"What happened outside? Are you okay, Governor?" The other council members started bombarding Aiku with questions the moment they reached the meeting place.
They looked concerned, but some were clearly in a bad mood, having sided with the Vice Governor, who was now dead.
Aiku raised her hand to silence them. "I'm fine. There was an assassination attempt, but my bodyguard handled it. We need to stay focused on our meeting."
One of the council members, a stout man with a stern expression, spoke up.
"This is unacceptable. We can't operate under threat. We need better security."
Another member, a woman with sharp features, added, "And what about the Vice Governor? We need to discuss the implications of his death."
Aiku took a deep breath, maintaining her composure.
"I understand your concerns, but now is not the time for internal disputes. We have a government to run, and the city's safety is our top priority. As for the Vice Governor, we will address that matter in due time. For now, we must ensure that no further incidents occur."
Reign stood silently beside her, his presence making the council members wary.
They had overheard from their assistants that he single-handedly took care of all the threats, and they assumed he was a veteran mercenary from a high-tier city.
The council members exchanged uneasy glances but nodded in agreement, after feeling intimidated by Reign's presence.
As the meeting continued, Aiku and the council members discussed security measures. Some members argued for canceling the concert, but Aiku was firmly against it.
That concert was the only reason Reign had been holding back. If they canceled it, not just the council members but everyone in this building would face his wrath.
They'd have no chance to say their goodbyes.
"We cannot let this incident dictate our actions," Aiku stated. "Canceling the concert would only spread panic and give our enemies a victory."
"But Governor, the threat is real. We need to think about your safety" A tall, man with eye glasses shook his head.
"I agree with the Governor," another member chimed in. "Canceling now would cause mass hysteria. We need to show strength, not weakness."
Aiku nodded. "Exactly. We will increase security measures and ensure the safety of everyone attending. But the concert will proceed as planned."
She turned to her assistant. "Make sure that news of the assassination attempt is kept from the public. We don't want to incite unnecessary fear."
Her assistant nodded, taking notes. "Understood, Governor. We'll keep it under wraps."
"We'll need to coordinate closely with security forces," Aiku continued. "Double the guards at all entry points, and have plainclothes officers mingling with the crowd."
The council members exchanged glances but ultimately nodded in agreement.
The plan was set, and with Reign's intimidating presence reinforcing Aiku's demand, they prepared to secure the event and maintain public order.
As a governor, she had access to information that wasn't available to the public, including information from other cities as well.
"What is it?" he asked.
"I heard rumors that she actually has a cult in Green Valley, and all her songs are about worshiping some kind of god-like figure," she reported.
Reign was stunned after hearing her, and with each piece of information, he was slowly being led to one conclusion.
"Cult..." He paused , " Is her name related to anything angelic ?" he asked.
Aiku looked at him, surprised.
"How did you know? Did you see her poster? Her name is Angela"
"You've got to be kidding me," Reign leaned back in his chair, a tone of realization echoing in his voice.
He already had an idea of what was happening.
"What is it, Master? Do you know something about her?"Aiku looked at him with concern.
"More than enough ," He responded and decided to think things through.
He had already guessed that there were more angels in this world, but he hadn't expected to meet one so soon. This was an additional variable in his plan.
The cult leader from before had only had thousands of followers, which was why he had been able to defeat her much more easily.
At the same time, she had only awakened for a few months, while this Angela had been active for 6 months already.
And judging from how many people were fans of her, it was safe to assume she was far more powerful than the hypocrite cult leader back in Summit City.
Not only that, angels were known to have the power of purification and healing in books and stories.
If she decided to heal everyone in the city during his planned pandemic operation, then all his hard work would be wasted.
Reign clenched his fists, his mind racing.
"I need to find a way to kill her," he mused aloud.
"Kill her? Why?" Aiku asked in confusion.
"Don't worry about it. She's my concern," Reign reassured her. "I'll handle her after the concert."
Aiku nodded in response to his words, sensing the gravity of the situation.
The fact that it had unsettled her master, who was usually composed, hinted that Angela's background was far deeper than she realized.