Chapter 16: The Nighthawks in Action

As the sunlight outside the window gradually faded, replaced by the crimson moonlight, the Nighthawks team in Tingen finally prepared to take action against Madam Sharon.

During dinner, Seeka Tron came to the lounge to relieve Leonard Mitchell, who had been silent after a brief conversation. She also brought Angel second meal from the Black Thorn Security Company. The friendly and talkative Ms. Seeka Tron initially wanted to continue topics like "Tales of Tingen's Beyonder Team," but seeing Angel poor mood, she didn't disturb her and instead quietly read the newspaper nearby.

During this time, Angel also went to the third-floor washroom of the company under Seeka Tron's guidance, where she met the newly awakened Daley Simone, the mysteriously dressed "medium."

According to Seeka Tron, contrary to Angel earlier guess, Daley wasn't part of Tingen's Nighthawks team but was a Nighthawks from Emmat Port in East Chester County. She had come from Emmat Port due to a mysterious event involving Beyonder items that required a medium's assistance.

So the six combat members of Tingen's Nighthawks team didn't include Daley Simone? Angel removed Daley from the Nighthawks team list in her mind, realizing this left three vacancies. However, she didn't continue to inquire with Seeka Tron, as it would seem suspicious to be probing for information just as the Nighthawks were about to launch their arrest operation.

Soon after dinner, in the reception room of the Black Thorn Security Company, she met most of the combat members of the Nighthawks team.

---

"In Madam Sharon's invitation, the meeting time with Ms. Granger is set for 8 PM. To avoid her standing us up and alerting Madam Sharon, we'll begin our operation at 7 PM," said Dunn Smith, who had exchanged his standard Tingen police uniform of black with white checks for a long black trench coat. He sat in an armchair, flipping through his palm-sized, worn notebook. The other "Nighthawks" stood or sat around their captain, while Angel listened from a sofa in the corner, no longer in the lounge.

"frye, Loyao, Seeka Tron, you three will join me in a carriage to Sharon Hoey's home on Aulsna Street for the arrest operation. I've already applied for the use of Sealed Artifact 2-105, which frye will carry and use upon arrival. Cohen Lee is guarding the Chanis Gate today and won't participate in the operation. Leonard, you and Daley will stay here to protect Angel Granger until the operation is complete."

This was the first time Angel had heard the term " Chanis Gate," with no clues about it in her memory. It seemed to be some special facility within this building that required constant guarding.

frye and Loyao were the other two Nighthawks who arrived during dinner. frye was a pale-skinned man in his thirties with a high nose bridge, taciturn, merely nodding when Captain Dunn mentioned him. Loyao was a cold-mannered lady with long black hair, deep blue eyes, and thin eyebrows, who responded quietly with "Understood" when assigned her task.

Seeka Tron, sitting next to Angel, smiled slightly and nodded when she heard she would participate in the arrest operation.

Leonard Mitchell, who had earlier asked Angel if she "wanted to join the Nighthawks," stood by the entrance, leaning against the wall. His emerald eyes occasionally scanned the room, and he remained calm upon hearing his task was to stay behind, as if he already knew.

Including Cohen Lee, whom Dunn mentioned last, the roster of the six-person team was finally complete before Angel.

The "external member" Daley was still wearing her black robe, sitting in an armchair facing Dunn Smith, emanating a lazy aura as if still not fully awake. Upon learning she wouldn't participate in the arrest operation, she glanced up at Dunn, then lowered her head again to study the crystal pendant in her hand.

Madam Sharon's residence was on Aulsna Street in Tingen's East District, not far from the Black Thorn Security Company in the North District. By carriage, it would take about a quarter of an hour to arrive. Departing at 7 PM provided ample buffer time without arriving too early and risking exposure. Facing a known target, the decision not to deploy the entire team, but cautiously leaving some members to guard the base and protect the important "witness," demonstrated Dunn Smith's prudent approach.

"Captain, didn't you say you'd give a detailed introduction of Madam Sharon's abilities once everyone was here?" Seeka Tron, sitting next to Angel, raised her right hand and asked.

"Ah, sorry, I almost forgot..." Dunn replied after a moment's hesitation. He flipped through his notebook, found the content he needed to discuss, cleared his throat, and began recounting Madam Sharon's Beyonder abilities as learned from Angel.

The other "Nighthawks" seemed accustomed to this, listening to their captain's speech without changing expression.

Is this person really reliable... The slight admiration Angel had just developed instantly vanished.

"...These are the abilities we currently know about. The most threatening to us is the 'witch's' invisibility ability. Once she enters an invisible state, we'll be in for a tough fight without area-of-effect attack methods. So I'll first attempt to draw her into a dream remotely. If successful, the rest of you will enter the residence and subdue her. However, Madam Sharon likely possesses Sequence 6 strength, and I can't guarantee the success of my ability. If we end up in direct combat, frye needs to use 2-105 to try and steal Madam Sharon's invisibility ability. As long as she can't turn invisible, her other abilities won't pose a significant threat to us if we're prepared. At that point, I'll engage her, and your combat objective will change from capture to on-site elimination of Madam Sharon. Our own safety is paramount."

Dunn Smith quickly introduced Madam Sharon's Beyonder abilities and assigned tasks to the combat team.

Angel used Cole Granger's memories of Madam Sharon to mentally rehearse Dunn Smith's battle plan, feeling that Madam Sharon would likely have no escape this time.

For Madam Sharon, who was possibly Sequence 6, Dunn Smith only said he "couldn't guarantee success," suggesting he likely had abilities no lower than Sequence 7. If he successfully pulled Madam Sharon into a dream state, she would become isolated and helpless, at the mercy of the "Nighthawks." Even if the dream attempt failed and they entered direct combat, the Sealed Artifact "2-105" he mentioned could steal her invisibility ability, depriving her of her greatest reliance for escape or counterattack. Curses couldn't be used or take effect immediately, and fire and frost abilities might not match firearms in close combat. With four against one and the element of surprise, even against a Sequence 6 Madam Sharon, their chances of victory were very high.

And there were three such combat-capable teams in Tingen City alone. According to Seeka Tron, the "Punishers" had an even more aggressive style, and the "Mechanical Heart" also had heavy firepower attack methods. No wonder unofficial Beyonder individuals kept a low profile. Once exposed, they had almost no chance of victory in a planned arrest operation by official Beyonder organizations, and even if they focused solely on escape, they might not get away.

Mentally lighting a candle for Madam Sharon's tragic fate, Angel also understood why Dunn Smith opposed her participation in the operation to arrest Madam Sharon. All seven people in this room were Beyonder individuals, and she might well be the weakest. The close combat abilities of an "Assassin" wouldn't be of much use in this operation; going along would only complicate matters.

If she had Sequence 7 or even Sequence 6 strength, she would have already taken up arms and stormed Madam Sharon's house. Why wait for the "Nighthawks'" operation results to determine her own fate?

Angel sighed inwardly. Even if there was a chance to improve her strength, could she really become an "Assassin" and "Instigator" against her conscience, advancing by stepping on the flesh and blood of innocent people?

---

The four-person "action team" soon departed. They organized their firearms and ammunition, with the black-haired, blue-eyed frye taking along an object that looked like a blood vessel stripped from a human body. The four filed out through the main door, and soon the sound of carriage wheels on cobblestone streets could be heard from below, gradually fading away with the crack of a whip.

Angel also met one of the Nighthawks' administrative staff, a middle-aged man named Bredt. He had a thick beard, wore a suit and top hat, and had a faint smile on his face. Rather than a member of this Beyonder organization, he looked more like the butler of a wealthy family.

Administrative staff like Bredt didn't participate in external operations. He was responsible for daily reception, room cleaning, paperwork, and guarding the weapons, materials, and document libraries. Like the Beyonder individuals guarding the " Chanis Gate," they also needed to take turns for night duty.

"We originally had seven administrative staff, including old Neil who transferred from a formal member to administrative duties. Five people participated in rotating duties for the weapons and materials library. Cohen Lee, the one on duty at the ' Chanis Gate' today, chose to become a sleepless one, and Viola didn't renew her contract. Now they're having some trouble with the rotations," Leonard sighed, watching Bredt's retreating figure after he had prepared tea for everyone and returned to guard the weapons library.

"A new person joined this week, caught up in a mysterious event like you. Although he's not an Beyonder individual, he was lucky enough to survive and decided to join the 'Nighthawks.' Rozanne thought he would be administrative staff and was overjoyed. But the captain told me that after he joins, he won't participate in rotations for now... Oh, Rozanne is also one of our administrative staff. She's on duty tomorrow, you'll meet her."

Why are you telling me all this...

Angel maintained a polite smile as she listened to Leonard introduce the work arrangements of the administrative staff, but felt somewhat confused. When chatting in the afternoon, Seeka Tron had avoided discussing the internal situation of the "Nighthawks," indicating they had relevant restrictions. Yet Leonard spoke without restraint, revealing everything. Was there some special reason?

Daley Simone, sitting nearby, seemed uninterested in these details. After Dunn Smith and the others left, she fell into a state of emotional depression, either staring at the tea leaves floating in her cup or seeming to look at the other two, but her gaze wasn't actually focused.

"Oh right, the captain told me to return your weapons to you, and I also have a question," Leonard said, as if suddenly remembering, clapping his hands together. He took out a wooden box from his pocket and placed it on the table. It contained the special bullets that had been taken from Angel earlier.

Leonard also took out two revolvers, one large and one small, and placed them together with the bullet box. Then he picked up a "Storm Convergence" bullet engraved with complex patterns and the Black Night Goddess's holy symbol, comparing it with one of his own monster-hunting bullets, just as he had done in the carriage earlier that day.

"The 'monster-hunting bullets' produced by the church gain extra killing power against Beyonder creatures through the engraving of Hermetic script used in rituals and symbols pointing to the Black Night Goddess," he explained, pointing to the smaller but clearly more finely crafted and expensive-looking silver-white bullet.

Angel sat up a bit straighter, listening to his explanation. Daley, who had been staring blankly, also focused her gaze on Leonard.

"But when I carefully examined your bullet this afternoon, the patterns on it are orderly and should be a kind of engraving similar in effect to the monster-hunting bullets, but it's not Hermetic script, nor any kind of writing I've seen before. It uses the Black Night Goddess's holy symbol in the end, just like the monster-hunting bullets, but I'm very curious, what exactly is its content?"

Of course it doesn't belong to any writing you've seen before, because it's English, and in cursive at that...

Angel felt somewhat helpless. Earlier in the carriage, she had cleverly evaded the truth under the test of that lie-detecting sealed artifact, thinking Leonard wouldn't bring up this matter again. She didn't expect the young Nighthawks with his strong spirit of inquiry would still remember and even carefully study the patterns on the bullet.

Fortunately, that "sealed artifact" had already been put away. Daley needed to rely on sealed artifacts for lie detection, indicating she either didn't have this ability herself or couldn't use it immediately. It was time to test my ability to lie with a straight face...

Just as Angel quickly prepared her story, intending to link this non-existent script to some ancient belief, Daley suddenly frowned, looked around, and then stood up abruptly.

"Something's not right, the spirits nearby are full of unease..."