T/N: you know what, screw it, I don’t care if I got a full-time job.
I still enjoy doing what I do want and I’m not planning to stop.
I’ll continue releasing chapters for all the fics as usual.
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‘Boom!’
The Dullahan’s body shattered without any warning.
It exploded into countless crystals that sprayed across the ground as if it had been kicked straight into a liquid state.
The black blood splattering everywhere carried a violent kind of beauty, yet not a single drop touched Louis.
His red armor continued to gleam brightly.
Qingyi silently grabbed Zhu Yuan’s hand and began retreating.
The other Ethereals had already scattered and fled the moment the Dullahan died.
Even the monsters knew when to run.
How could two smart humans fail to think of escaping?
Zhu Yuan, however, was hot-tempered by nature.
She raised her pistol with both hands and aimed it straight at the red-armored Knight.
There was no fear in her beautiful eyes, only sharp vigilance.
“Thank you for your help, Knight.
I have many questions.
Please come back to the Security Bureau with me and give a statement.”
Zhu Yuan’s words nearly made Qingyi’s vision go black.
This idiot really had no fear of death.
She actually wanted to take a statement right now?
Wasn’t she afraid this strange powerhouse in front of them would just kick the entire Security Bureau into the sky?
From what she had just witnessed, that kick must have carried dozens of tons of force along with explosive power.
Who could possibly withstand something like that?
Louis didn’t say a word.
He simply placed his right hand on the small switch at the side of his belt and tapped it.
In an instant, everything around him slowed down dramatically.
He could clearly see Zhu Yuan’s hair drifting slowly and Qingyi in the middle of drawing her three-section staff, so slowly that completing the motion might take several minutes.
Zhu Yuan suddenly realized the Knight standing in front of her had vanished.
Yet her years of combat intuition screamed that something was behind her.
She immediately tried to turn around, only to feel her back press against something hard, as if she were leaning against a solid wall.
There was someone right behind her.
This was Zhu Yuan’s most instinctive realization.
Her scalp tingled.
She was standing back-to-back with this person.
When had he disappeared?
And when had he appeared behind her?
She hadn’t noticed at all.
This kind of speed was beyond any ordinary human.
“Security Officer, Ethereals are our common enemy.
So we’re not enemies, right?”
Louis spoke while leaning against Zhu Yuan’s back.
This was a clear warning, a reminder not to act rashly against the Knight.
Although he wasn’t a bad person, he also wasn’t someone who could be provoked lightly.
The Security Bureau has a duty to monitor and control unstable factors like you.”
Zhu Yuan took a deep breath.
She understood she had been warned.
If the Knight behind her had any killing intent, she would already be dead.
There was no way she could have reacted to that speed.
“Goodbye.
Next time, I’ll still come to hunt Ethereals.”
Louis found her stubbornness speechless.
It was a good thing he was a decent person and wouldn’t hold it against her.
“Who exactly are you?” Zhu Yuan asked.
“I am the one who walks the path of heaven, the one who controls everything.”
Louis certainly wouldn’t reveal he was actually her junior.
Instead, he recited the famous line.
With Clock Up still active, he flipped the switch once more.
In the next instant, he vanished completely from Qingyi and Zhu Yuan’s sight.
“Did this guy run straight out of a tokusatsu show?
No, wait.
Since when do Starlight Knights have this kind of combat power?
He could probably take on the Great Demon King by himself.”
Only after the Knight had completely disappeared did Qingyi breathe a sigh of relief.
She immediately started complaining.
With just one punch and one kick, that massive Dullahan was gone.
It had died so miserably.
Truly terrifying.
“How’s Louis?”
Zhu Yuan knew the gap between her and the Knight was too vast for her to arrest him, so she didn’t dwell on it.
She would simply write a report and let her superiors handle it.
Right now, she was more worried about Louis, who had saved her earlier.
“He’s lying over there.”
Qingyi pointed toward the ruins behind them.
At that moment, Louis poked his head out from the debris, leaning against a broken wall as he waved at the two girls.
“I’m here.
Still alive.”
“You’re awake.
Did you see that weird knight from earlier?”
Qingyi walked over to Louis and asked.
It would be a real shame if he had missed it.
“I saw him.
Isn’t he my savior?
If not for him, I’d probably be on the casualty list right now.”
Louis nodded naturally.
In truth, he had been awake for a while already. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
He just hadn’t stepped forward earlier because he didn’t want to drag them down.
“No, no.
Don’t you think he’s really strange?”
Qingyi waved her hand, saying it felt a bit off to treat such a bizarre powerhouse as a savior.
“I don’t know about that, but I do know you should judge people by their actions, not their intentions.
Whatever his goals are, at the very least he saved all three of us.
That’s enough for me to be grateful.”
Louis shook his head, leaving Qingyi with nothing to say.
The facts were exactly as he said.
The Knight had only killed Ethereals and hadn’t harmed any humans.
That was enough.
“You kid, always so pragmatic.”
Qingyi patted Louis on the shoulder, making him flinch in pain.
Although he was tough, the Dullahan’s kick had been no joke.
He hadn’t come out of it completely unscathed.
“Louis, you shouldn’t have rushed over like that.
I could have handled it myself.”
Zhu Yuan stared at him with her bright eyes, clearly blaming him for taking such a dangerous risk.
If he had died because of her, she would have carried that guilt for the rest of her life.
“You would have died,” Louis replied earnestly, looking straight at Zhu Yuan.
“You saved my life in the air earlier.
I couldn’t just watch you die.
Besides, as a heavy armor unit, my duty is to stand at the front.
There’s no hiding behind teammates.”
The experience of saving each other had clearly brought the two of them closer.
Seeing his stubborn yet sincere way of speaking, Zhu Yuan’s lips curved into a faint smile.
“Hmm, what you said makes sense.
I saw your performance in combat.
You pass.
From now on, you are officially a member of the Criminal Investigation Special Response Team.”
In truth, the most important test wasn’t strength, but courage.
Louis stepping up to protect his teammates in the face of life and death was more than enough to pass.
“Double the salary?
Sweet!”
Louis happily flashed a peace sign at Zhu Yuan.
His youthful behavior made both Zhu Yuan and Qingyi laugh.
Compared to protecting people from the dangers of the Hollow, what young people cared about most really was their paycheck.
With the Dullahan and most of the Ethereals eliminated, the activity level of this Hollow had dropped significantly and was now slowly shrinking.
Zhu Yuan picked up her communicator to contact the technicians waiting outside the Hollow at the Security Bureau.
Following their guidance, the three of them made their way out through a fire escape inside the building.
The moment they stepped out of the Hollow, they were greeted with a warm welcome from the Security Bureau staff.
Members of the logistics team came forward to check on them.
Every successful return from a Hollow mission was cause for celebration.
After all, entering a Hollow was always a life-or-death risk.
Showing respect to these warriors was only natural.