Sword of Salvation-Chapter 35: - End of Mission (2)

About three and a half hours after sunset, Mariel and Celinee arrived near the residence of the last noble they had to kill. At the same time, panic swept through the city.

The massacre at the third noble’s residence earlier had caused demons to appear. Members of Sterminatore were busy scouring the city for the demons, while royal soldiers swarmed the three massacre sites. However, instead of searching for the culprits, it was more likely they were looting the nobles’ possessions to bring to the palace.

It was the perfect situation for executing their final act.

"The guards at that residence are fewer than those at the third noble’s residence," Celinee revealed. "But inside the house, there are two individuals with high prana capacities."

Mariel nodded silently in thanks. "Then I’ll infiltrate right away," he said. "I leave the guards outside to you."

Celinee had no issue with that. Mariel immediately switched places with one of the guards peeking through the window. His spiritual power was truly amazing and versatile.

The guard was utterly shocked to suddenly find himself on the rooftop. However, Celinee didn’t let him express his surprise. The tip of the ninja’s kunai had already pierced his throat. Celinee finished him off with a stab to the top of his head.

Only then did the half-demon kunoichi step onto the mansion’s wide courtyard.

The guards didn’t miss Celinee’s arrival. Seeing the two blood-stained kunai in her hands, they had no reason not to attack. Celinee didn’t care. She welcomed their assault with just her kunai and agile movements.

Meanwhile, inside the building, Mariel gave no one a chance to cry out in surprise at his sudden appearance. Two people saw him, and both died as wind blades pierced their hearts.

Mariel had witnessed his mother’s murder before his own eyes and had undergone brutal training from Lukhiel. Seeing someone die—whether by his hand or someone else’s—was not enough to shake his mind. He had reached the point where it was no more shocking than choking on food.

The dark blue-haired young man didn’t manage to get farther into the house. His path was blocked by two individuals of different genders.

The man was bald with one sharp eye, while the woman had shoulder-length red hair and a blank expression. Her body was slim and proportional, standing no taller than 160 centimeters. Her face was both beautiful and cute, though her blank expression diminished her charm somewhat.

"So, a kid like you is the member of Ultores hired by Lasyana? You’re also the one who destroyed my HQ?"

Mariel intended to ask who they were, but the bald man’s second question already gave him the answer. The man’s name was Bearbro. That meant the red-haired woman next to him was Weimei, the skilled informant.

"Indeed, Lasyana paid me. But I wasn’t the one who destroyed your HQ. Medea did it. I just happened to know her, so I didn’t refuse when she asked for my help."

"That doesn’t absolve you of participating in the destruction of my HQ!" Bearbro snapped, his words dripping with venom.

"True. So?"

"So? That is your response?"

Mariel nodded.

"Hahaha. You helped destroy my HQ, and now you dare to say ’so’ to my face?! I must admit you’ve got guts, just as one would expect from a member of Ultores."

"So?" Mariel repeated as he began compressing the air throughout the entire building.

"That’s enough. There’s no mercy for a brat like you." Flames slowly enveloped Bearbro’s body. "I don’t care if this building gets destroyed and that fat noble dies; I’ll make you my punching bag—!!"

Bearbro suddenly froze, his eyes widening as the flames around him vanished. His hands instinctively grasped his neck, trying his best to breath. Weimei did the same. Less than half a minute later, both dropped to their knees.

Mariel restored the air to normal before their lungs burst and they died. Then he pointed his middle and index fingers at Bearbro’s forehead, a wind blade forming at their tips. Unlike long-range Extending Blade, which required concentration, short-range Extending Blade was easier to control and more flexible.

"I heard you’re strong, Bearbro, but unfortunately, I’m not in the mood to fight right now. It would be better if we met tomorrow, so I could properly test you. What a shame."

Bearbro growled, ignoring the tightness in his chest and trying to rise. However, before his knees could even lift an inch, Mariel’s wind blade had already pierced his forehead. The blade shot straight through the back of his skull and embedded itself in the wall.

"What about you?" Mariel asked, turning his gaze to Weimei. His wind blade faded and disappeared as Bearbro’s body collapsed, blood seeping out.

Weimei tried to stand. She coughed several times but managed to straighten herself. "What do you want?" she asked, narrowing her eyes and ready to attack.

"Bearbro is dead. But unlike Oz, I have a different offer for you. I won’t even ask about your loyalty or anything like that. It’s irrelevant. Right now, all I want is for you to make a choice."

Weimei showed that she was listening.

"Work for me, Weimei," Mariel said with utmost seriousness. "To control this world, I need a skilled informant like you. Be my source of information. In return, I’ll help you achieve your goals. You also won’t need to worry about payment. I have more than enough to pay you for the rest of your life."

Weimei prided herself on gathering information. Though she worked alone and couldn’t hope to match organizations or groups dedicated to intelligence gathering, she believed she wouldn’t lose to anyone in a tournament for the best informant.

So, when the masked guy—who could control the wind in ways she couldn’t even imagine—asked for her services, Weimei knew he was serious. He knew what he wanted out of her.

Controlling the world wasn’t something she expected to hear from the young man’s mouth. Even One Eye—with all its influence—couldn’t hope to control the world. The same was true for Sterminatore. Their influence far exceeded One Eye’s, but they weren’t world rulers. Yet this young man in front of her boldly declared he would control the world? Ha! Weimei wanted to laugh.

But no laughter came from Weimei’s lips.

She couldn’t laugh. The young man in front of her was not normal. He reminded her of Shin. There was something different about him that made her want to believe.

Controlling the world... huh? Maybe it wasn’t truly impossible, especially if this young man and Shin worked together. If they joined forces, Weimei was certain that even Nessthanovla wouldn’t stand a chance.

"I’m waiting for your answer."

Weimei let out a long sigh, feeling relieved for three reasons. First, her breathing was back to normal. Second, she hadn’t ended up as a corpse like Bearbro. And third, she had received an offer too tempting to refuse.

Even though he wouldn’t end up working with Shin, the young man’s vision was far better than Bearbro’s ambitions. True, she had no issues with One Eye’s activities. Weimei only cared about herself. How many people died or suffered because of her actions had never been her concern. But becoming part of a grand vision to control the world? Ha! There was no way she would refuse.

"Alright. I accept—"

"M."

A voice cut Weimei off mid-sentence, causing her to stop and instinctively look toward the source of the voice.

A woman—wearing the same plain white mask as the young man who had killed Bearbro—was crouching horizontally in the upper-left corner of the room.

Where had she come from? Weimei didn’t know. What was clear was that she was a ninja. Two blood-stained kunai were firmly gripped in her hands. Being an immigrant from the Eastern Continent, Weimei was familiar with them.

"C. This is Weimei. Starting today, she’ll be the third person in our relationship."