Mister Zero, Her Story: Chapter 32 – Phantom of the Stage
“Huh?”
Backstage at Spring Breeze Pavilion, Red Butterfly suddenly felt a sharp pain in her chest, a fleeting vision of terrifying eyes staring at her.
But the feeling vanished instantly, like an illusion.
This coincided with the moment Luo Yan used her ability.
“Kill her! Kill her! Kill her!”
A frenzied roar echoed in Red Butterfly’s mind, tearing at her thoughts.
The image of the silver-haired girl intensified, almost consuming her memories.
This near-loss of control only lasted for a brief moment before Red Butterfly recovered.
“The Lord’s will is growing more and more urgent…”
Red Butterfly could feel the power of “Envy” within her surging restlessly, as if being pulled by some force.
The “Lord” had granted her this power to kill the silver-haired girl in her visions.
But after so long, Red Butterfly hadn’t even dared to approach her…
“And Sword Saint Qin Wen is still looking for me.”
Red Butterfly took a deep breath. Although she didn’t know why Qin Wen possessed a portion of the “Lord’s” power…
There was no doubt that she was no match for her right now.
“I have to accelerate my plans… After absorbing Young Master Liu’s essence, I’ll activate all the ‘Gu Seeds’!”
Otherwise, the power of “Envy” would begin to consume her. She wasn’t a “Demonically Infected”; these powers belonged to the Witch of Envy.
Fortunately, thanks to that unlucky mercenary, Red Butterfly had planted many “Gu Seeds” throughout Yan City.
But these “Gu Seeds” were still dormant, requiring a substantial amount of power to activate.
Once activated, at least several ability users and hundreds of ordinary people would instantly become flesh puppets under her control.
“If it weren’t for that damned Sword Saint Qin Wen ruining my trap, I wouldn’t have been reduced to this…”
The thought made Red Butterfly grind her teeth in anger.
Just then, the madam’s voice called out from outside the room.
“My dear Red Butterfly, the performance is about to begin!”
A sinister look flashed across Red Butterfly’s face, quickly replaced by a charming smile.
Her red dress swaying, she moved gracefully towards the door.
“Coming, Mother…”
…
Spring Breeze Pavilion, first-floor audience.
Thanks to Luo Yan’s ability, the three of them had easily infiltrated Spring Breeze Pavilion.
…Or rather, they had walked right in; no one had paid them any attention.
Upon entering, Qin Wen casually picked up a few enthusiastic audience members and, before they could react, tossed them out the window.
This created a few empty seats for the three of them.
Davis stared in disbelief at Qin Wen’s practiced movements, her control over her strength impeccable.
The ejected individuals hadn’t even fallen, landing on their feet, dazed.
However, these unlucky few couldn’t re-enter; the staff quickly escorted them away from the venue.
Perhaps… this was a blessing in disguise.
“There’s no mistake, this place reeks of that bastard,” Qin Wen wrinkled her nose in disgust. “Although much fainter than in the Endless Wasteland, it’s the same aura.”
“I don’t sense anything unusual at the moment,” Luo Yan whispered.
The familiar feeling from the town’s church had only flickered for a moment before being suppressed.
Davis, however, was trembling. She suddenly realized that these two… weren’t just playing pretend.
Luo Yan’s ability before entering, and Qin Wen’s display of strength, indicated they were far more than just… a young lady and her bodyguard.
“Excuse me, Miss Luo Yan…” Davis swallowed hard and whispered, “Can… can you see?”
“Yes, I can,” Luo Yan turned slightly and replied softly. “But because of my ability… I can’t control it very well, so I have to resort to this.”
“What is your ability… if you don’t mind me asking?” Davis mustered her courage and asked. “And your true strength…?”
Asking about someone’s ability and strength directly was usually considered rude.
However, at this moment, Davis’s mind was buzzing, her thoughts muddled.
As for the “Difficulty” level strength indicated in the mission file… well, the moment Luo Yan opened her eyes, it was clear that was false.
“My ability is mind-related, it’s difficult to explain,” Luo Yan replied seriously. “As for my strength, it’s usually ‘Difficulty’ level, but during combat, I can reach about ‘Ruin’ level.”
With the sniper rifle, without using “Manjusaka,” that was indeed her approximate level.
“R-Really ‘Ruin’ level?”
Although she had suspected it, hearing Luo Yan admit it still shocked Davis.
If that was the case…
“The Devil’s minion they’ve been tracking… it might be true!”
“What’s wrong, Miss Davis?” Qin Wen noticed her unusual behavior and frowned slightly. “You’ve been acting strange since we arrived…”
Luo Yan also looked at Davis curiously.
“Because, because I…”
Davis wanted to cry. Who would have thought she would be tricked by her own Director?!
This was supposed to be a simple babysitting mission, a shopping trip, but it turned out they were actually hunting a Devil’s minion!
And Cheng Hongyuan was waiting outside. She, a “Calamity” level ability user, couldn’t possibly handle this alone!
They needed at least a small team, led by a “Ruin” level ability user!
But now, Davis’s problem was how to confess that she had lied…
She stammered for a moment, then said,
“I think… my strength might not be enough… perhaps we should call for backup from the Apprehension Department…”
“Now?”
Luo Yan frowned slightly.
“I’m afraid… it’s too late.”
Qin Wen looked towards the center of the stage, her eyes narrowing.
Just then, all the lights went out, leaving only a few dim lanterns flickering on the stage.
“You can sense it too, right, Miss Luo Yan?”
Qin Wen said in a low voice.
“It’s a domain,” Luo Yan whispered.
Invisible energy fluctuations spread from the stage, enveloping Spring Breeze Pavilion.
The air seemed to grow warmer, but this wasn’t caused by the domain, but by… the audience.
Everyone’s expressions were filled with an eerie fervor, their eyes practically bulging as they stared at the stage.
The air around them grew hot with their excitement.
“What is this…?”
Davis also sensed the change, but she wasn’t affected, perhaps because she was still under the influence of Luo Yan’s ability.
Amidst the rising heat and the intense gazes, the stage floor slowly opened, revealing a flash of crimson.
“Here she comes!”
Qin Wen instinctively summoned her swords, but Luo Yan stopped her. “Wait…”
“Why?”
Qin Wen’s voice was urgent.
“Just watch.”
Luo Yan pointed towards the stage.
Qin Wen looked and her pupils constricted.
“How…?”
Several figures in red, dancing gracefully, emerged from the opening in the stage.
“Red Butterfly! Red Butterfly! Red Butterfly!”
The audience erupted in cheers, further disrupting Luo Yan’s already unsteady breathing.
“Sorry,” Luo Yan said, her expression slightly pained. “I… can’t sense any difference between them.”
“…”
Qin Wen was silent for a moment. “I can’t tell either. They all carry a faint demonic aura, it’s difficult to identify the main body…”
But there was no doubt that their target, the Devil’s minion, was among them.
“Miss Davis, can you sense any difference?”
Luo Yan “looked” at Davis and asked softly.
“Ah!” Davis, startled by the sudden question, stammered, “I, I’m not very good at that…”
“This is troublesome,” Qin Wen frowned. “We only have one chance. If we fail to take her down, it will be dangerous.”
“The domain carries the aura of ‘Envy.’ She’s planning something,” Luo Yan added. “And there are also the ‘Gu Seeds’ hidden somewhere. If we fail, she’ll definitely activate them.”
“Why not just kill everyone on stage?” Davis suddenly blurted out.
But the moment she said it, she saw two strange gazes fixed on her.
“…Sorry, that was inappropriate.”
Davis realized her mistake and covered her mouth.
“I don’t want to harm the innocent unless absolutely necessary,” Qin Wen said gravely. “But if there’s no other choice… I will mourn for them.”
Meanwhile, on stage, the figures in red continued to dance, their alluring curves and fair skin tantalizingly revealed beneath their flowing robes, drawing cheers and excited screams from the audience.
However, Red Butterfly, despite her graceful movements, was trembling, her heart pounding in her chest.
“No, she’s here…
“Sword Saint Qin Wen is here!”
Using the power of “Envy” to rewrite souls and consciousness, Red Butterfly had perfectly concealed her demonic aura.
Only when she used her ability or the “Gu Seeds” would it leak slightly.
As Red Butterfly cast her “Envy” domain, influencing the audience’s fervor, she sensed something amiss.
The domain… had been breached…
Although not completely broken, a void had appeared, a place unaffected by “Envy.”
Only Sword Saint Qin Wen, also possessing the power of “Envy,” could do this!
But by the time Red Butterfly realized this, it was too late to escape.
Turning and fleeing now would be a direct admission of her identity as a Devil’s minion.
Fighting back directly?
No, she wasn’t a match…
Perhaps activate the Gu Seeds prematurely?
In her current injured state, she could only activate the Gu Seeds within twenty or thirty ordinary people.
Even the previous Qin Wen, let alone the current one with the power of “Envy,” could easily handle that.
Moreover…
Activating the Gu Seeds would immediately expose her.
And Red Butterfly only knew there was a void in her domain, not its location.
In other words, Luo Yan and Qin Wen couldn’t find the real Red Butterfly, and Red Butterfly couldn’t pinpoint their location either.
They were in a delicate stalemate.
However, this stalemate was soon broken.
“HAHAHAHAHA…”
A loud, boisterous laugh suddenly erupted from the audience above, even louder than the cheers.
Startled by the noise, Luo Yan and the others instinctively looked up.
A young man in a pink suit, his hair slicked back, casually tossed aside a megaphone, a flower of unknown variety in his mouth, striking a strange pose, a mischievous smile on his lips.
At the same time, the surrounding cheers were suppressed by some force, gradually fading.
“Someone used an ability to silence the sound,” Davis quickly realized. Despite her inexperience, she was still a member of the Apprehension Department.
But this Young Master Liu seemed… different from what she had imagined… a bit eccentric…
Well, thinking about it, anyone who frequented such establishments couldn’t be considered a “normal” man.
“Truly worthy of her reputation… what was her name again?”
“Red Butterfly, Young Master.”
“—Excellent! Miss Red Butterfly, an interesting woman. You have caught my attention. Very good, very good.”
Young Master Liu chuckled, a self-satisfied smirk on his face. “Stop dancing, come up here and keep me company.”
The figures in red on stage stopped dancing but remained in place, none of them approaching him.
“Keep your grandpa company…”
Red Butterfly cursed inwardly.
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