Admiral of Hurricanes Qilangos was starting to suspect he'd been cursed with bad luck lately.
He'd landed a sweet deal: assassinate Duke Negan, and he'd score a "Card of Blasphemy," the dream of every Beyonder. A golden opportunity.
But the moment he hit Backlund, someone sniffed out his location. Planning to make an example by offing a couple of Beyonders for kicks, he found one was likely a Traveler, who grabbed their buddy and bolted without a backward glance.
Qilangos let the rats slip, focusing on his main goal in Backlund. He disguised himself and infiltrated a ball attended by Duke Negan, but before he could strike, he sensed an ambush. Forced to abort and flee, he was livid. A failed assassination meant this whole trip was a bust.
At least I've got Creeping Hunger. Escaping's no issue… Qilangos thought, following his pre-planned escape route to a man-made lake, ready for the next step. Then, a voice cut through.
"Normally, I wouldn't share the stage with a small-time actor like you, but I've got a sucker of a student, and you just had to mess with him."
The elegant male voice carried amusement, tinged with a hint of exasperation.
Qilangos's hair stood on end. The world around him seemed to come alive—stones, plants, even the water he knew so well—turned into deadly weapons. They didn't aim to kill outright, just pinned him in place, immobilizing him.
A second later, a figure materialized from the air. A man in his early thirties, strikingly handsome, with a refined air, like a learned professor.
But Qilangos wasn't fooled. This was no human—this had to be a demigod of the Alien pathway. As a notorious pirate, Qilangos knew a bit about the Rose School of Thought and their Alien pathway intel.
"Sir, I don't think we have any bad blood…" Qilangos's mind raced for a way out, plastering on a fawning smile.
"You and I have no quarrel, true," Evah said with a chuckle, not denying it. "Honestly, I couldn't care less about your business, but you upset my student. So, I've got to kill you to cheer him up."
His expression was that of a doting parent, reluctantly indulging a tantrum-throwing kid.
Qilangos: …
Who the hell is your student?
Qilangos racked his brain but couldn't figure out when he'd crossed this guy's student.
"I'm actually a bit annoyed," Evah continued, like a melancholic parent venting about child-rearing woes. "My student's made some sketchy friends, and one of them's clearly using me to take you out…" He sighed.
"Then you shouldn't kill me, right?" Qilangos seized the lifeline, jumping in.
"You're not wrong…" Evah nodded, as if agreeing, but before Qilangos could grin, he added, "But if I don't kill you, my student will be upset. So, I'll kill you and give that bad influence a warning instead."
Qilangos: …
"You're toying with me!" Qilangos dropped the act, glaring at Evah, ready to unleash a string of curses. But the moment he opened his mouth, all that came out was a sheep's bleat.
"Shh, foul language isn't civilized. A proper actor doesn't spew curses," Evah said, pressing a finger to his lips with a smile. "You've got some things on you I'm curious about, so I'll give you a choice."
"You're going to die, no question. But if you tell me what I want to know, I'll let your soul go."
---
Mr. Hanged Man, Alger, was mentally cursing up a storm.
After getting the tip from Mr. Fool, he'd alerted the Church immediately. But the Storm Church's Backlund diocese bigwig, God's Spellsinger Ace Snake, was out for a stroll when it went down. It took Alger a bit to track him down, missing the prime window to nab Qilangos.
With Qilangos vanishing into thin air, Alger, still swearing internally, could only pray His Excellency God's Spellsinger would catch the guy.
Clinging to that hope, Alger chased the trail to the man-made lake and froze.
Not far off, God's Spellsinger Ace Snake was facing off with a stranger—a man Alger had never seen. Qilangos stood nearby, but from Alger's angle, he could only see the pirate's back.
Who's this? Qilangos's backup?
Alger frowned, glancing at God's Spellsinger. The usually hotheaded archbishop looked grim but showed no intent to fight.
Ace Snake had no plans to throw down. He'd recently learned of Luciferiel's existence and received an oracle from the Lord of Storms: "Leave Him be."
And this mysterious figure, by every measure, was that Luciferiel.
"What do you intend to do, sir?" Ace Snake asked.
"Just tying up a loose end," Evah said with a smile. Seeing God's Spellsinger hold back, he figured the Lord of Storms had tipped him off.
Looks like the Evernight Goddess clued in the Storm Pigeon. I wonder if Steam Lass joined their chat group… Evah mused, snapping his fingers. Qilangos, standing before him, instantly turned into a lamb.
Alger's eyes widened. He'd seen all sorts of wild abilities, but turning a man into a sheep? That was next-level bizarre.
And this wasn't just any man—this was a Sequence 6 pirate, reduced to a bleating lamb without a fight.
The Punisher team trailing Alger didn't look much better, jaws practically on the ground.
"He's all yours," Evah said, turning to God's Cantor with a smile. "Not much of an actor, but he's a decent enough villain. Hope you give him the ending a villain deserves."
(End of Chapter)