As Shinobu slipped back into Azrael's shadow, the criminals who had been controlled by her mystical spell suddenly regained consciousness. Terror still gripped their hearts as they instinctively touched their necks, afraid to breathe too loudly in the oppressive silence that followed.
After hearing Azrael's mechanically distorted voice demand an explanation, the blond leader, David, quickly explained their current predicament in nervous, halting words.
When the story was finished, Azrael's hoarse voice echoed through the abandoned building once more. "So there's no actual evidence linking your operation to the Crimson Oath Society, is there?"
Azrael understood the situation perfectly now. These amateur criminals had simply panicked at the first sign of official attention, but since he had already revealed himself, he could not simply walk away. The mission had to be completed one way or another.
In truth, if this had happened in the coastal regions where the Crimson Oath Society had more influence, the exposure wouldn't have warranted such extreme measures. The organization cared little for the lives of expendable foot soldiers in areas where it operated openly. Otherwise, agents like Cockscomb would have been eliminated the moment they revealed Azrael's identity in Velkairos.
But here in Pixar, the influence of the Crimson Oath Society remained limited compared to the coastal areas. Their oversight and control of their contracted members was far tighter out of necessity.
Lost in tactical analysis, Azrael let the silence stretch until it became suffocating.
"Should I report this operation anonymously to the government and the Association?" he wondered, weighing the feasibility of such an approach.
The idea had merit, but also fatal flaws. Fredrika would certainly deduce his involvement, and more importantly, it would accomplish nothing meaningful. If he wanted to eliminate witnesses anyway, he might as well do it directly instead of involving outside authorities.
As for killing the detective who stumbled upon their activities? Absolutely not. Such an action would be tantamount to suicide.
The situation was delicate enough with only one suspicious detective conducting preliminary investigations. If that officer turned up dead, it would trigger a massive manhunt that would inevitably expose far more than their small operation. The Imperial Court and the Cardian Master Association would descend on Pixar with overwhelming force, hunting down whoever was responsible.
Given these complications, Azrael spoke with deliberate ambiguity. "This presents certain... difficulties."
"However, I may have a solution to your detective problem."
Before Azrael could explain his intentions, David's pupils contracted as he sensed imminent danger. Without hesitation, David's pale vampire materialized behind the red-haired underling who had caused this mess and crushed his skull with a single, devastating blow.
Ignoring the terrified screams of the remaining thugs, David pressed his forehead to the concrete floor, sweat trickling down his shaking form. "Sir, is this solution satisfactory?"
Seeing David's decisive action, Azrael's opinion of the man rose slightly. It seems that Shinobu's vampire dominance is truly overwhelming.
David's fear stemmed entirely from his vampire's instinctive terror at the prospect of Shinobu Oshino's superior bloodline. The reaction was so primal that even his human partner shared the fear.
When Azrael remained silent, David gritted his teeth and ordered his vampire to systematically eliminate the remaining subordinates. Skulls exploded like overripe fruit as the pale creature methodically executed each thug with brutal efficiency.
Shinobu Oshino emerged from the shadows beside Azrael and watched the carnage with indifference.
After completing the gruesome task, David and his vampire prostrated themselves motionless on the blood-soaked ground, awaiting their superior's verdict like condemned prisoners.
Just as David felt his lungs burning from holding his breath, Azrael's distorted voice cut through the oppressive atmosphere. "Why didn't you wait to hear my solution first?"
Relief washed over David as he managed to speak without lifting his head. "I dare not presume to understand your wisdom, sir, but I felt this was the best course of action."
A low mechanical chuckle echoed from Azrael's helmet. "Aren't you afraid I might eliminate you as well?"
The truth was that Azrael had indeed planned to kill all the criminals present. David's preemptive action had simply saved him the trouble. But the tactical thinking of the blond leader impressed him; few people could make such ruthless calculations under pressure.
The potential exposure of this cell concerned Azrael only marginally. After all, apart from Fredrika, no one else in Pixar knew his true identity. If Fredrika were arrested, he could simply flee the city.
Besides, he seriously doubted that these street thugs had any direct contact with Fredrika's level of the organization. The Crimson Oath Society operated through strict cellular compartmentalization for precisely that reason.
"I can be useful to you, sir," David replied quietly, still not daring to raise his head.
Behind the visor of his helmet, Azrael's expression grew curious. "What is your name?"
As soon as Azrael asked the question, David exhaled with relief. He understood that it was now possible to survive this encounter. "Your Excellency, my name is David."
"David." Azrael's tone became businesslike. "Do these bodies have family or friends who will notice their disappearance?"
While David had eliminated his subordinates with admirable efficiency, disposing of the bodies presented logistical challenges. Leaving them here would be disastrous; several illegal Lore Cardians dying violently in the same place would obviously indicate organized crime involvement.
Azrael's question about relatives served a practical purpose. If the dead had no relatives, the bodies could simply be destroyed without a trace. But if people came looking for them...
"No, sir," David replied without hesitation. "None of them."
The answer did not surprise Azrael. These were society's rejects, criminals and addicts who'd accepted contracts with the Crimson Oath Society precisely because they had nothing left to lose. If anyone cared about their future, they wouldn't have joined an illegal organization in the first place.
"Do you have enemies?" Azrael continued his questioning. "Anyone who might investigate your disappearance?"
David remained completely honest. "No, sir. We strictly follow Association protocols. Without mission authorization, we never create conflicts that might draw attention."
'Except for that sex-crazed fool,' Azrael added mentally, glancing at the red-haired corpse.
After a moment of pensive silence, Azrael sighed with obvious regret. "In that case..."
"You are of no use to me."
Azrael had never seriously considered David's offer of service. Unlike Jin, he had no mystical means of ensuring the absolute loyalty of subordinates. Even if he could reliably control David, what value did a barely Bronze-level criminal offer someone with his resources and connections?
More pragmatically, maintaining contact with surviving witnesses only increased his risk of exposure. His public identity as Master Lucian's student was far too valuable to jeopardize for such minimal benefits.
As Azrael's sigh echoed through the building, David felt his death approaching. Unfortunately, both he and his vampire were utterly helpless against Shinobu's overwhelming superiority.
The pale vampire was swatted aside like an annoying insect and crashed into the concrete wall with bone-shattering force. Unlike the romanticized creatures of popular fiction, Shinobu Oshino's fighting style was devastatingly direct and physical.
Realizing his desperate situation, David crawled backwards on his hands and knees, trying to reach the exit of the building. But Shinobu Oshino had already trained her golden eyes on him with predatory focus.
"Bang!"
Her [Pressure Gaze] ability activated, and David's head exploded like a watermelon, staining the walls crimson. His body crumpled lifelessly next to his former subordinates.
"Direct assassination is so much more efficient," Azrael observed with dark satisfaction. "Being able to target the Lore Cardian directly changes everything."
That was exactly why he'd prioritized creating defensive cards for himself. The Lore Cardians' vulnerability to targeted attacks was the greatest weakness in their combat system.
Surveying the carnage scattered throughout the abandoned building, Azrael scratched his head in mild exasperation. "Why do I seem to have such a natural talent for criminal activity?"
Shinobu obediently stacked the corpses according to his instructions. With another use of her [Pressure View], the bodies exploded into an unrecognizable mass of blood and tissue, making identification impossible.
"Done." Azrael dusted off his armored hands with professional satisfaction. "The Crimson Oath Society had better provide substantial compensation for this cleanup."