Revy stood in front of Eyjafjalla, staring coldly at the group of mercenaries who had suddenly appeared.
The mental world, after all, was not a separate dimension. The moment these men stepped into the detection range of the Gyamagara virus, Revy had already sensed danger approaching and awakened both himself and Eyjafjalla from their spiritual state.
Even so, the Sarkaz man didn't choose to flee with the Caprinae girl behind him.
He knew that, sooner or later, Eyjafjalla would have to learn the cruel truth.
If that day is today, so be it.
Everyone surrounding them looked like raiders from the wilderness, no different from the outfits worn by Kawa and Loda when they first entered the city. Clearly, they all belonged to the same gang.
Eyjafjalla was frightened.
These people clearly came with malicious intent — how could such a naive and innocent young girl not feel afraid?
As if sensing her thoughts, Revy gently moved his arm behind him and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, silently telling her not to be afraid.
This calm confidence — born of power and inner strength — seemed to transfer to the girl behind him. Her eyes softened slightly. With her beloved senior by her side, these mercenaries didn't seem quite so terrifying anymore.
"I warned you already. Why didn't you listen to me... my dear niece?"
"Wait… that voice?"
Eyjafjalla's face changed with surprise. Revy's gaze also turned colder.
As expected, stepping out from the crowd was someone they knew — her parents' former colleague, the volcanologist from Laterano, Steiner Zoclay, who had visited just a few days ago.
"Hold on, Theresa. Let me handle this."
Revy reached out to stop her from speaking. The girl paused briefly, then nodded and stepped back behind him.
Now, Eyjafjalla placed complete trust in Revy — heart and soul.
"What a shame. The famed 'Prophet' is about to die in a tragic volcanic 'accident' in Laterano."
Seeing that Eyjafjalla didn't respond to him, Steiner turned his gaze to Revy.
"Still, before dying, you got to become star-crossed lovers with my beautiful niece. I suppose that's a decent ending, isn't it?"
A smirk tugged at Revy's lips.
"Your intentions are obvious. But before you make your move, could you indulge me with a few questions?"
"Of course. I'm always generous with the dying,"
Steiner chuckled.
"At least you'll know why before heading to hell — right, Theresa? Just like your foolish parents who never figured it out to the end."
Revy felt Eyjafjalla's hand grip his sleeve more tightly.
"Oh? So you're saying her parents' death wasn't just an 'accident'?"
Though growing impatient with this ridiculous theater, Revy kept his composure and calmly asked:
"Weren't they said to have died during fieldwork, caught in a pyroclastic flow?"
"Oh, that part's true,"
Steiner said, stroking his little mustache.
"The fieldwork was real. The pyroclastic flow was real… But, well, they were thrown into it after being gravely wounded. That's the context."
"Uncle Steiner! You—!"
Furious, Eyjafjalla stepped out from behind Revy and stood by his side, glaring at the man she had once respected like family.
"Why would you do that?!"
"Ah, my dear niece finally shows some spine."
Steiner still wore a smug expression of control, but his tone took on a mocking edge.
"As for why? Oh no, I think you misunderstand."
"Their research was excellent, groundbreaking even — but sometimes, no result is better than the wrong result."
There was a glint of malice in the Caprinae man's eyes.
"So it's not that I wanted to do this, but rather that some people — including myself — didn't want their findings made public. That's all."
His tone was so light, as if he were talking about drinking a cup of tea — not murdering two scientists.
Eyjafjalla trembled, waves of fear and fury rising from her body.
"No matter how much a prey struggles, it's still prey. Don't forget, this is the wasteland — lawless territory."
Spreading his arms wide to gesture at the encirclement, Steiner was completely unmoved by the girl's outrage. He didn't even bother to justify himself.
"You two — at best — make up just a pair. I have more than forty men here. Don't waste my time like your parents did."
"...Alright. One last question."
Seeing Steiner growing impatient, Revy dropped all pretense.
"I read your published research. Strangely similar to Eyjafjalla's direction of study. So — am I right?"
"Yeah, you're right. Congratulations, want a gold star too?"
Steiner sneered as if speaking to an idiot.
"The research notes were indeed invaluable. But only in my hands can they reach their full potential. After all, I know the right things to say at the right times — unlike that inflexible Naumann and her equally stubborn fool of a husband."
"Enough!!"
Eyjafjalla could no longer hold back. Flames surged around her, reflecting her fury.
"The one who killed my parents and stole their research — it was you?! Steiner Zoclay!!"
"Yes, yes, that's the expression I was waiting for."
Steiner burst into laughter, like a cat playing with its prey.
"That was the same look your parents gave me when I tossed them to the volcano! And now, I want to see that same expression — on you, devoured by fire and despair!"
"...Alright. I understand everything now. Thank you for your cooperation."
Suddenly stepping between Eyjafjalla and Steiner was Revy.
There wasn't a trace of panic or worry on the Sarkaz man's face. His cold expression didn't look like it was facing living enemies — but corpses already sentenced to death.
Steiner, shaken by that look, stumbled back three steps before regaining his composure. Fuming, he waved his hand toward the surrounding mercenaries.
"The hell are you standing around for?! Get them!! Start by gouging out that bastard's eyes!"