Tainted Soul

Tainted Soul-Chapter 4

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I yawned aloud as I lied back in my bed, closing my eyes. Though my arm was feeling good as new, Vince had told me to spend to night in the ward where he’d set up several protective charms that worked like radioactive rays used to kill cancer—only these killed off any remaining venom in my bloodstream. This way, I wouldn’t have to worry about being turned into a ghoul, which was the result of an untreated wound from a venomous demon. I didn’t have a headache anymore, so I was able to think straight. The result was uncertainty and anxiety in my chest.



I was positive I hadn’t killed the Lamia. There was no way I could have, since I had been incapacitated by the pain while aiming. Whatever had killed the demigoddess, it hadn’t been me.

But, then, what? Had something somehow managed to sneak in Selene’s barrier and killed it before she came in? It seemed impossible. I didn’t think that there were any vanquishers out there who could do something like that. The only likely possibility was either that the Lamia had commited suicide, or Selene had killed her, and then lied about it.

But why?

“Agh!” I groaned as I sat up and grabbed the last beer can from the night stand and chugged it down. Why couldn’t I drown on these unsure thoughts?

“I’m pretty sure you’re not supposed to get excited like that.”

I jumped as my eyes snapped open, piercing through the darkness and putting everything in clear detail. Someone was slipping in silently through the door, approaching me with a confident gait.

It was a taller man with defined features and scars across his face, practically illuminated to me in the dim moonlight. He had wisps of silver hair sticking out from under his fedora he wore atop his head and wore a long traveling coat.

“Director!” I gasped as I grabbed for my glasses and jammed them onto my face. The room immediately became more difficult to see in, but the moonlight still shone on the head of SCUES, our representative in the government council of the Ministry of Defense. “What are you doing here?”

Nicor were water demons capable of creating hurricanes, typhoons, and tempests. Alone, one could be a benefit to farmers during the dry season. But in massive groups like what the others appeared to be fighting, they could be a right pain in the arse.

“Those guys get all the fun.” I groaned jealously as I lied back in the bed.

“‘Solemn is the burden of power’.” Director Mischa reminded me with a hint of his Russian accent. I rolled my eyes, hoping he couldn’t see it with my head turned.

“Yeah right. I bet Kazuma’s having a ball.”

“Actually, he was concerned for you as well. If I could get onto what I came here for…”

I turned back to him, curious. “Go ahead.” I told him when I realized he was waiting for my response.

“Around the same time you fought with Lamia—earlier, I think—we received a report from Section #12. They were in the midst of patrolling a strange mass of energy suspected to be magic when they were all wiped out. Headquarters received one last report from them.”

He reached inside his pocket and pulled out a small tape recorder. He pressed the play button and for a second I thought it was broken. But then I realized that what I thought to be static were screams and gunshots. It was a recording of Section #12 in the midst of confronting…something. I could barely hear someone’s frantic, panting voice as they tried to report their situation.