135 Into The Underground City (1/2)
Of course, we didn't waste any time and demanded Leon to show us where the entrance was. Everyone proceeded to enter the warehouse through the back door. Leon walked in front of us, and after a few minutes, we reached a metal door on the right side of the warehouse.
When Leon opened it, a descending staircase came into view. The pathway was dark, so we couldn't see anything besides the staircase itself.
”This one staircase leads to the underground city?” said Jennifer.
”Yeah. Straight down and anyone can reach it,” replied Leon.
”I see.” Hope proceeded to ask Beatrice if she could get Klaus to tell about the civilians' safety. Later, she informed us that they were indeed safe
”Why, Hope?” she asked him.
”Ah, well . . . Just to make sure that there will be no trouble from here on out.”
”Huh?”
Hope cast a glance at Leon. ”Are there any more entrances in Saratov that will lead to the underground city?”
Leon nodded. ”The entrances were spread throughout Saratov. This warehouse is the closest one, and I used this entrance before to run away.”
I looked at Hope. He seemed to know what I had in my mind from the very beginning. Perhaps he sensed my doubts when we followed Leon's lead. As expected, I could depend on Hope without actually telling him what I was thinking.
I nodded at Hope.
”Alright,” he said.
Swiftly, he grabbed Leon's arms and kicked him in the leg. Leon screamed before he fell on both knees. ”What are you doing?!”
My crimson scythe slashed the air and I pointed it at his neck. The scythe pulsed in red, as it tried to harm Leon right at that moment. Truly, my hatred had taken its roots a long time ago, affecting how my Aegis crystals react.
”What . . .” Leon's jaw dropped, his eyes cast glances at each member of our group as if he was trying to understand why we did that.
The scythe that I had formed from my right arm touched Leon's neck.
”Eeek!”
”Stop acting, Leon,” I said.
Aside from me and Hope, everyone else was confused.
”Ava,” called Beatrice.
Leon's eyes glared at me. ”I demand an explanation.”
”Of course.”
I slashed at his right ear.
”AAAAARGGH!”
Leon gritted his teeth, trying to suppress the pain.
”Av-”
”Leon is an Aegis User,” I said before Jennifer could finish her sentence. ”My Aegis told me back at the Teria airs.h.i.+ps that it sensed Leon's Aegis.”
”What?” Beatrice narrowed her eyes at Leon.
Everyone focused their attention on Leon as his right ear regenerated. Sofeea, however, had a blank expression on her face as usual.
”See?” I swung my scythe in front of his face and he jerked his head back. Then, something unexpected happened.
A thick layer that covered his face fell off, revealing an entirely new face underneath. He was wearing a mask all along, a synthetic one too at that.
”WHO ARE YOU?!” I yelled, causing him to whimper on the spot.
Hope nodded at me. ”First of all, his explanation was strange.” He adjusted his hold on Leon's arms.”It's not like I had set foot in an underground city before, but I'm fairly certain that there would have been quite an amount of supplies pre-stocked. Surely the ones in charge of that city would have antic.i.p.ated something like a blocked supply route into account. To counter any shortage of supplies, I'm sure they have one or two methods to restock the necessities.”
Leon's eyes were wide open as if he didn't realize he had been exposed to be an Aegis User a few minutes ago. ”B-But--”
”Killing civilians is not something The People's Light would do as far as I'm concerned. I was a part of that group before, and even though I didn't get to meet the main group in Russia, the rest of them were acceptable human beings. Even though a few had some grudge on me for some reason,” said Hope.
Beatrice held her hands in front of her chest. ”You were from The People's Light?”
”Yeah . . .” Hope glared at Leon. ”If The People's Light is indeed in charge of the underground city right now, killing civilians wouldn't solve anything. Those rebels could just drive them out as a last resort, and I'm sure they wouldn't want to be involved in an internal conflict in dire times like this.”
Leon was shaking.
”They were trying to kill us! And I'm sure they still do such thing to the rest of the civilians!” said Leon.
”Even so, the fact still remains that you hid your status of being an Aegis User from us,” said Beatrice. ”And I don't buy that nonsense you spoke of. You are clearly lying to us.”
We nodded at Beatrice.
Leon's expression turned bitter at his inability to counter her statements. ”I . . .”
”Who are you exactly?” I asked him again, my scythe threatened to cut his throat if he attempted to run away.
Lily sighed. She entered her Full Aegis Form and walked over to Leon's side. ”You know . . .” Her right hand immediately grabbed Leon in the jaw as her yellow eyes looked straight into his soul. ”Perhaps Klaus knows who you are.”
Beatrice had activated her Hologram Bracelet, revealing a hologram of Klaus in blue light.
Klaus's face turned pale as soon as he saw us, including Leon.
”T-That's Kian! He's the First Pillar!” exclaimed Klaus.