20demayo Chapter 610 Talbot
Chapter 610 Talbot
Yun-Jin furrowed her brow, shaking her head slightly. "I see... Well, that's not how things are done here. But regardless, it adds up—JJ backing you, an enemy of the kingdom on the surface, and now being seen with the Black Bull member responsible for killing Lt Daemon? It's too convenient to ignore."
Ty took another look at the photo. His gaze lingered on JJ, her face strained, something about her posture catching his eye. "Wait. She's bleeding in this picture. Look here," he pointed, showing Yun-Jin where red marked her shoulder, blood seeping through the fabric.@@@@
Yun-Jin leaned in, her eyebrows raising in surprise. "You're right... I hadn't noticed that before." Her voice softened as she added, "Thanks. We'll need to keep that in mind. Hold onto the image for now, but... let's keep this quiet."
Ty nodded, tucking the folder under his arm. "Yeah, got it." He forced a smile, trying to lighten the mood. "We'll figure it out. Come on. Let's get this over with."
After walking down the narrow corridor for a few minutes, they arrived at a set of double doors. Bright lights filtered out from under the door, casting their shadows long behind them. Yun-Jin paused, her hand resting on Ty's arm. "Alright, let me put these on you real quick." She pulled out a set of black cuffs, the dark stones glinting ominously. Ty offered his wrists without complaint, the cool metal clicking into place.
He glanced down at them, a smirk touching his lips. "Haven't worn these in a while," he muttered, the humor masking the tension that was starting to coil in his gut. Yun-Jin didn't respond, her face unreadable as she pushed open the doors.
The room beyond was vast, stretching out far ahead of them, filled with bright lights, buzzing drones, and a number of people shuffling about, each focused on their tasks. Ty squinted against the glare, his gaze adjusting until it locked on a familiar figure sitting off to the side—Alexander. He was unmistakable, his stout frame contrasting sharply with the elegant woman seated beside him, both caught mid-conversation.
Yun-Jin nudged Ty forward, her grip firm on his arm. He stepped in, the lights almost blinding as they were immediately directed to a set of seats across from the host. Ty could feel eyes on him, whispers rising from the workers around the room.
Alexander looked up, his expression momentarily shifting from his stern composure to something almost amused. "Well, if it isn't the demon himself," he said, his voice carrying over the noise. The woman beside him smiled, her eyes appraising as Ty was led to his seat.
The cameras panned to Ty, and the room held its breath as the question lingered. Alexander's gaze turned toward Ty before he spoke, his voice even. "No. He and his team were several steps ahead of me. I overestimated myself, and in that moment, I lost control of the situation." He paused, weighing his words carefully. "Had Ty not fled, I am confident I could have killed him. But there's something about him—another level, a depth I haven't seen. So while I believe I could have, it's hard to say exactly how."
Ya-Mi nodded, her eyes shifting back to Ty. "Ty, how did you manage to regroup after your battle with the puppet handler and orchestrate such an effective counterattack?"
Ty rubbed the back of his neck, the memory of the chaotic fight flashing through his mind. He met her gaze squarely. "From my past battles, I've learned that reacting without thinking ahead is a recipe for failure. After the fight with the puppet guy, I had to make a decision. I put myself in Alexander's shoes—I thought about what he would do next." He paused, a wry smile tugging at his lips. "Had I been in Alexander's position, I would have most likely made the same move he did. That's why we managed to stay a step ahead."
Alexander's eyes narrowed slightly, and Ya-Mi noticed the subtle tension between the two fighters. It wasn't hatred, but rather the fierce determination of two warriors who both knew they had yet to fully best each other.
Ya-Mi nodded thoughtfully, pressing a button on her remote to pause the hologram. The screen flickered, freezing the image of Alexander and Ty mid-battle, with the castle walls shattered around them.
"So, Ty, in retrospect, would you say that the decision to disengage was purely tactical, or did you sense something more from Alexander that made you reconsider staying in that fight?"
Ty sat up straighter, shifting the cuffs that bound his wrists as he looked at the paused image. He drew in a long breath, letting his gaze linger on the intense clash that had played out between them. "Yes," he began, his voice steady, "as seen, the goal was to get to the enemy king as fast as possible. Now, I didn't plan on getting thrown around and injured like that." He paused, giving a wry smile. "My goal was just to buy time until John was able to get in place. There were so many moving pieces; things could've gone south at any moment... but well, things worked out."
Ya-Mi gave a curt nod, then shifted her attention to Alexander. She looked at him with an arched eyebrow, "When the demon vanished, you seemed a bit sluggish and confused before moving in. Why was that?"
Alexander shifted in his seat, folding his arms across his chest as he watched the replay of their fight. The sweat, the heat of battle, and the blinding flashes of magic all came back vividly on screen. He let out a brief sigh. "Good question. Partly, I was confused about the entire situation. It took me a bit longer to get my head in the right place and go after Fernando again." He glanced back at Ty, the corner of his mouth twitching in the semblance of a smirk. "The traps they had set up at the entrance were well-managed. I was expecting something bigger—maybe the castle blowing up—with the Joker King involved. I wasn't allowed to kill him either, and by the time I got back to Fernando, well... Ty had already figured out a way to eliminate our King."