Back in the room, I notice that the discussions are in full swing. Some agents are engrossed in animated conversations, while others are frantically taking notes, jotting down the physical descriptions of those who may have helped them during their infiltration. They strive to provide the most accurate details possible.

After a few hours, another Misumena Vatia enters to collect the reports. The conversations then resume, less urgent but still focused.

As we continue our exchanges, we are surprised to discover that there are only four Reapers tasked with the assault on Azplent. Four Reapers to annihilate four different hideouts. Kurokafu has thus planned one Reaper per hideout, a strategy both bold and risky. Each hideout, with its own defenses and peculiarities, will face a single Reaper, which seems like sheer madness.

In light of this revelation, one of us decides to urgently contact the Argiope in charge of the assault. In an atmosphere of growing tension, he tries to explain that the hideout assigned to the Reaper is the main hideout, and therefore the most dangerous. This intervention underscores the magnitude of the danger and the critical importance of the warning.

The Argiope, however, seems extremely annoyed. “Are you mocking me?” he asks in an irritated tone.

“We've been on-site for two years, we know what we're talking about.”

“Have you detailed everything in your reports, dear Luminara?”

“Yes, we covered everything,” they reply in unison.

“Very well.”

Suddenly, the screen goes black; the Argiope has abruptly cut off the communication. A wave of confusion and frustration sweeps through the room.

After several minutes of tense silence, the communication is restored. A young man appears on the screen next to the Argiope, radiating a similar aura to the Reaper I encountered during my leave. He is slightly taller, with long black hair and dressed in tactical combat gear.

“I’ve summoned the Reaper in charge of Azplent’s Hideout Number One. Young Reaper, have you read their report?” the Argiope asks.

“Yes, I’ve read everything,” the Reaper responds confidently.

“And? Do you think you’ll need reinforcements?”

“No. The information I received is sufficient to accomplish my mission.”

“I see. Do you have any other questions for him, Luminara?”

Silence settles in. The Reaper’s confidence is so overwhelming that no one dares to express any doubt. The Argiope, not inclined to wait any longer, quickly ends the communication.

We resume our discussions among ourselves. Some, who have already seen Reapers in action, can’t help but recount their feats and how terrifying they are. If the Argiope judged that one Reaper was enough, it’s probably because he is particularly formidable.

The next day, the operation begins precisely at eight o’clock in the evening. Throughout the day, until the start of the assault, we communicate with the Reaper assigned to us. On our screens, we have four cameras: one showing what is in front of him, another behind, and two additional ones on the sides.

Everything is designed so that we can assist the Reaper in his mission as effectively as possible. We have the ability to enlarge, hide, or reduce the camera images as needed.

We watch the meticulous maintenance of his weapons. It’s clear that this Reaper is a professional. The ease with which he reloads his weapons is impressive. Although we also have weapons and combat skills, it’s nothing compared to the Reapers, who are molded in a merciless way.

The Reaper tasked with eliminating the Chameleons' killers has completed his mission. The Brown Widow, on the other hand, managed to infiltrate and sabotage Hideout Number Two from within after bribing its occupants.

Then the time comes…

At exactly eight o'clock, the operation begins. The screens light up, and we are immediately plunged into the horror of the Reaper’s mission. The atmosphere in the room is heavy, marked by palpable tension.

The cameras show the Reaper entering the hideout, a true fortress of concrete and metal, a maze of sinister corridors and secured rooms. Each movement is executed with phenomenal precision, but what follows is far from clinical.

Upon entering, the Reaper heads straight for the meeting room where the hideout’s leaders are located. The front camera captures muffled cries as the guards are quickly silenced by ruthless elimination techniques. We see the Reaper burst into the room, a macabre ballet of violence unfolding before our eyes. The leaders, caught off guard, are gunned down in a horrifying carnage. Bodies collapse to the floor, their faces frozen in expressions of horror. The sporadic flashes of gunfire briefly illuminate the scene, revealing the extent of the destruction.

As he passes by, the Reaper enters what appears to be a cozy room. The Brown Widow is sitting on the bed, drinking a glass of wine. The Reaper breaks the window and drops a long black cable for the Brown Widow to escape.

Then, the Reaper descends to the basements where Azplent’s advanced technologies are stored. The cameras show imposing security levels, protected by sophisticated defense systems. The Reaper disables the alarms with icy precision, and the side cameras capture devastating explosions as he demolishes the equipment. Flames engulf the narrow corridors, lighting up walls covered in soot and debris. The explosions echo like thunderclaps, each detonation shaking the hideout’s structures. The fire consumes everything in its path, turning the advanced technology into a sea of twisted metal and black smoke.

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Finally, the Reaper confronts the last defenders, men and women trapped in an endless nightmare. The side cameras show the combat in all its brutality: the last defenders fight desperately, their cries of terror blending with the detonations of the weapons. The Reaper unleashes calculated violence, dispatching his opponents with chilling efficiency. The fight scenes are terrifying, with bodies collapsing like ragdolls to the ground, some still alive, their short, gasping breaths mixed with moans of pain.

With each movement, the hideout transforms into a field of desolation. The last resistors are crushed under the Reaper’s relentless force. The camera shows splatters of blood and fragments of flesh scattered around him, a grim tableau of total destruction. The walls, now covered in marks of struggle and destruction, seem to crumble under the weight of the violence.

When the mission is finally over, the hideout is a wasteland of devastation. The Reaper, covered in dust from the debris and sweat from the battle, makes one last sweep of the area to ensure everything is reduced to ruins. He leaves the site, leaving behind a landscape of horror and carnage.

Silence falls in the room as we process the images and data collected. The Reaper’s brutality and skill are impressive, but the scene of total destruction leaves an indelible mark. The hideout is obliterated, the screams and destruction still echoing in our minds, marking a dark chapter in this ruthless war.

I close my eyes for a moment, trying to push away the images of carnage and fire, but the memories are too powerful to ignore.

Two years ago, I had walked these dark and labyrinthine corridors myself. This hideout, once a place of mission and routine, had become a second home. Every corner, every corridor was familiar, imbued with the small marks of daily life: the graffiti left by agents, the wear marks on the walls, and the unique smells of the place. I had spent so many hours in these rooms, observing the complex workings of the Azplent machine, trying to understand and anticipate.

I remember the endless days and sleepless nights, the strategies and plans that were developed over hours, the intense discussions around tables where the coffee slowly cooled. The routine was relentless, but there was a certain comfort in familiarity, a certain camaraderie within the cold walls and flickering screens. The faces of colleagues, the stifled laughter, the moments of shared stress... all seem so distant now.

Watching the Reaper turn this workplace into a field of rubble, I feel a strange nostalgia. It’s as if, through the flames and destruction, a part of my past is also collapsing. The memories of that past life, marked by hours of labor and moments of camaraderie, blend with the brutal reality of what it has become. The hideout is unrecognizable under the devastation, a stark contrast to the more serene memories that inhabit me.

It’s hard not to feel a certain sadness seeing these places I had come to know like the back of my hand reduced to ruins. It’s as if a part of me is being consumed by the flames, a part of my past erased by violence and chaos. This place, which I once called "work," has now become a symbol of loss and change.

Time passes, and the Reaper continues his mission, leaving behind a devastated landscape. I wonder what will become of these places, these memories. Nostalgia grips my heart as I watch the Reaper leave the site, leaving behind an indelible mark of destruction. All I can do now is let these memories fade into the past. After all, it is to Kurokafu that I have dedicated my life.

As he moves away, police sirens grow louder. Patrol cars swarm from all directions, converging on the scene of the carnage with almost frantic intensity. The police, armed with flashlights and walkie-talkies, deploy in coordinated formations, trying to understand and control the situation.

The Reaper, dressed in his black tactical gear, blends into the shadows. His agile figure moves with methodical precision, avoiding the police’s beams of light that sweep the area. He slips between the rubble and uses the fires as cover to progress discreetly. The scene is a macabre dance between the chaos of the flames and the stealthy calm of the Reaper.

Despite the surrounding confusion, the Reaper remains calm. He knows the terrain—every corner, every escape route. His progress is silent and calculated, skillfully avoiding areas of high police activity. He manages to get close to the site’s exit without being detected, blending into the surrounding chaos.

But as he’s about to cross the security barriers, a policeman, more perceptive than the others, notices his presence. Though tired from hours of hard work, the officer stays alert and watches the Reaper with suspicion. He advances toward him, armed with a flashlight that illuminates the Reaper’s impassive face.

“Hey! You there!” calls the officer, his voice tinged with fatigue but determined.

The Reaper, without a word, slowly pulls a Kurokafu badge from his pocket. The officer scrutinizes the badge with a perplexed look, his face gradually relaxing as he recognizes the Kurokafu emblem. The officer's gaze shifts from the badge to the Reaper, then he turns away, as if he has made a tacit decision not to oppose him.

“You’re... you’re with Kurokafu, right?” asks the officer, his voice filled with respectful hesitation.

The Reaper nods slowly, without speaking. The officer, visibly unsettled but aware of the situation's gravity, makes a vague gesture with his hand, allowing the Reaper to pass without difficulty.

“Alright, go ahead. Be careful...” murmurs the officer, almost as if trying to convince himself of the situation's harmlessness.

The Reaper nods in acknowledgment and continues on his way, once again blending into the shadows, while the officer watches his departure with a mix of astonishment and relief.

He leaves the area. Suddenly, a series of muffled, thudding sounds begins to echo. The explosions grow louder, and the room where we are becomes engulfed in a deafening roar. The air seems to vibrate under the impact of the distant detonations.

The cameras, now off after the Reaper’s departure, are replaced by a black screen, leaving us with no visibility on the final moments. Only the sound waves relay the scene to us. The explosions become increasingly violent, and the noises intensify, as if the entire building is disintegrating in a final cataclysm.

The detonations follow one after another in a series of terrifying echoes, an unrelenting roar that seems to swallow everything around. The intensity of the explosions is such that it can be felt even through our equipment. The walls vibrate, and the speakers crackle, mingling with the sounds of destruction. A powerful shockwave seems to ripple through the air, like a devastating wave, as the explosions reach their peak.

Each detonation is followed by a rumbling, as if the entire building is being pulverized under the effect of a titanic force. The sounds are so powerful that they nearly drown out everything else, creating a terrifying cacophony. The rumbling slowly dissipates, giving way to an oppressive silence, only broken by the distant crackling of the fire.

When the noise finally subsides, everything is plunged into a heavy silence. After a few minutes, the Reaper's voice is heard:

“Mission accomplished.”

At that moment, four green lights appear on the large screen. Each Reaper had completed their mission at exactly the same time.

The Argiope reappears on the screen.

“Thank you all for your work. All of Azplent’s hideouts have been successfully destroyed. We’ll leave the rest to the Saboteurs, who will work to further dismantle the organization.”

We didn’t even need to intervene; the Reaper handled everything himself.

The Misumena Vatia opens the doors for us, and we can retrieve all our belongings as we leave.

As soon as I stepped out, I immediately headed to the Luminara zone, where I spend my nights. I took a good shower and then collapsed into my bed.

END OF CHAPTER