With the corrupt Estimator's revelations still echoing in their minds, Angela and Surya scoured the Outer Rim's blotched alleyways, matching rumors to what they now knew: that all along, certain Tongueless children had roamed the city, quietly hunting for raid survivors. And from the very start, a pin had been on Hayazaki's back—perhaps even before Slasher himself realized his value.
They followed a tangled trail of leads through half-collapsed courtyards and darkened lanes. Locals offered scattered, fearful hints about the Tongueless: how they slipped into burned-out blocks unannounced, how some parents dreaded them more than adult criminals. Yet one name, repeated in hushed tones, arose again and again: The Landlord, a rival underworld boss said to be as cunning as he was reclusive. His interest in "the Malara who survived the raid" seemed to match the swirling rumors.
