In the training room.
After finishing her shooting practice, Vivi finally stepped out of the training room and wiped the sweat from her body with a towel. She then draped the towel around her neck and looked at Zirkon, who was sitting beside the vending machine.
As if noticing Vivi's gaze, Zirkon turned toward her and greeted her.
"You finished training?"
Vivi only gave a small nod in response.
"Want one?"
Zirkon extended his hand, offering her a drink.
Without hesitation, Vivi took the can labeled Hydro from his hand.
Clink!
She opened it, and a hissing sound immediately followed.
While drinking, Vivi glanced around as if searching for someone. But after finishing her drink, she stopped looking around and decided to ask Zirkon directly.
"So, where's Lyxander?"
Instead of answering, Zirkon asked back,
"You didn't see him leave?"
"Leave?"
"Yeah. He went to Simon's office."
"What for?"
Zirkon, who had been drinking, nearly choked after hearing the question. A small smile appeared on his face, as though he had realized something.
"You two only recently became partners, but it seems like you already have special feelings for him."
However, instead of blushing or denying it, Vivi stared at Zirkon with disgust, as if she were looking at a pest.
Zirkon's smile disappeared instantly. His hand trembled slightly, causing some of his drink to spill.
"Oh, Vivi! Zirkon!"
Quartz's cheerful voice broke the awkward atmosphere between them.
'Savior.'
That single word immediately appeared in Zirkon's mind.
Quartz approached them wearing a white T-shirt and training pants. She tilted her head toward Vivi.
"You didn't go to Simon's office?"
"Captain?"
Vivi looked confused.
"You didn't know? Lyxander got assigned a mission to hunt an Entity. I thought you'd go with him."
"Oh, so that's why he got called over," Zirkon interrupted. "If it's not Vivi, then who's accompanying him?"
"Ah!"
Quartz smiled brightly.
"Peter and Amethyst."
Psst!
Zirkon choked and spat out his drink. He pounded his chest desperately, trying to breathe.
"You're serious? Those two lunatics?!"
"Come on, they're not that crazy," Quartz replied casually.
'That's because you're just as crazy.'
Zirkon cursed inwardly.
He turned toward Vivi, but the woman had already disappeared without anyone noticing.
—
Smack!
Vivi slammed her hand onto Simon's desk.
"Captain, why did you let Lyxander go with those two?"
Even though she hit the desk hard, Vivi's expression remained completely blank despite her anger.
"Come on, this will be a good learning experience for his development."
Simon seemed to brush the matter off lightly.
Vivi bit her lip.
"If this is about teaching him, I can do that too. Aren't I his partner?"
Simon chuckled softly.
"That's true. Unfortunately, you're not as crazy as they are."
A faint smile appeared on his face, though it was impossible to tell what he truly meant.
—
A luxurious military vehicle sped toward downtown.
Three Ravens sat inside. Peter was driving in the front, while Lyxander sat beside Amethyst in the back seat.
Inside the car, Lyxander had apparently already introduced himself to Peter and Amethyst.
The two of them were fairly friendly toward him, even more senior-like compared to Vivi, who was actually younger than him.
"So, what's the plan?"
Lyxander asked enthusiastically. He was clearly expecting an impressive strategy from experienced Ravens like Peter and Amethyst.
"Haha."
Amethyst chuckled softly before continuing,
"We don't have a plan."
Lyxander's pupils widened.
Not only because his expectations were shattered, but also because in his previous life, he had always been someone who prepared strategies before fights. He understood better than anyone how important planning was.
"Then what am I supposed to do?"
Amethyst smiled casually.
"Just kill the Entity and don't die."
Lyxander was left speechless.
He immediately changed his opinion about what made a respectable senior.
Vivi was clearly far better.
"The identity most compatible with me is three-star Assassin. What about yours?"
Amethyst asked casually, as though revealing identities was completely normal.
'She's just revealing her identity so casually...'
Lyxander narrowed his eyes and wore a flat expression.
Now he was even more convinced that Vivi was the superior senior.
"Senior Vivi taught me that identities should be kept hidden, not casually revealed," he replied with a slightly sarcastic tone.
Amethyst's cheeks puffed out instantly, and her brows furrowed from feeling mocked.
"Come on. You know, women don't like boring men."
"You don't need to listen to a thirty-year-old single woman's advice, Lyxander," Peter said while continuing to drive.
The moment she heard that, Amethyst's face turned red. Veins nearly popped on her forehead.
She loosened her tie and immediately tried to strangle Peter.
"Waaah!"
Lyxander panicked and hurriedly tried to hold Amethyst back.
But she struggled wildly, kicking and flailing around.
"You bastard! What's wrong with me not being married?! What's wrong with being thirty, huh?!"
The car shook violently alongside her rage.
Thud!
"Ugh."
Lyxander's face slammed into Amethyst's head. Blood slowly trickled from his nose.
"Eh?!"
Amethyst instantly froze.
—
A pair of slender fingers pressed tissues against the blood flowing from Lyxander's nose.
From the corner of his eyes, Lyxander could clearly see Amethyst's cleavage. Her clothes had loosened slightly after removing her tie.
"Ahem."
Lyxander cleared his throat before gently pushing her shoulder.
"I can clean it myself."
But Amethyst moved even closer.
"I'm really sorry."
She grabbed Lyxander's hand and leaned her pitiful face closer to him. Naturally, her cleavage became even more visible.
Lyxander had been a professional fighter.
And throughout his career, the hardest battles had never been against other people, but against himself.
He had plenty of experience suppressing his desires, especially before weigh-ins. Yet his body often betrayed all of his past discipline.
'Damn it.'
Lyxander closed his eyes and tried to calm himself.
'Control yourself, Little Xander.'
He struggled to maintain a calm expression, even though inwardly he was anything but calm.
"There's no need to apologize. This isn't a big deal."
Amethyst pressed herself even closer.
Just one small push, and Lyxander's composure would completely collapse.
"I'm really sorry."
Amethyst's eyes looked teary.
"It's just... you know how hard it is being a single woman when all your friends are already married."
But Peter interrupted once again, refusing to let her continue her emotional rant.
"Just ignore her, Lyxander. Trust me, you'll only get yourself into trouble if you get involved with her."
He sounded completely fearless, as though he had forgotten he had nearly been strangled alive moments ago.
"Tch, shut up, you bastard. A married man like you could never understand my feelings."
The tears instantly vanished from Amethyst's eyes, replaced by an irritated frown.
But moments later, the frown disappeared and tears streamed down her face once again.
"Huwaaah! Why doesn't any man want to marry me?!"
Her crying felt powerful enough to shatter the car windows.
"Wait, Senior! I'm sure there are plenty of men who'd want to marry you!"
Lyxander hurriedly tried to calm her down before the windows actually broke.
"Really?"
Amethyst looked at him with watery eyes.
Lyxander grabbed her shoulders and stared at her seriously.
"Really. After all, you're a very beautiful woman, Senior. I'm sure there are countless men out there who'd want to marry you."
"Lyxander..."
Amethyst's face flushed red.
She covered her face with both hands before opening a small gap between her fingers.
"Then... would you marry me?"
"Eh?!"
Lyxander's face instantly stiffened. His eyes nearly turned white.
He had absolutely not expected a question like that.
"You would, right?"
Amethyst's face grew even redder.
Lyxander didn't answer. He clamped his mouth shut and turned his face away, trying to pull his hand free, but Amethyst refused to let go.
"You... you... huwaaah! No man wants to marry me!"
Once again, the car windows rattled violently.
Lyxander tightened his grip and looked at her with a flushed face.
"It's not that I don't want to... it's just that we barely know each other."
Amethyst's eyes were still watery, but at least she had stopped crying.
"So you'd marry me if we got to know each other longer?"
she asked hopefully.
Lyxander bit his lip and forced a bitter smile.
"I'll consider it."
Amethyst's eyes widened.
Her face became even redder, and without hesitation she immediately hugged Lyxander tightly.
Two soft pressures were clearly pressed against his chest.
"Lyxander, I love you. Once you're done considering it, let's get married."
"Eh?!"
Lyxander stared at Amethyst with wide eyes before glancing toward Peter, who was chuckling.
"Congratulations, Lyxander. Just so you know, the identity most compatible with her is two-star Yandere."
"Eh?!"
Cold sweat instantly poured down Lyxander's face.
From beneath his chest, Amethyst stared at him without blinking.
Her gaze was terrifyingly sharp.
"What's wrong? Did you change your mind about marrying me?"
Amethyst whispered softly.
Lyxander could only shake his head while forcing out a bitter smile.
Amethyst grinned widely and hugged his arm even tighter.
Lyxander could only sit there helplessly.
"Damn it... I want to go home."
—
Eventually, they arrived at their destination.
An ordinary-looking flower shop.
Beautiful flowers were displayed outside, while a CLOSED sign hung clearly on the door.
The three Ravens stepped out of the vehicle.
Peter and Amethyst carried black suitcases in their hands, while Lyxander wore only gloves.
"This is the place?"
Lyxander asked.
But without paying attention to him, Amethyst pulled a bomb out of her pocket.
Without hesitation, she threw it toward the shop window.
The bomb flew inside the flower shop and—
BOOM!
All the glass shattered instantly, and the flower shop turned into a sea of flames.
Amethyst grabbed Lyxander's hand and smiled at him.
"Let's go in."
"Haha..."
Lyxander could only laugh awkwardly.
The mission had begun.