Sabrina, holding the mask I had handed to her, wore a half-dazed expression.
She looked as though she were a devout believer witnessing an actual UFO descend from the heavens.
“This... this has to be a joke... It’s impossible...”
“...?”
Her reaction made me tilt my head in confusion.
Sure, my face was objectively pretty, but it wasn’t anything worth such an exaggerated response.
I waved my hand quickly in front of her frozen face.
At last, she snapped back to reality, jumping in place and shouting.
“Ack! I-I’ll go ahead now! Don’t you dare get hurt! I’ll be so mad if you do!”
Clutching the mask to her chest as if it were the most precious treasure in the world, she hurriedly bolted away.
She moved so quickly that in mere moments, her retreating figure had shrunk into a small silhouette in the distance.
Well... I guess she just needs some time to process it.
Scratching my cheek, I tried to shake off the strange sense of awkwardness and focused on calming my excitement.
“Let’s set aside Sabrina’s reaction for later... Right now, I need to focus on Answer.”
Hiding my face beneath the white tablecloth, I summoned telekinetic energy from deep within myself.
“Decoy.”
A faint vibration rippled through the surrounding air.
Using my telekinesis, I disrupted the air currents around me, refracting light and making my form blur slightly, as though I were a distorted mirage.
A faint smile tugged at my lips.
It had been a long time since I used this technique—since I stopped playing the role of a ghost.
The memories of darting through dark alleys flashed in my mind like an old film reel.
Of course, not all of those memories were pleasant.
Dirty, run-down alleys, crumbling abandoned buildings with no heating or cooling—those were exhausting, dreary days.
If I were to relive them now, I might hesitate.
Still, there was something exhilarating about wielding my telekinesis freely, without restraint or concern.
For me, it was like a form of exercise, a refreshing release. After so long, it felt freeing to unleash my power again.
“...!”
With a surge of telekinesis, I launched myself upward, flinging my body against the side of a building and scaling its wall with ease.
In an instant, I reached the rooftop, where the snowy landscape of Nighthaven stretched out before me.
Snowflakes danced through the air, dissipating before they could even touch my distorted figure, thanks to my decoy ability.
It seemed the falling snow would help obscure my presence further.
Flying through the air felt incredible, as though every cell in my body had awakened.
I wished I could keep soaring like this forever.
Of course, this stunt was incredibly risky, especially in a city as crowded and vigilant as Nighthaven.
Even though the snow provided some cover, too many eyes in this city could still catch a glimpse.
But this wasn’t just for fun. This was a gamble—a calculated risk for a potentially significant reward.
And that gamble paid off.
“Found it!”
Leaping between high-rise buildings, I finally located my target: the train tracks snaking through the city.
Why was I searching for the tracks?
Simple. They provided the quickest, most inconspicuous route into the subway.
“Subways often have above-ground sections as well as underground ones. If I can find the right spot, I won’t even need to go through a station to get in.”
I leapt from the rooftop, descending in a graceful arc before landing on the exposed tracks.
Without slowing down, I slid smoothly along the rails, propelled by telekinesis.
Thanks to my refined control and increased output, my movements left faint afterimages as I sped along.
Before long, I found a tunnel entrance leading underground.
Fortunately, it seemed no one had anticipated someone entering this way, as there were no guards posted.
With no one to witness me, I felt free to let loose.
I dashed into the tunnel at full speed, using telekinesis to ensure my movements were silent.
“Hah... hah...”
Reaching a safe distance, I deactivated my decoy ability and gently landed on the ground.
The fact that all trains had been stopped indicated there was a reason to enter the subway tracks.
From this point on, stealth was more critical than speed.
Carelessly rushing ahead could attract unnecessary attention, and I couldn’t risk being deemed suspicious by the police.
“I should’ve grabbed a black cloth instead of white... This tablecloth makes me stand out too much,” I muttered, regretting my earlier decision as I floated forward silently.
Carefully and quietly, I passed through two deserted stations.
At the third, I finally encountered someone familiar.
“Is that...?”
Standing amidst the chaos was an elf with gray hair and long, pointed ears. Her languid expression and immaculate police uniform clashed with the casual piercings adorning her body.
If I remembered correctly, she was Mist, a regular member of Ethan’s Special Unit 3.
I concealed myself behind a wall and observed her cautiously.
Mist was speaking into her radio, standing among officers sprawled on the ground in various states of distress.
“...Sir, we’ve got a problem. Just as we were about to move into position, my team collapsed—fainting, coughing up blood, it’s a mess. We’ll need reinforcements.”
["Your team too? This is turning into a headache. Any critical injuries?"]
“Luckily, no fatalities. Just some crying.”
["I’ll send backup. Hold tight. We’re experiencing similar issues on our end—something’s holding us back. We’re working on identifying the cause."]
“Understood. Can I smoke in the meantime?”
["Hold off. If you reek of smoke when I see you, you’ll regret it."]
“Tsk.”
["You were planning to sneak one, weren’t you?"]
It seemed Mist and her team had attempted to advance but were thwarted by some unknown interference.
It didn’t make sense.
Mist, despite her casual appearance, was a highly skilled mage, comparable to Alice in combat prowess.
For someone like her to be stopped completely? What kind of force was at play here?
Carefully circling around the incapacitated officers, I slipped into the path they had been trying to take.
“This is the place... but at a glance, it looks empty.”
Ensuring the police were still preoccupied, I focused on the bloodstained tracks before me.
They mentioned fainting and coughing up blood. Could this be the work of a contract?
If Answer was behind this, it had to be.
“Let’s see... The Eye of Contract should reveal what’s going on.”
Determined, I retrieved the napkin Answer had given me and tore it in half.
Instantly, I felt something latch onto my right eye. Words began to materialize across the subway tracks, filling the space around me.
Covering my unaffected left eye, I read the glowing script carefully.
“This... this is insane!”
The inscriptions on the walls, floor, and ceiling were horrifying:
["Those who touch the letters will suffer headaches. The contractor loses an eye in exchange."]
["Those in the path of the letters will cough up blood. The contractor loses a lung in exchange."]
["Those who pass beneath the letters will faint. The contractor pays with their life."]
["If the letters are forcibly destroyed by magic, they will regenerate. The contractor’s internal organs will rot as payment."]
The terms were so brutal that it was hard to believe.
It was clear Answer had inscribed these letters.
But if she continued paying such steep prices, she would cease to exist in no time.
Yet the fact that the contract was still active meant Answer was alive—still bearing the costs.
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For a demon to survive such severe penalties, there was only one explanation.
“Invaders...”
Grinding my teeth, I clenched my fists in fury.
The Invaders still hadn’t let go of this world. They continued to reach out, their influence extending like shadowy tendrils.
And one of their methods—without a doubt—was forcibly brainwashing people, turning them into pawns to be manipulated at will.
What did they think humans were?
A surge of anger boiled within me, reaching its peak.