You stink.

"The world really is in chaos," Kaguya commented, looking out of the window as the news echoed over the SUV's radio. The anchor's voice was tense, talking about outbreaks of simultaneous awakenings around the globe, unstable dungeons and a growing number of hunters of unknown rank. 

"I keep wondering what caused it," Seth muttered, his eyes fixed on the city outside, where helicopters patrolled the skies and magical barriers flickered at the entrances to government buildings. "Suddenly, the whole world started waking up again. It's as if... something has woken up." 

Kaguya let out a heavy sigh, but the debauched smile never left her face. "It's complicated. My job is getting harder and harder." 

Seth turned his face towards her, arching an eyebrow. "Why? I thought you only drank expensive coffee and made appointments." 

"Hmm... you realize Miss Connie doesn't have a guild, right?" Kaguya cast him a sideways glance, as if to test how much he knew. 

Seth nodded slowly. It was true. Connie entered Rank-A and S portals, but never mentioned affiliations. No insignia, no guild symbol. 

"She refused to join any," Kaguya said with a lopsided smile, now mixed with something between pride and weariness. "And she decided to hire me directly. I'm her personal assistant... but before that, I was the deputy leader of the Japan Hunters Association." 

Seth blinked once, absorbing the information. 

"Deputy leader?" 

"Uh-huh." She lifted her chin with false modesty. "In charge of the entire Kanto region, to be exact. I coordinated offensives against three S-Rank disasters and helped found two independent guilds." 

"And now you're sitting there driving for a lunatic who kills dungeon bosses wearing high heels?" Seth laughed, and Kaguya followed him, without losing her debauchery. 

"Exactly. And you know what's worse? Every day I get dozens of emails asking me to work for them," Kaguya said with a melodramatic sigh, pulling on her seatbelt with a slight snap before adjusting the rearview mirror. The smile on her face, however, was as sharp as a blade. "Association politics has become a real snake pit... and Miss Connie, well, she's a queen without a throne." 

Seth arched an eyebrow, looking at his secretary's satisfied expression. 

"But now, with the awakenings out of control and the guilds gaining strength again, the tables are turning," she continued. "The Association is losing control. Every high-level hunter who comes along and decides not to join weakens them even more." 

"And Connie is exactly that kind of person," Seth muttered, more to himself. "She doesn't play by the rules... but she always wins." 

"Exactly." Kaguya leaned her arm on the door, as relaxed as if she were talking about a walk in the park. "And you, dear, ended up in this chess game. Whether you like it or not." 

Seth laughed dryly. "Good. I've barely got used to being a pawn and they've already put me on the big pieces." 

"Just don't turn the knight," she joked, looking sideways with a debauched smile. "The horse always ends up being sacrificed too soon." 

"Don't worry." He crossed his arms. "I'm more the type to turn the tables if I lose the match." 

"That's..." Kaguya shook her head with a genuine smile, starting the car. "That's exactly why I like working with people like you." 

The engine roared smoothly and the SUV glided down the street like a nocturnal predator on patrol, leaving behind the dungeon - and perhaps, a new turning point in the world that no longer knew how to remain static. 

After a few minutes in silence, only the sound of the radio filling the interior of the SUV, Kaguya turned the wheel smoothly and parked in front of an imposing black-framed building with crimson stained glass windows - the headquarters of the Black Rose Guild. The sign gleamed with a dangerous elegance, like a poisoned invitation. 

She didn't turn off the engine, just turned her face slowly towards Seth, one eyebrow arched with that typical air of someone about to ask a question they already know the answer to. 

"Are you really going to do that?" her voice came out low, almost in a whisper - not of fear, but of provocation. 

Seth unbuckled his belt slowly, his eyes fixed on the entrance to the guild. The reflection of the red lights danced in his irises, while his expression remained indecipherable. When he finally looked at Kaguya, a half-smile appeared at the corner of his lips. 

"Don't tell Connie..." he said, with dangerous calm. "Or you'll die with me." 

Kaguya widened her eyes, feigning shock. "Threatening the secretary, tsc tsc. Is that what I get for being loyal?" 

He opened the car door, stepping out as calmly as a wolf enters enemy territory. 

"It's just a friendly warning," he added, before gently slamming the door. 

Kaguya watched as he walked away towards the doors of the Black Rose. She huffed, crossing her arms on the steering wheel. 

"Handsome idiot..." he muttered, and then let out a chuckle. 

Seth walked through the glass doors of the Black Rose Guild and was immediately engulfed by a luxury that seemed out of place. The lobby was spacious, with polished black marble floors, modern chandeliers hanging from the ceiling like crystals frozen in time, and a woody scent in the air that smelled of power and money. 

'They've done it pretty quickly, considering the chaos that's happened here recently...' Seth thought. 

The place looked more like a five-star hotel than the headquarters of a guild. 

The reception desk was in the center, at a white marble counter where an elegantly dressed woman typed with impeccable red nails. Her clothes seemed too expensive for a simple secretary, but her gaze... ah, the gaze. It was typical of those who judge people before they even open their mouths. 

Seth walked straight up to her, unhurriedly, his dirty Dungeoneering boots leaving discreet trails of mud and dried blood on the immaculate floor. The receptionist looked up with an expression of restrained disgust. 

"I've come to see Vixen," he said simply, directly. 

She looked him up and down with a mixture of contempt and derision. Her expression seemed to scream 'you're a joke, aren't you? 

"You... stink of sulphur and blood," she said with a frown. "Beggars don't come in here. Come back when you look minimally civilized." 

Seth arched an eyebrow, his smile slowly returning, this time more ironic. 

"And also," she continued, adjusting the collar of her own blazer as if he was contaminating her just by being around, "you need an appointment to speak to the Guild Master. She doesn't see just anyone." 

Seth crossed his arms, his eyes fixed on her as if he were pondering how much longer he would let this go on. 

"Are you sure about this?" he asked with disconcerting calm. 

"Tell her that someone called 'Seth' wants to talk to her," he said. 

The receptionist laughed, a high-pitched, fake sound. "Of course. And I'm the president of the World Hunters Association." 

Seth didn't reply. He just took a step to the side and sat down in one of the velvet armchairs next to the reception desk, crossing his legs as if he were in the living room at home. 

She was about to scoff some more, but at that moment a faint sound echoed... 

The sound of the elevator opening was soft, almost elegant, but to the receptionist, it sounded like thunder. She turned slowly, her eyes widening as she saw Vixen step out of the elevator. 

The woman was impossible to ignore. 

She wore a scarlet dress that seemed to be made of crease and fire, clinging to her body with the kind of confidence born of pure power. Her high heels sounded like subtle stabs in the marble with every step. His hair, pink and tied up in a messy bun, contrasted with the sharp purple eyes that seemed to see through to the soul. 

Vixen appeared in front of him in the blink of an eye, the sound of her heels echoing on the marble barely having time to cease. Before Seth could react or even feign an ironic charm, he was enveloped in a hug as tight as it was unexpected. 

"Huug!!!" he moaned, his body stiffening under the pressure. "Wait! I'm all broken up yet!" 

Seth's aura rose in a reflex defense, sparking around him like raw electricity. Not aggressive - just enough to force Vixen to loosen her embrace. She let out an amused laugh, pulling away reluctantly, as if she had been forced to let go of a very valuable gift. 

"You're here!" she exclaimed, her eyes shining. "I thought our next date was going to take forever... but you know what? Who cares!" 

With an elegant, dramatic turn, she turned to the receptionist, now huddled behind the counter as if she wanted to dig a tunnel to the basement. 

"Why didn't you let me know he was here?" Vixen's voice cut like a whip, the sweetness gone. 

"I-I... he... I thought-" 

"Oh, she was calling me a beggar and saying I needed an appointment." Seth added with a cynical smile, shoving his hands in his pockets and staring at the scene like someone watching a play. 

Vixen blinked, then slowly turned back to the attendant with a smile that wasn't the least bit kind. 

"You have five minutes to disappear from my reception. Go." 

"W-what?" 

"Five. Minutes." Vixen repeated, arranging the sleeves of her dress as if she were about to give a lecture. "Or do you want me to sign your letter of recommendation personally... in blood?" 

The woman stumbled backwards and almost ran out of a side door. 

Vixen took a deep breath and turned back to Seth. 

"Now. Why are you here? Geez, you stink. Let's go to my place, you need a shower."