Chapter 100: Belongs to you now
The final chorus echoed throughout the enormous pavilion before dissolving into silence.
For half a heartbeat...The entire Ash-En Circus stood perfectly still.
Then—
BOOOOOOM!!
The audience exploded into deafening applause.
Cheers rolled through the grand tent like crashing waves. Whistles pierced the air from every direction while spectators leaped to their feet, clapping until their hands burned. The performers bowed deeply around the stage, but every pair of eyes remained fixed on the woman standing beneath the lone spotlight.
Nyx lowered the microphone with effortless grace.
Not a single strand of hair had fallen out of place.
Not a single breath came heavier than the last.
She smiled faintly beneath her elegant mask.
"...Thank you."
Even spoken softly, her voice carried to every corner of the circus.
"...Enjoy the rest of your evening."
CLAP–CLAP–CLAP!!
Another eruption of applause followed.
She inclined her head politely before turning away from the audience, disappearing beyond the velvet curtains as the orchestra transitioned into another performance to keep the celebration alive.
The moment she crossed backstage...The illusion vanished.
The roaring crowd became a distant murmur. Bright lights gave way to dim lanterns suspended along narrow wooden corridors.
The scent of perfume and fireworks was replaced by aged timber, canvas, and lingering smoke.
It was quiet, professional, and real.
Suriel Gawakuri and Ash Junior immediately fell into formation behind her without exchanging a single word. Their eyes remained alert, constantly sweeping the corridors for anything out of place while stagehands hurried past carrying props, costumes, and equipment, blissfully unaware that danger had already entered the circus.
Nyx continued walking at an unhurried pace.
"...Stand by."
The two bodyguards answered with a silent nod.
No questions and no hesitation.
She trusted them.
And they understood exactly what that trust demanded.
Passing through the final corridor, Nyx stepped onto a narrow iron balcony overlooking a secluded alley hidden behind the circus grounds.
Fwoosh....
The cool night air greeted her immediately.
It was quieter here.
The music from inside had become little more than a distant heartbeat. She reached into the folds of her clothing, withdrew a cigarette, and struck a lighter.
Click.
A tiny flame flickered to life as she raised it calmly.
Fsshhh...
The cigarette ignited.
Nyx inhaled slowly before exhaling a thin ribbon of smoke into the night sky.
"...Finally."
For the first time, all evening..... she looked relaxed.
* * *
Fwoosh....
Without making the slightest sound, Ragnarock slipped through the backstage entrance she had used moments earlier.
Several corridors behind him, Daito's team finally broke through the sea of spectators.
The celebration inside had become an obstacle course of dancing bodies, drunken nobles, and performers flooding every available passage.
The group was forced apart, some were delayed, and others lost sight of one another entirely.
Only two operatives managed to reach the backstage corridors before the opportunity disappeared.
Champagne and Mardale Aranos.
They sprinted through the dim hallways, following the trail Ragnarock had left behind.
Then—
BANG!
They burst through the final exit and entered the narrow alley.
Both men stopped instantly as their eyes widened.
"...What the hell..."
The words escaped Champagne before he could stop himself.
Suriel Gawakuri and Ash Junior were no longer standing guard. They were pinned several feet above the ground against the brick wall.
SSHHK!
A colossal black greatsword had pierced straight through both of them, driving their bodies into solid stone with impossible force.
CRACK!
Cracks spread across the wall like shattered glass.
PSSSH!
Drip....
Drip...
Blood slowly dripped down the steel.
Neither man moved.
Their faces were swollen and bruised beyond recognition, as though they had endured a brutal beating before the final strike had claimed their lives.
No signs of struggle remained. No defensive wounds. No broken weapons, only overwhelming violence.
Champagne's usual smile vanished.
"...Damn..."
Even Aranos narrowed his eyes.
Whoever had done this...Had ended the fight before it truly began.
A heavy pair of footsteps echoed through the alley.
...Thud.
...Thud.
...Thud.
Ragnarock slowly turned to face them.
One hand still rested casually upon the hilt of the enormous blade embedded through the corpses.
His expression remained almost peaceful.
"...I wasn't expecting visitors."
His voice was calm, deep, and almost conversational.
Yet every word carried enough pressure to make the surrounding air feel heavier. Aranos stepped forward without hesitation.
His eyes never left Ragnarock.
"...Champagne."
The thief looked toward him.
"...Yeah?"
"...Think you can handle him?"
Champagne scratched the back of his head before letting out a small laugh.
"...Sure."
He rolled his shoulders.
"...I just can't promise a happy ending."
A brief silence followed.
Then he added honestly,
"...He's a 'High-end Denominator."
The words settled heavily between them.
Through the communication devices, Avenor finally spoke.
Her normally relaxed voice had become unusually serious.
"...Then don't fight him head-on."
Champagne frowned.
"...What exactly does that mean?"
Before Avenor could elaborate...a firm hand landed on Champagne's shoulder.
Aranos.
The veteran gave him a single reassuring pat.
"...The mission belongs to you now."
Champagne blinked.
"...Hold on..."
His eyes widened.
"...What are you talking about?"
Too late.
SHWOOOSH!!
Aranos exploded forward.
The stone beneath his feet cracked as he launched himself across the alley like a cannonball.
Ragnarock's grin slowly spread beneath his cracked mask.
For the first time... He looked genuinely excited.
"...Finally..."
His fingers tightened around the hilt of his greatsword.
"... Someone with vigor."
Champagne reacted instinctively.
"...Hey!"
FWOOSH!
He dashed after Aranos.
"...What are you doing?!"
But Aranos never answered.
Instead—
GRAB!
He seized Ragnarock by the front of his ceremonial robes before the giant could draw his sword completely.
For a split second...The two monsters stared directly into one another's eyes.
Then—
BOOM!!
Stone shattered beneath their feet.
Dust erupted into the air.
The next instant—
SHHWWOOOOORRTTT!!
Space itself folded.
The air twisted violently as invisible forces wrapped around both warriors, bending reality into a spiraling distortion that swallowed them whole.
Light fractured and Sound disappeared.
The alley fell completely silent.
Only drifting dust remained where two overwhelming monsters had stood moments before.
The crushing pressure vanished with them.
Champagne stared at the empty space for several seconds.
"...He actually..."
Before he could finish—
BOOOOM!!
The backstage door behind him burst open so violently that it slammed against the brick wall.
Champagne spun around immediately.
Every instinct screamed at him.
Standing calmly through the doorway...With cigarette smoke curling lazily into the night air...
Was Nyx.
To be continued...