Knock. Knock.
Leo looked toward the door.
They came back earlier than expected…
"You don't need to knock," he said lazily. "Come in."
The door slowly opened.
Leo's expression froze.
"…You."
A familiar man stepped inside.
The Assassin smiled calmly.
"How are you, my old friend?"
Before Leo could even answer—
BANG!
A bullet pierced through Leo's leg.
"Agh—!"
Leo collapsed to one knee.
The Assassin blinked.
"Oh."
"I just realized…"
His smile widened.
"…I don't care."
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Gunfire erupted through the room.
Bullets tore into Leo's body relentlessly.
Chest.
Shoulder.
Stomach.
Arm.
Blood exploded across the walls and floor.
Leo couldn't even scream properly anymore.
After emptying the magazine, the Assassin casually started reloading.
"I know you're alive," he said calmly.
"So pretending to be dead is pointless."
CLICK.
Reloaded.
Then he started firing again.
More bullets.
More pain.
Leo's vision blurred.
His body refused to die.
But that only meant—
He remained conscious enough to feel everything.
Eventually—
He passed out.
The Assassin noticed.
But continued firing anyway.
Another magazine emptied.
Then another.
Only after that did the room finally fall silent.
The Assassin walked forward and grabbed Leo's blood-covered body.
"…You really are amazing."
Meanwhile—
At Max's mansion.
Null stood on the balcony with Max.
Inside, Lana and Rose continued talking happily.
Null quietly explained everything.
The destroyed slums.
The enemies.
The chaos surrounding him and Leo.
Max listened silently.
"…I understand your situation," Max finally said. "But I can't join you."
He looked back toward the living room.
"As you can see… I'm a family man now."
Null stayed silent.
"And…" Max smiled awkwardly, "…I'm about to become a father again."
Null blinked.
"…Second time?"
Max nodded proudly.
"Rose is two months pregnant."
Null stared at him for a moment.
Then sighed.
"You really changed."
Max laughed softly.
"Maybe."
Then his expression became serious.
"But even if I can't come with you… I can still help."
Before he could continue—
A maid approached them.
"Sir, lunch is prepared."
Max immediately smiled.
"Perfect timing."
Then he looked at Null.
"Come on."
Null shook his head instantly.
"No, it's fine. Meeting you and Rose was already enough."
"Don't be stupid," Max replied. "Nothing bad will happen if you eat lunch."
Null tried refusing several more times—
But eventually Max dragged him to the dining hall anyway.
The moment Null and Lana saw the table—
Both froze.
There were dozens of dishes.
Food they had never even seen before.
Lana whispered slowly,
"…Brother…"
Null nodded blankly.
"…Yeah."
Max laughed loudly.
"Why are you both staring at the food like it's treasure?"
Elsewhere—
Leo slowly opened his eyes.
His hands were chained above him.
His body hung in the air.
His legs were restrained tightly.
The Assassin sat calmly in front of him.
"My friend," he said happily, "I'm glad you woke up."
Leo glared weakly.
"…What do you want now?"
The Assassin tilted his head.
"I think I made you a little angry."
"I'm not your friend," Leo growled. "And answer the question."
The Assassin smiled.
"I already did."
He stood up slowly.
"I want your immortality."
Leo's eyes narrowed.
"So you want to become immortal?"
The Assassin laughed.
"No, my friend."
He walked closer.
"I want to test my new assassination techniques on you."
His grin widened disturbingly.
"And learn which methods create the most suffering."
Leo's body tensed.
"…You're insane."
"Perhaps."
The Assassin crouched beside him.
"And obviously…"
"…my next victim will be your friend."
Leo's eyes widened.
"Don't you dare—"
Suddenly—
The chains tightened violently.
CRACK.
Leo screamed.
The chains pulled his arms and legs apart with horrifying force.
Muscles began tearing.
Joints started dislocating.
The pain was indescribable.
Still—
The chains pulled harder.
"Six thousand newtons," the Assassin said casually.
"Enough to rip apart the average human body."
Leo's shoulders suddenly tore apart from their sockets.
Blood splattered everywhere.
Then—
His arms detached completely.
Leo fell onto the floor like a broken corpse.
The Assassin immediately kicked him in the head.
Darkness swallowed him again.
Some time later—
Leo woke once more.
This time strapped onto a metal table.
His arms had regenerated.
The Assassin stood nearby.
"Oh, good."
"You woke up again."
He picked up a chainsaw.
"Let's begin the next test."
Leo's eyes widened.
"…What the hell is wrong with you?"
The chainsaw roared to life.
The Assassin smiled brightly.
"I want to know how many cuts a human body can survive."
Then he slowly raised the chainsaw toward Leo.
Meanwhile—
Null and Lana walked back toward their room.
Null sighed.
"Thanks to you, we actually escaped that mansion."
Lana laughed.
"You're right, brother."
Then she frowned slightly.
"…Why are there blood stains on the ground?"
Null glanced downward.
A trail of blood stretched across the road.
"…Probably coincidence."
Lana looked uneasy.
"…I hope so."
The blood trail continued.
Straight toward their room.
The moment they opened the door—
Both froze.
Blood.
Everywhere.
Walls.
Floor.
Furniture.
But—
No Leo.
Lana's face paled instantly.
"…Brother…"
Null's expression darkened.
"…He's in danger."
Without another word, they followed the blood trail.
It eventually led them deep into the forest.
But there was nothing there.
Only trees.
Silence.
They searched the area carefully.
Then suddenly—
BANG!
A bullet flew past Lana's face.
She flinched.
Null immediately looked upward.
A man sat casually on a tree branch.
The Assassin.
Null recognized him instantly.
"…Where is Leo?"
The Assassin laughed quietly.
"Why would you think I'm stupid enough to leave a blood trail accidentally?"
He tilted his head.
"But I guess you're stupid enough to follow it."
Then—
Without hesitation—
He pointed the gun at his own head.
BANG.
Blood exploded outward.
His body fell from the tree.
Lana stared in shock.
"…Who is he?"
"How do you know him?"
"…And is he dead?"
Null looked at the corpse silently.
Then answered calmly.
"…No."