Brunaulf POV:

There were no further changes in Belle’s condition. Her Ki experienced no further growth, staying at the same level of Irini as yesterday.

The scars that had become lighter could only be seen if you examined her skin closely. Other than that, her appearance was healthy.

I had spent the morning walking around with her, helping her become more accustomed to the new atmosphere in District 4. I avoided the area where the Organization was based as I didn’t want to run into Denise by accident.

Belle adapted surprisingly quick to the outside world, showing no signs of having any panic attacks. Although she refused to let go of my hand until we arrived home safely, I still considered the outing to be a success overall.

After informing Belle I’d be back later tonight, I left the apartment. I stood on the ledge of a rooftop as I overlooked the alleyways below.

I wore a black hoodie that blended in with the overcast sky. The kitsune mask Isabelle had entrusted me with rested comfortably over my face, not interfering with my breathing.

“...”

It was time to get back to work. My body flickered as I dashed along the rooftops. Kumo had informed everyone that I wouldn’t be going by the name ‘Brunaulf’ anymore.

From now on, they would call me Wolf.

***

Sindel POV:

I observed the mountains of debris scattered all over the inner part of District 3. Fires raged on in certain areas, and the destruction had reached some of the outer parts of the District. The stench of dried blood permanently stained the air. It truly was a scene befitting a battle involving Enigma.

We had arrived here a few days ago, but the scale of damage was worse than I initially expected. Rebuilding would take a lot of time since the Cleaners must have deemed this District a lost cause.

“Ha... What does the Vice Administrator even expect us to do here?”

Orga was visibly shaken after seeing just how bad the damage was. The piles of dead bodies stacked in various locations made her angry at how people could kill the innocent so easily.

I walked over to her when a Blood Hound entered my peripheral vision. They were like cockroaches; somehow managing to survive even in a battle of this magnitude.

The back of my fist smashed into his jaw, sending him flying through the air as I reached Orga. I pulled out a tissue from my coat and wiped the blood off my knuckles.

Orga rolled her eyes while placing a hand on her hip. Cleanliness was an important aspect of life that shouldn’t be ignored. I wanted to place the tissue in a bin; however, that wasn’t possible right now, so I did the next best thing: I folded it up neatly and slipped it back into my pocket.

“Now that we have assessed the extent of the damage, let’s start by getting rid of any Blood Hounds lurking around.”

“Sounds good to me.”

I embraced her tightly as I felt her body temperature rapidly increase. We had been dating for months now, but her reaction was always the same.

‘How cute.’

“I-I... Sigh... Not for too long...”

She had given up trying to reason with me, accepting the situation for what it was. As a result, her grip around me tightened, followed by her head burying deeper into my shoulder.

“Tch. Will you annoying losers focus on the mission?”

Orga quickly unlinked her arms as I turned to face Charge. His face was scrunched up while he folded his arms.

“Are you still upset about Skorr losing the way he did?”

“No, you moron. I got over that months ago.”

The veins on the side of his head bulged as he remembered how he got one-shotted by a child.

“Ha... He’s just upset that Tessa rejected him for Miles.”

“Oh, that happened? Well, don’t feel too bad about it. Miles is quite popular.”

Charge went a deep shade of red as his pulsating veins threatened to pop at any moment. I was surprised that he even tried for Tessa; she was well-known for her incredible beauty and strong personality within the Organization.

“I hate you both.”

He blasted off into the air, leaving a huge dust cloud behind him that Orga quickly dispersed before it reached me. A series of mini explosions rang out a few seconds later. Though I pitied the Blood Hounds on the receiving end of his heartbreak, at least he was letting off his steam in a productive way.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

“Let’s get going then.”

Orga nodded her head as we headed in different directions to clean up the surrounding area.

***

Wolf POV:

Kumo greeted me at the main entrance with a bright smile. Her eyes beamed once she saw my new look, and she quickly gave me the thumbs up while her cheeks turned a faint shade of red.

“Sorry I kept you waiting, Kumo.”

“It’s good to have you back, Administrator.”

She adjusted her glasses as we made our way through the building. The size of the Organization had swelled even further, but Kumo had effectively kept everything under control.

“...Is that him?”

“Damn...That's one badass look!”

“He’s totally my type~”

We reached the first floor that had been greatly expanded, and hundreds of Trainees gathered around to take a look at me. It had been a long time since I had checked up on them, but the Watchers assigned to this floor were doing a good job.

I walked through the crowd of people as Kumo waited for me beside the entrance. The Watchers immediately moved the crowd back against the wall as I stood in the middle of the large hall.

“All of you know what this District used to be like before: drugs, prostitution, assassinations, theft—there was no line drawn between what was right and what was wrong.”

The Trainees made different expressions, but they all understood the magnitude of the change that started right here, almost 10 months ago. That was the reason they came here; to be a part of something better.

“The District Leader plans to put an end to the oppression caused by the Ruler of the South. Your role here is to learn, to grow quickly so you can protect this District. That is what it means to be a community.”

I released a small portion of my Ki, causing my black hoodie to ripple slightly.

“Train well and be proud knowing that you stand for something much greater than what we used to be.”

I turned around and made my way to the exit as the Trainees chased after me in a frenzy.

“Kyaah!~ So cool!!~”

“Wolf, are you single?!”

“Can you train me personally?”

“Truly... That is what it means to be a man!”

The Watchers contained the Trainees as I left the hall. I glanced at Kumo, whose lips were curved upwards.

“That was out of character for you, Administrator.”

“You’re right. I just wondered, what if I heard those words when I first joined the Organization? Maybe I would have walked a different path.”

Kumo's smile faded as she placed her hand against my back lightly.

“Why must you always return to the past when the future is what needs to be shaped? Everything that you’ve experienced has made you into who you are today.”

“...You make a good point.”

I sighed inwardly. The more I thought about what I just said, the more strange I felt.

‘... I’m never doing that again.’

I couldn’t be like the District Leader, and I didn’t need to be. I just needed to be better than who I was yesterday. That’s all.

We made our way to one of the spare offices as Kumo left me be. I worked till the moonlight shone through the window. I stacked away the papers neatly and got up from the desk.

I walked to the fifth floor, deciding to check on my office personally since it had been a while. I turned a few corners when I saw a woman standing by the doorway.

*Thump*

My heartbeat pounded violently while I tried to keep my cool. Cold sweat ran down my neck as I didn’t expect her to be here. I had run through this scenario multiple times in my head, but I still wasn’t ready.

The gap between us gradually decreased as she turned her head to face me. The moonlight shone through the window from the office, lighting her face up like a Christmas tree.

‘...Denise.’

Her dark purple hair was no longer in a ponytail. It was cut short, reaching only up to her shoulders. Her enchanting indigo eyes bewitched me as I observed her figure clearly for the first time.

Denise had a curvy body with wide hips that she usually hid as much as possible. Her breasts weren’t large, but also couldn’t be considered small. Her lips were quite plump, adding a layer of seductiveness every time she spoke.

Thankfully, there were no signs of any leftover injuries from that incident. She greeted me with a thin smile, and I noticed a twinkle of light flash through her eyes.

“...Excuse me, is this your office?”

“Yes.”

I adjusted my voice, making it unrecognizable to my usual tone. Denise looked at me with sad eyes before turning her gaze back towards the office.

“It’s strange. I feel like someone very important to me used to sit behind that desk. I would stand here and watch over them from afar, unable to get close to them...”

“...”

I stood there in silence as her eyes refused to leave the office. A few minutes passed before she finally peeled her eyes away.

“I'm sorry for disturbing you...”

She bowed her head and walked past me slowly. The sweet smell of hair drifted into my nose through the mask as the distance between us grew once more.

Her footsteps echoed throughout the hallway before finally vanishing into thin air, signalling that she had left the fifth floor.

‘...’

I can’t remember how long I stood there, replaying that moment over and over. It had taken everything in my power to stop my hand from grabbing hers.

I couldn’t help but wonder to myself, is this how she felt? Unable to comfort the person you love, unable to bridge the gap that separated you from them—it was heartbreaking.

I gripped the black hoodie covering my chest as a sharp pain travelled through my body. This pain was something that I couldn’t get used to. It was different from being stabbed, burnt, cut, sliced, crushed, drowned... It wasn’t something physical.

‘...I didn’t think it would be so painful.’

I slumped my back against the wall and rested my hand on the kitsune mask. I needed to be strong.

“!”

I heard someone running down the hallway and quickly got back to my feet. I saw Denise’s face appear at the end of the hallway. She walked forward, only stopping once a few meters separated the two of us.

“This is embarrassing... But I forgot to ask for your name...”

Her face flushed red as she clasped her hands tightly behind her back. I watched her eyes dart around the place, unsure of where to look.

“...So cute.”

“Wha...?”

I instantly covered the mouth of the kitsune mask. Denise's face turned a deep shade of red as she brought her hands up to hide it.

‘...You idiot!’

I cursed myself inwardly for being so self-absorbed in my own thoughts, I accidentally said them out loud. I was fortunate that I had still adjusted my voice, and judging from the fact that her reaction wasn’t negative, everything seemed okay for now.

“Sorry...”

“N-no...”

She looked at me shyly as her long eyelashes fluttered. I was dumbstruck that I failed to notice just how beautiful she was.

My lips spread into a thin smile while I admired Denise. I never got the chance to compliment her or tell her how I felt... I never got the chance to do anything with her.

No, that wasn’t exactly true. The chance was always there, but I was too scared to take it.

“Wolf. Call me Wolf.”

Her lips spread into a wide smile as she bowed her head again.

“I-It’s nice to meet you, and sorry...!”

She blushed while dashing away quickly. I watched her figure disappear down the hallway for the last time that night.

‘...’

I stood next to the doorway and looked at the desk. My lips formed a wide smile as I stepped inside the room.