'Who the fuck is this woman?'

The thug who was bound by an unknown force which had been revealed to be the thin strands of the woman's hair struggled to break himself free.

'I could bend a steel bar with my bare hands... yet I can't even tear these tiny threads?'

"Hey."

The man froze.

Directly behind him, the voice of the woman spoke without a shred of humanity in her voice.

"You're struggling, aren't you?"

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

The man grunted these words, unable to even turn his head to face the woman - at which she slowly made her way in front of him as she faced him with a smug grin.

"What am I doing?"

On seeing the woman, the eyes of the man filled with veins as he tried all the more to break free, however it was to no avail as blood began to drip as the strands of hair tightened themselves around the man.

"I'm just having fun. After all..."

Leaning on the table, the woman reached her hand into one of the pockets as she took out a pool ball, tossing it up and down before glancing to her side.

Then, taking the motion of a pitcher, the woman's body flowed through the motions as the hard ball slammed into the forehead of the man, causing his brain to rattle as his consciousness faded in and out.

"All this was nothing more than a game to you. Wasn't it?"

"Do you think you're doing something righteous, you monster?"

The man spit this out as he glared up at her, eyeballing her with a dirty gaze.

"You think you're some figure of justice or something? Hahaha... I heard that there were some of your kind that had human intelligence... but I never imagined that someone like YOU could exist."

"Wrong."

It was at that moment that the man felt his throat tighten up.

In that instant, he looked over to see that the woman's hair was wrapped around his neck.

"Hahaha... you couldn't be any more wrong, fool."

And then, he felt it tighten.

"Ugh!!"

The throat of the man was tightened as air was cut off, and he found himself struggling to take even a single breath.

"Agh!!!"

"Justice? Is that how you see this?"

Letting go of the man, he began to frantically pant as he regained the oxygen which he had been deprived of.

"Huff... huff... what... what the hell... are... are you doing? What the hell is your goal? Is it the kids? Are you trying to save the kids or something? Hahaha! Those shitty little brats... always causing me trouble... I kept on telling everyone we needed to ditch them or throw them to people who would pay us more... but for some fucking reason that bastard was so focused on keeping them around and using them for whatever purposes he trained them for. Hah... that's what we're supposed to be for, but he never fucking listened."

Spitting to the side, the man let out his frustrations as he grunted.

"Little job thieves, that's all those damn brats were. A cheap way to get around paying us for the work that we were supposed to be doing."

"Tell me more."

Leaning back on the pool table, the woman looked down upon the man with an overwhelming presence as her partner took a reclined position next to her.

"Indeed.", he said as he fixed his hair, pulling up a chair as he took a seat. "Tell us everything."

"How rude. I'm a lady, you know. Pulling up a chair for only yourself?"

"Ah, forgive me. Perhaps my mind isn't in the correct state right now. Of course. Please, have a seat, Sylvia."

Sliding the chair over for the woman to sit, she crossed one leg over the other as the man brought over another chair.

'They're fucking with me...', the thug thought.

"What if I don't tell you?", he spit as he glared at the two. "I don't have to tell you anything."

"Oh... but you do."

The woman grinned as she stepped up, approaching the man as she twirled the pool cue about. "Ah, Marcus. Could you do something about this?"

"With pleasure."

Holding out his finger, the man touched the end of the pool stick, at which it began to deform in a strange manner.

The end of it sharpened as if it were an oversized toothpick, at which the woman thrust it straight down - piercing straight through the hand of the man with a splatter of blood.

"AGH!!!"

The man shouted as he was mutilated, looking up to meet the foot of the woman.

"Now then... that was shot number one. If you still don't feel like talking... then I suppose I could keep on going until there's nothing left to poke holes in."

"I'll... I'll talk! I'll talk!!! Stop it!! Agh!!"

The man was reduced to a pitiful state as the woman twisted the stake around inside his wound, invoking further screams from the man.

"Ah, is that so?"

Ripping the sharpened tool from the hand of the man, the woman gazed at it with boredom.

"I was hoping that you would resist a bit more. After all... it isn't very fun when they give in so easily."

Flicking the tool to the side, a scream was heard as the object landed in the chest of a man.

"UGH!!"

"Oh be quiet, will you? I'm trying to listen."

With the flick of her finger, the head of the screaming man was severed from his body.

As this happened, the room became tense.

Every single man in this room had watched as the woman killed without restraint, however the man who she had killed first had only inspired irritation and anger in the men.

Yet with the torment and now the instantaneous death of this second man, something sparked in the minds of the thugs present.

'Hey... are we... all going to die here?'

'This woman... what the hell does she want?'

'Is this monster really here to save those kids like that guy said? Or is there some other reason?'

"Speak up already. Tell me about what you did here."

"We... We collected money from the locals. Protection fees. It was a service. A service. We were doing legitimate business-"

"And who exactly were you protecting them from?"

As the man spoke, he looked up as he caught eyes with the man, whose words shredded him as he was met with a deadly glare.

"We... We were protecting them from the other gangs. You... you know how it goes in the city. There's a lot of fighting going on, and-"

"So you were protecting them from people just like you... because of a fight that you started... and you charged them for that?"

Closing his eyes, the man grinned lightly as he tipped his hat.

"That isn't business, my good man."

Holding out his hand, the man opened his eyes as he looked down upon the thug.

"That's what I would call FRAUD."

And it was at that moment that another scream was heard.

Looking up, the thug saw that the hand of the businessman had turned into a tentacle which had shot across the room, piercing the side of yet another man who shouted in the torment.

"Ngh!!!"

The man seemed to bite down on his lips, terrified of what would happen to him as he shouted.

"Go on. Tell me more then. You're still hiding something from us, aren't you?"

As the man spoke, the thug realized something.

'This monster... no... this person... Does he know everything?'

The man opened his mouth, yet no words came out.

Sweat dripped down his face as the man was overwhelmed - for the one who sat before him gave him a smile that said exactly that.

'I know everything.'

"Are you not going to tell me about... how you used the children?"

"It wasn't my idea!! I told you already, I was against it!!!"

"Against what, exactly?"

Nothing.

Not a single thing would slip by this man, who gazed straight into the soul of the thug.

"He... the boss... he wanted to teach the kids to do our jobs... he wanted them to become the collectors... to go around, threatening the people with their childlike innocence... The people were shown what would happen to their own kids if they didn't pay up, so it was twice as effective... but they never even considered laying a hand on them... for they were only children. And because of this..."

The man broke into a whisper as he spoke, truly terrified as he let out his words.

"So many were killed... even when they were faced with adult killers... those little devils weren't afraid."

"I see."

Standing up, the man then snapped his fingers.

And it was at that moment that a name was uttered from his mouth.

"Isabella. Would you like to come and greet these men?"

"Wha-"

"Did..."

"Did he just say..."

"No... not that one...."

"Anyone but that one..."

"Take the children!! Take them away! I don't care! Do what you want! If you want to save them, then just go! Leave us alone!", one man began to shout.

However he was silenced as his head was lopped to the ground.

"Shh. You don't seem to understand at all."

All eyes soon turned to focus on Sylvia, who reeled in her hair from the man who she had just slaughtered.

'Demon....'

'This woman... this man...'

'They're both demons....'

"We aren't here to save the children."

'Eh?'

'They... aren't?'

'Why are they here?'

The men all found themselves overwhelmed at the presence of the two in their midst, and it was at that moment that the door opened.

Walking through it was a young girl, whose navy blue hair was ragged and long enough to drape down to her knees.

She wore nothing but rags, and carried not a single emotion in her eyes.

And within her hand was a knife made from a strange flesh-like material.

"We killed them all."

The sneering words of the woman hit all the thugs like a brick, causing them to reel back in confusion.

'Monsters...'

'These monsters... they killed the children?'

'Those... those things... those little monsters... they KILLED THEM?'

'What the hell... are they here for?'

"Ah. Except for one. Say hello, Isabella."

As the girl walked into the room, she stood in front of the men with her dead eyes.

The men felt their heads turn as the hairs which were wrapped around them forced them to move, facing the expressionless girl.

And then, the girl smiled - ever so lightly.

It was a smile that carried a vast amount of bloodlust - one which could not be seen, yet one which could be felt from the very depths of their being.

"Hello."

----

[February 8th, 2029]

"Come on.... come on... come on... red... red... red..."

A disheveled man sat in a casino, holding his hands together as his eyes fixated themselves upon a roulette table, watching intently as he desperately prayed for luck to turn in his favor.

"Red... red... red.... come on... this time... this time I'm feeling it... this time I'll win it all!"

Spread before him were hundreds of chips, all having been placed on the red tile.

The bustling activity of the casino around him was enough to make this man seem insignificant, yet even so, many glanced over to him as his eyes spun around, gluing themselves to the small ball that rotated about.

'What an idiot.'

'He thinks he can win when he's betting that much?'

'He must know nothing about how these casino's work.'

Click.

It was at that instant that the ball moved in an unnatural manner, as if it was drawn to one of the slots on the machine.

And of course, this spot was black.

"AGH!!! You've got to be kidding me!! Six times in a row!? How... how can I lose this many times in a row!? It's impossible!!! Rigged!!! This thing is rigged!!!"

The man jumped up as he started to throw a tantrum, however the man standing at the roulette station merely watched him without moving a muscle.

"Sir, if you have the time to make such baseless accusations... then perhaps you should not be gambling with us in the first place? I would be happy to revoke your rights to participate at this location."

"W-wait just a minute! I... I'll take it back! Agh! I lost! I get it! I lost fair and square!! Again! One more time!"

The man lowered himself in a pathetic display, begging the employee before him so as to not get kicked out.

'Haha... what a fool. If you can't prove that they're cheating, then making accusations won't get you anywhere. It'll just make you look like a sore loser.'

'Uwah... I better make sure I don't become like that guy.'

'I guess that's why these casinos never seem to run out of money. So long as there are people like that around... they'll never go broke.'

Without knowing it, the man had become the center of attention.

However not because of anything he had achieved.

Rather, it was his lack of achievement that made him the silent laughing stock among the casino.

If there were children allowed in this place, surely a pretentious mother would have said something along the lines of 'Don't gamble or you'll end up like him.'

"Even if you ask to go again... you just bet everything you have, no?"

"Eh?"

The man looked dumbfounded as the dealer swept all his chips away, clearing the board without even a smirk.

"That would make you broke. And this is no place for a broke man. Remove yourself before I call a bouncer to remove you."

"W-wait a minute... those were my life savings... if... if I went back now my wife would kill me... isn't... isn't there anything you can do about this?"

The employee merely raised an eyebrow, however he soon let out a sigh.

"I suppose there IS one thing that I could do for you."

"EH!? R-really? What is it? Anything! I'll do anything, just tell me what!"

The man immediately became eager as a light of hope was dangled before him.

"If you were to put your home... your car... whatever belongings you have... if you were to use those things as collateral... then I suppose we would be able to give you a small loan."

"I'll do it! I'll do it! The chips! Get me the chips! I'll win it all back in an instant and pay you right back with interest!"

Without a second thought, the man agreed to such a condition.

Without so much as considering his situation, without so much as thinking about what would happen if he lost, he focused only on the possibility of WINNING.

For within his mind at that moment, there was no chance of losing.

'There's no way I could lose again.'

'I've already lost so many times in a row.'

'A win HAS to come to me at some point.'

"Very well. Please sign this contract then."

"Coming right up! How many chips do I get!?"

"Since we are unable to appraise your assets at this time... we will assume low. 100,000 Sin"

"Got it!"

The man excitedly bet everything he had, not even considering that the worth of the things he bet totaled to be almost half a million.

He was truly a LOSER.

"I'm putting it all on black this time!"

As the man handed over the paper, the chips which he was given were immediately slammed onto the roulette table once more as his eyes filled with light.

"Very well, Sir."

With this, the ball began to roll once again.

Not once in his mind did the possibility of losing EVERYTHING even cross his mind.

And it is exactly because he did not see such a thing as possible that he would fall into such a trap.

For those who think themselves to be invincible are the easiest targets of all.

Drop.

"It would appear that the ball landed on red this time, dear customer."

As the employee said these words without a shred of sympathy, the man's world shattered around him.

His mind became blank, and his voice became a whisper.

"You... you can't do this..."

As the sensation of loss overwhelmed the man, the man immediately flung over as he grabbed the chips which he had bet, hoarding them to himself like a rabid beast.

"You can't do this... you can't take these..."

"Good Sir. We most certainly can. After all..."

It was as the man stumbled backward, gripping these chips like a child, that he bumped into someone.

Standing behind him were two men, so large that they towered above him like elephants.

"You were the one who put those chips down in the first place."

The bouncers grabbed the arms of the man, who thrashed and struggled as the chips went flying.

"AGH!!! You... you can't do this!!! I have a wife!!! I have a wife, and I have a daughter on the way!! Don't you all have hearts!? Do you call yourselves human!?!? Are you really going to take everything from me like this!??!?"

The man began to cry out as he tried to escape, however the grip of the bouncers denied him every opportunity to do so.

"Good Sir. You may ask if we have hearts... but can I not ask the same of you?"

The man at the casino grabbed a chip, flipping it like a coin as it flew into the air.

"After all... you knew well that you had a wife and a child. And yet you still decided to take the RISK of losing everything. Therefore... are you not at fault for this result? After all..."

Catching the chip and quickly covering it with his hand, the employee thinned his eyes as he glared into the soul of the customer.

"If you failed to consider the possibility of losing... then you have no place in winning at anything."