The moment Kaya Hartley made her appearance, I was already inside the shadows, observing the fight that was going to happen soon.
Since there was no way I could be any help, that was the best course of action.
However, the fight that was going to happen right before my eyes even made me watch in awe.
CLANK CLANK
Whenever their weapons clashed, the ripples and shockwaves that were sent to the environment were enough to make everyone back off.
There were even some who got their bones broken thanks to the aftermath of their fight.
It was such a bloody scene.
“Even after all this time, it seems I am far behind you.”? I could hear the demon contractor’s voice between their clashes, and it sounded familiar.
‘This….Where did I hear this voice?’ I asked myself. I felt like I should know the voice, but my memory didn’t show any definite answer. It seems that was the same for Kaya as well since I could see a small twitch of her eyes, seemingly stemming from her annoyance.
The demon contractor was strong, and the monsters that were running rampant all around here were enough to show that they were prepared thoroughly. 𝐕𝐥xt.𝑐𝞸𝔪
As the demon contractor aimed to recover himself by sucking the life force of others, Kaya immediately noticed that and tried to intercept it.
But that was a bait that made her show an opening.
BOOM CRASH CRANK
With one strike of his full power, the demon contractor almost finished Kaya while destroying all of the protective glasses which was covering the exhibits.
The moment I saw the glasses crashing down, suddenly, an idea formed in my head.
‘This is an opportunity.’ It was an opportunity that would come once in a lifetime.
‘Everyone’s attention is on the fight, and someone broke the glass for me. The only thing that could affect me is cameras.’
Noticing that I looked around and, one by one, identified the location of the cameras.
‘Every camera is already broken.’
There was no way a wave of the explosion that broke down the glasses that would protect the exhibits would not break a random camera after all.
The moment I saw that, taking advantage of that opportunity, I stealthily moved around the shadows and grabbed the <Moonstone> and some other materials around me, putting them on my bracelet.
It didn’t take much time as I returned to my original position, where I could observe the fight.
The way Kaya Hartley used her mana and her weapon efficiently mesmerized me. Even the instructors of the academy would fall short against such a fierce woman in terms of fighting prowess.
I was trying to observe as best as I could, but even that was hard since the speed they were moving was something I could never properly perceive.
But one thing was sure, the fight was going in the favor of Kaya. She was overpowering the demon contractor and the monster with her skills.
‘But, this doesn’t make sense. With such thorough preparation, they would know the skills of Kaya Hartley. Something is wrong.’ I thought.
‘Their goal must be something else.’
And the moment I thought about that, my eyes fell on the girl who was hiding behind the wall, with her arms around her knees.
Jane Hartley, the dead niece of Ethan.
‘No way.’
At that moment, I realized what their goal was. Everything made sense; at that moment, the last piece of the puzzle fell down.
This innocent kid, who was scared.
She was their goal.
THUMP
And at that moment, I felt a sudden thump in my heart as my heartbeat increased.
‘A demon contractor is here.’
Following that, a man suddenly appeared behind the girl with a dagger in his hand.
“Humfff….Humfff….”
I could see the man grabbing the girl as she struggled to break down.
But there was no way she could; after all, she was just a little girl.
THUMP THUMP
My heartbeat increased, seeing the little girl who was looking at Kaya with teary eyes.
My eyes turned cold.
Hatred grew. The scene of that time enveloped me once again.
I could see myself watching everything unfold helplessly.
‘Not again.’ I swore to myself.
‘I won’t let you do as you please.’
Be it changing the storyline or changing this world.
I didn’t care.
There was no way I would let someone that sold his soul to demons do as he pleased.
I am going to kill you.
I am going to erase you from this world.
Just like the demons, no one related to them will be spared.
TAK
I took my weapon from my bracelet and aimed at the guy.
I didn’t know if the bullet could kill him normally, but at that moment, no thoughts other than anger and hatred were in my mind.
I instinctively imbued my mana on the weapon, and it took the color blue.
Die.
BANG!
And fired the gun.
**********
“Please, can I have a talk with you?”
As I was about to leave the place, suddenly, the woman who talked with Kaya Hartley turned her attention to me.
“I would like to ask you a bunch of questions.”
She approached me with a smile, but I could see a small scorn on her face.
‘Smell of cigarette. It is not a high-quality brand. She is addicted to pure ‘Glimmerleaf,’ probably stemming from a childhood trauma. The lack of sleep is now showing her symptoms. She was probably on the watch from the night. She is single, lives alone, and has a bad diet. Eats heavily fat-oriented food and uses low-quality skincare and makeup. She has a cat in her home. No, two cats, one male, one female.’
Looking at the woman, I analyzed how she looked. Glimmerleaf was a drug that was developed to affect hunters who had a rather stronger body and mind. It has the effects of nicotine, and mostly addictive, and causes ADHD and many other negative effects.
“You can,” I answered. Even if I refused here, she could just drag me down using her authority, and there was no need to make her suspicious of me.
I already got the unexpected harvest, so there is no need to make everything complicated.
The woman’s expression remained polite, but I could sense an underlying edge to her demeanor. She gestured slightly, indicating that she wanted to move to a less crowded and quieter spot. We found a corner away from the chaos, and she turned her attention fully to me.
“Thank you for your cooperation,” she began, her gaze steady. “I’m Inspector Miller, and I oversee cases involving demon contractors. I couldn’t help but notice your presence during the events that unfolded here.”
I inclined my head, acknowledging her introduction. “I’m just a witness,” I said, my words carefully chosen. I had no intention of revealing too much about myself, especially considering my peculiar abilities.
Inspector Reyes studied me for a moment, her eyes sharp and assessing. “It’s not often we have witnesses who can remain so calm during such chaotic situations.” She spoke with scorn, clearly looking at me with a suspicious gaze.
“I am a cadet of Hunter Academy,” I answered her gaze without losing my composure. This answer would be enough.
“You are an academy cadet? Please let me confirm it first. Do you have your identity with you?” As she asked me, I showed her my watch. The Arcadia Hunter Academy had the function of integrating one’s ID card with their watch, and it was not something every academy had for some reason.
“Astron Natusalune. Cadet of Arcadia Hunter Academy.” She read the information I had shown to her as she studied it for a second. “Arcadia Hunter Academy!” And then, the reaction that I was expecting came not long after.
“I see. If you are the cadet of that academy, it makes sense that you are able to calm yourself down. Then, I won’t beat around the bush. Can you tell me what you saw here?” Her question was straightforward, but her gaze never left me. It was as if she was searching for something beyond my words, trying to gauge my reactions.
“I was here when everything had already started,” I replied, keeping my tone even. “I saw the monsters and the demon contractor engaged in the attack. There was chaos, people fleeing, and then the confrontation between the woman you were talking to earlier and the demon contractor.”
I left out any details that could reveal my unique abilities. It was important to appear as ordinary as possible. Since there was no way that I would say that I was the one that shot the gun, neither was I the one that grabbed the <Moonstone>.
“I see,” Inspector Miller said, seemingly accepting my response. “Thank you for your cooperation.”
She continued to study me, her gaze unrelenting. I could feel the weight of her suspicion, even though she didn’t voice it explicitly. However, her next questions showed that she was digging deeper.
“Did you happen to witness any details that might be relevant?” she inquired, her tone casual yet focused. “Conversations, actions, or interactions that stood out to you?”
I paused, making myself seem like I was considering her question carefully. But in the end, I already knew about the words I was going to choose.
“I did overhear some snippets of conversation,” I replied. “The demon contractor seemed to mock the woman, Kaya, for her priorities and actions. He mentioned something about karma and consequences.” I answered. This answer would surely go into the ears of Kaya, and that woman will for sure silence me. But, she won’t be easily able to touch the cadet of Arcadia Hunter Academy as an outsider, which will make her want to make a deal with me.
Inspector Miller’s gaze remained fixed on me, and I couldn’t help but feel like she was trying to read more from my expression than I was revealing. “Interesting,” she mused. “And did you see if any of the attackers who aimed to grab the exhibits while the chaos was ensuing?” She asked.
I could see this question was one of those that was aimed at me, considering there were some materials I grabbed using my [Shadowborne] trait and the bracelet that couldn’t be noticed.
I shook my head, maintaining an air of genuine ignorance. “No, I didn’t notice anything like that. The situation was chaotic, and I was focused on ensuring my own safety.” It was an answer that would satisfy the listeners who would analyze my tone from the recording.
Yes, recording. Right now, this woman is recording me, probably because of the introductions of Kaya Hartley.
She nodded as if considering my response; her lips pursed in thought. “And what about the gunshot that was fired? Did you witness that?”
This question was also aimed at me, but this time it was rather weaker. It seemed she didn’t suspect that I was the one that fired the gunshot, and neither did Kaya.
After shooting the Demon Contractor, I quickly stashed the gun in my bracelet and stepped out of the shadows to reveal myself, which was an unconventional move for an attacker. Doing so allowed me to evade Kaya Hartley’s heightened perception. She’s not an ordinary person, and if she becomes suspicious of me as the shooter, it will pose a problem in the future.
I didn’t hesitate even for a moment and answered. “I did hear a gunshot. But I couldn’t identify where the gunshot came from even though I tried my best to. I thought my life would be in danger since an unknown assailant was lurking somewhere, but he was too skilled for my own.”
Inspector Miller seemed to accept my answer, though her scrutiny didn’t waver. “Thank you for your honesty,” she said finally. “It’s not often we encounter someone as composed as you in these situations.”
I nodded in acknowledgment. “I’ve been trained to stay calm in tense situations. However, it was a pity that I was not any help.” I answered, looking guilty. In fact, I was not.
She smiled back, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “It’s a valuable skill. Well, I won’t take up any more of your time. If you remember or notice anything else that might be relevant to this case, please don’t hesitate to contact me,” she said, handing me a card with her contact details.
“Understood.”
“We will send a request to Academy later if something relevant happens during the investigation. I would be very happy if you cooperate with us.” As she spoke with a professional smile, she turned back.
But I still could see the small signs of doubt she was making. This woman was not that proficient when it came to hiding her feelings and thoughts about situations. But, in the end, nothing mattered about her suspicion; after all, they were going to be baseless.
“And, please wait for a second. We need to confirm that nothing from the museum is on you.”? As she said those words, she left.
Following that, a bunch of guys came and looked for spatial artifacts on me, and they found one, which was the one I put on for the sake of such things.
And after they confirmed that nothing was there, they left me alone.