The warehouse air was thick with tension, mingled with the metallic scent of rain-soaked concrete. Arata Kurogane moved silently along the shadows, eyes scanning for the slightest hint of the Ribbon Reaper. Every reflection, every sound, every flicker of movement was a clue—he could sense the predator before him, but tonight, he wasn't only hunting the Reaper. He was hunting the human inside.
Inside, Kane prowled the hallways, ribbons glinting crimson under the dim light. Every step was precise, calculated, a deadly ballet in the storm's aftermath.
"You think you can trap me?" Kane's voice thundered through Lucian's mind. "I am justice itself. Weakness will be punished."
Lucian's golden eyes flared for a brief instant, pleading silently from the shadows within.
No… not like this… I won't…
The clash of two wills in one body made every movement unpredictable, even to Arata, whose instincts had never failed.
Arata whispered under his breath, mapping out Kane's patterns from previous attacks. He had seen the cracks before, small glimpses of hesitation. Tonight, he intended to force those cracks wide open.
"Your reign of terror ends here," Arata muttered, tossing a holographic decoy into the hallway. Its motion triggered ribbons to lash automatically—but Arata's true target was the subtle hesitation in Kane's reflexes, the human flicker that betrayed Lucian.
Kane's reaction was instantaneous, striking the decoy with perfect precision—but the ribbons wavered slightly, too brief for the naked eye. Only someone attuned to the dance of the Reaper could notice.
From her hidden vantage, Sera Kurobane's eyes widened. She had seen this moment coming but hadn't realized the full scale of the internal battle.
Lucian's golden eyes surged, struggling against the abyss.
Please… don't let me lose control…
Her finger hovered over her rifle trigger, frozen in indecision. Every second that passed was a chance to save him—or lose him entirely.
Arata's keen observation paid off. He caught the briefest flicker—Kane's dominance faltered as Lucian tried to surface.
"Gotcha," Arata muttered under his breath. He moved forward cautiously, speaking deliberately into the empty warehouse.
"I know you're in there," he said softly, voice echoing, cutting through the storm of control. "I know the man behind the Reaper. Show me yourself. One slip, that's all I need."
Kane stiffened, ribbons twitching unpredictably. Lucian's golden eyes broke free for a heartbeat, pleading silently.
Arata… please…
The storm of control and consciousness clashed violently within Lucian. Sweat dripped down his brow, muscles trembling, and for the first time, Kane's voice wavered.
The warehouse fell into a tense silence. Only the sound of dripping water and distant sirens punctuated the charged air.
Arata realized he had the first true opening to expose the human beneath Kane.
Sera's heart raced, torn between taking a shot or waiting to see if Lucian could regain control.
Kane, realizing the psychological trap, surged to reassert dominance—but the internal battle had begun to fracture him.
The veil was thinning. The storm outside mirrored the storm within. The next move would determine whether the Reaper remained unstoppable—or whether Lucian could reclaim himself.