At exactly 5:00 A.M., Tiger arrives wearing his assassin outfit, just like Rigarta had instructed. The streets are already active Ordinary lives moving in straight lines.
Unaware they were crossing paths with something crooked.
—cars passing, people moving, unaware of what kind of morning this will be.
He waits.
After a short while, someone taps his shoulder from behind.
Tiger turns. "Oh… so you came."
He didn't hear her footsteps.
That meant she chose not to let him.
Rigarta stands there, calm as ever. "We need to go to the Assassin Quarter."
Tiger exhales lightly. "This early… and straight to Assassin Quarter."
They begin walking together.
"Why are we going there?" Tiger asks.
"That's where missions are assigned. Whatever we get, we handle."
Tiger internal thought: So this is how it starts.
No prophecy. No warning. Just a name.
Tiger pauses slightly. "A mission? Already?"
He sighs. "Well… fine."
Soon, they reach the Assassin Quarter. Inside, the Boss isn't present.
"Where's the Boss?" Tiger asks.
"She's out. She'll return later," Rigarta replies.
She walks into a room and presses a blue button on the wall. A hologram activates instantly.
"A mission already?" Tiger says.
"Yes. When this button is pressed, one mission appears. We can only select one."
Tiger feels a bit relieved.
"But," Rigarta continues, "in emergencies, we can take two at once."
"What?"
She raises a hand to stop him and gestures toward the hologram.
A map appears.
"Our target is this man. He's escaping with stolen money. If necessary… we eliminate him. His name is Brill. This is the route he'll take."
She studies the projected map carefully.
"Move. We don't have time."
They head down in a lift together.
"Get in," Rigarta orders once they reach the car.
She drives, tracking the vehicle Brill is using.
While driving, she says, "There's a gun in your seat compartment. Take it."
"A gun? You're joking, right?"
He opens it.
It's real.
It felt heavier than it looked.
Not because of metal — but because of intention.
"If we're not planning to kill anyone, why do we need this?" Tiger asks.
No response.
They reach the location. Without another word, both exit the car quickly, guns drawn, and enter a nearby building.
"Where are we?" Tiger whispers.
"Brill is inside. He doesn't know we're here. He has many guards. We move quietly. He's on the fifth floor of the second building."
Tiger notices a signboard while walking. "This is the first building. Why are we here?"
"Because this is the shortcut," Rigarta snaps quietly. "Stop questioning everything."
A guard approaches after hearing the noise.
Both take cover against the wall.
The guard moves carefully, checking corners.
Suddenly, he spots them and reaches for his weapon.
Tiger moves first.
With a swift leg strike, he twists the guard's neck and drops him silently. His body hit the ground softer than Tiger expected.
That disturbed him more than the snap.
Rigarta looks at him briefly. "You're improving fast."
Before Tiger can respond, someone attacks from behind with a long knife. He doesn't notice—
Rigarta spins and delivers a sharp kick to the attacker's head.
The man collapses instantly.
He didn't even hear the blade until it clattered across the floor.
Tiger exhales. "You handled that better than me."
"We move," she says firmly.
They rush forward and leap through a window, landing on the adjacent building.
"We're on the third floor of the second building," Rigarta explains. "Two more floors. But it won't be easy. The fourth and fifth are heavily guarded."
They proceed upward.
On the fourth floor, more guards appear. One grabs Tiger from behind, but he flips the attacker over his shoulder. Several others rush in.
Rigarta engages them in close combat—precise, controlled, efficient. Within moments, the path clears.
The hallway smelled like dust and iron.
Tiger tried not to think about it.
They reach the fifth floor.
Gunfire erupts immediately.
Brill's bodyguards fire without hesitation.
"We can't push through like this," Rigarta says. "We need another approach."
She returns fire strategically.
"You go after Brill. I'll handle this."
Tiger dashes forward through the chaos.
He sees Brill entering a lift.
Brill notices him.
Smiles.
Waves mockingly.
That smile wasn't fear.
It was confidence.
The lift doors close.
Tiger tries to follow, but more guards block his path. He doesn't want to kill anyone. He holds back.
Suddenly—
The guards freeze.
Their arms and legs lock in place.
Rigarta steps forward calmly. "Ice powers," Frost crept across the walls, cracking the paint.
Even the air felt sharper.
she says briefly.
Tiger stares. "That's… impressive."
"We're late if we use the lift. We jump."
Without hesitation, both leap For a split second, Tiger wondered if this was trust… or madness. from the building and land on the rooftop below. People begin gathering far beneath them.
"How do we follow now? He must be far away," Tiger says.
"Not yet."
They spot a moving truck below and climb onto it mid-motion. Rigarta gets up first. Tiger almost loses balance, but she grabs his hand Her grip was firm.
Not saving him.
Anchoring him. and pulls him up.
"Careful," she mutters.
They ride until reaching the predicted route ahead of Brill.
They jump off and take position.
Soon, Brill's car approaches.
Rigarta focuses on a parked vehicle nearby. With a subtle motion of her hand, she manipulates it telekinetically and crashes it directly into Brill's car.
Both cars slam toward Tiger.
Impact. The world slowed.
Sound vanished.
Only heat remained.
Yet he remains standing.
Flames ignite along his shoulder—red fire.
They didn't burn him.
They answered him.
Rigarta gasps, and blue flames escape from her mouth For a moment, their powers mirrored each other.
Opposites. Balanced.
briefly as she exhales sharply.
She looks at him. "You did well. For your first mission."
Red fire flickers from Tiger's mouth as he speaks. "Your ice powers are incredible."
Behind him, one wrecked car burns with red flames.
Behind her, the manipulated vehicle burns with blue fire.
Tiger looks toward the damaged vehicle.
"I'm fine… but what about Brill?"
Rigarta answers calmly, "Don't worry. He disappeared Disappeared?
Tiger didn't remember seeing him leave.
before anyone could see. This area stays empty most of the time."
Sirens begin echoing faintly in the distance.
Smoke rises into the early morning sky.
Their first mission ended.
But something about it felt staged.