After a bit of waiting, the guard returned, now looking much more serious. He beckoned to Nova, who followed without hesitation, leaving the pockmarked man behind with a visible sigh of relief.

'I almost hope he will challenge me. I could use the Soul Power.'

Inside, the warehouse had been transformed from its original purpose. What might have once stored goods now served as an impromptu throne room. Crates and barrels formed a path leading to a raised platform where Nihil sat in a high-backed chair that could generously be called a throne.

The crime lord hadn't changed much since their last meeting. His dark hair was pulled back in a tight knot, and a short beard framed his jaw. Scars marked his face more times than seemed plausible. His eyes remained fixed on Nova as he approached.

Around two dozen armed men and women stood strategically placed throughout the warehouse, weapons drawn and ready.

"Well, well," Nihil drawled as Nova stopped before his makeshift throne. "I wondered when you'd come calling again... Noctis." He emphasized the name, a knowing smile playing at his lips. "Or should I call you Nova now?"

Nova's expression betrayed nothing as he stood before the makeshift throne. The warehouse air hung heavy with dust and the metallic tang of weapons. "You've been busy since our last chat."

"Had to reorganize after you made me ban child trafficking," Nihil replied with a casual shrug. A thin smile spread across his face, making the scars pull tight against his skin. "Not that I'm complaining. It was one of the more unsavory parts of our operation. And there's plenty of other ways to make money."

"How noble of you." Nova's voice dripped with sarcasm. His small frame remained perfectly still against the backdrop of armed guards who shifted nervously around the perimeter of the room.

Nihil leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. The wooden chair creaked under his weight as shadows played across his face. "Cut the shit, kid. You're not here for pleasantries. What do you want?"

"I want you gone," Nova stated simply. His voice carried through the warehouse, bouncing off the high ceiling. "You and your entire organization. Out of Collport, permanently."

Silence fell over the warehouse. The distant sound of waves crashing against the docks filtered through the walls. Several of Nihil's guards exchanged nervous glances, while others tightened their grips on their weapons.

Nihil's expression hardened. The scar across his left eye twitched as he stared down at Nova. "Is that so? And if I refuse?"

"I wasn't asking." Nova's eyes never left Nihil's. "I'm giving you one chance to leave alive. Take your people and go. Find another city to infest."

Nihil's jaw tightened. "I knew I should have taken care of you the last time we met."

"That was your only chance. Your Soul Power is impressive for this city. About twenty thousand, if I had to guess. But it won't be enough."

Nihil's eyes narrowed. "You've grown stronger since our last meeting."

"Much stronger." Nova's voice remained level, but his words carried a weight that seemed to press down on everyone present.

"Well, then." The crime lord rose from his seat, resting his hand on the dark sword at his hip. The weapon seemed to drink in the surrounding light, creating a small pocket of deeper shadow around it. "Perhaps you've forgotten? I know your weakness."

Several faces and weaknesses flashed through Nova's mind once he heard those words. His pulse quickened against his will. Memories of past vulnerabilities surfaced – people he'd cared for, mistakes he'd made, battles where he'd nearly fallen. But one possibility stood out above the rest. His fingers curled into fists at his sides as he realized Nihil was right.

'He knows about our entire operation. How could I be so stupid?'

Seeing Nova fall silent, Nihil smirked. "You understand now? One word from me, and that overseer will know exactly what is going on here. You may be stronger than last time, but Overseer Morten is on another level."

Nova had to stifle a laugh. The relief he felt as Nihil revealed his grand plan was immense. But before making any rash moves, he had to make sure.

He pretended to falter back, keeping his face stiff. "Hah, the overseer? And how would someone like you be able to contact him?" His voice was a bit too loud, a bit too boisterous.

Nihil smirked. The expression soon spread to his lieutenants, who burst into confident laughter. "I spoke to him in person as he left Collport, telling him I had some info he might find interesting. He gave me a formation that would let me speak to him directly. And even if you kill me, I've given it to several of my underlings."

Nova found it hard to keep pretending. The situation was too comical.

'Heh, my own communication formation, used to threaten me. Well, I guess there's no reason to stay civil anymore.'

[Fragment of Nova Noctis equipped.]

The fragment didn't give him much in terms of Soul Power, but it gave him the evolving killing intent. And this place was the perfect place to unleash it. At the same time, he grew to twice his previous height. His skin started glowing white, illuminating the dusty corners of the warehouse. The floorboards creaked beneath his suddenly increased weight.

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The power contained within his body might not be possible to sense, but his Absolute Intent silenced the room in an instant. Guards froze in place. Weapons clattered to the floor from nerveless fingers. The air turned thick, almost impossible to breathe.

"W-What are you doing?" Nihil's voice cracked. Sweat began to pour down his face as he gripped the arms of his chair with white knuckles. This was his first time facing the full force of the Absolute Intent.

"You talk so much about underlings and respect, Nihil. I'm surprised you haven't already figured it out."

The sharp tendril of killing intent slashed through the warehouse at random, severing anything and anyone getting in its way. Metal screamed as weapons split in two. Armor plates shattered like glass. Even magical barriers collapsed with wet, tearing sounds. Screams filled the air as guards fell to the ground in pieces. It was a bloodbath.

"Don't come any closer!" Nihil shouted. He scrambled backward on his throne, pressing against the wall behind him. "If you kill me, the overseer will know before morning! I swear it!"

"The overseer…" Nova stepped forward through the carnage. His glowing form cast long shadows across the bodies littering the floor. "...is my underling, Nihil."

"I don't believe you!" Nihil bellowed. He leapt to his feet and drew his weapon fully. The warehouse plunged into supernatural darkness as the blade emerged. Shadows deepened until they seemed almost solid.

"That doesn't matter." Nova continued his advance, untroubled by the darkness. If anything, they made him more dangerous than before.

Nihil swung his sword at Nova with all his power. The blade cut through the air with a whistling sound, dragging shadows after its path.

Nova caught it with his bare hand. The blade stopped dead. Metal ground against his palm, letting the edge fruitlessly attempt to cut into his skin. "I gave you so many opportunities to leave. But I'm glad you're still here. I've missed having enemies that are better to me dead."

Nihil's eyes grew wide as he stared at the sword in shock. His hand released the hilt as he backed up. The weapon remained suspended in Nova's grip. "What fucking power…?"

The crime lord turned and jumped up in the air to escape. His boots pushed off the floor with desperate strength as he aimed for a high window.

"Too slow."

Nova jumped after him. The wooden floor splintered beneath his feet, sending shockwaves through the entire warehouse. In what seemed like an instant, he reached the window Nihil was aiming for, turned in mid-air, and prepared his fists for an overhead smash.

Nihil barely had time to see what happened. His eyes widened in the split second before his shoulder was crushed by Nova's fists. The impact gave off a sickening series of cracks as bone and tissue pulverized under the force. All the breath was pushed out of his lungs in a violent gasp. Nova's hands disconnected from the strike, sending the crime lord rocketing back down to the floor.

Nihil bounced on the thick wood before lying there, unmoving. A small pool of blood spread beneath his broken form.

Nova landed next to him a moment later, shaking the ground.

The few guards that remained in the warehouse stared in shock. Then they started fleeing for their lives. Boots pounded against wood as they scrambled toward exits, shoving each other aside in their desperation to escape.

'I didn't want to let them escape, but I'm pretty sure I won't see them in Collport anymore. That's why the head of the snake is such a good target.'

He studied Nihil quickly, using his skills as a doctor to understand that the man didn't have long left. His cracked bones had probably torn up his insides and punctured his left lung, which made his breath come out in wet, ragged gasps.

Nihil opened his clenched eyes, staring up at Nova with a mix of sadness and rage. He shouted up at him, using what little strength remained. "Where the fuck were you when I was young?!" He coughed, spitting up a tiny bit of blood. "Why didn't I get that care? Why did I have to lose everything?!"

Nova paused. He knew that life in the lower district would be harsh, and that street rats only did what they did to survive. The boss of such a group would obviously have lived a tough life. But that didn't change everything that happened after.

"...I'm not sure where I was exactly. But I'm sure I was doing the same thing—saving the innocent. Just like I am doing right now." Nova's voice remained cold, emotionless.

"You think killing me will save innocents?!" The outburst cost him, triggering another coughing fit as blood flecked his lips. "You... you think the lower district would be better off without me?"

"Wouldn't it?"

"Fuck no!" The words came out as a wet gasp, followed by a violent cough that spattered crimson across his tunic. He grimaced, pressing a trembling hand against his shattered ribs. Each word seemed to cost him dearly, but he forced them out anyway. "What do you think prevents people from… killing their neighbors for their souls?"

He paused, struggling to draw another breath. Speaking was only hastening the inevitable, yet his eyes burned with conviction. "What do you think it takes to stop the starving from taking hundreds of gold with a simple slash of a knife?"

The realization struck Nova hard. He hadn't considered it. Naively, he had thought laws and rules had kept the poor from cannibalizing each other. But when had those ever stopped a mother from feeding her starving child? Or a father providing for his family?

'...I've been blind. In this world, where every life is a walking bag of gold, of course something would have to be in place to protect them. Most of all in poor areas.'

The warehouse felt suddenly colder as the implications cascaded through his mind. The silence stretched between them, broken only by Nihil's labored breathing and the distant sounds of fleeing footsteps as the last of his men abandoned their fallen leader.

"...Go on, then. Tell me."

Nihil's eyes fluttered briefly, struggling to maintain focus. The effort of speaking had clearly drained him. "It takes giving the poorest an option… It takes making sure everyone knows that taking a life is rewarded with death."

A spasm of pain crossed his face, and he closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, they fixed on Nova with surprising clarity.

"The city needs two rulers, because that fucker sure as hell won't care about what happens down here" His voice cracked on the last words, and a bitter smile twisted his bloodied lips. "To him, it's just more taxes from the soul traders."

"And as soon as one murder goes unpunished, the rest will follow?" Nova asked, taking in the consequences that might follow his actions—a chain reaction, impossible to stop.

"Exactly…" Nihil whispered, shutting his eyes again. "Can you stop that from happening?"

'Not alone. Not now… Maybe I need to compromise here, whatever he has done in the past… In some ways, this man is less to blame than Newark.'

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