Lea was dragged through the stronghold, her body weak and battered. She could barely stand, her muscles trembling with exhaustion. The guards led her to a dark, dank prison cell, the air thick with the scent of moss and decay.

Compared to their previous cell, this was far worse. It’s as if she was being imprisoned in an old dungeon, which was probably the case. Without difficulty, they threw her inside, the metal door clanging shut behind her. Lea collapsed to the ground, her body aching with pain.

The last stand was all in vain. After all, she gave her all, expending every ounce of her energy. In the end, it wasn’t enough. She was still captured.

Optimistically speaking, however, Lea was fairly certain that her squad and the other Hybrids were able to make it outside. At least she was able to achieve something minuscule thanks to her sacrifice

Finally catching her breath Lea relaxed as she lay down on the cold floors of her cell. Slowly, the reality of her situation started sinking in. Once again, she was a prisoner, her freedom had been stolen from her for the third time.

This wasn’t the end, however. With renewed determination, Natsuki clenched her fists. She refused to give up. No matter what it took, she would find a way to escape, and once again fight with everything she had even if it meant breathing her last breath.

As the days passed by in a blur of pain and exhaustion, Lea’s body slowly healed. Her recuperation aided in her strength returning, fueling his wrath even more as she concocted another plan of escape.

Lea didn’t know how much time had passed since mornings and evenings melded into one. The encroaching darkness of her cell didn’t help either.

One day, the door to her cell opened, and a group of guards entered. They grabbed her roughly, dragging her out of the cell and down a long, dark corridor.

Lea’s heart pounded in her chest as they led her to a large chamber. The room was filled with monitors and scientific equipment, the air thick with the scent of chemicals. In the center of the room stood a large metal cage, its bars thick and unyielding.

Inside the cage were several other Hybrids, their eyes filled with a mixture of fear and determination. Natsuki’s heart sank as she recognized some of them. Then again, she was also filled with overwhelming relief since she didn’t see anyone from the group that she led to escape.

"What is this?" she demanded, her voice shaking with anger.

A scientist stepped forward, his eyes cold and calculating. "Well, I wouldn’t dare call it blatantly as an experiment... nor would I call it a forced evolution on your end. However, I’ve come up with a great name for this: The Kodoku Experiment."

Everyone’s eyes widened in shock and utter despair as they realized what was about to transpire. Of course, everyone knew what the Kodoku experiment was. It was a historical experiment after all.

To think that the West Yamanashi Stronghold came up with something so deranged was beyond everyone. However, the Hybrids inside the cage were merely cogs in the great machine that the West Yamanashi Stronghold had been building, structure by structure.

"I guess... I guess I don’t need to go through the nitty gritty of things. Your reactions spoke as much." The scientists cackled under his breath. Obviously, he was looking forward to this.

"You absolute monster... you’re the devil incarnate. I’m going to kill you." Lea once again defaulted to throwing empty threats as she tried to free herself from the Hybrid-proof cage.

One of the Hybrids also gripped the metal bars, putting all her strength into it. Her face contorted with despair as she tried to stop her tears from leaking. "Y-you can’t do this! Dind’t we save the stronghold a number of times? Why would you do this to us?"

The scientist’s eyes gleamed with a cruel light. "That’s precisely why! You are our greatest experiment. And now, you will prove your worth."

As the guards made sure that everything was locked tight, Lea felt a little lost. On one hand, she wanted to escape and break free from the stronghold. On the other, she was well aware that in order to achieve that, she’d have to kill everyone in the cage.

The door to the room clanged shut behind them, and Natsuki took a deep breath, her body tensing in anticipation. She looked around at her fellow Hybrids, their eyes filled with the same determination.

They were warriors, and they would fight til the bitter end. They would survive, no matter what... or so that’s what everyone collectively thought.

As the scientists watched from behind their monitors, Lea knew that the real battle was just beginning. This was where the fine line between life and death had blurred out, morality and immorality dimmed.

Only one could survive, and only one would make it out alive... but what of it? If it meant exchanging your humanity, then was it really worthwhile?

With moral questions in place, the signal was given. There was no time to think about what was right and wrong.

Instead, everyone only thought of one thing. Live.

The Kodoku Experiment had begun.

— — — — —

Back to the present,

Memories of the Kodoku Experiment still lingered in Lea’s mind, causing her to toss and turn in her sleep as she slowly recovered her sanity. Because of the trauma of the experiment, she had turned into a rabid beast, destined only to kill everything in her wake.

However, she could vaguely remember biting someone, and it calmed her down, lulling her to sleep. And now, she could feel the fresh warmth on her face, causing her to open her eyes.

Morning sunlight filtered through the small window of the room, casting a warm glow on Natsuki Lea’s face. She stirred, her eyelids fluttering open to the sight of Arisu gently shaking her shoulder.

"Hey," Arisu said softly, her voice filled with sweet warmth. "You’re safe now. Can you hear me?"

Lea blinked, her vision clearing. She saw Arisu’s concerned face and felt the softness of the bed beneath her. It took a moment for her to remember where she was and what had happened. "Yes," she croaked, her voice hoarse. "I remember... Thank you."

Arisu smiled warmly. "Good. You gave us quite a scare. My name is Arisu, and the guy over there is Kazuichi. We’re glad to have you here."

Kazuichi, who was organizing some supplies on a nearby shelf, turned and nodded in greeting. "Welcome to the Tokyo Stronghold."

Lea tried to sit up, but her body protested. Arisu quickly helped her, adjusting the pillows behind her back. "Take it easy," Arisu said. "You’ve been through a lot. How are you feeling?"

Lea looked down at herself, noticing the dirt and grime that covered her. She grimaced at the smell. "I... I feel filthy," she admitted. "I’m sorry if I smell bad."

Arisu chuckled softly. "No need to apologize. You’ve been through a lot. How about we get you cleaned up? It’ll make you feel better."

Lea nodded gratefully. "That sounds wonderful. Thank you."

Arisu helped Lea to her feet, supporting her as they made their way to a small adjoining bathroom. The room was simple but functional, with a basin, a small shower, and a shelf stocked with towels and soap.

"Here we go," Arisu said, guiding Lea to sit on a stool. "I’ll get the water running. You just relax."