Renji and his teammates stood at the edge of the Hollow Spine—a rusted steel bridge leading into the deeper Delta zones, where the air was thick with grime, secrets, and barely restrained madness. The Hollow Spine, named after the twisted skeleton-like structures of its foundation, marked the entrance into the core base of the Black Crow faction.
The underworld society sprawled beneath the ruined sectors of the capital like a festering hive. Makeshift neon lights flickered over crude steel-plated walls, alleyways reeked of chemicals and blood, and mutated vagrants shuffled between the shadows. Every corner whispered of surveillance. Nothing went unseen here.
It was more than a slum. It was a self-governed domain of chaos, ruled by factional power. Renji could feel the tension radiating from Mika, Yumi, Takeshi, and Kaito—none of them spoke, but all were ready.
The dominant factions ruled in a constant cold war:
1. The Forgotten Dawn — An elite faction operating with religious zeal, led by Kiyoshi Takeda. They wore ceremonial black and gold armor and believed the infection was divine evolution. Their base was a sprawling, repurposed cathedral deep in Sector Theta. Kiyoshi was rumored to possess the power of mind-control over other infected.
2. The Black Crow — Parasitic, opportunistic, and brutally efficient. Led by the elusive and manipulative Asano, their base was the Hollow Spine. Their agents worked as brokers, assassins, and information peddlers. Their black-feathered insignia marked death, and their infected members had control over poisonous spores and stealth mutations.
Between them stood three minor factions:
The Spiral Fangs: Nomadic gladiator clans who fought in underground arenas for coin and blood glory. Mercenaries with allegiance to none.
The Crimson Pact: A rogue collective of bio-engineers and mutated scientists experimenting on the limits of human-dungeon fusion. They were known for selling biomechanical augmentations to the highest bidder.
The Smiling Rats: Scavengers and spies who knew every backdoor, sewer path, and supply route. Dirty, cowardly, but impossible to exterminate.
Renji's goal was clear: confront Asano and rescue the captured members of their old hideout. But that meant slipping through a hornet's nest of enemies and possible allies who might turn with the wind.
As they crossed the Hollow Spine, they saw gang signs scorched into the metal—warning marks of territory. Watchers, likely infected sentries, observed from the higher beams with glowing eyes.
"No mistakes," Renji said quietly, his voice like a blade unsheathed. "We get in, find the captives, get out. If Asano stands in our way—he falls."
Yumi's shadow flickered unnaturally beside her. Mika cracked her knuckles. Kaito's palms sparked subtly. Takeshi smiled grimly.
The Hollow Spine welcomed them with silence and threat. The Black Crow's nest was just beyond the rusted gates, and the factions of the underworld had already begun to take notice of the approaching storm.
---
The air changed as soon as they passed the rusted checkpoint leading into the slums of the deeper Hollow Spine network. The stale scent of rot mixed with chemical musk, leaking from shattered vents and cracked walls. Neon graffiti glowed like scars across the labyrinthine corridors, all mocking eyes and twisted fangs. Down here, the rules bent, snapped, and reformed under whoever had the most firepower… or the sharpest grin.
Mika scowled, her boots crunching glass. "This part of the zone feels...off."
Renji nodded. "We're being watched. Hold formation."
Yumi's shadows slithered at her heels like restless cats, while Kaito's fingers flexed in anticipation, tiny sparks lighting beneath his gloves. Takeshi, ever the silent bulwark, moved up front, his body tensed like a coiled spring.
From the shadows, laughter. Not the kind that eased tension. The kind that slipped cold metal against the back of your neck.
"You're a long way from the upper strata, fresh meat."
A group of figures stepped out. Seven in total, dressed in mismatched armor, their faces concealed with chipped porcelain masks painted in grotesque grins. Each mask had different expressions—some weeping, some hysterical, others apathetically smiling. One of them tossed a rusted coin between his fingers with bored precision.
The Smiling Rats.
The leader stepped forward. His mask bore a wide, cracked smile and twin red tears streaming down from hollow eye sockets.
"We heard a certain mutated stray and his little kennel of freaks were sniffing around our end of the spine," he said mockingly. "Didn't think you'd come crawling in so soon. Not without kissing the gatekeeper's ring first."
Renji's gaze sharpened. "We're looking for the Black Crow. Not interested in your games."
"Oh?" the masked leader tilted his head. "That's rude. Most guests at least pretend they want to talk. So I'll ask again—how about a proper introduction?"
Renji didn't reply. Instead, he took a slow step forward. The tension in the air coiled like a viper.
The Rat with the coin flicked it into the air—vanishing mid-toss.
The next moment, it reappeared pressed against Takeshi's neck—held there by a twitchy Rat who'd moved faster than human eyes could track.
Takeshi didn't flinch. In a blur, he grabbed the attacker's wrist—and slammed him into the wall hard enough to crack bone and dent steel.
The Rats hissed, fanning out. A second attacker leapt at Mika, twin daggers glinting—only to be launched back by a kinetic shockwave that sent him skidding like a ragdoll.
Yumi's shadows surged, pinning two others in place as she narrowed her eyes. "Your intimidation dance is getting sloppy."
Kaito stepped forward, hands charged. "If you wanna measure our strength, you could've just asked."
The masked leader held up a hand, signaling his remaining crew to halt. He was silent a moment, then gave a slow, deliberate clap.
"Alright," he said with a chuckle. "I like you. Most who come down here don't have the spine to bite back."
Renji's voice was low, cold. "Last warning. Get in our way again, and I won't stop at broken ribs."
The Rat leader tilted his head again, eerily calm. "No need. You've proven your teeth. The Crow watches. Everyone does."
Then, without another word, he and the remaining Rats slinked back into the maze of shadows and ducts, like rats returning to the sewers.
Renji turned to the others. "They were probing us. Testing reflexes, power, coordination. Not just intimidation—information."
Mika exhaled. "That means they'll report it. Straight to the underbosses."
Kaito's eyes sparked. "Let 'em. Now they know what happens when you poke the wrong beast."
Takeshi cracked his knuckles. "No more sneak attacks. Next one's getting put down."
Renji nodded. "We move carefully from here. The deeper we go, the more eyes we attract."
Yumi's shadows whispered around her. "And not all of them belong to enemies. Some are...curious."
They pressed onward. The Hollow Spine was awake now. Watching. Waiting.
The Black Crow would know they were coming.