As Ellen sensed the cold certainty of death looming, her pupils instinctively dilated.
Then, time itself seemed to freeze.
A tidal wave of memories surged into her mind.
From birth to childhood, from school years to adulthood, from growing up to joining Victoria Housekeeping—
These memories flashed through her mind like a movie reel, until the rapid playback gradually slowed.
Only then did Ellen have the time to truly reflect on them.
「"Hey, classmate—are you the Shark Thiren Ellen? That tail's beautiful. Did you style and decorate it? Mind if I touch it?"」
That was the first time she met Zhong Yan.
It was the start of the semester, and they had been seated front and back. Faced with someone who immediately wanted to touch her tail, Ellen responded with a cold rejection.
Zhong Yan, realizing he had upset her, scratched his head with an awkward smile and apologized.
But that didn't deter his determination—he just learned not to be so obvious about it.
「"Name's Zhong Yan. What about you? Wanna be friends? I'm new here—don't know anyone yet."」
「"Ellen, huh... Wanna grab lunch in the cafeteria? My treat—whatever you want."」
At first, Ellen was indifferent to his enthusiasm. But deep down, she wanted friendship.
Eventually, she accepted this pushy, clueless boy.
Their bond grew stronger over time. Aside from a few personal secrets she had to keep, they talked about everything.
「"Lollipops, huh... So that's your thing. You always have one in your mouth. Thanks!"」
「"Heard there's a new hot pot place near school. Wanna check it out? I've got a high spice tolerance!"」
「"Damn, I didn't even eat much. I drank so much water I'm full! Hold on—let me drink more, this is way too spicy!"」
Every moment with Zhong Yan was something Ellen had never experienced before. A new, fascinating world she was eager to explore.
But whenever she tried doing something alone, it always felt… hollow.
Victoria Housekeeping's workload was heavy. In her free time, Ellen either rested—or waited for a message from Zhong Yan.
It wasn't until the day she let him touch her tail that she realized...
What she wanted from him was no longer just friendship.
She could never forget the warmth of his palm. Just like that day on the riverside path by Lumina Square—an image etched forever in her heart.
The boy gazed at his dreams.
The girl? Her world was filled with the boy.
Ellen's memory froze in that moment—as if she'd returned to that day, staring at the boy from behind.
But this time… something was different.
In this frozen world, the boy turned.
He smiled, eyes meeting hers. That smile branded itself onto her soul.
Then, Zhong Yan pointed across the river toward the heart of the city.
「"Ellen... Until we reach the far shore of our dreams—please, live." 」
The next second, his body vanished from the dream.
Ellen, desperate, reached out—but everything around her shattered.
She awoke.
Reality returned—and somehow, she was still alive.
Opening her eyes, the first thing she saw... was a pair of blood-red pupils.
She didn't know who had saved her.
But recalling that dream, she whispered the only name that came to mind.
"Zhong Yan..."
Then, a wave of dizziness struck. Her vision faded once more.
...
Holding the bloodied and unconscious Ellen in his arms, Zhong Yan said nothing.
He activated Kamui, phasing her into the dimensional space.
At the same time, his shadow clone back home received the signal. The clone activated Kamui as well, bringing Ellen out of the space and gently placing her on his bed.
Once confirmed that she was safe, the clone formed a seal and dispersed—returning its chakra and strength to the original.
Now then...
With everything in place, the expression beneath Zhong Yan's mask darkened.
He turned—his gaze locking onto the two Shadows still watching him.
"Uchiha..." Murasaki muttered, grimacing.
He never expected this.
They'd been a moment away from finishing Ellen—only for him to appear.
And from the way he'd saved her—it was clear. Uchiha wasn't on their side.
"So even this incident draws Uchiha's attention... interesting." Ao's tone was forced, his usual calm clearly shaken.
This was the man who had single-handedly slaughtered countless giant Ether Mutants... who wiped out half the Red Fang Gang.
And now, he stood before them.
There was no suspense.
"We've never wronged you, Uchiha," Murasaki tried to reason. "If that girl is your friend, then... fine. I'll apologize. But beyond this—our conflict with Victoria Housekeeping doesn't concern you."
A rational move. Smart.
Too bad... he didn't understand how far he'd crossed the line.
Zhong Yan turned to look at him.
And in his eyes—there was no empathy.
Just death.
Murasaki saw it, too. His fingers moved toward the button in his palm, ready for battle.
"Apologize...?"
Zhong Yan's voice was low.
"A laughable sentiment."
"Who you are means nothing to me. Right and wrong? I never cared."
"I came here today for one reason."
"I don't need a reason. I don't need to explain."
"You—must die."