Chapter 208: The Idol of a Melancholic Soul

The bullet whizzed through the air.

Lixy, however, remained eerily calm. Her eyes locked onto the bullet—no flinch, no scream, not even an attempt to evade. Instead, her expression carried a strange blend of emotions: not fear, but a sense of relief—and perhaps... reverence?

"So cool..."

Just as the bullet was about to graze her forehead, a second gunshot suddenly echoed!

Bang!

Kanto fired again. With pinpoint accuracy, his sniper rifle intercepted the incoming bullet mid-air. The two bullets collided, sparking briefly before tumbling to the ground.

Lixy looked up. Under the sunlight, Kanto landed gracefully, his movements sharp and precise. Behind him, smoke from his rifle slowly dissipated, and his jacket fluttered slightly in the breeze.

"He's impossibly cool..." Lixy stood frozen, clutching her sniper rifle, her eyes filled with admiration. It was as if she'd forgotten the life-threatening danger she was in just moments ago.

Kanto approached her, his steps steady and unhurried. Yet, the air around him carried an oppressive weight, crashing down like tidal waves. He stopped in front of Lixy and raised his handgun, pointing it directly at her forehead.

"Why didn't you run?" Kanto asked, his sharp eyes narrowing. For the first time, he carefully examined the girl before him—a short haircut, delicate features laced with defiant indifference. She exuded an aura of melancholy and isolation, her posture weighed down as though burdened by emotions too heavy to bear. Despite appearing no older than thirteen or fourteen, her gaze reflected a depth of pain, fatigue, and detachment far beyond her years.

Lixy looked up at Kanto, her eyes devoid of fear. Instead, they glimmered with awe and fervor. In a quiet voice, she said, "You're so cool..."

"What?" Kanto frowned, clearly taken aback.

"Please take me as your disciple, Master," Lixy suddenly declared, her voice steady and resolute.

"...I don't take disciples," Kanto replied coldly, his tone laced with impatience.

But Lixy seemed unfazed. She continued staring at him, her gaze fervent and unwavering, like a zealot before a deity. "Master."

Kanto's brow twitched, his finger tightening on the trigger as if ready to pull it. He said sharply, "I told you, I don't take disciples."

"Boss." Lixy's sudden shout rang clear and loud.

Kanto froze momentarily, the corner of his lips twitching upward in a faint smile. However, he quickly composed himself, masking his reaction. "What... what did you just say?"

"Boss! Boss!" Lixy called out again, her voice now carrying an unmistakable mix of joy and determination. "Take me as your subordinate. Your sniping skills are incredible! My world... it revolves around sniping now—"

Kanto stood still, momentarily at a loss for words. Then, with a resigned sigh, he placed his hands on his hips, rubbing his forehead as though trying to process this peculiar turn of events. "Hahaha, what am I going to do with you? Fine, I'll make an exception this once. From now on, you're my subordinate!"

Though his words were laced with jest, Kanto's eyes flicked toward Lixy's expression. Beneath her seemingly carefree exterior lay an air of desolation and self-imposed isolation, hinting at struggles with depression. He speculated that this girl had been grappling with the shadows of her mind for quite some time. Adding someone like her to their group would undoubtedly complicate their already precarious situation.

Lixy's eyes brightened, a small, fragile smile gracing her lips as though a long-suppressed emotion had finally found release. "Thank you, Boss."

Kanto raised an eyebrow, his expression somewhere between amusement and disbelief. "What's your name?" he asked, stroking his chin with a playful smirk.

"Lixy," she replied curtly, her tone steady but distant, as if intentionally maintaining a barrier.

Kanto studied her again, his gaze lingering on the frail girl who seemed as though a gust of wind might topple her over. Why had someone like her come to assassinate them?

"What's your reason for targeting us?" Kanto asked, his tone as casual as if inquiring about a trivial matter.

Lixy flinched slightly, her complex emotions momentarily flashing in her eyes. Without speaking, she reached into the pocket of her slim pants and handed Kanto a crumpled piece of paper. Her actions were cautious, almost hesitant, yet her gaze was unwavering.

Kanto unfolded the paper, his eyes scanning its contents. It was a set of bounty posters featuring rough sketches of Hayato, Akari, and Kanto himself—no photographs, just hastily drawn caricatures.

"Heh..." Kanto let out a low chuckle, his eyes glinting with a sinister edge. "The Watcher holds quite a grudge."

His mind flashed back to the skirmish he, Hayato, and Akari had fought against the Watcher. Though the Watcher hadn't seen Kanto's face, the aftermath of that battle had clearly left a scar. They had humiliated him, even crippling one of his subordinates, Watcher 21. The Watcher's decision to issue these bounties was a desperate attempt to reclaim his authority and seek revenge.

"Guess he couldn't wait to flex his shiny new 'police' badge," Kanto muttered mockingly, crumpling the bounty poster and tossing it aside. Turning his attention back to Lixy, he asked, "So, why were you carrying this?"

Lixy's face tensed as if struggling with an inner conflict. After a brief silence, she finally answered, "To buy a better sniper rifle."

Kanto blinked, momentarily caught off guard. He looked her up and down again. This frail, underdeveloped girl wasn't concerned about food or survival—her priority was upgrading her weaponry?

"To buy a rifle?" Kanto broke into a wide, almost maniacal grin, his laughter booming as Lixy took an involuntary step back.

"HAHAHAHAHA—!!" Kanto suddenly placed a firm hand on Lixy's head, his grip light but authoritative.

"Listen up, Lixy!" he said, his voice low and commanding. "In this world, guns aren't something you buy. If you want one, you take it."

"Take it?" Lixy echoed, her mind struggling to process his words.

"That's right. Take it!" Kanto's voice was resolute, radiating confidence. Straightening up, he stood with his hands on his hips, exuding the aura of a king on his throne. "If you're strong enough, you don't ask—you take! Every gun in this world is ours if we're bold enough. Got it?"

Lixy stared up at him, her initial confusion giving way to a spark of understanding. Gradually, her gaze hardened with newfound determination. "Understood, Boss! From now on, I'll take what I want!"

Satisfied, Kanto allowed a faint smirk to tug at his lips. "Good. Stick with me, and you'll learn plenty."

Clutching her sniper rifle tightly, Lixy felt a strange sensation rise within her for the first time—a glimpse of a life not dictated by fear or despair but by unshakable conviction. Kanto wasn't just her savior; he was the embodiment of the life she had always yearned for.