In ancient times, resting a hand on the hilt of a sword was a clear sign of hostility. Among Espers, the modern equivalent is flaring their mana—a display not only visible in their eyes but palpable in the oppressive weight of their aura, pressing down like a physical force. It's both a challenge and a threat.
Ran wiped the wine from his face with his sleeve, his movements deliberate. Across from him, Rio mirrored his stance, each man's hand poised on the hilt of their sword.
"R-Ran," Mana whispered nervously, her voice laced with worry.
In this tense standoff, the unspoken rule was clear: the first to draw would lose.
"R-Ran," Mana said, her voice low and shaky, a rare crack in her usually composed demeanor. "Don't do anything. Don't even look at him. People are watching."
Ran ignored her, wiping the wine from his face with a slow, deliberate motion. His green eyes glowed faintly, like emerald embers igniting.
"Rio," Ran said, his voice smooth but with an edge sharp enough to cut. "I guess you haven't seen it yet." His smile widened, teeth bared like a predator cornering its prey. "If you had, you wouldn't be sitting here at the bar so calmly."
He stood up, his aura swelling, pressing against the walls of the pub like a tidal wave. Glasses rattled on tables, and the low hum of murmurs from the other patrons died completely. All eyes were on them now, though no one dared move.
"You've got a lot of nerve," Rio said, his voice calm but laced with venom. "Spilling the blood of my men and boasting about it here."
Ran tilted his head, his smirk widening. "Oh, I didn't just spill their blood," he said, his voice low and mocking. "I left their leader's head at your safe house. Just the head, though. Figured you'd appreciate the gesture."
Rio's eyes darkened, his usually calm demeanor cracking under the provocation. "Is that a declaration of war?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous. Their faces were so close now that Mana could feel the heat of their confrontation.
Ran tilted his head, his grin never faltering. "Hardly," he said, his tone mocking. "They were trespassing on our land. Since when does axing trespassers violate the code?"
The ground began to tremble as their mana clashed, the force of their auras rippling outward like shockwaves. Tables shook, a chandelier above swayed violently, and the entire pub felt as if it were caught in the throes of an earthquake.
Mana swallowed hard, her hand instinctively gripping the edge of the table for balance. She cursed silently. This was going to get out of hand if someone didn't intervene.
Just as she was about to step in, a voice rang out, calm but authoritative.
The tension between them boiled over as their mana surged, making the entire room tremble like an earthquake. Glasses rattled, and whispers broke out among the patrons.
'What a pain,' Mana thought, readying herself to intervene. But before she could act, a smooth voice interrupted.
"Oh, what's this?"
The tension shifted as Augustus, clad in a sharp red suit, strolled into the room, his smile disarming yet commanding. Two masked Espers followed behind him—a man and a woman, both exuding an aura of menace.
"I understand you'd love nothing more than to pulverize each other," Augustus said, casually addressing Ran and Rio. "But I need to have my meeting first."
"Rio. Butcher." He acknowledged them both with a slight nod before turning to his masked associates.
"Why are there so many non-Espers here? What a dump," the masked woman sneered.
"Butterfly," a member of the Evil Society.
"You've been hanging around the others too much," the masked man beside her replied.
"Black," another member of the Evil Society.
Augustus chuckled lightly, ignoring their comments. "Indeed, quite the crowd tonight. Now then..."
He turned to the gathering of humans at the back of the bar, his smile never wavering. "The show's over. Back to minding your own business."
The murmurs among the patrons grew.
"What's he doing here?"
"Don't look."
"It's Red."
Augustus placed a hand on Rio's shoulder, his tone affable but firm. "I have business with this man. I trust you'll not interfere. Your entire organization owes that much to my mother, at the very least."
Rio clicked his tongue in irritation but didn't protest, stepping aside reluctantly.
Mana observed Augustus silently. 'That's Red for you. Not a word of complaint from anyone.'
"Right then," Augustus said, gesturing for them to follow. "We've got certain matters to attend to, don't we?"
Minutes later, the group stood on the rooftop, the air crisp from the recent rain.
"There's nothing quite like standing on the roof after a good rain, is there?" Augustus mused, gazing at the city below with a calm smile.
Mana's thoughts churned. Augustus, better known as "Red," was infamous long before his official debut in the underworld. As the only son of Serena Collins, his name alone carried weight, yet he'd chosen to forge his own path, building his own organization.
What a peculiar man.
"I want to thank you for de-escalating the situation earlier," Mana said, breaking the silence.
Ran, however, interrupted her with a snort. "Hey, Red, you could've told me you had a brother."
Mana blinked, startled. "Brother?"
She turned to Augustus, confusion etched on her face. His smile remained as he gazed out over the city, as if savoring some private joke.