Chapter 34 : The Angel of Death

Inside the store, Zéno had already taken care of securing their latest prisoner. The leader of the enemy squad was tightly bound to a chair, unconscious. Just like before, Zéno doused him with a bucket of cold water, snapping him awake with a violent shudder.

The man gasped, blinking rapidly as he tried to take in his surroundings.

"Where… where am I?" he muttered, his voice hoarse.

Zéno, standing in front of him, remained completely unfazed.

"I'm the one asking the questions here."

Raising his hand, a flash of dark energy materialized into a sleek black sword, the tip stopping just a few millimeters from the man's throat.

"I assume you understand what happens next if you refuse to cooperate."

But unlike the last prisoner, this one didn't seem fazed at all. He simply stared at Zéno, scanning him up and down before shifting his gaze to the weapon in front of him.

Then, a small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

"A black blade… a dove-shaped guard… and an eyepatch." He let out a slow exhale. "Never thought I'd meet the legendary Angel of Death in person."

Yumé's breath caught in his throat.

Angel of Death?

He turned toward Zéno, who remained as composed as ever. Who exactly was their mentor?

Before the prisoner could say anything else, Zéno's sword whipped forward in a blur, slicing the man's cheek just enough to draw blood.

The cold steel hovered near his skin, dangerously close.

"From now on, you only speak when I tell you to," Zéno's voice was a low, chilling whisper. "Are you the leader of this squad?"

The man stayed silent.

Without hesitation, Zéno delivered several shallow cuts all over his body. Thin lines of blood surfaced, but the man didn't even flinch. Not a single sound escaped him.

He was utterly unshaken.

Zéno sighed.

"Exactly what I expected. Torture isn't going to work on you."

Yumé, watching with unease, took a step forward.

"So… what now, Master Zéno?"

Zéno smirked, reaching into his pocket.

"Simple. We use this instead."

He pulled out a phone.

The prisoner's entire demeanor shifted instantly.

"You bastard…!" he growled, eyes widening in panic. "Where did you get that?!"

Zéno inspected the device lazily.

"Went through your motorcycle." He glanced up. "Judging by your reaction, I'm guessing this is important."

Ignoring the man's curses, he scrolled through the contact list. One name in particular stood out:

"Boss."

Without hesitation, Zéno tapped the number and put the call on speaker.

After a few rings, a deep, gruff voice answered.

"What is it, Giornno?"

Zéno's lips curled into a half-smile.

"Giornno's not available. You'll have to deal with me."

A heavy silence filled the room.

Then, the voice on the other end darkened.

"You must be either very brave or very stupid to pull this stunt. Either way… you'll regret it."

Suddenly, the prisoner Giornno thrashed against his restraints.

"Boss! Listen to me! Be careful! It's him, it's the Angel of Death!"

Another long silence.

Then, a slow chuckle.

"The Angel of Death… I've heard the stories. I thought you had disappeared for good."

Zéno let out a low exhale.

"That name means nothing to me anymore."

"Then tell me… why are you here?"

"I'm looking for the head of your mafia."

The voice on the other end chuckled again.

"Quite the ambitious goal."

A pause.

Then, the tone dropped to something far more sinister.

"We'll meet again. And when that day comes… only one of us will walk away."

Click.

The call ended.

Without hesitation, Zéno crushed the phone in his grip, letting the broken pieces fall to the ground.

Yumé frowned.

"So… that didn't really get us anywhere."

Zéno smirked.

"Oh, it did."

Tapping his watch, a holographic map appeared.

"I traced the call. The signal came from a location about an hour north of here."

He zoomed in on the area.

"The district is called 'The Jaws'."

Zéno turned to Dadinio.

"What do you know about that place?"

Dadinio grimaced.

"Not exactly the nicest part of town… It's a pleasure district. The biggest prostitution market in the region."

Zéno nodded.

"Perfect."

Then, he turned toward Kenny's unconscious form.

"Dadinio, I'm leaving Kenny in your care. He should wake up in a few hours. Fill him in once he's up."

Dadinio nodded.

But then his gaze shifted to the two bound criminals.

"And what about these two?"

Zéno drew his sword again.

"They're useless now. I'll get rid of them."

Before he could strike, Yumé suddenly stepped between them.

"What the hell are you doing, Yumé?" Zéno asked coldly.

"Master Zéno, you don't have to kill them!"

Zéno narrowed his eyes.

"Move."

"No!" Yumé shot back. "They're tied up! They can't do anything! Just leave them!"

Zéno let out a heavy sigh.

"You're too naive." His gaze darkened. "The moment they get the chance, they'll break free. And their first targets will be Dadinio and Kenny. Are you really willing to risk their lives for them?"

Yumé clenched his fists.

"There has to be another way!"

Zéno tilted his head.

"Then give me a better solution."

Yumé lowered his head, unable to answer.

"Exactly."

Zéno raised his blade again—

"Authorities!"

Dadinio's voice rang out.

Zéno halted mid-swing.

Dadinio smirked.

"I called them earlier. They'll be here any minute. No need to stain your hands tonight."

Zéno stared at him for a moment before letting out a slow breath.

"Fine."

But before leaving, he walked behind Giornno—

—and knocked him out cold with a quick chokehold.

He turned to Yumé.

"Let's move. We're heading to the Jaws."

Yumé glanced at Dadinio one last time.

"Thanks for everything, Mr. Dadinio!"

Dadinio waved them off with a grin.

Outside, Ikku and Carla were waiting.

"Next destination?" Ikku asked.

"The Jaws," Zéno replied. "It's an hour north, but if we run, we'll be there in twenty minutes."

Carla frowned.

"And the plan?"

Zéno's expression turned ice cold.

"This time, we're not being subtle."

Ikku narrowed his eyes.

"Wait… are you saying—?"

"We're leveling that district."

Without another word, he took off running, his students right behind him.

Their next battle was about to begin.