Night in Osaka was not gentle.
Even the moon here felt like a blade — sharp, silver, and watching.
Arthur leaned against a worn, ancient torii gate atop a dim-lit hill outside the main city, the scent of cedar and temple incense floating in the cool air. He had no guards, no backup. Only silence and the soft hum of the Rich Empire System glowing across his vision.
Candidate: Nora RyuuFormer Occupation: Private Bodyguard – Shogetsu CorpStatus: Discharged (Level 7 Violent Offense – Cleared by internal bribery)
Current Location: East Osaka, near Sumiyoshi districtKnown Alias: "Red Crescent"
Combat Ability: S-RankTemperament: High volatilityLoyalty Probability: 56%Projected Loyalty Post-Vow: 100%
Recommended Strategy:
Confrontation > Respect Battle Code > Honor Restoration > Vow Bind
The mission was clear.
Recruit the weapon.
Earlier That Day
Arthur had flown into Kansai International in his private jet. No media. No fanfare. Just precision.
He had left Bella and Roxy with clear directives. The system would manage them temporarily. His goal here was singular — retrieve a queen forged not in silk or finance, but in blood and steel.
Nora Ryuu had once protected the Prime Minister of Japan. She had disarmed assassins mid-press conference. Broken ribs with a single elbow. But after allegedly murdering her last employer's son in a "training accident," she had vanished into the underground.
But the system tracked everyone.
And it found her.
Now
She emerged from the shadows like a whisper wrapped in thunder.
Nora Ryuu wore a black sleeveless gi with crimson accents, her obsidian hair tied in a high battle-knot. A scar ran diagonally from her cheekbone to her jaw — not ugly, not accidental. A mark. A warning.
In her right hand: a short wooden blade.
In her left: a cigarette.
"You're bold," she said in flawless English, voice low and sharp.
Arthur didn't move.
"You came alone. Foreign face. High ground. No weapon."
"I brought my offer," Arthur said.
Nora snorted. "I don't work for cowards."
"I'm not here to buy your service," Arthur replied calmly. "I'm here to give you your war back."
A pause.
A crow cawed somewhere above.
Nora raised the bokken and pointed it toward his chest. "You want to die with flair, at least."
Arthur opened the interface behind his eyes. The system shimmered:
Nora Ryuu – Combat Test PendingPass: Allow attack to trigger auto-defense override
Damage Risk: Non-lethalSuccess Result: Loyalty Respect +15%
He didn't flinch.
She moved.
Faster than light. The blade whistled through the air.
Arthur stepped forward — not back — and as her strike came down, the system flashed gold. A barrier flared in front of him, invisible to the eye but dense as steel. The bokken hit the shield and cracked in half, snapping like dry bamboo.
Nora stumbled back, stunned.
"What…?"
Arthur spoke, voice low. "You're strong. But I'm untouchable."
Nora stared at the remains of her weapon. Then… she laughed.
The sound was sharp. Wild. Ferocious.
She tossed the broken halves aside and lit another cigarette.
"I like you."
They sat at a rusted bench near a derelict shrine.
Nora smoked in silence. Arthur pulled up an image on his tablet: a list of names.
Triad bosses. Cartel heads. Russian enforcers. African mercenary lords. Their networks detailed. Weaknesses mapped. Debts owed.
"I'm building an empire," he said. "One that spans cities, industries… and shadows. I don't want pawns. I want sovereigns."
He turned the screen.
"I want you to oversee the Underworld Division. Globally."
Nora arched an eyebrow. "You expect me to follow you just because you flatter me?"
"No. I expect you to follow me because I can give you the one thing no underboss, no yakuza, no traitor ever offered you."
She leaned forward.
"Which is?"
Arthur's voice sharpened.
"Redemption. And revenge."
2 Hours Later – Osaka Underground Fight Ring
The underground arena was packed.
Smoke. Vodka. Blood on the sand. Men cheered in six languages as two fighters clawed at each other under spotlights.
Arthur and Nora stood near the private box. Her target — Ishiro Takeda, the man who had betrayed her five years ago — was here.
Laughing. Betting. Living like he hadn't turned on her to save himself.
"I want you to do what no one let you do," Arthur said quietly.
Nora didn't reply.
She jumped into the ring.
No weapons. No armor.
The crowd screamed in shock — then roared as she destroyed her opponent in under twelve seconds.
Takeda stood. Too slow. Too late.
She climbed the platform. He backed away, stammering.
She didn't kill him.
She just shamed him.
And walked away.
Back at the hotel, as the system updated, Nora kneeled before Arthur.
Her voice was low. Different. Humbled. Ready.
"I swear it."
Verbal Agreement RegisteredActivating: Unbreakable VowLoyalty: 100%Domain: Global Underworld Oversight
Rank Assigned: DameProjected Upgrade: Baroness (Upon Establishment of Continental Control)
Arthur – Net Worth: $124MTitle: ViscountSystem: Internal influence rising
Bella – CountessRoxy – Countess
Nora – Dame (Underworld Division – In Progress)
As Arthur looked out from his Osaka hotel suite balcony, a private message appeared in his system.
Host Heir Potential Detected.
Note: System recognizes synergy between combat-inclined bloodline and Empire Protocols.Potential for single male heir within current generation initiated.
He closed the prompt.
Too soon.
First, the empire must be secured.
Next?
Candy Novak — Olympic-level gymnast turned freelance instructor, with latent potential in global sports brand domination.