Elizabeth didn't flinch when her back hit the wall. Instead, a faint smirk pulled at her lips, like she'd been expecting this.
"You're faster than I thought," she said, her tone calm, her green eyes fixed on him without a shred of fear.
Kaizen's hand gripped her collar firmly, the muscles in his arm tensed just enough to keep her in place. "Why are you following ?" His voice was low, steady, but sharp enough to make it clear he wasn't asking out of curiosity.
Isabella stood frozen a step behind him, her head shifting between them, trying to make sense of what she was seeing. She hadn't even noticed soone was following them. "What is happening?" She asked.
He didn't turn to her. "I asked you a question," he repeated, his gaze never leaving the Elizabeth.
Elizabeth's smirk didn't fade. "I'm not here to fight you. If I was, you wouldn't have heard coming." Her eyes briefly flicked to Isabella before returning to Kaizen. "Flynn wants to see you."
Kaizen's eyes narrowed slightly at the na. "Not interested."
"That wasn't a request." This ti her tone lost its casualness, and a faint ripple of mana rolled off her, distorting the air just enough for Isabella to feel the sudden heaviness pressing on her skin. "He's curious about you," she continued. "He wants to test sothing."
Kaizen's grip tightened, the sound of her clothes straining faintly under his fingers. "Curious about what?"
Her smirk deepened. "Your limits."
Without warning, he shoved her harder into the wall, the impact making a dull crack against the bricks. "Then tell him if he's that curious, he can co to himself."
Her eyes didn't even twitch. "If I go back without you, he will co himself. But trust ," she leaned in slightly, lowering her voice. "you'd rather et him on neutral ground."
Isabella stepped forward, her brows furrowed. "If you think you can just—"
Elizabeth glared at Isabella, her mana spiking suddenly, a wave of pressure slamming down the alley. Isabella's breath hitched as the force pushed against her chest, forcing her to take a step back. Kaizen didn't move, but his eyes studied her more closely now, his expression unreadable.
"Neutral ground, huh?" he said after a brief pause. "Fine. Tell him I'll think about it."
"Good enough." Her hand lifted and pressed lightly against his wrist. A short burst of mana followed, sharp and cold, forcing his grip to loosen, not because she overpowered him, but because the sensation was like gripping a blade of fire. She stepped past him without looking back, deliberately brushing Isabella's shoulder as she exited the alley.
Kaizen and Isabella both turned slightly, watching her disappear into the flow of the market crowd.
Isabella turned to him imdiately. "What the hell was that about?" she demanded, her tone sharper than before.
Kaizen's gaze stayed fixed on the spot Elizabeth had vanished, his voice low but edged. "Don't ever interfere in my business again, understand?"
Her eyes widened slightly at the harshness in his tone. "Interfere? I was trying to—"
"I don't need you trying anything," he cut in, finally looking at her. His eyes were cold, "Next ti, stay out of it."
He had no idea why she kept bugging him and acting like she had so right over him.
Isabella's jaw clenched. Why would he say that, she hated that he still treated her like she was a stranger to him. Was it because of these male clothes she put on? Would he be attracted to her if she looked more feminine. "You can't just expect to stand there and do nothing while—"
"That's exactly what I expect," he interrupted, his voice dropping lower, each word deliberate. "I don't want you stepping in when you don't know what you're dealing with." If he hadn't stopped that lady just in ti, she might have actually hurt her. Afterall, she was no match for an S-rank.
Isabella's expression softened when she realized he'd said what he just said to protect her. He did care after all. "I'm not as weak as you think so don't worry." She replied quietly, her cheeks flushing bright pink.
"Yeah, because you're A-rank? She's still a whole rank higher than you." Kaizen cut in, and Isabella's eyes widened as she turned to him.
"What? How? How did you know?" She asked in disbelief. She had purposely hidden her real rank as she signed up under a fake na and identity in crimson dusk. No one should be able to tell unless she told them personally or showed the full extent of her powers, which she never did in present of Kaizen.
"I've always been accurate at telling the ranks of anything that has energy." He shrugged. Isabella raised a brow, "so you knew all this while?" She asked, and Kaizen nodded.
"Everyone has secrets they wish to keep, and there's always a reason they don't want others finding out. I respect that, it is why I won't ever ask any more than I should know unless you wish to tell yourself. I'll appreciate if you'll also respect that about ." He continued.
Isabella exhaled, then smiled, damn him sneaky jerk, he really knows how to have his way with sothing huh. "Alright, I won't interfere anymore, just don't hesitate to ask for my help whenever you need it, I'm actually more capable than you think." She said, giving him a reassuring tap. This didn't an she would stop stalking him though, or stop clinging to him, she had only decided to give him space for now.
"So this is were we part ways right? Or you're heading back to dusk with ?" Kaizen asked. He first needed to et that Flynn of a dude who thought he was so big shot or sothing just because he sohow shattered the mana ter stone. Although Kaizen knew it wasn't pure coincidence, he was dead curious to know what kinda power he weilded and how strong was he.
"No, I'll go ho from here, I might get in trouble if I stay out for too long."
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