ICE'S POV

"What's with the long face? You look grumpier than ever." Jared teased me, making me click my tongue in annoyance.

"You won't see her for three days, so bear with it," he added. I noticed that Jared's demeanor towards Hyra had shifted recently, but I brushed it off.

Hyra and I were supposed to meet again tomorrow since she had recovered and could return to school. However, due to an annoying mission, I have to be away from her for three days. I miss her already.

A while ago.

"You seem to be calling us more often. What's the reason for today's meeting?" I asked as we entered the Black Government hideout. They were staying here until the construction of their new sacred place was completed. It would take a while, considering their sacred place was nearly destroyed by Demon's attack.

"I like you. Your confidence is very strong. Hahaha," the second elder commented, but I ignored him and focused on their leader.

"You are here because of a request," the head elder responded.

"Request? So you're already getting requests for us?" Jarvis asked sarcastically.

The elder looked at him for a moment, then ignored him, continuing to speak. "You need to protect Lerwick Bolden at the auction in France," he said directly.

"Wow, that was straightforward," the second elder laughed.

"Are you all out of your minds? Have you forgotten who we are?–"

"The White Monarchy group, especially Demon, is in the lineup of attendees," the head elder interrupted, knowing how to get my attention.

"What do you think of us, bodyguards?" Kevin snapped.

"Stop that, Kevin. There's nothing we can do because he already mentioned the magic word," Nathan said, turning to me along with everyone else.

"Demon? Did you mention the name Demon?" I asked, my interest piqued.

CYRUS' POV

"Demon? Did you mention the name Demon?" The way he asked it was creepy. He smiled, his body radiating murderous intent. He really changes suddenly when it comes to Demon. I could see his desire to kill her.

"Mr. Lerwick Bolden is one of the country's ten most important tycoons. He is the most famous and the most frequently reported in the media. He has money and power, so I'm sure Demon will chase him to death," the head elder explained, his certainty chilling.

"The auction held in France is for slavery," he added. I flinched at his words. Slavery? But is that really allowed? And why would a tycoon attend such an auction? This was suspicious.

"I don't care what kind of auction it is. The important thing is that Demon is there," Master said, his obsession with killing Demon evident. He was consumed by it.

"Hopefully, at the end of it all, you won't regret it," the second elder remarked ominously.

"I won't regret killing Demon. In fact, it's the best thing that could happen in my life," Master declared with chilling finality.

"Hopefully, Ice. Hopefully," the second elder said, his words laden with hidden meaning.

A shiver ran down my spine. The air was thick with tension and an unspoken terror that loomed over our mission. The elders knew something they weren't telling us, and I couldn't shake the feeling that we were walking into a trap.

THIRD PERSON'S POV

FRANCE, XXX

"Are you all ready?" Ice asked.

"If not, shall we go back?"

"No, we can't."

"Then don't ask."

"What the hell is your problem, Nathan?" Ice grabbed Nathan by the arm and forced him to face him.

"You're the problem here, Ice. You make decisions without letting us know." Nathan shooed Ice's hand away. "I'll blame you if something bad happens to the masks."

Ice was about to follow Nathan, but Jarvis stopped him with a smile.

"I think we need to leave," Jarvis said with a grin, then got into the car first.

---

"My calculations have never been wrong," Venom said, lowering his telescope and crossing his legs.

"Did you really plan this?" Zeus asked calmly, sipping his tea.

"Of course. I need them, especially Monteverde. I can smell money on him," Venom replied, smiling as his eyes formed dollar signs.

They were currently in a room, watching the arrival of the twelve masks.

"Why do you need more money?" Dos asked, surprised. She wondered why Venom needed money when he already had so much.

"I'm not the only one excited about it. Look at her."

They all turned to see Demon in the corner of the room, counting money.

"Get ready. What else are you doing?" Viper entered the room with a long face, prompting Zeus, Venom, and Dos to hurry out. But before they left, they bowed to Viper and Demon.

"Dos!" Dos stopped when Demon called her. "I will fulfill your request tonight."

Chills ran down Dos's spine.

---

"Sky, let's stay here for now," Jared said, climbing a tree, followed closely by Sky.

"Perfect. From this height, we can see if anyone is approaching us," Sky said, starting to scan the surroundings. He and Jared had been ordered to guard the outside of the auction area. The auction venue was far from civilization, deep in a dense forest. "I never thought there would be a place like this," Sky whispered as he continued to observe the surroundings.

"I see armed men coming, but they're not from the White Monarchy," Jared pointed out. They both gasped at the amount of weapons these men were carrying.

"You're right; they're not from the White Monarchy," Sky confirmed. "But it's okay. We also have weapons, don't we? I can kill them with just my pistol."

Jared gulped hard. "I'm sorry, Sky. Because of the tension between Master and Nathan earlier, I forgot to bring the weapons," Jared admitted with a broad smile.

"You idiot. It must be your stupidity that you left behind, not the weapon," Sky responded with disgust. "I enjoyed watching them. That kind of thing is once in a lifetime, so I didn't want to miss it," Jared said, grinning wider.

Sky glared at Jared, then cut a branch from the tree and started sharpening it. Jared didn't ask what Sky was doing because he already knew. He just silently watched Sky and suddenly asked, "Do you really like Hyra?"

Sky flinched and dropped the branch he was holding.

-Tugs-

"Did you hear that? Looks like there's someone else here besides us."

"Look around. I'm sure they're just here."

"Yes, Boss."

Five armed men began to circle around. Sky clenched his fists before looking at Jared, who was also looking at him seriously. "I don't know why you suddenly brought this up, but I'll answer you. Yes, I like her."

"But–"

"Stop it, Jared. It doesn't matter what you say. I like her, and I'll like her over and over again."

Sky didn't wait for Jared's response. He immediately jumped from the tree and landed in front of two armed men.

"There's–"

-Crack-

Sky didn't hesitate to break the necks of the two men before they could call for help. "I don't care if you're armed," he said emphatically, then searched for the others.

Jared, meanwhile, grinned from the top of the tree, swaying his legs. "I really want to see you pissed," Jared said as he lay down on the branch. He took something from his pocket and spoke into it, "We're done here. We're on our way there."

---

"What's the use of spending three hours fixing my suit if I'm just going to be watched at the gate?" Kevin stomped his foot, pacing back and forth in front of Joshua.

"If you don't stop walking in front of me, I'll bury your card in your throat," Joshua threatened. Kevin stopped walking and sulked to the side. "Why am I stuck with the baby?" Joshua whispered, blowing air.

He called Kevin a baby because of his constant complaining. Kevin loved to complain.

"What's wrong with guarding the gate? I'd rather do that than fight," Joshua murmured to himself.

Rustle~

The two looked at each other when they heard a noise approaching them.

"Joshua, I think this is the end of your happy time," Kevin grinned broadly and started shuffling the card in his hand. "It's better to have my suit stained with blood than to stand here until the end of the day."

"I think you're right." Joshua sighed, then shook his suit and stood next to Kevin, facing seven armed men.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" one of the armed men asked, pointing their guns at the two.

"I’m Joker, and this is Harley Quinn–" BLAG! "Fuck, why did you hit me?" Kevin asked, scratching the part of his head that Joshua had struck.

"Shut up and let's finish this."

Joshua quickly jumped and landed on the shoulder of one of the armed men, then wrapped his legs around the man's neck. Soon, the sound of breaking bones echoed. "Crack." He broke the man's neck.

"Man, that's satisfying," Kevin said, amazed by Joshua's move.

"Do you think your attacks are useful against our guns?" The men started firing at the two.

-Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!-

"Oh my goodness, I forgot they have guns. Let's hide!" Kevin quickly pulled Joshua behind a tree.

"What the hell, Kevin? Throw your cards at them," Joshua said, frowning.

"Okay, okay, calm your asses down."

Kevin rolled his eyes before taking four cards from his pocket. He placed them between his fingers and threw them at the armed men.

"Accccckkmm!"

"Huffff! Huff!"

"What is this? I can't breathe or move."

"Blurgggghjhh."

They vomited blood and lost consciousness simultaneously.

"Looks like I overdid the poison on the cards," Kevin scratched his head.

"Only four? Why haven't you used them all? You still have two left," Joshua asked as they continued to hide behind the tree.

-Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!-

They were still being fired upon.

"If I take them down, what will Cyrus do?" Kevin's eyebrows wiggled.

Soon after, there was a rustling sound approaching them.

"He's already here," Joshua smirked.

-Woooooosh!-

From the tall grass, Cyrus appeared, holding two swords. He jumped high, swung his swords in the air, and landed in front of Kevin.

"Wow!" Kevin was amazed at the sight.

The heads of two men fell off their bodies and rolled on the grass.

"The prince shows off his elegance," Kevin said, standing up and applauding. "Cyrus, if you're a Yakuza, why is Park your last name?" Kevin asked innocently.

Cyrus approached Kevin and placed both swords around his neck. "Don't pry into my life," Cyrus replied coldly.

He entered the gate first and spoke into the mic attached to his collar. "We're done with our area. We're going inside."

---

"Wow, it looks like those guys finished their mission quickly," Brizon said, turning away from the monitor to face the ten men tied up and lying on the floor.

He, Stanley, and Carl were guarding the CCTV room and had easily defeated the ten men.

"Hmmmp, hmmmp, hmmmp."

The men struggled because their mouths were also covered.

"What? You want to die first?" Carl's eyes glared at one of the armed men.

The man gulped and avoided looking at Carl, unable to match his deadly stare.

"Shall we kill them?" Stanley asked, bored.

"We're not as bad as the White Monarchy, so we'll let them live," Carl replied.

Brizon simply looked at him, then clicked his tongue softly. "Tch."

"Stanley, make sure you erase all CCTV footage," Carl reminded.

"Easy peasy," Stanley said, picking up the small mic. "We're done. We're heading there with the others."

ICE'S POV

"Good."

I smiled when I heard the final group was done. As expected, they finished quickly.

The auction had started earlier, but the person I was looking for had yet to appear. Were the elders correct in their information?

"Let's welcome the last one we're going to auction today, Miss Red from Italy!"

This was a slavery auction, as they called it.

"The starting bid is 50 million."

What? A slave worth 50 million?

"55 MILLION!"

I was surprised when the person next to me suddenly stood up and held up his placard.

The slave to be auctioned hadn't even been shown, but Jarvis was already making a bid.

"That's my type," he said, his eyes forming hearts as he watched the curtain rise.

Finally, the auction reveal began.

A woman, masked and dressed in red, was tied in the middle of the stage. Her dress was so revealing that it caught Jarvis' attention even more.

"60 Million."

"WHAT!?" Jarvis stood up and glared at a man who looked to be in his 40s.

"65 Million."

THIRD PERSON'S POV

"65 Million."

"Jarvis, what is this nonsense?" Ice asked.

"Nonsense? It's not nonsense. My future depends on it."

Ice sighed and clenched his fist. He was annoyed, not because of Jarvis, but because he could not see any sign of the White Monarchy in the area. That was the reason he agreed to this plan.

"100 Million."

(SILENCE)

The auction house fell quiet as everyone turned to look at a man in his 50s.

"That's Lerwick Bolden," Nathan whispered, leaning back in his chair.

"150 Million," another man joined the bidding.

"200 Million," Jarvis growled.

"300 Million," Mr. Lerwick Bolden remained calm.

"500 Million," a young man raised the stakes, stunning everyone.

"Young man, where will you get that money?" Mr. Lerwick asked, sipping his tea.

"Don't underestimate me," the young man smirked, removing his mask.

"Venom?" Ice stood up, reaching for his gun, but Nathan stopped him.

"Don't make a mess," Nathan said softly but firmly in Ice's ear.

"1 Billion."

"H-uh?" Ice and Nathan flinched at what they heard.

They watched as Jarvis argued with Venom.

"1.5 Billion," Venom declared.

"2 Billion," Jarvis countered.

"3 Billion," Venom shot back.

"5 Billion," Jarvis spat, his face red with fury.

"Hey Jarvis, that's too much. Where are you going to get that money?" Nathan asked.

"Don't worry, I have Zeke's black card," Jarvis said proudly, pulling out a black card.

"10 Billion."

The room fell silent again. Venom's smile widened.

"No more bids?" the MC asked.

"Fuck, Zeke might kill me if I spend that much," Jarvis muttered, sinking into his chair, looking defeated.

"Alright, the slave goes to Mr. Lerwick."

"I know Lerwick is the one we should protect, but this whole auction is illegal. That woman, she could be in danger," Nathan said seriously, watching as the chains were placed on the woman.

"We'll save Lerwick from Demon's hands, and we'll save that woman from Lerwick," Ice replied, adjusting his tie. "Let's stick to our goal."

"ROGER THAT," the masked team responded in unison.

They moved swiftly, searching for Venom.

–

"My Lord, they're moving."

"Let them go. Demon is heading to her destination too," Viper responded to Zeus.

"Won't you follow her?"

"She doesn't need me there. My job is to entertain the masks until she's done."

"Leave that to me."

"Sure, I know you can handle it, Zeus."

STANLEY'S POV

"Find out which room Mr. Lerwick is in and don't let anyone get near, especially the white monarchy," Master warned us. We were about to rush when we spotted a shadow above.

"Hey!"

We stopped and looked up. A man was standing on the balcony, smoking. He wore a suit and a white mask.

"I'm sorry, but you can't leave where you are. I won't let you get in," he said. If I suspected correctly, he was Zeus.

"Tch," I heard Master click his tongue, and suddenly, a fast wind passed by both sides of me.

It was Master and Nathan, rushing to attack Zeus.

Two against one, but they still hadn't been able to hit Zeus. Is he the strongest disciple of Demon?

"Let's move on, find the whereabouts of—" BOOOGSHH!

I was shocked when Carl fell, blood streaming from his nose.

"Zeus is too strong for you, so you have to face me," Venom declared.

"Hey man, you're full of yourself," Jarvis said irritably. He stood up and stood beside Carl. "I hate you," he added before suddenly punching Venom.

Venom could have avoided it, but he didn't.

"Not bad," Venom said, and in a flash, he disappeared from in front of Jarvis and reappeared in front of Joshua, who was trying to flee.

They prevent the masks from coming off.

"Tch."

I moved quickly and blocked the blow meant for Joshua. The impact was strong, and I had to step back to regain my balance.

"Stanley Fucking Sy, your moves are familiar," I felt a chill down my spine as Venom whispered behind me. "You know who Viper is, don't you?"

I couldn't move. Something told me it was better to stay silent.

"Why don't you answer me?" he demanded, coming closer and grabbing my neck with both hands. "Ans—"

BLAG!!

He hadn’t finished speaking when Jared suddenly appeared and kicked him.

---

"People like you have no right to face Demon. I didn't expect you to be this weak," Zeus said, feeling disgust as he fought two of the powerful masked members, Ice and Nathan.

"Tch!" Ice clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"It's better if I handle this. Go find Demon," Nathan said, quickly bending forward to avoid Zeus's straight kick.

"Nathan Demetrius Fukushima, should I hurt him?" Zeus asked himself, watching Ice escape. Then he laughed. "HAHAHAHAHA."

"Laugh all you want because it might be your last," Nathan said seriously, glaring at Zeus.

But Zeus responded with just a sweet smile.

---

"What are you wearing?" Viper asked Demon, who was facing the mirror.

"Why? It's nice," Demon replied, turning around in front of the mirror.

She was wearing a white dress that revealed her body terribly.

Viper shook his head and leaned back in his chair when Demon suddenly sat on his thigh.

"Let's make fireworks later," she whispered in Viper's ear.

Viper looked at her plainly and then pushed her face away, which was close to his.

"Get lost."

---

"Mr. Lerwick, are you excited to see your prize?" a woman asked as she escorted him down the hallway.

They headed to the room where the woman Mr. Lerwick had won at the auction was waiting. They would spend the entire night in that room, just the two of them.

"Of course! A woman like this is rare. Hahaha," Mr. Lerwick laughed heartily.

The woman simply smiled and then stopped in front of a room.

"Mr. Lerwick, your prize is in this room."

Mr. Lerwick didn't respond and immediately entered.

When the woman was sure Mr. Lerwick was inside, she turned to his 20 armed bodyguards.

"If you hear a crash, they might go wild," she said with a wink before leaving.

Meanwhile, Mr. Lerwick carefully opened the door and approached the bed where a woman sat, legs crossed, eating an apple.

"My princess, you don't have to wear that mask. I want to see your beauty," Mr. Lerwick said as he removed his belt, his arousal evident.

"Then why don't you take it off me?" the woman responded seductively, opening her thighs slightly.

Mr. Lerwick's desire intensified. He approached her and removed the mask she was wearing.

The wide smile on his lips gradually faded as he realized who was in front of him.

"We haven't seen each other in a long time, Lerwick."

"De-de-HELHMMMMP!"

Mr. Lerwick fell as Demon slammed his face against the wall.

"Based on your reaction, you know me," Demon smiled, then climbed onto the bed.

"Sir, we heard a noise. Are you okay?" one of Mr. Lerwick's staff called out, starting to slam the door.

-Bogssshh! Bogssshh!~

"Just wait there; I just have to practice," Demon said with a mischievous smile, jumping on the bed.

"Ahhhhh!"

"Oh my goodness!"

"Deeper! Harder!"

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh, more, more!"

"There, there, that's it. Suck it."

"Shit, ah- fuck! Hmmmp."

"Fuck me from behind."

"Lift me, twirl me, spank me."

"Ahh, ahhh, ahhh."

Mr. Lerwick's staff stopped slamming the door, their faces flushed with embarrassment.

"Maybe we should give them some privacy," suggested one of Mr. Lerwick's staff members.

The others agreed and quickly left.

"Hahaha, it looks like your companions have abandoned you," Demon said, covering her mouth with the back of her hand as she laughed.

"What do you need from me? Money? I'll give you as much as you want," Mr. Lerwick asked, trembling. He crawled backward as Demon walked closer.

"Disgusting," Demon spat, stopping in front of Mr. Lerwick and stepping on his hand with her stiletto heel.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Mr. Lerwick screamed in pain.

"When you die, everything you have will go to me. So why would I choose to let you live?" Demon smirked, pouring wine into a glass. "Do you remember the family you slaughtered a few years ago? One of them escaped, and now she's waiting for me to bring your head to her. Thank you, because she has been one of my useful tools. But I have to let her go now; she is of no use to me. All I need to do is give her your head, and our connection will be severed."

-Blag!

Demon smashed the wine bottle against the wall, then took a shard and brought it close to Mr. Lerwick's neck.

"Don't kill me, have mercy on me! I'll do everything you order," Mr. Lerwick pleaded.

"Everything?" Demon asked.

Mr. Lerwick nodded repeatedly.

"In that case, beg in front of me. Beg for your life," Demon said seriously.

Mr. Lerwick immediately moved and knelt before Demon.

"Plea-"

-SLASSSSHHHHH!

Before Mr. Lerwick could finish speaking, Demon had already stabbed him in the neck.

"You idiot, do you think I'm a saint to show mercy?" she sneered.

-Stab!

-Stab!

-Stab!

She stabbed him repeatedly until his head was severed.

Demon wiped her face and then left the room. Not far away, she stopped when she saw more than 30 of Mr. Lerwick's men lying on the ground, unconscious.

"Come on, the first mask is coming," she said with a grin, then walked with the woman back to their car.

DOS' POV

"Nice job, Dos. You could be an actress," Zeus remarked, wiping his blood-soaked hands—blood from the second mask.

"Did you kill the second mask?" I asked directly.

"I wish I could, but he's still the brother of someone I care about," Zeus replied, concern evident for someone who only saw him as a tool. "Venom, what happened to your face?"

I turned to Venom and saw his swollen face, blood covering him—some his, some his opponent's.

"I can't believe those masks dared to fight me at the same time," Venom muttered.

Zeus took on Nathan and Ice, leaving the rest to Venom. He was lucky to be alive.

"By the way, who's the woman going after Demon?" I asked them.

"See for yourself," Venom smirked.

I didn't appreciate his attitude.

As I approached the car, I heard a rustle. Venom and Zeus straightened up.

Not far away, I saw her carrying a sack, accompanied by a woman.

"Krystal Choi?"

She smiled, but I knew it was fake.

"I'm glad to be on this mission. It's been a long time," she said, bowing slightly.

"Demon, what are you carrying?" Zeus asked, approaching Demon to wipe blood from her face.

"This? Oh, this is for Dos," Demon replied casually.

She turned the sack over, dropping the head of the person I despised so much.

My body trembled, and I felt like I would collapse at any moment.

"Hey!" Demon grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at her. Her eyes were blood-red. I looked away, feeling like she was peering into my soul. "That's not how you thank me," she whispered sharply, knocking the wind out of me.

"Thank you, almighty God of the underground," I said, beginning to kiss her foot.

"I want you to place Lerwick's head in front of the Vixen. They need to know I'm taking them down one by one," she commanded, stepping on my head.

"I will," I replied. I had no choice.

She ended my long torment. She knew I couldn't face Lerwick, so she took care of it. She delivered justice where the law could not.

No, she did it because she needed me as a tool.

"Let's go home; Viper is waiting for me.".