Instigator and Protector of Violence

Wenster.

The city was engulfed in a downpour.

In the rain, it was already Hell.

Everywhere was filled with wails of agony and whispered moans of pain. The once-celebrating crowd now lay sprawled on the muddy ground, either vomiting and convulsing too much to stand or attempting to flee to shelter but were swiftly beaten back into the rain.

Those who acted, no, perhaps they could no longer be called people at all.

They still had human forms, but their crucial parts, like their heads and limbs, were no longer human in appearance.

Their heads had morphed into the shapes of sea creatures, with protruding cheekbones, elongated mouths, and sharp teeth protruding from them. Even their tongues had become forked. Their limbs turned slimy and emaciated, covered with scale-like patches reaching into their torsos. Every finger and toe had grown sharp and fierce, and tails sprouted from their hips.

They were monsters through and through.

These monsters controlled the crowd's movements, preventing them from escaping the rain or dragging those hiding indoors out into the storm.

If anyone resisted, they would be torn to pieces by these monsters' sharp teeth and claws.

Not that no one fought back—there were still many Mafia members in the alleys along with Sheriff officers trying to maintain order, all armed with guns.

However, the bullets seemed unable to cause sufficient harm to these creatures; they pushed on despite the gunfire, managing to kill the defenders.

In no time, blood, chunks of flesh, and limbs splattered and scattered across the rain-drenched streets, accompanied by the monstrous creatures roaming about.

No one could have imagined that Wenster's carnival would turn into such a scene.

Vincent and Virel were currently leaning against the thick wall of a café. After leaving the Holiday Sunshine, they originally intended to gather men to take care of Vito's remaining subordinates.

But as soon as they stepped outside, they saw creatures crawling out from the sewers, and combat ensued.

Wenster typewriters were far more powerful than regular handguns, albeit not equipped with specialized bullets; they could suppress but not entirely kill these creatures.

Ultimately, Virel and Vincent had to engage in close combat to slay these monstrosities.

Yet, the gunfire attracted more of these things.

In a short while, many of their men had been lost already.

They had no choice but to temporarily retreat into a café.

"The situation is completely different from what we expected; what on earth are these monsters?"

Virel lightly flexed his arm. The monsters were extremely strong. Though unharmed during the fight, one shove had left him aching.

"This seems like a pollution incident. I wonder how things are on Ethan's end."

Vincent glanced out of the window, the scene evoking unpleasant memories as something seemingly forgotten slowly surfaced in his mind.

"Have you been able to get through on the phone?"

They retreated to this café partly because they realized it was unsafe to stay in the rain too long, and partly because they found a phone in the café.

They were short on manpower, and needed to find a way to mobilize the family.

The Bolita family had ruled Wenster's underworld for some time now; if they truly mobilized, they'd be a formidable force.

However, the subordinate responsible for making calls shook his head: "I can't get through, seems like… there's no signal."

Virel, disbelieving, walked over, picked up the phone, and dialed his tavern. Sure enough, it was a busy signal.

He tried several other numbers; all came back as busy signals.

In this rain, telephones seemed to have gone dead.

Just then, the hissing resonance of the monsters' forked tongues filled the air once more outside.

They're coming again…

——————

On the cliff of Winster University.

Ethan and the others had reached the parking lot. Order on campus was relatively maintained as El took the lead along with other staff, finally managing to bring everyone indoors.

Winster University, situated atop the cliff, regularly stocked quite a few supplies, and in isolation, could endure several days.

Sofia had initially clung onto Ethan, but eventually, Ned took her away. Given the pressing situation, Sofia didn't make a fuss about staying with Ethan.

Upon entering the car, Ethan saw the drenched Anya and couldn't help but ask, "Are you alright, Anya?"

"I'm fine, Young Master. Where are we going now?"

"Let's find Virel and Vincent first. We need to gather our people."

Ethan no sooner said this than they heard the sudden sound of bells ringing loudly in their ears.

It came from the clock tower in Wenster City, a relic from its inception, meant initially to tell time; as watches became common, it fell out of use save for warning of significant happenings in the city.

What was happening in the city?

Klaus Long Spear was already barreling through the rain.

Rushing down the road towards downtown, he hadn't yet reached the city when Ethan already heard gunfire in the rain.

Anya heard it too, steering them toward the gunfire's direction.

Soon they saw the Kingdom Defense Bureau's vehicles parked on the road, having come down before them; one was even overturned, and some strange creature corpses lay on the ground.

Gunfire continued to echo in the rain.

"Be careful, stick close to me."

Ethan sensed deep trouble, warning Anya as she prepared to get out. Then he retrieved two raincoats from the car, handing one to Anya and donning the other himself.

They entered the downpour, heading to where the gunshots rang fiercest, and Ethan saw Marvin and Heisenberg engaged in combat with those bizarre creatures.

There were many of these monsters, dozens completely blocking the road.

Basic Kingdom Defense Bureau sidearms barely hurt them, leaving Heisenberg and Marvin doing most of the resisting.

Some creatures had already slipped through.

Luckily, Ethan and Anya arrived, each wielding a firearm, fighting back-to-back, and began advancing.

Their bullets had been custom-modified to high-power Huoyan varieties; combined with their True Name Ability, they finally stabilized the situation.

As they continued to push forward, even Marvin and Heisenberg could catch their breath.

Ultimately, by the time Joseph arrived with reinforcements, the scene was finally clear.