Ch.139Chapter 139. Before Things Get Bigger (1)

[Black Shadow Corps Commander Ryuyeong, Appointed as Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces!]

[Black Shadow Corps Commander, Who Is He?]

[The Continental Allied Forces That Defeated Satan’s Army!]

Elaine couldn’t hide the smile forming at the corners of her mouth as she quickly skimmed through various articles.

The common thread mentioned across numerous articles was clear.

Black Shadow Corps Commander Ryuyeong had been appointed as the Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces.

Additionally, the Black Shadow Corps had performed exceptionally well in this battle.

‘Commander-in-Chief.’

Elaine was rejoicing over Ryu, the Black Shadow Corps Commander, becoming the Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces as if it were her own achievement.

It was even more joyful and satisfying news than hearing about her father or older brother’s accomplishments in this battle.

‘I knew he was impressive.’

Elaine already knew that Ryu’s abilities were beyond imagination.

She had felt this even more keenly after witnessing him fight against Satan last time.

But to rise to the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces?

Elaine didn’t feel like the Allied Forces would lose to Satan as long as Ryu was holding the line.

Because she had faith that Ryu, the Black Shadow Corps Commander Ryuyeong, would somehow manage no matter what happened.

“Seems like Satan wasn’t such a big deal after all.”

“Huh?”

“Since the Allied Forces won completely.”

Elaine turned her head in surprise at the sudden voice beside her.

The familiar voice belonged to Cynthia.

Cynthia was naturally opening the door to Elaine’s room and walking in.

“When did you get here?”

“Just now. Were you really focused on something?”

Elaine embarrassedly pushed aside the article she had been reading at Cynthia’s words.

Usually, when guests arrived, her maid or butler would inform her, but it seemed the servants had simply let Cynthia in since she visited so frequently.

After the Satan incident, Cynthia and Emily had been visiting Elaine’s home almost daily.

“Yes. Did you hear the news? The Black Shadow Corps Commander has become the Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces!”

“I heard. Amazing, isn’t he?”

“Exactly! I knew he was strong, but to think he’d even earn my father’s approval.”

Elaine continued speaking excitedly, like a girl her age for once.

Cynthia smiled gently watching Elaine.

When Cynthia just smiled without responding, Elaine felt awkward and cleared her throat with a fake cough.

“So what brings you here? Without even contacting me?”

“Ah. I had something to ask you.”

Elaine tilted her head curiously at Cynthia’s words.

Although Cynthia visited frequently, she always contacted Elaine through the communication orb beforehand.

“What is it?”

“About that Black Shadow Corps Commander. Ryuyeong, was it?”

Elaine felt a strange sense of discomfort at Cynthia’s words.

Cynthia was referring to Black Shadow Corps Commander Ryuyeong as if she didn’t know him at all.

The revelation of the Black Shadow Corps Commander’s name had happened quite some time ago, and “Ryuyeong” was information Cynthia had excitedly shared with Elaine first.

Saying that since his name was similar to Ryu’s, Ryu might have some connection to the Black Shadow Corps Commander.

“…Yeah.”

“Don’t you want to meet him?”

Elaine felt increasingly strange at Cynthia’s continued questions.

Suddenly asking if she wanted to meet the Black Shadow Corps Commander?

The current Cynthia was definitely different from usual and something seemed off.

Though she couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was, it was as if she were a different person.

“What are you suddenly talking about?”

“Exactly what I said. Don’t you want to meet Black Shadow Corps Commander Ryuyeong?”

Cynthia’s voice was noticeably lower and sharper than before.

By this point, Elaine definitely sensed something was wrong.

While the appearance and voice were clearly those of her friend Cynthia, at the same time, it wasn’t Cynthia.

Elaine reflexively glanced at the sword she had placed beside her bed.

“Don’t you want to meet him?”

Elaine responded naturally to Cynthia’s question as she rose from the table.

Then, as if she had no suspicions at all, she walked toward her sword.

She felt she needed to grab her sword first to feel secure.

“You know. Who Ryuyeong is.”

*Flinch*

Elaine couldn’t help but stop in her tracks at Cynthia’s next words.

Cynthia’s voice was much lower than just moments ago.

“What do you…?”

“Do you think grabbing that sword will change anything?”

Elaine was now certain.

The person standing before her in Cynthia’s form was not Cynthia.

It was another being disguised as Cynthia.

“Who are you?”

“Hehehehe.”

Elaine felt chills run down her spine at the low laughter coming from Cynthia’s mouth.

Now the being before her didn’t even seem to care about concealing itself.

The laughter was so unnaturally deep for a woman’s voice that Elaine rushed to grab her sword.

*Shing*

“You!”

The moment Elaine quickly drew her sword and pointed it at Cynthia, whoever had taken Cynthia’s form was already gone.

It happened in just a split second.

Elaine, as if someone had instructed her to do so, drew her sword and immediately headed for the door.

Setting aside the eerie feeling throughout her body, the moment she opened the door…

“Gasp!”

Elaine almost collapsed at the sight that greeted her when she opened the door.

“People” were hanging on both sides of the corridor walls.

All of them covered in blood.

Among them were Elaine’s personal maid and the head butler who managed the Sinclair mansion.

Elaine instinctively looked for Cynthia among the hanging people.

It couldn’t be called fortunate, but Cynthia wasn’t among them.

“Let’s go see together.”

*Whoosh*

Elaine’s sword sliced through empty air along with the low voice.

The being that had taken Cynthia’s form, which had vanished before her eyes, was now standing behind Elaine.

Though she had swung her sword precisely toward where the voice came from, Elaine’s blade didn’t reach him.

The one who had taken Cynthia’s form had already shed that disguise.

“You…!”

Elaine couldn’t hide the tremor in her voice.

Not just her voice, but the hand holding the sword was shaking too.

Standing before Elaine was a face she recognized.

Satan, who was currently causing an uproar throughout the world.

That was exactly who it was.

*Swish*

As the expressionless Satan reached his hand toward Elaine, she barely controlled her trembling body and stepped back.

Having witnessed Ryu and Satan’s battle up close, Elaine knew.

How powerful even a slight gesture from Satan could be.

“Quite nimble, aren’t you.”

Satan, having revealed his true form, spoke in a monotone.

‘I need to escape.’

Elaine quickly scanned her surroundings.

In the past, she might have been paralyzed before such an overwhelming opponent, but the current Elaine quickly regained her composure.

This was her mansion.

Elaine recalled the locations of emergency passages hidden throughout the Sinclair mansion.

The closest one was…

*CRASH!*

“Escape is not an option.”

“…Huh.”

Elaine couldn’t even properly follow what movement Satan had made.

Did he stomp his foot, or swing his hand?

In the split second that Elaine’s vision couldn’t track, Satan had moved, and the result was enough to make Elaine feel despair.

Everything around her was completely destroyed, except for the small space where she stood.

“Come along quietly.”

Satan spoke softly to Elaine, as if giving a final warning.

Elaine instinctively felt it.

That further resistance was meaningless.

*Swish*

Elaine’s sword pointed toward the floor.

**

“Huh…?”

When there was no response after knocking on the mansion door, Cynthia thought something was strange, but when the door simply opened, she was thoroughly confused.

For the Sinclair mansion’s door to be left so unguarded…

Sensing something was wrong, Cynthia quickly walked through the garden toward the mansion.

She didn’t encounter anyone on her way to the mansion.

Neither the gardener who always tended the garden, nor the butler who usually came out to greet guests, nor Elaine’s personal maid was anywhere to be seen.

‘What’s going on?’

Cynthia prepared to draw the bow from her back at any moment and began to almost run.

Even though the Sinclair mansion might have less security due to the war, this was too suspicious.

“Elaine?”

*Creak*

The moment Cynthia called Elaine’s name and opened the main door of the mansion.

Cynthia couldn’t believe her eyes.

While it looked perfectly fine from the outside, the interior of the Sinclair mansion was completely destroyed.

To the point where it seemed impossible for the exterior to remain intact while the interior was so devastated.

“E-Elaine!”

Seeing blood splattered throughout the destroyed house, Cynthia drew her bow.

Judging from the traces of blood and debris, it seemed the Sinclair mansion had been destroyed not too long ago.

Cynthia took a deep breath, concentrated, and opened her eyes.

Her focused eyes searched for signs of life, but…

There was no one alive in the mansion.

‘No way…!’

Worried that Elaine might have been harmed too, Cynthia ran up to where Elaine’s room had been.

The area around Elaine’s room was destroyed beyond recognition.

It was impossible to guess what method had been used to cause such destruction.

Cynthia examined the bodies lying around with trembling eyes.

Elaine was nowhere to be seen.

Instead, what Cynthia saw was a horrifying sight of a different kind.

Letters written in blood.

[Satan]

“Hah…”

Though it was just a simple word, a sigh full of fear escaped Cynthia’s lips.