Reiner Fox's Point of View
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"I can't feel the energy of Madam Fox's clone anymore... What happened to it?" I thought, a slight wave of anxiety creeping in.
"Reiner! I heard about last night's event. I wanted to congratulate you on capturing Valtor and minimizing the damage caused by the Peacock King. A divine beast can quickly become a real danger, even when brought into our world through summoning," declared General Barrios with a proud smile.
"Thank you very much, General. But you know well that without Erina and Areyos, your son, Valtor would have likely escaped," I replied, my gaze thoughtful.
"Ah, those two! I heard they managed to hold off both Valtor and the Peacock King long enough for reinforcements to arrive," the general continued, admiration evident in his tone.
"They're already incredibly talented for their age. They would have been great assets to the elite army, but it's a pity they don't wish to join us," I sighed, feigning disappointment.
"Ha ha ha! Areyos isn't the type to work within the army. He'll support the kingdom in his own way. Erina, on the other hand, is a different story," the general chuckled, then shifted his tone. "But tell me, do you have any news about the Shadow Stone? You're the one who neutralized Valtor. Didn't he have a dimensional object to conceal a crystal of that size?"
"Unfortunately not. We think he used teleportation magic to secure the stone elsewhere. It wouldn't be surprising, considering his level 4 magic skills," I lied, my voice calm despite the growing unease inside me.
"Then we'll have to make him talk," Barrios added with determination in his eyes.
"I doubt he'll be willing to speak," I replied in a measured tone, hiding my apprehension. Rumors about General Barrios' contacts suggested they could make anyone talk without resorting to torture. If that's true, he might discover that I possess the Shadow Stone. I can't afford to lose this asset; its capabilities will be immensely useful to us, I thought, a shiver running down my spine.
"Don't worry about that. I'll call Eyline Sendaris. Her Kaimetsugan is one of the most powerful eyes in existence, and she's also highly skilled in hypnosis. Whatever psychic barriers Valtor has, she should be able to bypass them," the general explained confidently.
"The Kaimetsugan!? I see, that should work. This eye technique excels in psychic powers," I said, trying to maintain my composure despite the rising tension. But I didn't have time for idle chatter. "Requesting permission to leave my post, General. I have an emergency at my mother's. If all goes well, I'll be back before the end of the festival," I added, my heart pounding.
"An emergency? I hope her health hasn't deteriorated again... Well, permission granted," the general said, his expression tinged with concern.
I had to hurry to report all this information to my master. I rushed to the house where Madam Fox's clone was supposed to be. Upon arrival, I used my seismic sense and found the house empty.
"Where could she have gone?" I muttered thoughtfully. "Huh? What's this?" I said, picking up the piece of paper on the table.
"Dave and Nala, new recruits in the army, came here asking strange questions about you. I'll handle them; they headed toward the forest. I think I can eliminate them there."
"What!? Dave and Nala? They're not new recruits but criminals on parole. Why would they be investigating me?"
I rushed to the forest, my heart racing, to check if Madam Fox's coffin was still there. I also hoped to find the bodies of Dave and Nala. But to my surprise, all I found were scattered remains resembling a very long arm, lying on the blood-soaked ground. Madam Fox's coffin was intact and in its place.
"Could this be Dave and Nala's doing?" I wondered, doubts gnawing at me. "I must warn the boss. If someone realizes Madam Fox has disappeared, an investigation will be inevitable, and I'll be one of the first suspects due to my closeness to her. That would jeopardize everything… I'm so close to uncovering the location of the Fire Energy Stone. I can't let Dave and Nala talk... they know too much." I murmured the last words, anxiety gripping me.
"Judging by your face, things aren't going as you'd hoped, are they?" said a familiar voice behind me, calm yet piercing.
"Boss... you were here?" I asked, startled.
"I just arrived. I sensed the disappearance of one of my clones in this area," he replied, approaching with a scrutinizing gaze.
"This is a critical situation, Boss," I said, my voice betraying my worry. The boss placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder.
"I see... so that's what happened. It would be very inconvenient for an investigation to start now, just as we're nearing our goal." With a simple touch, he could retrieve my memories. After all, I was merely an extension of him.
"I'll track down Dave and Nala. I'll arrange for them to act suspiciously so I can eliminate them discreetly, without raising suspicions," I suggested resolutely.
"They're professionals; it won't be easy, even for the army, to locate them. They're on parole, but the only reason they haven't fled is due to General Barrios' seismic sense. His perception spans the entire continent. As long as Dave and Nala don't try to leave the continent or use their firebending to fly, they won't draw Barrios' attention. In other words, he's the only one who can pinpoint their location at any time. How do you plan to find them?"
"I know someone who has information on absolutely everyone. I could pressure him using my rank as lieutenant to extract information about Dave and Nala," I replied sharply.
"And if this person refuses to cooperate?" the boss asked, his gaze piercing.
"He won't have a choice. He operates outside the law, and he wouldn't want me to open an investigation into his activities… He'll comply," I answered confidently.
"That's well thought out. I'll handle Valtor. If a Kaimetsugan user arrives, our entire plan will be compromised. This Dōkō is extremely dangerous, and Eyline Sendaris' psychic powers are formidable. If she intervenes, it'll be the end for us." He then turned and created a clone of himself. The clone approached Madam Fox's corpse, touched it, and transformed into a perfect replica of the old lady, as if she were alive again.
"For the time being, we must remain discreet," he told me, turning toward Madam Fox's clone. "You stay here and don't let anyone in."
"Understood," the old woman replied in a hoarse but obedient voice.
Point of View of an Unknown Character
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"Interesting... So that's the purpose of the corpse. Miss Erina is going to be delighted to hear this," I murmured, a smile curling at the corners of my lips. Thanks to my "psychic vision" magic, I could monitor the area Miss Erina had asked me to keep an eye on, all while sipping a lemonade at the festival.
"Hello, Miss Erina, can you hear me?" I said, activating my multifunctional magic ring to call her.
"What is it, Melios? Any news?" she replied impatiently.
"Yes. I just discovered that the grandmother was indeed a clone, not just a nagamorph, which explains why she could speak. Lieutenant Reiner was there, accompanied by a hooded figure. This person has the power to create clones that, by touching a target, can become perfect copies of them," I explained precisely.
"I see... that's a terrifying ability. But something doesn't add up. When we fought the old woman, she transformed into a nagamorph. Does that mean these clones can change their appearance at will?" she asked, intrigued.
"Not impossible, but I think the original clone of Madam Fox was created from a nagamorph, which then took her appearance. Nagamorphs have the ability to shapeshift and mimic techniques, which is useful for adapting to danger. That's probably what happened. You were the danger at that time," I replied.
"I see. And I assume the elemental bending abilities of the clones are the same as their creators', which would explain the elemental control during our confrontation," she deduced with insight.
"Exactly. When a human creates a clone, it uses the active element of its creator."
"That gives us valuable information. Well done."
"Thank you, Miss Erina. I'll continue monitoring Lieutenant Reiner."
"Go to the location I marked on your mana map. I left a shipment of rare weapons there, Nemesis to be precise. You'll deliver them to Dave and Nala."
"What!? But why give them that? It's not easy to get that many," I responded, surprised.
"Don't worry, they'll come back to me anyway. You'll figure it out," she said in a charming voice, but with a subtle undertone of threat.
"Ahh, okay, I'll handle it."
"Great, let me know if you have any updates."
"I'll let you know when I have something," I said confidently, emphasizing the "when." She ended the call immediately after.
Reiner's Point of View
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"Like the boss said, you stay here and don't let anyone in. Tell them the lieutenant has prohibited surprise visits," I said firmly to the old woman.
"Alright," she replied, visibly troubled.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Thanks to my seismic sense, I had already identified the visitor: the general.
I stood up and opened the door before he could knock again. "Good evening, General. How are you?"
"I'm well, thank you. I saw you hadn't returned, so I was worried about your mother. I thought her condition had worsened," he said, handing me a shopping bag. "Here, I bought some fruit."
"Oh Barry, you didn't have to," the old woman said, slowly approaching.
"Ha ha, it's nothing, it's my pleasure. I'm glad to see you're feeling better."
"Yes, she had a little stroke, but everything is under control. She just needs some rest," I replied quickly, hoping he wouldn't linger too long.
"Alright, rest well then. I need to leave before the storm hits," he said, glancing at the increasingly dark sky.
"Thanks again, General. Have a safe trip." I closed the door behind him, letting out a quiet sigh of relief. The general left quickly, without asking any further questions.
The job had to be done before Dave and Nala could say too much. As the boss had pointed out, they were professionals. But finding them wasn't going to be easy. For that, I had no choice but to turn to the only person who could get information on them: Demios Shelter.
I changed into a black coat, and after several minutes of flight, I finally landed in front of the large, dark manor of the Shelters. The place had a sinister reputation. It was said that the surrounding villagers had abandoned their homes, leaving everything behind, as if simply staying near the manor exposed them to a curse. And right now, under the lightning flashing across the night sky, the manor looked even more ominous, despite its beauty.
"Why did it have to be during a storm?" I muttered as I knocked on the door forcefully. "I'm Lieutenant Reiner Fox. Open up!"
A servant appeared, opening the door with almost mechanical precision. "Good evening, Lieutenant. What brings you here?" she asked in a neutral, almost cold tone.
"I need to see Demios Shelter," I replied, entering hurriedly before she could invite me in. But as soon as I crossed the threshold, an invisible force seized me. My knees slammed into the floor violently. My trembling hands followed, unable to lift me or break my fall, and my head dropped. It was as if my entire body was pinned to the ground by an oppressive force.
"I don't believe the servant invited you in, Lieutenant," a deep, calm voice said from the darkness.
Bone bending!!! So it was Demios Shelter who had this power all along.
"What are you looking for here, Lieutenant? You have three seconds to answer," the voice said, mysterious and chilling.
My breathing quickened, and a cold sweat beaded on my forehead. "Are you aware of what you're doing? You could go to prison for this alone," I tried to threaten, my voice wavering from the fear. But as soon as I spoke these words, a sinister pressure descended on the entire area. The weight of it was so crushing that even the birds in the surrounding trees flew away, fleeing from the terrifying presence. My body was shaken by uncontrollable tremors, and my mind was on the brink of panic. I could barely breathe. Was this the kind of pressure that had made the villagers around here abandon their homes?
"I'm not the type to ask the same question twice," the man standing said, his voice icy.
He was going to kill me. The certainty of my own death gripped me, but I managed to whisper: "I... need your help... I'm looking for the location of Dave and Nala... You must know them..."
Immediately, the pressure lifted, leaving me kneeling, trembling, but free to move. I managed to raise my head just enough to see his boots and, next to them, the tip of a spear adorned with strange patterns. Even in this state, I recognized it immediately: it was the spear that had vaporized the peacock king in seconds. What was the true power of this man?
"That's quite an audacious way to seek information," he declared coldly as he turned away. "Get out of my house. And never come back."
Before I could respond, he added sharply: "Escort him out."
Without a sound, men in black emerged from the shadows. They surrounded me, and before I could protest, I was led out into the pouring rain, never having seen the face of this powerful and cold man.
I began to understand why no one wanted to get involved with the Shelters. As I barely recovered from this humiliating encounter, a young blonde man approached me. Under his umbrella, he gave me a mischievous glance, his violet eyes strangely bright in the night.
"From the way you're shaking, I doubt it's just the rain doing that," he said with an amused smile.
"So, you also didn't pay him on time?" he added, a smug grin on his lips. This guy was probably a dealer or something like that. He was likely working for Demios Shelter. Seeing me leave the manor, he must have assumed I was a late debtor. But this worked in my favor, as I might be able to use him to find Nala and Dave. If he was indeed involved in illegal activities, there was a good chance he knew those two professionals.
"No, I couldn't pay him. Our work has slowed down a lot since Dave and Nala are under surveillance," I lied, hoping to extract some information from him.
"Ah, those two... With the shipment of weapons they received recently, you should be able to cover your late payment," he replied.
"What!? They had weapons delivered and didn't even warn me? They let me come here knowing I could have been killed... What a bunch of traitors," I exclaimed, feigning outrage.
"Betrayal is unforgivable in this business," he said thoughtfully. "I've been betrayed before, and I understand your pain. My former allies are now sleeping six feet under. No one likes traitors. A good friend of mine helped me get my revenge, and today, I can help you too, but it will cost you."
"Whatever you want, as long as you help me eliminate them," I replied, pretending to be vengeful.
"I want the entire shipment they received," he said, his sharp gaze fixed on mine.
"Fine, we'll do it that way," I agreed, knowing that the shipment was of no use to me anyway.
"Perfect, let's go then."
We walked through the torrential rain toward a well-known bar. According to the mysterious man, it was a place Dave and Nala frequented at this hour. He had already called his men to join us.
Each raindrop that struck the ground seemed to intensify my determination. Drawn into this dangerous game, I was only a few steps away from my true targets.
Arriving at the bar, we chose a seat in the back, away from the crowd, to avoid drawing attention.
"Stay here, I'll be back. My men need to make sure those two don't have any backup. Keep a low profile for now. They'll be on guard if they see you approaching. I don't want your anger to ruin everything; they'll know you know what they've done to you," he explained to me. That worked out perfectly, as I had no intention of getting noticed by them just yet. After all, they know I'm a lieutenant.
"Alright, I'll stay here," I said, feigning annoyance.
"I won't be long. I'll order a drink for you while I'm at it."
"Thanks."
Melios's Point of View
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The plan was going smoothly. It's so easy to fool someone with urgent needs.
"Good evening, charming lady. I'd like a good bottle of whisky, something to help me sleep well after," I said to the bartender.
"Such a charmer! You clearly don't belong to this neighborhood. Here you go."
"Thanks. Do you think this will help me sleep?"
"If you drink the whole bottle, certainly," she replied with a laugh.
"I bet it would only take one glass for you to fall asleep," I added.
"Hmm, we'll see. I'm quite the drinker, you know," she said, taking a full glass of alcohol and downing it in one go.
"Interesting. I'll challenge you another time. Anyway, go serve my friends over there. Tell them it's from a secret admirer, and we'll talk business when they're done," I said, pointing toward Dave and Nala.
"Okay, darling," she said, heading over to serve them.
Dave's Point of View
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"And here you go, two full bottles of whisky," the waitress said, placing the bottles on the table.
"I don't remember ordering anything," I said, surprised and suspicious.
"You didn't. A secret admirer did. He said you should enjoy this gift and that you'll talk business later," she replied.
"I see. Thanks," I said, and she walked away.
"Do you think it's our supplier?" Nala asked.
"Who else could it be? He's probably the only one who knows we've resumed our activities," I replied.
"That's true," Nala said thoughtfully.
Melios's Point of View
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"So? Did they like it?" I asked.
"They seemed more surprised than anything," the waitress replied.
"Hmm, I thought so. Now you can go serve some good beer to my other friend sitting alone over there, and chat with him for a couple of minutes so he can enjoy the evening. Here's 100 Kera, take a bottle for yourself too. I'll be back in a moment."
"You're rich, huh? There are rooms upstairs. I could show you around later if you want," she said, her voice seductive.
"No thanks, I'll pass. I'm afraid you'd keep me awake all night, if you know what I mean," I said, standing up.
"Mmm, maybe next time," she replied, heading off to serve the lieutenant. I was about to approach Dave and Nala when my men warned me that the police were five minutes away. After receiving the shipment, they had used a magical communication crystal to alert the police about disturbances in the bar. The second phase was complete. One more step, and I could finally get some sleep.
"Hey, you two," I said to Dave and Nala.
"Considering our reputation around here, you must have guts to talk to us," Nala said.
"Change your tone before I cut off your supply," I replied with a smirk.
"You're the supplier... Sorry about my partner, she's a bit expressive sometimes," Dave said.
"I'm the spokesperson for the supplier, and I'm afraid you weren't careful enough to be working with the boss. The waitress, like others here, knows you received a shipment of weapons. She called the cops to have you arrested," I told them, pointing to the waitress talking to Reiner, just as I had instructed her.
"But that's Lieutenant Reiner!" Dave shouted.
"What?! That dirty traitor ratted us out. If I die tonight, I'll take her with me!" Nala said, throwing an earth spike straight at the waitress's head. Her blood splattered onto my whisky bottle and into the glasses of some nearby patrons. The people around, horrified by what had just happened, glared at Nala, who had coldly killed the waitress they all admired. With a cry of rage, they charged at her.
"You bitch! Do you realize what you've just done?" one of them shouted, setting his fist on fire.
"Back off, Nala. 'Fire Tornado!'" Dave said in a deep voice, and a horizontal fire tornado blasted against the wall, violently knocking back the four people who had tried to attack Nala, killing them instantly.
Lieutenant Reiner propelled himself with his fire to intervene, using his fierce flames to quickly control the fight with them. I used the chaos to slip out of the bar.
"I told you one drink would make you sleep. Looks like I was right. Sleep well, beautiful," I said, passing by the waitress's body—just another collateral damage in Miss Erina's plan.
"Police! Everyone stay where you are!" the police finally shouted, arriving at the scene.
"Huh? Lieutenant, you were already here. You were quick," one of the officers said.
"I've been tracking them for a while. I heard rumors they had resumed their criminal activities. I imagine they discovered who spread the news and wanted to silence them," Lieutenant Reiner lied as he walked out with the bodies of Dave and Nala.
"Since it's a remote area where police rarely go because of its proximity to the Shelter mansion, they probably thought they could get rid of them with no trouble," one of the officers said.
"You've understood it perfectly. That's why I decided to investigate here. I had a feeling something was going to happen," the lieutenant lied again.
His ability to create a coherent story so quickly and with such calmness is a clear sign of his experience with lying and handling high-stress situations. Knowing that a clone inherits the traits of its master, I can only imagine that the man in black I saw earlier today must be an assassin or someone involved in dangerous circles. After all, his clone managed to dispatch two professional killers in mere seconds. That says a lot about him.
"Too bad they still managed to claim some victims," one of the officers remarked.
"But fortunately, you were here, or there would have been far more. People here can consider themselves lucky to be alive, thanks to you. At this rate, you could soon become a division captain. You keep pulling off heroic rescues," added another.
"Hahaha, let's not exaggerate. Now, get to work. Check on the status of the people and count the dead and injured."
"Yes, lieutenant," they said, saluting before departing.
"You didn't accuse me. Should I take that as a gesture of recognition?" I asked the lieutenant as I passed him, our backs facing each other.
"As you said yourself, betrayal is unforgivable in this line of work. You can keep the shipment this time, but if I catch you dealing, I'll have no choice but to arrest you. Let's forget what happened tonight."
"I agree entirely, Lieutenant. Be careful as well. Stay away from the Shelter manor."
"After the scare Demios Shelter gave me tonight, I have no plans of going near it again," he replied with an embarrassed laugh.
"Come now, Lieutenant. If it had been Demios Shelter, the entire city would have felt it... and you'd likely be dead."
"What?! Are you saying that—"
"Yes. It wasn't Demios Shelter you encountered. It was his prodigal son, the indomitable Kayn Shelter," I said, glancing back at him over my shoulder. The shock on the lieutenant's face was so profound that he froze in the street as I walked away.
Once home, I sat in my armchair, the bottle of whisky, still stained with the waitress's blood, resting on the coffee table. The rain continued to fall, creating a soothing melody against the windows. Thunder rumbled intermittently, illuminating the dim room.
I activated my magical ring to contact Miss Erina. "The mission is complete, Miss Erina, and your shipment has been delivered to the location you specified."
"Excellent, Melios. You can rest now. I may need you again in the future. I've transferred 30,000 Kera to you," she replied, her tone as charming as ever.
"Thank you, Miss Erina, but I don't do this for the money. It's for loyalty, as you well know."
"Of course, Melios. Consider it an expression of my gratitude. Rest well," she said before ending the communication.
The Mysterious Boss's Point of View
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"You played your role well, Valtor. I've come for you," I said, emerging from the shadows.
"How... How did you get in here unnoticed?!" Valtor asked, his face etched with surprise.
"Thanks to the shadow energy stone, of course. Being able to move through the shadows of an entire kingdom is extremely effective, don't you think?"
"Indeed. Thank you for coming for me," he replied, visibly relieved. I created a clone that took on Valtor's appearance.
"An excellent idea. They'll believe I'm still here," Valtor said with a satisfied smile.
"Eyline Sendaris will arrive very soon. She plans to use her Kaimetsugan to extract information from you. In the best-case scenario, you'll spend the rest of your life in prison; in the worst, you'll face the death penalty for attempting an attack on the Baringer Kingdom," I explained calmly.
"But you can leave behind a clone that knows nothing of what they want to uncover," Valtor suggested, anxiety creeping into his voice.
"The moment Eylina uses her Kaimetsugan, she'll see the chakra system of my clone and realize it's a decoy. Worse, she might discern the true appearance of my clone and discover that I'm the one behind the entire operation. From there, Barrios could track me down no matter where I am on the continent," I said confidently.
"Tell me you have a plan. You can't leave me here; otherwise, she'll uncover the truth with her hypnosis power," Valtor pleaded, his anxiety escalating.
"I do, and that's why I came for you…" I repeated my earlier words, watching as his anguish transformed into understanding. I saw in his eyes that he realized I wasn't here to save him but to eliminate him.
"You... You can't! They've taken measures to prevent me from committing suicide. If I die, they'll wonder how someone got in here unnoticed. They'll figure out the stone is still in Baringer and scramble to retrieve it," he stammered, his mind visibly unraveling.
"Yes, I'm aware. That's precisely why I created this clone." My gaze sharpened, and the clone moved forward slowly. It touched Valtor's beard, assuming his appearance, before snapping his neck with a swift, precise motion. "This way, there will be no fingerprints on you other than your own," I murmured, as the clone dissolved into black smoke. Drawing upon the power of the shadow energy stone I had siphoned, I vanished into the darkness. The situation was definitively resolved, but a lingering sense of unease remained within me…
To Be Continued…