The Cobalt Flames grew alert the moment they heard knocking at the meeting room door.
They had already sensed the stench of decay—distinctive of the Sombros—moments before hearing footsteps advancing down the corridor.
The room fell into complete silence, and the warriors gripped their weapons, waiting for Ryu's command.
Ryu cautiously unlocked the door and opened it with his left hand.
His right hand remained firm on the hilt of the rifle at his side.
The image revealed before him was Mayor Tachibana, smiling at him, with his entourage just behind.
By the smell… they were Sombros. And perhaps the strongest ones the Hinoken army had encountered so far, given that the stench grew more intense with the creature's strength.
Ryu stayed calm and decided to play along. He offered a courteous smile and greeted the Sombro impersonating the mayor and his company. They returned the greeting, perfectly imitating human mannerisms.
"Come in, please. The Cobalt Flames and I have been expecting you," Ryu said, stepping aside to let the group enter the room.
"In fact, Mr. Tsukishiro, we've come to summon you and your high-ranking warriors to a special room, a few levels above. It's a meeting room reserved for politicians. More spacious and comfortable, and the matters we're about to discuss deserve to be addressed away from the public."
"Of course," Ryu forced another smile and, with a gesture, signaled the Cobalt Flames to rise from their seats. "We'll follow shortly."
The mayor, his deputy, and his team led the way without haste.
Ryu and the others followed in silence.
Right behind them, many guards stayed close.
All Sombros.
Emi didn't need Ryu to say a word—she already knew what to do. Discreetly, she sent a message to her squad outside the shelter. Daiki, Hana, and Shiro did the same.
Ryu carefully observed every step the Sombros took in front of him. He knew they were walking into a trap—and that letter he'd received that morning had proven to be more accurate than he had expected.
"Our reckoning has just begun." That was the final line, and indeed, the so-called Lotus of Vengeance had begun their little game.
Ryu would play too. He intended to extract as much information as possible from the Sombros when the time came. He would show Xingguo that the Hinoken army could not be underestimated.
Especially not by them.
________ 🌜_________
A cold dread rippled through Amina's body. Sombros had entered the shelter, and now everyone was in danger. She knew the Cobalt Flames were inside as well, but… what if people started dying before the group could react and eliminate those intruders?
After a moment of inner conflict, she turned to Amara to alert her—but her sister was no longer by her side.
An elderly man had collapsed from his seat in the cafeteria, apparently suffering a heart attack. Amara, driven by her nurse's instinct, was already beside him administering aid, with their mother and Miyu helping, and a crowd gathering to watch.
Amina stood frozen at the sight, but she still had to do something about the infiltrated Sombros. She turned to her father, who was watching the scene in shock, and decided to get him back to the dormitory, away from any risk. Without warning, she took the handles of his wheelchair and darted through the corridors.
Hisakawa protested against his daughter's sudden move, but of course, she couldn't hear him.
Once they entered the dorm, Amina turned breathlessly to her father and signed:
"There are Sombros here…"
Hisakawa flinched and signed back:
"What do you mean, Amina? The Sombros were killed days ago by the poison gas!"
"I smelled them when the mayor and his entourage passed by. Looks like the Sombros invaded the underground shelter, killed everyone, and hid there until today."
Her father grew alarmed, falling silent for a moment as if recalling something. He adjusted his glasses and replied in sign:
"You're right. I noticed a strong stench when they passed. I just remembered Rupert's book said Sombros smell like rot—and that the smell grows stronger the more powerful they become. That power increases when they eat human flesh."
Amina shuddered in even greater fear.
"That's why I brought you here. We're all in danger until the Cobalt Flames act." She took the room key and handed it to her father. "I'm going to get Mom, Amara, and Miyu. Lock the door as soon as I leave—and only open it if you hear Mom's voice saying…"
Amina paused, trying to think of a word that could work as a password, then decided on their mother's last name:
"Mudiwa," she signed.
Hisakawa asked her to be careful, but Amina didn't look back. She simply left the room as fast as she could.
She ran back toward the cafeteria with only one thought in mind: get her family to safety. But as she turned a corner—
She ran straight into a guard.
He wore the uniform of a shelter guard, but the smell was coming from him…
"Where are you going in such a hurry? Dinner hours are over," he said, unaware that Amina was deaf.
She read his lips and shook her head silently.
She was in trouble.
Being face-to-face with a Sombro—unarmed—was the worst possible situation.
"Why won't you answer me?" he pressed. "Go back to your room like everyone else."
Amina nodded and slowly turned her back on the man.
This was bad—worse than anything. Knowing there were more Sombros among them and that her family was surrounded only fueled her panic.
But how could she get past this creature when she had no way to fight back?
Amina looked once more at the Sombro and saw the twisted smile curling on his face. In a flash, his eyes turned blood-red. And that's when she knew—
He was going to kill her.