Number 7

Between the father, the daughter, and the gangsters who had kidnapped the daughter as a result of the debt the father owed, the people present in this room were enemies.

The daughter - filled with fear and abandonment as her father merely sat there while she was taken away.

The father - who had abandoned his daughter for the sake of saving himself, so pathetic that not even the gangsters who had created this situation felt sorry for him.

And of course, the pompadour and his lackeys - those who had orchestrated this entire affair.

Yet even though these three parties were pitched against each other, their resentment towards one another seemed to disappear in that instant as they watched the very mouth of one man become sewn together - molded as if some sort of strange magic was at play.

For there is nothing that unites people more than pure terror.

"So. The story is that you lost a bunch of money, and took out a loan from these men. Is that correct?"

Stepping over to face the father, Bradley looked down on the man as he questioned him without hesitation - moving on from his brutal attack - or whatever it could be called - without a single moment of remorse.

The man opened his mouth to speak, however he could not even get out any words.

"I see. So you can't even speak? Then, you there. How much did he loan?"

Turning quickly to the pompadour, the man immediately changed his focus once he realized that he would not get an answer out of the father.

"20,000 Sin... he borrowed 20,000 Sin from us.", the man replied sternly.

"Hahaha... all this over a mere 20k?"

Placing his hand on his face as if that grand sum was nothing, the man slid his hand down it while he chuckled.

"So he has no way to pay it back?"

"With interest... it's already 30k. Another week and that will grow to 40k. He spent it all on a gamble trying to make even more, but lost it and now has no way to do so."

The gangster answered the questions of the man without hesitation.

Perhaps it was the overwhelming presence or the leering insanity of the red haired man, yet something told him that he shouldn’t aggravate this person.

"But you knew that he would do that in the first place, didn't you?"

"That shouldn't matter. The fact of the matter is he took a loan from us, so it's his responsibility to pay us back. No?"

"That's partially correct."

With a nod, the man seemed to close his eyes as he folded his hands behind his back.

"Yes, in theory that is correct. Regardless of whether he will be able to pay you back, it was his decision to take out the loan, his decision to sign off on the collateral... and his decision to put his daughter up for grabs."

As the red haired man stated this, the daughter seemed to widen her eyes in shock, at which she quickly focused on the father as if to ask 'Is that true?'

'Did you truly use me as collateral only to waste all the money gambling?'

"But at the end of the day, doesn't that also mean that you fully intended to take this man's daughter and sell her off from the start?"

"I won't deny that. That's how this business works. Is there anything wrong with doing something like that when I made him aware of the conditions in the first place?"

This was how the gangster responded to the pressure that Bradley put on him, to which the red haired man smiled.

"Of course, there’s nothing wrong with that. You see, I don't particularly mind what methods people use. There is only one reason why I will ever take revenge for a person."

Thinning his eyes with hatred, the man lowered his tone as his words sliced through the air.

"If they were deceived."

With these words, the man slowly walked over to the father, his steps resounding throughout the room as all eyes focused on him.

"There was no deception here. Everything was laid out right in front of your eyes, and you agreed to it without any concern for the consequences. And then after flailing and begging, you tried to escape them. Listen up. According to my contract... I will take revenge for you. Therefore, since your daughter was taken... I should take something from him of equal value."

Placing his finger on the forehead of the father, Bradley leaned in as he whispered to the man with a tone more terrifying than even a demon.

"But you know... given your display... your daughter doesn't really hold that much value in your heart, does she?"

As these icy words froze over every person in the room, the man stood up with a smirk.

"I've reached a decision."

And with these words, the businessman approached the daughter.

Holding out her hand towards the girl, his finger seemed to sharpen for a brief moment as he sliced off the gag which prevented her from speaking.

Then, turning to the pompadour, Bradley spoke with assertion.

"I'll be taking this girl back so that you won't reap any profit from her.”

And turning back to the father, Bradley gazed upon the defeated man with the smirk of a businessman.

“That's an equal trade, isn't it? Since your daughter was taken from you, she'll also be returned to you."

Picking up the girl, the man heaved her over his shoulder, carrying her like a sack of grain to the girl's surprise.

"H-hey... what are you doing with me?", she whispered quietly.

"I'm taking you home.", the man responded immediately.

Then, walking towards the exit, the man headed out.

Not a soul stopped him, nor did a single person dare to speak out against him.

Yet right as he passed by the father, the daughter met eyes with him.

"I... hate you."

And with these words, the man's eyes widened with horror as he fell to his knees with weakness.

"Ah... but I suppose if I just leave like this... those gangsters will instead harvest your organs, or send you off to a labor camp. In other words... they won't have lost anything, and you won't have obtained your revenge."

Placing the girl down for just a moment, Bradley then stood before the father who looked up to him, fearful yet filled with hope at his words.

'Will I... be saved?'

'Will me and my daughter get out of this?'

'Even if she hates me... even if she despises me for the rest of my life... if this man can truly get me out of this...'

"Therefore... I suppose I should make it so that they can't reap any profit from your body."

At that instant, the man fell.

His vision went blurry as he was unable to perceive what had happened.

A scream - no, not one, but many screams filled the room.

Even the grown men shouted in terror, panicking as the father looked around with confusion from the ground.

And then, watching as everything became hazy - he realized that a pool of blood was forming around him.

And as he looked downwards, he realized that his entire body had been sliced into so many pieces that not a single organ could possibly be left intact.

"I've taken revenge for this man. To anyone here who has any issues with the decision I've made today... you have one week to make a complaint."

At that, the man picked up the daughter once more, heading towards the exit without hesitation.

"In which case... I will return within seven to ten business days to review the appeal… and make a second determination."

And at that moment, he disappeared.

And as the pompadour merely watched this, a piece of paper flew before him - eventually landing face up.

[Application for Appeal of Decision]

[To anyone who disagrees with an executive decision, you may appeal in order to allow for a different result.]

[There will be no need to submit this application. A signature will begin the review process.]

[-Bradley Vendetta, Vendetta Consultants]

[CEO]

----

"Why?"

This was the single question that the girl had asked Bradley after he had brought her out of that place, offering to escort her back home.

"Why would I take you home? No, that isn't what you're asking now, is it?"

Closing his eyes with irritation, the man looked at the girl with a sigh.

"You mean to ask why I killed your father, correct?"

The girl merely nodded, terrified yet determined to find the answer.

This man had shown up out of nowhere, and done things which she could never possibly understand.

He had saved her even from those men, yet why had he killed her father in such a brutal manner?

"There is one type of person that I hate more than anything in this world."

Walking forward, the man headed through the dark alleyway as a light rain began to drizzle down, the light of the moon hidden by the clouds above.

"People who try to pretend like they care for someone else... when in reality they would abandon them at the drop of a hat."

And with spite in his tone, the man lowered his voice as he spoke with a coldness which suggested that even in his madness, he was completely sane.

"I understand well that what I am doing is wrong. But I don't care. Because even if what I am doing isn't justice, this is my revenge on the world."

With the wave of his hand, he motioned for the girl to follow him.

"I will protect you until you get home if you follow me. If you don't want to, you don't have to. And I won't force you to. But these streets are dangerous, and the Lady wouldn't forgive me if I just left you to your own devices in such a place."

"The Lady?"

"Ah... I guess I shouldn't have mentioned her... no... that doesn't matter, does it? I shouldn't be ashamed of you anyways, should I? Heh..."

The man laughed to himself, speaking as if someone else was present, which caused the girl to look around her with distress - however there was nobody.

"Well, to make it simple... I've got a date tonight. And I don't want to be late, so if we could get you home as quickly as possible, then it would be best."

----

"Hmm... this is..."

An executive businessman sat in his office, scrolling through his phone as he read a news article.

"This is... not what I anticipated."

[Serial Killer operating under the name of a business! Bradley Vendetta, former Vice President of Moria Financial, goes rogue after he loses his job! Under the name of a newly formed corporation 'Vendetta Consultants', he claims to offer revenge to his clients as he kills and injures numerous people!]

[His crimes are not limited to killings. Many scenes of torture, disfiguring, kidnapping and taking of hostages, and many more strange incidents surround this man! Despite evidence piling up, police find him to be extremely evasive. Six officers have died trying to incarcerate this man, and terror spreads throughout the City of Rockville as he runs loose.]

[A statement from Rockville Police chief Barnigan. "We've been doing everything we can to arrest this man, but we've already lost many men. He appears to be extremely intelligent, as if he knows our every move. He’s also extremely skilled in combat. We can't move carelessly against him, but if we don't do something then more lives will be lost. It's extremely frustrating, especially given how sloppy he has been about letting information leak. So often we can track down his whereabouts, but even when we do, it never ends in his arrest."]

[Another officer commented. "The strangest thing was the testimonies of the witnesses. He seems to offer contracts to his clients, but aside from offering these contracts he seems to make a different offer to each client. The clients are sometimes forced into these contracts, and sometimes the clients end up being the ones on the receiving end of the torment."]

[While there are those who sympathize with the actions of this maniac, civilians are furious with this man's actions, and are beginning to rally against him. Civil authorities are greatly concerned with the affairs of this man, and he has left everyone wondering who is next.]

[It is highly recommended that you do not travel alone in the streets, and to avoid any crime heavy areas. If you make contact with this man, who is known for his red hair and usually seen wearing the suit of a businessman, then do not approach him or speak to him at all costs.]

["We will do everything we can to apprehend this man.", one detective stated. "Even if I have to give my life, I will ensure that he cannot spread his reign of terror any further than he already has."]

"Reign of terror, eh?"

With a sip of coffee, the man known as Alexander Meyer let out a slight chuckle as the woman beside him leaned on his shoulder.

"Uwah... to think that he would go nuts just because I rejected him..."

"It is insane, isn't it? Something is strange here. No matter which way you cut it, to go from a successful life to this just because he lost his job and got dumped... it doesn't make sense at all. It's almost as if... something else influenced him."

"Well, he'll be caught soon enough. He was a delinquent before, so he was good at combat, right? He probably was able to escape some of those officers because of that. Combine that with his strategic thinking that he was forced to obtain in order to maintain an executive position in a company... and I guess this is the result? But even so... to escape the police this long is pretty impressive."

The woman known as Anna made these comments, laughing with a sneer as she gazed over the article.

"And when he didn't even stand a chance even against you in a fight... what are these policemen doing?"

"Well, even if he were to come after us, then without a doubt we wouldn't be in any danger. He may be quick and clever, but I've already proven that I am far superior."

Taking another sip of his coffee, Alexander grinned as he scrolled down, reaching the final statement of the article.

[But the strangest rumor about this man is that he refers to a partner in crime. "The Lady", as he calls her, appears to be someone who assists him. Yet some people claim that this Lady is nothing more than a figment of the madman's imagination.]

----

"You know... I'm glad I met you."

A man sat in the middle of a restaurant, alone.

Not a single person was present in this restaurant. It was a run down place, where not a single customer would bother coming at this time of night.

It was a night like any other, however it was a wonder as to why this place was even open in the first place.

"If I hadn't met you... if you hadn't shown up at that moment, then I don't know what I would have become."

[Are you sure that you haven't become something horrible because you met me?]

And as this man spoke, a woman formed from his hand.

She was not gorgeous, her hair was frazzled and she seemed to speak with a dirty tone, as if she was someone of lower standing.

Yet there was an inevitable charm to the woman, like that of a tomboy who had no concern for girly things.

"Oh... no, no. It's true that I've done many horrible things. Unforgivable things. And it's true that if I had not met you, that I would never have even considered such things. But it is only because I met you that I can act with the freedom that I do."

[If anyone knew about me, people would without question call you a traitor to humanity. Are you certain that you still wish to work with me, nonetheless?]

The woman asked this, looking up to the man with a slight shyness.

"Humanity betrayed me first, did they not?"

However this was the response of the man.

"Three. Our next target... this is going to be my own personal revenge. Are you prepared?"

[I should be asking you that, don't you think? But I have a condition.]

"What is your condition?"

Looking at the red haired woman that made up his hand as he tilted his head with confusion, the woman chuckled as she crossed her miniature arms.

[I want to be able to fight the woman. Is that acceptable?]

"Are you saying that you want to take revenge for my sake?"

As the man asked this, the woman seemed to become a shade redder, her skin almost matching that of her frazzled hair.

[I...]

"You don't need to say any more, Three. But I'll tell you one thing."

Placing his free hand on the head of the woman, the businessman smiled with a gentleness that one may not have thought possible.

"I don't care whether you're human... whether you're a parasite... or even whether you have a body."

Taking a deep breath, the man let out his feelings to the woman.

"I love you."

----

'Hold up just a minute. Why did it skip all the important details? All the explanations that Three made to Bradley about who she is, all the information he obtained from her about the Seven and her life before, where are all those scenes?'

Marcus thought this as he witnessed that a large amount of time seemed to have been lost in the memories that were played - however his thoughts were met with denial.

[Did you think you would be able to learn so much about us so easily?]

[Marcus, these things take time.]

[Little by little... bit by bit. All in due time, you will learn about us. Even if this is not how Three dealt with her Host, I am not Number Three.]

[I am Number Seven.]

----

"It's nice, isn't it?"

Two people sat across from one another at a table.

The table was long enough to host an entire banquet, however only two currently sat across from each other at the center.

"I like it. There's a lot of space, the chefs are good, the servants know their place... it's a big improvement from that pathetic little shack you had me choking in."

"You're an actor, are you not? You were merely playing the part of a poor girl, so that much can be forgiven temporarily, right?"

"Even if it was my job, I never had to do that much when I was in the industry. The sets were all artificial and temporary, so having to live in the slums is completely different from having to play a role there."

A blonde woman puckered her cheeks as she gazed upon the man before her with her gemlike eyes, to which the man merely laughed.

"Haha... well, enough of that. You're here now, so that's all that matters."

"I suppose... but I'm never doing anything like that again."

"Of course not. You've proven your worth."

"Why were you so concerned about someone like that in the first place? He was so easily duped. Do you think I was even necessary?"

With this question, the woman looked at the man as he slicked back his hair, grazing his chin in thought.

"I suppose you wouldn't understand. But the fact of the matter is, that man was the largest threat I could have ever possibly faced. If he was in his right mind, that is."

As he began to slice away at the steak in front of him, the man continued talking as he looked up to the woman.

"You see, the CEO is no fool. I believe he already knew that I was aiming for his position at the top of this company, and as such I believe that Bradley was nothing less than an assassin meant to destroy me."

"EH? That guy!?"

The woman almost dropped her jaw in surprise as the man stated this.

"You should understand better than I do that the CEO is a shrewd man. He is someone who doesn't underestimate anyone, but he also doesn't overestimate. He knows exactly when someone is a threat, and takes appropriate measures to counteract such threats. And even though Bradley may have failed in his duty to take me out, his actions certainly put me in a position where I am forced to wait patiently where I am."

Suddenly, the man's knife slid down with a bit too much force, causing the plate to clank as he let out a slight bit of anger.

"Oh... so you mean that you can't exert any pressure on the CEO because the deal with Marcel didn't bear any fruit?"

"Exactly. At the end of the day, even if Bradley took the blame, it was still a loss - especially for the Rockville office. Any meetings I have between the executives of other branches have been nothing less than tormenting. And the fact that Bradley went on to do something so insane... well, it only puts me in a worse position. I can handle this much for now, but I need time to regain my standing."

"Hmm.... so even you make mistakes?"

The woman seemed to smirk with a sassy expression, at which the man snapped back - pointing his knife at the woman with irritation.

"I didn't make a mistake. This was a calculated loss."

Wiping his mouth with a napkin, the man kept his composure as he spoke with his eyes averted.

"The fact of the matter is, the CEO put me in a position where no matter what I did I would take a loss. Therefore, I ensured that the majority of the loss would be put on the other man. I minimized my own losses, and ensured that my position was maintained as much as possible. But now that he has wasted that card, it's my turn to go on the offensive."

As he said this, the man grinned in a devious manner as his eyes closed in thought.

"Well, I suppose there are always ways to benefit from an unfortunate situation."

His eyes still closed, the man took a bite of his steak, slowly chewing before he continued.

"Take the fact that Bradley went insane and became a serial killer. It may initially seem like I did something wrong, but on the other hand, it only proves that I am nothing more than a victim. The CEO was the one to hire and appoint that man as Vice President, and I was able to keep everything together even with such a bombshell in our midst."

[It must be quite nice, being able to make the best of any situation.]

"Well of course. If I couldn't do that, then I wouldn't be President."

"Er... who were you just replying to?"

Opening his eyes, Alexander looked to Anna as he was met with her confused expression.

"Hm? What do you mean? I was replying to you, of course."

"I... didn't say anything?"

The woman tilted her head, at which the man scrunched his eyebrows in confusion as well.

"No no, you certainly just replied to me. Well, regardless... how is your meal?"

[I haven't eaten anything yet, but I'm sure it will be delicious.]

"It's.... good."

Two answers.

One from the woman in front of him.

The other from... someone else.

"Who was that!?"

Standing up immediately, Alexander looked around him with concern.

All the servants had left the two alone in the room to dine, so it could not have been one of them.

"A-Alex? What are you-"

"SHH! Listen."

The man walked around the room, suspicion evident in his expression as he opened his ears, grazing for even the slightest sound.

The blonde woman looked at him as if he were mad, completely baffled at the actions of the man.

Yet there was nothing.

Silence.

[What are we listening for?]

However such silence could not last forever.

"Who are you!? Where are you!?"

Grabbing the tablecloth, the man poked his head underneath the table to reveal that there was nothing.

The room was sealed off.

There were no curtains for anyone to hide behind, and everything was open.

There was no chance that another person could have been present within this room.

[How rude, to ask a woman something like that the first time you meet her. Aren't you supposed to introduce yourself first?]

The voice was that of a female, yet without question it was not the same person as the other woman in the room.

[Ah... but I suppose that's right.]

And even if the woman present was an actor who could do impressions of different voices, her mouth did not move in the slightest.

[You wouldn't consider me to be a woman.]

Yet even so, the voice continued.

[And you're in no position to introduce yourself, Alexander Meyer.]

"What... do you want?"

[You’re really asking such a boring question?]

As the man asked this question, the woman responded with a sassy tone, smirking from whatever hidden place as she spoke to the man.

[Well, I suppose I’ll entertain you with an answer. There is only one thing that I desire right now.]

And with these words, Alexander Meyer felt an emotion that he had never before felt in his life.

Fear.

[To take revenge for the one I love.]