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Chapter 2503: Anomaly
Shadow Slave

It seemed impossible, but Saint did actually fall asleep. In fact, it only took her a few minutes — five minutes exactly, actually — to fall into the embrace of sleep, almost as if there was a stopwatch built into her head.

Sunny was secretly impressed. He had heard that seasoned soldiers developed the ability to fall asleep on a dime, but never experienced it himself.

By the time Sunny joined the Southern Campaign, he had already become a Master. People he had spent most time with were Awakened, as well, and Awakened had a complicated relationship with sleep… especially so in Antarctica, where the Nightmare Gates opening everywhere had made it so that every time they fell asleep, they risked never waking up again.

He stared at the sleeping form of Saint, then shook his head and picked up a carton of chocolate milk.

"Anyway, let's arrange the… wow. Why is this so good? What was I... oh, right. Let's arrange the documents first."

Using the materials Effie had gathered, they unfolded a map of Mirage City on the altar and quickly assembled a version of the investigation board hidden in the Devil Detective's wardrobe on its surface.

After studying it for a few moments, Morgan raised an eyebrow.

"There is a lot of information… but it should all be useless, no? Even I know that the Nihilist leaves no clues behind."

Sunny shook his head.

"No, it won't be useless. In fact, it will be quite useful. Because the situation has changed — even if there were no clues before, there will be now.

We just need to find them."

Morgan shrugged.

"Alright."

Effie, meanwhile, studied the photos of the victims and asked in a dubious tone:

"There is something I don't understand, though. These people… they were all Mordret's vessels, right? But what were they here in Mirage City? Every one of them had a role to play, just like we play the roles of two police detectives. Did the Nihilist kill them because of their roles, or were they killed because they… were Mordret? How is that even possible? He should not have access to his Aspect here."

Sunny contemplated for a while, then responded in a hesitant tone:

"Maybe it's both."

He looked at the photos.

"First of all, I think I know why these people received roles in Mirage City. It is not very obvious, but when you think about it, something does not make sense. Where do all these people come from? The entire population of Mirage City, I mean. Not the Others themselves, but precisely the shapes they

take."

He looked at Effie."Your counterpart knew that the Devil Detective went insane when his former partner, the previous Homicide Division captain, was killed. That was the local version of Jet, by the way, but why? Jet has never entered the Great Mirror. Actually, Detective Sunless and Officer Athena had existed in Mirage City long before we arrived. How come?"

At that moment, Morgan spoke:

"I can explain that. I noticed more than a few familiar faces here, so I considered this issue thoroughly, as well. And the conclusion I came to is that the Great Mirror uses the reflections of anyone who has ever set foot in Bastion as reference material… or maybe inspiration."

She pointed to the photos of the victims.

"Jet visited Bastion before, so her reflection ended up in Mirage City. So did you and Athena. So did I, for that matter. So, there were Others wearing our likeness in Mirage City."

Sunny nodded.

"That is what I suspected, as well. Then, here comes the interesting part. What if a person appears who has not one reflection, but many?"

Like Mordret.

Sunny remained silent for a moment, then pointed to himself.

"And a second question. What happens if a being whose consciousness inhabits several bodies enters the Great Mirror? I only sent one incarnation to Bastion, but what if all seven entered the Palace of Imagination?"

He sighed.

"And lastly… what happens when a person who already has an established role in Mirage City — who is its axis, no less — has an evil twin, and that evil twin suddenly enters the Great Mirror, too?"

Sunny chuckled darkly.

"I am willing to bet that the Castellan had no idea what to do with the real Mordret. Mordret is… an error, as far as the Castellan is concerned. So, it gave him a multitude of roles, and then arranged for all these people to be removed. The only one who did not receive a role, ironically enough, was

our Mordret himself… gods. I just felt a little nauseated by having to call him 'our' Mordret."

He paused for a moment.

"Calling him the 'real' Mordret also does not work, either, since we don't know which one of them is real. So… what do we call them?"

Effie raised a hand with a smile.

"I know, I know! How about…"

Sunny hurriedly interrupted her:

"Anyway, let's call them Mordret and the Other Mordret. The point is, Mordret was not given a role, and that was how he was able to survive without being slain by the Nihilist. He is like a ghost — someone who does not exist in Mirage City, or at least is not supposed to exist.An anomaly."

Morgan raised an eyebrow.

"But how does it help us catch the Nihilist?"

Sunny pointed to the investigation map.

"The Castellan killed every vessel of Mordret it could catch, but now that we are here, the story has been rewritten to give the killings a proper explanation. So now, they were killed both because they were Mordret and because something about their roles made them prime victim candidates for the Nihilist."

Effie blinked a few times.

"The serial killer… was retconned? Is that what you mean?"

Sunny shrugged.

"I guess? So, now, we can actually discover who the Nihilist is. In fact, we have quite a powerful advantage on our side, as far as detective work goes."

Morgan tilted her head a little.

"What advantage?"

He could not help but chuckle.

"Well… ironically enough, it is that we are not detectives."

He studied the investigation map and said in a measured tone:

"Everything in Mirage City has been changed to fit the new story, you see. The truth of what happened, the details of the identities of the victims, the evidence, the autopsy reports…"

Looking up from the map, he raised a hand and tapped his temple with a finger.

"The only thing that did not change is us, real people. And that is why we are actually in a great position to solve this case."

Sunny pointed to the documents.

"Because we had studied the case before its story was changed. So, we don't really need to search for a needle in a haystack. We don't need to parse through all this information to find the smallest hint of a clue."

He smiled.

"We just need to find what has changed compared to how these documents were before. That is how we will learn what story the Castellan is telling."

Shadow Slave
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Comments 73

  1. Offline
    Dust Dust Sans
    + 17 ⋅ 1 -
    When sunny called Morderet an "error", I realised that Amon and Morderet have a lot in common:
    Villains
    Evil masterind with elaborate plans and high IQ
    Black hair, thin face
    Have unique trait with their eyes
    Can spread "avatars" like a plague
    Hated by MC
    Read more
  2. Offline
    ZionCrestZero
    + 0 ⋅ 4 -
    Now that there's update every wanna be hero copy paste and flood the comments
    Read more
  3. Offline
    Ashish053
    + 6 ⋅ 0 -
    Maybe anvil is castellien and sunny is going to kill him twice
    Read more
    1. Offline
      Kiber
      + 0 ⋅ 1 -
      Наковальня убила своего Другого, а Санни убил настоящего, получив его Тень, так что этого не может быть. Я НЕ ТАК ПОНЯЛ ЭТОТ КОММЕНТАРИЙ, ТАК КАК НАКОВАЛЬНЯ УБИЛА СВОЕГО КЛОНА, ЗНАЧИТ ЗДЕСЬ НЕ МОЖЕТ БЫТЬ ЕГО, ЗНАЧИТ ЭТО РЕАЛЬНО КАСТЕЛЯН???
      Read more
  4. Offline
    Pro100zver25
    + 10 ⋅ 4 -
    Chapter — 2504: When life gives you high-fructose corn syrup.

    Just like every day, Saint woke up before dawn broke.

    However, she did not feel refreshed and well-rested, like she usually would. Instead, she felt tired, dazed, and hurting all over. That was because she did not wake up in her comfortable, state-of-the-art orthopedic bed. Instead, she woke up on the hard surface of a church bench. Her luxurious cotton percale bedding was nowhere to be seen, either, replaced by a single dusty sheet of cheap and coarse fabric… naturally, her carefully selected pillow was also gone, supplanted by a rolled-up trench coat.

    She had even slept in her clothes.

    …And only for a few hours.

    «Unacceptable.»

    Trying her best not to feel indignant, Saint sighed and sat up, rubbing her eyes.

    “Ouch.”

    Her bruised body hurt. The cuts on her fingers stung, as well — the handkerchief wrapped around them had turned brown from blood and was sticking unpleasantly to her skin.

    She was dirty, disheveled, and… grumpy. She felt disgusting.

    That did not happen often.

    Saint looked around groggily.

    Of course, her clean and quiet apartment was nowhere to be seen. Sadly, she was still in an abandoned church, in the company of two unhinged detectives and an escaped patient. They did not seem to have slept at all — instead, they were sitting around a makeshift table, discussing something in hushed voices.

    The hum of their whispering felt jarring in the echoing silence of the empty church.

    “Irritating.”

    Saint sighed.

    Saint could not exercise properly because her body was bruised and battered after the altercation with the three brutes. Putting strain on it would only exacerbate the damage.

    Personal hygiene was also a victim of her circumstance. She did not have her cleanser lotion, exfoliating scrub lotion, hydrating shampoo, and balancing conditioner, let alone her skincare and haircare products… all she had access to was bottled water to wash her hands and face.

    Letting out another grumpy sigh, Saint rose from the bench and did just that.

    Anything was better than nothing…

    While Saint was carefully unwrapping the handkerchief from her hand and rinsing the deep cuts, Detective Athena looked at her and smiled.

    «Good morning, sleeping beauty! There's toothpaste and a spare toothbrush in that box over there. Enjoy!»

    Saint gave her a long, somber look. Some time later, she was done with trying — and failing — to make herself look presentable. Then, Saint was faced with another blow.

    Naturally, she treated all matters having to do with nutrition seriously. But her balanced breakfast was a pipe dream, at the moment… instead, she was presented with the food supplies in one of the boxes.

    A galore of ultraprocessed carbs, artificial additives, and chemical preservatives, all under a thick layer of high-fructose corn syrup.

    It was basically poison.

    “I can't eat that!”

    Saint stared at the box with a lost expression, not knowing what to do. Noticing her hesitation, Detective Athena smiled again.

    «Oh, there are also some donuts left! Treat yourself!»

    Looking at her smiling face, Saint felt something that she had never felt before.

    …The desire to smack another human being right across their face.

    Her eyes widened a little.

    And whose fault was that?

    Theirs!

    Taking a deep breath, Saint counted to ten and then said politely:

    «Thank you. But I am not hungry.»

    Picking up a bottle of water, she quenched her thirst and stayed motionless for a while. Now that her morning ritual — or at least a version of it — was complete, she could finally think about her situation.

    Her mood only grew worse.

    Someone had tried to kill her. She did not know who or why. There were detectives protecting her, but their mental state was questionable.

    Morgan, the heiress of the Valor Group, had escaped from a secure mental hospital and was now here with her, acting as if nothing odd was happening.

    So what was Saint supposed to do?

    Going home seemed like an unwise decision, considering that someone was out to get her. Going to work was similarly problematic.

    Relying on her rescuers…

    She listened to what they were saying.

    At that moment, Detective Sunless was shaking his head.

    «It is still not enough. Sure, we determined that the past of the victims was changed to give them a connection to the Valor Group. The company of the guy who was supposed to renovate this neighborhood was a minor contractor for them, the young security guard was previously assigned to a different post, the older woman worked in an agency that provided outsourcing archival services for one of the Valor Group branches… but that is still not enough to pinpoint the exact culprit.»

    Detective Athena answered in a carefree tone:

    «Yes, but if we add the attempted victims to the list — the CEO, two detectives who had been in contact with him, Morgan, and her psychiatrist — then the entire picture changes, doesn't it?»

    Morgan shrugged.

    «There is nothing in my counterpart's memory to easily explain why she would be targeted. At least not on the surface — even if she knew something, I'd need to know what to look for first to find pertinent information.»

    Detective Sunless spoke again:

    «There are very few issues that would require both the CEO and his sister to be taken out of the picture. An attempted coup? That doesn't make sense, though… even if both Mordret and Morgan disappear, the power will simply return to Anvil. We don't think that he's behind the Nihilist, do we? He's supposed to be out of the country, anyway.»

    Saint closed her eyes for a moment.

    “Great. Now they think that I became collateral damage in some sort of power struggle within the Valor Group?”

    She drank her water in silence, feeling miserable.

    By then, the conversation had changed course.

    «Whoever the culprit is, they won't stop trying. We need to be ready to defend ourselves… which can be more problematic than we think. We are mundane people at the moment, after all, and our mundane bodies are quite vulnerable. Do any of you know how to use this thing? I pilfered it from the highly skilled, deadly, armed assassin who had tried to kill me.»

    Morgan spoke next.

    «No. I never trained with firearms, let alone antique ones.»

    Detective Effie chuckled.

    «What's so difficult about it? You just point it at the adversary and press the trigger, right?»

    Detective Sunless did not sound too sure.

    «Well, I don't know. Their cars need to be fueled with flammable liquid, and their communicators only work half a day without being charged. Who knows what their guns use as ammunition?»

    «This is a double-action, six-shot revolver… Smith and Wesson Model Ten. It uses thirty-eight caliber bullets. Also, don't point it at each other, please. You are detectives, so you should know how to follow basic gun safety.»

    Detective Sunless blinked a few times.

    «Actually, I have no idea. I was near a lot of guns in the Evacuation Army, but I never even fired one, let alone trained to handle one.»

    Then, he smiled brightly.

    «But you seem to know your way around a gun, Saint! Well, of course you do. After all, you are a weapon master.»

    Saint frowned. What about her gave this bizarre man the impression that she knew how to handle a firearm?

    Not that she didn't…

    Pursing her lips, Saint remained silent for a moment, then said reluctantly:

    «I do have a marksmanship certificate. I used to practice shooting to maintain a good level of hand-eye coordination.»

    He nodded a couple of times.

    «Of course you did. Then, you keep it.»

    With that, he pushed the revolver into her hand.

    Saint froze, startled.

    «Excuse me?»

    Detective Sunless smiled.

    «You know, for self-defense. Next time someone tries to strangle you, blow their brains out. Alright?»

    Then, after thinking for a few moments, he added:

    «Actually, bash their brains out before they try to strangle you. Yeah, that would be way better…»
    Read more
    1. Offline
      Pro100zver25
      + 6 ⋅ 4 -
      Chapter — 2505: Bold Solution.

      Saint seemed to hesitate before accepting the revolver, but then gave Sunny a reluctant nod. She checked the gun with precise and confident movements, making sure that it was loaded, then hid it in the pocket of her trench coat.

      It was hard to tell if she felt safer with a weapon since her expression was almost always calm and placid, but Sunny hoped that she did.

      Because he himself felt troubled.

      Being mundane was already bad enough, but he was at least confident in his ability to overpower most enemies in a brawl. Now that firearms entered the picture, though, Sunny had to face his own mortality.

      One bullet was enough to end his life.

      “How… nostalgic.”

      He was reminded of his youth in the outskirts of NQSC, where armed thugs had been like deities who wielded power over life and death at theiг fingertips. It was such a long time since Sunny had felt threatened by guns that he was having trouble adjusting to this new old reality.

      «By the way, aren't we supposed to have those, as well?»

      Effie's question made him scratch the back of his head.

      «Right. As detectives, we have the right to carry firearms.»

      Sunny rummaged in the Devil Detective's memories for a few moments.

      «But they are under lock and key back at the Police Department. We can only take them out after providing a proper justification and filling out a bunch of forms.»

      Guns were a rarity in Mirage City, and even cops hesitated to use them. Still… maybe it would be prudent to retrieve their own revolvers from the armory sooner rather than later, considering that random assassins were running around with them. He sighed.

      «Anyway… where were we?»

      They had poured over all the available information last night, finding ways in which it was different from how it had been before. Luckily, Sunny had studied the investigation board in the Devil Detective's apartment at the start of their stay in Mirage City, so he knew what to look for. What they had discovered was that the victims of the Nihilist were now connected to the Valor Group in subtle, but undeniable ways. The owner of a construction company, the archivist, the suspiciously affluent civil inspector…

      All of them were tied to the Valor Group, either оbviously or covertly.

      In and of itself, that was a meaningless clue. After all, the Valor Group was too vast and influential — here in Mirage City, everyone was connected to it in one way or another. However, that clue ceased to be meaningless when one factored in one vital detail — that these connections had been formed only recently, in the process of Mirage City rewriting itself to fit the story of how the Nihilist chose his victims.

      It was because of how the stories of these people had changed that Sunny could deduce that their connection to Valor was the reason for their deaths, as opposed to a mere coincidence.

      The root of the matter still dodged him, though. Аt best, he knew where to look for it.

      Sunny grimaced.

      «There are only a few hours left before we are suρposed to start interviewing persons of interest in the Other Mordret's attempted assassination case. That can potentially shed more light on the identity of the culprit… that was the plan yesterday, at least. However, today, I think that our plans were too conservative.»

      Effie arched an eyebrow.

      «Whad do you mean?»

      Sunny shrugged.

      «The city was not trying to kill us yesterday, so we could take our sweet time. But there is a deadline now — quite literally. So, we need to hurry things along.»

      Morgan, who had changed out of the borrowed nurse uniform into a spare set of clothes Effie had kept in the car, looked at herself in displeasure. The sleeves of the hoodie she was wearing were obviously too long for her, and the hoodie itself looked way too baggy on her svelte body.

      Pursing her lips, she rolled up the sleeves and let out a heavy sigh.

      «How are we going to hurry them, exactly?»

      Sunny remained silent for a few moments, then smiled.

      «Well, no matter how you look at it, there is one person at the center of all of this. The source of Mirage City… Mordret. The Other Mordret, I mean.»

      Hearing that, Saint frowned slightly, but did not say anything. She removed the cap from the water bottle in her hands and brought it to her lips, taking a measured sip.

      Sunny shrugged.

      «So, let's kidnap him.»

      Saint spat out the water, coughed, and looked at him with wide eyes.

      “Huh. She can make that expression, as well.”

      Effie and Morgan remained more composed, but they seemed surprised, as well.

      «Kidnap him?»

      Sunny nodded simply.

      «That is the easiest solution. Listen… we don't have a lot of time, and we have too many things to do. We need to catch the Nihilist, we need to protect Saint, we need to make sure that the Other Mordret survives — all the while staying alive ourselves. So, let's turn all these things into one thing.»

      He pointed to the altar of the abandoned church, where Mordret's photo lay at the center of the investigation map.

      «We need to put him and Saint together to remove the need to split our forces for protecting them both in separate locations. We also don't know enough to find the Nihilist… so, let's make the Nihilist come to us instead. As long as we have the Other Mordret, whoever is trying to get rid of him will come for us, and that will be our chance to follow the traces back to the source.»

      Saint wiped her lips with the back of her hand and pierced him with a glare.

      «Now, wait a moment…»

      Morgan spoke then, interrupting her:

      «He is already protected enough. He is the most protected person in the city. Believe me, I know — otherwise, I would have already killed him. So what good will kidnapping him do?»

      Sunny shook his head.

      «If the person pulling the strings is hidden within Valor, like the Other Mordret thinks, then his own security might represent the most threat to him. The same people who are meant to protect him might become his executioners.»

      She frowned, but did not object to that line of reasoning immediately.

      In that ensuing silence, Effie said with a dubious expression.

      «That might be true, but they will still protect him from us. So, how are we even supposed to kidnap him?»

      Sunny suppressed a smile, as if he had been expecting that exact question.

      «Elementary, my dear Effie.»

      He walked over to Morgan, placed a hand on her shoulder, and grinned.

      «We have his baby sister. I'm sure he's worried out of her mind right now… so, we just need to use Morgan as a lure.»

      Morgan looked at him in displeasure, while Effiе smiled brightly.

      «Oh, I see. Sure, that makes sense.»

      As the three of them gave each other calm looks, already thinking about the practical steps of what they needed to accomplish, Saint finally spoke again:

      «Wait, hold on. Wait a second. We are not seriously planning to kidnap the CEO of the Valor Group, are we? That… that would be insane.»

      She fell silent then, hearing her own words, and sighed.

      Sunny grinned.

      «Don't worry. We'll only kidnap him a little…»
      Read more
    2. Offline
      Pro100zver25
      + 9 ⋅ 4 -
      Chapter — 2506: Behind Mirror Eyes.

      Standing on the balcony of the Valor manor, Mordret looked at the vast expanse of the Mirror Lake stretching in front of him. The sun was rising, and the tranquil waters were starting to glisten with a beautiful golden light. Far in the distance, the magnificent silhouette of the great castle rose from the golden glow, looking like something out of a fairy tale.

      It was a stunning sight, despite the hazy curtain of the falling rain obscuring it. Mordret smiled, enjoying the view.

      He drank his morning coffee in silence, not thinking about anything in particular. These quiet minutes at dawn were the only time he got to spend at peace — later in the day, he was always busy with work, solving urgent problems and interacting with countless people.

      Those problems were engaging and enjoyable in and of themselves, but it was a different kind of pleasure. By the time the exquisite ceramic cup in his hand ran dry, there was movement on the gravel road leading to the manor.

      Noticing a luxurious black car arriving at the manor, Mordret sighed quietly.

      His expression changed, betraying a sense of melancholy for a moment. Then, it was replaced by his usual simple smile, and he left the balcony.

      Still wearing his silk pajamas, soft slippers, and an exquisitelу embroidered viridian robe, he left his room and descended to the first floor. The maids, valets, and Sebastian were nowhere to be seen — opening the door, he finally found them, assembled in two neat rows outside the entrance with umbrellas in their hands.

      «Good morning.»

      Picking up an umbrella himself, Mordret walked out to meet the arriving car. The door swung open before the chauffeur had the time to touch it, and an imposing man climbed out of it, wearing a stern expression.

      The man was tall and broad-shouldered, with a lean but mighty physique. He had dark hair and a thick, dignified beard. The expression on his noble face was harsh and austere, and his grey eyes were as cold as tempered steel.

      He looked around coldly, and his heavy gaze landed on Mordret.

      The man remained silent for a few moments, studying him somberly.

      Then, a wide smile split his chiseled face, instantly warming it up.

      «Son!»

      Mordret smiled, too, hiding his melancholy behind that smile.

      «Dad.»

      Before he could say anything else, he was encased in a bear hug.

      «Come here, brat. How long has it been since we last saw each other? You are still too skinny… Sebastian! What have you been feeding this guy?»

      Indeed, it was none other than Anvil, Mordret's father.

      «Where's mom?»

      Anvil gave Mordret a conspiratorial smile and brought a finger to his lips.

      »Shhh. She fell asleep on the way from the airfield. Don't wake her just yet.»

      Leaving the protection of Mordret's umbrella, he took a few steps toward the lake and inhaled deeply.

      «Ah. The stench… I missed it!»

      Looking back, he grinned.

      «Your mom and I have done some wonderful work in less fortunate places, and I wouldn't change it for the world. But nothing beats home, does it?»

      Anvil turned back to the lake and chuckled, taking in the sight of the castle.

      «Look at it, rising from the water. Just as magnificent as it has always been… well, maybe a little more magnificent now after the renovations are done.»

      Smiling wryly, he finally returned to stand under the umbrella.

      «I hear the castle is opening to the public soon. Mirage Museum, huh? Was thаt your idea?»

      Mordret nodded.

      «Seemed sad, to just look at it from a distance. Always outside reach… and empty. Like a mirage. So, I thought I'd let people visit it and look around. Getting the city hall to cooperate took a lot of work, but you know how these things are.»

      Anvil nodded.

      «I do. And hearing you say that… I'm happieг than ever that I retired.»

      Throwing his head back, he laughed.

      «Now, let's wake your mother up and go inside…»

      His expгession darkened a little.

      «I am sorry we couldn't come back earlier, son. That stuff with your sister… you two had us very worried. If not for Madoc promising to look after you and Morgan, we would have abandoned everything and returned immediately.»

      Mordret smiled faintly.

      »Yes, Uncle was of great help. How about…»

      At that moment, his phone rang.

      Letting out a sigh, Mordret took it out of his pocket, looked at the screen, and accepted the call.

      «Yes. What is the matter?»

      He listened to whoever it was on the other side for a few moments, and then scowled.

      «What? What do you mean, they lost her? What about…»

      There was a muffled sound of a man's voice from the phone, and his expression became even more troubled.

      “How is this possible? I was told that the hospital in question…”

      After listening for a few more moments, he ended the call and remained motionless for a while, looking into the distance with a worried expression.

      Sensing his son's unease, Anvil asked in a calm tone:

      «What was that?»

      Mordret flinched, then looked at his father silently.

      Eventually, he took a deep breath and said:

      «It was Uncle's assistant. Apparently, Morgan… she vanished. I don't know how this is possible, considering that the facility we chose for her was supposed to provide the best care around the clock, but I will find out.»

      Anvil studied him for a few moments, then sighed.

      «That girl… I think I spoiled her too much. She really knows how to throw a tantrum! But before you blame your old man, remember that you spoiled her the most.»

      A pale smile appeared on Mordret's face.

      «Of course I did. She is my little sister.»

      Anvil shook his head.

      «Look at you, still covering for her. I heard that she really crossed the line this time… trying to hurt you? That is too much, even for her. Aren't you mad?»

      Mordret tilted his head a little.

      «Mad?»

      He considered the question for a few moments.

      «I'm never mad. I can't be mad.»

      Offering his father a smile, he handed him the umbrella and sighed.

      «I'm sorry, Dad. I'll have to go deal with that… hug mom for me? I'll be back for dinner.»

      Anvil nodded.

      «Of course. Go do what you need to do… drag Morgan home, as well. I'll give her a stern talking to.»

      Mordret looked at him for a few moments, then turned away.

      Out of Anvil's sight, his smile dimmed a little.

      He lingered for a bit, then headed inside to change clothes.

      Behind him, the waters of the lake were stirring, restless, as its surface was being pelted by the rain.
      Read more
      1. Offline
        Kiber
        + 1 ⋅ 0 -
        Так значит этот мордрет не может злиться, то есть он олицетворение всего хорошего в Мордрет?
        Read more
    3. Offline
      Paragorn
      + 0 ⋅ 0 -
      Why is so many water ? 😭
      I love G3 and hate him
      Read more
  5. Offline
    Magmun
    + 8 ⋅ 3 -
    2504 When Life Gives You High-Fructose Corn Syrup
    Just like every day, Saint woke up before dawn broke.

    However, she did not feel refreshed and well-rested, like she usually would. Instead, she felt tired, dazed, and hurting all over. That was because she did not wake up in her comfortable, state-of-the-art orthopedic bed. Instead, she woke up on the hard surface of a church bench. Her luxurious cotton percale bedding was nowhere to be seen, either, replaced by a single dusty sheet of cheap and coarse fabric... naturally, her carefully selected pillow was also gone, supplanted by a rolled-up trench coat.

    She had even slept in her clothes.

    ...And only for a few hours.

    "Unacceptable."
    Trying her best not to feel indignant, Saint sighed and sat up, rubbing her eyes. ‘Ouch.’ Her bruised body hurt. The cuts on her fingers stung, as well — the handkerchief wrapped around them had turned brown from blood and was sticking unpleasantly to her skin.

    She was dirty, disheveled, and... grumpy. She felt disgusting.

    That did not happen often.

    Saint looked around groggily.

    Of course, her clean and quiet apartment was nowhere to be seen. Sadly, she was still in an abandoned church, in the company of two unhinged detectives and an escaped patient. They did not seem to have slept at all — instead, they were sitting around a makeshift table, discussing something in hushed voices.

    The hum of their whispering felt jarring in the echoing silence of the empty church. ‘Irritating.’

    Saint sighed.

    The morning was a time for exercise, personal hygiene, self-care, and nutrition... ‘Oh, no.’

    Saint could not exercise properly because her body was bruised and battered after the altercation with the three brutes. Putting strain on it would only exacerbate the damage.

    Personal hygiene was also a victim of her circumstance. She did not have her cleanser lotion, exfoliating scrub lotion, hydrating shampoo, and balancing conditioner, let alone her skincare and haircare products... all she had access to was bottled water to wash her hands and face.

    Letting out another grumpy sigh, Saint rose from the bench and did just that.

    Anything was better than nothing...

    While Saint was carefully unwrapping the handkerchief from her hand and rinsing the deep cuts, Detective Athena looked at her and smiled.

    “Good morning, sleeping beauty! There's toothpaste and a spare toothbrush in that box over there. Enjoy!"

    Saint gave her a long, somber look. Some time later, she was done with trying — and failing — to make herself look presentable. Then, Saint was faced with another blow.

    Naturally, she treated all matters having to do with nutrition seriously. But her balanced breakfast was a pipe dream, at the moment... instead, she was presented with the food supplies in one of the boxes.

    A galore of ultraprocessed carbs, artificial additives, and chemical preservatives, all under a thick layer of high-fructose corn syrup.

    It was basically poison.

    ‘I can't eat that!’
    Saint stared at the box with a lost expression, not knowing what to do. Noticing her hesitation, Detective Athena smiled again.

    “Oh, there are also some donuts left! Treat yourself!"

    Looking at her smiling face, Saint felt something that she had never felt before. ...The desire to smack another human being right across their face.

    Her eyes widened a little.

    ‘I... am not okay.’

    And whose fault was that?

    Theirs!

    Taking a deep breath, Saint counted to ten and then said politely:

    “Thank you. But I am not hungry.”

    Picking up a bottle of water, she quenched her thirst and stayed motionless for a while. Now that her morning ritual — or at least a version of it — was complete, she could finally think about her situation.

    Her mood only grew worse.

    Someone had tried to kill her. She did not know who or why. There were detectives protecting her, but their mental state was questionable.

    Morgan, the heiress of the Valor Group, had escaped from a secure mental hospital and was now here with her, acting as if nothing odd was happening.

    So what was Saint supposed to do?

    Going home seemed like an unwise decision, considering that someone was out to get her. Going to work was similarly problematic.

    Relying on her rescuers...

    She listened to what they were saying.

    At that moment, Detective Sunless was shaking his head.

    “It is still not enough. Sure, we determined that the past of the victims was changed to give them a connection to the Valor Group. The company of the guy who was supposed to renovate this neighborhood was a minor contractor for them, the young security guard was previously assigned to a different post, the older woman worked in an agency that provided outsourcing archival services for one of the Valor Group branches... but that is still not enough to pinpoint the exact culprit."
    Detective Athena answered in a carefree tone: “Yes, but if we add the attempted victims to the list — the CEO, two detectives who had been in contact with him, Morgan, and her psychiatrist — then the entire picture changes, doesn't it?"
    Morgan shrugged.

    “There is nothing in my counterpart's memory to easily explain why she would be targeted. At least not on the surface — even if she knew something, I'd need to know what to look for first to find pertinent information.”

    Detective Sunless spoke again:
    “There are very few issues that would require both the CEO and his sister to be taken out of the picture. An attempted coup? That doesn't make sense, though... even if both Mordret and Morgan disappear, the power will simply return to Anvil. We don't think that he's behind the Nihilist, do we? He's supposed to be out of the country, anyway."
    Saint closed her eyes for a moment. ‘Great. Now they think that I became collateral damage in some sort of power struggle within the Valor Group?’

    She drank her water in silence, feeling miserable.

    By then, the conversation had changed course.

    “Whoever the culprit is, they won't stop trying. We need to be ready to defend ourselves... which can be more problematic than we think. We are mundane people at the moment, after all, and our mundane bodies are quite vulnerable. Do any of you know how to use this thing? I pilfered it from the highly skilled, deadly, armed assassin who had tried to kill me."

    Morgan spoke next.

    “No. I never trained with firearms, let alone antique ones."

    Detective Effie chuckled.

    “What's so difficult about it? You just point it at the adversary and press the trigger, right?"

    Detective Sunless did not sound too sure. “Well, I don't know. Their cars need to be fueled with flammable liquid, and their communicators only work half a day without being charged. Who knows what their guns use as ammunition?"
    Frowning, Saint turned her head and then spoke evenly:

    "This is a double-action, six-shot revolver... Smith and Wesson Model Ten. It uses thirty-eight caliber bullets. Also, don't point it at each other, please. You are detectives, so you should know how to follow basic gun safety.”

    Detective Sunless blinked a few times. “Actually, I have no idea. I was near a lot of guns in the Evacuation Army, but I never even fired one, let alone trained to handle one."

    Then, he smiled brightly.

    “But you seem to know your way around a gun, Saint! Well, of course you do. After all, you are a weapon master.”

    Saint frowned. What about her gave this bizarre man the impression that she knew how to handle a firearm?

    Not that she didn't...

    Pursing her lips, Saint remained silent for a moment, then said reluctantly:

    “I do have a marksmanship certificate. I used to practice shooting to maintain a good level of hand-eye coordination.”

    He nodded a couple of times.
    “Of course you did. Then, you keep it." With that, he pushed the revolver into her hand.

    Saint froze, startled.

    "Excuse me?"

    Detective Sunless smiled.

    "You know, for self-defense. Next time someone tries to strangle you, blow their brains out. Alright?"

    Then, after thinking for a few moments, he added:

    "Actually, bash their brains out before they try to strangle you. Yeah, that would be way better..."
    Read more
    1. Offline
      Magmun
      + 9 ⋅ 3 -
      2505 Bold Solution

      Saint seemed to hesitate before accepting the revolver, but then gave Sunny a reluctant nod. She checked the gun with precise and confident movements, making sure that it was loaded, then hid it in the pocket of her trench coat.

      It was hard to tell if she felt safer with a weapon since her expression was almost always calm and placid, but Sunny hoped that she did.

      Because he himself felt troubled.

      Being mundane was already bad enough, but he was at least confident in his ability to overpower most enemies in a brawl. Now that firearms entered the picture, though, Sunny had to face his own mortality.

      One bullet was enough to end his life. "How... nostalgic." He was reminded of his youth in the outskirts of NQSC, where armed thugs had been like deities who wielded power over life and death at their fingertips. It was such a long time since Sunny had felt threatened by guns that he was having trouble adjusting to this new old reality.
      “By the way, aren't we supposed to have those, as well?"

      Effie's question made him scratch the back of his head.

      "Right. As detectives, we have the right to carry firearms.” Sunny rummaged in the Devil Detective's memories for a few moments.

      “But they are under lock and key back at the Police Department. We can only take them out after providing a proper justification and filling out a bunch of forms.”

      Guns were a rarity in Mirage City, and even cops hesitated to use them. Still... maybe it would be prudent to retrieve their own revolvers from the armory sooner rather than later, considering that random assassins were running around with them. He sighed.

      “Anyway... where were we?"

      They had poured over all the available information last night, finding ways in which it was different from how it had been before. Luckily, Sunny had studied the investigation board in the Devil Detective's apartment at the start of their stay in Mirage City, so he knew what to look for. What they had discovered was that the victims of the Nihilist were now connected to the Valor Group in subtle, but undeniable ways. The owner of a construction company, the archivist, the suspiciously affluent civil inspector...

      All of them were tied to the Valor Group, either obviously or covertly.

      In and of itself, that was a meaningless clue. After all, the Valor Group was too vast and influential — here in Mirage City, everyone was connected to it in one way or another. However, that clue ceased to be meaningless when one factored in one vital detail — that these connections had been formed only recently, in the process of Mirage City rewriting itself to fit the story of how the Nihilist chose his victims.

      It was because of how the stories of these people had changed that Sunny could deduce that their connection to Valor was the reason for their deaths, as opposed to a mere coincidence.

      The root of the matter still dodged him, though. At best, he knew where to look for it.

      Sunny grimaced.

      “There are only a few hours left before we are supposed to start interviewing persons of interest in the Other Mordret's attempted assassination case. That can potentially shed more light on the identity of the culprit... that was the plan yesterday, at least. However, today, I think that our plans were too conservative.”
      Effie arched an eyebrow. “Whad do you mean?"


      “The city was not trying to kill us yesterday, so we could take our sweet time. But there is a deadline now — quite literally. So, we need to hurry things along.”

      Morgan, who had changed out of the borrowed nurse uniform into a spare set of clothes Effie had kept in the car, looked at herself in displeasure. The sleeves of the hoodie she was wearing were obviously too long for her, and the hoodie itself looked way too baggy on her svelte body.

      Pursing her lips, she rolled up the sleeves and let out a heavy sigh.

      "How are we going to hurry them, exactly?"

      Sunny remained silent for a few moments, then smiled.

      “Well, no matter how you look at it, there is one person at the center of all of this. The source of Mirage City... Mordret. The Other Mordret, I mean."
      Hearing that, Saint frowned slightly, but did not say anything. She removed the cap from the water bottle in her hands and brought it to her lips, taking a measured sip.

      Sunny shrugged.


      Saint spat out the water, coughed, and looked at him with wide eyes.

      Effie and Morgan remained more composed, but they seemed surprised, as well.

      "Kidnap him?"

      Sunny nodded simply.

      “That is the easiest solution. Listen... we don't have a lot of time, and we have too many things to do. We need to catch the Nihilist, we need to protect Saint, we need to make sure that the Other Mordret survives — all the while staying alive ourselves. So, let's turn all these things into one thing"
      He pointed to the altar of the abandoned church, where Mordret's photo lay at the center of the investigation map.

      “We need to put him and Saint together to remove the need to split our forces for protecting them both in separate locations. We also don't know enough to find the Nihilist... so, let's make the Nihilist come to us instead. As long as we have the Other Mordret, whoever is trying to get rid of him will come for us, and that will be our chance to follow the traces back to the source."

      Saint wiped her lips with the back of her hand and pierced him with a glare.
      "Now, wait a moment..."

      Morgan spoke then, interrupting her:

      “He is already protected enough. He is the most protected person in the city. Believe me, I know — otherwise, I would have already killed him. So what good will kidnapping him do?"

      Sunny shook his head.
      “If the person pulling the strings is hidden within Valor, like the Other Mordret thinks, then his own security might represent the most threat to him. The same people who are meant to protect him might become his executioners.”

      She frowned, but did not object to that line of reasoning immediately.

      In that ensuing silence, Effie said with a dubious expression.

      “That might be true, but they will still protect him from us. So, how are we even supposed to kidnap him?"

      Sunny suppressed a smile, as if he had been expecting that exact question.

      “Elementary, my dear Effie."

      He walked over to Morgan, placed a hand on her shoulder, and grinned.

      “We have his baby sister. I'm sure he's worried out of her mind right now... so, we just need to use Morgan as a lure."

      Morgan looked at him in displeasure, while Effie smiled brightly.

      “Oh, I see. Sure, that makes sense.”

      As the three of them gave each other calm looks, already thinking about the practical steps of what they needed to accomplish, Saint finally spoke again:

      “Wait, hold on. Wait a second. We are not seriously planning to kidnap the CEO of the Valor Group, are we? That... that would be insane."

      She fell silent then, hearing her own words, and sighed.

      Sunny grinned.

      "Don't worry. We'll only kidnap him a little..."
      Read more
      1. Offline
        Flex Yuan
        + 0 ⋅ 0 -
        Thanks bro
        Read more
  6. Offline
    Lactating twink
    + 1 ⋅ 1 -
    Quote: Lactating twink
    Where's 2504

    And 2505
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  7. Offline
    Ashish053
    + 6 ⋅ 1 -
    2506 Behind Mirror Eyes

    Standing on the balcony of the Valor manor, Mordret looked at the vast expanse of the Mirror Lake stretching in front of him. The sun was rising, and the tranquil waters were starting to glisten with a beautiful golden light. Far in the distance, the magnificent silhouette of the great castle rose from the golden glow, looking like something out of a fairy tale.

    It was a stunning sight, despite the hazy curtain of the falling rain obscuring it. Mordret smiled, enjoying the view.

    He drank his morning coffee in silence, not thinking about anything in particular. These quiet minutes at dawn were the only time he got to spend at peace — later in the day, he was always busy with work, solving urgent problems and interacting with countless people.

    Those problems were engaging and enjoyable in and of themselves, but it was a different kind of pleasure. By the time the exquisite ceramic cup in his hand ran dry, there was movement on the gravel road leading to the manor. Noticing a luxurious black car arriving at the manor, Mordret sighed quietly.

    His expression changed, betraying a sense of melancholy for a moment. Then, it was replaced by his usual simple smile, and he left the balcony.

    Still wearing his silk pajamas, soft slippers, and an exquisitelу embroidered viridian robe, he left his room and descended to the first floor. The maids, valets, and Sebastian were nowhere to be seen — opening the door, he finally found them, assembled in two neat rows outside the entrance with umbrellas in their hands.

    “Good morning.”

    Picking up an umbrella himself, Mordret walked out to meet the arriving car. The door swung open before the chauffeur had the time to touch it, and an imposing man climbed out of it, wearing a stern expression.
    The man was tall and broad-shouldered, with a lean but mighty physique. He had dark hair and a thick, dignified beard. The expression on his noble face was harsh and austere, and his grey eyes were as cold as tempered steel.

    He looked around coldly, and his heavy gaze landed on Mordret.

    The man remained silent for a few moments, studying him somberly.

    Then, a wide smile split his chiseled face, instantly warming it up.

    "Son!"

    Mordret smiled, too, hiding his melancholy behind that smile.

    "Dad."

    Before he could say anything else, he was encased in a bear hug.

    "Come here, brat. How long has it been since we last saw each other? You are still too skinny... Sebastian! What have you been feeding this guy?"

    Indeed, it was none other than Anvil, Mordret's father.
    “Where's mom?"

    Anvil gave Mordret a conspiratorial smile and brought a finger to his lips.

    "Shhh. She fell asleep on the way from the airfield. Don't wake her just yet."

    Leaving the protection of Mordret's umbrella, he took a few steps toward the lake and inhaled deeply.

    “Ah. The stench... I missed it!"

    Looking back, he grinned.

    “Your mom and I have done some wonderful work in less fortunate places, and I wouldn't change it for the world. But nothing beats home, does it?"

    Anvil turned back to the lake and chuckled, taking in the sight of the castle.

    “Look at it, rising from the water. Just as magnificent as it has always been... well, maybe a little more magnificent now after the renovations are done."

    Smiling wryly, he finally returned to stand under the umbrella.
    “[ I hear the castle is opening to the public soon. Mirage Museum, huh? Was thаt your idea?"

    Mordret nodded.

    “Seemed sad, to just look at it from a distance. Always outside reach... and empty. Like a mirage. So, I thought I'd let people visit it and look around. Getting the city hall to cooperate took a lot of work, but you know how these things are."

    Anvil nodded.

    “I do. And hearing you say that... I'm happieг than ever that I retired.”

    Throwing his head back, he laughed.

    “Now, let's wake your mother up and go inside..."

    His expгession darkened a little.

    “I am sorry we couldn't come back earlier, son. That stuff with your sister... you two had us very worried. If not for Madoc promising to look after you and Morgan, we would have abandoned everything and returned immediately.”
    Mordret smiled faintly.

    "Yes, Uncle was of great help. How about..."
    At that moment, his phone rang.

    Letting out a sigh, Mordret took it out of his pocket, looked at the screen, and accepted the call.

    “Yes. What is the matter?"

    He listened to whoever it was on the other side for a few moments, and then scowled.
    “What? What do you mean, they lost her? What about..."

    There was a muffled sound of a man's voice from the phone, and his expression became even more troubled.

    “How is this possible? I was told that the hospital in question..."

    After listening for a few more moments, he ended the call and remained motionless for a while, looking into the distance with a worried expression.

    Sensing his son's unease, Anvil asked in a calm tone:

    “What was that?"
    Mordret flinched, then looked at his father silently.

    Eventually, he took a deep breath and said:
    “It was Uncle's assistant. Apparently, Morgan... she vanished. I don't know how this is possible, considering that the facility we chose for her was supposed to provide the best care around the clock, but I will find out."

    Anvil studied him for a few moments, then sighed.

    “That girl... I think I spoiled her too much. She really knows how to throw a tantrum! But before you blame your old man, remember that you spoiled her the most."
    A pale smile appeared on Mordret's face.
    “Of course I did. She is my little sister.”
    Anvil shook his head.

    "Look at you, still covering for her. I heard that she really crossed the line this time... trying to hurt you? That is too much, even for her. Aren't you mad?"

    Mordret tilted his head a little.
    "Mad?"

    He considered the question for a few moments.

    "I'm never mad. I can't be mad."

    Offering his father a smile, he handed him the umbrella and sighed.

    “I'm sorry, Dad. I'll have to go deal with that... hug mom for me? I'll be back for dinner.”

    Anvil nodded.

    “Of course. Go do what you need to do... drag Morgan home, as well. I'll give her a stern talking to."

    Mordret looked at him for a few moments, then turned away.

    Out of Anvil's sight, his smile dimmed a little.

    He lingered for a bit, then headed inside to change clothes.

    Behind him, the waters of the lake were stirring, restless, as its surface was being pelted by the rain.
    Read more
    1. Offline
      Lactating twink
      + 2 ⋅ 1 -
      Where's 2504
      Read more
  8. Offline
    Earthly Desert Fox
    + 0 ⋅ 5 -
    Again, it's truly impressive how the Divine Bloodline bearers are related to the demons.
    Sunny the heir of death and destiny (The final destination is death)
    Nevis, heir to the sun and hope (With every morning and sunrise, there is hope and longing for a better life. )
    Mordi, Heir to War and Fantasy (Let me imagine a new weapon for waging war (?))
    Read more
    1. Offline
      Riou
      + 0 ⋅ 1 -
      It's insulting to compare Nephis to hope, when she manipulates people and is filled with so much hate, unlike hope.
      Read more
      1. Offline
        Earthly Desert Fox
        + 0 ⋅ 3 -
        Who's talking about manipulation? I'm talking about abilities, plus she controls the flying fortress where Hope was.
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    2. Offline
      الهه آب
      + 1 ⋅ 2 -
      خدای خورشید رو به عنوان خدای شور و اشتیاق هم توصیف میکنن. پس فکر نمی‌کنم توانایی درک اشتیاق نفیس ربطی به امید داشته باشه.
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      1. Offline
        Sause_seller
        + 0 ⋅ 2 -
        No bombing here plz
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  9. Offline
    Lactating twink
    + 5 ⋅ 1 -
    WHERE ARE THE CHAPTER COMMENTS
    WE NEED Y'ALL gloom
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  10. Offline
    TonioMondaya
    + 5 ⋅ 1 -
    WE NEED A HERO🔥⚡
    Read more
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