Twilight and Yuri's meeting!

After getting away, Karen returned to his dorm room to shower. What had happened that afternoon had cost him dearly and left him in an absolutely foul mood!

He did not even feel like eating!!!

His beloved blade-

Not only had he lost a tooth, but his blade had shattered too.

Water dripped from Karen's wet hair as he slumped beside the bed, wrapped in a bath towel.

His beloved blade lay silently on the desk.

He stared at the blade and let out a long sigh. "Ugh... I'll have to send you back to the organization for repairs for now, but I'll still need to buy the materials."

"Why am I so unlucky? That whole family had already gone so far away. Why did they have to come back?"

Knock!

A knock sounded at the door.

"Mr. Karen, are you in there?!" Henry's voice came from outside.

"Coming!" Karen quickly changed into pajamas, put the blade away, and opened the door. Looking at Henry, who was still wearing a tailcoat even though it was already eight in the evening, he asked in confusion, "Mr. Henry, what brings you here so late?!"

Henry sat down on the sofa. "I need to confirm a few things with you about next week's physical education activity."

"You actually need to confirm it with me? Does it have something to do with stars?"

"That's right." Henry took a sheet of paper from his pocket and placed it on the table.

Karen picked it up and skimmed it. "Class One versus Class Eight, Class Two versus Class Six, Class Three versus Class Four... an interclass dodgeball tournament?"

"Yes. Students who perform exceptionally well in this tournament may be awarded a star... of course, that doesn't mean one must be awarded. It's only a possibility. The homeroom teacher and physical education teacher will make the decision together."

"Understood. I'll make the necessary preparations." Karen nodded, then asked whether Henry had anything else to discuss. After Henry said no, Karen saw him out.

After putting the sheet away, Karen poured himself a cup of coffee. "Honestly, it doesn't matter whether anyone gets a star... Anya can get into the Desmond Family's home without becoming an 'Imperial Scholar' anyway."

"In that case, I'll give this star to the younger son... protecting girls is pretty cool, you know. That earns plenty of points with me."

In a luxurious hospital room somewhere in the capital, a man lay covered in bandages.

"Ugh-Sis!!"

A jolt of pain ran through his head, but he still shot upright in bed and looked around.

There was no one nearby. He held his aching head. "Strange... did I pass out? But I clearly saw Sis..."

Bang!

"Second Lieutenant Briar, you're awake." The director walked in with a broad smile, followed by a lieutenant carrying a fruit basket.

"Director!" Yuri tried to raise his hand in salute, but he could barely lift his right arm.

"Now, now, don't push yourself. Your right arm is broken. Get some rest. Lie down, lie down." The director patted Yuri's shoulder while the lieutenant behind him placed the fruit basket on the table.

The director personally peeled an apple for Yuri with a paring knife. "You were just too impatient. You should have waited for the main force... now look at all these injuries."

"I'm sorry, Director. I was too impatient."

The director handed him the peeled apple. "Don't blame yourself so much. I'm not here to criticize you. Quite the opposite, I think very highly of you... you managed to identify the Black Nightmare's physical characteristics and figure out where he would strike next. You've got a sharp eye, Yuri!"

The praise made Yuri feel a little ashamed. "But I still let the Black Nightmare get away..."

Then he remembered something and hurriedly added, "Oh, right, Director. The Black Nightmare doesn't actually have a mole on his neck. That was part of his disguise."

The director did not seem surprised by this. He merely gave a hum of acknowledgment.

Standing nearby, the lieutenant explained, "We examined those photographs while we were assembling. The moles in those pictures differed not only in position, but also in shape and size. We had already determined that he was trying to mislead us."

"Besides, there's no need to worry about the Black Nightmare anymore. He hasn't appeared for five days straight. We've concluded that he's left Ostania."

"Is that so?" Yuri clenched his left fist so tightly it creaked. The Black Nightmare had humiliated him four whole times!

And this time, he had been injured so badly.

"Get some proper rest for now. Go see your family, and return to duty once your injuries have healed."

With that, the director left.

The lieutenant watched Yuri finish the apple before slowly speaking. "We didn't find you at first. We thought you'd been killed in the line of duty... but then the hospital contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and told them you were seriously injured."

"The person who brought you to the hospital said she was your older sister. We checked the records and confirmed that it really was your sister who brought you here. She was quite worried about you."

At the words "older sister," Yuri's mood visibly improved, and color unconsciously rose in his cheeks. "Really? So I wasn't seeing things. The last person I saw before passing out really was Sis... I'm so happy."

"Uh..." The lieutenant did not know what to say. Seeing his sister just before passing out actually made him happy?

"All right, I won't disturb you any longer. Focus on recovering... the country hasn't been very peaceful lately. Try to return to duty as soon as you can."

"Yes, sir!"

Three days flew by, and the only injury Yuri had left was his broken right arm.

Even that was recovering quickly. He could already pick up light objects.

He truly lived up to the Briar Family name. His recovery speed was simply outstanding. What might not heal in a month for an ordinary person had taken him only three days.

Although it could not compare to his sister's incredible recovery, which left her gunshot wound barely hurting after two nights, it was still astonishing.

Ignoring the doctor's advice, he insisted on being discharged.

He had to see his sister! No one could stop him!!

After calling his sister to tell her he would come over that evening, he bought a large bouquet and stood downstairs from the Forger Family's apartment, taking a deep breath.

It's been so long since I last saw Sis. Now I can finally see her. This is wonderful...

But why didn't she tell me she'd been married for an entire year?

Could it be... he's some horribly evil scumbag she couldn't possibly introduce to me!!!

The air around Yuri seemed to darken. His expression grew grim, and murderous intent surfaced in his eyes. "I'll eliminate every last thing that could threaten Sis's safety, even if it's her husband..."

"Loid Forger, if you really are a scumbag, I'll throw you in prison!"

As Yuri climbed the stairs, the murderous intent in his heart grew stronger.

But he shook his head and pushed that thought aside. He could not let his sister find out he was a member of the secret police at the National Security Service, or she would worry about him all day long.

He had already caused his sister enough trouble as a child. Now that he was grown, he absolutely could not make her worry anymore.

For the sake of his work and his sister's happiness, he had to keep his identity well hidden.

Meanwhile, Twilight was also preparing for his meeting with Yuri.

Why had Yuri gotten into a fight with someone at the aquarium?

That man had clearly been an exceptional fighter. Why would someone like that target an ordinary government employee?

Something was definitely wrong here!!

Yuri Briar is the Forger Family's only relative, but the closer someone is, the more likely they are to notice something amiss. I can't lose the family I've only just managed to build...

Everyone had things they kept hidden, sides of themselves no one knew about, whether from family or friends...

They all used false smiles and bravado to conceal their true selves...

Only that way...

Could they preserve a fleeting peace.

Ding-dong!

"Hello, it's nice to meet you. I'm her younger brother, Yuri!"

"Welcome. I'm Loid Forger."

The first meeting between a spy and a secret policeman had begun.