Chapter 52: It Begins~ (Patreon)

As time passed, Ciel remained shut away in her room, painstakingly crafting conceptual weapons by hand.

Before anyone realized it, nearly half a month had gone by.

"Texas~ Senpai still hasn't come out? You think she's gone moldy in there by now?"

Exusiai sat nearby, idly playing with her chopsticks as she complained.

"Croissant, what if Senpai got dumped by the LGD? Maybe she's hiding in there all by herself, secretly crying her eyes out~"

"Hey~ Why aren't you guys saying anything? Texas? You two..."

Exusiai was still happily running her mouth when she suddenly felt a murderous aura behind her.

Along with it came the overpowering scent of incense, so thick it nearly made her choke.

Texas and Croissant, sitting across from her, gave Exusiai looks that clearly said, You're on your own.

Then both of them quietly got up and left the table.

At that exact moment, the dormitory door was kicked open.

Lappland appeared in the doorway and looked around at everyone inside.

"Yo~ Ciel, you're finally out. I heard from Exusiai that the LGD dumped you after—"

Before Lappland could finish her sentence, every hair on her tail stood on end.

Just before she could be "silenced," Texas reacted instantly, clamping a hand over Lappland's mouth and forcibly dragging the reckless Lupo out into the hallway.

Croissant left with them.

She completely ignored Exusiai's pleading gaze and even thoughtfully closed the door behind her as quietly as possible.

The three of them stepped outside and looked up at the brilliant sun.

At that moment, they sincerely appreciated just how wonderful it was to be alive.

Ignoring the sounds of "roughhousing" coming from the dormitory behind them, they headed toward their usual restaurant.

Half an hour later, Texas returned carrying several large takeout boxes.

When she opened the dormitory door, she found Exusiai sprawled perfectly straight across the sofa like a salted fish that had lost all hope in life.

Even the halo above her head had dimmed.

She looked as though her soul had departed some time ago.

The moment Ciel saw the takeout, Texas suddenly wondered if the Sankta in front of her might actually be the real Lupo here.

Ciel's golden eyes locked firmly onto the boxes.

The moment Texas placed a specially ordered curry with triple the normal spice level on the table, Ciel didn't even bother speaking.

She transformed into a merciless eating machine, grabbed the plate, and began devouring it at astonishing speed.

"Slow down. Nobody's going to take it from you."

Texas bit down on a Pocky stick and watched Ciel eat like a starving ghost reincarnated into human form.

Even she couldn't help letting out a sigh.

After shoveling the final mouthful of rich curry into her mouth, Ciel gave an utterly unladylike burp.

Her golden eyes, previously dull from severe mental exhaustion, finally regained some of their usual brightness.

"Finally... curry."

Then she looked toward Texas.

"Oh, right. Tell Ch'en and the others that my 'present' is ready. I'm going somewhere with fresh air and sleeping properly now. I can't take that dizzying incense anymore."

Ciel waved casually and headed toward one of the guest rooms that was normally left unoccupied.

Texas glanced at Exusiai, who was still lying motionless on the sofa.

She reached into her pocket, pulled out a piece of candied apple, and placed it against Exusiai's lips.

Almost immediately, the dim halo regained its usual brilliance.

Apparently, her soul had returned.

Meanwhile, Mephisto and the others, who had been waiting in the slums, were gathered together in anticipation of something.

Smack!

Mephisto hurled an empty can onto the ground and shouted at the Reunion soldier in front of him.

"What do you mean they can't come?! Didn't they receive Sister Talulah's orders?!"

"Leader, they... they did receive them, but... but..."

The messenger hesitated nervously, terrified that one wrong word might anger the boy in front of him.

"Just say it. He won't do anything to you."

Faust spoke coldly from the side.

"Actually... there aren't many people in the Sarkaz mercenary group who can still move. I heard that during the Chernobog incident, they were pursuing an isolated Rhodes Island squad when suddenly a beam of light came down from the sky... and then..."

"And then what?"

Faust pressed him.

"Then the entire mercenary unit was practically wiped out. Only a handful of elite members survived, and they're all lying in a temporary hospital right now. So..."

"What a completely useless bunch."

Mephisto sneered without mercy.

He had clearly forgotten just how miserably he himself had fled back then.

"No. We can't wait any longer. According to our people, Misha should have entered Lungmen proper three days ago. If the Guard Department finds her first, Sister Talulah's plan will be ruined."

"We enter the city today!"

The crazed white-haired boy waved his staff and looked at Faust and Crownslayer beside him, a cruel smile spreading across his face.

"Even without those useless idiots, my herd can still trample this city flat. Come on. Let's find the girl Sister Talulah wants!"

Accompanied by Mephisto's sinister laughter, Reunion's vanguard force split into smaller groups.

Like a deadly virus, they slipped through the dark corners of the outer districts and officially began infiltrating Lungmen.

Their movements, however, were quickly and accurately picked up by Lungmen's intelligence network.

The moment those "rats" entered the city, word traveled through the vast underground information network and rapidly reached a hidden safehouse somewhere in the lower districts.

Beep. Beep.

Ch'en glanced at the encrypted message Lin Yühsia had sent to her terminal.

Her expression immediately darkened.

She put the device away and turned around.

Under the dim lights, a frightened and confused Ursus girl sat anxiously on the edge of a bed.

Ch'en softened her voice as she walked toward her.

"Reunion has entered the city. You're their target. But don't worry. As long as I'm here, the LGD will never allow those thugs to take you."

The girl clutched the faded hem of her clothes tightly.

Her voice trembled.

"Officer... why? Why are they trying to capture me? I'm just an ordinary Infected..."

"That's exactly what Rhodes Island and the LGD are trying to find out. But we'll protect you."

Ch'en paused.

"And your younger brother."

"...My brother?"

Misha suddenly raised her head.

Her previously dull eyes trembled violently, and her voice changed with shock and hope.

"Alex... he's still alive?! Officer, do you know where he is?!"

Seeing how emotional Misha had become, Ch'en placed a hand on her shoulder and gently guided her back onto the bed.

Her expression remained grave.

"Calm down, Misha. He's alive. But the situation may be much more complicated than you think. I can't promise you what kind of person your brother has become."

Ch'en's voice grew firm.

"But Misha, I, Ch'en Hui-chieh, give you my word."

"As long as he hasn't crossed the line while in Lungmen, and hasn't slaughtered defenseless civilians..."

"The Lungmen Guard Department will give him the chance to receive a fair trial in court rather than execute him on the spot as a terrorist."

"That is the greatest guarantee I can give you."

At the highest point in Lungmen, inside a secluded tea room in the Chief Executive's residence...

There were no tense political negotiations tonight.

Only three old-timers who effectively held Lungmen in their hands were seated there.

"Hiss... Haa..."

Wei Yenwu took a deep pull from his pipe and slowly exhaled a thick cloud of smoke.

A trace of exhaustion that he could not quite conceal lingered in the eyes hidden beneath the shadows.

"Old Wei, old Wei. You spend all day treating your precious 'imperial art of checks and balances' like some priceless treasure, sitting in the Chief Executive's residence playing some grand game that only you understand."

The speaker continued mercilessly.

"And what happened? Lungmen's outer ring is leaking like a sieve. Even Ursus rats have slipped under our dinner table to dance."

Standing arrogantly atop an expensive rosewood chair was a penguin wearing sunglasses and a stylish coat.

He held a thick cigar between his flippers and blew out a smoke ring.

"Exactly. If my Penguin Logistics employees weren't out there cleaning up your mess nonstop, this fancy residence of yours would've been torched by those Reunion lunatics sooner or later."

Emperor snorted.

"All your balancing acts and schemes are worth jack in a real fight like this."

"He's not wrong," the Rat King said as he put down his teacup. "Though he could've said it more politely."

He chuckled.

"We're getting old. From now on, it'll be up to Hui-chieh and young people like my Yühsia to make their mark."

Hearing this, Wei Yenwu took another long pull from his pipe.

He said nothing.

At the same time...

Several kilometers away from the Chief Executive's residence, fierce winds howled across the rooftop of a skyscraper.

A slender figure stood silently at the edge.

The figure wore a wide, heavy black cloak with a deep hood that completely concealed their face in shadow.

Yet as the wind swept across the rooftop, strands of brilliant golden hair, dazzling as sunlight, escaped uncontrollably from beneath the hood.

Faint golden arcs of electricity danced through the air, producing soft crackling sounds.

"Wei Yenwu..."

A sudden rumble of thunder intensified in the air.

Then a cool voice, carrying the stern authority of impartial judgment, drifted slowly into the wind from atop the skyscraper.

"If you cannot guard Great Yan's gate..."

"Then the thunder of the Dali Court will descend upon it personally."