THIRD PERSON'S POV

"That was a nice dinner, I'm full," Hyra said happily, stretching her legs in the bathtub as Conan rubbed her back.

"Right, but Zeus is still the best cook," Conan replied, his touch soothing against her skin.

"By the way, you acted weird today," Hyra observed, turning her head to look at Conan as he continued to massage her back.

Conan chuckled softly, his fingers tracing gentle circles on the back of Hyra's neck. "You noticed?"

"Of course. We've been together since we were eight years old, I know you well," Hyra said with a knowing smile. "Did you see what happened earlier?"

Conan hesitated, his expression flickering briefly before he composed himself. "I did."

Hyra sensed his discomfort and decided to change the subject. She knew Conan well enough to know when certain topics were difficult for him to discuss.

"How are the others?" Hyra asked, hoping to lighten the mood.

Conan shifted, turning to face her fully now. "One of them is wandering around the city, and she's in the basement right now."

Hyra raised an eyebrow. "Who is she?"

Conan sighed, his gaze softening as he met Hyra's eyes. "You know who."

Hyra's expression softened in understanding. "Can I see her?"

"No, it will be difficult for us to handle if she sees you," Conan replied, placing a gentle kiss on the back of Hyra's neck.

"Then why did you even ask me?" Hyra teased, rolling her eyes playfully before stepping out of the bathtub to reach for the towel Conan handed her. He draped it carefully over her shoulders, his touch lingering for a moment longer than necessary.

"You go to sleep first. I'll join you after I finish dealing with her," Conan said softly, his voice tinged with affection.

Hyra smiled gently, a mischievous glint returning to her eyes. "Before you go, could you... give me more of that intimate touch?"

Conan's eyes widened slightly in surprise, then a slow smile spread across his face. "Of course," he whispered, his voice filled with warmth.

He moved closer to her, his hands sliding along her back with renewed tenderness. Hyra closed her eyes, leaning into his touch, feeling the tension melt away under his skilled fingers.

They stayed like that for a while, the only sound in the room the soft splashing of water and their quiet breathing. Conan's touch was both comforting and arousing, igniting a gentle fire within Hyra's heart.

After a lingering moment, Conan leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips.

Hyra sighed contentedly as they pulled apart, a soft smile playing on her lips. "Thank you, Conan."

Conan brushed a lock of hair away from her face, his gaze filled with adoration. "Anytime."

"Make sure you sleep next to me," Hyra requested, looking up at Conan with a hint of longing in her eyes.

"I will," Conan promised, placing a towel over Hyra and pressing a tender kiss to her forehead. "Don't stay up too late."

Hyra yawned sleepily in response, feeling warm and loved under Conan's care. She watched him leave the bathroom, her heart swelling with gratitude for having him by her side.

---

After Conan ensured that Hyra was peacefully asleep, the smile faded from his lips as he quietly left their bedroom. He made his way down to the basement where Zues awaited, alongside an unexpected visitor.

"I didn't expect it to be her," Zues remarked, eyeing the woman seated before him. "How did you escape from prison?"

"Huh? Is that any way to address a prominent member of the White Monarchy?"

"Who said you were important?" Conan interjected sharply, walking between them and taking a seat. "Why are you following Hyra?" His tone was direct and unyielding.

The woman was taken aback by Conan's boldness and promptly moved closer, delivering a sharp blow to his head.

"Hey, Conan Takashi! Have you forgotten I'm two years older than you? Show some respect!" she hissed.

Zues stepped in to separate the woman from Conan. "I want to see her," she stated calmly.

"You can't. She's already asleep," Conan replied coldly.

"Then wake her—"

"Samantha Lux Takashi, return to prison," Conan declared firmly, cutting her off.

"What the hell? Your attitude is just like hers!"

Conan rubbed his head in annoyance. Zues could see the frustration etched on Conan's face as he continued in a displeased tone.

"Stay at the condo tonight and return to prison tomorrow."

"What? Why can't I stay here? There are plenty of extra rooms—"

"Demon already knows you're here. Are you not afraid she might catch you in the middle of the night and dispose of you?"

Samantha Lux Takashi shivered at the thought, fully aware of Demon's formidable reputation.

"Once you're back in prison, do not return here unless ordered otherwise from higher up. Is that clear?"

"Tch," Lux clicked her tongue in frustration and left the mansion.

"Follow her and ensure her safety," Conan instructed Zues, who promptly obeyed.

---

"I can't believe my own brother is rejecting me."

"Even I—if I were your brother, I'd cast you aside," Zues remarked tersely.

"How dare you, Zues!"

Zues focused on driving Lux to one of their secure buildings for the night.

"Tell me, Lux, what are your true intentions?"

Lux glanced at Zues, who kept his eyes on the road ahead. She sighed; there was no fooling Demon's loyal servant.

"I heard about this Lukas Maniego. What will happen to my brother if Demon falls for that man?"

"Don't worry. Their fates are already intertwined. They possess a mutual obsession," Zues assured her.

Lux fell silent, resigning herself to follow Conan's orders. She knew Zues, Demon's staunch follower, spoke the truth. Tomorrow, she would return to prison.

---

"Good morning," Conan whispered to the sleeping Hyra, watching her peacefully. He admired her sleeping face, gently tucking some loose strands of hair behind her ears before planting kisses on her forehead, nose, cheeks, and finally her lips. "Do you want to go to school with me?"

Even in her sleepy state, Hyra immediately got up and headed straight for the bathroom.

Conan was taken aback. "What the heck?"

---

"Master, who are you waiting for here?" Kevin asked in surprise as he spotted Ice standing by the gate. It was unusual for Ice to wait there, catching Kevin off guard.

"I'm waiting for Hyra."

Kevin gasped audibly. He hadn't expected Ice to respond so openly. "He really likes Hyra," Kevin mused to himself.

A minute later, Ice's mood suddenly shifted as he spotted something that soured his demeanor. Hyra and Conan arrived at school together, laughing and clearly enjoying each other's company.

Kevin glanced at Ice and, as expected, saw his expression turn cold again.

"Why are Hyra and that Takashi guy together? Did Hyra cheat on Master? But didn't Master cheat on Hyra first?" Kevin muttered softly to himself. "This is a mess. I need backup," he added, pulling out his phone to call Jared. "Jared, I'm at the gate. Come here quickly. Something bad is about to happen," he said before hanging up.

"Good morning. You seem a bit tense this morning, Shawn," Conan greeted Ice.

Ice ignored him and immediately pulled Hyra closer to him.

"Don't laugh too much. You'll get wrinkles," Ice said to Hyra, gently pinching her cheeks to suppress her smile. "Why are you with that gangster?"

"Gangster?" Hyra blinked in surprise, then glanced at Conan. She covered her mouth with both hands to stifle her laughter. "Did you just call Conan a gangster? Pffft..."

"Why are you calling him by his first name? Are you that close?" Ice asked, his tone chilly. Their conversation attracted attention from passersby, some stopping to gossip.

"I told you, Shawn. Hyra and I are closer than you think," Conan said, grinning playfully.

Ice's jaw tensed further as he pulled Hyra closer by the waist.

"Hyra, is that true?" Kevin asked, wide-eyed.

"...Um, yeah. We're actually mar—"

"See? It came from her own mouth," Conan interrupted, teasing Ice even more.

"Stay away from her if you don't want trouble," Ice warned, but Conan's face showed no sign of fear.

Conan didn't reply, just offering Ice a goofy smile.

"What the hell is going on?" Nathan emerged from the crowd of students gossiping about the scene, with Jared in tow. The other students scattered, not waiting for Nathan to dismiss them.

"Why did you bring Nathan and others when I told you to come alone, Jared?" Kevin asked.

"Nathan overheard through the loudspeaker," Jared lied quickly, having informed Nathan as soon as he got the news.

"Why do you always cause trouble?" Nathan directed his question to Hyra.

"Maybe because I'm beautiful. Men fight over me," Hyra replied confidently.

"... Huh?" Both Ice and Conan reacted simultaneously, disbelieving her words.

Nathan rubbed his temples, unsure how to handle Hyra's self-assurance.

"Takashi, your coach is looking for you in the office. Hyra, go to your class with Jared. Remember, you're no longer an elite. Don't worry; I'll make sure you're not bullied," Nathan instructed.

"You...! You're so full of yourself, huh? Did I ask for your help? I don't care if I get bullied. I'll never ask for your help. Why are you helping me when we're not even related?" Hyra spoke calmly, inspecting her nails as she dismissed Nathan's offer.

Nathan sighed and signaled for Jared to escort Hyra away.

Once he was certain Hyra and Jared were gone, and Conan was out of earshot, Nathan turned to Ice.

"Can we talk privately?" Nathan's tone was serious.

"Oops, it's my cue to leave. See you in class," Kevin hurriedly retreated, not wanting to be caught in the middle.

"Let's talk in the botanical garden," Nathan suggested, leading the way.

---

"WHAT??? I'M IN THE LAST CLASS?" Hyra exclaimed in disbelief.

"Please, Hyra, don't be surprised. Your test scores have consistently been below 10, so they placed you here," Jared explained cautiously.

"This is humiliating," Hyra muttered, looking crestfallen.

"Isn't she the one who was expelled from the elite?"

"If I were her, I'd never show my face again. It's so embarrassing."

"Isn't she a bit of a flirt too?"

"Yeah, I heard she was flirting with Skyler while she was with Ice. Good thing Claire intervened."

"And now she's with Takashi?"

"Takashi? Are you talking about the top student, Takashi?"

"Yes, yes. She seems to be getting cozy with Takashi."

"But she's not even that pretty."

"Huh?" Despite all the insults, Hyra only reacted to being called "not pretty." Being called ugly was something she couldn't accept, so she quickly dialed a number on her phone, connecting to a line used for emergencies at the mansion.

"Who's the most beautiful woman in the world?"

"...YOU!" Her underlings responded immediately and in unison.

"Heh!" The annoyance on Hyra's face disappeared, replaced by a smug expression. "I know," she replied before hanging up.

The mansion's staff breathed a sigh of relief, thinking Hyra had called for assistance due to danger.

"You can leave me now. I promise I won't cause trouble," Hyra assured Jared sincerely, prompting him to nod.

"Call me or Sky immediately if anyone bullies you," Jared instructed before departing.

"Aye, aye, captain," Hyra responded playfully, watching Jared leave.

Jared hesitated but ultimately left. He had to attend class with the other elite students.

As he descended the stairs, Jared encountered Sky, who was carrying food in both hands.

"Wow, is all that for Hyra?" Jared asked, amazed.

"Yeah, so she doesn't have to wait in the cafeteria lines," Sky explained.

"That's sweet. Are you her boyfriend?" Jared continued teasing Sky, who rolled his eyes in response.

Before long, they reached Hyra's classroom. Jared was shocked to find it unusually quiet. His eyes widened as he kicked open the door.

"WHAT THE HECK, HYRA? WHAT DID YOU DO?" Jared exclaimed upon seeing Hyra sitting calmly in the midst of classmates lying on the floor, bloodied.

Hyra grinned mischievously, licking blood off her fingers.

"HYRA!" Sky rushed over, wrapping her in his jacket. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Jared could only shake his head. He had expected something like this might happen, but not so soon. He had left Hyra alone for less than five minutes, and she had subdued the entire class.

Sky's worry was evident as he held Hyra gently, checking for any injuries.

"Clean up this room and make sure no one knows what happened here. Pay them off if you have to, just keep them quiet," Sky instructed one of his bodyguards.

"Don't worry; I didn't kill them," Hyra remarked casually. "They provoked me," she added.

Sky and Jared exchanged disbelieving glances.

"You're really something else. I might mistake you for Demon," Sky said with a smile, trying to lighten the mood. "But you can't be Demon, right?"

Hyra responded with a grin, leaving Sky's question unanswered.

"Demon is a sinful person. Why would you compare Hyra to her?" Jared chimed in, sweating nervously despite the teasing tone.

"Forget what I said," Sky replied, ruffling Hyra's hair affectionately.

---

"What are we going to talk about? Why is it necessary here?" Ice asked as he and Nathan stopped at the top of the botanical gardens, overlooking its entirety.

"Stay away from her," Nathan said abruptly.

"Huh?" Ice frowned, caught off guard. He hadn't expected this from Nathan; he thought everything was fine between them.

"What's the problem? Is it because of earlier? Don't worry, it's not a big deal to me and—"

"Didn't you notice she was hurt? When are you going to tell her about Claire?" Nathan interjected.

"I'll tell—"

"Since you two got together, she's always been in danger. I don't want it to escalate to the point where someone attacks her because of her connection with you."

"I'll protect—"

"As Hyra's brother, I beg you to stay away from her."

Ice remained silent, watching Nathan's back until he disappeared from sight.

"Huh?... What the hell was that?" Ice clenched his fists tightly, his jaw tense with frustration.

---

"Young master! Looks like your class ended early," a butler greeted Nathan upon his return to the mansion.

After speaking with Ice, Nathan had skipped class and decided to head home.

"I feel dizzy. I need to rest. Inform everyone not to disturb me," Nathan instructed the butler, who bowed deeply before guiding him to his room. The mansion had 100 rooms, but Nathan lived mostly with maids and butlers. His father visited twice a year, sometimes less, but Nathan had grown accustomed to it.

"What kind of life did she lead when we were apart?" Nathan mused to himself, quickly grabbing his laptop. He searched Hyra's name, but no matter the search, no "Hyra Demonise Fukushima" existed. There were no birth records, no baptism records. "It's impossible. Could someone be hiding something?" Nathan searched again, this time on underground websites. There was a picture of his father with detailed information. He clicked on it.

"Vladimir Fukushima is the No. 1 ranked mask, now respected by everyone in the underground. He is the husband of the late Luci, the infamous Lucifer of the underground—"

"What?... Mom is the famous Luci? Luci owned Demon's mask, which she claimed she inherited. There's a strong possibility Demon and— No! No! Impossible!"

NATHAN'S POV

"If I remember correctly, before Mom disappeared, she was whispering something to Hyra and gave her something. The word 'Demon' came up. But wait, it's also highly unlikely she's Demon. Demon attacked the Caribbean twice while Hyra was with us. That's right, she's not Demon, and it's unlikely she ever will be. She's too naive to be Demon. Still, I need to be cautious."

*RIIIIINGGG!*

I answered the call without checking the caller ID.

"Where are you? Why didn't you go to class?"

It was Megumi.

"I felt dizzy, so I came home."

"Are you feeling better now?"

"Sort of." I heard her sigh. I knew she was worried, so I changed the subject. "Um, Megumi, what do you think of Hyra?"

She paused for a moment before responding. "What do you mean?"

"You know, she's not normal. She's good at fighting, always full of herself. It's like if she says something, it happens. Plus, she lives in a luxury hotel, branded everything. I want to know what kind of life she's had."

"...Pffft, I think she's amazing."

"The Hyra I know was fragile."

"You left her for over ten years. Do you think she wouldn't change?"

"You have a point."

"Listen, Hyra is just a normal girl like everyone else. Her fighting skills are just a bonus. Besides, she's a Fukushima. What do you expect?"

I smiled at her words. Indeed, Hyra had always excelled in everything except academics. She was a prodigy in sports and other skills, even though she was often ill. Maybe I was overthinking. She's still my sister, and that won't change no matter what.

"I need to hang up. Class is about to start."

"Okay, see you tomorrow."

"...Hey," I noticed she hadn't said goodbye. That was unusual.

THIRD PERSON'S POV

"Your boyfriend's amazing. You two are perfect for each other."

"Shut up, he's not my boyfriend." Megumi ended the call and faced the man standing before her. "What's your plan now that many people know about her personality?"

"Aren't you excited for what's to come?" Christopher replied, clearly enjoying himself.

They were alone in an empty room.

"Once everyone knows, the plan will commence. And once it does, we can return to Tokyo sooner."

"Do you really like it there?"

"No, I like the lifestyle we have there. Me, Viper, Demon, and the others. We'll be together there again... Oh! Are you concerned about the second mask?"

"No, it's my duty to serve Demon. I shouldn't let my personal feelings interfere."

"Don't worry; he won't die." Christopher smiled broadly, then patted Megumi on the shoulder. "You should get back to class. I'm sure your boyfriend is suspicious of you."

"I told you he's not my boy—"

"Whatever." Christopher left Megumi stunned.

---

"It's sudden. What do you need from me?" Joshua asked, facing the five Elders in front of him. He had been at Vixen when summoned unexpectedly.

"A prison in the north is suspected of illegal activities," one of the Elders replied.

"We've chosen you to investigate."

"If wrongdoing is found, shoot to kill may be necessary."

"What? But not everyone there is guilty. Some are just accused," Joshua protested. He didn't want to kill if it could be avoided.

"You're mistaken. Everyone in that prison has a connection to Demon." Hearing the name, Joshua looked up sharply at the Elders. "Don't hesitate to eliminate them."

"Why send me instead of the Master, if this truly involves Demon?"

"He hasn't been himself lately. We're trying to understand why."

"....What if you find out?"

"Simple. We'll do whatever it takes to make it disappear," one Elder said eagerly.

Joshua took a deep breath. He had been about to decline, but the Elder's words made him reconsider.

"You won't be alone. Torres will accompany you, and he has agreed to this."