The sky had turned pitch black, and Azrael exhaled slowly as he made his decision. There was no point in wandering around in the dark; he'd stay in this abandoned house for the night.
After directing Kaneki to lift the fallen iron door back into place and secure it loosely across the entrance, Azrael sat cross-legged on the dusty bed. His mind immediately began working through his next moves.
Money. That was his first priority. He needed to find a way to spend the cash he was carrying, and fast. Luckily for him, being alone meant fewer complications: no family to worry about and no property to abandon. Everything that mattered was with him: his bank card and the Blood Demon gold card. If he had left them at home, who knows what kind of mess he would be dealing with now?
Azrael's expression suddenly froze. Had he forgotten to loot the corpse from earlier?
"Forget it," he muttered, shaking his head. "Even if I had grabbed something, they probably would've confiscated it anyway."
Pushing those thoughts aside, Azrael focused on what mattered: how to spend the 370,000 Empyrean dollars burning a hole in his pocket.
First things first, he'd need to keep 70,000 for daily expenses. Living wasn't free, after all.
That left him with 300,000 Empyrean dollars. The smart move would be to invest in materials for prop cards to boost Yoriichi's combat effectiveness or give himself better defensive options.
The plan started to take shape in his mind, but he was too exhausted from today's events to think clearly. Card making required focus, and he had none right now.
"I'll need you two to keep watch tonight," Azrael said, glancing at Yoriichi and Kaneki.
He wasn't stupid enough to meditate alone in enemy territory. With his current mental reserves, keeping both summons safe through the night wouldn't be a problem as long as there was no fighting.
Meanwhile, in the shadows of the XingfuEmpyrean Dollars community, two figures huddled together, whispering.
"Brother, shouldn't we just rush in and grab that guy?" The tall, thin man's voice carried an edge of impatience. "Panchito's death is definitely connected to him."
SMACK!
The stocky figure backhanded his subordinate across the face. "Idiot! How many times do I have to tell you to keep a low profile? What if this kid is bait from the Cardian Master Association?"
"And what about that moron from today?" The boss's voice turned venomous. "Who gave him permission to act alone? If he weren't already dead, I'd kill him myself. One wrong move could have destroyed the president's entire plan!"
The tall man rubbed his stinging cheek. "So we're just going to let it slide, boss?"
A cruel smile twisted the stocky man's lips. "Nobody crosses the Crimson Oath Society and walks away clean. We'll watch him for a few days to make sure he's not a trap. Then we'll make our move."
Suddenly, a flashlight beam cut through the darkness.
"Hey! What are you two doing skulking around out here?"
The security guard's suspicious voice made both men freeze. After the afternoon's incident, patrols had been stepped up, though everyone knew the guards would run at the first sign of real trouble.
The stocky man's bald head gleamed in the flashlight's glare; sweat beaded on his scalp. "We're, uh, night jogging! Just finishing up, actually. Let's go!"
Both men bolted from the community, leaving the confused security guard behind.
The guard shook his head. He knew something was off, but he didn't care enough to investigate. Three thousand Empyrean dollars a month wasn't worth dying for.
"See you tomorrow, Gabi."
After school the next evening, Azrael waved goodbye and headed straight for the real estate office. Finding a new place couldn't wait.
"Mr. Azrael, what kind of residence are you looking for?" Despite Azrael's young appearance, the agent's professional smile never wavered.
Smart move. In a world with Lore Cardians, underestimating people based on their age was a quick way to get into trouble. Even ordinary folks had learned to be careful; you never knew when you might offend someone with supernatural abilities.
Azrael considered his options carefully. "Something in the Nirvale District. A single-family house would be ideal—somewhere quiet."
The agent's eyes lit up; single-family homes meant bigger commissions. "Perfect! I have two properties that fit your criteria."
He pulled out his phone and scrolled through listings before handing it over. "The first one is in a popular area surrounded by shopping districts. It's very convenient for transportation."
Azrael studied the photos. It was a nice place, but with Pidgeot available for transport, convenience wasn't his biggest concern.
Seeing Azrael's lack of enthusiasm, the agent switched tactics. "This second property is more remote, but it's move-in ready with water, electricity, and internet. You could literally arrive with just your luggage."
Azrael weighed his options. The smart choice would be the first property; its downtown location meant the Crimson Oath Society would be less likely to make a move there. But could he really risk innocent bystanders getting caught in the crossfire?
"I'll take the second one," Azrael decided. "Can we handle the paperwork today?"
The agent's smile faltered slightly at the lower commission, but business was business. "Absolutely! Please follow me."
Within an hour, Azrael had signed a lease for a monthly rent of four thousand Empyrean dollars, plus a deposit. The agent drove him to the property: a decent, two-story house covering about a hundred square meters. It was clean, well-maintained, and perfectly isolated.
"I'll leave you to settle in, Mr. Azrael." The agent handed over the keys and left.
Azrael was still exploring his new home when a bald man next door had a panic attack.
The sound of the arriving car drew Koga to his window just in time to see Azrael step out. Coincidence? Or had his cover been blown?
His hands shook as paranoia set in. Just last night, he had been surveilling Azrael's old place. Now, the kid had moved in right next door. This couldn't be random.
After several minutes of internal debate, Koga made his decision. He had to know what was going on.
Ding-dong.
The doorbell interrupted Azrael's house tour. He frowned; only Gabi knew about his move, and he hadn't given her the address yet.
Opening the door revealed a familiar, gleaming bald head.
"Koga?" Azrael blinked in surprise.
Koga forced his most natural smile. "Student Azrael! What a coincidence! I live right next door. I saw you moving in and thought I'd say hello."
Azrael's mind raced. This level of coincidence seemed impossible, but he kept his expression neutral. "The old place was getting pretty rundown. I figured it was time for an upgrade."
There was no point in revealing the real reason to someone he barely knew.
"Well, guess we're neighbors now!" Koga's laugh sounded strained. "I should let you get settled. Take care!"
"You too."
As soon as Koga turned away, his forced smile vanished and was replaced by a dark scowl that Azrael couldn't see.
The game was definitely afoot.