When he was young, Ruko Peya, the eldest son of a family that had been annihilated by the Ten Great Families, was the sole survivor. On that day, he swore revenge—and vowed to beco a devil.
The mont he beca a Regular, he went to FUG of his own accord and joined them. Ti passed, and now he had beco a Ranker.
He believed this firmly: even though FUG had gone silent after its defeat in the Great War, retreating into the shadows, it would one day erge into the light again. This mission he was overseeing now was surely part of that preparation.
"Co on, co on! Get everything transported by today!"
"Sir Peya, whose orders is this operation under?"
"How would I know? Just finish it quickly and move on to the next schedule."
While A–B Rank Regulars worked tirelessly moving the cargo, Peya entered his personal tent.
Inside, a terrified young boy clung to his pant leg.
"P-please… spare …"
Peya smiled warmly at the boy.
"Don't worry. I was trying to help you."
He unlocked the shackles binding the boy's feet and gestured for him to leave.
"Go on. You're free now."
"Th-thank you!"
The boy's eyes filled with hope and joy. Wearing the expression of soone who had just found salvation, he rushed out of the tent, running to savor his newfound freedom.
I survived! I don't have to die! I'll beco a Regular sohow and go back to my family—!
Slash—
"Huh…?"
The boy's wish ended there.
His head separated cleanly from his body, falling as easily as plucking the stem from a cherry tomato. He could run no longer.
"Whew~ That really takes the edge off work stress."
Long ago, Peya had chosen his creed: Better to be the one who takes than the one who is taken.
Now that he was a Ranker, he could finally live by it.
Buying enslaved illegitimate children of the Ten Great Families, pretending to save them, giving them hope—then killing them—had beco both his revenge and his hobby.
He brushed the blood from his hands and dropped into a chair.
The cargo transport itself was routine, but the security assigned this ti felt excessive. Three Rankers—including himself—had been deployed, even though the goods weren't particularly special.
A faint unease crept in, as if soone had deliberately arranged this situation, but he didn't dwell on it. As a low-ranking Ranker within FUG, questioning things would get him nowhere.
Just as he lit a cigarette, a scream rang out from outside.
"W-we're under attack! We're being attacked!"
"…What?"
Peya frowned and exited the tent.
Was it the Ten Great Families?
If a Ranker from one of them had arrived, he needed to flee imdiately.
As he approached the embattled base, he saw who the attacker was.
"…The Khun Family?"
A blue-haired, blue-eyed girl was slaughtering the Regulars transporting the cargo, lightning erupting from her body.
Of all families, it had to be one of the Top Three among the Ten Great Families.
But this wasn't Khun territory. Why was she here?
Peya started to retreat—then noticed the other two Rankers confronting her.
What? Since when were those two strong enough to fight a Khun Ranker—?
He paused.
No—sothing was off.
Her power was trendous, yes… but calling her a Ranker felt wrong.
Don't tell … a Regular?
The terror draining from his face was replaced by greedy confidence.
A direct descendant! A once-in-a-lifeti chance!
A Ten Family direct descendant wandering into so remote Outer Tower wasteland—what luck!
Administrator interference was a concern, but this wasn't a Regular Area, nor even a governed zone. And she had attacked first.
At worst, they could just weaken her and let other Regulars capture her.
Capturing a direct descendant would an true revenge against the Ten Families. Hand her over to the Workshop as an experint, and he'd earn trendous rit.
In his mind, he could already see the Khun girl screaming in agony.
Just as he moved to join the attack—
"Don't look at Maschenny with that expression."
"…? Wh—"
A flash of silver-white light.
A cool sensation.
Then—nothing.
Huh? Why is my body over there…?
That thought was his last.
Peya died the sa way he had killed the boy monts earlier.
....
A month had passed since Maschenny had co all the way to an uncharted Outer Tower region and supported when I was falling apart.
That month had been eventful—Ha Jinsung's visit, eting Eurasia Enne—but after that, things settled into a strange kind of peace.
Of course, peace for us ant—
"AAARGH! Damn Zahard and Ten Family lapdo—"
A Regular charging us was instantly skewered by a bolt of blue lightning.
For battle maniacs like us, this was peace.
I couldn't exactly relate to Maschenny's fondness for the sll of blood, but playing around with a couple of Rankers was fairly entertaining.
She left the Regulars to herself.
"Don't you think their lines are always this cliché?" I said. "Right, Maschenny?"
"…What are you even saying? Get your head off —it's heavy."
"Haha, I'm comfortable though."
"…."
If this were a comic, you'd hear a crack sound effect.
She shoved my head off her crown.
"And don't co to places like this without . There were three Rankers here. If I hadn't been around—what would you have done?"
"I ca because you were with , Hoaquin."
Haha… it's nice that she trusts , but it'd be even better if she stopped doing reckless things.
Maschenny seems to enjoy tearing through FUG bases whenever she gets bored. Fighting FUG, who cling to their fanaticism and resist desperately, is apparently the most fun for her.
"Haha, anyway, Maschenny—what do you want to do next? The climbing test is scheduled for a week from now."
I don't know exactly when it started.
Was it when she gently stroked my head as I finally collapsed after holding myself together for so long?
Or when she gave a gift after I told her I'd climb the Tower again, right after Enne left?
Or maybe it just happened naturally over the past month we spent together.
Either way, Maschenny and I had been sticking much closer than we ever did back in our D-rank Regular days.
Honestly, it's mostly clinging to her…Well—if I'm being fair, after the Ha Jinsung incident, and then this one too…
I don't want her to be in danger anymore.
The Ha Jinsung situation was entirely my fault, sure—but responsibility is still responsibility.
If Maschenny hadn't co to back then, I probably wouldn't have held on.
No—I definitely wouldn't have.
I never told her this, but at that ti… I genuinely hated being alive.
If she'd arrived even a little later, I might've cut my throat instead of my wrist.
And yet, when we reunited after so long, I treated her terribly.
Every ti I rember her frozen expression when I scread at her, regret crawls up my spine.
And even though I didn't an to—I attacked her.
Still, Maschenny didn't leave.
I can't even put into words how grateful I am.
When the dam of my emotions finally broke, she took all of it.
That feeling back then… it was so unbelievably comforting.
I don't want to be apart from Maschenny.
I want to stay with her.
I don't know how she feels about it, but…
Well, considering she doesn't seem to hate sticking close to her, maybe it's not so bad…?
Since she still hadn't answered my earlier question about where to go, I made a new suggestion.
"Then let's just head ho. We ca all this way—it wouldn't hurt to get so proper rest, right?"
As always, Maschenny replied indifferently.
"Doesn't matter."
I leaned forward slightly and rested my chin on her shoulder.
Ah… this feels surprisingly nice.
"Hey, it's heavy. Don't do that," she snapped irritably—but she didn't shake off.
"Haha, it's comfortable though."
"Haa…"
She let out a light sigh and started walking toward the floating ship.
Still, for the sake of Maschenny's growth plates, I should probably restrain myself a bit.
Then, feeling mischievous, I took off my crown and placed it on her head.
"Maschenny, want this crown?"
She paused briefly, then answered coldly.
"Don't need it."
"Why not? It suits you. Just wear it for a while."
"When are you going to get your head off my shoulder?"
"Hmm… later? Haha."
"Haa…"
Only when we reached the floating ship did I finally lift my head, smacking my lips in mild regret as I grabbed the controls.
She's over a hundred years old and still can't pilot a floating ship…
I wonder if Hwarang ever got his license.
We left the Outer Tower and returned to our estate on the 90th Floor, which we'd climbed to a few weeks earlier.
We're taking our ti climbing, waiting for Hwarang and Luf to catch up.
As long as nothing happens, that is.
Tap—
Tap tap—
"…Huh?"
Sothing started tapping on the ship's window.
Right—today's weather was supposed to be cloudy.
Tap—tap tap—
Shaaaaa—
The sound of droplets grew more frequent, soon turning into long streaks of rain pouring down.
Krrrrrr—
Thunder, too.
Damn it… it's just like that day.
My heartbeat started to spiral out of control.
"…Maschenny."
My voice trembled. She looked at , puzzled.
My body swayed.
Is it turbulence from the storm…?
No.
I'm the one who can't keep myself steady.
"Hoaquin?"
"C-can you switch to autopilot for a bit…? I think I need to rest…"
It feels like soone's going to co for again.
I hate this.
I don't want any more of it.
"Are you okay, Hoaquin? …Ah."
Maschenny glanced outside at the weather, then seed to realize sothing. She looked at for a mont before grabbing my shoulder and guiding to the sofa.
"How do I switch to autopilot?"
"Uh… press the blue button there, then drag the destination on the navigation…"
I could feel my pupils and voice trembling ever so slightly.
Hadn't I overco this already?
The scars on my wrists burned today of all days.
They were all made on days like this.
.....
93rd Floor — Inner Tower
Sowhere in a mansion within the Inner Tower, a man bowed deeply toward a woman seated on a sofa.
An earring bearing the Red Triple-Eye emblem glinted at her ear.
The man wore the sa emblem.
"Princess, it seems there's a limit to how much we can rely on FUG."
The report made her click her tongue in irritation.
They'd even mobilized Rankers—how did this fail?
"Haa… there were Rankers involved. How did it still go wrong?"
"I-I'm not entirely sure… There were rumors that the Regular traveling with him defeated a Ranker about a hundred years ago, but—"
Her irritation deepened.
A mber of Zahard's execution forces believing such a ridiculous rumor?
Would this man be of any use at all?
"You believe that? He may be skilled, but it was clearly exaggerated. The article ca from a dia outlet hostile to FUG—they were obviously playing it up."
She downed the cocktail on the table in one go and continued.
"If we get rid of that girl first, absorbing the other factions becos easier. My sister will need at least that much of a gift to be pleased."
The glass display of shoes—
A place most people didn't realize, yet many admired as dazzling and beautiful—
Was, in truth, the most cruel and desperate place of all.
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