Chapter 94: If You See Me Like This (2)
TL/Editor: Raei
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Stingshot placed a bag of money on the round table.
"...This is the last of it."
He said.
Already, several money bags lay on the table.
The Villain Alliance was preparing to leave their hideout.
Tryno didn't respond to Stingshot's statement.
He simply stood still, as if lost in thought, one eye burned away, making it even harder to read his emotions.
But he was seething with anger.
Stingshot could no longer even laugh.
He thought it was amazing that one could still harbor hostility after all that had happened.
Whatever dream Stella had shown, Tryno was completely enchanted by it.
Liquid, who had transformed into a liquid form, also joined them at the round table.
After he lost his leg, he did not walk.
He moved like this, changing his form wherever he went.
-Swish.
Liquid reverted from his transformation.
Not a trace of positive emotion could be found in his expression.
"Any contact from Stella?"
Liquid asked Tryno.
Tryno silently shook his head.
"What about Luna?"
He shook his head again.
Exhaling a sigh, Liquid yelled into the deeper parts of the hideout.
"Riem! Have you found any information on Luna?"
A voice echoed from Stella's room.
-Not yet!
"..."
A heavy silence descended.
Even if Luna was found, nothing would change.
Yet, they couldn't just not look for her.
Dice had asserted they would be chased, and if they stayed, they'd face a similar end as before.
It was a matter of life or death; they couldn't just do nothing.
Stingshot shook his head in silence.
".......No."
All eyes turned to him.
"...This isn't right. Even if we bring Luna back, nothing will change. We can't beat that monster. Especially now that we're even weaker."
Stingshot raised his hand, Liquid looked down at his own legs, and Tryno's one eye quietly observed Stingshot.
Stingshot stood up.
"Let's disband here. Running away increases our chances of survival."
Tryno snorted.
"Run?"
"..."
"Where to? With the mark left on our bodies, exactly where do you suggest we run? You think cripples like us can live in hiding?"
"Why are you asking me? Find your own way to live. I'm washing my hands of this. Liquid, contact your drug ring. I'll give you a good price, just cut me my share."
"...You can't go anywhere."
Tryno whispered quietly, the same words he had once said to Luna.
But this time, it wasn't just with a burning hostility.
"Rather than running, fighting gives us a better chance to live."
Stingshot exploded with the anger he had been holding back.
"You can't win, you f*cking idiot!! We couldn't last even three minutes, so where the hell do you see hope?!"
A massive explosion occurred right in front of Stingshot.
-Boom!!
He was sent flying, crashing into a wall.
Coughing up blood, Stingshot still insisted on his point.
"Kill me if you want. It makes no difference whether I die by your hand or by that guy Dice."
Tryno stood up and approached Stingshot.
Liquid watched the scene unfold.
"...I don't know what dream Stella showed you... but you need to realize it's all an illusion."
"...Well, you're useless without your gun anyway. But that doesn't mean you can escape alone."
-Boom!!
Another explosion occurred.
Riem rushed out of her room.
"What's happening....!!"
But all she saw was Stingshot, burnt and collapsed in a corner.
Only the crackling of embers falling from his body could be seen.
"........"
Riem stood frozen, staring at the scene. The creeping fear was an added bonus.
She thought about using her ability to run away... But she had nothing.
She was short on money, and had only managed to obtain two slaves she liked.
Like Tryno, she was intoxicated with her dreams.
Especially now, when she was just one step away from acquiring her own private island, it was even harder to give up.
She decided to watch a little longer.
If things went south, it wouldn't be too late to run.
"....Did you find any information on Luna?"
Tryno asked.
Riem shook her head, trying to hide her pounding heart.
Tryno's gaze turned fierce.
Riem quickly added an excuse.
"But I found the safe. There might be information in there..."
---
---
With Liquid's ability, opening the safe wasn't too hard.
The liquid he controlled seeped into the safe little by little, eventually unlocking it.
Inside, various documents were laid out.
There were so many it was hard to look at all at once.
Liquid, Tryno, and Riem each picked up a stack of documents.
It didn't take long for their expressions to sour.
"...What is this...?"
Details about various heroes and villains were written meticulously.
Stella's notes were also scribbled on each sheet of printed paper.
Events that were predicted for the future were organized, and a few that hadn't happened were crossed out with red lines.
And one name that kept appearing throughout the documents.
Dice.
It almost seemed as if the information was organized around him.
".....Was Stella looking for Dice?"
Liquid muttered.
"...But why..."
Tryno paused for a moment then set down the stack of documents.
"...Just find the information on Luna."
"......Found.......it."
Riem spoke with a bewildered and flustered look.
Her eyes blinked slowly.
Her breathing became a bit peculiar.
Tryno snatched the documents Riem was holding.
"...Hm?"
His eyes narrowed.
"....Oh."
For the first time, Liquid let out an exclamation.
Luna was incredibly beautiful.
Liquid expressed his confusion.
"...How come she couldn't seduce her man with this face?"
"...."
A silence lingered for a moment.
"Good. Better she has such looks. It'll be easier to find her. It's a face one wouldn't forget."
"..."
"Riem. Spread Luna's photo to the organizations still attached to us. Tell them to find her. It won't take long."
Riem took back the documents on Luna.
Tryno continued.
"Liquid. You prepare more of those pills."
"The ability awakening pills?"
"Yes. Bring a lot."
Liquid paused then asked.
"...Tryno. Are you really going to fight Dice again?"
Tryno looked at Liquid coldly.
Liquid furrowed his brow.
"...Stingshot is gone too. Isn't it time to give up?"
"Prepare more of the medicine."
"...Tryn-"
"-I have a plan."
"....What?"
Tryno diverted his gaze from Liquid and spoke as he walked out of Stella's room.
"...If necessary, we can give those pills to Luna. She doesn't want to die any more than we do. We might as well gamble that way..."
And then he left the room.
Liquid realized that Tryno indeed had a plan.
He paused for a moment, then sent a message to the head of his organization.
[Prepare the ability awakening pills. The usual money too. I'll come to pick them up by 5 today.]
The reply was always swift.
[Shall I wait at our usual meeting spot?]
[Yes.]
Liquid turned to prepare to leave.
"Riem. The sooner you find Luna......"
But Liquid stopped mid-sentence and just stared at Riem.
"..."
He was at a loss for words.
It was the first time he realized Riem could make such a perverted expression.
Wasn't her dream to have beautiful female slaves?
"....Sigh."
Liquid just sighed and left the room.
Left alone, Riem breathed heavily.
"Haah......Haah....."
She whispered with a flushed face.
"....You were hiding such beauty from me?"
---
---
Liquid entered a building near the harbor to pick up the awakening pills and money.
Recently, having opened new avenues for drug distribution, the drugs had been selling like hotcakes.
Everything would have been successful if not for the monster named Dice.
Solace was defeated, a drug organization was established, and numerous criminal organizations were looking to come under his wing.
Dice's sudden appearance was detestable enough to make him want to kill.
But on top of that, now he had to run.
In this humiliation, he found himself slightly leaning towards Tryno's side.
Fighting might be better than running.
If he was caught while he was trying to flee, there would be nothing more disgraceful.
After giving several passwords, Liquid headed to the innermost room.
He even thought about buying some drinks with today's earnings or indulging in a drug.
Passing through the final door, Liquid entered the boss's room.
Inside, several bags were already prepared and stacked.
"Which bags are the drugs, and which are the money?"
Liquid asked.
The boss said,
"The bags tied with blue bands are the drugs, and those with green bands are the money."
"Hm. How much of the drug is there?"
"I've put in a month's supply. Please check."
Liquid opened a bag.
Inside, it was filled with heaps of plastic trash.
At the sight of the trash, Liquid was momentarily at a loss for words.
It was unclear whether this was a sudden prank or a form of resistance from them.
"..............What is this?"
Liquid frowned and looked up.
Unlike before, the boss's expression was filled with fear.
".....?"
"Brother, I'm sorry....I'm so sorry..."
Before Liquid could understand the situation, he felt a cold sensation at the back of his head.
Someone had grabbed his hair tightly.
A voice as cold as the touch rang out.
"......With the organization being so large, it was too easy to find."
Liquid felt his body stiffen.
Fear started to rise in his chest.
".......Dice...?"
Dice asked in return.
"...Where are the others?"
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