Last night, after the fight.
"So, what do you want?" Ren asked, leaning against the wall of the dark alley, his gaze directed upward. A figure with silver hair and eerie golden eyes sat on the second-floor rooftop of a nearby building, observing Ren intently. Clad in black, his hands had morphed into tiger-like paws, with long, sharp nails. And on his cheeks, there are thin golden stripes under his eyes.
"You. Human. Can I... trust... you... with Kiiro?" The figure's voice was slow, each word deliberate, as if he struggled to form sentences.
"Kiiro?" Ren frowned, unsure of what he meant.
"Soul... guard."
Ren straightened, his eyes narrowing. "Don't worry," he said confidently, "Since I made the pact, I will protect him. So, you're here to save him?"
The tiger-man gave a slow, deliberate nod, as if confirming Ren's guess. Ren's mind connected the dots: the cold, calculating gaze he had felt during the party, and again when they escaped. This was the one who had been quietly watching, waiting to see how Ren would handle Zero Seven.
Ren bowed his head slightly, a gesture of respect. "Thank you for your help."
He had felt it, the subtle disturbance in the mana around the attackers. That was the real reason he had been able to cut through them so quickly, without them even reacting.
"You... Knew?" The tiger man's voice rumbled, almost amused.
"Yeah, I did," Ren replied calmly. He knew better than to underestimate this creature in front of him. If his aura was anything to go by, the tiger man was likely SS-rank, someone who could dismiss even S-ranks with ease.
"Kiba," the tiger man said simply, introducing himself.
"I'm Arashi Ren." For the first time, Ren spoke his real name aloud in this spirit world. He had no intention of giving the wrong impression to someone like this. A lie would be detected instantly.
"Ren. Nice. To. Meet."
"Yeah, same here. It was an honor," Ren said, his right hand resting lightly on his chest, a gesture of respect.
The tiger man turned, preparing to leave. "Inform... me," he said, his voice low. "When. You. Visit... the South."
Ren nodded. "I will."
As Kiba disappeared into the night, Ren remained where he stood, contemplating the strange encounter.
___________________________________
Present in Lira's cafe,
"Uhm, well, so…" Ren mumbled, unsure how to start the conversation. Lira and Zero Seven were sitting across from him at the same table, both eyeing him expectantly.
"Are you alright?" Ren scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.
"Yeah, I'm fine!" Lira pouted, crossing her arms. "Thanks to someone who dumped us in the middle of Tokyo. What kind of man leaves a fragile girl alone in the middle of the night like that?!"
Fragile my foot!
"Uh… sorry about that. I'll pay for the coffee as an apology," Ren said, trying to make amends.
"This is my café, and I'm the one making the coffee. You're going to pay me for coffee that I made in my café?" Lira asked, raising an eyebrow, clearly expecting something more.
Money-sucking scammer!
"Alright, alright. I'll buy you dinner. Happy now?" Ren finally admitted defeat.
Lira's eyes sparkled. "Thank you very much, Ryuu~!"
Ren sighed, rubbing his temples. He had a feeling this wasn't going to be the last of it.
"Then I'll go make some coffee for us. You two should get to know each other better," Lira said, standing up and walking away. Ren turned his attention to the young boy.
"So, what's your name?" Ren asked, leaning on the table with his elbow and resting his cheek on his palm, showing genuine interest.
"Zero… Seven," the boy muttered.
"Huh?" Ren blinked. He had thought the boy's name was Kiiro because that's what Kiba had called him.
"No, not your code name. I'm asking for your real name," Ren clarified, his voice soft.
The young boy looked down, mumbling, "I-I don't have one…"
"What?" Ren asked, his brow furrowing.
"I don't have a name! Are you deaf?" the boy snapped, blushing and flustered. "You can call me whatever you want, like everyone else does," he added, shrugging.
Ren paused, thinking for a moment. So, Kiiro is just a pet name, then?
"Well, how about I give you a name?" Ren suggested with a gentle smile.
Zero Seven's eyes widened, clearly intrigued. "Really?"
"Yeah. How about… Yushiro?" Ren smiled, pleased with the name.
"Oh," Zero Seven's eyes lit up.
"And for your surname, how about Hinata? It's my mother's last name," Ren added.
"Hinata Yushiro," Ren said, watching the boy's expression shift to pure happiness as the name settled in.
"Yeah, I like it!" Zero Seven grinned, his eyes sparkling. The name Hinata Yushiro appeared in bold letters on a new silver bracelet around his wrist.
"I'll call you Yushiro, then," Ren said, smiling warmly.
"I'm Master Yushiro!" The boy puffed out his chest, striking an arrogant pose.
"Sure, sure, Master Yushiro," Ren teased, playing along.
After a moment, Lira walked over, setting a latte with a cute rabbit design in front of Yushiro, along with some sweets. Then, her gaze shifted to Ren.
He sighed inwardly. Here we go.
Letting Yushiro enjoy himself, Ren silently followed Lira inside the house, leaving the door slightly ajar so he could still keep an eye on the boy.
Ren sighed as he leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, eyes flicking toward the slightly open door where Yushiro sat, sipping his latte. The soft glow from the cafe lights barely reached inside, casting long shadows on the wooden floor. Lira sat on a pile of clothes in front of him, looking casual, almost careless. But her sharp eyes were fixed on something unseen, as if her mind was working through possibilities.
"So, finally gonna confess?" Ren tilted his head slightly, smirking.
Lira didn't look at him. "You smell like a tiger," he added.
"Oh?" Amusement flickered across her face, followed by a grin.
"How far ahead did you plan all this?" Ren asked.
"Well, actually, I didn't." Lira stretched lazily. "Mr. Kiba- ehm, I should say Lord Kiba- just asked me for a favor. He wanted you at the auction, so I brought you in. That's all."
Ren studied her. She was smooth, confident, and completely in control of her words.
Lira continued, her tone light but watchful. "He visited while you were still unconscious, you know. He was going to execute you because he thought you tried to harm his kitten, uh, I mean, his boss healer. So, I spoke up for you. Vouched for you. Even pleaded for your life. Didn't I do great?" She smiled, but it was the kind of smile that asked for payment, not gratitude.
Ren didn't answer immediately. He tapped his fingers against his arm, his expression unreadable.
"You're still alive. And you even got yourself a Soul Guard," she added, flicking a glance toward Yushiro.
"So when did you figure it out?" she asked.
"Figure out what?" Ren said, though he already knew what she meant.
"That I was working with that tiger man." Her smirk was back, lazy and unbothered, but her eyes studied him carefully.
Ren exhaled slowly. "Do you really think I wouldn't notice what's right in front of me?" He didn't bother answering directly. Instead, he let the words hang between them. Lira just chuckled, neither confirming nor denying anything.
"And I see you still haven't dropped your act, Lira. Truly commendable." His voice had cooled, the amusement in it fading slightly.
Lira tilted her head, feigning innocence. "Act?"
Ren didn't look away. "You know it, don't you? The truth about who I am."
Silence settled between them. Then, slowly, a smirk spread across Lira's lips, one different from before. This one was colder.
"Oya~ Oya~" she hummed dramatically. "I think I got caught. Neh, Ryuu? Or should I say... White Reaper? So, what are you gonna do about it?"
Ren's gaze didn't waver, but his fingers curled slightly against his sleeve.
She really knew.
Lira let out a soft sigh, tapping her fingers against her knee. "Alright, fine. You got me. But since when did you suspect me?"
"From the moment you brought up 'White Reaper' out of nowhere," Ren replied, tucking his hands into his pockets.
Lira laughed lightly, shaking her head. "Now you get it. We've both been manipulating each other since the beginning, haven't we? So, I don't think there's anything to apologize for."
Ren gave a small, amused huff. "You're right. I'm not mad at you. But I have to ask, what's your angle? What do you gain from keeping me around?"
For the first time, Lira hesitated. It was brief, just a flicker of something in her expression, a shadow passing through her blue eyes. Then, as quickly as it came, it was gone. "It's personal."
Ren narrowed his eyes slightly. There it is. A crack in the mask.
"Alright," she said, stretching again. "So if you tell me your full quest details, I might be able to help you."
Ren smirked. "Oh? Is that so?"
"Of course!" she chirped, suddenly bright again. "Only if you agree to be the mascot for my cafe! Hah-ha!"
Ren blinked. "...???"
With that, she turned on her heel and wandered back toward the cafe. As she passed, Ren called out, "Hey, Lira."
She stopped but didn't turn around.
"Are you... really an Irregular?"
She shrugged, a sly grin creeping back onto her face. "Who knows?" Then, she winked. "But I can say one thing... I'm a perfect scammer." She threw him a thumbs-up before walking off.
Ren sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Yeah, sure. The most shameless swindler of all time.
__________________________________________________________
Same time in present,
The man who had witnessed the murder of five people was nothing more than a cleaning worker at Aurum House. He wasn't a combat player, wasn't a fighter, just an irregular with a system skill for cleaning. Nothing special. No one important.
Yet he had seen it.
"He saw me…" he whispered, curled up in the corner of his dark, freezing room. His body trembled as he hugged his knees.
He could still see those glowing violet eyes under the moonlight. The face wasn't clear, but the predator had definitely looked at him. And yet… he let him go.
Because he was worthless.
For the first time in his life, he thanked the gods for making him so insignificant.
KNOCK. KNOCK.
"Mr. Jin."
His breath hitched.
No. No way…
"I'm from Aurum House," the voice continued. "Boss is sending Player Luminas to investigate. Just stay still and let him read your mind. He'll make sure to catch that killer."
"No-" Jin's voice cracked, but the guest had already turned to leave. Panic surged through him. He lunged at the door, yanking it open.
"DON'T DO THAT!" he screamed.
The guest paused. Slowly, he turned back.
He was a young man with a long black ponytail, dressed in a sleek suit. But it wasn't his attire that made Jin freeze. It was his eyes, glowing crimson, narrow and sharp, gleaming with an eerie red glow.
A cold smile curled on his lips.
"Oh," he said. "You opened the door."
________________________________________________
A few hours later,
The Aurum House owner's office was in chaos. Papers were scattered everywhere, and furniture was knocked over, it was clear someone had lost control.
Three men sat in the middle of the room: the owner himself, a player in a black suit, and S-Rank Player Azrael. Near the door, three guards stood like statues.
Sunlight streamed through the glass windows, but the atmosphere was anything but warm.
The owner, a middle-aged man with silver-streaked hair, buried his face in his hands. He looked like a man on the verge of collapse. Across from him, Azrael smirked.
"Right before the mind investigation," he mused, leaning back against the couch, "that cleaner just… had a heart attack?"
The owner turned his tired gaze toward him. "It seems so."
"The timing is too perfect," said the suited player, Luminas, an expert mage in mind-reading magic. His black sunglasses concealed his expression, but his tone carried doubt. "It's almost as if the killer came back to clean up loose ends."
"Then why let the cleaner go in the first place?" the owner snapped. "The killer saw the man. It would've been easier to silence him right then and there."
They sighted.
Luminas frowned. "The body was clean. No signs of struggle. It looked exactly like a natural heart attack."
"Is that really the truth?" Azrael tilted his head, his eyes gleaming. "If a poison was used, something injected through a thread-thin object, then it wouldn't look like an attack at all." His gaze shifted to one of the guards near the door. "What do you think, Mr. Yanagin?"
The guard in the middle, Yanagin Kuro, remained calm. "It's possible," he admitted. "But if that were the case, our medical irregulars would have detected it during their scans." His sharp eyes met Azrael's. "Are you suggesting they missed something?"
Azrael chuckled. "Just a thought. But tell me, Mr. Yanagin, what's your take on this? An insider, maybe?"
Yanagin closed his eyes briefly as if weighing his answer. Then, he spoke.
"It wasn't an insider."
The owner stiffened. Luminas looked startled.
Azrael? He just smirked. "Oh? Then what are you suggesting?"
Yanagin's voice was steady.
"It wasn't a heart attack."
Silence.
The air in the room grew heavier.
"…What?" the owner whispered.
Luminas frowned. "That's a bold claim. Then what do you think happened?"
Yanagin opened his eyes, looking straight at them.
"I think it was the same killer who murdered the other five."
Azrael leaned forward, intrigued. "And what makes you so sure?"
Yanagin's expression didn't change.
"Because," he said, his voice dangerously calm,
"A killer doesn't get to be picky about their prey."