Hearing his words, Acht's aura erupted like a volcano, his cold eyes sharpened even more as he glared at Lenny. He didn't even wait for the other person to continue since he was already aware that he was being threatened.
The old man didn't seem to be that bothered with his reaction as if it was within his expectations, so he just leisurely sat there and spoke calmly.
"You know, this place that we are in right now is not the real world. It's an illusion created by one of my subordinates to make it possible for us to finish our plan."
He then pointed his cane at Acht and continued.
"I already know your powers and you are simply a treasure that will make Nightingale get a few steps closer to its goal. That's why I had to use such cheap methods to get you. If you don't come with me, this place along with you and the two women will go. Kaboom!"
Lenny described his words with an arc of his cane that somehow made it even more chilling.
"You dare!" Acht shouted as he grabbed his sword again.
"Why don't you think about it calmly? You can save your own life and the life of two other people that you know. You can even get the Midnight song as your personal weapon. All I want from you is to join my organization."
Acht scoffed loudly.
"You threaten me and then expect me to join you willingly. How hypocritical!" He said.
"You see that as hypocritical and that's fine. But, I, myself, see it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I can't miss. Oh, I also didn't mention, you won't be bound by the organization at all. You could do whatever you want whenever you want. I only want you to do one mission every once in a while."
The old man explained patiently. He was trying with all his might to show the good side of his organization to the young boy.
Acht fell silent for a while. He might've been incredibly angry at the fact that someone was indeed threatening him but he had to weigh his choices carefully as he knew very well that this old man would kill him without batting an eye.
'Dammit! I have no way of escaping this place! I think there is no choice but to minimize it.'
"I have one condition." Acht suddenly spoke.
"Hoho. Do you think that you have the right to set conditions here?"
"You might indeed be the one with the upper hand. But, if I end up refusing and you kill me, you will also sustain a big loss. It's a 'once in a lifetime opportunity' as you said."
Acht's words generated a loud laugh from the old man who found it amusing how smart the boy was.
"Fine. I'm in a good mood so I will listen to your condition."
" My condition is that I can leave this organization after a certain p??riode without any consequences."
The old man seemed to think about it for a moment before he answered with a nod.
"That's fair. How about 5 years?"
"4 years," Acht replied almost immediately.
"Fine, 4 years it is."
He could've tried to reduce it even more but that could risk making the old man angry and potentially ending his life.
Then, after ending their small talk, Lenny stood up and looked at Acht one last time.
"Deal with your two friends and then take the teleportation portal with your two new teammates. We will meet again soon. Oh, one last thing. My and our other teammates' identities are all top secret. Any kind of leaking for their identity and you won't leave a second after that."
He said before he did something that made Acht rub his eyes a few times. He didn't just simply disappear using inhuman speed to get out before Acht could perceive anything. It was way weirder than that. The boy couldn't even describe how it was.
'It's as if he deleted his existence from this place altogether.' he thought with a confused look.
Then, with a loud sigh, he listened to the explosions outside and braced himself for what he was going to do. He knew that talking with them and trying to reason with them is useless since he knew very well that they will do everything in their being to stop him and even potentially end up killing themselves.
So, he decided to take a decisive decision.
It was the worst one out of them all but it was the most effective one to end any kind of potential problems and conflicts between Leislet and Scarlett on one side and the Nightingale on the other side.
Suddenly, a chuckle escaped his mouth. It was a laugh of mockery at something he didn't understand. Maybe he was laughing at himself or at the stupid fate that kept playing with him like a dice.
'Since when did I even start to care about other people? What is happening to me?' He pondered to himself.
He had felt this change across the months he stayed there. He by no means became soft or emotional, but he started caring slightly for anyone he considered as a friend. They were all now people he cared about to a certain extent.
It was something that might end up putting him in dangerous situations. However, he somehow didn't hate that feeling, it made him feel more 'human' in a sense. Except for Dia, he had never cared about someone else so it was a new sensation for him.
Maybe if he was not involved in this matter, he would've ignored the two women and left them to die but the most likely outcome is that he will make the same choice as before.
After settling his mind somehow, he stood up, released himself from all the wires that linked him to the machines, and hundred his movement greatly and walked to the door of the ambulance.
'I have to end this matter altogether.'
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