Kaito woke up after his first night in the new world with an empty stomach.
"Mmm... I wonder what kind of breakfast awaits me."
He opened the door to find a massively built man standing in front of him, muscles bulging beneath a black uniform.
"How long have you been standing there?"
The man didn't break eye contact.
"Princess Lilith is waiting for you."
Kaito scoffed.
"Princess? That's one hell of a title."
The man grabbed him by the shoulder, his grip tightening instantly.
"Don't you dare mock my lady, or else—"
"Or else what...?"
Kaito answered quietly, barely suppressing the bloodlust rising inside him.
The guard moved his other hand toward the knife behind his waist—
Then suddenly—
Lilith was standing in front of them.
"Good morning," she said calmly, ignoring the tension between the two men. "Are you ready for a quick tour of the organization?"
Kaito stepped toward her, leaving the guard behind as if he no longer existed.
"So someone of your importance is personally handling my sightseeing tour?"
"Of course," Lilith replied smoothly. "It's my pleasure."
The employees passing by instinctively moved out of the way.
They could feel it.
A heavy, unnatural aura radiating from the stranger beside Lilith—like the air itself was being drained from the corridor.
Whispers spread.
Brief glances.
Then hurried footsteps.
As if something uncontrollable had entered the building.
Numbers kept rising across the screens overhead.
Red warnings flashed repeatedly.
Files closed one after another.
Lilith spoke while walking.
"This is the main building of the Public Control Bureau. There are more classified sectors underground, but today we'll stay on the upper floors."
Kaito glanced at one of the passing screens.
Casualty count: rising.
"It seems your organization is having a rough time," he murmured. "My timing... is perfect."
Lilith looked at him briefly.
"Here, fear is the root of everything. Someone fears something for long enough... then one day, something pushes them past the edge."
Her voice became quieter.
"And they transform."
They continued walking until they entered a massive hall lined with reinforced glass chambers.
Inside one of them—
A monster was chained by heavy red restraints covered in glowing symbols.
Its skin was completely black, and thin smoke carrying the smell of ash and blood drifted from its body.
It trembled violently.
The chains rattled.
Lilith stopped.
She looked at it once.
Immediately—
The creature calmed down.
As if her presence alone was enough to crush its will.
"This is a Fire Monster," Lilith explained. "He transformed three days ago."
Kaito remained silent.
"He was a teacher who feared fire since childhood. After a car accident inside a tunnel, his car caught fire. He couldn't escape."
Lilith looked at the creature behind the glass.
"His fear exploded."
Then she glanced toward Kaito.
"And this was the result."
Kaito stepped closer to the glass.
"So anyone here can end up like this?"
"Yes."
Lilith continued the tour.
But this time—
She stopped explaining.
Instead, she showed him.
"Sector One."
A vast white room appeared behind reinforced glass.
Metal tables.
Monster corpses.
Blood.
A man wearing a black mask calmly drove a surgical blade into the skull of a gigantic creature while writing notes beside it.
Then the door sealed shut again.
"Research," Lilith said. "Dissection. Understanding how to kill monsters."
They continued walking.
"Sector Two."
Her tone remained calm.
"Contracts."
Kaito glanced inside.
"You negotiate with monsters?"
"With the ones who still possess enough sanity to understand a deal."
The deeper they went—
The stronger the smell of iron and gunpowder became.
Then—
One of the steel doors burst open violently.
An armed squad rushed out, covered in wounds and claw marks.
Inside, Kaito caught glimpses of smoke-filled training grounds and restrained monsters being used as live combat targets.
"Sector Three," Lilith said.
"The military division."
Then they reached the final floor.
And everything changed.
No screams.
No alarms.
No sound at all.
Lilith stopped in front of a massive black door wrapped in engraved red chains.
The moment her hand touched the surface—
The chains trembled like living creatures awakening from sleep.
"Sector Four."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Subjugation... and taming."
Kaito stared at the door for a moment.
Then smiled.
"So this is where you create your monsters."
"We don't stop transformations," Lilith answered calmly.
"We only control the damage they leave behind."
Then—
Everything happened at once.
A monster burst through the reinforced barrier like a black storm.
Walls shattered.
Metal screamed.
The creature lunged straight toward Kaito's head, jaws wide open.
Kaito didn't move.
The lights died instantly.
Darkness.
Silence.
An unnatural stillness swallowed the room.
One second.
That was all.
Then the electricity returned.
Sparks flickered across the walls.
Everyone froze.
Kaito was still standing exactly where he had been.
Without moving a single step.
Around his feet—
Nothing remained of the monster.
Only pieces.
Perfectly cut.
Small crimson cubes scattered across the floor with horrifying precision.
A drop of blood slid slowly from the edge of Kaito's coat.
He brushed it away carelessly.
"Weak."
His voice was calm.
Almost bored.
The employees behind the glass stood frozen in horror.
Some of them hadn't understood what happened.
Others hadn't even seen it.
Only the result remained.
Lilith didn't move.
She stared at the remains.
Then at Kaito.
Silent.
One second.
Two.
Then—
She smiled.
But this smile was different.
Deeper.
Sharper.
More dangerous.
"Just as I expected..."
She stepped closer, genuine interest glowing in her golden eyes.
"I didn't even see the execution."
Her gaze drifted toward the scattered remains again.
"Perfect control. No wasted movement. No resistance."
Then she looked back at him.
"You don't just kill..."
A brief pause.
"You... enjoy it."
Kaito smiled faintly, eyes half-lidded.
"I told you."
He glanced down at the remains beneath his feet.
"This level doesn't deserve more than a second."
"You don't seem disturbed by any of this," he noted. "Almost like you're used to it."
Lilith resumed walking without looking at him.
"I got used to it a long time ago. After seeing hundreds of transformations, it becomes routine."
Her voice remained cold.
"The important thing is maintaining balance. Because once balance collapses... there won't be a city left to protect."
As she spoke, a massive screen lit up above them.
Numbers.
Casualties.
Endless red warnings.
And one name appearing again and again.
Cockroach Monster — Disaster Level
An employee stopped beneath the screen, swallowing nervously before hurrying away.
Kaito noticed immediately.
"It seems even your people fear something."
Lilith didn't answer.
They continued walking past another training hall where hunters fought smaller monsters behind reinforced barriers.
Metal clashed.
Creatures screamed.
But even here—
The tension was obvious.
One of the instructors suddenly froze when his communicator buzzed.
"Sector Seven has been located..."
His expression changed.
"...No survivors."
Silence spread briefly across the room.
Then everyone forced themselves back to work.
Kaito narrowed his eyes slightly.
"This is because of the Cockroach Monster?"
This time—
Lilith stopped walking.
"Two years ago," she said quietly, "it appeared for the first time."
Their footsteps slowed through the endless corridor.
"At first, they thought it was an ordinary monster. A full extermination team was sent after it."
She paused.
"No one came back."
Kaito watched her silently.
Meanwhile, she continued in a terrifyingly calm tone:
"The Cockroach Monster doesn't kill quickly. And it doesn't kill out of rage."
Her gaze remained fixed ahead.
"It spreads. Reproduces. Devours."
A short pause.
"And leaves behind just enough survivors to spread fear."
Two employees passed by hurriedly, faces pale.
One whispered nervously:
"They say the entire district disappeared after it entered."
The other immediately lowered his head when he noticed Lilith nearby.
Kaito continued walking beside her.
"Why aren't you surprised that I came from another world? Most people would panic... or at least be curious."
Lilith stopped and looked directly into his eyes.
"Because I don't believe your arrival was an accident."
The dim red glow of the screens reflected in her golden irises.
"Your power is different from anything I've seen."
She stepped slightly closer.
"You don't rely on fear."
A faint smile appeared on Kaito's face.
"So you really do intend to use me as a weapon."
"Yes."
Her answer came without hesitation.
Then she added quietly:
"But even weapons need someone who knows when to pull the trigger."
The tour continued for another hour.
As time passed—
The warnings became more frequent.
The screens grew redder.
And one name kept appearing again and again.
Cockroach Monster.
At the end of the tour, they stood before a massive window overlooking the city.
The sky was gray.
From above, the streets looked calm.
Too calm.
Far in the distance—
A column of black smoke rose between the buildings.
Kaito stared at the city in silence.
"This world lives on the edge of the abyss."
Lilith stood beside him.
"Yes."
"And you're the one holding the chains keeping it from falling."
She looked at the city quietly for a moment.
"Until now."
Then she turned toward him.
"Kaito..."
Her golden eyes narrowed slightly.
"You'll face the Dark Monster now."