Before this day arrived, Nicholas had imagined this very scenario many times. Initially, he had intended to remain hidden behind his mask, keeping his true identity a secret. However, after meeting Antonio, he decided to unmask himself.
By doing so, he could observe Antonio's emotional state upon seeing him. Furthermore, it would make it far easier to extract information related to himself that he'd learned from the diary of the previous Nicholas.
Nicholas's gaze swept over Antonio's stiff body. The barrel of the revolver in his hand remained pressed against the back of Antonio's head. Perhaps it was the icy touch of the steel against his skin that caused Antonio's body to tremble with increasing violence.
"I'm not interested in any games!" Antonio forced the words out, his voice hardening as he mustered his courage. "What do you want? If anything happens to me, you'll never make it out of here alive."
Nicholas raised an eyebrow slightly. That statement clearly showed Antonio felt he still had the upper hand.
This sudden display of bravado from the man before him caught Nicholas slightly off guard. It wasn't quite what he expected from someone so notoriously self-serving and cowardly.
However, the foundation for an equal negotiation had never existed between them to begin with—especially not when life and death were on the line. After all, the one who holds the other's fate in their palm always stands on higher ground.
"Relax," Nicholas said, lowering the revolver from the back of Antonio's head. Yet, his other hand remained firmly on Antonio's shoulder, a silent reminder that he could strike again at any moment. "You haven't even heard the rules of the game yet. Who knows? You might actually find them to your liking."
"The rules are quite simple..."
Nicholas spoke as he flicked the cylinder of the revolver open. One by one, he ejected four bullets, leaving only a single round remaining. Then, with a sharp flick of his wrist, he spun the cylinder and snapped it back into place—ensuring every move was executed right before Antonio's trembling eyes.
"Right now, there is only a single bullet in this gun, out of five chambers. Normally, this game is played with five players—or perhaps two, depending on the circumstances—where each person takes turns pressing the muzzle to their head and pulling the trigger. Mathematically speaking, your chances of losing start at only about 20%. But of course, those odds increase with every pull of the trigger."
As he finished speaking, he cocked the hammer back. The sharp click that followed signaled that the weapon was now primed and ready to fire.
"Now let's talk about the rules for our specific version of the game,"
Nicholas blew softly on the barrel of the gun before pressing it against Antonio's temple once more.
"As I said, there are usually two or more players. But for the sake of excitement, I'm going to adjust the rules a bit..." A wide grin spread across the man's face.
"Today's only player is you. As for the rules of the game, they're simple, I ask questions, and you answer. If your answer is satisfactory, there will be no trigger pull... if you refuse to answer—or if I find your response displeasing—I will pull the trigger once for every question."
"What kind of insane rule is that?! Aaargh—!"
As Antonio exclaimed in protest, he was cut short by the pain spreading from his right shoulder.
"Quiet down. Let me remind you that even if you don't want to play this game, I have other methods to make you open your mouth." Nicholas's tone was cold, as he increased pressure on young mafia right shoulder.
Antonio felt hopeless. He was currently in the other party's palm. , and his only option was to follow what the other party wanted.
"Then let's start with the first question..." Nicholas wasted no more time and immediately moved to the interrogation.
"What was the reason you chose to hire me as your lawyer?"
This was one of the questions he'd been wondering about all along. It made no sense for a man like Antonio, the son of a powerful mafia to seek out a commoner who had only just received his lawyer license.
"I didn't seek you out specifically," Antonio replied, his tone now noticeably more subdued. "I just needed an inexperienced lawyer who was easily manipulated, that's all,"
On the surface, such a reason might have seemed plausible. But not to Nicholas, who could clearly perceive the waves of emotion radiating from Antonio.
Click!
The sound of the gun trigger being pulled almost made Antonio's soul leap from his chest. He instinctively tried to throw himself onto the floor to escape, but Nicholas's hand clamped around his throat, pinning him in place.
He was fortunate that even though the trigger was pulled, no bullet burst out to pierce through his brain.
"It seems the Goddess of Fortune is still on your side," Nicholas chuckled softly.
"As I told you, if I feel your answer isn't sincere, I won't hesitate to pull the trigger. And let me warn you—I'm quite good at reading people."
It was at that moment that Antonio's mind raced back through every encounter since meeting Nicholas a few weeks ago, leading up to the nightmare unfolding tonight. Every word, every action of the man before him had always been one step ahead. It was as if he could see through Antonio's thoughts completely... This wasn't something an ordinary human could do.
"I will give you one more chance to answer that question. But don't forget that next time your chance of losing has increased to 25%."
Nicholas spoke as he leveled the barrel against Antonio's head once more. Antonio took a hard, dry swallow.
"I... I was ordered to contact and hire you specifically. I don't know the reason why it had to be you..."
Nicholas, who had been observing Antonio's demeanor all along, could sense that he was telling the truth which raised another question.
"Who ordered you to hire me? Someone within the gang... or a Broker?"
""T—the gang has nothing to do with this, and I don't know anyone called 'the Broker' either."
"It seems you haven't learned your lesson yet."
A malicious glint flashed in Nicholas's eyes. His finger tensed, ready to pull the trigger once again.
"Damn it! I swear to God! I really don't know anyone, or anything called the Broker!!"
Antonio shrieked, his emotional aura radiating pure, unadulterated terror mixed with utter helplessness. These were not the emotions of someone who was lying.
That answer left Nicholas even more bewildered. The previous Nicholas's diary had explicitly stated that it was the 'Broker' who introduced him to the members of Le Purgatoire, eventually leading to his employment as Antonio's lawyer. Yet Antonio insisted the gang had no hand in this and claimed to be entirely unaware of any intermediary known as the 'Broker.'
Even though Nicholas had transcended human limits and become an Extraordinary, the entity known as the 'Broker' remained the greatest mystery to him. How could a person's existence be completely erased? If it weren't for the entries in the previous Nicholas's diary, he would never have known this individual even existed.
"Then, who was it?" Nicholas pressed. "Who gave you the order to contact me?"
The question caused Antonio to hesitate for a long moment. But under the suffocating weight of Nicholas's gaze and the cold muzzle of the revolver pressed against his temple, his resolve finally crumbled.
"T—the Cult. It was the Cult that ordered me to contact you."
'The cult? What cult!?' Nicholas was inwardly puzzled.
Then, his mind flashed back to the entries written by the original Nicholas in the diary. It had mentioned a heretical cult and a 'smile of the moon.' Perhaps this was the clue that would help explain that message, as well as the mystery related to the death of the previous Nicholas.
" "You once claimed that an ancient record of the Parley family had been discovered. Was that the truth, or just a story you made up to trick me?"
"It's true that was a plan used to lure you," Antonio admitted, "but I've seen that record with my own eyes. It was in the hands of a high-ranking disciple of the Cult. I think it probably exists."
The facts that emerged further stimulated Nicholas's curiosity. This meant the Parley family possessed a hidden, mysterious lineage that might also be connected to this enigmatic cult and might have been the direct cause of the previous Nicholas's demise.
"On September 28th, you arranged for me to meet with a historian. Where exactly did you take me that day? And what happened to me?"
Nicholas's tone became increasingly harsh. A glint of madness flickered in his eyes, as if he were possessed. Antonio's eyes widened in shock at the question. It was impossible—the real Nicholas Parley, who had lived through those events, would never have asked such a thing.
This only solidified Antonio's terrifying realization: the man before him was not the Nicholas Parley he knew but a malevolent spirit inhabiting that body to seek a bloody vengeance.
"They... they told me to take you to the cult's secret sanctum," Antonio stammered. "They wanted to test your blood. They needed me to bring you there to confirm that you were... the right person."
"The right person for what? What happened to me after that? Speak!"
"I really don't know what happened After that day—"
Before Antonio could even finish his sentence, a hand lunged forward and seized his throat. His body was lifted high into the air before being slammed brutally onto the floor. Nicholas crouched down using a knee to press against his chest. This time, the muzzle of the revolver was shoved deep into Antonio's mouth.
"I—I... I only remember them saying you were an essential ingredient..." Antonio struggled to speak, his voice muffled and distorted by the steel barrel. "A sacrifice... for the divine ritual."
'A sacrifice? That explains the bizarre ritual in the sewers when I first arrived in this world.'
No matter how fierce Nicholas looked on the outside, inside he remained calm. He began to piece together the fragments of information and every trail of evidence he had encountered.
'So, that was how it ended for the previous Nicholas.'
The man had been deceived into believing he could become what he dreamed of... only to be used as a mere sacrifice.
.
... It was an ending that was as foolish as it was pitiful.
At last, Nicholas was able to unravel the mystery of what had happened to his predecessor. That had been his primary objective for this mission.
Yet several crucial questions still remained.
The divine Sacrificial ritual...
What was the true purpose of such a ritual?
Why did it have to be Nicholas?
How was the Parlay family involved in this matter?
…and for what reason had he been sent to inhabit this lifeless vessel in the previous Nicholas's stead?
But at this moment, there was only one thing Nicholas truly wanted to know…
"The name..."
Nicholas slowly stood up, calmly looking down at Antonio, who lay sprawled on the ground below. Not a trace of the frenzy he had shown earlier remained.
"What is the name of this heretical cult, and what is the name of their god?"
Every secret organization has a name. Just like the Order of Spirit Mediums that worships the God of Death and Rebirth, this heretical cult was bound to have a name of its own...
"I—I don't know!"
Antonio blurted out instantly, his face twisted in terror. Yet this was no longer a fear directed at Nicholas—it was something else entirely.
It seemed that unless Nicholas took drastic measures, the man would never find the courage to open his mouth.
"I'm starting to get bored with this game. Let's finish it up."
Without another word of warning, Nicholas immediately pull the trigger.
Click!
The cylinder rotated one position. Once again, no bullet was fired from the gun.
"You!"
Antonio shrieked in panic, but Nicholas paid no attention to him.
"33 percent."
Click!
With every pull of the trigger, Nicholas would announce the increasing probability of the next shot being fatal.
"50 percent."
"I don't know! I really don't know, you bastard!"
Every time the trigger clicked, Antonio's face seemed to age by several years, indicating the pressure and tension ready to explode at any second.
Click!
"100 percent."
Whew~!
Nicholas let out a low whistle, his expression one of genuine impression.
"I might have been jesting before, but it seems the Goddess of Fortune really is on your side."
It was nothing short of a miracle that he had survived this far. However...
"This is your last chance. There won't be a next time."
Nicholas slowly moved his finger to the trigger, his eyes locking onto Antonio with unwavering resolve. One look was all it took for Antonio to realize that his fate had already been sealed.
The devotee warning still echoed in the back of his mind. But in this threshold between life and death, did he really have the luxury to worry about such things? In that instant, Antonio saw his entire life flashed before his eyes—along with every sin he had ever committed. Fear of death and the uncertainty of the afterlife broke his fragile mind.
In that moment, he finally decided to speak the forbidden name.
But then, a faint whisper drifted from the deepest depths of his soul. Antonio's mouth hung opened, and his eyes rolled back until only the whites remained, as if he were being possessed.
His physical form began to distort, no longer resembling its former self; his consciousness and soul were extinguished, replaced by something inexplicable. His jaw moved, emitting a voice that was neither male nor female.
"We are the performers from the twilight realm... disciples who fulfill the vow and prophecy of the bright moon..."
Antonio's body twisted and contorted into unnatural shapes. His skin peeled away in long, ragged strips, fluttering to the floor, revealing the red flesh within. His body gradually expanded disproportionately. He was being transfigured into something entirely inhuman.
This phenomenon was different from what Nicholas had witnessed with David.
David was a spirit consumed by resentment and spiritual energy until he became Vengeful Spirit. Antonio, on the other hand, was still a living human with flesh and blood, but some unknown power was forcefully transforming him into a monster.
Yet, no matter how much his body ravaged itself, his mouth continued to move, chanting a prayer-like incantation.
"...We are but nameless devotees. Like the moon above the firmament, we exalt the God of the Stars rising above the zenith..."
Chilling laughter gradually began to echo right beside Nicholas's ear. He opened his eyes wide, scrambled back several paces, distancing himself from Antonio. He recognized that laughter—it was the same haunting laughter that nearly drove him to madness on the day he took the Trial of Rebirth!
"O merciful One, please heed the cries of thy servant..." The distorted face, now stripped of any human resemblance, turned toward Nicholas with a bone-chilling gaze. Then, it uttered 'His' Name.
"Zhar, the Trickster Moon."
06.11.550
Nicholas Parlay
Spirit medium (Éna)