New Identity: Gabriel

"Oh? Could this be the new Gabriel?"

Raziel asked with a manic, almost deranged grin.

The other nine leaders of Heaven showed expressions of curiosity upon seeing Gabriel for the first time.

"Just as the rumors say—so young. Though, a bit unfortunate-looking," Kamel remarked, twirling a lock of brown hair around her finger with a sigh.

The new Gabriel, "Ghostface" Luke, appeared to be a man in his early thirties. His features were passable, but the large bluish birthmark on his face gave him an unsettling, almost terrifying appearance.

"Ghostface Luke. First time meeting you all. I look forward to working together," Luke said with a slight bow.

Ariel twirled a kunai between his fingers, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "According to Heaven’s rules, from now on, 'Ghostface Luke' ceases to exist. You may call me Gabriel!"

Luke raised an eyebrow at Ariel, suspicion flashing in his eyes. "And quit playing dumb. We met half a year ago in Izumo—hell, I was the one who took you to that brothel. You even ordered two—"

Ahem. "No need for tests. He’s the real deal."

Ariel cleared his throat, cutting Luke off mid-sentence, his smirk widening. "My friend Luke—ah, no, I should address you as Gabriel now."

At Ariel’s words, the tension in the room eased slightly.

Disguises and impersonation weren’t uncommon—especially among experts like the Ninja Alliance. But memories? Those couldn’t be faked.

An Yi exhaled quietly in relief.

That’s right—the new Gabriel, "Ghostface" Luke, was none other than An Yi himself, wearing the mask of a demon.

To gain the upper hand, he needed to infiltrate the enemy’s ranks.

Even a dying camel was larger than a horse. The Heaven Organization, with over a century of history, was no pushover. Despite its recent decline, it wasn’t something the Asura Sect could afford to provoke recklessly.

Taking down Heaven required more than brute force.

That’s why he’d even gone so far as to have Hongtian express-shipped from Jiangbei City.

The dead couldn’t resist, and their memories were far easier to extract than those of the living.

But by the time Hongtian arrived in the capital two days later, much of Ghostface Luke’s memories had already degraded.

Still, it was better than Ito Jiro, whose recollections barely extended beyond "forest." At least most of Luke’s memories remained intact.

Like that time at the brothel with Ariel, and that very alluring madam…

For the purposes of this disguise, it was enough.

"Interesting. Tell me—what makes you think you’re fit to take the seat of Gabriel?"

Raphael’s bloodthirsty gaze locked onto An Yi, his murderous intent palpable.

An Yi grinned.

He clapped his hands.

A masked assassin attendant, who had been standing silently behind him, stepped forward, carrying a suitcase. He presented it to the nine leaders with a respectful gesture.

"Go on. Open it."

Raphael gestured impatiently at Metatron.

Metatron’s white beard quivered in indignation.

"You insolent brat! I’m old enough to be your father, and you order me around like this?"

Grumbling, Metatron stomped forward and unlatched the suitcase.

The moment it opened, all eight leaders—except Shaliel—stared in shock.

Four heads. Neatly arranged inside.

Gasps filled the room.

"Allow me to introduce them. This one belongs to Lin Chen—a four-star bounty. This is Bai Xiu’s—three stars. The last two are Qin Shan and Liu Dachao, each worth one star. Total: nine stars."

An Yi adjusted his sunglasses, his lips curling into a wicked smirk.

"So, do I qualify now?"

"You’re the one who killed the Grim Reaper, Lin Chen?" Kirupa asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow.

At the time, they had specifically analyzed the members of the Asura Gate, and among them, the most troublesome were undoubtedly An Yi and Lin Chen.

Of course, the lack of information on the others was also a factor.

Lin Chen alone—none of the nine leaders present were confident they could take him down, let alone with Bai Xiu and the others by his side.

Shaliel chuckled and said, "Impressive. I never thought you’d actually manage to kill them all."

After a moment of contemplation, Sraosha shook his head. "Impossible. Those four, along with the previous small fry, took over the entire Hong Kong Island. How could you possibly—"

"I learned about Lin Chen’s travel plans and had Gabriel arrange it."

Shaliel curled his lips into a warm smile. "All four were on the plane. Three pounds of spirit-fire explosives, and then—boom. All dead."

Beside him, An Yi raised an eyebrow slightly.

"You bastard, so it was your doing!"

"Blowing up a plane? Pfft. That’s just dumb luck!"

Raguel bared his teeth, his expression sour.

"Shut up!"

Raphael opened his eyes and glared at Raguel.

Raguel pressed his lips together, wanting to say something, but ultimately held back.

"Congratulations. You’ve passed."

Raphael said leisurely, "I’d like to hear your reasoning. Why target the Underworld first?"

An Yi replied calmly, "Simple. The Asura Gate isn’t even worth mentioning."

As he spoke, An Yi casually picked up Lin Chen’s severed head and tossed it to the ground, his lips curling in disdain.

"I alone could wipe out their main force. Do you really think such a small organization is anything to fear?"

While saying this, An Yi’s gaze swept over Sraosha and the other three leaders who had advocated eliminating the Asura Gate first.

Metatron’s aged face twisted in anger. "But Zadkiel died in Daxia. According to intelligence, it was likely the Asura Gate’s doing."

"No, no, no. Old man, you’re overthinking it. Daxia is the Pantheon’s territory. Alaska was probably killed by them—nothing to do with the Asura Gate."

An Yi raised a finger, his tone arrogant. "They’re just a bunch of rookies. Not worth a second thought."

With that, he stomped down on Lin Chen’s head.

Instantly, the skull shattered, blood splattering everywhere.

Behind An Yi, the masked attendant clenched his fists, his entire body trembling.

Of course, the heads of Lin Chen and the other three were fakes.

An Yi’s forgery skills, granted by the system, were absurdly flawless—even blood tests wouldn’t reveal the truth.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have dared to step into the Heaven Organization’s headquarters.

"Kid, I’m growing fonder of you by the minute. Young people should have that kind of fire."

Raphael stood up and said slowly, "If there are no objections, starting today, we proceed with the plan to annihilate the Underworld."

Having spoken, Raphael left without another glance at the others.

With Michael absent, he was the strongest here. The rest had no right to defy him.

Watching Raphael’s retreating figure, An Yi smirked. "Impressive. Seems this organization has no shortage of ruthless characters."

"Gabriel, well done."

Shaliel smiled at him.

Originally, this had just been a test, but the guy had actually managed to kill Lin Chen and the others.

The rule had been set from the beginning: the leader’s position would be decided by the number of Asura Gate members killed.

No one would raise much objection now.

An Yi smiled. "All thanks to Lord Shaliel’s guidance!"

Luke the Ghost Mask had always been Shaliel’s man. A little show of respect was still necessary.