Evolution. I

I didn’t know Katy had a driver’s license…

That gray afternoon marked our first solo case together.

As such, we were granted one of the company vehicles to visit our potential client.

Oh wait…

“Autopilot activated,” read the message on the dashboard screen.

Even so, Katy kept her hands firmly on the steering wheel and her eyes glued to the road. Judging by her tension, I guessed she believed that, autopilot or not, my life depended on her.

“Let’s hope the sky holds up—I didn’t bring an umbrella,” my golden-eyed partner commented, glancing up at the ominous darkness above.

“Neither did I. It’s turning into a miserable evening…” I observed how the wind swept leaves and small branches back and forth across the street.

“We’ll do just fine, you’ll see,” she smiled, her eyes still fixed on the road ahead.

With a couple of minutes left before we arrived, I turned my attention to the case file folder. For some reason, the documents didn’t include a photo of the infected person, only his address, some personal details, and a list of symptoms.

Case No. 746.

Outer District No. 17.

How odd…

Kenzo Miura. Age: 32.

“Life expectancy without implants: ????”

I focused on the document listing his symptoms.

How is this possible…?

Symptoms: Partial memory loss…

A fleeting image of my father’s sickly face before his death flashed through my mind. His last words. Tatsumi’s defeated expression.

Other symptoms included partial loss of touch and taste and minor motor skill issues.

“There’s no mention of rot…” I muttered.

“Did you say something?”

“Nothing, nothing. Just talking to myself…” I closed the folder.

These symptoms aren’t what you’d expect from a typical S-Flu infection… Could it be related to what Yamaguchi and Tatsumi mentioned…?

“We’re almost there, by the way.”

“Yeah, the architecture’s unmistakable.”

We must convince Kenzo Miura to seek treatment. I cannot allow cases of that to remain on the streets…

I looked out the window as we entered another poor, outer district.

Despite not telling Katy anything about the fifth evolution, the tension was palpable. It became especially clear when we stopped in front of a dilapidated five-story building listed as Kenzo’s residence.

I swallowed hard at the sight of the broken entryway, covered in graffiti and trash.

“This is it…” Katy tried to control her bangs, which danced wildly in the strong wind.

Wind that whistled sharply as it rushed through the gaps and corners of the crumbling building.

“There doesn’t seem to be an intercom…” I examined the walls outside.

For some strange reason, not a single soul could be seen in the dark, gray streets, mirroring the overcast sky. I tried to convince myself it was because of the looming storm.

“What do you want to do?”

If this is a possible case of the fifth evolution of the S-Flu…

I walked over to the mailboxes. There, I found what I was looking for:

“Kenzo Miura, Unit 8.”

“I’m going to take a quick look. It’d be a shame if our first case ended so soon.” I stepped through the broken door. “Care to join me, Miss?”

She hesitated for a moment, glancing one last time at the black clouds before stepping in after me.

In total silence, we ascended the stairs of that place slowly. It felt like a scene straight out of a zombie movie, especially with one of the doors repeatedly banging due to the wind.

With each thud, we climbed another step, carefully navigating the darkness and the garbage piled up on the landings.

Outside, raindrops were beginning to timidly fall onto our car’s windshield.

We finally reached Unit 8 on the third floor.

The door was ajar. Wooden, with its lock seemingly smashed in with a single blow.

In silence, I looked into those golden eyes one last time before stepping inside.

Tense, she touched my back, determined to stay by my side no matter what. I nodded in return.

“Hello?” I called through the doorway.

“...Huh?!” came a distant response. Someone was inside.

“Kenzo Miura?” I called again.

We could hear footsteps and erratic breathing—hesitant, as though the person wasn’t sure what to do.

“Kenzo, I’m Isayama Tore, contagion investigator for Cellos Robotics…”

No response.

Instead, the person inside mumbled incessantly, as if he’d lost his mind.

“Kenzo, don’t be alarmed. I’m coming in…” I began to push the door open slowly. “I’m entering—are you alright?”

CRASH!

Just as I stepped inside, the sound of a window shattering startled me.

“Huh!” I quickly scanned the room. The apartment was dark and in a deplorable state.

“Isayama?”

It took me a second to process: Kenzo had fled.

“Damn it!” I dashed down the stairs.

“What are you doing?!”

“He ran!” I shouted back to Katy as I descended two steps at a time. “We can’t let him get away!”

“Wait!”

I burst out into the street just as the rain started to fall in earnest.

“Kenzo!” I shouted, spotting a hooded man fleeing down the road. “Come back!”

I sprinted after him under the growing downpour.

He can’t escape! I can’t let someone infected with that escape!

I ran like my life depended on it, like humanity depended on it.

I was shocked when, thanks to her implants, Katy passed me like a gust of wind.

Watching my partner leave me behind, I had to rethink my strategy.

“Katy! Herd him left!” I shouted, barely able to breathe.

“Got it!” she confirmed, chasing the hooded figure as he turned in the indicated direction.

Quickly, I changed my trajectory, weaving through the streets to try and cut him off.

Run, Isayama! Even without implants, run for all you’re worth!

The rain turned into a torrential downpour as I pushed my body to its limits.

After several minutes of chasing, I managed to set up my trap.

Just as Kenzo was running through an abandoned street, I appeared in his path to block him.

“We don’t want to hurt you, Kenzo—!” Before I could finish, we collided and rolled across the wet pavement.

It felt like I’d been hit by a truck.

“Kenzo!” I tried to restrain him, but I failed.

Completely out of control, the hooded man began punching me in the face until he broke free, leaving my nose bleeding.

“Damn it!” I cursed, furious.

Without any sign of Katy, I continued chasing the infected man.

“Wait!” I panted, drenched by the relentless rain, accompanied by the howling wind and distant sirens.

Sirens… It must be the quarantine team.

I followed their direction, ignoring my exhaustion and the blood still dripping from my nose.

Confusion soon replaced my fatigue.

“Huh?” I made direct eye contact with them.

I must stop the fifth evolution…

Silent, breathless, under the rain and wind…

“Under the authority of Hero Enterprise, you are hereby detained. Anything you do or say can be used against you…” echoed the repeated warnings of the drones hovering over the scene.

I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

The moment their faces turned toward me, I caught a flicker of nervousness or unease under the harsh lights of the drones and sirens—or at least, that’s how I interpreted it.

Seeing the situation, I decided not to approach.

“Under the authority of Hero Enterprise, you are hereby detained. Anything you do or say can be used against you…”

I took cover from the rain under a small awning.

Away from the ghostly street, cars passed by on the nearby main road.

Kenzo Miura lay subdued on the ground by the quarantine team personnel and surveillance drones, exhausted from the chase.

“W-what are they…” I muttered weakly.

“Under the authority of Hero Enterprise, you are hereby detained. Anything you do or say can be used against you…”

“What are they doing here?” The rain poured without mercy.

In addition to the drones, quarantine team members, and their vehicles, Irina Kaft and Ilya Reutermann were also present.

“Under the authority of Hero Enterprise, you are hereby detained. Anything you do or say can be used against you…”

Standing under umbrellas, they looked at me with an air of confusion, their expressions inscrutable.

Without a word or gesture in my direction, they focused entirely on the detention of Kenzo.

Soon after, they began to leave.

“Isayama!” Katy called, finally catching up to me. She was gasping for air, drenched to the bone. “Kenzo! Where is he?! I was chasing him and then—”

She stopped mid-sentence, seeing the infected man being taken away.

“Under the authority of Hero Enterprise, you are hereby detained. Anything you do or say can be used against you…”

I stared ahead, unable to process what had just happened.

“I-Isayama… I-I think it’s time to leave…”

Still out of sorts, I looked at her for a couple of seconds, the sound of rain and the clouds filling the silence.

“L-let’s go, Isayama. I-I don’t like this…” she pleaded, frightened.

“Katy…”

“I-I don’t like thunder…” she stammered, shivering.

“I-I’m sorry…”

BOOM!

We were momentarily blinded by the flash of a lightning, followed by its deafening thunder.

“Katy!”

My partner panicked.

She stumbled, screaming, and instinctively covered her ears with her hands.

“W-what’s wrong?”

Her panic was so intense that she unconsciously stepped onto the road—just as a car sped toward her.

“Katy!” I lunged for her, deafened by the car’s horn.

…

Don’t ask me how we ended up there.

Soaked by the rain, all I could see before me were those golden eyes.

Her pale, wet, and frightened face.

The warmth of her arms around my neck.

Barely avoiding the car, we’d landed on the ground, lying mere centimeters apart.

Silent.

Completely detached from the rest of the universe.

She was breathing heavily, terrified.

The only thing I could feel was her breath against my lips.

Completely mesmerized, I gently brushed aside a few wet strands of hair that had fallen across her face with my right hand.