Chapter 1 the pretty devil
The Black Viper Headquarters was silent.
Not because there was no one inside.
Because no one dared to speak.
Expensive Italian marble stretched across the floor.
Crystal chandeliers reflected against walls painted obsidian black.
Dozens of men stood on both sides of the grand hallway, dressed in tailored black suits.
Every head remained lowered.
Every back stayed straight.
The sound of polished shoes echoed through the corridor.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
A young man appeared at the end of the hallway.
Long silver-white hair cascaded down his back like silk.
His pale skin seemed untouched by sunlight.
His face…
Too beautiful.
Too delicate.
Too soft.
Anyone seeing him for the first time would mistake him for the pampered son of a wealthy family.
Not…
The heir of the Black Viper Syndicate.
A new recruit swallowed hard.
“That’s… him?”
His voice barely rose above a whisper.
“I thought the Young Master would be…”
He searched for the right word.
“Bigger.”
The veteran standing beside him didn’t even look up.
“Keep your voice down.”
“But he looks—”
The veteran cut him off.
“Pretty?”
The recruit nodded.
The older man finally lifted his eyes.
“You’ve only been here three days.”
“I’ll pretend you didn’t say that.”
The recruit frowned.
“Why?”
The veteran’s expression darkened.
“Because the last man who called Young Master Iris ‘pretty’ is buried somewhere no one will ever find.”
The recruit laughed nervously.
“…You’re joking.”
The veteran didn’t answer.
Instead…
He stepped aside.
Iris walked past them without so much as a glance.
His expression remained calm.
Unreadable.
As though nothing in the world deserved his attention.
A black file rested in his gloved hand.
“Meeting room.”
His voice was soft.
Almost gentle.
Yet everyone moved immediately.
No hesitation.
No questions.
Only obedience.
The recruit stared after him.
“…He doesn’t look dangerous.”
The veteran quietly replied,
“That’s exactly why he’s still alive.”
The conference room doors opened without a sound.
The conversations inside died instantly.
More than thirty men sat around the long ebony table.
Underbosses.
Captains.
Foreign investors.
Even representatives from rival organizations.
Every single one of them stood as Iris entered.
No one dared remain seated.
Iris didn’t acknowledge them.
He walked past each chair with slow, measured steps before taking the seat at the head of the table.
Only then…
“…Sit.”
Chairs scraped softly against the marble floor.
Everyone obeyed.
A man in his late forties cleared his throat.
“Young Master…”
Iris raised a hand.
The man immediately fell silent.
Blue-and-gold eyes slowly lifted from the documents in front of him.
“I dislike being interrupted.”
“I’m… sorry.”
“You’ve done it twice this week.”
The room became so quiet that the ticking of the antique clock could be heard.
Iris closed the file.
“So tell me.”
His voice remained calm.
“Why are three of our weapon shipments missing?”
Nobody answered.
One of the captains wiped sweat from his forehead.
Another avoided eye contact.
Iris noticed everything.
He always did.
Finally…
A middle-aged man stood.
“There was… an ambush.”
“By whom?”
“We… don’t know.”
Silence.
Iris rested his chin against one hand.
“You don’t know…”
The man nodded nervously.
“Then explain this.”
A thin file slid across the polished table.
It stopped directly in front of the captain.
He frowned.
Then opened it.
The color drained from his face.
Inside were photographs.
Bank transfers.
Phone records.
Security footage.
Enough evidence to destroy a man.
“You accepted ₦180 million from the Romano Family.”
The captain’s hands began to shake.
“Y-Young Master… I can explain.”
“You’ve been explaining for six months.”
“I was forced—”
“No.”
Iris interrupted softly.
“You were greedy.”
The captain suddenly dropped to his knees.
“Please! Give me another chance!”
“I have children!”
“They need me!”
For the first time…
Iris smiled.
It wasn’t warm.
It wasn’t kind.
It was terrifying.
“I know.”
He snapped his fingers once.
Two guards stepped forward.
The captain screamed as they dragged him toward the door.
“Young Master!”
“Please!”
“I’ll never betray you again!”
The doors closed.
His screams echoed for only a few seconds.
Then…
Silence.
No one looked toward the hallway.
No one dared.
Iris picked up his teacup and took a slow sip.
“As I was saying…”
His expression hadn’t changed.
“The Romano Family has invited us to a peace negotiation tonight.”
One of the underbosses frowned.
“Do you believe it’s genuine?”
Iris’s lips curved ever so slightly.
“No.”
“Then why go?”
He placed the teacup down.
“Because when someone sets a trap…”
“…it’s rude not to attend.”
For the first time that evening…
Several of the older mafia captains exchanged worried glances.
Their young master wasn’t walking into danger because he had no choice.
He was walking into it…
Because he wanted to know who had the courage to betray him.
The room emptied one by one.
No one dared linger after a meeting with Iris.
The heavy conference doors shut with a dull click.
Silence reclaimed the room.
Iris remained seated.
His fingers lazily tapped against the armrest of his chair as his gaze settled on the rain sliding down the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Knock.
Three soft knocks.
“Come in.”
The door opened.
A tall man stepped inside, dressed in an immaculate black suit. His silver hair had long since turned white with age, but his posture remained straight.
Sebastian.
The Black Viper Syndicate’s chief butler.
More importantly…
The man who had raised Iris.
“You dismissed everyone rather quickly today.”
Iris didn’t answer.
Sebastian walked over and quietly placed a steaming cup of jasmine tea before him.
“You’ve barely eaten.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“You said that yesterday.”
“And the day before.”
A small sigh escaped the older man.
“Iris…”
Only Sebastian was allowed to say his name without a title.
Only Sebastian.
Everyone else called him Young Master.
Or Boss.
Never Iris.
Iris wrapped both hands around the warm porcelain cup.
“I’ve been thinking.”
Sebastian smiled faintly.
“That usually worries me.”
“The Romano Family.”
“What about them?”
“They’re desperate.”
Sebastian’s brows knitted together.
“You’ve noticed something?”
“They requested peace.”
“Yes.”
“They’ve never asked for peace.”
Sebastian remained silent.
“They’re buying time.”
“For what?”
Iris slowly stood.
His long silver-white hair fell over one shoulder as he walked toward the enormous city map mounted on the wall.
Small colored pins marked every Black Viper territory.
His fingers stopped over the eastern docks.
“They’ll attack here.”
Sebastian frowned.
“You’re certain?”
“No.”
Iris smiled faintly.
“But if I were them…”
“…that’s where I’d do it.”
Sebastian folded his arms.
“So you’re still going?”
“I have to.”
“It could be a trap.”
“I know.”
“They could kill you.”
“I know.”
Sebastian stared at the young man for a long moment.
Sometimes…
He forgot Iris was only eighteen.
Other times…
He remembered all too well.
“You’ve become exactly like your father.”
The smile on Iris’s face disappeared.
The room grew colder.
“I am nothing like him.”
“You still blame him.”
“My father built this empire.”
Iris turned toward the rain-soaked skyline.
“Then he left me to inherit its enemies.”
Sebastian lowered his gaze.
He had no answer.
Not one that could ease the burden resting on those young shoulders.
A vibration broke the silence.
One of the phones on the desk lit up.
Unknown Number.
Iris picked it up.
“…Speak.”
A distorted voice answered.
“If you value your life…”
“…don’t come to the docks tonight.”
The line went dead.
Sebastian’s face hardened.
“Who was that?”
Iris stared at the silent phone.
Then…
A slow smile spread across his lips.
“They’re nervous.”
He slipped the phone into his coat.
“Prepare the cars.”
Sebastian looked at him in disbelief.
“You received a death threat.”
“I received confirmation.”
“Confirmation of what?”
Iris walked toward the door.
“…That tonight is going to be interesting.”
The doors closed behind him.
Neither of them noticed…
From the rooftop across the street…
A pair of reddish-gold eyes watched the Black Viper Headquarters through the rain.
The owner lowered his binoculars.
“So…”
His deep voice was barely louder than the wind.
“You’re walking into the trap anyway.”
He slipped his hands into the pockets of his coat and disappeared into the darkness.
**********************
The convoy left precisely at 8:30 p.m.
Four black armored SUVs glided through the rain-soaked streets, their headlights cutting through the darkness like blades.
Inside the second vehicle…
Silence.
Iris sat beside the window, one leg crossed over the other.
The city lights blurred against the glass.
He watched them without really seeing them.
Across from him sat Leon.
Captain of the Black Viper’s First Division.
Twenty-eight.
Scar running across his jaw.
One of the few people Iris trusted.
“Young Master.”
Iris hummed softly.
“I don’t like this.”
“I know.”
Leon frowned.
“No… I mean it.”
“The Romano Family has never asked for peace.”
“They’ve never invited us onto their territory.”
“And now they suddenly want to negotiate?”
“It stinks.”
Iris finally looked away from the window.
“What does?”
“The whole thing.”
A faint smile tugged at Iris’s lips.
“It should.”
Leon blinked.
“…Excuse me?”
“If it didn’t smell like a trap…”
“…I’d be disappointed.”
The other guards exchanged uneasy glances.
Only Iris could say something so absurd with a completely straight face.
Leon rubbed his temples.
“Sometimes I honestly don’t know if you’re fearless…”
“…or completely insane.”
“I’ve been called worse.”
The driver suddenly spoke.
“We’re five minutes away.”
Iris uncrossed his legs.
“Everyone check your weapons.”
Metal clicked throughout the vehicle.
Pistols.
Knives.
Extra magazines.
Leon loaded another magazine before looking at Iris.
“You brought yours?”
Iris reached beneath his coat.
A matte black pistol rested comfortably in his hand.
He checked the chamber before sliding it back into the holster strapped beneath his jacket.
“I came prepared.”
Leon nodded.
Good.
At least he wasn’t walking in defenseless.
The convoy turned toward the abandoned industrial district.
Warehouses stretched endlessly beneath the rain.
Most of them had been abandoned years ago.
Tonight…
Only one building had lights on.
The lead vehicle stopped.
“So this is the place.”
Leon stepped out first.
His sharp eyes swept across every rooftop.
Every window.
Every shadow.
Too quiet.
Not a single dock worker.
Not one cargo ship unloading.
No security.
No movement.
His instincts screamed.
Trap.
He opened Iris’s door.
“We can still leave.”
Iris stepped onto the wet pavement.
His polished shoes splashed lightly through the puddles.
The cold wind lifted strands of his silver-white hair.
He studied the warehouse.
One entrance.
Three emergency exits.
Plenty of places for snipers.
Too many.
“They’ve chosen a good location.”
Leon sighed.
“The fact that you’re complimenting them worries me.”
Iris ignored the comment.
Instead…
He tilted his head slightly.
“…Do you hear that?”
Everyone fell silent.
Rain.
Thunder.
The distant crash of waves.
Then…
Nothing.
Exactly.
Nothing.
“No seagulls.”
Leon frowned.
“What?”
“They always nest near the docks.”
“…Tonight they’re gone.”
A chill ran down Leon’s spine.
Before he could speak—
The warehouse doors slowly creaked open.
A middle-aged man in a gray suit stepped outside wearing an overly friendly smile.
“Young Master Iris.”
“What an honor.”
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
Iris looked at him for several seconds.
The man’s smile never faltered.
But…
His heartbeat did.
Iris noticed the pulse in his neck racing.
Fear.
Not confidence.
Interesting.
“You seem nervous.”
The man chuckled awkwardly.
“Negotiations make everyone nervous.”
Iris took one slow step forward.
“No.”
His blue-and-gold eyes locked onto the man’s.
“You’re afraid.”
The man’s smile twitched.
For a brief second…
His composure cracked.
Then he forced another laugh.
“Haha… shall we go inside?”
Iris said nothing.
Leon leaned closer.
“Boss…”
“…don’t.”
Iris looked at the warehouse entrance again.
The darkness beyond the doorway felt almost alive.
Like a beast waiting patiently with its jaws open.
He smiled.
“…After you.”
The man turned and walked inside.
Iris followed.
Leon cursed under his breath before signaling the others.
“Stay close.”
None of them noticed…
High above the warehouse…
A lone figure lay hidden on the rooftop, rain soaking through his black coat as reddish-gold eyes tracked every movement below.
His finger rested lightly against the trigger of a sniper rifle.
“…Too many.”
He counted the hidden assassins one by one.
“…Twenty-three…”
A pause.
“…No.”
Another figure shifted behind a ventilation unit.
“…Twenty-four.”
His gaze followed the silver-haired young man disappearing into the warehouse.
For reasons he couldn’t explain…
He couldn’t bring himself to leave.
Something about that young man…
Refused to leave his mind.
He adjusted his scope.
“Let’s see if your instincts are as sharp as your eyes.”
************************
The warehouse smelled of rust.
Old wood.
Engine oil.
And…
Blood.
Faint.
Almost impossible to notice.
Almost.
Iris stopped walking.
Behind him, Leon noticed.
“What is it?”
Iris didn’t answer immediately.
His eyes slowly swept across the enormous warehouse.
Crates.
Shipping containers.
Broken machinery.
Nothing looked unusual.
Which was exactly what bothered him.
Too clean.
Too quiet.
Too empty.
The man leading them stopped in front of a pair of large metal doors.
He smiled politely.
“The Romano representative is waiting inside.”
Iris looked at the doors.
Then at the man.
“You first.”
The smile on the man’s face stiffened.
“…Young Master?”
“I said…”
His voice remained calm.
“You first.”
For a second…
No one moved.
Then the man forced a laugh.
“Haha… of course.”
He pushed the heavy doors open.
The room beyond was enormous.
A single long table stood in the center.
Five chairs.
Wine.
Glasses.
A peaceful meeting.
Or so it seemed.
Leon stepped forward first.
His hand never left the pistol beneath his jacket.
His eyes scanned every corner.
Every shadow.
Nothing.
Still…
His instincts screamed.
Something was wrong.
Iris walked inside.
The others followed.
The last guard had barely crossed the doorway—
BANG!
The steel doors slammed shut.
Heavy locks dropped into place.
Leon spun around.
“Open the damn door!”
His fist slammed against the metal.
It didn’t move.
A slow clap echoed through the warehouse.
Clap.
Clap.
Clap.
From the darkness above…
Figures emerged.
One.
Three.
Ten.
Twenty.
Dozens of armed men stepped onto the overhead catwalks.
Red laser sights flickered to life.
Tiny crimson dots settled across Iris and his men.
On their heads.
Their chests.
Their hearts.
The smiling escort burst into laughter.
“You really came.”
Leon cursed.
“Bastard.”
The man’s polite expression vanished.
In its place…
Pure mockery.
“The famous Young Master Iris.”
“I expected someone taller.”
Laughter erupted from the catwalks.
Another voice called out,
“Careful.”
“They say he’s prettier than most Omegas.”
More laughter.
Someone whistled.
“So this is the kid running Black Viper?”
“I could snap him in half.”
Leon reached for his gun.
“I’ll kill every one of you.”
“Don’t.”
Iris’s quiet voice stopped him.
Leon stared.
“…Boss?”
Iris slowly removed one glove.
His pale fingers brushed invisible dust from his sleeve.
His expression never changed.
Not once.
Then…
He looked up.
Blue-and-gold eyes met the dozens staring down at him.
A slow…
Almost beautiful…
Smile curved across his lips.
“So…”
His voice echoed through the warehouse.
“This is your peace negotiation.”
The laughter grew louder.
The leader spread his arms dramatically.
“What do you think?”
Iris tilted his head.
“I think…”
He looked around one last time.
“…you brought too few men.”
Silence.
For one heartbeat…
Nobody understood what he meant.
Then—
BANG!
A gunshot shattered the warehouse.
But it didn’t come from above.
It came from Iris.
The first man fell from the catwalk with a scream.
Chaos exploded.
The warehouse erupted into chaos.
“Take cover!”
Gunfire exploded from every direction.
Bullets tore through wooden crates, sending splinters flying across the concrete floor.
Leon shoved Iris behind a steel container.
“Stay down!”
“I said don’t order me around.”
Iris pulled free and fired twice.
Bang! Bang!
Two men dropped from the catwalk before they even realized they had been targeted.
A grin spread across one of the enemy captains.
“So the little prince actually knows how to shoot.”
Iris answered with another bullet.
The captain barely ducked in time.
“Missed.”
“I know.”
Iris’s voice was calm.
“The next one won’t.”
Leon couldn’t help glancing at him.
Even in the middle of a firefight…
His breathing hadn’t changed.
His hands didn’t shake.
It was almost unnatural.
A grenade rolled across the floor.
“Down!”
The explosion shook the warehouse.
Smoke swallowed everything.
Leon coughed as ringing filled his ears.
“Iris!”
“I’m here.”
A pale hand emerged through the smoke.
Completely unharmed.
The smoke hadn’t even settled before Iris moved.
His coat flared behind him as he sprinted toward a stack of cargo crates.
Three enemies rushed him.
The first swung a knife.
Iris sidestepped.
The blade missed by inches.
Without breaking stride, Iris caught the man’s wrist, twisted—
Crack.
The knife clattered to the floor.
He caught it before it landed.
One smooth movement.
A flash of silver.
The second attacker froze.
A thin red line appeared across his throat.
He collapsed.
The third hesitated.
That hesitation cost him.
Iris fired once.
The man dropped instantly.
Leon stared.
“…Show-off.”
Iris didn’t even look at him.
“You sound jealous.”
“I’m trying to keep you alive.”
“So am I.”
Another wave poured in.
Too many.
From every side.
One of the guards screamed.
“They’re behind us!”
Gunfire echoed again.
Another Black Viper soldier fell.
Then another.
Leon checked his magazine.
“…Six rounds.”
The others weren’t much better.
“We’re running out.”
Iris finally looked around.
The enemy wasn’t slowing down.
If anything…
More footsteps echoed from the upper levels.
He counted automatically.
Twenty…
Thirty…
More.
His lips pressed into a thin line.
Someone had spent months preparing this ambush.
This wasn’t just an assassination.
It was an execution.
A bullet grazed his shoulder.
His body jerked slightly.
Blood stained the sleeve of his black coat.
Leon saw it immediately.
“You’re hit!”
“It’s a scratch.”
“It doesn’t look like—”
“I’m fine.”
He wasn’t.
His left arm already felt heavier.
But there wasn’t time to think about it.
The enemy leader laughed from above.
“Is this all the mighty Black Viper can do?”
“I expected more.”
Iris slowly raised his head.
Blue-and-gold eyes met the man’s.
“You talk too much.”
He squeezed the trigger.
Click.
Nothing.
His magazine was empty.
The enemy leader smiled.
“There it is.”
“The sound I’ve been waiting for.”
He lifted his hand.
Every gun in the warehouse turned toward Iris.
Leon stepped in front of him without thinking.
The remaining guards formed a wall around their young master.
No one spoke.
They all knew.
This was the end.
The enemy leader’s smile widened.
“Goodbye, Young Master.”
His hand dropped.
“Fire.”
…
A single gunshot echoed through the warehouse.
Not from the enemy.
Not from Leon.
Not from Iris.
One of the snipers on the catwalk suddenly staggered backward.
A perfect hole appeared between his eyes.
His body toppled over the railing.
Silence.
Every head turned.
Another shot.
A second sniper collapsed before he could scream.
Then a third.
Then a fourth.
No one could see where the bullets were coming from.
Only that someone…
Someone was hunting the hunters.
The enemy leader’s confident smile finally disappeared.
“…Who the hell is shooting?”
No one answered.
Because somewhere in the darkness…
A pair of reddish-gold eyes had already chosen the next target.
Silence.
Not the peaceful kind.
The suffocating kind.
Every pair of eyes searched the darkness.
Another body hit the concrete floor with a sickening thud.
The sniper’s rifle clattered beside him.
No one had seen the bullet.
No one had seen the shooter.
The enemy captain’s smile finally disappeared.
“…Find him!”
His voice echoed through the warehouse.
Several men rushed toward the upper catwalks.
Others searched behind the towering shipping containers.
Nothing.
It was as if the bullets were coming from the shadows themselves.
Another shot.
Bang.
A man reaching for his radio collapsed before he could speak.
The enemy captain’s breathing grew heavier.
“…Where is he?”
Leon slowly lowered the pistol he had instinctively raised.
“…Boss…”
“I know.”
Iris never took his eyes off the darkness.
Whoever was out there…
Wasn’t missing.
Not once.
The bullets came with terrifying precision.
One shot.
One corpse.
Another scream echoed from the upper level.
“He’s behind us!”
“No!”
“He’s over there!”
A burst of gunfire answered.
Then…
Silence.
Only one set of footsteps remained.
Steady.
Unhurried.
Heavy boots echoed across the warehouse.
Tap…
Tap…
Tap…
The sound grew closer.
Every survivor instinctively pointed their weapons toward the darkness.
Even Iris found himself watching.
Waiting.
A tall silhouette emerged through the smoke.
Long black coat.
Broad shoulders.
One gloved hand lazily holding a pistol at his side.
His face remained hidden beneath the dim warehouse lights.
The enemy captain narrowed his eyes.
“…Who the hell are you?”
The stranger didn’t answer.
Instead…
He looked down at the blood staining his boots.
A faint sigh escaped him.
“…Messy.”
The single word carried effortlessly across the warehouse.
Calm.
Deep.
Almost bored.
The captain’s face twisted with rage.
“I asked you a question!”
Still…
No answer.
The stranger continued walking.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
Every step felt heavier than the last.
One of the enemy soldiers couldn’t take the pressure anymore.
He fired.
Bang!
The bullet never reached its target.
The stranger tilted his head ever so slightly.
The round whistled past his cheek.
Almost lazily…
He raised his pistol.
Bang.
The soldier dropped instantly.
A perfect shot between the eyes.
No hesitation.
No wasted movement.
No emotion.
The warehouse fell silent again.
For the first time that night…
Fear shifted.
It no longer belonged to Iris and his men.
It belonged to everyone else.
The captain took an involuntary step back.
“…Impossible.”
The stranger finally lifted his head.
Dim light spilled across his face.
Sharp features.
Jet-black hair damp from the rain.
And eyes…
Dark crimson melting into molten gold.
Those eyes swept across the room once.
Then stopped.
On Iris.
Time seemed to freeze.
Neither of them spoke.
The stranger studied the silver-haired young man for only a heartbeat.
Long enough to recognize the same fearless eyes he’d seen years ago.
Long enough for Iris to notice something strange.
This man…
Was looking at him as though he’d seen him before.
The moment shattered.
The captain roared.
“Kill him!”
More than twenty men charged at once.
The stranger rolled his shoulders.
A faint smile—so small it was almost invisible—touched his lips.
“…Finally.”
He slid the pistol back into its holster.
Leon blinked.
“…He put his gun away?”
Iris’s golden-blue eyes narrowed.
“No…”
For the first time that night…
Curiosity flickered across his usually unreadable face.
“…He’s coming here.”
The stranger took one more step.
Then disappeared.
So fast that every eye in the warehouse lost him.
A heartbeat later—
A scream tore through the silence.
