Kojou blinked, his words catching in his throat. "When did I—" He stopped, his face twitching as if a foggy memory snapped into place. "Oh. Right, yeah. Water park. Sunday. I'm on it—give me a sec to get ready."
Cid didn't bother addressing the flicker of confusion on Kojou's face. He brushed past him, ignoring the strange, probing look Claire shot his way from the couch where she and Nagisa were still perched, chattering like they'd known each other forever.
Without breaking stride, Cid headed for the door. "Kojou, Nagisa—something just came up. Gotta run. Sorry."
They'd barely stepped through the water park entrance when Cid skidded to a halt and spun around to face them. Nagisa's jaw dropped. "Huh? But we're here already!"
"Yeah, Cid!" she pressed, waving her arms for emphasis. "Can't it wait? I brought my swimsuit! My swimsuit—you know how cute it is, right?" Her voice carried a playful lilt, as if that alone could tether him to the spot.
Cid shook his head, his expression firm but apologetic. "Sorry, guys. It's urgent."
Kojou frowned, stepping closer. "Cid, what's going on? We could help, you know."
"Yeah!" Nagisa chimed in, her eyes brightening with hope. "If we tackle it together, we'll be back splashing around in no time!"
"It's personal," Cid said simply, his tone leaving no room for argument. "I've got it covered."
Before they could protest further, he turned and bolted, his figure shrinking into the distance.
Kojou and Nagisa stood there, exchanging a glance loaded with confusion and a touch of hurt.
Nagisa's shoulders slumped, her earlier spark snuffed out like a candle in the wind. "So… what now, Kojou?"
He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Let's just head home, Nagisa. A swimsuit's no fun without Cid around. We'll figure out what's up with him later."
Her voice dropped, heavy with disappointment. "Yeah… okay. Sigh."
Meanwhile, Cid had already ditched the faint prickle of surveillance he'd sensed hovering near Kojou's place.
He pushed his legs to their limit, moving faster than his "normal guy" persona should allow, until he ducked into a tight, camera-free alley.
The second he crossed the threshold, a rush of dark liquid erupted from his body—twisting, writhing tendrils that coiled around him like living shadows. In a heartbeat, they swallowed him whole.
When the darkness settled, a new figure stood in his place: a man draped in a sleek, jet-black coat, its hood pulled low.
A smooth, magician-like mask hid his face, leaving only a sliver of his crimson eyes visible.
Without a sound, he launched into the sky, his presence cloaked by Nature's Law—a trick that erased him from the world's sight—and streaked toward his target.
In moments, he touched down on a rooftop overlooking the harbor on Itogami Island's far edge. His sharp gaze swept the scene below, cutting through the quiet like a blade. "Weird. Where is everyone?"
Cid's brow furrowed. He'd been dead certain someone had triggered a distress signal laced with his magic—a call only he could feel.
But the harbor stretched out empty beneath him. Not a single Mitsugoshi Company core employee in sight. Just a handful of regular workers shuffling around, clueless as ever.
It wasn't a fluke. Years back, he'd handed Gamma a tiny piece of his magic—a spark she'd cleverly split into over 800 fragments.
Each key member of Mitsugoshi carried one, turning them into "demon vessels" of sorts.
Gamma, being the genius she was, had milked those fragments for all they were worth: boosting power, sending messages, even crying for help when things got dicey.
Cid had grown up with them, so sharing a sliver of his strength felt natural. The bits he gave regenerated in seconds anyway—helping out cost him nothing, so he never sweated it.
But this? This was off. He'd felt that distress pulse clear as day, tugging him here. Yet now, the place was a ghost town—no Mitsugoshi elites, no signs of trouble. Just… nothing.
"Are they dead already?" he muttered, then shook his head. "No, that's not it. The signal didn't carry any pain or damage. Wait—did it even say what was wrong?"
He shut his eyes, focusing hard, diving into the echo of that magic pulse. Seconds ticked by. When his lids snapped open, his face had drained of color.
The truth slammed into him like a freight train. The signal hadn't included a status update—no hint of injury or danger.
Worse, when he reached out to sense those 800-plus fragments scattered across the world, every single one pinged back. None were missing.
None were screaming for help. From Gamma's headquarters to the farthest outpost, they were all there, humming along just fine.
"…A false alarm?" His voice cracked with disbelief.
The shadowed figure wavered, then sank to his knees, slumping forward into a defeated, head-in-hands slump—an orz of pure exasperation. Damn it.
He'd skipped his weekly "Shadow Trials" for this. He'd raised Kojou's suspicions and possibly damaged his "average guy" persona—all because he rushed here, only to discover the distress signal was a mistake.
His frustration boiled over, dwarfing even the anger he'd felt earlier when Claire turned parts of his body into minced meat during her wake-up call.
But who could he blame for this mess? Himself?
Leaping down from the rooftop, Cid brushed aside his lingering irritation and started planning his next move.
Returning to Kojou's group was out of the question—he couldn't risk bumping into them after making such a dramatic exit.
The last thing he needed was for someone to catch him wandering the streets right after declaring he had urgent business.
He might have been able to fool others, but he wouldn't fool himself—anyone who saw that would mark him as suspicious.
No, better play it safe.
Time to go pet some cats.
Cats, after all, were the ultimate stress relief. And maybe—just maybe—he'd run into Kanon Kanon today.
Slapping his palms together in mock determination, Cid vanished from the alley without a trace.
Meanwhile, not long after he left, a blonde nun sprinted toward the spot where he had stood mere seconds ago.
Panting, she glanced around in confusion before grabbing an elderly man passing by.
"Excuse me, sir! Did you see someone wearing a long black coat just now?"