NADIR

The night was quiet, but Yuki knew better than to trust the calm.

She stood in her room, methodically preparing for the mission ahead. It wasn’t a simple patrol—this was an actual information-gathering operation, the kind Kurayami didn’t trust the police or heroes to handle properly. Usually, they just left subtle hints, breadcrumbs for the authorities to follow and clean up the mess themselves. But sometimes, when the situation required a more delicate touch, they handled it personally. Tonight was one of those nights.

Yuki adjusted the black gloves on her hands, ensuring they were snug before pulling on the rest of her vigilante gear. Her black mask lay on the table, reflecting the dim light from her desk lamp. The familiar hum of her black flame hovered quietly by her side, flickering like a patient shadow. Everything was routine—calm, efficient, and predictable. Just the way she liked it.

This time, she would be going alone. Himiko had her own patrol on the other side of the city, and Touya… Well, he had his own business to handle. Yuki didn’t ask what it was—if he wanted her to know, he would tell her. But that meant she was on her own tonight, not that it made much of a difference. Working alone was easier in many ways—no distractions, no one to worry about.

She slid her mask into place, her expression remaining blank as ever beneath it. It wasn’t that she disliked working with the others—it was just simpler to move without anyone slowing her down. Besides, the mission itself wasn’t complicated: gather intel on a rising underground network suspected of trafficking illegal quirk-enhancing drugs that was meantto have been confuscated long ago. Standard enough. Except this particular group was smart. They didn’t leave a trail, and they had connections deep enough that even Miss Renka’s information network was having trouble pinning down their leaders.

If Yuki was going in, it meant things were serious.

She double-checked the small earpiece tucked beneath her mask, tapping it lightly to test the connection. It buzzed softly, confirming it was active. Kaito would be at the other end if anything went south. It usually never did.

Sliding open the window, she stepped onto the ledge. The cool night breeze brushed against her skin, carrying the distant hum of the city’s life.
And tonight, she was diving straight into the middle of it.

Without another thought, Yuki leapt from the ledge, the black flame following in her wake as she disappeared into the night.

Yuki moved like a shadow through the city, silent and unseen. Her destination was a seemingly abandoned warehouse tucked away in one of the less patrolled areas of the city. To the average person, it was just another derelict building, forgotten and crumbling. But to her trained eye, the subtle reinforcements, hidden cameras, and strategic positioning of the structure told a different story.

This was no ordinary hideout—it was a fortress.

The real danger wasn’t aboveground. Her intel suggested an underground extension, heavily secured and deliberately cut off from outside interference. If an organization went through this much trouble to remain hidden, it meant they were more than just some small-time operation. They were careful. Smart. Dangerous.

But even the best-built walls had cracks. And Yuki? She was very good at finding them.

She kept to the shadows, watching the exterior security for several minutes. The guards patrolled in pairs, their movements precise but predictable. Automated security systems covered the blind spots, but nothing she couldn’t bypass.

With calculated patience, she moved. A quick pulse of her black flame briefly disrupted a nearby camera, its feed looping just long enough for her to slip through an unguarded side entrance. From there, it was a matter of avoiding detection—easy enough when you could spot flaws in even the most secure systems.