"Here it is, sir…"
A young man steps quietly into the room…
The cell door is open, and the walls and floor are covered in blood…
In the corner, doctors are hurriedly stitching up a wound on Krauser's body.
Another group stands by to carry him away.
The young man takes a few more steps…
A corpse lies in the corner…
Covered with a white sheet.
He approaches the body…
He lifts the sheet…
Liv's face is pale…
Her lips are dry…
The blow landed at the back right of her neck…
She likely died within seconds.
The young man's sea-blue eyes seem utterly empty…
Ayato is staring at the body of his oldest friend—someone he could call his sister, his family…
He gently covers her face again and stands up…
A memory flashes before his eyes.
"Liv… are you abandoning me to loneliness as well?"
"I swear… my death will come by your hand…"
"Liar…" he thinks bitterly.
He closes his eyes.
It hurts.
"Soldier."
"Yes, sir!"
"Put all NWC forces on high alert.
Denis will be captured… but alive and barely breathing.
His life will end in my hands…"
"Understood!!!!"
The soldier exits.
Ayato waits a bit longer…
After Krauser is taken away, he sits beside Liv once more.
⸻
The Hawk's Nest
Several soldiers are running quickly toward a location…
At that moment, a door opens, and Denis steps out, followed closely by Elda.
"What are you doing?"
"Just a little errand…"
He immediately heads toward the staircase.
"Don't you fear the cameras?"
"Those slackers are napping right now…"
After climbing a few floors, Denis takes another turn…
Elda runs after him:
"Took several bullets just moments ago and still running fine…
Then again, after getting shot in the head and still standing to slaughter people—
I'm surprised by the rat, not the elephant…"
Denis stops:
"From here on, you go outside and wait for me.
Head that way, go up the stairs, and wait at the top."
"For what?"
"Just do as I say."
Elda leaves—curiosity lingering in her mind.
Denis approaches a large door…
He opens it—it's Ayato's office.
He pulls a flashcard from his pocket…
Opens the laptop on the desk and inserts the flashcard.
Several password attempts… wrong passwords.
He pauses… too many failures might trigger an alarm.
One last attempt… and it works.
He accesses the files and begins copying some to the flashcard…
Then deletes the originals from the computer.
He grabs the flashcard and prepares to leave…
The door opens.
Someone enters…
A black, oversized cloak…
A hood covering the face…
A giant anchor held at the ready.
Admiral Anchor.
"Well, aren't you eager…"
"You're still not dead, old fossil?"
"I won't die… but you will."
"Looks like I'll pull the same trick on you… how dull…"
Denis steps forward and raises his gun at the Admiral's head.
The Admiral braces himself…
"Bam!! But this time…"
He fires at the Admiral—
The shot is dodged, but Denis follows up with a surprise knee strike.
Though partially blocked, the Admiral feels pain in his back—
The anchor crashes into Denis' stomach.
His jacket was open—
With nothing underneath, the strike pierces him directly.
But Denis drives a hidden knife into the Admiral's back and drags it sideways, opening a deep gash.
"Ahrghh..!"
He steps back, quickly recovers, and lands an upward kick to the Admiral's face.
The Admiral crashes into the wall.
Denis closes his jacket — hiding the wound, though fresh blood adds to the already crimson-stained coat.
He quickly escapes… cameras pick him up…
Alarms blare…
Most of the soldiers rush toward the office.
Denis sneaks his way to the top floor…
Elda is sitting, waiting.
"I thought you were dead…"
Denis walks past her without a word and looks down…
Ahhh… damn…
A real skyscraper…!
"How do you plan to get out of here…?"
Denis stands calmly, wind brushing against his face, gazing downward…
Elda steps closer.
"How were you planning to get me out of here?"
"Actually—"
"Arrgghhh!"
Denis quickly clutches his right eye.
"What happened? Did the stitches tear?"
"Yeah…"
"I've got thread. Figured this might happen."
"Regular sutures might hold for just a few hours…"
"Better than nothing…"
Bright red blood adds a terrifying shade to Denis' pale face…
Elda steps closer to stitch the wound:
"Don't worry.
Aid forces will arrive on the rooftop of a nearby building soon.
Once night falls, we can escape…"
She gently reaches toward his hauntingly pale face…
⸻
The door opens and Shun walks into his home…
Even though it's a "day off," it's been exhausting.
A new threat is emerging.
To make things worse, Taka will be pardoned that same day—August 17.
He takes a shower and relaxes…
Evening has arrived, and the sun is setting.
He grabs something to eat…
There's a strange fatigue weighing on him…
He wants to sleep early.
He enters his bedroom and lies on his bed…
Closes his eyes…
It doesn't take long—he drifts off…
Becomes unconscious…
But he feels it—
As if someone is watching him from afar…
An unsettling feeling…
"Tomorrow, I'll go to the archives.
Dig through some old files.
Knowing the past is comforting.
But some things are sad.
What's sadder is not being able to experience them alive."
He tries to calm himself with such thoughts…
"Stop lying to yourself…
Stop trying to win their approval…
Let go of yourself…"
Suddenly, he opens his eyes and quickly scans the room…
Those voices again??
"We both know…—————-"
It says something, but it's unclear…
Shun tenses slightly…
"Do you even know the legacy you hold?.."
"W-what's it saying?
What is this?
Why am I hearing this?
From where…?"
"Look at me…
MESSIAH...….."
Shun jumps up and runs to the bathroom
He splashes water on his face
Trying to come to his senses…
He looks into the mirror…
Sees someone with white hair…
"W-What?"
The eyes are not visible…
The chin is dripping with blood…
"Do you know who I am..?"
⸻
"Hhhaaaaahhh!!"
Shun wakes up in a panic…
"Hhhh….hhhhhhh…."
A dream… no… a nightmare…
"Again…?"
He gets up…
It's 2 AM…
To clear his mind, he heads to the kitchen to eat something… or at least keep himself occupied.