A dapper young man appeared from the throng, his imperturbable stride switching him right before Iris's red eyes. Yes, It has a dainty remake after she frequently ditches the Se.
With a minuscule smirk, he gave a flamboyant bow. "May a humble gentleman such as myself request the honour of making your beautiful acquaintance, fair lady?"
As he straightened, Iris saw an appraising perspective of masculine glamour.
Blue locks framed, a face that could have edited the covers of story books portraying dashing princes. A chiselled jaw and piercing stygian eyes only heightened the regal handsomeness.
Though his build leaned toward the athletic side of slender, the cut of his clothes hinted at lean musculature beneath, faint scar on his cheek added a rakish hint of danger to his overall stunning charm.
'He's a tad too polite, wouldn't you say, Harriet?' Iris' eyes travel up and down on his figure, unquestionably unimpressed, having the knowledge that he was the second prince, Kobito, of the kingdom.
[It's his real attitude!] This information is from Harriet, who had thoroughly learned regarding stuff in this world.
"What if I don't wish to be your colleague?" she asked with boredom, mine fuddled by his words. The potential repercussion of rebuffing royalty didn't even cross her mind.
Perhaps she truly had nothing to fear? Or... Does she have back-up plans?
"..." Kobito stood dumbfounded, shocked by her casual demeanour and the inveterate deprivation of panic in her eyes.
"Do you not fathom the factor? You face grave peril!" He looked at their surroundings warily before refocusing his intense gaze upon her.
"Fufu~~ I'm not in danger, because..." Iris' chuckle carried a sinister edge.
—Hissssss!
Abruptly, a sleek black line lacerated the air. Like a scalded cat, It intumesce and proliferate outward, engulfed over 300 metres in an ever-growing hole of inky blackness.
'W-What trickery is this? I-I don't wish to die!'
'Why are we immobile? Hmph, surely we aren't among the deceased yet?'
'P-Please leave me alone if you can hear my thoughts. I-I have a family waiting for my return home.'
'I-I-I Swear, if I survive this I shall resign from this duty immediately.'
'L-Let me go at once! I-I will poop in my pants, I can no longer hold-!'
None could react, frozen in helpless consternation as the void caged them all, entrapping every last soul within its asphyxiate and sweltering confines of kettle.
"...I am the danger itself." She continued, Her whispered reecho in every ear, angst slithering down their spines as they consummated the terrifying truth — Their movement was almost impossible within her all-encompassing domain.
—Click!
With just a single snap of fingers, Iris dissipated her oppressive domain while stifling a yawn. "At any rate, I shall take my leave. However, should any of you do nefarious move, every soul present shall meet an execute sentence."
"...?!!?!!" Kobito's lips parted involuntarily, her sombre tone leaving no doubt - this was no jest.
The horde majority of soldiers was on merely the infusion realm, while he himself had progressed to the seventh stage of fusion realms.
If even one individual perpetrated an unpardonable transgression, a multitude of valiant warriors would be killed on this very day.
Furthermore, their already diminished numbers left them susceptible to enemy incursions should they dearth sufficient martial might be opportunity for an assault.
That mystifying, masked figure had exhibited her brooding prowess, imprisoning them all with but a single technique to know them their places.
Whether this display represented her true might or mere fabrication is dodgy yet he dared not tempt fate.
As one of royal lineage, his paramount obligation was to preserve as many lives as feasible of his kingdom, even if it demanded the ultimate sacrifice.
Kobito deemed it prudent to abstain from provoking her ire, at least for the nonce. Her identity and motives would be committed to memory. But he still has something in brain.
"I must ascertain… are you an ally or an adversary? As you neutralised that unknown entity before it could inflict devastation upon our city!" His questions intermixed with cautious and hope.
"...I am but a wayward soul, soliciting to mete out penance for criminals." Iris said as she began to walk away, the crowd made way before her after observing Kobito's subtle nod of acquiescence.
Pausing, she turned to lock eyes with him once more. "Yet this does not forge a bond of amity between us. Every soul treads their own path, as do my people. Your true adversary resides within yourself. As for that man, his name was Ethan Hawthorne."
Without any preamble, she tossed a verdant pill in his direction, which he caught. "That is the agent he willfully ate, granting him abilities - all in order to ruin my existence."
A rueful tone tinged her words before she continued, "His ambition was to dominate your kingdom as a despotic dictator."
Leaving a few signals of enemies, she vanished from sight, as though she were naught but an illusion dispersed by the wind's capricious gusts.
***
After giving those cryptic clues, I was once again within the four walls of my office, my body sprawled on a couch as I removed my mask, carelessly depositing it upon the table's surface.
If Kobito could connect the dots or find out the true enemy, it mattered the least to me; if he could not, I still don't give a shit.
You see, through my hacking of three servers, I unearthed disturbing dissemination about the identity of the authentic opponents.
But the full scope of their name, photo, is still obfuscated, a face still hidden in shadow.
What I did uncover was that Ethan held membership within the government itself and has lower-ranking ties to the Dreadnova protocol.
The more I investigate deeper, I could not risk another intrusion into their systems.
Not after painstakingly purging all traces by destroying my laptop; A necessary sacrifice to safeguard my digital footprints because of security.
"Haaa…" I sighed weary.
My true enemy was not just one man or organisation, but an entire government - the shadowy puppet masters pulling the strings of the Dreadnova protocol.