Maruki's eyes flick briefly to Ren’s hands as they slip into his pockets. The gesture is casual—ordinary even—but Maruki knows better than to dismiss anything in a room charged with compliance. Politeness. That was dangerous. He could just be putting his hands in his pockets to ease off his own nervousness or he could be triggering some hidden landmine under Maruki's chair.

Sometimes...his mind worked in mysterious but colourful ways.

The warmth of the therapist vanishes in an instant, replaced by something colder, clinical.

A faint scoff escapes him, though it’s more sardonic than bitter. "Not a good fit for the combat team, you say? That’s surprising—especially considering the... colorful training regimen your associates seem to have adopted." He leans back slightly, the corner of his mouth twitching into something resembling a smirk. "I wasn’t aware I’d been volunteering as the resident target dummy by the way. Truly, a humbling experience."

He shakes his head lightly, the faint amusement draining from his expression. "But you're right. I’m not particularly interested in the violence. That's not my intention here." His tone shifts, steady and deliberate, as if choosing each word with care. "Amada-kun’s mother, however, is a different matter entirely."

Maruki leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his hands clasped loosely. The intensity in his gaze sharpens, his voice lowering slightly. "There are obvious complications with that approach. First and foremost, we’re dealing with a cognitive tether—an emotional anchor tied to a person or memory with deep psychological significance. These tethers can be fragile, unpredictable... or outright dangerous if mishandled. The boy’s attachment to his mother might manifest as guilt, reverence, fear—possibly all at once."

"Once that approach is used, there's a possibility that the boy will never reconcile with any of you. Even if there was a slightest hope for it before."

"We are not looking at those circumstances, are we?"