Be prepared. He may not kill me but he will surely hurt me. Come on. I'm ready!

“No,” he says without a change in his tone. His expression didn't even flinch. It stayed the same. No wait. I have never seen him change it ever since I met him. “Why would I hate you? Because of Lucy? Why? She was just to kill time.”

I can't tell if he's serious or not. It's hard to read his mind. This bastard either lacks emotion or has mastered himself.

“You may not hate me but I hate you,” I said it with anger arising from my chest. How can I not? He has been a bother ever since the first day we met.

“You should set aside those feelings then,” he walks around and hides behind me. I can't turn my head any further around to see him. Besides, it's too dark. “Our relationship doesn't have to be close. It doesn't even have to be good. We just have to help each other achieve our respective goals, while simultaneously keeping each other in check.”

“Maybe. But what can you even offer me?”

“Power.”

“?!”

“I can give you some power.”

“Pffft— P-power...? What? Psychokinesis? Hahahahahaha!” I mock him. He must be overestimating himself. I asked someone to do a background check on him and the gang he was part of when he was in elementary and junior highschool has long been disbanded. And ever since he moved to this city, he hasn't had anything worth mentioning.

“Yes,” He comes back around and sits in front of me. Fuck his stupid smile. I can't tell whether he's serious or not. “Just kidding. But I do have power in Schadenfreude.”

“Your woman?” This guy is funny.

“Yes. Are you aware that Schadenfreude have this ranking system?”

“Hmmp. Common knowledge.” It isn't.

“They have this deadly competitive system. In order to rise in rank, they must defeat those above them. Either by killing them or by their performance.” He continues, “Nonmembers can be an official member via three channels. First, being hired by any of the officials. Second is through wealth. And third is by killing a member.”

That's why your members hides their identity. Members and officials alike are all targets. Hmmmp. Your leader is quite clever. Well I guess that's why your syndicate is the most powerful in the world—

Wait a minute. Is that why you called my group “small”? This arrogant bastard! He's really getting into my nerves.

“What? Would you like me to help you kill the iron official in Naga City?” I say sarcastically. But I can actually do it. Unlike the Twilight Rose Syndicate, Schadenfreude is easy to deal with inside the Philippines, at least. And if it's just an iron official, I doubt his group will make a fuss about it. But why should I help him?

“Iron? No.” He got closer to me, “I want to kill a Golden Official.”

“?!”

Haha.

“Hahahahahaha!” He is way too ambitious that it's delusional! Hahahahahaha. A golden rank? Hahahahahaha! I don't even have any idea who that may be. Nevermind killing them. Yet this bastard... I can't help but laugh in mockery at him. “HAHAHAHAHAHA!!”

“It's easier to be a member than to be promoted. There are only two ways to raise your rank up until silver— Performance and contribution. The other one, well, killing the official of the rank your aiming for.” He completely ignores me making fun of him, “But unlike the rest, there's only one way to be a golden official. And that can only be done through murder. The slot is limited after all.”

“So you want your bitch to be a golden official? Hahaha. You do know that being one means she has to stay in that rank forever, right?”

I just heard of it... But in Schadenfreude, their golden officials can never leave their position. Though they posses so much power, they will never be able to leave. Even if they try to run away, the rest of the officials will just hunt them down and whoever does may take their possessions away as a reward. So golden officials have to stay in power forever and they have to grow stronger consistently... otherwise, they'll be devoured.

“We both seek power or am I wrong?”

“And what do you know of me?”

“You don't want power? Fufufu. I doubt that. Every achievements you have shows your eagerness for power.” He actually investigated me huh. I wonder how much he knows. “But if I'm wrong then so be it. I mean...”

He turns his back towards me. This bastard begins walking away, “...I want power. Not for myself. But for Eli-chan.”

What? That's stupid.

“She's the love of my life. She's the only one that loved me for who I am. My mother kept me away from doing the things I wanted. My father sucks. My sister is annoying. My exes are terrible. But Eli-chan stayed with me and never left me when we were fighting for our life.”

“You make it sounds like you have been in war.”

“Gangwars.”

“Never heard of gangwars happening for the past few years.”

“Small gangs don't matter after all.”

“I thought your bitch is an official of Schadenfreude.”

“She caught the interest of a silver official. It was just this year she became a magnesium official. She's now the one managing all the gangs under Schadenfreude throughout the whole Region 5.” I can't see his face but I notice a slight change in his tone. Does he really love that bitch? “She is in a point of no return. She doesn't care but I do. We can only keep rising, otherwise we will die a painful death. Do you understand?”

He looks at me over his shoulder. His expression hasn't changed but his tone has became gentle. It's not that monotonous anymore.

“Hmmp.. It looks like she hates you though.”

“Doesn't matter. I love her not because of circumstances nor because she loves me but by my freewill.”

Cheesy bastard...

“You should be able to understand... I mean, you love your mother do you?”

“?!”

“Pffft—”

“Hahahahahahahahahahaha! You really know nothing about me do you?! I hate that bitch! She made me suffer hell even though I was still alive. I WAS JUST A YOUNG BOY YET SHE.... FUCKING BITCH!!” I feel so angry... I am mad! FUCKING BASTARD!! Why is he bringing that bitch up?!

“Then why didn't you kill her?”

The fuck are you on about..?

“Even as a child, you could have killed her. Yet you didn't.”

“Are you stupid? I was just a child..”

“Were you stupid as a child? Or has it really never crossed your mind? It must have occured to you at least once. Maybe it's not coming from hatred but from the desire to survive. I mean, you suffered so much abuse from your mother. As a young boy, that will be too much. Or has it never really occurred to you? Was your will to live so weak? Were.... We're you so WEAK?”

“?!”

It... Weak... I am not.. I was..

Has it really never occurred to me? Have I never thought of killing her? Anybody in this world has at least once thought of killing their parents or siblings, or anybody they love due to anger.

Have I never....?

I..

I did..

No.. I remember now. I.. In fact, I almost did it. I was so angry. My vision darkened and when I came back to my senses, I was about to stab my sleeping mother.

“Looks like you did. Then ask yourself, why did you not do it?”

“That's... I was just afraid...”

“Why would you be afraid to kill somebody you hate?” He whispers, “Does that mean you're afraid to kill me?”

?!

“FUCK YOU!!! I'LL KILL YOU WITHOUT ANY FUCKING HESITATION!! I'LL EVEN ENJOY EVERY SECONDS OF IT!”

“Exactly. Then you weren't afraid... You love her.” He turns his back to me again, “You didn't have a father after all. There's only one person to love. You will endure those pains because you loved her. So many people are victims to that. So am I.”

No calm down.. He's messing with my head.

“I will do anything for her. I will endure anything for her. I will carry the cross for her. I will destroy this world for her.. It's stupid I know. But everyone is stupid in the matters of love.”

It's not like I don't understand... In fact, I do. And it's disgusting but I'm impressed. I also want to kill Viper.. The powers of Schadenfreude are actually tempting... However...

“Still a no. Logically, there's nothing much in it for me. You made her sound so grand but the influence of Schadenfreude in the Philippines is restricted by the Twilight Rose Syndicate. Besides, you're not even a member. How can you possibly guarantee anything? Do you take me for a fool? I won't take the risk. So just kill me now!”

“.............” He's just standing there in silence. I can't tell what he's thinking. Maybe he's going to kill me after all.

Fuck.. I should have at least pretended!