Raven was similarly caught up in the excitement of the fight and hadn't noticed Murakami's arrival.
"Mr. Raven, I am the President of Smart Brain, Kyouji Murakami," Murakami introduced himself politely to Raven, adopting a remarkably humble attitude.
"The President of Smart Brain isn't here just to break up a fight, is he?" Raven said playfully, wanting to know what the man was scheming.
"That is precisely right. I believe there are many misunderstandings between us. If we can clarify these misunderstandings, perhaps the issues that follow can result in a mutual victory," Kyouji Murakami explained patiently.
"A joke. I've been an enemy of your company for a long time, and I even slaughtered a member of your so-called Lucky Clover. And now you come to me seeking a truce?" Raven said with amusement.
"Mr. Murakami, what exactly are you thinking…"
Saeko Kageyama walked over from the distance. Upon hearing Kyouji Murakami mention a truce, she couldn't stay put. Wouldn't everything they had done up until now be turned into a farce?
"Miss Saeko, your injuries are severe." Murakami first looked at Saeko Kageyama with concern, then instructed the nearby Smart Lady: "Please escort her back to the car first."
"Mr. Murakami, I don't care what you're trying to do. I have to settle things with him," Kitazaki declared, intent on continuing the fight. He showed no signs of backing down despite his declining state.
But Kyouji Murakami shook his head. "There is no point in continuing this fight." He walked directly between Kitazaki and Raven, physically halting the combat.
Seeing this, Kitazaki, though unconvinced, had no choice but to stop.
Raven watched the man with keen interest, wondering what Murakami was plotting. If he was being honest, he didn't harbor any deep-seated hatred for Smart Brain. If Murakami offered sufficiently tempting terms, Raven wasn't above feigning compliance with him.
"Takumi, what exactly is going on…"
In the car nearby, Keitaro watched the scene, utterly confused. Why had they suddenly stopped fighting? It looked like they were negotiating something.
"That man is the President of Smart Brain, the same one who tricked Mari out of the belt last time," Takumi said, deeply annoyed.
"So, they really are in cahoots with the Orphnochs? Then we should get out of here right now." Keitaro was thoroughly shaken, and he immediately started the car, speeding away from the location.
Shortly after Takumi and the others left, Raven, who had temporarily agreed to a ceasefire, went with Murakami and his party to an upscale French restaurant for dinner.
The injured Saeko also attended, having changed into a sexy, low-cut gown. She was seated right next to Raven and was currently pouring wine for him with a gentle expression. There was no hint that the two had been fighting fiercely moments before.
Raven, for his part, was unceremoniously devouring a top-grade Wagyu steak, completely disregarding table etiquette. The previous fight, though he had the advantage over Kitazaki, had consumed a massive amount of protein, leaving him ravenously hungry.
Kitazaki watched Raven intensely throughout the meal, looking like he might explode at any moment. Takuma, who was seated between Raven and Kitazaki, gripped his wine glass with a barely controllable tremor. Why? he thought. Why did these two monsters appear at the same time? His mind was in turmoil. Weren't they supposed to fight until they were both annihilated?
Murakami maintained a slight smile the entire time, looking at Raven, who was seated directly across from him.
"Mr. Raven, I was wondering if you had any connection to our company's former President, President Hanagata," he asked after a moment of waiting.
"Hanagata? Never met him," Raven said, picking up a napkin to wipe his mouth.
"Oh, so your belt didn't come from him, then." Murakami's eyes brightened.
"Did you invite me here just to ask that?" Raven looked at Murakami with a half-smile.
"Of course not just that, Mr. Raven. I believe the conflicts between us are resolvable. How about this: starting today, we will remove Yuji Kiba and Yuka Osada from the list of targets to be eliminated. What do you say?" Kyouji Murakami proposed.
"You tried to go after Yuka's life, too? So, I should thank you now, President Murakami?"
Raven's eyes turned cold. Yuka was now his woman, and he would absolutely not allow anyone to threaten her safety.
"Please don't misunderstand. We never actually went after her, did we? In fact, it was through our intervention that the heat from the Metropolitan Police Department regarding her past transgressions was dropped, preventing any further investigation," Kyouji Murakami explained slowly.
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