November 17th — Hospital Control Room

  Kenji stood beside the receptionist, arms crossed as they sifted through the hospital's security footage. The blue-tinted light from the monitors cast harsh shadows across his face, deepening the lines of concentration around his eyes. With each new recording, the same pattern repeated—redacted footage. Every angle, every hallway, every possible view of Mrs. Inosuke's hospital room was wiped clean, replaced with static or missing chunks of time.

  "Try the external cameras," Kenji instructed, leaning forward. "Maybe we can see who entered the building during those time frames."

  The receptionist typed rapidly, but those feeds too had been tampered with—strategic gaps in the timeline exactly when Kenji needed to see what happened.

  His frustration grew with each dead end. Whoever did this wasn't just covering their tracks—they were meticulous, professional, leaving no stone unturned, no digital footprint to follow.

  With a final sigh, Kenji ran a hand through his hair, the strands sticking up slightly with the static electricity from the monitors. "Thank you for your efforts," he said, slipping a small notebook into his pocket with the timestamps of the redacted footage—potential clues for later investigation.

  As they walked toward the front desk, Kenji handed the receptionist a folded note with his contact information. "Whenever you talk with your colleagues, can you please call me if you find out who did this? Any information, no matter how small, could help."

  The receptionist took the note, her fingers trembling slightly as she gripped it. Her eyes darted away from his gaze, a flicker of something—fear? Guilt?—crossing her features before she forced a professional smile.

  "Of course, Mr. Kenji. I'll... I'll see what I can find out."

  As Kenji walked out of the hospital, the automatic doors sliding shut behind him with a soft hiss, the receptionist remained frozen in place. The moment his figure disappeared into the night, her carefully maintained composure crumbled.

  Tears streamed down her cheeks as she stared at the crumpled note in her palm, her whole body shaking. She knew exactly who had ordered the footage redacted. She knew exactly why. But the weight of that knowledge felt like a stone in her chest, pressing down until she could barely breathe.

  Some truths were too dangerous to speak aloud.

  Dr. Malveau's Office

  The door clicked shut, and Dr. Malveau turned the lock with deliberate precision. The sound echoed in the eerily silent office, a definitive barrier between Naomi and the outside world. His fingers twitched with anticipation as he recounted what the receptionist told him about Naomi's injuries.

  "Potentially broken ribs and arms... what happened, Naomi?" he murmured, barely restraining the grin forming on his lips. His eyes swept over her body, clinically assessing the damage with unsettling enthusiasm.

  Naomi, sensing the shift in the air, forced a smile. "Oh, doctor, it was just an accident with my husband." She clutched her side, wincing as pain shot through her ribs.

  She could feel the tension building, her heartbeat quickening as Dr. Malveau's grin widened, his eyes gleaming with an unsettling excitement that seemed out of place in a medical professional.

  "The receptionist said you're the best in the country. Hopefully, you can work your magic on me, doctor," Naomi said nervously, hoping to break the tension that thickened the air between them.

  "An accident, you say?" Dr. Malveau stepped closer, his voice dripping with amusement, his perfectly polished shoes clicking against the tile floor. The harsh fluorescent lighting caught the scar over his eye, making it seem to glow.

  Naomi exhaled, forcing herself to relax. Maybe this doctor wasn't so bad after all. Maybe she really was just overthinking it—

  "Like this?"

  Before Naomi could react, a scalpel plunged into her chest.

  Her scream tore through the office, primal and raw. Her hands clutched at the wound, her breathing ragged and sharp as blood poured between her fingers—

  Until the pain vanished.

  Naomi's eyes darted downward in confusion. The wound that had been there seconds ago was gone, replaced with smooth, unbroken skin. No blood, no tear in her clothing, no evidence of the attack she was certain had just occurred.

  "What... just happened?" she gasped, looking up in horror, questioning her own sanity.

  Dr. Malveau erupted into laughter, throwing his head back in delight, the sound bouncing off the sterile walls. "My concept, Surgeon's Kiss, allows me to give life force to anything I touch." His voice carried a mixture of pride and excitement, like a child showing off a new toy.

  He picked up a cotton swab from his desk, and before Naomi's stunned eyes, it transformed into a living butterfly. The delicate creature fluttered onto her hand, its wings shimmering with iridescent blue and purple, veins pulsing with life that hadn't existed moments before.

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  "This is amazing, doctor," Naomi whispered, marveling at the sight despite her fear. "The power to give life to anything! No wonder you became a doctor. Although, I have to say..." She let out a shaky breath, trying to steady her nerves. "Showing your concept in such a way is a cruel trick."

  "Oh no, Naomi," Dr. Malveau said, slipping on a pair of gloves with a snap. The sound echoed like a gunshot in the silent room, making her flinch.

  "This is no trick."

  The air thickened, suffocating in its intensity. His manic grin widened, revealing teeth too white, too perfect, like a shark's.

  "I intend to bring you to the brink of death and keep reviving you! Playing God—isn't it exhilarating?!" His eyes gleamed with an unholy light, his true nature finally revealed.

  Naomi's terror-stricken scream filled the room, only to be cut short as his gloved hand clamped over her mouth.

  At the Academy — Rei's Search for Haikito

  Rei stormed through the Academy halls, his footsteps echoing against the marble floors. The afternoon sun slanted through the tall windows, casting long shadows across his path. He searched relentlessly for Haikito, checking every office, every meeting room, every possible location where the enigmatic chairman might be found.

  "Have you seen Mr. Haikito?" he asked a passing administrator, who merely shook her head before hurrying away.

  Frustration building like a physical pressure in his chest, he turned to leave. Just as he reached the exit, he spotted a familiar figure in the courtyard below—a massive man whose presence seemed to distort the very air around him.

  "Ryuu."

  For the first time since he awoke, Rei saw the man who had promised to train him, who had disappeared without explanation when Rei needed guidance most.

  He made his way down to the courtyard, approaching the imposing figure who stood feeding breadcrumbs to pigeons with surprising gentleness.

  "Ryuu, where have you been? One minute you say you're going to train me, then you and Mr. Haikito vanish." His voice carried an edge of accusation, though he kept his tone level.

  Ryuu, hands in his pockets after tossing the last of the crumbs, observed Rei with calculating eyes. He smirked, noting the fighting spirit rekindled in Rei's eyes, the tension in his stance that hadn't been there before.

  "Oh, did you miss me?" Ryuu chuckled, the sound rumbling from deep in his chest. "Tough tits, boy. There's more to life than training you." He straightened to his full height, towering over Rei like a mountain over a hill.

  Then, his expression darkened, playfulness giving way to serious inquiry. "But I need to know... Haikito told me there might be voices in your head. What are they?"

  Rei hesitated, caught off guard by the direct question about his most private torment. "The voices? They're not voices. There are actual people." He tapped his temple, frustration evident in the gesture. "I don't know how to describe it, but... there are people in there. They both know me, but they can't give me answers about who I am." He clenched his fists, tension radiating from his body. "I need to find Haikito. He dragged me into the Academy with the promise of telling me about my family, but I have yet to talk to him."

  "Hmm... interesting." Ryuu's voice turned sharp as a blade. "These people, do they have names, or are you just going to remain mysterious?"

  "...Leonis and Hikito."

  Ryuu's expression shifted instantly. His smirk vanished, replaced by an intensity that made the air between them seem to crackle.

  "Hikito?" Ryuu murmured, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. That name... Haikito had mentioned it to him during their conversation in the prison. The similarity was too striking to be coincidental.

  "And Leonis..." Ryuu stared harder at Rei, scrutinizing him as if seeing him for the first time. "That name sounds familiar too, but I can't place it."

  Inside Rei's Mind

  Rei stood in his subconscious, a vast expanse of swirling mist and shadowed landscapes. The red-eyed door loomed before him, its ancient wood creaking open slowly, a sound that reverberated through his mental space.

  "Master Rei, may I please take over?"

  Rei turned to see Leonis stepping forward, his form more defined than Rei had ever seen it before. The lion-like features, the mane of wild hair, the sharp fangs peeking from behind his lips—all clearer, more substantial.

  "You... know Ryuu?" Rei asked in shock, the realization hitting him like a physical blow.

  Leonis chuckled, the sound carrying both amusement and bloodlust. "Who doesn't know that prick? I should kill him for how long it has been since I have seen him." His eyes glowed with violent anticipation, embers in the twilight of Rei's mind. "I'd enjoy tearing his throat out—if you don't mind, Master."

  Rei scoffed, recognizing the pattern. "Let me guess, this is your way of showing respect again?"

  "Perhaps," Leonis grinned, revealing more of his fangs. "Nothing is greater for two warriors than to die in battle, young master. Now please, release me or I’ll kill you."

  Rei hesitated but finally nodded, a decision that felt both reckless and inevitable. "Fine. Just... try not to actually kill anyone."

  Reality

  Rei's eyes turned blood-red, the transformation immediate and startling.

  His fangs elongated, becoming visible when his lips parted in a predatory smile. His hair grew out, wild and untamed, resembling a lion's mane. His hands curled into sharp claws, nails extending and hardening into deadly points.

  Ryuu, still deep in thought, suddenly felt the shift in Rei's presence—a change in the very air between them, charged with new power and old familiarity. He looked up, studying the transformation before him with widening eyes.

  A grin spread across his face, slow and dangerous.

  "Oh, you bastard..." Ryuu chuckled, recognition dawning. "Yes, I remember now."

  His stance adjusted instinctively, feet spreading, center of gravity lowering, body preparing for combat without conscious thought. "Leonis, you fucking bastard!"

  "About time you remembered, old man!" Leonis laughed through Rei's body. His red eyes gleamed with predatory excitement, a hunter facing a worthy opponent after too long away from the hunt. "I've been dreaming of killing you for years! Let me give you a gentle reminder so you don't forget me next time!"

  Inside Rei's Mind

  Rei watched from within as Leonis's pupils narrowed like a beast eyeing its prey, his consciousness now an observer in his own body.

  "Please don't do anything dumb, or I'll take back over," Rei warned, his mental voice echoing through the shared space.

  Leonis smirked, drool dripping from his mouth in anticipation of the coming clash. "This is a bout between two warriors, Master. Don't interfere, or I might have to kill you too."

  He turned back toward reality, his focus entirely on the confrontation to come. "Stand back and watch me slaughter this beast!"

  Reality — The First Clash

  Rei—no, Leonis—charged forward.

  His movement was different from Rei's usual style—more feral, more instinctive, claws extended for the kill.

  Ryuu blocked at the last second, forearm meeting forearm with a thunderous crack that sent ripples through the air.

  The Academy walls rattled as the clash between two old rivals began, the courtyard about to become a battlefield once more.