Echoes of the problem

"So, are you two going to tell me why you destroyed an entire clan and I wasn't there?", back to her fake lady appearance, Erin smiled as she realized that crossing her legs had a new effect on the two lovebirds.

Nero shook his head.

"You already know. There's no reason..."

"I want to know why they didn't call me."

Her gaze went to Alice.

"I won't say anything about him, but you, my heartless disciple, still have my number. Right?..."

Alice looked away and took another sip, it was delicious. She didn't want to ruin that flavor by fighting with her master.

Nero corrected his posture, he didn't like the situation at all. His fingers started tapping on the wooden table.

"Don't worry so much. Looks like you have a chance this time."

The door opened moments later. Half a dozen men with cloth masks covering the lower half of their faces.

"What's going on?!"

The sounds of quick footsteps on wood and loud commanding voices mixed together to form a chaotic situation.

Guns were pointed and a vase shattered upstairs.

Without losing his composure, Nero was ready to get their leader's attention when the duo returned from the second floor. After a signal, a kick hit the coffee table.

The table, difficult to move by a group, flew like a cardboard box. The tempered glass shattered, filling the air with shards. While the group frowned at the loud sound that followed.

"Ah! Ah!" Erin chose that moment to scream. The weapons were raised. The soft click coming from the metal froze everyone.

"The m-money... It's all in the safe," Nero took the initiative as he lowered his head with a sigh.

"Huh."

"Extra money wouldn't be bad at all."

"Yes..."

"Quiet. You can do that after everything is over."

"Okay!"

Spreading around the room, they treated the occupants like part of the furniture, until Nero took the lead.

"A-are you after someone?"

"...", the trio's breath was held in suspense.

"It'll be over soon, stay quiet. How long until she gets here?", remembering why they came, the leader asked one of them.

Nero listened to the breathing and heartbeat of each of them. Alice silently took his hand, it was warm, but when she lowered her face to his, she couldn't find that warmth.

Seeing this, Erin calmed down, for both of them.

"A-are you after... Diana?!", her scream seemed to affect all of them. Maybe because she was used to living under masks, her performance was perfect.

"That's the plan. Isn't it better to go up with..."

Before he finished speaking, two of them fell dead.

Blood from the closest one splattered all over Nero's face and hair. Alice barely blinked as red painted the floor to the ceiling, the result of a childish prank.

When the soldiers looked at the dismembered bodies, only terror moved their hearts.

"Shit!"

They raised their weapons. Being the strongest, the leader tried to fight.

They barely moved, and more blood covered their clothes. The red stained the black, but except for her arms, not a drop reached her dress.

When it was over, Nero finally calmed down enough to say.

"The carpet is expensive too, you know?"

"But I can buy another one...", Erin pouted. "...And this dress is sentimental. It was a gift."

She smiled. Her reptilian eyes, now violet, created a beautiful and deadly image. The last those men saw before their heads were separated from their bodies.

"If you like it so much, I can buy you another one, but..."

"Yay!"

"... You'll have to clean this first."

Raising his face, Nero looked around. When he felt those people entering the hallway, he already knew how it would end, but the sight still made him sick...

He was used to seeing worse sights, but he didn't want to ruin that house. Those memories.

Seeing his two worlds colliding like that, the place where he was with Diana being sucked into an underworld of death and greed that was his past.

"Don't worry. Look," with a snap of his fingers, the bodies disappeared without leaving a single piece behind.

Later, Nero would be grateful for that. But now he just tilted his head.

"And the blood?"

"Well, the spell only goes so far," she looked at her reddened hands, embarrassed.

Nero shook his head. She hadn't changed.

She was still like a child caught making a mess.

"Did you create a half-spell?", gently removing Alice's hand, he noticed that she was as calm as ever.

As a terrible actress, she didn't even try to get involved in the two's play, but Nero could feel a spell covering her.

'She erased her presence, huh. Despite...'

Nero smiled.

"Why didn't you avoid the blood?", they laughed. Her face and neck. Her skin seemed like a blank canvas for the ruby red brushstrokes.

Standing up with him, she touched a red lock stuck to her face.

"I have an idea. How about I do what the spell can't?"

Nero frowned and smiled.

"There's a rag and a bucket under the sink. Feel free to do it," he started moving. The two followed him like little chicks.

"That's not what I meant." Nero smiled. "And I've already bathed you, several times, what difference does it make?"

"No, thanks."

"Then I'll share the hot tub with you guys," she stepped in front of the group.

"Weren't you going to clean up your mess?"

Erin fell silent.

"What did your fiancée do? They didn't know about you, so this..."

'Getting off topic, huh.'

"Yeah. Her ex-fiancé. The guild issued a letter about her. Diana must have turned him down," Nero's anger lessened with each word. Realizing it was a foolish plan had a calming effect.

"Oh! The ex, huh. Which clan?"

"None. He's... affiliated with one of Freya's puppies... I don't even think that. His father is."

'If it was some big one, I might have to go home for a while.'

"Cool..." Her voice trailed off as Nero turned, heading down another hallway.

"She never changes, does she? Walking around other people's houses like the owner." Alice silently followed him with a half smile.

Erin only found them when they were already outside, Alice washing her face while he turned on the bathtub.

The two of them joined in to wash off the blood.

"Well, at least I can participate this time," she finally said, as she unbuttoned her dress. She also smiled seeing Alice follow her lead.

"No... I like Freya. I don't want to destroy another clan so soon, and..." Nero didn't see any point in spying on a false appearance, but there was still charm in her actions.

Especially Alice's, even innocent, she still seemed too aware of his gaze. "Freya has some good connections. She's fair, in a way. She just needs a visit..."

It was Nero's turn. Taking off his shirt and turning his back to the pair, he could hear the sound of them going to the water. In addition to the intense looks.

Sighing and closing his eyes, he stepped into the cold shower.

His connection with Ana was still there. Feeling her emotions, he knew she was safe and sound.

'What a long day. Better get this over with.'

"Hey, handsome! Aren't you coming in?!" Clicking her tongue when he didn't fall for her provocation and followed her request without hesitation, she agreed. "What would your daughter-in-law think if she saw this."

"That your new family has a healthy relationship."

"Ah! What a tiresome man..."