We passed through like ghosts through a fever dream, and I held my breath until we reached the other side.
We left the space and walked down a hallway with closed doors.
Hiroko’s voice grew shaky. “If your father is here, he would be in the VIP apartments. We’ll have to go down this hall and then make a right. There will definitely be more guards that way.”
“Okay.” I nodded. “You’re doing good.”
The hallway got narrower.
Darker.
The music faded slightly, replaced by the sound of our boots and our breathing.
We turned the corner, and six men were in the hallway.
All fox brands, armed, and turning toward us at once.
Daisuke moved first, shoving past us and launching his knife before anyone could blink.
Fast, the tip buried itself in the first guard's eye socket with a sound like a boot in wet mud. The man dropped straight to the floor.
"Two." Daisuke was already sprinting to retrieve his blade.
Kaede blew past him and blurred to the guards. The second guard raised his gun. Kaede caught his wrist mid-aim and snapped it sideways.
The gun clattered to the floor. Before the guard could scream, Kaede drove his elbow into his temple so hard the man's feet left the ground. He hit the wall and slid down it, eyes rolled back.
The third guard swung at Kaede with a baton. Kaede ducked under it, came up inside the man's reach, and slammed the heel of his palm into his throat.
Cartilage collapsed. The guard clutched his neck, mouth gaping like a fish, and Kaede grabbed his head and put it through the wall. Plaster cracked and caved. The guard hung there, half-embedded, twitching.
"Four." Kaede pulled him out of the wall and let him drop.
Toma finally got his opening. He charged the fourth guard, tackled him to the ground, and wrapped both hands around his throat. The guard thrashed, clawing at Toma's forearms, kicking at the floor.
Kaede was already on the fifth guard, driving the man’s face into his own raised knee. Teeth and blood sprayed. The guard crumpled, and Kaede stomped on his neck before he hit the ground.
Daisuke spun his knife at the sixth guard as he raced away. The blade hit the runner between the shoulder blades. The man arched backward, stumbled two steps, and collapsed face-first onto the floor.
Daisuke walked to the body, pulled the knife free, and wiped it clean. "Three."
Meanwhile, Toma was still strangling his guard. Toma squeezed harder.
The guard's heels drummed against the floor.
Then stopped.
"One." Toma stood up, breathing hard. When he took in all the dead guards, he glared at Kaede. “How many points do you have?”
“Don’t worry about it. If you ask nicely, I’ll let you hold the sword.” Kaede blew a kiss.
We headed on.
Hiro looked at Toma. “Kaede has five. Daisuke three. And you. . .one.”
Toma spat on the dead guard and followed us.
The twins laughed—the same laugh at the same time, a synchronized sound that was somehow more unsettling than anything we'd just done.
