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Rex and Leon stood outside the Prime Minister’s office, the weight of the conversation they’d just had pressing down on them. Rex was on guard duty, keeping an eye on the surroundings, while Leon was inside, trying to reason with the Prime Minister.

“Prime Minister, why won’t you let us teleport within Japan?” Leon asked, his frustration barely concealed.

The Prime Minister sighed, his expression stern. “It’s now illegal to teleport anywhere in Asia. People found a way to access teleportation portals and use them to commit theft and other crimes. This law applies to everyone, including the Yeager force.”

“But sir, we need to get to Kushiro! A Yeager rank meeting is happening there, and we can’t afford to waste time!” Leon protested, urgency in his voice.

“I’m sorry, but you’ll have to take the hyper train to get there,” the Prime Minister replied, his tone final.

Leon clenched his fists in frustration, then stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind him.

“What happened?” Rex asked, noticing the tension in Leon’s face.

“The Prime Minister said we can’t teleport due to the new law in Asia. Teleportation is now illegal, even for the Yeager force,” Leon explained as they began walking down the hallway.

Rex frowned. “So, how are we going to get there?”

“We’ll take the hyper train. It should get us to Kushiro in a day,” Leon replied, trying to keep his voice calm.

As they exited the building, they found Hanako, Akira, and Baluka waiting for them.

“Foxes, follow me,” Rex ordered.

“Baluka, you’re coming with us to the location,” Leon added.

“Y-yes, sir,” Baluka stammered, still adjusting to the sudden change in plans.

Leon pulled out his communicator and contacted two individuals. Rex noticed and asked, “Who did you contact?”

“Two people I trust. One of them will meet us there,” Leon answered, his tone cryptic.

As the five of them approached the train station, they noticed someone waiting for them. The man was tall, with scars marring his face, and yellow stripes on his clothes that gave him a distinctive, almost menacing appearance.

“Everyone, I want you to meet Nur Becker. He’ll be joining us on the mission to Kushiro,” Leon introduced the newcomer.

“It’s nice to meet you, Nur,” Baluka said, extending her hand to shake his.

Nur ignored her hand, his intense gaze fixed on Rex. “So, you’re Rex Jones,” he said, his voice low and challenging.

Without warning, Nur threw a punch at Rex. Rex dodged it with ease, but Nur quickly followed up with a kick, which Rex blocked with his arm.

“What the hell is going on here?” Rex demanded, his voice filled with irritation.

“I just wanted to test the dark flame user who killed a Yeager rank,” Nur replied, his tone cold as he stepped back and walked onto the train.

“Scary,” Hanako muttered, her playful demeanor momentarily subdued.

“Don’t worry, Hanako. I’ve got you,” Akira whispered, trying to reassure her.

The rest of the group boarded the train and found their seats as it began to move.

As they settled in, Rex turned to Leon. “Hey, Leon, why did Nur attack me?”

Leon sighed, his expression grim. “Nur was tortured three years ago by Luna. His sisters were Yeagers who tried to save him, but they were killed by Griffin.”

Rex was shocked by this revelation. The weight of the situation became even heavier, as he realized that every member of this mission carried their own burdens and scars.

"He really hates dark flame users like you, doesn’t he?" Leon remarked.

"Yeah, I get it now," Rex replied.

Meanwhile, in another part of the train, Hanako, Akira, and Baluka were seated together.

"So… you guys are Yeagers?" Baluka asked.

"Yeager Foxes," Hanako corrected with a nod.

"I see," Baluka replied.

Hanako and Akira noticed how timid Baluka seemed, and their eyes were drawn to the mask she carried by her side.

"What's the mask for?" Akira inquired.

"Oh, this old thing? I wear it because I don't want the Yeagers to see how scared I am. I'm always nervous, so when I fight, it helps to hide my face," Baluka explained.

Hanako jumped over to Baluka’s side of the seat and playfully tapped her head on Baluka’s leg. "Maybe this will help you relax," she said before trying to fall asleep. As midnight approached, everyone on the train drifted off to sleep. But soon, all six of them awoke at the same time.

"They’re here," Rex muttered, alerting everyone.

The group quickly gathered at the end of the train.

"Baluka, stay back and use your bow," Leon instructed.

Baluka put on her mask, which provided a built-in scope for better aiming. She grabbed a handle from her hip and pressed a button, making her bow materialize.

Hanako and Akira positioned themselves at the front of the train, ready to fight.

Rex, Leon, and Nur unsheathed their weapons.

Leon wielded a pair of sai, while Nur equipped himself with two pairs of brass knuckles.

Everyone braced themselves. "We're in a confined space, so don't use your flux energy. Just rely on your physical skills," Rex warned. The group nodded in understanding.

As the door ahead of them creaked open, a group of Yeagers emerged. Rex and Nur charged together at the enemies. "Ice Style, Frozen Love," Leon thought, sending ice particles into the air. The particles targeted only the Yeagers, leaving everyone else unharmed.

"I've perfected it—I can choose my targets now instead of making it airborne," Leon thought with satisfaction.

As a Yeager closed in on Leon, he swiftly struck them with his sai.

Baluka, from a distance, used her bow to take down multiple Yeagers with deadly precision.

Meanwhile, Nur and Rex were slicing and pummeling their way through the opposition. As the two of them reached the next train car, they found themselves in a larger cargo space bathed in an ominous red light.

Nur and Rex exchanged a glance and then looked straight ahead.

"We know you're there, Yeager rank," they said in unison.

Out of the shadows stepped a girl with a tattoo signifying Yeager rank four.

"You both have sharp senses. My name is Natalia," she introduced herself.

"That name…" Rex thought, recognition flickering in his mind.

"What’s someone like you doing here?" Nur asked.

"To kill the demon and everyone else on this train," Natalia replied coldly.

Rex and Nur immediately got into their stances as Natalia pulled out a whip. They charged at her, with Nur taking the offensive while Rex stayed on the defensive. Natalia lashed her whip at them with incredible speed, destroying the entire train car and forcing them outside.

Rex and Nur quickly regrouped, and without a word, they both attacked her simultaneously. "Light Style, Light Beam," Nur thought as he unleashed a punch that sent beams of light shooting toward Natalia. The attack connected, but her body began to regenerate almost instantly.

"Dark Flame Style, Dark Burst," Rex thought, gathering flames into his sword before striking Natalia and sending her flying into the air.

"Bang," Natalia whispered just before a massive explosion erupted on the train tracks, shaking the ground with its force.

They sprinted back to the others. "We need to jump off right now!" Leon urged.

"Are you crazy? We're over a bridge!" Hanako yelled.

Without hesitation, Leon grabbed Hanako and jumped, while Rex did the same with Akira. Nur and Baluka quickly followed suit. As they plummeted toward the river below, a sudden gravitational pull caught hold of all six of them, lifting them up into a plane.

Once inside, they were met with a familiar voice. "Looks like you guys really do need me," the voice said with a hint of amusement.

"Is that…?" Rex began, recognizing the voice.

It was Amber, standing there with a smile on her face.