A few minutes earlier, Ryuunosuke walked through the quiet streets, humming softly under his breath. The night felt perfect for his art, and he was looking for something fresh.
Then he saw her.
A tiny girl all alone, black hair swaying, small hands in her pockets.
"Huh? A kid out here?" he thought, a smile growing on his face.
He slowed his steps and leaned against a lamppost, watching her walk. She didn't notice him at first.
"Too small to be out this late," he thought. "No parents? No friends?"
Rikka stopped in front of a vending machine, pressing buttons even though it was empty.
Ryuunosuke tilted his head. "Cute. And alone."
He glanced around. No one nearby. No cars. No footsteps.
"Maybe luck's on my side tonight."
He pushed himself off the post and walked over slowly, hands in his pockets, his voice light.
"Hey kiddo, you lost?"
Rikka jumped slightly and turned around. "Oh… um, no. I'm just… walking."
"Walking? At this hour?" He crouched down with a friendly grin. "That's brave. But it's dark and kind of dangerous. You live nearby?"
She nodded. "Yeah… the orphanage."
"Orphanage? All by yourself?" He raised an eyebrow, still smiling. "That's no good. Let me walk you back. I know these streets."
Rikka hesitated.
He kept his smile soft, his eyes warm. "Come on. I'll keep you safe. Promise."
She looked around, then nodded. "Okay…"
He stood and offered his hand. She took it.
"Too easy," he thought, his heart picking up speed. Still, he scanned the shadows, checking corners and listening carefully.
"Trap? Cop? Another hunter?"
Nothing. Just silence.
They walked a few blocks, chatting about nothing—the moon, the quiet, how pretty the stars were. He gently steered her toward a narrow alley.
"Shortcut," he said cheerfully. "We'll be there in no time."
Rikka followed without a word. The darkness swallowed them.
"Wow, this place is dark and scary," Rikka suddenly said as they walked through the alley.
"I know, right? Thankfully I'm here to protect you," Ryuunosuke said with a proud smile.
"Yeah…" Rikka nodded quietly, her eyes darting around the shadows.
"Is this also how you lured the others that you killed?"
"What?" Ryuunosuke's eyes widened. As he turned around, something flashed toward him. He let go of Rikka and stumbled backward.
A sharp pain burned across his neck, like a scratch set on fire.
"Ahh, you dodged it?" Rikka said, staring at the knife. A little blood stained the tip.
"What the—? What are you doing, kid?" Ryuunosuke gasped, holding his neck. His friendly smile was gone.
Rikka stood over him, her knife dripping blood. Her eyes slowly shifted from black to glowing cold blue and violet as her Mystic Eyes activated in the dark alley.
Ryuunosuke scrambled back, his hand pressed to the shallow cut on his neck. Blood seeped between his fingers. His cheerful mask cracked, replaced by shock and fear he hadn't felt in years.
"You…," he stammered as he tried to crawl away.
Rikka stepped forward slowly. Lines of death danced across his body in her vision. She saw them all now—hundreds of thin, fragile threads ready to snap.
"Kids were your favorite, right?" she said quietly, her voice flat. "Young girls. Children alone at night."
Ryuunosuke tried to laugh it off, but it came out choked. "Hey, come on, I was just—"
The knife flashed.
A shallow cut opened across his forearm, deep enough to bleed heavily but not enough to kill. He screamed, high and raw, clutching the wound.
Rikka crouched beside him, her eyes unblinking. "That one's for the first one."
Another cut slashed across his thigh. Blood soaked his pants almost instantly. He thrashed, trying to kick her away, but she didn't even flinch.
"That one's for the second."
He begged now, his voice breaking, tears mixing with blood on his face. "Stop, please. I'll leave. I'll never—"
She pressed the knife tip against a line on his chest, just enough to part the skin. He froze, his breath hitching in terror.
"You don't get to leave," she whispered. "You don't get to choose anymore."
Cut after cut followed—shallow, precise, each one for a life he took. Arms, legs, torso. Blood pooled beneath him, warm and sticky.
His screams turned into whimpers, then weak gasps as shock began to set in.
He tried to crawl away, but his fingers slipped in his own blood. His legs no longer moved the way he wanted them to. Every motion sent fresh pain through his body.
Rikka watched without expression. Powerless, broken, bleeding out in the dark—just like his victims.
When his eyes began to glaze over, she leaned closer.
"This is for all of them."
The knife cut through the final line.
The moment it happened, Ryuunosuke's body began to break down. It slowly evaporated, leaving only a pool of blood behind.
The faint smile on Rikka's face disappeared as she stared at the remains. Her expression returned to empty and emotionless.
"Rikka…"
A voice she hated came from behind her. She turned around.
"Singularity," Rikka said when she saw Manaka standing there.
"It's you, Denial. What are you doing with Rikka's body?" Manaka asked. Then, realizing who she was really speaking to, her expression shifted back to her usual one.
Rikka clenched her knife tightly. Her instincts screamed at her to attack and kill Manaka like before, but she knew she stood no chance.
Their previous fight had been one-sided. Aside from the single cut she had managed to place on Manaka's neck, the rest of the battle had been nothing but her being toyed with.
Not because she was weaker than Manaka, but because her current body was not fully developed—and because the other personality already thought of Manaka as a friend.
Because of that, hesitation crept in whenever she thought of killing her.
Without answering, Rikka tried to leave and return to the orphanage. Her job was already done.
Before she could take another step, roots burst out from the ground and wrapped tightly around her limbs.
"Bring her back," Manaka said coldly.
Manaka hated it when that one was the one controlling her only friend.
Seeing the face of Rikka while knowing the one inside was different filled her with irritation. It wasn't Rikka. It wasn't the one she chose. That mismatch alone was enough to make her angry.
Yet she could not simply erase it. The three personalities were not separate beings — they were one existence. To destroy one was to destroy Rikka herself.
Rikka struggled as roots bound her limbs tightly. They wrapped around her arms and legs, pinning her in place. Her body was small, undeveloped, and physically weak. No matter how much she tried to pull free, her strength wasn't enough.
"Fire, burn my enemies."
Magecraft activated, heat surging outward as flames spread along the roots. They blackened, cracked, and finally burned away. One by one, the bindings loosened until she could tear herself free.
Rikka landed unsteadily on the ground, breathing hard. She lifted her gaze and stared straight at Manaka.
"Annoying."
Manaka didn't say anything. She only glared at Rikka, and Rikka stared back at her in return.
They were like water and oil — no matter what they did, they would never mix.
To Manaka, looking at the current Rikka she felt like looking into a mirror and seeing herself reflected back. To Rikka, Manaka was something she hated instinctively an anomaly connected to the Root.
Neither moved. They simply watched each other, as if waiting for the other to make the first move.
"Roots, bind my enemy."
Rikka was the one who acted first.
Using the same magecraft, roots burst from the ground and shot toward Manaka. They twisted and surged forward, aiming to restrain her.
Before they could reach her, the roots were sliced apart by invisible force, cut cleanly through the air as Manaka countered without moving.
"Tch."
Rikka clicked her tongue when her attack failed.
She wasn't surprised. When it came to magecraft — or anything related to it — Manaka was far more experienced than she was. She had known that from the start.
She had only wanted to spit back at her, to use the same binding magecraft against her, even if it meant nothing.
With that attempt failing, Rikka decided to leave.
By leaving she didn't mean walking away. It meant sinking back into consciousness. Even if she tried to escape this place for real, that person would never allow it.
Her Mystic Eyes slowly faded, the blue and violet glow disappearing as they returned to dull black. The moment she left, Rikka figure standing there began to stagger.
Before she could fall, Manaka lifted her effortlessly, suspending her body in the air.
Manaka stepped closer to Rikka's unconscious body. She stopped beside her and looked down at the pool of blood spread across the ground.
It didn't last long.
The blood slowly thinned, its dark color fading as if it had never been there. It dissolved into the ground and vanished, leaving the alley clean and untouched.
Everything returned to normal.
Manaka then turned her attention back to Rikka.
She moved closer, eyes settling on her face.
Short black hair rested unevenly against her cheeks, strands catching the dim light from the nearby streetlamp. Her face was small and young, with soft cheeks and delicate features that had yet to fully form. There were no sharp lines, no signs of age or hardship — only the quiet stillness of a child.
The warm glow of the lamp fell gently over her, lighting her closed eyes and pale skin. Shadows gathered beneath her lashes, while the light softened her expression, making her look peaceful and unaware.
Manaka unconsciously lifted her finger. Slowly, it pressed against Rikka's cheek, sinking gently into the soft flesh.
"Soft…"
The sensation stirred a memory.
It reminded her of the first time she met Rikka.
Poke. Poke. Poke.
Manaka pressed her finger into Rikka's cheek again and again, testing it with quiet curiosity. Each time, it gave way just as easily.
Now she understood why Rikka kept doing this to her.
A very small smile appeared on Manaka's face — so faint that it would be impossible to notice unless someone was looking closely.
She changed her mind.
At first, she had planned to bring Rikka back to the orphanage.
But now—
Poof.
Manaka dismissed her magecraft. The force holding Rikka in the air vanished, and her body dropped forward. Before she could fall, Manaka caught her, letting the unconscious girl rest in her arms.
She was light. Easy to carry.
Using strengthening magecraft, Manaka adjusted her grip and lifted her without effort.
Without looking back, she turned and walked away from the alley, carrying Rikka with her as she headed toward her mansion.