ANOTHER WORLD

As Zakku descended the stairs, he felt a wave of discomfort wash over him, cringing inwardly as the guest’s wife eyed him with a lustful gaze. His attention then shifted to Mr. Gavril, whose piercing stare awaited him. Mr. Gavril was, by all accounts, the richest man in Tokyo, an industrial titan who had built his empire in the fashion industry, particularly in ladies' cosmetics and accessories. He had an older son who had mysteriously disappeared two months ago, and a daughter, Natsuki, whom he intended to marry off to the Yamashiro family in a few months. But before any of that could happen, he needed to have a conversation with Zakku—hence the dinner that had been arranged. Zakku had already suspected the underlying motive behind the dinner and, while he acknowledged that Natsuki wouldn’t be a bad choice for a wife, he wasn’t interested in the slightest.

“At last, he is here,” Mr. Gavriel said with a hint of relief, stretching his hand toward the stairs. Zakku sighed and sat down beside his sister, his expression blank. His sister, while still worried, was prepared for a confrontation, knowing their parents’ arrangement of a marriage would anger him.

“This is Natsuki, Zakku,” his father said. “She is the daughter of Mr. Gavriel, the richest man in Tokyo.”

“I am the richest man in all of Japan,” Zakku interrupted abruptly, cutting off his father. “I just choose not to flaunt my wealth.”

Hiroshi recognized Zakku’s veiled dismissal of Mr. Gavriel’s status and wealth. He then addressed the purpose of the dinner. “We hope you’ll consider taking Natsuki as your wife, Zakku. If you don’t feel obliged, please do it for the family.”

Zakku stood up, his anger palpable. “I owe this family nothing.” His outburst surprised Natsuki and her mother but was no shock to Mr. Gavriel. As a close friend of Hiroshi, Gavriel had witnessed firsthand how greed had driven Hiroshi to push Zakku away and deny him his rightful place. Gavriel knew how Zakku had been mistreated, akin to a circus animal forced to perform. This treatment had fueled Zakku’s deep-seated resentment towards his parents. He had learned martial arts as a means to threaten his father, hoping to prevent the same fate for his sister. Although Miyumi was not as extraordinary as Zakku, she was still a prominent figure in her own right.

Zakku left the dining table, taking his food with him, and retreated to his room, locking the door behind him and sinking into a feeling of emptiness. The following day, Zakku decided to buy a new house, leaving his family behind, but urged his sister to contact him if their parents misbehaved.

A month later, Zakku had settled into his new house, which was modestly equipped with a single game station and a manga library. Despite his wealth, he chose to live simply. Unfortunately, his status as the most eligible bachelor in Tokyo made it impossible to go unnoticed. While out grocery shopping, he only purchased soda and bread from a supermarket near both his old school, where he graduated three years ago, and the school his sister currently attends.

“Hana, what’s wrong?” Miyumi asked, noticing her distress. “Yeah, that’s right. You haven’t been talking, and it’s unlike you,” Aiko added.

“Um, it’s just—” Hannah hesitated. “You can tell us,” Miyumi said, trying to comfort her. “Okay, my dad owes some terrible people money, and I’m afraid they’ll come after me. I don’t know what to do,” Hannah confessed, breaking into tears. “Oh, that’s bad. Don’t worry. Stop crying. I won’t let anything happen to you, okay?” Miyumi reassured her, which made Hannah feel a bit more at ease. She then wiped her tears and managed a weak smile to show that she understood.

Later that day

*At Hillcrest Town mall*

Miyumi decided to walk home with her friends that day. Aiko and Hana were ahead while Miyumi trailed behind. She then noticed a black van stopping in front of the two girls just as they exited the mall. Instinctively, Miyumi sprang forward, pulling Aiko and Hana behind her for protection.

Zak decided to pass through the town mall, as it was a quicker route to his former house where he wanted to see his sister. To his shock, he saw Miyumi arguing with a man who appeared to be holding a hand glock. His eyes widened in fear as he dropped his bags and rushed toward his sister, but he was too late. Bang! The man fired his gun, and Zak could only see a white haze. Terrified and confused, he heard an unfamiliar voice. “Conditions met. Now transferring two humans: one hero and one legendary expert,” the voice intoned before Zak lost consciousness.

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