A couple of hours had flown by. Kentaro found himself sitting cross-legged on the lounge carpet, cards fanned out in his hands, while Shogo, loud, smug, and somehow lucky, swept up yet another victory in Goldfish.

Kentaro clicked his tongue, glaring at his hand of useless cards.

"Guess people do get hired to do nothing," he muttered under his breath, not hiding his disdain.

Shogo leaned back with a theatrical flourish, tossing his cards down like he'd just saved the world. "No, my dear Kentaro, some of us are simply born winners. It's a curse really, hehehe" He placed a dramatic hand on his chest.

Before Kentaro could throw his remaining cards at him, a deep hum resonated through the ship. The floor vibrated lightly as the engines decelerated. Tenka pushed herself off her commander's chair, hands on her hips, and raised her voice.

"Alright, people! We're finally here. Haruka, Drone, man the ship, and stay sharp. Keep your eyes peeled and cover us if things get messy with that sniper support. Everyone else, gear up. We're touching down in Tokyo!"

She then looked at Yumi, who was waiting for her orders. "Yumi, you're going to the van, take the door crossing."

Cheers and acknowledgements echoed through the cabin. Yumi sulked as if she'd just been told Christmas was cancelled. "I wanted to see the city…" She grumbled, slumping into her chair. Drone, on the other hand, flashed a thumbs up without looking up from his latest mechanical project, some glowing cube of wires and circuits he was tinkering with.

The ship's teleport pad hummed to life. It was smaller than the one at Halcyon's main base, but it was enough to carry two people at a time. Naturally, Tenka and Shogo went first, because, as Shogo explained, "Every successful mission needs a strong vanguard… And a dazzling personality."

Kentaro's turn came next, except there was one issue.

Two issues.

"Yura, I'm going with Kentaro!" Serica tugged at his right sleeve like a stubborn child.

"No! Woman, I have priority, I've only gone once, and you hogged him last time!" Yura growled, yanking his left sleeve in retaliation.

Kentaro felt like a rubber band stretched to snapping point. "Guys… Can you not rip my arms off?" He said, voice deadpan. But the two were far too wrapped up in their tug-of-war to hear him.

From the corner of his eye, Haruka sighed, adjusted her glasses, and without a word whipped out an inflatable Kentaro doll, fully clothed with a disturbingly accurate face printed on it. She casually blew it up with a pump and dropped it in front of them.

Serica and Yura froze mid-argument. They glanced at the doll. Then at Kentaro.

In an instant, they both lunged for the fake Kentaro, now fighting tooth and nail over the doll like it was a limited-edition treasure.

The real Kentaro blinked in disbelief. He turned slowly to Haruka, who was brushing off her skirt and subtly waving him toward the teleporter.

"What… The hell is my life anymore…" He muttered, slinking toward the pad and vanishing in a flash of light.

Kentaro's arrival was anything but graceful.

When his vision adjusted, his ears picked up the faint echo of laughter, hushed voices, and the gentle splash of water. The warm, fragrant air carried notes of flowers and… Perfume?

"Where… Am I?" Kentaro groaned, rubbing his eyes.

Then came the scream.

A shriek, high-pitched and panicked, ripped through the air. It was unmistakably a woman's scream, followed by others joining in.

Kentaro's blood ran cold. "Oh, no…"

By the time his vision cleared, it was already too late. He stood frozen in the middle of a massive indoor hot spring. Steam curled lazily into the air, obscuring parts of the room… But not nearly enough to hide the dozens of women soaking, towel-wrapped or otherwise, in the pools.

Every single head turned toward him.

"PERVERT!!!" A woman shouted.

Projectiles rained down instantly. Towels. Hairbrushes. An entire wooden bucket. Kentaro scrambled, ducking and weaving like his life depended on it.

Which it did...

But he wasn't fast enough to dodge every single incoming missile. A stray soap bar nailed him on the head just as he dove through a sliding door and tore down a hallway with crimson cheeks.

He rounded the corner, boots skidding on the carpet, and slammed open the lobby doors. There stood Tenka and Shogo, arms crossed and waiting patiently.

Tenka took one look at Kentaro: soaked, towel-wrapped, hair sticking up from steam, and a visible welt forming on his forehead. Her expression darkened.

"What… Took you so long?" she asked, each word laced with suspicion.

Shogo leaned sideways with a dreamy grin, pressing his hands to his cheeks like an overexcited maiden. "Ooohhh… Could it be… You've finally discovered the pleasures of adulthood, my dear Kentaro?"

Tenka's cheeks pinked before she stomped over and slugged Shogo in the gut. "Shut your trap! He did not."

"Th-thank… You, C-Commander," Shogo wheezed as he collapsed to his knees.

Kentaro rubbed the new bump forming on his forehead. "Well, it's kind of-"

BANG!

Before he could finish, Tenka's fist slammed into his stomach, folding him in half.

"PERV!" She barked, jumping straight to conclusions after only hearing the first two words.

Kentaro wheezed, clutching his gut as he collapsed next to Shogo, both of them groaning on the floor.

From the carpet, Shogo tilted his head toward him with a dazed grin. "My… My… Kentaro… Welcome… To the club… The sweet art… Of being dominated…"

Kentaro glared through teary eyes, voice raspy. "You're both insane…"

He slowly got up, looking at Tenka, still flushed. "It's your stupid teleporter's fault. It dropped me into a woman's hot spring!"

Tenka folded her arms and smirked knowingly. "Mhm. That's because you didn't set a precise coordinate. The system defaults to wherever the user's desires are strongest."

Kentaro froze. "…You're saying I subconsciously wanted that?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying… Pervy McPervface."

"That's not, I-I would've ended up at a sushi bar or something!" Kentaro shouted, face blazing red.

From the floor, Shogo raised a trembling fist, his voice weak yet somehow still smug. "Kentaro, my boy… Never be Ashamed… Of destiny."

"Shut up!" Tenka and Kentaro snapped in unison, Tenka kicking Shogo across the carpet.

"KENTAROOO!" a familiar voice bellowed from down the corridor.

Kentaro cupped his hands. "We're out front, Serica!"

A moment later, Serica and Yura came running through the lobby doors, panting.

Tenka nodded, satisfied. "Good, everyone's here. The rest of the crew is already bringing down our vehicle. Time to see the city."

"The… Van?" Kentaro echoed nervously.

"Yep," Shogo replied with a grin that promised chaos.

And with that, they checked into the Halcyon-owned hotel, luxurious and conveniently free, before heading back outside. The Tokyo night skyline blazed alive with neon signs and headlights, the noise and vibrancy washing over Kentaro. The smell of street food, car exhaust, and bustling humanity made his heart pound.

Whatever awaited them here, it wasn't going to be easy.

"It smells funny… But kinda nice?" Serica said, sniffing the city air like a curious cat.

Kentaro smiled knowingly. "What you're smelling is petrol, Serica."

Her brown eyes went wide. "What does it taste like? Must be good if it smells nice!"

Tenka let out a quiet chuckle from beside them. "No, Serica. You cannot drink petrol. You'd die."

Serica froze, then scowled like someone had just betrayed her deepest trust. "How could they lie to me… What evil things people make in this world…"

Kentaro opened his mouth to respond.

BEEP BEEP!

A van screeched into the hotel driveway, swinging around the corner and parking right in front of them. The driver's door swung open, and out hopped Yumi, her short blonde hair bouncing as she landed on the pavement.

Kentaro's jaw practically hit the ground. "Yumi? You can drive?!"

Yumi pouted, her hands on her hips. "What do you mean by 'can I drive?' Duh, of course I can drive!"

The van's side door slid open, revealing a spacious interior with rows of seats. Inside, Riku and Emi sat cross-legged, waving like they'd just spotted a long-lost friend.

"Come on innnn!" Riku called, dragging out the word like he was auditioning for a cheesy drama.

Tenka stepped in first, sliding into the window seat with her usual composed elegance. Serica and Yura exchanged glances, then climbed in too, deliberately sitting in separate rows so the open seats next to them were perfectly placed for Kentaro.

Tenka already sensed their plan. Without missing a beat, she called out casually but firmly, "Ken, sit here. We've got things to discuss."

The twin "Aww…" That came from both Yura and Serica, who could've broken a lesser man's heart. Kentaro just flashed them a faint smile, then slid in beside Tenka.

As the van's doors closed and the engine hummed, Shogo clambered aboard like a feral animal and plopped himself directly on the floor, grinning like this was perfectly normal behaviour.

Tenka exhaled and got to business. "The Alberline we're facing this time… Is different. We've only seen her once before, back when she first appeared. Unlike the others, her speciality is controlling people. Whatever you do, you must stay cautious around her."

Kentaro nodded, voice steady. "I already figured as much."

"I know," Tenka said, pulling out her phone. She tapped it, showing a video of Serica summoning her icy sword during the plaza fight with Kira, then transforming it into a glowing shield.

Kentaro squinted. "I've seen this. I was there. What's the point?"

Tenka's amber eyes met his. "That weapon is called a Sublimation Weapon, or sometimes known as Sublimes. Every Alberline has one. Yura's is slightly different; hers manifests through her control field and dome, which is her weapon. And Siren's? We're not sure yet, but it's tied to sound. Think music… Voice… Something along those lines. Be ready for anything."

Kentaro's lips curled into a small grin. "Got it. Thanks for the intel."

The conversation quieted as the city scenery blurred past the van windows. Eventually, they pulled off the main expressway and parked on a bustling Tokyo street. Horns blared. Dozens of shoes clacked against the pavement. The city's chorus of chatter echoed around them.

"Whoa… So many different smells," Serica murmured, stepping out first and taking it all in like she'd just landed on another planet.

One by one, the team climbed out. Behind them, Riku, Emi, and Yumi closed the van doors. Yumi gave a quick two-finger salute. "We'll park nearby and keep overwatch on comms."

The van pulled away into traffic, leaving Tenka, Shogo, Kentaro, Yura, and Serica standing shoulder to shoulder, staring out at the glowing city that awaited them.

Tenka, Shogo, Kentaro, Yura, and Serica threaded their way down the bustling Tokyo street. Tenka and Kentaro led the way; Yura and Serica fell a step behind, eyes wide at the crowds, the neon-lit shops, the river of people. Shogo brought up the rear like a silent guardian.

While they walked, Tenka pulled out her phone and showed Kentaro a map dotted with red marks. "All the Siren sightings, the first one we're going to is a small park, it's the closest one to us," she explained.

Kentaro frowned at the screen.

"What's her aim? Exploration? Or is she hunting something?" Tenka kept her gaze ahead. "Either could be true," she said. "If it's the second, then what-"

He trailed off when he bumped into someone, staring down at Tenka for balance as his victim sprawled on the pavement.

Kentaro righted himself and looked up. A girl knelt before him, hair red at the roots, fading to green at the tips.

Her skirt had flared wide in her fall, giving him an accidental and mortifying view.

"PERV!" Both she and Tenka shouted as they each smacked him on the head.

Kentaro collapsed onto his backside, blinking up at their furious glares. "I-I'm so sorry! I didn't see you! It was an accident!" he stammered, scrambling to his feet and bowing deeply.

Yura and Serica simply stared at the girl as if she were some pop idol come to life.

And in a way, she was petite, with two pigtails dyed green at the ends, a red dress, and a small pendant resting at her collarbone. Her figure was almost Slim, childlike almost, but god had gifted her in the main areas; her voice rang surprisingly mature. The girl brushed imaginary dust from her dress.

"It's fine. You've been punished, just don't look next time."

"Are you okay?" Yura asked Kentaro, finally blinking out of her daze.

He nodded, though his mind lingered on the girl's unusual beauty, and the strange sense that she felt… Different.

"Hey, are you famous or something?" Serica blurted, unable to hide her admiration of the girl's outfit.

The red-and-green-haired girl shook her head. "Not yet. I sing on the streets. My next gig is coming up; consider it payment for the show you just got. If you drop by, bring a generous tip."

Kentaro scratched the back of his head. "Sure. If we see you, we'll come." The girl smiled and stepped back into the flow of pedestrians.

"Wait, what's your name?" Kentaro called.

She paused, hands clasped behind her back, and offered a small grin.

"Aria," she said, then melted into the crowd.

They watched until she vanished.

"She was gorgeous, wasn't she?" Serica murmured.

"Such youthful beauty," Yura agreed.

Shogo cleared his throat. "Maybe too… Mature."

Everyone whirled on him, faces twisting in disgust. Shogo panicked. "No, no, her look, not her age! I mean… Oh man, I don't want to be on her bad side."

"Gross," Tenka muttered, turning back down the street. "Come on, let's check that sighting in that little park up ahead."

They followed her, though traffic and endless pedestrians slowed them more than they'd expected.

When they finally reached the park, Kentaro's jaw dropped: there she was again, Aria, setting up with her instrument in hand.

"Aria…" He muttered as his eyes widened...

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