It's like this, Bro..." Rio began, his voice dropping an octave. "The wounds on the victim from yesterday's murder... I think they're linked to the entity inside me. The energy pattern is too similar to be a coincidence."
"Good. That's exactly what I needed to hear." The man nodded, a sharp, knowing smirk playing on his lips. "But can you track him down? There are two fragments of Lord Shizen's soul lurking near that area right now, and that is a nightmare scenario. By the way... the fragment inside you... is it a guy or a girl?"
"A girl," Rio replied, the haunting image of Neroli flickering in his mind. "And her voice is... actually quite alluring, in a strange way."
"Alright, alright, lover boy. Just call me 'Bro' from now on," he teased, though his eyes remained focused. "Now answer me—can you find that other fragment?"
"I have no idea, Bro! How am I supposed to sniff him out like a bloodhound?" Rio asked, feeling overwhelmed.
"You can, Rio. Your fragment and his are connected by the same source. And listen closely—the target isn't a mindless monster. He's a 'human' just like you, a host for a fragment. That makes him more predictable yet twice as dangerous. That man has already slaughtered over seven people."
"Wait!" Rio's eyes widened as a memory suddenly clicked into place. "Yesterday, while I was out buying manga, I felt that exact same chilling aura. It was coming from the 12th Alley."
"Then follow me!"
Before Gyau or Kawsoki could even utter a word of protest, the air around Rio and the man distorted violently. Rio felt a massive surge of pressure, like his entire body was being squeezed through a narrow tube. The world blurred into a chaotic mess of colors, and in a heartbeat, his school rooftop was gone.
When his vision cleared, Rio found himself standing on the dizzying edge of a skyscraper belonging to another school, overlooking the shadowed district of the 12th Alleyway.
"Whoa! AAAHHH!" Rio screamed, his knees buckling as he stared down at the terrifying drop.
"Don't be a coward," Bro commanded, his grip on Rio's shoulder as solid as iron. "I need your senses right now. With two fragments in the same vicinity, the resonance will be overwhelming. Focus on the scent, Rio! Find that killer down there before he strikes again!"
Back at their original school, Gyau and Kawsoki stood frozen in absolute shock. They stared at the empty space where Rio had been standing just seconds ago, their minds completely unable to process the impossible feat they had just witnessed.