"Don't kill me!" Arcadio screamed, clutching his mutilated hand in agony.
William was about to respond when a flash of lightning suddenly streaked across the sky, illuminating the balcony with a pale, ghostly light. Moments later, thunder roared, and torrential rain poured down from the heavens, as if the storm clouds had been torn open by the lightning.
"What a coincidence," William said, looking down at Arcadio. "It was raining like this when my friend died."
With a nod from William, Edmond, who had been barely restraining himself, drew his blade with a savage expression. Ignoring Arcadio's desperate struggles, Edmond swung his sword, severing Arcadio's left hand with a clean slice.
"Do you know why I didn't hand you over to Rielde and his men?" William said coldly. "When my friend died, his limbs were all cut off. Did you think I'd let you die so easily?"
William stepped back, and Aramis, wielding his own blade, rushed forward. Without hesitation, he hacked off both of Arcadio's legs at the knees.
Nezumi and a Marine Major who had accompanied him could hardly bear to watch the scene unfold. The Major whispered to Nezumi, "Are we just going to stand here and let this happen?"
"If you don't want to die, don't act rashly!" Nezumi snapped, casting the Major a sharp glance before scolding him.
Adjusting his uniform, Nezumi approached William and leaned in to whisper, "That Major back there—he's not exactly on my side at the base."
William glanced at the Marine Major. His years of hatred surged forth, and the killing intent he had long concealed could no longer be restrained. His eyes and expression shed any pretense of friendliness.
The Marine Major, who had been watching William closely, felt a shiver run down his spine as their eyes met. A chilling premonition gripped him, and without hesitation, he bolted toward the nearest window. Leaping mid-stride, he attempted to smash through the glass and escape from the room—and more importantly, from the bloodthirsty killers within it.
Shing!
Iaido: Secret Blade - Rising Dragon Slash!
Standing beside William, Nezumi suddenly felt a wave of heat wash over him. The steam generated by the attack condensed into a faint white mist, momentarily obscuring his vision.
As Nezumi stepped back and waved away the mist, he saw the Marine Major's bisected corpse slump against the window. The body, now devoid of strength, shattered a few glass panes before falling back to the ground. By then, William had already sheathed his blade.
Nezumi looked at the corpse, then at William. He hesitated, his lips trembling as if to say something, but no words came out. Though he had suggested dealing with the Major, seeing William act so brazenly left him unsettled.
William turned to Nezumi. "How will you explain this when you get back?"
Nezumi quickly composed himself and forced a smile. "Don't worry. I'll handle it. It won't come back to you."
Satisfied, William turned his attention back to the balcony. By now, Edmond and Aramis had severed all of Arcadio's limbs. The once-proud noble now lay on the ground, barely clinging to life as blood poured freely from his wounds.
"He's got one last breath in him," William said, glancing at Sherlock, who was gripping a revolver tightly. "I'll leave the final act of vengeance to you."
Sherlock's face was pale as he stared at the pitiful sight of Arcadio. After a moment, he exhaled sharply, holstered his revolver, and removed his silver-rimmed glasses. Rubbing his face with both hands, he seemed to steel himself.
William thought Sherlock might have softened at the sight of Arcadio's wretched state. But then Sherlock turned to him and asked, "Didn't you say Vallon was thrown into the sea after his limbs were cut off?"
William froze for a moment. Sherlock's gaze shifted to the large decorative fish tank in the meeting room.
Edmond, hearing this, immediately grabbed Arcadio by the collar and dragged him toward the tank. Sensing his imminent demise, Arcadio seemed to experience a brief surge of energy. Struggling against his fate, he managed to lift his head and glare at William and the others.
"You damned pirates!" Arcadio spat, his voice filled with venom. "The World Government will execute you all! You won't escape justice!"
"Let them catch us first," Edmond sneered before tossing the limbless Arcadio into the fish tank.
...
As the group exited the room, closing the door behind them, Sherlock suddenly leaned against the wall. His shoulders trembled as he began to sob quietly.
William placed a hand on Sherlock's shoulder, intending to say something. But before he could speak, the world around him seemed to slow to a crawl, as though time itself had entered a bullet-time state. Movements became sluggish, and his vision blurred.
When his sight cleared again, he found himself back in the mysterious space of the Threads of Fate, a place he hadn't entered in some time. This time, however, the entry felt different. He wasn't asleep, as he usually was when entering this space. Perhaps this was a new function unlocked by the space's evolution—allowing him to enter at will—or perhaps this was a one-time exception.
The familiar darkness stretched endlessly on either side of the road, but now it was accompanied by the sound of cheers and applause, leaving William perplexed.
In the distance, he could see what appeared to be a garden-like plaza at the end of the road.
As William reached the plaza, his pupils contracted at the sight before him. At the center of the plaza stood a nearly five-meter-tall bronze statue of himself. The statue depicted him in formal attire with a flowing coat, seated on a stone pedestal, gazing solemnly downward.
Beneath the towering statue lay a miniature replica of Kalmar City, surrounded by a pool of water representing the sea. Tiny toy-like ships were docked at the city's harbor, blocking its entrance.
William took in the scene before shifting his gaze to the pedestal beneath the statue.
[Avenger]: The taste of vengeance is like fine wine. The flames of hatred in your heart can only be extinguished by blood. Conceal your identity, locate the masterminds who oppose you, and kill them.
Mastermind: "Red-Beard" Barbarossa. (Deceased) (1/3)Mastermind: Marine 16th Branch, Captain Roy. (Deceased) (2/3)Mastermind: Navia Kingdom, Count Arcadio. (Deceased) (3/3)
Mission Rewards:
Special Feat: [Heightened Alertness]
You have touched the threshold of the sixth sense beyond hearing, sight, smell, touch, and taste—"instinct." From now on, you will possess beast-like intuition in combat.
Achievement Feat: [Perfect Vengeance]
Your prolonged patience, deep scheming, and ruthless methods against your enemies have become legendary. From now on, some will lose sleep at the thought of opposing you.
Background Feat: [Treacherous Alliance-Breaker]
In the East Blue, you have repeatedly betrayed and plotted against allies and collaborators, including "Red-Beard" Barbarossa, Marine Captain Roy, Navia Kingdom's Count Arcadio, and even "Red-Leg" Zeff. Allies aware of your deeds may grow wary of you.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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