My stepsisters are sexy demons, and I must protect them
Chapter 95: Let the operation begin!

Chapter 95: Let the operation begin!

«We inform our kind passengers that we’ll soon begin our descent to Manaus Airport. Please fasten your seatbelts.»

The pilot’s voice echoes through the airplane cabin.

Hakuto clenches his fists as soon as he hears the announcement—his whole body trembles uncontrollably.

Manaus—a massive Brazilian metropolis in the heart of the Amazon Rainforest—is the designated rendezvous point where the dark elf Eskari hunting expedition will begin.

Landing is scheduled for 9 p.m., and the mission will officially start the next morning.

Hakuto exhales long and deep, trying to calm down and shake off the nervousness—but it’s almost impossible.

In his hands, he holds a photograph taken just the day before during the walk through the historic center of Rome.

He stares at it with a tender, nostalgic smile.

The photo shows him sitting on a barstool with a half-serious, half-amused expression. Yuzu and Lucrezia sit on either side of him, each pulling one of his arms while throwing threatening glances at each other.

Rika stands behind him, hugging him cheek to cheek.

Behind Yuzu, Chantal wraps an arm around Elisabeth’s neck in a hug that looks a little too enthusiastic—nearly choking her. Elisabeth responds with a shy smile.

It wasn’t a planned pose, just a spontaneous snapshot taken by the photographer they had hired to capture the day.

According to the photographer, a photo among friends looks better when it’s natural and candid.

And Hakuto, staring at that picture that perfectly captures everyone’s personality, agrees more and more.

Sitting beside him on the airplane seat, Alexia.

She gently places her hand over his.

Then she squeezes it softly, as if trying to calm him down, even just a little.

«If you don’t feel ready, it’s not too late to back out. I know I’ve said it a thousand times already, but you’re not obligated to do this for us,» she murmurs with a gentle, concerned voice, noticing the worry in his eyes.

Hakuto says nothing.

He just shakes his head.

It’s not about feeling responsible toward HESPARC U.S.—but he has no intention of revealing to Alexia the real reason he’s so determined to go.

Admitting it would mean tearing down his father’s image, making him look ridiculous in front of the very agents he’s supposed to lead.

Hakuto fears that telling Alexia about his concern for Shin’s safety would inevitably undermine his father’s authority as team leader—and once that respect is gone, some of the younger, cockier agents might refuse to follow orders from an old man whose name is the only thing left of his legend.

He also worries that Alexia might decide to strip Shin of his role as leader, wounding the pride of a man who likely sees this mission as his last chance to feel like the legendary Monster Reaper he once was—feared, and even idolized, back on N’Raeth.

«Still, I’m surprised you’re coming with us. Shouldn’t a vice director be stuck in an office, signing paperwork and handling bureaucracy?» Hakuto asks.

Alexia shrugs.

«Normally, yeah. But that’s incredibly boring, so I like to shake things up now and then by joining a mission... Besides, we’re talking about a member of the Cult of the Primordial Shadow. With Velune’s capture—gift-wrapped by your father—I earned a ton of honors and bonuses. If I bring Eskari’s head back to the Director, I’m sure he’ll name me his successor on the spot. The guy’s old and can’t wait to retire,» Alexia replies with fierce determination.

~And here I was, thinking she came because she was worried about her brother...~

At Manaus International Airport, only Shin and Chris are waiting for them.

Since it’s already 9 p.m. and tomorrow holds a major operation, partying through Manaus is off the table.

After all, following the wild ride to Ashiya, the last thing Hakuto wants is to see Alexia drunk again—especially with his father around.

If just his resemblance to Shin was enough to rekindle her old feelings, he doesn’t even want to imagine what could happen with the real Shin there.

A car driven by an agent from the HESPARC Brazil division picks them up at the airport and brings them to a luxurious hotel in downtown Manaus.

They’re escorted by several other cars and dozens of undercover agents.

Thiago Bandeira, director of HESPARC Brazil, had offered multiple times to support the mission by providing his best agents.

But Alexia declined for two reasons:

First, they already had enough members for this kind of ambush.

Too many agents would increase the risk of being discovered.

Second, typical American pride.

«Our agents are the best in the world, and adding mediocre ones would only weigh us down.»

Jet-lagged, Hakuto collapsed into a deep sleep the moment his head hit the soft bed in his luxurious hotel room.

But sleep brought no peace—his anxiety about what might be the most dangerous day of his life twisted into horrifying nightmares.

He woke up three times during the night, drenched in cold sweat, gasping for air.

And then, at last, dawn arrived.

The full team now gathers at the start of a jungle trail that leads deep into one of the most remote and untouched areas of the Amazon rainforest.

Along with Shin—the leader of the mission—there are Hakuto, Alexia, and Chris.

The rest of the squad includes:

Kellen Wynne, a blonde man with warm brown eyes, a sculpted physique, and a friendly smile always on his face.

He seems to get along with everyone.

Jasmine Bell, a slim woman with short black hair and emerald eyes.

From what Hakuto has seen, she seems to share a close bond with Chris.

She calls him ’little bro’ even though they’re not actually siblings.

Alexia clearly doesn’t like how familiar she is with him.

And finally, Zayn Bekan.

Tall and lean, with pitch-black hair and piercing ice-colored eyes that give off an eerie vibe.

He hasn’t spoken a word.

He’s kept his distance from everyone.

But according to Alexia, he’s even stronger than Chris—and absolutely vital to the mission.

When Hakuto saw them for the first time, he got the feeling they were all around Alexia’s age. Shin later confirmed it—he had been their teacher during a three-month stint at the HESPARC Academy.

Of course, Kellen didn’t waste the opportunity to joke about Shin’s missing arm.

That irritated Hakuto more than it did his father, who simply replied: «Now that I’ve lost my right arm, maybe you can finally claim you’re almost as strong as me.»

That kind of confidence reassures Hakuto, even if he suspects Shin is just putting on a brave face.

Meanwhile, Velune won’t be joining the mission directly, but she has provided a useful undead creature reanimated from the cadavers supplied by HESPARC U.S.

It’s a being from N’Raeth—a strange hybrid between a raptor and an insect.

Its wings and snout, dark green with a completely white beak, resemble an eagle’s, except for the eyes—dozens of small mirrored hexagons.

Its body and legs, the same dark green color, resemble those of a large beetle.

It’s an azhkrûn—a creature capable of seeing magical energy in everything, even the faintest traces.

According to Velune, Eskari is absorbing the forest’s natural energy, and the azhkrûn’s task is to follow the magical current that flows from the plants to Eskari’s location.

That will be Velune’s only contribution to the mission.

As Shin promised her, Drakhul’s body has been reconstructed—though with about one-fifth of his original strength, endurance, and magical power.

Even with reduced power and without the Eye of the Fallen One, he still surpasses any existing Monster Reaper, even the strongest.

But since the body was just created through genetic engineering, it has no knowledge of its powers or any combat experience.

Until properly trained, it’s nothing more than a hollow shell with great potential it can’t yet tap into.

And Drakhul’s temporary uselessness isn’t the only reason Velune is excluded from the mission.

First, both Alexia and Shin fear she might betray them during the confrontation with Eskari.

Second, they have no intention of revealing to the enemy that a former member of their cult is now cooperating with HESPARC.

If that information got out, their entire plan could be compromised, and everything extracted from Velune would become useless.

«I know it’s redundant at this point, but I’ll say it anyway,» Shin says, his tone more serious than Hakuto has ever heard before. «We’re about to face a member of the Cult of the Primordial Shadow and a powerful dark elf in his natural environment...»

«Avoid acting on your own and follow only my orders. A single mistake could ruin the entire operation—an operation that Vice Director Kendrow has been preparing for almost two months. Is that clear?»

Everyone nods, some more confidently than others.

Zayn, in particular, has repeatedly voiced—rudely—his disapproval of Shin leading the mission, calling him ’a broken-down relic who can’t even clap anymore’.

But Alexia immediately shut him down with a stern reprimand.

So, Shin and the undead take the lead, the others following behind, with Chris and Zayn covering the rear.

Hakuto lets out a tense sigh—the anxiety is building, second by second.

And then, at last, Shin gives the order that officially marks the beginning of the operation.

«Let the operation begin!»