---
Rain returned like a curse.
The Aryanagar skyline shimmered under storm clouds, neon reflections blurred on the drenched glass of Creative Mindz HQ. Kaito Ryuu stood before the giant wall-screen of the strategy room, hands behind his back.
> SYSTEM ALERT: TIMER – 40h remaining
Hostile Legislation Incoming: "The Financial Purity Bill" (Joint Proposal: Varma Coalition)
Threat Level: Severe
Recommendation: Pre-emptive Media Disruption or Civic Backing Surge
Kaito exhaled slowly.
"Lyra. Update."
She stood across from him, flicking through surveillance tabs and backdoor analytics.
"Varma's lobbying arm submitted a 400-page dossier to the city board this morning. They're painting you as a manipulative figure exploiting regulatory loopholes. 'Digital wealth parasite,' one article said."
Kaito didn't flinch. "They want to frame me as dangerous. Means I'm effective."
Ravi chimed in from the side, waving a document. "The bill includes an emergency clause: if passed, it grants the Finance Bureau retroactive authority to seize properties linked to 'suspicious asset acquisition systems'."
Kaito's eyes narrowed. "So they're targeting the system."
"No," Ravi said. "They're targeting you."
—
Location: Aryanagar City Council Archives – 2:20 PM
Sanaya Verma pushed open the metal doors, entering the cold stone halls of government bureaucracy.
She'd donned a neutral grey blazer and removed all traces of her usual street-style accessories. Nothing flashy today—just purpose.
An old clerk looked up. "Miss Verma?"
"I need copies of all prior rejections tied to citizen wealth tracking proposals. Especially anything filed under names associated with Varma Holdings."
He hesitated. "That's restricted—"
She leaned forward. "Freedom of Information Act, subsection 2B. Do I need to call the Public Ethics Office?"
Two minutes later, she had a drive in hand.
—
Creative Mindz HQ – That Night
Kaito studied the files Sanaya brought. Pages and pages of buried rejections.
Dozens of attempts by the Varma family over the years to control digital finance, block emerging startups, and monitor system-born wealth.
One name appeared repeatedly:
Yuto Devarkar – Former Chief Counsel, Varma Holdings
Kaito recognized it instantly.
Yuto.
His former boss. The man who'd fired him years ago after Kaito uncovered hidden irregularities in the Varma system.
The man who helped ruin his name.
Kaito's knuckles tightened.
"System," he whispered. "Mark Yuto Devarkar as Strategic Enemy Level C."
> SYSTEM CONFIRMED – ENEMY TAGGED: YUTO DEVARKAR
Status: Legal Expert / Lobby Advisor / Political Architect
Passive: Cold Immunity – Immune to reputation attacks
—
Meanwhile – Varma Holdings Private War Room
Yuto Devarkar sat at the head of the table, calm as always. His fingers steepled. His eyes cold and calculating.
Arjun paced.
"Why hasn't he broken yet? We hit him with legal, we tried to buy him out—"
Yuto raised a hand. Silence.
"You're playing checkers," Yuto said. "He's playing press conferences. He doesn't fight with cash. He fights with narrative."
Sandeep Varma looked up. "So what do we do?"
Yuto answered without emotion. "We discredit the system by corrupting it. Find someone like him. Someone with a system—but no morals."
—
Next Morning – Street Level Cafe, East Aryanagar
Kaito sat alone under a modest awning, sipping dark coffee as rain splashed against the pavement.
A stranger sat down across from him.
He was lean, sharply dressed, with a scar under one eye and a silver coin rolling between his fingers.
"Name's Rafe."
Kaito said nothing.
"I have a system too," Rafe said. "Only mine doesn't play nice."
He slid over a photo. A woman. Bruised. Crying. Behind her—a luxury apartment Kaito had just recently acquired.
"You know what the media will do with this if I leak it? Say it's tied to you. Call it an 'abuse haven' funded by digital wealth."
Kaito's fingers curled around his cup.
"I know who you are," he said quietly. "Yuto's pet. You sell destruction disguised as rebellion."
Rafe grinned. "And you sell hope like a product. But here's the offer. Back off the Varma bill. Kill your next campaign. In return, I won't burn your world."
> SYSTEM ALERT: NEW THREAT – SYSTEM ROGUE: RAFE
Class: Flex-Based Aggressor
Specialization: Blackmail, Viral Media Sabotage
Passive: Trend Leech – Gains public attention by attaching to trending figures
Kaito stood.
"You're making one mistake," he said, voice cold. "I don't play defense."
He turned and walked away.
Rafe called after him. "Then I'll be the lesson you never learned!"
—
Later – HQ Rooftop
Lyra joined him again, hair pulled into a knot, coat flapping in the storm wind.
"Heard about the meeting," she said. "Rafe's dangerous."
"So am I."
She handed him a USB. "I hacked into his network. He's using burner influencers and fake abuse claims to tie you to scams. I scrubbed most of it, but it's spreading."
Kaito stared at the USB. Then at the skyline.
"Time to remind this city what I really am."
—
> SYSTEM SPECIAL MODE ACTIVATED
MODE: THE PUBLIC GAMBIT
Objective: Host an open livestream panel with civic leaders, influencers, and activists
Risk: Rafe may crash it with fake proof
Reward: Break false narrative and gain public badge
Bonus: First successful rebuttal earns Title – Voice of the People
—
Aryanagar Central Livecast – The Event
Broadcast screens lit up across the district. Kaito sat center stage, flanked by Anita Das and a local journalist.
"Today," Kaito began, "I face rumors. Threats. And silence would be easy. But silence would mean guilt."
As he spoke, live viewership crossed 20k. Then 50k.
Rafe's sabotage post hit the net mid-panel—edited footage, blurry timestamps, a fake signature tying Kaito's firm to a rogue asset.
The chat exploded.
Then Anita stepped forward.
"That footage is faked. This woman came to me yesterday. She was offered 20,000 rupees to stage this. She refused."
She produced an affidavit.
> SABOTAGE BLOCKED – CREDIBILITY SHIELD ACTIVE
PUBLIC TRUST SURGE: +11%
Rafe's trending post crashed.
Kaito smiled.
"Next time you try to destroy someone, make sure they haven't already bought the camera crew."
—
Back at HQ – Midnight
The screen flashed green.
> SYSTEM NOTICE
PUBLIC GAMBIT SUCCESSFUL
Title Gained: Voice of the People
Passive Gained: Truth Pulse – +15% chance to reverse slander-based attacks
Rival Status: Rafe – COLLAPSED
Arjun Varma – STALLED
Yuto Devarkar – WARNING: ACTIVE
Ravi grinned. "We're winning."
Lyra leaned on the doorway. "No. We're surviving."
Kaito poured tea from a kettle.
"For now."
—
System Dashboard – Kaito Ryuu
Wealth: ₹4.7 crore
Assets: Creative Mindz HQ, Temple Grounds, Blue Tern Holdings, MediaPod Co-Ownership
Flex Points: 12 / 15
Public Trust Level: A-Class (Trending in 3 Districts)
Passives:
Asset Magnetism (Lv.1)
Civic Halo (Lv.1)
Legal Resistance (Lv.1)
Truth Pulse (Lv.1)
Title: Voice of the People
System Status: Stable
Enemy Threats:
Arjun Varma – Monitoring
Yuto Devarkar – Plotting
Shadow Syndicate – Neutral
Romance Threads:
Lyra Kaneshi (48%)
Sanaya Verma (Bonded)
Anita Das (14%)
Hidden Thread: Silver Echo – No Contact in 3 Days
—
End of Chapter 10
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