---
---
Akira's apartment
The air felt heavy.
Akira's vision blurred. His legs refused to move. His breaths came shallow.
"Akira!" John shouted, stepping forward.
But Akira didn't reply. He collapsed onto the floor like a puppet with cut strings. The last thing he saw was John's shocked face rushing toward him before everything went black.
---
Scene Change: Underground Bunker
Flickering lights illuminated the grey metal of the underground bunker. Kento stood in front of a long table, his fingers drumming rhythmically against it. Opposite him stood the silver-haired woman, her expression unreadable.
"You actually fulfilled your promise..." she said slowly, staring at the black monitor displaying static.
Kento turned, eyes narrowed. "What?"
She shrugged. "We failed again."
Kento's teeth clenched. "I paid you 2 million won. And your men couldn't even kill one injured boy?!"
She lowered her gaze. "We won't ask for more. This one's on us."
Kento's glare sharpened.
"Because this Akira..." she continued, "he didn't just survive. He disrespected the assassination society. That's a line you don't cross."
Kento turned away from her and muttered coldly, "Then it's time to send the one who never fails."
---
Scene Change: Hospital Room 305
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Akira's eyelids fluttered open.
The pale ceiling above him blurred into focus. His limbs ached, and his right knee throbbed under tightly wound bandages.
Beside his bed, John slept in an uncomfortable chair, arms crossed and head down.
Akira turned his head, wincing. A soft breeze flowed in through a slightly open window. The wall clock read 11:32 AM, October 4.
He tried sitting up.
A sharp pain shot through his chest and leg, but he bit his lip to stop a groan.
John stirred.
"You're awake?" he asked, rising quickly. "Don't move too much — you haven't healed yet."
Akira glanced at John's arm, where a bandage peeked out.
"Your blood type's B-negative too?"
John smiled faintly. "Only match in the entire wing."
Before Akira could speak again, John's phone vibrated.
He answered, and his expression changed instantly. "What? Lady Ritsuka Arami went missing?!"
Akira's brows furrowed.
John turned away. "But I can't leave Akira right now—"
He paused.
"It's a direct order?"
His knuckles turned white as he clenched the phone. "I'm coming."
He ended the call and punched the nearby wall.
Akira stared. "So... you're going."
John nodded. "Yeah. But I'm sending someone."
Without another word, he left the room.
Akira sighed and looked toward the window.
---
The door creaked open. A young nurse stepped in, carrying a tray.
"Time for your medicine, sir," she said with a smile.
But something felt off.
Too cheerful. Too quick.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a syringe. "Give me your hand."
Akira's eyes sharpened. She lunged — but he reacted fast, dodging and grabbing her by the head, smashing it hard into his knee.
CRACK!
Blood burst from her face as she crumpled to the floor.
Akira winced, pain flaring in his knee. "Damn it..."
The door flew open again. Three more attackers burst in — fake staff.
One had a scalpel, another had a silenced pistol, and the third looked like a martial artist.
Akira yanked the IV pole from its stand, holding it like a makeshift spear.
The martial artist dashed forward with a flying kick. Akira blocked it with the pole and jabbed back.
The man staggered.
Pop! — The gunman fired.
Akira ducked, the bullet grazing his shoulder. Blood soaked into the sheets.
He dived behind the bed, grabbing anything — a pen, a water bottle. Useless.
The scalpel guy lunged. Akira twisted, swinging the IV pole straight into his jaw with a bone-snapping thud.
The pistol-wielding man stepped forward, taking aim at Akira's head.
Akira gritted his teeth.
BANG!
Blood sprayed across the room.
The gunman's head jerked sideways — a bullet had pierced clean through his temple.
He dropped like a stone.
In the doorway stood a girl in a grey hoodie, holding a pistol.
"Didn't expect to make such a grand entrance," she said casually, blowing on the barrel.
Akira stared, stunned. "Who the hell are you?"
She stepped inside, kicking away a fallen tray. "Sayaka. John sent me."
The martial artist tried to charge her.
Bang. Another shot. The bullet tore through his thigh, dropping him to the ground screaming.
She walked past him and knelt by Akira.
"You're a mess," she said, checking his wound. "No wonder John was panicked."
"Why do assassins keep pretending to be nurses?" Akira muttered. "Next time I see a thermometer, I'm swinging."
Sayaka smirked. "It's not just you. The society's desperate now. You made them bleed, Akira. That makes you dangerous."
She wrapped fresh gauze around his shoulder. "But they've stopped playing games. They're sending elites."
Akira leaned back against the wall, eyes narrowed.
"Then let them come."
---
Cut to: Kento's HQ
Kento stared at the frozen security footage. His face unreadable.
The silver-haired woman spoke softly beside him.
"We've underestimated him again."
Kento turned toward the hallway, already making a call.
"Activate Shadowwolf."
---