"So what's the plan if she attracts the Shadow?" Hakro asked as he stretched and looked down at the place they were surveilling while the mountain wind blew in his ears.

"I guess we die," Vas said from the side as he chewed on something.

"Shut up, plump piece of shit," Hakro spat. "I was talking to the one with a brain."

Vas was startled for a moment cackled and shook his head.

"Oh yeah, laugh it off. But we both know even your whores can't stand to look at you. And let me tell you, your whores aren't much to look at either. So how about you get some discipline, stop stuffing your mouth, and quit making Hexa look like a fucking joke!" Hakro said as he walked to face the man.

Vas staggered, went quiet, and walked away.

"You've been waiting to do that ever since he laughed at a joke of mine," Jean said from behind. Hakro spun around and looked the woman up and down. She exchanged looks between Hakro and the nails that she was cleaning.

"Not particularly. I am surprised you didn't jump in to defend him."

"Please," she scoffed, blowing her silver hair from her face. "The man keeps the company of whores. And he has indeed been putting on weight. I have no trouble with facts."

"It just seems that as of late you've been taking every opportunity to go against me," Hakro said as he walked over and sat down a little off to her side.

"Hah, you do it to yourself. Don't blame me for not tolerating your idiocy. As a matter of fact, I don't dislike you. You have been and will likely continue to be very useful to me."

"Great to hear," Hakro responded monotonously.

They both turned their gazes to the place down below.

"To answer your earlier question, we will avoid the Shadow at all costs. If the girl utilizes the Empt, she will likely have herself inside it. She can't get us all in the Empt. But if she doesn't put herself inside, we will kill her while she's exhausted before escaping. If she puts herself inside, we stay near until the Shadow comes. When it does, she will die no matter what."

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Hakro interlocked his fingers while he peered down and asked, "How sure are you about this?"

"This place?" Jean asked while she leaned back. "The odds aren't great, but they are there. That's more than I can say for any other option we have. Still, we will catch her eventually. I just thought I'd put some thought into this so that it'll be sooner rather than later."

Hakro gave a grumble of approval.

"It'll be harder this time," Jean said unexpectedly.

"What will?"

"The battle."

Hakro snorted. "You talked all mighty of the King's Eyes last time too. Look what happened. Even Aomon couldn't help even though I didn't even expect him."

"The girl never faced competition before. She will have improved. Be prepared."

"Hah, she barely dazed me with hypnosis, she didn't even think to use matter manipulation, and her spatial manipulation was maybe worse than Bri's."

"Bri is the best at what she does. That's why she's here."

"But the Red King was a god! She has what he had and she's like that? It's pathetic."

"Maybe she doesn't want to be like him," Jean said expressionlessly as usual.

Hakro chuckled. "Yeah, like she could be him."

"You admire that man?"

"I'm simply not afraid to recognize his greatness."

"I see nothing great about being eaten by a mindless abomination."

"Oh, please. What lengths did Quinheart have to go to to just barely be able to do battle with him?"

"An individual is only as great as the lengths he would be willing to go to. Would you not do what Quinheart did?"

"For love? No."

"Who says he did it for love? It was revenge," Jean spat, only a slight bit of raw emotion seeping into her voice. It might have been the first time ever.

"Revenge worth being stuck in that miserable existence?"

"Ah, I guess you'd be fine after... Well, you don't have a wife or children, so let's say your parents. What would you do if a man raped and cannibalized your father and mother?"

Hakro fell silent but his breathing was loud. "I—"

"He didn't like eating them. Humans, that is. I'm sure you know he liked blood. The blood rivers were real, there are still stains in the stones of Infernum. But the Red King wasn't a cannibal because he liked it. He ate them because he was obsessed with himself. He liked the way people saw him. The way you see him. When you do something so disgusting people can't even comprehend it, they begin to worship you."

"And how do you know that?"

Jean turned to him with dead eyes. "Because I'm the one with the brains." She stood up and walked slowly behind Hakro. "I've searched for everything related to the Red King and formed a profile. My mother died at the hands of worshippers. I needed to understand. And now I do. The Red King was the purest evil this world will ever see. So if I hear you praising him or shaming the man who sacrificed more than everything to end him," she said, her voice turning to a whisper as she leaned in from behind Hakro, "you will die as you sleep, just like the other worshippers."

Then she was gone.