Tucker, Nessley, and the others all turned their eyes toward Kaizen.
Nancy was confused. But Tucker and Nessley understood Kaizen's principles.
"Tell me your conditions."
"Kill a few of them, and I'll give you ten billion Jenny."
"Only ten billion?"
Karoo blinked in disbelief. "Ten billion's not enough? How much do you want?"
"This is your commission. There's no need to ask me. Just tell me the best offer you can make, and I'll decide if it's worth accepting."
Karoo looked at Kaizen, uncertainty flickering in his eyes.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Kaizen's attitude clearly rubbed him the wrong way. A killer acting this arrogant?
Normally, Karoo would've snapped by now. But with the current situation being what it was, he forced himself to stay calm.
"I can offer ten billion Jenny, plus ten well-trained maids, a twelve-man team of elite guard dogs, and a small estate."
"Is that enough for you?"
Kaizen shook his head. "Sorry. Not enough."
It was a lot, sure—but it held no value for Kaizen. And Karoo clearly didn't have anything else he might be interested in.
"Well, it's about time I got started on the commission I already accepted."
With that, Kaizen raised a finger and pointed it at Karoo.
Karoo's pupils contracted.
"What?"
A swirling cloud of aura gathered at Kaizen's fingertip.
A blast of concentrated aura shot from his finger, piercing Karoo's chest before he could react.
Pfft!
It slipped straight through his heart.
Boom.
A muffled explosion followed as Karoo's eyes widened in shock. His body collapsed without resistance.
He didn't even fully register what had happened until he hit the floor.
He'd been hit by Kaizen—and it was a fatal strike to the heart.
He was dying.
A surge of fury and unwillingness surged in his chest, but it was too late.
Nothing would change.
Still, hatred and rage flared in Karoo's final moments.
His gaze turned to Tucker, burning with venom.
"Tucker... You think you're any different from them?"
"You're not."
"The only difference is, you're the dog that got chosen."
"I've always looked down on you."
"But starting today, they'll cast you aside too. You'll be a mutt like the rest of us."
"The United States of Saherta won't have a place for you anymore."
"You'll die!"
"You'll die a miserable death!"
"Mark my words!"
...
Tucker hadn't expected Kaizen to kill Karoo on the spot. When Karoo collapsed, he froze in place. Even if he had seen it coming... what could he have done?
Karoo's final words echoed in his mind, draining the color from his face.
Because Tucker knew—deep down—they were true.
To the nobles, he was no different from the rest.
Nessley and Nancy, on the other hand, smiled coldly as Karoo's body hit the floor.
Their goal was complete.
Regardless of what came next, the mission was a success.
And the one who had forced Tucker to turn against them... was dead.
Judging by how Tucker had acted so far, he likely wouldn't make a move against them again.
"I'll take you to a clinic," Tucker said, turning to Nessley. "Your companion needs treatment. I know someone."
Nessley hesitated. Then she nodded. "Alright."
She lifted Leonard onto her back.
Tucker led the way, Nancy following behind.
...
"Captain, what about us?" Burns looked toward Kaizen.
Kaizen replied simply, "Get out of here."
Soon, the manor grew quiet. All that remained were the ruined grounds, corpses scattered across the floor, and the heavy stench of blood in the air.
The women who had escaped huddled in corners, hiding.
Given their current condition, leaving the manor would be even more dangerous than staying.
First, they needed to find clothes. Then, some kind of disguise.
Nessley and Nancy were too focused on Leonard's injuries to worry about the others.
...
The clinic was barely worthy of the name.
More like a rundown little room with an old man treating Leonard—one of Tucker's old friends.
He had no ties to the nobles. That's why Tucker trusted him.
There was no chance of taking Leonard to an official hospital. They wouldn't just reject him—they might hand him straight over to the nobles.
Nancy and Nessley waited anxiously outside.
Nessley was completely unscathed.
Nancy, while injured, had been treated quickly. Compared to Leonard's condition, her wounds barely counted.
"I'm sorry," Tucker said, lowering his head to them. "I didn't know who Karoo really was. I didn't even know who you were. And because of that... I caused you so much pain. I truly am sorry."
Nancy shot him a cold glance.
...
Nessley sighed.
"Tucker, I used to hate you. But after you saw those women... you stopped. You didn't help Karoo any further. You brought us here."
"My resentment's gone."
"It's not your fault."
"It's this country."
"You were deceived too."
"Your ideals, your dreams... they weren't so different from ours."
Unlike Nancy, Nessley had watched the entire situation unfold on the monitors. She understood Tucker better than he probably realized.
He wasn't a bad person.
She also realized she'd held Kaizen to a double standard before. Nessley wouldn't make the same mistake again.
Tucker was a victim, just like them.
And more than that—he was someone worth keeping close.
The darkness they faced needed allies. Powerful ones.
...
"By the way... what about those women?" Nessley suddenly remembered.
"Tucker, shouldn't you go back and help them?"
But Nancy immediately objected. "No."
Her concern was simple.
If Tucker left... would he really come back? Could they trust him not to betray them again?
They couldn't afford to relax until Leonard was stable.
Tucker noticed her worry and shook his head.
"No. I'm sure they'll manage on their own."
"And Kaizen gave them instructions before he left."
"The nobles won't react right away."
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