[Beep—beep—click!]
"Hmm? Mr. Oko. I must say, I didn't expect you to call this number."
"Cut the crap. You said you could help me, didn't you?"
"Of course I did. But I also said I wouldn't act lightly. You understand what that means, yes?"
"I know. So when I do need you, you'd better prove you're as strong as you claim."
"Heh. You must be in real trouble if you're talking to me like this. Let me guess… it's about your sister, isn't it?"
"...You're too well-informed."
"Like I said before, anomalies have appeared in the Shinomiya family. No—more accurately, in both the Shinomiya and Shijo families. A month has passed, and after surviving two rounds of that death game, that girl must have realized how dangerous the [Sacrificial Game] is. So, she's making her move."
"..."
"Don't worry. Your problem won't be a problem for long. Also—I'm already here. No need for calls."
The deep male voice faded from the call.
Oko looked up to see the man walking through the door.
He was one of the Shinomiya family's elders—Oko couldn't quite remember his name. He had tried investigating this man many times, but for some reason, he always forgot about it afterward. Only when the man reappeared would he recall. But Oko wasn't surprised. He had known for a long time that this man existed in a world beyond his reach.
"Leave this to me. Just wait for it to be over."
The man's expression was brimming with confidence.
"You knew Kaguya was trouble all along? And the Shijo family too?"
Oko remained seated, glaring at him.
"Correct. Shijo Maki and Shinomiya Kaguya—both were [chosen] at the same time, and by sheer coincidence, they ended up in the same place. That's how they met."
The man waved a hand dismissively.
"If you knew, why didn't you tell me sooner?!"
A vein throbbed on Oko's forehead.
"And what would you have done? They were already chosen. Even if they're just rookies struggling through Twilight-class dungeons, the fact remains—they've already stepped beyond the realm of ordinary humans. No amount of power or influence will help you against that girl now."
The man sneered, his gaze dripping with undisguised contempt.
This trash dares raise his voice at me?
He was a player who could clear Midnight-class dungeons—one of the strongest in Tokyo. If not for his poor financial management and Koizumi's warnings against reckless actions, he wouldn't have bothered using a cursed relic to alter the Shinomiyas' memories just to pose as an elder and freely access the family's wealth.
Truthfully, many players around the world did the same. The political elites of America, for instance, were practically infested with players. But those players were oddly secretive, and this man had never interacted with them.
Based on what he saw on the screen earlier, the ones coming were Kaguya and that Takakai guy.
Koizumi had done an excellent job protecting their information. No matter how much he dug, he couldn't find out which dungeons these rookies had cleared. And given their feat of annihilating the Women's Mask Gang, the man had initially been wary. After all, even a Twilight-class relic could kill a Midnight-class player if used right. At the end of the day, they were still human—enhancements or not.
For this reason, though he had long observed Shijo Maki and discreetly tracked Kaguya and Takakai's movements, he had done nothing, carefully hiding his presence.
But after last night, caution was no longer necessary.
Now, he didn't have to worry about these rookies—who had only cleared two Twilight-class dungeons—turning the tables on him.
Because a certain someone had extended a helping hand.
The shadowy figure who had orchestrated the [Women's Mask Gang]—angered by the group's destruction—had given him a powerful cursed relic. With it, he was certain he could easily crush these arrogant upstarts.
They're here!
The man looked up at the crimson streak descending from the sky.
Wait… What the hell is this?!
He had initially dismissed Takakai and Kaguya's window leap as some relic-generated special effect. But now, his eyes widened as he realized his miscalculation.
Yet even as regret set in, it was too late.
The blood-red meteor crashed down.
BOOM!!!
The luxurious traditional mansion was obliterated. Windows shattered, dust exploded, and the roof collapsed in a cacophony of destruction.
Takakai slowly stood, the crimson glow in his pupils fading.
A moment ago, he had pushed his blessing to its limit—leaping from the top of a skyscraper, soaring over two hundred, maybe even three hundred meters, and crossing several kilometers to land directly in Oko's estate.
After such an extreme exertion, he felt only mild fatigue. If he wanted, he could reactivate the blessing for another thirty seconds to a minute.
"This level of power… It's at the peak of Midnight-class, bordering on Abyss, right?"
Takakai set Kaguya down, murmuring to himself.
"It's stronger than we anticipated. With this, our next mission should be much easier."
Kaguya smoothed her disheveled hair, steadying her breathing. Takakai's Hulk-like travel method had been… intense. That final jump had forced her to activate her own blessing—otherwise, the impact might have knocked her out.
Couldn't he be gentler with a girl on his back?
She sighed inwardly but quickly refocused.
After all, not far away, a man lay sprawled on the ground, utterly petrified.
"Good evening, dear brother. Your little sister has come to greet you."
With a smile, Kaguya stepped forward, stopping in front of the dumbfounded Oko.
"Y-You… What… What do you want?!"
Trembling, Oko could barely prop himself up on his elbows. The shockwave and deafening crash had left him dizzy and disoriented. The once-arrogant tycoon was now a sobbing, snot-covered wreck.
To think my brother would look like this one day.
For a moment, Kaguya almost pitied him.
But it wouldn't affect what came next. When it came to the Shinomiya family, she had no mercy to spare. This conglomerate had been drenched in blood from its very roots.
"I have no interest in usurping your position, brother. I've entered a different world now. Even if you handed the entire Shinomiya Group to me, I wouldn't have the time or energy to manage it. So you can keep your seat. How does that sound?"
Crouching to meet his gaze, her voice was icy.
"Then what do you want? Freedom? Money?"
Oko inhaled sharply, staring back.
"Simple. When I need something, the family will provide it—money, manpower, intelligence, whatever I ask. And when I don't, you can carry on as usual. Nothing changes. Isn't that perfect?"
Her smile was light, almost playful.
"You… You want the entire Shinomiya family to be your personal servants?! Your property managers?! Are you insane?! Do you really think that's possible?!"
Oko wasn't stupid. He understood immediately, his face twisting in fury.
"Of course. With your cooperation, there won't be any problems. Unless… you won't cooperate?"
Her smile didn't waver.
"And if I don't?"
His expression stiffened.
Kaguya didn't answer. She just kept smiling.
"...You wouldn't dare!"
Realization dawned on Oko, his face cycling through shock, denial, and fear.
Thud.
A soft footstep interrupted them.
Kaguya and Takakai turned toward the newcomer.
A smiling man holding a small lantern.
Their companion.
Yes, he's always been with us. We don't need to question his presence. His approach is natural. We don't need to doubt his actions. We don't—
THUD! THUD!
Two devastating blows landed—Takakai's fist smashed into the man's cheek, while Kaguya's kick buried itself in his stomach.
The attacks were too fast, too brutal.
The man's smile hadn't even faded before he was sent flying, skidding across the ground.
"Guh—!"
Blood sprayed from his mouth as nearly a dozen teeth clattered to the floor.
"H-How… Impossible…"
Struggling to comprehend, the man gaped at Takakai and Kaguya.
"A relic that alters perception of existence? Nasty stuff. But at least learn to hide your malice. Our companions don't radiate such intense hostility."
Takakai frowned, then spotted something—a card flying from the man's body, vanishing into the night.
A… hotel keycard?
It had moved too fast for a clear look.
"No! How?! Was this a trap?!"
The man's eyes bulged in rage. His ability to manipulate perception—to make himself seem like their ally—had relied on that relic. Yet the moment he faltered, it abandoned him.
That bastard who promised to help me just took it back?!
Agony wracked his body.
As he staggered to his feet, Takakai and Kaguya loomed over him.
"So, the Shinomiyas were hiding a player. Care to tell us about yourself? Maybe we'll go easy on you if we like what we hear."
Takakai grinned.
"..."
The man stayed silent.
Glancing between Takakai on one side and Kaguya on the other, he made his choice.
With a sudden, viper-like lunge, he drew a dagger and thrust it straight at Kaguya's eye.