CHAPTER 161: NOT ON MY WATCH... FATHER

Ophis Dracula’s POV

Shit!

What should I do?

Did he notice me? Was this why he was escaping like this?

What should I do now!

I immediately called Valra for advice. She answered quickly, "I think she might be there... that’s why."

Her words made sense. After all, searching all over the city, we hadn’t found a single clue about Pride other than mangled body parts scattered in the streets.

That left only one place— the sewage grounds.

I frowned before nodding, even though she couldn’t see me... It’s funny how they use this thing to talk like an idiot!

"So what now?"

"You keep following him. I’ll come there too."

I frowned harder at her words. "How can I follow him? That thing is still watching him. If I enter the same passage he used, I’ll get caught for sure."

But then she said, in a sarcastic tone that stabbed at my pride and annoyed me to my very core,

"Oh... brainless bat! You can enter another manhole and follow him from there, you idiot!"

"...."

I narrowed my eyes at my phone, holding back a hiss. Should I kill her later?

Shaking away my killing intent, I immediately moved toward another sewage line and slipped inside.

OH shit!

What were these humans eating?!

The stench struck me like a blade, burning through my nose and hitting my nerves so hard I almost vomited on the spot.

Even bats wouldn’t smell like this!

I groaned, gagging as I covered my nose and mouth. "Awww... what the hell!!"

Still, I pressed on, my eyes adjusting quickly to the damp, rotting darkness. I searched carefully, scanning the shadows until finally... I spotted him.

Leo.

He was walking deeper through the sewage tunnels.

I kept my distance, following him from behind. Every muscle in my body was tense, ready for anything.

And then, without warning, he suddenly froze.

He lifted his phone, staring at the screen, and then, without hesitation, he moved straight back toward the surface.

Holy shit!

I immediately darted toward another manhole. Arrh! Manhole where!!

I screamed, trying to find another one.... and when I found it, I climbed up fast to keep.

I pushed myself onto the surface, ready to follow... only to stop cold.

"Where did he go?"

I blinked, utterly stunned. He had vanished. That was it... I lost him completely.

Grinding my teeth, I called Valra again.

"YOU USELESS IDIOT! CAN’T YOU DO A SINGLE FREAKING JOB?!!" she screamed through the line.

’The nerve this woman has... shouting at me...’ My blood boiled.

I really wanted to snap back at her, to rebuke her with all the venom I had. But this time, I couldn’t.

This time it was truly my fault.

I clenched my teeth until they hurt and muttered low, "What should we do now? The last I saw, he was walking out of the sewage. Does that mean Pride wasn’t there?"

"...All we have to do now is either find the cloaked one... or find Leo. Let’s move faster," she said, as she too began her search.

I glanced down at the phone, sighing in frustration before clenching it tightly in my hand.

My nails dug into the casing, and.... the urge to crush it entirely nearly overcame me.

I had been belittled too much by this woman... One day, I will have my revenge, woman!!

With that burning grudge, I began my search again, scouring the streets with restless wings. Hours passed, yet we found nothing... no sign of Leo, no trace of the cloaked figure.

Each moment pressed harder on me, and my heart began to pound faster, almost painfully, a sick weight of fear clawing through my chest.

I was... I was really worried. Something could have happened to him. And it would be because of me.

Because of my mistake.

Shit!

I shouldn’t have lost sight of him... I shouldn’t have let him slip away.

I... I...

My lips trembled, my eyes shaking as I darted through the night sky, my small wings fluttering frantically.

And then ju...st when despair began to sink into our bones —

BOOM!

The street cracked open as several manholes exploded upward in a violent blast.

I flinched hard, eyes snapping wide as I whipped toward the sound. One of the manholes had erupted, concrete and flame bursting into the air.

Why? Why would it suddenly blast open like that?

Wait... don’t tell me— Leo was still underground?

But hadn’t he already left the sewers?

Confusion swirled like a storm in my mind when—

"I found him!!"

Valra’s voice roared through the phone, making me flinch in surprise.

Of course.... She must have traced the fire, following its path to its origin.

My wings beat faster as I zoomed instantly toward the location.

My breath caught the moment I saw it.

Everyone was there.

Raphael. Leo. Camazotz. Nergal. And even... my father.

My blood chilled, but before I could even process the sight, the nightmare unfolded.

My father slashed his claws toward Leo’s neck. The strike came fast... far too fast for any human to dodge.

"Not on my watch... Father."

The words tore from me in a murderous tone. I would not fail again.

I bit into my finger, the copper taste of blood flooding my mouth, and immediately—

Ssshh~

A blood spear materialised in my grasp. Without hesitation, I hurled it. The crimson weapon streaked across the air like lightning, piercing through Father’s hand clean.

"Arrgh!" He groaned, stumbling back, his claws dripping as his crimson eyes snapped upward, locking on me with feral fury.

I stared at him blankly, my chest heaving, my blood still burning.

"Ophis?"

Leo’s voice broke through, strained with surprise. He looked at me with surprise and a shocked expression.

"What are you guys doing her—"

"YOU HAVE A LOT TO EXPLAIN, MISTER!!"

I snapped, my furious tone colliding with Valra’s voice as she shouted the same thing.

The nerve of this bastard... smiling at me after making me panic, after dragging me through despair!!

"O-Ophis?"

I turned sharply... Raphael was staring at me, eyes wide, shocked, utterly baffled.

’Well... there goes my innocent act,’ I thought weakly, as if I had just lost something that could have been an advantage to me.