Chapter 20: The Devil

"At least tell me why you’re doing this!" Sofia demanded, her voice trembling with a mixture of anger and fear. "What do you want from us? Money? Is that it? The government will give you whatever you want, so just stop hurting these people!"

The masked leader slowly turned toward her.

"Well, well."

He approached her with an amused expression hidden beneath his mask.

"Look at that. Someone still has the courage to speak."

Sofia clenched her fists. Her nails dug into her palms.

She had watched people die before her eyes. She had heard their screams, seen the blood spreading across the floor, and felt the helplessness of knowing that she could do nothing to stop it.

But she couldn’t remain silent forever.

If these men intended to kill them anyway, she at least wanted to know why.

The leader stopped in front of her.

"You want to know what we want?"

Sofia nodded cautiously.

"Yes."

He tilted his head.

"Then let me ask you something first. Do you know why people like you are so easy to control?"

Sofia frowned.

"What?"

"Because you’re all the same."

He crouched in front of her, bringing his masked face level with hers.

"You spend your entire lives believing that the world is fair. You study, work hard, follow the rules, and convince yourselves that if you behave like good little citizens, someone will come running to save you when you’re in trouble."

He chuckled.

"But look around you, sweetheart."

He gestured toward the hostages.

"Where are your heroes? There is no one and that’s the reality."

He paused for a moment, then looked around at terrified hosteges and said,

"Ever since the portals arrived on Earth, everything has changed," the leader continued, spreading his arms. "Monsters emerged from those portals, and humanity was forced to adapt. People awakened powers, climbed the ranks, and gained abilities that ordinary people could only dream of."

He paused, glancing at the terrified hostages.

"At first, everyone believed those powers would save humanity. And in a way, they did. But tell me, what happened to the people who never awakened? What happened to those who were too weak to protect themselves?"

Nobody answered. Sofia could hear her own heartbeat. Pounding. Fast.

"They became stepping stones for the strong."

The leader chuckled beneath his mask.

"Two centuries have passed since the first portal appeared, yet the world hasn’t changed as much as you might think. The strong rule, the weak obey, and everyone pretends that’s how things should be."

He slowly rose to his feet.

"Overlords control entire domains. Powerful guilds decide who gets to live comfortably and who gets left to rot. The World Government claims to maintain order, but even they have to bow their heads before certain people."

His gaze swept across the hostages.

"And you know what’s funny? You people still believe that you’re safe. You pay your taxes, follow the laws, and trust the government, guilds and powerful awakners to protect you."

"...But we know the truth! We wanted an opportunity to show what are we capable off! We were hiding in shadows, waiting for right moment to come our way and it did, Now we can show the world what happened if they think they’re at the top of food chain! Hahahahh....hahah!"

The leader’s laughter echoed through the dining hall.

He spread his arms, looking around at the terrified hostages.

"Today, we’re going to show the world what happens when those who think they’re at the top of the food chain finally meet their predators!"

His laughter grew louder. It filled the room like poison.

Several hostages lowered their heads, too frightened to even look at him. Others trembled uncontrollably, silently praying that someone would come to save them.

But no one came.

The government forces had surrounded the building, yet none of them dared to storm inside. The lives of dozens of hostages were hanging in the balance, and every passing second made their situation more desperate.

Sofia clenched her teeth. Her jaw was tight. So tight it ached.

"So, you’re doing all this just to prove something?" she asked, struggling to keep her voice steady. Inside, she was screaming. "You’re killing innocent people just to make yourselves feel powerful?"

The leader’s laughter abruptly stopped.

He turned his masked face toward her.

"Just to prove something?"

He repeated her words as though they were the funniest things he’d ever heard.

Then, without warning, he grabbed her by the hair and yanked her head backward.

Pain exploded across her scalp. She gasped involuntarily.

"Listen carefully, you bitch. We don’t need a reason to kill you. You’re weak, and we’re strong. That’s all that matters in this world."

Sofia winced as his grip tightened, but she refused to scream. She bit her lip instead. Tasted blood.

"You’re nothing but cowards hiding behind masks," she spat. "If you were really strong, you wouldn’t need to take innocent people hostage, you should have attacked directly World Goverment headquarters, famous guild base or any powerful awakners in the world. You are nothing but delusional basterd who’s think that he’s right and everyone is wrong, you fuck face!"

For a moment, the dining hall fell silent.

The leader stared at her.

Then he laughed again.

"Well, well. What a brave little thing."

He released her hair, only to strike her across the face.

SLAP!

Sofia’s head snapped to the side.

A fresh wave of pain spread across her already bruised cheek. Her vision blurred. The taste of blood filled her mouth.

She nearly lost her balance, but the restraints around her wrists prevented her from using her hands to steady herself. She almost fell but caught herself. Her shoulders screamed.

"Anyone else want to lecture me?" the leader asked, glancing at the other hostages.

Nobody answered.

"Good."

He turned back to Sofia and crouched in front of her.

"Now, let’s see how long that courage of yours lasts."

He reached for the gun at his waist.

Several hostages gasped.

Sofia’s eyes widened as he raised the weapon and pressed its barrel against her forehead.

For the first time since the attack began, her resolve wavered.

She didn’t want to die.

She hadn’t accomplished anything she wanted to accomplish. She hadn’t even had the chance to escape Lorenzo Riina’s grasp and live her own life.

Was this really how she was going to die?

Without achieving anything?

Without ever seeing her family again?

Her lips trembled.

But even with a gun pointed at her head, she refused to beg.

The leader tilted his head.

"What’s wrong? Where did all that courage go?"

Sofia glared at him, her eyes glistening.

"Go to hell."

The leader’s shoulders shook with amusement.

"Gladly. But you’re coming with me first."

His finger moved toward the trigger. She could see it happening. Could feel it coming.

And then—

BANG! BANG! BANG!

A gunshot erupted from somewhere behind him.

The leader’s body jerked.

For a split second, he remained frozen, seemingly unable to comprehend what had happened.

Then he staggered sideways, clutching his shoulder.

"WHO THE HELL—?!"

Before he could finish, another shot rang out.

BANG!

The bullet struck his hand, knocking the gun from his grip.

Every head in the dining hall turned toward the sound.

Standing at the entrance was a young man with blood staining his clothes.

One hand pressed against the wound in his side, trying to keep pressure on it. The other held a handgun. Steady. Despite the trembling in his body.

His breathing was heavy. Blood trickled down his arm. More blood soaking through his side.

Yet his eyes remained fixed on the man who had threatened to kill Sofia.

His eyes were different now. Something had shifted in them.

Lorenzo Riina, The devil had arrived.

And he was no longer the same person who had entered this building.