Kitsune Headquarters.
In a certain meeting room.
Two middle-aged men sat across from each other, their tones low and conspiratorial.
"Moritz Teufel thinks too simply. I know Zero well enough—he's not the type to ever give up."
"I suspect Zero's sudden departure wasn't without careful planning or preparation."
"You mean… he deliberately left now to set a trap?"
"Using us as bait?"
"Has someone taken it?"
"Moritz?"
"That idiot. He's just fattening the fish for someone else."
"What's your take on this, Yun?"
"Don't worry. Someone has already moved."
"Fabian Russell?"
Click.
At that moment, the door creaked open, and a middle-aged man strode in.
The two exchanged glances.
"Speak of the devil…"
Fabian Russell took a seat across from them. "Zero is dead."
"Dead?"
"You did it?"
Facing their barrage of questions, Fabian Russell reached for a cigarette case on the table. He slipped a cigarette between his lips with practiced ease.
"If Zero doesn't die, we can't control the Kitsune."
"If Zero doesn't die, we can't conduct the immortality experiment."
"If Zero doesn't die, it's only a matter of time before he exposes us."
Virgil Lawson exhaled a cloud of smoke, the curling wisps matching the tension in the air. "This isn't good. Killing Zero… it implicates all of us."
Before Lawson could continue, Fabian cut him off sharply.
"Ah, haven't I made myself clear?"
"Do you remember how the four original Kitsune managers died?"
Virgil frowned. "It was said they lost control. A contained object went berserk and caused—"
Fabian scoffed. "Lost control? And four managers just happened to die in the chaos? Why not admit Zero killed them all?"
Yun Gongmin, who had been silent thus far, furrowed his brow. "The higher-ups have always suspected him. But with the bodies destroyed by the incident, there's no hard evidence."
Lawson stubbed out his cigarette with a sharp motion. "None of this sits right. The first place they'll look after Zero's death is us."
"And those ledgers we've kept… you know they won't hold up under scrutiny."
Fabian blew out a long puff of smoke, his expression unreadable. "Whoever acted should be ready to take responsibility."
"Finding a scapegoat is the easy part."
"The real issue," Yun Gongmin interjected, his voice calm but firm, "is whether we can cover up the 'incident.'"
"Rest assured," Fabian began, his words trailing into silence—
Crack.
The door to the meeting room swung open without warning.
All three turned sharply.
Standing there was Zero, clad in his signature black suit, his gaze cold and unwavering.
"Everyone's here."
"What?"
Fabian Russell's pupils constricted, his face twisting in disbelief as though he had just seen a ghost.
How is this possible?
The image had been unmistakable—Zero was dead. Fabian had dispatched trusted operatives to confirm it. They verified the body. Zero's vital signs were gone. To eliminate all doubt, Fabian had ordered Zero's head severed from his body.
You're telling me it was a body double?
But even body doubles couldn't fake DNA.
Then… resurrection? Among the cataloged objects, there was no—
No, wait. There is one.
The True Ancestor 008.
Could it be that Zero secretly studied 008, unraveled the secret of vampire immortality, and used it on himself?
The possibility sent a chill down Fabian's spine.
Under the piercing gaze of the three men, Zero strode confidently to Fabian Russell's side. He leaned in, his voice a whisper of ice.
"That sniper you hired… impressive skill. Military training, perhaps?"
Fabian's jaw tightened, but he said nothing.
Zero smirked, tilting his head. "I hear the name Zhao Zhan floating around. A sharpshooter from the Jingnan district. Dishonorably discharged two years ago after a hand injury. The stories said he could barely hold a gun afterward. Strange, don't you think? His aim seemed impeccable."
Fabian's pupils quivered. "What are you talking about…?"
"Oh, nothing important," Zero replied, his tone casual but cutting. "Just idle chatter. Though… some people might understand exactly what I'm saying."
The weight of the words pressed down on the room.
Fabian abruptly stood. "I don't know what you're implying, Zero. But let me ask you something—how did Moritz Teufel die?"
Zero's expression didn't waver. "Moritz Teufel's death? When did that happen?"
Virgil Lawson also rose, his tone accusatory. "You don't know? What was in 008's containment cell? Didn't you set it up?!"
Zero tilted his head slightly, an almost mocking gesture. "Set up? All I did was rearrange the objects in the containment cells to enhance security. A simple precaution to protect humanity."
"Protect humanity?" Virgil spat, slamming his hand on the table. "There were no signs, no warnings in those cells! If someone entered and died, that blood is on your hands!"
Zero's eyes narrowed, his tone sharp as a blade. "Entered without my orders or permission? Tell me, who has the right to breach containment cells unauthorized? Everything I did was counter-intelligence. Only spies would have died under those conditions."
He stepped forward, his presence filling the room.
"Without accurate information, anyone sneaking into those cells must have something to hide. Whether they act on orders from another faction or for their own gain, their motives are clear. They're spies. Traitors. Criminals. What more do you need to understand about Moritz Teufel's death?"
Lawson faltered, his words caught in his throat.
Zero didn't stop. "The moment I left headquarters, they couldn't resist. He couldn't resist. That only proves Teufel had planned this long ago, waiting for his chance to strike." His gaze flicked between the three men. "Or perhaps all of you were in on it."
The room fell into suffocating silence.
Fabian's lips parted, his mind racing. "Zero, have you decoded the secret of vampire immortality?"
Zero didn't answer.
Fabian pressed on, desperation leaking into his voice. "If you have, why hide it? Isn't this for the good of everyone? For the country, for humanity? You'd be a hero."
A bead of sweat rolled down Fabian's temple.
Without warning, Zero reached into his coat. The metallic glint of a pistol flashed as he withdrew it. Fabian stumbled back instinctively.
"What are you doing, Zero?!" Fabian's voice cracked. "Are you going to kill us to silence us?"
He pointed a trembling finger. "I know you've succeeded in the immortality experiment! You've been hiding it all along! The superiors—"
Zero cut him off by tossing the pistol onto the table in front of Fabian.
"Go ahead," Zero said, spreading his arms wide. "Shoot me."
Fabian blinked, frozen in place. "What…?"
"You're right," Zero said, his tone eerily calm. "I succeeded. I'm immortal. You don't believe me? Prove it. Pull the trigger."
Fabian's hand trembled as he picked up the weapon, its weight pressing down like a moral reckoning.
"Do you… think I'm an idiot?!" Fabian hissed.