After the attackers retreated with Sylvie, they regrouped at a concealed location. The leader, a tall figure with a hood obscuring his face, questioned Mason, who had delivered the final, fatal blow to Morse.
“Why did you kill him? What if she breaks? Can you take responsibility for that?” the leader asked angrily.
Mason remained calm, replying, “I had to make sure he wouldn’t track us.”
“Do you think I believe that? What could he have done in the state he was in? He was nothing but trash.”
“A threat is a threat, no matter how weak,” Mason replied coldly.
The leader’s eyes narrowed, clearly dissatisfied with Mason’s explanation. “Heh, you bastard, just say you didn’t like him, right? Why beat around the bush?”
Mason offered a slight, somewhat mocking smile. “That’s right, that guy really annoyed me. Besides, even if we let him go, it wouldn’t have changed anything; he was already going to call the police.”
“Sigh… you know, even if he called the police, we would have been long gone,” the leader sighed.
“A threat is a threat; I just eliminated it.”
“...Forget it, what’s done is done anyway.”
“……”
“...You’re such a reckless idiot,” the leader sighed, admitting defeat. “Now, let’s focus on the matter at hand. Little girl, are you alright?”
Sylvie was still caught up in what had just happened, her eyes vacant, appearing lifeless. She didn’t respond, staring blankly into the distance.
Mason, unconcerned with Sylvie’s condition, added, “She’s fine, just give her some time. Once she gets over it, she’ll understand the situation and become compliant.”
“I know, you bastard. Don’t tell me what to do,” the leader responded coldly, glancing at his watch.
“The transport will be here in half an hour at most. Until then, Mason, keep an eye on her; we can’t afford any accidents,” the leader emphasized.
Mason remained indifferent, simply nodding. “I understand. Just make sure the next step of the plan goes smoothly; I don’t want any more screw-ups.”
With that, they began to wait for the vehicle to arrive, where their accomplices would be waiting.
......
For someone who wants to operate in the shadows, the most fatal threat is exposure.
Especially for me. I can’t trust either the Federation or anyone else with what I’m planning.
Therefore, I have to somehow make myself look like an innocent person.
Most of the time, demon followers are usually monitored by something internal, without their own knowledge.
When they gain power, they also lose the privacy of their personal lives. Those in control can see a lot through their eyes.
I crushed the small pill hidden in my mouth, feeling my body recover significantly.
“Still, I really didn’t expect Sylvie to do that.”
She risked her life for me. Even though I was prepared for the attack, her actions really moved me.
“Why do I feel like a scumbag, like I’m toying with her feelings…”
Everything went according to my plan, except for Sylvie’s actions. She sacrificed herself… at least she tried to. She really thought she could save me at the time.
This selfless spirit will make Sylvie a future saintess, and witnessing this firsthand stirred something within me.
“Why am I thinking about her now?”
Sylvie’s actions reminded me of her in that scene. At the time, I almost couldn’t control my emotions and nearly exposed myself.
“...Now, it’s time to start the hunt.”
Through my eyes, I can see the threads guiding me to the attackers’ location. Now that I’ve created an alibi for myself, there’s no need to hold back anymore.
“Especially that Mason; I’m going to rip out his intestines.”
I still remember the smug look on his face as he left with Sylvie.
Whoosh!
I quickly melted into the shadows, the darkness becoming my friend.
I activated [Shadow Cloak Armor]. Thanks to the old eccentric, it’s become more convenient, merging with my [Shadow].
Mason slowly approached Sylvie, his smile becoming even more unrestrained as he watched her curled-up posture. In the dim light, eerie shadows were cast on the wall.
“Oh, Sylvie,” Mason taunted, his tone full of contempt. “Looks like your attempt to stop our grand plan failed. But I have to say, your performance just now was truly heroic.”
Sylvie’s gaze slowly turned to Mason, her eyes still filled with shock, but also a hint of defiance. She didn’t respond, remaining silent.
“You know,” Mason continued, squatting down to meet her gaze, “you were so confident just now, standing up against us, thinking you were a hero, right? What about now? A pathetic wretch in need of saving?”
Sylvie bit her lip, suppressing the anger within. Mason’s words were as annoying as mosquitoes; responding to his taunts would only make him more pleased.
“You know what? Do you like the gift I left him? That guy has been annoying me for a long time, you know?”
Mason laughed, enjoying Sylvie’s embarrassment. He wanted to taste her, but because of his superior's orders, he had to suppress his desires.
“But I have to say, his courage moved me, too bad it was useless. You should have seen his expression when I delivered the final blow, he was terrified… hahaha.”
He reached out and lifted Sylvie’s chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. His eyes stared intently at her, searching for signs of weakness.
“I bet he regretted being with you at that moment, thinking that if it wasn’t for you, he might have been safe.”
Sylvie lowered her head, Mason’s words piercing her heart like knives, each sentence heavier than the last.
“Yeah.” she responded quietly.
Guilt gnawed at her, intertwined with the anger she desperately suppressed. The image of Morse standing in front of her reminded her of something long ago.
“It’s still the same.” she thought to herself mockingly.
She knew that she couldn’t become strong in just a few days, but even so, the fact that she still felt powerless troubled her once again.
“It’s no use regretting it now; I believe he will forgive you in the afterlife.”
“The afterlife…”
Flames of anger instantly ignited, Sylvie’s eyes blazing with fury. Even though her mana was sealed, she decided to resist.
“Ptooey!”
Sylvie looked directly at Mason, concentrating all her anger, frustration, and sorrow, and spat directly in his face.
“……”
Mason was stunned by Sylvie’s sudden resistance, frozen in place, saliva dripping down his face.
He touched the saliva on his face, bewildered, as if unable to comprehend what had just happened.
The room fell into a brief silence, then Mason’s confusion gradually turned to anger, his eyes narrowing as he glared at Sylvie. He raised his hand, preparing to slap her.
“You bi…”
Suddenly, his hand stopped in mid-air, feeling ants crawling on his skin.
“What?”
A strong sense of danger washed over him, the demon evolution enhancing Mason’s senses, warning him at this moment.
[Mason, we're being...]
Boom!
Just as the warning came through his earpiece, an explosion suddenly erupted, blasting Mason away.
......
After merging with the shadows, I began to move at top speed. According to the location shown by the threads, the attackers seemed to have stopped.
‘Good.’
They were likely waiting for an escape vehicle. Entering this highly guarded city wasn’t easy, and escaping would be even harder.
Therefore, their waiting was understandable.
‘Just as I expected.’
With that thought, I rushed to their hideout at an extreme speed.
“Huff… huff…”
I was panting slightly because I was running at full power.
I was now standing in a small alley behind a small restaurant. It was a narrow alley, with several trash cans scattered around, it seemed to be their temporary hideout.
‘Let me scout it out.’
I quietly climbed onto the roof, crouching behind a small vent. From here, I could clearly see the scene below.
There were three people, looked to be in their twenties, wearing uniform black clothes. They seemed to be discussing something, occasionally looking around to make sure no one was following.
‘There are three guards in front. Two of them are the ones who attacked me, and the other might be a scout.’
From their build and posture, I confirmed that two of them used daggers, and the other used a sword.
[Aurora Crow]
I summoned my contract partner and started to let it move around to scout the number of people. From another angle, I discovered two more people. One was the leader, and the other was a non-combatant.
They were talking while checking a device.
[Mana Observation]
In the past week, I not only trained my body, but also researched many ways to use mana, and to a certain extent, I have mastered mana observation. But this is not fully mastered yet, but now I can sense traces of demonic energy around me.
‘Mason and Sylvie are behind them.’
Sylvie’s mana was sealed, but my tentacles were still connected to her.
‘That’s enough.’
The information gathered was sufficient; it was time to act.
[Firmament Radiance · Night Eyes]
I summoned my weapon, transformed it into a rifle form, and compressed mana into the muzzle.
Swoosh!
Then I pulled the trigger.
