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🕑 Added 2024-12-02 16:00:03 +0000 UTCNighttime in Orario was both peaceful and restless. In most areas, there was tranquility, as many Familia compounds were located there. However, in the more remote corners of Orario, trouble always seemed to be brewing.
Inside an abandoned church, now nothing more than a dilapidated shell, the roof that once sheltered it had a massive hole blown through it, and the floor of the church was also missing a large section, leaving a gaping pit.
Next to the pit, four individuals were tightly bound together with ropes, their hands and feet crossed and tied in such a way that they couldn't move.
These four were none other than the righteous group led by Bloodblade.
When they had entered the church, looking for the basement entrance, they were unfortunate enough to step on a landmine Altair had planted beforehand, resulting in a glorious explosion that sent them flying.
Luckily for them, the landmine Altair had used was an old-fashioned one, made with simple explosives rather than a magical energy detonation, so while the blast was powerful enough to cripple them, it didn't kill them outright, merely blowing them into the air and severely injuring their legs.
The sound of the explosion drew Altair and Hestia up from the basement. Saeko remained resting, too exhausted to be disturbed by the noise.
When Altair arrived on the surface, he found the four groaning in pain, so he tied them up, leading to the scene at hand.
"Altair-kun, why did you tie them up?"
"Because they're criminals who came here to kill us."
"Kill us?"
"That's right. After all, we're just a small Familia."
Every night before going to bed, Altair would set landmines in the hall as a precaution, something he'd informed Hestia about, though she'd always thought he was being overly cautious. But tonight, it turned out there really were people coming after them. Hestia trusted Altair completely, so if he said these people were troublemakers, she believed him without question.
"Hestia, please check on Saeko and see if she's alright, whether she was affected by the blast. Leave these guys to me."
"Okay. Be careful, Altair-kun."
Understanding that Altair wanted to question the intruders alone, Hestia obediently returned to the basement.
When Altair had set the landmines, he'd placed a thick steel plate beneath them to prevent any serious damage to the basement, and he'd designed the mines so the explosion would be directed upwards, concentrating all the force above.
Looking at the massive hole in the floor and the gaping void in the roof, Altair realized that the church was beyond saving. It had been old and crumbling before, but now it was nothing more than a skeletal frame, unable to even provide basic shelter from the elements.
"Well, I guess it's time to find a new place for our Familia."
With that decision made, Altair turned his attention back to the four bound men. Due to the explosion and their fall, they were unconscious but still alive... thanks to their status as high-level adventurers, they had some durability.
Altair pulled a bottle of water from the 4D Pocket he'd brought back from the Highschool of the Dead world and unscrewed the cap, dumping the contents over the men's heads to wake them up.
"Who did this? Who dares to mess with me? Damn, that hurts!" Bloodblade shouted as he came to.
"Boss, it hurts! I can't move my legs!"
"Boss, my hand is broken! It's so painful!"
The others focused on their own pain, groaning loudly as they registered their injuries.
"Shut up, all of you!" Bloodblade barked.
Though he was in pain too, his experience told him enough to understand the situation. They'd been tricked. The four of them had come here to cause trouble, but they were the ones who got caught instead.
Raising his head, Bloodblade glanced at Altair. He didn't recognize him, meaning the blonde-haired youth wasn't someone from the same circle. Even if he were, he'd be a newcomer.
Was he really outsmarted by a rookie? No, there was no way this kid could've known they were coming.
"So it was the Chienthrope girl? She's working with you, isn't she?"
"Chienthrope girl?"
Altair hadn't asked yet, but Bloodblade's spontaneous admission surprised him. At least he now had some of the information he wanted.
It seemed these men were either after him on their initiative or were manipulated into coming here by someone else.
"That's right. The Chienthrope girl is one of mine." Altair is playing along to extract more information.
"Hah, I knew it. I was wondering how that girl managed to find us and why she claimed we were adventurers fighting for justice. I thought she was the one being tricked, but I was the fool."
Bloodblade wore a bitter, self-deprecating smile.
"Exactly. You were tricked."
Altair maintained the facade, continuing to act as if he were behind it all.
"I've never seen you before. You must be new here. Didn't expect a rookie like you to get one over on me, Bloodblade. You've got a bright future ahead of you." Bloodblade admitted, without any trace of resentment, almost as if he respected Altair for the trap.
"Go on then, finish it." Bloodblade said, his face now calm and accepting.
"It seems you're ready."
"Hmph, I'm not like those spineless cowards who beg for their lives when the end comes."
"Oh? Why not beg for your life? I might just spare you."
"Heh. Do you even believe that yourself? I've been in this line of work for a long time. I've never spared anyone in my life. You got me this time. Do you really think you'd let us go?"
Altair chuckled and couldn't help but applaud Bloodblade's self-awareness.
"Not bad. You're a seasoned veteran. But since you're so clear-headed about this, then..."
Without hesitation, Altair pulled out a lightsaber from his 4D Pocket.
Zzzzttt!
"Goodbye, veterans."
Like a true final villain, Altair raised the glowing blade and swung it towards Bloodblade's neck, swiftly decapitating him. The same slash cut through the necks of the other three.
All four perished instantly.
Hiss!
Whoosh!
Altair gripped the sword's hilt tightly, staring at the four lifeless bodies in front of him, his breath coming in sharp gasps.
It was the first time he had killed someone since his arrival in this world. Even though he had witnessed gruesome car accidents before, nothing compared to the adrenaline of this moment.
Though he had heard tales of first-time killers vomiting from the shock, Altair didn't feel that. Instead, his heart was pounding so hard that he could hear the rapid thumping in his ears. He took deep breaths, trying to calm himself down.
After several deep breaths, his heart finally began to steady.
Having prepared himself mentally for dealing with scum like these, he recovered his composure quicker than expected. Once calm, Altair looked at the bodies with disdain.
"So, the Chienthrope girl... It seems you've really got your eye on me, haven't you, Lili?"
The Chienthrope girl had deliberately led these men to him. There could only be one explanation for that... Liliruca Arde.
