Chapter 270

"Looks like… we misunderstood you." Melinda spoke slowly just as Evenson was wondering whether Captain America could survive in the hands of a dance-style Demon Hunter.

Even an idiot could understand what was going on now. A woman in her nineties had suddenly regained her youth and could even drag Captain America away by the hand, and they were calling that interrogation? If so… please interrogate me a couple more times.

"Of course." Evenson said with a smile. "I told you Nick Fury was too impatient. If he’d been willing to wait another hour, things wouldn’t have turned out like this."

"Fine… we were wrong." Surprisingly, Melinda did not offer any further explanation and readily admitted fault. "Now that everything has been cleared up, can you remove the spell on me?"

"…All right." Evenson watched Melinda for a moment before snapping his fingers and lifting the Weakness Curse.

"Very good…" Feeling her strength return, Melinda stood up, closed her eyes, and rolled her head around. Then, when Evenson looked away, her eyes suddenly flew open. "Hah!… Oof!"

"Hmph!" Evenson turned around, put on his sunglasses, and took a puff of his cigar. "How could I make the same mistake I made when we first met against a woman as petty and reckless as you?"

Evenson had long known that Melinda was an extremely petty woman. With the lesson from their first meeting in mind, he had not removed the barrier after lifting the Weakness Curse from her. Thus, Melinda’s full-force punch landed directly against the barrier. It sounded painful.

"All right… why didn’t you explain things to us beforehand?" Melinda’s expression remained calm, but on closer inspection, her eyebrows were twitching, and she kept rubbing her right hand behind her back.

"Sorry, that’s classified information." Evenson said with a wicked grin.

"Hmph…" Melinda was so angry she laughed. She had said those words many times and heard them just as often, but… "Classified information that even the director can’t know?"

"Sorry, that’s classified information." Evenson gave the same answer.

"Evenson, there’d better not be a next time." Melinda said viciously. Evenson’s meaning was clear: he would only explain this matter to Nick Fury. As for her, she was not qualified to know.

She raised her fist in anger once more, but after looking at Evenson, then at her still-reddened hand, she said, "Next time, I definitely won’t be thinking about bringing you back alive! You’d better remember that."

"Fine, fine." Evenson walked behind Melinda and leaned close to her ear. "As a friend, I’ve already apologized for keeping this from you. But as an agent, you should know that many things cannot be swayed by personal feelings. Besides…"

At that moment, Evenson grabbed Melinda’s right hand. The mark representing their contract appeared on it. "It’s not bad for you to witness this transformation firsthand. At least you’ll know what the goods you’re buying look like."

"Will I… undergo this kind of transformation too?" Melinda asked.

She had signed a contract with Evenson and had been promised great power. Because of various reasons, the contract had gone unfulfilled for a long time, and she had wondered whether Evenson was merely toying with her, whether he simply lacked the ability to do it. But now, seeing was believing, and she had completely dismissed those doubts.

"No." Evenson denied it. "My arrangements for you are different. You and Peggy Carter are different as well, so the way you gain power will also be different."

"But I will eventually gain that power." Melinda said with conviction.

"Yes, I guarantee it." Evenson replied.

"Then let’s end this meaningless battle first." Having received Evenson’s assurance, Melinda temporarily set her mind at ease and shifted her focus back to the mission.

"Battle?" Evenson frowned and asked with amusement. "Have you noticed that it’s gotten a little too quiet outside?"

After all, Natasha had been tied up by Sarah, while Melinda had infiltrated this place. Captain America, who had been sparring with Tyler, had also been dragged away by Carter to dance.

That only left the ordinary field agents to deal with Fat Dog Ghost’s ultra-coordinated combat form, Susanoo.

Hubbs charged forward with two Demon Guard dogs on his back, Tripsy continuously cast Great Fireball Technique, and Dumen, while protecting them within his body, used Ten-Tails Fist on enemies that came close. The battle could not have lasted long to begin with, and with Demon Guard Tyler suddenly losing his opponent… all the field agents were now lying on the ground, foaming at the mouth.

"It’s over… everyone, come back." Evenson gave the order through the mental link. All the demons withdrew from combat, while the S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel who could still walk entered the factory building. More accurately, there were only Captain America and Natasha.

"So this was all a misunderstanding?" Natasha asked. Her legs were squeezed tightly together, and her face still carried a faint flush. Sarah, who had entered with her, had an arm around her slender waist and kept rubbing against her.

"That’s right." Evenson answered.

"Then what the hell was all that for…" Natasha looked completely dead inside at that answer. Evenson’s eyes flashed as he looked at her, and he nearly had a nosebleed. He remembered a manga called Dragon Ball, how Bulma had asked Master Roshi for the Dragon Balls when they first met… She had actually torn it open there… Ugh, get back in there, nosebleed…

"How was the dancing, Captain?" To distract himself, Evenson hurriedly asked Captain America.

"It… it was okay…" Captain America, whose body had been strengthened to the limits of human potential, answered weakly at that moment.

And upon closer inspection, one would find several new tears in his uniform. The eye sockets hidden beneath his mask… seemed rather swollen.

"But I’m very grateful to you." This time, Captain America’s words were filled with sincerity. "I truly am grateful that you let me be with Peggy again." As he spoke, he affectionately tightened his grip on Peggy Carter’s hand. Though he looked miserable, his face was filled with a happy smile.

"Then you’d better find a reliable job…" Evenson disliked their public display of affection. "Keeping a wife is expensive. How about you and Tyler perform stone-breaking-on-the-chest after you get back?"

"It’s fine." Carter suddenly said. "The two of us both have pensions and all sorts of senior benefits. Money isn’t an issue at all."

"Get out…" Evenson’s heart immediately twisted in pain. "Ms. Carter stays. Everyone else, get out. We need to clean this place up."

"Huh?" The others all looked puzzled, especially Captain America.

"I conducted a major spellcasting ritual here," Evenson explained. "If people who don’t understand it touch things carelessly, the harm they suffer will be no less severe than nuclear radiation."

Whoosh… Everyone left at nearly the speed of light. Well… Natasha was a bit slower, since moving was somewhat inconvenient for her right now.

"Ms. Carter, you can tell me now." After everyone had left, Evenson asked. To prevent eavesdropping, he spoke in Demonic Language. "What exactly did you see?"