Chapter 12: Dead

"The doors are open, and cameras won't see you."

Cortana instructed me once I approached the main building of LexCorp, which was only a few streets and across the park from the Daily Planet building.

With the nano suit, Cortana's help, and the Muggle-Repelling Charm, I was able to sneak into the building without being seen.

Soon, I took the elevator to the upper floors and then took the stairs to reach the floor where Lex was currently resting.

I decided to take the stairs because Mercy was sitting at a desk across from the elevator.

I opened the automatic lock on the door and walked into the cozy, well-furnished room.

"Turn left to avoid Mercy and approach Lex Luthor's office."

Cortana's voice instructed me, and I followed her advice.

Soon, I found myself in front of my brother's office door, and I slowly opened it and stepped inside.

The office was more than spacious—three times larger than mine and Lena's apartment.

There were no cameras in the office, but various sensors were present.

Lex was sitting on the couch with a glass of wine in his hand and looking at the big TV screen showing different shots of the "Superboy."

Lois wrote another article yesterday in which she used the word "Superman," so everyone will soon know him that way.

Lex remotely changed the photos from Superman to a general expense sheet.

"The office is equipped with the most modern presence sensors, silent alarms, and fire suppression."

Cortana announced.

"Mercy, bring me the Cadmus project files."

Lex said this into his communicator. Meanwhile, I was inspecting the room and figuring out my next move.

The original plan was to use Murasame, and this poison would definitely kill him, and doctors probably wouldn't be able to find anything because the poison was magical.

I had more plans when I had the wand, and it would be easier to start a fire and keep him in the office.

"Cortana, can you find out anything about the Cadmus project?"

I quietly asked while standing in the far corner of the office in stealth mode and charms.

"Most likely, Lex Luthor's main computer is disconnected from the main network. I need to connect to the local network to obtain the data. It would be best if you got closer to the computer so I could connect."

I approached the computer while Lex was busy talking to Mercy.

"Access granted."

I nodded my head in agreement as I took the wand from the inventory and approached the wall where there was a large cluster of various wires.

"Can you trigger a power surge throughout the building or cause a momentary power outage at least for a second."

I commanded while preparing the wand. When the lights flickered for a moment, the sensors "accidentally" turned off, and I said, "Incendio."

I uttered the spell, and the tip of the wand glowed faintly as the wall started to burn from the inside where the wires were located.

Then I circled around Lex and aimed the wand at him... and hesitated.

I wouldn't kill someone directly, but someone would die because of my actions even if that person was as bad as my older brother.

This hesitation didn't last long.

I don't know exactly why, perhaps because of Tony Stark's experience or Albedo's influence, but I regained control of myself.

"Confundus."

I said this while watching Lex get lost for a minute and not know what to do. He just stood there because his mind was confused.

Meanwhile, the fire intensified, and smoke began to fill the office.

"Mr. Luthor?"

Mercy attempted to open the door from the other side, but she couldn't. She already smelled the smoke, but the door wouldn't budge.

"Confundus."

I said it again when I noticed Lex regaining his senses.

I could have studied Imperius and told him to kill himself or jump out of the window, but there would have been less trouble if he had suffocated from smoke inhalation due to the fire caused by the power surge.

"Confundus."

I hit the spell on him again, and with each passing minute, Lex was getting faster and faster to shake off the spell while starting to panic.

"Cough, cough, what..."

"Confundus."

Lex fell down and crawled toward the door after I cast another spell on him.

I didn't have to worry about smoke or other gases because the suit has a regenerative oxygen system.

My stealth mode had already ended, and I stood tall behind Lex.

"Mercy... open... cough... the door."

Lex banged on the door while Mercy also tried her hardest to open it.

She even tried to turn off the power to the whole floor to ensure nothing would stop the electric door from opening, but Cortana prevented her.

"Confundus."

The spell struck him in the back, and he turned around with a cough while looking straight at me.

I could see my pulse beating fast through the suit's visor and feel the adrenaline running through my veins due to what was happening.

I could clearly see Lex's bewildered expression when he spotted my figure and fear and even desperation flickered in his eyes.

"Cough, what have I done to you? Cough..."

Lex coughed again. It was difficult for me to watch, but I forced myself to continue.

I live in a dangerous world where there is no room for weakness.

I wanted to kill him simply because I knew of his future actions without clear reasons.

I may not have been brave enough to do what I did if I hadn't known that he had chosen to eliminate Lena and me.

Nevertheless, it was he who chose to have us killed without any discussion, questions, or regrets.

Lex lost consciousness and collapsed on the floor.

He would probably die soon from carbon monoxide poisoning because the concentration had gotten so high, and all the windows had been closed while keeping the smoke inside the office.

"Dead."

I whispered quietly while ignoring the fire and smoke.

Soon, the door opened because the building was disconnected from the electricity.

Mercy had managed to arrange it.

It was too late to do anything.

Lex had been in the room with a lot of carbon monoxide for more than ten minutes. Lex's brain was probably already dead.

Mercy couldn't even immediately find the body when she opened the door because of the smoke.

This was my first kill. I was the one who killed him, even though I didn't pull the trigger or break his neck.

I was the one who didn't allow him to fully regain consciousness and start the fire.

I've heard that some people can feel absolutely nothing when they kill someone as if they've just stepped on an ant.

I've also heard of various mental illnesses that arise in people after they witness death.

After thinking about it, it's not clear if my change or assimilation made me do this.

I was on the street about a hundred meters away from the fire. I turned to face the building and heard a loud noise coming from inside.

Superman had shown up and used his body to break the glass to help Mercy.

I spent only a few weeks in this world before I decided to commit a fully conscious murder.

Now that I think about it more, I don't just want to protect myself.

I also wanted Lex's wealth, company, and all the opportunities that come with them.

So, I'm no better than those bastards who kill for money in some way.

Lex did exactly that to our parents, and now I've done it to him. I guess it runs in the family.

Fortunately, it makes me feel better that I killed a man who wasn't innocent and that it didn't hurt anyone else very much.

"Judging by the data from your body, you might be feeling unwell right now."

Cortana's voice sounded.

"I'm not good at comforting people, but I can say that he's worse off than you."

I saw her avatar in the visor.

"You might be feeling down because of your family ties or because of the murder itself. All means are good in war, and I can say that life in this world isn't that different."

"You've comforted me."

I snorted.

I went back into the apartment and stored the suit in the inventory while lying down.

...

[3rd POV]

"It's Rias-sempai! A first-class beauty!"

"Be my girlfriend!"

"What did you say? Do you know who you're talking to, you bastard?"

"Beat him up!"

Rias could hear all these shouts and praises in her honor, which she enjoyed, but now her mind was occupied with other thoughts.

The first beauty at Kuoh Academy was contemplating her possible future.

"President, tell me what troubles your soul if such a pitiful servant like me deserves to know it."

Akeno innocently said this when she entered the Occult Research Club's room.

"Akeno..."

Rias couldn't help but frown.

She didn't like lying to Akeno, but how could she immediately talk about the Group Chat and the possible future without being called crazy?

"Oh, the president called me by name..."

Akeno "shyly" put her hands on her cheeks and turned away.

"Stop joking around."

Rias sighed heavily and only now noticed Koneko Tojo was sitting on the couch while eating cookies.

"Koneko, how's your assignment going?"

Rias decided to change the subject and sat down on the couch.

"He's disgusting and a pervert."

Koneko indifferently replied, her expression unchanged.

"But yes, I do feel a strange energy coming from him—maybe something related to dragons. I would not have noticed it if I hadn't been focused on it for a long time."

"I see."

Rias nodded, already expecting such a response.

However, Issei is still a strong piece on the board.

He would likely accept her invitation to become a demon and would ogle at her chest and drool.

But this week, her view on life had changed a bit, and the idea of being a "sacrificial lamb" for a "hero" no longer interested her much even though it was beautiful.

She liked such romantic stories... but looking at the events that could develop because of her weakness, she sighed heavily once again.

"President, are you okay?"

Rias' thoughts were interrupted by Yuto Kiba's voice. He politely kept his distance from her and looked at her with concern.

"I'm fine. Just lost in thought."

Rias replied.

"Lately, that's been happening all too often."

Akeno said, already having brewed tea, and placed a cup in front of her.

"Am I... that obvious?"

Rias asked.

"Very."

Koneko nodded, a hint of concern appearing in her usually indifferent expression.

"I'm sorry, I don't mind sharing, but... it's hard to believe. At first, I didn't believe it and tried to figure out if I was under the influence of fallen magic or someone else."

Rias explained.

"Rias, you should try it. You should tell us about your imaginary boyfriend. Oh my, Rias, I could help you find a worthy candidate."

Akeno smiled.

"We're ready to listen and help if needed."

Kiba said it somewhat firmly as if preparing to cover her back.

Rias took a deep breath and considered what to say.

She didn't want to lie to them, but she hadn't even told her brother about Group Chat.

Rias suspects he would worry too much and restrict her movements to ensure her safety.

Group Chat's rules didn't prohibit disclosing information, but she understood perfectly well that she couldn't talk about it everywhere.

The Group Chat was her trump card especially since she might find new friends there.

Tony-kun's help and advice have been useful. She also learned about his world and how he was a wizard, an alchemist, and a swordsman.

They will probably meet on the same mission someday because Group Chat's points will be useful.

She had seen a couple of interesting items there that she wouldn't mind acquiring.

She could get Longinus for herself, but there were other things she could get, like the "Bloodline Potion."

This would fully unlock the power that was hidden in her blood. She had read about something similar in a manga, and it sounded interesting.

"Okay, I'll tell you, stop looking at me like that."

Rias surrendered.

But then she would make them pay during training...

...

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