38 – Conclusion (1)
“K… Kkuh….”
A hole gaping in the center of the upper body. Joltan Pashur, blood oozing, dropped his head. Various organs flowed out through the hole.
-Squelch.
The magic that enveloped his body. If they hadn’t served as a shield, even the form might not have remained. Carelessness? Yes, he had become careless at the very end. Thought he had captured everything.
But that, too, was just an excuse.
Having lived for over decades in Tulas’s underworld, he knew better than anyone that losers had no right to make excuses.
The winner takes everything, even the loser’s life.
Wasn’t that the longstanding nature of this world?
“…Zen… Handle it.”
Even uttering the words felt suffocating. Blood incessantly spurted out.
Beyond the blurred vision, Lian was gradually getting closer. Even though his ribs and organs must have been completely shattered, he didn’t waver a step.
At that moment, a bitter laugh couldn’t be suppressed.
Even in such a state, knowing how to instill fear in the enemy is essential.
Extracting the desired answer from an enemy subdued by force. It’s not something an ordinary mercenary could realize, let alone a boy.
Forcing an opponent to kneel with strength, an attitude only those who have made countless others submit can display.
“…Who sent you.”
Therefore, he could be sure.
The boy in front of him wasn’t an entity associated with the Laplace Mercenary Corps.
“You said it with your own mouth. The Laplace Mercenary Corps.”
“Laplace would never leave someone like you alone.”
“You speak as if you know the leader well.”
“Heh heh… I do. It’s hard not to know.”
His mind grew hazy, but Joltan Pasheur had no intention of yielding.
“…By now, my subordinates should have arrived at the Red Moon headquarters.”
Joltan Pasheur twisted his lips and uttered.
“New weapons from the military… Some of them even include missiles used on the front lines.”
“High-ranking abilities won’t easily fall prey to such things.”
“Well, that’s true. But the Civic Government is different.”
The Laplace Mercenary Corps wouldn’t have undertaken such actions on their own. It was undoubtedly a collaboration with the Civic Government.
“Even if the Civic Government of Taurus is corrupt, wouldn’t their attitude change if casualties amount to thousands?”
If he didn’t contact them in time, he had already instructed to indiscriminately attack the surroundings.
A threat with the lives of innocent citizens as collateral.
Even if the Civic Government hesitated, a few hours would be enough.
As long as there was time, the Partisans wouldn’t crumble.
“Heh heh heh… You may have won, but half of it is my victory.”
“…”
“The Partisans and Red Moon will soon realize your scheme. And then… it’s over.”
If the Partisans and Red Moon joined forces, handling the Laplace Mercenary Corps would be easy. And if the Black Society joined as well? Even the Civic Government would have no choice but to let go.
“Have you said all you wanted to say?”
Lian understood what Joltan Pashur was saying. However, he didn’t pay it much mind. His head was spinning, and the state of his body was such that standing was almost too strenuous.
‘Jason couldn’t have possibly thought that much.’
Did Jason, someone of his caliber, really not consider the possibility of the project being exposed? Lian doubted it. Perhaps there were confidential matters unknown to him, containing the answers.
Lian knew why Joltan Pashur spoke like that. It was the same in his past life. Leaders of criminal organizations engaged in terrorism. Those bastards always said such things right before they died.
Even in the moment of their death, they shook the emotions of the opponent and self-indulgently reveled in their victory.
And Lian had never witnessed such a sight.
There were numerous reasons, but the biggest one was that.
He didn’t want to see them satisfied while meeting their end.
Then what should he do?
Should he say that our leadership couldn’t have possibly overlooked that much? There was no need for that.
Explaining such things to a person about to die was a luxury.
“You idiot.”
No matter what those guys did, they would win.
A smile filled with mockery.
That alone was enough.
If he was a man careful and astute enough to become the leader of an organization, he would undoubtedly find the answer in Lian’s expression, even if it was the wrong one.
Even if it turned out to be incorrect.
As evidence, Joltan Pashur’s face, which had been filled with satisfaction just moments ago, was now brutally contorted.
“Tch, ughhhhh!!!”
Now, even speaking seemed burdensome, as he spat out blood in a fit of defiance.
Instead of explaining, Lian pulled out his gun and aimed it at his head.
Taaang!
As the body of Joltan Pasheur crumbled, the fire nearby was extinguished as well.
Amila, who had been staring blankly at the scene, murmured.
“…Are you okay?”
Lian chuckled and sat down on the floor.
“Can you give me some treatment?”
“Ah, yes. Of course.”
She took out the emergency medical kit and injected a recovery potion into Lian’s arm. The pain quickly subsided, and the bleeding noticeably decreased.
“…So only four of us survived, including that kid?”
“The others were at a disadvantage from the start. If it had been a one-on-one with the guards, it might have been different, but we were surrounded by multiple people. It would have been hard to hold out for long.”
“Well, I almost died if Amila hadn’t come.”
The sorcerer who heard those words clicked his tongue.
“To think we have to deal with the aftermath again… After this is over, we’ll need a month to rest and recover.”
“Aftermath?”
“The Kamento gangsters fled in a car. Are we just going to let them go?”
“…Go and bring the car. Leman, you come with me.”
“Ugh, fine. Whatever.”
Amila lowered her head, watching the two figures heading out of the garage, then turned her gaze to Lianne. Lianne was staring at the lifeless body of Joltan Pashur.
“……”
It was eerie.
Amila knew why the two subtly vacated the place. Not satisfied with just exploiting a gang boss, she felt the creepiness of deceiving to the moment of breathlessness.
‘People have completely changed.’
However, that madness vanished frighteningly when Joltan Pashur’s breath ceased. Before pulling the trigger and after, it was like night and day. Like a completely different person.
It wasn’t difficult to deduce which one was the real self.
‘Using informal language unconsciously and all.’
But the moment she confirmed the return to the usual respectful tone, as if nothing happened, Amila couldn’t suppress the goosebumps on her skin.
There were many other indications. The gestures accustomed to murder, ruthless hands, eerie flesh, authoritative speech…
Could such a cunning lad have unintentionally revealed those actions?
No, unlikely.
Even that must have been a carefully calculated move.
This was a warning. A warning to behave wisely.
Then, Lianne slowly rose from her seat. And she locked eyes with Amila. A creepy sensation crawling up her spine.
-Gulp.
About 5 seconds.
“……”
Amila stood still, unable to do anything until Lianne, until she put something in her hands.
“Well done, Lady Amila.”
It was a recovery potion. The one she had just handed over.
“It seems that other people have arrived as well… Should we start heading out?”
“….”
Amira could do nothing but nod her head.
*****
“Seems like you’ve guessed it.”
A dark corridor.
The pungent smell of cigarettes wafted in. Egon silently exhaled smoke and turned his gaze forward.
A suit that covered the entire body. A specially made helmet that made it impossible to infer one’s identity.
Central, the special forces under the control of the government.
Egon knew very well what it meant for them to appear here, following only the will of the government.
The news of the clash between Red Moon and the Partisans had just arrived a few minutes ago. One of the main reasons was that the headquarters of the Black Society was particularly far from them, but the biggest reason was that the Black Society leader had little interest in areas outside the south.
“It doesn’t seem like they’ve come here to have a conversation.”
Egon muttered as he flicked the ashes off his cigarette.
From Noble mtl dot com
“It’s better to explain before we burn all of this.”
“Do we really need to?”
The response came from behind Egon.
“I assume you have a rough idea. The fact that we entered here without shedding blood, that in itself says something.”
“….”
“The Black Society’s created illusions tear apart the body and mind of intruders. But we haven’t lost any limbs or gone crazy.”
The man spoke, then fixed his gaze on Egon.
“Six months ago, I made a deal with the Black Society. I’ve come today to seal that agreement.”
*****