If Ace's body—along with his facial expression—hadn't been completely petrified and been under the curse user's control, his eyes would have widened in shock right now seeing that the middle-aged woman turned out to be a curse user among the other two things was blowing his mind at once.
First, the speed of the stunning middle-aged woman, who carried herself with an air of effortless authority. And second, the faint but unmistakable curse energy radiated from her as she moved from her car to stand in front of the female curse user. The curse energy she leaked wasn't overwhelming, but it was potent—stronger than what Delores had ever emitted. This woman wasn't just any curse user; she was an ocean-tier curse master, no doubt about it.
When the woman spoke, her tone was calm but commanding when she demanded, "Please, show me your Curse ID." with her sharp gaze fixed on the female curse user.
Ace's mind raced. This middle-aged woman wasn't just some passerby; she had to be a C.I.B. agent. The Curse Investigation Bureau wasn't known for being subtle, and this woman fits the bill perfectly—strong, no-nonsense, and authoritative.
Curse IDs, short for curse registration IDs, were issued by the government to registered curse users. Ace knew these weren't just identification documents; they were special cursed gadgets designed to track a curse user's location and stealthy log every single time they used curse energy.
He wouldn't have known this if Dame Wasp hadn't found it while going through Layla's cursed gadget. To most people, the Curse ID was just a glorified tracker. But in reality, it was far more invasive—it recorded everything. Every curse technique, every minor flicker of energy—it all went straight to the C.I.B.
Ace's thoughts turned grim. The female curse user in front of him wasn't going to take this well. She hadn't shown any signs of being registered or carrying a Curse ID, which made things infinitely more dangerous. And if this escalated, there was no telling how the thing would spiral out.
The C.I.B. had a reputation for being ruthless when dealing with rogue curse users, often disregarding collateral damage. The middle-aged agent's behavior made it clear she was no exception. She hadn't even bothered to ask what the rogue curse user was doing with him—she went straight for demanding the latter to show her latter's Curse ID. Her words were cold, commanding, and devoid of concern for Ace as if she did not care what the latter had in store for him.
Ace's heart raced. The agent's indifference toward his safety was crystal clear. She had made sure as long as she fulfilled her duty, she didn't care what happened to him. Fortunately for him, both of them were within his field of vision so he was able to see the alteration between them.
He focused briefly on the rogue curse user, who looked far from cooperative. The tension in the air was suffocating, and the situation felt like a ticking time bomb.
Ace's thoughts spiraled wondering what if the duo started an all-out fight right here? He wasn't sure how he should react or deal with the two curse users going at each other with full force. Should he defend himself if a stray attack came his way? Or should he keep up the act, pretending to be an ignorant mortal, and let the attacks hit him?
Both options carried enormous risks. If he reacted, he'd almost certainly expose his identity as a curse user. But if he didn't and the attack was deadly, he might not even live to regret his decision.
He clenched his jaw, making a silent decision. He'd play it by ear. If the attack was something a mortal could conceivably survive, he'd grit his teeth and endure it. But if it was life-threatening, he'd have Emi intervene to save him. Either way, the chances of his cover being blown were high, and the weight of that realization settled heavily on his shoulders.
Ace concentrated his gaze back on the two women, his body frozen in both fear and indecision. The rogue curse user seemed to be sizing up the agent, her expression a mix of defiance and amusement. The agent, meanwhile, stood unwavering, her steely eyes fixed on her target while Ace silently prayed that he shouldn't be forced to come out of hiding, his mind racing as he tried to prepare for the worst.
"A C.I.B. agent?" the female curse user sneered, her lips curling into a mocking grin. "You have gorgeous skin for a C.I.B. dog. How lucky am I to run into not one but two excellent human skins?" She leaned slightly forward, her voice dripping with derision, showing no sign of fear despite the agent's commanding presence.
Ace wasn't surprised by the female curse user's dismissive attitude. Her confidence made sense. When Dame Wasp's cybernetic senses failed to detect her, Ace had already guessed that she was a formidable curse master. Her actions only added merit to his guess.
His initial plan had been straightforward yet ruthless: summon Dame Wasp in her 1/100th form and stealth mode right next to the curse user's ear while simultaneously summoning Emi a few yards away to create a distraction. Once the curse user turned her attention to Emi, Dame Wasp would penetrate her ear canal and eliminate her. And if that didn't work? Ace had steeled himself to detonate Dame Wasp inside her head, as brutal as it sounded it was a better outcome than the present situation as he could revive his toy summons with new toys as their body as long as he was alive.
But now, with the unexpected involvement of a C.I.B. agent, everything had grown infinitely more complicated. Ace's thoughts raced as he observed the silent standoff. The agent's expression remained cold and unflinching, a testament to her discipline, while the curse user continued to radiate her twisted confidence, clearly unfazed.