The Broken Halo

Sonya told Simon everything that happened, and she made sure not to leave out any important detail.

Despite how playful and carefree she seemed, she knew the situation could easily escalate. The Velmora guards would come looking for her sooner or later, and because of how capable Simon was in her eyes, hiding anything from him would only make matters worse.

She told him about the abandoned bathhouse, the hidden tunnels beneath it, and the rebels preparing to attack the convoy carrying supplies to the rift.

She also explained how the leader tried to collapse the safehouse, how she held the structure up while fighting, and how he later tried to detonate everything beneath the street.

Simon listened without interrupting.

He remained beside the window with the Fury Tempest Art on the table. His expression stayed calm, but his eyes sharpened when Sonya mentioned that one of the Supreme Archfiends recognised her from the recruitment.

"Are you certain?" Simon asked.

Sonya nodded.

"Yes. I remembered him after he pointed me out."

Simon furrowed his brows slightly.

"Hmm. That means we’ll have to be careful when joining the invasion force."

Sonya nonchalantly shrugged.

"Most likely."

Simon stared at her for a moment.

"How many demons saw you?"

Sonya leaned back and looked toward the ceiling as though she was counting.

"The rebels saw me definitely. Some civilians saw me after I came out, and a few guards saw the direction I left from. I don’t think they saw me though."

"Which means it’ll be very easy for them to identify you and eventually track you down here."

Sonya clicked her tongue.

"Yes, little kitty. I know, and that’s why I didn’t waste any time coming to your room."

Simon calmly and indifferently looked outside the window.

There was no chaos and no incoming threat. Everything was peaceful, but the alarm bells were still ringing loudly and the chatter of numerous demons filled the air.

"There’s still one more thing."

Simon looked at Sonya.

"What?"

"The leader had a unique spatial ring. When he-"

Before Sonya could complete her words, three powerful presences entered the inn.

Simon and Sonya turned toward the entrance of the inn at the same time with slightly furrowed brows.

"Well, that was quick." Sonya mumbled softly.

’Three Greater Demons. How troublesome.’

Simon released a soft sigh of frustration.

Meanwhile, the conversations on the ground floor stopped almost immediately the moment the demons saw the three demons that stepped into the inn.

Korran Veyl and two high ranking Black Horn officials.

The innkeeper hurried from behind the counter, and Simon heard the nervousness in his voice even from the second floor.

"Lord Korran. Welcome to Pipeline Inn. What can this humble establishment do for you?"

"I am looking for a demoness called Sonya," Korran replied.

His voice was calm, but the pressure accompanying his presence silenced the entire floor. The two other demons stood behind him.

The innkeeper swallowed.

"She is staying on the second floor, my lord. Room twenty-two."

Korran nodded, then his heavy footsteps approached the staircase and he climbed along with the two other officials.

When he reached the second floor, he narrowed his eyes and looked in the direction of Simon’s room.

Simon and Sonya were not hiding their auras, so he sensed them the moment he reached the second floor.

He wasted no time approaching Simon’s room and the moment he got closer to the room, the door opened.

His feet came to a pause, then he saw Simon and Sonya looking at him with calm expressions.

Korran’s expression was controlled, but a tinge of coldness and deep frustration could be seen in his eye.

He looked at Sonya.

"I assume you know why I’m here."

Sonya tilted her head.

"To thank this Honourable?"

The two officials frowned, and even Korran’s expression darkened at Sonya’s words.

Simon shook his head while holding the bridge of his nose.

’This brat.’

Korran spoke just as Simon had this thought.

"Fourteen civilians are dead."

His voice was cold, but Sonya’s expression remained indifferent and calm.

"More than thirty are injured," Korran continued. "Six buildings suffered serious damage, part of the street sank, and two structures may still collapse."

Sonya folded her arms and stared directly at Korran’s face despite being blind and being a lot shorter than the Greater Demon.

"The explosion would have done more damage if I did nothing."

"I know."

Korran answered immediately, and Sonya paused.

"We found the broken formation," he continued. "You stopped the explosives from detonating together. You also exposed a rebel cell, saved a convoy from walking into an ambush, and revealed that at least one rebel entered today’s recruitment."

Sonya leaned back with a slight curl of her lips.

"So you did come to thank me."

Korran’s eyes narrowed.

"That does not erase the civilians who died or the district you destroyed. Many of those civilians have been living in Velmora for decades while you have just arrived."

Sonya’s brows creased into a frown.

"They were already activating the formation. What did you expect me to do? Sit beneath the street and dismantle every explosive while more than twenty demons tried to kill me?"

"No. I expected you to remain at the scene afterward."

"And spend the night answering questions?"

"Yes."

Sonya gave him a flat look.

"That sounds worse than eating ass."

One official coughed into his fist while the other official’s expression was extremely dark.

If not for the fact that Korran had told repeatedly not to do anything unless it was life threatening, he would have given Sonya a very heavy piece of his mind.

Korran glanced at both of them before shifting his gaze back to Sonya.

It was at this point that Simon finally spoke.

"What do you intend to do?"

Korran looked at him.

"If I intended to arrest her by force, I would not have come with only two officials. This entire inn would be surrounded."

Sonya smiled.

"Well, I didn’t actually commit a crime. It was self-defence."

Simon gave her a cold look and she stuck out her tongue.

Simon shook his head slightly before looking back at Korran.

"Please speak."

"I came because this cannot be ignored," Korran continued. "The city needs her account, and the families of the dead will demand compensation along with her paying for the destruction of so many buildings and properties."

Sonya’s smile instantly disappeared.

"I’m not paying for buildings the rebels destroyed and I’m not compensating nobody."

"You pulled an underground structure through the street."

"After their leader tried to blow it up."

"And fourteen civilians died."

"They would have died anyway."

The room became quiet and cold.

Korran’s face hardened.

Simon looked at Sonya, and she clicked her tongue.

"Fine. More of them would have died if I had not done that."

"That does not still excuse you from being the reason behind their deaths," Korran said coldly.

"Like I said, it was self-defence."

The pressure in the room increased. The two officials shifted their feet, but Simon remained calm.

"Korran."

The Iron Examiner looked at him.

"You know she prevented a larger disaster. Tell us what you actually want."

Korran held Simon’s gaze, then the pressure around him slowly receded.

His eyes flashed with a calculation glint.

"I want a complete statement. I also want anything she recovered from the rebel leader or during the battle that concerns the convoy or the wider network. After that, we will discuss the damage and a few other things."

Before anyone could speak, footsteps approached from the corridor.

The door opened, and Akaza entered with a small medicine box beneath one arm.

His brows rose, then he looked at Korran, the officials, and Simon.

Then his eyes landed on Sonya.

"What did you do?"

Sonya’s lips twitched.

"Why in the world are you suspecting me? You don’t even know what is going on."

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