August 20, 2023 | 2:30 AM
Raito Kurogane's Apartment
Raito tapped his pen against his notebook, deep in thought.
Kiyoshi Arata was bold—too bold. Revealing his ability this early meant one of two things: either Kiyoshi was confident enough to handle any counterplay, or… he wanted Raito to focus on him while something else was happening in the background.
A distraction.
Raito smirked. You're good, Arata. But not good enough.
He flipped open his notebook. His strategy had to be careful, controlled.
Kiyoshi had the power to manipulate minds, which meant he could turn anyone into a tool. That included witnesses, police officers, even civilians.
But there was a limit.
How many people can he control at once? How long does his effect last? And most importantly—how much does he know about my own ability?
Raito took a deep breath. He needed a move that would force Kiyoshi into the open—one that would expose his weakness.
He turned to a blank page and began writing.
It was time for a demonstration.
---
August 20, 2023 | 10:00 AM
Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department
Detective Renji sat at his desk, flipping through the file on the "confessed" murderer. The more he read, the less sense it made.
The suspect's background was normal. No history of violence. No connection to the victims. No motive.
And yet, he claimed responsibility.
Kenshiro drummed his fingers against his desk. He hated cases that didn't follow logic.
Then, his phone rang.
"Kenshiro speaking."
"Sir, it's urgent!" It was an officer from the holding cells. "The suspect—he's dead!"
Renji shot up from his chair. "What?!"
"We just checked on him—he collapsed in his cell. Heart failure!"
A cold chill ran through Kenshiro's spine. This wasn't a coincidence.
Someone had just silenced their own pawn.
---
August 20, 2023 | 10:15 AM
Somewhere in Tokyo – Kiyoshi Arata's Hideout
Kiyoshi clicked his tongue in irritation as he read the news.
The suspect was dead.
That could only mean one thing.
Kurogane had executed him.
Kiyoshi leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair. "I underestimated you."
For Raito to make a move this decisive meant he had already figured something out.
Kiyoshi's power allowed him to manipulate a person's actions, but it didn't give him full control over their mind. The suspect had clearly started breaking through the conditioning.
And Kurogane had used that to his advantage.
Instead of trying to stop me, he's sending me a message.
Kiyoshi's grip tightened around his pen. Alright, Kurogane. Let's see how far you're willing to go.
---
August 20, 2023 | 11:30 AM
Raito Kurogane's Apartment
Raito scrolled through the police reports on his laptop. As expected, the suspect had been declared dead.
It was a calculated kill—one that served two purposes:
1. To remove Kiyoshi's pawn before he could be used again.
2. To show Kiyoshi that Raito wasn't afraid to kill those in his way.
Now, Kiyoshi had a decision to make.
Would he back down? Would he escalate?
Either way, Raito was prepared.
But there was still one factor he hadn't accounted for.
Detective Hoshino Renji.
He had been watching the detective for a while now. Renji was sharp—too sharp. Unlike the rest of the police, he wasn't just reacting to the crimes.
He was analyzing. Searching for patterns.
If anyone was going to connect the dots, it would be him.
And that meant Renji was dangerous.
Raito opened his notebook and stared at the blank page.
Would killing Renji be the right move?
Or was there another way to use him?
A slow smirk formed on Raito's lips.
Maybe he didn't have to kill Kenshiro.
Maybe… he could make him his pawn.