After the violent explosions, everything finally settled.

Under the soundproofing formation the mages had set up in advance, the blasts—loud enough to wake half the city—never escaped the courtyard. But the smoke still drifted away with the riverside breeze, mingling into the faint morning haze.

After three full-power shots from the magi-cannon, and the expenditure of no less than one thousand three hundred and fifty arrows, the underground chamber had been completely turned into a massive pit. Above, unobstructed by any roof, a few dim stars could be seen peeking through the gaps in the dark clouds.

The blood pool had been forcibly filled in, and within the pit there was no longer a single “nonhuman” creature capable of standing.

At Muen’s order, the thugs had already withdrawn. In the vast, empty crater, Muen stepped over the charred chunks of flesh and made his way to the edge.

In the farthest corner, the succubus had only half her body left. She was no longer the bewitching, graceful figure she had been—now she reeked of scorched flesh, more repulsive than a beggar in the gutter.

But she was still alive. The half of her broken body twitched and writhed, her pitch-black heart exposed and still beating. The heavily made-up beauty of her face had been almost entirely burned away, her true features unrecognizable.

What terrifying vitality... and this was only an avatar.

From this alone, one could estimate how frightening and troublesome her true body must be.

A pity—it wasn’t the real body.

“How do you feel, Miss Succubus? Do you like my little gift?”

Muen took off his top hat and inquired with polite courtesy.

Perhaps it was his calm tone that needled her nerves—she shot him a venomous look, her blackened lips writhing constantly as if cursing him.

“Mm?”

He didn’t hear a thing, blinking blankly before realizing.

Taking the earplugs from his ears—used to block the magi-cannon’s noise—he gave her an apologetic smile.

“Sorry, what was that you said? I didn’t catch it...”

“...”

Seeing her eyes widen, as though she wanted to swallow him whole, Muen blinked and offered earnestly,

“How about... you say it again? I promise I’ll listen carefully this time.”

“...I’m going to kill you! I’ll kill you for this!”

The succubus’s face contorted in rage, her shrill scream overflowing with unspeakable hatred.

In the corner of her vision, she could barely see the Shadow Butcher—completely reduced to scattered charcoal beneath the magi-cannon’s beam. Only the half of his bloodied cleaver stuck into a pile of rubble remained, a pitiful sight.

As for the other moon beasts and undead... who knew where they had been flung to.

“So... you can feel hatred over a comrade’s death too.”

Muen lowered his gaze, studying her face, murmuring softly.

“I hate. Of course I hate,” she wailed in grief, crystalline tears actually slipping from the corners of her eyes.

“He—he was my reserve meal, you know? Do you know how much harder my ascension will be without him? I waited so long, waiting for the great Moon’s descent so I could devour him, merge with him, and reach an even higher—”

Puh.

Muen’s short blade sank into what remained of her body, holy light flooding in. The searing burn made her shriek anew, cutting her words short.

His face hardened again. Forcing down his disgust, his voice cooled.

“To think I believed someone like you could shed tears—I was far too naïve.”

“Someone like me?”

Even in agony, she laughed as though hearing some delightful joke.

“Sounds like you really despise cold, heartless people like me. Hahaha... good. That’s good.”

Muen frowned.

Her laughter only made his mood worse, so he chose not to waste time.

“Answer me—where is Senior Anna?”

“I don’t know.”

“Lies.”

“I’ve no reason to lie to you. She and I made a little deal. According to the agreement, I can’t interfere in her actions for now. Where she goes is entirely her choice.”

“You’d just let her go that easily?”

“Let her go? You make it sound like we’d hurt her.”

“Wouldn’t you?”

“Ha... hahaha, of course not. On the contrary, we’re the only ones in this world who would never harm her. That’s why she’ll eventually come back to us of her own accord.”

The succubus’s smile was sincere, her voice filled with devotion.

“We are her family.”

“Shut up.”

The short blade stabbed into her once more. Muen’s denial was ice-cold. “You are not her family.”

“We’re not? Hahaha... if not us, then who is? You? Muen Campbell—what standing do you have here?”

Her mocking laughter deepened.

“That’s none of your concern,” Muen lowered his gaze.

“Haha... true, but I am curious. Even if you find Anna Kaplin, so what?”

“I’ll save her.”

“Her serpentinization is in its final stage. She’s already one of us. Even if you don’t care, do you think anyone else will accept her?”

“None of your concern.”

“You seem confident... do you have a cure? ...No, you don’t.”

Her eyes widened as if suddenly realizing something.

“Muen Campbell, you’re the Duke’s son. You can pull a magi-cannon—strictly controlled by the military—into Belrand’s streets at will. If you wished, with the Campbell family’s influence, inviting a Crowned one to help you wouldn’t be difficult.

Even if not at this special time, you could call in the Knight Order, the Guard, even the Adventurers’ Guild... or Mitsuyoshi’s mercenaries. But...”

She tilted her head up, leaning toward his face as if to pierce through that cold, false mask and strike at something fragile beneath.

“But none of that happened. Instead, you go to such lengths to hide your identity and tame those rats to work for you. Why? Why? Why is that?

—Because you’re afraid, Muen Campbell!

You know Anna Kaplin is already ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) the enemy of all mankind, and you’ve no absolute confidence in turning her back. The more you want to save her, the less you trust anyone.

In the end, just as I expected, you’re alone—pitifully, pathetically—fighting all by yourself!

Hah... isn’t it ridiculous? With such a noble status, vast resources and power... yet shackled by your own nobility, left so wretched—”

Her ridicule cut off.

The rubble shuddered, the once-settled dust swirling again.

Muen’s hand shot out, seizing her throat, slamming her to the ground.

The blade tip hovered over her black heart.

That face not his own was still expressionless, but his pale blue eyes seemed frozen solid.

“Spare me the drivel. I’ll ask you one last time—where is she?”

“Stubborn... I told you, I don’t know.”

“Is that so? Then you’re worthless.”

The pure-white blade slowly pierced her heart. Foul-smelling blood oozed out as her remains convulsed violently.

Even as an avatar, she still seemed to feel pain—and with the convulsions came tortured wails.

Watching her scream, Muen regretted for the third time tonight that this wasn’t her true body.

“Whitechapel District!”

Then suddenly, she spoke.

“I don’t know her exact location, but the last place she vanished was in Whitechapel.”

“Hm?”

He raised a brow, eyeing her in puzzlement.

So quick to give in?

Or... another trap?

“I’ve changed my mind.”

Her face twisted, eyes locked on him, full of malice.

“Maybe letting you see her will be even better.”

“...”

“Ah, I can’t wait... to see your face when you see her now. That feeling—falling from the heights into the abyss, hope turning to despair... hahahaha... I really can’t wait!”

Shhh—

Overwhelming holy light flooded into the filthy heart. In the endless agony of burning flames, the life faded from her eyes.

Through the break in the clouds, faint starlight fell, lighting Muen’s profile like cold marble.

He gazed at her and spoke softly.

“Can you give your true body a message for me?”

“Heh... go ahead.”

“Tell her... next time we meet, I’ll kill her.”

Muen lowered his head, declaring with resolve, certainty, and unshakable will,

“I’ll kill her with my own hands, in the way that makes her suffer most.”

...

...

“What a waste.”

Outside the courtyard, the Rat King winced at the magi-cannon—now dissolved into a pile of scrap after its third shot as its magic core self-destructed—unable to tear his eyes away.

Too good.

When he’d fired it just now, watching that blinding beam tear through everything, it had given him a thrill no less than... certain pleasures of the flesh.

Shame it was only three shots.

Not enough to enjoy it fully.

And if he had one of those for himself, wouldn’t he be the flashiest man in the Lower City?

“Power that doesn’t belong to you will only bring your ruin.”

A cold voice sounded in his ear, making his back snap straight.

“Mr. Bruce.” The Rat King bowed his head respectfully.

In just one night, the things this man had shown had completely subdued him, leaving no other thoughts in his heart.

Now, Rat King Tom was nothing but a loyal dog at Bruce Wayne’s side.

“If the Guard or the Knights find a magi-cannon in your hands, you wouldn’t have nine lives enough to save you.”

Muen glanced at him and spoke flatly.

“I... I know. Just thinking about it, that’s all.”

Wiping sweat from his brow, the Rat King forced out all such thoughts.

“Any other orders, Mr. Bruce?”

“The matter I told you to investigate—did you find it?” Muen asked.

“I did!”

The Rat King straightened immediately. Waving a hand, he had a subordinate rush over with a thick stack of documents.

“Everything you asked us to find is here.”

“That much, huh.”

Muen took the file, remarking quietly.

“Of course. The range of your request was far too broad,” the Rat King said.

Urban legends.

Rumors and tales.

People acting strangely.

Those hiding their identities.

Unusual patterns of movement.

Even limited to the past two days, in the vast, crowded Lower City, all of this together was a staggering amount of information.

“I am a bit puzzled, though.”

“Speak.”

“From your request, it’s clear you’re... looking for someone.”

The Rat King stared at the stack, puzzled.

“But why not be more specific? If you gave us detailed characteristics, we could definitely find them for you.”

“Definitely?”

“That’s right.”

Puffing out his chest, pride in his voice, he said,

“If it were just one gang, I wouldn’t dare promise—but nearly all the big gangs are working together now. Even if the person you’re after turned into a rat and hid in the sewers, if they’re in the Lower City, they can’t escape our eyes!”

“Sounds great... but I can’t do that.”

Muen lowered his eyes, flipping through the heavy file.

Unifying these gangs into a net covering the Lower City was one of his goals from the start.

Because gangs weren’t just made of knife-swinging thugs.

The vast number of “common folk” living under gang protection were far more dangerous.

But he couldn’t use them.

Because to mobilize such a huge, mixed mass of ordinary people would mean...

The entire city would know someone was searching for Anna Kaplin.

That was absolutely unacceptable.

As the succubus had said—no matter how noble his status, no matter the methods at his disposal—in saving his senior, he couldn’t trust anyone.

In this, no one would stand beside him.

He could only walk alone into the dark, seeking in this city of millions that one equally lonely girl.

So he had to settle for the laborious, clumsy method of sifting information.

“But fortunately... this time wasn’t without results.”

He skimmed the file, discarding all the useless data and keeping only the entries related to the Whitechapel District.

The range shrank instantly.

“So, Senior... where would you hide?”

Tapping the papers with his finger, he instinctively began to think from Anna’s perspective.

“If it were you...”

His eyes moved quickly, soon settling on a single item.

“Lokada Academy, abandoned campus—suspected sighting of the ‘Heart-Stealing Succubus’ from urban legend...”