A muscle-bound man wearing a black shirt and matching pants walked into the room, a malicious grin on his face.

Gray tensed, his eyes flitting towards his weapon, suddenly feeling that it was inadequate.

The muscle-bound man cracked his neck, causing his scraggly black hair to shift. After that, his eyes focused on Gray and his grin grew wider. "So you're the rat who let her free, huh?"

Gray didn't respond.

"I presume that you found them then, Rozz?" The suave male voice drifted into the room, followed after by its source. Another man, but not quite as musclebound as the first.

Salt-and-pepper colored hair, parted to the side. He wore a tailored suit and pants and had his right hand tucked into his shirt, holding something that Gray couldn't make out.

Was it a gun? It had to be.

Gray tightened his grip on the pipe and scanned the room, frantically trying to figure a way out of his mess. But he couldn't think of one.

The muscle-bound man, that Rozz, nodded and said, "Got'em right here, Jerm."

"I see." The suave man, Jerm, shifted his gaze towards Gray. Sharp, steely eyes that seemed to pierce through him.

Gray felt a shiver run down his spine facing that gaze. An involuntary reflex that he couldn't avoid.

After all... that gaze was the same one that a person had looking upon an ant. The cold and unfeeling gaze of a man who didn't take the person in front of him into his eyes.

Gray... really screwed up this time.

Without a doubt, he had landed into the worst situation.

Even so, he couldn't give up.

A way out. He couldn't just drop dead here, so he had to find a way out.

A moment that he could use to break free.

But facing Jerm's gaze, Gray couldn't move. No, he didn't dare to.

A single mistake could mark his end.

Fortunately, Jerm didn't focus his attention on Gray for long. Instead, that man's gaze shifted towards the young woman and he said, "I presume you have no intention of obediently returning to a toy, do you?"

A toy...?

The young woman didn't reply. However, she made her intentions clear by stepping closer towards Gray.

In any other situation, it would have been great. After all, a beautiful woman had resolutely showed her intention to not leave him.

But at the current time, all Gray could do was curse her in his mind.

Dammit, woman! Read the mood!

Jerm sighed and shook his head. "A pity." He shifted his gaze back to the muscle-bound man and said, "It seems that you were right, Rozz. We might need to pay a visit to that dealer." He glanced back at the young woman and narrowed his eyes. "It would appear that he sold us a defective product."

Dealer. Resistance. Toy. Product... All of those were key words that tripped all sorts of red flags in Gray's head.

It seemed like he really had gotten involved in a bad situation. That young woman was more of a mess than he anticipated.

Still, he couldn't back down. He couldn't show fear. Because the moment he did, it meant that it would be his end.

The men standing before him were serious. While they weren't paying much attention to him, Gray had no doubt that was because they were confident they could handle him rather than carelessness.

So he had to wait. Wait, watch, and try to be ready for an opening.

And also to keep a careful eye on Jerm's right hand.

Gray still wasn't sure what the man was holding, but it had to be something like a handgun.

Jerm sighed and then he shook his head. "In that case... I no longer have use for you."

An instant action, moving so fast that Gray didn't catch it.

Jerm pulled his hand out, pointing something at the young woman.

Gray's eyes widened and he instinctively moved, jumping in front of the young woman before his mind could catch up to his actions.

A flash of light. An explosion. An impact against Gray's chest... and then nothing else.

Jerm's eyes widened in surprise. That muscle-bound Rozz was stunned too.

It seemed that whatever Jerm tried to do didn't work or had backfired.

But Gray didn't care. All that he needed to know was that there was an opening.

Without hesitation, he kicked off against the ground and charged at Jerm, swinging his pipe at the man's head.

A simple plan. Knock the skinnier guy out, grab his weapon, and then take out the big guy.

Yes. A simple plan.

But there was a problem.

Gray's pipe connected with Jerm's head. But unlike the solid impact he expected, the pipe shattered. Rather than the sensation of striking flesh and bone, Gray felt an aftershock like he swung a bat at a steel wall.

"Fool."

A blur. Jerm instantly closed the gap and then Gray was suddenly flying through the air, a sharp pain in his chest.

"Kuh-!"

His lungs reacted to the blow a second later, all of the wind suddenly rushing out of them. And then he crashed into the ground on his back, causing his breathing to get disrupted again.

Pain. From his chest, his lungs, and the bits of his laptop digging into his back. Gray couldn't breathe.

But he was alive.

He was alive, so he had to get up and act. He had to get up and figure a way out of this mess. To stop the men from taking the young woman away- No, to just survive and escape.

Right. It was too dangerous to keep getting involved with that woman.

In fact, it was probably best for him to just lie there and pretend he was unconscious. To fake being injured and wait for an opportunity.

"...Not quite as planned, but it's of no consequence." Jerm's suave voice echoed and he said, "Rozz. Take care of our disobedient toy."

"Got it."

A casual conversation. No, a cold declaration. Jerm, ordering the execution of the young woman.

Gray couldn't see it, but he was certain. The young woman couldn't do anything. And she hadn't moved either. Probably stunned in shock.

Heavy footsteps echoed, and then there was the sound of books falling to the ground. Rozz, casually lifting up a bookshelf to use as a weapon. And then those footsteps drew near where the young woman was standing.

Get... up!

Gray coughed and forced air into his lungs. He slammed his arms against the ground and forced himself to his feet. Grabbing his bag, he started to lean forward, already on the verge of charging at the men.

But then he stopped.

Not because he was afraid. And not even because his rational mind caught up with his actions.

No, he stopped because the young woman was standing in front of him.

She glanced back, a faint smile on her beautiful face. Like a flower's final blossom before its petals scattered to the ground.

Seeing that expression, Gray suddenly saw a memory of someone else. A girl's face, giving the same look before leaving his life forever.

"NO!" Gray shouted and ran forward, reaching out with his hand.

And then blood sprayed through the air, painting the room red.