“I-I only want to earn money, t-that’s all.” Kino immediately responded. “Please, believe me.”

“That wraith woman said otherwise.”

“I-I only lied to her to save myself! I didn’t want her to reveal myself to all of you, knowing I’d be dead!”

Kino was shot in the thigh. He screamed in pain. The man leaned to his level and pointed the gun back at his head.

“Your kind has been at war against humanity for hundreds of years. Do you think we’d buy that, buddy?”

“B-But it’s true! Please!” Kino pleaded. “Please let me explain… I-I’ll only say the truth! Please d-don’t point that gun at me! Argh!”

Another shot was fired in his left thigh, leaving a hole in his bones and flesh. His whole face glistened in tears. He should’ve seen it all coming. He knew he couldn’t keep his deepest secret forever.

“Speak. Who do you work for? How many of you are here?”

Those questions are choices!

“I-I don’t work with anyone, it’s just me! All for money! B-Because I d-desperately need it!” He gritted his teeth to at least handle the pain in both his limbs.

The tall man stood up properly. “Alright, let’s say I believe in a devil's lie. What do you need the money for that you’re willing to die in the enemy territory?”

“I need it for my family.” Kino revealed. “It’s only m-me and my brother. We were left with a huge debt by our father. T-This is the o-only work I could think of!”

The man crossed his arms. It appeared something had caught his interest. “Let me tell you this, Mr. Rosen. If what you say is true—”

“It’s the truth!”

“—then you impress me. No matter how close to dying you devils are, you will never step foot in the enemy base. But it seems it’s not the same case for you.” The man scratched his head and looked at the higher-ups behind. “Well, except for that one devil from a few weeks ago. The one that got his head blown up at the main entrance? Was he a suicidal maniac or something? Jeez, I never knew a day would come when my invention would get to show its purpose.” He stopped his monologue halfway through when he realized something. The man glanced at Kino with a furious face and marched back towards him pointing his gun. “But how come you’re alive and he’s not? How did you cross the damn door?”

Kino shook his head, his voice wouldn't come out. He didn’t know how to begin explaining. “I-I don’t know, Sir. Maybe because I’m human?”

“You’re not.”

“O-Okay! But will you believe me if I say, I-I’m originally human?” Some of the higher-ups chuckled from what they heard. Kino blushed in embarrassment.

Of course, they won’t believe me.

The man clenched his jaw. “Do you take me for a fool, Rosen? Do you want me to blow your head off now and dispose of your worthless little core?”

“N-No, b-but it’s the truth! It’s a—Argh!” A bullet pierced his right arm. The flesh was torn leaving the skin the only thing attaching his arm in one piece. “It’s the truth, please! I-I don't know how to explain but s-some wraith devil put a curse on m-me and made m-me like this! I beg you, please, believe me!”

“Stop spewing bullshit.”

“But I’m telling the truth! A-An H-type d-did it! I was stabbed in the heart at my old job and I woke up one day, and I’m not human anymore—” The man acted like yawning and rolled his eyes, not bothering to hear all the made-up fiction of a devil kid desperately trying to live.

“Are you done? I’m clocking out in five minutes.” He acted bored, pointing the tip of his pistol at Kino’s forehead. Kino closed his eyes, feeling his skin freezing from cold sweat. “I’m sorry but you’re in the wrong place, Rosen. Maybe a publishing company will be interested in your fictional novel but you’re actually in the Wraith Hunter Association Headquarters right now so I have no choice but to finish you.”

“B-But I’m telling t-the truth! I swear it in my heart! Y-You can get me i-investigated o-o-or be experimented on, then s-see for yourself! Find out the truth for yourself! Just please don’t kill me—”

“Hey, we’re not going further than that. I get it, you want to extend your life as much as you can. But wraiths should be exterminated as soon as they’re discovered. It’s the law. We only need to hear your word upon your infiltration but since you’re just spouting nonsense to me, then there’s no reason to keep you breathing. Okay?”

Kino’s tensed shoulders loosened in hopelessness.

So I just wasted my saliva for nothing, huh? Why am I still surprised? For 400 years, did the wraiths who only want a peaceful life feel this exact feeling before their deaths?

Tell me. Out of all people, why me? What did I do in my past life to deserve this? I know I’m risking my life in this job and it’s my fault but would I have suffered like this if I didn’t turn? Would I be living in peace if Magnus chose a different human to pass his vow to? Maybe I would’ve still chosen to be a hunter, except I don’t have to die from a gun blowing my brains out like this. Maybe I wouldn’t have been fearing for my life as extremely as this.

But unexpectedly, a hunter entered the room and approached the man in the middle of the scene. “The head of the Panelle clan has arrived on the main floor, Sir. He said he wants to have a word with you.”

“Can’t you see that I’m in the middle of an interrogation? Tell the chairman that I will meet him in five minutes.”

“Y-Yes, Sir…”

Panelle clan… Panelle clan? That’s it!

“The Panelle clan knows about this.” Kino glared his eyes up at the man, ignoring the gun pointed at the center of his forehead.

“What?”

“According to the book of Johannes Panelle IV, The Mystery Behind Agarthans, wraiths can pass curses to other living creatures on the verge of death by piercing their hearts.”

The man’s face slowly contorted in anger as if he was disrespected. “How dare you use the former chairman’s name in your lies?”

“I-If you think I’m lying, then read it! Or you can ask the chairman waiting for you outside! There's no harm in trying, right, Sir?”

“You—”

“If it’s not in the book or he denies it then you’re free to kill me.”

The man smirked at the boy. “What are you so brave for? Do you think I won’t kill you whether it’s the truth or not? After all, you have wraith blood. It’s the law to annihilate any one of your species.”

Kino clenched his jaw. The fear subsided and anger took over. The man was right. He’ll still die one way or another.

I hate my life.

“What the boy said is true, Mr. Yue.”

A deep elder voice of a man was heard in the room. Everyone turned toward the door and found the headquarters president with an older man with white hair and beard, wearing a maroon robe.

The higher-ups greeted the old man with a bow. Even the man called Mr. Yue paid respect.

“I am Johannes V. What the wraith boy said was true. My father wrote a book containing his knowledge about wraith royals.” Kino met the man’s gaze. His golden eyes were piercing his soul in amusement. “I don’t know if I should be thankful or not. But my granddaughter is alive thanks to you.”

The man called Mr. Yue looked at Kino and the chairman back and forth. “Solar?”

Kino’s eyes widened. Solar is alive because of me? And this is her grandfather? She’s part of the Panelle clan?

His mouth gaped open upon a realization. Mr. Yue rolled his eyes. “Yes, the name combination was tripping. But you have no right to make fun of her, devil.”

Chairman Johannes stood in front of Kino and Mr. Yue. His aura was enough to scream how powerful he is. He is the clan leader of the most known ergo-herald clan, after all. Kino could be killed with just a snap of his finger. “She’s alive thanks to Mr. Rosen’s curse. About that, I don’t know what I’m supposed to feel.”

“So you cursed her.” Mr. Yue put on a deadly glare.

Why does he sound so overprotective of her? Are they close?

“I-I can’t remember clearly. I just spoke about my case. But I’m happy I saved her and she’s alive because she’s my friend.”

“A devil and a human can’t be friends,” Mr. Yue muttered under his breath.

“Originally, Pierre, Mr. Rosen was human at birth.”

Pierre Yue… Don’t tell me this bastard is Sir Parker’s older brother Solar mentioned back on the island?

That’s why the guy looked familiar as hell. He looked like Parker with sharper features and no glasses.

“I know, chairman. But—”

“Let’s hear his side, shall we? This is going to be the first case of a wraith-to-human curse incident I have encountered in person. We can’t keep relying on my father’s books. For sure he’ll be pleased to hear about this. Please untie Mr. Rosen and let him regenerate his body. Mr. Rosen, we would like to invite you to the Panelle House to discuss this with some tea.”

“This is ridiculous.” The older Yue couldn’t believe it.