August 19, 2023 | 7:30 PM
Raito Kurogane's Apartment, Shibuya
Raito sat at his desk, his fingers intertwined, his mind working at full capacity. The encounter with Kiyoshi Arata had changed everything.
A Pen that controls minds.
He had already theorized the possibility of different variations of his own power, but now he had confirmation. This was no longer just a battle of life and death.
It was a battle for control.
And control, Raito knew, was far more dangerous than raw power.
His pen hovered over the pages of his own notebook. He could still kill. He could still eliminate anyone who stood in his way.
But Kiyoshi…
What if Kiyoshi was already manipulating someone inside the police force? Or worse—someone close to him?
The implications were endless.
For the first time since obtaining the Pen, Raito felt a sense of uncertainty.
He needed to move carefully. One misstep could mean becoming Kiyoshi's puppet.
---
August 19, 2023 | 8:00 PM
Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department
Detective Hoshino Renji rubbed his temples as he stared at the evidence board in front of him. It was filled with news articles, crime scene photos, and a timeline of mysterious deaths.
The patterns were clear. Someone was playing god.
But it wasn't just murder anymore. Recently, there had been strange behaviors among key individuals—witnesses changing their stories, suspects vanishing without a trace, even high-ranking officers acting out of character.
Something else was at play.
And Renni hated mysteries he couldn't solve.
A knock at his office door pulled him from his thoughts.
"Come in."
A young officer entered, his face tense. "Sir, we have a situation. Another suspect in the serial deaths case… he just turned himself in."
Renni narrowed his eyes. Turned himself in? That wasn't normal.
"Bring him in," he said.
A few moments later, the suspect was seated in front of him. A man in his late thirties, eyes unfocused, lips trembling.
Renni leaned forward. "You claim you're responsible for the recent deaths?"
The man nodded slowly. "Yes… I killed them all."
Renji studied him. Something was off. His voice was flat, his hands steady. No panic, no guilt, no hesitation.
It wasn't the reaction of a murderer.
It was the reaction of someone being controlled.
Renji's grip on his pen tightened. "Who made you do this?"
The man blinked. "Made me…?"
Renj leaned in. "Tell me the truth. Did someone tell you to come here and confess?"
For a second, the man hesitated. His eyes flickered—as if something inside him was struggling to break free.
Then, his expression went blank again. "No. I acted alone."
Renji exhaled slowly.
This wasn't normal. Someone was pulling the strings.
And Renji had a feeling this case had just taken a very dangerous turn.
---
August 19, 2023 | 9:15 PM
Somewhere in Tokyo – Kiyoshi Arata's Hideout
Kiyoshi smirked as he closed his red pen.
The suspect had done exactly as instructed.
Now, the police were chasing a ghost.
With every move he made, he would drag the police further away from the real game—the war between him and Kurogane.
Kiyoshi leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers against the desk.
The real question was… how would Kurogane react?
He had felt Raito's brilliance during their encounter in Shinjuku. He wasn't just intelligent—he was dangerous.
A man like that wouldn't sit still.
And that's exactly what Kiyoshi wanted.
A war wasn't interesting if both sides didn't fight with everything they had.
Your move, Kurogane.
---
August 20, 2023 | 1:00 AM
Raito's Apartment
Raito stared at his notebook.
Everything was moving too quickly. Kiyoshi wasn't just testing him—he was provoking him.
Forcing him to make a mistake.
But Raito never made mistakes.
Kiyoshi Arata had exposed himself too early. He had shown his ability. And that meant—
He had a weakness.
Raito smirked. "You think you're inside my head, Arata? You have no idea what I'm about to do next."
He flipped open his notebook. His pen touched the paper.
It was time to strike back.