The Heart of Zero

Under the veil of night, Yahageshii and Ryuosho continued tailing the Watchers with utmost caution.

"Just a hunch," Yahageshii whispered, "but I feel like these guys aren't just after us. There's something bigger—scarier—at play. Watcher 20 mentioned something about a 'sample being delivered.'"

Ryuosho, for once, didn't crack a joke. He nodded solemnly. "Alright, we'll follow them. But if things go south, don't expect me to play hero. I never signed up for a save-the-world gig."

Yahageshii grinned, patting Ryuosho on the shoulder. "Relax. If it gets dicey, I'll count on you, Lazybones, to cover for me."

Ryuosho rolled his eyes. "Pretty sure I'm paying off some karmic debt from a past life."

The two crept down the dim alley, their steps muffled against the pavement. From the alley's end came muffled voices. Three shadowy figures stood there, deep in conversation.

"Do we really need to get that close?" Ryuosho hissed. "We'll get spotted."

"Of course we do," Yahageshii shot back, his excitement barely contained. "How else are we gonna hear anything? C'mon, you're not scared, are you?"

"I'm scared of your bad decisions," Ryuosho muttered under his breath, shaking his head. He sighed, regretting his agreement to join this impromptu adventure.

As they inched closer, one of the shadows turned to glance their way. Both Yahageshii and Ryuosho froze, ducking into the nearest cover. The shadow scanned the alley for a moment, then turned back to the group.

"Fun, huh?" Ryuosho whispered, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Nearly got us caught."

"Adds a bit of thrill to the chase, don't you think?" Yahageshii whispered back, grinning.

Ryuosho shot him a glare but couldn't help smirking faintly at Yahageshii's fearless enthusiasm.

The Watchers finished their conversation and moved deeper into the alley. Yahageshii motioned for Ryuosho to follow. "What do you think they're up to?" Ryuosho murmured.

"Beats me," Yahageshii replied, his tone darkening. "But whatever it is, it's no good. Their organization, the Watchers—they're supposed to maintain order. But something feels... off."

"Maintain order?" Ryuosho snorted softly. "They look more like thugs than heroes. Whatever they're doing, it's shady as hell."

Yahageshii nodded. "Exactly. That's why we need to find out the truth."

"Yeah, yeah." Ryuosho rolled his eyes. "You're surprisingly good at this whole detective thing. Still, you better not drag me into a death trap."

The shadows disappeared into a narrow passage. Yahageshii and Ryuosho followed, careful not to make a sound. Suddenly, one of the Watchers pressed a hand against the wall. With a low rumble, a hidden door slid open, revealing a dimly lit passage. The Watchers vanished inside.

"What the hell is this?" Ryuosho gasped, eyes wide.

"No idea," Yahageshii muttered, his gaze fixed on the secret door. "But it's not normal, that's for sure."

Before Ryuosho could object, Yahageshii stepped toward the door.

"Wait, you're not seriously going in there, are you?" Ryuosho whispered harshly, grabbing Yahageshii's arm. "It's obviously a trap!"

"Of course it's dangerous," Yahageshii replied, grinning. "That's what makes it fun. Besides, we've come this far. We can't back out now."

Ryuosho groaned, pressing a hand to his forehead. "You're insane. Fine, I'll come with you. But if we die, it's your fault."

The pair slipped through the hidden door and found themselves in a narrow tunnel dimly lit by flickering bulbs. From deeper within, muffled voices echoed. Yahageshii and Ryuosho crept forward until they reached the source of the sound—a group of Watchers gathered in a small chamber, engaged in a heated discussion.

"Watcher 06 has issued orders," one of them said. "That Shingin kid—Eighth Leader or not—is a threat. We need to eliminate him and his allies before they disrupt our plans."

Ryuosho's eyes widened. He leaned close to Yahageshii and whispered, "Shingin? They're targeting him—and us? Who are these people?"

Yahageshii's expression darkened. "This is bigger than we thought. These Watchers... they're not what they claim to be."

Suddenly, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the tunnel. Someone was coming their way.

"Crap!" Ryuosho hissed. "They're onto us!"

Yahageshii hesitated, glancing back toward the chamber, reluctant to leave without learning more. But as the footsteps grew louder, he knew they had no choice.

"Let's go!" Yahageshii whispered urgently.

The two bolted back toward the entrance, but as they reached the hidden door, it slammed shut with a deafening thud.

"We're trapped!" Ryuosho gasped, panic flashing across his face. He turned to Yahageshii, his voice shaking. "What do we do now?"