There was nothing in the clearing. The only response to those words was the smell of gunpowder drifting through the air.
Not far from Jonas, the Conservative soldiers froze for a moment, confusion appearing on their faces.
There... there wasn't anyone here. Had Mr. Jonas made some kind of mistake?
Ruined walls stood amid flickering flames. The fierce battle three streets away showed no sign of stopping, yet the street before them remained utterly silent. Even the Life Detection Devices carried by the Conservative soldiers detected nothing.
They waited another long moment, but still nothing happened. The smug look on Jonas's face stiffened, and embarrassment filled his eyes.
He hurriedly cleared his throat twice and explained, "Ahem. I was luring the enemy in, in case they had some special means of launching a sneak attack."
A few nearby soldiers opened their mouths, then slowly closed them.
As much as they wanted to make a snide comment, he was their superior's superior. There was no way they could voice their thoughts at a time like this.
But in all fairness, Mr. Jonas really had been a little... well... overly cautious.
Jonas gave two dry chuckles, relaxing the vigilance he had maintained earlier. He turned around and followed the Conservative soldiers toward the Peacekeeping Forces' Bebops District base, which they had captured not long ago.
But just then, something unexpected happened.
The instant Jonas turned his head, a cold gleam flashed, and a petite silver figure appeared behind him without warning!
Long silver-blue hair streamed in the wind. Endless killing intent glinted in cold, silent eyes. Time seemed to stop as Zero's figure flickered into view like a ghost.
By the time it moved again, the chillingly bright blade had already plunged into Jonas's chest.
Squelch-
Blood poured out in torrents, staining