Number 7

"Sir. It would appear that a number of battles are currently occurring outside."

"Huh? Wait just a minute, Yakov. Who in their right mind has the balls to be attacking us directly? Is it those bloodhounds? I thought we sent those five off with Isabella to eradicate them... did they let them escape? Or maybe their real base was somewhere else and the mall was a trap?"

While the overweight man stroked his mustache in thought, the older gentleman dressed in the outfit of a butler held his hands folded behind his back as he calmly reported to his master.

"That isn't the case. Unfortunately... it would seem that we've been betrayed."

"Betrayed!? By who!?"

Slamming his wine glass on the desk that he sat at, Gerard looked up to Yakov with indignance.

"The third branch has betrayed us. The bloodhounds never existed in the first place. That entire mission was in order to draw out some of our more capable members to slaughter them without resistance. Fortunately, I had predicted this beforehand and ensured that our executives were not sent out for such a thing."

"Hmm... I see. Well done, Yakov."

Grabbing hold of a cigar, the man thinned his eyes with irritation even as he praised his subordinate.

"But even so... that Isabella betrayed me..."

Fiddling with a lighter, a few sparks flew until a flame formed, at which the man lit the cigar and took a puff.

"Even if she's family, I won't forgive this. And at the end of the day, she isn't even related by blood."

Leaning forward, the man gazed up to Yakov, who stood with a calm expression.

"Do you understand, Yakov?"

"I understand perfectly. However, right now, your safety is my utmost concern."

"Do as you need."

With the wave of his hand, Gerard gave Yakov permission to act as he pleased, at which the older gentleman gave a grateful bow.

"I appreciate your cooperation. There are numerous worms and rats crawling about... and it would appear that there has been an infestation."

Standing up straight, the man spoke with gravity in his words, thinning his eyes as he prepared for battle.

"Therefore... even though I may be a mere Janitor... I will do my best to eliminate the filth."

Heading out of the room, the man stopped right before he reached the door, as if a sudden revelation had occured to him.

"Sir. Please do not allow anyone into this room while I am gone. Do not touch anything. Do not do anything. Do not trust anyone who tries to come into this place."

"What's with the sudden serious orders, Yakov? Did you notice something?"

"Not much has been revealed yet... however I know two things."

Closing his eyes, the man let out a sigh as he spoke.

"The first is that if I do not go right now to meet a certain opponent, that you will become a casualty of our battle."

"That's a pretty big revelation. You're saying I'd die so easily?"

"Sir, I do not take these things lightly - and I'm sure you understand that I would never say such things if it were not revealed to me."

His cold words silencing even the man he worked for, Yakov spoke in a low and demanding tone - one which was especially unusual as he ordered his master about.

However this only went to show just how grave the situation truly was.

"And the second thing?", Gerard pressed.

"If you allow someone into this room, then without question you will be killed."

With these words, Yakov walked off.

The door closed behind him, leaving Gerard to grit his teeth at the impudent statements of the man.

"Yakov... you've never so much as raised a finger against me. And because of that, I'll trust you."

Standing up, the man began to pace in the room, a distraught expression overcoming him.

"But are you telling me that even with my ability, that I would be killed?"

Locking the door, the man returned to his seat as he took another puff of his cigar.

"Don't allow anyone inside... that was what he said, right?"

Thinning his eyes, the man nodded as he came to a conclusion.

"Which means that anyone who tries to get inside... is going to kill me."

At that instant, the knocking of the door could be heard.

Shooting his head up, Gerard's eyes became wide as he stood up quickly.

'It couldn't be... did someone sneak past Yakov? No... perhaps he is too occupied with his opponent. Is there another one then? Do I try to escape?'

As these thoughts rushed through Gerard's head, he glanced to the window - however he realized that escape was no option.

After all, he was on the top floor.

'What's the point in having all those bodyguards if they can't even stop a single person-'

"Sir? Are you in there?"

Suddenly, the man's train of thought was halted by the words of a woman.

It was a woman whose voice he knew well - for she was one of his executives.

A woman who he had absolute REIGN over.

"Hah... so you're telling me..."

With a vein bursting in his forehead, Gerard didn't even know how to respond.

"That one of my own subordinates... that I can order as I please.... will kill me?"

----

"Wait just a minute. You said just a second ago that a friend of yours used to hold the reign ability. How is that possible!? I thought that each ability only had a single user!"

"That is true. It's very complicated though. I will explain everything once our victory is assured."

Marcus and Valerie spoke within that land of nothingness, discussing with one another after Seven had briefly taken over the conversation.

Of course, there was no way for Valerie to know such a thing - which only propagated her confusion further.

"Then you know how reign works?"

"Reign - the ability to reign over one's subordinates as an absolute ruler. The ability is only applicable to people who have at any point agreed to become subordinate to you, however from the moment they give in and serve underneath you they become unable to refuse any and all orders given. This... is the ability that Gerard Stirling has obtained. Correct?"

"That's... exactly right. Of course, he gained the ability after the new world was set into stone. At that point, any of us who were working under him were automatically recognized by his ability. It was excruciating at first. I tried to disobey him about the slightest thing and I was stopped from doing so. I wasn't physically harmed, but it was as if my body refused to do anything that went against him..."

"So any of his orders are absolute, and anything he says must be done. Therefore... if he tells you to die?"

"Then I must die."

"And if he tells you to attack?"

"Then I must attack."

"And if he tells you to protect him with all your being?"

"Then I must protect him with all my being."

Pausing for a moment, Marcus ceased his question as he allowed himself to think, at which Valerie pursed her lips in anticipation.

"And if he told you to kill him?"

"Then... we must kill him."

----

"So you've decided to betray me, Eclaire."

From within that room, without opening the door, the man spoke these words to the girl standing outside the door.

"I knew that you were always irritated with me. You hated me for a lot of reasons. But I didn't think that you'd betray me now, of all times."

Looking up to the ceiling, the man grinned with pleasure.

'She can't touch me.'

"I order you to not lay a single finger upon me. I order you to not attack me in any way, shape, or form. I order that you not move a single muscle unless I directly order you to do so."

With these words, the man sat up at his desk, smashing his cigar as he gazed upon the door.

"I order you to enter, and to stand six feet in front of my desk."

In that instant, the door which was locked was forcibly opened, the metal lock breaking as the girl entered.

Her white hair was disheveled from having smashed her body into the door, blood now dripping down her face. She looked to the man without moving, only breathing as she awaited his orders like a doll.

"You were going to kill me, but I've now ensured that you absolutely cannot kill me. You can't even move without my permission. Which is why it makes absolutely no sense that you would choose now - after I've obtained such an ability - to try and betray me."

Standing up, the man looked Eclaire directly in the eyes, staring into her soul.

"Just what is going on inside your head? Just how could you have possibly imagined defeating me when you have absolutely no means to do so? Or perhaps the next person to arrive will be the one to kill me? Repair the door and barricade it for me."

Without speaking a word, the girl immediately sprung into motion, first fixing the door to the best of her ability as she pried the metal back into place.

Her hands were cut as she did so, however this did not stop the girl who then proceeded to pick up chairs and eventually a table and other furniture, stacking them such that no intruder would be allowed to enter.

After completing this, the man spat out another order.

"Now stand in front of me once more and do not move a muscle."

And as soon as he uttered such words, she did so.

Everything he said was law.

Like a King, he ruled over her - incorporating this girl into his absolute reign.

"Actually... pour me a drink."

As the man said this, the girl walked over to a nearby cabinet, opening it up to reveal a fine selection of wines.

As the girl reached for one, the man held out his hand to stop her.

"Wait. You might have planted some sort of poison. Therefore I'm not going to allow you to choose which one it is. The fifth one from the 2nd row. Pour me that one."

As the man spoke this order, the girl did exactly as he said, reaching for that particular bottle as she headed over to his desk.

Taking the man's wine glass, the woman began to pour as she filled it, placing it upon his desk.

"And in case you somehow poisoned all of them... I'm going to make absolutely certain."

Sliding over the glass, the man glanced up to the girl.

"This is NOT an order. This is merely a suggestion, and you are free not to obey me in this case. Test this wine for poison."

Thus - the man gave the ultimate test to the girl.

If the wine had been poisoned, it might have been a slow acting poison - one that might not kill its target initially.

If this were the case and he ordered the girl to drink, then she would be forced to do so. This would prove nothing as to whether or not the poison was actually present if she didn't die immediately.

So instead, he forced her to choose of her own will to drink or not.

If she chose not to drink, it was poisoned. If she chose to drink, it was not.

However, without question, the girl took a sip.

There was not a second of hesitation. She took the sip immediately, as if to prove her loyalty to the man.

"Then... it wasn't you who was trying to kill me? Is there going to be someone else who comes to this place? Put the glass back on my desk. And don't spill it."

The girl followed orders once more, placing the glass down.

"This is an order. You are permitted to speak, and you must answer with honesty. Are you the one who is trying to kill me?"

"Yes."

Widening his eyes, the man looked at the girl with shock.

"So it is you... how did you intend to kill me?"

"Poison."

"So it was poison after all. And I assume that there was some specific bottle in there that you picked out, then? You thought that I wouldn't specify which one to pick, so when I ordered you to use a specific one you ended up losing to me. Haha! Now that's ironic."

Grabbing the glass with a grin, the man stood up as he took the wine bottle, pulling out another glass from a drawer.

"Without question, if the poison were in the one you selected, you would have refused to drink it, so this one is alright. I suppose I'll have someone test all the others later, just to be safe."

Reaching into his drawer, the man pulled out a small bag with a white pill.

Placing this white pill into the 2nd glass, the man then poured the wine into it, taking one glass into each of his hands.

"Now isn't this ironic? You're going to die the same way you tried to kill me, Eclaire. Was it worth it?"

Handing over the poisoned glass, the man grinned with pleasure, handing over the glass to the girl.

"Take this and toast with me."

And as the girl took the poisoned glass, the two clinked them together - performing a light toast as they both took a sip.

"So now you're going to die... and I'm going to live. But it truly is a shame, Eclaire. I had so much hope for you. I had so much trust in you. And yet you've gone and betrayed me like this. It truly shatters my heart."

Placing his glass down, the man walked around the girl with lust in his eyes.

"This hair of yours... it was always so beautiful. That was why I let you live and gave you another chance. Because even if you betrayed me before, I didn't want to give you up. But now that you've done it again... I can't very well let such a thing be forgiven a second time."

Clicking his tongue, the man ran his hand through the girl's hair.

"You didn't learn your lesson."

At that moment, the girl spat up a volley of blood.

Falling to the ground, the girl was unable to obey the order of the man as her limbs failed - now moving her body as she hacked and coughed.

"I'll permit you to thrash and heave in your death, but do not allow it to harm me in any way."

Looking down upon the girl as she threw up the blood, this was the only thing the man said as coldness filled his eyes.

"I'm disappointed."

And with this final statement, the man watched as the girl ceased her struggling and her eyes became cold.

"Your death... was pointless."

[Just how many times has this girl died? Do you believe this to be the first one?]

Suddenly however, a voice spoke up from the dead body of the girl.

Stumbling back, Gerard looked down as the pale corpse stood, and the woman took to her feet.

"You... stop moving. Immediately."

[I am not your subordinate. She is currently dealing with her own death.]

At that moment, the man felt a sharp pain as he grabbed his chest.

'Wha...'

[You should have listened to Mr. Janitor. After all, if you weren't so confident in your control over this girl - then perhaps you WOULD have been alive.]

As the woman spoke such harsh words, her expression suddenly became gentle - as if she were a teacher glorifying the achievement of a student.

The man fell to his knees, his breathing becoming heavier as the poison spread through his veins, and he felt his own consciousness fading as the pain erupted within him.

[But I'm quite proud of her.]

And as he fell down to the ground, the woman continued to speak, looking down upon the man with those horribly condescending eyes.

[Just how many times has she died trying to bring this assassination to fruition?]

----

"Seven."

[Yes, Marcus?]

"Everything is going according to your will."

[I know that.]

"Is this truly... the path I... no... the path that we should take?"

[There is no other. Or perhaps you truly do want to act like a hero?]

"No. Not at all."

With resignation in his voice, Marcus responded to the demon within him - a fierce determination in his words.

"I have no intention of portraying a man as wicked as myself as some sort of savior."

There are no heroes in this world.

This was the conclusion that Marcus had come to.

He was powerless without the thing inside of him.

The same went for Sylvia.

If Seven so wished, the two would be overtaken at any moment - and their destructive impulses would be released upon this world.

Therefore - he complied.

He bargained and negotiated, utilizing the talents that he had garnered from his years of experience in order to stop the thing within him from destroying this entire world.

And if this was at the cost of his very soul - then who was he to complain?

'Complain? No... I would never do such a thing.'

He would use this.

'Rather... I will accept this with gratitude.'

He would take advantage even of this horrid situation - and turn it into a profit for himself.

'After all... a businessman is someone who never fails to see an opportunity.'

The gears were in motion, and the pieces were set.

Gerard's death had been engineered, and a plot involving a piece which the mastermind himself knew not of was currently taking place.

With the executives out of the way, there remained only a single opponent, and soon enough that opponent too would be defeated.

'Everything is going according to plan.'

[Indeed. However... this is only the beginning.]

'I am beginning to see it, Seven.'

[Is that so?]

Holding out his hand as he closed his eyes within that abyss, the man grasped his palm as he took hold of nothing in particular.

'It will all... fall into place.'

[There will be obstacles.]

'There will be enemies.'

[We will be seen as monsters.]

'Wretched abominations to be destroyed.'

[Inhuman creatures that have no place in this world.]

'But that much... is fine.'

[For in the end... the winner is the hero.]

'And the monster... is the one who lost.'

[But what would happen if the monster were to win?]

'What would happen if the winner were to remain a monster?'

[This... is what we will find out.]

This is the story of how a man and a monster took over the world.

And as for which was the man and which was the monster?

Neither of them knew for certain.

----

Author's Note:

This marks the end of Volume 5 of Number 7: The Invaders of Paradise.

This arc has been going on for quite a while. The first appearance of Gerard and his hotel were in Volume Number 3, and I took quite a detour with the Randov arc followed by Bradley's backstory. A large amount of this arc has been backstory as well, so I hope that you all don't mind it.

I am a firm believer that characters are most interesting when they are fleshed out, and I went in with a lot planned for certain characters, which I'm sure you saw in Melissa's and Celia's backstories. Even the five clients, who were really just meant to be placeholder characters to show off how powerful ability users are in this world, ended up becoming quite fleshed out in this manner.

Now, there is one particular thing I would like to address. I am in no way acknowledging or approving of the behavior of any characters in my story. Particularly so with the disturbed characters created in this arc.

I wrote those characters as a sort of experiment to see how messed up people could become. And I'm sure you've already noticed this with many of my characters.

This was the first arc where there was a real strategy going on behind the scenes. Marcus and Sylvia had been molded by Seven and One pretty significantly up to this point, and I'm excited to see everything play out.

Even now, I still have a ton more planned before this arc comes to an end. There's a whole bunch more story, and a whole bunch more backstory to tell before it's completion. I hope that you all will stick around for it.

I was considering whether to finish the volume here or not, but in the end I decided to do so. I've been humming and hawing about whether or not to try and finish this arc in this volume, but it's gone on long enough. It's time to cut things here, since there is still so much left before this arc is completed.

The Paradise Hotel Arc will end within Volume 6 of Number 7: The Monarchs of the Underworld. Following this arc, things are going to really open up, and I have a whole bunch more planned even after that.

A little hint to the next arc, read at your own discretion. I've introduced some of our next characters of interest already, which was another reason why I focused so much on some of the backstories here.

Please look forward to the conclusion of this arc. I can tell you that it will be exciting.

And most importantly, thank you. Thank you for reading my story up to this point. Anyone who has stuck around until now is clearly either invested in the story or deceiving themselves and wondering when it will get good - so I hope for your sanity that it's the former.

I hope that you will all continue reading as I begin Volume Number 6: The Monarchs of the Underworld.