In the narrow alleyway.
Kael glided forward in his white robe. The disguise had proven effective — no more worrying about ambushers lurking in corners.
Rounding a corner, his ears twitched at a hushed conversation.
"Those self-righteous bitches seem to be coming this way. Should we go help?"
"Forget it, our job is to keep watch, unlike those attention-seekers. Be careful not to anger Lady Valletta."
"But how can we dedicate our lives to Lord Thanatos by just staying here?"
"Patience. When the Lord needs you, you'll have your chance to prove yourself."
A bold idea formed in Kael's mind. He deliberately made his footsteps heavier, drawing the attention of the two ahead.
"Who's there?"
Two white-robed figures drew their swords, glaring fiercely into the dark passage.
Kael stepped out slowly. Seeing his matching white robe, the two lowered their guard slightly.
"Why aren't you at your post? What are you doing in our area?"
Noting the superior tone in the man's voice, Kael stood at attention, striking his right fist to his chest in salute, "Lord Rudra's orders: plans have changed, all units to support the front line. Let's teach those self-righteous bitches a lesson."
One man's eyes lit up, "Excellent! Finally, a chance to prove our loyalty to the Lord!"
This guy... a Thanatos follower? Kael studied him. Remembering those suicide fanatics, he marked this one as his first target.
The other man frowned — this didn't align with their original plans. Yet the current executor was indeed Lord Rudra, and an outsider wouldn't know that.
So he probed, "Where's your partner?"
"Gone to notify the others."
"Have all tasks been completed?"
"Not sure, I'm just relaying orders." Seeing the man about to speak again, Kael pressed, "Let's move quickly, I have other duties."
"Let's go, brother! Don't want to keep my sweet Miss waiting."
"Al...right."
The two hesitantly set off. The moment they turned around, Kael drew a cursed dagger from his robes and plunged it into the suspected follower's back.
Blood trickled from the victim's mouth as he stared at his chest in disbelief, instinctively reaching for his waist, but Kael held him firmly.
Squelch—
Before Kael could savor his victory, a long sword pierced through the first man's chest like a skewer, driving through the follower's body and into Kael's chest.
Cough—
Blood spilled from Kael's lips as he stared ahead in shock. The cautious Evilus member had struck through his own companion?
"How... did you figure it out?"
"The two-person team rule is absolute. How could you be acting alone?"
"I... see. Thanks." Kael suddenly grabbed the sword's blade while drawing his dagger with his other hand, slashing forward.
The red gleam cut through empty air. The man released the sword handle and leaped back to safety.
Tch, I don't want to trade lives with a dead man."
Kael pulled out the sword and shoved aside the now lifeless follower, stumbling as he clutched his abdomen.
The brief exchange had revealed the vast gap in their abilities.
Screw it, this fight's already lost!
Before Kael could form a strategy, he lowered his head and released his grip, blood gushing freely...
"Heh, don't waste your effort. This is a cursed weapon — without the counter-curse potion, it can't be healed."
Kael looked up in shock, "How... is that possible?"
The Evilus member sneered, "You're clever, but you can only fool that idiot on the ground. Give up — you're already dead."
"Who... are you?"
"Me? You can call me Hyena."
An alias?
Kael played along, collapsing to the ground with a look of utter disbelief.
"That's right, I'm different from you lot — I've completed Level 2 Rank Up!" The man watched with interest as Kael gradually lost strength, licking his lips, "Don't worry, once you're dead, I'll make good use of your corpse."
Kael felt a chill run down his spine. As expected, there wasn't a single sane person in the Evilus. Perhaps he should reconsider his original plan of joining them.
Blood soaked the ground as he stared ahead with empty, unfocused eyes. But Hyena showed no intention of approaching.
After a moment, he pulled out a demon sword.
"Stop pretending. Wounds of this level won't kill you that quickly. Adventurers are tougher than you think." Grinning viciously, he swung the demon sword, raising countless spikes from the ground that impaled Kael.
"Urgh..."
He hung in the air like a rag doll, resembling a blooming cactus.
Kael stared resentfully at Hyena...
Hold on, you're using a demon sword against a dying nobody like me? What kind of over-cautious hero are you?
"Still alive, I see..." He swung the demon sword again, its blade shattering as the spikes impaled Kael once more.
Then...
"Ingredients must be fresh." Hyena extended his palm.
"Sin's Contamination, Flames of Karmic Cooking, Devour Kindred and Savor Sin."
❈ Faerl Wislat! ❈
Fireballs shot continuously from his palm, setting Kael ablaze. As the fabric burned away, hundreds of gold coins scattered across the ground, their metallic clinking mixing with the crackling flames.
Hyena's eyes widened.
"Those are... Holy Coins?" His greed overcame his last shred of caution.
Drawing from his experience, he reasoned that no one could survive being impaled and roasted like that.
The scattered coins proved more alluring than the charred body before him. He stepped forward, pulled out a fresh bag, and bent down to collect them.
"1, 2..., 489..." He couldn't contain his excitement as he picked up the final coin.
500 Holy Coins, worth V$5,000,000!
{T/N: These are possibly a substitute currency within Evilus, since there are no records of this anywhere in Danmachi. 1 Holy Coin = 10,000 Valis}
"Ha... haha! All mine! All mine!"
As he looked up, a dagger wreathed in an eerie red glow sliced through his carotid artery. Clutching his spurting wound, he stared in disbelief at Kael's malevolent face.
"How... how... cough!" Blood loss prevented him from forming complete words as he gaped at the boy in shock.
"Thanks for collecting my money." Kael wrenched himself free from the spikes, his face demonic as he snatched the money bag from Hyena's weakening grip.
Though Hyena wanted to resist, the blood loss had left him helpless.
Kael methodically stripped Hyena's clothes, searching for valuables.
"Well well, one demon sword, three high-grade Elixirs — backup for your backup? This armor's not bad either, Level 3 Adventurer gear? Not bad at all!" Kael remarked while ruthlessly looting.
As expected of a murder and arson specialist! This cautious Evilus captain was loaded!
After organizing his haul and finding a Kaenseki from the previously killed follower, Kael noticed Hyena still staring at him.
"Oh, still not dead? As expected of a High Class Adventurer, you're hard to kill."
Not as hard to kill as you...
Hyena stared at Kael's carbonized face and hole-riddled body, struggling to comprehend how this creature was still alive.
"Monster..."
"I like that alias!" Kael loomed over the dying man, raising the cursed sword he'd taken from his opponent.
Once... twice... three times...
As he raised the sword for a fourth strike at the head...
Whoosh—
A rushing sound echoed from the end of the corridor.