I froze, my hand hovering right over the brass doorknob of House 132.
"Wait, big sister! Don't just rush out the door yet! Don't wear that disguise directly to the Immoral Knight base. You will get spotted the exact second you step into the courtyard." Evelyn called out sharply, her heels clicking rapidly against the hardwood as she jogged over to intercept me.
I paused, my single jade-green eye shifting back to her. True to Evelyn's hyper-intelligent calculations, a critical tactical oversight had slipped past my focus. I had the biological DNA to copy Vanessa's face and voice perfectly, but my physical gear was a massive red flag. If I marched into a den of dark-iron vanguard knights wearing my distinct, fire-resistant crimson trench coat and a monstrous Leech's Hollow Mask, the guards would sound the alarms before I could even utter a single passphrase. My clothing had to perfectly fit the illusion.
"Don't worry, I know exactly where to find a replacement, according to the stolen memory logs of the Bureau commanders I processed, the Capital Knights Bureau Association stores confiscated enemy armor and authentic Immoral Knight uniforms in their high-security evidence vaults up in the 8th District. Come on, let's go get you properly dressed." Evelyn said, an eerie, confident smirk crossing her youthful features.
It was a flawless tactical audible. We turned on our heels and exited the townhouse together, stepping back out into the bright morning streets of Caria City.
To blend in seamlessly with the high-tier military personnel, Evelyn had dug through our storage and donned a pristine, tailored Luminous Knight uniform, looking every bit the part of an elite prodigy squire. Beside her, I maintained my imposing silhouette… the mysterious, silent vanguard cloaked in a deep canvas hood and a bone-and-leather mask.
We maintained a rapid, disciplined stride back through the residential avenues until we reached the fortified checkpoint of the 3rd District. Standing guard at the barrier was Renny, who blinked in surprise as he saw the two of us marching back toward the upper sectors so soon after my arrival.
"Good morning, you two sisters, heading up to the fortress? Toll and status cards, please." Renny said with a respectful nod, eyeing Evelyn's crisp uniform and my distinct crimson coat.
Before I could even reach into my slime bodysuit, Evelyn smoothly stepped forward, acting as the responsible, high-ranking sibling. She reached into her pocket, pulled out her status logs, and dropped two gleaming silver coins directly into Renny's tray… graciously covering the transit fee for both of us.
"Thank you, Officer. Official Bureau business," Evelyn stated with perfect, chilling bureaucratic formality.
Renny quickly stamped our clearance logs and pulled back the iron barrier.
"Stay safe up there, ladies. Proceed."
With the toll paid and our objective locked, we marched straight past the gates, navigating the inner districts as we made a direct, uncompromising line for the gargantuan obsidian spires of the 8th District fortress. The ultimate heist on the Bureau's vaults was underway.
The long trek up the tiered elevation of Caria City became a masterclass in tactical financial conservation. By navigating the inner militarized thoroughfares of the 4th District and cutting straight through to the upper perimeter of the 7th District via the official Luminous Knight transit lanes, Evelyn's active deployment credentials effectively exempted us from the standard civilian checkpoint tolls. Watching her flash her authorization papers with flawless bureaucratic precision made me realize that my little sister was far more resourceful than I had initially calculated.
As a fully functioning asset of the Hive-Mind now disguised in a pristine, tailored Luminous Knight uniform, she clearly possessed her own operational funding, courtesy of the high-ranking officers whose identities and bank reserves she had systematically consumed back in the mines. By the time we bypassed the bustling gambling dens and theater hubs of the Entertainment District, her sharp navigation had saved me a total of 8 silver coins in potential detour fees, keeping my personal emergency purse entirely untouched at exactly 5 silver pieces.
When our boots finally struck the polished, sterile cobblestones of the 8th District's main plaza, the sheer authority of the kingdom's military heart loomed over us. The gargantuan obsidian spires of the Capital Knights Bureau Association pierced the morning sky, casting long, sharp shadows across the thousands of elite troops marching in flawless formation.
Standing guard at the primary iron security checkpoint was the towering, plate-armored gatekeeper, Damien Morkov. He lowered his heavy halberd slightly, his visor shifting as his eyes scanned Evelyn's crisp, white-and-gold uniform before locking onto my heavily hooded, masked crimson silhouette.
"Well, if it isn't the two Luminous Knight sisters, back at the belly of the beast so soon? You know the rules, ladies… toll and status cards, no exceptions."
Without a single moment of hesitation, Evelyn stepped forward, her posture radiating absolute, chilling confidence.
"Official strategic requisition order, Officer Morkov. Sponsoring transit for Vanguard Eirene."
She reached into her uniform pouch, pulled out two gleaming silver coins, and dropped them into Damien's armored gauntlet alongside her freshly minted authorization token.
Damien let out a low whistle, pocketing the silver and stamping our clearance logs into the ledger.
"Perfect paperwork, kid. Go on through. Head straight to the logistics wing before the high commanders start sniffing around."
The massive iron gates ground open, allowing us entry into the high-security courtyard of the Bureau. The moment we crossed the threshold, Evelyn turned her twin jade-green eyes toward me, a sharp, analytical focus settling over her features.
"Wait right here in the shadow of the western pillar, big sister, my absorbed memories from the logistics commander give me the exact spatial coordinates of the high-security evidence vault. A masked vanguard walking into the contraband wing will trigger an automatic mana-lockdown, but a decorated squire carrying a routine disposal manifest can walk right in and out."
I nodded, stepping backward into the deep, cool shadows of the obsidian architecture to completely shield my sixth-evolution skin from the intensifying rays of the morning sun. I leaned my head against the stone, keeping my hand close to my concealed weapons as I kept watch.
True to her calculations, less than ten minutes passed before the heavy wooden doors of the eastern archives creaked open. Evelyn stepped out into the courtyard, walking with a casual, unhurried stride. Tucked securely beneath her arm was a neatly wrapped, heavy canvas bundle. She slipped back into the shadows beside me, a triumphant, wicked smirk breaking across her youthful face as she unrolled the fabric just enough for me to see the contents.
It was a pristine, authentic Immoral Knight vanguard uniform… exactly identical to the high-tier gear Vanessa Katt had worn. The bundle contained a reinforced dark-iron breastplate, a heavily stitched black-and-crimson tunic, and a matching tactical armored skirt, all radiating the faint, distinct trace of corrupted syndicate mana.
"Good luck, big sister, since I now possess the complete structural layout and defensive matrix coordinates of the real Immoral Knight base, I'm going to leak the peripheral data straight to the Bureau's high command. Not only will you be able to infiltrate the castle and personally claim Cameron Gal's head without dealing with an entire army, but the credit for exposing their true stronghold will skyrocket my reputation within the Luminous branch. Thank you for the head, by the way... it was absolutely delicious, and the tactical data is flawless. Now, my ascent through the ranks begins." Evelyn said softly, handing the bundle over to me. Her jade-green eyes flared with a brief, bioluminescent hunger.
I offered my little sister a rare, appreciative wave, letting a silent gesture convey my gratitude. I stared down at the dark-iron uniform in my hands, my analytical mind instantly mapping out the logistical requirements of the disguise. To execute this infiltration flawlessly, I would eventually have to completely abandon my distinct, fire-resistant crimson trench coat and the bone-plated Leech's Hollow Mask. However, doing so right now under the blazing afternoon sun would be absolute suicide; the harsh UV rays would instantly blister my demonic flesh the moment my coat was removed. The transformation would have to wait until I reached the perimeter of the target zone.
I raised my right hand, activating the golden Inventory Ring on my ring finger. A localized rift opened in the air, creating a faint, weightless vacuum that instantly sucked the 4.0 kg Immoral Knight uniform into the pocket dimension, storing it right alongside my Death Chant weaponry.
[Inventory Ring 13kg / 25kg]
[Death Chant Shotgun 5kg]
[Death Chant Tommy Gun 6kg]
[Authentic Immoral Knight Vanguard Uniform 4kg]
My plan was now set with mathematical precision. I needed to delay my departure until twilight… the precise chronological window where the sunlight would fade completely, eliminating the risk of biological burns. By taking flight the exact moment the sun dipped below the horizon, my massive, translucent blood wings could carry me across the continent at breakneck, S-rank speeds, ensuring an early morning arrival at the grim, jagged peaks of the Rebelbub Mountain Range. The final stage of the hunt was officially underway, and Cameron Gal had no idea that his "wife" was flying straight for his throat.