Number 7

Everything became white.

The very space around her warped and writhed, and Melissa's reality became blurred.

'What... is happening?'

As the previous battleground disappeared from her sight, it was replaced by a world of nothingness - one in which only herself, the unconscious body of Celia, and her opponent existed.

"Haha... he really went and did something insane."

Standing opposite to Melissa was the woman who had just now appeared, and she walked forth with grace in her steps, professionally making her way towards Melissa as she bore a barbaric spear in her hand, twirling it around like a gymnast.

"I guess this is what it means to redefine the space around us."

Pointing her spear at Melissa, the woman uttered such a statement, at which Melissa prepared herself for battle.

"So that man WAS an ability user... and I thought he was just a freak of nature. Heh... well, I guess this is his doing, then?", Melissa questioned, gripping the pistol which, for whatever reason, remained at her side.

"He isn't the only one."

Dropping the spear, the woman held out her hand as she aimed it towards Melissa, who merely stayed still - crossing her arms smugly as if to receive whatever attack Slyiva was about to perform.

"Ah..."

And strangely, just as the woman was about to attack, she tripped over her own feet, falling to the ground in an unnatural manner.

"Huh?"

Looking up in confusion, the woman couldn't seem to comprehend why she had fallen.

"You really don't know anything, do you!? Based on what you just tried to do, I'm going to assume that you're an ability user as well - and that you just tried to attack me. But unfortunately for you... I recklessly stood still - as if to receive your attack."

Walking over to Sylvia, Melissa looked down upon the woman with confidence, who was now completely tangled in her own hair - almost by strange coincidence.

"You probably received some information on my ability from that man, who seemed to have figured it out... I don't know when you were able to communicate, but that seems to be the case, based on the situation. After all, if he managed to put us together in a space where there was no terrain for me to work with, then my ability would become useless - or at least, that's probably what he thought."

Stepping on the head of Sylvia, Melissa smiled in a sadistic manner as she rubbed her foot into the back of the woman's head.

"But that's wrong. So long as I continue to take risks, my ability will continue to activate - and you won't be able to do ANYTHING to me."

"Is that so? I guess that WAS quite a risk, telling me exactly how your ability works."

"Haha! I guess that's right! But that only means that my ability will work all the better-"

"Do you really think that's the case?"

Grabbing the leg of Melissa, Sylvia's body suddenly exploded in pain from an electric shock - one which was seemingly produced from nothing.

"AGH!!!"

The woman shouted out as she panted from the ground, huffing and puffing as her opponent giggled at her pain.

"You may think that you've trapped me in here with you, but you'd be wrong. I don't know what that man is thinking... but he must have thought that you were a better fit against my ability than he was. Unfortunately... he was wrong."

Pulling out her pistol, Melissa aimed downwards as she pressed the barrel to the head of Sylvia.

"He was pretty resistant to these things. I wonder just how impenetrable your own body is?"

Click.

BANG!

Suddenly, to the great shock of Melissa, as soon as she fired the weapon it exploded within her hand.

"NGH!!"

The shrapnel and heat from the explosion did not so much as scald or pierce her, and instead shot right into the woman below her - causing another pained scream out of the woman.

However, looking at the now destroyed weapon, Melissa could only widen her eyes in shock.

"You... what did you do? No... I guess that doesn't matter. Don't you see? I can't be attacked. You must have done something to my weapon, but the attack ended up hurting you - and didn't do anything to me! HAHAHA! You're even stupider than I thought!"

"Reduce... I reduced... the size of the barrel...", Sylvia groaned as she lifted her now scalded face.

Standing up as she wobbled, the woman barely held onto herself - yet it was upon witnessing this horrifying state that Melissa saw it.

Standing in front of her was a creature who knew no fear.

For even with such immense injuries, the woman before her flashed a wicked smile - one which dug into the very depths of Meilssa's being.

"Heh... I understand everything now - thanks to your recklessness."

Pressing forward, Sylvia stood directly in front of Melissa, who didn't move a muscle as the woman brought her face ever so close.

"I know exactly how to defeat you - and there's nothing you can do to stop me."

----

"That... haha... you're bluffing. There's no way for you to defeat me. Any attacks you make - even with your own ability - will only end up harming you instead."

Melissa was shaken.

But even as she was shaken, she knew this logic to be true.

This woman had no power over her.

Which was exactly why her strange confidence was so utterly terrifying.

'Is she just insane?', Melissa wondered. 'Has this woman gone nuts?'

"You probably think I'm just spouting nonsense to shake you... but let me show you something."

Holding out her hand, Sylvia pointed it directly at Melissa.

"Are you going to use your ability on me!? It won't work!", Melissa shouted.

"Wrong."

Then, grasping her hand, something appeared in front of Sylvia.

A body.

The unconscious body of Celia.

"I was reducing the distance between myself and this sleeping girl."

"Hah!? So you're going to try and attack her? Why would I care about that!?"

Spreading her arms in a nonchalant manner, Melissa denied any possible concern that she might have had for her partner.

"So if I do something like this... you won't mind?"

Yet in that instant, the body had been lifted up by the moving strands of hair that the woman controlled, which wrapped themselves all around the body of Celia.

And then... a creaking sound.

"Wait... wait just a minute..."

"What's wrong? I'm just pulling the limbs a little bit. Ah... but if I do it too much, they might snap... a little tighter here... a bit more there..."

"STOP!"

"I thought you didn't care about what happened to her? Or are you really so concerned?"

Holding her pace as she threatened to tear the girl apart, Sylvia glanced at Melissa.

"You... you aren't really going to hurt her. That man... he didn't actually hurt her.", Melissa stated. "You don't actually have any intention-"

"Perhaps HE didn't have any intention to harm her."

Suddenly, a cracking sound was heard.

And at that instant, Melissa looked over to see it.

One of the fingers of the girl had been dislocated.

"But I am not so merciful... nor do I RELATE with people as easily as he does."

Stepping forward, Sylvia glanced upon Melissa with eyes thinned in pleasure.

"Now... what will it be? Do you care about what happens to her? Or should I continue until she's nothing more than a pile of limbs?"

"You... you still can't beat me."

Holding back her emotions, Melissa spat out those words.

"Even if you hurt her... I'll be fine. You have no way to..."

"Alright."

Crack. Crack. Crack.

One at a time, fingers were dislocated - at the command of the woman who pulled the strings.

"AGH!!! STOP IT!!!"

And as soon as this happened, Melissa rushed forward - despite her own resistance to such a thing.

Yet as soon as she did this, she too was wrapped within the spiraling hairs that the woman controlled.

"WHA!?"

"You said it yourself, didn't you? As long as you're taking risks, you're protected. But what exactly IS a risk?"

Using her hair to bring Melissa closer to her, the woman grinned deviously as she placed her own hand upon the chin of the girl.

"A risk... is to go on the offensive. It is to press forward, willing to sacrifice and throw things aside in order to obtain a greater reward. And the opposite of a risk is to be cautious... that is..."

Bringing her mouth to the ear of Melissa, the woman whispered quietly as sadism laced her voice.

"To protect something."

Suddenly, the space around them changed.

They returned to the real world, however the situation remained the same - for Sylvia had ensnared the two.

"And the moment you dedicated yourself to protecting this girl... your mindset shifted from one of a fearless offense to a scrambling defense."

----

"So your ability protects you as long as you are taking a risk. Why then, with such an ability, would you follow the orders of that man who stands at the head of this branch?"

Sylvia paced around Melissa, reminiscing out loud as her thoughts bombarded Melissa.

"Is it because you merely respect him, or that you agree with his ideals?"

Upon uttering this statement, Sylvia immediately shook her head.

"Definitely not. There is nothing about you that is consistent with that man. As a matter of fact, you loathe him, don't you? Someone as proud as you would never submit so easily to someone else's rule without plotting anything. Then, is it because you wish to use him for your own purposes?"

Bringing the body of Celia closer to her, Sylvia glanced upon the hand which she had deformed - all the fingers of which had been dislocated.

Grabbing the hand, the woman began to relocate the appendages.

Crack!

"I don't believe that is the case either. You seem to be waiting for the right moment to go against him. While you do benefit from his rule so long as you maintain a position as an executive, this is only temporary - and that is not something that you see as long lasting. And if you truly had the power to overtake him, then why would you put up with his rule?"

Crack!

One by one, the woman fixed the very fingers which she had broken, the unconscious girl completely unaware of the mutilation she had experienced.

Crack!

"So it must mean that he holds some power over you."

"Reign."

Cringing at the horrible sounds that came from Celia's hand, Melissa spoke this word.

"That's Gerard's ability. To any person who he has defeated, or anyone who has submitted to him, he can give out orders to this person. These orders... they are infallible. Nobody can deny them. If he gives one of his subjects an order, then they absolutely must follow through with it."

"And if they don't?"

As Sylvia asked this question, her prisoner seemed to shiver, as if terrified that she was even divulging such information.

"Then they are subject to a punishment far worse than death."

With this statement, Sylvia nodded.

"So in the end, you... this girl... and perhaps even that other one... they are all under his reign?"

"That's right. We... have no ability to go against him. We have to use our abilities for his sake, and use it to expand... his Kingdom."

"But this ability was only developed recently, correct?", Sylvia asked.

"That's right.", Melissa replied.

"Then, before, it was that man Yakov who acted as his insurance against betrayal. So the situation hasn't really changed. You three also obtained abilities when you awakened in this new world, but his ability kept yours at bay. And I assume that Yakov also has an ability?"

"I don't know anything about Yakov's ability. He... he's always been sharp, but it seems like he can predict everything now. The only reason I know Gerard's ability is because he used it on us. That's all I can tell you."

"That's enough."

Letting go of Melissa, Sylvia looked down upon the girl with pity.

"Well... I'm not exactly one to hold a grudge. But I can say without doubt that his Kingdom will be brought down on this day."

Looking over to the hotel, Sylvia leaned herself on a wall as she faced the two.

"Aren't you going to help in defeating them?", Melissa asked.

"We've already planned everything out. My goal is to prevent you two from interfering. I've already passed this information along, so there is no longer a need to worry."

"How... can you be so certain? That man may have been powerful, but he wasn't all powerful. He won't even be able to beat Valerie at this rate. Did he take her to that other realm?"

"I believe so. But he will defeat her. And the others will ensure that the remaining two are taken care of."

"What if you're wrong?"

Spitting out this statement, Melissa looked at Sylvia with a questioning expression.

"What if they can't actually defeat Gerard or Yakov? What if your trust in these comrades of yours is misplaced?"

"If I'm wrong? That much is simple. I'll do exactly as I've always done."

Crossing her arms, the woman let out a sigh as she smiled lightly.

"Where others fail, I'll step in and do it myself."

----

"So? What's your story?"

"You... do you really have the time to be making small talk like this?"

As Sylvia posed this strange question to Melissa despite the events going on around them, Melissa was dumbfounded.

How could this woman have so easily given up on contributing to whatever plot they were hatching?

Even if she had fulfilled her role, it didn't make sense. She was still an asset that they held in combat and otherwise, so why would her talents be wasted here watching a defeated foe?

"You may think this is small talk, but I have a goal. I need to understand people before I decide what to do with them. So tell me your story. Why are you here? What got you involved in this mafia business? Why are you an executive? But most importantly, why were you awakened as Reckless? Tell me everything from the beginning."

As soon as Sylvia explained this, Melissa immediately understood.

This woman was not merely trying to be friendly.

She was doing business.

"Alright... I guess I'll tell you."

"You certainly aren't acting like someone who has been defeated. If I really wanted to, I could injure you pretty badly right now. I could even kill you off."

"That... well, I can't exactly say anything against that. But do you understand what will happen to you if you lose to Gerard? He won't just kill you. He'll imprison you and all your comrades on the lowest level and sell you off as sex slaves."

Melissa threatened Sylvia with these words, however the woman who had tied her up merely grinned in response.

"I know that."

And with a chuckle, the woman closed her eyes as she leaned back on the wall of the hotel.

"Which is exactly why I have no qualms destroying this entire organization in the first place."

As the woman said these words, Melissa felt something in this woman.

A strange feeling - something different than what she was used to.

It was not exactly the terrifying feeling of overwhelming power that she had felt before, nor anything similar to the dominating nature that Gerard had exerted upon her.

Rather... she felt humanity.

Humanity that was hidden away, shielded by a layer of power and authority, concealed deep within her as she hardened herself from all emotion.

"But this hotel... it's just the first stepping stone. Which is why it needs to crumble before anything else."

However, as if to strip away that humanity, the words which the woman said next were enough to crush Melissa with the lofty aspirations contained within them.

For they were spoken not as mere dreams - but as someone who was capable of achieving such things.

"After all... when you attack a fortress, if you start at the foundation... then the top will inevitably come crumbling down."

----

[A few years ago]

On the top floor of a skyscraper, in the executive office of Touchette Industries, a man in his 50's sat at his desk, filing through reports.

This man, who had lost a large amount of his hair from the stress of managing a corporation, seemed to be diligently working even now that he held the position of CEO.

Knock knock knock.

Glancing up at the sudden intrusion, the man responded quickly.

"Come in."

"Good afternoon Sir."

A businessman entered the room, grinning as he held a stack of reports in his hands, eventually making his way in front of the executive's desk.

"Sir, this quarter's earnings have been reported by all departments. After thoroughly reviewing these reports, I have a few suggestions to make regarding changes in our policy."

"Changes in our policy?"

The executive raised an eyebrow at the proposal of the businessman, but notioned for him to continue.

"Sir, our competitors have gained quite the edge over us. The majority of consumers are flocking to other providers in numerous areas, and I've pinpointed the reason for this."

Placing the reports on the desk, the man pointed to a section in particular.

"The materials we are using are far more expensive than those of our competitors. Take a look at this. The steel company we've been using charges almost twice as much as the alternative company."

The executive glanced through the report, eyeing the numbers before looking back up to the businessman.

"That isn't the only instance. There are numerous cases just like this in every area. Lumber, insulation, asphalt, concrete, the list goes on."

"What of it?"

To the surprise of the businessman however, the executive responded in a most unexpected fashion.

"Er... well, I think this should be obvious, but I am suggesting we change our suppliers. Our expenditures will decrease by almost double, and we will be able to pass some of those savings onto the client as well, attracting more customers. Not only that, but I'm sure you'd be happy with increasing your own profit margin-"

"I've heard enough."

Waving his hand as if to wave off the very suggestions of the man, the executive made no room for negotiation.

Standing up from his seat, the man motioned for the businessman to follow him.

"Come walk with me for a second, Herbert."

"Er... of course, Sir. But... are you sure we should simply reject such an idea?"

Folding his hands behind his back, the executive exited his office as the other man followed him, and the two entered a lengthy hallway as they walked.

"Herbert... do you know why I use the suppliers I use - despite their high costs?"

"Is it because you've used them for years, and established a good relationship with them?"

"Wrong."

On speaking his mind, the man's guess was denied by the executive, who smiled at the businessman's response.

"If it were something as simple as that, I would have switched over to the cheaper suppliers much sooner. Listen closely, Herbert. Do you know why I started this business in the first place?"

Glancing over to the businessman, the executive continued to walk alongside the man, who nodded his head.

"Er... well, I haven't heard it from your mouth. Why then, Sir?"

"Because all the corporations are rotten."

Spitting out these words with a smile, the man stopped at a corner which was clearly meant for some grandose display, but was instead empty.

"When I was working in my younger days, all my boss ever told me was to find a way to save money. Find a way to do things faster. The deadline and the budget were always the most important things in the world. But the thing about these two things is that if you meet one, you fail at the other."

Letting out a sigh, the businessman listened eagerly as his boss continued.

"You need to pay more people to do more work by a quicker date. If you don't, the quality of the work decreases. This is obvious - it's fundamental to running any business. Quality, Time, and Money. If you want to get more of one, you have to cut down on the other. Of course, nobody wants to give up time or money. So guess what always ends up having to take the punishment?"

"Quality?"

"Exactly."

With a grimace, the man moved on, continuing to walk through the almost empty hall.

"I would always tell my boss that I needed more time to do something, or that we needed to spend more money to make sure it was done right. But he never listened. The moment I brought up increasing costs or delaying a due date, everything I said went out the window. Of course, we would lose clients from either of those results. But I was tired of it."

Glancing upwards with tired eyes, the man spoke his mind.

"I was tired of having to do a half assed job just to shut the boss up."

Then with a wry laugh, the man seemed to recall some bitter memories.

"When the job wasn't well done, I'd always take the blame for it. Nobody would dare mention the lack of resources I had to work with. It was always my fault if something went wrong. So I decided to start my own company. One where we wouldn't cheap out on the products. One where we wouldn't rush things and try to meet unreasonable due dates. One where we prioritize quality over quantity."

Placing his hand on the shoulder of the businessman, the executive gave him a gentle smile.

"But that isn't very profitable, now is it?"

"So that's why you always use these obscure companies... because you know that they produce quality?"

"Exactly. But that's fine. I have no place dealing with customers who want something that will break down. I'm going to give my customers something reliable, something durable that will last. And I'm not going to break my employee's backs trying to produce that. Some people might not like that. Some people might go to other companies. But for the ones who want something genuine - for those who are willing to wait - they'll stick with us."

"I see... well, that's very admirable. If that is the case, then I can understand. Forgive my intrusion. I'll continue my work."

"If you've learned something, that's all that matters."

With this advice, the two men went their separate ways as the boss returned to his office.

With a bittersweet smile, the man walked past the empty area where there should have been some sort of monument.

'If I spend money on useless things to impress people, then I should be using it instead on making my products better or giving my employees a bonus. Because in my company... there is a ranking of priorities.'

Walking past the empty area, the man's bittersweet grin soon turned to a grateful smile.

'First the employees. Then the customer. And only after both have been taken care of... my own profits.'

This man - one of a kind who could perhaps be found nowhere else within this entire nation - was Alfosno Touchette - the father of Melissa Touchette, and the head of Touchette Industries.

----