The next day, Allen was discharged from the hospital. Even so, he lingered outside, leaning against a wall, smoking quietly.
After a few minutes, a blue flash appeared in one of the hospital windows. Right after that, screams echoed throughout the building as a wave of panicked patients rushed toward the exit, clogging the doorway in their desperation to escape.
"Took it long enough to lose control."
Allen flicked the cigarette to the ground and crushed it under his heel. His right hand summoned his staff.
Walking forward at a steady pace, he pushed through the panicked crowd trying to get inside. From the chaotic shouts he overheard that Shinobi's squad had already been alerted. He quickened his steps.
Slotting the Emotion Prism into the staff, his clothes shifted into his white suit, and the staff reshaped itself into a sword resting on his shoulder.
Moving deeper into the hall, he set his gaze on the amorphous, humanoid creature. Faded pieces of a hospital gown clung to its warped body. Two skeletal wings protruded from its back, while its red skin pulsed with black worm-like veins.
When the creature turned toward Allen, its face displayed several pitch-black eyes growing from where its hair once was, while its original eyes had turned pure white.
"You know," Allen said, voice calm and almost solemn, "I greatly respect the medical profession. In many ways, you're heroes in your own field. You always do your best to save lives. Now… it's my turn to help you."
The Lost-Controlled charged him in huge strides. Once in front of Allen, it swung a massive fist. Allen didn't defend. The punch hurled him several meters back.
Smiling bitterly, Allen spat blood to the side.
"You've absorbed enough radiation to reach Category 3 strength. My apologies—I didn't mean for that to happen. I can't fully control the gems yet. Not that excuses anything now."
He gave a tired exhale, eyes flashing briefly, and pulled the Sapphire of Honesty from his pocket.
"I don't want to destroy a hospital. But I also don't want to kill you like the others."
He swung the sword once, and in a shimmer of light it reverted to its original staff form.
"Style Change."
Allen flicked the sapphire upward. The gem shattered in mid-air and was instantly absorbed by the prism embedded in the staff's hilt. Navy-blue light radiated from the prism as water began flowing from it—surrounding Allen until he was encased within a sphere of liquid.
Inside the sphere, he pressed a single finger forward. The walls burst like a bubble. His blue suit gleamed beneath the falling droplets.
"Honest Knight Style."
He struck the ground lightly with his staff. The remnants of water flowed up along the wood.
"Honest Water Weapon."
The staff absorbed the water slowly. Once it had taken all of it in, the wood solidified into a metallic-blue trident.
Allen pointed the trident at the Lost-Controlled. Crystal-clear water erupted from its tips, wrapping around the creature's entire body. Each time it tried to rip the liquid off, the water severed its limbs—only to heal them instantly.
"Minor Star Purification."
Allen hurled the trident forward, the weapon impaling the creature through the abdomen.
Blood dripped from Allen's lips. Enduring the pain, he sprinted forward and struck the trident's shaft with his right leg, kicking it deeper and launching the Lost-Controlled across the hall and through a wall.
"I can't… keep going…"
Allen fell to one knee. The Lost-Controlled creature was suspended mid-air, engulfed by a massive water bubble that slowly turned red. When it burst, its organs scattered across the corridor in every direction.
Hearing horrified gasps from outside, Allen managed a faint smile before collapsing to the ground. The blue suit dissolved into particles of white light as he passed out.
---
Shinobi, General Titan, and several minor heroes arrived just as the Lost-Controlled exploded in a crimson bubble.
"Allen again?" Titan asked.
Shinobi nodded curtly, then addressed the lower-ranked heroes.
"Listen up. Clear the area and account for civilian injuries. Titan and I will inspect the interior."
The heroes split up to begin their tasks while Shinobi and Titan entered the building, heading toward the source of the explosion.
A few minutes later, Shinobi found what he was looking for: a wooden staff with a hollow hilt. Beside it lay two stones—one transparent, one blue.
"Titan, go get Allen."
Titan nodded and headed into the hospital. Shinobi remained where he was, picking up the transparent stone. The moment he held it, a formless pressure surrounded him—an oppressive presence, as if an entity far more dangerous than any monster he had ever faced was watching him.
"What in the world are these things…?"
A cold sweat slid down his back. Even his hands were trembling.
"According to Allen, they're the 'ideals' of a knight."
Shinobi looked up and spotted Crimson Shadow perched in the branches of a nearby tree. The villain tossed several documents down to him.
"That's everything I've managed to learn. However, something else caught my attention. I don't have enough evidence yet, so it's only a theory. Those stones and that staff… the Federation has no record of their origin. Either they truly don't know, or they're hiding it."
"What did you discover, brother?" Shinobi asked.
Crimson Shadow glanced around cautiously, then dropped down beside him.
"Gigax Leo was a Lost-Controlled. But after speaking with Allen, I learned she was, in truth, a normal human with no ability. Yet in the Federation's files on Gigax Leo, three keywords appear repeatedly: 'stones,' 'emotion,' and 'weapon.'"
Shinobi nodded, beginning to understand Allen's power more clearly.
"The stones must be the ones Allen uses. The weapon is the staff. But the emotion part… I don't get it."
"After talking to Allen, I did," Crimson Shadow replied. "Allen called the blue stone in your hand the Sapphire of Honesty. And honesty is… an act. Or perhaps an emotion. That means Allen has been under Federation surveillance for a long, long time."
Shinobi picked up the staff and, glancing at the sapphire, inserted it into the hilt. As expected, nothing happened.
"Have you learned anything else about Allen?"
"This is the important part. Guess who the only people are who can access his file?"
Shinobi froze. It took him a few seconds—but then the realization struck him, leaving him stunned.
"You can't mean—?"
"The files for Allen and Firmament's can only be viewed by the founder of the Heroic Federation… and the scientists working directly under him. If we want the truth, we'll need more time."
Crimson Shadow looked up toward the hospital and chuckled softly.
"Take a look at what I gave you. I'll bring more information tomorrow."
Shinobi nodded. He tucked the stones beneath his purple gi and slung the staff across his back beside his katana as he walked toward the hospital.
"Weapon, emotion, stone… there are too many variables to unravel."