After a moment, Leila slipped out of the house and ran down a dark alley. She had tried the radio, but there was no response. Still, she could confirm that the signal was working.

"Radio is useless after all," she muttered to herself.

Her body was covered in wounds. Although she didn't have any life-threatening injuries or large wounds that made it difficult to move, even the small wounds were painful.

Despite the pain, Leila couldn't stop and tend to her wounds. Arcangelo wasn't near the laboratory, which was why she had to run out like this.

"Since we can't receive radio, someone must be in combat."

The mission was half a failure. She had obtained the information, but couldn't capture or kill the maker. So, at least she had to make it out alive.

Leila Cassilia had to return with Arcangelo Urseau.

"Ah, damn it, where are you!"

She knew that there was no answer from the radio, but she kept it on. It wasn't that it wasn't reaching, but that it wasn't being received.

At least she could estimate the distance.

"Huh?"

Bang. She heard a faint gunshot from afar.

Leila didn't hesitate and headed towards the sound.

"Arcangelo Urseau."

She didn't like him. And she thought his behavior today was suspicious.

But she didn't wish for him to die. That was natural.

"Arcangelo Urseau!"

Leila Cassilia didn't hate Arcangelo Urseau enough to let him die. Above all, he was her colleague.

And there is no one who wishes for their colleague to die.

She ran towards where the sound came from.

* * *

She felt as though she couldn't breathe.

The signs of battle were clearly evident: bloodstains, bullet holes, and chaos.

Alone, leaning against the wall, Arcangelo Urseau was breathing heavily.

"Arcangelo Urseau! Pull yourself together!"

Her vision went white. It was a sight she never thought she'd see in her lifetime.

She tried to hide her own turmoil, rolling her eyes and expressing her anger as she always did.

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"You're not really a scumbag, so what the hell is this?"

But he said nothing. He didn't do anything at all.

Leila Cassilia knew what was happening.

"He's obviously been hit by 121."

He was alive, but he couldn't move at all. This phenomenon could turn him into a warm statue.

The golden time was two hours. If action was not taken within that time frame, Arcangelo Urseau would die.

"Oh, what the hell is going on? This is insane."

From his current condition, it was clear that those who had done this were not far away. If they hurried, they might be able to catch them.

"Calm down, Leila Cassilia. If you don't act properly here, Urseau will surely die. If you don't want to lose another colleague, you need to pull yourself together."

However, Leila Cassilia chose to save Arcangelo Urseau instead of completing the mission.

"Detective Arcangelo Urseau, This is a debt that must be repaid in full later."

Leila pressed her lips against Arcangelo's lips. And then, she opened her mouth and put her tongue inside his. Her red tongue twisted inside his mouth, reaching to the secret, deep places.

"What the hell is this madness?"

Leila suppressed a hollow laugh.

If she were to tell her morning self that she would be kissing Arcangelo Urseau today, it would sound like complete nonsense.

"But what can I do? It's necessary."

121 was entirely different from other toxins. While others attacked the body of their victims, 121 attacked the wave of the mermaid itself.

So that the mermaid could no longer be a mermaid and be killed.

"Ugh...."

To neutralize 121, it was necessary to inject the wave of another mermaid through physical contact and push it out. Otherwise, one would die.

"Just the thought of kissing Arcangelo makes me sick."

Something inside her flowed ever so slightly towards him. Then, Arcangelo's stiff body moved slightly.

His arm wrapped around her waist. His previously still tongue slipped inside her mouth, exploring the moist, fleshy insides causing her body to stiffen.

"Ugh...!"

She couldn't swallow the breath she was holding. As if he didn't like it, he covered her lips more strongly.

She opened her eyes and looked at him. Arcangelo's eyes were directed towards her, but they were unfocused and devoid of reason.

Instincts were winning over reason, as if sensing a life-threatening crisis.

"It's a good sign that instincts are moving. I won't die right away."

However, it was a little uncomfortable for the situation that she had to move soon.

"Ugh!"

"So, Leila moved her legs and kicked him in the stomach, causing him to pass out. She quickly pried his lips apart and wiped away the drool with her sleeve. It was a repulsive act, as if she were wiping away filth.

"Ugh, I feel even dirtier than I thought," she muttered.

She hoisted him up, which was no easy task given his size and build. But Leila was a detective, trained to enhance her already impressive physical abilities unique to mermaids.

In addition, her humanoid body was more physically capable than the average mermaid, particularly in the lower body where her muscles were developed to an extent that was unimaginable for a typical feline mermaid.

A bitter laugh escaped her as she pondered the reason behind her superior strength. She muttered to herself as she walked away.

"Well, I've taken temporary measures, so I can endure it for a while."

She had more work to do, but this filthy place was not ideal in any way.

"And on top of that, whether it's the creator or anyone who has teamed up with him, they might come back here again."

She sighed.

Today was truly a stroke of bad luck, and there was no other way to describe it.