The room was quiet save for the faint hum of the air conditioning. Kazuki stood near the window, his figure partially obscured by the soft glow of the city lights. Behind him, Ivan slouched in a chair, his arms crossed, a slight frown tugging at his lips. Petrov leaned casually against the wall, his face impassive, yet his sharp eyes betrayed the gears turning in his mind.
Ivan broke the silence first, his tone blunt. "Why are we even getting involved in this, Kazuki? The Venus Hunters, their whole mess—it has nothing to do with us."
Kazuki turned slightly, his brown eyes narrowing. "Because she's important."
"Important?" Ivan scoffed, sitting up straighter. "You mean because of her intel? What's so valuable that it's worth risking Kagezan's involvement?"
Kazuki didn't answer immediately. He held Ivan's gaze, then turned back to the window. "No," he said quietly, his voice firm. "It's not just about intel."
Ivan's confusion deepened, but he knew better than to push Kazuki when he was being cryptic. Petrov, who had been silent until now, stepped forward, his calm voice cutting through the tension.
"Kagezan should get involved," Petrov said simply.
Ivan's eyes narrowed. "Why? We've got nothing to gain from sticking our necks into this."
Petrov's expression remained unreadable, but there was a weight to his words. "Because Venus knows more than she should."
Kazuki stiffened, turning fully to face him. "What do you mean?"
Petrov's gaze didn't waver.
"Noxeum."
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Kazuki's brows furrowed. "Explain."
Petrov exhaled slowly, choosing his words carefully. "Noxeum has been lurking around Kyouten for decades. It's not just a gem; it's... an enigma. Its origin is unknown, but its potential? Infinite. Enhancement, energy, things that go beyond any scientific or logical explanation. The only thing we know for sure is that it's traded in the shadows—illegal markets, private deals among powerful business entities. And the suppliers? They either disappear or die before revealing anything."
Ivan leaned forward, his skepticism plain. "And what does that have to do with Venus?"
Petrov's gaze sharpened. "Everything."
He crossed his arms, his voice gaining momentum. "I've spent years analyzing incidents in Kyouten. Seemingly random accidents, rivalries flaring out of nowhere, power vacuums created overnight. On the surface, they look disconnected—just the chaos of this city. But the timing... it's too random to be natural. Too random, but too calculated at the same time."
Ivan frowned. "That makes no sense."
"It's like someone's tossing stones into a still pond," Petrov continued. "The ripples seem small and insignificant, but they collide, create waves, and disrupt the whole system. Venus, or Hime, as you call her, is the stone. The ripples? The chaos that follows."
Kazuki's jaw tightened. "You're assuming she's behind all this?"
Petrov gave a slight nod. "It's not just an assumption. Her reputation alone suggests she's capable of it. The fall of Lysander Vorn 1st is just one example. The timing of his death, the chaos that followed in the Vorn Group, the vacuum it created... too coincidental. And this is just one case I can loosely connect to her."
Ivan raised an eyebrow. "So you think she's the key to this whole Noxeum mess?"
Petrov hesitated, then shrugged. "Not the key, but if anyone could uncover its secrets, it's her. She's the kind of person who'd sift through mountains of data, books, tabloids, rumors—everything—until she found what she was looking for. She seeks knowledge like a human dying of thirst seeks water in the desert."
..........................
Kazuki processed Petrov's words, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts. The idea that Hime might hold the answers to one of Kyouten's greatest mysteries was both unsettling and intoxicating. His admiration for her grew—her brilliance, her resourcefulness, her relentless pursuit of the truth. But with that admiration came something darker.
He clenched his fists, his mind flashing back to her trembling form in his arms, the blood staining her jeans, the weight of her exhaustion. She had always been elusive, always out of reach. Yet now, knowing what she might hold within her—the power, the danger—his desire to protect her deepened.
She was his.
And yet, the thought of her standing alone against the world, taking on forces far beyond even Kagezan's reach, gnawed at him. Could he truly protect her from something as vast and unknown as Noxeum's secrets? Could he protect her from herself?
Kazuki's voice broke through the tension. "If they're hunting her for Noxeum, it's not just about power. It's about control. Whoever unlocks its secrets will control Kyouten—and beyond."
Ivan's frown deepened. "And you think it's worth dragging Kagezan into this?"
Kazuki turned, his expression unreadable. "She's worth it."
Petrov tilted his head slightly, studying him. "Because she's the key?"
"No," Kazuki said firmly, his voice low but resolute. "Because she's mine."
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The room fell into a heavy silence. Petrov's sharp mind continued piecing together fragments of the puzzle, while Ivan's unease simmered just below the surface.
Petrov finally spoke, his tone cautious. "If they're circling her for Noxeum, they won't stop. Not until they've got her—or they're eliminated."
Kazuki's gaze darkened, a dangerous edge creeping into his voice. "Then we'll eliminate them first."
Ivan sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "This is madness."
"Madness or not," Petrov said quietly, "it's already begun. And the storm that follows won't leave anyone untouched."
Kazuki stared out the window, the city lights flickering like stars in the abyss. His mind was set. Whatever it took, whatever the cost, he would keep Hime safe. Because in this chaotic, unpredictable world, she was the one thing he couldn't bear to lose.