"You're going to Building B?" Izumi asked, eyes scanning the road ahead.
"Yeah, I'm right around the corner," Ren replied through the comms.
"Are you with Aoshi?"
"No, I'm by myself. Aoshi's heading to Building C."
"Be careful. I tied up three suspects on the third floor. Call the police as soon as you can."
"Got it."
Kenji glanced at Izumi. "Man, why don't you ever help me with your cube thingy?"
"Sorry," Izumi muttered. "I was talking to Ren." His tone sharpened. "Sloth doesn't care about his surroundings when he's running—cars, sidewalks, pedestrians—he just plows through. We can use that."
"What's the plan?"
"There's a lake 150 meters ahead. He'll have to slow down near the water. We'll never catch up to him in a straight chase, so we'll use the lake to trap him. Here's what we'll do…"
Scene Change
Aoshi sprinted toward Building C, her rapier strapped to her side. Her eyes filled with tears—not from exhaustion, but worry. Her mind kept replaying what Envy had said moments before she left.
Flashback to Building A.
"I'll go to Building C. Kiyoshi's there," Aoshi had told Ren. "You handle Building B."
Ren nodded and drove off. Just as Aoshi turned to leave, Envy stopped her.
"Are you going to where the explosives are?"
She paused.
"No matter what, be careful of a guy in gold chains and a white blazer. You don't want to mess with him."
Aoshi's Flashback – Middle School
Aoshi narrating
"At 14, I was a talented and cheerful fencing prodigy—Japan's young national fencer. Everyone talked about me—teachers, students, the media. But not everyone liked what they saw. I was mocked, made fun of—even some teachers doubted me."
"But Kiyoshi always protected me."
"My brother was just a year older, yet felt like a world ahead. Friendly, respected, full of life. I trained nonstop—my hands blistered and bloody—to keep my title, my identity, the only thing people praised me for."
"One day, my best friend Hanako and I visited a new internet café after practice. We were having drinks when a group of students from our school surrounded us."
'Ohhh, it's Aoshi, the steroid fencer! What kind of drugs you on this time?'
"They poured a drink on me and walked away laughing. Hanako couldn't take it. She stood up and yelled… and got beaten for it."
"The day after, she started avoiding me. Everyone began whispering about how she was friends with a fraud. They said I used drugs to win. The thoughts of losing my bestfriend… it broke me. I couldn't train, couldn't focus, I tried to stand back up but then I fell sick right before my competition."
"I begged my coach to let me compete, but he refused because of my critical fever. I lost my title. My pride. My direction."
"Kiyoshi comforted me. Said he'd fix things. When I returned to school, it was eerily quiet—too quiet. Later, I found out… Kiyoshi had beaten up every student who harassed me. Even my coach—he stuffed a towel in his mouth and threatened him."
"We had to transfer schools. Our parents were furious. Complaints flooded in from the students' families."
"From then on, Kiyoshi changed. At the new school, he lost his cheerful side. He became feared—a sadist toward anyone who bullied others. But at home, he was still the caring brother I loved."
"Smart at subjects I dont, talented, protective… and now he's like this because of me."
Back to Present – Aoshi Running
"So please, God… let him be safe. I want to protect him like he protected me. I want to be strong—strong enough that he doesn't have to protect me anymore. I just want to be with my brother, even if I have to do something wrong".
Scene Change
"We're close," Izumi said. "Get ready."
Kenji nodded, eyes locked on Sloth ahead.
"Now!" Izumi shouted.
Kenji swerved hard, drifting the car as Izumi launched himself out. Sloth had slowed, unsure of the terrain. Izumi's cube extended a gamma whip, anchoring it to a nearby bridge. Using the momentum, Izumi grappled through the air and swung toward Sloth—landing a flying kick that sent him crashing into the lake.
Kenji stopped the car and ran over, but the surface of the lake was eerily calm.
"…He's gone?" Kenji muttered.
Izumi gritted his teeth. "I think he escaped."
Scene Change
"I'm at the location," Kiyoshi said through his earpiece. "Ready to guide me, Ana?"
"Understood," she replied. "Be careful—it's not just a building. It's a small shopping mall."