Central Park was filled with distinct people with distinct appearances.

Despite it being a public landmark for everyone to take a stroll on and hang around, it was a notorious place for illegal transactions.

“Why would they want to meet us at night...?”

Wondering by himself, Magi stayed hidden behind the trees as he waited for Cian's call from their intercom.

Before they headed here, Shanti, their employer, and the broker had sent a message through the handheld computer.

It was a file containing details about a certain organization that was beginning to work itself up in the ranks of the underground organizations.

There were currently only three major organizations in the underground.

Black Skull, Viper's Venom, and Pandemonium.

Violet Hex would be the recent organization that was able to fill up the slot of the third largest and major organization.

It was rumored that they had ten fighters that were more than compatible with their Grants and that, they were capable of clearing out gangs by themselves and the Violent Violet was one of those fighters.

If the organizations were ranked from the weakest to the strongest, it would start at the Violet Hex as they were new, followed by Pandemonium, Viper's Venom, and Black Skull as the strongest and largest underground organizations.

Shanti would be a part of Pandemonium, which was an organization that solely focused on selling information and illegal Grants around.

Magi and Cian did not consider themselves part of Pandemonium as they were only one-time mercenaries and despite their continuous jobs with Shanti, this might be the last one.

“This would be the last job...”

Magi had planned to retire from working for Shanti as their jobs were slowly being involved in the underground.

At first, they were hired for odd jobs like cleaning up and repairing Grants, but after a single incident where their fighting capabilities were shown, they were hired to be mercenaries instead.

“...”

Magi had lied to Cian about having no pocket money at all. He had already saved almost a million CCs enough for them to create a stall for repairing lesser Grants and or creating one for the common folk and living expenses for up to two years.

He had only wanted to do this one last job as closure with Shanti.

“I'll tell Cian later. If I tell him now, he'd nag me about lying about the money.”

**

“A-Are you perhaps the client?”

With no other people that would seem to be waiting for someone as they passed by, Cian asked the little child that he had met near the fountain.

“——Just kidding! There's no way a small girl like you would be the client, right?”

But he reeled out and jested, leaving no chance for the girl to respond. Her face would turn sour after, lowering it as she felt embarrassed beyond belief.

But as she looked like she was about to explode, she stood up and pointed at Cian with an angry face.

“I'm the client! How dare you disrespect the Violent Violet!”

She screamed at the top of her lungs, uncaring of the situation. Even the people around found it amusing, passing by the unsuspicious conversation between them.

“E-Eh? For real?”

Cian couldn't believe it at first, but there was no way a random child would know a name of an underground organization.

“I won't take such disrespect lightly. Duel with me, you imbecile!”

“D-Duel?! With you?!”

The small child would keep pointing at his face, challenging him into a duel.

A duel was something that would be granted sacred between magicians, but in this era, weapons such as Grants were allowed.

Every bet, condition, and argument could be fixed with just a duel, and those who win will either prove themselves to be the strongest or just win something in return.

“Of course! I'll give you this bag of money if you win against me.”

Opening the bag that she had been carrying, it was filled to the brim with CCs that was deposited physically.

Physical CCs are commonly used to buy something that you don't want the current technological grandfathers would track.

After all, buying illegal parts and objects would have you get arrested by the Sentient Guards that are indestructible golems capable of disabling and arresting something flawlessly.

“T-That's...!”

Cian was tempted to take the offer as soon as he saw that the young girl carried the money, but it wouldn't be also a coincidence that she was the client.

But, now that things have changed, wouldn't it be better for them to just win this bet and have her buy the item? Doubling the profit that they could get.

“So, in exchange, if I win. I'll make you my dog.”

It was the conditions she asked for. For Cian who was confident that he wouldn't lose, he was ready to accept the duel.

It was a no-brainer for him to decide.

“Alright—”

“———No!”

However, just before Cian would accept the duel from the young girl, Magi was just in time to stop him.

“Forgive my brother for his insolence. He's new to this and I'll take full responsibility for his actions.”

Magi grabbed Cian by the neck, reeling it down to have him bow with him as they faced the child.

She would only stand up straight and cross her arms, looking at the twins with discerning eyes.

“What are you doing?! I was about to fight a duel with her and win the money!”

“Forget the money and the duel. You can't defeat her! Despite being the newest member in Violet Hex, she's called the Berserker after her continuous promotions, defeating members of other organizations. Your flames won't do anything to her electricity.”

Whispering between each other, Cian, was at first mad at Magi for interrupting something he was taking advantage of. He didn't know that the client would be a named fighter, only given the info that their client was called Violent Violet.

It would be an elemental mismatch if the duel happened.

“Wait, so she's like a top brass of the Violet Hex?”

“More or less.”

They would continue to whisper to each other, waiting for the Violent Violet to speak.

“You are... twins?”

Noticing the uncanny resemblance between the two, the young girl looked at them with awe instead of being angry. Her once mad face would then into an investigative one, looking at each of their features, and comparing them.

“Y-Yes...”

Magi was shocked that the Violent Violet would disregard the disrespect Cian showed earlier, and focus on them instead.

“An identical one, at that.”

She would caress her chin, as of she was talking, but soon enough she would halt, snapping her fingers.

“Aha! Why don't you two become my dogs, instead!”

“——?!”

It was a surprising and unusual offer for the two, but it was a given that they'd refuse it.

“My, my. I told you to not go by yourself, Violet.”

“Bahamut! You're late!”

From behind Violet, there was a man in a khaki coat that would walk up beside her, holding what seems to be a cane.

The man wore tinted glasses at night, and as the twins look at the man, he was a tad bigger than they were.

“———”

Magi and Cian were left with no words to input as the two talked, but soon, the man called Bahamut would notice the suitcase Magi had carried.

“Ah. You've met with the dealer already. Give them the money and make it quick.”

“Alright, geez! That was my intention in the first place. Here!”

Handing Cian the bag full of money, Magi then handed over the suitcase that had seemed to be unlocked as soon as Violet held it.

“We'll be taking our leave then.”

Magi would bow as Cian followed. He had no other intention but to make everything quick and so as soon as they were able to trade, he would leave. But they would be halted before they could take another step away.

“——Wait.”

Magi halted, ready to unsheath the digitized weapons he had.

“...”

“Why are you in such a rush? Don't you want to know what's inside as well?”

Violet would ask Magi, looking at him with intentionally provocative eyes.

However, he had no interest in whatever was inside the suitcase. What mattered the most to him was that this was the last job they would do as mercenaries.

“Oh! Can I take a look then?!”

Before he could even realize it, Cian was already beside Violet when she was about to open the suitcase.

Cian had always been the curious one, and when it comes to such things, he undoubtedly always puts himself in danger.

“He's more than fun than you, it seems.”

Violet would open the suitcase slowly, but as soon as they stared into the contents, they could see the small object inside of it.

It was a Philosopher's Stone.

“——?!”

Magi couldn't believe it himself that the object that they were carrying was the Philosopher's Stone.

Unlike the Mana Stone, the Philosopher's Stone can't hold mana, but it can hold spells instead that could be cast at such low mana regardless of its tier.

It was what the few Grade SSS+ Grants have inside of them, integrated with a valuable Philosopher's Stone that would cost up to millions of CCs.

Something like that shouldn't be down here, and if someone were to wield it and integrate it in their Grant, they would be able to wield power equal to those Sentinel Guards and SSS Grant Users.

Bahamut was inspecting it with a monocle as they opened the suitcase, and soon, he would stop to confirm that it was genuine.

“It's the real deal. So, let us make our way——”

However, a large missile would hit them exploding massively as people from afar ran.

And from the distance, the assaulter would reveal themselves.

A gang of armed men with lesser grants followed the man who had worn a green band over his head. There were black circles under his bloodshot eyes, and his neck was riddled with tattoo.

“Violet Hex. Jack'ole of the Vipers is here for payback.”