Asagi and Masked Taimanin walked through the ruins of Chaos Arena, their steps growing heavier as they saw the bodies of Edwin Black's subordinates scattered along the path. The smell of blood and destruction still hung thick in the air, but there were no signs of battle anymore, nor of the twelve knights who had fought them earlier.
"This all ended so quickly…" Asagi muttered, trying to push away the doubts creeping into her mind. But she knew that right now, her main focus was finding Kousuke. There was no use dwelling on what had happened on the battlefield, as their priority was saving their friend.
They ventured deeper into the ruins, toward a hidden underground room where they hoped to find some trace of Kousuke. In there, they saw the remnants of incubator tubes, the walls lined with medical equipment and advanced technology that looked like part of some horrifying experiment.
"He has to be here… somewhere," Asagi said, her voice laced with unease. She scanned every corner of the room, hoping to find Kousuke in a better condition than she imagined.
It was Masked Taimanin who found something first in a separate chamber. She opened the door and stood still for a moment, her gaze fixed on the horrifying sight before her. The room resembled a surgery chamber, with a metal table in the center. There, they found a… lump of flesh, still alive, squirming slowly with a grotesque human face etched onto its surface.
"This… this is Kousuke," Masked Taimanin whispered, her voice trembling.
Asagi stepped closer, but as she saw what had become of Kousuke, her body froze. The face of the man she once knew had now become something unimaginable. She tried to suppress the nausea rising in her, but the pain and sorrow weighing on her heart were too powerful to ignore.
"No… this can't be…" Asagi muttered quietly, her voice nearly breaking.
Masked Taimanin extended the lump of flesh toward her, but Asagi could only stare in shock. Her hands trembled, and tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. Kousuke, who had once been part of her life, was now something far worse than a casualty of war.
"What did they do to him…" Asagi whispered, her hand hesitantly reaching out, but she couldn't bring herself to touch the mutilated body that no longer resembled a person.
Masked Taimanin, though shocked and disgusted, tried to remain calm. "We have to get him out of here, Asagi. He's still alive. Even like this."
Asagi nodded weakly, though deep down, she knew there was nothing they could do to restore Kousuke to his original form. Whatever cruel experiment Edwin Black and his men had subjected him to had destroyed his body beyond repair. But even so, Asagi wouldn't abandon him. "We'll take him. No matter what happens, I won't leave you, Kousuke…"
With a heavy heart, Asagi accepted the lump of flesh from Masked Taimanin's hands, and together they walked out of the room, carrying what remained of Kousuke—alive, but no longer whole.
As Asagi and Masked Taimanin stepped out of the ruins, they were greeted by a group of Taimanin sent by the government to deal with the chaos that had just unfolded. Among them was a girl with short blonde hair styled in sharp bangs—Sakura Igawa, Asagi's younger sister. Her appearance was different from her sister's, with piercing blue eyes and a more athletic build. Sakura ran toward Asagi, her face filled with concern.
"Sis! What happened here!?" Sakura called out as she noticed Asagi holding something with extreme care.
Asagi didn't answer immediately. Her expression was exhausted, filled with anxiety, as if she couldn't bear to say what had truly happened. Her hands still cradled the lump of flesh that was once Kousuke, but she didn't want Sakura to see it. Seeing her sister's reluctance, Sakura's curiosity grew.
"Sis? What are you holding?" Sakura asked again, her eyes trying to catch a glimpse of what Asagi was hiding.
Before Asagi could answer, another figure arrived—Koukawa Asuka, who, although not part of the Japanese government, had close ties to Asagi. To Asagi, Asuka was like a little sister, almost like her own child. After the Koukawa clan was destroyed by Edwin Black, it was Asagi who took care of Asuka alongside Kousuke, strengthening their bond.
Asuka rushed past Sakura without noticing and stood directly in front of Asagi. "Asagi-san! Did you find Kousuke!?" Asuka asked with hope in her voice, though the worry couldn't be hidden.
The question hit Asagi even harder. She tried to hold back the tears that were threatening to spill. Seeing this, Sakura became even more confused.
"What!? Kousuke!? Sis! What happened!?" Sakura exclaimed, her voice filled with anxiety and shock.
Asagi took a deep breath, trying to muster the strength to respond, but the pain in her chest made it hard to speak. She looked at Asuka, who was waiting with hopeful eyes, then at Sakura, who was clearly worried. There was no easy way to say what had really happened.
"This… is Kousuke," Asagi finally said, her voice low and heavy as she slowly revealed the lump of flesh she was holding. The face of Kousuke, now barely human, was visible on its surface, leaving only a faint trace of his once-recognizable features.
Sakura took a step back, shocked and speechless. "No… this can't be…" she whispered.
Asuka, on the other hand, fell silent. Her eyes stared blankly at what was left of Kousuke, mutilated beyond recognition. Tears streamed down her face, but she couldn't make a sound. The hope she had clung to was shattered right before her.
"I… I'm sorry…" Asagi whispered, her heart feeling like it was being torn apart as she saw the reactions of the two people closest to her. "This is what they did to him. They turned him into this…"
Asuka finally collapsed to her knees in front of Asagi, crying quietly as she looked at Kousuke's unrecognizable form. Sakura, still in shock, tried to comfort her sister by wrapping her arms around Asuka, though she herself was struggling to accept the reality of what had happened.