Fjord, maintaining his confident stride, led Kaori, Yuki, and himself to a secluded room with a view of the rooftop and the city down below, away from the chaotic scene in the auction room. "This room will suffice for our discussion," he assured, stopping in front of a solid oakwood door.

  "This place is more isolated," Kaori noted, her tone indicating approval. "It's a suitable location for our conversation.”

  Fjord took a moment to ensure their safety. "Indeed," he affirmed. "No one should disturb us here. Please, make yourselves comfortable." As he spoke, he took a seat on the plush couch, gesturing for the ladies to join him as he settled into a comfortable position.

  Kaori, acknowledging Fjord's invitation, gracefully took her seat on the couch, her demeanor composed and poised. Yuki, following suit, seated herself quietly beside Kaori, her meticulous eyes still darting around the room, taking in every small detail.

  "Excellent," he remarked, a satisfied smile playing on his lips. "Now that we're all comfortably seated, shall we proceed?”

  "We're ready." she confirmed, her voice steady and composed. Yuki, maintaining a silent but attentive stance, mirrored Kaori's gesture, nodding in agreement.

  Fjord leaned back in his seat, allowing a moment of silence to settle in the room. "Before we begin our discussion, I must request one thing from you both," he began, his voice taking on a slightly more serious tone.

  “What is it?"

  Yuki, remaining quiet yet intrigued, awaited Fjord's request as well.

  "I need you both to swear a solemn word-of-honor that everything discussed between us remains strictly confidential.”

  "I give my word that whatever we discuss here remains strictly confidential,"

  Yuki, silently acknowledging the weight of the promise, nodded in agreement, her eyes unwavering as she echoed Kaori's affirmation.

  Fjord, satisfied with their assent, leaned back into the couch, a sense of relief evident. "Excellent," he affirmed, his tone more relaxed now. "Your promise is appreciated."

  "With our oath affirmed, let's move on to the main topic at hand."

  "Agreed. Now let's proceed with the conditions.”

  “Yes, let's get to the point. What are the conditions for your aura absorption ability?"

  Fjord began outlining the conditions. "There are three main conditions that must be met for my aura absorption ability to be effective," he explained, his tone serious and precise.

  "And what are these conditions, if I may ask?”

  "The first condition requires that the aura I'm attempting to absorb be equal to or weaker than my own."

  “So essentially, you can only absorb auras that are as powerful as or weaker than your own. Got it."

  "Precisely. The second condition is a bit more nuanced.”

  "Please, go on."

  "The second condition requires that I make direct skin contact with my target to successfully absorb their aura. It's a physical requirement that must be met.”

  “Direct skin contact, you say? So you can't just absorb an aura from across the room?"

  "Unfortunately not. As I said, direct skin contact is a non-negotiable requirement. Without it, my aura absorption simply won't work.”

  "What about indirect contact, like through clothing? Would that have any effect, or does it have to be skin-to-skin contact specifically?"

  "Unfortunately, no. Indirect contact through clothing doesn't quite cut it. The aura energy simply won't conduct effectively through fabric.It has to be direct skin contact for the transfer to take place.”

  "Interesting. That certainly sets limits on your ability. But you mentioned a third condition?”

  "Indeed, there's one more condition to consider,"

  "And what is the last condition? You've got my undivided attention now."

  "The third and final condition is perhaps the most crucial,"

  “Go on…”

  “The third condition requires that my aura absorption ability be used on the target within a certain timeframe.”

  "A certain timeframe, you say? And what's the time limit?”

  “The timeframe is crucial. To successfully absorb a target's aura, I must initiate the process within thirty seconds of making contact.”

  "Thirty seconds, huh? That's quite a tight window, isn't it? That means you need to be swift and efficient in your approach.”

  "Precisely. It's imperative that I act quickly and efficiently within that time frame to effectively absorb the target's aura. Any delay beyond that threshold can result in the process failing."

  “And what happens if you fail to absorb the target's aura within that window?"

  "If I fail to successfully absorb a target's aura within the designated time frame, I lose the ability to absorb that specific user's aura entirely. This results in the target retaining their aura, and my aura absorption ability becomes temporarily immobilized for a period of time."

  "How long does this temporary immobilization last?”

  "The cooldown period after a failed attempt varies, but it can persist for up to several hours. During this time, I am unable to utilize my aura absorption ability on any targets, rendering it temporarily incapacitated."

  "So it's like a cooldown period after each failed attempt, huh? And it can last for quite a while, even going up to several hours. Do I have that right?”

  "Precisely. The cooldown period is a direct consequence of failed absorption attempts. And yes, as you've deduced, the cooldown time can extend for up to several hours, depending on the situation."

  "That's quite a significant cooldown period. However, I'm well aware that some Void Magic abilities can have loopholes, depending on the user. Is there anything that can shorten or reduce it?”

  "...Indeed, there is a way to potentially shorten or reduce the cooldown period."

  "And what is this potential loophole that can help reduce the cooldown time?"

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  "There is a specific condition that, if satisfied, can significantly shorten the cooldown period following a failed aura absorption attempt. Would you like me to disclose it to you?”

  "Absolutely," she affirmed, her tone filled with anticipation. "I'm all ears. Please, share this condition with me.”

  "This additional condition is quite simple. For the cooldown period to shrink significantly, all I need to do is..."

  Kaori, hanging on his words, prompted him to continue. "Is what, Fjord? Please, don't keep me in suspense,"

  “I must simply possess a strong positive emotional connection with the target prior to conducting the aura absorption process."

  “A strong positive emotional connection, you say? Do you mean emotional feelings of love, affection, or care, for example?"

  "Precisely. Emotions such as love, affection, or care, for instance, can significantly reduce the cooldown time if the emotional bond is strong at the moment of absorption attempt.”

  "So the stronger the emotional connection, the shorter the cooldown period, if I got that right so is there anyone you actually feel a strong connection to in order to meet that condition?"

  "...No, not currently,"

  Kaori couldn't help but wonder about his lack of emotional connections. "Huh...no one, really? No loved ones, close friends, or significant others to name?”

  "Nope. No loved ones, close friends, or significant others worth mentioning."

  "I see. So you haven't formed any close bonds or relationships with anyone?"

  Fjord responded dryly, "Nope. I'm a misanthrope for a reason.”

  Kaori, sensing his antisocial nature, inquired further, her tone cautious. "Being a misanthrope explains your lack of close bonds, I suppose. But don't you ever yearn for some form of connection or companionship, even just a little bit?”

  Fjord looked out of the window to see the city below, glowing orange with rampaging flames. The screams of panicking people could be heard way up to the rooftop.

  "I see the chaos has left the auction room and has now taken to the streets... So to answer your question, no.”

  Kaori watched the chaos unfold in the city below, reflecting on Fjord's response. "It's ironic, really," she remarked, her tone tinged with realization. "You're surrounded by people going through all sorts of turmoil, yet you remain detached and indifferent to it all."

  Fjord gave a nonchalant shrug, unaffected by the chaos below. "It is what it is," he replied dismissively. "I believe humanity has gone too far, regressing back to dark times we were desperately fighting to escape from.”

  Kaori, considering his perspective, responded with a thoughtful gaze. "That's a dark way to view things," she commented, her tone reflecting her thoughts. "But I can understand your sentiments. Sometimes it does feel like the world is regressing back to darker times, doesn't it?"

  Fjord, his eyes still fixed on the chaos below, nodded in agreement. "Indeed, it does," he conceded, his tone solemn. "We as a society used to have a zero-tolerance towards a stereotypical bigot. But more and more people are becoming like that stereotypical bigot, and if it continues to spiral out of control, then we will reach the point of no return. That's why the Gaia Disciples are striking again, as you can see down there.”

  Kaori, contemplating the gravity of the situation, reflected on the escalating turmoil. "It seems the Gaia Disciples have resorted to drastic measures once more," she mused.

  Fjord, still observing the chaos beneath them, offered a cold remark. "It was inevitable, really. The cycle of regression will only intensify as people continue their descent. The Gaia Disciples' actions are simply a symptom of a larger issue. We believe that the only way to reverse this...is to rid the world of humanity, just as we almost did millenia ago.”

  "Killing all of humanity? Is that the best solution you can think of? That's simply absurd."

  Fjord replied coldly, "It may sound extreme, but it is the only way to prevent the world's future from devolving even further. We've tried to be peaceful, but got no results. Now that bodies are suddenly dropping, people are beginning to fall in line.”

  "How can you even say that? Killing innocent people isn't the answer! There must be other ways to create a change in the world!"

  "Innocent? Everyone, deep down, has Darkness within them. There might be a few exceptions, but those are rare. Humanity is a virus, and I'm determined to cleanse this world of this virus as it should have been done a long time ago."

  Just as Kaori was about to question Fjord's hard stance, her phone rang. It was her father. She answered the call and right that moment, she heard the awaited words:

  "Kaori? What are you doing? Did you and Yuki assassinate Fjord?”

  Kaori's eyes widened as she heard the words on the phone. "Father," she gasped. "We didn't assassinate Fjord."

  Her father, who sounded agitated, retorted, "I received a call from the auction organizer, saying you two and Fjord are still there, alive!"

  "Father, I can explain-”

  Her father interrupted her, his tone getting more agitated. "Explain? What's there to explain? You were supposed to assassinate him, and you're still there! I'm disappointed."

  "Father, please listen to me. There's a misunderstanding. We're still alive because we managed to make a deal...!”

  Her father cut her off, his patience thinning. "A deal? What kind of deal could you possibly make?"

  Kaori, knowing she had to tread carefully, explained, "We made a deal that we would temporarily refrain from assassinating Fjord, given certain conditions..."

  Her father's voice grew stern, "And what conditions are you talking about?”

  Kaori swallowed hard before continuing, hoping her father would understand the situation. "There are conditions that Fjord has set... If we meet those conditions, we can obtain valuable information from him that could be useful for future missions."

  Her father, still skeptical, asked, "And what are these conditions, exactly?”

  Kaori looked up to Fjord as if looking for an answer, but he was now nowhere to be seen, the two girls now stuck on the rooftop all alone. Panic set in as they realized Fjord's sudden disappearance.

  Her father's voice filled with frustration at Kaori's silence. "You heard me?! Where did he go? Where is he now?"

  Kaori looked around frantically, "He was just here a moment ago! He was right here beside us the whole time, but now...he's gone.”

  Her father's frustration escalated, "What do you mean he's gone? You were just talking with him! Where could he have possibly gone...?”

  Kaori, still bewildered by Fjord's sudden disappearance, responded, "I don't know! He was there beside me the whole time, but now he's vanished. It's as if he just...disappeared in thin air.”

  Her father's voice was filled with mounting frustration, "This is ridiculous! How can he just disappear? Are you sure you're not hallucinating?"

  Kaori, searching her surroundings and panicking, retorted, "I'm not hallucinating! I'm telling you, he was right here a moment ago!”

  Her father exclaimed, "Well, you and Yuki should have killed him while you had him where you wanted him!”

  Kaori snapped at her father, her frustration reaching its peak. "You make it sound like it's that easy! Fjord is not someone to be taken lightly. We did what we could under the circumstances."

  Her father's voice grew stern, "And look where that decision got you! You're stuck on a rooftop without Fjord in sight! You ruined our Clan's 100% success rate singlehandedly, all thanks to your negligence!”

  Kaori's frustration turned into anger, "Negligence? You want to talk about negligence? What about you?! Constantly sending me and Yuki on these missions without considering our well-being! We're always putting our lives on the line, yet all you care about is your precious 100% success rate. What about us?”

  Her father's voice became colder, "You are not just trained assassins, you belong to the best organization of assassins in the world! It's your duty to complete the missions you've been assigned. Your well-being isn't a top priority. The 100% success rate is crucial for our Clan's reputation. You and Yuki are our top assassins. You are expected to succeed, no matter what!”

  Kaori's anger reached its peak. "Expected to succeed, no matter what? Is that all we are to you? Just tools to uphold your precious reputation? What about us as individuals? Don't we have any personal worth beyond being your top assassins? We're risking our lives every single day, and all you care about is the damn success rate!”

  Her father's tone hardened, "You agreed to become trained assassins the moment you were born, fully knowing the risks involved. You volunteered to shoulder that responsibility. The Clan's reputation and the 100% success rate have always been paramount. If you can't handle the pressure, then perhaps you're not cut out to be an assassin! In that case, we disown you both as members of our family, effective immediately!”

  Kaori's anger turned to pain, hearing the harsh words from her own father. "You'd disown us just like that? After everything we've done for you and the Clan? We've given our lives, sweat, and tears for the sake of our family, and the success of our missions, and all we get is to be thrown away like trash?!”

  Her father's tone remained firm, "We have our standards, and we expect our assassins to maintain them. Your personal feelings and emotions are irrelevant in the face of our duties. We need to uphold the 100% success rate at all costs. If you can't meet those expectations, we have no choice but to cut ties with you. The Clan cannot afford any failures. Do I make myself clear?”

  Kaori couldn't believe what she was hearing. "I can't believe it. After everything we've done, everything we've sacrificed, you're just willing to discard us like we're worthless. We're not just disposable tools, you know. We're people with feelings and needs too. Is the success rate and the reputation really worth losing us, your daughters, as part of the family?!"

  Kaori heard silence on the other side of the phone, taking a look at it to see that her father hung up on her. The weight of the situation settled heavily on Kaori's shoulders. The sudden disconnect from her father, after being disowned and cut off, added a layer of loneliness to the rooftop, making her feel more isolated than ever before. She clutched her phone tightly, still in disbelief over the harsh reality she faced.