『 Dying of Asphyxiation was seriously not my goal in life. 』
Neither was meeting a Governor of the Afterlife and getting sent to another world for a second chance at life.
Drew was assaulted by a group of men for reasons she didn't understand. Drown...
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91. Zen
The town was always quiet when the sun began to set; and only the alleys and back streets were beginning to come to life.
One place in particular seemed to bustle with party and festivity, fuming with the stink of cigarette smoke and the overwhelming odor of air freshener. A battle had definitely gone on in the day-- and presumably, the reek of blood was too pungent to be left alone.
Knocking on the grills twice, Zen Cite lifted the shaft with one arm and invited himself in.
His presence made the joyous celebration happening inside come to an anticlimactic halt, wherein all eyes swirled to him and all cheers ceased to be.
Zen stopped in front of the Boss, a man only known as Truth, and their eyes locked.
"Hey, we've been expecting you," the man greeted, the look in his eyes unfaltering, strong, confident. The Boss and the Leader-- he was the one man Zen had yet to be able to match in strength. "A pity what happened to your sister, but sadly enough our group is much too large for us to find out who leaked the information to our enemies."
Zen simply nodded.
"Are you here to investigate?" Truth didn't sound serious, "Or are you here for..." his eyes drifted to his closed palm-- "Revenge?"
Opening his palm, Truth showed Zen a gem. A bright red pendant, which undeniably belonged to the older brother, Eve.
Zen was silent.
"If not, would you take his place as my second-in-command?" Truth had the gall to offer, "If you desire to inherit this gem, that is."
At the offer, Zen perked up. His eyes widened in a sense of anger he rarely felt-- his blood boiled in a sort of anger, blood lust welled in his stomach, quickly suppressed by his instincts.
"I'll do it," he said, sudden and unhesitant, "If that's what it takes to get that gem back."
If it was to get his brother's final keepsake, he'd stay here.
He'd stay in this building, with the people that killed his most precious.
Closing his fist, Truth smiled.
"And what will you show to prove your absolute loyalty to me?" it sounded like a taunt-- "Mera left his studies and threw aside his day work, threw aside his social life, even, to earn this place. What will you do for me?" Truth teased, smug and degrading, but Zen felt there was something beyond those eyes.
Absolute loyalty.
What was Truth trying to imply? That Zen would betray him? That's impossible, Zen had always been one that obeyed the boss without hesitation-- and Eve was too. Zen was quite sure the boss needed no extra confirmation.
