Shinsei District had already suffered heavy damage, the aftermath of Damon's rampage still unfolding across the streets.
Police units had formed a perimeter around the area, holding their ground and trying to contain the situation while waiting for Vanguard Institute to arrive.
"Hands in the air!" one officer at the front shouted, his grip tightening around his pistol. "This area is locked down. Don't make us open fire!"
Damon only smiled.
"Aw, come on now," he drawled, voice low and amused. "You really think bullets gonna do a damn thing to me? I ain't built like that no more."
The officer frowned, thrown off. "What are you talking about…?"
Damon lifted his hand slightly, almost casually.
"Machine," he said with a soft chuckle. "Well… not all the way. Half man, half somethin' else." His grin widened. "That's what them lab coats kept tellin' me, anyway."
Despite his relaxed tone, there was no mistaking the danger in him. The officers could feel it—he knew exactly what he was capable of.
One of them pressed a hand to his earpiece. "Theo, what's your status?"
Across the city, engines roared as Theo and Masato sped through the streets, weaving through traffic at high speed.
"We're almost at Shinsei," Theo replied. "Keep him contained. Do not let him leave the area."
"Understood."
The officer lowered his hand and raised his voice again.
"Hold your positions!" he ordered. "Don't let him through!"
The line of officers steadied themselves, weapons trained forward as they blocked Damon's path.
Damon glanced at them, unimpressed, letting out a quiet breath through his nose.
"Damn," he muttered, rolling his shoulders slightly. "Was hopin' I wouldn't have to get my hands dirty today…"
Away from Shinsei, Takumi stood with his phone in hand, while Timotheo lingered beside him, clearly growing restless from the long train ride.
"I just got a notification from the Vanguard Institute directory," Takumi said, eyes scanning the screen.
Timotheo glanced over, a bit uneasy. "What is it? Another Malform?"
Takumi shook his head slightly. "No… doesn't look like it." His gaze narrowed. "If anything, it sounds worse."
Timotheo blinked. "Worse? What the hell could be worse than a Malform?"
Before Takumi could answer, the train suddenly slowed to a halt, sending a ripple of confusion through the passengers.
Takumi frowned. "Wait… something's blocking the track."
He slipped his phone into his pocket and made his way toward the nearest door just as it slid open.
Leaning out slightly, he peeked around the edge of the frame. A sudden gust rushed past him, pushing against his clothes and brushing through his hair.
"…What the hell?" he muttered.
His eyes narrowed.
"How is there wind down here?"
Takumi turned at the sound of Timotheo's voice, glancing back as he pointed upward.
"There's a hole in the ceiling!" Timotheo called out. "And something's blocking the track!"
Takumi followed his direction immediately, eyes sharpening as he took in the scene. A massive amount of rubble and broken stone had collapsed onto the tracks, completely cutting off the train's path.
Then—
"Hey… look," a woman nearby said, her voice tight with worry. "There's someone down there."
People began to follow her gaze.
Standing on the tracks was a man.
He looked exactly like Damon—the same face, the same presence—as if he had been copied and placed there. But something about him still felt… off. Different.
Before anyone could properly process it, one of the passengers pushed forward, clearly irritated.
"Hey! You asshole!" he shouted, marching straight toward the man. "You the one who did this? Blocking the damn track?!"
He pointed aggressively, stepping closer without hesitation.
"Do you have any idea I'm in a rush?!" he snapped, jabbing a finger toward him. "Move your ass and clear this shit up!"
The man didn't respond. He just stood there—motionless, almost like a soldier waiting for orders.
A wave of unease spread through the passengers. Something about him felt wrong, and people began to sense it.
Takumi moved.
He stepped down from the train and onto the tracks, keeping his distance as his eyes stayed locked on the man. But the passenger from earlier didn't back off.
"Hey, you deaf or something?!" he snapped, stepping closer. "Don't ignore me! Move your ass before I beat the shit outta you!"
That was enough.
A slow grin spread across the look-alike's face.
In an instant, his hand shot forward—grabbing the man by the throat and lifting him clean off the ground with one arm.
The man choked, clawing at the grip, his legs kicking uselessly in the air.
Takumi's eyes widened.
He moved immediately, breaking into a sprint.
"Who the hell you calling a fucker, old man?" the copy growled, his voice low and twisted.
The muscles in his arm tensed, veins bulging—
Then a crack and the sound echoed sharply through the tunnel. Takumi's eyes trembled for a split second.
The man's body went limp… before being tossed aside like nothing, slamming hard against the wall.
Takumi froze for a moment, clearly not expecting to witness something like that so suddenly.
"…What the hell…" he muttered under his breath, his voice low but steady.
Behind him, Timotheo looked shaken, his expression pale.
"Takumi… I don't think you should mess with that guy," he said quickly, trying to keep his voice down. "He's not normal. He's a psycho!"
Takumi glanced back at him for a brief second, then turned his focus forward again.
"Aren't you supposed to be Vanguard?" he said calmly. "Isn't your job to keep situations like this under control?"
The words hit harder than expected.
"Dude! I'm a student!" Timotheo shot back, clearly on edge. "So are you! There's nothing we can do against him!"
He pointed toward the man on the tracks.
"Just look at him! He blocked an entire train line! That's not something a normal human can do!"
Takumi slowly extended his arm as a dense, swirling black wind began gathering around his hand.
"Gonna need you on this one, Raizen," he said under his breath.
The energy thickened, twisting and compressing until it took form—stretching into a massive cleaver-like blade. Its edge sharpened as it stabilized, the dark aura pulsing around it.
Timotheo's eyes widened, a chill running down his spine as he took a step back.
The copy's gaze locked onto Takumi, scanning him—then a grin spread across his face.
"Oh…" he let out, amused. "Now that's interesting. Didn't expect you to have somethin' like that."
The blade fully formed, its steel catching the faint sunlight pouring through the hole in the tunnel ceiling.
"Takumi, you're insane!" Timotheo blurted out, voice shaking. "You don't even know how to fight!"
He swallowed hard, nerves getting the better of him, unable to bring himself to step in. Watching Takumi face that thing alone only made it worse.
Takumi didn't respond.
With a smooth motion, he swung the blade forward, gripping the cleaver firmly before lowering its tip toward the copy.
"…Great," he exhaled quietly, eyes locked in. "First day, and I'm already dealing with this kind of crap. Go easy on me."
To be continued...