Rose sighed while looking at the shadow of the Wright family’s mansion. The night’s shroud of the masterfully built huge residence was like a veil clouding the mystery of those who lived there.

They insisted they didn't know Paina… Is Miss Pinaca just a lookalike after all?

“See June? That's the look of someone in love,” Conn elbowed June while whispering.

“Have some delicacy, you big buffoon!” June slapped the back of Conn’s head.

“Rose, leave it at that for now. You’ll need all your strength for the ceremony tomorrow.”

“...Yes, Master Mita.”

No sooner than she said that, a massive Victa fluctuation radiated from the mansion. It was as striking as lighting up a fire in the darkness.

So powerful! Is that a Domain?

And then, a short while later, there was another.

From another part of the city.

***

A woman fell to her knees while panting heavily. The shining light that protected the attack aiming at two passersby twinkled out.

“As expected of the goody-two-shoes legion member,” the assassin said in a female's voice. “How foolish.”

“Run,” Ciel voiced weakly and the two civilians rightfully turned their backs and ran. She kept the assassin’s attention on her. “The likes of you wouldn’t understand.”

“You’re right, I wouldn't,” the black-robed assailant bared her knife and approached. “Now, before others come and steal my meritorious deeds-”

“You’ll perish!” Ciel shot out a laser from her finger.

Arte - Luminous Sunbeam!

Once upon a time, Freya used the same Arte against Viers. Ciel and Freya were both members of the same organization and they both possessed light affinity. It wasn't unusual that they had similar Artes.

“Nuoh!? Y-You still have this much power?” The assassin was hard-pressed to maintain her wind barrier. “We’re both Level 3, how come there’s this much disparity in power?”

The assassin gritted her teeth, wind clashing against light but the attack was too focused, too powerful. It pierced the barrier and blasted a scorching hole in her chest, taking out her heart with it.

“Don't… underestimate… the Silver Legion.”

Yet Ciel also fell, exhausted beyond measure.

***

After realizing Arsène could revive, it was out of the question to not equip him with a kamikaze attack. Suicide attacks were powerful and could be a tide-turner when employed correctly.

Viers used Dark Zero Volod’s Intio Destruction and many other Artes to create a significantly stronger suicide Arte: Suicide You.

And it is a villain’s prerogative to have a self-destruct button. Mwuahahaha! Oh, I almost pity my enemies. Almost.

Arsène himself didn’t have any disinclination being made into a suicide bomber for Arsène was Viers himself.

Viers likened Arsène to a duplicate made from his own ‘save file’. When Viers created Arsène, the unique being was a copy of Viers’ consciousness, mind, and abilities. The only thing that Arsène lacked was the Horizon Aspect and the boost of power that came with it. When Arsène merged back with Viers, Viers’ ‘save file’ was updated. The next time Arsène was conjured, it was from the latest version of the save file, which was Viers at the time.

Since Arsène was not a ‘separate’ individual, there was no dispute. The cliché of a replica taking over the original or wanting to be its own being was nonexistent.

But if Arsène is destroyed in battle and unable to merge with me, I won’t get his experience. Shame I couldn't witness how Suicide You fared against a Level 4.

Despite thinking that, Viers kept a watchful eye and opened his senses for anything unusual as he changed locations. Paina’s exit point was sufficiently far from the Wright’s mansion, but the possibility of pursuers was not zero so he wasn't taking any chances.

Meanwhile, inside the White Flowers Meadow, Farley was consoling her friend.

“Paina, are you okay?”

The father that she was dying to meet tried to kill her, and there was the revelation about her mom to boot. Her heart must be broken. I must give her my best support as her friend.

Paina spoke after a brief silence, to Farley’s surprise, with a fiery tone.

“I was prepared for my father trying to kill me… No, it’s messed up but Viers has briefed us it might happen. If all was well and good between my parents, they wouldn't have separated in the first place. But my mom sent me here so my dad could kill me? That doesn't make any sense!”

“Pst… She isn't despairing, right?” Clarissa whispered to Viers some distance away.

“No, she’s not. She’s… ranting?” Viers whispered back.

“Hmph! I don't need to think too deeply about that stuff. Once Viers becomes strong enough and soul searches him, I‘ll find out eventually. I’ll do it myself if I have to! At any rate, I refuse to believe my mom ever wanted me dead. She loves me and I love her. No matter what that… that Shitty Goatee Father of mine said!”

Paina stomped the ground.

“O, ooh! That’s the spirit,” Farley encouraged.

“She’s become stronger,” Clarissa nodded positively. “So, Plan B?”

Viers shrugged as if he planned to do that from the start. “Plan B, soul search Pinaca to find out what’s going on.”

It depends on the threat level though. If the heat is too high, I’ll leave for the mountains and wait till the storm passes. I can turn into a monster and hunt wyverns and dragons to enhance my monster forms.

It was good that Paina did not lose heart. He feared Paina would relapse to her passive self but the journey with Viers had strengthened her.

“...Alright gang, focus now. I feel many suspicious people around us. They seem to be searching for someone. Tsk, already? Guess the hands of the Wrights are longer than I thought.”

At this late hour, not many people walked the streets and alleys. A sudden burst of power came from nearby. It was a shield of light.

Someone is fighting over there… Oh crud! The suspicious people are coming this way to get over there!

The mysterious men were approaching from three sides. Viers’ options were to either clash with the pursuers or go closer to the scene of the battle.

…It’s quiet now. Perhaps the battle has already ended. That way.

Viers picked his route, walking hastily in a somewhat eerie neighborhood’s alleyway.

He stumbled upon two bodies. One was cloaked with a hole in her chest, lying face down. The other was wearing something white but had been stained with blood and grime. Her blonde hair covered the front of her face.

“They’re dead,” Viers said telepathically.

“Uhh, one of them is still alive,” Paina pointed out.

“Nope. Both dead.”

“You can see her breathing and hear her heartbeat!”

“I don't know what you’re talking about.”

Viers plucked the soul of the woman with a hole in her chest and stored her body in his inventory item as if he nabbed a free sample product in a supermarket.

“See? See you cannot put the other one inside? Come on, she needs help. Just put her on your shoulder and bring her to a healer on the way. It would be easy for you.”

“Nature is cruel,” Viers walked away. “People die all the time.”

“Er… Lord Viers, doesn't the woman look familiar to you?”

Viers facepalmed, even Farley? His efforts to keep his hands clean from this matter weren’t working. Someone upstairs seemed hell-bent to make him go down the ‘save the girl’ route.

Viers turned around and examined her face more closely.

“...It’s Ciel.”

“Ciel? Ah! The Silver Legion woman that saved us from the goblin ambush!” Paina realized.

“What a blast from the past…” Farley was there too.

Viers was in a conundrum.

What now? Should I save her after all? She did save me from a predicament once. But the pursuers-

“Who goes there?”

-arrived faster than I thought. Shit.

One, two, three. Three people with cloak and dagger vibes arrived, surrounding Viers and Ciel.

“...Target is down but alive. Call others as the leader instructed?” One of them asked the most senior among them.

“No need. Let's take the credit.”

The assassin that Ciel defeated had said the same thing. These assassins elbowed each other during the race to who-murdered-Ciel-first. And from the conversation, Viers deduced they weren't with the Wrights and from the Bone Ravens. Cultists who worshiped one of the seven great devils, Banbenxi.

Viers had disagreements with them in the past. The Fade in Shadow Arte was the Raven’s signature Arte which Viers stole.

“What about the extra?”

“No witnesses,” the senior assassin spoke emotionlessly. “Urp!?”

“Yes,” Viers sighed, killing intent soaring. “No witnesses. So be it.”

Even below Level 3, the difference between small realms was present in the form of low, mid, high, and peak. Viers simply didn't care to differentiate them so far. However, from Level 3 onwards, the disparity between small realms started to become significant and would only grow the higher the Level.

Two of the Ravens were Level 2, while the senior was a Level 3 low Pathseeker.

With the damage boost of 451.07% from Horizon, killing a Level 3 mid was an easy-peasy task for Viers, let alone these chumps.

Viers hit them hard enough that their souls went out of their bodies.

***

“So, Viers saved another pretty girl. Again,” Clarissa gave the opening words.

“Well, despite what he said. He’s always taken a softer stance against beauties. Good grief,” Paina scoffed. “How many does he intend to gather at his side?”

“This time it's a dependable cool beauty type?” Farley observed. “Early twenties. About five years difference with Lord Viers. There’s nothing unsatisfactory about her physique but her allegiance is a problem. Lord Viers, I suggest a milder approach against Ciel. Gradually wear down her defenses from little things and make her fall bit by bit. I have a few techniques that I believe will be very effective.”

“...You girls… What are you talking about when the person in question is right in front of you?” Viers growled.

The employees used the meeting table in the White Flowers Meadow for discussing the CEO’s scandal!

“If there’s an option to save a dude or a babe, Viers is seventy percent more inclined to save the babe. Unless the dude can give more benefits,” Clarissa continued discussing with Paina as if Viers didn't exist.

“Viers is a boy, after all. Men with power having multiple companions are nothing strange in this day and age.” Paina sighed. “I wish he would just man up at this point and admit it.”

“Many powerful women also have their harem, Paina. It’s not exclusive to males. After having enough power and wealth, what else do you suppose these Pathseekers seek?” Farley said in the Gendo Ikari pose. Viers didn't teach her that. “Desire is a natural thing for humans.”

“So what do you think of his preferred type? Young or mature? Big boobs or small chests?” Paina said with a piercing gaze at her fellow employees.

“Oi.”

“Based on the girls around him so far, he likes them young. Might be because his cultivation level pushed him to interact with people of that age group. Need more observation,” the lamia princess similarly replied with an absurd degree of seriousness. “Small or big doesn't seem to matter to him, I think. He likes them both.”

“Oi!”

“Perhaps Lord Viers’ reservation to bond with other females is because of us taking residence inside him. I thank you for the consideration, Lord Viers. I can only speak for myself but should such a situation arise, there won't be a single complaint from me. Please do as you please.”

“Viers has such consideration, huh? Ah, it might be his extra motivation for giving us our bodies back. He can just cut the V-Stream but maybe it’s not enough privacy for him?” Clarissa twirled her tail while thinking.

“In other words, Viers would already be ‘doing it’ with a bunch of women if we’re not around, yeah?” Paina said deliberately, making her slow face turn to Viers, as insufferable as possible.

She smirked.

“Pervert.”

A vein popped on Viers’ forehead.

“Enough gossiping and do your job! Farley, Paina, out!”

After the inevitable battle with the assassins and erasing the crime scene of his trace, Viers speedily and clandestinely brought Ciel to a safe house.

It was Ditan’s other one. Being located in the brothel district didn't matter to Viers.

After getting away, Viers started to give Ciel medicine and healing. The bleeding wound and battle damage he could heal, albeit slowly, but there was something else that made Ciel’s condition worsen.

Poison. Not the common kind either.

Ciel came to during the treatment at some point. She weakly said: “To… the Church,” then she passed out once again.

Viers was a criminal. He stayed away from the Church on every occasion. With Arsène unavailable, he was a bit reluctant to go to the Church.

Also, after the matter with Jerrold, the streets are littered with watchmen. There might be other assassins too. Ciel's their target. Going right now is too dangerous.

Viers did not possess the means to purge the poison but Ciel wasn't going to die shortly. Viers compromised and decided to wait a few hours before taking her to the Church.

I guess she needs a change of clothes and some cleaning. All that blood and dirt certainly isn't good for a sick person.

That was when he called Paina and Farley to tend to Ciel. He didn't have to disrobe a woman despite being a male doctor, he called the nurses.

But he didn’t think he would find the Viers Angels gossiping about a taboo subject.

Viers conjured Farley and Paina to tend to Ciel after berating them.

“Yes, yes~” Paina replied.

Phew, she laughed, Farley thought about Paina's smirk. She might be putting on a strong front but Paina was still shaken emotionally. Farley played along during the earlier gossip session to cheer Paina up, even if it was only a little. Being made to laugh while in despair helped, Farley knew from experience.

Even in one’s darkest moments, a laugh will give them a spark of light… Hang in there Paina.

“Good. While you’re changing her clothes…” Viers put his hands on Ciel's forehead and cheek before closing his eyes.

“Hey, that’s improper!” Paina protested.

“Lord Viers, you’re soul searching her?”

“Having a source of info on the Silver Legion is beyond rare. Think of it as her hospital fees.”

Paina still disagreed. “But-”

Suddenly, the house’s wall was breached and a team of people entered the room à la SWAT!

Ciel was half-naked, being disrobed by two wraiths, and Viers’ hands were touching the unconscious young woman.