"Da'at… Close your eyes first."
"Eh? Oh…"
Hearing Kali's words, Da'at froze for a moment, only to have Hugh swiftly cover her eyes from beside her. Kali merely glanced back once, then lifted her Mimicry E.G.O, staring directly at the group before her.
The moment the Mimicry E.G.O was raised, its eyeballs spun wildly, fixing onto those gang members. In an instant, they seemed to freeze in terror—even some unconsciously lowered their knives…
But even so, their fate was sealed.
Kali was from the City.
In the City, sparing an enemy was not possible—even if your hostility existed only for a fleeting second…
Thus, in the blink of an eye, blood mist filled the air, and corpses littered the street.
With a single slash, Kali surged forward, not even bothering to fully activate her E.G.O state. After effortlessly splitting one man in two, she moved with blinding speed toward the next target. A flick of her blade, and several more instantly fell dead.
No time to react. By the time these people realized what had happened, their vision was already filled with their own severed lower halves…
Thus, death descended swiftly. Kali sheathed her Mimicry E.G.O, frowned slightly, returned to Da'at's side, and pulled her gently forward.
This place called Siracusa feels…
A little weak?
She never felt like this when fighting back in the City… Though the results were similar, it was never as easy as chopping vegetables like this.
"…Looks like safety isn't much of a concern after all…"
Kali murmured quietly to herself. Hugh lowered the hand that had covered Da'at's eyes.
"Your skill… is truly impressive."
Hugh bowed slightly, complimenting her. Kali shook her head silently without responding.
Thus, Siracusa's drizzle washed away the blood as the three continued toward the Rossati family. Meanwhile, from a nearby window, Texas watched, heart thumping anxiously.
If I had to face that person from earlier… how much chance would I have?
She couldn't help murmuring inwardly.
The answer was undoubtedly zero.
If she'd fought the woman just now, her fate and resistance probably wouldn't have been any better than those dozen or so Saluzzo family members.
"…They're heading towards the Rossatis?"
Watching the trio's retreating figures, Texas exhaled slowly, then, after brief consideration, grabbed an umbrella, opened it, and stepped out into Siracusa's rain, heading in the direction the three had taken.
"I was going to visit the Rossati family eventually anyway. Might as well meet with those three while I'm at it…"
Texas thought quietly. She had an instinct about those three—in the coming turmoil in Siracusa, they would undoubtedly play a critical role…
Texas didn't recognize Da'at. In fact, that was only natural. Although Da'at was indeed one of Lobotomy Corporation's founders, she never appeared publicly. The founder most people knew about was actually X.
The arrival of Hugh's group caused a considerable stir within the Rossati family.
Shortly afterward, in the guest hall, Hugh sat alongside Kali and Da'at. Facing him was Giovanna Rossati, head of the Rossati family. Hugh sipped his coffee, then spoke calmly:
"Since I'm already here, you should already know my purpose, yes?"
"…Yes, indeed. But please allow me to confirm—will the Wolf Hunter… arrive soon?"
Giovanna asked with furrowed brows, looking directly at Hugh. Hugh merely smiled faintly and nodded.
"Of course. According to our predictions, it won't be long before the Wolf Hunter arrives here."
"Or… perhaps you already have some means prepared against the Wolf Hunter?"
Hugh posed this question to Giovanna. As expected, Giovanna immediately showed a troubled expression.
"…I understand, perhaps you are reluctant to give up many things. Accepting T Corp's protection would mean the Rossati family losing its former identity and status…"
Seeing Giovanna's conflicted expression, Hugh gently sipped his tea, then spoke softly:
"But please understand, if you're still unprepared when the Wolf Hunter arrives, you'll lose everything."
Giovanna fell silent. She knew Hugh wasn't exaggerating. The family utterly destroyed a few days ago had already proven his words true. No one in Siracusa right now would think Hugh was merely bluffing.
But… what if that person had a solution…?
Giovanna couldn't help thinking inwardly. Hugh, seeming to read her thoughts, immediately spoke:
"I know what you're thinking… But please, don't count on the Signore dei Lupi."
His expression was unreadable as he looked at Giovanna, stating bluntly:
"In fact… the Wolf Lord himself is the true prey. All of you are just collateral."
Giovanna's pupils constricted slightly. Almost instinctively, she blurted out:
"How much… do you know?"
"Everything that can be known."
Hugh lightly sipped his tea again and replied calmly. Just as he was considering how to wrap up the conversation and smoothly convince Giovanna to accept T Corp's protection, the atmosphere suddenly shifted.
Giovanna's nose twitched slightly. Hugh thoughtfully turned his head, and Kali's brows furrowed deeply.
They smelled something… blood…
The next moment, the doors burst open roughly, and a panicked person rushed in, shouting urgently to Giovanna:
"It's bad…! Terrible news!"
"The Wolf Hunter… it's the Wolf Hunter…!"
Giovanna's pupils instantly shrank to pinpoints, while the faintest trace of a smile appeared at the corners of Hugh's mouth.
"It seems your luck is quite poor indeed."
Ultimately, Hugh spoke with an indifferent calm. Giovanna was silent for only a brief moment before finally turning to Hugh. She hesitated for a long, tense moment, before finally saying:
"…The deal you proposed earlier… We accept."
"But please, right now—save the Rossati family."