Chapter 207: What Is Next?

The towering red-armored knight hoisted him effortlessly into the air as if he were a weightless ragdoll, before driving him straight down into the shattered stone floor with bone-crushing force, finally releasing its grip on his skull.

?Cobra heaved violently, expelling a thick mouthful of dark blood onto the dirt. Forcibly wrenching his neck around, his terrified eyes locked onto the carnage of his elite members scattered across the clearing. All ten iron knights stood motionless around him, their crimson visors fixed entirely on his broken frame. He shifted his gaze toward their heavy weapons, and a fresh wave of primal horror seized his chest:

?’Only... only a single one of them did all the slaughtering, while the swords of the other nine don’t even have a single drop of blood on them.’ He thought wildly, his vision swimming as he looked from Viper back toward the three matriarchs:

?"How—how on earth does these people command such monstrous combat power? No intel network in Vaeloria ever mentioned this... That man promised us we would inherit absolute, untouchable power... But..."

?"Power harvested from the butchered blood of innocent people and helpless children is nothing more than a cursed delusion disguised as strength." Juliana stated coldly, a dense, suffocating aura of pure killing intent radiating from her small frame.

?"Who the hell are you to judge how I obtained my powers?! You pampered bastards sitting comfortably in the pristine First District have no fucking clue what real survival looks like for the desperate souls rotting away in the Third! Do you have any idea what agony actually feels like?! Have you ever stared helplessly at other people gorging themselves on feasts while you and your siblings starved to skin and bone?! How dare you look down on the path I had to carve just to stay alive?!!" He shrieked hysterically, spitting blood toward them.

?"We have felt that exact brand of pain—all three of us." Kelly answered quietly, her steady voice cutting through his frantic rant and instantly stunning Cobra into dead silence.

?"For some of us, that nightmare began three years ago; for others, ten years ago, or even trapped right from the bitter moment of birth... But understanding suffering still doesn’t give you the absolute right to prey upon your own race just to inflate your personal standing." She added, her eyes devoid of pity.

?"Hahahaha!! You still understand nothing! You have no idea what depths of hell I had to claw through just to stand in this position today!"

?"Then you should have actively sought a way to climb out of that darkness instead of willingly letting yourself be consumed and corrupted by it... I cannot speak to the exact horrors of your past, but carrying a difficult history does not grant you immunity from the consequences of your atrocities."

?"I don’t give a single fuck about your moral preachings! If you’re going to execute me, just get it over with!!" he roared, baring his blood-stained teeth.

?"Juliana."

?"I’ve got it." Juliana stepped forward smoothly, extending an open palm directly toward Cobra’s forehead.

?Due to his utterly shattered state and depleted defenses, she easily bypassed his mental barriers, diving straight into the turbulent stream of his memories before pulling her energy back:

?"Third District... No Man’s Land." She murmured quietly, her expression darkening as she stared down at the broken man.

?"What did you see?" Kelly asked, picking up on the sudden shift in her sister’s tone.

?"He... He experienced everything that you and we went through, Kelly... In fact, perhaps even worse." Juliana stammered softly, looking troubled.

?"Hey." Kelly stepped over, gently placing a hand on Juliana’s shoulder: "Don’t overthink it... Even if he survived unimaginable hardships, it doesn’t excuse what he became. A broken past doesn’t give anyone the right to turn into a monster."

?Juliana blinked, her expression clearing as she offered a slow nod: "I know that, Sister... I was just momentarily caught off guard."

?"Regardless, we now possess the exact coordinates of the Blood Guild’s primary headquarters." Kelly noted briskly, pulling out her phone, typing out the coordinates into a message log, and tapping send.

?"What are you doing?" Juliana asked with mild curiosity.

?"He will handle the rest." Kelly replied simply, turning her cold gaze back down to Cobra:

?"As for this trash..."

?WHOOSH!

?Without a word, the nearest knight raised its massive broadsword high into the air and plunged it downward with absolute finality, cleanly crushing Cobra’s skull.

?"Rest in torment with the souls you extinguished." Kelly muttered under her breath, turning her attention toward Mr. Brook, who was still huddled flat against the dirt, trembling and sweating uncontrollably.

?"Pathetic." She gave a subtle nod to Juliana, then offered a reassuring, warm smile to Sara:

?"Come, let’s head over to the Blue Flower Restaurant to review the transition paperwork—"

?RING!

?Kelly paused mid-sentence, pulling her phone back out of her pocket. Seeing the caller ID flashing across the screen, she answered it instantly:

?"Hello?"

"Huh... But Dear...?"

?The rest of the group fell into an immediate hush, standing still as they waited for her to conclude the exchange.

?"Right... I understand completely. Please stay safe on your end." She nodded softly. The line disconnected, and she turned her gaze back to Sara, Juliana, and Viper.

?"Well... He instructed us to head straight back to the estate for now, promising to meet us there after he wraps up a minor errand." She announced smoothly.

?"We’re heading back already? Wait—are you telling me he has literally been tailing and tracking our movements this entire time?!" Juliana asked, her eyes widening in shock.

?"Well... More or less." Kelly offered a small, amused smile, before turning her attention back down to the shaking former director.

?"Mr. Brook, pull yourself together. Place an official emergency call to the Awakened Association immediately, hand over these bodies, and give them a full, unvarnished debrief of everything that transpired out here today. Rest assured, nobody in the Association will dare make things difficult for you after this."

?"Ah... Yes, understood." Brook looked up, blinking in disbelief at the sudden reprieve, before nodding frantically: "Alright, I understand every word!"

?"Splendid." Kelly approved, turning on her heel and walking toward the luxury convoy without another glance:

?"Let’s move out—we are returning home."

?Juliana immediately linked her arm through Sara’s, pulling her close with a bright, bubbly smile as they walked toward the car:

?"Tell me, Sister Sara, how did you find today’s little field trip?" Juliana asked cheerfully.

?’It wasn’t bad,’ Sara’s voice echoed directly into Juliana’s mind.

?"Huh? Is that really all you have to say about a massive Hospital show, and guild massacre?" Juliana giggled, stunned.

?’I am simply wondering what kind of ’minor errand’ he intends to run at the Blood Guild’s main headquarters.’ Sara muttered telepathically.

?’Oh, that? Honestly, I bet he’s going to wipe their entire base off the map.’ Juliana replied casually.

?’I don’t feel bad for those evil bastards... Hmm... What about Kelly? She feels... different today.’

?’She isn’t different at all, Sara... She has simply stepped up and truly grown.’ Sara answered, a soft, affectionate smile touching her lips as they climbed into the vehicle.