Agent 3's breath caught in his throat.
Those words—
"I'm gonna kill you."
They weren't empty.
They weren't a bluff.
They didn't sound like Teji.
Not the Teji he knew.
His grip on his blade tightened, knuckles turning pale.
"…That's not you," Agent 3 whispered. "You don't talk like that. You're not that kind of monster."
Then he noticed it —
Teji's right shoulder.
The wound Agent 3 gave him just minutes ago.
It stopped bleeding.
Already sealed. Already clotting.
His eyes narrowed.
That wasn't normal.
That wasn't human.
"What the hell is going on…?" Agent 3 muttered under his breath.
Agent 2 stepped forward, chest rising and falling faster now.
He tried to play it off, shake the tension clawing at his spine.
"I don't know what the hell happened to your head, but let me make one thing clear—"
He never got to finish.
In a blink—Teji vanished.
The air cracked.
A blur.
Then—
CRACK.
Teji's palm smashed into Agent 2's face with a force that split the silence like thunder.
He didn't just push him —
He launched him.
Agent 2's body slammed into the concrete wall behind him like a missile.
The impact left a deep crater, stone and dust exploding outward.
Chunks of debris fell around them.
The wall groaned under the pressure.
Agent 2's head was half-buried into the stone.
Teji's hand still pressed against his face.
Not shaking.
Not straining.
Just holding him there —
Like it was nothing.
Agent 2's body hung limp against the wall, arms twitching, breath short and panicked.
He couldn't move.
Couldn't speak.
Couldn't believe what just happened.
Even though he was always the fastest.
Even though he'd beaten Teji in spar after spar.
This was different.
This wasn't a fight.
This was domination.
Teji slowly let go.
His hand dropped, covered in dust and blood.
No words. No emotion. Just silence.
Agent 2's legs gave out.
He slid halfway down the wall, crumpling to the floor.
Barely conscious.
Barely hanging on.
Then came Agent 3.
He didn't wait.
Didn't hesitate.
He charged straight in, blade flashing like lightning.
Each step was sharp. Focused.
His style was clean—too clean. No wasted energy, no flare.
Every swing was calculated. Every slash aimed to end it.
But Teji—
He didn't speak.
He didn't grunt.
Didn't even breathe heavy.
He just moved.
Like the wind.
Like a ghost.
Each blade missed him by inches.
He weaved through the attacks like water slipping through cracks.
A lean to the left. A step back. A twist of the shoulders.
Effortless.
His eyes never blinked.
His expression was empty.
No anger. No fear. No mercy.
He wasn't defending himself.
He was hunting.
Agent 3 slashed again, a final swing—
A clean horizontal slice aimed right for Teji's throat.
A killing blow.
Fast. Precise. Unblockable.
Or so it should've been.
Teji dropped low.
So fast it looked like he disappeared.
His body slid under the blade like smoke—
And then—gone.
Agent 3 blinked—
And Teji was already behind him.
The world froze.
Agent 3's instincts screamed.
But his body didn't move in time.
Teji's hands clamped down on his arms—
One on each wrist.
Tight. Solid. Cold.
Agent 3's eyes blew wide.
He knew what was coming.
He'd seen it done in training.
But this time—
It was real.
"No—!"
CRACK. SNAP.
A sharp, brutal sound tore through the alley.
Both his shoulders ripped out of place in one violent pull.
His arms twisted behind him, bent in angles they were never meant to go.
Pain exploded through his body.
His scream echoed off the walls.
Teji let go.
Like dropping broken tools.
Agent 3 collapsed to his knees, face twisted in agony.
His body couldn't support itself anymore.
Everything burned.
Then—
WHAM.
Teji's foot drove into his back with vicious force.
Agent 3 was launched forward, smashed face-first into the dirt.
Silence followed.
No more footsteps.
No more words.
Just breathing. Heavy. Quiet. Cold.
Agent 2 stared.
He didn't recognize the person standing over them anymore.
That wasn't Teji.
That wasn't the same guy they used to joke with.
The guy who hesitated to kill. Who held back.
This person—
This thing—was something else.
Blood streamed down his face.
Behind him, Agent 3 was still screaming in pain, twisted on the ground like a broken doll.
That sound—
His best friend, his brother—
It tore something inside him.
His hands trembled.
His chest heaved.
His vision blurred.
Something inside him cracked.
He bit down hard, his teeth grinding, lips shaking.
"…Bastard…" he muttered, almost choking on the word.
His body moved before his brain could catch up.
"YOU—!!"
A scream tore from his throat as he charged.
Reckless. Furious. Heartbroken.
Tears mixed with the blood on his face.
Every step was raw emotion. No plan. No strategy.
Just pain.
And Teji waited.
Still.
Expressionless.
Unmoving.
Not even tense.
Just calm.
Like he already knew what was about to happen.
Agent 2 threw his fist—
Hard. Fast. Straight at Teji's face.
Then another.
Then another.
Punch after punch after punch.
Screaming through the blood, through the tears, through the rage.
Swinging like his life depended on it.
Like his soul was breaking.
But none of them landed.
Not one.
Teji blocked every punch.
Not with effort—
With ease.
His arms moved like they were on instinct.
Like they'd already seen those attacks a hundred times.
Like they weren't reacting—
They were waiting.
Then—
Mid-swing, Teji's hand shot forward and caught Agent 2's wrist.
"Gh—!"
There was a pause.
A heartbeat.
Then—
CRASH.
Agent 2's body was lifted clean off the ground.
Spun over Teji's shoulder.
And slammed into the concrete like a ragdoll dropped from a rooftop.
BOOM.
The ground cracked beneath the weight.
The shock shot through his spine like lightning.
He gasped, chest spasming—
But he didn't even get the chance to breathe.
Teji raised his foot—
And brought it down.
WHAM—!!
A brutal stomp aimed straight for Agent 2's face.
Dust exploded into the air.
The impact shook the alley.
But—
Agent 2 rolled.
Barely.
Just in time.
The stomp missed him by inches.
The ground where his head was just a second ago was now a shattered mess of cracked stone.
He coughed, dirt in his throat, eyes wide, heart racing.
He was still alive.
But Teji didn't let up.
No words.
No hesitation.
No sign of mercy.
He dashed forward—
A blur.
And then—
The punches came.
Bam. Bam. Bam. Bam. Bam.
Each fist landed like a bullet.
Fast. Sharp. Ruthless.
Drilling into Agent 2's ribs.
His gut.
His chest.
A full-on gatling barrage of pain.
No time to breathe. No space to think.
"—Agh! Gghh!!"
The air was knocked out of him.
His lungs seized. His body folded.
Agent 2 stumbled back, legs wobbling—
Then finally collapsed.
Flat on his back.
But Teji didn't stop.
He followed.
Stepped over him.
Straddled his chest.
And then—
Fist after fist came crashing down on Agent 2's face.
Relentless.
Blood splattered across the concrete like rain.
Smack. Smack. SMACK.
His nose crushed.
His lip split wide open.
One eye already swelling shut—
The other filled with panic and pain.
But Teji didn't blink.
Didn't stop.
His eyes locked in.
Cold.
Focused.
Like he was trying to erase Agent 2's entire face from existence.
Every punch was personal.
Like something inside him had snapped.
Like this wasn't a fight anymore.
It was punishment.
Again. Again. Again.
His knuckles were stained red.
The ground shook with every hit.
And still—Teji didn't flinch.
Then—
Through the wet, choking sound of blood in his throat—
Agent 2 whispered.
"…Teji…"
That's all he said.
One word.
One name.
Soft. Broken. Real.
And that was enough.
Teji's fist froze mid-air.
Just inches from smashing down again.
His arm locked in place.
His breath finally caught.
His mind snapped back—
If only for a second.
A flash.
—A memory.
Teji laughing with Agent 2 and Agent 3 during training.
Stealing snacks together behind HQ's back.
Getting scolded.
Laughing even harder.
Falling asleep during long, boring briefings.
Drawing dumb stuff in their mission books.
Getting hit in sparring.
Getting back up.
Learning. Growing. Together.
It was small.
It was distant.
But it was enough.
Agent 2 felt it too.
His swollen eye barely opened.
He looked up at Teji… the friend he once knew.
His chest rose slowly. Then fell.
He didn't move.
Didn't speak.
Didn't resist.
He just… let go.
If this was how it ended—
By Teji's hand—
So be it.
But—
BAM—
Teji's fist slammed into the ground.
Not the head.
The floor.
Right next to Agent 2's face.
Hard.
The whole alley shook.
Dust and debris jumped from the impact.
A crack split across the concrete.
But Agent 2 was untouched.
Teji's shoulders started to shake.
Not from pain.
From something deeper.
His arms hung at his sides.
Knuckles dripping blood—his or theirs, he couldn't tell anymore.
He looked down at his hands.
At what they'd done.
At what he almost did.
His breaths came out uneven.
Short. Rough. Shaky.
His lips parted.
"…What am I doing…?"
His voice cracked.
Raw. Quiet.
Like it hurt just to say it.
Like he didn't even recognize himself anymore.
He looked around—
And saw them.
People.
Civilians.
Bystanders.
Neighbors.
Dozens of eyes… all locked on him from the edges of the alley.
Frozen.
Staring.
Some gasping.
Some whispering behind shaky hands.
Some already holding up their phones, recording.
And then—
A kid cried.
Loud. Scared.
Teji turned toward the sound.
The little boy clung to his mother's leg, face soaked in tears.
And the mother—
She pulled her child close.
Tight. Protective.
Terrified.
She looked at Teji like he might hurt them next.
Like he was something dangerous.
Like he wasn't human.
That moment hit harder than any punch.
All of them…
Everyone watching…
Were seeing him as one thing.
A monster.
Teji stepped back.
His chest tightened.
His breath caught.
He saw himself through their eyes.
Not a hero.
Not an agent.
Not even a person.
Just a threat.
Then—
He ran.
Fast.
Too fast for anyone to stop.
Too fast for them to catch a clear shot.
Too fast to be followed.
He vanished into the shadows,
Leaving behind nothing but fear, broken bodies, and blood.
Teji kept running.
Kept running until his legs burned.
Until the screams faded.
Until it was quiet.
He stumbled into a side alley.
Dark. Empty. Forgotten.
A place no one looked twice at.
He collapsed against a wall, the cold brick scraping his back as he slid down.
Dropped into a sitting position.
Knees pulled to his chest.
Arms hanging limp.
Head low.
His breaths came in sharp and ragged.
Each inhale hurt.
His hands—
Still soaked. Still red.
Still shaking.
He stared at them.
His fingers curled slightly, as if trying to let go of something that wouldn't leave.
Then he whispered—
Broken. Quiet. Barely himself:
"What the fuck was that…?"
No one answered.
Only silence.
Only the sound of his own heart pounding like a war drum.
He clenched his fists.
"…What the fuck did I just do…?"
The words scraped out of his throat.
And then it hit him—
Like a truck.
Not just the exhaustion.
Not just the pain.
But the weight.
The weight of what he'd done.
Of who he had become.
Of what he almost became.
Guilt.
Horror.
Confusion.
He didn't feel strong.
He didn't feel safe.
He didn't feel like himself.
He felt lost.
He felt wrong.
He felt scared.
And in that alley, surrounded by nothing but shadows and the ghost of his own violence—
Teji couldn't tell if he was still the good guy anymore.
And then—
He noticed something.
A strange feeling.
Or rather, the lack of one.
Teji slowly rolled his right shoulder.
No pain.
No sting.
Just smooth movement.
He paused.
That couldn't be right.
He pushed his palm into the muscle.
Still nothing.
No wound.
No soreness.
Just a faint, pale scar where there should've been raw damage.
His eyes widened.
"…What the—"
He sat up straighter, hands moving fast.
Pulled up his shirt—
Right near his upper left chest.
Where Agent 5 had stabbed him.
Where the bayonet had sunk deep into flesh.
He found it.
But it wasn't a wound anymore.
Just a thin, light scar.
Almost healed.
Almost like it had happened months ago.
But it didn't.
It was fresh.
It was supposed to hurt.
His breath hitched.
His heart kicked faster in his chest.
"What the fuck…?"
He muttered it like a curse.
Like a question too big for answers.
This wasn't normal.
This wasn't some fast recovery.
It was something else.
It didn't feel human.
His hands trembled as he reached for his phone.
He didn't scroll. Didn't hesitate.
There was only one name in his head.
Agent 7.
He tapped the call button.
Put the phone to his ear.
Bzzzt.
Bzzzt.
A few rings.
Then—
Click.
"Yo. Hello?"
That easy, familiar voice.
Still calm.
Still casual.
But Teji had no time for small talk.
No room for emotion.
"I need your help."
His voice was flat.
Cold.
Dead serious.
On the other end, silence hung for a second.
Then Agent 7 spoke—slower this time.
"…Whoa. That's fast. I just saw you with Tamiki this morning. What happened?"
But Teji didn't answer right away.
His eyes stared at his scar.
At the blood drying on his knuckles.
At the alley around him.
Something had changed.
In him.
About him.
And he wasn't sure if he liked it.
"They already got her."
Agent 7 went silent.
Then let out a long breath, like all the air had been punched out of him.
"Boizano really doesn't let you breathe, huh…"
His voice was rough now.
He wasn't smiling anymore.
"So, what do you want me to do?"
Teji's answer came without hesitation.
"You said you wanted Boizano to disappear, right?"
"…Err. Yeah?" Agent 7 answered, cautious.
Teji's tone sharpened.
Cold. Focused.
Steel in every word.
"Then we're going to make it happen."
A pause.
"We're going to Boizano."
Agent 7 gave a dry, disbelieving laugh.
"Damn. Straight to the main course, huh? I like it. But… what's the plan? We can't just walk in through the front door and hope for the best."
Teji's eyes narrowed.
Dark. Burning.
"They know I'm coming."
He leaned forward against the cold wall.
"So we'll let them prepare."
Agent 7 didn't speak, just listened.
Teji continued, voice steady like a blade.
"We feed them hope…
Until they're fat."
"Until they think they've won."
Another pause.
Then Agent 7 gave a low chuckle.
But this one was different.
Not mocking.
Not amused.
Ready.
"…Alright," he said. "I'm in."
But Teji wasn't finished.
"I need to ask you something first."
Agent 7 waited.
"I got injured—bad."
He looked down at his own body, frowning.
"I blacked out. I should've died. But when I woke up, both Agent 2 and Agent 3 were already down. I beat them… but I don't remember any of it."
He swallowed.
His voice dropped, barely above a whisper.
"And all my wounds—every single one—gone. Healed. No pain. Just scars. Even the one you stitched yesterday. Do you know something about it?"
A long silence.
Then Agent 7 finally answered—
Slower this time. More careful.
"No."
"I've never seen anything like that."
"Not even among the top agents?" Teji asked.
"Not me. Not them. Not anyone. Boizano pushes us far… but not that far."
Teji looked at the faint line across his chest again.
A scar where a hole used to be.
His jaw tightened.
"…What's happening to me…"
The words dropped like a stone.
No answer.
Only the quiet hum of the line.
Like even the signal didn't want to speak.
Then Agent 7 broke the silence.
"So… when do we start the raid?"
Teji didn't even blink.
His voice came out low.
Sharp.
Dead serious.
"Tonight."
His eyes narrowed like gun barrels.
"They won't sleep peacefully tonight."
His hand clenched into a fist.
"I'm going to hunt every single one of them."
[End of Chapter 12]