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Chapter 103: Truce
Chapter 103: Truce
Chapter 103: Truce
Ah, hello.
..!?
Rewinding time to the moment when Adler had just subdued both Charlotte Holmes and Professor Moriarty and soon stepped out of the room
What, what is it?
Why are you so surprised, Miss Lestrade?
Near the bushes of the Garrideb mansion was Gia Lestrade, hidden in a crouching position while holding her breath tight. However, once the familiar voice resounded in her ears, out of the blue, she immediately stuttered out in shock.
Ch-Charlotte Holmes. Im currently in the middle of an important business, so its difficult for me to respond to your call.
Does Miss Lestrade have the conception that shirking off the police work to creepily stalk your boyfriend is part of your duties, perchance?
Charlottes voice, laced with a deadly chill and delivered in a low voice, soon reached her ears.
Its just part of an investigation process that plays a role in the protection of London. No, but how did you
Since you are a policewoman, shouldnt you at least improve your tailing skills a bit? Hiding in the bushes and crouching down doesnt automatically make you hidden and out of sight.
.
Theres even a joke among Londons criminals that to check if Inspector Lestrade is around, one just needs to look in the bushes.
Ill be more careful in the future.
Chastised, Lestrade picked herself up from the bushes with a sheepish expression on her face.
Well, regardless of your motivations, its a good thing that youre here. I happen to be in quite the predicament inside the mansion that is before your eyes right now.
Is this really the great Charlotte Holmes speaking to me?1Lestrade is asking this question because she cant believe that Charlotte is asking for her help and is in a predicament.
Brushing the leaves from her hair, Lestrade was forced to tilt her head in utter astonishment once she heard Charlottes words.
Isaac Adler got the better of me.
Ah, now I understand.
Understand? Understand what exactly? Listen to the very end at least. I have fallen into this predicament because of an unforeseen variab
Just get to the point. If youre asking for my help, it must be urgent, right?
With her pride grazed, Charlotte began mumbling under her breath. A brief silence followed before she sighed and started speaking to the point this time.
Right now, Im tied up in a room with my mana sealed.
Oh dear.
But Im not asking you to rescue me. No, you need to stop Isaac Adler. He said something really ominous about the case being compromised before he left the room, so, Im worried about his safety.
Will you be alright?
Once more, a sigh leaked out of Charlottes lips as she heard Lestrade question her with a hint of concern in her voice.
Right now, with my mana sealed, Im of no use. Itd be more efficient for you to stop Isaac Adler instead of wasting time rescuing me from this place.
Hmm.
Lestrades face twisted as she heard her words, dripping with clear sincerity.
I dont know how many times I have to say this, but I am Isaac Adlers legal girlfriend. Please, show some restrain
Shouldnt you be saying a fake girlfriend, built on lies and pretense instead?
Pardon?
Going forward, if we are to maintain this pretense for the peace of London, I believe you should be maintaining some boundaries instead, Miss Lestrade.
.
You arent the only one who can play that role anymore, Miss Lestrade.
However, Charlotte Holmes didnt pay any heed to her words. She just cut off the communication after saying her piece.
No.
Lestrades voice, dark and brooding, leaked out as she continued to linger on that spot while mulling over Charlottes words.
In London, no one other than me can handle Isaac Adler.
With a look of determination in her eyes, Lestrade muttered those words to herself and quietly marched toward the mansion. With each step, she slowly recalled the complex ties she shared with the man named Adler.
Even if its you, Holmes
However, before she could even take a few steps a strange scene caught her eye.
Wriggle, wriggle
.?
Not far from her, the bushes continued to tremble ever so slightly.
Whos there?
Confused by the sudden anomaly, Lestrade cautiously approached the scene and spoke up And at that very moment
Flick!
Something, accompanied by the sound of air being released, flew out of the bushes and headed straight for Lestrade.
Crack!
Thats quite the violent way to greet someone, dont you think?
Just before the strange thing could hit her face, Lestrade, in a showcase of her superhuman reflexes, deftly dodged to the side. And immediately after, as she saw the rock behind her shatter into a million pieces, she swiftly drew out her baton her gaze frosty like the depths of an icy hell.
..
From the quietly rustling bushes, a barely perceptible killing intent, imperceptible to an ordinary person, could be felt
The sound of gunfire as faint as an ants, a gun that leaves no trace of bullets, and a killing intent that goes fully unnoticed if youre not paying close and careful attention
.
Minus the rather pathetic camouflage skills, you seem to be an exceptionally skilled individual, I must say.
In the precarious atmosphere, Lestrade tensed and readied all of her muscles as she spoke, muttering words that applied to herself as well.
Youve picked the wrong person to mess with.
With that, someone peeked out from the wriggling bushes.
A kid?
For a moment, Lestrade couldnt help but be stunned. She was utterly dumbfounded by the sight of a young girl with messy sky-blue hair covered in foliage and innocent-looking purple eyes getting out of the bushes.
Swoosh
All of a sudden, a sniper rifle, obviously dangerous, popped out of the bushes.
.!
At that sight, Lestrades eyes widened, and the girl pulled the trigger while muttering in a dark voice.
Dont call me a kid.
Celestia Moran and Gia Lestrade.
It was the first encounter between two of Londons most powerful women women who were soon about to compete for the positions of Londons second and third most powerful forces.
.
.
.
.
.
Some moments later
Hah, hah
Eek
After a goosebump-inducing clash of the ages, two girls ended up rolling in the bushes, gnashing their teeth as they confronted each other with their weapons drawn.
Youre pretty good for a runt.
Dont call me a runt.
Moran muttered, pushing back against the baton with all the might in her small body while clutching onto her air gun. Her weapon was already rendered powerless due to Lestrades curse that nullified any and all oddities and supernatural abilities.
How old are you now?
12 years old.
Then you really are a runt.
Eeeek
As she exerted force with an angry expression on her face, Lestrade opened her mouth with an approving look in her eyes.
Quite strong and skilled in hand-to-hand combat for your age. Did you undergo some sort of special training?
Its none of your business.
But, youre a sniper, at the end of the day. Youve lost the moment you entered close combat.
Moran grimaced at those words for a moment, and then murmured as though she was spitting out each and every word.
No, I just need to push you away for a moment, and victory will be mine.
Why do you think that?
Because the emergency pistol in my possession will pierce your head in less than a fraction of a second.
She said with a cold look in her eyes, but her arms began to tremble under the pressure that had now become several times more intense than before.
Sorry, but do you think Id allow you to do that?
Well see who takes the upper hand.
Hmm.
However, Moran took a deep breath, and soon began enforcing more force into her hands to withstand the amplified pressure.
This is troublesome.
Realizing the fight wouldnt end as easily as she thought, Lestrade sighed under her breath as she looked at the mansion in front of her.
Hey.
What?
How about we call a truce?
Turning her gaze back to Moran, pinned beneath her still, she casually offered the suggestion.
A truce?
It seems you might be one of his subordinates, given your skills I have business in that mansion related to him.
Moran quietly tilted her head as she gazed at Lestrade.
I dont really have time to be doing this with you. Its urgent.
Somethings happening inside?
Yes, something extremely dangerous.
Hearing those words, Morans eyes began to waver ever so slightly.
Part of me wants to arrest you right here and now, but if we drag this fight out, it might be too late for us to do anything.
So, lets postpone this skirmish for now, and we can resume after the incident inside the mansion has been resolved.
As Lestrade relaxed her strength first and slowly backed away, Moran paused her movement, her hand reaching for her bosom halting, and gazed intently at Lestrade.
Wise choice.
.
It would be quite foolish to pick a fight with me again unless its a ranged battle, given your exhausted state.
Quietly, she observed Moran for some time before walking toward the mansion.
Pitter-patter
?
However, she had to soon turn her head back, and at the end of her vision she saw the figure of the girl following her in the distance with gentle taps of her feet. She couldnt help but be puzzled by her actions.
Why are you following me?
I have business inside, too.
Werent you ordered to wait here?
Finally, she couldnt stop herself from asking. And hearing her question the girls face, which had been masked with utter calm and cold apathy throughout the fight, suddenly crumbled.
He promised he wouldnt abandon me, but he hasnt contacted me for days, so I followed him here on my own.
Ah.
Upon hearing her somewhat disheartened response, a dazed expression appeared on Lestrade as she held onto the doorknob of the mansion.
By the way, pardon me for asking but, do you know my master?
..
Whats your relationship with him?
Silently observing her, Moran asked with a dark glint in her eyes. Meanwhile, after hearing her question, Lestrade glanced at her once more and replied in a calm voice.
Girlfriend.
..
It seems these days, Adler has been messing around with little kids too.
Watch your words.
Amidst the strange atmosphere, just as the two girls were about to step through the opened door, their gazes directed toward each other became far frostier than ever before.
Hes just raising me.
Thats a typical tactic of Isaac Adler
An ominous realization soon dawned on their faces, and their expressions gradually darkened.
This is
My god.
Since despite the mansions considerable size, it was filled with a pungent smell of blood.
.
.
.
.
.
Just a few minutes later
Gulping drily, the two girls entered the basement of the mansion and began staring blankly at the scene unfolding before them.
Cough.
Isaac Adler, on the brink of death, was on his knees in the middle of the blood-soaked basement. All around him, endless mutilated corpses could be seen as he vomited copious globs of blood.
Youve killed all the masterpieces that Ive been creating over the past few decades.
Ugh
I had creatures that couldve taken over London in a matter of days if set loose And youve destroyed them all in an instant
Meanwhile, Dr. Frankenstein, with a voice that indicated her being halfway on the cusp of insanity, gently caressed his cheek while muttering.
Theres no helping it now
Now youll have to help me create my masterpiece
Tears began to flow from Neria Garridebs eyes as she shivered in a corner of the room, watching the horrifying scene unfold.
Sto, stop it
After Jill the Ripper cut off the supply of bodies, Ive been repeating experiments with nothing but these worthless failures
Please stop, Mother
But with the superior genes from you and me, we wont need to keep repeating the process with the test subjects
But paying no heed to her words, Dr. Frankenstein pulled Adler close and brought the saw she had been holding all along toward his arm.
So, help me bear my masterpieces.
.
Ill modify you to perfection.
Lestrade and Morans eyes, which had been watching the scene with a distinct numbness of disbelief and shock, began rapidly brimming with murderous intent at the same time.
- 1
Lestrade is asking this question because she cant believe that Charlotte is asking for her help and is in a predicament.