November 16th — Rei's Apartment

  The faint hum of city life seeped through the window as Raiden, Hiro, Josuke, Hinata, Sama, and Fumiko gathered in Rei's apartment. Distant traffic, the occasional siren, and the whispered conversations of pedestrians below created a soft urban soundtrack. It was an unusual sight—the once barren space was now adorned with a few decorations, a sign of change in the apartment's normally spartan owner.

  A small potted plant sat on the windowsill, catching the afternoon light. Art prints—minimalist and abstract—hung on walls that had been empty for months. Even the furniture had been rearranged to create a more welcoming atmosphere.

  Hinata's eyes widened in surprise as she took in the subtle yet noticeable additions. "Rei... it looks beautiful."

  Rei, seated near the window where sunlight cast half his face in shadow, remained expressionless, his deadpan voice responding, "Thank you. Ever since I've woken up, I finally wanted to reorganize my apartment."

  Hinata smiled softly at his response, recognizing how rare it was for Rei to take an active interest in anything beyond survival and obligation. Rei, however, barely acknowledged it. He didn't fully understand why he had done it—it just felt like something he needed to do. Maybe it was a survival instinct, a subconscious need to create order in his world before everything spiraled into chaos again.

  A brief silence followed before Josuke leaned forward, eager to share, his weight making the old couch creak beneath him. "So, my team and I—Mya, Shinjuu, and Master Rengo—were investigating Shibuya again. The disappearances have started up once more."

  Raiden and Hiro exchanged sharp glances, their expressions hardening. "Jumba."

  Josuke nodded, rubbing his temple where a vein pulsed with frustration. "Yeah. We tracked him down to an abandoned subway tunnel. That fat bastard was definitely there, but before we could corner him, he escaped through his portals again."

  Raiden scowled, his frustration evident in the tightening of his jaw. "Damn it. I should've finished him when I had the chance." He turned to Josuke, eyes narrowing. "Did you fight him?"

  "No," Josuke replied, his face twisting with annoyance. "The guy ran before we could engage. But Master Rengo suspects Jumba isn't just acting on his own. He thinks Jumba is investigating Shibuya for someone else."

  Hiro, licking his fingers absentmindedly, offered his insight. "Whoever Jumba is working for, it's safe to assume it's not just the two of them. Jumba's strong, sure, but he's got the mental capacity of a child. He's not our biggest threat."

  "Which brings me to the other issue," Raiden continued, his voice growing more serious. "While you've been gone, the Academy is in turmoil because of you and Haikito."

  Rei's breath hitched, a momentary crack in his composure. "What do you mean turmoil?"

  Raiden crossed his arms, muscles tensing beneath his shirt. "It's about Mrs. Inosuke. The Academy publicly announced her death, but rumors have been spreading that it wasn't just an accident—it was an assassination."

  Josuke nodded gravely. "Some woman phased through everyone's attacks, shot Mrs. Inosuke, and disappeared into a portal. It was fast and professional."

  The room grew quiet as the weight of this information settled over them.

  Rei folded his arms, his posture deceptively casual despite the gravity of his words. "I have a suspicion about who that assassin was. When we fought Jumba, Kage mentioned the portals looked familiar—like his sister's concept, but cruder."

  All eyes turned to him, waiting.

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  "Kage's sister."

  The reaction was immediate and varied.

  Josuke's eyes widened in shock, his body tensing. "Wait, wait, wait—Kage has a SISTER?!" His voice rose with each word, disbelief and concern mixing together. "And she's the one who killed Mrs. Inosuke? An assassin too?" His expression shifted from shock to morbid curiosity. "Does she have shadow powers like him? Is she stronger? Does she—"

  "Josuke," Hinata interrupted with a sharp look.

  "Sorry, sorry," Josuke said, running a hand through his hair nervously. "It's just... wow. A whole family of assassins. And one of them just murdered someone from the Academy."

  Sama, however, leaned forward with a more analytical expression, his calm demeanor contrasting with Josuke's shock. "But now that I think about it..." He paused, processing. "The timing is bizarre, isn't it? First, Rei gets attacked by assassins, and then Mrs. Inosuke is killed shortly after."

  Hiro's amphibian features shifted as he processed this information, his analytical mind working. "That is strange. And if Kage's sister was the one who killed Mrs. Inosuke..." He looked around the room. "These two events might be linked. Either that, or it's some huge coincidence."

  "Coincidences like that don't exist in our world," Sama said quietly, his voice carrying a note of suspicion. "Which makes me wonder..." He looked directly at Rei. "Is it possible Kage is manipulating you somehow? Allowing more assassins to infiltrate from within?"

  The accusation hung in the air like a physical weight.

  Rei's expression didn't change, but his voice carried absolute certainty. "Kage is brutal, and cold. But he's not the manipulative type."

  Raiden nodded immediately. "Rei's right. I've worked with Kage for months. If he wanted you dead, he'd do it himself. Manipulation isn't his style—he's too direct for that."

  Hiro agreed with a slight nod of his head. "Kage doesn't play games. When he has a problem with someone, they know it. Trust me, we've seen him in action."

  Sama considered this for a moment, then exhaled slowly. "You're probably right. It's just... the timing feels too convenient."

  "Maybe the timing isn't a coincidence," Fumiko offered quietly. "Maybe whoever's behind this is targeting people connected to Rei specifically."

  The room fell silent as everyone absorbed the implications of that statement.

  Rei remained quiet throughout the discussion, his mind racing behind his expressionless facade. The pieces weren't fitting together properly, and every answer seemed to raise more questions. The Academy's turmoil, Mrs. Inosuke's assassination, Kage's mysterious sister, Haikito's absence—it all felt connected, but he couldn't see the pattern.

  What the hell is going on? The thought echoed in his mind as he stared out the window at the city below. And where is Haikito when I need answers most?

  He needed to find him. No matter what it took.

  POV Shift — Later That Night — Kenji's Office

  Stacks of papers littered Kenji's desk, each one representing another dead end in his investigation. The lamp cast long shadows across the room, turning simple objects into ominous silhouettes. His coffee had gone cold hours ago, forgotten in the intensity of his search.

  Mrs. Inosuke's death investigation had hit wall after wall. Hospital records showed nothing unusual. Security footage had convenient gaps. Witness reports were contradictory at best. It was as if someone had meticulously scrubbed away every trace of useful evidence.

  Kenji rubbed his temples, feeling a headache building behind his eyes. "Every lead goes nowhere," he muttered to the empty office. "The hospital, the witnesses... someone's covering their tracks."

  He pulled out a fresh notepad and began writing down everything he knew, hoping that seeing it on paper might reveal a pattern he'd missed:

  Mrs. Inosuke - killed at hospital Assassin - female, phasing ability, portals Timing - shortly after Rei's assassination attempt Evidence - systematically eliminated

  As he wrote, a nagging feeling grew in the back of his mind. There was something he was missing, something important about his last few visits to Mrs. Inosuke.

  He closed his eyes, trying to recall the details of those hospital visits. Haikito had been there, of course. He himself had stayed for a while, asking questions about Rei's assessment. But there had been others...

  Who else had access to Mrs. Inosuke during those critical days?

  The thought struck him like lightning. Access. Someone inside the Academy would have had easy access to Mrs. Inosuke, would have known her schedule, her location, her vulnerability.

  Kenji's pen hovered over the paper as he considered the implications. If there really was a mole within the Academy, they would need to be someone with authority, someone who could move freely without suspicion.

  He added another line to his notes:

  Internal threat? Someone with Academy access and authority.

  The office felt colder suddenly, and Kenji couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. He glanced toward the window, seeing nothing but his own reflection staring back at him.

  But the feeling persisted, a prickle of awareness that told him he was getting close to something dangerous.

  Someone didn't want this investigation to continue.