So this is that serial killer who killed your mother?

[Tokyo General Hospital – Emergency Ward]

The bright lights stung Ichiyo’s eyes as she lay on the bed, a bandage wrapped around her hand, already seeping faintly with blood. Every movement made her hiss in pain, clutching her hand closer to her body.

The doctor set down his instruments and looked at her gravely.

"These aren’t ordinary wounds. They look like deep cuts… were you attacked?"

Ichiyo swallowed hard, her breath trembling. She wanted to cry out 'Hideaki Miyahara!' but the image of his sadistic eyes flashed through her mind like lightning. She shuddered, knowing that the police might not only find him, but also Seiji.

"It… it was two… men…" she finally forced out, avoiding the doctor’s gaze. "I was walking home, they stopped me, one… had a knife. I don’t know why. They started hitting me, and then…" Her voice broke. "I managed to escape. Someone passing by helped me."

Her father nodded, gripping her shoulder gently. His eyes narrowed. "The police need to handle this. You have to tell them."

"I already told the doctor… it won’t help," she whispered, as if defending her story. "They must be far away by now… And I don’t remember what they looked like."

The doctor wrote something down in the file.
"The report will go to the police regardless. Injuries like these are classified as an assault with a deadly weapon. But since you say the attackers were unknown, the report will be filed as an attempted robbery."

Ichiyo nodded, though her heart pounded wildly.
"Alright… that’s what happened."

Her father sighed heavily, though suspicion lingered in his eyes.
"You’ll be safe. This time, you were lucky…"

Ichiyo sank back into the pillow, feeling exhaustion and pain dragging her eyelids down. She knew she had lied. But she couldn’t let the truth come out. Not yet.

---

The events of the previous day weighed heavily on her mind. She remembered the sharp bloody arrows that had struck her, and the wicked smile of Hideaki - the killer who murdered her mother.

She raised her hand, tracing the wound left by the arrow, the memory of the attack sending a shiver down her spine. The image of that cruel smile wouldn't leave her mind.

'I didn't stand a chance against him...' she thought bitterly 'If I hadn't been distracted by the phone, I might've had him...'

Suddenly her thoughts were interrupted. Someone entered her hospital room. It was her best friend, Izumi.

"Ichiyo!" Izumi's voice was filled with relief as she rushed over to her. "I was so worried! Your father called me, asking if you were at my place. When I said you'd already left for home, I didn't think-" She paused, eyes brimming with concern. "I had no idea something like this could happen!"

"It's alright, Izumi." Ichiyo's voice was soft but steady, trying to calm her friend. "I'm okay now."

Izumi exhaled sharply, sitting down by Ichiyo's side. "I don't even want to think about what could've happened to you! You're so lucky those men helped you with those... thugs, right? If it wasn't for them..."

Ichiyo's eyes softened with a distant nostalgia as she looked at her friend. They had been through so much together, grown up side by side, sharing every secret, every dream. Izumi was practically a sister to her.

But this secret was too heavy to keep any longer.

Ichiyo hesitated for a brief moment, before telling her... She took a deep breath, and began. "Izumi... I have to tell you something..."

"Yes?" Izumi rose her head.

"But... Please don't tell anyone else... It has to stay between us."

Izumi leaned in closer, her expression serious. "Of course, Ichiyo. You know I'd never tell anyone. You can trust me."

"Thank you..." Ichiyo's took a deep breath and started, "And now... Remember when my mother died on a business trip to Kyoto, two years ago?"

Izumi's face grew somber. "Of course. I remember it like it was yesterday."

"One of those men who saved me yesterday... Was the murderer who killed my mom..."

"W-what...?" Izumi's face went pale. "But... But your dad said they were good people, that they protected you from those thugs!"

Ichiyo shook her head. "Izumi... I... I made that up. I told my dad that story so he wouldn't know the truth. The man who saved me, he's not the killer... his friend is. Miyahara Hideaki."

Izumi froze as the name registered in her mind. "Miyahara... Hideaki...?" she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper. Her eyes widened as realization struck her. "Wait... he was on news!"

Ichiyo nodded. "I have to bring him to justice. For my mom... and for me."

Izumi stayed silent, her shock deepening. Her hand trembled slightly before she whispered, clearly overwhelmed, "But how did you know it was him this time?"

"I didn't at first," Ichiyo admitted, her voice tinged with hesitation. "But then..." She paused, recalling the sequence of events vividly. "A few weeks ago, as you did, I heard about him in the news. They said he was spotted in Tokyo and that the police were searching for him. Out of curiosity -or maybe obsession- I started looking for him too. I kept an eye out for anyone matching his description. When I finally saw someone who resembled him, I decided to follow... from a safe distance, of course."

Izumi covered her mouth with her hand, her face etched with horror.

"Ever since the police released his name and face after the murder, I've never been able to forget him. I couldn't accept that after he escaped from Kyoto, from his crimes place there were no leads. It felt like everyone had given up, but I couldn't. I started by looking into every little detail I could find about him - articles, police reports, anything I could get my hands on. I've been researching him for months... longer, even."

"You did... all of that? By yourself?" Izumi's voice trembled, her eyes filled with shock.

"Yes." Ichiyo nodded. Her voice wavered as she recounted the story, her eyes fixed on the floor. "But one evening, I lost track of him. I thought I had failed... until a few weeks later. I saw him again, in the dark alley when I was coming back from kombini store. But he wasn't the only one there. He was with another man - a blonde guy. I watched him being taken by this man to the apartment. Then, I saw them in Mall, around Ueno station and then again back in their apartment. I couldn't believe how close I was to him, the man who killed my mother."

Her voice grew shakier as she added, "And then, yesterday... when I heard him react to being called out, I got a close look at his face. When I saw him smile when he attacked me-" Ichiyo's voice broke, "-I just knew. That twisted smile... I'll never forget it. It was the same expression I imagined he had when he killed my mom. When I realized that, I tried to confront him. I thought I could handle it, but..." Ichiyo glanced at the wound on her hand, "I was wrong. I wasn't ready for him."

Izumi was silent for a long moment before she finally spoke, her voice shaking. "I-Ichiyo, this was so dangerous! You could've been killed!" Her eyes widened from fear.

"But I can't stop now. I need to make sure that he will be brought to justice! For my mom... and for me."

Ichiyo wasn't stupid. She should have known of the risks, and maybe she did, but one part of her was too stubborn to think rationally this time. The opportunity to get revenge was overwhelming her.

"Ichiyo-chan you t-told me about your research about h-him. If you know this much about him, then you sh-should go to the police!" Izumi pleaded, "Let them handle it! It's not your job to f-fight him! He's a criminal! And you're just a high school student! I couldn't stand it if you..." Her voice faltered, tears forming in her eyes. "If you'd d-died too."

Ichiyo looked down, her resolve shaken. Tears welled up in her eyes.

Izumi was deadly serious.

Her words seemed as she was lecturing her, something that she shouldn't do.

"I can't go with this to the police... That day I came to him for revenge... I gave him conditions... I wanted to play fair with him..."

She took a deep breath and continued,

"If he would win, I would be obligated to forget everything... About him, where he is, what he did to my mother... and here... you would come into play. With your Ability to erase memories, it would be perfect. You would clear our minds for good... everything would be perfect for him..."

Her voice faltered, but she forced herself to continue.

"If I would win... my revenge would be finished... He would be in the hands of the police... Officers would give me some money reward for getting them to the wanted criminal... Father's debts would end... The pain... Everything would be... all right... I.. would fix... everything that has gone wrong in my family since my mother died at the hands of that murderer..." she trailed off as tears streamed down her face, the weight of her burden heavy on her heart.

"Ichiyo..."

"B-but... unfortunately it didn't happen... I lost..." She quickly wiped out the tears...

"Ichiyo, revenge won't bring your mom back!" Izumi's voice cracked, tears spilling down her cheeks. "Please, don't do this... There are other ways to help your family, to make things right. You don't have to risk your life!"

"But I have to help my dad clear all debts he did! And I want this psychopath to pay the price of murdering someone who was so important in my life! That's why I need to get this serial killer... Somehow... I need a second plan..."

Izumi's heart raced as she listened to Ichiyo's words, imagining the worst-case scenario. The thought of losing her best friend was unbearable, and she couldn't bear the idea of Ichiyo putting herself in harm's way again.

"Please... give it a rest!" she screamed, feeling tears streaming down her cheeks. "There are some other ways to get money! Without heading into one on one fight with some dangerous criminal that escaped from jail! And I'm sure there are other ways to amends your mom's death!" Izumi knew that she had to do everything in her power to help her friend.

'I would be broken if she was gone... I lost my other friend before in middle school...'

Memories of a a boy - a student, flashed in her mind...

His brown eyes shining brightly as he was smiling, just to being later dramatically hang on with a rope, on the fan...

'I know that it's probably selfish... But... I... really... Would h-hate to experience the same pain once again!'

"I..." Izumi started "I wouldn't have survived it if the second time... the worst would have happened... Me... Your Dad... Everyone who loves you so much... So that's why... Please stop this madness!" Izumi's voice shook with emotion.

"I-Izumi..." Ichiyo's chest tightened as she saw the pain in her friend's eyes.

'Izumi... My mother...'

A flashed memory of the face of the woman that gave her birth. The kind smile she gifted her everytime when things went bad.

Ichiyo released another streams of tears from her eyes.

'Izumi-chan is right... my mother won't come back, no matter what I'd do. But just the feeling of getting rid of the person who made my family so much pain... would be at least satisfying...'

"I'm sorry..." Ichiyo whispered.

"I'm sorry too... I- I-just..." Izumi sobbed, "I want you to live! I don't know what I'd do without you! You are my dearest friend! A-almost as my sister!"

Ichiyo's eyes widen from emotions 'W-what..?' she couldn't believe her own words.

"Don't fall into blindness of revenge! I beg you!" Izumi cried out painfully.

'She’s so shattered... She's in pain. She... she wouldn't have survived if she would lost... me...'

Ichiyo fell how slowly on her cheeks were streamlining another streams of tears "I-Izumi..." she said her name, her voice breaking.

Seeing her friend's tears, realizing how much Izumi cared for her, made her feel the weight of her reckless decision.

"You are also very important to me Izumi! Sister!" suddenly, she hugged Izumi tightly, feeling the warmth of her embrace. She felt grateful to have someone like Izumi in her life, who cared about her so much.

Only now did she realize how reckless she was going to fight with a real serial killer... How stupid she was... she couldn't bear the thought of losing the people she loved most.

'I really could have died if not that blonde-haired man... I... I really could not to see Izumi, my dad anymore... What I've been thinking!?'

"Izumi!"

Izumi burst into tears "Ichiyo!"

They fell into each other's arms, sobbing quietly, the weight of the situation overwhelming them both.

"I'm begging y-you! Leave this case to the police! And. . . s-stay with me!"

"I-I'll do that! I'm sorry! I'm so so sorry!!"

The cries of the two young girls echoed in every corner of the room, their sobs filling the air. For a moment, it felt suffocating, heavy with despair.

But slowly... gradually... the storm inside them began to settle. Their trembling shoulders eased, their breaths evened out. The tears still clung to their lashes, but the overwhelming panic was fading, replaced by a fragile calm.

They stayed in each other’s embrace, listening to the sound of their own breathing, until the silence between them became almost soothing.

At last, Ichiyo whispered, her voice softer now, "Thank you... Izumi."

Izumi sniffled, pressing her forehead gently against her friend’s. "Just... don’t ever leave me like that again..."

Their hearts were still heavy, but the frantic fear had ebbed, leaving behind a quiet sense of relief — two friends clinging to each other, slowly, painfully, finding calm.

"I.. I know what I have to do.." Ichiyo added when the calm entered her shattered heart.

Finally she knew the right thing she had to make in her life.

"W-what's that?" Izumi asked, wiping off rest of the tears from her face.

"I must thank the man who saved me. He is the reason I am here now..."

"But he... He's in the same place as this murderer... I-isn't he?"

"Unfortunately yes... But he has no bad intentions. I assure you."

"But what if something goes wrong again?"

"It'll be alright... Now, I'll be smarter... I assure you, Izumi.."

"Are you s-sure...?"

"Mhm!"

"Could I... go there with you? Just in case."

"Yes. Of course, Izumi-chan." Ichiyo's smile widened as she saw Izumi's face adorned with calm.

She thought about her impending release from the hospital. Izumi shared in her excitement, eager to have her best friend by her side again.

[Meanwhile – Briefing Room, Headquarters]

The profiler arrived without unnecessary words.
Dark coat, long straight black hair, sharp eyes, a presence like a scalpel.

Previously affiliated with the National Police Agency's Behavioral Analysis Unit, she worked on high-profile serial cases, including arson and ritualistic killings.

Briefly taught forensic psychology at a university but quickly returned to fieldwork, stating: "The human mind isn't theory. It's blood on the wall."

Shiraishi cleared his throat and then continued,

"She has been temporarily assigned to case number 195-Σ... also known as the 'Bloodsucker.'" He looked at the team. "Her job is to provide the Miyahara's profile, emotional analysis, and behavioral patterns. She does not replace the investigation. She's a support tool."

She sat down, pulled out her tablet, and began reviewing the information the police had desperately gathered. On the table were crime scene photos — bodies, symbols, blood. Blood everywhere.

She scrolled through the files, her finger gliding across the screen, eyes focused.

"This man... doesn't operate with cold calculation." She said quietly, slowly, "He doesn't plan 'exhibits,' and he's not seeking an audience. This isn't theatre. It's eruption. Everything he does bursts out of emotional extremes — rage, elation, obsession."

One of the officers sighed and murmured low, to himself, half-scoffing
"No shit. We've been swimming in it for almost two and half months..."

She didn't hear him. Or didn't care. She continued

"They're like nervous tics. His mind needs it to look... 'perfect'. Precision, symmetry — his strokes resemble calligraphy." She gazed deeply at the bloody carved kanji signs on some of dead bodies "But it's not about sending a message. He's not writing. He's spilling out of himself. His 'art' is how he vents pressure." she talked with complete calm, even when describing the most gruesome scenes of Hideaki's murders.

"So it's more like... a cleansing ritual?" Tanaka added quietly.

"An emotional ritual. Not spiritual — physical. During the attack, he falls into a trance. He carves, draws, arranges — all of it driven by inner chaos, not intent. And when it's over... he disappears. Like something burnt out."

Suddenly, another officer asked,
"So he's not trying to say anything, then? No leaving messages?"

Kisaragi shook her head.
"No. What he leaves is a trace of his psychological state. These symbols aren't messages — they're the temperature of his madness. And when he strikes again, they'll shift. Because he is shifting. The more lost he becomes, the more chaotic his 'work' will be... or worse — disturbingly precise."

Tanaka nodded and whispered to Nakamura
"How did she came up with all this by just looking at few random pictures of this psychopath's work?"

Nakamura discreetly leaned over him, and silently replied
"She has a soft spot for old Japanese ink and calligraphy, which probably allows her to understand the "aesthetics of violence" in Miyahara's crimes better than anyone else."

"Ooh... I understand." Tanaka nodded.

Then, another officer - Inoue, came up with the question,
"And if the 'work' stops? If the killings suddenly stop?"

"Then I'd be most afraid." Kisaragi responded calmly, with a shade of something colder im the background "Because he's an artist. And if his killings go quiet... it may mean he's preparing for something bigger. A broader canvas. A massacre. That fragile Control that he have... if he loses it, he might turn to something masa carange. A school. A shrine. Somewhere big enough to spread his twisted bloodshed."

"So we're dealing with someone who could kill more publicly?" Nakamura asked, while rubbing his chin.

"It would be worse case scenerio, but... If he will loose himself completely to his madness — yes. He'll scream. With blood."