R:A - (New Prime Chapter that will be edited into V3) (in editing

Volume 3 - (New Prime Chapter that will be edited into V3) (in editing)

The destruction of the only Monster Class Nest Core was an unprecedented event that would, in turn, bring about unprecedented changes for the future of humanity.

In the immediate aftermath, rumors spread through the First Layer like wildfire across an arid forest.

The dangerous ‘Towers’ that lay at the center of the Main Cluster had, all of a sudden, become far safer. The number of Morenkai in the area greatly decreased, not to mention the fact that Monster Class Morenkai vanished entirely.

Escaping the First Layer was now easier than ever, heralding a mad rush of people eager to escape the land of skyscrapers and zombie-like Morenkai. While the Second Layer remained a mystery, many thought there was no way it could be worse than the First.

At the Subway beneath one of the southern-most Towers, hundreds of men and women could be seen rushing into it and eagerly heading towards the benches that would transport one from the First Layer to the Second Layer.

In the midst of those eager travelers, one blond man sat on the ground, leaning his back against a grey metal wall as he observed his surroundings. This man was dressed in a plain white shirt and loose black pants, his tired eyes and lined face giving off a sense of exhaustion.

“…I lost completely.”

Director Prime folded his hands together as he leaned off the wall, resting his chin on his knuckles with a pensive sigh.

He took a moment to glance around at the men and women that stood frozen in time, their eager or excited faces decidedly at odds with his own. He shook his head.

His fight with Micheal had shocked him to his core.

Prime was confident that he didn’t make any mistakes. His every reaction was the best he could come up with. He had stopped time at more than 400 separate points during their duel, observing every action that his opponent made and adjusting his own in return.

And yet…

He lost, nevertheless.

Prime remained still, his eyes glazing as he contemplated everything that went wrong.

Seconds passed into minutes and minutes passed into hours as the Director sat, lost in thought.

Eventually, he spat out a single word.

“Information.”

That was the conclusion he drew.

He lost because he lacked information. Or, better put, he lost because his opponent overwhelmingly had the advantage when it came to information.

Despite his best efforts, years of time spent solely on research and study, his enemy used things he had no knowledge of, and thus, no ability to prepare for.

“And skill too, I suppose.” He muttered, remembering the precise movements and technique of his opponent. He shook his head again, this time in admiration.

Reactions that took Prime minutes, or even hours, of contemplation, his opponent was capable of making in an instant. The man was skilled to a frightening degree, enough so that Prime couldn’t help but acknowledge it. It was to the point where he half suspected the man had some type of Foresight related Ability.

Prime leaned the back of his head against the wall and looked up at the ceiling, his eyes growing distant.

He thought about the comrades he’d lost.

He thought about the organization he’d formed.

He thought about all the effort and time he had already spent here on the First Layer.

“Do I really need to let all of that go?” He murmured to himself quietly.

His query went unanswered, only the sounds of silence echoing in a world frozen in time.

After a few moments, the Director winced slightly and glanced down at his chest. He tugged the collar of his shirt forward and stared down at a set of bright red welts that were seared into his flesh, just above his heart.

The scarlet burns spelled out a number:

8,283.

It stood for the number of people that had died because of him.

From deaths due to not perfectly analyzing Abnormal Morenkai placement to those killed because he failed to accurately predict the movements of Monster Class Morenkai or didn’t properly prepare and respond when it came to clashes with other humans, or a multitude of other failures.

Many of those deaths were insignificant ones that could have been avoided if he had just spent more time thinking, if he had been even more careful.

They were deaths he would never forget.

They were deaths he could never forgive.

He had founded the Nightrunner Numbers with the purpose of preventing this number from growing.

And now… the Numbers had fallen, while the number on his chest rose once again.

Prime’s eyes hardened as he let go of his shirt collar and thought back to the last message Micheal had passed on to him.

“My true enemy, huh..? A manipulator hiding in the shadows, corrupting even my own…” He glared at the ceiling as if it was hiding this secretive opponent.

“I don’t see much reason for him to tell me such an outlandish lie. And now that I’ve gone back over everything… there are a few half suspicious points.”

Prime’s oversight of the Nightrunners gave him access to an enormous amount of records. After his battle with Micheal, he had gone back over those records with a fine tooth comb, looking for even the slightest hint of a conspiracy.

He didn’t find anything overt… in fact, he found practically no tangible evidence at all; only small amounts of circumstantial evidence.

But… for a man with all the time in the world… even the slightest hint of a lead was enough.

The only defense against the infinite was perfection itself. The difference between nearly perfect and perfect was enormous.

All the Director needed was to be patient…

And he could be very, very patient.

“I’m grateful for the intel, if it turns out to be true, but that doesn’t mean I’ve forgiven you.” Prime spoke aloud, talking as if Micheal was next to him.

“Our grudges still stand and I plan on paying them back in full. Before that, however…” Prime slowly got to his feet, dusting his pants off out of habit. He began walking towards one of the exit points to the Second Layer.

“Killer that hides in the shadows…”

Prime smiled coldly.

“I’m coming for you.”

.