After a long voyage, the two gigantic ships floated steadily upon the gently rolling ocean.
The Island of Death had long since faded into the horizon, disappearing into nothingness and suggesting that the vessels had covered an enormous distance in a surprisingly short amount of time.
Above, flocks of birds soared across the sky, their wings moving in perfect coordination as they formed a neat V-shape against the endless blue. The afternoon sun hung high overhead, its heat radiating through the atmosphere and glinting brightly off the metallic surfaces of the ships.
Yet the peace existed only outside.
Inside the vessels, chaos had already begun to spread.
The hallways were eerily silent.
Dim lights cast faint illumination across the narrow corridors while deep shadows lingered in the corners, making it feel as though something might emerge from them at any moment. Cold air drifted through the small ventilation shafts, brushing against the walls and adding to the unsettling atmosphere.
Amidst this uneasy environment, Sayuri walked calmly through the corridor.
A soft whistle escaped her lips.
The shy, underconfident expression she usually wore was gone placed with a calmer and more mature face.
"Once I find the bomb, I'll have to defuse it too..."
She sighed internally.
"What a headache."
Both hands remained tucked inside the pockets of her brown overcoat as she continued wandering through the ship.
Then—
Something rolled out from around a corner.
A severed head.
Its hair was soaked in blood.
Then another.
And another.
Three in total.
They rolled across the floor before coming to a stop.
A moment later, a figure slowly emerged from the corner.
One of the employees assigned to hunt the candidates.
His blood-covered hand moved toward his mouth as he licked the stains from his fingers.
The sight instantly made Sayuri's stomach twist.
She quickly placed a hand against the wall, while her legs almost surrendered shaking tremendously.
Her face contorted into a series of uncomfortable expressions as if she were moments away from throwing up.
"So disgusting..."
Her voice trembled.
"How can someone lick another person's blood?"
As she struggled to suppress her nausea, the hunter finally noticed her.
A wide grin stretched across his face.
His eyes widened with excitement.
Without warning—
He moved.
The distance between them vanished almost instantly.
Before Sayuri could react, his fist crashed directly into her face.
BAAM!
Her body shot backward.
The impact launched her through a nearby window, shattering the glass into countless fragments, shoting Sayuri out of the ship.
she skipped across the ocean's surface like a stone skimming across a pond.
Inside the corridor, the hunter clicked his tongue.
"Tch."
Disappointment filled his expression.
"Her neck was strong enough not to snap. No worries. I'll just find another on—"
Chwak!
The man's voice abruptly stopped, as if his body had shut down his ability to speak just to survive.
For a moment, he couldn't understand what had happened.
Breathing became heavy and ragged, each inhale dragging harshly through the throat while uneven exhalations broke the tense silence.
Blood spilled from his mouth in steady streams, tracing crimson lines down his face before seeping into his shirt and painting it a deep, red hue.
Slowly, he lowered his gaze.
A hand was protruding from his chest.
His eyes widened.
Then he turned his head.
Sayuri stood beside him.
One hand remained tucked casually inside her pocket.
The other had pierced straight through his chest and emerged from his back.
His heart rested in her grasp.
The hunter stared at her in disbelief.
"Son of a bitch..."
His voice barely escaped his lips.
"When did you get back inside the ship...?"
Those were the last words he managed to utter.
Without answering, Sayuri pulled her arm free.
The heart was tossed aside.
The hunter's body collapsed onto the floor with a dull thud.
And the corridor returned to silence once more.
"Hitting someone without consent is a punishable offense."
Sayuri's voice remained calm and steady.
There was no fear in her eyes.
No hesitation.
No anger.
Only quiet certainty.
The blood on her hand dripped onto the floor in slow droplets as she turned around and began walking away. Her slippers produced soft taps against the metal corridor while the bodies behind her remained motionless, lying in widening pools of red.
The cold air from the vents continued to drift through the hallway, carrying the metallic scent of blood through the ship.
Sayuri never looked back.
Meanwhile, on the other ship—
Inside a small room illuminated by harsh white lights, the atmosphere felt suffocating.
The bright light reflected off the walls, revealing dark crimson stains smeared across the metal surfaces. Blood streaked down the corners and pooled across sections of the floor, filling the room with a thick iron scent.
Several assigned hunters lay scattered around the room.
Silent.
Lifeless.
Their bodies remained exactly where they had fallen.
At the center of the room, one surviving hunter knelt on the floor.
His clothes were soaked in crimson.
His legs trembled so badly they could barely support him. Tears streamed uncontrollably from his eyes while his breathing came in broken gasps.
"P-Please..."
His voice cracked.
"Leave me alive... I'll tell you where one of the bombs is. Just spare my life."
Across from him sat Hikaru.
Calmly.
A metal chair creaked softly beneath his weight.
His silver eyes remained fixed on the trembling man, face carrying the same stoic tone as always.
The fear radiating from the hunter seemed unable to affect him in the slightest.
"Don't have time for your begging."
His flat voice echoed through the blood-soaked room.
"Just tell me where it is."
The hunter swallowed hard.
His entire body shook.
"I-It..."
His lips trembled.
"It is in the hidden b-basement beneath the ship's kitchen."
Silence followed.
For a moment, only the sound of the man's ragged breathing filled the room.
Then Hikaru stood up.
The chair scraped lightly against the floor.
Without another word, he turned and walked toward the exit.
The hunter remained frozen on the ground, watching him leave.
The door opened.
A stream of white light from the room spilled into the dimly lit corridor.
Then the door closed again.
Leaving behind only blood, corpses, and a terrified man who wasn't sure whether he had just saved his life or merely delayed his death.
Meanwhile, Hikaru's footsteps echoed softly through the metal hallways as he headed toward the ship's kitchen.