Death and new life

Blackthorn Security Company, some time later.

Leonard Mitchell sat blankly on the dilapidated steps, his face pale and his eyes vacant. Facing the Backlund Nighthawks who had gathered around to question him, he had to force himself to concentrate and answer their questions.

Even so, the faces of my deceased colleagues still appear before my eyes from time to time.

Luther, his heart pierced, charred and withered;

Klein looked surprised.

Dunn fought until his last breath.

He would occasionally space out, and sometimes wonder why the mastermind had taken away Klein and Luther's Beyonder Characteristic, but left behind Dunn's Characteristic, as well as the other Characteristic of Shepherd's Grazing.

Everyone else died, only I survived.

Facing the Nighthawks Backlund, he even had a crazy thought: it would be great if he had died in the battle just now.

In this way, at least I won't suffer the inner torment of thinking—if I Acting more actively and been promoted earlier, perhaps the outcome would have been different.

Leonard was in a state of turmoil, and even felt somewhat annoyed by the Nighthawks in front of him.

He was about to call them away when he saw the crowd part like the sea, and at the end of it, there were Crestet Cesimir's deep, calm eyes.

"I have not found any trace of Cecilia Rondal."

Crestet's first words made Leonard's heart sink to the dark, grimy ground below the steps.

Luther is dead, his sister was taken away by bad guys, and I haven't even found a clue...

He closed his eyes in pain.

"I'm certain that Ince Will and the Sealed Artifact 0-08 played a role in this," Crestet said, walking up to Leonard. "Under these circumstances, surviving is already a remarkable achievement; you don't need to blame yourself."

However, Leonard completely ignored Crestet's advice and only heard the key words in his words.

Ince Will, the defector Archbishop, the "Gatekeeper" who failed his ascension; 0-08, a seemingly ordinary Quill... He recalled the relevant information from his memory, and at the same time, his ears twitched slightly.

Because Crestet was standing in front of him, he didn't dare to make any obvious Listening gestures, but simply listened quietly to the prompts from the voice in his mind.

Soon, the look of dejection on his face vanished.

"He's the mastermind behind all of this, isn't he?"

He asked.

Crestet nodded slowly.

"Your Excellency Cecimir, I request to join the Red Gloves."

Leonard looked at Crestet's gloves, which were so red they looked like they were about to drip blood, and said seriously.

The "Red Gloves" are the elite force within the Nighthawks, responsible for apprehending extraordinary cases nationwide. Their work is extremely dangerous, but the path to promotion is also much faster. As Senior Deacon, Crestet is one of the three leaders of the Red Gloves and wields considerable influence on related matters.

"Our minimum requirement is Sequence 7."

"I can speak calmly," Crestet said.

"I'll be promoted soon."

Leonard said, his deep-seated hatred causing his emerald eyes to flash with a chilling light.

He didn't know why he had survived. But even for the sake of those who had died, he would become stronger and exact revenge on that damned bastard!

"... Write to me after you get promoted."

Crestet looked into the other's eyes, "Hatred can make a person grow quickly, but don't forget, don't let it steal your soul..."

There's one more thing: your team members' household registrations have all been processed, but someone needs to inform their families.

"I'll go."

Leonard stood up, a pang of pain welling in his eyes. It wasn't just because he had to face Klein's siblings; more importantly, he thought of...

Luther has no family members left to contact...

Goddess, this ending is far too cruel for the Rondal siblings who struggled to survive. We beg you, have more mercy. Several days later, in Tingen City, at Raphael Cemetery.

The funerals of Dunn and Klein were over. A sorrowful Melissa tossed a theater ticket and Copper Whistle she had found on her brother into the grave. The crowd gradually gathered before Luther's grave.

Leonard, Kenley, Frye, and Bredt carried the light coffin and placed it into the grave.

In front of the tomb stands Luther's tombstone, bearing his photograph. In the photo, he appears handsome and young, with a radiant smile.

Beside her sat Cecilia, dressed in an elegant gown. Her beautiful face showed a hint of shyness, and she dared not look directly at the camera, but a smile appeared on her lips.

This is a photo they found at Luther's home, seemingly taken recently after he took his sister to buy a dress.

"I will do everything in my power to help you find Cecilia."

Leonard stood before the tombstone and silently spoke to the coffin.

Since no one from the Rondal family was left, his colleagues had to shovel soil and fill the grave, handful by handful, until the coffin was completely buried.

The deceased are gone, and they have been granted peaceful rest by the Goddess. But those who remain still have to bear the hardships of life, their hearts burning with the flames of anger and hatred until the end.

After the funeral, no matter how sad the crowd was, they gradually dispersed.

Night quickly enveloped the cemetery.

Klein was the first to wake up.

He broke through the tomb and was surprised, yet somewhat expected, to find himself resurrected. After that, he struggled to accept his situation and realized that he could no longer stay in Tingen— the fact that he had been resurrected was too shocking, and in this world where a True God existed, he would likely be captured and dissected.

He could only conceal his presence, use Divination to bid farewell to the captain and Luther, and then leave the cemetery with the grief of parting from his family and the rage of revenge.

Bathed in the Crimson Moonlight, the place quickly returned to tranquility.

However, this peace did not last long.

"Thump, thump."

Heavy footsteps echoed from the depths of the cemetery. The sound was eerie and gloomy, as if a lifeless corpse had come back to life, walking with difficulty. If anyone were in the cemetery at that moment, they would surely be terrified by the sound and turn to run away.

Under the moonlight, a massive figure gradually emerged. As it drew closer, it became clear that it was not a person, but a relatively delicate and beautiful young woman carrying a handsome young man covered in blood, as if his skin had been peeled off.

The girl's hands were covered in mud, and her fingernails were stained with blood and Mire.

"... Degeneration and darkness are gifts from the Lord; blessed are those who can heed His teachings..."

The Monster youth muttered involuntarily, reciting blasphemous and insane verses, as if he had fallen into a state of semi-madness.

His words were like invisible knives, tormenting the girl, causing pain to show on her delicate face, and blood to seep from her nose and eyes.

Even so, the girl did not let go of his hand, but resolutely carried him on her back, gently comforting the young man:

"Hang in there, brother... We promised each other we'd live on, we'd live on together..."

The two figures gradually walked away from the cemetery and disappeared at the end of the street.

Finally, the cemetery gained true peace, Crimson Moonlight shone down with boundless tenderness, as if preparing to bestow upon the deceased infinite peace and gentleness.

[End of this volume]