The leaders of Eight Fingers were in the middle of a meeting when the doors were suddenly kicked open with a resounding crash. They were shocked by the sudden loud bang but they immediately reacted. Zero dashed forward and moved in front of them while looking at the foolish intruder that sneaked into their headquarters. The other members on the other hand gathered in the back while some lackeys protected them.
They were startled when someone intrude this place since their meeting were kept a secret, so they became suspicious especially the leader and tried to think who betrayed them. Hilma and the rest frowned since it was the first time something like this happened and thought that something major was happening. However, unlike them who had various thoughts on their head, Coco Doll kept a poker face but he was actually admiring his master for his amazing entrance.
The sound of steady footsteps echoed through the room as a figure entered, his expression calm and composed. It was as if he weren't stepping into the base of a terrifying criminal syndicate, but merely walking into his backyard.
"Who are you?!" Zero barked, eyes locked onto the intruder now fully in view. His gaze remained sharp and wary, until he got a better look.
When he saw that the one standing before them was just a young man, Zero's tension eased. A smirk formed on his face as his earlier caution gave way to arrogance.
But Shido didn't even spare him a glance.
He had no interest in wasting words on someone like Zero, nothing more than a brute who only knew how to swing his fists.
Instead, Shido calmly surveyed the spacious room then at the rest of the leaders of Eight fingers.
He viewed their status with his scan before he close it soon after since he was quite disappointed at them. Though, except for Zero, most of the leaders of Eight fingers were only ordinary humans but Zero was also weaker than her thought and Lakyus could even beat him easily.
Thinking of that Shido didn't bother to entertain them anymore and directly announced his purpose.
"I'll only say this once, submit to me or die." Shido simply uttered those words casually yet they brought a heavy silence crashing over the room.
For a moment, silence hung in the air, then came the laughter.
Zero burst out laughing, his voice echoing through the room, while the other leaders scoffed and sneered, thinking the young intruder was nothing more than an arrogant fool ignorant of the power he was challenging.
"Bwahahaha! Kid, are you dreaming? Do you even know whose territory you've stepped into?!" Zero roared, shaking his head in disbelief. The others chimed in mockingly.
"What a clown."
"He must've lost his mind."
"There's something seriously wrong with him."
However, among them except Coco Doll, the one who felt something was wrong was Hilma and the leader, but unlike the leader, Hilma was more concerned if there were more of them other than Shido, since his arrival was too were and silent.
"I will give you three seconds to decide."
Shido didn't mind their mocking laughter and simply continued causing Zero and the others laughter to halt.
Zero's smile faded into a frown. 'This brat's seriously underestimating us.' Annoyed, he decided to teach Shido a lesson he'd never forget. Without hesitation, he lunged forward, his fist coiled with power as it hurtled toward Shido.
*Boom!*
A thunderous impact rang out as Zero's punch connected, kicking up a cloud of dust and shaking the floor. Smirking, Zero assumed the kid was either down or barely clinging to life.
But when the smoke cleared, his expression froze.
Shido hadn't moved an inch.
He stood exactly where he had been, completely unscathed, his hand casually gripping Zero's fist mid-air. He hadn't even flinched.
Zero's eyes widened in disbelief. Around the room, Hilma and the other leaders stared, stunned into silence. The arrogant laughter from moments ago was gone, replaced by a cold, creeping sense of dread.
Coco Doll held his breath for a moment worried about Shido's safety, after all, he was now his slave and if Shido died, then he would also die. But seeing that Shido was completely fine, Coco Doll could finally sigh in relief and thought that Shido was too strong that he can stop Zero's attack effortlessly.
Shido look at Zero with a smile but for some reason, Zero felt his hair stand up seeing Shido's strange smile.
"So that's your answer?" Shido asked softly.
"W-Wait, I-" Zero felt dread that he never felt before at this moment and wanted to submit to Shido. But before he could finish his plea, a black flame ignited in Shido's palm.
It slithered onto Zero's arm in an instant, then spread like a living curse. Within seconds, his entire body was consumed, the hellish fire devouring him completely.
"Arrgghhh!!! S-Stop! I surrender! I surrender…!"
Zero's screams of agony echoed through the chamber, sending chills down the spines of everyone present. Even Coco Doll, despite knowing Shido's power, instinctively gulped. Fortunately, he had submitted to Shido or else his fate would be the same as Zero.
In just a few seconds, the black flame disappeared and Zero turned into nothingness not even leaving behind a speck of ash.
Hilma, the leader and the earlier arrogant members of the Eight fingers was too stunned to react at this moment but then, they happen to look up and met Shido's eyes.
And in that instant, all pride and resistance shattered.
They dropped to their knees, trembling as they bowed their heads.
"We surrender! Please, don't kill us!"
Their voices were desperate, panicked, a far cry from the confident criminals they had been just moments ago. The room that once held power and defiance now echoed only with submission and fear.
What was surprising to Shido was that the first one to surrender was the leader, however, Shido had to admit that the leader was wise, after all, he didn't utter any words earlier and tried to gauge his strength through Zero. Unfortunately for him, they met a terrifying entity so the leader could only reluctantly submit. They then assumed that based on what they witnessed, Shido's strength should be on par with the heroes or greater making them dread him even more.
Now that they had chosen submission, Shido moved swiftly.
Without giving them a chance to reconsider, he marked each of them with his slave crest, binding their wills to his own. The moment the magic took hold, a wave of despair washed over the former leaders of Eight Fingers. Any lingering hope of resistance, rebellion, or escape vanished.
Their futures no longer belonged to them.
When everything was done, Shido called Coco Doll while praising him for doing a good job. This action made them instantly knew that Coco Doll betrayed them. Their eyes snapped toward him and wanted to devour him, even Hilma who usually acted composed and nonchalant couldn't help but want to choke Coco Doll at this moment. But Coco Doll acted meek and hide behind Shido. This made Shido helpless and want to kick him but he glared at them telling them to not fight so Hilma and the rest immediately retracted their eyes that could kill.
After everything had calmed down, Shido then explained to them his plan and that is for the Eight fingers to disappear into existence.
The announcement was met with frowns and stiff expressions. This organization was their foundation, their source of power and influence. Losing it felt like cutting off a limb. But what could they say? Bound by Shido's slave crest, resistance was no longer an option.
No matter how bitter the pill, they had no choice but to swallow it.
However, what truly caught them off guard were Shido's next words.
"I intend to take over this kingdom," he said plainly. "So I want you to begin building influence, slowly, from the inside. Start by securing the support of the nobles. You already have many corrupt ones backing you, don't you?"
His voice was calm and steady, devoid of any emotional fluctuation, which made it all the more chilling. The former leaders, still kneeling, froze for a moment, then their eyes widened in disbelief… followed by rising excitement.
This wasn't the end. It was a new beginning.
"Y-Yes, that's true," the leader replied quickly, sweat beading on his forehead as Shido's piercing gaze landed on him. It felt like a heavy weight was pressing down on his shoulders, just from being looked at.
"Expand your reach," Shido continued, his tone still composed. "Aim higher. Ordinary nobles are too weak. I want you to target those with real influence, the upper echelons."
"Understood!" the leader responded without hesitation, nodding fervently.
Hilma, Coco Doll, and three of the other former leaders followed suit, bowing their heads in unison. Their voices echoed in agreement, fully aware that from this moment onward, their survival, and ambition, depended on Shido's will. Strangely, they also felt excited by Shido's ambition, after all if Shido became the king then they would be his vassal. Just the thought of it made them overjoyed even though their organization was gone and they were reduced to mere slaves.
Shido was satisfied with how things had turned out. For now, there was no need to give further instructions. He knew that Gazef and Lakyus had already taken care of most of the Eight Fingers' lackeys and were likely on their way to this room.
With a simple wave of his hand, he cast Sleep Magic, rendering the unconscious leaders motionless on the floor. He planned to have someone break them out of the prison later, after all, he hadn't received his official reward and promotion from the Adventurer's Guild yet.
Just as expected, Gazef, Lakyus and the rest of the adventurer's that participated in the raid arrive. Climb also arrive with them and he was dumbfounded when he saw the most terrifying criminal organization in this kingdom to be captured by Shido.
Gazef narrowed his eyes, then gave a small nod of approval. 'He's not just strong… he's composed, decisive, and strategic.' He made a mental note, 'This young man must be brought into the service of the kingdom. We can't afford to let talent like this slip away.'
But while Gazef thought calmly, Lakyus had other priorities.
She marched up to Shido, grabbed him by the collar, and glared up at him.
"Where did you disappear to?! You didn't say a word, you just vanished!" she snapped, frustration bubbling over. "Do you know how worried I was?!"
After all, although she knew how strong Shido was, her heart was in a mess knowing that he had separated from them.
Shido blinked, then let out a soft sigh and gave her a gentle smile. "Sorry. I didn't mean to worry you. I just didn't want to drag you into unnecessary danger."
He reached up and lightly patted her head, his voice calm and sincere. "I'm really sorry."
Lakyus' breath hitched. Her cheeks flushed, and her frustration melted into embarrassment. Strangely enough… she didn't feel the urge to push him away.
Instead, she lowered her head and leaned forward, gently pressing her face against his chest, feeling the warmth of his body and the steady beat of his heart.
"…Idiot," she murmured, but her voice was soft, almost fond.
It wasn't until Gazef gave a cough that Lakyus abruptly pulled away, jumping back like a startled rabbit. She felt a embarrassed and awkward since her friends, the other adventurer's and even Gazef look at them with meaningful smile.
Embarrassed and flustered, Lakyus shot Shido a glare. But to her frustration, Shido didn't even look the slightest bit embarrassed. In fact, he had the nerve to smirk at her.
Without hesitation, she pinched him hard on the waist.
"Ow! Ow! I surrender." Shido cried out dramatically, though in truth he hadn't felt a thing. Still, he played it up perfectly, clutching his side as if she'd struck a fatal blow.
Lakyus, seeing his exaggerated reaction, gave a satisfied nod as if justice had been served.
'Women really are hard to read sometimes,' Shido mused with a wry smile, watching her huff and turn away. 'But… her expression was kind of cute.'
With that everything was finished, the Eight fingers is no more. The adventurer's and soldiers began to celebrate after they caught the leaders and lackeys of Eight fingers feeling happy since the tumor of the kingdom was now gone. But Shido didn't join them since a notification sound rang inside his head.
Ding!
[Quest 5 Completed: Destroy Eight Fingers]