"Ah… our new guests." The man's voice was smooth, commanding. "I don't recall your faces. First-timers, perhaps?"

He stepped closer, his diamond cufflinks gleaming under the golden light.

"I am President Itoshi," he said, placing a hand over his chest with mock politeness. "Owner of the Black Gem Casino. And you are…?"

Raito hesitated for a moment, then replied evenly, "Kenji. Kenji Raito."

Itoshi's gaze shifted to Kira, his smile widening. "And such a beautiful lady you have with you, Mr. Kenji."

He took Kira's hand and kissed it lightly — his lips brushing against her skin just enough to make her flinch inside. She forced a polite smile through the disgust burning in her chest.

"Welcome to my little empire," Itoshi said. "Please, have a seat. The prize for tonight's game… is just about to be revealed."

Raito nodded quietly, his expression unreadable. He and Kira moved toward the nearest table, their every step watched by the eyes of the rich, the powerful — and the damned.

Behind the curtain, faint movement stirred. Something — or someone — was waiting to be unveiled.

Raito's eyes narrowed as the black curtain began to rise. For a moment, the room went silent—so silent he could hear the low hum of the air conditioning and the soft rustle of expensive suits.

Then—fwsshh—the curtain dropped.

Everyone gasped.

Behind the thick unbreakable glass was a large chamber sealed off from the rest of the hall. The lighting shifted to a crimson hue, bathing the room in an eerie glow.

And inside the glass cell—

—stood a hunter.

He was battered, stripped of armor, wearing only torn shorts. A faint shimmer of mana lingered around him, but his arms were shackled tightly by glowing auto-chains that pulsed with suppressive runes. Even so, the man stood straight, his expression blank but proud.

A-rank Hunter Neo.

Raito's eyes widened. "No way…" he whispered under his breath. "That's… Neo. The A-rank from Kyoto Branch."

Kira's face hardened. "He's one of the hunters Jiro said went missing."

But before they could speak further, a monstrous hiss erupted from the other side of the chamber.

Out from the darkness crawled a giant spider, its body glistening with metallic carapace, eyes glowing like blood-red rubies. Its front legs scraped against the floor, sparks flying where its claws met the steel ground.

The monster's sheer presence made the air vibrate. Even through the glass, the pressure was suffocating.

The chains binding both the hunter and the beast were attached to the ceiling, coiled tight, waiting.

The crowd erupted in whispers—amusement, thrill, and greed.

"Wow… they actually captured a monster that size?"

"He's an A-rank. Easy win. I'm putting everything on A."

"Are you crazy? That thing's not normal—it's engineered. My bet's on B."

Then, President Itoshi rose from his seat, smiling as he spread his arms theatrically.

"Ladies and gentlemen," his voice boomed across the hall. "Thank you all for attending another fine night at the Black Gem Casino."

"I know you've all placed your deposits already. But before we begin, Hunter Ryo will pass you these—" he gestured, and Ryo began walking between the tables with a silver basket filled with small cards and pens.

"Choose wisely. 'A' for the hunter… or 'B' for the beast. Once the battle starts, no changes."

Raito and Kira exchanged glances.

"So that's what's behind the curtain," Kira muttered. "They're gambling… on lives."

Raito clenched his fists. "They turned a hunter into a bet."

Kira glanced at her card, then at him. "What do we do now?"

Raito's voice was low and cold.

"We watch. For now. Let's find out what kind of monsters the humans are before we deal with the real one."

The lights dimmed.

Itoshi raised his hand high, his diamond ring glinting under the crimson glow.

"Let the bet… begin!"

The auto-chains released with a metallic snap.

The spider screamed.

And the hunter charged.

"Oh wait…" Raito murmured, narrowing his eyes. "They gave him a wooden sword. He's a swordsman—he specializes in close combat—but…" His brows furrowed. "I can tell he's weak. Really weak. Like he's been starved or tortured for days."

Kira nodded grimly. "Yeah. He was one of the hunters sent to investigate this place. None of us were sure if he'd been captured… but now it makes sense. Still—how could anyone defeat someone like him?"

Raito clenched his fists. "Even like this, even half-dead, he should be able to win with just a wooden sword. But…" He shook his head slowly. "He's not going to. Someone already broke him."

Kira's eyes narrowed. "I'm sure he's the same hunter who defeated Hiran Kanta, the new elite from Osaka branch. If he's been taken down, whoever's running this place is far beyond ordinary."

Meanwhile, Ryo moved through the crowd, collecting the cards everyone had ticked—A for the hunter, B for the beast.

Raito and Kira exchanged a silent glance, then both ticked A.

Raito leaned close, voice low. "If something bad happens to him, should we do something?"

Kira's gaze stayed on the glass chamber. "Yes… maybe. But we'll need to be careful. Ryo's strong—I can sense it—and there are other hunters here too. We don't know who's on whose side… or how many of them are part of this."

The murmurs of the audience grew louder, the tension in the room thick as smoke.

Raito exhaled slowly. "This isn't a casino… it's a something else."

They all stared at the cage. A butler and two waitresses moved silently through the crowd, handing each guest a glass of wine. Crystal clinked. Laughter mixed with the faint hum of tension.

Inside the glass chamber, Neo stood barefoot on the cold floor. His body was thin, bruised, and his breathing heavy. Across from him, the giant spider shifted its monstrous legs, fangs dripping venom.

Ryo's voice echoed, calm and cruel. "Let the game begin."

The spider lunged. Neo barely dodged—its fangs crashed into the glass with a sharp crack! He rolled, coming up on one knee, gripping the wooden sword they had given him. He swung it hard across the beast's head. The impact made a dull thud—no cut, no blood.

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