40 Minutes Later, Rafael's Convoy
Rafael chatted with Michael while Graves sat in the front next to the driver, as they drove to the district courthouse and then to Glory.
Seoul Central District Court
When the convoy arrived, they parked on the sidewalk. Rafael exited the car, followed by Michael, Graves, and five more bodyguards, while the rest watched the vehicles. Many people looked at them with curious eyes.
"What is your purpose for coming here?" the guard asked with a serious tone.
"I'm here for an appointment," Rafael said. The guard let him through the door, and many people inside were curious but were blocked by his bodyguards.
Rafael approached the office of Judge Park Shin-Yi. After knocking twice, a feminine voice responded, "Enter." Rafael entered and saw the female judge sitting on a black leather chair in front of a large oakwood table.
"Greetings, Mr. Villanueva. We meet again," she said. Rafael raised an eyebrow, clearly confused. Thinking back to his interactions since arriving in South Korea, he remembered the fight with the thugs in the alleyway.
"I see. So you were that woman who was in the alleyway," Rafael said, finally connecting the dots.
"Yes, and what do you wish to discuss?" she asked, putting her documents aside.
"I did a bit of research and read that the Korean constitution has a secret amendment that allows a couple in an arranged marriage to legally annul the arrangement if both parties agree. It's enforceable and gets special protection from the government but needs special approval from the assembly and the president," Rafael said, sitting down in one of the guest chairs.
"I can do that, but it's not going to be that simple," she said, leaning back and clasping her hands together.
"Okay, then let's not waste our time here," Rafael said, leaning forward slightly. "What do you want?"
"I wish for you to assist me in killing or arresting criminals, removing street camera footage, and lastly, I wish to have a visitor's pass to the continental hotel here," she said. Rafael was in shock, not by the demands, but by how she knew his other identity.
"How did you know?" Rafael asked, tilting his head and touching the handle of his knife, ready for anything.
"Oh, I don't know. A man who I monitored as the representative of Atlas has too much power, so I took a deep interest and found out about your deals with the High Table and Glory, and Atlas's control over the government," she said. Rafael had a hunch already that she wasn't a normal judge.
"So you're not a normal person. Is that knife you had in the alleyway connected to the Demons, right?" Rafael asked, prepared to fight her.
"Yes, I am, but it's mainly connected to justice. I kill criminals of the highest crimes, whether in the streets or in a prison that I have to sneak into. I hope that with your influence, I can achieve that," she admitted. Rafael relaxed a bit but was still suspicious.
"Sure, I can do that, but I will not assist you in murdering innocent civilians. Some of your demands will take a while to achieve," Rafael said, leaning back. The two began adding some rules, clauses, and new conditions.
10 Minutes Later
"Okay, since we're both in agreement, let's sign this paper, which will ensure our agreement is followed through," she said and pulled out a piece of paper. This made Rafael a bit uneasy. A certain weapon, locked away from Rafael but still connected to him, vibrated, wanting to destroy the paper.
"That's not any kind of contract," Rafael said, noting that it was a devil's contract.
"I propose an equal contract, not that master contract that gives you the high ground," Rafael said. She sighed, and her eyes glowed a bit. Rafael felt a strange energy enter his mind, but a blazing warmth burned that energy off as a defense mechanism.
"Don't try that, woman. You won't be able to break through my barriers," Rafael said, thankful for the exorcist who was one of his mentors after certain incidents.
"How?" she said, her eyes wide with shock. She wanted to ask many questions but knew it wasn't her place.
"That's not my obligation to answer," Rafael said.
"Alright, let's agree to this through a handshake. It will mark both you and me, and if one person breaks from it, they will receive severe consequences," she explained. The two shook hands, and a mark with a devil's insignia appeared on their arms. It disappeared after that, concealing itself.
"Okay, let's begin our work tomorrow night. I will send the details of where we will meet," Rafael said. The two exchanged cell numbers, and Rafael left the office while Shin-Yi contemplated this interaction.
Outside
Outside of the building, Rafael turned to Michael and said, "Let's meet the pastor." Michael nodded and soon signaled the group to move out. They began heading toward the headquarters of Glory.
In the Car
"Tell me, Rafael, when can we strike him down?" Michael asked. The pastor's adopted son had been on the rise and was gathering power for himself. He was good at hiding it, but ASIB agents had been watching his every move when Rafael was alerted.
"Soon, but not now. Let's fatten him up before the slaughter. I have to deal with the engagement first, and I need to plan a proper purge," Rafael said, and Michael nodded.
"Any way to deal with her relatives?" he asked Michael.
"For now, I have nothing, but I need to have the ASIB investigate and compile everything later tonight," Michael said.
40 Minutes Later
Rafael's convoy arrived outside the Tower of Glory, which was 50 stories tall. To the public, it was a charity organization that helped people around the world. In the dark, however, they were assassins who killed people, whether good or bad, causing much more damage than they hoped.
They also conducted extraction operations, and the majority of those jobs were delegated to a unit called the Disciples. Each one was a one-man army. Sometimes people called them healers, protectors, and angels.
Rafael brought them under Atlas's wing by sponsoring their operations. Before, their operations were mainly in South Korea and parts of China and Russia, but after a deal that put them under Atlas's control, a triple alliance was created with the High Table.
As they walked inside, a few guards stood at attention. They were under Atlas. A professional-looking person stood and bowed slightly in front of Rafael.
"Sir Rafael, the pastor is waiting for you in his main office," he said. As they headed to the office, Rafael was met with a man with dark hair and red eyes.
"Rafael, long time no see!" he shouted. He was one of the Disciples, number one, codenamed Pietro. Rafael had him tested by scientists, and he was on the edge of being a superhuman, but to Rafael, he was already considered one.
"Indeed, Pietro, long time no see also," Rafael said. Both shook hands, and the strength of their grip could have crushed a man's bone.
"So when can we have our rematch?" he said. When they first met, they fought brutally. The first round was a draw, but if it had continued, Pietro would have lost due to the damage Rafael incurred.
"Soon, as I have a lot of things to do on my timetable," Rafael said. Soon they entered the room, and he saw the pastor sitting behind a glass table.
"Hello there, Pastor," Rafael said as he sat on a black business chair. Pietro stood behind him. Michael stood on the other side of the table while working on his tablet.
"What brings you here, sir?" the pastor, who seemed to be in his early 50s, asked in a measured tone, knowing that Rafael held more power inside Glory due to the ASIB. When Rafael sat, Michael began scanning the room for any bugs.
"It's clear, sir," Michael said and sat on a nearby couch.
"Good. Now, Pastor, you already know the issue with your adopted son, right?" Rafael asked.
"Yes, it has been a problem. He even formed his own Disciples because our current generation is a fossil. Yet he has been gathering mercenaries and also talked with organizations in China and Russia, and I have not identified them as of now," the pastor said.
"Good, and I wish to begin the purge soon, but for now, I have to deal with the engagement debacle before tackling this one," Rafael said. Pietro offered Rafael a cup of coffee. He took a deep sip, placed it down, and continued.
"And for that debacle, I had to research a bit into the Korean constitution and found it. I need a district-level judge to sign our annulment so that the president can sign it and have it officially done. But that judge I selected had conditions," he said and stood up, walking toward the window. Outside was the Continental Hotel, owned by the High Table but managed by Glory.
The staff were hired by Atlas, and ASIB agents were always inside and guarding it to make sure it was not infiltrated by any outside forces.
"She wants a visitor's membership to the Continental, including the benefits of being a member. She only wants information, but make sure it's measured, not too much," Rafael said. He had Jeon take down notes, and Shin-Yi would have 100 coins to access the amenities.
"Of course, Sir Rafael, it will be done. I will also send any available information on my son's faction and all the underground organizations active in Seoul and South Korea as a whole," Pastor Jeon said. For the past year, he had been slowly isolating his son's power, and the current generation of Disciples had also been preparing for this kind of conflict.
Rafael, also seeing a future conflict about to erupt, summoned Emir from the Philippines to prepare for the inevitable conflict. For the next hour, Rafael and the pastor chatted, not in a serious and professional setting, but in a more friendly and calm atmosphere.
To be continued