Reborn with my killer's looks-Chapter 52: Radiant Truth

The Blue Reaper and Zelda moved through the dimly lit hallway of St Raphael’s basement floor like ghosts.

Three Achusoi guards armed with basic weapons like pipes, bats and even had a crowbar.

"On three," the Blue Reaper whispered.

"Wait." Zelda held up a hand. "Let me try something."

Before he could stop her, she stepped into the open.

"Excuse me!" she called out cheerfully.

All three guards spun around.

"Mind telling us where....."

One of the guards charged her with the crowbar raised.

Zelda sighed. "Nobody ever wants to talk."

Her whip lashed out, wrapped around the crowbar and yanked it from his hands.

It clattered across the floor and the blue Reaper moved in from the side knocking the guard out.

The second guard swung his pipe and the Blue Reaper caught it, twisting it out of his grip. He delivered a precise chop to the side of his neck, turning his lights out.

The third guard looked at his unconscious friends, looked at the Blue Reaper then at Zelda.

"I’m not even getting paid for this." the guard said and took to his heels.

"Should we..." Zelda started.

"Just let him go."

They continued down the corridor.

"You’re holding back," Zelda observed, stepping over an unconscious guard. "You could’ve killed them easily."

"They’re just desperate people being used," the Blue Reaper said, checking around a corner. "Most of them probably don’t even know what’s really happening here."

"That’s... surprisingly thoughtful for someone called the Blue Reaper."

Zelda smiled slightly but quickly reminded herself that students are in danger

They reached another door, this one was reinforced steel with a keypad.

"Stand back." Zelda’s whip glowed and she struck the keypad once.

And somehow the lock automatically disengaged with a click.

"Show off," the Blue Reaper muttered.

"You’re welcome."

They opened the door and red light flooded out.

inside, dozens of student bodies lay sprawled across the concrete floor.

The blue reaper balled his hands into fists and zelda’s breadth caught.

He moved through the room, checking the other students most of whom weren’t even able to move much less talk.

But he was looking for someone in particular and he couldn’t find them.

Voices came from behind a partially open door.

The Blue Reaper gestured to Zelda and she noded back.

They moved silently to the door and positioned themselves to listen.

He moved to push the door open but Zelda grabbed his arm.

"Wait," she mouthed. "We need to know what we’re dealing with."

The Achusoi who were chasing Alessia had been knocked out but she was left on the concrete floor, barely conscious.

Her robe was tattered, her face was bruised and blood trickled from her nose.

Milo DiMarco stood over her.

"You know what I hate most?" Milo said conversationally, crouching down beside Alessia. "Achusoi like Huey cross who think they have any value but should infact be grovelling at my feet."

Alessia’s eyes twitched but she couldn’t respond.

"He had everything handed to him on a silver platter," Milo continued. "Major House, resources, connections. And he went and wasted it by Being Crestless trash."

She grabbed Alessia’s hair, yanking her head up.

"But you? You’re even worse. You worship him. Follow him around like a pathetic little dog hoping for scraps of attention."

Alessia tried to speak. "He’s... not..."

"Shut up." Milo slammed her head back down. "You don’t get to defend him. Not after everything."

She stood up, circling Alessia like a predator.

"I hate people like uou. Topplers who were born into privilege and never had to fight for anything."

"That’s... not true..." Alessia managed.

"ISN’T IT?" Milo’s voice rose. "You don’t know what it’s like! Clawing your way into Virelia from nothing! Working three jobs just to afford the application fee! Watching the rich kids breeze through admissions while you beg for scholarships!"

She kicked Alessia in the ribs causing her to gasp and curl in on herself.

"My sister and I, we had to fight for every single thing we ever got. Every meal, every opportunity...." Milo’s voice cracked. "And then she died because some privileged asshole thought her life was worth less than his convenience!"

Her expression twisted with rage and grief.

"Marco would still be alive if people like him didn’t exist. Taking up space and wasting opportunities people like us would kill for."

"So I’m going to make you suffer first. I’ll have a little fun before I kill you and live your lifeless body in front of him so he’ll know what it feels like to lose someone." Her hand moved inappropriately toward Alessia’s collar. "Then I’m I’ll to kill him next and I’m going to do it slowly. I’ll Make him beg for the mercy he’ll never get."

Milo’s fingers touched her chest inappropriately and then the door exploded inward.

The Blue Reaper moved so fast he was barely visible.

He landed a single kick and Milo flew backward and slamming into the wall. The impact knocked the wind out of her.

The Blue Reaper immediately went to Alessia, kneeling beside her and lifting her head gently.

"Hey," he said softly. "You’re okay now. I’ve got you."

Alessia’s eyes focused on his mask. "You... came..."

"Of course I came."

Milo pulled herself up from the floor, gasping for air.

"How..." She looked at the Blue Reaper. Then at Alessia. Then at the wire still clutched in Alessia’s bound hands. "You kept it."

Her eyes widened.

"It had a tracker." Said the Blue reaper.

She stared at how the Blue Reaper held Alessia with farmilarity and apparent care.

"No," Milo whispered. "No, that’s impossible. You can’t be...."

Zelda stepped through the door.

The pattern in her eyes became radiating lines of light spreading outward like the sun through glass.

Her whip unfurled and glowed with golden light.

She had not fully manifested the capabilities of her Omega-level crest but was able to use bits of her with her weapon.

She showed promise that it would one day develop into ’The Radiant Truth’

"Don’t move," Zelda said.

Milo tried to activate her Crest and the whip wrapped around her before she could finish the motion binding her arms to her sides.

She struggled but the whip held firm.

"What is this" Milo gasped. Her body going rigid. "What are you doing to me?!"

"Aletheia’s Chain," Zelda said calmly. "It amplifies my crest, compelling truth from those it binds. You can fight it, but you’ll just hurt yourself."

The Blue Reaper stood, still holding Alessia carefully. "She’ll talk."

"I’m not confessing to anything—"

"Yes," Zelda interrupted, "you are. That’s the entire point of the whip."

Alessia, barely conscious, managed to speak. "Please... do it first... before treatment..."

The Blue Reaper looked down at her. "You need medical attention....."

"Please." Her eyes were pleading. "We need to do this so we can finally clear your name."

The Blue Reaper looked into her eyes and she looked into his back.

He forced a nod and gently set Alessia down against the wall, propped up so she could watch.

Zelda dragged Milo to the center of the room and forced her into a chair that fortunately been sitting in the corner.

"The rest of the... students that were taken need help and...you also need to stop the experiments they are running in the lab." Said Alessia in stops, using the most of the energy left in her body.

Zelda opted to go and save them while the blue reaper stayed here to record.

The Blue Reaper pulled out a camera from the zone set it up.

"What are you doing?" Milo demanded. "You can’t—"

"Watch me."

He positioned the camera, making sure Milo was centered in frame.

Then he reached up and removed his mask and pulled down his hood....

Milo recognized the dark blue hair with the white tips and that face, the face she had seen a number of times around campus and in her worst nightmares.

’Huey Cross.’

Milo’s eyes became so wide they looked like they might fall out of her head.

"No," she breathed. "No. NO. That’s not—you can’t be—"

"Yes," Huey said calmly, looking directly into her eyes. "I’m the Blue Reaper."