Criminal X : Epitome Of Evil

Nike trembled under Pablo's gaze when Pablo hadn't even said anything yet. Heck, the slave wasn't even looking at Pablo.

But that was a wise decision.

Because Pablo had blood in his eyes.

"Nike," he said.

Nike shivered. "Y-yes?"

"Why are you afraid?" Pablo asked and then as if a dam broke.

"I didn't do anything, sir. She forced me. She said she would make Puma mine if I helped her. She somehow got to know that I am in love with a girl and told me that she could make her fall in love with me. I was drowned in love, sir. Forgive me."

Nike kissed the ground with his forehead, kneeling in front of Pablo.

"Who offered you this deal?"

"Lady Sera. She offered me this deal. I even told her that you would kill me if I said anything to her, but she promised me that she would save me."

'Like hell she will save you. She only used you to get what she wanted. She killed her own mother. Not that I am one to talk.'

"So it's just like I thought. I remembered the day you were chatting with your crush, Puma, and then I added one and one to reach this conclusion."

'And about how Sera got to know about Nike's girl? She must have asked Andre to do some digging.'

Pablo focused back on Nike and asked some more questions.

"What did she want from you? And what did you give her? And did she do anything with your situation to Puma or she has yet to do something?'

Nike instantly answered like an informant rat.

"She wanted to know your plans. Where will you go? What will you do? When will you leave for Hollow? She wanted to know all this. And believe me, sir, I only gave her the information that is normal. I didn't speak one more word than the words her questions required.

And in return for my answers, she gave me gifts so that I could give them to Puma to impress her. Expensive gifts, sir. The gifts girls like. She gave those gifts to me for free and Puma is already my lover because of those gifts."

"I don't give a fuck about your Puma. Just tell me what she knows. Tell me all the information that you gave her."

"Yes. Yes." Nike nodded like a chicken and with his gaze glued to Pablo's feet, he erupted everything.

"She knows that we are leaving for Hollow in three days, she knows that you all will be going in a carriage and today, she knew that you wanted the details of everyone's Ego. So she sent hers too. She only knows things that won't hinder your mission in any way, sir.

She doesn't know that you are going there to wage a war. To kill those cannibals. She doesn't know anything that you asked the soldiers to keep a secret. I would rather die than to tell your plan that you asked me to keep a secret from everyone."

"You are saying all that to justify yourself, Nike. You betrayed me for a girl."

"No! If you want I would forget Puma, sir. I would forget her. Don't kill me, please."

"It doesn't matter anymore. You can't undo your actions."

Nike drenched in sweat.

He knew what Pablo meant by that. He meant, 'you are going to die no matter what you say.'

And like any normal person, Nike didn't want to die.

Shall he run? No. That would only increase the problem. That would only mean that he was really guilty, that's why he chose running. And where the hell would he even run from Pablo? He would be caught in no time.

So shall he fight back? Hell no! Pablo killed a full fledged Demon. What could he even do against someone like that? He was just a slave.

Wait…

Nike's eyes lit up.

He found hope. A crystal clear hope.

"I have proof of my loyalty, sir!" He shouted.

Pablo wasn't expecting the shout and he couldn't care less about the proof if not for the hopeful voice of Nike. The young man was sure of something.

"What is it?" Pablo asked, his voice carrying the tone that said if it's something trash, you would regret it.

Nike wasted no time and began opening the button of his formal shirt.

Pablo frowned. 'Is he going to prove his loyalty by sleeping with me or something? He would really die if he went on with that.'

But Pablo's guess turned out to be wrong as Nike only unbuttoned his shirt till his chest.

Then for the first time since he arrived inside the room, he raised his head to look at Pablo.

"See this, sir?" He said, pointing to the red seal on his chest. The seal that every slave with a master had.

"What of it?" Pablo asked.

Nike explained. "I am a slave and as a slave, the moment even the thought of betraying their master comes, this red seal burns. It burns to the point of rotting the whole arm, and that's just by the thought of betraying the master. And as you can see, I am fine. I suffered no damage, sir. I didn't even think of going against you. And if I did, I would die of heart attack before I could do you any harm. Yes, I told some information to Lady Sera and you can call it my foolishness, sir. Not my betrayal. So please, I beg you, don't kill me."

Pablo stared at the red round seal and there was no reason for his doubt anymore. The seal pact was a fact. The slaves couldn't break it. If they could, they wouldn't be slaves in the first place.

After saying his part, Nike bowed his head in Pablo's feet and kept saying sorry over and over.

Pablo could watch this.

"Forgive him, Pablo. It's not like he shared the information with an enemy. And the red seal acts on its own as it senses the heart of the slaves. His heart was devoid of any threats against his master, that's why the seal didn't do anything. Like it or not, he didn't betray you one bit."

Pablo kept his eyes on Nike and after a few minutes, he sighed.

He was ready with a decision.