CHAPTER 101: THE HUNT BEGINS

In the ’barbarics’ gang’s base towards the outer zone of the Sandfall city, the boss was in his private room holding a man by his collar, his hands stained with the blood from hitting the man, whose face was swollen everywhere, blood kept flowing out from all the wounds and was barely holding to his consciousness.

"You dare open a business in my turf and refuse to pay me rent when my boys had kindly asked you for more than once, do you think I’m a joke?" the boss asked in a furious tone.

"I-I’m s-s-sorry..."

"What!? I can’t hear you...say it louder."

"I-I’m...s-s-sor-r-ry..."

"Agh! This bastard can’t even speak properly." He threw the man on the ground and turned around frustrated, and took a seat on the chair placed behind him.

"Take him away! Throw him at his shop’s door and ask his wife to pay the rent tomorrow. Tell her its double now."

"Yes boss!" two gang members nodded and picked the man lying on the floor and moved out of the room.

"Tch! I’ll have to throw this shirt now." He clicked his tongue in annoyance as his shirt got stained from the blood.

Just then the door opened with a loud thud and a member of his gang came running in. He fell in front of the boss on his knees as he gasped for breath. He was sweating buckets and was quite afraid as his eyes conveyed the fear he was in.

"What’s the matter? Why are you so flustered?" the boss asked.

"B-Boss...those two...a-are here."

"Who?" The boss asked, confused.

"The blindfolded...m-man and the w-witch. They killed a-all our members in the t-tavern."

The boss’s face went pale in fright. He instantly jumped up from his seat and held the one below by his arms and shook him vehemently as he asked.

"Where are they now? Did they follow you?"

"No boss! I ran the moment I saw them enter. They probably don’t even know that I was there."

"G-Good! Good! But we have to take refuge in the inner zone, or else they’ll reach us soon. Bring all the gold coins and jewels from the safe, we’re moving right now."

"What about the others boss?"

"Do you think all of us will be allowed entry inside the inner zone? Count yourself lucky that I’m bringing you with me. Don’t waste time now, go!" the boss yelled.

"Y-Yes boss!" he hurriedly got up and started running.

But just before he could move out of the door, the floor below him cracked and a huge scorpio rushed out, its stinger pierced right through his chest and plastered him into the ceiling. Blood gushed out of his mouth as his body twitched and slowly went limp.

The scorpio whipped his body away as it flew towards the boss and fell right beside his feet. The boss’s face went pale as he shrieked back in fear.

The scorpio then moved towards him, its stinger rushed to his chest and was about to pierce him too, but stopped right in front of his chest when a voice came from below.

"Stop!" Ames levitated up from the crack below and slowly descended beside the scorpio.

"Good job! Go back now." Ames commanded as the shadow behind him extended and engulfed the scorpio inside.

When the huge beast disappeared, the boss could see the scene in front of him outside his room. The corridor was filled with piles of body, all his gang members were cut into pieces and not a single part of the corridor was left from being painted with blood, and standing in front was the blindfolded man with a bloodstained katana in his hands.

Carmilla and Lamia levitated up from the crack and stood with Ames.

"Good job Furry! Here’s your treat." Lamia tossed a piece of meat to a black furred dog beside her, petting and praising it. As it was her spirit beast that had found the location of this gang from the smell of the bodies in the tavern.

"W-Who are you?" the boss asked, stuttering.

Ames just stood without a word. Carmilla rushed ahead in an instant and held him by his neck.

"Finally! I’ve got you at last. Tell me bastard. To whom did you sell me and my brother to." She asked through gritted teeth, fury visible in her voice.

"I-I don’t k-know what you’re talking a-about." He somehow squeezed the words out as he couldn’t breathe because of her gripping his neck tight.

"Release him. we won’t talk like this." Ames said.

Carmilla gripped him even tighter, but finally she sighed and released him. He fell on the floor and kept coughing, taking deep breaths. When he finally calmed down, Ames moved towards him.

Before the boss could relax, naraka moved from Ames’s coat and started crawling up his body.

"W-What is this? get it off!!" the boss screamed and started rolling around, but the naraka moved up and entered through his mouth, nose and eyes.

His eyes immediately went black and he froze on the spot, not moving a muscle.

"Take a seat." As Ames commanded, he moved up and sat at the chair, acting like a puppet, following his every command.

"Ask him now." Ames said to Carmilla.

"Do you remember the time twenty years back when you kidnapped a lot of children and killed their parents in their own house?" She asked.

"Yes. I do." The boss said in a flat tone, emotionless.

"Who ordered you to do that?"

"It was our boss Dahmer."

"Was he the one behind the experiment?"

"No. He took this contract from a different party. He job was only to deliver the children."

"Who was the party? What is his name?"

"I don’t know."

"Does your boss know then?"

"Yes."

"Where is he now?"

"In the inner zone. He is one of the four gang lords of the city."

"Can you take us to him?"

"No. I need permission to enter the inner zone."

"You’re no use then." She swung her arm as a mana arc rushed out, cutting his head off, which rolled down on the floor and a fountain of blood gushed out.