The soft glow of lanterns flickered across the high-ceilinged hall of the Kurogami stronghold. Shadows danced along the walls, moving like living threads in the quiet night. Within the hall, John Merciless stood tall, white mask with black markings reflecting faint light, his posture calm but imposing. His eyes—hidden behind the mask—observed the small figure before him: Liora, a girl of seven, trembling slightly as she clutched a small piece of cloth in her tiny hands.
She was small, fragile, but her wide, fearful eyes burned with an awareness beyond her years. The experiments she had endured left her circuits unstable, her body weaker than normal but her potential—what she could become under guidance—was immense.
John Merciless leaned slightly, tilting his head. Even with his mask, his presence radiated authority and safety all at once. Around him, the three strongest Kurogami operatives—Reiji, Selara, and Kael—stood back, giving the girl space.
Her voice was barely above a whisper. "They… they said I was nothing. That if I couldn't do it… if my circuits didn't awaken fast enough… they would… hurt me… or worse."
Her tiny hands shook as she spoke, eyes welling with tears. "I… I tried to run once… but they caught me. They said if I tried again… I would die."
Reiji and Selara stiffened at the intensity of her words, but John Merciless simply stood silently, listening, calculating. His mind moved faster than the words could express.
Fools, he thought. They treated her as nothing more than a tool. And now? She is mine to protect. And theirs to fear.
Kneeling slightly to bring his imposing figure closer to her eye level, he spoke, voice gentle yet authoritative: "Liora… you don't need to be afraid anymore. They cannot touch you. You're safe here."
She blinked, trembling. "Safe…?"
"Yes," he said firmly. "Here, you are like my little sister. Do you understand?"
Tears spilled from her wide eyes, and she nodded, trembling. "I… I think so…"
John Merciless allowed a subtle, almost imperceptible nod. Good. Trust must come before fear can be replaced.
He handed her a small charm, a fragment of his magic-resistant suit material bound with simple steel, and said softly, "This will remind you that you are protected. No one can hurt you while you have this."
Her small fingers wrapped around it, and a faint smile broke through her fear. "It… it's beautiful," she whispered.
John Merciless guided her to a small chair, keeping close enough that she felt his presence like a shield. He brought her a simple meal—soft bread and fruit—carefully prepared to be digestible and comforting. Every gesture, though subtle, spoke volumes: protection, warmth, and care.
Liora hesitated at first, unsure of her place in this strange, imposing stronghold. But as John spoke gently, her fear slowly gave way to curiosity.
"Why… why are you helping me?" she asked in a tiny voice, her eyes wide and innocent.
John Merciless' tone softened, almost uncharacteristically warm. "Because someone must watch the pieces. And some pieces… are precious. And you are one of them."
She blinked, her small hands clutching the charm tighter. "I… I don't understand."
"You will," he said quietly, voice carrying a weight she could feel even if she didn't fully comprehend it. "For now… you are safe. And you are family."
Her eyes welled with tears, but she nodded. "Family…" she whispered, repeating the word as if tasting its sweetness for the first time.
Thousands of miles away in Karveth, the head of the Circuit Guardians' Association, Kazuhiko Aratani, slammed his hand onto the table as reports poured in.
"What? The lab… breached?" he barked. "And the girl… rescued? By John Merciless?"
"Yes, Headmaster," one officer replied nervously. "The infiltration was precise. They retrieved the child, and our top enforcers could not stop them."
Aratani's glare cut through the room like a blade. "Impossible! Every precaution, every barrier, every elite… and yet he succeeded. He treats her… like a sibling? Does he… play with them, even? Is this some sort of… psychological strategy?"
Another officer whispered, "He's not just strong… he anticipates. Every reaction… every counter… he already knows it before it happens."
Aratani's voice became sharper, colder. "Then we do what we must. Mobilize our finest. Every awakened, every elite. Retrieve the girl and neutralize John Merciless. He cannot be allowed to expose our methods. Every secret… every experiment… compromised."
Back on the Northern Continent, Arata remained hidden in his stronghold, observing the entire operation through magical scrying and strategic intelligence. John Merciless acted in Karveth, but Arata's mind orchestrated every detail. Every action of the 10 Kings and Queens, every reaction of the Circuit Guardians, every movement of the girl was calculated before it even happened.
Every variable accounted for. Every reaction predicted. Every outcome anticipated.
He allowed a faint, almost imperceptible smile beneath his mask. The girl, Liora, is a variable that will serve multiple purposes in the future. For now, she is safe. And they will never know the hand that guides her safety.
Under John Merciless' watch, Liora slowly began to relax. She laughed softly for the first time in weeks, a fragile, childlike sound. Her fingers toyed with the charm he had given her, tracing its edges with curiosity.
"Can I… play?" she asked, small but bold.
John Merciless knelt again, masking his towering presence. "Yes. You may. But only here, where you are safe. No one can touch you, and no harm can come to you while I am watching."
She nodded, eyes bright with trust, and allowed herself a brief smile.
In Karveth, Aratani and his council frantically attempted to plan. "We cannot underestimate him," one officer said, voice tight with fear. "He manipulates every variable. The girl… she is now part of his plan."
Aratani's gaze hardened. "Mobilize our strongest. Track every operative of Kurogami. And understand this—John Merciless doesn't just fight. He calculates. Every step, every reaction, every contingency. And the girl is now part of the equation. He will use her… in ways we cannot predict."
For John Merciless, Liora was now more than a variable. She was family, in the only sense that mattered: someone under his protection, someone whose trust and safety mattered to him personally.
And for Liora, John Merciless was a shadow she could trust, a guardian of her fragile existence, and the first person who made her feel safe after years of terror and experimentation.
This bond… will be invaluable. For her. For the game. For everything to come.