The Devil's Cage

Ryan Sulfose, one of the mayoral candidates of Edland City.

While being different when compared to the controversial Symende Augen, Ryan Sulfose was not only young but much more charming and influential.

Each time he gave a speech, the audience would reply to him with the loudest applause and cheers.

The team that gathered to serve him was because of his infectious charm as well.

When the morning news delivered the message that Symende Augen died in the explosion of Winchester House, Sulfose’s team hugged each other in cheers.

Without Symende Augen, the biggest rival, Ryan Sulfose would surely be elected as the new mayor of Edland City!

The whole Edland City would develop further for the better!

As for celebrating someone’s death news, well it wasn’t their funeral yet, was it?

"Let’s proceed with our plan, continue to work on the script for tonight’s speech. Remember, we must show our grievances for our old rival Symende Augen."

Ryan Sulfose stood up in the meeting room and told his team calmly.

His team who was present in the room was instantly infected by his calmness and replied in their own voice.

When everyone left the meeting room, Sulfose sat back down. His face was expressing heavy distress.

"Mr. Sulfose, are you worried that your actions will be exposed?"

A sudden voice sounded behind the mayoral candidate.

Sulfose stood up in surprise and turned behind for a look.

A young casually dressed man who was not by all means handsome but clean looking was standing behind him. The young man with energetic eyes lifted up the chair that was toppled by Sulfose’s sudden woke and looked at him with a smile.

The young man looked surprisingly at ease.

"Who are you?" Sulfose asked in a heavy tone.

"A nobody, a man of power like you will surely take no notice of me but if it’s possible... I wish I’d never known you," Kieran said slowly.

While Kieran was speaking, he was sensing the movements around his environment. He needed to make sure that he caught any unusual movements in his ears during the confrontation.

Although Kieran had taken note of the security and bodyguards’ positions when he entered the office, the mayoral candidate here had no intentions of making a fuss out of the meeting.

Though, who could have confirmed whether the candidate’s act was on purpose to numb Kieran’s senses.

The fully armed assault members left quite an impression in Kieran’s mind. Despite the fact that he took care of them with ease, Kieran knew best about himself how much of a threat those fully armed assault squads were.

If he was surrounded by them and was forced to face countless gun barrels firing, grenades and rockets blasted at him, with [Fusion Heart] sealed and none of his previous equipment, he wouldn’t have any means to resist them.

So, Kieran quickly pinned Sulfose down directly preventing further unwanted actions.

He grabbed Sulfose’s arm and twisted it to his back, after slightly exerting his strength, Sulfose was pinned down on the meeting table by the irresistible force.

"You are one of Augen’s? Even if you kill me, I won’t let you live freely! Not only do you have the copy of our deals, but I also have them too! I’ll make sure you lose all your reputation and standing!"

Sulfose growled fiercely while being pinned down on the table.

"Trades? Copies?"

The sudden new terms caused Kieran to frown. The words that were on the tip of his tongue was swallowed back hard, he went along with the flow and asked, "Where is the copy?"

"Do you think I will tell you? Go back and tell Mr. Symende Augen, I will finish the deal between us even if he has altered the initial plan. I’ll make sure that I will lose all reputation and standing without being traced and push him to the mayor’s position but... I hope to lose my reputations, not my life!"

"He did pay me but it isn’t to buy my life!" Sulfose explained clearly.

Kieran’s brows furrowed even harder.

Things had gone the unexpected way and fast!

Symende Augen’s biggest rival and competition was his collaborator?

From what Ryan Sulfose said, Symende Augen had already gotten a certain amount of control on him as well, even though he was voicing his threats.

Kieran even picked up the weakness and compromising meaning between the words.

"Could it be a lie?" Kieran thought.

As the gears in his mind spun, Kieran reformed his words and further questioned Sulfose.

"Of course it isn’t to buy your life, as long as you don’t add on the unnecessary conditions..."

Kieran purposely prolonged his tone.

Sulfose honestly acknowledged that there was a copy of the "deal" between him and Symende Augen. The copy might be in voice recording form or a videotape.

Since they did it the first time, will there be a second?

One would never complain that he had too many protective measures.

There was a high chance that Sulfose would make another copy.

’He altered the initial plans.’

What plan was that? Or in another sense, what affected the alteration of the plan?

The only thing that could possibly alter the plans was the news of Symende Augen’s death, other than that, Kieran couldn’t think of anything else.

Judging from the secret deals between Symende Augen and Ryan Sulfose, if something suddenly happened to the former, the latter would surely be anxious and would surely confirm with the former. So, in order to add another layer of insurance, it wasn’t out of the blue if Sulfose decided to make an extra move.

"Certainly not! The recordings from this morning are in the safe at my office, I can hand it to you! I swear I don’t mean anything else with my actions!" Sulfose assured Kieran.

Kieran let go of Sulfose and followed him from the meeting room to his office.

Sulfose then took out a phone from his safe.

Kieran kept Sulfose under his sight throughout the process and made sure he could take him down immediately if any unusual movements were spotted.

Though, until Sulfose handed the phone to Kieran and allowed him to make sure the recordings were inside, Sulfose seemed cooperative enough.

’What happened? This isn’t part of our deal!’

’Change of plans, I can’t be in front of the public now, my representative will take my spot instead.’

’If you do...’

’Pak!’

It was a short conversation but was hung up in less than three seconds.

One of the voices belonged to Ryan Sulfose and the other obviously was Symende Augen.

"Thank you for your cooperation."

Kieran slid the mobile phone into his pocket and took a step back. His body almost merged with the shadow and swiftly disappeared.

As the sound of the door closing, Sulfose limped down on his chair when he saw the shadow disappearing in front of his eyes.

Moments later, the man of power seemed to have thought of something, he stood up from his chair and crawled further away from that piece of shadow.

He wasn’t as charming as he presented himself to be in front of others anymore.

Kieran who stood in the shadows saw Sulfose leave his office in a panic, calling for his bodyguard.

Kieran would never leave just like that because of his cautious attitude. He wanted to see how Sulfose behaved in his absence to allow him to judge more.

From how Sulfose was acting, it seemed like he didn’t lie, which means the explosion in Winchester House was a self-conducted act by Symende Augen himself?

Why would he do that?

To avoid something or person? An organization? Is that why he faked his death?

Or...

Before the old questions were answered, new ones popped up.

Kieran became a little grumpy while being baffled by doubts in his heart.

He swiftly shook his head and forced himself to calm down.

Then, he headed towards St. Reid Hospital because the scenery outside was slowly turning dark.