Chapter 24
MIRA AND SCORPION had succeeded in capturing a supposed Chimera elite with much less difficulty than expected. After erasing any traces of their presence, they began the trek home in high spirits, leaving the War-Torn Burial Ground behind.
They made their way back through the long tunnel full of spirit light. Behind Mira was Wasranvel, who she’d resummoned, and behind him was a Dark Knight.
The Dark Knight was carrying the sleepy, underwear-clad woman. Mira couldn’t have carried an unconscious person alone, woman or not. And they needed Scorpion to mimic the woman to show the guards that she’d left. That was where the Dark Knight came in. But with its large physique, it looked like the incarnation of a demon carrying a young woman to sacrifice.
After a twenty-minute walk through the tunnel and a climb up hundreds of meters of stairs, they returned to the empty storehouse. Scorpion lifted the hood of her coat to cover most of her masked face and emerged first; the concealed group followed close after.
If they left this place without issue, the first part of the plan would be successful. Mira watched tensely from behind.
When the disguised Scorpion appeared, one of the guards greeted her casually, “Hey, good work, kid. I know it’s gotta be rough going in there so late.”
Mira and Scorpion were confused by this kind of address. Should he not be referring to her as a superior?
Did Chimera Clausen elites and Melville Commerce security guards have a familiar relationship? Or was it that only the most elite security guards were placed in such a vital location? Or worse: was the woman actually a super low-ranked elite?
It was impossible to know right now. Scorpion quickly regained her composure and replied, “All part of the job.”
“Careful on your way home.” The guard by the door stood up, took out a key, and opened the door. At least the disguise was working.
Scorpion stopped and replied rather slowly, “Yes, thank you,” giving Mira and the others ample time to slip through before her. Once they’d exited, she passed through herself.
The cluster of warehouses seemed even darker now that Mira had gotten used to the spirit light. As she surveyed the area, she murmured in satisfaction, “That’s done.”
“Yep! We just gotta get through the compound’s gate, and we’re set,” Scorpion replied. She straightened her mask and walked out the gate without hesitation.
This time, she made sure that the patrolmen saw her. She didn’t avoid them enough to be suspicious, but neither did she stray close enough that she’d have to greet them. She hadn’t had enough time to observe the woman, so she couldn’t imitate her perfectly. It was best to avoid conversation lest she reveal any cracks in her disguise.
Yet she did her best to let as many people as possible see her. She would hopefully make them think that the disappearance was unrelated to the company.
Ten minutes or so later, they arrived at the compound entrance and proceeded through the magic-sensing barrier without breaking stride. But then disaster struck. Suddenly, countless marble-sized orbs of red light surrounded Scorpion where she stood.
She froze in surprise. The two gatekeepers, who still looked as bored as ever, turned around to stare at her. They sighed and walked over, evidently annoyed that the detector had reacted to her presence.
“Man, look at you. The detector got you again.” One of them stopped in front of her and reached for her brow.
What was he planning? Her face was hidden by the mask now, but he would probably know she was a fake if he removed it. But if she ran, the game was really up. Scorpion braced herself, and Mira stood by for a battle.
The man’s hand touched the mask and pressed it against her nose. She was pushed a few steps back.
“We keep telling you to press the switch before you go through.”
The gatekeepers then turned around and returned to their post.
“Thanks. Sorry. Slipped my mind,” Scorpion replied without missing a beat. It seemed the mask had a switch to nullify the mana detector. Before she knew it, the red orbs of light all around her were gone.
After thanking him both for kindly flipping the switch and not noticing that she was an imposter, Scorpion and her group passed through the main gate.
***
“So, I guess we’ve got them fooled?”
Once they reached a back alley a few blocks from Melville Commerce, Scorpion checked her surroundings and entered the total concealment field. She removed her hood and peeked at the face of the woman on the Dark Knight’s shoulder. Then she smirked, already looking forward to making her cough up everything she knew about Chimera.
“We don’t know how long that’ll last,” Mira warned. “Let’s get her out of here…but to where? Should we take her to the inn?”
Like Scorpion, Mira looked the woman up and down—though for different reasons. A defenseless woman in her underwear, totally bound… Mira felt something stir inside.
“Yep. It’s expensive, so it’s got really good security. We can lock her up in our room for now,” Scorpion answered, ignorant of Mira’s dubious desires.
***
It was already past midnight, yet the lights of the city still shone. The streets remained just as busy as earlier. Mira and the gang continued to use the power of the spirit of stealth to hurtle across the rooftops and returned to their inn without anyone catching sight of them.
They entered confidently through the front door, weaved through the lobby, and climbed the stairs to the top, where Scorpion unlocked her room’s door and found that Snake had returned in their absence.
She lay on her stomach in bed, organizing some kind of documents. The total concealment continued to be incredible; Snake hadn’t even noticed the door opening. Instead of her usual robe, Snake wore a loose tank top and shorts. It seemed she was the type to wear clothes that hid her assets, as the wide openings in her tank top showed that she was quite well endowed. Her lower half wasn’t bad either; her long, fair legs were pleasantly plump, and her thighs were parted as she made herself comfortable.
Mira’s eyes were glued to her. This defenseless state was a far cry from her usual buttoned-up demeanor.
“We’re back!” Scorpion said.
Snake continued to arrange her documents, unperturbed, as Mira ogled and Scorpion called out to her. But as they were still in total concealment, she couldn’t hear a thing.
“Oh, heh,” Scorpion murmured. Her lips curled into a wicked grin. “Psst. Come over here, you two.”
It seemed she had mischief on the mind. Scorpion donned the mask again and beckoned Mira and Wasranvel over to the bedside. She leaned so close that her face was right next to Snake’s and then chuckled evilly.
Having realized what was going on, Mira took another peek at Snake’s bosom and said, “She has no idea.”
“Mira, turn off the concealment.” Giddy, Scorpion gave the signal. Mira then ordered Wasranvel to drop the concealment aura.
Perhaps it worked too well.
Though she was relaxing, Snake, an elite member of the Isuzu Alliance’s Hidden, would never totally drop her guard. It was unthinkable for her to not notice something approaching right before her nose.
Scorpion appeared out of nowhere. What person wouldn’t be surprised if they suddenly noticed someone right beside them wearing a suspicious mask? Snake was only human—and thanks to her carefully honed senses, Scorpion’s prank was super effective.
“Wha?!” Snake suddenly screamed like a little girl and fell from the bed.
Scorpion began laughing boisterously—but instantly froze as balls of fire glowing with pale light appeared all throughout the room.
Ooh?! Is this the necromancer’s Will o’ the Wisp? Mira admired the number of balls she’d summoned all at once.
Will o’ the Wisp, one of a necromancer’s spells, was very adaptable magic that could be used for offense or defense. But its true value lay in something greater: it served as preparation for various advanced Necromantic Arts. It was much like Mira’s Mark of the Rosary.
The fireballs gleamed red and began to form magic circles. That was the sign that she was fully prepared. Even as Snake cowered in the corner of the room, she was ready to fight.
Seeing this, Scorpion rushed to throw off the mask and coat. Then, for some reason, she began an odd dance and repeatedly shouted, “It’s me! Just me, Scorpion!”
Given the shapes of the magic circles, Mira knew that Snake was preparing to summon something big. So she added, “I’m here, too!” and jumped and danced along with Scorpion.
***
Scorpion, Mira, and Wasranvel kneeled obediently in the cramped room and apologized to Snake.
“I’m sorry.”
“We apologize.”
“I have no excuse.”
Perhaps as a result of the dance, the spell had been interrupted just before it could be cast, so everyone had survived unscathed. But the expressionless Snake was clearly ticked off. Her cheeks were flushed…though that may have been more due to embarrassment than rage.
“Fine. Explain the situation, please.” Snake glared at each of them in turn, giving Scorpion the worst treatment of them all. Then she looked at the restrained girl on the floor behind them. Despite their antics, she understood at once that they had abducted an elite.
“Allow me…” Mira volunteered, figuring it was best for someone who wasn’t even supposed to be here to do the talking. She told Snake why she was here and about Wasranvel’s power, the War-Torn Burial Ground, and how they had abducted the woman.
***
After cooling down, Snake returned to her usual reserved self and replied, “Understood.”
“So, how about we question her now?” Relieved, Scorpion sprang up and whipped a small, white orb out of her pouch. “Tadaaa! This is the mystical antidote passed down in my village, which—”
“Don’t care. Hurry up.” Snake cut her off. It seemed she hadn’t entirely forgiven her partner for the ill-conceived practical joke.
“’Kay…” Scorpion slumped her shoulders sadly. She pried open the bound woman’s mouth and pushed the ball in with further ado.
After a short wait, its effects came on all at once.
“Nnngah!” The woman’s eyes flew open and she screamed. Then, she began choking, writhing, and thrashing, all the while continuing to shriek through the gag. She was reacting as if she’d been poisoned outright.
Mira took a few steps back from the horror and asked Scorpion, “Say, are you sure that was an antidote?”
“Yep, just a stimulant!” Scorpion answered proudly, unruffled. “Give her a few and she’ll be able to talk,” she added, watching the woman’s violent spasms with a smile.
Snake seemed unbothered as well, silently producing a number of terrifying tools and implements. Nobody wanted to know what she might use them for.
Given their reactions, it seemed this was the normal effect of Scorpion’s legendary village antidote. Mira gulped, understanding that this was only a glimpse into the unsavory world these pros worked in every day.
***
When the stimulant finally wore off, the woman groaned; now it was her turn to not comprehend the situation. She’d fallen asleep while gathering materials at the War-Torn Burial Ground, and now she felt like she’d been poisoned while scary strangers looked down on her. One of them was wielding a tool that looked more dangerous than a weapon. The only people who could stay calm in a situation like this would be extreme masochists.
Now that they were ready to talk, Mira ordered Wasranvel to soundproof the room.
Once Mira gave the signal, Scorpion whispered in a chilling voice, “Now you can scream all you want!”
As soon as the gag was removed, the woman started bawling like her life depended on it. “Don’t kill meee!”
Instead of asking where she was, who they were, or why they’d kidnapped her, she begged for her life first and foremost. She quivered so shamelessly that Mira and Scorpion found themselves a little disappointed.
“Tell us the truth, and we’ll let you live.” Scorpion produced a dagger and placed the flat of it against the woman’s throat. An onlooker might think the real villain here was Scorpion.
“I’ll tell you the truth! I’ll tell you anything you want!” The woman struggled to crane her neck away from the dagger. Tears poured down her cheeks, she promptly wet herself.
She was terrified, especially for a supposedly dignified elite. Faced with such a sorry sight, Scorpion and Snake exchanged a glance. Was this real or a performance meant to make them drop their guard?
As for Mira, her eyes were glued to the soiled underwear. Was this another kink she never knew she had?
Even if they were planning to interrogate the girl, they couldn’t leave her like this. Mira and Scorpion hauled her off toward the changing room while Snake cleaned the floor. After further thought, they passed right by the changing room and went into the bath.
Upon seeing a bath full of hot water, she started wailing, “I don’t wanna drown! Save me, please, I’ll do anything!” Her face was covered in a mix of tears and snot.
Was this actually an enemy ruse? By this point, Mira was starting to feel legitimately bad for her. A ghost of a doubt crossed her mind.
After laying the woman on the floor, Mira gazed at her again and slowly asked, “You are Chimera Clausen…correct?”
The woman looked confused for a moment. Then, shaking her head wildly, she cried, “My name is Millene! You’ve got the wrong person!”
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