Surge of the Source

The government team moved fast. Inside the facility, maps of Tokyo’s power grid glowed across monitors, each line pulsing like a vein under infrared scans. Haruto’s fingers flew across his keyboard, cross-referencing Ishikawa’s past activity with live citywide readings.

“Hina, Renji,” the female officer said sharply, “our plan is simple. If we can cut Ishikawa’s access to a major node—substation fourteen near the bay—we might reduce the intensity of his surges. We need to neutralize the source before he strikes again.”

Renji’s hands twitched, sparks crawling up his sleeves. “You think he hasn’t thought of that already?”

“Doesn’t matter,” the officer replied. “We do it fast and coordinated. You two handle containment if anything spills over.”

Hina’s eyes narrowed as she stood in the armored vehicle, feeling the hum of the city beneath her feet. She didn’t need to press her palms to the ground anymore. The solid concrete under her boots was enough—stable, reliable. She could sense the currents stretching and twisting beneath Tokyo, subtle, restless, alive. “I can feel the energy shifting,” she said softly. “He knows we’re coming.”

“Then we move fast,” Haruto said through the comm-link. “I can monitor the grid and guide you around his traces—but he’s smarter than we thought. Stay sharp.”

The convoy cut through Tokyo streets, black armored vehicles moving silently under the early evening sky. Hina and Renji rode in the lead, their eyes glued to Haruto’s feeds: live energy readings, hotspots, predicted surge points.

Streetlights along the route flickered violently as they approached the substation. Sparks danced along metal poles and asphalt like snakes of light, curling and retreating with a will of their own.

“He’s redirecting energy,” Hina said, standing tall on the concrete floor of the vehicle. Her boots grounded her, connecting her to the city’s pulse. “Trying to confuse or delay us.”

Renji clenched his fists. “We can’t hit him directly. Every move we make… he’s already countering.”

The strike team hit the perimeter. Guards took positions while engineers prepared EMP devices. Hina’s eyes scanned the scene, feet planted firmly. Sparks arced along transformers and cables, but she simply stood, steady and unshakable, letting the currents flow harmlessly around her.

Renji extended his hands, arcs crawling along his palms, snapping toward the surges. Electricity hesitated, then recoiled violently, redirected into nearby conduits and grounding points as if Ishikawa had set a trap.

“Abort the EMP!” the officer shouted as sparks leapt across the yard. Some drones failed instantly, circuits fried despite Yui’s careful design.

Hina didn’t bend, didn’t kneel. She simply adjusted her focus, feeling the flow around her, bending the currents with her presence alone. The hum beneath her boots grew steady, resonant, and the arcs that had threatened the team redirected into the earth, harmless.

Renji’s sparks aligned with hers, snapping into predictable patterns. Together, they stabilized the substation perimeter without touching a single line directly.

Haruto’s voice crackled urgently through the comms. “Ishikawa’s embedded in the network. He’s redistributing voltage before you even reach the source. EMP won’t work—not against him.”

The officer’s eyes widened. “Then what do we do?”

Hina met Renji’s gaze. Sparks flickered faintly along their fingertips as they brushed. “We protect, contain, and redirect,” she said. “Not attack. That’s our only chance.”

The strike team fell back, guided carefully by Haruto’s monitoring. The EMPs were recalled, drones rerouted, and the surge stabilized before it could harm anyone. Hina stood firm, boots planted on solid ground, her confidence and presence enough to anchor the energy flowing through the substation.

The officer nodded, a mix of relief and respect in her expression. “Containment, observation, prevention. Not direct strikes. That’s the new strategy?”

“Yes,” Hina said softly. “We fight smart. Predict. Protect. Stop surges before they spread.”

Renji exhaled, closing his eyes for a moment. “If we work together… we can prevent most of his attacks without putting civilians in danger.”

The city hummed, alive, tense but contained. Ishikawa had anticipated the assault—but now, the government, Hina, Renji, Haruto, and Yui had seen the limits of brute-force tactics. The real battle would be strategy, prediction, and protection.

Somewhere deep in the network, Ishikawa watched. A slow smile curved across his face. “Interesting,” he murmured, arcs of electricity coiling around his monitors. “They’re learning. But the real fun begins soon.”