Reincarnated as Itsuka Shido: Collecting Spirits as Lovers

Chapter 184 - Raid

Inside a dimly lit, spacious room, a group of people sat around a round table. The symbol of a hand with eight fingers was carved into the wall behind the man seated at the head, his face was concealed beneath a dark robe, much like most of the others present. From the reverent silence and the way the others occasionally glanced at him, it was clear he was the leader.

This was the headquarters of the Eight Fingers.

Among those present, only three individuals sat without robes hiding their identities.

One of them was Coco Doll who was already under Shido's command. Even though his business was already done for, he didn't have any worry on his face instead he was smiling the entire time, as if already knowing the outcome of everything.

Another was a woman with long blonde hair, but her appearance betrayed her poor health. Her skin was sickly pale, and her sunken eyes hinted at exhaustion or long-term deterioration. She was Hilma Cygnaeus, the head of the Eight Fingers' drug trade division.

She was smoking a cigarette calmly while waiting for the meeting to start.

The last one was giant, bald man with imposing presence. Half of his face and body covered with tattoos of various beast. His name is Zero, the leader of security department of Eight fingers.

He sat with his arms crossed, leaning back in his chair on the left side of the table, radiating arrogance. His expression showed little interest in the meeting, as if he believed nothing could threaten him or the organization he served.

All of them except Coco Doll didn't know the disaster that was about to come to them. Shido had already given him instructions on what to do later so he didn't have anything to worry about. Though, he was curious as to why Shido seemed to want to subdue them rather than to imprison them. But he didn't complain since what Shido wanted to do was quite interesting.

"Let's now begin the meeting." the leader seated at the center of the table announced, his voice calm yet authoritative.

"There are several items on the agenda, but first... Coco Doll?"

"Yes~" Coco Doll responded with a playful tone, lightly touching his cheek as he spoke. "All of our new slaves were rescued, resulting in a significant loss on my end."

Though his words sounded concerned, the expression on his face told a different story. His relaxed posture and faint smile made it clear he wasn't truly bothered. The other members of the Eight Fingers noticed this, but none of them questioned it. They simply assumed he had backup plans in place

"And you have a plan to recover the losses, correct?" the leader asked after a moment of contemplation.

"Of course~" Coco Doll replied with a grin. "I recently met a big client. He can supply us with fresh 'items' to replace what was lost."

"Hoh?" The leader leaned forward slightly, interest piqued. "And who is this client you're referring to?"

The rest of the members turned their attention to Coco Doll, clearly intrigued by the mention of a new partner.

"Non~ Non~" Coco Doll wagged a finger playfully, his voice laced with mischief. "I can't reveal that just yet. But don't worry, you'll be meeting him very soon~"

"Well, if you say so," the leader replied, brushing off the matter with little concern. He didn't press further, assuming Coco Doll's mysterious contact was a high-ranking noble, or perhaps even one of the princes of the Re-Estize Kingdom.

Hilma, Zero, and the others seemed to share the same assumption. None of them could have imagined the truth: the person Coco Doll spoke of was someone far more dangerous. Someone who could bring the entire Eight Fingers to ruin.

"Then next... Hilma?"

"Yes, right..." Hilma responded, her voice was nonchalant as she straightened in her seat.

The meeting continued, shifting to discussions of recent losses and profits accumulated over the past month. Their tone remained calm, calculated, completely unaware that, outside their hidden stronghold, adventurers and soldiers of the Kingdom had already begun the raid.

The clock was ticking, and none of them realized just how close they were to the edge.

Under the leadership of Gazef Stronoff and Lakyus, the adventurers and soldiers forces swiftly moved through the city, efficiently apprehending the underlings and operatives of the Eight Fingers. Their coordination and precision left little room for resistance.

Along the way, they encountered members of Zero's Security Division, the infamous enforcers known as the Six Arms. Or rather, five since Succulent's whereabouts was currently unknown.

Despite the Six Arms' swift reaction and brutal retaliation, they were no match for the combined strength of Gazef Stronoff, the Kingdom's strongest warrior, and the adamantite adventurer group Blue Roses, led by Lakyus.

The battle was one-sided.

Within moments, the Six Arms were overpowered. Two of them were killed during the clash, and the rest were incapacitated and captured, their defeat sealing a critical blow against the Eight Fingers' defensive force.

...

"Where the hell is he?!" Lakyus snapped, frustration written all over her face as she looked around for any sign of Shido.

Gazef placed a steady hand on her shoulder. "Calm down, Lakyus. He's strong, more than capable of handling himself."

But he was also curious why Shido move in a different way from them. Still, he didn't dwell on it. There was a mission to complete, and he trusted Shido's strength and instincts.

"He's probably off tracking down the other key members of the Eight Fingers." Gazef added, more to reassure himself than anyone else.

Lakyus clicked her tongue but said nothing. She decided to have a talk with him once this mission was over.

...

Meanwhile, Shido was moving smoothly through the dim hallways of the Eight Fingers' hidden headquarters. He had slipped away unnoticed just as Gazef Stronoff and Lakyus began their assault, apprehending the outer members of the syndicate. No one had seen him vanish into the shadows.

Now, he approached the central chamber, the very room where the department heads of the Eight Fingers were currently meeting.

"Who's there?! Identify yourself!" one of the guards barked, his voice sharp and wary.

Standing before the door were several figures cloaked in black robes, clearly assigned to guard the leaders. They tensed the moment they noticed Shido, who remained silent and still, his expression unreadable.

"..."

Without hesitation, three of the guards lunged at him, their daggers glinting under the dim light, each blade coated with a purple, venomous substance meant to kill quickly and quietly.

But to Shido... they were nothing more than flies.

"Assassins?" Shido said, and look at the assassins charging towards him.

He gave them a brief glance before shaking his head in mild disappointment.

Reckless.

He didn't make a move and just stood on his spot without doing anything.

The assassins hesitated for a split second, confused by his lack of response. Then, assuming he was paralyzed by fear, they sneered.

"Hehe, what a fool!" one of them laughed, lunging forward and thrusting his dagger toward Shido's chest.

But just an inch before the blade could pierce his body, everything stopped.

The assassin froze in place, his eyes widening in disbelief. His arm trembled, stuck mid-air, as though some unseen force had bound his entire body.

"W-What's happening?!" the assassin cried out, panic overtaking his voice.

The others felt it too, their muscles locking up, their limbs refusing to respond. A sudden wave of dread settled over them as they looked down and finally noticed the cause: silver threads, thin as spider silk, glinting faintly in the dim light. They were wrapped tightly around their bodies like a web, completely binding them in place.

Their eyes widened in terror.

It was him.

The man standing before them had done this without even moving.

"You call yourselves assassins?" Shido said coldly, his tone more disappointed than angry. "Shadows of the night shouldn't charge in like reckless warriors. Are you idiots?"

"You—!" one of them growled, his pride wounded, but he couldn't even finish the word.

With a slight flick of his fingers, Shido gave the thread the faintest pull.

*Snap.*

In an instant, their bodies were severed, cleanly and bloodily. Limbs fell to the floor, crimson soaking into the stone beneath them.

Shido watched without emotion, though his eyes narrowed faintly at the grotesque sight. "Tch... what mess."

Raising his hand, he conjured a small black flame in his palm. With a casual wave, he cast it over the mutilated corpses. The fire consumed them instantly, leaving only scorched patches on the floor and bloodstains splattered across the stone walls.

Now that the mess was dealt with, Shido stepped forward, his footsteps echoing quietly in the hall.

He then arrived in front of a huge door. With his observation haki, he could sense the presence of people inside and among them was Coco Doll who he branded with his slave magic.

He know that he had found them, and it's time to execute everything according to his plan.