Chapter 34 : THE VALUE OF SIN

“Senior, can we really trust this?”

Rewind to moments earlier, the two sheriffs returned to Rat Town after receiving a tip they couldn’t ignore.

“They claim they found the culprit, and both cases were committed by the same person—is that really true…?”

It seemed too convenient to be a mere coincidence.
If true, it meant a deliberate crime, orchestrated by someone with a deep grudge against Ikazuchi.

“Could it be a trap?”

That thought was natural.
Frequenting Rat Town, they’d gathered their own intel.

The tipster claiming to have caught the culprit?
None other than Rusty.
Skilled and formidable mercs, but also lawless sadists who thrived on chaos.

To Reina’s question, Eric, walking ahead, answered calmly.

“Unlikely.
They know better than anyone that messing with us wouldn’t end well for them.”

They weren’t ordinary cops.
Sheriffs handling major threats to city security, specifically tasked with Ikazuchi-related cases.
Provoking them carelessly could entangle Rusty in this mess, taking the fall.

“Still, they’ve got some scheme cooking.
Refusing* to share info unless we come in person?
I still don’t get where that confidence comes *from.”

Whatever their game, all that mattered was catching the culprit.
After over a month fixated on this case, they were mentally and physically drained.

Rewards for solving the case?
Eric no longer cared.
He just wanted to escape this tedious burden ASAP.

But Reina, still uneasy, asked with a worried look.

“Just in case, shouldn’t we prepare backup?
Like calling support nearby…?”

“No need to worry.
I’ve already set up the most reliable precaution.”

He sounded so confident—it must be fine, right?
Reina felt a twinge of doubt, given Eric’s usual demeanor, but today’s unusually serious expression convinced her to drop it.

Half-convinced, they reached Rusty’s hideout.
The scene awaiting them far surpassed imagination.

“What in the…”

CRACK!

THUD!!

Before Reina could finish, a massive man flew past her.
Collapsing motionless on the ground, his body was covered in gaping wounds.

The stench of blood permeated the building.
Flickering lights illuminated corpses scattered chaotically.

Reina froze, stunned by the unreal carnage.

Then, someone crawled feebly on the floor, flailing both arms.
As he neared, Reina belatedly noticed his lower body was gone.

“Monster…
Save…”

That was it.
Rusty’s leader, staring desperately at the sheriffs, slumped, dead.

“…”

In this death-filled space, only one person stood alone.

She reached out, clutching at the air, as if trying to grasp stars in the night sky.

Turning to the two sheriffs, the woman’s face prompted Reina to recall Karen, tensing and clenching her teeth.

“…Cough!!”

Swaying.

Karen suddenly coughed blood, clutching her mouth, teetering precariously.
Her condition was clearly dire—like a bulb flickering before burning out.

Reina, steadying her breath, asked Eric beside her.

“What do we do…?”

“Arrest her.”

Such a straightforward order.
Reina shakily drew her pistol.
Though a green rookie with little field experience, she glared, following arrest protocol.

“Kneel and hands up!
As of now, you’re under arrest for aggravated robbery and murder!”

Karen stared at the sheriff with bloodshot eyes.
Reina, flinching under that gaze, aimed at her head, issuing a final warning.

“Kneel and hands up now, or I’ll shoot!!”

“Shoot.”

A dry, eerily hoarse voice.

“…What?”

“If your bullet ends my pain, that’s not so bad.
It’ll wash it all away—the sticky blood, the muddy guilt.”

“Stop babbling!
The blood and sins you’ve spilled on this floor will never vanish.
You have to pay for your crimes.”

Heh.
Karen let out a small chuckle.
Hearing such rigidly honest words sparked a question.

“Then who pays for this city’s sins?”

“…If trash like you disappears, it’ll be a lot lighter.”

“Sorry, but I’m not trash.”

The situation unfolded instantly.
Seizing Reina’s brief lapse during their exchange, Karen activated her Stone, launching a surprise attack.

“Ugh…!”

But Reina didn’t just stand there.
Even as a novice, the title of Special Sheriff wasn’t earned lightly.

She couldn’t match Karen’s Stone-enhanced speed, but reflexively predicted her move, aiming and firing.

BANG!!

The bullet grazed Karen’s side.
Thwarted by the unexpected counter, Karen quickly assessed the situation.

A bit tricky, but a normal person could be taken down easily.
The problem was the other sheriff.
Spotting his eye glowing green, Karen realized he was a Stoner.

In her current state, she couldn’t fight a Stoner.
Judging a direct clash unwinnable, Karen shifted tactics.

Grabbing a nearby corpse, she threw it to distract them, then bolted for the back door.

Reina, panicking, fired, but the corpse blocked her shot, and Karen escaped.

“Senior!”

She couldn’t keep up.
Calling for help, she noticed Eric staring toward the front door.

“Chase her.”

“What about you, Senior?”

“Looks like we’ve got uninvited guests.
I’ll deal with them and follow.
You go arrest her.”

“But…”

“She can’t have gone far.
It’s miraculous she’s still alive in that condition.”

Reina hesitated, then nodded, rushing out the back door.

“Got it.
Hurry and catch up!”

Watching his junior disappear, Eric muttered softly, too quiet to hear.

“Yeah.
Not sure if we’ll make it back intact, though.”

It has to be around here…!

Panting, breath ragged from running nonstop, I scanned my surroundings.
According to what I’d heard, Rusty’s hideout was somewhere nearby.

Please, let it not be too late.
Praying to a god I wasn’t sure existed, I searched for Karen.

Then, I spotted a woman hurrying somewhere.
Blonde hair, clear blue eyes, and a distinctive blue uniform—I instantly knew who she was.

Why is that sheriff here…?

That question faded quickly.
Instinct told me she was tied to what I desperately sought, so I tailed her.

Soon, I noticed the sheriff tracking blood droplets on the ground, pursuing someone.

The problem was who that blood belonged to.
Suppressing the foreboding rising in my mind, I followed her.

In a dark alley, devoid of light, I faced a truth I never wanted to confront.

“…No.”

Karen, slumped against a wall, was clearly not okay.
Her breathing was labored, a raspy, frail sound echoing weakly.

“Your escape ends here.”

The sheriff, spotting Karen, slowly drew her gun.
Seeing this, I instinctively pulled my gun, aiming at the sheriff’s head.

I have to shoot first.
If I don’t, Karen might die.
Finger on the trigger, I glared at the sheriff.

Then, Karen, noticing me, sent me a look.

A signal not to shoot.