Lord of The Red Planet

"I've been waiting for you, Ayato." Betta shouted, waving her hand at Ayato, who was running toward her.

"Sorry, sorry, Miss Betta! I was taking my sister to school and had to ask my teacher for the day off." Ayato bowed, his hands in an apologetic gesture.

Betta's eyes glinted coldly for a moment, but then her friendly smile returned. "It's fine."

"Thank God. I thought you'd be mad, Miss Betta."

Ayato sighed in relief. Then, he saw an unfamiliar woman standing beside Betta, a cold expression on her face.

"This is…?"

"Oh, this…." Betta turned to Epsilon beside her. "Let me introduce you. This is Epsilon, your superior as well. She'll probably help you handle the organization's administration, since I'm not very good at that sort of thing…. Hahaha," Betta said with a cheerful laugh.

"Hahaha…" Ayato laughed along, though he didn't find anything funny. For the sake of my life, a little brown-nosing is okay, right?

"Oh, by the way, she's my sister. My younger sister," Betta said, putting her arm around Epsilon's shoulder. The cold expression on Epsilon's face immediately turned to one of displeasure.

"I was only created two minutes after you," Epsilon said with a slightly angry expression.

"So what's the difference? Isn't that the same thing?" Betta replied with a strange smile.

"You!" Epsilon gritted her teeth.

Seeing the two of them looking like they were about to fight, Ayato felt a little awkward. But… Miss Betta's sister, huh? So beautiful…. He observed Epsilon's appearance—natural blue hair, tall, slender, and with distinct Slavic features. But… I don't see any resemblance between them. One is a sweet tan with pink hair, the other is milky white with blue hair. From any angle, they're clearly not twins. Do they have different mothers?

"Alright, that's enough joking, Epsilon. We still have Lord Arthur's task to complete," Betta said, coughing slightly to clear the air. "Let's go to that house. I've been watching, and a lot of black cars have been going in. I think they're throwing a party to welcome us, don't you think?" she said with a slightly menacing tone, smiling.

Umm… I don't think they're welcoming us, Ayato lamented in his head.

The three of them walked toward a black gate guarded by a security guard in a black uniform. The man's face was menacing and covered in tattoos, enough to make anyone avoid him.

"Stop right there, you three!" the guard shouted. His hand immediately went to the butt of the pistol behind his pants, as if ready to shoot if they made any strange moves.

"Easy, easy, Mr. Security Guard. We come in peace," Betta said, raising both her hands with a friendly smile.

"Tell me who you are and what you're doing here! You know this is a restricted area!"

Betta's eyes turned cold for a moment. "About that, you should have received a notification, shouldn't you? That your boss—or your former boss now—Yamada, has surrendered the Red Lotus Organization to someone," Betta said.

"So? What's that got to do with you?!" the guard asked loudly.

Hmph. This is why I hate talking to idiots. Betta took a document from her pocket and held it out to the guard. "This is proof that we are the new owners of the Red Lotus Organization. Your new leaders," Betta replied with a serious expression.

BLAM!

A gunshot hit the document in her hand.

"Take that paper home before I put a bullet in your head. We, the Red Lotus, will not bow to dirty usurpers like you!" the guard said, pointing his gun at Betta.

"Haven't you heard what happened to your superior, Rintarou?" Betta crumpled the now-hole-ridden document with a cold expression.

The guard narrowed his eyes. "What did you do to the Boss?!" he shouted, his finger ready to pull the trigger.

Betta sighed. "Whatever. I knew talking to a lowly creature would be like this. In that case… you die."

The moment that sentence fell, Betta disappeared and reappeared in front of the confused-looking guard. She pulled a white knife from behind her arm and immediately slashed the man's neck.

She put her knife away, then smiled at Epsilon and Ayato. "Problem solved."

"I don't think so. Look behind you, Betta," Epsilon said with a flat expression.

Betta turned around and saw a crowd of people rushing out.

"What's going on here, Gogi?! Why'd you fire your weapon?!" a man with a blond mohawk shouted, his tone full of anger.

"Epsilon, now it's your turn. We don't need to talk to these people. Just kill some of them to set an example," Betta commanded with a serious expression.

"Alright. But before that, did you put up an illusion spell here?" Epsilon asked.

Hearing that, Betta let out a small laugh. "Of course not. What for? Besides, this place is in a remote forest location. They chose a good spot."

Epsilon frowned. "Didn't Lord Arthur tell you to do this every time we do a 'cleanup'?" she asked in a firm tone.

Seeing Epsilon's serious and angry expression, Betta was stunned for a moment. "Alright… you're right," she said in a lazy tone. She pointed her finger to the sky. For a moment, a wind blew before disappearing. "Alright, the illusion spell is up. Make it quick."

"I know," Epsilon replied.

"Hey! Are you the ones who did this?!" the man shouted with a loud and terrifying tone.

Ayato took a small step back, then turned to Betta. "Miss Betta, is it okay to let Miss Epsilon do that?" he asked doubtfully.

"It's fine. Even though she looks like that, Epsilon is very strong, you know!" Betta replied cheerfully.

"I see…." Ayato turned back to Epsilon, looking at her with curiosity.

Epsilon looked at the crowd of humans before her as if she were looking at trash.

"Transmutation."

Epsilon clapped her palms together, then spread them apart again. Instantly, bright blue sparks of electricity began to dance between her hands.

"What is this?!"

"Electricity?!"

The members of the Red Lotus exclaimed in shock, taking a step back at the supernatural phenomenon before them.

"Calm down! Don't be scared! It's just a cheap trick!" the blond mohawk-haired man shouted, trying to calm his men, though his own face looked panicked. He hurriedly pulled out his pistol.

Epsilon didn't give him the chance. She aimed both her hands forward. The electric current instantly condensed, transforming into a giant serpent-like dragon that roared without a sound.

"What the hell is that?!"

"A monster!"

Their instincts took over. They screamed in fear and simultaneously fired their pistols at the electric dragon.

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

Epsilon just smiled faintly. She moved her right hand forward, and the electric dragon, still connected to her, immediately lunged at the crowd of humans before it.

KRAAAAAKKK!!!

The dragon slammed into them brutally. An overwhelming scream of pain echoed through the air, breaking the silence of the forest.

"ARRRGGHHH! IT'S HOT! IT'S HOT!"

"HELP! MY HAND!"

"IT HURTS SO MUCH!!"

Their flesh burned, their skin blistered and blackened in an instant. The smell of burnt flesh filled the air. Some people tried to run, but the electric dragon's body coiled around them, electrocuting them until they convulsed before finally slumping, lifeless, becoming horrifying, charred corpses.

A few bullets managed to penetrate the electric dragon's body and shot toward Epsilon. However, the bullets stopped a few centimeters in front of her face, hitting an invisible shield before falling helplessly to the ground.

Ayato, standing behind, watched the scene in horror. His face was deathly pale, his eyes wide. He could smell the thick stench of death. This… this isn't a fight anymore. This is a slaughter.

Meanwhile, Betta, who was standing beside him, seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the show. A satisfied smile was on her lips as she listened to their screams of pain. To her, it was beautiful music.

"Epsilon, I told you to leave half of them, but you killed them all." Betta kicked one of the charred corpses with the tip of her shoe, then sighed in annoyance. "I hope there are still some left inside the house."

"I didn't expect them to be so weak," Epsilon replied, dusting off her hands as if she had just cleaned off some dust. "Humans are indeed lowly creatures. To die from a basic alchemy formula like that."

Betta approached her, her curiosity overcoming her disgust at the corpses surrounding them. "That magic you used… that wasn't Sequence Magic, was it? Is it alchemy magic?"

"Correct, it is Alchemy, and not magic," Epsilon explained, her tone changing to that of a lecturing professor. "The basic principle is Equivalent Exchange. I did not create electricity from nothing; that is impossible in Alchemy."

She paused for a moment, as if making sure Betta was really listening.

"I used the air around us—like nitrogen, oxygen—as the raw material. Then, using mana as an energy source, I initiated a transmutation process. I forced the atoms in the air to release their electrons, turning them into an unstable plasma. And that dragon… was just a form of the plasma that I controlled."

"Well, as expected of my little sister." Betta kicked one of the corpses with the tip of her shoe. "So, what do we do with these disgusting corpses?"

Epsilon took a step back, creating some distance. "I'll see if I can turn these charred corpses into an alchemical monster." She clapped her palms together again.

"Transmutation!"

Beneath each of the ten corpses, intricate alchemical transmutation circles began to etch themselves onto the ground in blue light, accompanied by a low hum of energy.

The corpses began to vibrate. The charred flesh and blackened bones started to break down, disintegrating into fine particles. In a few seconds, all that was left was a grayish-white powder, like ash from a dead fire.

The powder slowly floated into the air, forming ten small vortexes that spun in an orderly fashion before merging into one large, dense cloud in front of Epsilon.

Then, the cloud of ash began to solidify. The sound of cracking and grinding was heard, as if new bones were being forged from nothing. The ash twisted and formed the shape of a four-legged animal.

The body of the animal, which was still white ash, slowly transformed into living flesh and blood.

The animal's appearance was like a Greek stone statue with bone-white skin. Its claws and teeth glittered like obsidian, and from its empty eye sockets, two red points of light shone. The monster, called a Chimera Hound, stood tall, growling softly, awaiting orders.

Epsilon lowered her hands, looking at her creation with a satisfied expression. "Experiment successful."

She immediately gave an order, "You, check that house. See if there are any people or not."

The Chimera Hound answered, "Woof," then immediately ran toward the luxurious house.

Betta bent down and picked up a black pistol from the ground, then tossed it to Ayato. "For you. Keep it. For us, that thing is useless."

"Right! I'll keep this safe!" Ayato replied, his expression looking very happy.

"Well?" Betta shifted her gaze back to Epsilon.

"I see twenty humans inside. I guess we're still in luck," Epsilon said with a relieved expression. Then, the three of them walked toward the house.

…

"How do you like it, Ayato? Do you like it?" Betta smiled, holding both of Ayato's shoulders, who was sitting in a black chair.

"I love it! This is all thanks to Lord Arthur, Miss Betta, and Miss Epsilon!" Ayato replied happily.

"In that case, what do we do with these people?" Betta murmured. In front of the golden wooden table sat various people with fearful expressions on their faces.

One of them had what looked like a bite mark on his hand; he looked to be in great pain.

"Just do it. We can't waste resources," Epsilon said in a flat tone.

"You're right," Betta nodded in agreement. "In that case, Ayato, please give them their orders. You, from now on, are their leader."

Hearing that, Ayato was stunned for a moment. He then looked at the people in front of him. To this day, I still can't believe I could just become the leader of a criminal organization.

"In that case… all of you, stand up!" Ayato placed both his arms on the table and looked at them sharply.

"Good." Ayato nodded happily, seeing the people in front of him follow his order.

He continued, "Lord Arthur has ordered me to expand the scope of the organization and create a company that focuses on entertainment and electronics. That is our next goal. Even though the organization currently only has twenty people, that's not a problem. We have money and resources, we can use all that money to rebuild the Organization. Lord Arthur has also ordered a stop to low-level businesses like narcotics and kidnapping. So, anyone who violates this order, then…." Ayato said with a serious face, especially emphasizing the last sentence.

Then he turned to Betta and Epsilon.

Betta understood and immediately replied, "Then they will have to deal with us."

Epsilon brought out her Chimera Hound again, which leaped onto the table and barked loudly at the people in front of it. "I don't think you want to be bitten by this dog again, do you?" Epsilon asked with a cold smile.

"You heard that," Ayato said happily.

"We understand, we will carry out this order!!" They immediately said in a hurried and panicked tone, especially after seeing the vicious dog that had attacked them standing on the table.

"Good. I'm glad to hear that. Oh, right, do you have the number of the council member named Tanaka?" Ayato asked.

"I have it, Boss. Here's his number," one of them stepped forward and handed over his phone.

"I'll just borrow it for a second." Ayato took the phone, saved Tanaka's number, then returned it. He turned to Betta.

"Should I call Tanaka now?"

Betta narrowed her eyes. "Why don't you think of that yourself? Isn't Lord Arthur's order very clear?"

"Right," Ayato replied, a little awkwardly. He immediately dialed the number. After waiting a few seconds, it finally connected.

"Hello, who is this?" A slightly old man's voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Is this Mr. Tanaka Kenji, Shinjuku Council Member?" Ayato asked.

"Yes, who are you, kid? Where did you get this number?"

Hearing the unpleasant tone, Ayato wasn't angry, but continued to answer patiently and calmly.

"Allow me to introduce myself, Mr. Tanaka. I am Ayato Ritsuki, the new leader of the Red Lotus Organization."

"New leader? …What did that Yamada do, to hand over his organization to a kid?" Tanaka grumbled. "Kid, where is Yamada? I want to talk to him."

"Mr. Tanaka, the leader of the Red Lotus Organization is now me. So, you can speak with me," Ayato replied, a little dissatisfied.

"Don't joke around, kid! I don't believe you're the leader of the Red Lotus organization, just because you know my number." Tanaka snapped.

"In that case, how about we just meet?" Ayato suggested.

"Alright, I agree." Tanaka replied immediately.

"Then how about at the main headquarters of the Red Lotus Organization in the Okutama forest? You should know where it is, right?" Ayato asked.

"Yes, I know. You'd better not be lying, kid, or else-" before Tanaka could finish his sentence.

Ayato cut him off. "Don't worry, Mr. Tanaka. I'm not the type to lie about something like this. Besides, what's in it for me?"

"…" Tanaka was silent for a moment. "In that case, what time and what day?"

"How about today, in the afternoon? At 4:00 PM?"

"I expect you to be there, as you've talked a big game," Tanaka said threateningly, before hanging up.

Of course I'm not going to run away. And I feel sorry for you for attracting the attention of terrifying entities like them. Ayato's eyes darted toward Betta and Epsilon.

"Alright, you heard that, didn't you?" Ayato looked at the people still standing in front of him. "Get this house cleaned and ready. Soon, council member Tanaka will be visiting."

"Understood, Boss!" they replied in unison, then hurried out.

Betta sat on the table, her red pupils looking coldly at Ayato. "Good work, Ayato. I hope you can continue to perform like this and not waste Lord Arthur's trust in you."

Seeing that terrifying look, Ayato's body immediately shivered.

"Thank you, Miss Betta," he replied in a scared voice.

"Good." Betta immediately changed her expression to a smile.

Betta got off the table. "Epsilon, I'm going to see Lord Belial for a moment to report this situation. You watch them."

"Why not just report using the Message spell?" Epsilon asked.

"There are some things I want to convey in person," Betta replied, then she immediately disappeared from the room, leaving only Epsilon and Ayato.