"This castle is pretty sturdy. The fact that it collapsed so fast... that Nen weapon must be no joke."
"It's probably not any worse than my decaying blade."
"But they're completely different types."
"My sword is built for endurance. It's all about prolonged fights and wearing people down."
"That one, though? Looks sharp and tough—designed to cut straight through."
...
On-screen, an intruder charged at Tucker.
Another went for Karoo.
Karoo's guards had already been thinned out. Now was the best chance.
Miss this moment, and another might never come.
And Tucker? The longer the fight dragged on, the stronger he'd get.
Seconds passed. The two intruders were closing in fast, and Tucker had no way to respond.
On Nessley's side, neither of them had any idea what was happening.
Hope was fading.
"Kill!"
One intruder rushed Karoo, scissors glinting in hand.
"Stop her!" Karoo barked at the remaining guards.
But the intruders were overwhelming, and the guards hesitated, fear gripping them.
Karoo's expression darkened.
"If you don't stop them, I'll have your families executed. You all know my father's reputation. If I die, your whole bloodline dies with me."
The threat snapped them into motion.
Even knowing it was suicide, the guards rushed forward without hesitation.
"Kill!"
The intruder's scissors slashed across a guard's neck.
Shhk—
Blood sprayed like a fountain. The head rolled across the stone floor.
Karoo stumbled back, hiding behind the human shield of his remaining guards.
...
Nessley stared across the room at Kaizen and Ponzu. Finally, she couldn't hold it in anymore.
"Who... are you?"
"Why haven't you killed me?"
"You obviously could. So why wait?"
Ponzu looked at Kaizen, equally puzzled.
Kaizen looked up at Nessley, eyes calm.
"Because it's not time yet."
"What do you mean?"
"I took a job from Tucker. The request was to kill one of the three of you. When I arrived, he named you as the target. That's why I'm here."
Kaizen's tone was flat, matter-of-fact.
"But there's a problem. Tucker is also in the middle of a fight. There's a chance he could die."
"If I kill you now, and Tucker doesn't survive, I won't get paid."
"In that case, I would've worked for free."
"That's not how I do things."
"So I won't kill you. Not yet. Because Tucker might still be alive. If he pulls through and can pay me, then I'll kill you."
Nessley froze.
To be honest, it didn't make sense to her. She couldn't understand how Kaizen could treat a life-and-death situation with such casual detachment.
The same went for Tucker and Karoo.
But for Kaizen, it was simple math. Just addition and subtraction.
No emotion. No panic. Just a job.
Like cooking a meal. Or delivering takeout.
...
But Ponzu understood—more than Nessley did. She'd been with Kaizen longer. She'd seen how he operated. Little by little, she'd grown used to his logic.
Most people panic when their life's on the line.
But Kaizen? Kaizen wasn't most people.
He came from a family of assassins.
Who knows how many jobs he'd done?
To him, killing someone—or sparing them—was no different from filling out paperwork.
...
"Just for that reason?" Nessley asked.
"That's right."
She gave a bitter smile.
"So... our lives mean nothing to you? I get that you don't care about us from the Dark Nights, but even Tucker? You don't care if your client lives or dies?"
Kaizen shook his head.
"Tucker only paid me to kill one of you. He didn't pay me to protect him. So why should I?"
"You really don't believe in doing a little extra?"
Nessley pushed.
"But if Tucker dies, don't you lose out too?"
"True."
"But if you protect him, you might still get paid, right?"
"Also true."
Kaizen nodded... but then tilted his head, slightly amused.
"But that's not how I work. I follow the rules of the trade. If I start doing favors just to make sure a client survives... what happens next time?"
"Will every client expect me to protect them too?"
"If they don't pay for that service, why should I offer it?"
"As for coming here for nothing? That's not a big loss."
"If word gets out, clients will think twice. Either they'll pay more to secure results—or they'll learn not to cut corners."
"That's what matters more to me."
Kaizen's eyes narrowed.
"And honestly, your reaction is even weirder."
"You could survive, given the current situation."
"But instead, you're trying to convince me to protect Tucker."
"Do you even want to live?"
"Or... are you willing to let your partner die just to hold on to your ideals?"
...
Nessley went quiet.
She said nothing for a long time.
Because something had clicked in her mind—something unpleasant.
She'd just risked her life and her partner's life... all to try and change Kaizen's view of the world.
But why?
What would she gain from convincing him?
Nothing.
Compared to Kaizen, who remained ruthlessly logical... maybe the one acting strange was her.
Kaizen, the cold-blooded assassin, was the only one thinking clearly.
Nessley looked at him closely.
"Can someone really stay this calm... while deciding who lives and who dies?"
"...Terrifying."
"Who is this guy?"
...
Then, Nessley made a sudden request.
"...Can I see what's going on over there?"
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