Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Devil and Shadow (1)
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The crimson devil.
Duros Graven.
A sturdy, well-built frame and towering height that oozed alpha energy.
His sharp features gave him the striking look of a handsome delinquent.
Black manes of fur flickered on his shoulders like hellfire.
He was a shapeshifting alien, much like the Dragonkin, able to freely switch between human and demon forms, and a former member of the Bio Vanguard mercenary group.
Dispatched to Earth on M.I.X's orders to steal resources and technology, he had grown dissatisfied with his share of the profits and brutally torn his fellow mercenaries in half. He was a truly vicious devil.
Shin-ju recalled the time he and a flaming Silverfire had barely managed to subdue and arrest him during a rampage in Korea.
Back then, Duros, disgruntled with Bio Vanguard, had sought out only opponents stronger than himself, picking fights wherever he went.
Understanding his belligerent nature, Shin-ju had once used Duros to take down heinous terrorists and major cosmic criminals, on the condition that Duros could keep all the spoils of his victories.
However, it wasn't long before Duros's ferocious nature became uncontrollable. He killed criminals with such cruelty that even U.C.I.D. could no longer handle him.
That was when Shin-ju had stepped in and sent Duros to a prison in the middle of the Pacific Ocean called 'Alcatraz'.
Shin-ju remembered the gruesome scene of slaughter that had unfolded in the middle of a Seoul street.
A single spine, driven deep into the concrete, jutting stiffly toward the sky.
The screaming city folk.
And at its peak, an alien's face, crumbled like a cracker.
Duros had introduced his work of art while looking at the distorted faces of Shin-ju and Enri.
"Kahahahahahaha!!"
That same Duros Graven was now on stage, mouth agape, breathing fire.
Shin-ju narrowed his eyes and bit his lower lip.
"Damn it... Is that bastard out of prison already?"
Enri also wore a shocked expression, finding it hard to believe.
"Wow, this is a truly unexpected appearance."
Shin-ju suddenly understood why the list of performers was kept secret.
They were putting heinous criminals like him on stage; of course, this was something that could never reach the ears of the police.
Shin-ju was in a bind.
Duros Graven would surely recognize his and Enri's faces.
"Tsk."
Shin-ju tapped his fingers on the table, anxious.
It would be a problem if he recognized us...
Of course, they were wearing masks, but he was still uneasy.
A mask couldn't completely hide one's aura or silhouette.
What's more, Duros had the uncanny ability to identify someone by their scent or aura alone.
And the moment he spotted them, he wasn't the type to let it slide quietly.
He would immediately expose them as U.C.I.D. cops to the large audience, and an awkward situation would surely unfold.
"Kwahaha! Let's see how many drop today!"
As Duros spread his arms wide, the sound of grinding gears echoed, and a massive cross appeared in the air above the stage.
Chained to the cross was an alien.
"Mmph-!! Mmph-!!"
He was shaking his head back and forth, tears streaming pitifully from his eyes.
"Kwahaha- I'll get straight to the point. I'm going to rip this bastard to shreds right here, very cruelly."
The expressions on Shin-ju and Enri's faces darkened.
Duros was smiling, his eyes narrowed in ecstasy.
"Why, you ask?"
Duros plunged his sharp claws into the bound alien's chest.
"Mmmph-!!!!"
*Splat-*
Green blood began to pour onto the floor.
"Because I can't stand to watch this worthless son of a bitch run his mouth!!"
Shin-ju felt his mind go blank.
Damn it! This is a gore show!
Are shows like this still a thing!
Duros stepped to the front of the stage.
"This bastard is a pedophile. He can't even squeak in front of the strong, but he becomes a tyrant before those weaker than him. I'll show pretenders like him what real violence is."
The audience watched Duros's stage with bated breath.
It was as if they were savoring the brutal violence that no one could oppose, feeling an extreme sense of pleasure.
They were scum themselves, but by watching even viler scum who preyed on the weak like children, they found a voyeuristic, vicarious satisfaction and a merciless sadistic instinct, thinking, 'At least I'm not that bad.'
They reveled in their own vile desires through the captive's despair and terror, and the perpetrator's abnormal pleasure and satisfaction.
Shin-ju's face twisted as he looked at them.
Their gazes, fixed on the tragedy on stage, were as merciless and cruel as aliens using humans as hosts to propagate their species.
Viper, too, was flicking his tongue, finding it all very interesting.
Duros whispered into the ear of the alien tied to the cross.
"Don't worry. The heart comes later. It's no fun if you die too quickly, right? By the way, you've never seen your own heart, have you?"
"Uuugh!! Uuugh!! Mmph!!"
The pedophile alien shook his head violently.
*Krrrrrrk-*
The cross moved horizontally.
Duros drove his sharp claws deep into the alien's stomach.
*Thwump-!!*
"Mmmph-!!!!!"
His fingers sank deeper and deeper into the belly.
*Squish- Squelch-*
Green blood splattered everywhere, and the bound alien began to foam at the mouth, his eyes rolling back.
Shin-ju and Enri could not just sit back and watch the brutal crime scene unfolding in real time.
"Mr. Shin-ju!"
"Yes! I can't take any more of this!"
Shin-ju shot to his feet, turning urgently to Enri.
A wine glass on the table tipped over. Crimson wine spread across the white tablecloth.
The audience and Duros simultaneously whipped their heads around to glare at the intruders who had interrupted the show.
Enri also sprang to her feet, pulling the three-section dragon bone staff from her thigh holster.
An eerie silence fell over the room.
Foul and hideous desires emanated from the countless masks staring at Shin-ju and Enri.
"Oho...!"
Duros's eyes widened as he looked at Shin-ju and Enri.
His mouth split from ear to ear.
"Well, well, well, look who it is~!!!"
Shin-ju, who had already removed his mask, jumped onto the table and stood up.
The Old Book was already open in his hands.
"U.C.I.D. Police!! As of this moment, you are all under arrest for aiding and abetting a crime!! And!!"
Shin-ju glared at Duros.
"Duros, long time no see. You still haven't learned your lesson after that beating?"
Duros threw his head back and laughed.
"Kahahahahaha!! Park Shin-ju!!"
Meanwhile, Viper, watching from the third floor, clicked his tongue.
"Hmph, the rats have interfered."
He snapped his fingers, and Deadcasher, who had been standing silently behind him, took a step forward.
"Give our audience some more entertainment."
Deadcasher strode forward and leaped lightly from the third floor.
*Thud-*
Deadcasher landed on the first floor on one knee, like a superhero.
"Ooh-."
The surrounding audience watched with interest at the appearance of another spectacle.
Viper flicked his tongue, satisfied.
"A new show has begun. I just love these little happenings. Shishishishishi."
*Snap-*
Viper snapped his fingers.
*Krrrrrrk-*
Suddenly, the first floor began to move, and the positions of the guests' tables started to shift.
Soon, a large, circular open space was created.
*Clank, clank, clank*
From its center, a steel cage began to rise slowly.
*Rumble rumble rumble*
*Clang-*
In an instant, a massive cage was formed.
"Ooooooh!!"
"*Whistle- Whistle-.*"
The surrounding audience whistled and cheered.
Deadcasher strode into the steel cage.
She crossed her arms and looked at Shin-ju and Enri with a haughty expression.
It was the typical arrogant expression of the Dragonkin, as if looking down on insignificant creatures like ants or flies.
"Shishiiik, did you say Park Shin-ju? You must be from Korea!"
Viper was now holding a microphone, looking down at Shin-ju.
"How about a bet? I've sent out one of my own. If you win, we'll surrender peacefully."
"But if we win..."
Viper flicked his tongue.
"You two will have to make an appearance on our stage. We'll even let you choose the event. Shishishishishi."
Shin-ju looked incredulous.
"You idiot. You think we'd agree to a bet?"
As if there was no need to listen further, Shin-ju opened the Old Book.
Duros looked up at the third floor and shouted.
"Kwahaha!! Hey!! Viper!! That bastard isn't interesting enough to agree to something like that!!"
Duros narrowed his eyes and glared at Shin-ju.
"It's more fun to just crush a boring guy!! I'll kill that bastard myself. Our history runs deeper than you think!!"
Meanwhile, Deadcasher looked down at Enri with a bored expression.
Her eyes slowly narrowed.
She looked puzzled, as if she'd seen her somewhere before.
Finally, she recognized Enri.
"Ha..."
Deadcasher twisted her lips into a slight smile.
"We've met before, haven't we?"
"You finally remember? I guess that's what happens when you're a dull-witted Dragonkin. Took you long enough."
Enri grinned, throwing a taunt of her own.
Then she turned her head to look up at Shin-ju.
"Mr. Shin-ju..."
"I'll take Deadcasher. You, Mr. Shin-ju..."
"Yes. Well, it can't be helped. This isn't what I wanted."
Shin-ju smiled down at Enri.
"Fortunately, I've fought him before... but I'm not confident."
Enri tilted her head at Shin-ju's words.
"Confident that I'll lose immediately."
Shin-ju grinned, and Enri smiled back before her expression turned serious.
Never backing down from a fight you started was an ironclad rule of Bluerobic.
Enri leaped into the ring.
Her black dress fluttered under the white lights.
*Rip, rip, rip*
As soon as she was in the ring, Enri tore the lace of her dress around her legs to prepare for battle.
Her firm, muscular legs began to shine even more brightly under the intense lights.
The surrounding audience roared with excitement.
Deadcasher snorted, a displeased look on her face.
Meanwhile, Shin-ju also stepped onto the stage where Duros was.
Duros's jaw dropped as he glared at Shin-ju, looking ready to devour him.
Shin-ju spread his hands as if to say, 'Look around,' a tone of mock admiration in his voice.
"Hey now- see how everything's still in one piece? You've gotten a lot more patient, haven't you? By now, I'd have expected you to be rampaging like a beast and turning this whole place into a wreck."
"Kahahahaha!!! That's because I've thought of a much more interesting way to kill you slowly and painfully!!"
Shin-ju calmly opened the Old Book, while Enri raised her three-section staff and took a fighting stance.
Deadcasher slowly unfolded her crossed arms, and Duros breathed fire, sharpening his claws.
And so.
The 2-on-2 showdown—Park Shin-ju vs. Duros, and Enri vs. Deadcasher—began.