Null looked down at the corpse silently.
Then he clicked his tongue.
"…So we got fooled."
Lana clenched her fists.
"We followed him all the way into the middle of a forest…"
"And we still don't know where Leo is."
A heavy silence fell between them.
The cold wind moved through the trees.
Then suddenly—
Lana's eyes widened slightly.
"…Wait."
Null looked at her.
"You thought of something?"
"I think…" Lana quickly reached into her pocket, "…I can find him."
She pulled out her phone.
Null frowned.
"…How?"
Lana unlocked the screen.
The moment it lit up—
Chibi Leo instantly appeared.
"Wow!" he shouted dramatically. "I thought you guys would stay there until dinner!"
"Why did you come back so ea—"
Before he could finish—
Chibi Lana suddenly appeared and shoved him aside.
"Miss Lana!" she cried desperately. "Please save Leo! He's in danger!"
"We already know that," Lana replied quickly. "But we don't know where he is."
Chibi Leo immediately pointed somewhere off-screen.
"I know!"
A map suddenly appeared on the phone screen.
A blinking red point pulsed repeatedly.
"That's Leo's current location," Chibi Leo said seriously.
Null immediately stepped closer.
"…How do you know?"
Chibi Leo crossed his tiny arms proudly.
"Because Leo and I are connected."
Then his expression became unusually serious.
"And his pain levels are rising very fast."
Lana's face paled.
"…How bad?"
Chibi Leo looked down silently for a moment.
Then answered quietly.
"…Really bad."
Even Chibi Lana stopped smiling.
"Please hurry…" she whispered.
"He keeps blacking out."
Null's eyes sharpened instantly.
"Move."
Without wasting another second—
Null started running.
Lana followed immediately.
The forest blurred around them as they rushed toward the location shown on the screen.
Meanwhile—
Inside the abandoned warehouse.
The chainsaw roared loudly.
Leo's breathing shook violently.
The Assassin slowly approached him.
"You know," the Assassin said calmly, "most people break much earlier."
He tilted his head curiously.
"But you…"
"…you're fascinating."
Leo glared weakly despite the pain.
"…Go to hell."
The Assassin laughed.
"I probably will."
Then—
He slammed the chainsaw downward.
"AAAAAAAHHHHH—!!"
Blood exploded across the room.
Leo screamed so loudly his throat nearly tore apart.
The chainsaw carved directly through his shoulder.
Flesh.
Bone.
Muscle.
Everything shredded apart.
The Assassin watched carefully like a researcher observing an experiment.
"Incredible regeneration speed…"
He stepped back slightly, studying Leo's body healing itself.
"…Your immortality is truly beautiful."
Leo trembled violently.
Every nerve in his body burned with agony.
But he still forced himself to speak.
"…Why…"
Blood dripped from his mouth.
"…Why are you obsessed with suffering?"
The Assassin paused.
For the first time—
His smile weakened slightly.
Then he answered quietly.
"…Because pain reveals truth."
Leo stared at him silently.
The Assassin rested the chainsaw against his shoulder.
"When people suffer," he continued, "their masks disappear."
"Fear."
"Love."
"Hatred."
"Regret."
He smiled again.
"And you…"
"…you show me something new every time."
Leo's vision blurred again.
But suddenly—
The Assassin frowned.
"…Hm?"
He slowly looked toward the distance.
Then smiled.
"Oh."
"They're coming."
Leo's eyes widened slightly.
Null…
Lana…
The Assassin laughed softly.
"Perfect timing."
Then he grabbed another weapon from the table.
A long knife.
"But before they arrive…"
He walked toward Leo slowly.
"…let's see how long your eyes can survive."
Leo's breathing stopped for a moment.
And the warehouse echoed once again with the sound of the chainsaw.
Far away—
Null suddenly accelerated.
The ground cracked beneath his feet.
Lana struggled to keep up.
"Brother—!"
"He's close," Null said coldly.
For the first time in a long while—
Real anger appeared in his voice.
"If that man touched Leo again…"
His fists tightened.
"…I'll kill him."