Bab 57: A Bulletin

Crack! Crack! Crack!

Thick chains erupted from the ground, wrapping around Slenderman's enormous, writhing body, but Ethan didn't give him a chance to resist.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The other shadows moved, each of their swords piercing Slenderman's body, weakening him further with every strike.

Roooarrrr!!!

Slenderman's massive mouth unleashed a thunderous roar, rupturing the eardrums of many present, but showing no mercy, Ethan—both judge and executioner of this dark entity—completed the seal.

Boom!

As Slenderman was swallowed by the spiritual prison, a powerful gust of wind swept through the forest.

Ethan, like many others, was sent flying, but noticing how close Hallie was to the catastrophe, he moved toward her, disregarding his own safety to protect her.

He didn't know why he did that; in fact, he didn't understand it at all.

But when he prioritized Hallie's safety over the elimination of his enemy, a tenth tail formed on his back.

Crack!

Ethan felt his power surge, and the most severe of his wounds began to heal.

"Are you alright?" Ethan asked, looking at Hallie, who was breathing heavily.

Hallie looked up at Ethan and simply nodded.

Well, she was probably still in shock, so Ethan stood up to check on his agents.

"Call the medical team and have the cleanup crew move in," Ethan said as he received a wooden sword that Liam had brought to complete the seal.

This plan was the most optimal, knowing the chances of killing Slenderman were slim. So after realizing that many lives would be lost, Ethan changed the plan to seal him instead.

To complete the seal, a key was needed—one that would contain Slenderman and keep him buried for eternity, or so it was hoped.

When Ethan received the key he would use, he took the wooden sword and began transforming it into the key that would now contain the dark entity.

The white wooden sword began to turn black, and in an instant, seals with strange symbols appeared along its length.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

"It's done," Ethan said after some time. He then placed the wooden sword in a special case and only then walked over to the agents on the ground.

Liam caught up to him and said, "You should focus on your recovery, Chief."

"My agents are on the ground, wounded. The least I can do is take away their pain," Ethan replied. He approached an agent who had a branch piercing his chest. Kneeling down, he took the agent's hand and, while absorbing all the pain, murmured, "Agent, you've fulfilled your mission. The operation was a success, so rest now."

"Thank you, Chief..." murmured the agent before losing consciousness.

This was the least he could do for all those who were still alive, and that's exactly what Ethan did—one by one, he relieved their pain until there was no one left.

When Ethan finished, he stood on trembling legs and, in an attempt to walk, slowly moved away from the area.

Liam ordered the agents not to disturb him; after all, Ethan didn't need a babysitter.

As he walked away, Ethan pulled a bullet from his pistol and slowly shaped it into his tenth tail. The bullet, which had symbolically become his ninth tail, was placed in a magazine he kept in his jacket pocket.

"I hope my fallen agents tonight go to paradise. That's the least they deserve for this work." Ethan recognized each of his agents, respected them, and hoped that at least their deaths weren't in vain.

No one knew what lay beyond death, not even him—he couldn't remember anything—but he believed that if God existed, He would reward the warriors who kept this world safe from dark entities.