CHAPTER 3 — THE HUNTER IN THE DARK

The tunnel echoed with Shion’s desperate scream.

“SOMEONE! PLEASE HELP ME!”

Her voice broke into the void, swallowed by the sound of dripping water—
and then—

DOOOR!

A deafening shotgun blast tore through the darkness.
The massive Spider Beast that had lunged at her was blown backward, its torso erupting into black mist and gore.
Another shot followed.

DOOOR! DOOOR!

Each blast was precise, mechanical, merciless.
The air filled with the smell of gunpowder and burned flesh.

From the haze, a shadow emerged.
A figure clad in black combat armor, a hood drawn low, a white mask cracked across the surface—its eyes glowing red like burning embers.

He moved without hesitation, his AA-12 shotgun roaring as he mowed down the creatures that had surrounded her.
Shells clattered to the ground. Every pull of the trigger sent a Beast flying into the walls, their shrieks drowned beneath the relentless rhythm of fire.

Then came a splash.

The Crocodile Beast burst from the flooded rail pit, its jaws wide, fangs glinting in the dim light.

The masked man dropped the shotgun, his hand sliding to his side—drawing a black katana in one smooth motion.

A single step forward. A flash of red.

BREEEK!

The monster split clean in half, collapsing into the water with a violent hiss.

Before he could even sheath the blade, another Spider Beast crawled from the ceiling, shrieking.
Without looking up, he pulled the pin on a fire grenade and tossed it.

FWOOM!

Flames erupted, painting the walls in a burning orange glow. The Spider writhed in agony, its shrieks echoing down the corridor as it burned alive.

Shion stared in awe, frozen in place.

“The… Revenant?” she whispered, trembling. “So the rumors were true… It’s really him.”

She stumbled forward, collapsing at his feet.

“Please… help me! I don’t want to die here!”

For a moment, the masked man said nothing.
Then, in a low, steady voice, he spoke—his tone devoid of warmth, yet unmistakably human.

“Get up.”

He grabbed her by the arm, pulling her to her feet before turning toward the next tunnel.
More beasts were coming—their howls echoing from deeper in the Dungeon.

The Revenant raised both arms, pulling out dual UZI submachine guns from his coat.

“Cover your ears.”

Shion barely managed to obey before the tunnel filled with the scream of gunfire.
BRRRRTTTT! BRRRRTTTT!
The muzzles spat streams of blue sparks, the air vibrating with every round fired.
The Soul Beasts fell one after another—pierced, torn apart, or dissolved into black mist.

When the silence returned, smoke filled the air.
Shion coughed, blinking through the haze.

The Revenant lowered his weapons and turned to her.

“This way.”

They ran through the tunnel, their footsteps splashing through shallow water, until at last—light.
The broken stairway of Old Tokyo Station.
For the first time in hours, Shion saw the faint glow of the city’s surface lights.

The Revenant stopped and pointed ahead.

“Straight ahead. That tunnel leads to New Tokyo. You’ll be safe there.”

Shion blinked in disbelief.
“Y-you can talk?”

He tilted his head slightly, as if confused by the question.
“Of course I can talk. What did you think I was?”

Before she could answer—

DOOOR! DOOOR! DOOOR!

Bullets struck the wall beside them, sparks flying.
A voice echoed through the tunnel.

“REVENANT! This time, you’re not getting away!”

From the shadows, a woman stepped forward—her long hair streaked black and red, her eyes sharp behind tactical goggles.
Her armor gleamed with the insignia of Tactical Android Division (TAD).

She holstered one pistol and reloaded the other, the sound crisp in the quiet.
Then she drew a katana from the sheath on her back.

“Commander Ishimura ordered us to bring you in—dead or alive.
I’ll handle this myself.”

The Revenant turned slowly, red eyes narrowing behind the mask.

“You should’ve stayed out of this.”

In a blink, the two clashed.
Metal struck metal, sparks flying.
The confined space of the subway tunnel erupted with sound—the clang of steel, the crack of gunfire, the heavy impact of blows exchanged faster than the eye could follow.

Shion stumbled backward, heart pounding. She turned and ran toward the surface, tears blurring her vision as the echoes of battle followed her up the stairway.

Below, the fight raged on.

The agent—Sena Aranai—moved like a machine, her strikes precise and inhumanly fast.
But the Revenant adapted, every motion fueled by instinct.

A feint. A strike. A reversal.

Then—he dropped a small metal sphere at her feet.

“Flashbang.”

CLIIIIING!

A blinding white light exploded through the tunnel.
Sena staggered back, shielding her eyes, teeth clenched.

“Tch—damn you!”

Her comms crackled in her ear.
“Aranai! Report! Why did you engage without backup?”

She ripped the earpiece off, glaring into the fading smoke.
“They were too slow. I hate waiting.”

As the light dimmed, she tossed her goggles aside, her crimson-highlighted hair falling loose.

“Next time, Revenant…” she murmured, her voice low and cold. “I’ll be the one to catch you myself.”

In the silence that followed, the Revenant stood at the far end of the tunnel.
He reached up, removing his mask.

His face was hidden in the shadows—only his messy black hair catching the faint light as he turned away.

Without another word, he vanished into the darkness.

And above, as the rain began to fall over New Tokyo once more,
a faint red glow shimmered across the skyline—
the omen of the Black Rain’s return.