Hide walked through the streets of Area 17, leaving the narrow, shadowed alleyway far behind him. The dull overcast sky felt heavier now, pressing down on the city like a suffocating grey blanket.
As he crossed the boundary separating the grimy commercial sectors from the affluent Upper District, the environment shifted drastically. The cracked walkways turned into pristine, seamlessly paved roads. The smog cleared, replaced by the scent of manicured lawns and expensive, atmospheric purifiers. The sheer contrast only fueled the cold anger burning in Hide's chest.
He processed everything he knew about the Sihue Clan.
To his surprise, despite growing up in the same area as them, he actually didn't know much. Nobody did.
They were an assassin clan, deeply rooted in the darkest shadows of the Exterminator world.
They didn't operate flashy agencies, they didn't do public relations, and rarely participated in lower-tier gates to farm public goodwill.
