Chapter 11: House of Flex, Heart of Fire
The city was still buzzing from Kaito Ryuu's viral panel takedown of Rafe, but the man himself had already moved on.
"System," he said, stepping into the private elevator at Creative Mindz HQ, "show me real estate opportunities flagged by Asset Magnetism."
> SYSTEM: ONE MATCH FOUND
Listing: Skygarden Villa – Aryanagar Hills
Type: Luxury Residence (Previously owned by M/S Adhira Raikar, ex-TV royalty)
Condition: Media-tainted asset
Acquisition Cost: 42% below market value due to reputation dip
Strategic Value: High
He smiled.
---
Two hours later, Kaito stood on the wraparound balcony of Skygarden Villa, wind lifting his coat as he overlooked Aryanagar's skyline from the upper hills. Marble floors, sunken living room, rooftop infinity pool—it wasn't just a house. It was presence.
He tapped to confirm the acquisition.
> SYSTEM ALERT: FLEX RESIDENCE (LV.1) UNLOCKED
PASSIVE GAINED: Status Magnet – Gain +2 RP daily from visible prestige assets
Ravi nearly choked when Kaito called.
"You bought that place?!"
Kaito: "It was on discount."
Ravi: "That's like saying a Bugatti is cheap if it's got a scratch."
---
The next morning, Creative Mindz buzzed louder than usual.
Employees gathered near the rooftop coffee bar, gossiping about the "new mansion" their boss had supposedly bought.
Lyra stormed into Kaito's office and tossed a file on his desk. "Okay, congrats on being rich. But we need to talk about your look."
He raised a brow. "What's wrong with it?"
"You still dress like a guy who lives in a studio above a tea stall."
Kaito sighed. "Fine. Book the stylist."
---
Within hours, Kaito was dragged into Aryanagar's most exclusive fashion studio. Sanaya showed up too, under the guise of "making sure he didn't pick something hideous."
Stylists gathered like sharks in couture.
Tailored hybrid fits.
Designer streetwear with subtle tech integrations.
Limited drop silver rings and clean matte sneakers.
They dressed him like a walking statement.
When he finally stepped out in a steel-gray layered jacket with matte black combat slacks, the room went quiet.
Lyra whistled.
Sanaya just blinked. "Okay. That's... hot."
> SYSTEM BONUS ACTIVATED
VISUAL CHARISMA BOOST: +8% public appeal
ROMANCE THREADS REACTING…
Sanaya Verma: +4% | Lyra Kaneshi: +2%
---
That night, Skygarden Villa came alive.
Kaito hosted a subtle housewarming. No invitations, only whispers.
A few influencers. Two indie startup owners. A surprise visit from Anita Das, the anchor from his livestream.
Kaito made no speeches—just let people soak in the marble floors, the 4D art installations, the robotic wine caterer.
He stood in the shadows, observing reactions.
By midnight, #SkygardenSovereign was trending.
> SYSTEM ALERT:
RP: +32
FLEX POINTS: +5
TITLE GAINED: Urban Icon
PASSIVE: +10% to public reaction when seen in luxury venues
---
The party quieted around 2 AM. Guests trickled out.
Sanaya lingered near the balcony, sipping from a copper cup. The city stretched behind her like a field of fireflies.
"Nice party," she said.
"It's the view that sells it."
She smirked. "You mean the villa, or you?"
Kaito grinned. "Both."
They stood quietly for a moment, the sound of distant thunder rolling in.
She turned. "You're changing. But somehow... still you."
She touched the silver chain he wore now. A gift from the stylist—subtle, yet bold.
"Still Kaito?" he asked.
She nodded, then leaned against his shoulder. "Just upgraded."
> ROMANCE THREAD – SANAYA: 63%
PASSIVE: Soft Bond (Lv.1) – Increases mental resistance when Sanaya is present
---
The next day began with chaos.
A gossip channel aired a hit-piece: Who is Kaito Ryuu really?
Edited clips. Manipulated financial data. Claims that Kaito faked his rise with silent foreign investors.
Lyra burst into his office, face grim. "They're trying to paint you as a puppet."
Kaito didn't flinch.
"Then let's light up the puppet show."
He scheduled a livestream.
Dressed in his new ensemble, Kaito spoke from the Skygarden Villa's rooftop.
"They want you to believe you need permission to rise. That if you weren't born rich, you must be fake. But I was built from every ignored resume, every job I lost, every time I went hungry."
He pointed the camera across the skyline.
"If that scares the system... good. Maybe it should be scared."
> SYSTEM: Trend Disruption Successful
Public Trust Maintained – A-Class
---
Later that night, a confidential notification appeared on Kaito's system dashboard.
> SYSTEM WARNING: POTENTIAL SECURITY BREACH
ROGUE INFLUENCE DETECTED IN STAFF NODE
IDENTITY: MASKED
ACTION RECOMMENDED: INITIATE SHADOW REVIEW
Kaito stared at the screen. His finger hovered over the "Trace Now" option.
Lyra entered without knocking. "What is it?"
"Someone's leaking intel. Might be embedded by Varma or worse."
Her face darkened. "Want me to run silent audits on everyone in outer ops?"
He nodded. "Quietly. I want confirmation before confrontation."
> SHADOW REVIEW: IN PROGRESS
ESTIMATED TIME: 48 HOURS
---
Meanwhile, at Varma Holdings, Yuto Devarkar sipped wine in his office. A live feed of Kaito's stream played on his secondary screen.
"Impressive," he admitted. "But public favor fades fast. Let's see how long you survive when trust bleeds from within."
---
SYSTEM DASHBOARD – KAITO RYUU
Wealth: ₹6.1 crore
Assets: Creative Mindz HQ, Skygarden Villa, Blue Tern Holdings, MediaPod Co-Ownership
Flex Points: 17 / 20
Public Trust: A-Class (Strong)
Passives:
Asset Magnetism (Lv.1)
Civic Halo (Lv.1)
Legal Resistance (Lv.1)
Truth Pulse (Lv.1)
Status Magnet
Visual Charisma Boost
Soft Bond (Sanaya)
Titles:
Voice of the People
Urban Icon
Romance Threads:
Sanaya Verma: 63%
Lyra Kaneshi: 49%
Anita Das: 19%
New Threat: Internal Betrayer – Shadow Review Pending
---
End of Chapter 11