SICARII

Taizen's voice remained steady, his katana glinting under the dim light of the hallway. "You're strong. You have my respect. I'll be sure to let the Agency know about this."

The moment the words left Taizen's mouth, the TAK member's eyes flashed with anger. A low growl rumbled in his chest. Something about the mention of the Agency hit a nerve, and his composure shattered. With a snarl, he lunged forward, his dagger raised in a wild arc, clearly no longer calculating or cautious—his emotions had taken over.

Taizen didn't hesitate. In an instant, his blade moved faster than the eye could follow, slicing clean through the air. The TAK member's head flew from his shoulders, his body jerking forward in a final, desperate movement before collapsing to the ground, lifeless.

The hallway fell eerily silent once more, save for the soft echo of the headless corpse hitting the floor. Taizen stood still, his katana dripping blood, the tension in the air palpable as the remaining TAK members watched in stunned silence.

The battle raged on, the air thick with tension as Rachel and the TAK member exchanged brutal blows. His speed was unnerving, each shot from his pistol landing with deadly force. His aim was impeccable, his stance unyielding. The only sound that filled the room was the relentless pounding of gunfire, punctuated by the occasional explosion as each bullet erupted on impact.

Rachel ducked and weaved, her body a blur of motion as she narrowly avoided the mini-explosions caused by the rounds. Her heart pounded in her chest as she desperately tried to close the gap, but he was too fast, keeping her at arm's length with precise, deadly aim.

The TAK member was a machine, moving with such precision and deadly efficiency that Rachel's heart raced to match his pace. The constant gunfire kept her on the defensive, her instincts kicking in as she flipped backward to avoid a barrage of bullets. She landed gracefully, her body moving fluidly like a dancer in the chaos. But before she could react, the TAK member picked up his other pistol, which had been knocked from his hand earlier.

He fired it immediately, unleashing a barrage of explosive rounds that ripped through the air. Rachel's eyes widened. The second gun was a game changer. The bullets exploded with a deafening force, tearing through the walls around them. She twisted and dove, her reflexes pushing her to the limit as the explosions continued to rock the room.

"Damn it!" Rachel hissed under her breath, narrowly evading a bullet that exploded just inches from her side. Her skin burned with the proximity of the blast.

The TAK member advanced, firing both pistols in rapid succession, the blasts almost too quick for Rachel to follow. Each shot made the air around her crackle, and the walls behind her shuddered with the impact. She twisted and dove, her reflexes pushing her to the limit, but she could feel herself slowing down.

Suddenly, something shifted inside her. A surge of energy flooded through her body, an animal instinct taking over. Her muscles tensed, her senses sharpened, and without a second thought, Rachel let go of her human form. In an explosion of light, her body rippled and shifted, transforming into her beast form — half woman, half tiger.

Her claws extended, sharp and gleaming in the dim light, her senses now on overdrive. The beast inside her roared, hungry for the kill. She let out a primal growl and charged forward, her form a blur of ferocious speed and power.

The TAK member barely had time to react as Rachel closed the distance. His eyes widened in disbelief as she leapt into the air, launching herself at him with a devastating swipe. She slashed at his chest, her claws tearing through his vest and skin. He staggered back, and before he could raise his gun, Rachel drove a brutal punch to his gut, sending him reeling.

But the TAK member wasn't done yet. He swung his gun like a club, aiming for Rachel's head. She ducked under the strike, then retaliated with a powerful kick to his ribs. He stumbled back, firing wildly as Rachel pushed the attack, her claws raking across his chest once more.

With a snarl, he picked up his other pistol, firing it in rapid succession. Rachel dodged, her speed enhanced by the beast inside her. Each bullet exploded around her, but she was faster, closing the gap with every second. The TAK member's eyes darted to his second gun, trying to line up another shot, but Rachel was already on him. She was too close now.

She gripped his wrist, twisting it painfully until the gun fell from his hand. The TAK member tried to kick her away, but Rachel was relentless. She grabbed him by the shoulders and threw him to the ground, her claws sinking into his flesh as she pinned him down.

He struggled beneath her, trying to push her off, but Rachel's strength was overwhelming. Her claws dug deep, and with a savage roar, she drove them into his chest. His body went limp, blood pouring from the wound.

The TAK member's eyes glazed over as life slipped away from him. Rachel stood over him, her chest heaving, the adrenaline still coursing through her veins. She let out a final growl, satisfied with the kill, before she shifted back to her human form, the transformation leaving her momentarily breathless.

She wiped the blood from her claws, her expression hardening as she took in the battlefield around her. 

Rachel moved cautiously through the dim hallway, her gaze shifting between Taizen and Mionara as they checked the bodies of the fallen TAK members. Both of them were unharmed, though their expressions were hard, battle-tested. The fight had been intense—more intense than they'd expected.

She let out a breath, glancing at their bloodied surroundings. "They were strong," she said, voice tight. "Unexpectedly strong. And they have Sicarii." Her eyes narrowed as she spoke, the weight of her words settling in. "It's strange—how are they this powerful, and the Agency doesn't know about them?"

Taizen wiped his blade clean, a thoughtful look on his face as he turned to face her. "Maybe the Agency does know," he said quietly. "Maybe they just keep it hidden. We haven't officially joined yet, so maybe that's why we're kept in the dark."

Mionara, silent as always, adjusted his swords, his mind clearly elsewhere. He didn't add to the conversation but nodded in agreement with Taizen. It seemed like he, too, thought there was more to the situation than met the eye.

They made their way to the other room, where Ron had been left earlier. The room was dim and quiet, save for the soft sound of his breathing. Ron was lying on the floor, asleep. He didn't seem to have stirred at all during the battle, which made Rachel wonder about his state—had he truly been exhausted, or was he hiding something?

Rachel knelt down beside him and placed a hand gently on his shoulder, just to make sure he was still alive. His skin was warm, and his chest rose and fell with a steady rhythm, indicating he was simply resting.

"He's out cold," she said, looking up at Taizen and Mionara. "Looks like the kid needs a nap after all that."

Taizen shook his head, a slight smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Let's just make sure he's not playing us, alright? If he's faking it—"

"Then we'll find out soon enough," Rachel interrupted, her tone sharp. But there was a hint of concern in her voice that didn't go unnoticed by either of the men.

They took a moment to let the tension settle, but something felt off. The mission wasn't over, and the fight with the TAK members had only opened more questions than answers. What had they been after? Why had they targeted Ron? And more importantly, what was the true purpose behind an organization so powerful, so secretive, that even the Agency didn't know about them?

Mionara was already moving toward the exit, his focus unwavering. Taizen followed suit, looking down at Ron one last time before turning to leave. "Let's get him back home," he muttered, his voice filled with determination. "We'll deal with the rest later."

But Rachel stayed behind for a moment, her thoughts swirling as she watched Ron sleep. There was something about this mission, about the entire situation, that didn't sit right with her. It was more than just a rescue. There was a much larger game at play here.

Shaking her head, she stood up and joined the others. It was time to finish this. Whatever secrets the TAK had were still out there, and she was determined to uncover them.

Rachel gently nudged Ron awake, her voice low but firm. "Get up. We need to head back to where we split up with Lino." Ron stirred, rubbing his face, and slowly sat up, his eyes flickering with the same weary determination that had marked his expression earlier.

As they began to move down the darkened hallway, Ron looked over at her. "Did you guys defeat all of them?" he asked, his voice hoarse from the exhaustion of his own ordeal.

Rachel nodded, glancing back at Taizen and Mionara, who were already moving toward the exit, their eyes scanning the surroundings for any potential threats. "Yeah, they've been dispatched."

Ron frowned, his pace slowing as he processed her words. "So, all five of them are dead?"

Taizen paused, a puzzled expression crossing his face as he turned to Ron. "Five?" he repeated. "Wasn't there only four?"

"No," Ron said, shaking his head slowly. "There were five. Their leader hasn't shown himself yet." His voice dropped as he spoke, an unmistakable edge to it. "I haven't seen him fight, but I can tell by his aura. He's going to be a serious problem."

Rachel's heart skipped a beat. She'd hoped that they'd seen the last of the TAK, but the way Ron spoke made her uneasy. She couldn't afford to let her guard down now. "Well, let's get out of here quickly before he shows up," she said, her voice steady, but her eyes sharp. "Lino and the others are probably waiting for us."

The tension in the air was thick as the group moved with haste, each step echoing in the eerie silence. Every corner, every shadow felt like it held a threat waiting to emerge.