Liu Han displayed the next person on the list. And of course, it was none other than Kamui. His circular sunglasses sat on his face, blood streaked across both cheeks.
His bounty was one hundred and fifty million yen. Dead or alive. It seemed his bounty hadn't changed from when she first saw it back in the hospital.
"Alright, Kamui. With you having such a high bounty, this might complicate things since now you aren't just dealing with the demons but also sorcerer bounty hunters that will be present at Mount Fuji. It would be best for you to stick with someone to have your back," Liu Han said.
"Well, who do you propose?"
"I'm thinking, maybe Gundo would be a perfect partner for you."
Kamui's face contorted as if the mere suggestion of being paired with Gundo was an insult. Conquest, on the other hand, actually didn't mind pairing up with him.
His strength and resilience could pose as an asset, especially now that she knew he could change his size.
"You have to be kidding me right? I'm not pairing up with this slob."
"Boss what slob?"
"It's nothing, Gundo. Forget about it. Now listen, Kamui. You came to me years ago because you wanted to get stronger, right? And if you remember one of our deals was that you would listen to my orders. So as much as I hate ordering you around, consider this an order."
"Tsk, why can't I just pair up with you?"
"Oh well that's easy, because I'm paired up with Conquest."
Conquest raised an eyebrow.
"Me? Why me?"
Liu Han grinned.
"Well, because I said so. Nothing more, nothing less. Anyways, let's continue going through the list."
Everyone in the room, including Conquest, looked confused. Which made sense. Liu Han was hiding something from the group. But if she pressured him for an explanation, things would only drag on with no conclusion in sight.
Liu Han clicked on his keyboard as it displayed a demon. It had the face of a goat and wore a single earring on its right ear with the letter L.
A very strange earring for a demon to have, let alone a human. It also had the same brown goat-slit eyes as the Demon Sin of Envy.
The bounty listed was ninety million, seven hundred and fifty thousand yen. Dead or alive.
"Now, for the third highest bounty on the list. He's a humanoid goat demon that, according to the news, killed over fifteen people. The second highest right behind the Demon Sin of Envy. Chiyo, what could you tell us about him?"
"Uhm, his name is Baphomet. He's the high-ranking demon under Leviathan. From what I remember, his specialty is his blinding speed. He stands at six feet tall with goat-like legs, although his hands are regular human hands. Beyond that, he may also have other abilities, but I'm not entirely sure."
This Baphomet guy seems like the perfect opponent for Kamui.
"Alright, that's good. Now there are two more individuals left within this bounty list so let's get through them."
The screen displayed a new face, though it was barely a face at all. Just a figure made of grey smoke with nothing to it except two circular red dots where its eyes should have been
The bounty listed was eighty million, six hundred and fifty thousand yen. Dead or alive.
Granny Chiyo gripped her crystal shard as sweat formed on her forehead. Clearly, she knew this individual well enough that its mere presence on the screen unsettled her.
Conquest put a hand on her tight.
"Hey, who is this guy?"
"His name is Belial, and he's the high-ranking demon of the Demon Sin of Sloth. And if I may add, he's much more terrifying than Sloth himself."
Conquest had a confused look on her face as she scratched her head.
"What makes him more terrifying than the person he's working for? Aren't Demons of Sin supposed to be stronger than their high-ranking demons?"
"That's true, but Sloth is far less likely to kill you. He finds the whole act too much of a hassle. His high-ranking demon Belial, on the other hand, has no problem getting rid of anyone and anything in his way. Not to mention, his ability to cover people in grey smoke and isolate them makes him a nightmare to deal with. Though, I don't know the full extent of his ability as well."
Liu Han puffed his cigar and wedged it back between his teeth.
"Interesting. It seems I need to make a few calls to add another person into our little group. If there are demons like these, I don't think just the four of us would be enough for this expedition."
He was right. Especially since Chiyo wasn't much of a fighter. Her real strength was the intel she could provide about the demons they were eventually going to face.
So at the very least, it would be best if they could get two more individuals to go together as a duo within Mount Fuji for safety.
"I do have someone in mind who could definitely go alone, since he doesn't have a bounty just like me, meaning the sorcerers in Mount Fuji won't have any reason to come after him. But let's put that on hold for now."
Well, that answered her question. Liu Han doesn't have a bounty. This was a little surprising, as you would assume he would have one due to operating a criminal organization. Especially one as famous as the Arakawa family.
But now that she thought about it, he did own multiple legal businesses around Kyoto. Which meant he had buried his true identity deep enough that no one would ever tie him to the criminal organization.
Liu Han tapped his keyboard, and after a brief pause, the screen flickered as a new figure filled the display. He was a short man, roughly the same size as Kamui, draped in a white cloak with his face hidden beneath the hood.
The only features visible were a single horn on his forehead and skin so pale it looked as though frostbite had claimed every inch of his body.
Unfortunately, his face was too obscured to make out what he actually looked like, but at the very least, his features were unique enough to recognize him.
The bounty listed was seventy million, two hundred and fifty thousand yen. Dead or alive.
"There's no doubt about it. He's the Demon Sin of Sloth."
Everyone's attention shifted back to Conquest. Liu Han paused, then pressed his cigar into the ashtray.
"Oh, so you know him?"
"Not really, but just a couple of hours ago I faced both him and Envy. The only reason I'm still alive is because a demon named Mazikeen saved my life. But she had to take my ring from me to make sure she wouldn't be suspected by the other demons."
Conquest turned toward Granny Chiyo, studying her face for any shift in her expression. After all, this was a piece of information she had been holding onto. And now, Conquest felt it was the right time to mention it to the group.
"One last thing. Mazikeen did mention that her mother was Lilith. Or should I say, Granny Chiyo."
Liu Han stroked his chin like a man deep in thought, despite not even having a beard.
"Chiyo, could you go ahead and explain yourself?"
"There's not much to explain. Mazikeen was my firstborn, and I appointed her as my high-ranking demon before I eventually reincarnated. After that, she ended up working with Lucifer."
"Would you say, she could be an asset to us? Like a double agent?"
Conquest cut in before Chiyo could respond.
"Yes, she's actually on our side. I have her phone number, but it would be best if she contacted us instead of the other way around. If she got a call while the other demons were around her, it could raise suspicion."
Liu Han crossed his arms, his expression unreadable. Still, Conquest watched him carefully, hoping he would agree. Because if Mazikeen were to be discovered as a double agent, the demons wouldn't hesitate to kill her. She was sure of it.
"Fine, we'll just wait for her to communicate with us."
Good. He's reasonable enough to see it my way.
"Now, what could you tell us about this Demon Sin of Sloth?"
Granny Chiyo leaned forward.
"His real name is Belphegor. He's quite the lazy one of the group, as his sin entails. But I wouldn't underestimate him, because at the end of the day, he's still a Demon of Sin"
She paused for a solid minute, her clouded eyes drawn to the ceiling, as if lost in thought.
"He does have ice abilities, and the fact that the demons are attacking in winter means Sloth will be much more of a threat. That said, back when I was still the Demon Sin of Lust, he and I had an amicable relationship. We got along quite nicely. And from what I remember, he doesn't kill his victims. So there may be a chance we could sway him to our side if he's given a good enough reason."
After a brief pause, Liu Han leaned forward and shut the TV off before closing his laptop. It seemed like he had all the information he needed from Granny Chiyo. At this point, all that was left was getting her body scanned by him.
"Perfect, this should be enough to come up with a plan of action for tomorrow morning."
Conquest raised an eyebrow, confusion appearing on her face. She had assumed that this expedition would happen tonight. The fact that it was delayed until tomorrow morning really didn't sit well with her.
"Why not tonight? Especially since one of our goals is to rescue Riko. Wouldn't it be way too late if we delay it until the morning?"
Kamui shifted in his seat, his eyes locked on Liu Han. It was clear he shared the same concern.
"She's right. I'm not waiting until morning to save my sister."
"Hmph, fine. But we leave at 1 AM. That should give us three hours to not only scan Conquest's body but also prepare ourselves for the expedition to Mount Fuji."
Liu Han clapped his hands together, getting everyone's attention. But in reality, he was looking straight at her, as if the others in the room didn't matter.
"Well then, Conquest, shall we head to the operating room?"
"It will be my pleasure, just lead the way."