Under the Veil of Night

Back then, Shiro looked back at Kanae and smiled lightly. "You keep on saying that you don't have any choice, but in truth, you have the choice, right? If you choose to give up your inheritance, you can get out of this city forever and live with your sister."

"I know."

"But you didn't pick that choice."

"Because I know that it wouldn't solve any problem. I'll have to live, hiding my real identity and ability forever."

Shiro looked at Kanae. "You didn't want that?"

"No."

"Then I'm the same."

Kanae crossed her arm. "You're different, Shin. You don't have anything you want to protect except yourself."

After getting out of that hell, Shiro never got close to anyone. Even though he attended school with Kanae's parents' help and assumed a different identity by hiding his surname, he could never get close to anyone. He was afraid.

Afraid that the government would find him and drag him back to hell. If they threatened him with people he cared for, he knew that he wouldn't be able to refuse.

"That's why I don't have anything to lose if I decide to fight."

"You…"

"Will you reject my request, Rei?"

Looking at Shiro's expression, Kanae shook her head slowly. She sighed. "If this is your decision, I won't stop you, Brother Shiro."

"Thank you, Rei."

---

*present time*

Shiro pushed the thoughts of the past into the back of his mind. He sighed to himself as he looked at the screen. It was showing the fight outside this building. Right now, the army and people from Black Street were cooperating together. It was truly a wonder how those two, who come from a completely different world managed to cooperate so well.

They were trying to press in. However, the swarm of the monsters just increased as more and more came out.

'In just a bit more, there won't be any monster.'

Because he helped out a bit here in his disguise, he knew that there were a lot of people who were unable to withstand the reaction of the medicine. This time, Professor Taren had let them all out. Counting their number, Shiro knew that the fight would only last a few hours at most.

Afterwards, the monsters might be wiped out because they were not a match to the group of army and fighters from Black Street.

However, the question left for him would be whether he could last that long or not.

He had almost run out of bullets. If he got out of this lab using the secret passage, he would be dead because of the monsters. He should just take the machine and head to the dungeon.

BANG!

Shiro was startled at the sudden voice and turned around only to see Aria stood there. His pupil shrunk because he knew that he would not be the man's match. Holding his gun tightly, he looked back at Aria warily.

"You're the one who did this?" Aria asked.

"Who else do you think it'll be?"

Aria looked at Shiro coldly. Suddenly, he charged towards Shiro rapidly. The startled Shiro shot the man using his gun. Although the man was moving in random ways, Shiro was already used to Kanae's speed. His shots hit the man in various locations.

However, it didn't stop him at all.

Bam!

Aria punched him on the stomach. Shiro could feel his entire stomach content was destroyed in that single punch. It was far heavier and harder to contend compared with the fight he had so far.

*cough* *cough*

"Your resistance is futile."

Shiro gritted his teeth. He took out a hidden knife and pierced the man's feet. In the next moment, Aria kicked him. He flung once again to the wall, blood flowed out of many cuts on his body.

*cough* *cough*

'So painful,' Shiro thought to himself.

Aria pulled the knife from his feet and threw it to the side. The wound on his body slowly closed at a visible rate. It was as if no matter what wounds he had, he would heal by himself.

Shiro could barely see the amazing restoration ability that the man had. He knew that he was not the man's match and with his body's condition, he would die if he didn't get any treatment in an hour.

One hour…

Could the fight possibly end within an hour? Not to mention, the fact that the controller was still in Kanae's body would make them control her. He didn't have the controller only because he managed to get away not long after he awakened his talent back then. If he was late for a few more days, he would never have a chance to get out.

The controller couldn't be placed on an ordinary person because the chemical would kill them. Professor Taren always waited for the child to awaken their talent before doing the operation.

The sounds of footsteps getting away made him glad. At the very least, the man called Aria wouldn't inflict immediate death wound to him.

He tried moving his body, but he realized that every single movement caused pain to emerge all over his body. He gritted his teeth to endure the pain.

'I'm sorry, Rei.'

When he switched the medicine yesterday and acted forcefully to make her drink, he told her that he would return to take care of the controller. With his current condition, it was highly impossible for him to return back.

From the bottom of his heart, he hoped that Kanae would be alright. If she was forced to fight with her friends, he knew that she would surely choose the most extreme method…

'Ouch,' the pain on his back jolted him back again. This was not the time for him to think about other people's condition so much. He had to stop his bleeding and earn himself more time. If he didn't, it would be his death.

Afterwards, he could only pray that one of his friends came to this side to help him get out of this place.