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The sun was shining bright that day, pouring light across the cracked concrete floor of an abandoned factory. More than a hundred gangsters stood in formation on the open ground, each one gripping a weapon, each one deathly silent.
Their eyes were all fixed on the factory entrance. The moment a shadow appeared in the doorway, their nerves tightened like bowstrings, and their grips on their weapons grew white-knuckled.
Long purple hair swayed in the breeze. A wooden sword gleamed in her hand. Dressed in black, her expression cold and unyielding, Saeko Busujima walked step by step into view.
Just by standing before them, she made the entire mob instinctively step back.
Her reputation alone was enough to terrify them.
She had stormed into more gangs than they could count—always walking out unscathed, leaving nothing behind but shattered bodies and bloody scenes.
And the strangest part: every gang she crushed would mysteriously vanish the very next day, as if they had been erased from the world.
"Kill her!"
With a roar, the mob surged forward, weapons raised high.
Saeko's purple hair whipped in the wind as she lifted her wooden blade and stepped into the charge.
One swing, and the man before her flew backward, blood spraying from his mouth, his face twisted with terror.
Her eyes glimmered with a sharp, dangerous thrill.
The purple blur cut through the crowd, each swing of her blade followed by screams and flying bodies.
Then, high above, a figure appeared on the factory's upper level. Lifting a sniper rifle, he locked the scope onto Saeko's darting form.
"Bloodstained Violet… your life is mine."
The rifle cracked.
Bang!
In the split second the shot rang out, Saeko stopped dead, leaning her body just barely out of line.
Whoosh—
The bullet skimmed past her face, grazing the corner of her eye before burying itself deep into the wall behind her.
"This… impossible!"
The sniper froze in disbelief for a split second, then snapped back to his senses. He quickly raised his rifle, ready to take a desperate second shot.
But the figure in purple didn't give him the chance. With a sharp step, she stomped on a nearby baseball bat. The force sent it spinning up into the air.
In the next instant, her left foot lashed out, kicking the bat with deadly precision.
The wooden bat shot forward like a projectile, cutting through the air with terrifying speed.
The sniper's eyes went wide as it hurtled toward him. He tried to dodge, but it was too late—the bat smashed square into his chest, sending him flying off the rooftop.
The purple shadow watched as the sniper vanished from sight. Then, with a calm motion, she raised her wooden sword, swiftly cutting down the few remaining gangsters before turning to leave.
As she disappeared, a young woman arrived with several large men in tow.
"Erase everything."
She adjusted her glasses with a finger, her sharp gaze sweeping over the groaning thugs sprawled across the ground.
"Yes, Miss Takagi."
The men nodded briskly, moving past her to get to work.
In less than fifteen minutes, the ruined factory was quiet again. It looked as if nothing had ever happened there.
Not far from the river stood a villa. From one of its rooms came the sound of running water—gentle, steady, like rain. It was the kind of sound that stirred the imagination.
Through the faintly frosted glass, the silhouette of a curvaceous figure could be seen, rinsing herself in the shower.
On the bed outside sat a blonde beauty in pajamas. Her ample chest strained against the thin fabric, drawing the eye without effort.
At the moment, she was playing with a slick, writhing mass of black liquid, giggling as though she could never get enough of it.
"Shizuka, where do you keep your bath towels?"
The familiar voice came from behind the glass.
"Saeko-chan, they should be... ah, I forgot."
Shizuka Marikawa tilted her head, looking clueless, as usual.
"You're hopeless. Never mind—I found one."
The bathroom door eased open, and Saeko Busujima stepped out, wrapped in nothing but a towel.
"Venom, it's time to go."
She ignored Shizuka's playful grin, walked forward, and let the towel slip off her body without hesitation.
The black liquid instantly abandoned Shizuka, streaming across the floor and wrapping itself around Saeko. Within moments, it had reshaped itself into a suit of armor-like clothing.
"Aw, Saeko-chan, don't be such a meanie! I was just playing with Venom for a bit."
Shizuka pouted, giving her best pleading look.
Saeko faltered, clearly not sure how to deal with her.
Their relationship had always been a strange one. Back in the kendo club, it wasn't unusual for someone to get hurt, and Saeko often escorted injured girls to the nurse's office. That's how the two had first gotten close.
But one day, by pure accident, Shizuka stumbled upon Venom's existence. Saeko had feared she would panic, maybe even run away. Instead, Shizuka wasn't scared at all—she practically befriended the symbiote on the spot.
Her childlike, airheaded nature probably had a lot to do with it.
And so, whenever it was inconvenient for Saeko to stay at home, she and Venom would sometimes crash at Shizuka's place. During those times, Venom often played with Shizuka, much to Saeko's annoyance. It always felt like something precious was being stolen from her.
"It's fine, Shizuka. We'll play again another time," Venom's voice reassured her, patient as ever. There would always be time later.
"Well... okay."
Shizuka deflated like a balloon, nodding reluctantly.
Saeko and Venom exchanged a glance, then turned and left the villa.
"....."