...
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Hollow.
The female secretary, her high heels snapped, was running for her life through the Hollow. She didn't care whether the endless rows of buildings and abandoned factories were part of the spatial rift—or if the ground beneath her might give way and send her plummeting to her death.
Because there was a vampire chasing her!
Falling into a spatial fissure might not kill her, but if Phaga caught her, she would definitely die.
"Come on, connect! Connect already! Are you even in the Hollow!?"
As she sprinted, the secretary kept slamming her earpiece, her heart pounding in her throat.
She prayed desperately for the color on her headset to shift from red to green, for her comrade's voice to finally come through.
And then, to her shock and relief, it did. A voice spoke in her ear—though not the one she was hoping for.
"Why are you pressing your headset? Don't tell me you've got accomplices?"
The mocking tone of a young man echoed behind her. The secretary froze, then whipped her head around—
—and her heart nearly exploded.
Phaga had already caught up, wings spread wide. He gave her a narrow-eyed smile before twisting his body and driving his heel into her stomach.
Thud!
The kick sent her flying five meters before she crashed to the ground, rolling several times across the debris-strewn floor.
"Guh... ugh!"
The moment she stopped, she doubled over, retching uncontrollably. Pale stomach acid splattered the ground, and then a sharp pain rose in her throat. She coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Phaga landed lightly soon after, folding his wings back as he approached at a leisurely pace. His voice was calm, almost conversational.
"I've seen you before—on TV, actually. You look much better now. I have to say, prison uniforms really don't flatter anyone."
He stopped walking. A cold gleam flashed in his eyes.
He remembered her well. She was the one who'd led the team that stormed Canvas Street to destroy the evidence—later arrested by New Eridu Public Security.
But from the look of things, someone had helped her escape.
"Impressive. You actually managed to break out of prison. Tell me, who helped you?"
Phaga took another step forward. The blade of Kunmutu lifted her chin, its edge gleaming coldly as his voice turned detached.
"Don't tell me it was the Mountain Lions. They were nothing but a distraction. Give me the name of the mole inside the Public Security Bureau — and I might let you keep your life."
The secretary glared up at him, eyes full of hatred. After a moment, she closed them, drawing in a deep breath.
When she opened them again, her gaze had steadied, calm and deep as still water.
"If I tell you, will you let me go?"
"If you tell me, I'll hand you over safely to Public Security."
Phaga almost laughed. Let her go? What kind of dream was that?
"Then kill me," the secretary said flatly. "But I'd like to know—do you even dare? You look like you're still in school. Have you ever killed anyone?"
Since he wasn't going to release her, she stopped pretending to beg for her life. A defiant smile tugged at her lips, her contempt plain as day.
"I have," Phaga replied evenly. "When I was eleven, I killed the old director who raised me."
The answer caught her off guard.
Phaga paused, then continued, smiling faintly.
"And about a week ago, I killed everyone in two train cars—all employees of your Vision Industry."
"Of course, I doubt you feel any grief for them. Just like your other accomplices—they won't mourn you either."
"You were right not to take my deal."
"Because when you're locked up again, they won't try to break you out. They'll think, 'What a useless failure—and one who knows too much. Better off dead.'"
A flash of light crossed Phaga's eyes. He kicked the secretary over onto her back.
Before she could react, he dropped to one knee.
A cold gleam sliced through the air—Kunmutu stabbed into the ground, shearing off nearly half her long hair.
But in her violent movement, her earpiece flew loose—and at that instant, the red light flashing on it turned green.
Phaga pulled Kunmutu free, pressing the blade's icy edge to her throat.
His crimson-tinged gaze, the sharp Ether pulsing along the sword's surface—everything about him said he wasn't bluffing. He would kill her.
"Believe me," he said quietly, "your second time in prison won't be any better than this. From what I've seen, your accomplices aren't much gentler than I am."
"So... let's talk about the second proposal."
The secretary looked down. The blade was cold against her skin, her chest heaving violently with every breath.
But Phaga didn't glance down once. His eyes were locked on hers.
She understood now—Phaga didn't care about her beauty. Only her information.
"The second... proposal?"
It took her a moment to process what he'd said. Her chest rose and fell faster.
So that's it. He'd been bluffing the whole time—he already had another plan in mind!
"Fine," she said evenly. "Let's hear it. But if it doesn't involve letting me go, you might as well kill me now."
Her tone was calm, detached. She'd already accepted death. If she wasn't leaving here alive, then she was already a corpse.
"If your answer satisfies me," Phaga said, "I don't mind letting you go. I'm no hero of justice."
He drew the blade out of the ground. Sunlight streamed between the broken buildings, casting a sharp line across his face.
He was smiling—but the secretary only felt cold.
"Tell me," he said softly. "Did your organization assign anyone to eliminate Victoria Housekeeping?"
Between the commission and his vendetta, Phaga had chosen vengeance first.
He had never forgotten that car—the one that had tried to ram them in a suicide attack.
If he'd been alone, it wouldn't have mattered. He wouldn't have died.
But Ellen had been there too.
Phaga's eyes locked onto hers, his pupils darkening to a deep blood red.
"Yes!"
After a long silence, the secretary finally forced the word out. The moment she said it, her strength seemed to drain away.
"Very good. Hahahaha!"
Phaga laughed—a raw, unrestrained laugh he hadn't let out in a long time.
At last, the fog in his heart cleared. His true enemies were about to surface.
"I won't bother asking who your leader is—you'd die before telling me."
"But tell me this: who carried out the job? Surely a dog can be sold."
He sneered.
The secretary shot back, "Two traitors from the Vanquishers of the Outer Ring. One's Lucius, a yellow-haired human. The other's Mors, a gray-furred Thiren."
"What's wrong? Did a dog bite you, and now the noble vampire wants to bite back?"
Phaga considered it. Their descriptions matched the photos Rina had provided—so he decided to believe her, for now.
But instead of getting angry at her taunt, he smiled.
"Bite back? Of course not. Even vampires don't drink filthy blood."
"But killing them? That's acceptable."
"Just like I'm about to kill you now."
His eyes flashed, and his blade came down.
At the same moment, the secretary pulled the pistol hidden beneath her skirt and fired.
Clang!
The bullet struck the blade and ricocheted off. The remaining force carried Kunmutu forward, aiming for her throat.
The secretary raised her gun to block.
Clang!
Bang!
The pistol was cleaved clean in half. The secretary was thrown backward, rolling across the floor like a ragdoll.
Phaga didn't chase. He narrowed his eyes.
Because two new figures had appeared behind her.
One was a man wrapped completely in dark clothing; the other was a humanoid creature that looked eerily similar to the monster Phaga and Belobog Heavy Industries had once slain.
If he hadn't personally confirmed its death, he might have thought it had risen again.
After a pause, the masked man spoke, hands still in his pockets. "You didn't reveal any organizational intel, did you?"
"...No."
"Really? Hey, kid over there!" he shouted toward Phaga. "Did she tell you anything about our organization?"
Phaga blinked. What kind of question is that? You're asking me?
Still, he didn't hesitate long before replying. "Yeah, she even told me your leader's underwear color!"
"Is that so?"
The masked man nodded solemnly. His tone was cold. "You dared reveal that our leader's underwear is red? Treason! Sacrifice No. 2, kill her!"
At once, the creature beside him—Sacrifice No. 2—turned its glowing eyes toward the secretary and began walking forward.
The secretary froze for a moment, then shouted furiously, "Are you stupid!? You actually fell for that obvious provocation!?"
The masked man stopped abruptly.
Then he lowered his head and muttered, "Right... the enemy isn't just computer programs and equations. Lies are also possible."
After a brief silence, he looked up again, his expression completely serious.
"My apologies. I misunderstood you. You're a loyal comrade of the organization. I wasn't wrong to bring Sacrifice No. 2 to rescue you."
"Sacrifice No. 2, release her."
Obeying the order, Sacrifice No. 2 loosened its grip on the secretary's neck.
She dropped to the ground, eyes wide, gasping for breath.
What kind of teammate is this!?
Took him long enough to realize I was still being choked!