Miserable Reincarnation

39 – Resolution (2)

Instead of replying, Egon stared at the man before him.

Unlike other Central agents, he boldly exposed his entire face.

The reason was not hard to guess.

An overwhelming presence emanating relentlessly with every breath. Such intensity of presence couldn’t be concealed by a mere helmet.

Egon’s lips sharply curled.

“That’s what you say? But it’s a pity. I haven’t heard anything related to you from our lord.”

“Seems like you still can’t understand words.”

The man, who had come close to Egon’s nose, let out a faint sigh.

“I won’t waste words. Step aside.”

“And if I can’t?”

“Unfortunately… the Black Society will lose a cherished subordinate.”

The man shrugged.

“By now, you should have a rough idea. We, in collaboration with the La Place mercenaries, are clearing out large gangs. But isn’t it strange? With La Place’s leader absent, who can stand against the leaders of Red Moon and Partisan?”

“I don’t understand why you’re so confidently strategizing.”

“There’s no point in hiding anymore.”

The man chuckled and snapped his fingers. At that moment, one of the Central agents beside him placed a data cube on his hand.

Zzzzzz…!

Countless noises echo beyond the data cube.

[Run…!!]

[H-Help…Screaam!!]

Blood splatters from all directions.

Flames, and explosions.

Watching a scene that could be called a disaster, the man calmly spoke up.

“We’ve been around since the city was first built…but their aggression is too sudden. It’s why our government decided to no longer turn a blind eye to them.”

“….”

“But it seems we can negotiate with the Black Society. Of course, looking at you now, it doesn’t seem likely at all…”

The man chuckled and shook his head.

Egon’s pupils chilled. The agents standing around the man flinched and blocked his path.

“You’re quite the troublemaker, aren’t you?”

The surrounding shadows stirred.

Goooong…!!

In the intense darkness where not a single speck of light exists, no one questions the existence of shadows.

The high-ranking sorcerers who have reached the realm distort even the laws of reality.

“Well, that was unnecessary.”

The man calmly stared at Egon.

Knowing that Egon is absolutely loyal to the Black Society is like knowing a public secret. Despite knowing that fact, there was a reason for him to provoke Egon by mentioning the name of the Black Society.

Ddddd…

The corridor trembled as if insane.

At that moment when the malevolence of the profound darkness was about to completely engulf the atmosphere,

[Stirring up a disturbance just to make me aware of its existence….]

Egon turned his head with a surprised expression.

[A thought fitting for the hunting dogs of the Ministry of Time, huh.]

The corridor, once filled with darkness, had somehow returned to its original state.

“The time was pressing. I hope you understand that I had no choice but to use such drastic measures.”

At that moment, whispers echoed through the corridor.

[Understand, understand… Since when could the weak utter those words?]

Simultaneously, a silence so profound that not even a breath could be heard filled the corridor.

Clang-!

At the clear sound of a bell, the man narrowed his eyes.

The moment he recognized the bell, it felt like his body was being crushed by immense pressure. Even so, it was obvious how the other members would react.

“Kkugguggugguk…!”

“Kkureureuk, kkuk, kkureureuk!”

Members who were relatively lacking in magical resistance twisted their bodies, emitting indescribable screams and pouring blood from every inch of their bodies.

[In a few seconds, they’ll be dead.]

Even amid the screams echoing in the corridor, the voice of the Black Society leader resonated clearly.

[But understand this.]

Notification.

“…….”

The man lowered his gaze, observing the soldiers writhing in agony. It wasn’t just their bodies that were broken. Their mana circuits were damaged beyond recovery. If it stayed that way, even with physical reconstruction, they’d be unusable.

Without hesitation, the man extended his foot, crushing the soldiers’ heads.

Crack!

Helmets and heads shattered under the impact. Blood sprayed in all directions, yet the man nodded as if it was inconsequential.

“I understand.”

He spoke so and turned his gaze towards the door at the end of the corridor.

“I’ve destroyed over dozens of organizations under the black market’s umbrella, so enduring this is only fitting.”

The man’s face as he said this exuded an eerie calmness bordering on madness.

“Shall we go in now?”

– Keiik.

In the next moment, the firmly shut door began to slowly open.

[Egon.]

“Yes, my lord.”

[Guide the guest here.]

The voice of the underworld lord was filled with subtle amusement.

*****

“You’ve made a complete mess.”

The mage, Leman, cocked his head while observing the chaos. Bodies haphazardly strewn along the road. Despite the poor security in the outskirts, this was exceptionally severe.

“The officers must have accepted the request due to their own considerations….”

LeMan spoke, turning his gaze to the driver’s seat.

“Amila, did you hear anything separately?”

“…No.”

“Well, just by looking at your expression, I can tell.”

He slowly turned his head and looked out the window.

Thud!!

The sight of towering buildings collapsing and flipping over as a whole. As if an earthquake were happening, the ground was overturning entirely.

“…”

The scene witnessed by Rian was not significantly different from his.

However, he saw more.

Magics crazily undulating in the air. Magics densely packed without a single empty space, sweeping through like waves and crumbling everything around.

The waves of magic spreading endlessly suddenly ceased as if lying when reaching the edge of 19th Street.

A spectacle so astonishing that one might mistake the entire area for being covered by a giant barrier.

“The officers are inside there now, aren’t they?”

“Yes.”

“This is insane….”

A massive column of fire shooting up between the setting sun in the sky.

A white wave spreading through the clouds.

For a while, Rian silently gazed at these alien landscapes.

“Can we win?”

Lemann blurted out without even realizing it. But what returned was a profound silence and the heavy sound of engines.

“Stop talking nonsense and prepare to clear out the stragglers we missed. Given the situation, they shouldn’t have made it inside 19th Street. They’re probably lurking nearby,” Ludwig, who was tightening his dagger at the back, spoke out. But even as he said so, his face didn’t betray any certainty.

Should we praise the attitude of quietly fulfilling the assigned task even in this situation?

Or perhaps these veterans were so adept at hiding their emotions that the atmosphere felt ominously heavy.

If one had to choose, it would lean more towards the latter. Why were those from the upper echelons referred to as strategic weapons? Lian understood it firsthand.

“Kid, what was your name again?”

“Lian.”

“Right, Lian. You seem better than I expected. Not nervous?”

Lemann spoke while sneakily observing Lian through the rearview mirror.

A face that appeared excessively composed. Just a moment ago, fighting tooth and nail with Joltan Pashur, the quiet inspection of equipment seemed eerily chilling.

“We just have to do our job properly.”

“But if the higher-ups decide-“

“We’ll win.”

From Noble mtl dot com

It hadn’t been a month since arriving in this world, but Lian was certain.

The more corrupt the regime, the more fixated they are on their own self-preservation.

Yet, would the corrective body of Turas, amidst rampant corruption, gamble on such an uncertain venture?

“That can’t be true.”

If there hadn’t been a belief in winning against whatever atrocities the major gangs committed, they wouldn’t have conceived the project.

As soon as she said that, Lianne felt the gazes pouring in from all directions.

Was it because it was such a desperate plea that even a child’s words would be listened to attentively?

With a wry smile, Lianne turned her head towards the window. She couldn’t utter words that were mere speculations.

……

Laplus Mercenary Corps, the Government, Redmoon, Partisans, and the Black Society.

Looking back, the premise itself was flawed from the beginning. Even if Redmoon and Partisans were constantly at odds, it would still be a 2 to 2 tie in terms of power.

The Government’s bet was far too insufficient.

“The Government won’t be satisfied with just winning, will they?”

To preserve their power as much as possible. That was probably the Government’s most important goal.

Then what would be the most effective way to achieve that goal?

To have the Laplus Mercenary Corps face off against Redmoon and the Partisans, while they themselves take care of the remaining one?

By doing so, they could preserve their power better than splitting it evenly, but it would worsen their relationship with the Laplus Mercenary Corps.

It might be a good short-term solution, but in the long run, it would be a handshake of doom.

“High-ranking officials wouldn’t have openly accepted a request with such obvious intentions, would they?”

If that’s the case…

A while later, Lianne muttered quietly.

“Perhaps the Government never intended to fight against the Black Society from the beginning.”

“……What?”

“From the beginning-.”

Before those words could finish, the entire sky was dyed in darkness.

Roarrr!!

Even though the sun hadn’t completely disappeared beyond the horizon yet.

Lian stopped speaking, looking up at the sky filled with darkness.

Saaa……

Beyond the endless darkness, a sound like a massive snake slithering could be heard.

Watching that spectacle, Lian slowly continued speaking.

“-Because we were on the same side.”

*****