Disciplinarian

Brent Underground Tavern.

"Ahahaha, Dorn, did you come into a windfall? What's got you being so generous today?" a strange green-skinned creature covered in pustules asked Dorn, who was gulping down his drink.

"Hahaha, it was a windfall, all right. From that old bastard Harry."

"That guy who's about to die?"

"He won't be dying now. Next time I see him, I might even have to call him the head of the family!" Dorn said, taking another great swig of beer.

"Huh!? Don't tell me he..."

"Even an old tree can bloom again."

"Then you'll have someone to lean on from now on. Oh, right, didn't you say you'd gained a brother?"

"Mephistopheles. Fuck, even a con artist should do better than that. What a pretentious prick."

"Your brother's pretty fucking funny, using [Yellow-Clad Jester] as his name."

While Dorn and the green monster were talking, a fierce argument up ahead drew the tavern's attention.

"What are you yelling so loud for?" Ximen asked irritably.

"You motherfucker!"

Duomalen swung the club in his hand at Ximen's head.

Boom-

A figure flew backward and slammed straight into the tavern's stone wall. It was Duomalen, his entire body embedded in the wall. Every nonhuman being in the tavern stared in horror at what stood behind Ximen.

That was... an Angel!?!

Pure white wings framed the Angel on either side. Without a single flap, the Angel hovered above Ximen, with a face that seemed both male and female. Blazing feathers appeared out of thin air and drifted down, while a ring of flame burned behind the Angel's head.

"A guar... dian... spirit!?"

"It's... it's a Disciplinarian from Heaven!!"

"Why... is someone from Heaven... here..."

Every nonhuman being in the tavern descended into panic, and terror instantly engulfed the entire room.

Dorn crushed the bottle in his hand, then rapidly transformed into his Man-Eater form.

"Everyone, could I borrow something from you?" Ximen asked with a gentle smile.

"W-w-what... do you want?" a four-armed monster asked, trembling.

Ximen drew a hand across his neck and said with a radiant smile:

"Your heads-"

As Ximen's words fell, everyone's pupils contracted. A terrifying presence enveloped them all.

The Angel spread those wings, and a horrifying wave of heat swept through the tavern. Heart-rending screams rang out.

BOOM!!!

A scorching sea of fire blasted the entire tavern apart. An enormous pillar of flame shot skyward, reducing everything within a sixty-meter radius of Ximen to ashes. Blackened char lay everywhere.

"Well now~, there are a few tough ones here after all. You actually withstood Azazel's [Flame Aura]," Ximen said, looking at the figures who had suffered only minor burns.

"You bastard from Heaven!" a werewolf snarled through gritted teeth.

"Everyone, attack together. Don't even think about running. It's useless," Dorn told the others still standing, the skin scalded off his arms.

"Man-Eater. Your name is Dorn, right?" Ximen suddenly turned toward Dorn.

Under Ximen's gaze, Dorn felt his hair stand on end. How did this man know him?

"How do you know me?" Dorn asked, watching Ximen warily.

Ximen smiled. "A junior of mine told me to take good care of you."

What the hell!?

Squelch-

While Dorn was still puzzling over this, pain shot through his chest. He looked down in disbelief and saw two intersecting wounds forming a cross.

Dorn's knees gave out, and he dropped to the ground. Bright red blood spurted wildly from his wounds, soon surrounding him in a thick pool.

"You'll be the last heretic to be executed. Before you die, you'll get to watch a magnificent performance. Aren't you lucky?" Dorn struggled to lift his head, his vision growing terribly blurred.

Through his blurred vision, he saw the Angel named Azazel holding an ornate sword of flame. The heat radiating from the blade made space itself ripple.

What followed was a one-sided slaughter!

Burning.

Rending.

Ashes.

By the time the slaughter ended, Dorn had been devoured by the monster called fear. A figure approached, and he could only lift his head like a helpless child.

The heat that sent ripples through space swept past before him. He felt no pain at all.

Oh, Yarn, how could anything be so terrifying-

Clang-

Dorn felt the world spin around him, and then there was only eternal darkness.

Thud-

Something fell to the ground.

Ximen surveyed his ash-covered surroundings, then sheepishly summoned his Lineage Book and contacted Evan.

"Ahaha, Evan, I think I overdid it a little. I remember our squad still had a tiny bit left in its mission reimbursement budget. What? No reimbursements in the Fog City area? Why!?"

"Because of Vortex Music? How many years ago was that? Why is the Clock Tower so stingy?" Ximen complained indignantly to Evan over the communication channel.

Tap tap tap tap-

Suddenly, a flurry of footsteps rang out. Mages in Clock Tower uniforms surrounded Ximen from fifty meters away.

"Evan, remember to come bail me out of the Clock Tower!" Ximen ended the call with an awkward expression.

"Ahem-has everyone eaten?" Ximen asked, maintaining his awkward smile.

"Under article thirty-six, subsection six of the Aether Supervision Protocol: any thaumaturge using thaumaturgy in an area under the jurisdiction of a supernatural institution must report to the local institution.

Article thirty-three, subsection one: no thaumaturge may maliciously use thaumaturgy in the mundane world to inflict financial losses upon a locality.

Article thirty..."

A Clock Tower officer in a blue uniform approached Ximen, carrying an arrest warrant stamped with the Clock Tower's seal.

"In light of the above, you are under arrest!"

"Can you let me finish collecting my spoils before arresting me?" Ximen asked with the practiced shamelessness of an old hand.

"..."

Fog City National Library.

"Ah-choo-"

Xia Xiu rubbed his nose. He had been sneezing a lot lately and had no idea who was thinking about him.

Judging by the time, Evan and Ximen should have finished their mission by now.

As Xia Xiu was thinking this, a tall figure appeared before him. It was Evan.

"You're here. Where's Ximen?"

"He landed himself in jail. I'm going to bail him out now. I came here to let you know you'll need to wait a little longer."

"I'll come with you."

"Sure."

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