Kimiko, like Kuro, hadn’t taken well to the idea of being locked up in a 4x4 cage.

But unlike her teammate, who added useless physical effort to his insults, trying to punch the door down—the girl had limited herself to cursing at her jailers.

“Your mother mated with pigs! Filthy bastards! Let me out, or are you too scared to face a little girl?”

Even the professional [Black Corps] prison guards had their limits, limits Kimiko had long since surpassed.

If they hadn’t been ordered to keep her unharmed, they probably would’ve come in to "soften her up" a bit already.

Luckily for them, Kugutsu herself had come down to the lower levels to speak with the last captured member of the team.

“While your grandmother was moaning in that brothel! Your grandparents were getting-”

“You’ve got quite the mouth on you, little girl!”

In her state of “curse everyone until I run out of breath,” the 16-year-old hadn’t noticed the arrival of the serial killer.

“What the hell do you want!? Oh, I get it you must’ve lost your daughter in this shithole! Come on ‘little girl,’ big sis here will help you find your way home!”

If the comment about her appearance had bothered Kugutsu, she didn’t show it.

Instead, she merely smiled slightly. The expression sent a chill down Kimiko’s spine.

“In my long experience, I’ve learned many things. So I know for a fact that your attitude is just a fragile armor hiding a scared little girl afraid of the world.”

This time, it was Hajime’s teammate who lost her temper.

The [mage] tried to punch the [Black Corps] officer, but the doll accompanying her easily restrained Kimiko.

“Come now, out of all your teammates, you’re the weakest.” (Kugutsu)

“Tell your damn doll to let me go! I’ll show you how ‘weak’ my kicks are, you crazy bitch!” (Kimiko)

“How vulgar. It seems I’ll have to take on the burden of educating you properly.”

As they walked toward Kugutsu’s office, Kimiko couldn’t shake the awful feeling gnawing at her insides.

(I don’t like this! I really don’t like this! I have to find a way to escape and free the others!)

Meanwhile, many miles away, Yukihime and Izumi had just reached the shores of [Fumetsu], ready to head toward the district where all this was happening—hoping to put an end to the threat looming over their group.

---

Kimiko was the weakest of her teammates.

Not in terms of physical strength or power, that title went to Kohaku, whose [esper] abilities were more support oriented.

No, Kimiko was the most vulnerable because of her past a past that still haunted her.

Hajime, Kuro, Cloe, and Kohaku had all experienced tough times. But even in their darkest days, they had something to hold onto to stay sane.

Hajime had his hatred for Goto. Though it poisoned him inside, it also gave him the strength to go on and face the fear of death brought on by his stepfather.

And his love for his mother and little sister pushed him to keep going, despite the doubts and questionable choices he’d made.

Kuro and Cloe had each other during their escape, and through all the years spent in laboratories like test subjects.

Their bond went beyond blood. Even if they hadn’t been half-siblings, they would’ve considered each other family.

The group’s leader and the only other [esper], had her rage and thirst for vengeance. Though she never fully processed her parents’ deaths, pain wouldn’t break her, not as long as the [Black and White Corps] still existed.

Kimiko had none of that.

Her entire current personality was a mask to hide the scared little girl she truly was. Kugutsu had hit the nail on the head.

And it was disturbing to realize that an enemy knew her so well. Even better than her own teammates, those she’d eaten with, slept near, and fought beside.

“You know, finding out who you are was easy. Just a DNA test. You are a missing child, after all.” (Kugutsu)

“Missing? Maybe if someone in Japan actually cared enough to look for me, I would be. But they don’t!” (Kimiko)

“Oh? Did I strike a nerve?” (Kugutsu)

Kugutsu was “speaking” with her final prisoner in her office, her loyal doll watching her back.

So far, her manipulations hadn’t gone as planned. Not for lack of effort or skill, just because the kids she was dealing with weren’t fools.

Fumio had trained them well, helping them develop their natural talents quickly. They didn’t just use their muscles, they used their minds.

But maybe, just maybe, the [Black Corps] officer had finally found the weak link.

“Not that I blame you. Families are complicated, especially when love and hate mix together. I understand that better than anyone.” (Kugutsu)

“Tch… You don’t understand anything!” (Kimiko)

“Oh, really? Let’s see… Which parent did you love more? Your father, perhaps? Or was he absent? Is that why you follow Takeda Fumio-san’s orders so obediently? Do you see him as a father figure? He’s the one who taught you not to talk to your enemies, isn’t he?” (Kugutsu)

Kimiko sneered mockingly at the question, showing no emotion. But Kugutsu noticed a tiny crack in her composure.

(Weak and fragile, just like glass.) (Kugutsu)

“I don’t know what you’re talking about! Maybe hanging out with those things has rotted your brain, you old witch!” (Kimiko)

By “things,” the girl referred to the doll holding her down, keeping her from standing and attacking its master.

(If only it didn’t have such a firm grip! It’s even stronger than F-sensei!) (Kimiko)

“Maybe I should refresh your memory. Let’s see… yes, I’ll tell you your story, from my point of view. The official police reports in Japan about your parents are… quite detailed. I can fill in the blanks with ease.” (Kugutsu)

“Tch! If you think you can rattle me with that, then you’re even dumber than I thought! A donkey is more dangerous than your pretty words!” (Kimiko)

*******************

---

Kimiko was born in a nearly bare home in the slums of Tokyo.

To make ends meet, her mother, the only parent raising her, had to sell her body in exchange for money to care for her daughter.

Growing up in squalor, Kimiko quickly learned to defend herself from a young age. To fight when she could, and to hide or run when she couldn’t.

The fact that she could use [camouflage magic] since she was 8 gave her a huge advantage over ordinary humans, even older ones.

At age 11, she caught the attention of a small gang that discovered her abilities after they tried to “teach her a lesson” for tagging graffiti in their territory.

From that moment, blackmail began.

In exchange for her new [enhancement magic], the gang would keep her secret and not report her to the police.

To avoid being deported, alongside her mother, to [Fumetsu], Kimiko used her power to boost all physical and even mental abilities of others, even those without [mana], to help her new “friends.”

They even “convinced” her to tattoo a red teardrop under her left eye, symbolizing her belonging to the gang.

One day, at 13 years, the gang overstepped their bounds.

They provoked the wrath of a Yakuza’s son.

Things ended very badly for the slum criminals. Even with a young [mage] on their side, they couldn’t compete with a better-organized, well-armed group, especially one that had its own [espers] and [mages].

Kimiko only survived by chance: her own father was part of that criminal family. A father she never saw and who never cared for her.

Even then, she was far from safe.

She had gone from the frying pan into the fire.

The Yakuza also tried to use her, exploiting her lack of a father figure to bring her under their control.

They even branded her with another tattoo on her back, symbolizing her new affiliation: a geisha crying blood from her eyes, a disturbing extension of her facial teardrop, representing her mother and herself as one, united to survive.

It all worked, until her mother stepped in.

There was a brutal argument between her parents.

The result? Her mother, dead on the floor, killed by her father.

That day, Hajime’s teammate first learned to use [Flash]. to kill the man who murdered the woman who had loved her unconditionally.

The Yakuza searched for her, she was still a valuable asset. With the help of a few corrupted cops, even the police were hunting her.

By another twist of fate, Kimiko met Yukihime in a park.

Still scared and traumatized, she immediately attacked the [Omega]. The results were obvious.

But from that encounter, the frightened little girl found salvation, under the protection of the artificial vampire, who empathized with her pain.

From there, going to [Fumetsu] and joining [New Dawn] was only natural

***************

"Tell me, in how many points did I tell the truth?" (Kugutsu)

Kimiko was shocked. Apart from Yukihime and Fumio, no one else knew.

Even though she had skipped over some events, the essence of what Kugutsu had said was true.

Her mother had died in a futile attempt to free her from the clutches of the underworld.

The memory of that event, and of the first time she had killed, froze Hajime's teammate in place. She didn't resist as she lay on the ground, restrained by the doll.

Her emotional state worsened when [Black Corps] turned the computer screen to show her the photos of the crime scene.

It was as if she had gone back in time.

Tears started to stream from her eyes, while her face twisted in pain.

"See? You’re weak and fragile. Much more than all your teammates... at least they had the strength to resist me, while you whimper like a frightened child. But in the end, isn't that what you really are!?" (Kugutsu)

Kimiko clenched her fists in anger and frustration, trying to regain control of herself.

"What do you want from me, you witch!?" (Kimiko)

"Absolutely nothing. A lackey of low-level criminals doesn't deserve my attention. You're just a brat who committed parricide and now tries to act tough. Put her back in her cell. She's not worth my time." (Kugutsu)

Kimiko was dragged away by force, still crying and struggling.

"(Now they're all boiling in their own broth. Just a few words, and their weaknesses are laid bare... just a little more, and I’ll break them.)" (Kugutsu)