Naomi sat quietly at her desk, wrapped in a long coat, pen scratching across the pages of her diary. Her room was dim, the only light coming from the soft glow of a lamp. She closed the book gently, stood up, and made her way toward the front door.
Her mother's voice broke the silence.
"Where are you going this late at night? You've been quiet these past few days… at least tell us where you're going. Maybe I can drive you?"
Naomi turned back, smiling playfully.
"I'm meeting a friend."
She walked off into the night, leaving her mother standing in the doorway, confused and concerned.
Meanwhile, Izumi and the others stood at the entrance of the abandoned mall.
"We've arrived," Aoshi announced. "Let's start searching."
Everyone nodded, splitting up without a clear idea of what they were even looking for.
"I need to find something… a clue related to the voice on the phone. Anything that proves Kenji is still alive," Izumi thought as he moved through the dust-covered corridors.
Then, something caught his eye—a wallet lying on the ground.
"What's this doing here?" he muttered, picking it up and flipping it open. Inside was a business card.
"Ra… Raidon Hiroshi?!"
Suddenly, a voice came from behind him.
"Hey, kiddo."
Izumi turned and froze. Raidon Hiroshi was standing right there.
"Is that my wallet? I'm glad you found it—thanks!" Raidon snatched it back with a casual smile.
"Y-Yeah… I just found it, sir," Izumi replied, still stunned.
"You've done me a real favor," Raidon said. "If there's nothing else, I'll be on my way—"
"Wait!" Izumi interrupted. "Actually… I think I found something. It looks like the gamma energy you talk about. My friends and I… we have it."
Raidon's eyes narrowed. He said nothing, but thoughts raced through his head.
"He has it? How? And why here, of all places?"
He finally replied with a calm voice.
"Is that so? Do you have it with you now?"
"Not with me. It's in our car."
Just then, Aoshi and Kiyoshi approached after noticing Izumi talking to someone.
"What's going on?" Kiyoshi asked.
Izumi quickly explained everything. After a short pause, Kiyoshi offered,
"We'll take you to the car. Follow us, sir."
But Raidon's phone rang. His expression changed instantly when he heard the voice on the other end.
"RAIDON, GET BACK HERE NOW. WE'RE UNDER ATTACK. I ALREADY CALLED THE POLICE!"
He hung up and bolted for his car—but it wouldn't start.
"Damn it! He's already here... That bastard's attacking us!"
Kiyoshi jumped in.
"We'll take you there. Get in."
When they arrived at the building, Raidon cursed.
"The front entrance is jammed!"
"There," Izumi pointed. "Something's wedged in the door. A crowbar."
Raidon gave Izumi a sharp look, slightly impressed.
"Nice eyes, kid."
They circled around to the back.
Just as Raidon reached for the handle—blood splattered across the window.
The group froze, silent.
"...We're helping him, no matter what's going on," Kiyoshi said, steeling himself.
He opened the back door slowly. They slipped inside, hearts pounding, the dim hallway stretching into darkness.
Kiyoshi peeked around the corner—and stopped.
A man stood in the lobby.
He held a female staff worker by the wrist, lifted effortlessly off the floor. He is equipped with—a massive gauntlet—gleamed under the flickering lights.