"What could anyone want from a library? I came here to study, of course."

He said with a careless shrug, turning an eye to White whose expression remained unchanging, still waiting for an answer to his response.

"And a bit on the side, to give you this."

He said, dipping his hands into his coat, and sliding a dark-coloured card to White on the table.

He didn’t pick it up, his eyes turning down to look at it and noticing a symbol of a skull, beneath which were two bones crossed diagonally, all in a colour of dark.

"That’s an Invitation Card."

"To what?"

White asked with a scoff.

"An esteemed cult with backings beyond even Xtreemcyber itself. You were lucky enough to be noticed by someone high up and they felt you should at least be given a chance to join."

Rukun said with a grin.

"And let me guess, you told them you were a good friend of mine, and they have no clue whatsoever that we both are the farthest thing from friends."

"Maybe if anyone else gave it to me I would have accepted, which also reveals your original intent, which is for me to say no, so you can walk about to that group, tell them that I said they should go fuck themselves, and now, I got myself in trouble that absolutely has nothing to do with me."

White recited out with such deadly precision that Rukun’s smile faded away.

That was exactly what had happened.

The cult he had joined in had shown clear interest in having White over, something Rukun didn’t like.

So he had walked up to them, said that White was a good old friend, and they had tasked him with issuing the invitation card to White.

Now, Rukun knew, by how much hate both he and White had for each other, White would never take anything from him, and would obviously reject the invitation.

Then, he would be able to return back to the group, say that White said they weren’t worthy of him, and now, the group revengeful as they were, would no doubt go for White, putting a target on his back.

With them, Rukun would be able to get the revenge that he had always wanted from White, without getting his own hands dirty.

Seeing the pause that confirmed things to White, he smiled, his hands finally grabbing at the card and keeping it in his pocket.

"Tell them I appreciate the offer and need some time to consider."

White said with a grin of mockery.

Even if he wasn’t interested in joining some cult or whatever... he was now, so far as it ruined whatever plan this evil bastard had in mind for him.

"You know, you’ve gotten smarter... a lot smarter than I remember."

Rukun said, and White nodded before his smile seized and he took an extremely cold and serious expression.

"You know what you’ve gotten, Rukun?"

"Yes?"

Rukun asked with a grin.

"You’ve gotten weaker."

White said and his grin froze, but he recovered quickly, asking with a scoff.

"So because you see me ranked 18, and you just defeated a rank 24, so you think I’m now weak, huh?"

"No."

White said, with an expression that forced absolute focus on his next few words.

"I still remember quite vividly the first time I met you."

"You stood there, a wild aura of dominance around you. Your hands were outstretched, a massive blade of blood hanging over Nova’s head."

"You were about to end her, and there wasn’t a flicker of emotion in those bloody eyes of yours, like she was nothing but an ordinary ant."

"You remember me saving her, what you call seizing your prey away from you, but what I remembered was me running away."

He said, and he leaned closer, whispering.

"The first time I saw you... I saw death!"

BAADUMP!

BAADUMP!

The sound of Rukun’s heart pounding reached both of their ears, and White slowly leaned back.

"But ever since, what have you become?"

"Not long after, you were defeated by Innumaki, knocked out cold."

"Then you came to me, telling me you would make a comeback, and once more, I saw your defeat once more, this time by my hands."

"You were so weak, I made you my first fight, and without taking a rest I went on to defeat two people who were stronger than you."

"And 6 months after that, I saw your name go from being in the top 5 to now being ranked 18."

"Can you imagine it, Rukun? What I felt when I was looking for your name in the top ten, wondering why your name wasn’t there, only to find it at Number 18?"

BAAADUMP!

BAAADUMP!

BAAADUMP!

"And to top it all off, here you are before me, trying to get back at that with cunning and intelligence. Trying to force the hand of some cultists to get your revenge for you."

"All of it made me ask."

"What happened to the Rukun I saw on the entrance test?"

BAAADUMMP!

DAAADUMMP!

"What happened to the death that I saw in your eyes and that made me retreat in fear?"

"The Malevolent boy reduced to some pawn of some cultist group, borrowing their power to fight a fight that he forgot was only his to fight."

"Look me in the eye, Rukun."

White said, as Rukun raised his eyes.

They were filled with crimson veins, burning with rage.

"Tell me you haven’t grown weaker than the first time I saw you. You yourself know it, didn’t you? That the you right now is nothing but a downgrade."

"SHUT UP!"

"Even the Nova who was nothing but an annoying fly that you harmed to get to me, has now surpassed you on the ranking."

"And if you still tell yourself that you can defeat her, can you really touch her anymore now?"

"She’s secured quite the backing, hasn’t she?"

"It’s almost like you’re the only one who never grew at all."

White said, rising to his feet and picking up the books to leave, as he went through the exits, the words rang out.

"The boy I feared is already dead... so why are you still alive?"