— Bloodshed in the Yard —
The afternoon sun poured over the high walls, the shadows of the barbed wire falling like the bars of a cage.
Prisoners filed into the recreation yard, the air thick with a palpable undercurrent of tension.
Eren walked slowly, his expression calm, as if merely taking a stroll.
The very instant he brushed past another inmate, a murderous glint flashed in the man's eyes.
— He's making his move.
The motion was clean, efficient, happening in a split second.
A flick of the wrist, and a dagger, cold steel glinting, materialized from his sleeve —
Its target: Eren's heart.
The blade cut through the air, swift and venomous as a striking snake.
A faint smirk touched the lips of the assassin, Black K.
"Is this it?" he sneered inwardly.
This is the infamous death-row demon who slaughtered thirty?
Pathetic.
Yet, the moment the tip met Eren's back, his smirk froze solid.
The sensation wasn't the yielding softness of flesh—it was cold, unyielding steel.
"—What the hell?!"
Black K's eyes widened in shock.
He reversed his grip, muscles coiling, veins bulging on his arms,
channeling all his strength into a second strike aimed at the base of Eren's skull!
— CLANG!!
A metallic shriek echoed as the sharp dagger shattered to pieces.
Silence.
"My god..." Black K's voice trembled. "What are you, man or ghost?"
A veteran of countless battles, he had assassinated officers and crime lords alike, but he had never seen a monster like this.
A flesh-and-blood body, impervious to blades?
Not even a Grandmaster would dare claim such a feat.
Eren turned his head slowly, the smile curling his lips colder and more unnerving than any blade.
"Had your fill of stabbing?"
His voice was low, laced with mockery. "Care to try a few more times?"
Sweat poured down Black K's face, his whole body shaking.
But his pride as a top-tier dark web assassin wouldn't allow retreat.
— He had to go all in.
Gritting his teeth, he raised the broken shank
and lunged with lightning speed, aiming for Eren's eyes!
The body might be invulnerable—but the eyes were always a weakness!
His strike was a blur, almost invisible to the naked eye.
But Eren was faster than the wind.
THUMP—!
A powerful kick sent Black K's body flying like a discarded puppet,
soaring over twenty meters, crashing into two other inmates before slamming hard against the prison's concrete wall.
Blood sprayed.
A deathly stillness fell over the entire yard.
Prisoners scrambled backward, faces pale with terror, fearing to be caught in the crossfire.
Black K lifted his head with difficulty, gasping for air,
his voice a ragged whisper. "You... what are you?"
A slight curve touched Eren's lips, but his gaze remained cold as sharpened steel. "Tell me. Who sent you?"
Black K trembled violently. In that moment, he finally understood—
he was never the hunter, but merely an insect being played with.
"I... I don't know," he stammered. "I just took the contract... the task was to kill you... I swear, I don't know who hired me!"
Eren's eyes narrowed sharply. "Whose contract?"
"I don't know! I'm just a hired blade! Please, spare me—"
Eren let out a low chuckle, the sound raspy and cold.
"Spare you?"
He leaned down slightly, his voice resonant, seeming to shake the very soul.
"You try to kill me, fail, and expect to walk away unscathed?"
"Since when is the world so forgiving?"
Black K froze completely, his heart plunging into an icy abyss.
He finally realized—
he likely wouldn't survive this yard period.
---
— The New Master of the Prison —
The blare of an alarm shattered the silence.
Moments later, Warden Kane Mercer and Aveline rushed into the yard with a squad of guards.
"Mr. Eren! What is—?" Kane began, his eyes quickly taking in the bloodstains and the broken dagger on the ground. He had already pieced most of it together.
Eren turned, his expression stern.
"This prison boasts of being 'impenetrable,' doesn't it? So how did an assassin slip in so easily to kill me?"
Cold sweat instantly beaded on Kane's forehead.
"My deepest apologies, Mr. Eren! I will conduct a thorough investigation and enhance security immediately! Nothing like this will happen again!"
Eren merely responded with a cold hum.
That low sound sent chills down everyone's spines.
Aveline asked solemnly, "Eren, this man... how should he be handled?"
Eren's gaze fell upon the captured assassin on the ground.
The man was curled up, his face ashen, his breathing ragged.
Suddenly, Eren smiled.
A more effective method came to mind.
— One that would make it clear to everyone who truly ruled this prison.
He flicked his finger.
A wisp of crimson flame coalesced at his fingertip and shot out like a spirit serpent, striking the assassin squarely in the chest.
"WHOOSH!!—"
As if gasoline had met a spark, the man was instantly engulfed in flames!
A piercing scream tore through the air, lasting mere seconds before his body was reduced to ashes.
A gust of wind scattered the remnants, as if he had never existed.
A tomb-like silence descended.
Prisoners gasped sharply, their faces turning deathly pale.
In that moment, the look in everyone's eyes towards Eren transformed—
Fear, awe, and reverence intertwined into a silence that felt almost religious.
What was that?
What kind of fire could consume a life so utterly?
Someone shuddered inwardly:
"Not even the legendary Samadhi Fire could be more terrifying."
Kane and Aveline knew he was extraordinary, but witnessing this was utterly horrifying.
Kane's hands trembled slightly as he clearly understood—
Within these walls, Eren was no longer an inmate; he was a god.
Eren looked at Kane, his tone deceptively calm, sending shivers down their spines.
"Any problem with how I handled that?"
Kane immediately bowed his head deeply.
"None whatsoever! From this moment forward, your word supersedes mine. In this prison, you—are the sole master."
A faint smile touched Eren's lips.
"You know what to say."
He chuckled softly, satisfied, and turned. "Now, everyone, disperse."
The prisoners retreated like a receding tide, avoiding him as if he were a walking plague.
As the yard time ended, Eren summoned the Warden.
"Prepare a car. I'm leaving the prison temporarily."
Kane was stunned. "You... you're leaving?"
This was a death row inmate! Leaving prison? It was unthinkable.
Eren's brow furrowed slightly.
"Is there a problem?"
"No! Not at all!" Kane shook his head repeatedly, his voice nearly trembling.
"As I said—you are the master here. Wherever you wish to go, I will facilitate it!"
Eren gave a faint smile and patted his shoulder.
"Relax. I'm not escaping. I just have some business to attend to. I will be back."
Kane nodded frantically.
Who would dare stop a man with such power?
If he truly wished to escape, not only the guards—
but the entire prison—would be reduced to ashes by his will alone.
---
— Fate Strikes Back —
Ten minutes later, a black Audi sped out through the prison gates.
"Mr. Eren, where shall I take you?"
Kane asked respectfully from the driver's seat.
"To HelixPharm."
In the back seat, Eren lightly spun a Power Ranger mask between his fingers—a toy left behind by Kane's son.
His initial thought had been to visit Seraphine first for a little 'chat.' The idea was tempting.
But Lyra might be in danger—ensuring her safety became the only priority.
HelixPharm, founded by the Veyne family on the breakthrough technology of 'Human Energy Stabilizers,' was now a pharmaceutical titan worth billions, known throughout the Novalis Sector.
But now, this empire teetered on the brink of collapse.
The first crisis: the Veyne family had been brutally wiped out, leaving Lyra as the sole survivor, attracting swarms of corporate vultures.
The second crisis: she had stubbornly vetoed the launch of a new product.
The very product that had been developed by—Eren.
She would rather die than profit from 'that man's' research.
This had infuriated the shareholders.
Exhausted both physically and mentally, Lyra was now driving her Maserati away from the HelixPharm headquarters alone.
"That demon Eren... you're probably dead by now,"
She let out a bitter laugh. "What a shame I couldn't witness your suffering myself."
She had paid a hefty sum for the hit. The contractor had guaranteed—Eren wouldn't see the next dawn.
Right now, the prison was probably in chaos.
Her thoughts drifted to the prison guard she met yesterday—Aveline.
That calm young woman had unexpectedly pressed a protective charm into her hand just before she left.
Lyra thought herself long numb, but that moment of warmth had still stirred something in her chest.
She pulled out the triangular paper charm and laughed mirthlessly.
"What a cheap little trinket... Can a piece of paper really protect a life?"
She shook her head, her finger moving to press the window button and toss it out—
but she stopped at the last moment.
" Forget it," she murmured. "It was given with good intent."
Just as she tucked the charm away again—
A blaring horn screamed, rapidly closing in.
A massive shadow swerved directly into her path.
An out-of-control heavy truck, like a unchained beast, was charging straight at her!
Lyra's pupils contracted in terror; she wrenched the steering wheel desperately—
But it was already too late.
CRAAASSHH—!!
The deafening sound of impact tore through the sky...