"Ryuji Takahashi"

"That old man?" Ryuji questioned, staring back at the old, sophisticated, and striking man.

"Hai!" The Co-worker anxiously responded in a hurry.

Suddenly, the old man stood at their table. He swiftly commanded attention with his mere presence.

This old man exuded an aura of authority, sophistication, striking vibe. His tailored suit, adorned with subtle yet unmistakable symbols of his rank, and the way he stood spoke volumes about his status and influence in the city.

After presenting his presence, patrons murmured and gossiped at each other. They definitely knew who the old man was.

"Oh, shit!" The co-worker exclaimed, surprised.

"I didn't know..." The co-worker tried to utter but he was abruptly interrupted by Rjuji, staring at the old man.

"Kojima-sama was here." Ryuji continued, admiring the presence of Kojima.

Without hesitation, Ryuji excitedly approached Kojima and his bodyguards with a charming smile.

"Kojima-sama, welcome." Rjuji humbly greeted him and respectfully bowed.

Kojima warmly smiled at him and nodded to acknowledge the respect Ryuji gave toward him.

"What would you and your companions like to drink, sir?" Ryuji attended them.

Kojima smiled again.

"No, we don't want anything." He said warmly.

"Err.." Ryuji felt awkward but his charming and expressive smile was unwavering.

Kojima and his bodyguards were silent and the air filled with more awkwardness.

Ryuji smiled at them one last time.

"If you need some assistance or if you change your mind and want toorder? Just holler at me." Ryuji said, his eyes focused at Kojima.

Ryuji bowed again but as soon as he was about to leave.

"Ryuji Takahashi." Kojima called for him.

He didn't turn around and but Kojima's call has made hin stop in his tracks.

"Also known as the Harbinger." Kojima muttered softly.

Ryuji then turned around, his expression became dire. His eyes became cold and hostile, his charming, expressive smile faded, and his lips twisted in a scowl, adding intensity of his dire and solemn expression.

Kojima smirked

"I want to talk to you about something. " He uttered calmly.

Ryuji didn't respond but his eyes expressed deep curiosity.

"Is there a place here that we could talk privately?" Kojima added.

In the midst of Sakura Himura's opulent coffee shop, where whispers of power and intrigue lingered in the air like a tangible force, Ryuji Takahashi and Kojima found themselves seeking a more secluded environment for their private conversation.

With a subtle nod exchanged between them, Kojima rose from his seat, leaving behind the ambient hum of conversations and the delicate fragrance of freshly brewed tea and coffee. Stepping away from the main area of the bustling and busy environment, they ventured into a private room reserved for exclusive clientele, a sanctuary veiled from prying eyes and ears.

The ambience shifted as they entered the secluded space. Soft ambient lighting bathed the room in a warm glow, casting gentle shadows that danced across the plush furnishings. The air seemed to hold a quiet reverence, as if anticipating the weight of the discussions that would unfold within its confines. Ryuji and Kojima took seats opposite each other, their expressions guarded yet focused.

Kojima then handed a photo to Ryuji and he was the first to spoke.

"Meet Ray Shigeyoshi." Kojima revealed to him.

"Born and grew in Tokyo but he went abroad to England for five years." He added solemnly. Ryuji was unresponsive as he was busy eyeing at Ray's photo.

"He's the son of Shinjo Shigeyoshi, the current husband of Sakura Himura, the famous supermodel and successful businesswoman, and of an unknown and unnamed English mother." Kojima explained.

"He was abandoned by his own English mother when he was a teenager but I won't bore you with his pitiful and tragic past. To make the long story short, he became a prodigal student. Earned a lot of achievements, ranking, praises, favors and once he became an adult, he decided to venture in England to find a suitable work for him and lived there for about five years." Kojima elucidated.

Ryuji didn't respond but his eyes interpreted that he had an ounce of respect and admiration toward Ray.

Kojima then leaned closer and warmly smiled at Ryuji.

"But he has a secret that most people don't know about, even his own family." Kojima shared.

Ryuji's curiosity peaked and he couldn't but to ask Kojima.

"What?"

"He's the Dawning Devil." Kojima revealed confidently.

Greatly suprised by this revelation, he quickly widened his eyes.

"And the Mistress wants him by her side." Kojima added.

"The Mistress?" Ryuji exclaimed and there was a slight envy in his voice.

Kojima nodded.

"But he shouldn't!" Ryuji suddenly blurted.

Ryuji shifted his eyes back to Ray's photo. His eyes were quickly filled with hatred and fury, his teeth clenched in anger and he clutched the photo tightly, showing the intensity of the emotions he felt. The feeling of admiration and respect toward Ray vanished in an instant.

"He fucking killed and slaughtered a lot of my brothers." Ryuji angrily muttered.

Kojima smiled confidently.

"That's why you're the perfect match for him."

Kojima then leaned closer and looked at Ryuji sharply.

"Under that preposterous facade of yours, you're just as bad as the Dawning Devil. You're a strong, fast, cold, merciless, impulsive, ruthless killing machine just like him." Kojima boldly said.

"And we need to confront and fight him so he'll be forced to submit his will to the Mistress alone." Kojima added.

Filled with anger, fury and hatred, Ryuji swiftly teared Ray's photo in pieces.

He then glared at Kojima, determined.

"When will I face him?"