The Devil’s Cage

Ignoring the gaze from Teresa behind him, Kieran picked up the orange glowing item from Zaigen’s body.

It was a peculiar right-hand glove which completely covered the thumb but exposed the rest of the four fingers. A small buckle that could tighten the four fingers curled around the wrist section.

[Name: Power Glory]

[Type: Glove]

[Rarity: Rare]

[Attack: Strong]

[Defense: Average]

[Attribute: 1.Heavy Hand, 2. Death Throw]

[Effect: None]

[Prerequisite: Strength B+, Hand-to-hand Combat (Entry)]

[Remark: When Zaigen was still a wrestler, he entered an underground match and gained the highest glory. It was what Zaigen deemed as his most prideful moment, despite not possessing much technique and only relying on brute strength.]

...

[Heavy Hand: After striking or grabbing your target, a Strength authentication will occur. If wearer’s Strength is higher than the target, the target will suffer a Strong power impact and wearer will be able to choose whether to activate Death Throw.]

[Death Throw: A second authentication will happen with a +3 Strength buff for the target. When wearer authenticates successfully, the wearer can throw target in any direction and when crashed into an object, depending on the object’s sturdiness, an Average to Powerful power impact will occur.]

...

Kieran put on [Power Glory] without any hesitation.

Although it was a lower tier Rare equipment with all sorts of limitations, it was still hard to come by for Kieran who had no equipment on his body.

After the buckle was locked tight, Kieran exercised his right palm by opening and closing it. He felt no delay in movements and soon lowered his attention to check the body carefully.

Kieran still had doubts in his heart.

He was able to locate Teresa because of [Tracking] but what about Zaigen?

Even though Zaigen presented himself as a cunning man, he must have utilized other tracking methods because he seemed to have known beforehand that Teresa would be inside the safehouse. Even more so, based on the steps that Kieran heard, Zaigen came in through the main entrance, unlike how he came in through the ladder.

Though, other than a meticulous lighter, a box with three cigars inside and a cigar cutter, Kieran got nothing else from Zaigen.

Kieran frowned as he stood up and turned back to Teresa who remained quiet.

”Can you explain? You both seem to know each other quite well,” Kieran said.

”Zaigen was the leader of the biggest mafia group in Macken state, I once went undercover in his organization. But he should be inside Macken Prison!”

Teresa briefly explained before shifting the topic.

”But now he appeared before you. Who is the one who framed you as the killer of the Winchester House explosion?”

Kieran didn’t press the question of who Bocker was which called for a beating, all he cared was his own mission.

Obvious enough, the slander towards Teresa did not start coincidentally, it must have been planned beforehand, it might even go back as far as when she was undercover.

So, naturally those who framed her would place her safe house under surveillance as well, that was the reason why Zaigen appeared in such a timely manner.

”It’s my deputy chief, but that guy shouldn’t have the authority to sneak a heavy criminal unnoticed out of a state prison.”

Teresa immediately understood what Kieran meant.

”But don’t forget that one of the mayoral candidates died in the Winchester explosion. With such a person of power involved there must be an enemy with the same authority as well,” Kieran reminded her.

”Symende Augen’s biggest rival?” Teresa suddenly realized.

”Seems like you have a candidate at heart. Let’s go, bring everything you need, Hoskin is waiting for us downstairs. We need to find more evidence before paying this person a visit.”

Kieran then headed out of the room.

Teresa too brought her necessary items along and followed closely behind.

...

”2567 killed Zaigen with his bare hands?”

After Hoskin heart what Teresa said, his eyes shone brightly when he looked at Kieran while driving.

Kieran already had a general impression of this Zaigen after the brief explanation from Teresa and the remarks on [Power Glory], but the surprised young man told Kieran that there was much more he didn’t understand about the giant.

”Zaigen is a legend in Macken state, the first famous wrestler, underground brawler, and in the end became the godfather of the mafia, he…”

”He’s trash!”

Teresa interrupted Hoskin.

The young officer paused his words but he dared not refute his superior, because, from many aspects, Teresa’s words were correct.

”Underground brawler?” Kieran was interested in that title.

”That is the beautified title of underground gambling fights. You said that Brigal’s vest had wounds caused by a short knife?”

Teresa was much more concerned about the case and clues at hand.

”En, it should be a dagger but the person who used the dagger seemed to be very skilled,”

Kieran said in a vague manner.

From a certain aspect, Kieran’s words were correct, the person was really skilled since they didn’t leave any traces behind that Grandmaster level [Tracking] could pick up, though it didn’t exclude the possibilities of the person not being a human at all.

”I think our collaboration should be more honest and clear.”

Teresa’s occupation made her dissatisfied about the vagueness in Kieran’s answer.

”I really can’t find a word to describe the skilled technique precisely because of my memory loss,” Kieran opened his hands and expressed himself as an amnesia patient once more.

”An amnesia patient with outstanding combat techniques that exceed even a famous brawler? I’ve seen a lot of famous brawlers that fought Zaigen before, none of them even had the strength to resist him but you killed that bastard in an instant!”

”Plus that tracking technique and how you handle a gun… Don’t you think you owe us an explanation? Don’t f***king tell me you’ve learned tracking techniques from an old hunter and martial arts from an old master!”

Teresa glared at Kieran right in his eyes.

”Who knows, maybe it is,” Kieran smiled.

To be honest, he was in love with the title of ”amnesia patient”.

Teresa grunted angrily after being upset at Kieran’s words.

After a few seconds, she said softly like a small mosquito, ”Thanks.”

”What?”

Kieran clearly heard the gratitude but not Hoskin. He immediately asked out of instinct.

”Shut up! Drive your car! If we haven’t reached in the next five minutes, I swear you won’t even end up in the psych department! I’ll transfer you to guard to storeroom instead!”

Teresa acted like a cat who had her tail stepped on, showing her razor fangs and claws out threatening her foe.

Hoskin was like a mice that got scared and shivered like a cicada in the winter.

Five minutes later, Hoskin finally drove the group to Rudal’s place within the specified time given by Teresa. Only then he was relieved.

The place consisted of lines of independent but crude looking buildings.

After wearing a cap and a pair of sunglasses to hide her attractive red hair and her face, Teresa jumped out of the cruiser the very first moment.

Teresa wasn’t a stranger to Barney the Jackal’s right-hand man, Rudal as well but out of her expectation, Rudal’s room was in a mess without the slightest signs of a living being.

”Damn it, we’re too late!”

Hoskin said in regret after checking the second floor of the house.

”Too late? Not quite,” Kieran smiled and shook his head.