Silence
Pure and utter silence was what followed after the shocking death of Vexa.
Noctis, Silith, Gorr, and Morrow stared at Vexa’s corpse in disbelief.
They were not able to comprehend what just happened.
If Simon was shocked and baffled by the sudden turn of events.
He didn’t know how to react, but compared to the Grey Pact, he was quick to recover from the shock of Vexa’s death.
He looked at the First Blade who killed Vexa, and his eyes moved to one of the First Blade’s four hands.
He saw that on the First Blade’s hand was a gauntlet with claws, and Simon was instantly confused when he saw it.
’Why is he wearing a gauntlet with claws? He uses the sword, and from the information I have on him, he has never used another weapon.’
’He doesn’t even like using his fists. So why is a wearing a gauntlet?’
’And why did he use the claws to kill Vexa?’
’No.’
’The most important question is why did he kill Vexa? Are they not working together?’
Just as Simon had these thoughts and questions in his mind, the Grey Pacts came back to their senses and quickly distanced themselves from the First Blade.
"What the fuck is going on?" Noctis asked with a baffled expression and tone.
None of them could answer because they also had the same questions in their minds.
And the demon that could give them the answers was standing before the corpse of their captain.
They all wanted to rage and charge at him in anger, but they had been trained by the clan and they knew that doing such a thing would lead to their death.
It would be foolish.
"Heh..." First Blade scoffed. "If I didn’t have to kill you, I would have commended you for not charging at me in anger."
The expression of the four changed, and they instantly felt a chill across their spines.
And this chill was not because of the cold wind of the north.
Absolutely not.
It was their instincts warning them of immense danger and incoming death.
They all took a step back.
"Why? Why do you want to kill us? We’re meant to work together." Silith asked with a slightly trembling tone.
Her eyes darted around, and she tried looking for a way to escape.
However, all she was a vast frozen sea and glaciers in the distance.
They had chosen such a location so that they could kill Simon without anybody knowing and so that House Mercer would eventually ’find’ the culprit.
There was more to the plan Caesar gave them, but the Grey Pact could not help but curse First Blade because this frozen sea was most likely going to be their resting grounds.
Meanwhile, First Blade scoffed the moment he heard Silith’s words.
"Work together with a bunch of ants?"
His body flickered, then he reappeared in front of Silith.
His black eyes, long white beard, pale wrinkled skin, and bone mask were mere inches from Silith’s face.
Silith shrieked like a little girl, and her heart started beating like a horse on steroids.
The terror she felt could not described.
Puchi!
Cough!
She coughed out a mouthful of blood and looked down at her left chest which had a hand sticking out of it.
Plop!
First Blade removed his gauntlet covered arm from Silith’s chest, then the light in her eyes faded away.
A second later, she fell with a thud.
"How arrogant of you to think that I would work with a bunch of ants."
Noctis, Gorr, and Morrow’s eyes widened in disbelief, shock, and terror when they saw Silith’s corpse on the frozen sea.
First Blade looked at trio, then he shook his head and scoffed.
"Before you die, I guess I should tell you so that you can maybe tell your teammates when you meet them in hell."
Noctis, Gorr, and Morrow had a terrible feeling in their guts, and they became even more afraid.
"That bastard called Caesar was the one that told me to kill you guys."
"You’re lying! Why would he?!"
To Simon’s surprise, the person that shouted was Morrow who had never said a single word from the moment he met him.
Meanwhile, First Blade nonchalantly shrugged.
"Don’t ask me. We came to an agreement. I gave him something, and in exchange, he said he’ll give me that kid..."
He pointed at Simon who was placing a vial in front of Lucien’s nose.
Simon looked at First Blade with a slight frown, but his expression was calm compared to Morrow, Gorr, and Noctis’ expression.
"... Caesar just gave me a single condition, and that’s for me to kill you guys with this artifact."
He raised his hand and shook the clawed gauntlet.
"And I’m to also dispose of your corpses through a particular method."
This time around, Noctis, Gorr, and Morrow had baffled expressions and were less fearful.
Why did Caesar give First Blade so many instructions on how to kill them?
What was the purpose?
Even Simon could not understand or think of a single possible answer to Caesar’s goal.
First Blade was the same, but he didn’t care.
All he cared about was obtaining Simon and making him his vessel.
Whatever plans Caesar had for the unfortunate Grey Pact was none of his business.
"I think I’ve been kind to you guys, right?"
The First Blade’s wrinkled forehead creased as he smiled behind his mask.
"You may die now."
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Noctis, Gorr, and Morrow instantly ran in different directions.
They blew through their demonic energy without consideration for their physical condition.
They used the best movement arts they knew.
And they did everything they could to survive.
But how could they hope to achieve anything against First Blade who was a Supreme Greater Demon?
"Futile."
First Blade scoffed, then he vanished.
Three seconds later, he reappeared in the same spot with the corpses of the trio in his hands.
He dropped them on the ground with an indifferent expression, and blood began to flow from their corpses onto the frozen sea.
"You’re next kid." First Blade said with a cold smile.