Miles away, in a secluded, high-tech ir shrouded in shadows, Xaker leaned ba his ergonomic chair, a faint, self-satisfied smirk pying across his lips. The dim glow of tless holographic ss bathed his fa an eerie light, their translut dispys flickering with live feeds from the Forest of Death. The rgest s domihe ter of the room, projeg a crisp drohat tracked every movement of Kuro’s team as they navigated the treacherous undergrowth.

  “So, you’ve survived this long, Kuro,” Xaker murmured, his voice carrying a blend of amusement and curiosity. His fingers drummed rhythmically on the armrest, a soft, deliberate sound that matched the measured pace of his thoughts. “Let’s see if you’re still the James I remember. Let’s see if you’ve truly ged… or if you’re still the same predictable fool.”

  His sharp eyes flicked toward another monitor, dispying three humanoid figures moving through the forest with meical precision. Saibogu Ichigō, Saibogu Nigō, and Saibogu Sangō—the Cerberus Childrehe culmination of years of experimentation and Xaker’s dark genius. Their sleek, metallic frames reflected the faint glow of their crimson eyes, which pulsed rhythmically like a heartbeat. They were silent hunters, their movements fluid yet unnervingly precise, a perfect fusion of man and mae.

  “They’re perfect,” Xaker muttered, his toinged with pride as his gaze lingered on the cybs. His voice shifted, adopting a ce. “Perfect tools. And with the Cerberus Children, they’ll draw out every ounce of your strength, Kuro. Or destroy you entirely.”

  The ir hummed with the faint vibration of hidden maery, and Xaker leaned forward, his smirk widening as he activated a secure el. A faint beep firmed the e, and his voice took on a anding tone.

  “Ichigō,” he said, addressing the lead cyb, who stopped mid-step, its head tilting slightly as if to listen. “Proceed with the mission. But don’t kill him... not yet.”

  The three cybs paused in unison, their glowing eyes fshing brighter as they received the and. Then, without a word, they resumed their silent advaheir steps barely disturbing the forest floor. The feed on Xaker’s monitor zoomed in, capturing every detail of their metiovements.

  Xaker’s smirk deepened as he leaned bace more, his fingers steepled beh his . The room’s holographic glow atuated the sharp angles of his face, casting shadows that danced across the walls like restless phantoms.

  “This will be fun,” he murmured, his voice dripping with anticipation. “Kuro, let’s see just how far you’ve e. A’s see if you’re ready to face the monsters I’ve created.”

  His eyes shifted to another s, where the faint outlines of enin teams stumbled through the forest, oblivious to the predators stalking among them. Xaker barely spared them a ghey were insignifit pawns in the rger game unfolding before him.

  The ir’s ambient hum grew quieter as Xaker settled into a state of focused observatioched the Cerberus Children disappear into the shadows of the forest, their forms blending seamlessly with the gloom. Kuro’s team was still unaware of the threat closing in around them, but that would ge soon enough.

  “And when it does,” Xaker said softly, a cruel glint in his eyes, “I’ll be watg.”

  Kuro’s team halted abruptly as a figure stepped from the dense shadows ahead, his presence like a ripple in the oppressive stillness of the Forest of Death. The very air around him seemed to hum with an unnatural energy, sharp aric, sending a shiver of unease down their spines.

  This t figure was uling. He looked perfectly human, almost fwlessly so. His skin was smooth, his features sharp and well-defined. He moved with a fluid grace that seemed almost too perfect, g the subtle imperfes of natural human movement. There was a faint, almost imperceptible hum that emanated from him, a low thrumming that vibrated in the air around him. Even his eyes, a deep, unnerving red, held a strange, unwavering iy, like twin embers burning with an unnatural light. They fixed on Kuro with a focus that felt… wrong. It wasn't the color, exactly, but the way they didn't blink, didn't shift, held no flicker of humaion. They were too still, too sharp, too knowing. It was in that gaze, more than anything else, that the truth of his nature was revealed: he was something more, or perhaps less, than human.

  Xero instinctively moved his massive sword into a defensive position, his usual grin repced by a look of wary excitement. Reika’s hands tightened around her kunai, her sharp eyes analyzing every inch of the cyb’s form.

  “Who are you?” Kuro asked, stepping forward. His voice was calm, steady, though his every muscle was coiled with tension.

  The cyb tilted his head slightly, a faint whir apanying the motion. Then, his lips twisted into a mog smile, ohat didn’t reach his glowing eyes. “Saibogu Ichigō,” he said, his voice a chilling fusion of syic modution and cold amusement however, it erfectly human voice. Each sylble carried a weight of menace, as if spoken by a predator toying with its prey. “But you... You’re James, aren’t you?”

  The Kuro like a bolt of lightning, a sudden jolt that froze him in pce. His eyes narrowed, his breath catg for the briefest moment before his posure returned. “What did you just call me?” he demanded, his tone sharpening.

  Ichigo chuckled, a dry, humorless sound. “James,” he repeated, drawing out the name. “Or Kuro, whatever you prefer. Doesn’t really matter what you call yourself, does it? What does matter is you’re about to answer some questions. Assuming you live that long, of course.”

  Reika g Kuro, fusion fshing across her face. James? Who’s James? she thought, but she knew better than to voice the question now.

  Kuro’s fists ched, his mind rag. “Fire Fly’s tech... That expins the cyberics. But how the hell did you end up here?” His voice carried a mixture of anger and disbelief, though his body remained perfectly still, ready for whatever came .

  Ichigō’s smile widened, his expression one of twisted satisfa. “Ah, so yhe handiwood. That will make this easier.” He raised his right arm, and with a series of sharp clicks and whirs, the metallic limb began to shift. Ptes rearrahemselves with seamless precision, and within moments, his arm had transformed into a massive, gleaming bde.