---
The Desperate Gamble
The moment the screen cut to black, the room fell into silence.
Nao Mizushima, one of their own, was in the hands of the Phantom Syndicate.
And Minh's message was clear:
"Come for her, and you will die."
But Akira and his team refused to abandon her.
They gathered in a dimly lit underground hideout, hidden beneath the ruins of a collapsed building. The air was thick with tension, their expressions grim.
"It's a trap," Shoji muttered.
"Obviously," Mei shot back. Her fingers drummed against the hilt of her blade, her Razor Symphony shimmering faintly. "But what choice do we have?"
Renji adjusted his sunglasses, his usual cocky grin missing. "We walk in blind, we're dead. We need a plan."
Akira exhaled sharply. They had already lost Kenji.
They couldn't afford another loss.
"We need to move fast, but smart," Akira said. "Minh wants us to charge in recklessly. We won't give him that."
Daisuke crossed his arms. "What are you thinking?"
Akira's mind raced.
They had to predict the trap before it sprung.
Minh wouldn't just have Cetz and his execution squad waiting—there would be more.
And if the Phantom Syndicate's 'Revenant' was really in play…
They weren't just up against an army.
They were up against something that could not die.
---
Infiltration Under Fire
The city was suffocating under the Syndicate's control.
Their forces moved like ghosts, hidden in the dark alleys, watching from the rooftops.
But Akira's team was faster.
They split into two groups.
Akira, Mei, and Shoji would infiltrate the execution site directly.
Daisuke, Renji, and Yuki would create a distraction, forcing the Syndicate to divide their forces.
"We go in hard and fast," Daisuke said, flexing his fingers. "Give 'em something to chase."
Renji smirked, flipping a gold coin. "Lady Luck better be with us."
They moved.
Daisuke and Renji struck first.
Boom!
A massive explosion ripped through an abandoned district—Renji's Fortune's Folly triggering a carefully placed gas line.
The Syndicate's attention snapped toward the explosion.
Immediately, several enforcers peeled away from the execution site, rushing toward the chaos.
It was working.
But not for long.
Because someone was waiting for them.
---
The Revenant Appears
A deep, rumbling laugh echoed through the ruined streets.
Renji's smirk vanished.
From the smoke, a towering figure emerged.
Scarred. Grinning. Unbreakable.
Masaru "The Revenant" Okabe.
His voice was like grinding stone.
"You think you're clever?"
Daisuke tensed. This was bad.
"I was getting bored waiting," Okabe said, cracking his knuckles. His Stand, Endless Requiem, flickered with an eerie glow. "Let's see if you're worth my time."
He charged.
Daisuke barely dodged as Okabe's fist shattered the ground where he had been standing.
The shockwave sent Renji flying, slamming him into a crumbling wall.
"Shit—!"
Renji groaned, spitting blood.
Okabe grinned wider.
"Go on. Try to kill me."
Daisuke's eyes narrowed. They couldn't beat him—not head-on.
"We don't need to kill you," Daisuke said. "We just need to waste your time."
Okabe blinked.
Then—he laughed.
"I like you."
Then he attacked again.
Daisuke and Renji dodged for their lives.
---
The Rescue Begins
Meanwhile, Akira, Mei, and Shoji had reached the execution site.
Nao was bound on a raised platform, bruised and bleeding.
And at her side—
Cetz.
His smirk widened the moment he saw them.
"Took you long enough."
Akira ignored the bait.
"Shoji—cover me. Mei—cut her loose."
Shoji's Stand, Eclipse Waltz, activated instantly—warping the memories of the nearby guards.
They hesitated, momentarily forgetting their orders.
It was all the time Mei needed.
She vanished.
A flash of silver.
Chains snapped.
Nao fell— but Mei caught her.
"I've got you."
For a brief moment, Akira felt relief.
Then—
A ripple in the air.
A phantom melody hummed through the execution site.
And Akira's blood ran cold.
"Oh, Akira," Cetz whispered, his voice thick with amusement. "Did you really think it would be this easy?"
The entire battlefield shimmered.
And then—
Everything changed.
---
The Phantom Symphony's Trap
Suddenly—
The city square was gone.
The execution site disappeared.
In its place—
A vast, endless desert stretched in all directions.
The air warped, heat waves distorting the very fabric of reality.
Akira's mind spun.
"Illusions—"
Cetz's Stand, Mirage Symphony, had activated.
They were trapped.
Cetz's voice echoed around them.
"You walked right into my world, Akira."
Akira clenched his fists.
They had Nao.
But now, they had to survive.
And Minh's final move had yet to come.
---