Not the End

Before the words had even faded, the rapier struck out like a viper, swift and lethal. The blade sliced through the air, erupting in a sharp, whistling shriek.

It was hard to imagine such a body could unleash such power, and this time his target was Eve; he intended to reclaim his Lucky Coin.

Hallucinations plagued Lorenzo, and for a moment, he found himself unable to keep pace with Sabo. The girl simply watched Sabo's approach, then raised the revolver in her hand.

It was the revolver known as Death Knell. In Eve's eyes, the world was equally distorted, but that did not mean she would sit still and wait for death.

She pulled the trigger, but the death knell she had anticipated did not ring out.

Eve froze for a brief moment before the truth suddenly dawned on her. She truly wanted to curse Lorenzo; the man was nothing but scum. From the very beginning, there had only been five bullets in the revolver, just like when he had used the ladder back at Phoenix Manor—he had exploited people's "common sense."

This was why he had been so confident; the bastard knew from the start that the cylinder was empty. Some gambler he was—the whole thing was nothing but his parlor trick.

The sharp rapier arrived in the blink of an eye. The keen blade whistled as it grazed Eve's cheek. The Goddess of Luck favored no one; now, Sabo's attack also failed to land due to his blood loss and hallucinations. A moment later, a cane sword pierced through his body, erupting from his back like an executioner's spear, pinning Sabo firmly to the ground.

"Eve! Don't just stand there!"

Lorenzo did not seem inclined to explain his wretched deception, choosing instead to roar at her.

Eve had not understood Lorenzo's actions, but immediately afterward, she heard it—the sound coming from every direction.

It was the sound of panicked footsteps thudding against the stone tiles, accompanied by the whispers of heavenly groans that filled her ears.

She looked toward the crowd that had fallen beneath the high platform, only to see them rising in a grotesque manner. They stood up with a distortion that no human should be capable of, their eyes a chilling, solid white, pacing slowly like walking corpses.

"Is it... a hallucination?"

Eve's hardening heart nearly shattered again. Under the influence of the hallucinogens, she could no longer distinguish between illusion and reality.

"I don't know. I only know we need to leave."

Lorenzo lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply. The stimulant herbs began to take effect, and his vision started to clear.

"That... this person... Lorenzo!"

Eve had intended to ask how to handle Sabo, as they still lacked sufficient clues, but as she shifted her gaze toward him, the body that should have been dead began to move once more.

It was no longer the vitality of a mortal; it was a grotesque sight straight out of a bizarre legend. She watched as he gripped the blade, slowly lifting himself from the ground. The blood had drained away, and through the mangled wounds, only stark white bone was visible. There were no cries of pain, only a whimpering laughter.

"Death... is not the end."

Lorenzo whispered, suddenly recalling the words Sabo had spoken earlier.

"It's the coin!"

Eve had clearly realized something and shrieked.

Sabo's twisted body slowly stood up. In his mangled hand, he held his Lucky Coin. Then, the hideous iron mask slowly cracked open, and his pitch-black mouth swallowed both the coin and his own palm whole. His misaligned fangs tore through flesh and bone, emitting a bone-chilling sound.

"Is it... a hallucination?"

The girl gripped her sword and gun tightly. On the edge of madness, this was the only way she could keep her composure.

"That doesn't matter."

Lorenzo said coldly.

It was a bizarre standoff, but suddenly, a more thunderous sound echoed through the hall. The entire room trembled with the noise, the ornate chandelier swaying violently as its crystal components collided with a crisp ringing, followed by an endless cascade of dust.

It felt as if a giant were stomping on the ground, but the sounds continued in rapid succession, and only then did Eve realize these were clearly the sounds of artillery shells exploding.

What on earth was happening on the surface?

Before she could dwell on it, the lights in the hall flickered and died amidst the violent tremors. In that fleeting moment of darkness, Sabo's twisted body vanished.

Perhaps she had been subjected to too many bizarre shocks, but Eve found herself managing to stay somewhat calm.

"He disappeared."

"I know."

Lorenzo's voice was calm. At this moment, the great detective possessed an indescribable air. He stared fixedly at the spot where Sabo had vanished, lost in thought.

But following this, the endless sound of footsteps returned. Before they knew it, the dance floor was filled with guards wielding firearms. Under the influence of the hallucinogens, each of them wore an expression of extreme mania.

It was the service elevator. This place had once been a dueling arena; gladiators would prepare in the basement beneath the dance floor—the arena floor—and when the cheers rose, they would emerge from the underground lift. The guards had been hiding down there all along.

One wave followed another, and a hail of gunfire washed over the high platform.

Lorenzo grabbed a shotgun and fired at the stained-glass window behind them. The glass shattered and flew, revealing a small room. Just as Lorenzo had suspected, Sabo had been observing him from there all along.

He pulled Eve inside, the room filled with a strange atmosphere.

"Eve, hold this position. We have the high ground; they can't get up here for now."

He tossed his Winchester to her and strode into the depths of the room.

"What are you doing?"

As she caught the shotgun, Eve realized how heavy it was. It had seemed so light in Lorenzo's hands; it was hard to imagine how much arm strength the detective possessed.

"Clues. What Sabo told us isn't enough."

The brass mask held a complex expression; since Sabo's disappearance, Lorenzo's demeanor had been off.

"And then what? How do we get out?"

Eve shouted. She was more concerned with how to escape; everything that had happened tonight was a massive trauma to her psyche.

"Then it depends on you."

Lorenzo said indifferently.

"Me?"

Eve could not understand what this had to do with her.

Lorenzo looked back at the hall, where hallucinogens permeated the air. Since the area had not been contaminated, Lorenzo's consciousness gradually cleared.

"I don't know exactly how many guards are outside, so the most reliable method isn't for us to fight our way out, but to call someone else to save us."

Lorenzo rummaged through cabinets as he spoke.

"That's why, a few hours before the operation, I gave a messenger boy a silver coin to deliver a letter for me."

Looking up at Eve's bewildered expression, Lorenzo continued.

"Actually, I knew the location of this place. The Lower District is only so big, and every gang's territory is fixed. So, I wrote down this location and your name in a letter and handed it to Suaran Hall."

Think about it: an anonymous letter telling you that the princess of Phoenix Manor has appeared in the Lower District, and that she is also a detective for Suaran Hall... If I were the chief, I would take every mounted officer and storm the Lower District; otherwise, the wrath of Phoenix Manor would be waiting for me."

Everything was under control. Lorenzo had been preparing this ever since he learned of Eve's true identity. As long as Eve remained by his side, Suaran Hall would do whatever it took to rescue her.

Lorenzo had been checking his watch earlier just to wait for this moment. When Suaran Hall attacked, that would be the moment for him to retreat.

"Besides, the authenticity of this matter is very easy to verify. Suaran Hall just needs to call Phoenix Manor and ask if you are there."

Everything was so precise, seamless.

Eve blew a guard's head off with her shotgun, and the corpse tumbled down the stairs. After hearing all this, the girl was suddenly dazed, and then she cursed angrily.

"You used me!"

"It's a win-win!"

"Lorenzo, you are a piece of trash!"

"And right now, only this piece of trash can keep you alive!"

The Cane Sword slashed fiercely at the wall. It was unclear what metal the blade was forged from; it was so slender and light, yet incredibly hard.

A secret door was forcibly broken open by Lorenzo's strike. The iron door revealed a dark corner, barely wide enough for a person to pass through.

"Everything is ruined!"

Eve climbed in, clutching her shotgun. The girl was filled with resentment. She hadn't cried when facing that hellish scene earlier, but now, tears hung from her eyes.

"They will definitely use this to stop me from being a detective! It's all because of you!"

"Calm down, Detective! Do you think I didn't consider you?"

Seeing Eve's posture, it seemed she might open fire on Lorenzo the next second. Lorenzo now regretted giving her the gun.

"As long as they don't catch you, none of this holds up! It was just an anonymous letter with no credibility. As long as you aren't caught, no one will know you were here. That letter has no legal standing!"

"You said earlier that a single phone call could confirm it!"

"Yes! But that would only confirm you aren't at Phoenix Manor. You could be anywhere tonight, just not here!"

Even if there were many suspicious points tonight, given Eve's status, Suaran Hall would have no choice but to swallow the bitter pill.

As he spoke, Lorenzo grabbed Eve's dress and tore it open with force. There was no erotic scene; tight-fitting casual clothes and weapons appeared underneath. Like magic, the delicate princess transformed into an iron-blooded Valkyrie in an instant.

"Can we save the killing and blaming for when we get out? You don't want tomorrow's Queen's Daily to have some hellish headline about the princess of Phoenix Manor dying in the Lower District, do you?"

Lorenzo snatched the shotgun from Eve's hands and pulled the trigger. The guards on the high platform fell to the ground, but even so, their bodies continued to twitch. Under the influence of the hallucinogens, this group was facing a landscape Lorenzo could not comprehend.

They felt no pain, driven only by pure desire.

For a moment, it felt as if thunder surged through Lorenzo's body. It was a chill from the depths of his heart, like a biological instinct; those nerves hammered at Lorenzo's brain, warning him of everything to come.

He saw it.

It seemed as if thousands of crows were flying and echoing in this narrow hall. The miserable cawing converged, rising and falling to construct an obscure, incomprehensible low murmur. It was as if an ancient existence was using the mouths of the crows to speak a vicious curse.

All light vanished in an instant, and his vision went pitch black. This sudden arrival of night reminded Lorenzo of his Spirit Sight, where it was the same: the light faded, and darkness shrouded everything.

Without the slightest hesitation, he shoved Eve into the secret door and followed her in. At the same time, the muzzle of the shotgun erupted with dazzling fire. It was the only light source in the dark night—only a fleeting moment, yet it illuminated a hideous corner of the darkness.

Accompanied by hateful whispers, countless blood-stained hands reached out from the edge of the high platform. Joints twisted and deformed, hoisting up a bloated body. It was hard to describe that thing; at first glance, it looked like a huge, deformed ball of flesh, as if hundreds of people had been pushed into a meat grinder and their broken bodies stitched back together.

The momentary light vanished. The instant he slammed the door shut, a massive impact came from behind it. It was a hair-raising sound, a sharp, low screeching that cut into his eardrums, as if countless fingernails were clawing at the door.

"What... was that..."

In the darkness, the girl's voice sounded as if she had been scared senseless, while Lorenzo remained calm—though "experienced" would be a more fitting description than calm. He was too familiar with all of this, even knowing what would happen next.

"Is it a hallucination?"

Eve's voice carried terror, and the answer to her was Lorenzo's cold voice.

"Hallucinations act directly on our minds, so in essence, we cannot see the same phantasm."

Cannot see the same phantasm...

The girl seemed to understand something, and her voice began to tremble.

"You mean... that was real?"

Illusion and reality overlapped, and the nightmare of ancient legend descended upon this night.

Lorenzo did not answer Eve's question, whispering instead the words Sabo had once spoken.

"That is a thing untouchable, incomprehensible, and not to be looked upon."

He pulled the trigger, the muzzle flash of the shotgun illuminating the dark secret passage once more. The bullets left dozens of holes in the iron door, and blood surged from those searing wounds. Between the gaps in the iron, flesh attempted to squeeze through—slender, tentacle-like appendages that swayed slowly like hair in the flowing air.

"Those involved either die... or go mad..."

Lorenzo's whisper turned into a roar. He yanked Eve up and charged toward the depths of the secret passage. Immediately after, the iron door shattered with a crash, and a red tide of blood, carrying a foul stench and wails, poured through from within.