IX's death?

The machine imprisoning Chino hissed as it slowly opened. With a slight stretch of his wrists, Chino gave a casual glance to Wang Ino. "The Lord isn't dead, is she?"

"Of course not," Han replied, his voice cool and measured.

"And 009?" Chino inquired, though he already seemed to know the answer.

Shaking his head, Chino mused, "Not sure. They kept us apart. Kitsune's got their own plans brewing, likely for 001 and 004."

"They don't intend to execute you?" Han's gaze sharpened, curious about the Kitsune's intentions.

Chino's eyes flickered with amusement. "They've been draining my blood, using me as raw material for some kind of drug. I'd wager it's no ordinary experiment."

Han's memory stirred, recalling the classified information he'd discovered in another lab. "Enhanced Reagent No. 01. I've seen traces of it in their experimental bases."

Without another word, Han pulled a small vial from his pocket and tossed it to Chino. Catching it deftly, Chino examined the vial, feeling the strange energy within. His eyes narrowed. "This... this is from The Deep One's cells. Interesting. How on earth did they unlock the cell lock?"

"Cell lock?" Han's curiosity was piqued.

Chino waved the vial slightly. "This type of cell has infectious properties, but they are usually dormant, sealed off. And the method to unlock that seal—well, I'm the only one who knows it. Or so I thought."

A grim smile spread across Chino's face. "Somehow, they've managed to unlock it—partially. They've restrained the infection, keeping the cells from fully transforming the hosts. Normally, once these cells enter a human, they would instantly morph them into Fish-Men."

"But Kitsune found a way to limit the transformation," Chino continued, his eyes glinting with mischief. "It gives me an idea."

Han tilted his head. "What idea?"

Before Chino could respond, a red light bathed the base, accompanied by the blaring screech of alarms.

"Class 01 Scenario: Containment Breach!" the automated voice announced. "Delta Extreme Response Force en route to the breach!"

Han spun around, but Chino shoved him back with a wicked grin. Soldiers armed with rifles stormed in, but before they could raise their weapons, Chino emitted a strange, melodic sound from deep within his chest. It resonated unnervingly through the room.

The soldiers staggered, their hands clutching at their heads, dropping to their knees as the sound took hold. Groans of agony filled the air as blue scales erupted from their skin, their forms swelling grotesquely as their bodies expanded, skin stretching taut as it transformed.

Chino's laughter echoed through the chaos. "As I suspected—once I unlock the cell lock, the transformation happens instantly. These soldiers are becoming Fish-Men, though incomplete. Kitsune's little experiment played right into my hands."

As the soldiers continued their transformation, Chino turned to Han. "I'll handle things here. I imagine the Lord has other tasks for you, yes?"

Han nodded, vanishing from sight in the blink of an eye.

In the aftermath, Chino looked upon the grotesque forms of the now fully transformed Fish-Men, his twisted creations.

"These soldiers," Chino mused, "all injected with Fish-Men cells. Kitsune thought they could control it. Too bad for them."

With his new army of Fish-Men at his command, Chino strode forward, the mutated creatures parting to allow him passage. Their scales glistened under the sterile laboratory lights, rifles still clutched in their deformed hands.

"Let's go," Chino said with a grin, his voice dripping with anticipation. "Let's see what other secrets the Kitsune are hiding."

Ahead lay the light containment area, a long corridor lined with eerie rooms that hummed with a faint, almost unnatural glow. Chino strolled down the hall, glancing into each room with mild curiosity. One chamber in particular caught his attention.

Inside, nestled behind reinforced glass, was a skeletal hand—bony, pale, and unsettling. Beneath it, a plaque bore an inscription:

SNB Number 009-14: Hand of Desire.

Danger Level: S.

Object Information: Hand of Desire originates from one of 009's splits, a grotesque fragment that moves independently, drifting through the air like a ghost. It harbors an unhealthy obsession with feminine forms, particularly their curves. Once it attaches to a living being, it grants its host full control over the limb, a connection made seamless and irreversible.

But the Hand's true peril lies in its memetic corruption. A single touch stirs the deepest desires of its victim, driving them mad with yearning. No one survives the touch of 009-14 for long—those infected must be executed without hesitation.

Warning: Direct contact with 009-14 is strictly forbidden. Women must not approach this object.

Chino read the inscription, and a grin twisted across his lips. "009, you've been busy," he muttered, amusement glinting in his eyes.

Without hesitation, he shattered the glass with a swift kick, the protective barrier crumbling at his feet. The moment the containment was breached, the skeletal Hand floated free, drifting toward Chino like a long-lost pet. As if in greeting, the Hand gave a slow, deliberate thumbs-up.

Chino smirked. "Quite the collection of trash you've left behind, 009."

Chino wandered further into the containment area, pausing at another peculiar room. Through the thick glass, he could see what appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary electric fan. A crude sign was bolted beneath it:

009-8: Killer Electric Fan.

Danger Level: RS.

Object Information: To the untrained eye, 009-8 resembles a simple electric fan, but it possesses an indestructible nature. It must remain powered at all times—24 hours a day. Should the fan lose power, its blades will detach from the body, slicing through anything in their path with lethal precision, moving like a whirlwind of death.

In the event of a power failure, all personnel are instructed to evacuate the building immediately. Only when the power is restored should D-class employees re-enter to confirm 009-8's operational status.

Chino eyed the fan warily and muttered to himself, "Best not to mess with that one." He began to turn away, but the Hand of Desire had other plans.

With a mischievous twitch, the skeletal Hand drifted toward the power cord of the electric fan, its bony fingers silently grasping the plug.

The Hand yanked the plug from the socket, and instantly, the blades of the Killer Electric Fan burst free from the room.

...

Deep within the labyrinthine depths of the containment zone, Han Verte stood before 009—The Chaos Splitter. The once-feared entity now lay shackled by a grotesque array of steel nails, his body contorted in unnatural positions. His eyes, the only part of him still free, flickered with a dull recognition as they met Han's gaze.

"Long time no see," Han remarked, his tone casual, almost friendly, as if greeting an old acquaintance.

009's eyes shifted slightly, the barest movement he could manage, but his mouth and tongue were pierced by jagged steel, silencing him completely. Han crouched beside him, inspecting the nails. With a faint smile, he reached out and began pulling the nails from 009's mouth, one by one.

As the last nail clattered to the ground, 009 flexed his jaw and croaked, "Comfortable, as always."

Han chuckled, straightening up. "Nice place they've got for you here, isn't it?"

Chaos Splitter's head tilted ever so slightly. "It doesn't matter. My people are coming for me. They're already outside."

Han's grin widened. "I know. But I'm not here to rescue you."

009's eyes narrowed. "Then what—?"

"I'm here to kill you," Han interrupted, his voice calm and unwavering. From behind him, he produced a monkey-shaped stone, encased in glass, and held it up for 009 to see. "Look what I found."

"Hahaha, you think... you can kill me with that?!"

"Why not?" Han responded nonchalantly. His grip on the stone tightened, his eyes glinting with a dangerous light. "Mouse."

As soon as the word left his lips, the stone in Han's hand pulsed with power, releasing a brilliant beam of light that enveloped 009. The transformation was immediate and grotesque—his human form twisted and shrank, bones snapping and reforming until, in a matter of seconds, he was no longer a man but a simple, gray-furred mouse.

The once-immortal Chaos Splitter, now no more than a helpless rodent, squeaked in fear, scurrying on the cold floor. Han scooped him up without hesitation, his expression unreadable as he drew a knife from his belt.

Immortality, Han mused, was nothing but a loophole in the laws of the world. A body that endlessly regenerated could still be altered, twisted into something far less indestructible. And now, the immortal 009 had been reduced to something vulnerable, something mortal.

With a swift motion, Han raised his knife and brought it down, severing the mouse's head from its tiny body. The lifeless form twitched once, then stilled.

Han inspected the monkey pattern stone, weighing it in his palm. "This is a real find," he murmured, his tone appreciative. He glanced back at 009's lifeless mouse form, a cold satisfaction flickering across his face.

Reaching into the shattered glass display nearby, Han pulled out eight more stones, each one humming with power. "It seems you was worth more than I thought."

With that, Han's form shimmered, merging with the reflective floor beneath him. In an instant, his figure flickered through the ground and ceiling, slipping away into the reflective surfaces of the containment zone.

By the time the researcher arrived, the hallway was empty, save for the small, decapitated body of a white mouse, lying motionless in a pool of its own blood.