Brennan closed his eyes, as if reminiscing about something.
"Three years ago, my daughter Nina contracted a terminal illness. I went to every hospital and sought out every famous doctor, but none could cure her."
His voice grew lower and lower.
"The doctor's conclusion was... she only had one year to live."
Machi Komacine fell silent.
"I couldn't accept it."
Brennan opened his eyes, tears shimmering within them.
"I even sought out Sanbica from the Association. She is a Virus Hunter; she used every means to examine her, but unfortunately, she had no solution either."
He clenched his fists.
"I didn't give up. I tried every method—folk remedies, witch doctors, even those frauds... but nothing worked."
His voice began to tremble.
"Eleven months later, just as I was about to give up... the Doctor found me."
He raised his head and looked at Machi Komacine.
"She said she had a way to cure my Nina. The price was that any news from the Association must be reported to her. When she had a need, I must also provide assistance."
"I had no choice."
His voice became firm.
"I love my Nina very much. As long as there was hope, I would agree. Even if it meant killing many people, since that was a point of no return, I didn't care!"
He paused.
"She took my Nina away. Two weeks later, my daughter returned—whole and healthy, she returned to my side."
Machi Komacine's brow furrowed even tighter.
"But she told me this was only a temporary stabilization. Every six months, she still needs to take the medicine they provide, or it will relapse."
Brennan lowered his head.
"In these years, I only provided some information about the travels of Association members to them. Also, every time you all mobilized, I would notify them via encrypted phone."
Leo spoke up.
"The information about Aistan Island and the Scepter Fragments, you provided those too, didn't you?"
Brennan nodded.
"The Doctor called me and asked me to obtain the archived files and related items for her. I didn't want to agree at first because the risk was too great; after all, they had just been sealed away, and I was afraid you Zodiacs would take them out for investigation again."
He raised his head, a hint of madness flashing in his eyes.
"But if I didn't do it, the supply of my daughter's medicine would stop! I had no choice!"
His eyes were bloodshot, and he was almost shouting.
"The lives of those people, and mere data and items, are not as important as Nina's life!"
A brief silence fell over the office.
Leo looked at him, his gaze still cold and his heart unmoved; a pathetic person must have a detestable side, and he would not sympathize with Brennan.
"Are there other people working for the Doctor in the Association?"
Brennan shook his head and said,
"As far as I know, there shouldn't be. Even if there were, you should be able to find them, right?"
Brennan glanced at Kalluto standing at the door; he could see that Leo and Machi Komacine had relied entirely on Kalluto's ability to ferret him out.
"Is Pariston in league with you?"
Leo asked.
Brennan shook his head.
"No."
He paused.
"But I think he must have sensed I was a problem. Every time, my actions were too smooth, without a single obstacle."
Machi Komacine took a deep breath. As expected, Pariston was also pulling strings in the background.
Leo said softly,
"Since he sensed it, it means he was happy to see the Association run into trouble. To him, this is very interesting; he truly is a disgusting fellow."
"We will verify what you've said."
Machi Komacine stepped forward.
"Now, please put down your work and come with us."
Brennan looked at him and gave a tragic laugh.
He shook his head.
"I'm not going with you."
Before his voice could fade—he suddenly raised his right hand, condensed all his Nen, and slammed it toward his own head!
Rather than being interrogated, imprisoned, and publicly executed—it was better to end it himself.
That way, at least it wouldn't be too embarrassing.
Furthermore, Nina had already obtained enough medicine.
He had made demands to the Doctor beforehand, providing the Aistan Island files and items only after securing a large amount of medicine.
As long as he died, his daughter could continue to live.
This was the last thing he could do.
His palm carried a fierce wind, only an inch from his temple—in the next instant.
A hand appeared in front of him.
Five fingers like iron pincers clamped tightly onto his palm!
Crack!
A terrifying, massive force suddenly struck!
Brennan didn't even have time to scream before he watched his entire palm being crushed raw in Leo's hand!
Blood splattered!
Broken bones pierced through the skin, revealing pale, jagged shards!
"Ah—!!!"
Brennan let out a heart-wrenching scream, sliding from his chair and collapsing to the floor, trembling violently.
He clutched his now-shapeless hand, his whole body convulsing in pain, his Face full of agony and terror.
Machi Komacine suddenly shouted,
"Leo, don't kill him, give me some Face."
Leo didn't turn his head, only waving a hand at Machi Komacine before crouching down.
He reached out and grabbed Brennan's lower jaw.
With a gentle twist.
Crack!
Brennan's jaw was dislocated!
His mouth hung wide open, making muffled "wu wu wu" sounds, unable to shout a single word.
Leo stood up and looked down at him.
His gaze was cold as frost, devoid of even a hint of pity.
"Want to die?"
He said softly.
"That's too easy for you."
He turned and walked toward the door.
"Right now, your life doesn't belong to you. It belongs to me."
His voice drifted from the doorway.
"Without my consent, don't even think about dying like this."
Brennan lay slumped on the floor, his whole body shaking, letting out incoherent whimpers from his mouth.
Blood welled up from his shattered palm, staining the floor red.
Machi Komacine watched all this in silence.
He looked at Leo's back, then at the once-familiar old colleague on the floor, complex emotions welling up in his heart.
Ultimately, he said nothing.
He stepped forward, hauled Brennan up, and walked toward the interrogation room.
Kalluto stood by the door, quietly observing everything.
He looked at the pool of blood on the floor, at Brennan's mangled hand, and at Leo's departing back.
Then, he smiled.
The smile was very shallow and faint, yet full of meaning.
'So interesting.'
He said silently in his heart.
'This Leo... is truly interesting.'
Outside the interrogation room.
Leo and Machi Komacine stood before the one-way glass, looking at Brennan inside.
After emergency treatment, his injuries were temporarily stabilized.
His shattered hand was wrapped in thick bandages, and he was cuffed to a specialized interrogation chair, unable to move.
His head was lowered, his expression unreadable.
Machi Komacine spoke slowly, his voice hoarse and heavy.
"This was my dereliction of duty."
He looked at Brennan inside, his eyes full of self-reproach.
"I've known him for so many years, yet I never discovered..."
Leo didn't look at him, his gaze still fixed on Brennan.
"Since he's been found, the rest is up to you."
He said.
"Get everything he knows out of him."
Machi Komacine nodded.
"Yes."
Leo turned and walked toward the end of the corridor.
"I'm heading out for a bit."
Machi Komacine watched his back, opening his mouth as if to say something.
Ultimately, he just nodded slightly.
"Be careful."
Leo didn't look back.
His figure disappeared at the end of the corridor.
There was still one person to catch—the one with the teleportation ability who could freely enter and leave the Doctor's base.
That was the real big fish.