A month later, the city was glowing under a bright and beautiful sky. The people went about their usual business, unaware of the dangerous mission being planned behind closed doors. Inside his office, Kojin sat behind his desk, with Diablo standing before him.
"I have a mission for the students," Kojin said calmly. "It's a tough one. Not something just anyone can handle."
Diablo raised an eyebrow. "With the way that sounds, I'm guessing it's borderline suicidal."
Kojin nodded slightly. "You could say it's life-threatening. But that's what missions are."
Diablo folded his arms. "Sounds a little too deadly. Shouldn't the higher-ups be handling this?"
"They can't," Kojin replied. "They're tied up with other threats. I had no choice but to pass this on to the kids."
Diablo sighed. "Alright... What's the mission?"
—
A few hours later, Alex, Serena, Sukuna, Kinto, Baraka, and a few others stood in front of the city gates. The sun was high, and tension buzzed in the air.
Sukuna glanced around, arms crossed. "What's taking Diablo so long? He's usually never late."
Alex shrugged. "Probably stuck with something. Or… y'know… old man problems."
From the distance, another team approached. Two boys and a girl—one with fiery red hair and a red and black track suit with the zipper lowered, another wearing a lab coat with goggles resting on his pink hair, and a girl with long white hair, dressed in a sweater and skirt.
Kinto's expression twisted. "Wait… what the hell is he doing here?"
The red-haired boy—Son—laughed. "Haha! Can't believe I'm on a team mission. This is wild."
Alex tilted his head, genuinely confused. "Wait… I thought you were dead."
Son's smile dropped. "Shut up, idiot. Im even surprised you made it as an assassin"
The pink-haired boy, Deo, adjusted his goggles. "I can't wait for this mission to start. Finally, something fun."
Raquel smiled softly as she walked beside them. "It's so nice to see you, Sukuna… and you too, Serena."
Serena smiled back. "It's been too long."
Sukuna raised a brow. "Where the hell have you been all this time?"
Before she could answer, Diablo finally arrived. His presence quieted the group immediately.
"Listen up," Diablo said. "This mission is dangerous—but manageable. Your target is a rogue assassin from a neighboring city. He's hiding in a forest, deep within a well-guarded base."
He continued. "This man is skilled in tech. One of the most wanted high-class criminals from his home city."
Deo's eyes lit up. "I've heard of him. Guy's racked up murder cases and bounties like it's a hobby."
Diablo nodded. "Exactly. Your mission is simple: infiltrate his base and eliminate him."
Kinto sighed. "What a pain…"
"I didn't hand-pick this team," Diablo said. "It was randomized. Deo may not be in Son or Raquel's team, but his tech skills are invaluable. We need him for this."
Alex cracked his knuckles. "I'm ready."
Serena smirked. "Calm down, hothead."
"The hideout isn't far," Diablo said, "but be cautious. This won't be easy."
Kazuki, who'd been quiet until now, scoffed. "Sounds easy enough. We just have to kill the guy."
Alex looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "Is killing the only thing you ever think about?"
Diablo ignored the banter. "Alright. Set out. Good luck."
—
A few hours later as the group walked through the forest, the atmosphere was filled with light chatter and mixed anticipation.
Son stretched. "Man, I've been waiting forever to get on a real mission since passing that damn exam."
Kinto yawned. "Why do all the missions have to be so deadly? Every single time…"
"Stop whining," Sukuna replied flatly.
Raquel walked quietly, occasionally glancing at Alex. Serena noticed, narrowing her eyes slightly. Does she like him or something? she wondered.
"I'm in the mood for a drink," Baraka muttered.
Deo stared at his watch. "Enemy base is about a kilometer away. Almost there."
Son leaned closer. "Exactly how far?"
"Just one kilometer," Deo answered.
Soon, the group reached the edge of the enemy hideout. From behind the bushes, they could see it—an ominous structure surrounded by robotic sentries and hidden traps.
Son asked, "We there yet?"
Deo nodded. "Yup. We've arrived."
They crouched low in the bushes as Deo examined his watch. "The place is rigged with drones and armed robots. Not to mention, tons of traps inside."
Kinto whispered, "So… what now?"
"I can disable the drones and hijack them," Deo said. "But the bots are too risky. We'd be exposed."
Suddenly—gunshots.
They whipped around. Alex had charged in ahead, dodging bullets with ease, taking down guards with precise strikes and dagger throws.
He turned back to the team with a smirk. "No need to hide. First wave's done."
Serena groaned. "That was so careless."
Kinto just sighed. "It's Alex. I wouldn't stress."
Few moments later, they were all standing at the enterance to the base which was a door that operated mechanically. Baraka pointed at the locked entrance. "How do we get through that?"
"Step aside," Deo said, tapping rapidly on his device. The door clicked and slid open.
Kinto shook his head. "This mission is a straight-up death wish…"
Alex grinned, fists clenched. " Doesn't matter! We'll just blast everything in our way and get this mission done we're making it out of this alive—no matter what."
Kinto just sighed "Now I'm convinced we're really gonna die"
End of Chapter