His eyes stayed fixed on Kaito.
"I still don't understand how you're alive," he said.
"Calistain is not something you may survive . It creates corpses. Or worse… it creates things that can't even be called human anymore."
Kaito's face tightened.
The man continued, voice steady.
"Almost a thousand subjects were injected in the early trials. Some of them screamed until their throats tore. Some of them melted from the inside. Some of them collapsed so fast their bodies didn't even have time to react. At the end not a single person survived ".
Kaito's fingers trembled slightly.
The man's tone didn't change.
"But you lasted. You stayed conscious. You woke up again."
His eyes narrowed.
"That means your body didn't reject Calistain."
"And that also means something even more dangerous…"
He leaned forward slightly, his voice lowering.
"You aren't resisting it anymore."
Kaito stared at him.
The man spoke again.
"You're controlling it."
The silence felt sharp.
Then he continued, cold and clear.
"Maybe you injected it by mistake. Maybe you didn't even know what it was. Maybe you thought it was medicine. Maybe you were desperate."
He tilted his head slightly.
"But none of that matters anymore."
"Because now you're standing here."
His voice hardened.
"And once you enter our domain, you don't walk away like nothing happened."
Kaito's eyes darkened.
The man's lips moved slowly.
"However, right now you have 2 choices."
Kaito didn't respond.
The man didn't care.
"First option… you swear loyalty to the Phantom Unit."
He said the name like it was law itself.
"You join us. You work under our rules. You follow orders. You obey what we order you to do without a question ."
His gaze sharpened.
"And in return, you would be be able to learn more about your power . By time you will get stronger."
Kaito's jaw clenched.
The man continued.
"Second option…"
The man's voice dropped.
"We extract Calistain from your body."
Kaito's eyes widened.
"And you should understand something clearly…"
He spoke slowly now, like he was speaking to a child who didn't understand death.
"Calistain is not a normal serum. It isn't something you can simply extract like blood."
"It's already inside your nerves. Inside your organs. It's already rewriting you."
A pause.
"So when we take it out…"
His eyes didn't move.
"You will most likely to die."
Then he added, quieter.
"And if you don't die immediately…" the man continued, his voice calm, almost bored, "…you'll beg to."
Kaito's eyes narrowed.
"What does that mean?"
The man didn't answer right away. He simply stared at him .
Then he spoke.
"Calistain isn't sitting in your blood like a normal drug."
"It's already inside your nervous system. Inside your muscles. Inside your organs."
His voice remained steady.
"It doesn't stay as a foreign substance."
"It merges."
A cold silence filled the room.
"So if we extract it…" he said quietly, "…we won't be removing a serum."
"We'll be tearing out something that has already become part of you."
Kaito's breathing slowed.
The man's eyes didn't soften.
"Your nerves will burn. Your body will stop responding. Your organs will start shutting down one by one."
He paused.
"And you'll stay alive long enough to feel it."
His gaze sharpened.
"Not a clean death."
"Not quick."
"Just your body collapsing… while your mind stays awake."
He leaned back slightly.
"That's why I said you'll beg to die."
Kaito's breathing grew heavier.
His voice snapped, full of tension.
"I don't know who you are."
"I don't know what the Phantom Unit is."
His eyes burned.
"And I don't know what kind of sick organization injects people with something like this."
The man watched him without emotion.
Kaito continued, anger rising.
"And don't talk to me like I'm your property."
And slammed on the desk with his hands .
He clenched his fists.
"One injection turned me into this. My strength increased, my body changed, and I don't even know why."
His voice lowered, sharper.
"So tell me."
"What is Calistain?"
"And what the hell are you people planning?"
The man finally responded, calm as ever.
"You're asking the wrong question."
Kaito glared.
The man's voice turned colder.
"You should be asking yourself one thing only."
His eyes narrowed.
"Are you smart enough to choose life… or stupid enough to choose death?"
A pause.
Then his voice became quieter, almost mocking.
"Because your curiosity doesn't matter."
"Your anger doesn't matter."
"Your pride doesn't matter."
He stared straight into Kaito's eyes.
"The only thing that matters is whether you want to keep breathing tomorrow."
The room stayed quiet for a few seconds.Ryussei leaned back in his chair, eyes steady, expression unreadable. He looked completely relaxed—like this situation wasn't a problem at all.
"Anyway. I'm Ryussei. I am in charge of the Phantom Unit. Everything below this building operates under my responsibility. You're here because I would like to speak with you directly, and I believe this situation can be resolved without unnecessary harm."
His voice was casual.But the room didn't feel casual.
His eyes shifted to Emika.
"I know what happened to your sister."
Emika's body stiffened instantly.
Ryussei continued, tone still even.
"I know what happened to your sister. I know how it ended. I'm not bringing it up to provoke you. I'm saying it because I don't want that pattern repeated. What happens next depends on how we handle this conversation."
The words were calm but blunt.Cold.They landed like a slap.
Emika's rage flared. The air around her trembled slightly.
Ryussei didn't move.
"Don't," he said.
Just one word.Not loud.Not emotional.But it stopped the room.
"If you try something, you'll definitely fail," he added, still calm. "And I'm not in the mood to deal with a mess tonight."
He glanced at both of them.
"I would try to avoid casualties if possible."
A short pause.
"But if you force me into that option, I'll do it."
Kaito's eyes narrowed.
"So you're basically telling us to join or die."
Ryussei shrugged slightly.
"That's not what I'm telling you," he replied. "That's what the situation is."
He also added, "Look, in terms of Kaito, he had it by accident, and Emika, her powers were passed down by her sister."
He leaned forward and glanced at both of them and said, "So you don't have any other options but to join us."
He looked straight at Kaito.
"You survived Calistain. That means you're rare.""And rare things don't stay free for long."
His gaze sharpened a little.
"You can join and make a more stable living or just choose death. The choice is yours."
He glanced at Emika and said, "Your sister was about to join our organization, but an unfortunate incident happened."
Emika slammed her palm onto the table and stood up. The chair moved back a little.
BANG.
"I'm DONE hearing your nonsense!"
Her voice shook the room.
Behind her, water appeared out of nowhere—rising like a wall, twisting in the air as if it were alive. The surface rolled and churned, dark and violent.
She pointed at Ryussei, her finger trembling.
"To hell with your organization!"
Her fist struck the table again.
"My sister died because of you…" her voice broke, "…and your filthy organization!"
The wave behind her reacted instantly.
A watery arm burst out of it.
Not a splash.
Inside the wave, a huge hand came out. It was formed with water. It was big.
It shot forward, reaching straight for Ryussei's throat.
The hand was fast.
And about to grab his neck.
Ryussei didn't step back, nor did he flinch.
He only lifted his eyes.
And they turned red.
Like burning fire.
The air around him trembled.
Then—
A burst of flame erupted from his body.
Not spreading like normal fire.
It exploded outward like a shockwave.
The watery hand touched the flame—
And vanished into steam instantly.
No boiling.No sound.Just erased.
The wave behind Emika collapsed in the same instant, disappearing like it never existed.
Emika stood frozen, her arm still extended.
Her wave of water was gone.
Ryussei looked into Emika's eyes in a tense way.
His flames faded, but his eyes stayed sharp.Cold.Controlled.
"If fire passes through a body… you feel it. The heat tears through skin. It burns the air in your lungs. It leaves nothing untouched."
The room was silent, and Emika was shocked.
Ryussei continued, "The flame I used just now was more than enough to turn you into ash.""But you didn't feel a single degree of it.""Do you know why?"
Emika didn't reply, just looking at Ryussei's eyes with anger.
"Because I decided what it would burn.""My flames were aimed only at the water.""Not you."
A pause.
"If even a fraction of that heat had touched your body…""…there wouldn't be enough left of you to scream."
Then he stood up slowly and walked away from the room.
"You have only one day to decide."
While opening the door, he turned toward Yunsei.
"No need to lock them. Let them do what they want."
Then he looked back at Kaito and Emika.
"Hope both of you will make the right decision."
Then he left.
Yunsei was standing beside the gate, withstanding every situation. He was calm and relaxed.
He said, "You heard what he said. You can run around freely however you want, without ruining anything."
Then he also left the room.
The door shut.
Emika slammed the table again with his fist and said, "damn it."
Kaito was sitting there, deeply thinking something. The first word came out of his mouth, "so what is this organisation up to?"
Emika noticed and sat down. Then she closed her eyes, calmed her mind, and took a deep breath and realised.
She looked at Kaito. She looked calm and controlled all of a sudden and said,
Emika's voice dropped.Not quiet like fear—quiet like she was forcing herself to stay calm.
"They work under another organization," she said, staring at the floor for a moment. "I don't know who they really are… not completely."
Kaito's eyes narrowed.
Emika continued, her jaw tightening.
"But I do know one thing. They've been sending different types of serums for years… testing them on humans like it's nothing."
Her fingers trembled slightly.
"Most people die."
She swallowed, and her voice became colder.
"But a small percentage survives."
Kaito didn't speak.His breathing slowed.
Emika looked up, her eyes darker now.
"And when someone survives… they get two choices."
She raised two fingers slowly.
"If they agree to join them, they live.""If they refuse…"
Her voice cracked for a second, but she forced it back under control.
"…they extract it from their body and transfer it to someone else. Someone already loyal. Someone willing to join their group."
Kaito's fists clenched.
Emika's voice turned almost bitter.
"And the worst part?"
She stared straight at him.
"When the extraction begins… the original owner dies."
"But the person who receives it… never dies. He gets the power almost instantly."
A long silence followed.
Kaito's eyes trembled.Not from fear.From disgust.
His breathing became heavier, his jaw tightening like it might crack.
Then he spoke.His voice was deep.Angry.
"…So that's what they're doing."
He slowly lifted his head, eyes burning.
"They're using human bodies like containers."
His fists shook.
"Like disposable vessels."
His voice rose slightly, sharp with hatred.
"They inject people. They wait to see who survives. And when the power stabilizes…"
His teeth clenched.
"…they rip it out."
His eyes narrowed, expression twisting with rage.
"And once they're done with the person… they just throw them away like trash."
Emika's face tightened.
Her eyes looked empty for a second, like she had seen it happen before.
Kaito's voice dropped lower.Darker.
"…And they transfer it to someone who is willing to join them."
His hands slowly loosened, but the anger didn't fade.It got heavier.Like poison sinking into his blood.
"I will never forgive them for what they are doing."
Then slammed on the table.
Emika stayed still for a few minutes, not even blinking.
Like her body was frozen… but her mind was moving fast.
Kaito didn't interrupt. He just watched her .
Then Emika finally spoke, her voice low but sharp.
"Let's find a way out of here."
She stood up.
The softness in her face vanished, replaced by something cold and focused. Without hesitation, she walked to the door and pulled it open.
Kaito's heart jumped.
"Wait—Emika!"
She was already stepping into the hallway.
He rushed after her, almost tripping over his own feet, and caught up beside her.
"So… what's the plan?" he whispered urgently. "We don't even know where the exit is."
Emika didn't slow down. Her eyes scanned the corridor like she had done this before.
"We don't need the exit."
Kaito blinked. "What?"
"We go to the rooftop," she said calmly. "And we escape from there."
For a second, Kaito just stared at her like she'd said something insane.
Then his brain finally clicked.
"…Why didn't I think of that?" he muttered, half annoyed at himself.
Emika reached the elevator and pressed the button.
The hall stayed dead silent.
No footsteps. No guards. No alarms.
That silence felt worse than noise.
The elevator arrived with a soft ding.
The doors opened.
Both stepped inside.
Kaito immediately noticed something strange—the floor display.
Only four floors.
Emika pressed the button for the 4th floor and leaned back against the wall, arms crossed like she wasn't worried at all.
Kaito tried to swallow the lump in his throat.
The elevator started moving.
But instead of going up normally…
The screen flickered.
-5… -4…
Kaito's eyes widened.
"What the—?"
Then it continued rising.
The numbers shifted fast, and after a few seconds—
4
The elevator stopped.
The doors slid open.
Emika stepped out first, her shoes tapping lightly against the floor.
Kaito followed, and the doors shut behind them with a dull sound.
The hallway was empty.
Too empty.
Only the faint hum of fluorescent lights filled the air. The whole floor felt like it was holding its breath.
Kaito's skin crawled.
Emika's eyes landed on a metal stairwell door beside the elevator.
Without a word, she walked straight to it and pushed it open.
They climbed.
Their footsteps echoed against the concrete walls, each step sounding louder than it should've.
Kaito's breathing became heavier the higher they went.
At the top, a grey metal door stood in front of them.
Emika placed her hand on the handle.
Then pushed.
The door creaked open.
And instantly—
Wind slammed into them.
Cold, sharp air rushed across the rooftop like a wave.
Emika stepped out first, her hair lifting in the wind. Kaito followed, blinking as the open sky hit his eyes.
The city stretched far beyond the edge of the roof—buildings packed together, streetlights glowing like scattered stars .
For a moment, Kaito forgot to breathe.
Then Emika spoke, fast and excited.
"Come on. Before they find us."
She broke into a run toward the rooftop's corner.
Kaito froze for half a second, then chased after her.
"Emika—wait!"
While running, she shouted over the wind, "I'll make a water cushion on the ground! Just jump with me!"
Kaito's face went pale.
"WHAT?!" he yelled. "Are you insane?!"
Emika didn't even look back.
"Trust me!"
Kaito's legs felt weak, but he kept running because stopping now would be even worse.
When they reached the edge, the height hit him like a punch.
The ground was so far down it didn't even feel real.
His stomach twisted.
Kaito's voice shook. "Emika… are you sure about this?"
She looked at him, calm as ever.
"We don't have time to doubt."
Then suddenly a water shaped cushion appeared on the ground floor.
She bent her knees slightly, ready to jump—
And then…
A voice exploded behind them.
Loud.
Angry.
Echoing across the rooftop.
"Dont you dare!!"
Both of them froze .
Slow footsteps came .
Not rushed. Not panicked.
Slow… confident.
Tap… tap… tap…
The rooftop door creaked open.
A shoe stepped out, scraping slightly against the concrete.
Kaito and Emika turned instantly.
And there she was.
Shiori.
Her expression was the same as always—cute, playful, almost harmless. She tilted her head slightly, her lips curled into a teasing smile like this was all some silly game.
Behind her, another girl walked out, arms crossed and eyes narrowed in irritation. She looked like she didn't even want to be there.
And behind them…
A third figure stepped into the light.
Tatsuya.
His hair was messy, his posture lazy, and his face looked half-asleep—as if someone had dragged him out of bed and forced him to come.
He yawned quietly.
Then leaned against the doorframe like he owned the entire building.
Shiori clasped her hands together and took a few slow steps forward, her voice light and sweet.
"Aww… Kaito."
She pouted dramatically, blinking her eyes like a child.
"Where are you going? I thought we had a date tonight."
Her tone was playful.
But the air behind it felt sharp.
Kaito didn't answer.
His face stiffened, jaw tightening.
His eyes stayed locked on Shiori, cold and tense. He only gave her a quick glance—like she was something dangerous he didn't want to acknowledge.
Emika's grabbed kaitos hand almost immideatly.
Her eyes narrowed.
She didn't speak. She didn't waste time.
Instead, she pulled Kaito closer to the edge again.
"Jump," she whispered.
Kaito swallowed hard. His legs trembled, but he forced himself forward.
They were about to leap—
And then Tatsuya spoke.
His voice was calm.
Almost bored.
Like he was talking about the weather.
"Don't."
Emika froze.
Kaito stopped mid-step, his foot hanging over empty air.
Tatsuya slowly lifted his head, his eyes half-lidded, a lazy smile forming on his lips.
"The cushion you're planning to land on...it's already charged with my electricity's ".
He tilted his head, like he was giving friendly advice.
"If you jump… your whole body will seize up before you even realize what happened and then you'll wake up in chains again."
Silence.
The wind felt colder now.
Emika's face hardened.
Her eyes darted down to the street below, as if trying to confirm it.
Kaito's breathing turned uneven.
Shiori giggled softly, covering her mouth with one hand.
"Awww, Tatsuya… don't scare them like that."
Then she looked straight at Emika, her smile still cute—
But her eyes were empty.
"You really thought you could just run away with my honey ?"
Emika and Kaito stood near the rooftop edge, but neither of them moved anymore. Not even a step.
Emika's eyes stayed locked on Tatsuya, her expression sharp and unreadable, but inside her mind was racing.
Water is my strength… but against his electricity, it is completely useless.
She glanced at Shiori.
Cute face. Sweet smile.
But Emika could feel it—Shiori was the kind of person who smiled while stabbing.
Then Emika looked at the annoyed girl beside Shiori. She didn't look playful or mysterious.
She looked like she just wanted to fight and finish it.
The worst kind.
And then there was Tatsuya.
Leaning there like this was boring.
Like none of it mattered.
That calmness wasn't laziness.
It was confidence.
Emika took a slow breath, forcing her heartbeat to stay quiet.
Then she leaned slightly toward Kaito, her voice barely louder than the wind.
"If we can separate Tatsuya…I can handle the other two."
Kaito didn't answer.
His breathing was controlled, but his jaw was tense.
Emika lowered her voice even more, almost a whisper.
"Kaito… what is your ability?"
Kaito blinked, then stared at his own hands as if expecting them to change.
"…I don't know," he admitted quietly.
Then he clenched his fist.
"But if I had to guess… it's physical. Strength. Endurance."
Emika's eyes narrowed.
In her mimd she thought "its Not good enough.Not against electricity" .
She swallowed her frustration and spoke again, colder this time.
"Can you take him?"
Kaito's eyes shifted back to Tatsuya.
Tatsuya was smiling faintly, as if he could hear everything.
As if he didn't even care.
Kaito paused For a moment
Then he breathed out slowly.
"I don't know my limits yet," he said.
His voice was calm, but there was something heavy underneath it.
"…But I'm not running anymore."
Emika stared at him.
His hands were shaking slightly.
Not from fear.
From pressure.
From the realization that this wasn't escape anymore.
This was survival.
Shiori took another step forward, her hands behind her back, rocking slightly on her heels like an innocent schoolgirl.
"Awww… Kaito," she said sweetly. "You're acting so serious."
She tilted her head and smiled wider.
"But you know…"
Her voice softened like honey.
"…you don't have to fight us. Just come back and we will go on a candle light dinner tonight."
Emika's eyes sharpened.
The annoyed girl beside Shiori cracked her knuckles.
"Enough talking," she muttered. "Let's just grab them."
Tatsuya let out a slow sigh, scratching his head.
"You're loud," he said lazily.
Then he looked straight at Emika, his smile calm.
"Ahh i am bored can we just done with this fast i wanw sleep."
Emika's body tensed.
Kaito shifted his footing.
And then—
Kaito glanced at Tatsuya again.
Something changed.
His posture straightened.
His shoulders relaxed in a dangerous way.
His eyes weren't wide anymore.
They were focused.
Sharp.
Like he had finally accepted something inside himself.
Emika noticed it instantly.
His aura wasn't scared anymore.
It wasn't confused.
It was like a door had opened.
Like something inside him had woken up.
Kaito slowly raised his fist.
And for the first time since they arrived on the rooftop…
He looked like someone ready to break the world in front of him.
Emika leaned closer and whispered one last time.
"Don't hold back."
Kaito didn't look at her.
He kept his eyes on Tatsuya.
And in a voice so quiet it almost got swallowed by the wind, he replied—
"…I wasn't planning to."
Tatsuya's smile widened slightly.
Shiori's eyes sparkled with excitement.
The annoyed girl stepped forward like a bullet ready to fire.
And the rooftop, cold and silent, felt like it was about to explode.