Sylvie's mind raced with hundreds of questions she couldn't voice. She'd only wanted to talk with Adam about... whatever this strange pull was he had on her. This inexplicable curiosity that had drawn her across an ocean.

And now their private meeting was being disturbed by some old woman who appeared out of nowhere—and what was worse was that Adam was now glaring at her.

"Sir Adam, you have to believe me," Sylvie said, a little desperation creeping into her voice. "I'm not with them. I don't even know who she is!"

Adam only glared at her, backing away as he grabbed his bag from the side of the booth.

He didn't say anything, but it was clear from the way he was looking at her that he didn't believe him at all.

"I swear on my honor, sir Adam. I had nothing to do with this."

While Adam and Sylvie faced off, Dr. Aniston remained eerily calm, her eyes fixed solely on Adam as if Sylvie didn't even exist. She stepped inside the booth, extending her hand with a smile.

"Zero. Let's go."

Dr. Aniston moved closer to Adam, but Sylvie immediately blocked her path.

"Excuse me, but you're being incredibly rude here," she said, towering over Dr. Aniston. "I do not know what's going on here, but in my country, it's wrong to disturb people while they're having a conversation."

Dr. Aniston still didn't spare Sylvie a glance, only shaking her head with a sigh.

"I don't know what you're doing with it, young lady, but you'd better let this go. This doesn't concern you."

"It…?" Sylvie's eyes twitched at that word.

Adam's eyes darted between the two women, his expression shifting from anger to confusion.

So, she's not with them…? Of course not, Adam—not everyone is out to get you. Not everyone.

"I don't know what's going on here," Sylvie repeated, "But my friend is uncomfortable with your presence."

"Young lady." Dr. Aniston sighed again, finally glancing at Sylvie. Her brows furrowed, however, as she recognized her face but couldn't quite tell who she was.

"W—Hm?" She studied Sylvie's face more carefully. "Where have I seen you before? You—"

That was when Adam made his move—kicking the table toward both women with enough force to send tea and plates flying.

Dr. Aniston flinched backward at this, but the table simply bounced harmlessly off Sylvie's back. Adam, of course, used that split second of distraction to slip past them both.

But as soon as he stepped out of the booth into the hallway, he froze.

The entire corridor was blocked by dozens of men in suits, their sunglasses reflecting the restaurant's warm lighting. Adam's head snapped toward the other end of the hallway, and his blood ran cold.

"You…" he whispered.

Bjorn stood there like a mountain, with Dr. Hal nervously fidgeting beside him. The moment Adam's gaze landed on the Silent Brawler, his expression shifted from worry to pure anger. Heat bloomed in his chest—a familiar rage that he'd been trying to suppress.

Bjorn glanced at Adam's face for just a moment before looking away, almost... guilty?

Dr. Hal meekly waved his hand at Adam, but Adam didn't notice him at all.

"Just what's going on here?!" Sylvie stepped out behind Adam, holding the table in one hand like it weighed nothing.

Adam barely acknowledged her, his mind racing as he searched for an escape route. He spotted the booth directly across from theirs and prepared to burst through its paper door.

He'll… just apologize to whoever was eating inside.

But before he could take a step, however, that door slid open… revealing another group of men in suits inside, their eyes already trained on him.

"Sir Adam…" Sylvie leaned closer to Adam and whispered. "There are people everywhere. Are you… in trouble?"

"We are all in trouble," Dr. Aniston said as she followed them into the hallway. She finally looked directly at Sylvie. "I still don't know who you are, but you should leave. This really doesn't concern you."

Sylvie's eyes narrowed.

"Are you a wanted man?" she asked Adam. "Did you do something terrible? Because these people look like they're from your government."

Adam shook his head, closing his eyes briefly before taking a slight step toward Dr. Aniston.

"What… do you still want from me?" he finally spoke to Dr. Aniston, causing her to slightly hold her breath. There was a groan in his voice, and it was impossible for Sylvie not to hear the sorrow that came with it.

"I was fine," Adam continued. "We were fine already. It's been twenty years, let's just leave each other alone."

Sylvie looked back and forth between Adam and Dr. Aniston, trying to fully analyze the situation.

"I don't know why you're all so obsessed with me," Adam whispered, but his voice was growing stronger. "For years, you did everything to me, but you got nothing. I'm no one. So, please… just leave me alone."

"You and I both know we can't do that, Zero."

"Stop calling me that." Adam gritted his teeth. "You're wasting government resources that could be used to help people instead of... whatever this is."

Dr. Hal, who had been observing everything from beside Bjorn, narrowed his eyes as Adam spoke. He had seen all the videos and experiments that were done to Adam, and he believed that there might be some truth to Dr. Aniston's words that he could've turned out… evil from all of that.

Patient Zero is dangerous—that was what Dr. Aniston ingrained in him. But from everything he'd witnessed, Adam… just looked like a normal young man? If anything, Adam had shown nothing but compassion and self-sacrifice when they followed his trail.

Standing here, seeing Adam in person, Dr. Hal couldn't shake the growing certainty that Dr. Aniston was wrong about her assessment.

Dr. Aniston sighed heavily, shaking her head at Adam's words.

"It's impossible for us to leave you alone, Adam. You're a government asset." She extended her hand again. And the worst part of it all was that she almost held a motherly tone in her voice.

"Just come with us peacefully. You know fighting will only make this harder."

"I've heard enough of this." Sylvie gently set down the table and removed her cap, her golden hair cascading freely down her shoulder.

"What…" Dr. Hal was the first to react, pointing at her with a trembling finger. "The Duelist of Rose!"

When the men in suits heard that, they quickly exchanged glances. And even from the large pairs of sunglasses covering their faces, it was clear they were worried. Even Bjorn, who had been standing there relaxed, shifted into a defensive stance.

"I'd like for you to leave me and my friend alone," Sylvie said, stepping closer to Dr. Aniston.

"I understand now what's happening here… and I don't appreciate it."

She stretched out her arm, then swiftly drew her thumbnail across her fingertip. A single drop of crimson blood welled up, and in an instant, it crystallized into an elegant rapier that gleamed like liquid ruby.

"I really don't appreciate it."

Dr. Aniston's eyes swept across the crystalline rapier before settling back on Sylvie's face. She let out a long, weary sigh.

"This is a government matter, miss. You're obstructing a federal operation." And surprisingly enough, Dr. Aniston didn't change at all. "And that's even worse considering you're a foreigner."

"I don't care what—"

"Everyone should calm down!" Dr. Hal practically lunged between them, forcing out a nervous chuckle that echoed through the tense hallway. His hands moved frantically as he gestured toward the men in suits. "Everyone just... let's take a step back here."

The men in suits, of course, backed away. They were supposed to be there to apprehend Adam, and fighting against an S-tier Hero was a completely different matter. Even with Bjorn here, this was suicide.

The men in suits turned around all at the same time.

"Stay."

But alas, Dr. Aniston didn't allow them to leave.

"Dr. Aniston, what are you doing?" Dr. Hal's face went pale as he grabbed her arm, yanking her back into the booth.

"Are you crazy?" he hissed. "We need to abort this now."

"We can't let this chance go." Dr. Aniston's eyes remained fixed on the hallway where Adam stood. "He's right there, Hal. Right there."

"Who else is there?" Dr. Hal's voice cracked with frustration. "The Duelist of Rose! Do you understand what that means?"

"That doesn't matter."

"That's all that matters." Dr. Hal sighed heavily. "I think… you're too involved in this, Dr. Aniston. You're letting your emotions get to you. We shouldn't even be here, we're doctors."

"My emotions?" Dr. Aniston looked Dr. Hal in the eyes, and Dr. Hal almost instinctively took a step back… when he saw how empty her eyes were. "You seem to be misunderstanding something here, Doctor—I am desperate."

"Huh…?"

"The Game is happening in less than two weeks. The chance of us getting summoned again is almost definite," she said.

"The chance of us dying there is just a little below that. And as one of the only few people left who could potentially end Zero's existence…

…I am in a desperate rush to do that."

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