(After the battle…)
(The forest fell silent once more, but not as before.
As if it were now holding its breath.)
(Hikaru wipes his sword on the sleeve of one of the fallen, then slowly slides it back into its sheath.)
Kyoji (examining the corpses):
"If these were just scouts… then one of them must have left a trace. A map, a symbol—something pointing to the base."
(Hikaru kneels by one of the men, reaches for his neck, pulls back the shirt slightly… and finds a strange tattoo — a snake's head coiled around a spear.)
Hikaru (quietly):
"I've seen this tattoo before… on one of them, the day of the massacre."
Kyoji (looking closely):
"Symbol of the Raiga band… mercenaries bound by no law. We've heard of them."
Hikaru (rising slowly):
"They're not just mercenaries… they're killers. This mark has two variations — if the head faces left, the base is in the south."
(He reaches out to Kyoji with confidence.)
Hikaru:
"Come. To the south. It's time for the end."
(Hours pass. Dawn is near…)
(The terrain changes — no longer dense forest but intertwining hills. Suddenly, before them — a rocky cliff with a dark opening: a large cave guarded by an old wooden gate. A worn-out banner hangs above, bearing the same symbol.)
(Hikaru halts, observing the scene.)
Kyoji (lowering his voice):
"This it?"
Hikaru:
"Yes… here is where my hell was born."
(He kneels, touches the earth as if feeling a buried memory.)
(Preparing for infiltration)
(They hide behind a rock overlooking the entrance. Two guards talk nearby beside a small fire and several crates.)
Kyoji (whispering):
"Only two? Either the rest are asleep… or this is just an outer gate."
Hikaru (scanning the area):
"We need to sneak in. A direct approach will trigger the alarm."
(He pauses for a moment, then spots a slope off to the side, covered in trees.)
Hikaru:
"There… a side path. Children used it to reach the cliffs. Maybe it went unnoticed."
Kyoji (smirking):
"Sometimes, saving the world needs a child's memory."
(And so, they slip through the trees, down the secret path… their steps light, breaths measured, eyes burning with resolve.)
Kyoji (whispering playfully):
"Hikaru… when did you start smiling on your way to kill?"
Hikaru (with a half-smile):
"When death stopped being the worst thing."
(Inside one of the base's corridors… shortly after Hikaru and Kyoji sneak in)
(Elsewhere in the base, in a dimly lit room, a man sits gasping for breath, holding a small bag with something metallic, blood-stained. His face is pale, eyes anxious, voice trembling as he mutters to himself.)
Man:
"I saw them… they killed all three guards with ease… that young one… he can't just be a wanderer… impossible…"
*(He gets up, looks around nervously, then rushes through one of the hallways. He climbs a staircase leading to an office above — a simple room, but adorned with a large map and a leather chair in which sits a man of imposing presence.)
(The man seated wears a sleeveless black shirt, a long scar cutting across his left cheek. His name is Raizen — the gang's second-in-command.)
Trembling man (hesitant):
"Sir… Sir Raizen… I came to warn you… I saw them — two of them, they wiped out the forest patrol! I saw one… a red scarf, a long sword… he moved like a ghost!"
(Raizen doesn't move. He opens one eye, calmly looking at him.)
Raizen (coldly):
"Red scarf? Sword?…"
Man:
"Yes! I swear… he looked like he knew the way… like he was searching for something…"
(He pauses, steps forward, and throws the bag on the table.)
Man:
"I came to warn you… and I think I deserve… something in return for that, don't I?"
(Raizen eyes the bag, then picks it up… pulls out a broken, bloodied piece of armor.)
(Heavy silence.)
Raizen (quietly):
"You saw them kill our men… and you kept silent? Then you came to bargain…?"
Man (backing away):
"No! I meant no harm… I just wanted to show my loyalty…"
(But suddenly, the door swings open. Another man enters, anger in his eyes.)
Soldier:
"Sir, one of our lookouts on the hill sent a signal… the strangers entered through the old side path."
(Raizen stands slowly from his chair, his body muscular, his sword strapped to his back.)
Raizen (to the informant):
"You thought we didn't know? We've been watching you since the moment you fled the battle."
Man (terrified):
"What…? No… I wanted to help!"
Raizen (with deadly calm):
"Help is not bought. It's proven."
(In a flash, Raizen throws a knife — it lands in the man's neck. He collapses, thrashing, unable to finish his scream.)
(Then Raizen turns to the map, places his finger on the side path.)
Raizen (with cold fury):
"The red scarf… has finally returned."
Raizen:
"Send the first unit to intercept him, but don't kill him yet… The boss may want to see him alive."
(Inside the corridors of the base — after infiltrating through the side path)
(Hikaru and Kyoji move slowly through a narrow, dark hallway, filled only with the sound of their measured steps and breathing.
The walls are damp, and the air reeks of ash, moisture, and decay… as if death itself lingers in the stone.)
Kyoji (whispering):
"This place is bigger than I expected… like they carved a whole city into the mountain."
Hikaru (looking at a wall with old scratches):
"This wall… it's been here since I was a kid. But these markings are new. They've been expanding."
(He falls silent, then suddenly stops.)
Hikaru (softly):
"Kyoji… stop."
Kyoji:
"Huh? Why?"
(Hikaru kneels, presses his finger to the ground, noticing multiple fresh footprints — dense and patterned.)
Hikaru (quietly):
"The dirt's compressed… like dozens of feet just passed by."
Kyoji (tensing up):
"An ambush?"
Hikaru (with quiet resolve):
"Most likely."
*(Suddenly—)
A sharp creak from above.
(Hidden vents in the ceiling burst open, flooding the hallway with thick white smoke.)
Kyoji (coughing):
"Gas! Don't breathe it in!"
(They try to retreat, but behind them, a giant iron gate slams down from the ceiling — slicing off their escape.)
Footsteps approach… dozens of shadows emerge through the smoke.
(Masked men with clubs and knives surround them from both sides.
Hikaru places his hand on his sword, but hesitates. His eyes scan the fog, seeking the true threat.)
Kyoji (whispers):
"Do we fight?"
Hikaru (staring into the mist):
"Not yet… their leader hasn't shown himself."
(Then — from the far end of the corridor, Raizen appears. His face calm, as if the battle doesn't concern him. He claps slowly.)
(Hikaru stares at him, eyes glowing in silence… he steps forward once, despite the blades pointed at him.)
(Raizen gestures — the men raise their weapons. A tense moment.)
Kyoji (gripping his sword):
"One wrong move, and I'll set this whole place on fire."
Raizen (laughs):
"One move… and you're finished. There's only two of you. We are dozens."
(He pauses, then lowers his hand.)
Raizen:
"But don't worry. You won't die… not yet."
(He steps back slightly.)
Raizen:
"The boss… wants to see you himself."