What a miracle is life
The fields are high and fruit is ripe
So hold out your hands
Yeah, hold out your hands

"Damnit!" Ken yelled, pounding his fist down beside the computer. "How did he do it?" he said in a softer voice. He heard the door open and close behind him, his eyes on the screen.

"What have you found?" Aya asked him. Ken shook his head and looked at the computer screen with contempt.

"Absolutely nothing." he spat out. Aya pointed to a paragraph on the screen with a long finger. Ken leaned forward to re-read it.

…After the incompetence of the police was made

evident in this situation, Takatori Reiji hired his

own personal bodyguards, five men formerly of a

foreign police service. Although they are all foreign

but one, Takatori assures the public that the men are

as loyal to Japan as he is.

Ken looked back up at Aya.

"What about it?" he asked. "I know it's Schwarz, but I don't see how that can help us…"

"They probably won't be living in the foreign side of town. It's too obvious. They're probably somewhere near Takatori. We've just got to narrow the city down enough to be able to find them."

Very nice, Weiß. Congratulations.

Ken and Aya looked around the room franticly.

"Who's there?" Aya called.

I think you already know. That is, unless you have other telepathic friends.

Ken jumped up from his chair. "Schuldig!" he cried. "Show yourself!"

"Alright, then. Do you prefer this?" A nasal voice came from the shadows of the room. Aya and Ken whipped around to find the German there, smirking. Schuldig moved forward to the couch where Omi still lay, now covered by a sheet. He glance down at it and the smirk turned into a smile.

"What a sweet boy he was." He said quietly. He reached down and pulled the sheet off Omi's face. One hand moved to caress the boy's cheek.

You should've heard him scream.

Ken screamed and launched himself at the other man. He didn't care that he had no weapon. He didn't care that the other man obviously had the advantage. He only cared that Schuldig had touched Omi. That Schuldig had killed Omi, despite what Aya said.

"Actually, your friend was right." Schuldig said, easily dodging Ken's first attack. "Nagi was the only one who could get the knife into the room without any struggle from your young friend. Of course, he didn't want to at first, but a little persuading on my part bent his will." Ken continued to attack blindly while he talked, but was unable to avoid a well-placed punch and it sent him sprawling down by the couch. As Schuldig moved over him, Ken glanced up and managed to hide his surprise. Aya had come up behind Schuldig, wielding his katana. With a feral yell, Aya descended on the German. Schuldich's eyes widened and he moved to dodge. Aya anticipated, however and managed to slash across Schuldig's back. He fell, and Aya immediately descended on him, holding the katana to the man's neck.

"Aya!" Ken called, his eyes wide. He was staring at Omi's prone form. When Schuldig had been surprised, the image of the boy's face had wavered like a soap bubble. Ken was trying to convince himself that he wasn't crazy. "Aya, hurt him again." Aya shrugged and punched Schuldig in the face. His eyes followed Ken's toward Omi. His image flickered and wavered. Aya glanced back down at Schuldig.

"What's going on?" he growled. Schuldig laughed lightly.

"Alright." He said. "You've found me out." A tremor ran through his body and then he went limp. He opened his eyes and it was obvious that he was fatigued. But Ken's eyes were on the figure on the couch. It no longer resembled Omi. In fact, it barely resembled a human. A training dummy lay there. Ken jumped up.

"What…" he cried. Schuldig laughed again.

"Your minds are so easy to trick. I wouldn't think that you would be fooled by a simple over-image. Ah, well, you'd probably find out eventually. The boy's alive."