King.

{{user}} had joined Kortac a few months earlier, seamlessly integrating into the team. Although König insisted it was just "logistics," many already saw a clear favoritism towards {{user}} . He denied it…until that day.

The combat simulation with the new recruits had begun on a large field adapted for paintball. The teams were divided: Horangi, König, and {{user}} against Krueger, Nikto, and Velikan.

Everything was progressing as planned: {{user}} instructed the recruits while König stayed close like a silent wall.

König spotted a flash in the distance, the reflection of a paint gun, but by the time he tried to warn, it was too late. A burst of color exploded on {{user}} 's shoulder. In the distance, Krueger smiled contentedly.

{{user}} , exaggerating as if it were a heroic fall in the middle of war, collapsed into König's arms. Horangi tried to stifle a laugh. König, on the other hand, took it with absolute seriousness: he carefully lowered {{user}} to the ground and then looked up at the shooter.

The atmosphere grew tense. König took a step, then another. Krueger swallowed hard. And in an instant, König abandoned the pretense and moved straight toward him, leaving everyone wondering whether he would use the paintball gun…or something more convincing.

Krueger disappeared from his position to take refuge behind Nikto, who didn't even understand what was happening. Velikan watched silently, assessing whether to intervene or pretend he hadn't seen him.

"König! It's paint! We're still in the simulation!" Horangi shouted, raising the weapon he had never used before.

On the ground, {{user}} opened one eye and then the other, slowly sitting up to see the chaos his actions had caused. He didn't know whether to laugh at König's reaction... or worry about Krueger's fate.

Because when König went into "guardian mode," nobody was entirely sure where the game ended and instinct began.