This was crazy. That's the only way I could put what we were about to do. We were about to fight all the captains the church sent, close to a thousand Holy Knights, and Mari Swan's goons, who were all pretty strong, and then rescue Ren and the other slaves.

How did it become we? Why am I joining in their mission that Pazuzu dude gave?

"HQ? We need ten Alphas instantly! All should be high-tier Saint-class fighters, and we can at most wait for four minutes before engaging. Use Laso's spatial skill."

Simple. No one knew how the mythical-grade artifact outside worked. If I were to summon the echo and rush outside, it might end in complete disaster.

They had planned in great detail to counter the threat outside. Wipe out everyone inside and free the slaves, then get out through Laso's spatial skill together. If the captains outside entered inside, they were prepared to fight back, too.

Alphas were basically their version of a church captain. Saint-class fighters. Apparently, there were ten stages for Arcana users.

From our simple conversation, I could only learn the names of the first and fifth. Novice and Saint.

I could use them and their plan. If push comes to shove and there's even a bit of danger, I could summon the echo, and we could get out together.

"Great! You really are impressive, Kobi." I turned to the gray-haired man. A medium-sized golden hand mirror's glass shone magically in his hands, the bright white light hitting his face. He was removing his disguise.

In just a few seconds, the light slowly vanished, revealing Kobi, with similar gray hair, but there were two pointy, fur-covered ears surrounding it.

His facial features had become much younger as well, though still middle-aged. Rough skin, a long scar that ran from his forehead to his chin diagonally.

"Haha! I had infiltrated the government as a parliament member almost three years ago now. We are used to emergencies like these, so it's nothing special.

Zhenny joined just last month when the mission to save Ren came, so I beg you to forgive her impulsiveness." He bowed again.

I shook my head again. "I already said, it's not a big deal. I also tried to kill her, so there's nothing to forgive here." My eyes held some admiration for the man. Which man didn't at least once dream of being a spy?

I turned to Zhenny, who now was much shorter, barely four feet, with long black hair that reached below her flat butt and a very small face.

Her small, furry black ears trembled as she gulped down the liquid from a silver, diamond-shaped bottle; a healing potion.

Surprisingly, she was a cat girl! I had somehow assumed cat people and dog people would have some sort of racism, but she literally joined something this dangerous to save Ren.

Her long black tail, which had no fur, moved like a pendulum as she licked the red liquid that had dripped onto her palm leisurely while talking to a spherical communication artifact, not noticing my gaze.

"You sure? Laso's cooldown is forty minutes. We can't make any emergency exits then. Can't you wait a little longer? We are nearby." A rough voice escaped the communication device.

Zhenny nearly growled as she threw away the empty potion bottle. "Yeah, do that and fight fourteen captains with a mythical-grade artifact while we get killed! You need to sneak in, and we don't have enough time for you to search for ways to."

"Relax… I am just asking. It seems you don't have a choice." The voice sighed. "I will do that then. Just remember, your smart escape plan literally can't be used for forty minutes."

"His order is to kill everyone from the church and Mari Swan here. And save all slaves." Zhenny shrugged. "Forty minutes should be enough for that."

"Lord Pazuzu's? Then start with that. I will group them up and get to you soon."

She pocketed the sphere before turning toward me. "I never thanked you for saving Ren…" Her golden eyes were filled with gratitude.

"It's nothing… It wasn't intentional." I broke our eye contact, making her chuckle.

"Are you blushing?" Alya shot me a look, but it wasn't what she assumed. Receiving thank-yous was awkward!

"Anyways, even if you're doing it for Pazuzu, uh, Lord Pazuzu, I really appreciate your help. With that much firepower, it wouldn't be hard to save Ren. Don't worry."

Zhenny nodded softly, her tail going limp. Right… She could just be dead. It had been some time since so many knights went to calm the chaos.

"Are you two close?" Alya suddenly asked, her eyes filled with curiosity. "Err… It's okay if you don't want to answer." She scratched her chin awkwardly, noticing her mood.

She looked up, her eyes dim. "She's my best friend. She was captured a few months back… None of us could do anything… We even held her funeral. Until Lord Pazuzu gave this order. He told me what she had been through."

She squinted her eyes, suppressing tears from bursting out, but one still managed to escape. "I gave up on her. She was in hell, probably hoping for me to save her, and I continued to live my life… I want to save her. Help her recover. And go back to how things were before."

"Zhenny… She will be happy, I am sure." Kobi patted her head gently as her head fell on his chest. Cleaning the tears on his chest, she soon shook her head, turning back up.

"Kobi is right." I nodded as I noticed Alya's lips parting, her face growing complex. With a deep voice, I continued.

"I think you should forgive yourself and not talk in that language. You didn't give up on her, or you would've never come. There was nothing you could've done."

"I–I… I hate that powerlessness." My words had the opposite effect as she bit her lip hard enough for it to bleed.

But I couldn't refute that. Anyone would. I hated it too in my past life when I couldn't do what I wanted to.

"Sorry… I didn't mean to dump it all like this. You both must have gone through a much worse form of it after what had happened to the vampires." She mumbled apologetically.

"Don't worry about i—"

"I hate it too, powerlessness," Alya suddenly said, interrupting me and prompting us to turn toward her. "I think you should tell her exactly that, 'I gave up on you.' Her response might surprise you. And then, this feeling won't have power over you."

My eyes widened, realizing what she was actually saying. Her will to live had died instantly when Lucien originally died. Maybe it was out of powerlessness, and she wanted to live.

She probably understood Zhenny better than anyone else…

Zhenny's pupils dilated, her lips trembling as she nodded once, then twice. "I like how it sounds…"

…

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