Chapter 264: A Head Held High


    ?


    ***


    [You think he''ll do it?]


    [Probably... he''s bing more like you, you know.]


    Emir and Lyra talked telepathically while he watched the holoscreen, one that projected Elijah''s stuttering state.


    Hismand was to burn the tribe.


    One filled with people.


    Why?


    There was no reason for that, was there?


    The objective wasn''t even stated, so what was killing people atop a mammoth for?


    Was it toplete the test?


    That wouldn''t make sense.


    Yes, it wouldn''t make any sense at all...


    Not one bit.


    Of course, that would be the case if only Elijah being a Reaper wasn''t considered.


    Souls were something they saw.


    Would they notice that fact?


    But even then, his logic would need to be incredibly skewed to propose such a conclusion.


    Emir banked on that fact.


    He wanted to know who it would not make sense to the most.


    Before leaving this ce, he had set up a tiny camera with night vision capabilities.


    One that Lyra could ess and use to spy on the other attendees in the room.


    She watched not only the professors but also the leaders of Earth''s many hunter groups. ''Shinobi'' was those of Japan, ''Red Dragon'' from China, ''Eagles'' from the USA, ''Kremlin'' from Russia, ''Iron Reich'' from Germany, ''Lionheart'' from the UK, ''Khari'' from Africa, ''Southern Cross'' Australia, ''Phoenix'' from the Middle East, and finally ''Maharajah'' from India.


    There were ten in total, seemingly a trend in this world.


    One that Emir destroyed as he was the eleventh...


    Azazel, a group originating from Canada but one that epassed all of Earthkind into its mix.


    [So... you notice anything?]


    [Unfortunately, or rather, fortunately... I''ve found nothing.]


    [Hm, so they could either be good at keeping themselves in check or there isn''t any ''future'' knower in the first ce.]


    [Right, so what should we do?]


    Emir leaned back onto the couch''s armrest.


    [I... don''t know. Isidore either figured us out or is still thinking about it; Isaac will show upter with Amon, so we can do nothing about them right now.]


    [All in all, if we''ve found nothing here, then that third yer isn''t present or is just too good at hiding his emotions.]


    After a moment of thought, Lyra asked:


    [So we scrap it?]


    [Yeah, I''ll destroy the camera, you its connection, and Amon will be none the wiser.]


    [Alright, prince, though if you get caught, avoid his lecture ande back home; you don''t want to miss ''it.'']


    [I will, I will.]


    Just as their conversation was over, Emir silently grabbed the camera from inside the cushion and crushed it between his fingers.


    The scrap remains were ground into dust that he sneakily blew into the wind.


    Ragnar was the only one who noticed Emir''s weird movements but didn''tment on them and continued to watch the show.


    Shortly after, the bastard with a short attention span grew bored watching Elijah''s indecisive actions, so he looked around the room, his gazending on a few people at the back.


    Then his body froze.


    His eyes widened.


    He saw someone he never imagined he would see again.


    It was his...


    His ex-fiancé.


    In the room.


    With them.


    She was in the arms of another man...


    The Eagles leader, Aqu himself.


    Absolute darkness returned to fill his mind like the days of a few past.


    Emir and Morgiana both noticed Ragnar''s sudden change.


    "Rag, you good?"


    "You alright?"


    Getting no reply, the prince took matters into his own hands and followed his brother''s eyes.


    Theynded on the girl.


    [Ly?]


    His question was obvious.


    [...She''s the bitch.]


    And the answer was too.


    Everything clicked.


    Rage.


    Absolute rage formed.


    It was contained, but it filled his heart to the brim.


    Emir stood up, grabbed Ragnar''s neck, twisted it, and punched his jaw all at once.


    The guy was knocked out in an instant.


    "What the fuck are you doing?!"


    Morgiana reacted, clearly surprised.


    But Emir ignored her and walked to the couple a few holoscreens down.


    Murder was on his mind.


    He was going to kill that dog, even if this whole ce went up in mes.


    "Hey, Aqu, you know me?"


    Eagle''s top dog looked to the side, seeing Emir approach him.


    Aqu was a blond man at least six feet tall; he had sharp eyes with a weathered, confident


    look, exuding strength.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He wore a normal T-shirt and pants.


    "Azazel''s Leader, Canada''s strongest HG, and a professor... of course, I know you."


    Aqu stood up and gestured for a handshake.


    "Well, great to hear that I''m well known."


    Emir nodded as they shook hands.


    "That''s an understatement."


    Aqu held Emir''s hand for longer than usual, as he appeared to be subtly asking for a grip


    test.


    A chuckle was shared between them.


    Crack...


    And Aqu''s fingers were crushed into each other.


    "Ugh... remind me never to ask that again."


    "Heh, don''t worry about that, here."


    Emir fished out a single old-world medicine pill and threw it at the guy.


    Aqu caught it with his broken hand, but as he was about to swallow it...


    His body paused.


    "This... it costs a hundred million, right?"


    He sounded perplexed.


    To him, a hundred million UC wasn''t much, but it wasn''t chump change either.


    Even though he was the leader of the strongest USA-based hunter group, this amount wasn''t


    something he could spend willy-nilly.


    And this wasn''t a gift or a bribe.


    Emir seemingly gave it away without even thinking about the possible meanings behind such


    a thing...


    This brought up the question of just how much money he really had.


    "Oh, you can notice just by the texture? Not bad!"


    And Emir''sment further proved Aqu''s thoughts.


    This only made his curiosity about the prince grow.


    But it wasn''t just Aqu.


    The dog grew interested as well.


    "Hey, Sir Emir, it''s really nice to meet you! Come, please sit with us."


    ""


    "Oh, and my name is..."


    She went on and on about herself, describing this or that in front of herpanion.


    The lion, the witch, and the audacity of this bitch.


    A phrase that truly suited her.


    Yet Emir couldn''tment on that because he wasn''t listening.


    His eyes only saw a blurred visage when they looked at her face.


    Like most he considered insignificant nothing about her mattered except her rtion to his


    people.


    And she hurt one of his closest people.


    If he hadn''t donned his sunsses then she would''ve learned the true meaning of fear.


    The fear he showed to those that hurt ones of significance.


    His Death''s Shadow was going out of control.


    He wasn''t about to stop it, however.


    "The gift he gave me was-


    11


    "Hey."


    Emir cut her rambling off with a smile.


    "Yes?"


    Everyone in the room has had their eyes on him since the start.


    "You''re head."


    They were interested in what brought him to Aqu.


    "...My head?"


    But only now did they understand.


    "You''re holding it too high."


    Emir was there to kill.


    "I''ll lower it for you."


    He grabbed her head, his fingers crushing her skull.


    In the next moment, he pulled his hand back and, with it, came out her spine.


    Aqu''s disguised augmented suit blocked the torrent of blood that spurted out onto the


    couch.


    Then, right before his eyes, his dog''s head reached Emir''s foot.


    Crunch!


    And it sttered everywhere.


    "There... all better. What do you think, Sir?"