Blood drenched soil.

His face reflecting in the pool of blood at his feet.

His body was trembling as he held a lifeless body in his arms.

Cold. That was all he felt even though the sun shone so brightly.

He knelt down as he gazed on the three persons that were once so charming that they made this ugly world seem so beautiful.

He knew in his heart that these three would never call his name again, the name that he’s since forgotten.

The boy stood in place without moving a single muscle, he was like a statue surrounded by the rotting corpses.

It wasn't long before the boy too began to rot. As time passed his heart began to crumble.

After a while, the boy finally “died”.

He became a nameless corpse that turned into dust and was blown away with the wind.

“Hah!”

Jin Makoto screamed as he awoke from his sleep.

His body was covered in cold sweat and was trembling.

“Jin, are you okay?”

He turned to his right and saw Sapphire who was naked laying beside him under the sheets.

“I-I'm fine.”

He hurriedly calmed his breath and wiped the sweat from his brow.

He saw that sapphire was looking at him worriedly and turned his face in the other direction.

“What day is it?”

“Tuesday.”

“Tuesday, huh. I've slept for two days.”

He mumbled.

He then looked at Sapphire again.

“why are you still naked after two days?”

“It's likely that Bloom and the others heard about what we did at the hospital, so I was too afraid to face them alone.”

“So you spent the two days here waiting for me to wake up?”

Sapphire nodded.

“But that still doesn't explain why you've become a nudist.”

“I like to spend my time alone naked. It's the only way I can relax. You have a problem with that?”

“….Suit yourself.”

Jin got up out of the bed and his naked appearance was put on display.

His body was slender but didn't lack muscle. There were multiple scars across his body and there was even a trace of a tattoo over his heart, but this tattoo was burnt off so it was hard to make out what it was.

Sapphire stared at this body which she's been under and atop of so many times and felt her heart tighten.

Even though Jin had the ability to heal wounds of this level he chose not to do so.

Sapphire knew, to Jin these scars were to remind him of everything he's done and everything he's went through.

But that wasn't all they were.

These scars were also to remind him of every debt that this city owed him. He was patiently waiting while stacking up these “debts”.

Patiently waiting for the day he collected them from the Pillars.

Jin silently put on his baggy clothing and didn't bother fixing his messy hair before walking to the door.

“Where are you going?”

He stopped when he heard Sapphire’s question.

“I have to meet Luna Isabel today.”

A look of hatred flashed in Sapphire’s eyes when she heard that name.

“Can't you ignore it?”

“….You and I both know that I can't do that.”

Jin answered without looking at her.

“Then can I come too?”

Jin didn't respond immediately, he just stood still for a while.

“Sapphire.”

He turned towards her and she could see the dead look in his eyes.

“You do realized that I might never come to love you back, right?”

His cold question and dead eyes caused a sharp pain in Sapphire’s heart.

However, she bit her lip and drove the pain away.

“I-I don't care! I just want to be with you to the end! If you allow me to do that then it's enough!”

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

“Liar.”

“Geh?!”

That single word by Jin cut through Sapphire’s resolve and stab her straight in the heart.

“Well, whatever.”

He turned his back to her.

“If you want to walk a self-destructive path I won't stop you.”

“You mean…”

“You can come along. You've already isolated yourself from everyone else the moment that you accompany me to the hospital, so it would be unfair to abandon you now.”

“Jin….”

“Okay lets go.”

“Wait, I still need to get dress.”

“Why? You look good that way.”

Jin gave a small laugh and walked out the door, but Sapphire knew that he was waiting for her to get dress.

She felt a warm feeling in her heart as she put on her clothes with a cheerful hum.

After Sapphire got dressed she and Jin headed to the 14th District.

The 14th District like the 1st and 16th District was a District that was under the direct control of a pillar and also had a gate to enter and exit the city.

This District was a business district where the biggest companies headquarters were located.

This was under the direct control of Luna Isabel.

Jin and Sapphire were inside her office that was located at the very top of the tallest skyscraper in the district.

“You carried out your order perfectly. I'm grateful.”

Said Luna.

She was a stern looking woman with her grey hair wrapped in a stylish bun. She was dressed in a dress suit and gave off the feeling of an office lady.

“I'm one to always carry out my duties to the best of my ability.”

Jin said with a fake smile.

A hint of bloodlust appeared in his eyes as he spoke.

“I'm also one to repay people for everything they've done to me.”

Luna sense this bloodlust and felt a chill went up her spine.

‘Damn, wild beast! He still has his fangs!’

She cursed in her mind.

She calmed her expression and then looked at Sapphire.

“This is rare. You actually brought someone along to our meeting. If I'm not wrong she also followed you that night?”

She smirked and stared at Sapphire.

“How does it feel, dear? To be involved in something so vile?”

Under Luna's stare Sapphire felt a strange sense of disgust and hatred swell up inside her.

Jin took a step in front of Sapphire and smiled at Luna.

“She was only there to spectate. I'm the one who committed the act. So I appreciate it if you stop trying to pressure her just to feel good about yourself.”

Jin showed a bright smile as he continued.

“Otherwise I might get a bit angry you know.”

Facing this bright smile, Luna felt like a mountain was pressing down upon her. She knew that when Jin smiled like this it would always end badly for the one on the receiving end of it.

An example of this was when Sebas pissed him off too much with an unreasonable order.

Jin carried out the order but he also killed Sebas men who accompanied him and destroyed his mansion and passed it off as collateral damage.

Even though they ordered him around, that didn't mean that they had full control over him. In fact, it was the opposite.

They basically had no real control over him. The only reason why he carried out their orders was because they had a hold on his weakness. If by some chance that they lost their hold on that weakness Jin would come for their lives like a rabid beast.

This was their greatest fear, not only because of the MYTH gear that Jin holds but they were also afraid of his “Eclipse Element”.

As the people who found him 7 years ago they knew full well what kind of monster they picked up.

A monster who had the potential to destroy the world if he was ever to mature.

Now what would happen if this monster was to find out that the weakness that they held was no longer in their possession?

Recalling all of this made Luna tense up.

“I was just joking with her. There's no need to get so worked up.”

She quickly said.

Jin silently smiled in response.

Luna sighed in relief and composed herself once more.

“So? What's my next order, Master?”

Jin didn't wait for her to speak and spoke with a bow.

Hearing him call her master didn't make her a bit happy, that's because his tone was filled with ridicule and sarcasm.

“I want you to kill someone else for me.”

After she said that new data was sent to Jin's bracelet and a profile appeared in front of his eyes.

Jin frowned when he saw the profile.

“A child?”

“Not just any child. This child belongs to a famous anti-infected activist.”

“Let me guess. You want me to kill this child and make it look like it was an Infected’s handiwork so that it could increase the tension between Infecteds and the normal citizens?”

Luna nodded.

“But don't worry we got permission from the father to kill the child.”

“What?!”

Sapphire couldn't help but to exclaim when she heard that.

“Oh? A father is willing to sacrifice his own blood for his cause? What a noble man.”

Jin spoke with a mocking tone.

“The child was adopted so it isn't that noble.”

Luna said with indifference.

“I see. What a poor kid. She was adopted just to be sacrificed.”

Jin said with a laugh.

“This isn't a laughing matter! This is a child's life here!”

Sapphire suddenly shouted.

“What's this self righteous act?”

Luna said while looking at Sapphire with disdain.

“Haven't you killed someone before?”

“Of course.”

“Then what's the difference between killing a child and killing an adult?”

“There's a difference!”

Sapphire shouted back.

“Really? To me it's all about personal preference. It's depends on how you value life and it's worth.”

Luna continued with a smirk.

“Murder is murder. It doesn't matter if it's a boy or a girl, a kid or an adult. It doesn't matter. At the end of the day a life is still lost and you're the one who took. Your rule to not kill women and children is just a way to lessen the guilt you're feeling.”

Sapphire found herself unable to retort Luna's words.

She was about force the matter but Jin lifted his arm to stop her.

“Lets leave the matter of morals here. I accept the mission.”

“Jin?!”

Jin looked at Sapphire with a cold look which made her shut up.

“I accept the mission.”

He repeated.

“That's great to hear.”

Luna answered with a smile.

“But one question first.”

“What is it?”

“If Bloody Justice was to come for you, how would you like to die?”

Jin's question shocked Luna, but shock was soon replaced by anger.

“Are you threatening me?”

“No. I'm just saying that Andre Bernard has the backing of Gear, a fellow pillar, so it shouldn't be heard for him to figure out who was behind the attack on the hospital. In fact I'm pretty sure he knows by now.”

A mischievous smile appeared on Jin's face.

“Let me tell you this, Bernard will come for you whether you're a pillar or not; and to be honest I doubt you'll be able to stop him.”

He then turned his back to her and started walking to the exit.

“I'm sure he'll come for me first. So don't worry, I'll try my best to slow him down so that you can escape.”

Sapphire caught up to him and the two of them entered the elevator.

“Try not to get killed.”

He waved goodbye as the elevator doors closed.

*Bam!*

After he left Luna slammed her fist on her desk out of anger.

“I really hate Infecteds!”

At the same time in the 20th District.

This District was the district with the most advanced technology and factories in the city. It looked futuristic even for a technological city.

This District was where the final gate was located as well as where Tommy “Gear” Akabe controlled the city's technology.

Inside a silver dome that was rotating on top of a tall tower Andre Bernard stood face to face with Gear.

Gear was pretty much identical to Edward, the only difference was a gear tattoo in his right palm.

He was patiently watching Andre going through the data he just sent him.

After he saw that he was done he spoke.

“What do you think?”

“…..I'm a bit surprised. A pillar would actually stoop to this level just to discredit us Infecteds. Her hate seems to be the real thing.”

“Oh? I thought that you would say that she's doing it for the money.”

“Well, she's the Infected Killer Equalist right?”

Gear eyes widen when he heard that.

“…..As expected of you, you actually figured out her identity.”

“Well, considering that Equalist was able kill so many Infecteds without leaving a trace and even led an influential Anti-Infected Movement without difficulty, I always suspected it to be one of you Pillars. After reading this data I just figured out which one.”

Gear nodded in satisfaction to Andre’s explanation.

“So what are you going to do?”

“Eliminate her of course. Pillar or not ordering the massacre of innocents isn't something I can forgive.”

Andre answered indifferently.

“But I'll take care of Jin Makoto first. Even though it was an order what he did was too sinful.”

After saying that he looked at Gear.

“Tell me where I can find him so that I can erase him.”