Shuren let out a sharp breath and flicked her cigarette away as she strode toward the car. Nobody dared to question her; they just watched, knowing it was the safest choice unless they wanted to end up like the clone of Mischa she had just taken out. When she reached the trunk, she grabbed the handle and yanked it open.
THUD.
Inside, curled up like a discarded body bag, was Zheng Yan, completely out cold, drool pooling on his chin. Shuren rolled her eyes, wondering what kind of dream could possibly warrant that much drool. His arms were twisted behind him with zip ties.Was he really dreaming of the past, or was he just a kid at heart?
Everyone froze. Shuren didn't even blink. She reached in, grabbed him by the collar, and dragged him out like he was a sack of potatoes. Then she slapped him awake. Zheng Yan woke up in a daze.
"WAH—?!? HUH—?! I'M AWAKE, I'M AWA—!!"
Before he could finish his panicked scream, she tossed him onto the ground. Zheng Yan bounced, and the others winced. Shuren stepped forward, casting a long shadow over him, her voice dropping to a cold, cutting tone.
"For someone who was acting so tough the whole time… you're pretty weak, Zheng Yan. How did we catch up to you? You idiots were miles ahead of us and yet… there you were. Knocked out snoring in my trunk."
Zheng Yan's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water.
Sévon muttered, "He really was snoring."
Lokei leaned toward Taura. "This is embarrassing."
Taura nodded solemnly. "Truly shameful."
Assad watched the scene unfold, confusion swirling in his mind.
Wait… that doesn't add up. How did they catch him? They should've been far ahead when that giant black ball thing Shuren called a Shin'nen Kan blocked the road. Even I couldn't see past it… so how—?
His gaze drifted to Shuren.
What did she do while they were in the domain? That was the burning question in Assad's mind, and he couldn't even begin to figure it out. Shuren must be really strong, if it took her a short amount of minutes or hours depending on how long they were in Mischa's domain.
Shuren flicked the ash off her sleeve and turned her head just enough for her sharp eyes to lock onto Assad.
"You don't need to worry about how I caught him."
Assad stiffened; that sentence hit him like a bullet. Shuren tapped the side of her head with one finger.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
A slow, knowing grin crept onto her face. That's when it dawned on him.
Right… my flaw. I completely forgot that people stronger than me can read my mind.
His stomach twisted.
Shuren's grin faded as she turned back to Zheng Yan, who was still shaking like a wet dog in winter. She extended her hand.
"Keys. Now."
Zheng Yan swallowed hard, the sound echoing in the tense silence. With trembling fingers, he fished the truck keys from his pocket and placed them in her palm without a word. Without hesitation, Shuren snatched them up. Assad raised his hand cautiously.
"Uh… wait, what about the other guy? The, um… the one with the black panther head? Where is he?"
Shuren didn't skip a beat.
"I killed him."
A hush fell over the group. Assad blinked twice, struggling to process what he just heard from Shuren.
"…what?"
Shuren lit another cigarette, her voice icy and flat.
"Yeah. I killed him."
Assad's breath caught in his throat as she took a slow drag.
"You could say it was personal. Even an idiot would get why I did it. He was the one who took Mya and her sisters."
Mya flinched, her fingers curling into Assad's sleeve. Shuren exhaled smoke, the atmosphere growing heavier.
"So yes," she continued, almost casually. "I killed him. That bastard deserved worse."
"Yeah, you're right, but the real villain is her father. He was the one who sold them!" Assad blurted out, then quickly covered his mouth, realizing he had just spilled a secret he promised to keep.
Silence enveloped the group; no one dared to speak after that revelation. Shuren blew out some smoke and asked, "So it's her father who sold them, huh? Thanks for the info."
"Wait, what are you going to do?" Assad asked.
"You don't have to stress that much about it as I told you." Shuren lashed back.
Then Shuren looked back to Tasia, Shuren nodded her head and Taisa understood. She then clapped her hands then with a slide the truck appeared, Assad, Mya, Taura, Esme Lokei were all shocked. Lokei even more as he showed a slight blush. Esme and Taura saw this and already knew it's time for more teasing.
Lokei snapped back to reality, a scowl etched on his face.
"W–What?! What are you two staring at?!"
Esme leaned in, her grin stretching from ear to ear.
"Lokei… did you just BLUSH… because of Tasia?"
"I DIDN'T! SHUT UP!"
Taura poked him playfully in the ribs.
"Bro, your ears are literally glowing right now."
"They are NOT!"
He grabbed his staff, ready to swing it, but Esme dodged effortlessly.
"Relax, Monkey King," she teased. "No need to go all murder mode in front of the girl you like so much."
"IT'S NOT ABOUT TASIA!"
"Sure," Taura chimed in, "that's why your heart rate shot up when Tasia showed up. Totally unrelated."
Lokei sputtered like a kettle about to boil over. Tasia, who had been quiet this whole time, finally turned her gaze toward him. Her calm voice sliced through the tension.
"Lokei. Your face is red."
He felt like he could just sink into the ground. Esme and Taura erupted into laughter, and even Sévon couldn't help but smirk.
Shuren silenced the laughter with a single, piercing glare.
"Enough with the jokes," she said, her voice dropping into that cold, commanding tone that made everyone fall silent. "We're here to finish our mission. Focus."
The atmosphere shifted.
Everyone straightened up, fully attentive. Shuren stepped toward the truck's rear lock, still caked in dirt and scratches from the earlier fight. She inserted the key, twisted it once, and the lock popped open.
But even before the doors swung wide… a smell oozed out. Thick. Metallic. Rotting. Blood. Esme gagged immediately. Taura covered her mouth. Lokei's expression twisted, anger flaring in his eyes. Even Sévon's face flickered with a hint of shock. Shuren pulled the doors open.
Inside bodies and dozens of them.
Merfolk mermen and mermaids lay piled together, tangled like discarded dolls. Their once vibrant scales were now dull, shredded, and torn apart. Wounds bore the marks of torture: burned flesh, missing limbs, carved symbols. Some still had their eyes open, but there was no life in them, only the haunting echo of agony.
The stench hit them like a physical blow.
Esme stumbled back, her hands flying to cover her mouth. Taura turned away, her ears pinned flat against her head. Lokei's fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned a ghostly white. Sévon lowered his gaze, his jaw set tight.
Assad felt a tightness in his chest. He quickly wrapped an arm around Mya's head, pulling her close to shield her from the scene.
"Don't look," he whispered, his voice trembling despite his efforts to stay calm. "Just… don't."
Mya flinched, burying her face into his hoodie, her hands gripping his shirt with trembling fingers. Shuren's expression went blank too. When she went emotionless, everyone knew she was seething with fury.
"...Zheng Yan," she said through clenched teeth, turning her head slightly toward the quaking man behind her. "This is what you've been transporting?" Zheng Yan sank to his knees.
"I—I didn't know! I swear, I didn't know they w-were—"
"Shut up," Shuren said, her voice low.
Too low.
Sévon swallowed hard. "These injuries… they're not just torture."
Lokei's voice cracked with rage. "Who even DOES something like this…?"
Taura took a shaky breath. "This is… this is worse than the last trafficking case."
Esme wiped her eyes, feeling chilled to the bone. Assad tightened his grip around Mya, completely shielding her.
Shuren didn't hesitate.
Her hand shot out, grabbing Zheng Yan by the throat. With one swift motion, she lifted him off the ground as if he were weightless.
His feet kicked helplessly.
"Y–You—gghk!!"
Her voice trembled, not with fear, but with a fury that was palpable.
"So it's clear, isn't it? You were planning to scam the buyer… then kill them and run. Or let them take the cargo and vanish with the money. That was the plan, wasn't it?"
"N–No! I swear that wasn't—gghk!!"
Shuren's grip tightened. Her eyes glowed with a white aura, swirling like a tempest behind her irises.
"Don't insult my intelligence."
She slammed him to the ground. Assad jolted back. Esme covered her mouth in shock. Taura flinched.
Lokei whispered to himself, "…She's really angry. Like, really angry."
Zheng Yan scrambled away on all fours, panic in his voice. "Please!! I didn't!! P-Please don't!!"
But Shuren was already aiming her gun, a white aura swirling around the barrel like smoke being pulled back.
"No more excuses."
Her tone was as cold as ice.
"Trash like you don't get to beg."
"NO, WAIT!!"
She squeezed the trigger.
A flash of white light hit him in the temple. There was no blood, no mess. His body just crumpled to the ground, lifeless, as the white aura burned through him silent, clean, and final. It was a cleansing shot, a Sweeper's execution.