering like a dying bulb. She seemed smaller than her usual self. Quieter.
Silence prevailed.
Not because the situation was voiceless.
Because it was overloaded.
As could be anticipated, Dragon was the first to break the silence.
"We need to shift location," he said with a calm voice while his eyes were looking around. "Blood attracts. Attention. Both monsters and gangsters."
Akino agreed. "Five minutes. Then we move further into the zone we control."
His voice was constant.
Too constant.
I kept an eye on him from the shadows, analyzing how his hand was always close to the wound on his side, and how his breathing was probably the slightest bit off. He was powerful—more powerful than anyone here—but still the power couldn't undo the harm done.
It only prolonged the payment.
While the others started to collect arms and assist the injured in walking, Dragon came over to me.
"You are not the one who crossed the line," he said in a low tone.
I remained silent.
"Your choice was in favor of fear over massacre," he went on. "The ENMA-KAI chief will be our trumpeter."
At that moment, I turned my eyes towards him. "Fear decays sooner than bodies."
Dragon must have realized he was wrong and then felt a little tug of a smile on his lips. "Right."
---
This time it was a very tight formation through the ruins.
Akino leading the way.
Taro and Sasha on either side of him—our blunt force, still bleeding but not broken.
Chiemi was very close to the center, hands poised, eyes watchful. Rei was next to her, still rattled but concentrating.
Dragon was like a ghost drifting along the flank, he was detecting angles, counting steps, and drawing paths in the only way he could.
And me?
I was at the back.
Where shadows are meant to be.
The aura of my power was faintly vibrating under my skin, it was agitated and restless. It did not approve of my showing restraint. It did not approve of my being merciful.
Shadows do not forget their hunger.
The moment we entered the area that was once an underground transit hub, the system beeped again—a short, sharp, and unpleasant sound.
[BLACK LOTUS – INTERNAL STRUCTURE REQUIRED]
ROLES MUST BE CONFIRMED
The whole group froze.
A different atmosphere.
Akino took a long breath through his mouth. "So it begins."
In front of each of us, the panels of translucent light started to flicker into being. The words appeared. The tags.
The system was not interrogating anymore.
It was appointing.
---
The panel of Akino was first to shine.
[ROLE CONFIRMED: BOSS]
AUTHORITY: ABSOLUTE WITHIN TERRITORY
No surprise.
Then Taro's was the next.
[ROLE CONFIRMED: FRONTLINE ENFORCER]
SPECIALIZATION: DAMAGE ABSORPTION / BREAKTHROUGH
He let out a snort. "Identical."
Sasha's panel was blazing red.
[ROLE CONFIRMED: FRONTLINE STRIKER]
SPECIALIZATION: AREA DESTRUCTION
She grinned—a sharp and hazardous one. "That's music to my ears."
Dragon's panel was lighting up in a steady manner.
[ROLE CONFIRMED: CAPTAIN]
SPECIALIZATION: STRATEGY / TERRITORIAL CONTROL
Dragon gave a slight bow of his head, full of contentment.
Chiemi's was radiating a soft golden light.
[ROLE CONFIRMED: SUPPORT CORE]
SPECIALIZATION: RECOVERY / STABILIZATION
Rei's was uncertainly flickering.
[ROLE CONFIRMED: SCOUT – LIGHT TYPE]
SPECIALIZATION: DETECTION / SIGNALING
She gulped, then gave herself a nod.
Then—
My panel showed up.
Murky.
Nearly vacant.
[ROLE CONFIRMED: SCOUT – SHADOW TYPE]
SPECIALIZATION: INFILTRATION / DISRUPTION
RANK: LOW
Low.
The term stuck around longer than the others.
I sensed the attention on me.
Sasha made a displeased face. Taro turned his head back, looking perplexed. Rei seemed almost insulted on my account.
Akino kept silent.
So did I.
Low rank signified that I could be sacrificed.
It signified that I could be thrown away.
It signified freedom.
---
We established the transit hub as a provisional base. Tents were put up. Security was organized. The system seemed content—notifications were slowing down as if it was happy considering finally we were following its order.
The people got comfortable.
That was when the first signs of trouble appeared.
Sasha argued with Taro regarding patrol routes. Taro retorted. Rei was shying away from the noises in the tunnels. Chiemi was quietly sitting, looking at her bloodied hands as if they were not hers.
Akino was set apart, his gaze directed at the black tunnel in front.
I accompanied him wordlessly.
After what seemed to be an eternity, he broke his silence.
"You could have ended him."
"Yes."
"Then, why not?"
I gazed at my shadow that was stretched out on the tunnel floor and merging with the dark end of the tunnel. "The enemies that are dead vanish. The ones that are alive spread tales."
Akino was thinking about that.
"You don't mind being hated," he stated.
"I don't mind being helpful," was my answer.
A moment of silence.
Then: "Your low rank doesn't mean little value."
I locked his eyes with mine. "It means my place."
Another silence.
This one was more intense.
"Just don't vanish," he uttered at last. "BLACK LOTUS doesn't forsake its own."
I nearly burst into laughter.
But not quite.
---
When later, everyone was sleeping—or seemed to be—I quietly left the scene.
Without any announcement.
Without any permission.
The system allowed me to go ahead.
The shadows opened their arms to me just like an old acquaintance.
I got around through the cracks, vents, collapsed side tunnels—sketching out the unseen territory. I caught far-off sounds. I counted strange footsteps. I followed the murmurs of other gangs moving around the outskirts of our control.
ENMA-KAI would not be the last one.
They were just the first ones to get hurt.
As soon as I got on top of a broken platform overlooking a darkened junction, my shadow got restless.
It was hungry.
It was excited.
The lines separating us were drawn.
Now comes the wild part.
Testing how many could be wiped out before someone notices.
And whether BLACK LOTUS would thank me—
Or be scared of me—
When they finally come to the conclusion of what kind of weapon they had placed at the back of their formation.