The broadcast was still running and the air in the room was heavy. Kouji leaned forward in his seat, eyes locked on the screen as Ketsu dashed through a crumbling corridor made of stone. Blood on his shirt, his arms shaking—but he didn't stop moving.
Yuusuke leaned against the wall, arms folded. His usually easygoing smile was gone.
"He's not gonna last forever," Kouji muttered, voice low.
Yuusuke sighed. "He's pushing himself too far."
There was a pause. The screen was flickering from time to time.
Ketsu was moving toward another chamber. Another demi-human. Another round.
Without a word, Kouji was already out the door.
Ryo's office was quiet.
The moment they burst in, they froze.
Standing casually against the far wall, hands in his coat pockets, was Akechi. No shackles. No guards. Only that same unreadable smirk.
Kouji's eyes narrowed. Yuusuke immediately went stiff, shifting his foot just slightly in case he needed to move.
Akechi looked at them and gave a small nod.
"What the hell is he doing here?" Kouji asked, shooting a glance at Ryo, who was seated at his desk, calm as ever.
"He's not a prisoner right now, we need him," Ryo said, standing. "I'm taking him somewhere else."
Akechi's eyes flashed with subtle amusement, but he didn't speak.
"Whatever," Kouji stepped forward, fists clenched. "Send us in. The dungeon. Wherever it is—send us."
Ryo didn't flinch. "You can't enter a space that doesn't exist on this plane."
Kouji's voice rose. "So we're just supposed to—"
"No," Ryo said, eyes meeting his. "You're going to find the one who made it. Someone created this nightmare—and if we find them, we might find a way to end it from the outside."
Silence fell. Yuusuke, now by Kouji's side, gave a quiet nod.
Kouji took the file and turned to leave, Yuusuke at his side.
As they walked out, Akechi called out lazily, "Try not to get yourselves killed, boys."
They left.
"How long are you going to keep that mask on," Ryo asked.
Akechi didn't reply, he only smiled with his eyes closed.
The alley was suffocating. Fog laced with something toxic clung to the ground.
A man in a long black coat and a plague doctor mask giggled to himself, twirling a glass vial between his fingers.
"Ten million people in a cage…" he whispered, voice giddy. "And no one even sees the bars."
He popped the vial, inhaled, and sighed with satisfaction.
"They'll see soon. They'll all see."
"Right, Shinji?"
He turned and vanished into the dark.
Sora sat alone in her room, curled up by the window. The stream was still running—still showing Ketsu.
He looked worse now. His eyes were dull, movements slower.
She pressed a hand against the screen. Her fingers trembled.
"Please…" she whispered. "Don't die."
She stood. Pulled her coat over her shoulders. Quietly stepped out the door.
A black association car was standing by the side of the Road. Inside, Ryo sat with his arms folded, gazing through the window.
Akechi sat beside him, his smirk gone for once.
Ryo didn't look at him as he spoke. "Are you ready?."
The vehicle started driving into the horizon.