Lokei and Sévon stood across the road, completely still, their eyes narrowed and arms crossed as they stared at Assad. He felt like a deer caught in headlights. Suddenly, both of them cupped their hands around their mouths and yelled,
"OI! NEWBIE! GET OVER HERE!"
Assad nearly stumbled over his own feet as he hurried toward them.
"H-Hey, guys…" He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. "Um… how's it going? It's been a few hours? Or maybe days? Since we last saw each other… I kinda lost track?"
Sévon shrugged. "We're good."
Lokei pointed a thumb at him. "And YOU, stinking newbie, where the heck were you hiding? Because I know for sure you didn't help with anything."
Assad's face turned red. "I— I did stuff! Sort of! Maybe— look, it's complicated!"
Taura stepped forward, her tail flicking behind her, her tone laced with suspicion.
"Assad. Were you just hiding inside the mansion the whole time?"
He flinched. "I wasn't hiding! I was just… strategically avoiding death."
"And after we met with Mrs. Shuren back at the agency, where did you go? You vanished before any of us could even talk to you."
The thought of fully explaining where he went after they both made the report to Shuren was actually starting to be a pain as it was, or should be plain obvious that when both him and Shuren disappeared at the same time, already gives of the answer that she needed but it didn't seem like he had any other choice but to explain.
"Okay-okay if you really wanna know the reason why I disappeared was because it was because of—"
SCREEEEEECH—!!
A sleek black town car came to a screeching halt right next to them, sending dust and gravel flying. Everyone turned their heads in unison. The passenger door swung open.
"MYA! DON'T!"
It was clear they weren't going to stop Mya as she leaped out of the car, racing toward Assad with a wild, frantic energy.
"Mya…?" Assad blinked in surprise. "Oh hey."
Before he could say anything more, she crashed into him, wrapping her arms around him in a fierce hug.
"ASSAD! WHY DID YOU TAKE OFF LIKE THAT?! YOU IDIOT!"
Her voice wavered, and she squeezed him tightly, as if afraid he might disappear again. Assad froze for a moment, then his expression softened, his shoulders finally relaxing since the chaos at the mansion. He gently lifted a hand and patted her head.
"I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to freak you out…"
Mya's hold on him only tightened.
The back door of the car opened with a soft click.
Shuren stepped out first, exhaling a long plume of smoke as she snapped her lighter shut. Tasia followed closely behind, already giving Mya a stern talking-to under her breath. Shuren took a moment to size up Assad.
"So… how was it? Flying out of a moving car like a ragdoll?" Shuren asked with a smirk.
"Can we… not bring that up…?"
Shuren let out a long stream of smoke, her gaze drifting away from Sévon.
"So," she said in a calm tone, "how did you guys manage to take down a Shin'en Kan? Those things usually require a whole squad to handle."
Without missing a beat, Sévon pointed directly at Mischa, the evidence clear as day.
"Your so-called right-hand man, Lokei, did it. As you can see, he broke her legs, and for some reason, it completely wrecked the domain."
Lokei puffed out his chest and twirled his staff with pride until Shuren finally focused on Mischa. Her cigarette nearly slipped from her lips.
"What the—hold on. Why does she look so familiar?"
Her expression sharpened in an instant.
"No. That can't be right… didn't I kill you with brute force, exactly?"The whole group went still. Sévon slowly turned to her.
"You said… you killed her before?"
Shuren flicked the ash off her cigarette, irritation creeping into her voice.
"Yes. I'm certain of it. I tore off an arm, broke all her limbs, and I think I even snapped her neck? It was a messy job. Hard to forget."
Lokei's jaw dropped in disbelief.
Esme whispered, "She said that so casually…"
Taura shivered. "Now you see why I'm scared of her. It's honestly surprising she's not the boss of the Sweepers."
Sévon knelt beside Mischa, examining her broken legs, the faint flicker of abyssal energy surrounding her.
"She's too intact," Sévon murmured. "For someone you supposedly killed."
He stood up, brushing the dust off his hands.
"…Must've been a clone then."
Shuren clicked her tongue, this really pissed her off. She did kill Mischa but here she is, legless can't move again. This did not make sense for her, she knew that she killed Mischa the exact way that she just described to the others and left her dead in the kitchen of Zheng Yan's mansion. Maybe this Mischa that she is looking at might also be a clone.
No remove that thought it can't be.
Shuren stood up and said, "Whatever, as long as we can remove any other thoughts at the moment."
Shuren brushed off her jacket, gave her hands a quick clap, and said with a sharp tone:
"Alright. Now that we've got that sorted."
Her eyes locked onto Esme.
"Esme. What are you doing here? Why aren't you at school? Are you really trying to get us in trouble with your dad again?"
Esme froze, looking like a deer caught in headlights. A small smile crept onto her face, and a bead of sweat trickled down her cheek.
"U-Um… well… I really wanted to help, you know? Plus, it's the weekend today, Mrs. Shuren."
"I don't care if it's the weekend," she replied flatly. "You still have weekend studies. Or did you forget that midterms are just around the corner?"
Esme puffed out her cheeks.
"I-I know, ma'am…"
Shuren sighed, walked over, and gently but firmly placed a hand on Esme's head, ruffling her hair once. "But… you did help out. So I'll let it slide this time."
Esme's eyes sparkled with excitement.
Shuren added, "I'm keeping you until tomorrow. Then I'll personally drop you off at school."
Esme groaned dramatically. "Ehhh!? Personally?"
"Yes. Personally. Because the last time you 'went to school,' you ended up in three different cities."
Lokei snorted in amusement.
Taura leaned in and whispered, "Wasn't she also arrested once?"
Esme shot back, "THAT WAS A MISUNDERSTANDING!"
Sévon shook his head. "Then don't turn it into two misunderstandings."
Esme stuck her tongue out at them, but Shuren simply turned away, clearly done with the nonsense. Esme tilted her head, her curiosity piqued.
"Mrs. Shuren… who's that guy? I've never seen him before."
Shuren snapped her fingers as if a light bulb had gone off.
"Oh right. You two haven't met. This is Assad. He's the newest member of the Sweepers."
Esme immediately approached him, getting so close that Assad could feel her breath. She stared intently into his eyes, analyzing every detail like a scanner. Assad didn't flinch; he held her gaze. The others watched in silence.
Taura whispered, "Wow… he didn't even blink…"
Lokei muttered, "He's either fearless or just plain stupid."
After a long moment of silence, Esme leaned back and nodded.
"Well, alright then."
With a bright smile, she reached out her hand.
"It's great to meet you! I'm Esme Ellne Chain, 4th Sionel—"
She proudly pointed her thumb at herself.
"And the favorite member of the Sweepers, according to Mrs. Shuren."
In an instant, Shuren flicked her cigarette at Esme's forehead.
"Tch, don't talk nonsense."
Esme winced, clutching her forehead in pain.
"But I AM your favorite!"
"Nope, you're just the most troublesome," Shuren shot back.
Lokei chuckled. "Same difference, really."
Esme's face turned bright red as she playfully slapped him on the arm.
"SHUT UP!"
Assad watched them all, feeling a mix of confusion and being overwhelmed.
"...So this is what the Sweepers are like, huh?" he muttered to himself.