The cold silence in the auditorium hung like a mist. The broadcast had ended, but the unease it stirred remained thick in the air. Whispers floated through the crowd, murmurs of confusion, fear, and curiosity from students and faculty alike. Eyes turned toward Shin, some in awe, others in suspicion.
Shin remained seated, his jaw tight, his mind racing.
Rei leaned over from the row beside him. "Think we're next?"
Shin didn't answer immediately. His eyes remained locked on the now-blank holoscreen.
Yuna adjusted her lab coat and lowered her voice. "They wouldn't have broadcast this unless they were preparing something larger. This wasn't a mere warning. It was a declaration of control."
Misaki shifted uncomfortably. "You think the World HQ suspects Japan's hiding something?"
"They'd be right," Shin muttered.
Just then, the side doors of the auditorium burst open.
Four figures entered, clad in matte-black trench coats with crimson UW armbands and utility belts. Two were tall women with stern eyes and rifles slung over their shoulders. The other two were women in civilian clothes with UW tags clipped to their breast pockets. Their presence drew instant silence from the gathering crowd.
A voice echoed across the auditorium.
"Code Number Six. Code Number Two. Please come forward."
Riku exchanged a quick glance with Shin. "Here we go."
They rose from their seats and walked down the steps to meet the agents near the front. Serena Levine followed them down from the upper platform, her heels clicking with urgency. The lead agent, a middle-aged woman with a commanding tone and frost-white hair pulled into a bun, produced a sealed holopad and extended it to Serena.
"By directive of Director Sayuri of the Japanese UW Council, we've been sent to reinforce security around the Code Numbers and their girls."
Serena's emerald eyes narrowed slightly. "And why wasn't I notified beforehand?"
The agent didn't flinch. "This decision was made at the highest level as a response to the World Headquarters' transmission. Full details were classified until the last moment to prevent potential leaks."
Shin took the holopad and skimmed the encrypted message:
'Directive 471-A: Effective immediately, Code Numbers Two and Six, and all their female personnel, researchers, and assigned assets are to be relocated and housed within Hano Medical University. Consolidation protocols enacted for logistical and defensive efficiency. Orders to be executed without delay.'
He looked up slowly. "They want us moved."
The second agent nodded. "The Hano campus is larger, better fortified, and self-sustaining. The infrastructure there is more capable of shielding multiple Code Numbers in the event of surveillance or attack. By combining your harems and resources, we increase our odds of staying hidden."
Riku frowned. "That sounds like crowd control more than protection."
The agent didn't deny it. "Take it as you will. But you'll be safer, and more easily managed, in one location."
Behind them, murmurs spread as students and staff caught wind of the news. The Koto girls looked startled and uneasy.
Doctor Yuna stepped forward, arms crossed. "So we're just uprooting an entire academic population overnight?"
"Yes, but we are doing it slowly," the lead agent said. "Only those who are directly attached to Codes Two and Six will come with us now. That includes primary partners, personal assistants, high-level researchers, and any tech or specimens considered critical to ongoing MK-V research."
Mina Sutto, Riku's pink-haired handler, looked from Shin to Riku. "This is going to be a logistical nightmare."
The UW agent tapped her earpiece. "Evac teams are arriving now. We have trucks and transports at the ready. The move starts immediately."
Within an hour, Koto Research University was alive with motion.
UW operatives secured every building linked to Shin and Riku's people. Heavy-duty armored trucks rolled up the pathways, escorted by drone hover units and campus guards. Crates of research data, machinery, and bio-storage units were sealed and stacked. Female students assigned to the Code Numbers were given uniformed escorts and tagged for relocation.
Rei supervised the loading of personal weapons and supplies. Misaki checked each security manifest three times over. Yuna barked orders to a team of biotech girls, ensuring delicate research was preserved intact.
Shin watched it all from the top of a campus balcony, the city skyline stretching in the distance behind him. It all felt like a prelude to something bigger. Like this wasn't just a relocation. It was containment. He felt a presence beside him. Riku stood with his hands in his pockets, watching the convoy assemble.
"Well," Riku said, forcing a smile, "this'll be cozy."
Shin glanced over. "Think you'll miss your little kingdom?"
Riku shrugged. "They're not taking it from me. Just... merging it with yours. For now."
A pause.
Then Shin chuckled. "Just don't forget who's in charge."
Riku smirked back. "Wouldn't dream of it."
By nightfall, the convoy was ready to roll.
Shin and Riku boarded the same armored limo, a long reinforced vehicle built for Code transport. Inside, thick black leather seats wrapped around a small onboard monitor and digital layout. The air smelled of steel and sterilization.
"Last time we were traveling we were sizing each other up," Riku said, reclining. "Now we're practically roommates."
Shin leaned back, watching the road through the tinted glass.
"Let's just hope we make it back to Hano before the real storm hits."
Behind them, several armored trucks lined up in columns, headlights glowing like a caravan of fireflies. The girls were loaded in separately: Misaki, Rei, Yuna, Serena, Mina, and the rest, each assigned to their designated vehicle. Drones flew overhead, scanning for surveillance, while UW agents directed traffic with rapid efficiency.
Then, the convoy rolled out.
Koto disappeared behind them, its glass towers reflecting the moonlight one last time.
They were halfway through the industrial district when a low hum came through the limo's intercom.
"Japan UW HQ to Code Six and Code Two. We're approaching the Hano perimeter now. Gate clearance expected in ten. Wait, standby—"
The driver's voice cut off. The limo jolted slightly as a shudder rippled through the vehicle.
Shin leaned forward. "What was that?"
Before anyone could answer, a second jolt occurred. Louder. Closer.
The comm crackled back to life.
"We've got contact ahead, something's blocking the west gate—"
Then silence.
The guards within the limo tightened their hands around their guns.