The sweet, feminine voice giggled softly as San spun around in fright.

  Standing right in front of him was a rather short woman with blonde-red hair, dressed in a brilliantly white lab coat.

  With a slight grin, she gently pressed him back against the wall that was now behind him.

  "Wait.

  Wait.

  Hold on!

  J-just a m-moment!" San stammered.

  He recognized the woman almost instantly.

  Everyone in Kaisan would.

  Blonde-red hair, a lab coat, and glowing yellow eyes that sometimes seemed as if dark clouds were passing over them.

  She was the Guardian of the Ministry of Health!

  The mad doctor!

  The one rumored to dissect anyone she laid eyes on—whether dead or alive!

  "What’s the matter?

  Am I too close?

  Does this make you uncomfortable?" she asked in a sweet, almost teasing tone as she slowly leaned in toward him.

  "W-w-well... A-a-actually, yes... S-soooo..."

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  "Tell me, boy...

  May I dissect you?" she cooed gently, pulling a scalpel from her coat and holding it up to his face.

  She slowly ran her tongue along the blade.

  At that moment, he managed to break free and ran as fast as he could.

  In his panic, he crashed straight into a shelf standing right in front of him.

  He tumbled to the ground but wasted no time scrambling up and dashing off in another direction.

  She simply watched him go, her expression turning to one of concern—even as she held the blade menacingly in her hand.

  "Stop running!" she called after him, beginning to follow.

  "You must have hurt yourself just now!

  Let me help you!"

  San, however, kept running.

  And running.

  And running.

  He had no idea where he was going.

  All that mattered was getting away from her.

  After what felt like an eternity, he finally saw it after rounding a corner—

  The exit!

  The door had closed earlier, but he knew it wasn’t locked.

  Just a few meters from his escape, someone suddenly opened the door.

  San froze in surprise—

  Then, in sheer terror.

  The Calculator stepped into the room.

  But instead of blocking his path, he let him pass.

  As San rushed by, the man simply muttered,

  "Now you owe me, kid."

  Before San could respond, he was outside—

  And the door slammed shut behind him.

  He finally stopped running, staring in horror at the now-closed door.

  He had no idea what to do next.

  So he took off again.

  Into the elevator.

  Up to the next floor.

  To warn the others.

  Meanwhile, the doctor stood before the Bloodhound.

  "Why are you stopping me?

  We’re on the same team, aren’t we?" she asked, raising the scalpel.

  "Yeah, we are.

  But that doesn’t give you the right to jeopardize the mission," he shot back, cracking his knuckles.