The Devil's Cage

Bloody Mary frowned hard as it looked at the exploded body disintegrating into white light.

It felt strange, but it couldn't pinpoint exactly what. It felt normal in some way.

It turned around and looked at Rorl and J.Pearlman, who were both in a dull state, so Bloody Mary swallowed back its questions.

Then…

Dak Dak Dak Dak.

Amid the footsteps, a figure appeared from the shadow. It was Kieran.

Kieran glanced over the explosion point, nodded in deep thoughts, but didn't say anything.

"I see," Kieran muttered.

"Boss, what happened?" Bloody Mary came close and asked.

"He should be a curse caster," Kieran explained.

"Means he was casting a curse just now?" Bloody Mary said in shock.

"Em. But there's nothing to worry over. It's just some tricks. I'll dispel the curse for you." Kieran nodded.

"Then when do we start?" Bloody Mary asked anxiously.

"Now. You can have a holiday later after this. It's been a rough couple of weeks for you."

Kieran looked at Bloody Mary and said with a smile.

"Thank you very much."

Bloody Mary was incredibly moved, its body shivered from the excitement and slightly bowed to Kieran.

Kieran lifted his hand and placed it over Bloody Mary's shoulder.

Pak!

But before Kieran's hand could touch Bloody Mary's shoulder, Bloody Mary plunged its own hand through Kieran's body. An uncontrollable laugh followed right away.

"Are you serious now?"

"You are here to entertain me?"

"My boss isn't like you, you imposter!"

Bloody Mary twisted its hand to widen the wound on the man's abdomen to his chest. With its hand through the man's chest, Bloody Mary lifted him higher.

"Where did I go wrong?"

"I thought I sounded exactly like him!" the man sounded confused.

"Ya, you sound exactly like him."

As it replied, Bloody Mary put its other hand into the chest and ripped the body in half!

Tsska!

The imposter was ripped in half by Bloody Mary's bare hands!

Organs and blood dropped to the ground like discarded trash, but before it splashed on Bloody Mary, everything vanished.

Bloody Mary's sight blurred out for a moment before it saw Rorl pushing itself.

"Hey man, how are you?! What happened back there?" Rorl asked anxiously.

"I'm fine and kicking. Get your hands off me, moron!" said Bloody Mary. It sounded like it was disgusted by Rorl holding its hand, but at the next moment, it kicked J.Pearlman, whom Rorl carried on his shoulder.

Rory's strength was incomparable to Bloody Mary, J.Pearlman was kicked away just like that.

Rorl was stunned, he didn't know what happened, but it didn't stop him from moving behind Bloody Mary.

"Still playing dumb, are we?" Bloody Mary laid its hands out open and asked.

"How did you realize it?"

J.Pearlman, who fell on the ground, spoke in a weird voice without getting up.

"I started to suspect something when the men appeared on the train in such a timely manner."

"Maybe I am not as vigilant as my boss, but I am not half bad. I'd made sure that I hadn't been followed."

"Especially other than my boss, I don't think there is someone that can pull me into an illusory realm so quietly. There must be a trigger or a process, so other than you who I carried on my shoulder, who else can do it?" Bloody Mary said in happy laughs.

"Then why not the other person beside you?" the man on the ground asked.

"Because he is a useless idiot." Bloody Mary said decisively.

Rorl opened his mouth, he ought to argue, but nothing came out in the end due to even himself acknowledged his uselessness in his heart.

The best kind of people knew how much they are worth.

Rorl was precisely this kind of person, but the person lying on the ground was not.

A few silent moments later, the man spoke again, "How did you realize it was an illusion? I admit that I have observed 2567 for a very long time. I shouldn't have made any mistakes!"

"Even if you have the companion contract, my previous illusions should be able to fool you!"

The man seemed very persistent at this topic.

Bloody Mary didn't answer this time.

What should it say to the man? That its boss wasn't a pro in dispelling curses? Or that what the man had gathered before was blatantly wrong?

Had Bloody Mary revealed it to the enemy, its boss would surely feed it to Gluttony. The hungry sin had had his eyes on the High Demon for a long time now.

Or rather, should it say that its boss wasn't that joyful, and a holiday or a break was impossible?

It was too shameful to tell!

It would tell, but not in this life!

Therefore, Bloody Mary laughed softly. It ought to use its laughs to cover its inability to answer.

However, the smile caused the man to misunderstand.

"Is something that I don't know of?"

"Very well, it's my mistake this time, but next time you won't be this lucky! I will surely send you into a miserable state that will make you wish you are dead instead!"

The moment his words subsided, 'J. Pearlman' climbed up and ran away quickly.

Bloody Mary looked at the running imposter. It didn't give chase, though.

"We are not chasing?" Rorl asked softly.

"Chase? Did you think I spent so much time talking BS with that guy because I wanted to befriend him?" Bloody Mary asked.

"Then… are you testing him?" Rorl thought for quite a while before his answer came out.

"Useless piece of sh*t!" it rolled a white eye at Rorl.

Bloody mary pouted and decided to not talk to Rorl anymore.

How was it testing the man?!

It was buying time! Stalling! Stalling for its boss!

Dak Dak Dak!

Familiar steps entered its ears. Bloody Mary's straight body instinctively arched a little and showed a smile on its face. It quickly jogged to the source of the footsteps.

"Come along, moron."

Bloody Mary turned around when it was halfway there and called Rorl.

"Uh..Oh.."

Rorl nodded and ran.

After a corner, Rorl saw that legendary figure again.

Under the shadow cast by the buildings, the man was standing there.

The wind that flew through the valley fluttered the feather mantle, producing relentless flutters.

In his hand was 'J.Pearlman,' whose face got hit by the fluttering feathers.