Chapter 42

### Chapter 42: The Price of Loss (3)

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#5

The first emotion that came to mind was relief.

Thank goodness. He's here. The moment Mew confirmed that Ezio was still alive, she could finally calm her heart, which had been pounding.

"Ezio, are you okay? Let's get out of here for now..."

Ezio was not Mew's enemy. He was someone she needed to protect. So, she sheathed her sword and slowly approached Ezio.

Thud, thud...

Thud.

She stopped after taking a couple of steps.

"..."

His eyes, which shone brightly even in the darkness, stared at Mew with a truly chilling, emotionless gaze.

"...Ezio?"

Something was off.

Ezio's eyes were originally blue, clear and transparent like the sea. But now, his irises and pupils were completely filled with a color that was far from ordinary, a pure white.

That wasn't all. Though it was hard to see in the darkness, black streams were flowing down his cheeks, which were dirty with dust. They were flowing from beneath his eyelids.

He was crying tears that were black.

"Are, are you okay? Ezio, you..."

"..."

Mew couldn't make a hasty decision.

It was right to secure Ezio and get out of here immediately, but she couldn't approach him recklessly.

Ezio's state was abnormal. The eerie feeling was so different from his usual self that the person in front of her didn't seem to be the Ezio she knew.

Moreover, Ezio had broken through the ceiling. Even during the moment when the floor Mew was standing on was shaking, he was clearly breaking something.

Blood, a dark red, was flowing from the area around Ezio's clenched fist. His body was covered in wounds, as if he had been rampaging through the building.

Mew asked cautiously.

"...Ezio. Can you hear me?"

"..."

Once again, an incomprehensible language burst from Ezio's mouth. At that moment, Mew was certain that Ezio was not in his right mind.

What did that professor do to him under the guise of research cooperation? Did he undergo some kind of human experiment? Instantly, Mew's grip tightened, but there was no one left to vent her anger on.

What the hell is going on?

First, she needed to save Ezio.

Swoosh.

Mew composed herself. It would be best to subdue Ezio quickly without causing him further injury. The rest could be handled by the Frontier. So, she decided to knock him out first.

"Ezio, I'm sorry, but please forgive me just this once..."

Then.

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