Oiwa led the group through the silent corridors of the facility's East Wing.

"It's too quiet," Jake remarked. "Not sure I like that."

"Osakabe is occupied with the final stages of her plan; she has much to oversee. The last truck containing the tainted shipment has gone out to Deddoraito for final inspection. Afterward, the shipment will be transported to Kūchū Airport," Oiwa informed them.

"When Osakabe is finished here, her brainwashed faculty will be disposed of, and Fukushū will be eradicated. She has made plans to relocate to an undisclosed location."

Leon glanced at Oiwa. "What are her plans for you?"

Oiwa chuckled gloomily. "After tonight, I believe she will kill me," she replied.

"Kill you? But you're her mother," Sara said. "I assume she thinks she's doing all this for you―to avenge you."

"Osakabe has become twisted and malevolent. Her quest for revenge no longer has anything to do with me. She loathes the world, and blames it for every wrong she has endured. When she learns that I betrayed her…"

"She'll never hear it from us," Leon promised.

"She will soon discover it for herself. Besides, I have outlived my usefulness. I am not afraid, though. I only want this nightmare to end."

Leon eyed Oiwa surreptitiously. Despite everything, he pitied her. Fate had indeed treated her cruelly.

They continued in silence until they reached a large door reading:

メンテナンスルーム

"This is the maintenance room," Oiwa said. "Here I will leave you. Be careful, and ganbatte―good luck."

Oiwa began to depart.

"Sunako," Leon called after her.

She stopped and turned around slowly to look at him, as if surprised that he had addressed her by her true name.

Leon inclined his head at her. "Dōmo arigatō." (Thanks a lot.)

Oiwa bowed slightly then hurried away.

"Hey," Jake said, furrowing his brow at Leon. "Don't tell me you feel sorry for her."

Leon nodded. "I do. If Matsuo hadn't destroyed her life, she wouldn't have come to this."

"It's true," agreed Sara somberly. "Matsuo's crimes blazed this trail. Oiwa's a casualty―first in Matsuo's war, now in Hana's."

A pensive hush fell over Jake as Leon cautiously opened the door.

They entered the room, guns drawn, and swept it carefully. Except for storage shelves, boxes, and pallet trucks, the room was empty.

"Looks clear," Jake announced.

"Found the stairwell," said Sara. She pointed at a flight of descending stairs in a far corner of the room.

Leon and Jake joined her, following her lead as she cautiously made her way down.

"Hold it," Leon said, once they had reached the bottom landing. "Better check in with Hunnigan. We need clear directions to Shinsei Temple."

"Better make it quick," Jake said. "I'm getting antsy standing around here."

"Yeah…"

Leon was about to activate his earpiece when his and Sara's comm devices sounded.

"Speaking of…" Sara said.

"Let's just hope it is Hunnigan," Leon said, before accepting the call. "Yeah?" he answered warily.

"Leon, Sara! I haven't heard from you in forever! I didn't want to be a nuisance, but I was getting really worried!" Hunnigan admonished.

"We were just about to call you," Leon replied.

"Hm. I hate when men say that," Hunnigan quipped.

Leon chuckled.

"This time, it's true," Sara said, smiling. "But things got pretty fierce. Leon got infected―"

"What?!" Hunnigan exclaimed.

"I'm okay now," Leon said hastily. "We got help from a very unexpected source, and I received an antiviral shot."

"My God! How the hell―"

"Hunnigan, there's a lot to tell and no time to tell it," Sara interrupted. "The main issue is the discovery we've made: Hana Matsuo is the mastermind behind the bioterrorist attacks."

"Hana?"

"Yup. Her plan is to distribute products tainted with a virus called Bakuro," Sara continued.

"The good news is, there's an antivirus," Leon took up. "So here's our itinerary: round up that antivirus, capture Hana, and stop that shipment from going out. We've got a good idea of where the antivirus is, but we were hoping you could give us a trail of crumbs."

"What exactly am I looking for?"

"We need to get to the Shinsei Temple," Sara answered. "All we know is that it's a red building to the south of Deddoraito Castle."

"Okay. I can work with that. Give me a minute while I zoom in on Fukushū and mark the location. Once I establish a route, I'll send it to your comms."

Leon stared at his comm device intently. Glancing up briefly, he noted Jake shifting restlessly while Sara gazed at her own device, her brow furrowed in petrified severity. Everyone was on edge.

"Okay," Hunnigan said presently. "The info's coming your way."

A second later the marked route came into view on the comm screen.

"Got it. Thanks, Hunnigan," Sara replied.

"Good luck and keep in touch," Hunnigan said.

"Copy that," Leon answered.

The call was disconnected.

"So…?" Jake asked, quirking a brow impatiently.

Leon held up his device. "Breadcrumb trail acquired."

"Great. Let's get out of this shithole, then. I'll take a look out there first."

Before Leon or Sara could say anything, Jake slipped out the exit door quickly.

Leon sighed exasperatedly, and Sara echoed him.

"I swear…" she muttered.

Jake returned shortly. "Clear," he reported before stepping out again.

Leon held the door, gesturing to Sara to proceed, but she stopped, looking at him with concern. "You good?" she asked.

Despite his weariness and the dull, lingering throb in his head, Leon flashed her a small, reassuring smile. "Yeah; I'm good."

Sara nodded slightly then exited. Leon followed, steeling himself for the difficult tasks ahead.

A dense fog had settled over Fukushū. The dull rays of the overcast afternoon sun radiated a ghostly, yellow glow through the swirling mist that rolled over the ground. Looming ahead, now only about a hundred yards away, was Deddoraito Castle, only its roofs visible from the shroud of fog that surrounded it.

The trio trekked through the murky, debris-ridden streets slowly, the fog obscuring their vision and hampering their advance as they struggled to see ahead of them.

Sara was their guide, following the mapped-out route to Shinsei Temple. Leon and Jake flanked her, maintaining a triangular formation as they kept watch for B.O.W.s and human adversaries.

As they passed a group of hollowed-out buildings, Leon noticed an indistinct movement in the distance. Keeping Sara in his sights, Leon peered into the fog, watching for further signs of motion.

Suddenly, a dark, twisted figure emerged from the wall of mist, shuffling onto the path before the group. He instantly recognized it as one of the kuchisake-onna.

Leon grabbed Sara's shoulder firmly and pulled her back, simultaneously signaling Jake to halt. He answered Sara's startled glance by lifting his chin toward the B.O.W.

Sara gasped low and raised her gun to shoot the creature.

"Don't," Leon whispered.

Jake turned to Leon, his own weapon aimed at the kuchisake-onna. "C'mon, why shouldn't we waste that thing?"

Leon glanced at him sternly. "We're a football field's distance away from Deddoraito; Osakabe and her demon knight have hidden eyes and ears all over and a mess of nasty minions. You really wanna bring down that kinda heat?"

Jake paused reluctantly.

"Leon's right," Sara agreed. "Plus we're getting low on ammo. We don't wanna be running on fumes if we run into the kokuri babā. It's better to avoid unnecessary confrontations."

Jake grunted. "Fine."

The small team retreated behind the crumbling facade of a building and waited for the creature to lumber past. The immediate threat averted, they quickly moved on.

"Shit! Another one," hissed Jake, pointing his gun at a second kuchisake-onna.

Again the trio took shelter, ducking behind a broken cement staircase as the creature lurched into full view. She looked about suspiciously, snarling softly and slavering as her bloody, slit mouth widened. Seeing nothing, the monster turned to leave.

Sara began to rise, but Leon quickly pulled her back down just as the creature spun around abruptly, growling. He exhaled tautly as he pushed Sara down lower and peered over a cracked stair step.

The creature hissed low, her red eyeballs rolling around searchingly. At length, satisfied that there was no one in sight, the kuchisake-onna slowly shuffled away.

Leon expelled a relieved sigh. "Too close."

Sara glanced at him uneasily. "I almost screwed that up," she muttered.

"Just be careful," he returned.

"I really hate this hide and seek bullshit," Jake grumbled.

"Me, too," Leon agreed. "The sooner we get to Shinsei, the better."

Sara scoffed. "Yeah; then we jump out of the frying pan straight into the fire."

The group set out again, soon forced to take cover again from two more creatures. After what felt like hours, they finally arrived.

They stood gazing at the ruined temple before them. As Oiwa had described, it was a red edifice with impressive hip-and-gable roofing which had fallen apart in several places. The stone steps leading up to the entrance were cracked and covered with moss and weeds. Two of four majestically-carved pillars supporting the lower gabled roof over the entrance had been destroyed. The far left wall had caved in, now reduced to a pile of rubble.

The door had long since fallen away, and its portal yawned eerily like a hungry mouth. On either side of the building stood an imposing-looking statue. Both seemed to stare at the group with fierce eyes. The statue on the right had its mouth open while the one on the left had its mouth sealed in a perpetual grimace.

"The Niō," Sara announced. "I'm surprised they're still standing. Agyō…" She indicated the statue on the right. "… and Ungyō." She pointed at the one on the left. "Temple guardians said to protect against demons and thieves."

Jake snorted. "Really. Looks like these guys have been sleeping on the job, then."

Leon scoffed dryly. "Probably gave up years ago."

A chilly damp breeze blew past, whistling through the trees surrounding the temple before dying away in the distance. The stillness that followed left Leon with a sense of foreboding.

"I don't like this," Sara remarked, voicing his thoughts. "It feels like the land is holding its breath―waiting for something."

"Crazy as that sounds, it actually makes sense," Jake said.

"Let's just… get what we came for," Leon replied.

Everyone turned on their flashlights and advanced on the temple, carefully ascending the mossy steps.

Leon led the way in, scanning the path ahead while Jake and Sara swept the room on either side of him.

Piles of debris and various types of religious paraphernalia littered the temple, but it was otherwise unoccupied. Pale rays of gray daylight poured in through the broken ceiling, dust motes floating around like silver glitter in the broad light beams.

"Looks like nobody's home," Leon commented. "That'll make our job a lot easier."

A few paces in, they discovered various human bones scattered across the floor, bits of desiccated flesh still clinging to them. Dark patches of dried blood stained the walls and silt-piled floor. The entire place reeked of death and decay.

"That doesn't exactly inspire confidence," Sara said, stifling a gag. "How do we know what to look for, anyway? There's a load of junk in here. Among… other things."

"Good of Oiwa to give us a little clue," Jake groused.

Leon surveyed the room, sighing heavily. Where would Oiwa have hidden such a vital item as the antivirus? His frustrated gaze fell on the remains of an altar some yards away.

"Over there," he said, pointing.

The trio approached the altar. Several broken statues and vessels lay upon it, covered in dust and spider webs.

Jake stepped up to it, inspecting the ruined objects. "Hey, check this out," he called. "This area's been disturbed."

Leon knelt at the altar and studied it. Sure enough, there was a large streak through the mound of silt and rubbish. He holstered his weapon and swept away the remaining items. Having cleared out the spot, he leaned forward to see a displaced panel in the altar's flooring.

"Bingo."

"What is it?" asked Sara, bending to look.

"Someone tampered with this board," Leon answered. Drawing his knife, he proceeded to pry the panel up. He focused his light into the hollow beneath it.

"I've got something," he announced.

Reaching in carefully, Leon pulled out an item swathed in white silk cloth. He laid it down on the altar and began unwrapping it.

The silk having been cast aside, everyone now analyzed the mysterious object.

It was a curiously-crafted wooden box about the size of a jewelry coffer. An elaborate geometric pattern adorned the exquisitely-carved wood.

Leon picked it up and turned it over, examining it fixedly. He huffed. "I don't see a lid or anything. Damn thing might just be a block, except…"

He shook the box gently. Something moved within it. "There's definitely something inside."

"Let me see it," Sara said.

Leon handed it to her. "What do you make of it?"

Sara sighed gustily. "It's a himitsu-bako―a puzzle box. The only way to open it is to solve the puzzle."

"I've seen those in antique shops," Jake said, slapping his thigh irritatedly. "It's a freakin' wooden Rubik's cube."

Leon exhaled sharply. "Terrific."

Sara laughed mirthlessly. "It gets better. Himitsu-bako boxes range in difficulty from two to seventy two moves to open them."

"We don't have time for this shit," Jake snapped. "Just break the damn thing."

"Are you nuts?!" Sara exclaimed.

Leon's grave gaze slid to his peevish companion. "If the antivirus is actually inside, we could destroy it. Breaking the box isn't an option."

Jake scoffed, placing his hands on his hips. "Whaddya suggest, then?"

"What else? We try to solve the puzzle. Sara, can you do anything with it?"

Sara shook her head apologetically. "I suck at Rubik's cubes."

Leon took back the himitsu-bako. He studied it, brow knitted. Suppressing a sigh, he set to work, running his fingers over the panels. "Here's hoping this is an easy one."

For several minutes, the parts refused to move despite Leon's efforts. Breaking the box was indeed starting to sound appealing.

Grunting exasperatedly, he started over. Suddenly, a panel slid upward. Another careful maneuver released a second panel. Focusing almost to the exclusion of his surroundings, Leon labored on. Presently, he heard a soft click, and the top panel slid forward slightly. Cold, white tendrils of dry ice escaped from the opening.

"I'll be damned," Jake chuckled. "Hero actually did it."

"Yes!" Sara cheered. "Got lucky; it was only a five-level difficulty."

"Mm. Small favors." Leon removed the top panel and laid it aside. He quickly reached into the box, the dry ice already beginning to burn his fingertips.

A hard, strangely-shaped object met his searching fingers. Grasping it carefully, he drew it.

"It's… a doll," Sara announced.

It was indeed a doll, measuring approximately eight inches long. It was handcrafted from wood, painted with a smiling girl's face and a lavender floral kimono.

"It's a kokeshi nesting doll. Smaller dolls are typically hidden inside," Jake explained.

"This piñata's got a different prize," Leon realized. He pulled the doll apart at the center.

A tissue-wrapped parcel had been tucked into the cavity. Leon removed it and unwrapped it, displaying the contents to his friends.

A short auto-injector filled with transparent purple fluid lay beside an ampoule containing the same liquid. A microSD card in a plastic case was wedged between the two items.

"What in the world… ? A microSD card?" Sara murmured.

Leon passed it up to her. "Plug it into your device; see what's on it."

Sara complied. At length she scoffed irritably. "It's all in Japanese."

"Lemme see," Jake said, taking the comm device from her. He scrolled through various pages, studying them intently.

"She gave us everything," he said at last. "Research files, photos, the formulae for the viruses and the antivirus. Oiwa's really on the level."

"Excellent!" Leon said. "We've got all the evidence we'll need to wrap this up. It was smart using the doll to conceal everything. Even if Osakabe saw it, she'd never guess it was a transport device."

"If she gets her hands on all this…" Sara breathed, handing the card back to him.

Leon rewrapped the items and replaced them into the doll. "She won't if we can help it." He tucked the doll into his pack.

As Leon started to his feet, the beams of daylight from the roof were suddenly eclipsed by an enormous shadow. The horrid stench of putrid flesh and feces filled the air.

Everyone immediately drew their weapons.

"I think the lady of the house just got back. She ain't gonna like finding guests," Jake said in a hushed voice.

"Oh, God, that smell!" Sara coughed.

A deafening wail rent the tomb-like silence, escalating to a wrathful shriek. Everyone doubled over, the noise piercing their ears painfully.

The next instant, there was a crash overhead and the roof began to cave in.

"Look out; it's coming down!" Leon shouted.

They team scattered, striving to avoid the falling debris as light flooded the dilapidated temple. The ear-splitting scream was reiterated.

As they neared the exit, a tall, dark figure dropped through the shattered ceiling and landed before them, blocking their path.

The trio balked, retreating several paces as the horror that had descended upon them slowly rose.

It was a female creature, completely nude except for a few tattered remnants of fabric still clinging about her neck and arms. Her sickly gray flesh was covered in festering boils and blisters which oozed foul-smelling ichor. Even Leon, despite being well acquainted with the fetor of infection and death, was nearly overwhelmed by the odor.

The creature raised her head and stared at the group balefully through a frowzy mane of black hair. Her sclerae were crimson red with no pupils or irises. She regarded them with a snaggletoothed snarl; thick, white saliva dripping down her chin. Growling low, she stood erect to her full height of twelve feet, and breadth of five.

"So that's the kokuri babā…" Leon muttered.

"She's… a lot bigger than I expected," Sara said nervously.

"Bitch may be big," said Jake, cracking his neck, "but I've fought bigger."

"Stay focused!" Leon said tightly.

The kokuri babā bellowed fiercely, and the group opened fire simultaneously.

Blood and pus splattered onto the cracked floor boards, scorching the wood where it fell. The air became impossibly more fetid, but though the creature squealed in pained fury, she showed no signs of weakening.

"Be careful; her blood's acidic!" Sara warned.

The monster rallied quickly. Bony claws erupted from her long, gnarled fingers. She hissed and arched her back like a rabid cat. The sound of tearing flesh followed, and two appendages burst forth from her back, each with a razor-sharp talon on its end.

"Shit. Here we go. She's really pissed now!" Leon said.

The kokuri babā howled with rage and clawed at the group, lashing her appendages forward.

"Watch out!" cried Sara.

Everyone leaped out of the way in time to evade the assault.

"We gotta get outta here, now!" Jake barked.

Striving to dodge the monster's flailing appendages, everyone skirted the temple, heading for the door at full speed.

Leon managed a rough slide under a wriggling limb, but as he started to his feet somewhat awkwardly, the second limb struck him with such violent force that it sent him hurtling backward into a wall.

He gasped strangulatedly at the impact as he slid to the floor, stunned. Excruciating pain exploded through his body as he lay momentarily paralyzed. The wound on his shoulder opened afresh.

"Leon!" Sara yelled.

Hearing her rapid footsteps returning, he struggled desperately to tell her to retreat, but he couldn't utter a sound.

Sara charged past the B.O.W., firing two shots as she made a beeline for Leon. Acidic blood splashed down, some of it spattering onto Sara's arm. The creature's feral scream mingled with Sara's own agonized cry.

Leon watched her countenance become livid. She turned on the kokuri babā, her fingertips crackling with orange electricity, and her eyes glowing angrily.

Alarmed that she might suffer another neural shutdown, Leon mustered his will and stood up unsteadily. "Sara!" he cried hoarsely. "Don't! Go, get out!"

"Like hell I will," she retorted.

Sara launched a bolt of blinding electricity at the monster who shrieked anew and reared up to strike her.

Leon dashed toward Sara, tackling her to the floor as the creature raked at the air a second later. As they started to their feet, Leon caught sight of a figure sailing past.

Jake soared across in a spectacular flying kick that struck the creature hard on her cheek. Landing flawlessly, he then followed up with a superman punch. He turned to Leon and Sara as the kokuri babā roared furiously.

"Exit's the other way," he shouted.

"We were unavoidably detained," Leon panted.

"Move your asses!" Jake returned. He dashed off.

Leon and Sara bolted after him, taking advantage of the creature's momentary disorientation.

As they ran back outside, they heard the lumbering footfalls of the monster behind them.

"I don't think we can outrun that thing," Sara gasped.

Leon glanced over his shoulder to see the roof of the temple caving in as the B.O.W. continued her furious pursuit. A desperate idea occurred to him, but it would require Sara's powers to work. He was loath to even ask it of her, but the situation was dire.

"Sara, do you think you can use your powers again without losing control?"

"I think so," she answered.

"Take out the roof," he instructed.

"Okay. Get back, guys," Sara ordered.

Leon and Jake ran on several feet farther, but Leon halted and turned to look anxiously at Sara who was summoning her power with grave concentration.

A flash of bright electricity lit her hands momentarily. She directed them at the temple roof, casting the bolt of lightning at it. Sparks flew as the roof burst apart. Pale and panting exhaustedly, Sara relented her energy.

The temple began to implode, debris crashing onto the kokuri babā. She roared thunderously as the wreckage crushed her. Writhing violently and growling, she glowered at the trio, blood streaming from her mouth.

"Damn. Bitch doesn't know when to die," Jake grumbled.

"Let's clue her in," Leon said darkly.

Ignoring the ache in his body, he sprinted off, scrambling over the crumbling remains of the temple. Having reached the summit of rubble, he seized the remnant of a wooden beam with a ridged point.

Maintaining his balance with some difficulty, Leon made his way to the overhanging mound of detritus above the thrashing B.O.W. Growling furiously, he raised the beam high and leaped onto her back, thrusting the beam through the nape of her neck. As the monster howled in agony, blood gushing from her gaping mouth, Leon slid down the ruined roof to the ground.

Still the creature wriggled, though her movements were growing feeble.

Below, Jake followed Leon's lead. He rushed at one of the fractured pillars. With a sharp kick, he finished breaking it down. Snatching up the splintered half, he took a running start and lunged at the monster. He drove the wood into her throat like a lance.

The kokuri babā emitted one final gurgling cry, raking at Jake who jumped back an instant too late to avoid being slashed across his chest by her claws. He swore foully.

"Move back!" Leon shouted hoarsely. "Her blood'll burn you!"

He came up behind Jake and dragged him away from the spreading pool of dark blood, which bubbled and steamed as it corroded the wooden floorboards.

The kokuri babā convulsed in death throes for another moment before finally going still, her tongue lolling out of her mouth.

"Finally," Jake muttered.

Flooded with relief, Leon staggered backward, nearly spent. "Sara!" he exclaimed suddenly.

He rushed over to her.. His heart sank at the sight of her kneeling on the ground, head bowed.

Leon dropped beside her. "Sara! Can you hear me?" he called, grasping her shoulders.

Sara was unresponsive.

Clutching his bleeding chest, Jake crouched beside her. "C'mon, Wondergirl. You're all right, huh?"

Leon stared at Sara with bated breath. Presently, she began to laugh softly.

Leon exhaled sharply.

"You're both… crazy," Sara mumbled.

Leon gently raised her chin and looked into her face. Despite her weary countenance, her dark eyes gleamed with the resilient spirit that had captivated him long ago.

"Yeah? Welcome to the club, sweetheart," he replied, smiling slightly.

Pleased at Sara's recovery, Jake's mouth quirked into a small smile. "Yep, you're one of us, babe. Remember this, though: crazy people get shit done."

Sara chuckled. "No argument there." She turned her eyes to him. "Oh, Jake," she breathed, seeing his wounds.

Jake waved his bloodstained hand dismissively. "Little scratch ain't gonna do me in. Glad you're okay."

"We'd better move," Leon said. "Anything else might be lurking."

He and Jake each took one of Sara's hands and helped her rise. The sound of distant whirring made Leon suddenly stop dead.

"You hear that?" he asked, looking hard at his companions.

"Something's coming," Sara said tensely, glancing upward.

Leon and Jake followed her gaze.

"Oh, shit…" Leon murmured. "It's―"

"A drone!" Jake shouted. "And it's heading straight for us!"

A small black tactical drone was jetting toward them.

"Run!" Sara cried.

Everyone dashed off, moving as quickly as they could. But they couldn't outrun the drone. It zipped overhead without stopping, dropping something as it sped past.

The unknown object fell just inches away from the team who skidded to a halt as it hit the ground.

"Bomb!" Leon exclaimed, his eyes going wide.

The bomb exploded in a flare of white light and a billow of gaseous crimson smoke.

The trio collapsed, blinded and choking on the gas which rolled over them like a bloody fog.

Time seemed to grind to a halt as Leon writhed on the ground, watching his friends squirm feebly. He struggled to breathe, his vision dimming. Dazed, he tried to rise, but his limbs felt like jelly, and the world reeled violently. He collapsed again.

Feeling his consciousness ebbing away, Leon became vaguely aware of an approaching vehicle. Through the remaining ruddy haze he saw the same military-grade Jeep they had encountered earlier. It pulled up, and a black-clad figure leaped out of the bed and approached the fallen group.

Leon strained to look up and found himself gazing at a familiar black mask. "Kuroki," he uttered weakly.

Overcome by the noxious gas at last, he became insensible.