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Chapter 32 - Shinra Incident [2]

Only two things in this world could be used to beat a Primordial-ranked demon.

First, a person wielding Light Affinity. 

Something that existed only in stories.

And, second…

Another Primordial-ranked demon.

Which was not possible, since it was rare for a demon to betray their own kind.

"Then, how's he going to defeat one?" 

Standing on a terrace, Eula wondered, flipping through the pages of an old journal she always kept with her.

"Commander, you called?"

A man wearing a black eye mask suddenly appeared from the shadows.

Eula closed the journal, and asked.

"What's the situation in Eclipse?"

To her question, the masked man raised his head and replied,

"With the help of Miss Hina, we've successfully surrounded it. As for the Authority, they haven't attacked back."

Eula listened carefully, glancing to her right where dense smoke could be seen rising from a tall structure.

"Not enough distraction," she muttered, thinking back on Leon's plan.

To make Leon's plan work, she needed more distraction, something that would get the Authority's attention instantly.

'One more explosion would harm the students…' she thought, then turned to the masked man.

"Tell Hina to create a mana seal big enough to engulf the whole Eclipse."

A mana seal sucks out all the mana inside it, using it as fuel to maintain the seal.

This would drain the mana of the students, rendering them unconscious.

"Yes, commander." the masked man replied.

Her plan was harmless for the innocents, and it would keep the Authority occupied with trying to destroy the seal.

Leon had clearly told her to keep the Authority busy, otherwise, they would fail to kill the demon.

'Exactly what is he planning?'

She hesitated, because until now, every step had been Leon's design.

It was not because she distrusted him, but it was the sheer flawlessness of his plan.

The entire focus of the Authority and the citizens had been deliberately directed toward Eclipse tonight.

From the letter to the widespread distribution of the scrolls, the outcomes had unfolded exactly as Leon had planned.

It was the first time she was letting someone else craft a strategy.

A few of Twilight Order's members had questioned her about letting in an outsider, but they shut their mouths after hearing the strategy.

It was simply brilliant.

But…

'How's he going to kill a primordial?'

That was the only question left unanswered. No matter how much she searched or asked, she never found out.

Aside from those two impossible methods, there were none.

Leon had given her his word that he knew a way to kill it.

And he looked confident.

"Haaah…" 

She sighed, asking the masked man one last question.

"Did you find Yoru?"

"..."

He paused, then shook his head.

"Hm. Alright, keep searching. Lucian never went outside the dorms, so he must have hidden her somewhere in the Eclipse."

"As you wish, commander."

With that, the masked man vanished.

Glancing back toward Eclipse from a distance, she saw a huge shield forming in a dome shape.

Its white, transparent outer layer reflected the starry sky above, giving it a mysterious aura.

"She's fast," she commented.

Raising her wrist, she slid down her black gloves to check the time on her wristwatch.

'He must be here any moment.'

Glancing around, she took note of her surroundings.

Red-roofed houses, abandoned buildings, empty roads. Due to an abandoned project, the entire District-4 of Shinra looked like a haunted place.

Not even beggars roamed this area.

A perfect place to kill someone.

"Fuaaa…" A lazy yawn came from behind her.

Eula narrowed her eyes and turned toward the source.

A tiny girl with blue hair and purple eyes was lying flat on the roof.

"Commander…" she rubbed one eye before asking, "Did he arrive yet?"

Her small figure sprang upright when she saw the white shield over Eclipse.

"Woooaaa, Hina is so cool!"

She jumped multiple times, then turned her eyes to where Eula was standing.

"Commander, commander, tell me. What do I have to do? Should I blast a few buildings up? OH! Or should I just—"

"Yuki."

Eula gave her a short side glance.

"Guh!... y–yes?" The blue-haired girl named Yuki immediately straightened her posture.

"Don't forget why I brought you here."

"Yes, commander."

"Prepare for it. According to him, that Primordial-ranked demon should be here any minute."

"Yes," Yuki replied. Taking out a black eye mask attached to her belt, she placed it over her eyes.

She glanced at her commander standing beside her. 

Wearing a black shirt and matching skirt, Eula had the same mask as her.

Her white hair, tied in a single ponytail, reflected the moonlight, with a small silver half-moon-shaped hairpin clipped to the side.

Yuki just couldn't look away.

"A moon prettier than the moon," she murmured, mouth hung open.

As someone who had seen Eula more than hundreds of times, this time she looked exceptionally beautiful.

"What are you doing?"

Snapping her out of her thoughts was Eula's voice.

"What?" Yuki tilted her head, not fully grasping the comment.

Eula looked down at Yuki's hands.

They were joined together in a praying position, directed toward her.

Following Eula's gaze, Yuki realized, then answered in a calm, polite tone,

"A goddess must be praised."

"Huh?"

"I'm now done," Yuki said, lifting her gaze.

"..."

Eula didn't dare comment further on the topic, so ignoring, she commanded, "Tell the others not to interfere without my command."

"Yes, commander," she replied. "But, if I may, can I ask you something?"

Eula nodded.

"So, umm… that Valentine boy—exactly how treacherous is he?"

From the moment Yuki saw Leon's strategy unfolding exactly the way he wanted, she had just one thought.

"That guy…" Yuki added, "he's dangerous. How did you even find out about him?"

Eula didn't say much, and neither did she oppose.

It was not Eula who found Leon, but the opposite.

"Yuki," she said, "If he proves himself tonight, I'll conduct a vote to appoint him as our new strategist."

"What?!"

Yuki was stunned. 

"Co–Commander, don't you think you're rushing the decision? I mean, I know his strategy was flawless, but we know so little about him—"

"Yuki," Eula interrupted, "who said I am the one appointing him? I said I'll conduct a vote. If the Order rejects, then we won't appoint him."

That was true. As the commander of the Twilight Order, Eula had made rules that were to be strictly followed, and among them was a point stating that any decision required the approval of others.

And Eula had promised Leon that she would give him the opportunity to present himself to the rest of the members.

The rest was up to him. If he could impress them, the door would be open.

"As you wish, the rest will follow your orders."

As Yuki said those words, she caught a flash from the other side of the building.

It's a signal.

"He's here." she said.

Eula turned to the right and saw a lone figure walking down the road below.

Disheveled black hair and lifeless, dead eyes. Holding a long blade, he stopped just below them.

He looked around.

Lucian was waiting for someone.

"Is he really a Primordial?" Yuki asked.

Eula placed her index finger to her lips, telling her to keep quiet.

Due to their enchanted clothing, laced with a confusion spell, it would be hard for anyone to locate their presence.

Eula and Yuki both glanced down at Lucian from above. 

He stood still in one place.

For a moment, Eula felt no threat from him… he seemed like a normal person.

'Did Leon lie?' she thought.

Her gaze quietly fixed on the back of Lucian's head.

'What's he doing? And where is Leon?'

Her hand hovered over the blade resting at her waist as she watched Lucian's movements.

She blinked—and in that instant, Lucian's head twisted upward in a non-human way.

"...!"

"...!"

His eyes locked directly on Eula. A stretched, unnatural smile crept across his face as he muttered,

"Is. It. You?"

Her heart nearly froze.

Fighting against her racing heartbeat and the cold sweat on her skin, she unleashed her blade.

Seeing her, a grin widened across Lucian's face. 

He didn't move. He simply pointed at Eula and gestured for her to come.

Her hand hovered over the blade.

Leon's plan had been alright from the start… it was too perfect to question.

But here, with Lucian's unnatural gaze drilling into her and the smile that didn't belong to a human face… her instinct screamed.

'Strike now.'

Eula grinned, and without thinking, stepped onto the railing.

But before she jumped, a bright flash erupted below, flooding the entire street with a burst of yellow sparks.

"What the—"

It caught Lucian by surprise.

 

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