Chapter 548: Riven Sets Off, The Door Before the Twintailed Girl
The atmosphere in the secluded grove plummeted to a freezing chill. The two men froze in their tracks, the crude words dying in their throats. They watched the twintailed girl lift her head from the shadows, her lips curving into a smile so breathtakingly sharp it made their hearts skip a terrified beat.
Instinct took over. Both men took a slow, trembling step backward. The girl's smile only widened, stretching into something altogether unnatural. Just as the thugs opened their mouths to shout a threat and bolster their crumbling courage, she raised her hands. Two ornate firearms materialized out of thin air, resting perfectly in her grip.
The men's pupils constricted to pinpricks. They turned to flee, but the crack of gunfire shattered the quiet night before their boots could even leave the dirt. Knees buckling, they collapsed into the damp grass, suddenly acutely aware that they had provoked a monster.
"Aren't you two big brothers going to help me find my key?" the girl asked, her voice dripping with saccharine sweetness.
"No... we were wrong! Please spare us!" one of them sobbed, clutching his bleeding leg. "We just acted on impulse! It really was just an impulse!"
"Yes, yes! We just..."
The girl looked down at the pathetic display and let out a soft, theatrical sigh. "It is always like this. Every man is exactly the same. When the end comes, they all grovel and beg for mercy... It really is quite comical..."
She watched them weep, completely unfazed by their desperate apologies. "In that case... your time... I will gladly take it!"
A deafening burst of gunfire erupted, tearing through the grove. The girl stepped lightly over the blood-soaked grass, her boots avoiding the worst of the crimson pools. She glanced down at the two unidentifiable lumps of flesh left behind and offered a polite, closed-eye smile.
"Do try to be better people in your next lives... Honestly, who would be out looking for a key this late at night..."
Leaving the grisly scene behind, she strolled out of the trees. Barely a few minutes down the street, a stray orange cat trotted into her path and looked up at her with wide, reflective eyes. The girl stared down at the feline, her face entirely devoid of expression. A long silence stretched between them before her features finally softened into a genuine, gentle smile.
She crouched down, running a gloved hand over the cat's head. "Oh, are you here to keep me company?"
The cat offered a soft meow.
"I do not quite understand you... Oh, did you lose your key as well?"
She continued to tease the little creature, murmuring softly to it under the streetlights. Though neither human nor feline could truly understand the other, they fell into a comfortable, rhythmic back-and-forth conversation.
Scooping the orange cat into her arms, the girl wandered down the pavement until she found a small, deserted neighborhood park. She settled onto a rusted swing, slowly stroking the purring animal in her lap while staring out into the quiet playground, completely lost in her own thoughts.
Without warning, the cat let out a sharp yowl, scrambled out of her embrace, and bolted into the bushes. Startled, the girl blinked and looked at her empty hands. "Did I pet you a little too hard while I was distracted?"
She paused, sensing the lingering tension in the air. "No... that was genuine fear... Eh? Was it always this bright over there?"
Reacting with lethal speed, she leaped off the swing and vaulted to the side, her eyes darting across the playground. Her gaze locked onto a large, elephant-shaped children's slide. The small, hollowed-out space beneath the plastic trunk was emitting a soft, steady glow.
Frowning slightly, she raised one of her guns and fired a single shot directly into the light. The bullet vanished without a sound, causing no reaction whatsoever. Lowering her weapon, the girl slowly approached the strange wooden door standing freely beneath the slide.
"Hmm? What is this? Why does it feel so warm...?"
She possessed a predatory instinct honed through countless battles, yet she felt absolutely no malice radiating from the glowing frame. She could not explain how she knew it was safe, but her intuition rarely lied.
Inside the restaurant, Ren leaned against the counter, staring at the front entrance. The door had lit up several minutes ago, yet no one had stepped through. He let out a helpless sigh. "It seems that every time a customer hesitates like this, they end up being rather complicated."
Lucifer, sitting nearby with a glass of wine, swirled the dark liquid thoughtfully. "Are you implying that Esdeath and Yuko are simple? Esdeath might actually be thrilled if you called her pure, considering she operates on the same wavelength as Hancock. But Yuko... are you feeling nostalgic for the days when she tried to rebel against you?"
"Uh... is Yuko really that hard to figure out?"
Lucifer rolled her eyes. "Only you would say that. Her thoughts are an absolute mess of contradictions, even if she hides those emotions better these days. Speaking of which, do you think she will revert to her old, troublesome self after being away for so long?"
Ren shook his head decisively. "No. Knowing Yuko, she is probably just sitting in her room, writing angry complaints in her diary every single day because she cannot rebel, the local food quality is terrible, and no one is around to play with her."
As it turned out, Ren's assessment was terrifyingly accurate. In her own world, Yuko was indeed furiously scribbling in her diary every night to vent her frustrations, all while maintaining her deep, mysterious facade in public. That very diary would eventually be dug up by Cerberus, prompting Yuko to launch a desperate, full-scale rebellion just to get it back. She would, of course, be swiftly suppressed and left to sulk in the corner—but that was a story for another time.
Meanwhile, deep within a dense, untamed forest, Riven slowly opened her eyes. She lay still for a moment, staring up at the bright moon hanging high above the canopy, the rhythmic chirping of insects washing over her. Her mind felt momentarily clouded, disoriented by the heavy sleep.
After a few seconds, clarity returned. She shook her head to clear the lingering grogginess, pushed herself up from the dirt, and surveyed her surroundings with a quiet exhale. "It seems my rations have run dry... I need to restock..."
Gripping the heavy hilt of her broken sword, Riven set off through the underbrush. If her tracking skills were still sharp, the broken branches and deep tracks she had spotted earlier belonged to a massive beast, which meant there had to be a den nearby. Once she secured a cave, she could summon the door to the shop.
She moved silently through the shadows. After an indeterminate amount of time, the tree line broke, revealing a jagged cliff face. Nestled at the base of the rock was a gaping cavern—undoubtedly the lair of a large predator.
Riven strode inside as casually as if she were walking into her own barracks. The oppressive darkness and the musky scent of a wild animal did not faze her in the slightest. To her, the deadliest beasts were little more than docile kittens. Deep inside the cavern, a massive, bear-like creature was snoring heavily against the stone floor.
In the past, a beast of this size would have provided her with enough dried meat to survive for weeks. Now, however, she had access to far superior culinary options. Still, she needed ingredients.
Riven closed the distance in a single, silent slide. The beast's primal instincts flared, its eyes snapping open in the dark, but before the massive creature could even shift its weight to stand, Riven's broken blade cleaved through the air, ending its life in a merciful, instant strike.
She was a veteran warrior, possessing strength far beyond that of a common foot soldier. Standing over the massive carcass, she expertly butchered one of the limbs, carving out several large, prime cuts of meat. She packed the raw flesh into a heavy canvas bag, slung it over her shoulder, and pressed her bare palm against the cold stone wall of the cave, silently calling out to the restaurant in her mind.
A moment later, a familiar, inviting light bloomed at the mouth of the dark cavern. Riven allowed a rare, faint smile to touch her lips. Resting the flat of her broken sword against her shoulder, she walked toward the glowing frame with unhurried steps. Left to her own devices, she would have just roasted the meat over an open fire or boiled it in river water without a pinch of salt. It was infinitely better to leave the cooking to the Shopkeeper.
"This light..." she murmured quietly. "It is still as warm as ever..."
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