"I know," Jiro muttered. "But… who are you really?"

His voice darkened.

"You're stronger than me. Way stronger. And you're pissing me off."

A burst of heat exploded around him.

Red flames erupted from Jiro's body.

The ground beneath him cracked.

The air twisted.

The temperature spiked like a volcanic blast.

Raito's TV began to melt.

His bed caught fire.

The walls trembled.

Jiro stepped forward, flames flaring violently.

"Just… who are you!?" Jiro roared.

"Hey, man. Calm down," Raito said, annoyed. "You're going to pay for everything you're burning. So this is the 'Fire King' people keep talking about… You really don't plan to calm down, huh?"

Raito raised a finger.

"Ice Magic."

A cold wind blasted outward.

CRACK—SHHHHHH.

In an instant, ice erupted around the room like a frozen storm.

The fire vanished.

Jiro was engulfed completely, sealed inside a thick, crystalline block of ice.

A perfect sculpture.

Raito walked around him.

"He's actually A-Rank… no, stronger. Probably S-Rank if he ever did a real assessment," Raito murmured. "But if I leave him like that, he'll die. And I hate cleaning up corpses."

He placed his hand on the frozen surface and cracked open the face area.

Jiro gasped as the ice around his mouth shattered.

He exhaled cold mist. "You… you actually froze me… I just… I was just angry. I wanted you to join my association."

"And that gives you the right to burn my apartment?" Raito said with a glare. "You think too highly of yourself. You're paying for everything you destroyed."

Jiro smiled awkwardly as flames flared across his body again, melting the remaining ice. Water splashed across the floor.

Everything was soaked.

Everything else was burnt.

The fan melted.

The TV destroyed.

Half the room looked like a dungeon aftermath.

Raito clenched his jaw.

"My house…" he muttered. "Just leave before I actually get mad."

Jiro nodded, reached into his coat, and dropped a thick stack of cash onto the wet floor.

"One million yen. Should cover it."

Raito didn't speak. His eyes only narrowed.

Jiro turned and walked out casually, like nothing happened.

Raito watched him leave.

"Tch… he really gave me a million yen, which does cover the damage…"

Raito's grip tightened.

"But that bastard is getting on my nerves."

A cold shadow crossed his eyes.

"If he ever tries something like that again… If he ever tries challenging me… I'll put him in his place. Even if it means his life."

His aura flickered.

"How dare someone like him… try to challenge me?"

Ah… this place is an actual mess.

Looks like it's finally time… to leave this place.

I was planning to stay here until the end of the month since I already paid the rent… but this… dude just came home and acted weird. Not just weird—completely unlike him. He's a calm person. But this time…

I felt something.

His aura—no, it wasn't just his aura. I felt something else.

Like he was being controlled.

Someone did something to him. I'm not sure who. But I know one thing:

That wasn't Jiro acting on his own.

And for now… I'm not going to message Jiro.

But later, if we meet, I'll warn him. Someone in his circle… or someone connected to him… can see what he's doing through his eyes. And they filled him with rage. Forced it into him.

I clearly sensed another person's energy inside him when he was here.

Well… there's no need to be angry at him.

He's the one who's suffering, not me.

Raito looked around his apartment—what used to be an apartment. Burned walls, melted fan, smoke-stained ceiling, ash everywhere. A complete disaster.

He bent down, picked up the one million yen, and sighed.

He grabbed his bag, packed his clothes and valuables, and stepped outside.

Should I inform the landlord?

…No. I'll send someone to clean the apartment and restore whatever can be restored. Straight away.

A taxi approached. Raito raised his hand. The car stopped.

"Take me to a housing agent," Raito said as he entered.

The taxi started moving. His phone buzzed.

He picked up.

"Hello, boss," Daichi said. "Boss, you'll be receiving a lot of calls—after people see what you did in the hospital. The CCTV footage is everywhere. A lot of calls have been coming to my phone already. They know my identity but no one knows yours, boss."

"And not only that," Daichi continued, "I've already informed the Black Whale Association Chairman—Jinta. I told him you agreed. He said he would like to meet you this evening."

Raito leaned back in the taxi seat.

"Well… call me in the evening. I'll check if I have time to spare. I'm actually busy right now."

"Yes, boss," Daichi said.

Click.

Raito ended the call.

Raito kept walking as the taxi drove off. It finally stopped in front of a real estate agent's office. Raito stepped out, carrying his bag.

"Maybe I should just rent a nicer apartment… or even buy a house," Raito muttered as he walked toward the building.

That was when he felt it.

A strange aura.

He sensed it faintly yesterday… but now it was clear. Sharp. Focused. Heavy.

And it was the same aura he sensed around Jiro.

Raito stopped walking and placed his bag down beside the road. The street was empty, silent.

He raised his hand slightly.

"Hey. Whoever you are… show yourself. I can sense your aura—and I can see you too. If you don't appear in ten seconds, your head will be on the ground."

Nothing.

No footsteps.

No breathing.

No sound.

But the presence was unmistakable.

He's here. This isn't pure invisibility like Shadow Phase.

He's cloaking himself with an energy field that bends perception. But I know what it is. I can see him.

Raito's eyes narrowed.

"Since you don't want to move… I'll just have to cut your head off."

Purple aura exploded around him as he bent forward, ready to strike.

And then the air shimmered.

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