The grand hall stretched wide and cold, its towering pillars wrapped in shadows. Akshat Aether stood straight in the center, still wearing the white suit from the auction night, though it now carried faint wrinkles from the long journey. Golden light from overhead chandeliers cast long shadows across the marble floor. A few paces behind Kurana Alexanderia's massive chair, Adeline and Shogun Kurogami sat at a polished black table, quietly moving chess pieces. The soft clicks of marble against marble were the only sounds breaking the heavy silence.
Kurana Alexanderia leaned back in his seat, fingers steepled, his presence alone filling the entire room. His eyes — sharp, ancient, and calculating — studied Akshat like a specimen under glass.
"You spent nearly a billion dollars," Kurana began, his voice low but carrying the weight of absolute authority. "Not on strategic assets. Not on weakening their foundations. Not even on gathering useful intelligence. You bought every single girl from that pathetic university like some lovesick fool at a slave market. Tell me, Akshat Aether… did you think that was clever?"
Akshat's jaw tightened. He could still feel Manya's weight on his lap, Vanya's broken sobs in the jet, the way every masked bastard had whispered about Kurana Alexanderia's depraved tastes. The memory left a sour taste in his mouth.
"I did what I had to do," he replied, voice steady but tired. "Those girls… they were my people. I couldn't leave them there."
Kurana's expression didn't change. He continued lecturing, each word precise and cutting. "You had eighty-eight billion dollars at your disposal. With even a fraction of that money and the influence of my name, you could have planted seeds for the hall's destruction. Instead, you played hero. You drew eyes. You made yourself memorable in the worst circles. Was that your grand strategy?"
Akshat clenched his fists at his sides. The exhaustion from the past days, the guilt over Ravenna, the weight of Vanya's broken state — it all pressed down on him at once. He exhaled sharply.
"So I didn't qualify as your successor after all." His voice came out flat. "Fine. I'm done wasting your time. I'm going."
He turned on his heel, ready to walk out.
"Wait."
Kurana's single word stopped him cold.
"Who said you failed?" A faint, almost amused smile touched the older man's lips. "You passed, Akshat Aether."
Akshat slowly turned back, eyes narrowed and clenched with suspicion. "What?"
Kurana waved a dismissive hand. "Just go home. Study. Rest. Spend time with those girls you risked everything to save. Live normally for a while. I will call you when I need you."
Akshat stood there, processing. Before he could speak again, Kurana gestured toward a sleek black box resting on a side table.
"There is a reward for you."
Akshat stepped forward and opened the box. Inside lay a custom-made Magnum revolver unlike anything he had ever seen. The weapon had a dark, matte finish with elegant gold engravings along the barrel. Multiple detachable components were neatly arranged around it — different sized muzzles, cylinders, suppressors, and modular grips. One cylinder looked designed for high-caliber explosive rounds, another for precision subsonic ammunition, and yet another with reinforced chambers for specialized armor-piercing bullets. The gun could transform its purpose with a few quick clicks and swaps. It was a masterpiece of engineering — deadly, versatile, and completely unique.
Akshat's fingers brushed over the cold metal. For a moment, the corner of his mouth twitched.
"…Thank you."
He closed the box carefully, picked it up, and gave a small nod. Without another word, he turned and left the hall, his footsteps echoing until the heavy doors shut behind him.
In the background, the chess game ended with a quiet finality. Adeline moved her queen with a graceful flick of her wrist and smiled.
"Checkmate."
Kurogami stared at the board for a long second before leaning back with a rare chuckle. "You've improved."
Adeline didn't bask in the victory. She turned toward Kurana, her expression serious. "Uncle… he clearly failed the actual objective. He didn't even scratch the surface of eradicating the Fallen Star Auction. Why are you telling him he passed?"
Kurana Alexanderia rose from his chair and walked over to the large window overlooking the dark mountains. He stood there silently for a moment, hands clasped behind his back.
"Because he worked from his mind instead of blindly following orders," he said finally. "He chose to save his friends first. That selfishness… that willingness to throw away a mission for the people he cares about — that is what I like in him. Most tools break when forced to choose. He adapted."
Adeline frowned slightly. "But he still acted impulsively. He's emotional. Reckless."
"True," Kurana agreed. "He is still a little lost inside himself. Confused between the monster he's becoming and the man he wants to be. But when that boy finally knows himself — truly knows what he is capable of and what he stands for — I will make him work for me. Not as a tool. As something far more valuable."
He turned away from the window, a faint predatory gleam in his eyes.
"Until then… let him breathe. The real test is only beginning."
_______
Akshat and Alexander sat inside Akshat's house, they were examining the Magnum given by Kurana Alexanderia. It was a near-perfect weapon, capable of firing bullets of multiple sizes. Akshat had named it "The Flawless Mistake."
End of ch 77
To be continue...
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