Rei sat in Kage's luxurious penthouse, his eyes taking in the stark contrast to his own sparse apartment. Everything here spoke of wealth and power—from the gleaming marble floors to the carefully curated abstract art pieces on the walls. Floor-to-ceiling windows revealed Osaka's skyline, the city lights twinkling like earthbound stars against the darkening sky. The air carried hints of expensive cologne and aged whiskey—scents that matched Kage's carefully cultivated image.

  For all his brashness, Kage lived like someone who commanded absolute control over his world.

  "Admiring my crib, brat?" Kage's voice pulled Rei from his thoughts. He stood by the bar, pouring amber liquid into a crystal tumbler with practiced ease.

  Before Rei could respond, Kage gestured toward a sharply dressed man who had entered the room. The newcomer wore an impeccable butler's uniform without a single wrinkle, his posture perfect as he surveyed the room with quiet authority.

  "Sebastian, this is the brat. Brat, this is my esteemed butler, Sebastian."

  Sebastian, unfazed by the disrespectful introduction, bowed slightly, then extended a gloved hand. "It is a pleasure to meet you, young Rei."

  Rei shook his hand, his usual cold demeanor intact despite the unexpected formality. "You as well, sir."

  Sebastian nodded in approval before turning to Kage. "Master Kage, how long will this conversation be?"

  Kage tilted his head, considering. "Hmmm... give us 10 frames, 30 minutes, Sebastian."

  "As you wish, Master," Sebastian said smoothly. He turned to Rei, his expression unreadable. "Young Rei, continue acting normal until I finish clasping my hands."

  Rei narrowed his eyes as he watched, confusion briefly crossing his features.

  Sebastian brought his hands together. Clasp.

  Everything around them felt the same. Nothing changed. The city lights still twinkled outside, the expensive artwork still hung on the walls, the furniture remained in place. Yet there was a subtle shift in the air, a stillness that hadn't been there before.

  Then—Sebastian unclasped his hands.

  Rei's body tensed.

  "...What's going on?"

  Kage smirked, walking to the bar and pouring himself another drink. "Frames—the concept of my butler." He swirled the liquid in his glass before taking a sip. "Sebastian loops us within 10 repeating frames for the next 30 minutes. To anyone listening, spying, or tracking this conversation, all they'll see is us repeating those frames over and over again."

  Rei's eyes widened slightly, his mind racing to understand the implications. "That's... incredible." Such an ability would be invaluable for covert operations, for hiding conversations from even the most sophisticated surveillance.

  Kage placed the glass down, his expression darkening. "Sebastian, leave us."

  "As you wish, Master Kage," Sebastian said before smoothly exiting the room, his footsteps silent against the marble floor.

  Now, it was just the two of them.

  Kage leaned forward, his piercing gaze locking onto Rei. He removed his designer shades, revealing eyes that held none of their usual mockery—only cold, hard intensity.

  "Now, Vessel," his voice deepened, filled with uncharacteristic seriousness, "I will tell you the story behind that damn Chairman and me... and what the Underworld really is."

  Kage leaned back, arms stretched along the couch. His posture was relaxed, but there was nothing casual about the weight of his words.

  "I am a product of the Underworld," he stated simply. "The top-ranked assassin in the Assassin's Guild. Every 'contract' I ever received—I executed flawlessly."

  Rei's heart pounded slightly, the revelation confirming suspicions he'd barely allowed himself to consider. This wasn't just a mercenary or a rogue sorcerer—this was something else entirely.

  "Assassins don't ask questions. We don't pick sides. We accept or deny based on the difficulty and payout. And only certain assassins can take certain contracts—depending on how powerful the target is."

  Kage's fingers drummed against the armrest, a rare sign of nervous energy from someone typically so composed.

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  "Six months ago, I got an anonymous contract. Five million dollars."

  Rei's eyes sharpened, attention fully captured.

  "Target: Haikito."

  Rei clenched his fists slightly, the pieces beginning to fall into place. The strange relationship between Kage and Haikito, the tension that crackled between them whenever they were mentioned in the same breath.

  "I spent weeks tracking him. Studying him. He was a creature of habit—leaving the Academy between 6PM and 7PM, Monday through Friday. I learned where he ate, where he trained, where he slept. I knew everything."

  A pause.

  "...Except his ability."

  Rei swallowed, the admission hanging heavy in the air. How could someone track Haikito so thoroughly yet miss such a crucial detail?

  "The night came when I was finally ready to kill him." Kage's voice lowered, darkened. "The perfect moment. He was walking alone. No trace of life within a five-mile radius."

  A mirthless chuckle.

  "I struck. No hesitation."

  Rei held his breath.

  "It was over almost instantly**.**"

  Kage's smirk vanished.

  "He dodged every one of my tendrils like he knew they were coming."

  Rei's stomach dropped.

  "Then, he pulled out weapons. The kind of weapons that cost hundreds of thousands in the Underworld. Things no normal civilian should have access to."

  Kage exhaled slowly, the memory clearly still raw despite the time that had passed.

  "He was faster. Stronger. He fought with precision, as if he had fought assassins before."

  Rei's entire body tensed, trying to imagine Haikito—the calm, collected chairman—engaged in deadly combat with the man before him.

  "He subdued me." Kage's words were like venom in his throat, each syllable costing him pride. "He could have killed me. But he didn't."

  Rei's curiosity overcame his caution. "Why?"

  Kage scoffed, bitterness evident in the sharp sound. "Because he's a bastard who always gets what he wants."

  He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, eyes never leaving Rei's.

  "Assassins who fail their contracts have two choices: Kill themselves... or fulfill a request from the target."

  Rei's pulse pounded against his ribcage, the implications staggering.

  "Most civilians don't even know this rule." Kage's voice darkened further. "But Haikito did."

  Rei's breath caught in his throat.

  Kage's smirk returned—but this time, it was bitter, a mask barely concealing his humiliation.

  "His request?" He laughed coldly.

  "Train you, Vessel. For six months. Then, I can have my revenge."

  Silence fell, heavy and suffocating.

  Rei's mind whirled with implications, connections forming between previously disparate pieces of information.

  He had assumed Kage was simply an arrogant prodigy. A shadow-wielding mercenary with a disregard for rules.

  But now—now he realized...

  Kage was something far worse.

  And Haikito?

  Haikito had planned this.

  All of this.

  "The Underworld," Kage continued, his voice taking on an instructional tone despite the heaviness of the topic, "is a cold, ruthless place where strength is everything. My failure? It isn't just a stain on my reputation—it puts a target on my back."

  He leaned back, expression dark.

  "And I have high reasons to believe Jumba is connected to it."

  Rei's breath hitched, the mission they'd just completed suddenly taking on new significance.

  Kage's voice lowered.

  "Remember what Jumba said? 'Evil man of chaos.'"

  Rei nodded slowly, the childish villain's words echoing in his memory.

  Kage's jaw tightened.

  "Akuma."

  The name sent a chill through the room.

  "That's just a theory... but if I'm right, Jumba was hired by a demon of Chaos."

  Kage's fist clenched, knuckles whitening under the pressure.

  "Akuma is a name you don't say lightly."

  "That's why Sebastian used Frames. To protect us."

  Rei felt his stomach churn, the revelations piling up faster than he could process them.

  "Akuma is vile. Ruthless. And worst of all? He does whatever the hell he wants." Kage's tone shifted, deadly serious now. "His concept makes him a one-man army and a mess to deal with. The Guild won't even accept contracts on Akuma. Not for any price."

  "Not even the Guild?" Rei asked, understanding the significance.

  "It would take a million armies to even have a shot at defeating him," Kage said, his exaggeration clearly meant to emphasize the point. "And that's not even the worst part. Most individuals in the Underworld are ruthless to gain power or wealth. That's predictable. Manageable."

  Kage leaned forward, his voice dropping to just above a whisper.

  "But Akuma? He's ruthless for the sheer thrill of it. He's existed for centuries, seen wars that would make your nightmares seem like children's stories. He's lived through eras where humans slaughtered each other with primitive weapons, up close and personal. And he enjoyed every minute of it."

  Kage's eyes gleamed with a mix of respect and fear—a combination Rei hadn't thought possible from someone so arrogant.

  "And I have reason to believe he wants to be the second coming of Lucifer."

  Rei froze.

  "And what's the one thing Lucifer needs to survive?" Kage smirked.

  "A Vessel."

  Silence fell again, this one deeper than before.

  "The Academy is laughable. They think they can stop these monsters." Kage leaned back, his tone eerily calm given the apocalyptic implications of his words.

  "But I have a sneaky suspicion... that those pretentious pricks aren't as 'holy' as they claim."

  He turned his gaze to Rei, the intensity of it almost physical.

  "Trust nobody, Vessel. Not the Academy. Not Haikito. Not even me."

  The End of the Frame

  Sebastian's Frames finally dissipated, the subtle shift in the air marking the return to normal time. The minutes that had passed for them had been mere seconds to the outside world.

  Rei sat there, stunned.

  Everything he thought he knew was collapsing.

  "Just... what am I to all of these people?" he thought.

  Kage stood, stretching with exaggerated casualness as if they hadn't just discussed world-altering secrets.

  "Now hurry up and leave. I got some hot hotties on their way, and I need to relieve some tension from being around you brats."

  The abrupt shift in tone was jarring, Kage's serious demeanor vanishing as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by his usual cavalier attitude.

  Rei stood, fists clenched with determination despite the weight of revelations pressing down on him.

  "I'll get better, Kage."

  Kage smirked.

  "Yeah. You better."