One of the masked doctors suddenly vanished from Kiana's sight, reappearing right behind her with a hand raised to strike.
"Behind you!" Kallen warned urgently.
But the blow never landed. Kouga was already there, his hand clamped tightly around the attacker's wrist, halting the strike mid-motion.
The masked doctor froze, then began to struggle violently, their strength rising with every passing second. Kouga's grip tightened, muscles straining as he held them in place—but something else caught his eye.
A distortion.
Right behind the masked figure, the very air began to splinter like glass, thin cracks spreading outward through the fabric of reality itself. The harder the doctor fought against his restraint, the wider those cracks grew, as though the world itself was warning him.
Kouga's mind clicked. Damn it… I forgot. This isn't the real world. It's a digital reconstruction of history. These three are supposed to take Kallen away.
His jaw clenched. As much as he hated it, interfering too much could shatter everything.
With no other choice, Kouga shoved the masked doctor back with a sharp push, forcing them to stumble a few steps away. At the same time, he grabbed Kiana by the arm and pulled her behind him.
Kouga locked eyes with the masked leader, his voice calm but steady."Listen. I'll apologize on my friend's behalf. I'll take her and myself elsewhere, and you four can continue on your way."
"What?! No way!" Kiana shot back, stepping in front of Kallen like a living shield. "I won't let them—"
"Kiana, trust me!" Kouga cut her off, eyes firm. He turned back toward the masked figure. "Will that suffice?"
The leader's silence stretched for a beat before a distorted voice finally answered:"Do not seek to aid Kallen Kaslana again."
With that, the three robed figures moved past Kouga and Kiana. The chains rattled as they seized Kallen and began dragging her away. Kiana struggled, but Kouga's hand held her back, his grip like iron.
"What the hell, Kouga?!" she snapped, eyes burning. "Why would you help them?!"
"I don't act without reason." Kouga's gaze lingered on the path where Kallen disappeared, his tone grave. "First—remember this is a digital recreation of history. Nothing we do here changes reality. Second—if we interfere too much, it could destabilize this system and possibly erase this version of Miss Kallen altogether."
Kiana bit her lip, fists trembling at her sides. "So… we just do nothing?"
"Who said anything about nothing?" Kouga's eyes sharpened, a hint of fire in his tone.
"Huh?" Kiana blinked at him, confused.
"I've got a plan. But first, we need to find Bronya."
"Correction: that action is unnecessary, Subject Kouga."
The familiar voice made both Kouga and Kiana turn. Standing nearby was Bronya—and beside her, a young man. His blond hair was tied loosely to the side, green eyes gleaming with intelligence, or perhaps something more dangerous. He wore a purple jacket over a frilled white shirt, accented by a pink necktie, white gloves, gray trousers, and brown boots.
The man's gaze lingered not on the girls, but squarely on Kouga, still in his Kamen Rider Ghost form. His eyes didn't wander, didn't blink—just studied him with unsettling fascination.
Kiana's voice rose in the background, arguing with Bronya, but Kouga kept his focus locked on the stranger."You're…?" he asked cautiously.
The man blinked, as if suddenly remembering his manners, and smiled."Oh, forgive me. My name is Otto Apocalypse. Overseer of Schicksal—and grandfather of Theresa, the principal of St. Freya Academy."
Kouga's entire body stiffened. A chill coiled in his gut, his instincts screaming. The man's pleasant tone and polite introduction couldn't mask it—an aura of dread radiated from Otto like a quiet poison.