When the Rage Burns

At the heart of the police station, Sayuri ran through hallways devastated by bullets, desperately searching for her children. Every open door was a fresh stab to the heart, every empty room a blow to her breath.

She had to stay hidden. Corrupted police officers still roamed the station, their glowing eyes scanning the area in search of "anomalies."

"Kairo… Yuto… where are you…" she murmured, her voice cracking with fear, crouched low behind a desk.

Her heels clicked against the debris- and blood-stained floor, while every shadow seemed to whisper the truth she feared: that it was already too late.

Then, footsteps.

She darted behind a desk, heart pounding, sweat trickling down her forehead.

The footsteps stopped right in front of her.

The officer was checking every corner of the corridor, pistol drawn and ready.

Sayuri crouched lower, terror clawing at her chest.

"When will he leave?" she thought, barely breathing.

The officer gave one last glance around the room before speaking into his walkie-talkie.

"No lifeforms here. Continuing patrol. Glory to the Keeper of Oblivion."

Another officer responded from the other end, "Acknowledged. Keep searching. The Keeper of Oblivion demands no survivors unswayed within the station. Glory to the Keeper of Oblivion."

Sayuri exhaled softly—but just as she began to rise, a pen fell from the desk. The noise made the corrupted officer freeze.

He spun around sharply as Sayuri ducked again.

"Please don't let him have seen me…" she whispered, trembling.

The officer cocked his gun and aimed at the desk.

Sayuri covered her head, heart thumping, teeth clenched—then a single groan of pain.

The officer collapsed to the ground with a thud.

Sayuri slowly stood up, staring at the guard writhing in pain as the violet glow in his eyes faded.

"How?" she whispered, noticing a small metal object stuck in his back. A projectile—not from a gun, but a taser.

Then a familiar voice.

"Mom?!"

Sayuri's eyes snapped up, a tear falling from her cheek in a smile. Yuto was there, face cut and soot-covered, but alive. Behind him, Hanazawa—clearly injured, but standing.

"Yuto!" Sayuri dropped to her knees, hugging him tightly, tears streaming down her face.

His younger brother returned the hug, under the watchful gaze of the young detective.

Sayuri looked at Ien with grateful eyes. "Thank you for protecting him."

Hanazawa scratched his head awkwardly, not used to being thanked.

"Actually… your son's the one who saved my skin. You should be thanking him."

Sayuri stroked Yuto's head, her face lined with worry, then asked,

"Where's Kai? Isn't he with you?" Her voice trembled, dreading the answer.

"Mom… we have to go. Kairo went out… alone," Yuto said, his voice broken.

"Alone? With everything going on out there?" Her heart quickened.

Hanazawa stepped forward, hesitant. "Ms. Kaiaba… have you seen your phone by any chance?"

Sayuri looked confused but replied, "No, I left it in the car… why?"

Hanazawa sighed and pulled out his own smartphone, showing Sayuri the recorded message from Azrael.

"Take a look at this."

Sayuri watched the video in full screen—and went pale.

"Kai… what is happening?" she whispered, dropping the phone, frozen in front of Yuto and Hanazawa.

---

Meanwhile, in a nearby alley, Lyra and Aenna moved cautiously. Their eyes scanned every shadow, every reflection, hearts pounding.

"Do you hear them too?" Aenna whispered.

"Yes. They're following us… but they're not human," Lyra replied, flashlight in hand.

Aenna closed her eyes for a moment. Something inside her trembled. A feeling… a premonition.

"We can't be caught. We need to help Kairo—not fall into a trap."

Behind them, a metallic creak. Two violet eyes in the dark.

They turned slowly.

They could feel it breathing. Something… wrong.

Lyra pointed the flashlight—freezing in terror.

It was like liquid shadow condensed into a floating sphere with two blazing violet eyes.

Realizing it had been spotted, the shadow began to vibrate—like the sound of rushing water—stretching and distorting before their terrified eyes.

It formed legs, feet matching the strange prints they had seen at the Kaiaba house.

Shadow particles circled the sphere, shaping long, clawed arms. The sphere elongated, forming a distorted torso accompanied by guttural sounds.

Aenna and Lyra stepped back.

Then came the neck—elongated—and finally, a skull, fanged jaws protruding from the twisted face. Empty sockets stared out—until they suddenly ignited into glowing violet flames.

The creature locked eyes with the girls.

Then it roared—shaking the very ground beneath them.

"Run," Lyra ordered, grabbing Aenna's hand.

The creature charged after them.

---

Meanwhile, at Shibuya crossing, Kairo walked with steady steps.

The wind howled, carrying the echoes of distant screams and the fragments of a city on the brink of collapse.

The katana on his back pulsed.

His eyes were locked on the intersection—determined, furious.

"I'll protect them. Even if it's the last thing I do."

Ahead of him, between flickering billboards and smoke rising from the sewers, stood the masked figure.

Azrael was waiting.

The crossing was empty.

The wind blew. Silence fell.

Then Azrael spoke.

"I see you made it, Kaiaba," he said with a distorted voice, pointing at him.

Kairo's forehead began to burn—exactly where Azrael had first touched him—but he ignored the pain.

His eyes locked onto Azrael.

Kairo's eyes widened.

He looked at Azrael's chest—and saw a familiar pendant.

It was worn, rusted—but deep inside, he knew who it belonged to.

"What did you do to her?" Kairo asked, voice dripping with revulsion, slowly drawing the katana he had found in the evidence locker.

"I don't know what you mean," Azrael answered, his voice hollow.

"Don't lie to me—" Kairo pointed at the pendant "—that belongs to someone dear to me," he said, calm on the surface.

Azrael touched the pendant—confused—and then a stabbing pain hit them both.

Blinding pain—so sharp it brought them to their knees.

A blurred vision, a memory lost in time.

Azrael couldn't make sense of it. His body began to glitch.

But Kairo saw it.

Aenna's lifeless body.

His heart raced, his adrenaline surged, his rage exploded.

The silver light flared again—stronger, denser—cracking the asphalt.

"I swear—on my father's name—" Kairo rose slowly, voice calm but fire burning in his veins "—if you… if you touched Aenna…" he took a stance, his aura thickening around the blade "—I'll kill you."

Azrael steadied himself, chuckling under the mask.

"Go ahead, then—" he opened his hand, materializing a violet blade "—let's see if your threats are anything more than words."

The two faced off, weapons raised.

---

At the same time, Orion's armored vehicle cruised through the streets until his Armylist System registered two anomalous energy sources.

"Anomalous energy detected – Location: Shibuya."

Orion tapped the glass separating him from the driver.

"Change of plans. We're heading to Shibuya."

The night… had only just begun.