"It's… really hard to tell if that's a man."

  After the illusory figure for a while, Hayasaka, an expert in disguise and casual wear shook her head slightly.

  She had only noticed the discrepancies because Amamiya Ren had mentiohat the mysterious woman was actually a man.

  "There's a faint Adam's apple, but that's not definitive, some women naturally have one."

  "The breast shape looks slightly… off, but that could be from pstic surgery."

  "Physical and etic fillers create that unnatural symmetry."

  "And then there's the height, she's much taller than the average woman."

  "But without text, I'd have assumed she was just a statuesque beauty."

  Hayasaka was impressed.

  She'd dealt with disguises her whole life, but this level of detail was rare.

  Even with her trained eye, she would've been fooled if she hadn't known beforehand.

  "Yeah… it's surprisingly ving," Maria agreed.

  "Without Amamiya's insight, I never would've guessed."

  "But if he went to such lengths to disguise himself… his hatred must run deep."

  The male avenger had clearly spent months, if not years preparing for this.

  But…

  "He doesn't deserve sympathy."

  Ren's voice broke the sileh icy certainty.

  "His father trafficked drugs. He wasn't some i victim, he was a willing aplice to that world."

  "And just because his family was killed by other criminals, we're supposed to feel sorry for him?"

  "Drug traffig is a choid anyone who makes that choice deserves what they get."

  His disdain alpable.

  Fujiwara blinked in surprise.

  "But… he never sold drugs himself, right?"

  "I'm not denying that his revenge is justified."

  "But I'm not going to sympathize with him either."

  Ren leaned back slightly.

  "His father built a life on the suffering of others."

  "And he didn't stop him. Didn't turn him in. Didn't cut ties."

  "He was fih the dirty money until it backfired."

  His eyes narrowed.

  "To me… his death in the inal story was a fitting clusion."

  Maria tilted her head.

  "How did he die inally?"

  "He burned himself alive after killing the drug dealers."

  "He knew his revenge was righteous but also illegal."

  "So after pleting his revenge, he chose self-immotion as his final act."

  A heavy silence filled the room.

  Fujiwara exhaled softly.

  "I guess… that's justice, in a way."

  "He killed monsters… but didn't want to bee one."

  Ren nodded.

  "Exactly."

  "I'm not saying his pain wasn't real. Or that his rage wasn't justified."

  "But the moment he chose revenge—he accepted the sequences."

  ---

  "Hey, Amamiya…"

  Fujiwara shifted closer to him.

  "Do you really hate drugs that much?"

  "I despise them."

  Ren didn't hesitate for even a sed.

  "Of all the vices in the world—praphy, gambling, and drugs—I hate drugs the most."

  "Praphy hurts those who fall into it."

  "Gambliroys families."

  "But drugs? Drugs destroy entire unities."

  "Porn be avoided. Gambling be quit."

  "But drugs… drugs never let go."

  He ched his fists.

  "Drugs don't just ruin the addict."

  "They devour their family, their friends, and everyohey touch."

  "I don't just hate drugs…"

  His voice turned cold.

  "I hate the people who sell them."

  Fujiwara swallowed nervously.

  She could feel his pt, like a poisonous mist radiating from his very soul.

  And she uood why.

  As a child of privilege, she'd been warned about drugs her entire life.

  Her family drilled the dangers into her from an early age.

  So had the families of every other young dy present.

  They might not have grown up oreets, but they knew how easily even the wealthiest could fall if they let their guard down.

  Hayasaka broke the silence.

  "Holy? I agree."

  "My family worked for a rich family in Europe once."

  "They had a son who got hooked oh."

  "He went from a straight-A student to a violent mess in months."

  She folded her arms.

  "Drugs don't care if you're rich or poor."

  "They destroy you either way."

  The room fell into uneasy agreement.

  "So… what happeo the revenge-seeker?"

  Fujiwara broke the sileh a curious tilt of her head.

  "Now?"

  Ren sidered it.

  "Well, the drug dealers he wanted revenge on have been captured."

  "His targets are gone."

  "He's probably just sitting somewhere, flicted."

  Fujiwara blinked.

  "Wait… he became a doctht?"

  "Yeah."

  "Maybe he became oo prevent more families from suffering like his did."

  "But now that his revenge is impossible…"

  Ren shrugged.

  "I think he'll just keep being a doctor."

  "That's not a bad oute."

  "Better to heal the sick than hunt ghosts."

  He g the clock.

  29 minutes sihe unity ter raid ended.

  The mountain assault should be underway.

  "Looks like it's time for me to go."

  He stood up.

  "I'll head to the back mountain to check the situation."

  "Wait, alone?!"

  Fujiwara jumped to her feet.

  "I'll be back soon."

  "Just sit tight and trust me."

  And with that—

  He vanished.

  His body dissolved into thin air, leaving behind only a faint, shimmering ripple.

  Fujiwara gasped.

  "Whoa! He just disappeared!"

  She ran to the spot where he had stood and waved her hands around.

  "He's really gone!"

  "It was like… magic!"

  She turo Kaguya.

  "Kaguya, you do that?"

  Kaguya shook her head.

  "I merge with elements… but I 't vanish like that."

  Fujiwara stared at the empty space with wide eyes.

  "Just what kind of power did Amamiya get?"

  "He seems… way too versatile."