"To start with, I need to know what exactly it is that you know about this card."
The question gently echoed through the lush office, where a total of three people sat, separated by a pristine white desk.
Two of them sat at opposite ends of the elaborate table, and one sat in front of them—much smaller, and none other than Ryuk. The men before him were the very individuals who currently wore serious expressions on their faces.
Right now, Ryuk felt a strange hallucination. It was as if the gravity in the room had doubled, and even the air seemed to have stopped flowing.
[A Condensing Aura has been targeted on Host.]
[Danger: 10% chance of causing harm to Host's life.]
[Percentage is increasing with every passing second.]
The golden notification panel suddenly appeared before Ryuk, blinking in and out with dangerous, flashing lights. Only now was Ryuk aware of the danger he was in.
The two people in front of him were the ones responsible for the pressure, and he doubted it would take much for them to eliminate him. There was no way out of the room, and he was sure he'd be done for before he could even take a single step.
He had seen what that little girl outside was capable of. Surely, these men couldn't be weaker than her, or she wouldn't have bothered to listen to them.
Perhaps it would do him good to avoid playing any games and answer them as truthfully as possible. There would be no revenge of any kind if he ended up dying here.
"It's a long story. Are you sure you have the patience for it?" Ryuk asked both men.
The red-haired man chuckled before grabbing the card from the table.
"It seems we're the ones who need to remind you just how precarious a situation you're in right now."
"Starting with the origin of this card," the man continued, his tone growing serious. "As you might already know, there are cities—a total of five—and each of them is run by powerhouses commonly referred to as Families, with the exception of the Lawless Area, which we call Grade E."
"This card that you hold right here belongs to one of the top ten most mighty families in Grade B—the second-highest city in terms of pure might and power.
"That family is none other than the Fallen Family. And they are powerful enough to raze the entirety of Grade E to nothing before tomorrow morning if they so wish, easily wiping an entire grade out of existence.
"How many people live in that slum area you come from? How many mutant beasts lay within? Imagine all those lives gone in a blink."
"This is the power that the Fallen Family—the owners of this card—possess. Their symbol is the wing planted down with the swords."
The man explained lengthily, tapping the symbol on the card for Ryuk to see. His eyes narrowed as he finally recognized the strange emblem.
"And mind you, there are a total of three types of cards issued by the Fallens. Anyone possessing this card can ask for help based on the power level of the card given."
"This card is one of the three most powerful cards ever issued by them.
"It forces them to obey a certain single wish of whoever possesses it and grants you access to one of the mightiest powerhouses of the Fallen Family in their own base in Grade B!
"Imagine such power in a simple card, and you—a kid from the slums of Grade E—possess it."
"So, if you ask me whether I'm willing to take a few hours listening to how such power got into the hands of a Grade E kid, then of course, I'm in."
Ryuk took a deep breath. The information he had just been given shook him.
He didn't know how that stingy old bastard had gotten his hands on such a thing, but lying now would bring him possible death. Ryuk decided to come as clean as he could.
Thirty minutes passed.
"... And that is how I got in here, after receiving the card. Do you understand now?" Ryuk concluded with a big exhale, watching both men narrow their eyes dangerously at him.
Both shifted in their seats as if questions lingered in their minds. The dark-haired man was the first to speak.
"This man you speak of—the one who gave you the card."
"Old Jack?" Ryuk completed, and the man nodded.
"Right. Old Jack. Do you perhaps know what his full name could be—or should I say, his surname?"
"Jack what?" the man asked.
Ryuk shook his head. "I'm afraid I don't. I only know him as Old Jack. That's what everyone calls him."
He replied with a shrug, and the red-haired man stood up before turning to the dark-haired man.
"A good coincidence, wouldn't you agree, Captain Dolmian?"
"Since we just ended our meeting and will be heading back to Grade B, why not leave us the headache of getting the boy to meet with the Fallen Family? I'll help you drop him at their front gate."
"You can count that as a thank-you from the Vampiro Family for the secret information you've provided us."
The red-haired man bowed slightly as Captain Dolmian's eyes flashed with reluctance for a split second before he eventually nodded.
"How can I refuse help from one of the Vampiro Family? If it pleases you, you can help the boy out. My sincere thanks to the Vampiro Family."
Captain Dolmian said, and the red-haired man nodded.
"Very well then, Captain Dolmian. We'll be on our way. No need to trouble yourself with escorting."
The red-haired man grabbed the card from the table and moved to Ryuk's side.
"Pick up your bag. I'll be doing you a favor and dropping you where you need to be next."
The man said, and Ryuk robotically obeyed, picking up his bag from the table and following him.
The office was reduced to silence, leaving only Captain Dolmian, who collapsed into his seat after the two left. Yet, he soon sat back up, furrowing his brows.
"Old Jack. Old Jack," Dolmian mumbled, trying to find some connection before his eyes widened in realization.
"The Mad Genius of the Fallen Family who was declared dead fifty years ago.
"Could he be the one!?
"But why would the Fallen Family lie about their top three genius suddenly dying to the whole world?
"And why would one of the most talented geniuses of Endearth be a core seller in the slums of Endearth?"
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In and Out_SnowySmoos.