" This is how you greet your brother's old friends? "
Behind the massive bars that formed a secure barrier separating the outside world from the villa stood a short-shaven blond man. His fringe, by a small margin, covered his cornflower blue eyes.
A white T-shirt significantly framed the man's muscles, which appeared to be carved from marble. A subtle tan added to his distinctive charm.
In a strange way, the aura and confidence he exuded around himself was enticing and exciting. His height additionally added to his points. The man was tall. At first glance, he might have been about 190cm tall...
He had certainly been the cause of many women's sleepless nights in the past.
He didn't make much of an impression on Lily. It was quite the opposite. The figure of her brother's former friend filled her with revulsion and disgust. She hated no one as much as fake people.
She had quietly hoped never to meet him again, but fate decided to laugh in her face, once again crossing the paths of two strangers.
In her right ear was an earring with a rather unusual motif. Namely, it depicted an upturned tree devoid of leaves, which was just taking its first steps on the path of life.
It originally belonged to Ramiel. It was a rare and unprecedented artifact that Ramiel is said to have given to Samantha in his last moments. By a strange coincidence, it ended up in the hands of Arthur.
The man has always been greedy and coveted things that didn't belong to him. Lily wouldn't be surprised if the man personally snatched it from the dying Ramiel's ear.
" You said it well. You are Ramiel's former friend, not mine. "
Lily firmly emphasized the past tense. In the tone of her voice, one could sense the growing resentment and disgust towards the man standing on the other side of the gate.
The woman's arms immediately crossed over her chest, and her bright purple eyes looked coolly at the hunter.
Arthur didn't like Lily's arrogant attitude. He resented her gaze in particular. It reminded one to one of the ways Ramiel looked when a man screwed up or did something stupid.
The gaze scratched old wounds.
Tsk... Like brother, like sister," Arthur thought.
The man hid his true emotions behind a facade of a fake smile. He couldn't allow the woman to sense even an ounce of resentment directed in her direction.
" Don't you think it's a bit rude to talk through the gate? Why don't you let me inside and we'll talk? "
Lily wasn't foolish enough to let a hungry snake into the nest. She didn't have to think twice about the answer. She gave it almost immediately.
" There is no need for that. First of all, I don't know you and don't want to get to know you, and secondly, I doubt we have anything to talk about. "
Lily's insolent refusal offended Arthur's pride, bringing back unpleasant memories.
For a brief moment, he saw in her a reflection of the supposed friend he hated with all his heart.
From time immemorial, Ramiel had been better than him: smarter, more handsome, and more talented. Everywhere he went, he only heard people comparing him to him.
At first, Arthur stifled his emotions, but everything changed when they joined the hunter's path together. It was then that the gap separating them grew to colossal proportions, revealing Ramiel's true talent.
Arthur had to be content with a measly shadow and chippings while Ramiel garnered all the glory and limelight. He was the one the media was always talking about, he was the one, he was in the headlines of articles, he was the one... people gave the name of the hero.
Day by day, week by week, month by month... Arthur's hatred grew slowly but steadily until it reached its maximum. It was then that a plan was formed to kill and betray the man.
Or a better statement would be... that someone gave him the idea...
" Didn't you accidentally forget yourself? "
A hint of intense killing intent paralyzed Lily. The woman stood as if she had been struck, unable to move.
" Remind yourself again who you are talking to. "
Arthur lost his temper. The man stopped playing the good and kind boy when the world ran out of muzzles in the form of Ramiel, who kept him briefly on a leash.
An idea popped into Arthur's head.
It wouldn't hurt to intimidate her slightly.
At first, he wanted to play it out peacefully, but something inside him snapped when he saw the image of Ramiel with his eyes.
" We both know what I came here for. If you give me this, I will politely leave... and you will keep the remnants of your dignity. "
The atmosphere suddenly became heavy and unpleasant. An unspoken threat hung in the air.
Lily felt the man's hideous gaze glued to her. An unpleasant shiver ran down her back, making her hair stand on end.
The woman did her best not to show the fear hiding deep in her heart.
The petite hand clenched tighter around the handle of the machete. This was intended to add a bit of courage.
Contrary to appearances, resisting the invisible pressure of a hunter of Arthur's caliber wasn't the easiest thing to do.
" We have established this before. Ramiel handed over to me, not to you, all of his property, including all the co-ownerships and shares... "
Lily's high-pitched voice broke off midway through. The woman was unable to croak out a word.
Arthur's greed knew no bounds. From the beginning, he planned to seize the property of a former friend. But this one proved smarter, giving everything to Lily. Even Samantha didn't know about the existence of the will.
It would have been possible to arrange everything quietly if Ramiel's last will hadn't been announced publicly.
In addition, Lily was untouchable with Max's protection and the Hunters' Association. No one wanted to mess with the person at the top of the organization.
As the saying goes, "You tried to screw Fred, but it was Fred who screwed you.
" Tsk... wrong answer. "
Lily felt an invisible force sent her to the ground.
Arthur simply used willpower to bypass the defenses set up by Ramiel. For a hunter of his caliber, this was enough to bring an ordinary woman to his knees. With a little effort, he might even kill her.
The slow footsteps of the man echoed in the head of the helpless Lily. She could only watch as Arthur walked inexorably towards the gate.
One could see the gathering contempt and a subtle trace of satisfaction in his eyes.
" Now be a smart and polite girl and do as I say. "
" Stfu. "
The viscous and foaming liquid landed directly on Arthur's shoes.
Lily literally spit on his feet.
" If you have the balls, why don't you try to come here and take me with you... Khehg... "
Under the pressure generated by Arthur, Lily slammed her face against the hard ground. A short moan escaped from her lips. The painful cry acted as music to the man's ears.
" Don't be ridiculous. Do you really think you will hide inside this villa all your life? "
Arthur remained silent, looking at Lily. The sight of Ramiel's sister, who was biting the ground, filled him with satisfaction.
" Now listen and take some advice from an older colleague to heart. - Even an unruly bitch knows when to shut her mouth and not bark. Learn it, and your life will become simpler... "
Arthur couldn't finish. Before he did, he felt a titanic-hard fist fall on his cheek, and the world darkened before his eyes.
The dust settled, revealing the fifteen-meter-long footprints in the ground left by a grown man's boots. At their end stood a confused Arthur, his guard raised high, and his mana prepared to retaliate.
" Then why are you still barking? "
Hearing a familiar voice, Lily breathed a sigh of relief. Along with it, the suffocating pressure exerted by Arthur disappeared.
" Are you okay? "
" I'm alive ... I think ... "
Lily raised her head, wiping a fresh trail of dirt from her mouth. Her view was obstructed by the back of a man dressed in a well-fitting sky-blue shirt. His right hand was covered with a kind of glove created from pale light, on which was a subtle trace of red liquid.
" Arthur, when did you become a caster who bullies the weak? If you have any trace of balls left, why don't you face me? "
Max's words dripped with mockery, boiling the blood in Arthur. The man left his friend's villa at the speed of light as he sensed the subtle scent of blood wafting through the air. Through his years in the hunters' association, he was hellbent on smelling the scarlet liquid.
You can guess the rest.
" Max... don't you think you took my jokes wrong? Besides... you could teach some respect..."
Boom
Max's right leg collided with Arthur's raised guard, moving him several meters away. The shock wave created by the blow uprooted several young trees.
" If you don't understand, I'll be blunt. Get the hell out of here while I'm still good, and you have the chance. Just because you ranked tenth after Ramiel doesn't mean you grew up to match him. It will be years before you can match him... if you can do it at all.
Arthur remained silent, contemplating his potential chances of victory. Max had humiliated him, and twice in a row. His temper didn't allow him to let go.
It wouldn't hurt to try...
" Max, since when are you fucking Ramiel's sister? Aren't you curious what he would have to say about it? "
The presence of the Hunters' Association dog surprised Arthur. He knew Max often appeared in Lily's presence, but he would never have said they lived under the same roof.
He usually wouldn't have the slightest chance, but now... having the Artifact with him? No one should whine if Max loses an arm or two.
" Are you in such a hurry to meet him? "
As with the wave of a magic wand, astronomical amounts of mana left the bodies of both men. Max had no intention of playing with half-measures. He had long been looking for an opportunity to get rid of Arthur. It would be foolish not to take advantage when the man himself came to him.
As for the future consequences... you can pull it up in self-defense. All it takes is a few phone calls to get things done.
Ding Ding Ding Ding
The simultaneous twin and loud ringing of the phones broke through the sound of shooting mana.
The two men measured each other with their eyes. Reluctantly, they dispersed the unfinished spells, allowing the mana to penetrate the environment.
" Sigh... The dumb one is always lucky... "
Max sighed in resignation. He really wanted to catch Arthur, but he couldn't ignore the direct message from the leader of the Hunters' Association.
Arthur's situation looked similar. The last man to do so didn't live to see another sunrise.
Better not to upset the strongest man on Earth.
Max took his phone out of his pocket, reading a message directly from the person signed as the old man.
" In an hour in the conference room. I've already sent those responsible for taking care of Synthi. "
" Tsk... All the old man. No specifics... "
Arthur lifted his eyes from the phone screen and looked Max straight in the eye.
" Inferring from the look on your face, you got the same... "
~~~~~~
The spacious and airy conference room, which usually couldn't complain about lack of space, was filled to the brim.
At the sudden call of the association's president, all the most important personalities from the world of hunters gathered there. In the room, one could see people from the top ten rankings, like their deputies.
The atmosphere was tense. Not all of the hunters liked each other. They often shared a different worldview and approach to life. People are different... they don't always find a common language to speak.
Bringing together people who don't exactly like each other is asking for trouble. Fortunately, they had enough professionalism not to start frivolous quarrels. Or they were simply afraid of the person sitting on the largest throne imitation.
" Old man... I understand that you had a valid reason for calling on all of us, but what is this kid doing here? I thought this was supposed to be a serious meeting, not babysitting brats. If I'm not mistaken, this kid can't even use mana well... "
The man ranked fifth in the ranking spoke. His short-cut red hair perfectly reflected his temperament.
Feeling everyone's gaze on her, Lily reflexively clenched her fists. She didn't know why she got the message from the association's president when she hadn't even taken the hunter's exam.
" Since when do we play kindergarten? " The emaciated hunter, with long black hair, hiding his face behind a fabric mask, spoke up. His rough words cut through space like a sharp knife. There was this ninth-ranked person.
" Don't worry about them, Lily. They are imbeciles who have forgotten good manners. Some people when they get a bit of power in their own hands, forget their roots and beginnings. I wonder if they would be so barked out if your brother was sitting with us... but don't worry. If you get into trouble, this sister will take care of you. "
Lily didn't know what to say. In response, she just nodded.
" I hope you understood the allusions, Arthur. "
The man gnashed his teeth, barely audibly, out of anger.
" I can't hear you... "
" Sigh... I understood Verdia... "
A woman who no one wanted to mess with stood up for Lily. She was the second strongest person here. The hunters called her the scarlet princess. Infernally dangerous, crazy, and deadly beautiful.
One couldn't be fooled by her youthful beauty and long chestnut hair. With one moment's hesitation, a person wouldn't even notice what killed him.
Verdia had a good relationship with Ramiel. One could even call them close friends. Not as good as he and Max, but they were close, quite close. Some even suspected them of having an affair. Who knows how some things might have turned out had it not been for Samantha?
" Enough." A pleasant but commanding voice stifled any attempt to start a brawl. It belonged to the world's most powerful hunter and president of the hunter's association.
An elderly man of about sixty years sat on an imitation throne. His hair had long since turned a shade of gray, blending in with his close-cropped beard. His sharp features were accentuated by gray eyes that resembled those of a war veteran.
" What Ramiel's sister does here is my business, not yours. Unless... someone has a problem with that? "