In the woods, the sound of a crackling cigarette, followed by a dry chuckle and a gritty voice.
“You’re no Wolf.”
Roland Gray comes into focus, prowling deftly through the woods, his fabled revolver holstered at his hip. He surveys his environment with a natural intensity, a focus honed from years of repetition.
“You may have adopted the moniker and tried to harden yourself to the outside world, to appear to be something you’re not. But you don’t fool me, Ayame. Not for a single second.”
A branch cracks in the distance. Roland’s hand darts to the revolver, but after several seconds he resumes walking.
“People have put a lot of effort into hiding from me over the years. They’ve retreated to the darkest recesses of Arcadia, changed their names, changed their appearance. They’ve done everything to avoid the day where I find them. But I always find them, Ayame.”
He leans against a tree and lights another cigarette.
“And the question is why. Why am I so good at hunting people? And the answer is really quite simple: I see them. I see them for who they really are, not the bullshit veneer they present to the world.”
A long drag, smoky exhale. A knowing nod.
“I see the real you. I see the scared little girl in a world of incomprehensible violence. I see the kid who got lost in the woods and, in a very meaningful way, still very much is. You’re struggling to find your place, your purpose, and any sense of meaning in this cold world. I recognize this fantasy you’ve created in your mind, the alter ego you hide behind.”
He pauses, hearing something we cannot, and resumes his pursuit.
“The truth is, much like my opponent at Grimm Tales, you don’t belong in this world. You’re both surrounded by monsters and killers and you’re both trying to survive in an environment you’re not designed to survive in. You’re under the delusion that if only you appear to belong, you can trick the world into believing you are something you are simply not. You’ve convinced yourself through this delusion that you’re not vulnerable and you are the predator.”
“The fantasy comforts you. It provides a sense of safety in a harsh world. And that may be enough to protect your mind, but that fantasy won’t protect you from me.”
“The reality, Ayame, is that you are a sheep in wolf’s clothing. And when you debut at Vendetta against me, the rest of the world will see what I see. The rest of the world will see which of us is the real wolf, and which is playing dress up.”
“You can run from that reality… for a while. But..”
A rustle of leaves. With inhuman speed, Roland draws his revolver, acquires his sights, and fires a round with a thunderous BANG! In the distance, a man screams in pain. Roland spins the revolver and replaces it in the holster.
“You can’t outrun a bullet.”