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[Later at Seiji's apartament]

Seiji worked quietly in the kitchen, the scent of dinner filling the air, but his mind was elsewhere.

He stared at the food in the pan, trying to push away the disturbing images that had flooded his mind - images of Pixie's dismembered body and the blood-soaked room.

He blinked hard, shaking off the thoughts, and focused on finishing the meal.

When dinner was ready, he sat down to eat in silence.

Several dozen minutes passed.

Hideaki suddenly sucked in a sharp breath, as if someone had yanked him out of deep water.

He opened his eyes — dull, exhausted, barely conscious. He was disoriented.

He stared at the ceiling.

Then at the bandages wrapped around his chest.

His body felt like it had been through hell. He frowned, as if trying to remember something, but his mind was completely blank.

Hideaki murmured, his voice hoarse.

"W… What happened…?"

He tried to sit up — hissed in pain and collapsed back down.

Seiji, sitting on a chair beside him, didn’t even lift his head from his phone.

"Don’t move," he said coolly, but quietly. "You lost too much blood."

Hideaki squinted, staring at the bandages.

Then he looked at Seiji, confused.

"Who…? Who did this…?"

"You.

Yourself.

You passed out."

Seiji answered briefly.

Hideaki froze.

"…I passed out?" he repeated dully, as if it were the most humiliating word in the world.

Seiji let out a faint, impatient sigh.

"Yes. You passed out from exhaustion and blood loss. And that actually saved my life," he added half-ironically. "You knocked over the table."

Hideaki blinked.

Then blinked again.

"W… what?"

Seiji finally looked up. His tone was dry, natural, devoid of drama.

"That’s how I freed myself, Ken, and Rika. I treated your wounds. Dragged you out of there. Brought you home. Did what I could. Then you slept for a few hours." He shrugged lightly.

"In short: yes. I saved your life."

Hideaki stared at him with wide eyes.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but no words came out. In his eyes was something between disbelief and embarrassment.

"Y-you…" his voice cracked just slightly.

"You saved… me…?"

Seiji shrugged, as if he were talking about something entirely mundane.

"Not the first time. And probably not the last."

Hideaki looked away, fixing his gaze on the wall.

A moment later, he lowered his eyes, trying to process it.

His fingers tightened slightly around the edge of the couch.

"Why…?" he whispered, almost to himself.

Seiji looked down at him — cool, but not hostile.

"Because…" he paused briefly, then finished with absolute honesty,

"someone has to keep you alive before you do something even stupider. After all, you’re supposed to kill me. And you can’t do that if you’re dead."

Hideaki flinched.

And in his eyes appeared an emotion he almost never showed:

gratitude.

Quiet. Unfamiliar. Painful.

Seiji exhaled slowly.

"But because of that…" he said at last,

"you put me in an impasse."

Hideaki blinked.

"An… impasse…?"

Seiji nodded, sitting up straighter.

"Yes. Because on one hand… I don’t want you to kill. To spiral into madness. I don’t want you to end up as the monster everyone thinks you are."

Hideaki stiffened — Seiji noticed, but continued.

"But on the other hand…" his voice hardened,

"if you hadn’t killed Pixie, we’d all be dead. Me. Ken. Rika. You too."

Hideaki looked away, as if that hurt more than his wounds.

"It frustrates me," Seiji went on.

"I can’t tell you that what you did was wrong. Because if you hadn’t done it, we all would’ve died there. Even I couldn’t come up with another way out."

Seiji lifted a hand and ran it through his hair in irritation.

"So what am I supposed to do with you…?" he asked under his breath, more to himself than to Hideaki.

"You have something in you that can save people. And at the same time, something that can destroy them. That can’t be ignored."

Hideaki swallowed.

Then slowly looked up at him.

"So… what…?"

"So," Seiji adjusted his glasses,

"this is an impasse. A dilemma that can’t be resolved with a single sentence."

Silence followed.

Then Seiji added quietly, but very clearly:

"I want you to stop killing."

Seiji looked him straight in the eyes — cold, honest, without softness.

"…"

"But I can’t pretend that what happened with Pixie wasn’t necessary."

Then he took a deep breath. Not out of relief, but from something dark smoldering in his mind.

"And there’s more… something very important…"

Seiji pointed a finger at him.

"You stupid idiot. Do you even realize the risk you put us in if Ken or Rika figured out who you really are?"

His tone was measured, but there was frustration beneath it.

"N-no…" Hideaki murmured quietly.

"You killed her. Yes. That saved our lives… but for fuck’s sake. You could’ve done it without putting on a display that practically screamed what you really are."

His mind flickered back to Hideaki’s twisted expression during the fight, unsettling him for a moment.

"In that regard, you fucked up. Because if those two don’t report this to the police… you’re unbelievably lucky."

Hideaki closed his eyes.

And for the first time in a long while…

he looked like someone truly thinking about the consequences of his actions.

[Meanwhile – Before Pixie's Hideout]

A group of armed police officers stood in front of the brick building.

"This is it..." one of them said.

"Let's see how accurate that tip really was."

They cautiously entered through the back door — the same one Seiji, Hideaki, Ken, and Rika had used earlier.

The air inside was dark, but the stench of a decomposing body was unmistakable.

"Ugh —what the hell is that smell?" one officer asked, covering his nose with his sleeve.

Another swept his flashlight around the room. When the beam landed on Pixie's body — and her severed head lying beside it — he froze, holding his breath.

"What the hell... is this?"

A third officer scanned the surroundings.

"Looks like some kind of small torture room... And this one here — this is Keiko Itō."

"Pixie? That psycho our unit's been hunting for so long?"

The officer nodded. "Yeah. But it looks like... she carried out her own death sentence. Or rather—"

He glanced at the blood-soaked axe lying nearby.

"—someone did it for her."

"Call SAAS," another officer added quietly. "We're going to need their help."

---

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is the main body that oversees everything. Within it, there is a dedicated specialized section:

Special Ability Analysis Section (SAAS)

Specialists only appear for serious cases — mass murder, unexplained disappearances, Ability-related crimes, murder weapon disappearance or scenes that defied conventional forensics.

Their job isn't to identify who committed the crime —
but how it was done.

Every Magic Ability leaves traces behind which decays over time but does not disappear immediately. Faint signatures embedded in blood, air particles, damaged surfaces, even in the nervous tissue of victims.

Using specialized detectors and analyzers, the unit can:

Identify the type of Magic Ability used and the user of it, {Each Magic Ability leaves a distinctive energy pattern — something like a DNA or chemical signature.}

Estimate how recently it was activated

Determine intensity, control level, and user experience

Detect foreign Ability residue — stolen, copied, or forcibly extracted powers.

---

[2 days later]

Ken was waiting for a train to his apartment at the metro station.

Suddenly, he noticed Rika standing nearby, waiting for her train.

Ken's heart started racing. Being alone with his crush filled him with a mixture of excitement and nerves. He took a deep breath to calm himself and decided to strike up a conversation.

"Hi Rika! Are you waiting for the train too?"

Rika turned her head, and upon seeing Ken, she smiled. "Hi. Yes. I just finished my job."

"Heh, so do I." Ken said. Then added after a moment, "So, I actually was curious about one thing, but, because of all that mess that happened recently... it kinda slipped my mind. Can you, uh... Can you tell me where do you work now?" He asked a little bit anxious.

"As an English teacher in junior high school."

"Oh, it must be very nice to teach all those students."

"Heh, it isn't always so colorful. Kids nowadays don't have much of a drive to learn... Only a few are really interested in English..."

"I see... Many of them probably have problems with remembering words too."

Ken scratched the back of his neck and added with a small, awkward chuckle:

"I mean... I still do. So I guess that means I'd be one of your worst students."

Rika chuckled softly, but then, she paused. Her laugh fading into distance.

A sudden silence fell as they stood there on the platform. The wind gently moved their hair...

Rika sighed, her gaze distant, as if lost in thought.

"I... still remember it..."

"It...?"

"The Pixie's massacre day... Those gruesome images keep playing in my mind... like they're stuck there, unable to go away. It's so frustrating..."

"Rika-chan..." Ken said, his voice thick with concern for her.

"It's horrible..." she whispered. "What happened... was beyond understanding..."

"I feel you..." Ken replied softly "But, at the same time... I'm relieved it's over now..."

"Same here... if that girl had seriously killed us all... Not to mention taken away our Magic Abilities forever..." She paused briefly.

"Don't worry..." He said calmly "It didn't happen."

"Mhm..." she said, her voice quiet as she gazed at the empty metro passage.

"You know, Ken..." she suddenly began, her voice tinged with hesitation.

"Even though I'm grateful that Hideaki helped us... I'm... still having nightmares about him. About him... and Pixie... and that awful situation we were trapped in..."

She exhaled shakily.

"Sometimes, I feel like those images will never leave my head..."

Ken moved closer to her, instinctively wanting to comfort her, but as his hand reached out, he hesitated. Instead, he sighed, choosing a safer route.

"I feel that too... He's... definitely a weird, violent person... I'm genuinely scared of him... but, honestly... I guess it's just like Seiji said... if it weren't for him, we might have ended up as human meat cans... Heh..."

"Y-yeah..." Rika chuckled nervously, her anxiety still evident in the small shake of her voice.

They lapsed into a comfortable silence for a moment, with Ken occasionally stealing glances at her. Finally, he mustered the courage to speak again, his voice soft but determined.

"Rika... Listen... Apart from all the terrible events... and our busy work... Would you like to go on another date? I-I mean... a meeting? Tomorrow? Just the two of us... I... I really like you. I mean, I really enjoy spending time with you! And I think that a little break would help calm our minds after everything we've been through..." Ken's voice faltered toward the end, but there was a quiet earnestness to his words.

Rika's eyes softened as she met his gaze, her earlier anxiety giving way to a tentative smile. "Tomorrow? Um... Sure."

"Really?" Ken's heart skipped a beat in disbelief.

"Yes." She nodded, her smile now more confident, reassuring.

"That's amazing!" Ken blushed, his face turning bright red.

"Mhm" Rika responded softly. "But maybe... we won't go to ice cream this time? Hehe."

"Yeah... I'm done with ice cream for at least a year!"

Just then, the train arrived.

The wind blew through Rika's hair. She gazed at the train, "Oh..." she glanced back at Ken. "It's my train."

"S-Sure! No problem! Go have a rest! Y-you've got busy day tomorrow! All those kids needs your calmness and attention! Heheh.."

He blushed deeply and his tone shifted

"...including me."

He paused, then quickly added:
"Not that I'm a kid! I mean — you know what I mean.

Rika laughed silently at this.

"Heheh... I know, Ken, I know! Don't worry." She grinned soflty then added "... Should we exchange details and plan through our phones?"

"Absolutely!" Ken smiled widely.

"Then we've got a plan." Rika smiled and moved her steps towards the train wagon.

Ken beamed with happiness, his excitement clear in his eyes. "Have a peaceful night, Rika-chan!"

"You too! Oh, and Ken?" Rika paused just before stepping into the train.

"Yeah?" Ken asked, his voice full of curiosity.

"I guess that Pixie was right about one thing... You're really a handsome one." She blushed, the wind gently tousling her hair as she said it. She grinned at him once more, and as the train doors closed,

Ken felt a warm, radiant feeling in his heart, filling his entire being. "She... She said I'm handsome..." he muttered under his breath, his cheeks bright red. "See you soon, Rika-chan!"

Filled with excitement for their upcoming meeting, he walked away to the vending machine, his mind buzzing with the prospect of what was to come.

The memories from the massacre still lingered in his mind, but now they were softened by the new, brighter feelings that had taken root in his heart.

---

[ TV NEWS ]

---

"Over the past weekend, law enforcement made a chilling discovery in the case of Itō Keiko, a 26-year-old criminal known by the alias “Pixie.”

Authorities found her dead inside her hideout, her head brutally severed from her body.

During the investigation, fingerprints were recovered from one of the weapons believed to have been used in the killing. Investigators are now working to identify the individual responsible for her gruesome death.

In addition to her remains, police discovered residual traces of multiple stolen Magic Abilities, despite the absence of their original owners.

Itō-san was known to possess a Magic Ability that allowed her to steal the Abilities of others. She had long been considered the primary suspect in a series of Ability thefts and the recent disappearances of several customers from the Hana Bloom Café in the Bunkyō district.

Police had been pursuing “Pixie” for months in an effort to dismantle her operation. However, her violent death has shifted the focus of the investigation.

The case has now entered a new phase, as authorities work to uncover the circumstances surrounding her death and bring those responsible to justice. Further updates are expected as the investigation continues."

Hideaki sat on the couch, trembling, breathing shallow.

Investigators are now working to identify the individual responsible for her gruesome death

The sentence echoed grimly in his head.

"The... th-the police... they'll find me... I'll be arrested! THEY'LL FUCKING THROW ME BACK TO JAIL!!!" Hideaki's breath quickened as panic overwhelmed him, and he frantically reached for his phone, sending an urgent message to Seiji.

Hideaki: "I saw the news! The police is searching for me!!! HEEELP MEEE!!!!!"

Seiji had been quietly working in the office, when the sudden buzzing of his phone pulled him from his focus. Hideaki's frantic messages appeared on the screen, filled with fear and panic.

Letting out a long frustrated sigh, Seiji typed a calm response: "Get over yourself. No one's gonna find you."

Hideaki growled frustraited at Seiji's response.

In the meantime, Ken was doing his part of the job, but noticing Seiji's change in mood he turned to him, 

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Well... Apparently the police investigated Pixie's place." Seiji answered.

Ken, seeming unbothered, nodded. "Oh... yeah, I saw that in news this morning."

Seiji raised an eyebrow, surprised by the news. "You did?"

"Yeah."

"Ken... Did you..."

Ken sighed. "Honestly...? For a moment... I was planning to, but... no. I didn't report it. You asked me not to, so I listened. Besides... I didn't want Rika to go through that again."

Seiji glanced back at Hideaki's frantic messages, his brow furrowing. "So someone else's reported it. But who?"

"No idea. But man... focus on work now. Then you can find out who reported it. You know how management reacts to database update deadlines." He muttered, seeming a bit tired and absent-minded.

"Yeah..." Seiji grunted, then turned his gaze to the monitor screen.

[Meanwhile at Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department]

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department was alive with activity. Officers shuffled in and out of the briefing room, papers and maps strewn across desks as Detective Okamoto who was responsible for Pixie's case stood at the front, a large digital map of the city displayed on the wall behind him. All eyes were on him as he began the briefing.

"Alright, listen up," Okamoto started, his tone sharp and commanding. "We've finally got a break in the Pixie case."

The room quieted, and the tension was palpable.

"As you all know, Itō Keiko, also known as 'Pixie', was found murdered in her hideout over the weekend. We've been searching for clues with SAAS, and now, based on evidence collected from the scene, we've confirmed the fingerprints,"

Next to him, stood Detective Nakamura, holding up a file. 

"The fingerprints found on one of the weapons match those of Miyahara Hideaki. He's the one responsible."

A murmur rippled through the room.

Tanaka, standing at the map, pointed to a marked area on the outskirts of central Tokyo. 

"Pixie's hideout was located here, in an abandoned building just beyond Bunkyō district. It's been confirmed that Miyahara was there when the murder took place. But here's the problem - he was there. And now we have no idea where he went after the killing."

Another sergeant stepped forward, adding, "He needs to be close. We know this much. We need to catch this bastard fast, before he will slaughter even more human lives."

"What if he's lurking in other parts of the neighborhood?" Younger officer asked.

There was a commotion in the hall again.

Nakamura cleaned his throat. 

The murmur has faded, and their eyes moved to Nakamura.

"There's a possibility Miyahara might have found refuge somewhere else in the area."

An officer in the back of the room - Detective Hirose – adjusted his glasses and raised his hand. "I understand your motives Nakamura-san, but how sure are we that he hasn't moved out from this area already? Or maybe even moved out of Tokyo entirely?"

Nakamura shook his head. 

"First is time. During the typhoon, the transportation was disrupted, checkpoints were tightened, and people were being evacuated or stuck indoors for hours. No matter where he hid, Miyahara is still human. He needs food, rest, and cover. You don't vanish instantly under conditions like that."

He continued evenly,

"Second — movement. We've had surveillance on major exits out of the city. If he's still here, and everything points to that being the case, he won't be able to leave easily. He would have to possesses an exceptionally convincing disguise — and there's no indication that he does — But... even if he would, he would have been flagged almost immediately. Relocating quietly takes preparation. Contacts. Time to blend in. He didn't have that luxury."

He made a brief pause before he lifted his gaze, scanning the room.

"And now..."

He stepped forward and made the map zoomed out, showing a broader section of the city.

"I've triangulated possible locations he might be hiding based on recent movements and his connection to Pixie's criminal network. This area"

- he tapped a section of the map a few kilometers east of Pixie's hideout, where Ueno station was located.

"is our best lead. It's a residential neighborhood, less densely populated but close enough to the industrial zone where he can keep an eye on the police while staying under the radar."

Tanaka chimed in again. "It's time to tighten the net. We need to lock down this area," he said, gesturing at the map. "Start with the warehouses at the south-east of the Akihabara district..."

Suddenly the door creaked open.

Every head in the room turned.

Kisaragi stepped in, carrying a small tablet and a file under her arm. Her presence was quiet, but commanding.

"Apologies for the interruption," she said, voice even and unshaken, "I asked to be briefed, but I see you're already halfway through."

Detective Nakamura gave a respectful nod. "Kisaragi-san. Perfect timing. We were just discussing the current situation with Miyahara."

She moved closer to the front without waiting for an invitation, eyes scanning the map briefly.

Then, another detective took over, turning to both of them. "Speaking of places. Miyahara's not the type to stray far from his crimes. What got me wonder, was that this time, he didn't left the bloody 'artwork' on the crime scene. He just killed her."

A silence followed.

Kisaragi gazed at him,
"You say the scene lacked his usual signature. No bloodwork. No message. Just violence," she repeated, flipping open the file calmly.

The other officer frowned, then added.
"Well, yes. He's always left something behind before, like some twisted artist."

Kisaragi lifted her gaze — sharp, analytical. Her voice remained smooth, but every word had weight.

"That means... That he had to be in rush. Or in desperation."

Nakamura crossed his arms.

"Then how do we predict his next move?" Inoue asked.

"You don't," Nakamura answered. "Because he doesn't create rules — he creates chaos."

Detective Tanaka nodded. "That's why tracking him is so difficult. We can't predict his next move or his next crime scene's signature."

The room was heavy with the weight of the information.

Kisaragi's voice cut through the silence — level, analytical.
"Like I stated before, This isn't theatre. It's eruption. Everything he does bursts out of emotional extremes — rage, elation, obsession." 

Thats why..."

She tapped the screen of her tablet.

"Pixie wasn't symbolic. She was personal."

A quiet fell over the room again.

She continued, tone almost clinical:
"She probably got under his skin, or maybe even into his mind. That crime scene you found was feral yet, full of fear. He felt cornered... Lost... And yet... With how disturbingly precise his cut was... Even if he didn't 'draw' anything at the end... He went completly insane."

Tanaka leaned forward. "So... By all this... you're saying he's getting worse?"

Kisaragi turned to him slowly, her gaze fixed and unblinking.
"I'm saying he's running out of control. Which means he's either going to disappear completely..."

A pause.

"Or burn through the city with his killing spree until there's nothing left."

That landed heavy.

Nakamura muttered under his breath, "Which means we don't have much time."

Kisaragi nodded slightly. "No. You don't. And if he's feeling threatened — cornered — again, just like he was now... he most probably may kill again just to breathe."

She glanced at the area highlighted near Ueno station.
"If he's there, he's not hiding. He's waiting."

Tanaka nodded eagerly and took a voice again.
"You heard that? We don't have much time before another attack. Pixie's place was located in this area, so if any of you, will stumble upon something - anything - that could lead us closer to our main suspect, let us know. If he's hiding there, we'll flush him out."

Nakamura turned back to the room. "This is our best chance at catching Miyahara. We've been chasing him for too long, and now we finally have a lead. I want everyone on the ground. No stone unturned. If he's still out there - and we believe he is - we need to act fast."

As officers began to gear up for the search, Nakamura's voice cut through the room one final time. "He's dangerous. Stay sharp, stay focused. We've got the city's eyes on us now. Let's bring him in."

With that, the teams moved into action.

As the room erupted into motion once more, Kisaragi remained still for a moment longer. Her eyes stayed fixed on the red circle drawn over the Ueno neighborhood. 

"Sekiguchi..." she whspered.

Nakamura gazed at her "This name is not comming off of your mind lately, huh?"

She turned to him quickly, eyes slightly wide. “How do you know that?”

"We've know each other for long Kisaragi-san. I can see that distant look in your eyes lately. Not your usual cold, analytical one... But the one where you drift off with your mind."

Kisaragi smiled slightly under her breath, "So it's like this..." She said after a moment.

"Ueno district... Sekiguchi..." Nakamura murmured quietly. "So, you still suspect that Miyahara... -this psychopath might have found refuge with him?"

Kisaragi nodded, and added "He's not a psychopath in the classical sense," She closed her eyes "Operating on impulse, but too specific to be random." She slowly opened them again and looked at her hands "That contradiction... it's like he's screaming something, but with some deeply buried intention. In a language I haven't learned yet."

She gazed again at the map.

"And in all this chaotic mess of his... There might be one person he's probbaly trusting the most right now."

"You know perfectly well that your assumptions may turn out to be wrong?"

"I know. But that's why... It kinda started to intrigue me... fascinate me... For the first time in my career, it isn't repulsing me. It isn't easy to solve... I thought I know him... But it turns out that this case made more unknowns than what is actually verified about him. And I want to know his artistic motives... his chaos... to know him better. What drove him, into this madness."

'The line between predator and puzzle is blurring — dangerously so. And that terrifies me more than I'd admit... precisely because it starting to fascinate me.'