"Damn that wretched stranger! I lost a whole week's salary because of him!"
The man slammed the table violently, his face flushed with a mixture of rage and embarrassment.
The girl beside him let out a soft, mocking laugh.
"I told you not to bet against him."
The man raised an eyebrow slyly.
"Emma… don't tell me you're actually interested in him."
"W-What? No way!"
"T-That idiot is just a bloodthirsty maniac... that's all!" she stammered, quickly turning away to hide the deep blush creeping across her face.
Meanwhile—
While the employees were still grumbling over their gambling losses, the monitors in the surveillance room suddenly flickered, and a wave of cheering and shouting erupted through the speakers.
"It's over! The fight is over!"
"The stranger won!"
"It didn't even take two minutes!"
In the combat arena, the chaos was gradually settling down.
The heavy stench of iron and blood saturated the air, while the remnants of the black shadows slowly evaporated from the shattered steel floor.
Kaito stood amidst the wreckage, blood coating his arm and shoulder, his breath still ragged and hot from the intense clash.
Lilith stepped toward him calmly, holding out a bottle of water.
"Here."
She glanced at the crimson stains covering his torso and added,
"You're bleeding… Do you need a doctor?"
Kaito looked up at her, a faint, weary smirk pulling at the corner of his lips.
"Oh…?"
He took the bottle slowly. Raising an eyebrow with mock surprise, his crooked grin returned.
"Are you actually starting to worry about me after that little performance? What an interesting development."
Her smile widened slightly.
"Don't flatter yourself."
But before she could finish—
A heavy voice cut through from behind them.
"My Princess."
Kaito turned his gaze instantly.
Raiden.
The massive guard stood at the entrance of the hall, staring back at him with absolute coldness.
Kaito's eyes narrowed into slits.
"You again…"
He tilted his head slowly.
"It seems I still need to teach you a lesson."
Raiden replied without even looking in his direction,
"I wasn't speaking to you."
A brief, tense silence fell over the room.
Then—
Kaito took two deliberate steps forward, blood still trickling down his torn shoulder.
Fixing a chilling, murderous gaze directly onto Raiden's arm, he spoke in a terrifyingly calm whisper.
"That hand you placed on my shoulder earlier…"
Kaito's grin turned predatory.
"I am going to rip it off one day… and force you to eat it right in front of your mistress."
The air in the room grew suffocatingly tight.
Before the spark could catch fire, Lilith intervened.
"Enough, both of you."
She looked directly at Raiden.
"What is it?"
"The Grand Chairman wishes to speak with you," Raiden answered, his voice dropping into a lower register.
Lilith's expression shifted instantly.
Kaito caught the sudden change.
His smile widened slowly.
"Oh…?"
His interest was thoroughly piqued.
"Raiden, contact Emma," Lilith commanded, smoothly tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
"I want her to accompany Kaito on this mission."
She turned her eyes toward the glowing crimson monitors, where the catastrophic alerts continued to blink relentlessly.
"It seems the time has come… to exterminate the Cockroach Monster."
"Understood, Princess," Raiden complied.
But before the giant could turn to leave—
Kaito's voice rang out, halting him in his tracks.
"Hold on."
Silence clamped down on the room again.
He looked at Lilith with unyielding coldness.
"Since when do you decide what I do?"
He pointed a dismissive finger toward Raiden without bothering to look back at him.
"Do you think I'm like this dog?"
Raiden's expression remained stone-faced, but the pressure radiating from his massive frame grew significantly heavier.
Lilith, however, remained strangely composed.
She took a small step closer to Kaito.
Then, for the first time since they met, she spoke in a soft, low murmur.
"Kaito… please."
Raiden's eyes widened slightly.
Even the nearby staff froze in utter disbelief.
Lilith… pleading?
She held his gaze directly.
"Would you just listen to me… just this once?"
She paused for a fraction of a second.
Then she added, her voice carrying a quiet weight far deadlier than any threat:
"Do it… for me."
Kaito went entirely still.
His eyes narrowed to sharp points, as if he were trying to dissect the hidden motive behind those unfamiliar words.
"Please..." "For me."
He repeated the words slowly in his mind, a faint trace of hushed astonishment rippling through his thoughts.
Then, a small side smile touched his lips—one that wasn't entirely mocking this time.
"That's the first time I've heard those words come out of your mouth," he murmured, looking straight into her eyes.
He let out a quiet sigh, seemingly yielding to something far too amusing to decline.
"Fine… I'll go."
He turned halfway, but threw a low warning over his shoulder before moving away.
"But don't get used to saying that. I'm not entirely sure I like hearing it from you."
He whispered to himself as his thoughts began to race.
"Is this Grand Chairman really that dangerous?"
"Finally… someone who might actually be entertaining."
He waved his hand dismissively.
"Alright."
Stepping away from them, he added,
"I'll wait for this girl here."
Then he cast a freezing, sidelong glance toward Raiden.
"But I'll wait alone."
His smirk sharpened.
"I don't want your lapdog anywhere near me again."
His eyes lingered heavily on the hand that had dared to touch him earlier.
"I'm not sure I can keep my bloodlust under control if he stays."
Silence reclaimed the corridor.
Lilith closed her eyes for a brief moment, letting out a subtle, internal sigh of relief.
"Very well."
She looked back at him calmly.
"Thank you."
Then, a faint, unreadable smile curved her lips.
"I will return the favor to you one day."
Turning her gaze toward the crimson monitors where the words Cockroach Monster — Disaster Level flashed like a ticking bomb, she whispered under her breath:
"That is… if you survive until that day."