Chapter 17
Sasha’s coat hem stretched into a dark shadow, moving as if it were a living creature.
“Hey, don’t go too far.”
“Please, s-spare me!”
Before the kidnapper could finish his plea, Sasha’s shadow expanded enormously, swallowing the man whole in an instant.
– Thud, thud.
Clothes, shoes, and a hat fell to the ground, dropping from the empty air as if paint had been poured over them.
“Ugh, it tastes like trash.”
Sasha held his hand to his mouth, trying not to vomit, and took a moment to catch his breath. The kidnappers, who had lost Regina, seemed to take revenge by ambushing Sasha while he was walking alone, only to be cleanly devoured by him. Sasha shook his head, lamenting the loss of his appetite.
The taste was awful, and the influx of the human’s dirty memories made him feel particularly unpleasant.
“At least I feel somewhat full.”
His red eyes, now glowing with absorbed life force, flickered in the darkness before being hidden by the shadow. He was about to approach and consume the remaining unconscious man when he suddenly looked up, sensing something.
“…Annoying pests.”
He hesitated, contemplating whether to deal with it himself, but then remembered he had something useful. Sasha took out a small box from his coat’s inner pocket.
– Click.
When he opened the lid, a fine dust emitted a faint blue glow, floating gently in the air.
“Go on, eat it. Consume that.”
As if understanding Sasha’s command, the dust swirled around him briefly before slowly approaching the unconscious human in the alley. The fine particles landed on the man’s hand, and soon, a black hue spread from there, covering his entire body in an instant.
“Someone is coming to kill you. The scent of blood will be sweet. Survive without dying, and then find me again.”
The black fairy, which was in the process of absorbing the human, faintly reacted to Sasha’s words. It seemed the taste of its first live absorption had captivated it. Leaving the scene, Sasha moved on. He could already smell the hybrid scent. Raising his hand, he expanded his shadow into a thick black pool that quickly swallowed him and vanished into the ground.
– Thud!
Noah rushed over, stepping on the last remnants of the shadow just as it disappeared. Drawing his revolver, he scanned the area, seeing the scattered clothes and realizing he was too late.
“Damn it! I missed him!”
Noah gritted his teeth. Red eyes—those were the hallmark of higher-level black fairies, those that had devoured at least hundreds of humans. Regina, unaware, must have dismissed it as merely diverse appearances, but no human had red eyes.
“A higher-level fairy in the capital…!”
After years of pursuit, he had finally caught a lead on a higher-level black fairy. Noah’s face was a mix of frustration at losing his quarry and excitement at the discovery.
Just then, the hand of the man lying on the ground lifted. The black shadow that had covered him was absorbing him and taking shape, but Noah, focused on finding traces of the higher fairy, didn’t notice.
– Ssshh!
A black arm slowly rose into the air, then suddenly shot toward Noah at a terrifying speed. It looked more like a spear than a human arm. The black hand sliced through the air, aiming to pierce Noah’s head, but the arm only struck empty space.
The black fairy, hidden in the alley’s darkness, was startled. Its target had vanished right before its eyes. The elongated arm quickly retracted and returned to the alley. In the next moment, a leg protruded under the streetlight—a leg twisted in a bizarre direction.
– Krrr….
Unable to fully assume a human form, the black fairy was hunched over, balancing on two arms and one leg, moving like a bird of prey. It seemed to be searching for Noah.
– Krrrr…. W-Where did he go…
The scent of a human was unmistakable, but nothing was visible in the fairy’s view. As it twisted and rose, its bent arm brushed against the wall, and a pair of blue eyes shone from the shadow behind it. Realizing Noah’s presence behind it, the black fairy leaped into the air just as a sharp gunshot rang out.
– Bang, bang!
With a burst, the black fairy’s head exploded, leaving only its mouth below its nose, screaming. Struggling to regenerate its head, the fairy’s body trembled before collapsing into a black mass on the ground.
“Did you really think I’d fall to a newborn black fairy?”
Noah approached the fallen black fairy, thrusting his gun barrel into the darkened neck. He stirred the insides, finding a small bead. Taking a small pouch from his coat, he placed the bead inside. The remaining body was a charcoal-black lump. Staring at it, Noah suddenly thought of Regina.
“Would she absorb this too if it touched her?”
However, bringing her here at this late hour to touch the corpse was too much hassle. Leaving the remains, Noah turned away. There would be other opportunities.
Beyond the buildings lining the street, a tall white structure stood out, towering higher than even the royal palace. It was the Royal Institute, ‘Arme.’
“…I should visit Ezra.”
Ezra would undoubtedly be aware of the appearance of a higher-level black fairy. Noah headed toward the institute, indifferent to the late hour. After all, the one he sought was not human either.
The deserted street was bathed in the orange glow of streetlights. With Noah gone, the street, now occupied only by the mysterious black mass, fell silent once more as if no gunshots had ever disturbed the night.
* * *
“Yawn.”
James, who was patrolling the Royal Institute, couldn’t suppress a big yawn as sleepiness overwhelmed him. The Institute rarely had visitors, even on ordinary days. Many wanted to be assigned here because it was usually so quiet, but James found the place rather boring. The patrol duties were particularly tiresome. Being the only one assigned to this task meant he had no one to talk to.
“Sigh, time is really dragging today.”
He glanced up at the large clock hanging inside the Institute and muttered to himself. His voice echoed through the dark hallway. The building was large and had an eerie atmosphere. The corridors were so clean that they felt chilly even in the height of summer, making him feel like he was in a haunted house.
The few people he occasionally passed were all in robes, and none had ever greeted him. Considering James had been working here for almost two years, it was clear that his colleagues had little interest in him.
I’ve heard that researchers tend to be eccentric, but are they all like this?
James stretched, lost in thought. The drowsiness made him think that doing another round of patrol might be better. Even though no one was watching, he couldn’t neglect his duties.
“What’s this?”
Thinking he’d need to switch to his winter uniform tomorrow due to the increasingly cold weather, he noticed a figure walking toward him from the opposite end of the corridor. A visitor at this late hour was unusual. With a mix of curiosity and caution, James observed the approaching figure and then gasped in surprise. The face looked familiar.
“…Noah Lester?!”
No matter how many years had passed, that face was unforgettable. Platinum blond hair, cold blue eyes, and features so beautiful they seemed almost inhuman. Recognizing Noah immediately, James smiled brightly and raised his hand.
“Hey, Lester! How many years has it been? I don’t think I’ve seen you since we graduated from the Academy. How have you been?”
Noah, who had been walking down the corridor with an expressionless face, stopped suddenly at the sound of James calling him. He squinted as if trying to place the face, then smiled slightly as recognition dawned.
“Ah, James. Long time no see. It looks like you’ve been assigned here?”
“Yes! I heard you went to the Crime Investigation Department, but then I didn’t hear anything about you. What have you been up to?”
“Just investigating various cases here and there. How about you? Anything new?”
“Investigating cases sounds quite impressive! I should have applied to the Investigation Department too. But even if I did, I don’t have the smarts like you or Collins, so I’d probably end up in a desk job. Oh, have you heard about Akim Collins? He got promoted to the head of District 12 at such a young age. Isn’t that amazing? His promotion ceremony got delayed by a week, so he hasn’t even had time to visit the local estate yet.”
As James chatted away naturally as if they had just met yesterday, Noah glanced up at the large clock on the wall. The clock’s hands, with partially visible gears inside, glowed faintly.
