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Night had fallen.
Saeko Busujima stood alone in the back courtyard, wooden sword in hand, her gaze fixed on the starry sky.
"You ready?"
"I'm ready."
Her voice was calm. She lowered her head slightly, her sharp features hidden beneath her bangs, her expression hard as steel.
"Then I'll begin."
Venom raised a tendril, shaping it into a syringe. Filling it with liquid, he injected it smoothly into Saeko's body.
The moment it entered her veins, her whole body convulsed like something was boiling inside her. The sensation spread fast, tearing through her.
She clenched her teeth until her lips bled, hugging herself tight against the pain raging inside.
Venom watched her trembling form. He knew that agony well. Without hesitation, he wrapped her in a layer of black liquid armor to ease her suffering, dulling the torment as best he could.
Inside her, cells ripped apart and reassembled under the serum's power.
Her body shifted—she grew a little taller, her skin peeling away to reveal smoother, paler flesh underneath. Her figure sharpened, curves more pronounced.
When she finally came back to herself, the pain gone, Saeko felt like a heavy weight had been lifted off her shoulders.
"Try out your strength. Look at that boulder over there."
Venom pointed to a rock over a meter high.
Saeko glanced at it uncertainly, walked over, then gripped it with both hands. With a single motion, she hoisted it clean off the ground.
"Congratulations. Without any help from me, you've already surpassed human limits."
Venom's tone carried real approval. Lifting something that heavy wasn't his power—it was hers alone. She had pushed beyond what humans could achieve.
Thud!
She dropped the rock back down and stared at her hands, almost unable to believe it.
"Now, I'll teach you how to control that strength."
Venom's voice was steady. He knew she wasn't fully used to her new body yet. The fastest way to master it? Real combat.
Saeko nodded firmly.
Venom spread across her body, forming a sleek black battle suit.
With one leap, Saeko shot a hundred meters into the air, disappearing into the night.
"Drink up, boys! Tonight, we're not leaving sober!"
Inside an abandoned factory, firelight flickered. Over a hundred gangsters were gathered, drinking and fooling around with women.
"Thanks, boss!""Boss forever!"
The men cheered, raising bottles in salute.
While they laughed and reveled, the factory doors creaked open.
Saeko Busujima stepped inside, wooden sword in hand, her footsteps calm, measured.
"Ahhh, good stuff—so smooth!"
A scruffy, middle-aged drunk stumbled toward her, clutching a bottle. His flushed face twisted into a wide, lecherous grin the moment he saw her.
"Hey, pretty lady! Come have a drink with me! Hahaha!"
He wobbled closer, thrusting the bottle toward her.
The stench of booze hit her, making Saeko frown. With a flick of her hand, she smacked the bottle aside.
Crash!
Shards scattered across the floor.
The man blinked at the broken glass, hiccuped, then frowned angrily.
"Pretty girl, you even know who I am? I'll have you know, I'm—"
His words slurred as his filthy hand reached straight for her chest.
Saeko Busujima saw the guy's move and immediately stepped back, swinging her wooden sword in one clean motion.
The blade smacked straight across his face, warping his features before he went flying through the air like a ragdoll, his body tracing a messy parabola before crashing down.
He tumbled a good ten meters, rolled across the floor a few times, and finally stopped at the feet of the gang boss.
"What the hell's going on?"
The boss, mid-drink, frowned as one of his men skidded to a stop in front of him.
"B-boss! Someone's wrecking the place!"
The man raised his battered face, spitting out words through the few teeth he had left.
Crash!
"You bastards! Someone dares mess with me here? Do they even know who the hell I am?!"
The gang boss smashed his bottle on the ground, rage flashing across his face.
In this whole district, nobody didn't know his name. And yet some fool had actually barged in.
Around the room, the other drunks instantly sobered up halfway, twisting around to look toward the entrance.
The boss followed their gaze. He expected to see another gang. Instead, standing in the doorway was… a gorgeous woman.
"That's it? I thought it'd be someone scary. Turns out it's just some chick. Move aside, you useless idiot."
He kicked his groaning underling out of the way and stood up with a scowl. The guy couldn't even handle a girl? Pathetic.
He started toward Saeko in long, swaggering strides.
"Pretty lady, showing up here this late at night—you don't think that's dangerous? A whole room full of guys like us, you know we can be trouble."
He smiled wide, his eyes glinting with condescension as if he were doing her a favor by warning her. His men howled and jeered like wolves behind him.
"....."