"Hahahahaha!"

A booming laughter erupted from Al, loud and unrestrained, echoing across the quiet night.

The sound alone was enough to make the six members of the brown-black faction shiver uncontrollably. The laughter carried an uncanny tone, creeping beneath their skin, and every beat of it made them realize that they were now standing face-to-face with a figure they should never have encountered in the first place.

Al himself had already shifted his stance ever so lightly. His movements were relaxed, but his eyes glinted with a sharp, blood-red radiance. That single glow was enough to thicken the atmosphere, drowning them further in an oppressive sense of dread.

The tension only worsened. The air grew heavy, suffocating. To the six of them, it felt as though their fate was sealed here tonight.

They instinctively tightened their formation, forcing themselves into a defensive posture. Their hearts raced in silent panic. If the figure before them truly was the infamous Hell Phoenix, then survival itself would be nothing short of a miracle.

Their fear swelled until it was unbearable; eyes darted nervously to one another, and though they outnumbered the man before them, it was they who felt as though they had been surrounded.

Rumors had always claimed that the Black Faction was the weakest among the four DIAR groups. Yet the dread carried by its leader alone was said to be so great that even the leaders of the other three factions remained cautious whenever his name was spoken.

This was because the Black Faction was unique. They were the only DIAR faction that preferred the disciplined control of stable energy in battle, rather than relying on the unstable, destructive power of dark energy. Such restraint made them seem "weaker" on the surface—but it also made them unpredictable.

And yet, the laughter that rolled from Al's lips this time was not a threat.

"Hahaha… Hell Phoenix? Oh, come on… seriously? That's the name you people came up with?" His laugh rang out again, clear and almost cheerful, like someone who had just been told the most amusing joke of the night.

The six figures froze, unsure of how they were supposed to respond. The name that had haunted them, the very title that sent chills down their spines whenever it was mentioned, was now being laughed at by the one who bore it.

"Hahaha… huff… wow… that is honestly hilarious." Al wiped the corner of his eye as though the laughter had brought tears. His voice, though calmer now, still carried traces of amusement. "I've heard the rumors for so long, but it's only now that I finally understand where that ridiculous name came from."

The six could only gape at him in disbelief. Their cautious stance faltered, thrown off balance by his words that sounded half like mockery and half like genuine entertainment. To them, the title was a fearful mark of his existence, yet to him, it seemed to be nothing but a passing joke.

"Besides…" Al tilted his head slightly, still smirking. "Whose brilliant idea was it anyway? Don't tell me it was Axis? If it was, then it all makes sense. That guy has a bad habit of coming up with weird nicknames. Even your organization's name is ridiculous—Ordo Ferox? Really?"

The moment both names—Axis and Ordo Ferox—rolled so casually off his tongue, the six tensed like pulled strings. Irritation flashed across their expressions, and hostility seeped into the air. Cella, Ramla, and Baso in particular showed their aggression without hiding it.

Lagan cast a side glance toward his companions. Lela, for all her composure, clenched her fists faintly at her sides. Ayu's face showed little outward emotion, but Lagan knew she was seething just the same.

It was impossible not to be. How could anyone stay calm when both the name of their group and the name of their leader had been tossed out of this man's mouth so easily, so lightly, as if they carried no weight at all.

Even so, Lagan spread his hand to the side, a subtle gesture to restrain his companions. He could not allow anyone to act recklessly here.

Because if this man truly was the Hell Phoenix, then even with all six of them combined, they held no confidence in their ability to defeat him. To attempt it would be closer to suicide.

"Sir… you seem to know far too much. Even the name of our leader. That can only mean you really are the leader of the Black Faction, aren't you?" Lagan finally spoke, cautiously testing the waters. He was not yet a hundred percent certain, not of the man's true identity nor of his intentions.

But there was one thing Lagan did know. The Black Faction, despite being part of DIAR, had always walked a path that was said to be "closer to peace" with ordinary humans.

Even so, they did not often interfere in human affairs. Rather than acting as heroes or guardians who busied themselves with the struggles of mankind, they were more concerned with building relationships and being regarded as ordinary, living quietly among others.

The rumor said they turned away from such matters entirely, even if a human stood on the brink of death before their eyes.

To them, life was a matter of individual responsibility. Every person had to be strong, had to be mature, had to stand on their own two feet. Those who were destined to die would die. Those who deserved to survive would survive.

Which meant—at least according to rumor—that if they managed to negotiate here, this man would not interfere with their mission against the brown-jacketed human standing nearby.

But then again, rumors were only rumors. Secrets among the DIAR were always harder to uncover than anything belonging to ordinary humans.

"Whether I am the leader of the Black Faction or not, that doesn't matter." Al crossed his arms casually over his chest, his tone calm but sharp enough to keep their nerves on edge. "What matters is that I have a few questions for you."

Lagan fell silent. The weight of that statement alone was enough to make it difficult for him to gauge the situation. Testing the waters with this man felt like dipping a hand into a storm—you never knew if it would be swept away in an instant.

Lela had already stepped forward to stand beside Lagan.

"What is it, sir? If this is about what we're doing right now—" Lela began, but her words were cut off.

"I'm curious about that too, though not entirely," Al interrupted.

Lela and Lagan both took an instinctive step back and fell silent, listening. They exchanged only quick, guarded glances.

"So?" Lela asked.

"First: why are you showing up in this isolated area? Second: I understand factions poach members from one another, but why are you doing it with violence? And third…" he paused for a moment.

A chilling aura rolled off him like a tide, a silent pressure that announced his dominance without a single raised voice. It sank into the space around them, making each of the six flinch and tighten their guard. Even the brown-jacketed man—the ordinary human who had been their target—could feel the unpleasant tremor of energy radiating from Al.

"…how did you learn the identity and the past of our group?" Al's voice sharpened, this time carrying a touch of real feeling.

A fierce gust of energy surged from Al's body toward the six. The blast forced them to stagger back; even with their barrier in place they wobbled, as if struck by the force of a speeding truck. Their limbs swayed; their balance threatened to betray them.

"Answer!" Al's tone went cold.

Lagan's spine prickled. He took a cautious step forward.

"S-sir, please—calm. I'll try to explain," he stammered, though every word tasted like compulsion. He was still calculating whether to expose the organization's secrets.

Should I tell him? Lagan's thoughts churned in confusion. He was trapped between the duty of the mission and the danger pressing in front of them.

Escape with all six of them seemed unlikely. And even if they somehow got away, taking the man they'd come for would be impossible—unless one of them sacrificed himself tonight.

He turned his head briefly to look at the others. Their staggered forms answered him. His gaze met Ayu's; she gave a slight, resigned nod. Lagan returned his focus to Al.

"Lord Hell Phoenix… before I answer—can we finish our business with that man first? We're on a mission, and if we return late, reinforcements may arrive and attack you. Wouldn't that be troublesome and risk igniting a feud between our factions?" he said, drawing the words out to buy time while softening them with a thin edge of threat.

"Are you threatening me?" Al's laugh came out flat, devoid of any amusement. "Besides… wouldn't it be far more efficient if more of your people showed up? Easier to end you all at once than to take you down one by one, don't you think?"

Lagan could only grit his teeth at that arrogant response. Yet to him… coming from someone known as the Hell Phoenix, those words hardly sounded like mere bluster. It was only natural for such a figure to carry that kind of arrogance.

And now, to his own frustration, he realized how foolish he must have sounded—because his earlier words truly did come across as nothing less than a threat.

"No—no, sir. That's not what I meant. I only don't want our leader enraged and start a premature war between our factions," Lagan hurried to say.

"You say you don't want war, yet you just spread a threat to me. How is that different from provoking a war into existence? Are you implying you have the right to start a fight whenever you wish? Or do you think only you can be arrogant and choose who may or may not begin a war? We can do that too." Al's words clipped and sharp, deliberately countering Lagan's attempt at diplomacy.

Lagan recoiled inwardly at how foolish he felt. Everything was worsening. Now they had only two options: fight, or comply with whatever this man demanded.

"Forgive us, sir… it's not like that. We were only trying to give a warning. Isn't your faction supposed to prefer peace?" Lela interjected, trying to salvage the situation after seeing Lagan's awkwardness.

"If you truly see me as the leader of the Black Faction, then what right does a bunch of small fry like you have to issue warnings to me?" Al's words this time carried an even sharper edge, his tone steeped in arrogance with a trace of fury beginning to rise to the surface.

His aura surged once more, pressing down on them with suffocating weight, making their bodies feel heavy and their lungs struggle for air.

Lela froze in shock, while Lagan could only curse inwardly. Instead of helping, Lela had only worsened the situation. In the end, both of them could do nothing but remain silent.

Al watched them carefully and quickly realized they seemed reluctant to give him any kind of answer. Of course, that was to be expected. Such matters were organizational secrets, and most members of a faction would rather die than betray their order by spilling those secrets. So then, what would they choose to do here?

"It seems you don't intend to explain anything. Ugh… this is starting to get irritating. I don't want to waste any more time here. I suppose I'll have to force it out of you," he said flatly.

His gaze shifted toward the figure behind him, and with a light surge of energy, Al wrapped the man's body within a protective barrier. The gesture alone was more than enough to make it clear that a battle was about to begin.

Al extended his senses with a light detection sweep, ensuring no other presences lingered in the area. Once he confirmed the surroundings were clear, his crimson gaze returned to the six figures before him.

But something about them struck him as strange.

Five of them had already taken proper combat stances, ready to clash at any moment. Yet one stood apart—an oddity. A woman with long black hair remained motionless at the back, her eyes closed, as if she had no intention of moving at all.

"Sir… we do not wish to fight you," Lagan spoke again, attempting to stall for time. "We only want to finish our business here and leave this place behind. So please…"

"Hmm? Too many words, and still no answers," Al replied, his tone cool, his stance already shifting forward. "I don't care what business you have with this man, but if you refuse to answer, then you'll gain nothing from this night."

Tension spiked. Lagan and the others stiffened, every muscle bracing for combat.

Why is this dragging on so long… Lagan cursed inwardly, his gaze flicking toward Ayu.

Without another word, without a signal or warning, Al moved. He lunged.

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