The silence in the room was unbearable.
Kai stood frozen, his eyes locked on Hina.
She still hadn't said a word.
Didn't deny it.
Didn't fight back.
Didn't even try.
The only answer she gave was nothing more than a guilty expression.
Hina was gripping her left arm with her right hand, showing her nervousness.
Kai, on the other hand, had a totally shocked expression on his face.
Hina, the girl he loved, was the culprit of Hiro's condition.
Akira, who'd remained in the background for most of the exchange, stepped forward slowly, her voice cutting through the thick tension like a blade dipped in ice.
"Alright, that's enough."
Her tone wasn't aggressive—but firm. The kind that demanded attention.
She looked at Rei first. "You got what you wanted, Rei. Now step back."
Then to Kai. "Breathe. Think."
But Kai didn't even seem to hear her.
"Rei is just trying to manipulate you, Kai. So please, calm down." Akira said, sounding like a mother speaking to her child.
Kai was staring at Hina like he was seeing her for the first time.
His hands were trembling—trembling not with fear, but with something heavier.
The kind of betrayal that cracks bone.
Hina's eyes were lowered, her head slightly bowed.
Like a dog that had just been kicked.
Like someone waiting for the blow that would come next.
"Say something," Kai demanded, his voice breaking.
Hina didn't respond.
Kai took a step closer. "Tell me it's not true. Look me in the eyes and lie if you have to. BUT SAY SOMETHING!" He shouted.
Still nothing.
Just the sound of her breath hitching, her fingers curling into the sleeves of her coat.
Her silence was louder than any scream.
"Say it, Hina," Kai said again. "Did you kill her? Did you do it?"
The room had shrunk. It was just the two of them now.
Hina slowly raised her head.
And nodded.
Once.
Kai's world shattered.
His breath caught in his throat. His legs weakened beneath him. He took a half-step back like she'd slapped him across the face.
His voice came out as a whisper.
"You… You were supposed to be different."
Rei didn't interrupt. Akira didn't speak. Even the soldiers around them held still, as if the air itself was watching.
Kai shook his head slowly.
"You knew what Hiro meant for me... You knew that he was one of my closest friends... and you—"
His voice cracked.
"You still looked me in the eye and told me you loved me."
Hina's lip quivered.
Tears welled in her eyes, but she didn't let them fall. She couldn't. Not now.
All she did, was covering her head with her arms, like a child does when she's scolded by her parents.
It was such... an instinctive reaction.
If it wasn't her boyfriend, Hina would've probably killed the person in front of him.
But no.
She knew that one day the truth would've been come out.
Kai then turned to Rei.
"To hell with your mission. With your war. With your little games. I'm fucking done."
He made a move toward the exit.
But before he could take three steps, one of Rei's men intercepted him with military precision—and drove a fist straight into Kai's face.
The impact echoed like a gunshot.
Kai hit the ground hard.
Hina's scream broke the silence. "KAI!"
She surged forward—but before she could reach him, Akira stepped in front of her, one hand raised.
"Wait," she said calmly.
"But—!" Hina tried to move around her.
"I said look."
Akira's voice was different now. Not playful. Not sarcastic.
Serious.
Dead serious.
Kai groaned, holding his jaw, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
But he didn't stay down.
He pushed himself up, slow but steady, like something had awakened inside him.
The soldier moved to grab him again—but Kai was faster this time.
Without hesitation, he twisted under the man's arm, drove his elbow into the soft of his gut, and then—one smooth, fluid motion—disarmed him.
The pistol clattered to the ground.
Kai kicked it away.
Before anyone could react, he had the man on his knees, one arm twisted behind his back, choking him with his own forearm.
The entire room froze.
Even Hina, was staring at the scene with wide eyes, probably also feeling a small wave of arousal, just like when Kai had made a small cut on the arm of a dead boss.
Akira , after seeing the scene, launched a rapid glance at Rei..
She noticed his invisible smile.
"So... you did all of this on purpose... for what?" Akira asked to herself.
She knew that Rei was planning to do that.
Yuna also saw the scene, with a sad expression.
The only thing she remembers about Kai was how pure he was.
The same Kai who'd never throwd a punch in his life…
Had just taken down a trained soldier.
Even Rei raised an eyebrow, amused by that young man's action.
Kai stared at the man beneath him, his chest heaving.
Then he slowly let go, stepping back.
The soldier collapsed, coughing.
Kai stood there, fists clenched, adrenaline pumping through his veins like fire.
His eyes—those soft, unsure eyes—were gone.
What remained were the eyes of someone who had snapped.
No more pretending.
No more running.
No more illusions.
He turned to face Rei again, blood still on his lip.
"Please. Don't let me repeat myself again. I'm out. Let me get out of this fucking place."
No one moved.
Akira was the first to smile. "Damn, he's finally growing up."
Hina, however, looked devastated.
Not by the violence.
But by what it had done to him.
What she had done to him.
"Kai…" she whispered.
He didn't look at her.
Didn't even acknowledge her voice.
He turned and walked to the far side of the room, his steps deliberate, his shoulders tight with rage and heartbreak.
Hina wanted to chase him—but her feet wouldn't move.
Akira put a hand on her shoulder.
"Let him cool off," she said softly. "You already did enough."
Rei stepped forward finally, folding his arms as he looked toward where Kai had gone.
"Well… that was unexpected." He said, in an amused way.
"You manipulated him," Hina spat, her voice finally cracking with emotion. "You pushed him until he broke."
Rei didn't deny it.
Instead, he simply replied, "Good. Because if he's going to survive what comes next… he'll need to be broken first."
Hina stared at him, eyes filled with fury and shame.
But Rei just turned away.
And walked back to his console.
Meanwhile, Rei's soldiers just led Kai to his room.