I i could 6-10

6

Klein quickly boarded a carriage and, following his spirituality, soon arrived at an unfamiliar street not too far from the Blackthorn Security Company. He left the public vehicle and stood in front of an apartment complex, using divination to quickly figure out which door belonged to Leonard.

As the carriage left behind him, Klein passed a hand over his face. When he lowered his hand, the black-haired brown-eyed young man had disappeared, replaced with a middle-aged man with blue eyes and a profound gaze.

Right, I need to grow a few centimeters as well. Dwayne Dantes suddenly grew to 180 cm in height as he stood on the side of the street. Satisfied with his preparations, Klein adjusted his top hat and politely knocked on Leonard's door.

He heard the sound of something crashing inside and his lips twitched. A minute later, the door opened and Klein was face-to-face with the future Red Glove.

"Yes, who–" In the middle of rubbing his eyes, Leonard completely froze as he stared at his guest. 

Klein ignored his abnormality. "Good morning, Mr. Mitchell. This may seem rather abrupt, but I need to have a private conversation with you. It's very important," Klein emphasized.

Only to be met with the same blank stare, eyes wide and mouth open. Why does this guy seem so startled? A little too startled… Klein used his Clown abilities to check himself from an outside point of view. No third eye, no extra limb. So why…?

"Mr. Mitchell?" He prompted.

"Huh? Oh, oh! Yes, uh…" Leonard snapped back to himself and opened the door fully. "Uh, c-come inside and…and have a seat. Yes, have a seat."

The green-eyed man was all over himself as he invited Klein inside, almost tripping over thin air. 

As the door closed behind him, Klein briefly viewed the apartment. It wasn't too large, the perfect size for a young bachelor to live alone in. However, it was decorated rather nicely, with an attention to detail he wouldn't have expected from Leonard. A bookshelf lay in the corner of the room. 

Klein spotted the Selected Poems of Roselle on the bookshelf and had to stifle a laugh. 

He sat down on the sofa and faced Leonard opposite him.

"Ahem, Mr. D- uh, Mr?"

"Dwayne Dantes." Klein introduced himself.

Leonard's eye twitched. "Mr. Dantes," he resumed speaking after a pause, "what's your business with me?"

Klein smiled and clasped his hands together, taking a few seconds to look him over. "Leonard Mitchell: 25, Sequence 8 Midnight Poet, Beyonder of the Tingen Nighthawks. And," he continued, ignoring Leonard jumping to his feet in alarm, "you're hiding a certain secret."

"Isn't that right, Pallez Zoroast?"

Klein slowly took out a crystal monocle and played with it in his hands.

Leonard's face turned from pale to confused to extremely pale as he looked down at the composed Dwayne Dantes. "How…?" He ignored the explosive panic from the voice inside his head and narrowed his eyes, carefully scrutinizing the man sitting before him, as well as the monocle.

Klein was beginning to become uncomfortable by Leonard's stare when he suddenly opened his mouth.

"...Klein?"

Klein's eyes widened.

…/@#$%!! You mean that's your colleague, the one that's only Sequence 8?? Expletives poured from Pallez in Leonard's mind, his voice tinted with relief. Damn, and here I thought Amon found me! $%*#! He nearly gave me a heart attack!

"Uh, I don't think he's Sequence 8 anymore," Leonard commented, replying to the voice in his head.

Now it was Klein's turn to be shocked. He didn't even bother pretending not to know who 'Klein' was as he also jumped up to his feet, pointing at Leonard.

"Leonard, you…" Klein suddenly thought of an outrageous explanation, but… it made sense! 

"Did you also travel back in time?!"

Leonard's eyes instantly sparkled as he received confirmation, also excitedly pointing at Klein. "Yes!! You too??" He was just short of grabbing Klein and jumping around the room.

Klein was just as stunned but also happy. "Was it right after I sent you out of Sefirah Castle?"

Huh? Sefirah Castle? ? Leonard ignored Pallez and replied, "Yes! Right after I left, I found myself here," he gestured to the space around him, "and was confused on why you sent me back to my old apartment."

"Then, after uh, talking to myself for a few seconds, I heard Pallez in my head." 

"Ah." Klein nodded in understanding. 

"I pretty much got jumpscared by the old man, and thought he climbed back into my body while I was chatting with you," Leonard continued, a slightly embarrassed expression on his face. "And then the cat was out of the bag."

Klein laughed as he imagined the scene. "So, is Pallez aware of everything?" 

"Not everything, no." Leonard shamelessly admitted it in front of Pallez himself. "But enough."

… Brat. Pallez scoffed in Leonard's mind. Even if I'm not fully recovered, don't think I can't do anything to you!

"So, Mr. Fool," Leonard started cheekily, "What's your plan? You prevented Kenley's death, right?"

Pallez was too angry to say anything at being ignored again.

"Yes." Klein was silent for a few seconds, skipping over how Leonard addressed him. "As for the plan– obviously, prevent the Megose incident. But now that you're in the picture, things will become a lot easier."

"Can you ask Pallez if he has a spare Worm of Time?" Klein looked seriously at the green-eyed man in front of him.

Leonard coughed awkwardly and avoided eye contact. "About that, I already asked him for one yesterday, so the old man is currently in a weakened state and can't spare any more."

Without Klein having to say anything, the Nighthawk reached into his pocket and took out an iron cigar case, handing it to Klein. 

Klein raised an eyebrow.

"I trust that you'll be able to make better preparations than me," Leonard explained. "Plus, in terms of the domains of Error, Door, and Fool, you definitely know more than me."

Klein understood and took the cigar case. Becoming serious, he folded his hands under his chin and looked directly at Leonard as he slowly told him his plan, and the Midnight Poet's role. Leonard listened closely.

Time passed, and eventually Klein leaned back into the sofa, relaxing slightly. "That's it," He finished. "By the way, aren't you supposed to be investigating the Lanevus case?" 

"Yes, but since I've already 'investigated' it before, I figured… Once it was about noon, I would just call you in to find the secret compartment and letter." Leonard scratched his head.

Klein's lips twitched. Well, I can't really blame him…I was really lazy to investigate Madam Sharon all over again, too. 

"Alright. I'll create a charm from the Worm of Time and meet you at the place Lanevus rented at around noon." Klein nodded farewell and left Leonard's apartment, taking a public carriage back to his home.

Leonard watched the mature figure of Dwyane Dantes shrink into the familiar face of Klein Moretti as he left. 

…Your colleague is pretty good, Pallez noted. His plan is very comprehensive and as for his strength, it's only been three days since your whole… time traveling fiasco, and he's already Sequence 6.

"Yeah," Leonard casually responded as he prepared to set out as well. "But I'm not really surprised. After all, he became a true god within three years."

Leonard heard an abrupt choking sound inside his head.

7

Just before eleven o'clock, like Klein had predicted, he was dragged into a dream by Dunn Smith. 

"Leonard found a clue when he was investigating the Lanevus case. He needs your help. The Mystery Pryer sent over by the Holy Cathedral won't arrive until tomorrow morning because of a train fault." The Nighthawk Captain instructed Klein.

"Alright…" Klein responded in a dazed voice as if he was affected by the dream state. 

Dunn thought for a moment before adding, "There's no need for you to return to Zouteland Street. Head to 62 Howes Street directly, Leonard is waiting there for you. It's been hard on you."

The moment he finished his sentence, Klein's dream shattered. Prepared, Klein immediately opened his eyes and sprung out of his chair.

He had already successfully created a Fate Siphon charm, and also brought his Flaring Sun Charms as well as other useful items down from Sefirah Castle.

Klein instantly set out to leave after double checking his preparations, making sure he had enough paper figures and matches. As he boarded a public carriage, he recalled his conversation with Leonard an hour or so ago.

"The most crucial part is to prevent Captain from using Saint Selena's ashes."

Leonard nodded in agreement. "Yes, such a powerful Sealed Artifact alerted the True Creator's Spawn and made Megose mutate."

"But since Captain's mental state is better than the previous timeline, it's likely that he'll be able to think of this. Then, the main issue would be to support Captain with Megose and then deal with Ince Zangwill when he arrives later."

"Alright." Leonard paused for a few seconds before continuing, "But, Klein…"

"Are you still going to 'die' this time?"

Klein snapped himself out of his thoughts as he arrived at Howes Street, seeing the messy-haired Midnight Poet waiting for him at building 62.

Leonard was still in a thin white shirt despite the chilly September weather. 

"Aren't you cold?" Klein asked as he approached the Nighthawk. I've been meaning to ask this in the past, too…Does he simply have thicker skin?

"Heh, a real man isn't afraid of the cold." Leonard rubbed his nose.

Klein shot him a dirty look as they tacitly entered the building.

Once inside, they didn't waste any time. Klein directly walked towards the wooden bookshelf and pulled at the book nearest to its sides.

As expected, a hidden compartment was opened, revealing a letter.

Leonard picked the letter up, opening it. Klein leaned forward to get a look, skimming over the contents to confirm they were the same as he remembered.

"All good." Leonard tucked the letter under his arm. "Then, let's go?"

"Wait," Klein reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a pen and blank sheet of paper. "I'll write to Mr. Azik…before, my letter was sent too late for him to arrive." He explained. Of course, whether or not he can arrive on time now is dependent on how much 0-08 interferes…

Understanding dawned on Leonard standing to the side. "Azik Eggers…Your history professor, the Death Consul? Uh, those titles sound a bit awkward next to each other."

Klein nodded, the side of his mouth lifting at Leonard's remark. He quickly finished explaining the course of events in the letter and blew on the copper whistle, summoning the familiar bony messenger.

As he handed the letter over and watched the skeleton disintegrate, Klein sighed to himself. Messenger #1, I really missed how polite you were…I promise not to use you as a shield this time. I don't want to live in fear of a four feet tall messenger appearing every time I use the restroom.

The two hurried back to the Blackthorn Security Company to report to Dunn Smith. Just as they entered the door, Klein saw two familiar faces– Maynard's wife and sister.

The two women in black mourning dress spotted Klein and approached him. "I'm very pleased with the outcome and your work. Here's the reward that you deserve." Mrs. Maynard spoke to him in a low voice.

The scrawny woman passed a brown bag full of cash to Klein. "A total of 230 pounds," she stated simply.

Of course, Klein was in no mood to care about the money, his attention completely focused on what was yet to come. He handed the money to Rozanne to take care of and soon followed Leonard through the partition to Dunn's office.

"How was it? Did you find any clues?" The Nighthawk Captain closed his document and looked up at Klein and Leonard.

"We found a letter that was left behind by Lanevus." Leonard followed the words he said before he time traveled, simply passing the letter to Dunn without elaborating further.

Dunn quickly scanned through the letter and rubbed his temples. "He really is a lunatic. He's only a Sequence 8, Sequence 7 at most."

Klein agreed, saying, "Lanevus is a dangerous figure who can damage the stability of social order. Even though he's weak, we can't belittle him." He made such a big mess in Tingen, then ran to Backlund to make a bigger mess… Klein privately thought to himself. Well, karma, namely me, will come for you anyway.

Klein told Captain about a few of his and Leonard's assumptions about the "bomb" mentionted in the letter, slipping in a few hints that the situation was even graver than they thought.

Dunn slowly nodded. "Alright. I'll immediately send a telegram to the Holy Cathedral and ask them to send a mysticism expert over for assistance. We need to be extremely careful, and once I receive a reply, I will arrange for the follow up."

Klein and Leonard exchanged glances and nodded simultaneously. 

Taking the opportunity when Captain was sending a telegram, Klein slipped Leonard a charm.

"This is…?"

"Something I made after stirring up the powers of Sefirah Castle. It's not very strong, so don't expect too much, but at most it can make Megose's movements slow down for a few seconds. To use it, simply inject your spirituality and say 'control' in an ancient language, throwing it at your target." Klein whispered to Leonard, brushing past him to leave the office.

As if nervous, he paced around the reception room. However, Klein was actually unobtrusively dropping matches around the room, preparing for an inevitable battle.

Hopefully it won't come to this…The best case scenario is to contain Megose and prevent her from leaving until backup arrives. Klein had a grave expression as he walked around the room.

Click.

Leonard and Klein froze unnaturally for a second before appearing as natural as possible. However, their bodies were tense as they watched the main door open.

A young, pretty lady with a depressed yet silent temperament slowly walked through the entrance. She had blonde hair, green eyes, and was wearing a ruffled hat and loose dress–

Megose.

Klein's eyes were drawn to her large stomach, and he immediately received sharp alarm bells from his spirituality!

You must not look directly at God.

Klein instantly broke out into a cold sweat. As a Sequence 6, he clearly felt the overpowering presence of the 'child' in Megose's womb much clearer than before.

He felt rooted to the ground, and a quick glance at Leonard's similarly pale face confirmed he felt the same. 

"Miss Megose?" Leonard forced himself to say, following the actions in his memory as much as possible. 

The blonde woman looked over at the both of them vacantly. "Hello," she responded politely.

Klein steeled himself, nails digging into his palm. "Miss Megose, what brings you here to the Blackthorn Security Company? Do you have anything that you'd like us to do for you?" He asked normally, a pleasant smile on his face. 

Even though the two Nighthawks in the room showed an outward pleasant countenance, they were both extremely alert and on guard, ready to burst into action in a single moment. 

"Somehow or the other, I suddenly thought of coming to Zouteland Street and thought of coming up to take a look." Megose touched her stomach and smiled faintly.

Klein got chills at her actions but maintained his composure. Ince Zangwill indeed can't wait for another opportunity and has influenced Megose with 0-08 to come to the Nighthawks! He analyzed, eyes narrowing imperceptibly.

"Do you want coffee, black tea, or nothing at all?" Klein was grateful that his Faceless abilities facilitated the use of the Clown abilities, as he was able to smile normally in such a tense situation without exposing his actual emotions.

"A cup of warm water. I suddenly thought of chatting with you guys about Lanevus. I have the feeling that you know a lot."

"Who told you that?" Leonard knew the answer already, but asked anyway. 

Megose giggled, a creepy sound that sent shivers down Leonard and Klein's backs. 

"My child told me. He knows a lot. He's very smart!"

Leonard forced a smile. Even though this was his second time experiencing this, his horror hadn't diminished in the least–the feeling of facing an evil god's spawn wasn't something anyone could get used to. 

"That's exactly what I'd like to talk about. We want to have a chat with you about Lanevus." The Midnight Poet continued, pointing toward the sofa. 

While Megose was distracted, Klein hurried into Dunn's office, closing the door behind him with a bang.

Using as concise and clear language as possible, Klein relayed the information to the Nighthawk Captain– that the "bomb" Lanevus mentioned was the baby inside Megose's stomach! 

Dunn thought for a while before nodding with a serious expression. "I'll ask for assistance from the Holy Cathedral immediately. Tell Leonard to keep Megose calm and notify all non-combatants to evacuate!"

"We have to prepare for the worst, which is if Megose's baby is born before reinforcements arrive."

Klein nodded, tense as he waited for Captain's next words. Please don't take out St. Selena's ashes…

"After I send the telegram, I will take out the Sealed Artifacts with the highest offensive ability. I cannot use St. Selena's ashes– its power would certainly alarm Megose and, if the baby in her belly is really the spawn of an evil god, result in the worst-case scenario."

A surge of relief coursed through Klein. Thank the Goddess. Captain's mental state hasn't been impacted by consuming Kenley's Beyonder characteristic, so he decided not to use St. Selena's ashes!

"Captain, we can also ask for reinforcements from the Mandated Punishers and the Machinery Hivemind!" Klein reminded Dunn.

"Alright. We cannot delay any further, I will send the telegram as soon as possible."

Klein didn't waste any more time, immediately exiting the office and heading toward the accountant's room.

Mrs. Orianna looked up from her work with a kind smile. "Lad, what claims do you have to submit today?"

Klein had a serious expression on his face. "Mrs. Orianna, we will be on vacation today. Go back home immediately. Help me inform the rest of the clerks, I'll tell Rozanne."

Orianna froze and looked at the young man before her in a daze. She soon stood up in a fluster and, without even packing, she grabbed her handbag and hurried out.

However, she turned and stared at Klein after leaving the office. She drew a crimson moon on her chest and said, "All of you will be blessed by the Goddess!"

Klein smiled wryly in return. Thank you… He made his way toward the receptionist area, taking a brief look at Leonard to confirm the situation. Still normal, for now…

He filled up a cup of warm water and leaned towards Rozanne. "Go home, it's dangerous here. Come back tomorrow," he whispered. 

Rozanne opened her mouth in shock but quickly closed it again after seeing his expression. She packed her items and soon left the receptionist area.

Just as she was walking past Klein, she whispered back, "To be honest, I respect the Nighthawks as much as I hate other people who become Beyonders…" 

Klein watched the young woman leave with the rest of the clerks with a complicated expression.

…

Once all the civilian staff had left, he brought the glass of warm water to Megose and said, "I have something to settle, I'll be back soon." 

He didn't need to tell Leonard what to do– a second of eye contact established that everything was moving according to plan.

Without a change in expression, Leonard continued his conversation with Megose. The young pregnant woman seemed to be a little restless, as if losing focus.

Dunn Smith soon returned from Chanis Gate, holding Sealed Artifact 2-105 and 2-078. Klein glanced at the Sealed Artifact, "Blood Vessel Thief." As expected, Captain also came to the conclusion that this Sealed Artifact was best for the situation…And as for 2-078, Door of Death,,,

Klein recalled the description: a seemingly ordinary wooden door. However, any living thing that passed through it would die instantly. It could replace pre-existing doors, so any user had to be careful not to pass through any door near them. A Mythical Creature will be able to tell which door is the Door of Death, but it might be able to delay it for a few seconds.

Upon seeing Klein, Dunn handed the Blood Vessel Thief to him. "You don't possess any directly offensive abilities, so take Sealed Artifact 2-105." Klein quietly received the Sealed Artifact as Dunn pointed at his office. "The Holy Cathedral sent a telegram. They'll gather a team of strong Beyonders immediately and asked us to stall for as much time as possible."

"Yes." Klein nodded in acknowledgment. "What's the situation?" He got closer to the partition and looked at the reception room, just in time to catch Megose casually ripping out a chunk of her hair, throwing it into the trash can.

Klein shivered at the sight. Poor Leonard… He mentally drew a crimson moon as he waited outside the partition with Dunn Smith.

…It was at this time that Captain told me about Beyonder characteristics and his consumption of them. Klein felt a whiff of bittersweetness and looked at the Nighthawk Captain in his black windbreaker, eyes gray and deep. 

Captain, you will definitely live! 

8

Klein and Dunn quietly observed Megose as she began ripping out more and more chunks of hair.

Dunn frowned, an extremely serious expression on his face as Megose suddenly reached for her face. She clawed out a large piece of flesh from her face!

"My face is a little itchy," Megose explained embarrassedly, smiling slightly. Her smile exposed a bit of her white cheekbone, as well as a row of white teeth and bright red gums.

Leonard's smile faltered a bit.

Megose's state is increasingly unstable. Pallez grimly told Leonard. I estimate she will mutate within 5 minutes. Will reinforcements arrive before then? I don't think so.

Leonard inwardly agreed with Pallez. Even if the Machinery Hivemind and Mandated Punishers would arrive within the next few minutes, he had no doubt that Ince Zangwill would use 0-08 to create all sorts of freak coincidences, delaying them until Megose mutated and Captain was forced to use St. Selena's ashes!

Bringing his attention to the present, Leonard smiled and apologized to Megose, trying to avoid looking at the bright red flesh on her face. "I need to use the bathroom."

"Oh…Al…right…" Megose's voice became fragmented, and it seemed as if it was coming through several layers of obstruction.

"My child…is a little…restless." She rubbed her belly with a fond expression.

Leonard shivered slightly and didn't reply, quickly walking towards the partition where Klein and Dunn were. 

Seeing that there was no box of ashes in Dunn Smith's hands, a bit of tension left Leonard. 

"Captain, I'm afraid it's too late." He reported firmly. "We have to deal with Megose and her baby immediately. Otherwise, the whole of Tingen will suffer terrible losses."

Dunn knitted his eyebrows, unusually stern. "Are you sure that the situation has reached such an extent?"

"Yes. In less than five minutes, Megose will mutate and her child will descend upon us." Leonard's certain tone convinced the Nighthawk Captain to take action.

Klein frowned as he heard Leonard's words and glanced at the Midnight Poet. Unfortunately, Megose is unable to be saved… Klein felt a tinge of pity for the innocent woman who fell for Lanevus' ploy. But I didn't expect that even after all of our preparations, the True Creator's Spawn was ultimately only delayed for two extra minutes.

At this, he was puzzled. The True Creator's Spawn won't attempt to be born early if it doesn't sense a threat. Captain hasn't taken out St. Selena's ashes, and even two Grade 2 Sealed Artifacts shouldn't pose much of a threat to it. So why…?

Is it because of me? Klein paled as he thought of this. Then, was everything that I did useless? Am I the reason behind this danger? …No, even if I'm significantly stronger than before, it still isn't at a level to be able to fatally harm Megose's child. 

Klein's expression turned solemn and he shook away his runaway thoughts as he handed over Sealed Artifact 2-105 to Leonard, who wordlessly received it.

Dunn Smith thought for a few seconds before finally speaking. "Currently, we cannot deal with Megose and her baby with our power. Our only options are to bring St. Selena's ashes out or lure Megose to Chanis gate and use the unique environment to contain her until reinforcements arrive."

"Captain, I think luring her to Chanis gate is the best option." Klein immediately responded, resolute. "Once Megose's baby senses a threat to itself or its mother, it will immediately turn hostile. At that point, we won't be able to contain casualties if it goes on a rampage."

"I agree with Klein." Leonard jumped in to back him up. "If we want to wait for reinforcements, we should definitely not bring out St. Selena's ashes!"

Receiving such a united opinion, Dunn nodded, his expression indescribable. "You two, head to Chanis gate and debrief Seeka Tron on the current situation. Have her stop guarding Chanis gate and help with the operation."

Klein's heart fell. "...Then, Captain, what about you?"

A slight pause. The Nighthawk Captain's eyes were gentle as he spoke. "I will lure Megose over. We may alarm her if too many people approach her at once, so I will go alone."

"If you don't see me or Megose come out within four–no, three minutes, then I will have failed to persuade her. Using any means possible, you two will have to contain Megose within Chanis gate."

Klein watched as Dunn Smith smoothly walked through the partition with red eyes. Captain…

Klein took a deep breath. It will be fine. Wait and see if Captain is successful first, but be prepared to act any second, he signaled to Leonard, reigning in his emotions. If Dunn Smith was able to lure Megose into the vicinity of Chanis gate before she mutated, then they would contain her according to the plan,

And if not, they needed to immediately deal with the True Creator's spawn!

Using his enhanced senses, Klein listened in on Megose and Dunn's conversation.

"Miss Megose, you are here to talk about Lanevus, correct?"

"Ah….yes…" A floaty voice responded to Dunn's firm tone.

"We've found a few clues about him. As someone who was close to Lanevus, could you follow me and confirm they are related to him?" The Nighthawk Captain's voice was steady, not betraying his true intentions.

"You…you've found Lanevus?" Unexpectedly, Megose seemed to regain a bit of clarity.

"Not quite, but if you can comply with me, we will be very close."

There was no reply from Megose's side, but Klein heard the rustling of clothes as she stood up from the sofa.

Klein relaxed silently and, exchanging a glance with Leonard, quickly left to go down to the basement where Chanis gate was located.

However, just as they caught sight of the dark, slightly uncomfortable gate, they suddenly heard a shrill scream!

Not good!

Klein immediately turned back and sprinted up the stairs, closely followed by Leonard. They reached the reception room and froze–just outside the partition, Megose was crumpled to the ground.

She tore off a wound deep enough to show her bones, and as if triggered by something, she instantly got back on her feet–ignoring her gruesome injury.

"You!" She shrieked, pointing at Dunn. "You want to kill my child!"

Dunn's expression darkened and suddenly, a normal wooden door appeared between him and Megose, cutting the pregnant woman off from the three Nighthawks. 

"Prepare for the worst," Dunn instructed the two simply. Klein felt the heavy gloominess and determination from those four words and glanced concernedly at Dunn. 

"You all want to kill my child! " Megose's shrill voice pierced the air.

Boom! Klein felt dizzy as red filled his vision and blood poured out of his nose. However, his condition was slightly better than Leonard's, which was likely because of his own higher Sequence.

The wooden door erected in the hallway seemed to crumple slightly before it disappeared.

Dunn Smith's eyes were filled with red veins as a result of the terrifyingly sharp voice, blood flowing out from his ears. He seemed unaffected however, only pausing for a second before he closed his eyes and pressed a hand to his temple as another wooden door appeared between them.

The brief figure of Megose looked a bit sleepy before the door blocked their vision of her.

Taking advantage of the short few seconds where she was befuddled, Klein dropped a match on the ground and threw another one a few feet away as he snapped his fingers, lighting the match beneath him and one of the matches he had placed earlier in the reception room.

He disappeared within the flames that appeared and reappeared behind Megose, in the reception room. 

Leonard clenched his left hand into a fist, the Blood Vessel Thief wound around it. Megose had just raised her head, shaking off the slight sleepiness, when her head bobbed down to her chest again.

Leonard had stolen her wakefulness!

Klein made full use of the time given, taking a thin gold slice and holding it up in the air, shouting a word in ancient Hermes. "Light!" He injected a large portion of his spirituality into it and threw the Flaring Sun Charm towards Megose!

Right at that moment, she awakened from her daze again. Dunn Smith also took a few steps back, coughing out blood as he opened his eyes. The door shattered again. 

Megose had just turned her head to look at Klein when the hallway instantly turned transparent as darkness and gloominess vanished simultaneously!

The effect of the Flaring Sun Charm will be diminished since there's no hole in the ceiling. Thus, the sunlight from outside won't combine with the charm and deal as much damage! However, I'm a much higher sequence than when I used it that time, so the effects should be good enough…

The thin gold slice expanded to a spherical light with a few faint flames spiraling around it.

Rumble! 

The entire building shook and all the windows shattered. 

The glaring light soon enveloped Megose, so bright that Dunn, Leonard, and Klein could barely keep their eyes open. 

Even though Klein couldn't see Megose and her baby, he didn't let down his guard. He immediately dodged towards the left.

A long arm with an extremely sharp white bone blade appeared in thin air. The monstrous thing floated in mid-air, unbelievably fast and almost impossible to dodge, piercing straight at Klein!

Even though Klein already predicted where Megose would strike, her actions were simply too fast for his body to catch up!

The white bone blade immediately shredded through Klein, but "Klein" split cleanly in half and became a splintered paper figurine. 

The real Klein reappeared a few meters away, and immediately dropped a match, snapping his fingers. Flames enveloped him and he returned to his original position near Leonard and Dunn Smith. 

The Nighthawk Captain had clear astonishment in his eyes, but didn't say anything and focused on the current problem at hand. 

Seeing her hateful enemies gathered together, Megose revealed her body attached to the strange bone blade. Her hair and dress had been burned entirely and her skin was charred black, slowly peeling off and leaving black flakes on the ground. Her nose had melted, leaving only two small black holes behind–and only one eyeball dangled from her socket, barely attached by a bit of flesh, the other replaced with a faint white flame.

Clearly furious, Megose opened what should be her mouth to deal the Blaspheme Curse to everyone who wanted to harm her child!

Pale-faced and sweating, Leonard once again gripped the Blood Vessel Thief and stole Megose's ability to invoke curses, just as he had done the first time with Megose.

During their battle, the three Nighthawks had been slowly backing up towards Chanis gate, keeping their original intention in mind.

They just needed to buy time.

Infuriated at being countered at every stop, Megose screamed loudly, once again making everyone bleed from their orifices. Just as Leonard and Klein were affected by the sharp pain, a white bone sword flashed out at an unimaginable speed, slashing at them!

A wooden door once again appeared in front of them, intending to force Megose to change her trajectory in order to avoid going through it.

But instead, the mutated Megose simply swiped at the door, shattering it instantly! A loud splintering sound was heard, and Klein guessed that the Sealed Artifact was likely destroyed.

However, it bought time for Leonard to aim his left palm at Megose. With a voice that contained a rich blasphemous tone, he yelled, "Submit!"

Leonard had stolen Megose's Blaspheme Curse and was attempting to use her power against her!

Megose bent her waist, knees constantly trembling. Her enraged motions came to a halt.

Klein quickly shook free of her shrill scream's remaining influence and took out his last Flaring Sun Charm. Good, there's a decent hole in the ceiling now… Klein took a brief glance upwards as he once again injected his spirituality into the charm and threw it at Megose! "Light!"

Even if Megose has mutated, the baby can absolutely not be born!

Once again, all darkness in the area was purged, and this time, the sphere of light combined with the bright sunshine from outside!

An extremely large ball of brightness emerged, raging flames surrounding it as it completely enveloped Megose, the hot temperature directly melting the floor around her.

This…the sun charm can be so powerful? Klein was a bit dumbfounded as he watched, his eyes tearing up from the light. He was eventually forced to close them, as with Leonard and Dunn, as the brightness was simply too much.

BOOM! As the one closest to the charm and Megose, Klein was directly thrown back from the explosion. The building rattled as dust fell from the ceiling, a side office collapsing in on itself. All the windows on Zouteland Street shattered instantly, and a sharp scream was heard.

When the glaring red in front of his eyelids dimmed, Klein slowly opened his eyes and stood up. He immediately looked at the spot Megose had just been. 

…Is it over? He looked at Leonard, who also seemed confused, hesitation in his green eyes. 

Klein seemed to watch in slow motion as Leonard's confused face turned blank, as if he was listening to someone. Then, his expression changed grotesquely, and with a horrified look, he lunged for Klein, hand outstretched–

Klein abruptly received an alarm from his spirituality, but it was already too late.

Staring at the black… limb disintegrating by the second that was protruding from his chest, Klein looked down with disbelief. 

"Klein!!" Leonard yelled. 

Klein barely turned his head around to look at his attacker.

It was Megose, but also not her– the strange, twisted body of Megose was charred and crumbling, but the half-illusory creature within her stomach had branched out and wrapped around its mother's body, a ball of black gas on top of Megose's neck where her head should be.

The True Creator's spawn was close to death, but had taken over its mother's body just before she died.

9

The black bone sword retracted from Klein's chest as he crumpled to the ground. The attack had been so fast that he hadn't even had the chance to use a paper substitute.

The burnt creature was dissolving into ash every second, but it was still powerful enough to kill both Dunn and Leonard before it went out. It instantly appeared beside Leonard, and made to attack– but Dunn's black windbreaker fluttered, and multiple thick twitching objects on his back appeared, blocking the ashy sword!

The sword crumbled into dust, but the thick tentacle-like objects protruding from Dunn's back all exploded at the same time!

The Nighthawk Captain seemed to not feel the pain, his expression dark as he saw Klein lying on the floor not far away.

However, as the creature created from the merged Megose and her baby attacked Leonard and Dunn, Klein reached into his coat pocket with much difficulty.

I won't die; I can still transfer the wound to a non-fatal portion of my body. But instead of wasting this opportunity, I'd rather take a page out of Leonard's book…

Klein's hand firmly grasped the Fate Siphon charm made from Pallez's Worm of Time!

"Fate!" He whispered in ancient Hermes. As he bled out on the ground, he used the last of his strength to throw the charm out!

The moment the charm left his hand, it vanished in midair. However, Klein's body instantly turned numb, not feeling the excruciating pain anymore.

The merged creature had appeared behind a heavily injured Dunn when it suddenly crumpled, a hole appearing in what was left of its torso.

Gradually, the charred body completely collapsed into a mass of black ash and dust.

For a time being, the only sound was of heavy breathing as everyone processed the complex battle.

Dunn turned to look at Klein with mixed emotions. "Klein, you…" He fell silent and looked back at the dusty mound that was once the pregnant Megose.

What seemed to be a long time but was actually just a few seconds passed. 

"...Good job, everyone." The Nighthawk Captain made out with slight difficulty. Then, Dunn chuckled lightly and seemed to let go of a heavy weight as he smiled at Leonard and Klein.

"We saved Tingen."

Klein felt tears uncontrollably well up in his eyes. "....Yes, Captain…"

"We saved Tingen."

Leonard sat down on the burnt, broken, and bloody ground, straightforwardly laughing with a mixture of relief and happiness. "We did it!"

He grinned at Klein, and they both understood his double meaning.

We saved Tingen. We did it, we prevented Captain's death. No funeral, no tears, no mourning…

Klein felt all the tension and stress over the past few days disappear into thin air, but he still didn't let himself relax.

Ince Zangwill hasn't appeared yet. He might not move because St. Selena's ashes haven't been brought out, but I wouldn't put it past him to take petty revenge on a bunch of exhausted Nighthawks who ruined his plan…

As if he had read Klein's thoughts, a man with dark blonde hair and sculpted features appeared at that moment, holding an ordinary notebook and what appeared to be a common quill.

0-08! 

Seeing Ince Zangwill, alive and in the flesh, hatred burned through both Klein and Leonard. 

Dunn and Leonard were both injured from the short battle with Megose and her son, but ironically, Klein was practically in perfect condition due to the Fate Siphon charm. 

As he looked at the sneer on the former archbishop, Leonard grit his teeth and directly threw out the charm Klein had given to him!

"Control!" 

Just as he said the word in ancient Hermes and injected his spirituality into the charm, it turned translucent and Leonard threw it out towards Ince Zangwill.

Uh, wait… Klein felt a bit awkward when he saw the scene. As a Sequence 6, in Sefirah Castle, I can wield power equivalent to Sequence 5, thus the charm I made contains some abilities of a Marionettist. However, Ince Zangwill hasn't promoted yet, so he's still Sequence 5 at this time…

…Leonard wouldn't have directly turned him into a marionette, right?

While Klein was thinking of this, he already raised his hand and snapped his fingers, sending an Air Bullet towards Ince Zangwill!

Ince Zangwill was able to move normally for a few seconds after the control charm took effect. He took advantage of the time to dodge the bullet that seemingly came out of nowhere.

0-08 started writing on its own on a blank page in the notebook. Ince Zangwill immediately took a look at the words and his eyes widened in shock–

"No, how are you Sequence 6–"

Then, as if moving through thick syrup, all of his actions slowed dramatically. Klein stared coldly at the man and once again snapped his fingers, producing an Air Bullet.

The invisible projectile whistled through the air. However, as 0-08 kept writing, the bullet magically missed!

Klein was taken aback. Why would 0-08 take the initiative to protect its user? No…it's because 'it' would rather remain in the possession of Ince Zangwill than be sealed again! And if Zangwill dies, the Church of Evernight would naturally regain control of it!

0-08 kept writing furiously. " Due to the loud noise of the Air Bullet, Ince Zangwill was able to escape the initial control stage of the charm."

Clenching his fist, Klein glared at Ince Zangwill and 0-08. At my current level, I'm unable to deal with 0-08's influence…

Dunn quickly reformed a Nightmare's Limbs to restrain Ince Zangwill. However, the former archbishop grasped the quill in his hands and scribbled that a "mysterious being in the Spiritual World passing by decided to help Ince Zangwill escape." Clearly, he realized that the Nighthawks, who should've been easy to clean up after a fierce battle, were more resilient than he thought.

But just as an unknown hand scooped Zangwill into the Spiritual World, a black, tentacle-like limb struck and two shots rang out– one from Leonard and one from Klein.

Ince Zangwill managed to avoid one bullet, but the other two attacks hit, albeit in a nonfatal area.

A grunt of pain was heard before the traitor to the Church of Evernight disappeared. 

Klein sighed and lowered his hand, slightly frustrated. I never planned to deal with Ince Zangwill here, but I still don't like seeing him escape scot free…

Ince Zangwill, retribution will come for you!

Then suddenly, his surroundings turned extremely colorful and vibrant as objects appearingly "melted" together. 

A man with bronze skin and gentle features, dressed in a traditional Loenese suit, walked out from a rippling aqueous void.

Azik Eggers!

Klein's eyes lit up as he saw the former history professor. 

"I seem to have recalled that I could use the Spiritual World to travel," Azik humbly remarked. "I hope I'm not too late."

"No, you're just on time! Ince Zangwill– the culprit behind Tingen's strange coincidences and also who took your son's head– just left via the Spiritual World." Klein rushed to explain everything.

Dunn Smith, standing to the side, looked completely bewildered at everything as he scrutinized the bronze-skinned man.

Azik Eggers nodded calmly. "Your letter helped me remember some things," he said to Klein while directing his gaze somewhere slightly upward, gazing through the material world.

The environment became intensely saturated for a second as a figure tumbled out of the Spiritual World, nastily deposited by whatever had been carrying it.

Klein was speechless as he looked at his mortal enemy, Ince Zangwill, once again before him.

…It looks like your retribution will come earlier than I thought.

10

Upon seeing the man tumble to the ground, Azik narrowed his eyes.

"Are you the one who stole the skull of my son?" The amnesiac Death Consul asked with a deep voice.

Ince Zangwill had an ugly expression as he summoned forth an array of spirits, clutching 0-08 and furiously scribbling words down.

Azik didn't wait for a reply as once again the surroundings turned oversaturated and blended with each other slightly. Slowly, giant skeletons appeared from the ground around them–all of them were four meters tall, with black flames burning in lieu of their eyes.

More and more of these intimidating skeletons appeared until more than a hundred of them were crammed into the Blackthorn Security Company!

…So this is Mr. Azik's 'Messenger Army'... Klein felt his initial reaction was a bit ridiculous after thinking for a few seconds. Obviously, these are all extremely strong 'soldiers' raised by Mr. Azik…I shouldn't think of them as just messengers…

The hundreds of bony hands lunged for Ince Zangwill at a speed that surpassed the naked eye, instantly dispersing the few spirits he had gathered around himself!

Ince Zangwill's expression turned even uglier as he was forced to make all sorts of maneuvers to avoid the outstretched, flailing hands. A dark liquid slowly formed on the ground, which the ex-archbishop had to run around in order to avoid.

However, when faced with hundreds of the bony extremities, it was inevitable that Ince Zangwill would be grabbed once or twice– and although he quickly broke free with a stroke of 0-08, the place the hand had grabbed began rotting at a pace visible to the naked eye.

Stunned, Klein, Leonard, and Dunn kept away from the mass of giant skeletons. Even though Ince Zangwill wasn't a demigod, Klein wasn't able to involve himself in the battle at all– plus, Klein was unable to see Ince Zangwill half of the time due to the dense net of skeletons crammed in such a small space. Leonard and Dunn were much the same.

As Ince Zangwill was preoccupied, 0-08 suddenly flew out from his grasp and began scribbling on his clothes. 

He risked being grabbed by another skeleton on the leg as Ince paused and looked at the writing–" In a fierce battle, there would always be a variety of accidents, such as Ince Zangwill's belt snapping and having his pants drop."

Ince Zangwill cursed loudly and suddenly felt the bare air on his legs.

"Ince Zangwill would normally have been prepared for this occurrence by wearing a long robe, but today he didn't expect to be engaged in such a risky battle with Azik Eggers!"

Just as the giant skeletons finally overwhelmed the struggling Ince Zangwill, he lunged towards the quill and securely held it!

"Azik Eggers, due to his unstable state, suddenly faltered in his control of the Undead. This is reasonable because he has just recently recovered some of his memories and his power."

The mass of four meter tall skeletons paused for a second.

"At that moment, an unknown existence was attracted by the battle and sympathized with Ince Zangwill. 'He' extended his hands into the real world and carried Ince Zangwill away!"

Ince Zangwill seized the opportunity to scratch out an escape route!

His figure suddenly became aqueous and as the surroundings rapidly turned colorful, Ince Zangwill once again disappeared.

Evidently, the existence attracted this time was stronger than the previous one, as Ince Zangwill never reappeared despite the intimidation of Azik.

…Ince Zangwill is really like a cockroach, Klein was speechless. Without an extremely careful plan, it's easy for him to survive and escape with 0-08.

Azik Eggers turned to look back at Klein as the army of gigantic skeletons disappeared one by one. His eyes were gentle, betraying nothing of the battle that surpassed human understanding.

"I will try to follow that man just now. If you need anything, send me a letter." Azik surveyed Klein briefly before tipping his hat lightly at him. "Congratulations on your promotion."

With that said, the history professor walked into the Spiritual World and vanished from sight.

Klein was unfortunately left in a very awkward situation, Dunn's gaze boring into him.

"Klein Moretti," the Nighthawk Captain started with an extremely solemn tone. "Explain your–"

Thud! Thud! Thud! Dunn was interrupted as the sound of hurried footsteps entered their ears. The members of the Mandated Punishers and Machinery Hivemind had just arrived at the scene.

Chance!

Klein instantly collapsed to the floor as his eyes closed, taking the opportunity to "faint" as Leonard yelped in alarm.

…Maybe I can pretend to be possessed? Klein humorously entertained on the floor. Hm, Leonard's acting is pretty good, very concerned. Klein didn't move and just pretended to be dead to the world. Uh, you don't have to shake me that hard…You really don't have to, poet classmate. 

Unknowingly, as he kept his eyes closed, Klein felt a wave of exhaustion sweep over him and gradually slipped into a deep sleep. After all, he hadn't rested for about a day and a half, and even though his physique was improved as a Sequence 6, the mental and physical exhaustion during the past few days had taken its toll on him. 

When he came to, Klein was lying behind Chanis gate.

…Seriously? As he looked around the dimly lit cell with black iron bars, Klein was speechless. He could clearly feel the suppression of the unique environment, preventing him from using his Beyonder powers freely.

Even if I miraculously promoted two sequences without being told the potion formula and anyone knowing, even if I somehow held two potent Flaring Sun Charms and the powerful Fate Siphon Charm, and even if my history teacher, who I was in regular contact with, turned out to be a powerful Beyonder from the Death domain, surely this doesn't warrant being locked behind Chanis gate?! After all, I'm a hero who just saved Tingen!

Klein thought for a while and had an awkward expression. Uh, maybe on second thought…in the eyes of others, I'm also very dangerous…

Klein looked at his temporary "cell" closer. Unlike the typical cells behind Chanis Gate, which were roughly furnished, it was obvious he was given better care– a small lamp in the corner, a glass of water on the table, and a thicker, more comfortable blanket. 

Klein was quiet for a few seconds. A quiet ripping noise from outside his cell prompted him to get out of bed and slowly approach the small, barred window.

He saw Leonard Mitchell squatting outside of his cell, calmly peeling an orange.

"...Leonard?" Klein rubbed his eyes, suspecting that he was hallucinating.

"Oh, Klein, you're awake?" The Midnight Poet looked up from his orange and finished peeling it. "Do you want a piece?" He raised a section of the fruit towards the window.

… That isn't the issue right now! Exasperated, Klein stared at Leonard, ignoring the proffered orange slice. "...Why am I behind Chanis Gate?"

"Well, it's not really to lock you up or prevent you from escaping. Everyone knows that your heart is in the right place and you don't have any bad intentions, but they agreed to keep you here in order to remove any outside influences. It would be bad if Ince Zangwill tried to take revenge on you as well."

"I probably would've been locked in there with you if not for Captain covering for me, but you were too conspicuous. After all, I just had a slightly more powerful Charm, but you…"

Leonard stopped talking as he popped an orange segment into his mouth. 

"...Were just too ridiculous." He concluded.

Klein sighed as he understood the course of events. "Maybe straight up dying would've been easier…" He muttered to himself. How am I going to get out of this situation? Sherlock Moriarty must appear in Backlund on time…

However, Leonard suddenly stood up and his expression turned serious. "Klein, I can speak for the whole of the Blackthorn Security Company as well as your siblings when I say no one would want to see you dead…I'm sure you also wouldn't want Benson and Melissa to have to grieve the loss of their brother."

That's true… Klein smiled sadly at himself. But I can't stay by their side. It would put them in too much danger. I'm not even their 'real' brother…

"I know," he replied to Leonard. "I don't mean to actually die, or fake my death again."

The future Red Glove looked at him meaningfully for a few seconds. Then, he handed the rest of the orange to Klein through the barred window and stretched.

"The Goddess is aware of the whole time-travel thing, right?"

Confused at the sudden change of topic, Klein nodded subconsciously.

Leonard smiled, reverting to his carefree appearance. "Then, I'll go out and tell the others that you've woken up and pray to the Goddess along the way. 'She' must have a way to get you out."

"Alright." Klein responded in a daze as he automatically took the orange half. "Wait, how do you know that?!"

Pausing on his way out of Chanis Gate, Leonard looked behind him. "Where else could you have gotten the materials to advance so quickly?" He replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"By the way, you slept for almost an entire day. It's Monday morning now." Leonard added as an afterthought.

?? Klein widened his eyes. Monday? Well, the Tarot Club is canceled this week… Klein relaxed and calmly sat on the bed.

Then, he stared at the orange in his hand. Klein hesitantly broke off an orange segment and ate it.

It's sweet.