Interlude

Meanwhile, even though Toshifumi and the frog had retreated, knowing that their attempt at rebellion had ended in failure and an arrest, Hazuki and the ever-mysterious girl he'd recruited - whose name he knew at this point in time to be "Itsuki", yet he felt it was too similar to his own to use - had checked around for the rest of the renegades that escaped during the end of their battle earlier.

Just as the waning crescent moon greeted them, the girl silently brushed aside the hair on her right side to reveal an earpiece. "Vincent tells me the threat's been sniped. Why are you still here?"

"That fox wouldn't go down so easily. I've been observing him for two years, so I should know."

As if on cue, there was a splash from the ground - the girl had stepped into a puddle of red and white. Hazuki clamped a hand over his mouth as the retch of the mess - a combination of what he supposed was bleach, blood and pus - reached his senses...

Huh?

Slowly, the silver puddle at his feet began to reform into paws and stubby legs. Bones and organs began to morph back into their rightful places, even driving the girl to grimace and pinch her nose while the smell grew to an unbearable level.

"I think it would be better if we retired for the night," the girl muttered, stomping on the partially reformed fox to send it back to the ground. "Vincent reports that we should deal with the seagull tomorrow."

Little did she know, her trying to eradicate the fox had made them regenerate faster than before, and with their illusions, they brought Christie back to life.