The basement reeked of mold and neglect. Water dripped steadily from a cracked pipe somewhere in the darkness, each drop echoing like a metronome in the suffocating silence.
Kairos's footsteps were barely audible against the fractured concrete as he approached the bound figure slumped in the chair. Ryujin's head hung at an awkward angle, dried blood crusted along his temple like rust. His breathing was shallow but steady.
"Come," Kairos murmured to Ritsu, his voice cutting through the oppressive quiet. "We need to talk privately."
They slipped into the adjacent room, leaving behind the musty air for something only marginally better. The door groaned on its hinges as it closed, and almost immediately, they heard movement from the basement—a sharp intake of breath, then a low groan.
The old man's weathered face creased into a grin. He'd been perched on a rickety wooden stool like a vulture waiting for carrion to stir.
"Well, well," he chuckled, his voice gravelly from years of cigarettes. "Look who's decided to rejoin the living."
Ryujin's voice emerged as a rasp, but there was steel beneath the weakness. "Still breathing, old man. And I know Kairos was just here—I can smell his cologne."
"Sharp, aren't you?" The old man's eyes glittered with amusement. "Got quite the fixation on that boy, don't you?"
Ryujin worked his jaw, testing the damage. "I admire cowards who run from their problems. Especially ones who destroy innocent people in the process. He hurt someone precious to me. That's all the reason I need."
"Big talk from someone tied to a chair." The old man leaned forward, mockery dripping from every word. "Tell you what, hero—catch him first. That is, assuming you ever see daylight again."
Ryujin let his head fall forward, but not before the old man caught the fire burning in his eyes. A whisper escaped his lips: "Wait for me, Kira. I'm coming. Almost there."
---
In the cramped side room, Kairos briefed Ritsu with the precision of someone who'd done this before.
"The man who attacked Kira—his real name is Hayate Moroi. Here in Shinjuku, he goes by Kuroda Ren. Mid-forties, keeps a low profile, works in sales. Lives in some run-down apartment complex with his two sons—one's maybe eight, the other's in middle school. No wife in the picture."
Ritsu absorbed every detail, filing it away like a student taking notes.
"There's also a woman—a caretaker who looks after the kids during the day. She's not involved, just earning a paycheck."
Kairos's tone shifted, becoming sharper, more focused. "Hayate's routine is clockwork. Leaves at eight sharp, doesn't drag himself home until after dark. You'll have plenty of time to search the place. I need you to dig up his history—why did he go after Kira? What's his connection to all this?"
"What happened to his wife?" Ritsu asked quietly.
Something dark flickered across Kairos's features. "Messy divorce about a year back. She filed charges—claimed he beat her regularly. Initially got custody of both kids, tried to start fresh. Then one day, she just... disappeared. Left the boys alone in their apartment for three days before neighbors called it in."
He paused, jaw tightening. "Police investigation went nowhere. Hayate fed them some story about her running off with an ex-boyfriend—said that's why he used to lose his temper with her. Courts bought it, gave him the kids, and he packed up and moved here. New city, new identity, same old bastard."
Ritsu felt something cold settle in his stomach. "And you think—"
"I think a lot of things. But I need proof." Kairos placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, the gesture both protective and heavy with responsibility. "You're the only one I can trust with this, Ritsu. But promise me—if anything feels wrong, if you sense even a hint of danger, you get out. No heroics, no second chances."
"I promise, Kairos-nii."
"Good." Kairos hesitated, then asked almost casually, "Ryujin didn't try anything when you were watching him, did he? No attempts to manipulate you?"
Ritsu's throat went dry. "N-no. Nothing like that."
Kairos studied him for a long moment, those perceptive eyes searching for cracks in the lie. Finally, he nodded. "I'm heading out. Keep your guard up, both of you. If things go sideways, abandon this place and disappear."
With that, he melted back into the shadows, leaving Ritsu alone with his churning thoughts.
---
But the boy couldn't move. His feet felt rooted to the spot as memory dragged him backward.
The basement had been tomb-quiet except for that infernal dripping. Ryujin's breathing had been labored but deliberate, like someone fighting to stay conscious.
"What's your name, kid?"
Silence.
"Come on, I'm not going to hurt you. Just want to know what to call you."
"...Ritsu."
"That's a good name. Strong name. What about your family name?"
"Don't have one. Don't need one. Oji-san and Kairos-nii are my family."
Ryujin had smiled despite the pain etched across his features. "Family's important. You'd do anything to protect them, right?"
"Of course."
"Then maybe you can help me help them." His voice had dropped to something almost gentle. "I'm police, Ritsu. My job is finding the truth, stopping the people who hurt others. But I know you're just a kid caught in the middle of something ugly. If you help me understand what's really going on here, maybe I can make sure your family stays safe. Maybe Kairos won't have to—"
"No!" The word had exploded from Ritsu's chest. "Kairos-nii is protecting us! He's doing what he has to do!"
"Then help me protect him too. You can save your Oji-san, save all of them. You have a choice here, Ritsu. You can—"
"Stop it. Please, just stop talking—"
"Listen to me, we don't have much time before—"
"STOP!"
CRACK!
The metal rod had connected with Ryujin's skull with a sickening sound that seemed to echo forever. Ryujin crumpled, a groan escaping his lips as consciousness fled.
The old man stood over him, chest heaving, the rusted pipe still clutched in his gnarled hands.
"You alright, boy?"
Ritsu had stared in shock. "Oji-san?"
"What did he say to you?" The old man's voice had been ice.
"N-nothing important. He was just... trying to trick me into untying him." The lie had tasted bitter. "I'm fine, really."
---
Now, alone in the hallway, Ritsu pressed his back against the wall and closed his eyes.
"How do I save them? How do I protect the only family I've ever known?"
His hands trembled as Ryujin's words echoed in his mind: You have a choice.
But in the suffocating darkness of the basement, choice felt like a luxury he couldn't afford.
The shadows pressed closer, and Ritsu realized he was no longer sure who the real enemy was.
----