If you’re thinking of sharing my content, please give credit where credit is due! It takes a lot of time and effort to create something, so it’s always appreciated when people respect that and acknowledge the source. Thanks for being a responsible and considerate sharer!
Bibell[Even if it means turning the world into an enemy (12)]
«What’s going on here?»
Tom Myron couldn’t believe Zenko’s death.
He, a Tredici in Italy, being defeated by a mere child.
Well, fine. He acknowledged that the opponent wasn’t an ordinary child.
He had personally witnessed Zenko’s intense battle with the child. Even after being defeated in a battle where he had no chance, he had seen the child rise again and again.
However, he never thought Zenko would die.
…I need to escape.
Tom gave up on killing the child. Although he could have killed the exhausted child, it would take time.
The first-floor lobby of Alice Hotel was completely destroyed to the point where its shape couldn’t be discerned. As long as the building didn’t collapse, it was enough.
The issue was that the arrival of Korean players who would become aware of the situation was a matter of time.
If they got involved unnecessarily, it could escalate into an international problem.
Moreover, they were currently holding Julieta captive. She wouldn’t make any unfavorable statements about them, but there was still a possibility.
And Tom realized that something unusual was happening nearby only when he reached the 18th floor.
Here too…!
The first thing that caught Tom’s eyes as he stepped out of the elevator was the fierce battle between Albert and Bruno.
It seemed that the child who killed Zenko and Bruno were on the same side.
But that wasn’t the problem.
In a situation where there was already a potential for an international problem, the battle between Albert and Bruno had no apparent conclusion.
It just seemed like Bruno had a slight advantage.
<Amplification>.
Tom quickly grasped the situation when he saw Bruno manipulating mana mixed with golden color in the flames.
That’s why Albert, who had started to show his prowess within Tredici, was falling behind.
I can’t let it go like this.
Tom’s actions were swift. He realized that the three individuals hadn’t noticed his presence and hurriedly approached Julieta, who was anxiously watching the battle.
«─Huh?»
He grabbed her from behind and pressed a knife against her neck.
«Bruno Valentine!»
Tom shouted loudly.
The gunfire stopped, and the fists that were tearing through the air came to a halt.
Both of their gazes were fixed on him.
«The game is over. Do you want to see Julieta Valentine die?»
From the beginning, he should have done this. If he had taken Julieta hostage, he could have killed Bruno without engaging in battle.
Yet, despite the situation where Albert could use her, he had chosen to fight against him.
Tom had sensed that Albert had something up his sleeve since he planned his infiltration.
That suspicion had now turned into certainty.
As soon as he returned to Italy, Tom intended to report Albert Valentine’s actions to Vincent Myron, the boss of the Myron family.
«Albert, sir. I don’t know what you’re thinking, but let’s finish this now.
Bruno Valentine. If you don’t want to see Julieta Valentine die in front of you, collect your mana.»
☆
«Juli.»
Bruno called Julieta’s name, who was being held by Tom.
She met his gaze without the slightest fear, despite the knife pointing at her throat.
There was no need to be afraid.
I’m fine.
Not being able to stop even this, Julieta Valentine, no, it wasn’t Julieta.
She had endured until now.
Endured and endured.
Now she no longer had to endure.
She had made up her mind.
To live happily with him.
«If you think I can’t kill you, it’s a big mistake. Don’t do anything you’ll regret.»
Tom Myron threatened, and to prove he meant it, he drew the tip of his knife across the nape of his neck.
A fiery line formed where the knife passed.
I’m fine.
Nevertheless, Julieta let her eyes speak for themselves.
Bruno, who had been staring at her in disbelief, nodded.
He decided to believe her.
«Mr. Albert. Please finish this quickly.
We’re running out of time. Zenko-sama is dead. With all the commotion, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Korean players barge in right now.
I don’t want this to get out of hand….»
«─I see. Is Zenko finally dead?»
«Yes, he’s dead, and that too, eh….»
Finally?
Tom frowned, hearing something unclear.
«What do you mean….»
Tom tried to ask what he meant.
But he didn’t get to finish his sentence.
Albert’s gun was pointed at Tom, not Bruno.
The bullet exited the muzzle and pierced his forehead.
«Huh?»
Julieta, who had been preparing to sneak a counterattack, looked down at Tom, who had fallen backwards, unable to comprehend the situation.
Why?
What was happening right now didn’t make sense.
What the hell was going on?
Bruno was the same way. Startled by the gunshot, he rushed over to her on the ground.
Then he looked at Albert, who was holding the gun, still warm from the heat of the bullet’s passage.
«Is that so? Zenko, finally dead.»
Albert raised his tail high enough to reach his ears.
He was delighted. Very much so.
Ignoring the two people who were looking at him with absurd gazes, he loaded the magazine with a contemptuous look.
«I was hoping for a chance to kill that guy, but I didn’t expect to be taken out before I could even lift a finger.»
Albert murmured casually even after killing his comrade.
He aimed the gun at Bruno and spoke.
«Tom Myron is dead too. Across the sea, there is no longer Myron’s shadow in this country.»
«Brother, what are you thinking? What on earth is going on?»
Julietta asked.
Albert didn’t even glance at her. He only focused on Bruno, who showed hostility, and opened his tightly shut mouth.
«Bruno, I propose to you once again. Come back to Valentine. Julietta, you too.
Now that Zenko is dead, it’s the perfect opportunity to bring down Myron.»
«Brother, have you gone mad?»
He had gone mad. Completely mad.
To Julietta, Albert pointing a gun at her felt like he had gone insane.
She knew he wasn’t such a reckless and crazy person.
Was it too much for him to bear the weight of being Valentine’s boss?
She felt a pang of pity to the point of sympathy.
«I think it’s a good opportunity for you too.
Wasn’t it difficult living here? Wasn’t living on the run tormenting?
Come back to Valentine. Now, Julietta, I can protect you. And Bruno, you too, with Julietta─.»
─We can live happily.
He never spoke such selfish and arbitrary words that would be criticized by others.
No words came out of his mouth that could be accused of sounding selfish or self-serving.
«I don’t know what you’re talking about, but you need to get a grip. Don’t you know what it means to be overbearing?»
Eunha interrupted. Stepping out of the elevator on the way up, he’d been watching the situation from the moment Tom had taken Julieta hostage.
And he’d waited for Albert to let his guard down, picked up the sword Tom had dropped to the floor, and leapt out of sight.
«Well, I see what you mean about being impatient, I learned that from the kids.»
Taking a step back, Albert dodged the vertically falling blade.
Landing on the ground, Eunha dug in at point-blank range to prevent him from pointing a gun at it.
He didn’t offer him the slightest reprieve.
«I don’t know what you were muttering in Italian, but I’ll tell you this.»
I couldn’t manifest my mana. The mana in my body was twisted and tangled.
His physical abilities were greatly diminished by the effects of the nameless gift.
Nevertheless, Eunha refused to give up his fight against Albert. He would fight until his body could no longer move.
«Who do you think you are, taking my people without my permission?»
Eunha made the most of his small size.
There was no way Albert could take aim at him as he moved about beneath him.
There was no way he couldn’t attack him with magic. However, every time he tried to perform a spell, he cleverly interrupted him.
«Julietta Noona, are you the same? Leaving as you please?»
Eunha dived between Albert’s legs and stamped his foot.
Albert spun to avoid the attack and kicked him, his hand on the gun no match for the man shifting under his legs.
He tried to close the distance.
Of course, being kicked in the foot wasn’t going to stop him.
The moment I kicked him in the leg, he dangled from the bridge and slashed at my calf with his knife.
«Porca miseria!»
Damn it!
There was nothing Albert, with his protective spell, could do to stop it.
He was just angry that he’d been attacked by a mere child.
He was fully aware that he was no ordinary child, but as Valentine’s boss, he had some prestige.
His pride was cracked.
To the point where he lost his poker face.
«I’m the one who decides whether or not to abandon you. Don’t you dare leave.»
Albert finally caught Eunha, not realizing the gap he’d deliberately left was bait.
The bullet pierced his thigh.
Eunha, who had been running around, collapsed forward and fell to the ground.
He no longer had the strength to fight.
Albert assessed Eunha’s condition and turned his head towards where Bruno was, to conclude the long and exhausting battle.
And─
Since when.
Albert’s eyes widened.
«Okay, Julieta Noona?»
He took his time.
Enough, right?
Eunha, lying on the floor with a bullet wound, pursed his lips.
─.
Julieta, hugging Bruno from behind, muttered a spell.
When she opened her closed green eyes, golden mana permeated Bruno’s entire body.
He was defeated.
Albert realized then that Eunha had been playing him for time.
«Yeah, I’ll never leave on my own terms again.»
She patted Bruno on the back.
«You have to come back alive.»
«Uh.»
Bruno scrambled to his feet.
As he started to run the short distance, he held his left hand out in front of him, palm up. His right hand clenched into a fist, ready to pull.
Inferno V, II, X, IV.
Combination Devil (Eldorado).
Combination Devil (Gold).
It was dangerous. It was dangerous.
He had to avoid it. He couldn’t stop it.
Albert Valentine stood at the end of the corridor, bewildered.
There was nowhere to run.
The only way out was the path in front of him, where Bruno was rushing towards.
Fuoco a caso (Rapid Fire)!
He fired bullets, infusing them with mana until the gunshots ceased.
Bruno deflected the attacks with his extended left hand, even intercepting the flying bullets.
In a moment, he dashed forward, engulfed in flames that consumed death, and split the filled space into two beams of light.
«Che il diavolo ti porti.»
May you fall into hell.
His whole body was already battered.
Nevertheless, he extended his fist, which he had pulled behind his shoulder, with all his strength. He anchored his body with his legs and swung his fist with his full weight.
«Ch─!!»
The air exploded.
The protective magic shattered miserably.
Glasses shattered, and shards of glass entered his eyes.
The impact of a direct hit on his right cheekbone left Albert’s head spinning, disorienting him.
It felt like his face was stuck to the fist after just one swing, and it stubbornly refused to leave.
He slammed the back of his head against the wall.
A thudding sound echoed, and the wall cracked.
It wasn’t just the wall that started to crack; it felt like something was tearing apart from inside his head.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhh─!!
An unreleased scream raged inside his chest.
His face was buried.
The wall broke.
Finally, unable to overcome the recoil, he was sent flying into the wall.
18th floor.
His vision distorted. The distinction between up and down vanished, and he spun around mindlessly as if caught in a whirlpool.
He was falling.
He had to regain his senses.
Albert squeezed his mana desperately to survive. Every time he controlled the mana, his buried face cried out in pain. It felt like the slightest mistake could trigger a mana surge.
But he had to control the mana desperately.
To survive.
Above all else.
I must rebuild Valentine!
I swore to my father.
Didn’t I make a commitment when I decided to become Valentine’s boss?
I would endure any humiliation and bring Myron to his knees before Valentine.
This was the beginning.
He couldn’t die here.
Desperate, determined to stay alive, he deployed a protective spell.
His swirling vision faded to black.
The asphalt pavement crumbled under the impact.
☆
─Survived.
Albert Valentine breathed a sigh of relief as he realized he was alive.
He couldn’t see out of his right eye.
The right half of his face was caved in.
Still, he was glad to be alive.
There was still a chance.
Zenko Myron was dead, and Bruno and Julietta had been found.
Time was on his side now.
This much pain, he could take.
«I, Valentine….»
I had to get away.
Bruno might be after me. As it was, he had no strength left to fight him, let alone convince him.
He had barely crawled out of the pit.
The wind was blowing.
A fierce wind. Violently.
«Italian Ambassador Albert Valentine.»
A woman wrapped in the wind, her iron fan unfolding with the sound of metal clashing.
She, Shin Seo-young <Divine Wind>, pronounced with a tone that allowed no objections.
«I am arresting you as the mastermind behind the Alice Hotel terrorist attack.
Isn’t it a headache to get involved in such things?»
The wind of blades whirled.
The wind rushing through the tall buildings converged upon him.
An unspoken threat that warned if he resisted, his body could be shattered into pieces.
Albert Valentine, with his head lowered, had no choice but to be restrained by the players.
«Well, it’s too late. I’m going to get scolded by Euna for this.»
It was late at night.
The night sky above the buildings was so dark that not a single star could be seen.
Shin Seo-young sighed as she looked up at the invisible night sky.
If you’re thinking of sharing my content, please give credit where credit is due! It takes a lot of time and effort to create something, so it’s always appreciated when people respect that and acknowledge the source. Thanks for being a responsible and considerate sharer!
Bibell[Even if it means turning the world into an enemy (12)]
«What’s going on here?»
Tom Myron couldn’t believe Zenko’s death.
He, a Tredici in Italy, being defeated by a mere child.
Well, fine. He acknowledged that the opponent wasn’t an ordinary child.
He had personally witnessed Zenko’s intense battle with the child. Even after being defeated in a battle where he had no chance, he had seen the child rise again and again.
However, he never thought Zenko would die.
…I need to escape.
Tom gave up on killing the child. Although he could have killed the exhausted child, it would take time.
The first-floor lobby of Alice Hotel was completely destroyed to the point where its shape couldn’t be discerned. As long as the building didn’t collapse, it was enough.
The issue was that the arrival of Korean players who would become aware of the situation was a matter of time.
If they got involved unnecessarily, it could escalate into an international problem.
Moreover, they were currently holding Julieta captive. She wouldn’t make any unfavorable statements about them, but there was still a possibility.
And Tom realized that something unusual was happening nearby only when he reached the 18th floor.
Here too…!
The first thing that caught Tom’s eyes as he stepped out of the elevator was the fierce battle between Albert and Bruno.
It seemed that the child who killed Zenko and Bruno were on the same side.
But that wasn’t the problem.
In a situation where there was already a potential for an international problem, the battle between Albert and Bruno had no apparent conclusion.
It just seemed like Bruno had a slight advantage.
<Amplification>.
Tom quickly grasped the situation when he saw Bruno manipulating mana mixed with golden color in the flames.
That’s why Albert, who had started to show his prowess within Tredici, was falling behind.
I can’t let it go like this.
Tom’s actions were swift. He realized that the three individuals hadn’t noticed his presence and hurriedly approached Julieta, who was anxiously watching the battle.
«─Huh?»
He grabbed her from behind and pressed a knife against her neck.
«Bruno Valentine!»
Tom shouted loudly.
The gunfire stopped, and the fists that were tearing through the air came to a halt.
Both of their gazes were fixed on him.
«The game is over. Do you want to see Julieta Valentine die?»
From the beginning, he should have done this. If he had taken Julieta hostage, he could have killed Bruno without engaging in battle.
Yet, despite the situation where Albert could use her, he had chosen to fight against him.
Tom had sensed that Albert had something up his sleeve since he planned his infiltration.
That suspicion had now turned into certainty.
As soon as he returned to Italy, Tom intended to report Albert Valentine’s actions to Vincent Myron, the boss of the Myron family.
«Albert, sir. I don’t know what you’re thinking, but let’s finish this now.
Bruno Valentine. If you don’t want to see Julieta Valentine die in front of you, collect your mana.»
☆
«Juli.»
Bruno called Julieta’s name, who was being held by Tom.
She met his gaze without the slightest fear, despite the knife pointing at her throat.
There was no need to be afraid.
I’m fine.
Not being able to stop even this, Julieta Valentine, no, it wasn’t Julieta.
She had endured until now.
Endured and endured.
Now she no longer had to endure.
She had made up her mind.
To live happily with him.
«If you think I can’t kill you, it’s a big mistake. Don’t do anything you’ll regret.»
Tom Myron threatened, and to prove he meant it, he drew the tip of his knife across the nape of his neck.
A fiery line formed where the knife passed.
I’m fine.
Nevertheless, Julieta let her eyes speak for themselves.
Bruno, who had been staring at her in disbelief, nodded.
He decided to believe her.
«Mr. Albert. Please finish this quickly.
We’re running out of time. Zenko-sama is dead. With all the commotion, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Korean players barge in right now.
I don’t want this to get out of hand….»
«─I see. Is Zenko finally dead?»
«Yes, he’s dead, and that too, eh….»
Finally?
Tom frowned, hearing something unclear.
«What do you mean….»
Tom tried to ask what he meant.
But he didn’t get to finish his sentence.
Albert’s gun was pointed at Tom, not Bruno.
The bullet exited the muzzle and pierced his forehead.
«Huh?»
Julieta, who had been preparing to sneak a counterattack, looked down at Tom, who had fallen backwards, unable to comprehend the situation.
Why?
What was happening right now didn’t make sense.
What the hell was going on?
Bruno was the same way. Startled by the gunshot, he rushed over to her on the ground.
Then he looked at Albert, who was holding the gun, still warm from the heat of the bullet’s passage.
«Is that so? Zenko, finally dead.»
Albert raised his tail high enough to reach his ears.
He was delighted. Very much so.
Ignoring the two people who were looking at him with absurd gazes, he loaded the magazine with a contemptuous look.
«I was hoping for a chance to kill that guy, but I didn’t expect to be taken out before I could even lift a finger.»
Albert murmured casually even after killing his comrade.
He aimed the gun at Bruno and spoke.
«Tom Myron is dead too. Across the sea, there is no longer Myron’s shadow in this country.»
«Brother, what are you thinking? What on earth is going on?»
Julietta asked.
Albert didn’t even glance at her. He only focused on Bruno, who showed hostility, and opened his tightly shut mouth.
«Bruno, I propose to you once again. Come back to Valentine. Julietta, you too.
Now that Zenko is dead, it’s the perfect opportunity to bring down Myron.»
«Brother, have you gone mad?»
He had gone mad. Completely mad.
To Julietta, Albert pointing a gun at her felt like he had gone insane.
She knew he wasn’t such a reckless and crazy person.
Was it too much for him to bear the weight of being Valentine’s boss?
She felt a pang of pity to the point of sympathy.
«I think it’s a good opportunity for you too.
Wasn’t it difficult living here? Wasn’t living on the run tormenting?
Come back to Valentine. Now, Julietta, I can protect you. And Bruno, you too, with Julietta─.»
─We can live happily.
He never spoke such selfish and arbitrary words that would be criticized by others.
No words came out of his mouth that could be accused of sounding selfish or self-serving.
«I don’t know what you’re talking about, but you need to get a grip. Don’t you know what it means to be overbearing?»
Eunha interrupted. Stepping out of the elevator on the way up, he’d been watching the situation from the moment Tom had taken Julieta hostage.
And he’d waited for Albert to let his guard down, picked up the sword Tom had dropped to the floor, and leapt out of sight.
«Well, I see what you mean about being impatient, I learned that from the kids.»
Taking a step back, Albert dodged the vertically falling blade.
Landing on the ground, Eunha dug in at point-blank range to prevent him from pointing a gun at it.
He didn’t offer him the slightest reprieve.
«I don’t know what you were muttering in Italian, but I’ll tell you this.»
I couldn’t manifest my mana. The mana in my body was twisted and tangled.
His physical abilities were greatly diminished by the effects of the nameless gift.
Nevertheless, Eunha refused to give up his fight against Albert. He would fight until his body could no longer move.
«Who do you think you are, taking my people without my permission?»
Eunha made the most of his small size.
There was no way Albert could take aim at him as he moved about beneath him.
There was no way he couldn’t attack him with magic. However, every time he tried to perform a spell, he cleverly interrupted him.
«Julietta Noona, are you the same? Leaving as you please?»
Eunha dived between Albert’s legs and stamped his foot.
Albert spun to avoid the attack and kicked him, his hand on the gun no match for the man shifting under his legs.
He tried to close the distance.
Of course, being kicked in the foot wasn’t going to stop him.
The moment I kicked him in the leg, he dangled from the bridge and slashed at my calf with his knife.
«Porca miseria!»
Damn it!
There was nothing Albert, with his protective spell, could do to stop it.
He was just angry that he’d been attacked by a mere child.
He was fully aware that he was no ordinary child, but as Valentine’s boss, he had some prestige.
His pride was cracked.
To the point where he lost his poker face.
«I’m the one who decides whether or not to abandon you. Don’t you dare leave.»
Albert finally caught Eunha, not realizing the gap he’d deliberately left was bait.
The bullet pierced his thigh.
Eunha, who had been running around, collapsed forward and fell to the ground.
He no longer had the strength to fight.
Albert assessed Eunha’s condition and turned his head towards where Bruno was, to conclude the long and exhausting battle.
And─
Since when.
Albert’s eyes widened.
«Okay, Julieta Noona?»
He took his time.
Enough, right?
Eunha, lying on the floor with a bullet wound, pursed his lips.
─.
Julieta, hugging Bruno from behind, muttered a spell.
When she opened her closed green eyes, golden mana permeated Bruno’s entire body.
He was defeated.
Albert realized then that Eunha had been playing him for time.
«Yeah, I’ll never leave on my own terms again.»
She patted Bruno on the back.
«You have to come back alive.»
«Uh.»
Bruno scrambled to his feet.
As he started to run the short distance, he held his left hand out in front of him, palm up. His right hand clenched into a fist, ready to pull.
Inferno V, II, X, IV.
Combination Devil (Eldorado).
Combination Devil (Gold).
It was dangerous. It was dangerous.
He had to avoid it. He couldn’t stop it.
Albert Valentine stood at the end of the corridor, bewildered.
There was nowhere to run.
The only way out was the path in front of him, where Bruno was rushing towards.
Fuoco a caso (Rapid Fire)!
He fired bullets, infusing them with mana until the gunshots ceased.
Bruno deflected the attacks with his extended left hand, even intercepting the flying bullets.
In a moment, he dashed forward, engulfed in flames that consumed death, and split the filled space into two beams of light.
«Che il diavolo ti porti.»
May you fall into hell.
His whole body was already battered.
Nevertheless, he extended his fist, which he had pulled behind his shoulder, with all his strength. He anchored his body with his legs and swung his fist with his full weight.
«Ch─!!»
The air exploded.
The protective magic shattered miserably.
Glasses shattered, and shards of glass entered his eyes.
The impact of a direct hit on his right cheekbone left Albert’s head spinning, disorienting him.
It felt like his face was stuck to the fist after just one swing, and it stubbornly refused to leave.
He slammed the back of his head against the wall.
A thudding sound echoed, and the wall cracked.
It wasn’t just the wall that started to crack; it felt like something was tearing apart from inside his head.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhh─!!
An unreleased scream raged inside his chest.
His face was buried.
The wall broke.
Finally, unable to overcome the recoil, he was sent flying into the wall.
18th floor.
His vision distorted. The distinction between up and down vanished, and he spun around mindlessly as if caught in a whirlpool.
He was falling.
He had to regain his senses.
Albert squeezed his mana desperately to survive. Every time he controlled the mana, his buried face cried out in pain. It felt like the slightest mistake could trigger a mana surge.
But he had to control the mana desperately.
To survive.
Above all else.
I must rebuild Valentine!
I swore to my father.
Didn’t I make a commitment when I decided to become Valentine’s boss?
I would endure any humiliation and bring Myron to his knees before Valentine.
This was the beginning.
He couldn’t die here.
Desperate, determined to stay alive, he deployed a protective spell.
His swirling vision faded to black.
The asphalt pavement crumbled under the impact.
☆
─Survived.
Albert Valentine breathed a sigh of relief as he realized he was alive.
He couldn’t see out of his right eye.
The right half of his face was caved in.
Still, he was glad to be alive.
There was still a chance.
Zenko Myron was dead, and Bruno and Julietta had been found.
Time was on his side now.
This much pain, he could take.
«I, Valentine….»
I had to get away.
Bruno might be after me. As it was, he had no strength left to fight him, let alone convince him.
He had barely crawled out of the pit.
The wind was blowing.
A fierce wind. Violently.
«Italian Ambassador Albert Valentine.»
A woman wrapped in the wind, her iron fan unfolding with the sound of metal clashing.
She, Shin Seo-young <Divine Wind>, pronounced with a tone that allowed no objections.
«I am arresting you as the mastermind behind the Alice Hotel terrorist attack.
Isn’t it a headache to get involved in such things?»
The wind of blades whirled.
The wind rushing through the tall buildings converged upon him.
An unspoken threat that warned if he resisted, his body could be shattered into pieces.
Albert Valentine, with his head lowered, had no choice but to be restrained by the players.
«Well, it’s too late. I’m going to get scolded by Euna for this.»
It was late at night.
The night sky above the buildings was so dark that not a single star could be seen.
Shin Seo-young sighed as she looked up at the invisible night sky.
