Intruders

Inside the Eclipse Agency Saki lay bloodied and defeated in the corridor, having been struck down by Kurosawa. The wound on her back from his boomerang was severe. As she drifted in and out of consciousness, Daichi approached and injected her with a serum.

"You'll be okay," he said softly. "My father was just experimenting with a new drug sample called the Elixir of Life. He made sure not to hit any vital organs. If you didn't have a pulse, the elixir would not have worked on you."

Saki tried to grasp Daichi's hand, but she felt too weak and sluggish. "What...what are you planning?" she murmured, though her words were barely intelligible.

"Once this drug heals you, leave this place things are going to become difficult to contain. I can't promise anyone's safety."

As Daichi turned to leave, Saki desperately tried to call out his name, but no voice came. Her eyes closed again as she lost consciousness.

When she finally awoke, the wound had healed, but Daichi was nowhere to be seen. His cryptic words echoed in her mind as she considered her next move.

_________

Daichi stepped into the sleek, metallic lab, the door sliding closed behind him with a soft hiss. His eyes immediately went to the large glass tube dominating the center of the room, where Kurosawa Misuki floated serenely in a shimmering orange liquid.

Dr. Yamada glanced up briefly from his workstation.

"Ah, Fujimoto. Back already? Didn't expect to see you this soon." Yamada said, fingers gliding over the glowing panels, adjusting body temperature levels and keeping an eye on the vital signs.

"How is he?" Daichi asked, ignoring Yamada's question as he moved closer to Kurosawa's tube.

Daichi forehead creased with concern as he studied his adoptive father's face. The elixir had healed his wounds, but the merging process still posed grave risks.

"Stable, for the moment." Yamada pulled up a projection, displaying Kurosawa's Merging status. "We're at 55% integration and rising steadily. No complications thus far."

Daichi let out a quiet breath, reassured. After everything Kurosawa had done for him over the years, he owed the man his life. If this experimental procedure could help him become an S Rank and fight Ryūji Enma, he would move heaven and earth to see it through.

"This elixir..." Yamada began, glancing sidelong at Daichi. "It facilitated Kurosawa's recovery remarkably. I've never encountered such a compound. What is its origin?"

Daichi hesitated. He knew the scientist's curiosity and ambition. But the elixir's source was not his secret to divulge. "It was a gift. From someone dear to the Chairman. But unfortunately, only a very limited supply exists."

Yamada's eyes narrowed, clearly dissatisfied with the vague answer. But he let the matter drop for now, returning his focus to the merging process. Daichi gazed up at Kurosawa, offering a silent prayer that the merging process goes smoothly. The road ahead was fraught with peril, but with determination, there was still hope.

Daichi's eyes narrowed as he scanned the security feed, his expression darkening instantly at the sight of the familiar silver-haired figure moving stealthily down a corridor. Kaze. And he wasn't alone. Trailing behind him was Sora, the very man Daichi had trained and mentored, now turned traitor. Along with them were two others - an older man Daichi recognized as the disgraced Dr. Keito Shinsei, and a small child whose presence was a mystery.

"We have a serious problem," Daichi said tersely, turning to Dr. Yamada. "It seems we have some uninvited guests."

Yamada's fingers froze over his console as the implications sank in. His eyes widened behind his glasses. "UH! How did they manage to enter undetected until now?"

"It doesn't matter now. What matters is protecting this lab." Daichi's voice was steely calm despite the spike of anxiety in his chest. Kurosawa's life hung precariously in the balance, suspended in the merging chamber before them.

Just then, a flicker of movement on another monitor caught Daichi's eye. Rin, Mei and Miyu, also closing in on the lab, but from the opposite direction. Daichi's jaw clenched.

He made a snap decision, striding over to a supply closet set into the wall. Inside sat a row of lifeless Rin android clones, their electrical abilities still untested. Risky, but right now a necessary gamble.

Yamada blanched. "You can't be serious, they're nowhere near ready-"

"We're out of options," Daichi interrupted tersely. With a few swift commands, he activated the 5 androids and began deploying them at strategic points via using his portals. Their instructions were simple. Fight the Intruders.

As the androids set off on their mission, an uneasy silence fell over the lab. Daichi stood vigil, gazing up at Kurosawa's floating body. The merger progress read 58%. He silently vowed to protect his adoptive father, no matter the cost. Failure was not an option.

In the hallway of the Eclipse Agency, Kaze and his allies made their way to Dr. Keito Shinsei's old laboratory. Upon opening the mechanical door, they were confronted by two android clones of Rin Asakura, their bodies crackling with electricity. Dr. Keito exclaimed in shock, "This can't be! He made android clones of Rin!"

Kaze instinctively sensed an impending attack, and as the Rin clones aimed their hands at Dr. Keito, they unleashed a torrent of electricity. Sora Yamamoto dematerialized into shadow to evade the assault, while Usagi Sagai and Dr. Keito took cover behind Kaze. Stretching out his right hand, Kaze declared, "Vortex," and the incoming electrical strike was absorbed and nullified by his gravitational vortex.

After their initial attack failed, the Rin androids exchanged a glance, pausing for a moment. Reemerging from his shadow form, Sora suggested, "I'll blast the floor to give us a tactical advantage without causing damage to the lab equipment's." Dr. Keito nodded in agreement, adding that it appeared the androids were targeting the more vulnerable members of their group first.

As they assessed their situation, Kaze cut straight to the point, "So, how strong are these android duplicates?" Dr. Keito adjusted his glasses, noting, "Somewhere between B and A rank. Not to be underestimated."

Usagi, with newfound confidence, chimed in, "We should stick together. But if we have to split, Kaze shouldn't be the one to break off. He needs to save his strength for Kurosawa... and maybe Fujimoto too."

Kaze let out a scoff, his voice laced with a touch of sarcasm. "Oh, so now I'm being babysat? That's rich." Despite his words, there was a brief, almost imperceptible nod towards Usagi, acknowledging his strategic thinking.

The moment of calm was shattered when Sora, seizing an opening, yelled out "Eclipse Strike!". The ground beneath the androids collapsed, sending them into the darkness below. Sora's resolve was clear as he followed them without hesitation, his determination resonating in the space left behind.

Kaze, momentarily caught off-guard by Usagi's evolution from a vulnerable youth to a leader, thought to himself, "Never thought I'd see the day..." His contemplation was interrupted by Dr. Keito, who, navigating his wheelchair to his workstation, requested, "Kaze, pass me that bracelet, please? It needs adjusting for Usagi's current power level." Obligingly, Kaze handed it over, adding, "Alright, I'm off. Usagi, you're with the doc. You're capable enough now to watch his back."

Usagi, determined to make his case, grabbed Kaze's sleeve, insisting, "We're stronger together."

Kaze, visibly annoyed said, "Listen, I'm at my peak when I'm on my own. Don't flatter yourself thinking you're still a liability to me. You've got your act together with those powers, so don't expect me to stick around playing guardian."

Dr. Keito, ever the mediator, suggested, "Let him go, Usagi. He's right."

With a firm, "Stay safe, Kaze," from Usagi, Kaze offered a half-hearted wave over his shoulder as he pushed through the door, stepping out on his own.

His departure left a mix of tension and anticipation hanging in the air, a silent testament to the trials that lay ahead.