After Mister X and Alexei completed their investigation, they confirmed that the vampire clan had indeed achieved self-sufficiency, no longer relying on human blood, and possessed significant assets to support their way of life.
Moreover, in this country, they had supporters at all levels, and even their ancestral bloodline was still alive—occasionally stepping in to clean up their messes.
Mister X stood up and said:
"Very good. In recent years, the vampire clan hasn't done anything excessive."
But that was only for recent years. Old debts from the past were another story.
Victor smiled and replied:
"Thank you for coming all this way."
Then Mister X asked:
"The first one to collect a Dragon Ball was Miss Selene, correct?"
Victor and Selene immediately froze. Neither of them could understand how he knew this.
Victor even briefly considered detaining them, but when weighing their strength and the confidence with which they entered the castle, he realized keeping them by force was unrealistic—and might only complicate the search for the Dragon Balls.
Selene, stiff-faced, finally nodded and said:
"It was me."
Mister X then pulled out a gold coin with a Dragon Ball insignia and said:
"Congratulations, you've qualified for the Dragon Ball Battle. This is your entry ticket."
"We'll distribute tickets to every Dragon Ball holder."
"Eventually, through fair and open combat, you'll have the opportunity to claim each other's Dragon Balls."
"The leader himself will assess each holder's wish. If it passes, they will become a wisher and may make their wish to Shenron."
Selene took the coin, now an official ticket to the competition.
She still didn't fully understand—what exactly was the Assassin Brotherhood's authority here, and why did Smith Dole get to assess the wishes?
"What happens if the wish fails the assessment?"
Alexei responded:
"You don't want to know the answer to that."
Mister X calmly added:
"Death."
Victor then asked:
"We have two Dragon Balls. Does that mean we can receive two tickets?"
Victor didn't yet grasp the full situation, but was already making the optimal choice.
Mister X replied:
"Oh? Then it seems that poor man lost his Dragon Ball before even getting a ticket."
"Tell me, he wasn't killed by you, was he?"
Selene looked at X and asked:
"You know him?"
Mister X smiled and replied lightly:
"We know every Dragon Ball holder."
Selene's heart filled with dread. What kind of monster was the Assassin Brotherhood? It felt like a leaf adrift on an ocean—one wrong move and she could be crushed.
She quickly clarified:
"I didn't harm him. I paid ten million dollars for that second Dragon Ball."
"But he was captured by werewolves—I don't know if he's still alive."
"Oh, and… getting a Dragon Ball before the tournament starts isn't considered cheating, right?"
X's face remained expressionless as he replied:
"You're a clever girl."
"If you manage to gather all seven before the tournament officially starts, the leader will personally conduct your wish assessment."
Selene thanked him:
"Thank you."
Then Mister X turned to Victor and added:
"You only get one entry ticket. Even if you defeat others and take their Dragon Balls, your number of tickets will not increase."
"Well, that's all. We'll be leaving now."
Victor, seeing they wished to go, didn't stop them. He waved his hand and two vampires opened the castle doors, watching them leave.
Selene called after them:
"What exactly is this 'battle' supposed to mean?"
Mister X didn't turn around as he replied:
"When you meet someone else with a ticket, you'll understand."
As the doors closed behind them, Victor's expression turned grim.
"The Dragon Ball situation is clearly more complicated than we thought."
Selene looked at him and asked:
"Father, what about the black market buyer tonight… do we still…"
Victor responded coldly:
"We stick to the original plan. If that buyer has a ticket, at least we'll learn what this battle is really about."
"If not, then there's no need to hold back."
"Once the black market issue is dealt with, we move to wipe out the werewolves. See if they've got any Dragon Balls."
Selene nodded:
"Yes, Father."
…
Elsewhere—
Having left the castle, Mister X and Alexei rode back toward the Assassin Brotherhood headquarters. On the way, Alexei asked:
"These Dragon Balls… are they really that magical? They can grant any wish?"
Mister X, looking at the road ahead, replied:
"This time, you'll witness the greatness of Shenron for yourself."
Alexei sighed and said:
"Something that precious shouldn't be left out in the wild like this. Should've been locked in headquarters under heavy guard."
Mister X remained composed:
"This is the will of the leader. The Dragon Balls are sacred relics of the Brotherhood."
"Without this chance, you'd never be allowed near them."
Alexei didn't argue. Having carried out missions in the USSR, he knew well that someone like him—who joined halfway—would never have access to such wonders unless the leader personally allowed it.
"Haha, sounds like we've really been accepted. That makes me happy."
Mister X looked at him and said slowly:
"If you truly have a wish that could move the leader, you might qualify next time."
Alexei's eyes lit up:
"So the leader will allow us to compete too?"
Mister X nodded:
"If you present a wish worthy of the leader's approval, you'll get a chance."
"This time, the leader asked everyone beforehand, but no one had a wish worth using a Dragon Ball on."
Alexei silently nodded.
To be honest, with his current lifestyle and his family by his side, he really didn't have a wish strong enough to justify it.
The Brotherhood offered great benefits, life was good, and his power had steadily grown under the leader's guidance. Occasional missions even helped clean up the world. It was a hopeful, meaningful life.
He could only hope that the Dragon Balls wouldn't disrupt it. These past six months had been the happiest he'd ever known.
…
(End of Chapter)
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