-CONTROL ROOM-
-2:17 PM, MARCH 10, 2017-
The system pulsed.
But this time—
Not blindly.
A new alert appeared.
"TARGET PRIORITIZATION: ACTIVE"
Rikuu's eyes narrowed.
"…Target?"
Ichika leaned in.
"…It's selecting something specific."
The map shifted.
Zooming in.
Focusing.
And then—
Highlighting a single location.
Rikuu froze slightly.
"…That's…"
Ichika followed his gaze.
Her expression tightened.
"…Your neighborhood."
The man spoke calmly.
"…The system identifies pressure points."
A pause.
"…And applies pressure where it matters most."
Rikuu stepped forward.
"…Stop it."
The man didn't respond immediately.
Then—
"…I cannot."
A pause.
"…Once initiated, it follows through."
Ichika's eyes widened slightly.
"…You're saying this is already in motion?"
The man nodded.
"…Yes."
Rikuu's expression hardened.
"…Then we stop it ourselves."
The system resisted.
But this time—
The path was different.
More direct.
More dangerous.
Ichika spoke quickly.
"…We can still intervene."
Rikuu nodded.
"…Then we move."
The man watched them.
"…You're running out of time."
A pause.
"…Make your choice."
Rikuu looked at Ichika.
"…We go."
She nodded immediately.
"…Together."
They turned.
Running.
Leaving the control room behind.
Heading back toward the city—
Toward the target.
