Twenty-One Years Later…
Breaking News: Double manslaughter shocks quiet neighborhood. A father and son found dead in their home. Neighbors reported hearing gunshots just after midnight. Authorities are still investigating the brutal scene.
In a grand office high above the city, Taro, the head of Omnium Inc., leaned back in his chair, the lights from the skyline casting long shadows across his desk. His wolf-shaped mask lay on the table beside him.
"How's the product moving?" he asked without looking up.
The door creaked open. Kenji's right-hand man stepped inside, sweat on his forehead, eyes nervous.
"Sir… we've got a problem," he said.
Taro raised an eyebrow, but his voice stayed calm. "Speak."
"One of the prisoners… escaped. We lost track of him. He's off the grid."
Taro's face turned cold. His fingers curled on the desk. "Find him. Now. I don't care how. Search the alleys, the backstreets, the drains. Tell Kenji—no mercy. We can't let anyone ruin our little project. If the higher-ups find out, we're all finished."
The man nodded quickly. "Yes, sir. Right away."
"Get out of my sight," Taro barked.
The moment the door shut, Taro's thoughts went back to the escapee. If they didn't find him fast, he'd take care of it himself.
---
Kenji's phone rang. He picked it up without hesitation.
"Kenji, Taro wants the prisoner found. Now."
Without a word, Kenji swung his leg over his motorbike. The engine roared to life. He wore his red devil mask, the one he only used for deadly jobs. A gun sat on his back. A sword hung at his waist. He twisted the throttle, and the bike flew into the night, slicing through the busy Osaka streets.
---
Kyuho-Ji Street.
Inside a dusty hideout, a man hung from chains. Blood dripped to the floor. His face was swollen from the beatings. Kaito, Taro's right hand, watched without blinking.
"Tell me where the case is," Kaito said, voice low and rough.
The chained man sobbed. "P-please… it's not with me! Someone else took it! A man—he—"
Before he could finish, a guard stepped in.
"Boss Kaito, Taro needs you."
Kaito looked away from the bloody mess. He sighed and slammed his fist into the table, the sound ringing out through the room. Without another word, he stood and walked out.
---
Kenji kept riding. He scanned the roads, eyes sharp behind the mask. Then—he saw him.
A man staggered across the street, limping, blood dripping from his side.
Kenji smiled.
A screech of tires. A loud thud. The escapee's body crumpled under a car, blood soaking the road.
Kenji parked his bike and picked up his phone.
"Boss. The prisoner's dead."
Taro's voice came through calm and cold. "Good. Come back. Kaito's coming too."
---
Later that night, inside the office, the masked men gathered. Taro wore his wolf mask again.
"Where's Kazuki?" he asked.
Kaito replied, "He's still at the hospital. Working."
Suddenly, Kenji's phone beeped. Unknown number.
He answered it.
A rough voice came through the line.
"Do you remember twenty-one years ago? A man and his son… you killed them both. But you missed one. The son's still alive."
The call ended.
Kenji stood frozen. His hands trembled.
Taro snapped, "Kenji, what is it?"
Kenji turned, his voice shaky. "I just got a call… someone said we didn't kill them both. Bryce's son… he's still alive."
Taro stood up so fast his chair scraped back hard. His masked face burned with fury.
"What?! I shot him in the head. Twice! He shouldn't be alive!"
The room went silent. None of them spoke. They all knew what that meant.
---
7:00 PM.
The streets of Abeno-Suji were alive, full of lights and people. But inside one quiet hospital room, it was like time had stopped.
"Master Executioner… please, eat a little," a soft voice whispered.
Executioner lay in the bed, white hair messy, his face pale. The bullet wound had left him half-dead. He couldn't speak. Couldn't move. He just stared at the ceiling, lost in the pain.
Beside him sat Sakura, Bryce's assistant. She gently lifted a spoon to his lips.
"Just a little… for me, okay?" she said again.
Executioner didn't respond. His eyes were open, but his soul seemed gone.
---
Back in Taro's office.
Taro picked up his phone and called Kazuki.
"Find that boy," he said. "Search every hospital in Tennouji. Don't let him slip away again. And listen… when you find him, put poison into the IV. Quiet. Clean. No mess."
He ended the call and turned to the others.
"Find me new blood. Young ones. Easy to break. We need more soldiers."
The other masked men nodded and walked off, ready to hunt.
---
Kazuki moved fast. The hospital's halls were long and white, filled with nurses and the smell of medicine. He walked like a shadow, careful and quiet.
Then he heard it.
"Nurse! The patient moved! Hurry!"
Kazuki's ears perked up.
He stepped into the washroom. A doctor was at the sink, washing up.
Kazuki crept behind him. A quick grab, a muffled gasp, and the doctor slumped down. Kazuki stripped him and took his clothes. Mask on. Head down. He walked out like he belonged there.
He found the room. Inside, Executioner lay still, Sakura and a nurse standing by.
Kazuki stepped in.
"I'll take over now," he said, voice muffled by the mask.
The women hesitated, but then left.
He walked up to the bed.
"Still alive…" he whispered. "You should've died."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the syringe. The poison inside shimmered under the light. Clear. Slow. Deadly.
"This time… I'll finish the job."
He leaned in, inserting the poison into the IV.
Then—Executioner's eyes twitched.
They moved.
Kazuki froze.
Executioner's hand moved. Slow. Shaky.
It reached for Kazuki's shirt.
Executioner stared at the mask. The same one. The same men.
His fingers grabbed Kazuki's coat and held tight.
His eyes—clouded and full of pain—glowed faintly with something else now.
Something burning.