Ethan was in an enclosed chamber with medical staff walking in and out, cleaning themselves thoroughly each time. To his left was Darius, who was their primary focus, but to his right was the A Rank.

She was still unconscious, but unlike Darius, she had no visible injuries.

"Extreme fatigue and internal strain," one of the staff explained, seeing Ethan’s eyes on her.

He just nodded his head.

’Yeah, from going full demon mode.’

Minutes passed with Ethan just lying in his hospital bed. He had refused any further inspection or treatment from the medics, who backed off after confirming that his condition was stable. Yet he still wasn’t allowed to leave this sealed chamber with controlled access.

That was until they had verified that none of them carried any infectious diseases from the gate. When that happened, two men entered the room in black suits, different from the medical staff.

They had a sharp air around them, and Ethan couldn’t gauge exactly how capable they were, but he was certain they were Titled. He was also sure they weren’t A Ranks or even B Ranks, since they exuded a powerful presence that was tough to mask.

"Ethan Crowe," they said. "Please come with us."

Ethan sighed.

"Oh shit, here we go again..."

He was led through the building to what was clearly an interrogation room, one that was very underwhelming. It didn’t have any fancy technology or a lie detector; it was just a small room with harsh lighting, a table, and three chairs.

And across from him was a comical duo.

One was short and fat, the other was tall and painfully skinny.

Ethan almost laughed.

’What is this, a bad cop comedy?’

"We are part of the Gate Investigation Unit," the shorter one began, voice formal.

"We ensure proper gate conduct and verify the alignment of all Titled testimonies," the taller one continued.

Ethan leaned back slightly.

"Right. So... you want to know what happened?"

"Yes."

"Everything."

Ethan shrugged.

And then he told them, almost exactly what he had told Kael, leaving the same parts out, of course. Anything that hinted at the full extent of his unique abilities was completely skipped over. He also covered for the red-eyed A Rank, feeling indebted to his indirect saviour.

The two black suits listened carefully.

Once he had finished, that’s when their relentless questions began.

"What do you believe took control of the gate?"

"Why this gate specifically?"

"How did the difficulty escalate so drastically?"

"How did you, an E Rank, survive when multiple C Ranks did not?"

"Your injuries, can you explain their nature?"

"The A Rank’s abilities, your description does not match our records."

"How did the supposed ant-like Boss Beast damage Darius that way?"

"Why is your recovery unnaturally fast, even for a Titled, while only an E Rank?"

It was one after another without pause, a barrage of probing questions trying to get everything out of Ethan and find any cracks in his story. But the blue-eyed man answered everything calmly and confidently.

Though he would be lying if he said this didn’t feel familiar.

The smell of coffee, paper, and sweat - that’s what he remembered from the police station in which he was processed. They interrogated him for hours about what had happened that night before he was arrested, trying all kinds of mind games on him to reveal who his partner was.

Of course, they had a very good idea of who it was, but they had no evidence tying Mark to the incident.

This was similar: the same pressure to get someone to slip up and reveal any truths they were hiding. But this time he wasn’t a criminal, and once again, Ethan didn’t crack or give them something they weren’t supposed to have.

After what felt like an hour of back-and-forth, the two finally leaned back.

They shared a glance, then simply said, "You’re free to leave."

It was so sudden that it caught Ethan off guard.

"That’s it?"

They nodded calmly.

Ethan stood up slowly, stretching slightly despite the lingering pain.

’That wasn’t too bad for an interrogation.’

Maybe it was because of everything he had experienced in the tower, but most other things he had to endure felt a lot easier. He had faced death so much that even A Ranks didn’t scare him.

But before he left the room, there was one thing on his mind.

"Money?"

The shorter one nodded.

"We have your preference listed as cash. You may collect your payment at any Association branch, including this one at the Compensation Bureau. Applicable taxes will be deducted."

Ethan grimaced.

’The government and their fucking taxes.’

Still, money was money, and he had certainly earned it.

Ethan stepped out of the interrogation room, exhausted, sore, and weirdly hungry despite the taste of that rubbery ant meat still lingering in his mouth.

’First thing I’m doing is getting real food.’

But as he stepped into the hallway, he froze, because standing there waiting for him was a familiar face. And judging by the reactions of the two interrogators behind him, he wasn’t the only one surprised.

-

Right outside the interrogation room, standing there eagerly like a pet waiting for its owner, was the A Rank. She stood close to the door, and how she even knew where he was in this giant association base was a mystery on its own.

Ethan stopped mid-step, his body instinctively tensing for a fraction of a second before he forced himself to relax.

’Of course it’s her.’

She looked different.

Not physically, no, she was still the same scruffy, almost fragile-looking girl. Blonde hair slightly messy, and posture a little hunched as if she didn’t quite know what to do with herself.

But her red eyes were no longer just strange; they felt like miniature beacons of death even without being possessed. It was like a quiet, suppressed storm hiding behind a thin veil of nervousness. Beneath them were dark eye bags, and her face was sunken, portraying just how drained she was.

That only added to her unknowingly intimidating gaze.

And yet, when those eyes landed on Ethan, they lit up instantly, as if she had just found something she didn’t want to lose again.

"Right," Ethan muttered under his breath.

He had seen what she truly was inside that gate: that suffocating aura, the terrifying power, and the demonic entity that spoke through her. Yet, standing here now, watching her shift slightly from foot to foot like an anxious kid, Ethan felt oddly at ease.

It didn’t make sense why he did, but aside from her eyes, she felt harmless.

The same couldn’t be said for the two black suits behind him, who were clearly shaken to their core by her.

They froze entirely, but tried to remain calm, not that they did a good job of it.

Ethan caught it all: the slight stiffening of their shoulders, the way their gazes sharpened, the subtle recalculation happening in their minds.

The fact that she was an A Rank was enough to make them be very cautious.

Within the Association, there was a rule of thumb drilled into every operative: Respect C Ranks, Revere B Ranks, Fear A Ranks, and Worship S Ranks.

It was simple and clear.

And standing in front of them was someone who, even at her weakest and unable to use her abilities, still sat firmly in that third category.

Fear, that’s what they were feeling.

And if she was even half as volatile as the Riot Valkyrie, then they were standing next to a walking disaster.

The shorter of the two cleared his throat, stepping forward carefully, his tone polite and measured.

"Miss... would you be willing to answer a few questions regarding the gate?"

The A Rank blinked.

For a moment, it looked like she was about to nod.

Then she glanced at Ethan, who gave a subtle shake of his head that was barely noticeable, but she saw it. And just like that, she refused with a small, almost apologetic shake of her own head.

The two black suits exchanged a glance, and both knew that it was it.

They didn’t push simply because they couldn’t push.

There was no authority here that could force an A Rank into compliance, and even if there was, they wouldn’t use it over something like a C- Rank gate incident. A Ranks were rare and needed, so were treated as such, and that came with special privileges.

That meant if she didn’t want to answer any questions, she wasn’t going to.

As for the gate itself?

It was gone, the evidence and potential information gone with it, leaving just Ethan’s testimony of events.

’Well, there’s also Darius...’

Ethan’s gaze flickered briefly toward the medical wing.

’But he was hit so hard, he might’ve forgotten everything. And as cruel as it sounds... let’s hope he stays unconscious for a while.’

Because if Darius woke up and started talking, questions might arise that Ethan might not be able to answer. But for now, it seemed as though everything had been successfully swept under the rug.

His version of events was now the truth that the black suits couldn’t dispute.

’It all worked out.’

He couldn’t help but smile as he took it all in.

Ethan came out of this spontaneous gate entry with more than he could have imagined, the biggest and weirdest thing being the A Rank that now clung to him...