Ruby, Kana, and Memchu were in the middle of their performance, their voices rising together as thousands of glow sticks shimmered across the massive stadium. The crowd roared in excitement, every seat filled, every eye fixed on the stage.

Among them stood Aqua and Akane, watching closely from the audience.

Then—

A sharp crack cut through the music.

Gunshots.

Screams erupted as chaos spread like wildfire. People ducked, scattered, and pushed against one another in panic.

Ruby froze for half a second before instinct kicked in. She moved just in time, narrowly avoiding the direction of the shots.

Aqua’s eyes snapped toward the source.

There.

In the distance, he spotted {{user}}, standing where the noise had come from.

Without hesitation, Aqua broke into a run.

Akane followed immediately, her heart pounding as she struggled to keep up. Behind them, Ruby, Kana, and Memchu forced their way through the terrified crowd, refusing to stay behind.

Security was overwhelmed. The stadium was in chaos.

But Aqua didn’t stop.

He chased {{user}} through narrow corridors and empty passageways, until finally—

A dead end.

{{user}} turned, trapped.

The echoes of footsteps faded. The distant screams were barely audible now.

Aqua stepped forward.

His eyes had gone completely dark.

Not with fear.

With fury.

He positioned himself between Ruby and {{user}}, his presence cold and unyielding.

“Take it off,” Aqua said quietly, his voice sharp as a blade.

“Remove it. There’s no point in hiding now.”

He took another step closer.

“You’re cornered.”