Building My SSS-Rank Universal Empire: From Trash to Cosmic Overlord-Chapter 124: You can

"Vale, together with his team, killed Alyndra, rank one team leader. He killed Fell, rank three team leader. He killed the agent of the Ten..." Sepler paused as if he’d just realized how impossibly dangerous Vale was. His eyes flickered to the remaining three as if drawing reassurance from their presence.

He swallowed before he continued. "He schemed with the outlaws to destroy the peace and attack the Scuffed Bones."

His words echoed in the silence, an uncomfortable silence that had descended with each accusation he leveled against Vale. The more he spoke, the more the silence turned into claws that dug into each and every one of them.

When they glanced towards Vale, it was as if they finally understood that it wasn’t a dog they had invited. Suddenly, they instinctively knew that a monster was in their midst.

Gravemor stood hurriedly as Sepler sat. He avoided looking at Vale as he said, "There are witnesses, so don’t even try to lie your way out of this!"

Vale raised his hand, the one not holding the sword. "Can I say something?"

Sepler’s eyes flickered towards the sword, then to Vale’s face, before he quickly looked away. Gravemor nodded after a bit of hesitation. "You can."

"Your leaders, rank one and three, caused the death of one of my teammates. What do you have to say about this?" Vale asked.

This seemed to take them aback. The two exchanged looks. Gravemor asked, "How did they cause it?"

"They sent the assassins after us. Come to think of it, everyone in this room knows about the assassins, and none of them thought to tell me anything. No one warned me. Could it be that you all support the use of assassins?" Vale asked.

Everyone paused, his words a heavy weight in the room, a thing that was slow to settle.

Vale stood and walked towards the table, his sword dragging behind him, clanging in the silent room like a broken bell. He stopped in front of Sepler, then his eyes surveyed the gathering. "Do you all support the assassins killing Xan?"

Dlodus gave a small laugh. "Ahaha, nothing like this was ever mentioned in front of me. Maybe Sepler or Manefor know about the assassins that were sent out?"

Manefor shifted, like a hulking stone after years. "We use the Assassin Guild to deal with situations like this, but I don’t know when they were sent after you. We were supposed to know."

Serdan nodded. "He speaks the truth."

Vale sighed. "Enough with the playing, I’m bored already."

Gravemor stood. "How dare you talk with the...! Huh?"

His head spun in the air, a ball of flesh that slammed into the table with a meaty thud, trailing warm blood that splattered everywhere, and then it rolled onto the ground. The eyes blinked one more time in surprise before freezing in eternal shock.

Sepler had wanted to say something, but now he swallowed and took a shaky step back. His leg slammed into his chair, and he stumbled into his seat, but his eyes barely left the headless body beside him.

Vale looked at the bloodstained sword and used a lick of fire to clean away the blood. Then he injected his Infernal Fire essence into it, and it turned red like liquid fire. He used it to pierce the middle of the table and leave it there.

The warning was clear.

Vale yawned. "I think we’ve endured your stupidity enough. Get out."

Sepler jumped. He looked at the others, only to be met with cold expressions. His face fell as he began to hurry out of his seat when Vale raised his hand and pointed at him. "Wait, carry your friend with you. Don’t forget his head. And oh, don’t leave the building; I’ll have some orders for you later."

He bowed and clumsily dragged the body of Gravemor with him, holding the bloody head as he left.

Slya conjured another chair for him, and he sat down where he was. Vale sighed. "Really? Why do you even allow the two of them to enter this place?"

Dlodus chuckled. "You might not know, but that’s actually part of the rules. The vice leader will be the automatic team one leader until there’s a new one again or so. But then again, no rank one has ever died like this before."

Vale smiled like a wolf. "Then I’m glad for breaking the record." He clapped. "Now then, I want all of you who are not in the top five to leave this place."

His words this time even wiped the smile from Dlodus’s face. "What?"

Vale pointed. "They’re all figureheads anyway. You three are the ones who pull the strings. So let’s talk, team leader to team leader. Of the strongest team, that is."

There was a moment of silence, and then the sound of wood dragging on the floor filled the air. After their leader nodded, they slowly left the room, and Slya closed the door behind them.

Vale sighed again. "So can we begin now? I called this meeting."

Serdan, who had been watching with a reserved look since morning, finally had a sharp and focused expression on her face. "Why did you call the meeting?"

Vale looked at the three of them and said with deliberate slowness, "I am the strongest Knight rank in the Second Layer."

Dlodus waved. "Nobody doubts that, but for how long? How long do you think you can hold that position?"

Serdan nodded. "So what’s your plan? You’re here to let us know your next step, right? I wonder what it will be. After all, time is chasing you."

Vale understood what they meant, but he pushed it to them. "What do you mean?"

Serdan scoffed. "You know the Flagbearers of the two teams are most likely organizing a death raid for you. How do you ever think you’ll get out of this unshattered? You’re a dead man who’s only borrowing a little time!"

Dlodus chuckled. "What she’s saying is that we don’t really have to do anything before the mess you created is taken care of. In a few days, maybe."

’Ahh... shit... I knew this was coming, but isn’t it too fast? Then I just have to pull the rug out from under their feet... somehow...’

Manefor’s voice rumbled. "They speak the truth. You have no Flag behind you. There’s simply no way to get out of this."

Vale yawned again. "Alright, do you think that’s why I’m here? To beg you guys to somehow make sure I keep the rank one team? Or create a new team?"

Serdan eyed him suspiciously. "What are you here for then?"

Vale smiled.