"..."
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.
Then came a barrage of furious curses.
"You damn old fox! When did I ever say I wouldn't join?! You've been scheming against me all along! I've been eagerly waiting for an official invitation from the Demon King, and now you pull this on me at the worst possible moment!
I clearly tried to contact the Demon King, but I never got a response—because you intercepted it!
Do you even realize what you've done?! Give me the Demon King's contact information—NOW! Or I swear, I won't let this go! I'll make you pay for everything you've done today, you despicable, shameless bastard!"
Baron Zemo was now truly panicked. He wasn't an idiot—everyone knew the Demon Group was the undisputed leader of the world now.
Especially after the artificial sun incident—joining them meant endless benefits.
He had originally planned to go seek them out himself if nothing happened soon. But now, thanks to Pierce's setup, he feared the Demon King might develop a negative impression of him.
Once the outburst subsided and the call quieted down, Pierce calmly picked the phone back up.
"The boss didn't give a deadline, but for the sake of your legs… I suggest you act quickly."
"F... beep..."
After hanging up, Pierce let out a long breath.
With this, Hydra had gathered six of its heads—only the Traditionalist faction remained.
And if they continued to be stubborn, six heads were more than enough.
Staring at the hidden location of a secure vault, Pierce's eyes filled with desire.
He never cared about being a leader in the past. But now, with a second chance and the time to act—he just needed patience.
"Fury… everything is ready. Just waiting for you."
The emergence of the artificial sun had convinced him: the boss would lead Hydra to glory once again.
After the call ended, Baron Zemo also took a deep breath and regained his composure.
Even if he had lost the chance to take the lead, power worked like that—if you can't win, you yield.
Right now, the priority was to complete the first task given by the Demon King.
As fast—and as flawlessly—as possible.
"Unseal all the Winter Soldiers. I have a critical mission for them."
"The mission is?" asked his subordinate, already preparing to log the task into the system.
"Break the legs of every gang member in Sokovia."
"...Baron, are you sure?"
"I'm sure! Hurry! If their legs stay intact, mine won't! Assign one squad to each Winter Soldier and move out immediately!"
"Yes, sir!"
With the order given, the base roared into action. Personnel scrambled through corridors, equipment buzzed to life, and the entire facility became a hive of activity.
———
After ending the call, Chino felt incredibly refreshed. When it came to handling things efficiently, he could always count on Hydra.
[Venom]: You're getting addicted to breaking legs. Why not change your name to 'The Leg Breaker'?
That's not such a bad idea. I've always believed death is a kind of relief—maybe a broken leg can actually make them change their ways. Amitabha... I truly am a living Buddha.
[Venom]: ...I think you're more like a living demon!
"You monster!" Kasi screamed in terror.
Gangs in Sokovia were different from those in other places. They had originally formed as a defense among the oppressed. Over time, they morphed into what people now called the underworld.
Their families and friends were part of those groups.
"You're mistaken," Chino said with a calm smile. "I'm not a monster. I'm the Demon King."
With that, he opened a portal and left the area with his two new little minions.
Not long after Chino disappeared, the surrounding doors creaked open.
A group of people emerged, armed with wooden sticks and broken chairs. They surrounded the injured gang members.
Among them were women, the elderly—and even other disabled individuals.
Kasi and his men gulped nervously, their eyes wide with horror. They recognized every single one of them—people they had once ruthlessly bullied, robbed, and beaten.
"W-What are you doing?!"
"Take the gold! Just let us go!"
"I never bullied you—I just borrowed a little money from you!"
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Their pleas were met with the brutal sound of wood smashing into flesh.
Agonized screams rang out across the area.
Blood seeped from their twitching bodies, slowly pooling around them like a silent testimony to their past crimes—now coming back to haunt them in the cruelest way.
———
Wanda and Pietro stepped nervously through the portal and were greeted by the sight of a lavish hall.
"Darling, you're back."
The two turned toward the voice and saw a graceful red-haired woman approaching. At her side was a strange green creature.
"Pamela, I'm back."
Chino spread his arms and gently pulled Pamela into an embrace.
"And these two are?"
Pamela glanced at Wanda and Pietro.
"They're the targets of this mission. Go ahead and introduce yourselves," Chino said, stepping slightly aside to give them space.
"Hello, I'm Wanda Django Maximoff."
Wanda spoke softly, her head slightly bowed, a trace of self-consciousness in her eyes.
"I'm Pietro Django Maximoff," Pietro added, unable to meet Pamela's gaze directly.
"Nice to meet you both. I'm Pamela Lilian Isley.
You two look like you've had a rough journey. Let me take you to clean up first.
Darling, I'll leave Pietro to you."
Pamela smiled warmly at Wanda, her voice carrying a calming, almost magical quality.
Wanda nodded carefully and followed Pamela—she desperately wanted a bath.
Pietro watched his sister's retreating figure with concern, his eyes full of worry.
"Stop staring—she'll be fine. Come with me."
"Yes, sir."
Chino led Pietro to another bathroom.
"Here's a change of clothes. Get cleaned up and put these on when you're done."
Pietro looked at the clean, modern bathroom in front of him, his heart swirling with complicated thoughts. He quickly rinsed himself off with hot water and changed into the clothes provided.
When he came out barely five minutes later, Chino's eye twitched.
Did he even scrub?
"Come, eat something first."
Chino pointed toward a dining table laid out with an extravagant meal.
Pietro looked at the feast and swallowed hard—but instead of sitting down, he walked straight to Chino.
He dropped to his knees and said hoarsely:
"Please let Wanda go. Whether you want a sacrifice or a test subject, take me instead. I won't run."
The newspapers painted the Demon King as a hero, but Pietro didn't believe anyone could be that good. And today's events only confirmed his suspicions.
"Your sister is the real target. You're just an extra."
Chino's calm voice struck Pietro like a bolt of lightning.
Pietro forced himself to stay composed and stammered:
"You must be mistaken. Wanda is just a normal girl—"
"Really? Then have you seen this?"
Chino raised his hand, and a burst of red light erupted from his palm.
!!!
Pietro's pupils shrank as he stared at the glow in shock.
That power—how could it be exactly like Wanda's?!
Quote of the Chapter:
"Sometimes, the path to justice runs through the bones of the unjust."
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