Chapter 137

I’m the type who can hold back my curiosity pretty well, all thanks to my ability to control myself. But that doesn’t mean I respect others’ privacy. If I get curious about something and Maria doesn’t want me to find out, sure, I’ll let it slide. However, I’m not gonna entertain some random nobody’s wish for me to stay ignorant.

I’m a villain on the path to redemption—meaning I’m still very much a villain. And villains gotta act like villains, right?

“Who exactly are you, stranger? What’s with the scaredy-cat routine since we met?”

“L-let go! Let go of me, dammit! Ugh…!”

The mysterious visitor yells, but there’s no one around in this back alley to hear them anyway.

“Your voice is getting clearer now that you’re pinned down. So, you’re a girl after all. Are you a student at the Academy or maybe a teacher? Either way, let’s see your face, shall we?”

With my left hand pinning her hooded head down, I grab the hood with my right. Once I pull it off, her true identity will be revealed.

She struggles violently, but I’m far from letting her wriggle free. As I press harder, she lets out a blood-curdling scream.

“Aaaah!!”

“Does it hurt? Then how about you stop resisting, huh? I don’t really enjoy hitting people, ya know.”

“Huh… ugh… kuh…”

“What’s wrong? Crying now? Seriously, what did I do? Don’t worry, I’m not here to do anything weird. I just wanna see your face. It’s not like looking at someone’s face will wear it out, right?”

*Pak.*

As I’m getting confused by her crying, she suddenly pulls out a pistol from her coat and points it at me before firing toward my arm.

*BANG!*

“Excuse me? If I didn’t already know better, I might’ve been fooled. But c’mon, I’ve been through more gunfights than you can count… Where are you even running off to?”

Her tears were fake all along. The sharp sound of gunfire echoes through the air.

Using the distraction of the gunshot, she breaks free from my grip with a sudden burst of energy. Her heat was intense—it felt like my skin would burn off. Not many people can produce such heat, which only makes me more curious about her identity. To uncover it, I’ll need to catch her as she leaps between rooftops like a flying squirrel.

*Pabaat!*

Is it because of her small stature? She moves with incredible agility, leaping gracefully across buildings.

I watch her retreating figure silently, shading my eyes from the glaring sunlight. Preparing for moments like these, I issue a low command to my faithful hunting companion.

“Aru, bring her back.”

“Grrr.”

*Pang!*

The werewolf who had been lounging on my head licking its paws shoots off like a bullet. A streak of gray flashes through the air as the wolf-girl with flowing hair sprints forward. Oh, and by the way, she’s got a piece of bloody meat dangling from her mouth—what a glutton.

*Kwaduk!*

Though she eats like there’s no tomorrow, she gets the job done. Just seconds after launching herself from my head, Aru catches up to the fleeing girl. Despite firing two more shots from her pistol, they don’t stand a chance against Aru.

There’s no way Aru, the fastest in the continent, would get hit by something like that. With teeth strong enough to crunch steel like tofu, Aru snaps the bullets mid-air, swallowing them whole like snacks.

“Crazy…!”

“Grrr… Hurry up.”

A brief aerial battle ensues. First, the girl attempts an uppercut aimed at Aru’s chest. Second, Aru effortlessly dodges and retaliates with a swift grab. There’s no stopping Aru’s extended arm, moving faster than even my enhanced vision can track. The girl barely manages to let out a groan before helplessly exposing her neck.

*Clink!*

“Keh! Kekh, uhnnn…!”

“Stay still, Aru. Or I might eat you.”

“Ea… eat…?!”

“I hear breast meat is quite tender. Juicy too.”

“Keh…! Get lost… Ke, kekh!”

“Stop squirming. Aru, if I put too much pressure, your neck will snap.”

Aru’s threats aren’t empty words. Even the strongest compression devices pale in comparison to her jaw strength. Snapping a human neck is child’s play for her.

Thankfully, the girl seems to realize her predicament and stops resisting. Aru drags her back to me, leaving my side briefly.

“Haha, didn’t I tell you this would happen eventually? Why fight so hard? Now, stay still.”

*Chink.*

I reach into her hood and confiscate her gun. With three bullets missing, three remain in the chamber.

Should I shoot her thigh to restrict her movement? I consider it briefly but decide against it. Even though we’re in a back alley, this is still downtown. Someone might have heard the gunshots already. Making more noise wouldn’t be wise.

After handing the girl over from Aru, I grab her neck again and push her against the alley wall. She tries desperately to pry my arms off with both hands.

She puts up an incredibly stubborn fight. Time to calm her down a bit.

*Pow!*

I slam my fist into her soft abdomen. Even though I held back enough not to puncture her stomach entirely, she clearly feels the pain.

“Keh…!!”

White saliva leaks from beneath her bowed hood.

“Keh, kekh… Ugh… Kuh…!”

Her labored breathing. Her spasming stomach. The grip on my arm has completely weakened. Finally, her body goes limp—or rather, rigid.

“Can’t breathe, can you? Be thankful I didn’t punch your liver. You’d be struggling even more if I had.”

“Ugh… Kuh, ugh…!”

“Hmm… Still having trouble breathing?”

This is the moment of truth. Her heart pounds loudly while mine races excitedly.

I grab the top part of her hood. Once I lift this, her hidden face will finally be revealed.

“Well then, time for the big reveal?”

“No… Please…! Unnngh….”

Unveiling mysteries is always fun. An upbeat rhythm escapes my lips involuntarily.

“Tara-tara-tara… Boom-clap, boom-clap!”

*Swish.*

“Please…! Evans…!!”

“Tara-lira… Huh?”

I lift the hood halfway, revealing a cute-looking jawline. But my hand stops there.

An enormous force, comparable to a natural disaster, charges straight at me.

It’s coming from the right. As soon as I finish thinking that, I turn my head—and am instantly engulfed by an impact akin to being rammed by a tank.

*KABOOM!*

“Aaaaah!”

“Grrr!?”

My body flies backward helplessly. I try to stop myself with telekinesis, but the inertia is overwhelming. All I can do is slow down gradually.

*Whoooom.*

Smooth golden hair flows elegantly in the wind. Long, radiant strands of gold embellish the surroundings like a dazzling tapestry.

What the hell?! Why is she here? Shine Stella, why the sudden appearance?!

Or… wait. It makes sense. It’s afternoon now. Stella is a third-year student. After finishing her morning classes at the Academy, she’d likely be out doing “hero duties.” Plus, with those superhuman ears of hers, there’s no way she missed the three gunshots. And we are close to Eden Academy, after all.

Damn it. I quickly pull out a white mask from my pocket and cover my face. The ‘guest’ may have seen my face already, but exposing it to Stella—a third-year student—is dangerous. Luckily, without a photo, describing me purely from memory won’t be easy.

“Citizen! Are you alright? Grr… That guy took that hit and still stands unscathed…!”

Stella glares at me as I fly away, supporting the guest who’s gasping for breath after escaping my grasp. I close my eyes briefly, thinking fast.

“Aru! Hide yourself for a moment!”

“Grr? Is the young demon okay!?”

“For now, just hide! Stella mustn’t recognize your ears!”

“Grr… Got it! Be careful!”

Following my orders, Aru retreats into the shadows. Good, I’ve bought myself some breathing room.

As I soar through the city center, slicing through the air—I’m technically being propelled by Stella’s powerful body check—I fold my arms.

Let me think.

I can identify the ‘guest’ later at the Academy. I’ve already instructed Aru to memorize their scent thoroughly, so we’ll know immediately if we cross paths again.

So, no major issues leaving this scene behind… except for the fact that the ‘guest’ saw my face and knows me. Anyone familiar with me could potentially avoid me. Since I’ve only seen her jawline, I could use the fact that I don’t know her full identity to plan something. Or she might leave the Academy altogether.

Shall I kill her here? Or at least confirm her face before letting her escape?

To execute either option, I’d first have to deal with Shine Stella. Stella has misinterpreted—or rather, correctly interpreted—the situation as me being the villain and the guest the victim. She won’t sit idly by if I try to approach the guest.

There’s no reason not to kill Stella. She’s not Maria, after all. Past-life connections are just that—past life.

But the key question is: Can I kill her? If I engage Stella here, can I defeat or subdue her and confirm the guest’s identity?

At this point, Stella is a third-year student, twenty years old.

She may not be at her peak yet, but underestimating her would be a mistake. Stella is already known as a “Heavenly Hero” (천웅).

During her prime, she was the sole person in the continent called the “First of the Continent” (大陸第一).

Even with Aru’s help in a two-on-one fight, while she isn’t at her peak, killing her would cost me at least an arm.

The guest’s identity isn’t worth that risk. Besides, Stella will surely be a valuable ally when defending the Academy against future invasions.

Let’s retreat. I can identify the guest later using Aru’s keen sense of smell.

Just as I make that decision and leap into the sky to vanish beyond the horizon…

*Shi-shiik.*

“Where do you think you’re running to?”

Wait…

Why is there a golden fist in front of my face?

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