NOVEL NEXT Chapter 51: Are you willing to go that far for her
Yuno appeared on the roof of the Sonozaki mansion with a snap, gripping Rika firmly by the neck as if ready to crush her. Yet the priestess quickly realized that the grip lacked strength. A faint, ironic smile crossed her lips as she thought:
"So, even Yuno has a soft side... Who would have guessed?"
As Rika's thoughts wandered, Yuno burst into uncontrollable laughter, her voice echoing through the courtyard and drawing the attention of the police officers storming the mansion.
"Hahahahaha! Look at you... mere lambs marching cheerfully to the slaughter!" Her voice dripped with scorn as her free hand rose slowly to scratch her neck, the motion full of contempt.
The officers glanced up at the roof, greeted by a nearly celestial sight. Under the blazing sunlight stood a young woman with long, pink hair tied in elegant ponytails, holding the priestess Furude Rika, whose indigo hair billowed violently in the wind. The image was so surreal that the men hesitated, trapped between the beauty and horror of the scene.
From a distance, Ryan watched the "show." He leaped over the mansion's wall, moving through the shadows as he muttered to himself:
"Shit... Yuno's an incurable psycho. Her sanity's gotta be as twisted as my aim... That's the only way to explain how she's so damn hot—I mean, so good at putting on an act."
Landing on the other side of the wall, Ryan found himself in a small clearing. He scanned the area and chuckled briefly as he began to walk.
"But honestly, with this little performance of hers, Takano's going to have to act. I didn't even need to ask her to pretend to be contaminated. That woman reads my mind or... I don't know, maybe we're getting too synced up."
He laughed softly, but the sound was cut off by a low, peculiar noise that echoed through the trees.
"Auauuu."
Ryan frowned and stopped abruptly, his ears tingling as he scanned the forest with his eyes.
"Where's that mutt coming from, huh?"
Suddenly, the voice echoed again, clearer this time:
"Auuu~ I'm not a mutt! Auauuu~!"
He spotted a faint purple blur moving ahead. It was less hazy than the visions he'd had before. Now he could discern more clearly: a young girl, eerily similar to Rika.
Ryan turned briefly to glance at Yuno, who continued her dramatic act, threatening to throw Rika off the roof. Rolling his eyes, he shifted his focus back to the figure in front of him.
"If you're not Rika's soul, then... you must be Hanyuu, right?" His voice was calm but carried a smug undertone.
The blur approached, revealing a girl with small horns and a timid expression.
"Y-yes! I'm so glad you can hear me now, au~!" Hanyuu replied, her feet nervously tapping the ground.
Ryan tilted his head, resting his rifle on his shoulder as he studied her with curiosity.
"Interesting... But what are you doing here? I thought you stuck to Rika like glue."
Hanyuu shuffled closer with short, hurried steps.
"I do! But I'm so worried... Rika is taking so many risks with that Yuno, auuu~."
Ryan waved a hand dismissively, as if it were irrelevant.
"Relax. Yuno might be crazy, but she's not stupid. I mean... most of the time."
"Auauuu~ I want to believe that, but..." Hanyuu paused, wringing her hands nervously.
Ryan sighed, growing impatient.
"Look, if you've got something important to say, make it quick. I've got an army to face today, and, honestly, I've never done this before, so... yeah, I'm a little nervous."
Hanyuu's eyes widened, her concern evident.
"Auuuu~ Really? You don't know what you're doing? Auuu—"
Ryan gave her a tired look, cutting her off.
"It was a joke..."
Hanyuu blinked a few times, realizing she couldn't take Ryan too seriously. Taking a deep breath, she tried to compose herself before asking directly:
"Ryan, do you promise... do you really promise to help Rika?"
Ryan's expression shifted. For the first time, he looked more serious.
"Of course I will."
Hanyuu clenched her fists, as if gathering her courage.
"Are you willing to go that far for her?"
Ryan began walking again, not looking back.
"Yeah. But I'll charge for it later."
Hanyuu jumped slightly, visibly surprised and a bit flustered.
"C-charge?!"
Ryan said nothing, continuing his ascent up the hill, each step deliberate as his eyes locked onto the highest point. There, he would have the perfect vantage of the mansion and the chaos unfolding below.
From the top, he watched a van approach rapidly. The officers managing the situation backed away, allowing it through after an older man stepped out and exchanged a few words with them. Within seconds, men in beige jumpsuits emerged, armed and moving with tactical precision.
Ryan sighed, adjusting his rifle over his shoulder.
"Shit... Hanyuu slowed me down with that pointless chat," he muttered, irritation laced with indifference.
Without a scope, he relied on the standard bolt action and his instinctive accuracy. Taking a deep breath, he let the world around him fall silent. He calculated the wind and, in seconds, aligned his sights with the head of the soldier leading the formation.
"Bang," he murmured before pulling the trigger.
The shot shattered the silence, echoing through the forest. Birds scattered in a frenzy, startled by the blast, as the soldier's body crumpled lifelessly to the ground. Blood began to stain the dirt.
The officers and the rest of the squad reacted instinctively, diving to the ground or seeking cover. The tension was palpable.
Ryan, however, continued descending the hill casually, as if on a leisurely stroll.
"Just eight more bullets..." he muttered, as though counting sips of a dull drink.
His eyes caught movement by the van: the older man was being shielded by two soldiers as he hurried back to the vehicle. Ryan smirked, his eyes narrowing with malice.
"I've always been good at guessing..." he murmured, crouching to steady his aim. "And I guess this old guy is, at the very least, the commander of this circus."
With nearly cruel precision, he aimed at the van's fuel tank.
The first shot pierced the metal. The scent of gasoline filled the air.
Ryan quickly adjusted his aim and fired again.
The resulting explosion was deafening. The van became a fireball, and the driver inside had no time to scream. The heat from the blast forced the nearby soldiers to throw themselves to the ground, trying to escape the shockwave.
Ryan stood, taking a few steps to adjust his angle as he aimed again. This time, his focus was on the two men covering the old man.
"Hope you guys didn't make any plans for tonight..." he quipped with a wicked grin, squeezing the trigger and landing a precise shot on the first soldier's head.
The second hesitated, his terrified gaze searching for the shooter. Ryan, still calm, didn't give him a chance. Another shot, another life extinguished.
The old man, now completely exposed, crawled on the ground in panic, his face covered in soot and sweat. Ryan watched him for a moment, like a predator toying with its prey before the final strike.
"So, old man..." he murmured to himself as he adjusted his aim once more. "I hope you're worth the bullet."
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