The night air outside the abandoned building still carried the faint stench of smoke and blood. Ka-nar stumbled out from the shadows, clutching his chest, his breath ragged. His mind was spinning from the chaos he had just witnessed.
He had run away from the fight, powerless… once again. And yet, that mysterious figure—cloaked in aura, moving with precision beyond human reflex—had appeared out of nowhere and turned the tide.
Ka-nar leaned against the cold wall of the building, trying to steady his breathing. His Neno Lens flickered faintly, as if recording every detail of the battle. But he could not bring himself to replay it. Not yet. His heart was still pounding too fast.
From deep within the building, the echo of clashing steel and mechanized gears finally fell silent. A shadow emerged through the broken doorway.
It was him. The mysterious protector. His aura had dimmed, but his steps were still steady, confident. His presence carried a weight Ka-nar couldn't understand.
Behind him, dragging his broken exoskeleton arm, came Satsujin. The reinforced armor on his chest bore deep cracks, glowing faintly from the strain of the energy cores inside. His mask flickered with static as he glared at the cloaked man.
For a moment, Ka-nar thought the fight would resume. But instead, Satsujin stopped, his breathing heavy.
"…Tch." He spat blood on the ground, his voice distorted through the helmet. "You… whoever you are… you've bought him time."
The protector said nothing. His stance didn't shift, but Ka-nar could feel the tension in the air.
Satsujin tilted his head toward Ka-nar, his mechanical eye whirring.
"Don't get the wrong idea, Ka-nar." His voice was sharp, layered with contempt. "You think you can run, hide behind someone like this forever? You can't."
Ka-nar's eyes widened. His own name, spoken so clearly.
He had been targeted all along.
Satsujin took a step forward, then stopped, wincing as his exoskeleton hissed from internal damage. "The Akuma Gang doesn't stop. Even if I bleed tonight, even if I retreat… the hunt will continue. And when this phantom can't save you…" His voice lowered into a growl, "I'll be there."
Ka-nar froze, unable to speak. His hands trembled against the wall, his throat dry.
The protector shifted slightly, his presence pressing forward like a silent wall between Ka-nar and Satsujin. The air itself seemed to hum around him.
For a tense moment, Ka-nar thought they would clash again. But Satsujin only let out a harsh breath, retracting the remaining parts of his damaged exoskeleton. With a final glare, he turned and disappeared into the darkness of the ruined streets, leaving behind only the faint sound of his broken armor grinding.
The silence that followed was unbearable.
Ka-nar sank to the ground, his chest heaving. "…Why… why me?" he muttered, his voice breaking.
The protector slowly turned toward him, his face still hidden in shadow. He didn't answer right away. Instead, he crouched down, his tone low but firm.
"You've stepped into something larger than you realize," the man said. "The Akuma Gang… Satsujin… they're only one side of it."
Ka-nar raised his head weakly, his eyes narrowing. "Then… who are you?"
The protector's gaze lingered on him, unreadable. "…An agent," he finally said. "From Sato Akira."
The name made Ka-nar's heart skip. He had heard of Sato Akira before— whispered in hushed tones in the darker corners of the net, spoken of like a ghost story. A figure tied to research, experiments, and secrets the government never wanted citizens to uncover.
Ka-nar swallowed hard. "Then… you're here because of the Neno Lens?"
The protector didn't deny it. "…The Lens is more dangerous than you think. It's not just a tool. It's a key. And as long as it's in your possession… the world around you will shift."
Ka-nar felt a cold shiver creep down his spine. The Lens pulsed faintly at his temple, almost as if reacting to the words.
The man stood up again, his cloak rustling. His aura, though subdued, still made the air feel heavy. "Survive tonight. That's all that matters for now. But remember Satsujin's words. He's not wrong. I can't always save you."
Ka-nar's fists clenched. The helplessness from earlier surged back, burning in his chest. He hated it—this weakness, this dependence on someone else. He wanted to fight, to stand on his own, but all he had done was run.
The protector turned toward the street. "They'll come again soon. Don't waste the time you've been given."
Ka-nar struggled to stand, leaning against the wall. "Wait—!"
But the figure was already fading into the night, swallowed by the shadows as if he had never been there.
Ka-nar stood there in silence, trembling. His thoughts churned like a storm—about the Lens, about Satsujin, about this so-called agent of Sato Akira. Nothing made sense, yet everything around him was changing too fast.
His chest tightened with fear, but beneath it… something else stirred. A fire.
"…I won't always run," he whispered to himself. His words shaky, but firm. "Not forever."
The city stretched before him, filled with dangers he could barely comprehend. But deep down, Ka-nar knew: the real story had only just begun.
And Satsujin's warning still echoed in his mind.
You can't always be saved.