After the attack on the Silver Base, Geno slept very soundly that night.
Although he was an Ethereal, ever since he gained the ability to turn into a human, Geno had consciously let his mind rest. And on this particular night, an unexpected person appeared in Geno's spiritual world.
Inside the spiritual space, Geno opened his eyes. The surrounding environment was extremely familiar to him.
"Is this... Silver Base?"
As the place where Geno had survived for the longest time, Silver Base undoubtedly left the deepest impression on him, which was why his spiritual space took this form.
However, in this world that belonged solely to Geno, an uninvited guest had appeared.
"Yo, kid. I'm here for revenge."
Standing in front of Geno was a well-built uncle with a head of white hair, wearing sunglasses. Looking at his arrogant posture, he seemed like someone not to be trifled with.
But for Geno, that wasn't the main point.
"Who are you?"
The scene was instantly filled with awkwardness. Geno scratched his head, unable to recall who this uncle before him was. This attitude immediately infuriated the man.
"You bastard! I am Miguel! The famous leader of the Red Fang Gang! You guy, we literally fought yesterday, and now you don't remember me?!"
Miguel roared for a while, stomping his feet in anger.
Only then did Geno remember who Miguel was.
"Ah, it's you! I remember now."
It really wasn't Geno's fault for not remembering. When he went to the Red Fang Gang previously, the intelligence was all handled by Twiggy, so his impression of Miguel was already shallow. Plus, for most of the later time, Miguel had appeared in the form of a Dullahan, so naturally, Geno couldn't recall his human face.
As for the photo in that pendant? He hadn't seen it more than twice, and it was a photo of Miguel when he was young. It wasn't even as recognizable as Nekomata.
After making a fuss for a while, Miguel calmed down again and began to converse with Geno.
"Aren't you curious why I appeared here?"
One had to know, this was Geno's spiritual world. Miguel was literally an outsider here.
However, Geno remained completely calm regarding this matter.
"It's alright. Although this hasn't happened before, I sort of have some experience with it."
As early as a year ago, when Geno had just disposed of Thanatos, a similar event had actually occurred. It was just that the Thanatos of that time hadn't been able to condense such a complete body.
"You being able to appear so completely should be due to the power of Filth, right?"
Things like Filth could manipulate Ether and memories. It wasn't anything too strange for it to allow Miguel's soul image to appear in Geno's head.
"Tsk~ I really don't know if I should say you're dense or just too confident."
Miguel clicked his tongue, somewhat annoyed by Geno's composed attitude. But thinking of his objective, he suppressed his temper and spoke.
"Anyway, I am already a dead man. What you are seeing now is nothing more than a soul fragment. It will dissipate before long, so there is no threat."
"Mm, so? What wish do you want me to fulfill for you?"
"You?!"
"Don't look at me like that. That's how it's always written in the movies."
Geno narrowed his eyes, seemingly looking at an elderly man who had been left behind by the times.
Miguel was choked by his words, becoming even more annoyed.
"Sure enough, it would be better to beat you up first!"
"You can't beat me."
Having anger but nowhere to vent it, having strength but nowhere to use it—this was the truest portrayal of Miguel right now.
"So, are you going to say it or not? If not, I'm leaving."
Geno spoke calmly. He had absolutely no interest in this hooligan boss; he was merely teasing him because he had nothing better to do.
Miguel, however, knew that this was his only remaining chance.
"I'll say it straight. I want you to go and take over the Red Fang Gang."
"Huh? Why?"
Geno looked at Miguel with a face full of confusion. How exactly did he arrive at the logic of letting him take over the Red Fang Gang?
"Heh, perhaps it's because... I want to leave something behind for that child."
Miguel adjusted his sunglasses. Before his body dissipated, he had heard every single word Nekomata said without missing a beat.
Clearly, at the start, it was for his hometown, for Canvas Alley. But in the end, he had drifted further and further from home. Even the daughter he raised had left him.
However, a man capable of bringing the Red Fang Gang to its current status would not speak words of regret.
Even knowing he had walked down the wrong path, he held no remorse. Just as Nekomata said, he was such an out-and-out bastard.
But he had simply walked the path he decided on.
What he wanted to change wasn't just Canvas Alley, but also the many people who, like those in Canvas Alley, had been forgotten by New Eridu.
And to achieve all of this, relying solely on distributing supplies on the streets every day was far from enough.
Power. He needed more power to support him in completing this great cause.
And true power always belongs to those willing to achieve their goals at any cost.
"I was just a poor kid from a poor street. To become stronger than others, I had to be more ruthless than others."
What Miguel wanted to do was to overthrow this city where the upper class decided the life and death of the lower class. What he wanted to do was far more massive than people could see.
"For this, I had long prepared myself to lose things along the way."
"So you want me to reorganize the Red Fang Gang? To complete your great ideal?"
Geno frowned. He really hadn't seen that this fellow, Miguel, actually had such ambitious aspirations.
"No, I don't have that intention."
Time changes a person, but after death, everything from one's life becomes unimportant.
"I don't regret anything I've done. Whether it was the people I killed or the guys I dragged into this, I would laugh as I stepped over them to move toward the future I wanted... But..."
Miguel's voice paused, seemingly recalling something happy, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but rise.
"But that girl is different. Although she grew up under the hand of a bastard like me, she was never influenced by us. She firmly moved forward according to her own will. Honestly, in this life, the only one I owe is her... I really can't say otherwise."
Miguel looked like he truly couldn't handle her.
He had never married in his life just because he worried someone would seize his weakness, but his soft spot had already left him long ago.
When Nekomata betrayed the Red Fang Gang, the gang was in its prime, far from the crumbling state it was in now. Yet, Miguel still chose not to make Nekomata pay the price.
Miguel knew he wouldn't have a good ending, and naturally, he had let go of his obsession with the Red Fang Gang after death. But when Nekomata was mentioned, he would subconsciously recall that small smiling face.
"What could be more crushing than having a daughter?"
Though he spoke complaining words, Miguel's face was full of a helpless smile.
"I've done much evil in this life, and I am pitifully far from the goal I wanted to achieve. And after I die, there's no need to even guess what those useless idiots in the Red Fang Gang will do."
"But as a father, I must leave something for my only daughter."
For so many years, he had walked wholeheartedly on a difficult and dangerous path, investing everything he owned into the operation of the Red Fang Gang.
If there was anything he could leave for Nekomata, it was only this crumbling gang.
____
👻🔥Walnut-chan ;)🔥👻
🔥 New history: Group chat of the Dead
✅ Jump 40 chapters ahead of the public release!
✅ Get access to special perks and news!
Help smash these goals:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 Bonus Chapter (for everyone)
🚀 140 MEMBERS = +5 extra chapters (for all stories)!
👻 P - Walnut-chan