Knight in Kicking Armour (Volume 1)

"!"

The door creaked ominously, as though death itself had arrived. Kaito, unable to tolerate the atrocities he had witnessed, stepped forward, trying his best to suppress his anger. Forcing a calm facade, he joked, "Ah, my bad. I'll take my leave. Please, do carry on."

"Like hell, I will!"

With the speed of a lightning bolt, Kaito sprang forward, delivering a powerful kick to Victor's chest. The blow sent Victor flying backwards, clutching his chest in agony. Blood splattered as he wheezed, "You... Ah... Who... Who are you?"

"Me?"

"Hmpf."

Kaito smirked, "I'm nobody."

Ignoring Victor, Kaito walked towards Natasha. As he reached out a hand, she suddenly clung to him, trembling and sobbing uncontrollably, as though the ice within her had finally melted. 

"Kaito...?"

"Kaito! Kaitooooo!" Natasha cried, lifting her tear-streaked face to meet his.

Placing his steady hand over her head, Kaito stroked it gently, "Yes Natasha, it's me. Sorry I'm late. But don't worry, I'm here now".

The heartfelt exchange did not last long. 

"You... You bastard! She's mine! Get away from her!"

"!"

Victor, still staggering, reached into his inner breast pocket and drew out a small box. Opening it revealed a syringe filled with a mysterious purple substance. Grinning maniacally, he plunged the needle into his wrist, injecting himself. 

Natasha gasped, her arms trembling against Kaito's chest. Her eyes widened, filled with disbelief. "No... How... How do you have that? No one, not even the insiders, has access to it. How did you get your hands on it?" 

"Natasha, what's wrong?" Kaito asked, his voice filled with concern.

"That..."

"That's an experimental drug my family has been developing for decades," Natasha stammered. "It is still in its early clinical stages and has been kept a strict secret from the public."

"Oh? Why is that if I may ask?" Kaito enquired.

Natasha hesitated. "Well, you see, if this drug falls into the wrong hands, it could unleash chaos, a Pandora's Box capable of disrupting the balance of society." She paused briefly before continuing. "By the way, Kaito, have you ever heard of WDA?"

"W, DA? Uhm... Uh... No..." Kaito averted his gaze away from Natasha, attempting to conceal his cluelessness. 

Natasha sighed, "Fine, I'll give you a very quick rundown. WDA, Wilford Drug Association, a company which accounts for 20% of the world's pharmaceutical supplies. It was founded by none other than my family, as the name suggests."

"The Wilford Group."

"Drug Princess! No, wait - I got a better name..."

 "Underworld Queen!"

"I'm not!" Natasha snapped, punching Kaito's head in annoyance. 

"Hehe, sorry, Natasha."

Rolling her eyes, Natasha continued, "Anyway, moving along. As I have stated before, for the past few decades, WDA has been working on a drug that could not only extend the longevity of an individual's lifespan but also greatly enhance their physical abilities. Early trials with lab rats were a huge success, but with human volunteers, however, things went... Horribly wrong."

"..."

She hesitated, her voice quivering. "Patient One developed hideous facial deformities, his head elongated, and his face lost all the muscles and fat, even that of his brain." 

" A living skeleton." 

"He died within a day." 

"Patient Two, their arms grew grotesquely large, almost as big as their whole body, only to explode, spraying blood and organs everywhere." 

"Patient Three... Grew an extra pair of limbs. almost like a scene straight out of a horror movie. They took their own life the next day." 

"Patient Four-"

"That's enough, Natasha!" Kaito interjected, his voice firm. "You don't have to say anymore. You're already in a fragile state, don't push yourself." He stepped closer, his voice steady yet filled with concern, as Natasha's face contorted, on the verge of retching.

Natasha nodded, tears pooling in her eyes. "Sorry... I didn't mean to."

"It's fine. But... How do you know so much about this?"

"..."

"When I was four," Natasha began, her voice trembling with the weight of painful memories, "I was forced to witness these tragic experiments. I was, after all, my father's eldest daughter, born to his chief wife, it was only natural for me to begin learning the family business, preparing to inherit it one day. But everything changed on my tenth birthday." 

She paused, her eyes hazed with woe. "That was the day my father's second consort gave birth to a son. A moment he had long awaited. On that same day, he stormed into my mother's quarters, cold and resolute, declaring that the inheritance would now pass on to my newborn baby brother. Just like I had suffered, he would too. Instead of enjoying his life as an innocent kindergartener, he would be thrust into a world of expectations and torments. I... I tried, Kaito, I really did." Her voice broke slightly. "I tried so hard, to convince my father, but all my efforts were futile. He was dead set on his decision."

Her gaze dropped, the bitterness evident. "My mother didn't take it lightly. Losing the favour of my father, crushed her spirit. The next day, she... She took her own life." Natasha's voice cracked, her grief raw. "And my father at the time of the memorial, showed no remorse. No grief. The only thing he uttered was, 'Rest assured, I shall provide you with enough resources to live comfortably until retirement'."

She swallowed hard, her pain turning to a bitter resolve. "That was all she meant to him. Just another discarded piece in his twisted game."

"What a b*stard!" Kaito blurted out, unable to hold back.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to say it like that."

Natasha smiled faintly. "Mmhmm. That's fine. I couldn't say that to him back then, but thank you for saying it for me."

"..."

A guttural, monstrous roar shattered the air.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

"!"

As Kaito and Natasha were conversing, an ominous loomed behind them. An enormous figure stepped forward, its limbs grotesquely thick like tree trunks, its shredded clothes hanging in tatters. Its voice, now distorted and inhuman, growled, "She's mine! Get away from her! Right now!"

Kaito turned slowly, meeting the creature's eye with an unflinching stare. A sly smile played across his lips. "No, I don't think I will."  

The beast's deformed face twisted in rage. "You! If that's how it's going to be... Then watch me! Watch me, Natasha. Watch as I crush this puny little man, and then we shall sport with this new body of mine. I'll give you pleasure that will break, both your body and mind! Hahahahaha!" 

 "!"

Kaito's jaw clenched, his expression hardening. He let out a deep, frustrated sigh. "I'm really getting sick of this f*cking b*stard." 

Shrugging off his blazer, he handed it to Natasha with surprising calm. "Hah! Here, do you mind holding this for me quickly, Natasha?"

"Kaito! No! What are you doing? Don't you dare! Come back here, right now! Kaito!" Natasha screamed, her voice hoarse with dismay.

But Kaito's resolve was unwavering. His face burned with furt, his eyes sharp and focused, blazing with the intensity of a hunter locking onto its prey.

With deliberate, heavy steps, he advanced, his movements were like those of an unstoppable elephant, ready to trample whatever was in its sight.

Natasha, still weak and quivering from her ordeal, could only watch in horror. She shook her arms frantically, trying to will her body to move, but it was futile. All she could do was helplessly call out to him in desperation.

"Kaito! Stop! Don't go!"