CHAPTER 316: EXCEPTIONS.

[Have you calmed down?] Viktor asked.

After a moment of thought, Dante drew in a deep breath.

"Yeah, I’m okay now."

[You sure?]

"You think we would still be talking if I weren’t?"

[Well, don’t fault me for checking. You gave us quite the scare, you know?]

A horn blared right behind Dante, startling him quite a bit. A truck had inched forward without his notice, or it might have been there beforehand, forced into a sudden stop following his earlier drift. Turning in a different direction, he noticed the blinking lights of police sirens.

Realizing he had unintentionally caused a traffic jam, he twisted the throttle and lifted his left foot, taking off with a much more moderate speed than before.

"How did you know?" He asked. "You’re still out of the city, right?"

[Finn called. Said you were about to do something really stupid.]

"That idiot..."

[Don’t know what you did, but it scared him quite a bit. Make sure to send him a text or something.]

"Yeah yeah..." heaving another sigh, Dante moved to end the call. "I’ll be going back now."

[Dante... are you sure you’re fine?]

If it were a question concerning his current state, one could say he was far from fine. That said, his mind was calm, and that was all that mattered.

"... Don’t worry, I won’t do anything stupid." Somehow, he found the strength to smile. "Not now, at least."

[Just make sure the city is still there when I come back.] Having replied with a joke of his own, the fixer seemed much more relieved. [Alright, I must get going now. I’m a little busy with... things.]

"Alright, sorry for worrying you," Dante said. "Let’s talk soon."

[Alright.]

The call ended, and Dante’s field of sight was once again cleared. Seconds later, he was back to hearing the blowing wind, as well as the noise of the bustling city. The traffic lights were back to normal, and he followed each one, moving when he was allowed, and stopping when he had to.

Arriving at a certain intersection, he stopped at a red light. As he waited for it to change, he looked up, his gaze turning to one of the giant screens hanging on the gigantic concrete structures.

Currently, it displayed some anchor reporting on what might a well be the biggest news of the year, and the next one as well. She seemed quite elated, with a smile that reached her ears. Though her mouth moved, Dante didn’t hear a word she said, his focus being entirely on the photo beside her.

Every other screen displayed the same thing, taking a break from the endless ads to show the image of an imposing heroic figure along with the headline: THE FLAME HAS GAINED A NEW GUARDIAN.

’... say, Volcan...’

[Yes?]

’Why did you pick up?’

Shifting his gaze back to the street, Dante moved the bike.

[My apologies.] The AI replied. [At the time, it seemed like the right thing to do.]

’I thought you only act on my orders.’

[That is a fact. However, to the safety of my host, some exceptions must be made.]

’Exceptions, huh?’

[You were intent on engaging the Enhanced Individual known as Paragon in combat, am I correct?]

’...’

[Currently, he is the only Level 6 known to the public. As you are right now, victory against such an opponent is very unlikely. I had to persuade you against fighting him, one way or another.]

Taking another turn, Dante settled in a rather empty lane. Feeling the cold night wind caress his skin and hair, he kept his silence for a while.

’Then... if I didn’t stop, what would you have done?’

[I would have found a different way to persuade you.] Volcan replied. [I would rather not lose my host. There is no guarantee that I will find another one anytime soon.]

’... I see...’

~[ ]~

[CALL ENDED]

Staring at the words for a while, Victor slumped his shoulders and heaved a long sigh. He locked the screen of his smartphone, put it away, then picked the wine glass he had placed on the balcony’s legve.

If any of his acquaintances from Neo-Vatra were to see him now, they would struggle to recognize him. His rugged clothes were gone, and he no longer had a jacket draped over his shoulders. Instead, he wore a well-tailored suit of the highest quality, and his hair was neatly combed.

Though he still looked a bit exhausted, one can tell that he was in a much better state than usual, looking quite fresh. Or so he was a few minutes ago.

"I go away for a single day and..."

It was an oversight on his part. Despite having heard the rumors, he still chose to leave the city, thinking he still had time before the announcement. He should have anticipated that they would make it before the end of the year.

"Damn it..." Feeling his frustration grow, Viktor raised his cup, bringing it to his lips. Just as the scent reached his nose, he came back to his senses and lowered it slowly. Staring at it for a moment, he heaved a long sigh and stretched his arm beyond the ledge, tilting the glass and spilling its contents into the garden below.

"I assume you have heard the news."

A deep voice reached his ears just then, and his facial muscles twitched. Turning around, he saw a well-dressed man walking toward him, wearing a punch-worthy smile. He was tall and lanky, though the suit helped hide his lack of muscles. Despite looking in his late twenties, his gray hair gave him a much older vibe.

"Michael," Viktor sighed again. "What do you want?"

He really wasn’t in the mood to deal with such a person.

"Do I need a reason to check on my older brother?" The man said. "I saw you leave the banquet in a hurry, so I thought something troublesome had happened."

Viktor was well aware that his actions would draw attention, but with his emergency phone ringing, he couldn’t just wait for a more optimal time to reply. Hearing the distress in Finn’s voice and the reason for the call made him glad he picked up when he did. If he had waited until a later time, who knows what kind of disaster he would have returned to later on.

"Father didn’t look too happy, you know?" Said Michael. "You only show up once a year, and even then, you can’t help but trouble everyone."

"You should be able to tell by now," Viktor replied. "Your opinions mean nothing to me."

"The feeling is mutual." Michael chuckled. "That aside, things seem to be heating up in that city of yours. I know it’s reaching too far, but... don’t tell me you anticipated all of this when you decided to make it your abode."

Staring at him for a moment, Viktor raised one corner of his mouth.

"You’re giving me too much credit, young brother." As he spoke, the fixer held out his hand. "My eyes are blind to the machinations of fate."

Saying nothing else, he placed his hands in his pockets and walked away. His younger brother watched him go with a dark expression. A moment later, he noticed that he was holding an empty wine glass, and realizing where it came from, his face twisted with anger, and he clenched his fist.