Ange hung up the phone and tossed the communicator aside, then irritably rubbed her still-damp silver hair.
Water droplets slid down her fingertips, but she paid them no mind.
Since the moment she had started that humbled call, Huayin’s gaze had never left her face—a gaze that was complex, tinged with an indescribable curiosity.
“Alright.” Ange finally lifted her head, locking eyes with Huayin.
She took a deep breath, her tone returning to its usual calmness, though still tinged with fatigue.
“There’s a mission, issued directly by the School. It’s at the Underground Casino beneath the Nightclub on Black Street. Do you want to…”
Before she could finish, she stopped herself, then gave a self-mocking tug at the corner of her mouth.
“Forget it, just pretend I never asked. With your personality, how could you possibly say no?”
Sure enough, the frail and aggrieved look on Huayin’s face was instantly replaced by spirited battle intent.
She snorted coldly.
“Of course I’ll go! You expect just you and that Miss Goody-Two-Shoes to handle it?”
As she spoke, she made no attempt to avoid Ange, standing up right in front of her and deftly taking off her loose pajamas, beginning to change into a well-tailored dark red dress.
Ange quietly averted her gaze, sighing inwardly at the girl’s utter lack of concern—though, truth be told, perhaps she had no right to judge. She turned and walked toward the door.
“No need to rush, I’ll go call Ingrid Beltans.”
When she reached Ingrid Beltans’ door, Ange knocked lightly.
The door opened swiftly. She had already sent a message, so the golden-haired Noble Lady was fully dressed.
Ingrid Beltans wore a Noble Lady’s dress, but when she saw Ange’s hair still dripping, obvious confusion appeared on her face.
“Teacher, your hair?”
“It’s fine, just washed my face.” Ange brushed it off, her tone growing serious.
“There’s a mission, issued directly by the School. The target is at the Underground Casino of the Nightclub ‘Dizzy Nights’ on Black Street. It involves a Demon running Soul-Pawn Loans—danger level is high, so be prepared.”
“Yes, Teacher!” Ingrid Beltans responded without a single doubt.
Her gaze sharpened instantly, displaying a composure and competence far beyond the ordinary.
The prospect of going on another mission with her Teacher made her visibly excited.
She quickly checked her Rapier at her waist and the pockets where she kept her Enchanted Tools, her movements smooth and professional.
When Ange returned with Ingrid Beltans, Huayin was also ready, standing with her arms folded against the doorframe, her fiery red hair cascading like rose petals.
Looking at these two talented students with such contrasting styles, Ange took a deep breath.
“Listen.” Her voice wasn’t loud, but it carried an authority that brooked no argument.
“This mission is completely different from the last time I took Ingrid Beltans to the Heixi. The target is a gray zone in the shadow of a legitimate establishment—intel is lacking, the enemy unknown. I want you both to follow my orders exactly. No acting on your own. Understood?”
“Understood.” Ingrid Beltans responded immediately.
Huayin merely raised her eyebrow in tacit agreement.
“As for identities,” Ange continued to assign roles.
“We’re disguising ourselves as a group of wealthy Misses out for some fun. Ingrid Beltans, Huayin, you two are the stars. As for me…” She gestured to herself.
“I’ll be your accompanying Butler, or… Maid.”
“Maid? Hahaha!”
Huayin snorted, a playful glint in her eye as she took in Ange’s black top, shorts, and sheer stockings.
“Heh, suits you well enough. The renowned Number One Demon Hunter playing Maid for me—just thinking about it cracks me up.”
“Huayin!” Ingrid Beltans quickly tried to intervene, casting a worried glance at Ange, afraid their Teacher would be angered.
But Ange simply waved it off, her face impassive.
“It’s just a title, it doesn’t matter. As long as we get the job done.”
Ingrid Beltans paused, staring at Ange’s calm profile. Her doubts only deepened. Was Teacher really unaffected by this kind of teasing?
No time to dwell on it—Ange had already turned and started leading the way.
“Follow me.”
The three of them crossed the Academy’s silent corridors—not heading for the main entrance, but instead slipping through a Stealth Passage, eventually arriving at the rarely used Underground Garage.
The air was thick with dust and the smell of old motor oil.
“Why’d we come to this dump?” Huayin frowned, eyeing the few cars parked nearby, all covered in dust.
Ange didn’t answer, striding straight to the farthest end of the garage where a vehicle lay beneath a heavy black tarp.
She gripped one corner and gave it a sharp yank.
Years of dust scattered in the lamplight, revealing a Sports Car beneath—sleek and streamlined, its fierce spirit barely dulled by the grime.
The low chassis and aerodynamic curves told a silent story of speed and passion from days gone by.
“What’s this…” Ingrid Beltans blinked, unable to place the exact model, but sensing at a glance that the car was expensive.
Huayin’s pupils contracted slightly.
She stepped forward, scrutinizing the emblem and lines, her voice tinged with disbelief.
“A Sports Car? And a limited edition from ten years ago? Don’t tell me this is yours?” She whipped her head toward Ange.
“Think too much.” Ange’s tone was flat as she brushed thick dust from the hood.
“If it were mine, I’d have sold it long ago for a quieter life. This was a Special Vehicle issued by the Academy for missions back then, with… some unique modifications. Didn’t expect after all these years, it’d still be here, just like the day I last drove it back.”
She moved to a seemingly ordinary Dusty Floor Tile beside the car, crouched down, and ran her fingers along the edge.
After a bit of probing, she pried it up with ease.
Under the stunned gazes of Ingrid Beltans and Huayin, she fished a slightly dusty Car Key out from the hollow beneath the tile.
“Teacher! You actually remembered where the key was! That’s amazing!” Ingrid Beltans exclaimed in genuine admiration, her eyes full of respect for Ange’s memory.
Huayin wore a look of utter disbelief.
“Marking a spot by carving a boat for a fallen sword? How dumb… And the key’s really been here all these years? No one at the Academy ever moved that tile?”
“Who knows? Maybe they forgot, or maybe…” Ange left the thought unfinished, simply taking the key and moving to the driver’s seat.
She opened the door and got in.
Inserting the key, she gave it a gentle twist.
Vroom!!
A deep, powerful roar from the engine shattered the garage’s stillness, like a slumbering beast roused from its sleep.
Ange expertly adjusted the steering wheel, tapped the accelerator a few times, relishing the long-missed feel of control.
“Get in,” she said, rolling down the window and calling out to the two students still in a daze.
Ingrid Beltans and Huayin exchanged a glance, seeing the same bewilderment and disbelief in each other’s eyes, but nevertheless opened the doors and got in, seating themselves in this long-slumbering steel beast.
The roar of the engine echoed through the closed garage.
Ange gripped the steering wheel, gazing into the darkness illuminated by the headlights.
In her purple eyes, a long-lost sharp glint flickered—silent, but unmistakable.