Chapter 60: Fierce Battle on a Rainy Night

“Rumble Rumble Rumble!!”

Thunder rumbled.

Inspector Lestrade shuddered, then suddenly lifted his head and looked around.

The restaurant was quiet at this moment, but everyone was still present.

After Inspector Lestrade’s persuasion, all had decided to stay together for the night.

The innkeeper’s death had already been terrifying enough, and after that, a little girl had gone missing—leaving everyone even more shaken.

So they all decided not to go anywhere, and to remain together tonight.

At present, the newlywed couple were leaning against a sofa by the wall, while the parents who had lost their child sat on the other side of the dining table.

The mother, perhaps tired from crying, was leaning silently in her husband’s arms.

The two maids and the medium had already fallen asleep on the table.

Everyone was accounted for, no one missing.

Inspector Lestrade checked the headcount once more, letting out a breath of relief.

He was getting old, and staying up late was not something he could endure.

Just now, he had dozed off for a moment—and if not for the thunder, he might have slept until dawn…

“Thump Thump Thump——! Thump Thump Thump——!”

No, that was not thunder.

Inspector Lestrade instantly tensed up.

He pricked up his ears and gripped the gun at his waist.

The sound came from outside the door!

“Thump Thump Thump——! Thump Thump Thump——!”

Someone was pounding on the door!

As a veteran policeman, Inspector Lestrade reacted almost instantly.

His nerves tightened at once, and whatever drowsiness he had felt was gone.

A rainy night, someone hammering on the door.

If anyone called this good news, nobody would believe it!

Inspector Lestrade stood up and carefully made his way toward the restaurant door.

“P–Police officer, sir?”

Only the girl’s parents were still awake.

Seeing Lestrade’s tense demeanor, they also grew uneasy.

“There’s something going on.

Wake the others—quick!”

Lestrade did not dare go around waking people himself.

If he shouted, he might alert the person outside—or panic the people inside.

So he motioned for the couple to rouse the others.

The two understood at once, nodded hurriedly, and went to shake the sleepers awake one by one.

The moment the others stirred, before they even realized what was happening, they too heard the pounding from outside—and their faces changed.

“Could it be that gentleman returning? Could he be injured?”

The young maid asked nervously.

Inspector Lestrade had told them before that Levi had gone to search for the missing child, and they were in fact worried about him.

After all, Levi was not the type of muscular Rambo-like man; his frame was actually somewhat slender.

A body like that might suit an upper-class banquet guest, but for a policeman, it lacked a sense of security.

“It won’t be him.”

Inspector Lestrade was certain.

The person outside was hammering at the door relentlessly.

From what Lestrade knew of Levi, he was not the rash type—and certainly would not pound on a door like this, exhausting himself in the process.

Now the question was… should they open the door or not?

Gun in hand, Lestrade hesitated.

If he opened the door now… he thought carefully, and decided it was better to observe first.

“Shouldn’t we at least check?”

The newlywed husband, uneasy, approached Lestrade and whispered, pulling out his own gun.

“I’ll help you.”

“You’d better not.”

Lestrade glanced at the gun in his hand with disdain.

At this time, there were no strict gun control laws, and in remote areas, bandit gangs and the like still existed.

Many men carried guns for protection; not every man had one, but it was not unusual.

But owning a gun and knowing how to use it were two different things.

Lestrade could tell right away that this newlywed husband was all show, likely the type who would not even dare to pull the trigger.

And if he did, the risk of shooting his own people was higher than hitting an enemy.

“咚咚咚！”

The pounding grew louder.

But this time, Lestrade became calmer.

He was certain now—this was wrong.

It was likely a trap to lure them into opening the door.

“No one is to approach the door! Stay away from the doors and windows!”

Instead of opening the door, Lestrade retreated a few steps, raising his gun toward the entrance.

He motioned for the others to hide on the opposite side.

They obeyed without protest—they knew they were helpless here, and with a police officer present, they felt a measure of safety.

“THUD——!”

Suddenly, the pounding stopped.

The restaurant fell into utter silence.

Yet the silence only made the tension worse.

Even the most ignorant could sense instinctively—the danger was about to strike.

“BOOOOM—————!”

All at once, the tightly shut restaurant door burst open.

At the same time, the bright lights extinguished, plunging the room into darkness.

The windows too, as though in collusion, all slammed open at once, letting in roaring wind, rain, and thunder, sweeping away the last vestige of safety.

“Ahhhh———!”

“Noooo———!”

The others had never seen anything like this, especially the women, who now performed their duties as background screamers of a horror film—their shrieks so loud that even the incoming wind seemed to shudder.

But Lestrade had no time to care.

Eyes wide, he stared at the gaping doorway.

As a veteran policeman who had clawed his way through seas of corpses and blood, his instincts screamed danger.

Though the room was pitch-black, seemingly empty, every hair on his body stood on end, his blood felt frozen.

The last time he had felt this way was when he had pursued a fugitive who had turned to kill him.

And his reaction was the same—he raised his gun and, without aiming, fired toward the source of his dread!

“Bang!”

“Aaaahhhhh———!”

The moment the trigger was pulled, a scream pierced the dark.

A glowing figure suddenly appeared in the void—it was the innkeeper! Eyes bulging, mouth agape, jaw hanging to his chest.

What the hell!?

Even with all his years, Lestrade had never seen such a thing.

Terrified, he squeezed the trigger again.

“Bang! Bang! Bang!！”

Bullets poured out.

The glowing figure flew back like cotton struck by force, then tore apart mid-air and vanished.

At that instant, the lights came back on.

And before Lestrade—nothing.

“Haaah………………”

Wiping cold sweat from his brow, Lestrade glanced at his gun.

He remembered clearly—these were silver bullets Levi had given him, loaded just in case.

And it worked…

“This really works…”

He muttered, making a mental note: once he got back, he would ask Levi for a few more silver bullets.

Even if only as charms against evil.

But Levi knew nothing of what had happened here.

And even if he did, he had no time to care.

For the danger he faced now was deadly.

“Bang!”

Levi pulled the trigger for the third time, then tossed his cane-gun aside and charged forward.

At the same moment, time returned to normal.

The three bullets shot from the barrel almost simultaneously reached the Ghost Knight.

The Knight roared, swung his longsword, and deflected one bullet—but the force sent the blade off course.

The other two bullets continued on.

One struck the shield, shattering it.

The final bullet sped through the opening, smashing into the Knight’s helmet.

His head snapped back under the force, stumbling two steps.

When he lowered his head again, his helmet was split in half—revealing an ugly, stubbled face.

A face Levi did not know.

But what he saw inside—!

Without the helmet’s cover, Levi clearly spotted a crimson light floating in the center of the man’s head!

Just like the giant doll before—it had one too!

The weak point had been found.

And with it, the chance!

Levi raised the Persuader, aiming at the Knight’s exposed head.

His shield gone, his sword knocked aside, off balance and wide open—there was no better chance than this.

“Bang!Bang!Bang!Bang!Bang!Bang!”

Levi emptied the magazine, reloaded swiftly, and once more activated 【Eye of the Reaper】.

Another barrage—he had now learned the best way to use it.

Rather than taking slow, precise shots, it was better to unleash overwhelming firepower.

If it didn’t kill, it would cripple!

Firepower was justice!

Time resumed.

The Ghost Knight abandoned sword and shield, raising his arms to block.

But before Levi’s explosive assault, the defense was pitiful.

The first volley shredded both his arms; the second tore apart his head.

Yet still he fought—kicking at Levi to interrupt his attack.

Too late.

From behind the Knight, a shadow emerged silently.

The black cat puppet lashed forward, its tail’s silver blade piercing through the back of the Knight’s head—and through the floating crimson light within.

“—————————！”

A scream of agony followed, and a shockwave burst outward like a storm, crashing toward Levi.

Without hesitation, Levi again used 【Shadow Step】, vanishing into darkness.

When he emerged, the Ghost Knight was gone.

Only the little girl remained on the ground.

But… Levi could still see crimson, tentacle-like things wrapped tightly around her body, cocooning her.

What now?

He frowned.

Was this some kind of curse? If so, he could not deal with it.

Should he turn to the Holy Lord Church, to see if they could lift it?

He stepped forward, reaching out a hand to take the girl back.

Then, something strange happened.

As his hand neared her, the ring on his right hand burned hot again.

A beam of red light shot out from the ring, striking the girl!

Like a flashlight beam, it shone upon her.

The crimson tendrils writhing around her body struggled violently—then shattered, sucked into the ring as if by a vacuum cleaner.

“…………………”

Levi stared at the ring, speechless.

When the Ghost Knight had appeared, the ring had reacted, but not aggressively.

Now that he had nearly killed the Knight, the ring had leapt forth to devour?

What was this thing?

He examined it carefully, even with 【Soul Sight】, but saw nothing but a glow of red.

Could it be like some fantasy novel, hiding an old master within, feeding on the things he killed to regain strength? Waiting to gift treasures, or techniques—or to seize his body?

Whatever it was, the problem was resolved for now.

Levi knew it was not over.

The doll had a red glow inside.

This Ghost Knight had one too.

Even without occult knowledge, he could deduce that the glow was the cause of their transformation.

His ring, also red, devoured it.

Both crimson—logically, they were connected.

Shaking off the thought, Levi knelt by the girl and quickly performed a 【Diagnosis】.

No injuries.

Breathing steady, heartbeat normal.

It seemed she was only unconscious, or asleep.

Relieved, Levi lifted his gaze toward the ruins before him.

This place, he could not handle alone.

Best to leave it to MI7.

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