"Kido Ryuto."
The chained woman whispered his name, her voice trembling as she instinctively took a step back. It wasn't the freezing Antarctic air that made her shiver—it was the sight of the man who had just appeared out of nowhere.
A presence like his was impossible to ignore.
Before she could process what was happening, another voice broke the silence.
"Long time no see, Ryuto."
Jin's voice was calm, almost casual, as he stepped forward, placing a hand lightly on Ryuto's shoulder. A relaxed smile rested on his lips, as if this was nothing more than a casual reunion between old friends.
Ryuto, still disoriented from the sudden teleportation, turned at the familiar sound of his name. His sharp eyes widened slightly in surprise.
"Boss."
His voice was soft, carrying a mix of relief and disbelief.
Jin chuckled. "Boss, huh? Well, that's better than 'my lord.'" He tilted his head slightly, his expression still unreadable. "I heard you took care of the guy who put a bounty on my head."
Ryuto's gaze darkened for a moment before he nodded. "I did. But why didn't you contact me after leaving the house?" His voice was low, restrained, but there was an unspoken weight behind his words. "And why are we here?"
Jin let out a quiet sigh before shaking his head. "We'll talk about that later." His tone was gentle but firm, leaving no room for argument. "Right now, I need you to handle these two." He gestured toward the chained women. "I need information from them."
"You summoned me here… just to take care of them?" Ryuto asked softly, his voice laced with confusion.
Jin smiled, tilting his head slightly. "Oh? So now I can't ask you for favors?" His tone was light, almost teasing.
"No, that's not what I meant." Ryuto shook his head. "If you want me to handle them, I'll do it, Boss. But I'm asking because… you summoned me just for this? These women? Did you get weaker or something?" His eyes narrowed slightly, his voice still soft but laced with curiosity.
Jin let out a quiet chuckle. "Me? Weak? Not a chance." He stretched lazily before shrugging. "It's just that… after getting married, fighting a woman feels a bit weird."
Ryuto blinked. "…You got married?" His voice held genuine surprise.
Jin sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's a long story. Can you handle this first? I'll explain later."
Ryuto didn't argue. Without another word, he turned toward the women. His fingers tightened around the chopsticks in his hand, his grip firm. Just as he was about to make his move—
"Stop! We surrender!"
The chained woman suddenly dropped her weapon, raising both hands in the air. Her voice trembled slightly, her gaze darting between them.
Ryuto halted, his expression unreadable as he studied her.
"What are you doing?" The woman with the dagger hissed, glaring at her companion who had just surrendered.
The chained woman took a shaky breath, her hands still raised. "Don't you recognize him? It's Kido Ryuto." Her voice trembled as she spoke his name.
"What…?" The dagger-wielding woman's grip tightened instinctively. Her knuckles turned white against the cold steel of her blades. Even in the freezing winds of Antarctica, sweat began to form on her forehead.
Jin, watching the scene unfold, placed a hand on Ryuto's shoulder. "Stop, Ryuto. Since they've already surrendered, I only need answers." His tone remained gentle, but there was an undeniable authority in his words.
Ryuto didn't take his eyes off them. "You heard him. Start talking." His voice was cold, devoid of patience.
The dagger-wielding woman swallowed hard. "What do you want to know?"
Jin's gaze remained calm as he asked, "Who ordered you to hunt Evolved Beasts?"
A flicker of hesitation crossed the woman's face. "No one ordered us…" she muttered, avoiding eye contact.
Ryuto exhaled slowly, the only movement he made—but the sound of wood snapping echoed in the icy air. He had broken the chopsticks in his hand.
The woman flinched, eyes darting back to him in panic. "I swear! We don't work for anyone!" Her voice rose slightly, fear creeping into her words.
"Then why are you here? You must know something about that organ-consuming thing," Jin said gently.
The woman with the dagger hesitated before speaking. "We… we got an unknown message saying that if we go to Antarctica and hunt the Evolved Beasts, we could create a potion to grow stronger using their hearts and brains." Her voice was soft but uncertain.
Jin's gaze remained steady. "So you're saying this is your first time hunting here? You haven't actually tried consuming the organs to grow stronger?"
She nodded. "No, we haven't. That's why we came here—to test it."
Jin stared at her for a moment before letting out a quiet sigh. "I actually believed that bullshit. Of course, no one grows stronger like that," he muttered, his tone calm but laced with sarcasm.
Then, in the blink of an eye, Ryuto vanished.
A sudden, powerful impact followed, shattering the icy ground beneath them. Cracks spread outward as the frozen terrain broke apart, sending shards of ice flying in every direction.
As the snow scattered in the wind, Ryuto stood in front of the dagger-wielding woman. Behind her, a tall man loomed, towering over Ryuto. A red axe rested against her neck—the only thing stopping it from slicing through was Ryuto's hand, effortlessly gripping the weapon.
"Boss, do I have to protect them or not?" Ryuto asked softly, his voice calm despite the tense situation.
Jin exhaled slowly. "They're not the enemy. They were tricked into this. Keep them safe—but don't hesitate to kill that person." His tone was gentle, yet unwavering.
Suddenly, the ground beneath Jin exploded, sending ice and debris flying.
"So, you're the one who set this up… Vazar." Jin's voice remained steady as if he had already anticipated it.
As the wind and snow intensified, he locked eyes with the figure standing before him. A man with deep red eyes and dark circles beneath them, his presence radiating danger. In both hands, he held guns, his stance poised for battle.
[Chapter 7 end]