The super chopper cut through the sky, its sleek frame slicing through the fading light of dusk. Below, the sprawling cityscape stretched endlessly, bathed in neon and shadow.

  Inside, the squad sat in tense silence.

  Each fighter locked in their own thoughts.

  The hum of the engines thrummed beneath their feet, steady and unwavering—

  Until—

  “Alright, listen up.”

  Commander Samberg’s voice crackled through the intercom, measured, firm.

  “It took much longer than expected, but we’ve finally pinpointed Kuroda’s location. We still have two days until New Year’s.”

  Two days.

  The squad exchanged gnces.

  Finding him took too long.

  They were running out of time.

  Samberg continued. “We still don’t have the full scope of what he’s pnning. We only know bits and pieces. So until we do—stay sharp. Stay alive. And for god’s sake—don’t underestimate him.”

  A small scoff.

  “Please.” Ryuko leaned back in his seat, arms crossed. “We took down Tenzan, after all.”

  Ren shot him a side gnce, unimpressed. “Don’t get cocky.” His voice was quiet but firm. “This is Kuroda we’re talking about.”

  Ryuko’s smirk faltered just slightly. He clicked his tongue. Damn. He wasn’t wrong. Kuroda wasn’t just some opponent.

  Outside, the skyline stretched endlessly before them. The tallest building in view—their target.

  Then—

  BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

  A high-pitched, rapid warning tone bred through the chopper. The pilot’s voice came from the front, tense but not panicked.

  “We’ve got something locking onto us.”

  Yumi frowned. “A missile?”

  The pilot gnced at the radar. “Something like that. But don’t stress. This is a super chopper. We’ve got defensive—”

  BOOM!

  A blinding explosion ripped through the left rotor. The entire chopper lurched violently, spiraling as arms shrieked through the cabin. The cityscape outside tilted sharply, windows fshing with streaks of golden light as they spun out of control.

  Yumi clutched the armrest, teeth clenched. “So much for ‘don’t stress.’”

  Akira was already moving. “We’re bailing. Now.” He pushed off the seat, stepping toward the door. “I’ll grab the pilot.”

  Ren unbuckled, bracing himself. “We really can’t do anything simple, can we?”

  Yumi groaned. “Nope. Never.”

  The moment the door smmed open, the rush of wind nearly yanked them off bance.

  Then—they jumped.

  The squad dove into the night, wind howling around them as the broken chopper spun away behind them.

  Akira snagged the pilot mid-air, adjusting their descent with precision.

  And then—impact.

  They nded hard at the foot of a skyscraper, the force sending cracks through the pavement beneath them.

  The city around them—normally buzzing with life—was eerily silent.

  Then, their eyes lifted.

  And there—at the top of the towering skyscraper—he stood.

  Kuroda.

  His silhouette was framed against the night sky, his coat billowing slightly in the wind. A king surveying his kingdom.

  His palm was still outstretched, residual energy flickering at his fingertips. The core embedded in his hand pulsed, the remnants of its attack crackling in the air like dying embers.

  He had been waiting.

  And now—he was welcoming them.

  A pause.

  Then—Kuroda tilted his head slightly, his expression unreadable.

  Finally, he spoke.

  “I thought it was about time I finally said hello.”

  CUT TO BLACK.