It had started as a small demonstration, with just a few dozen people.
They didn't even reach a hundred individuals.
It couldn't even be called a crowd.
Then, things began to change.
From fewer than a hundred, in just a few hours, they reached at least a thousand members.
By dawn, things were beginning to spiral out of control.
"TRUTH! TRUTH! TRUTH!"
The protesters had gathered in front of the main headquarters of the [Black Corps], blocking both entrances and exits.
With Goto absent, having stayed home to console his daughter, his subordinates made sure the situation didn't deteriorate, keeping the civilians under control without interfering.
In fact, several [White Corps] patrols were deployed to secure the area.
"(Hmmmm...)"
From the rooftop of the base, a figure in the shadows observed the scene, holding a weapon that resembled the outline of a scythe.
"(Parasites, dogs with a bone, turncoats, or just opportunists.)"
The demonstration hadn't happened by chance. The [New Dawn] had sparked it, a simple message online was enough to fuel the fire they had ignited.
There was no need to fabricate fake news—the evidence they had gathered over the years was more than enough.
It took very little to outrage public opinion. People were sensitive.
Or perhaps it was simply human nature—to want to see their heroes fall.
The figure in the darkness tightened her weapon slightly as she watched some masked men with balaclavas throwing stones at one of the walls surrounding the area.
She could have descended from the roof in the blink of an eye and cut them all down like wheat, in less than ten seconds, if she had wanted to.
She was very tempted to do it.
In fact, there wasn't even a need for her intervention to kill them all.
The [Black Corps] base was more than equipped with the necessary means to stop even an [Omega Rank] [mage].
They had weapons capable of making the Japanese self-defense forces pale in comparison.
Unfortunately, a bloodbath in front of the entire island was the only thing Goto wanted to avoid, at any cost.
There would be no going back after something like that.
"TRUTH! TRUTH! TRUTH! WE WANT THE TRUTH!"
The shouts grew louder as the protesters became more violent.
Other men with uncovered faces blended into the crowd.
It wasn't a coincidence. This time, it wasn't an idea from the [New Dawn], but it was still an organized action, orchestrated by the enemies of Hajime's stepfather.
Specifically, it was all a plan by Oliver Palmer, an old politician, who, together with his allies, was exploiting the situation to bring down their enemy.
Flares began to be thrown around, and things were getting out of hand.
The [White Corps] present began calling for reinforcements.
From the main entrance of the base, [Black Corps] personnel equipped with riot gear emerged.
The group formed two united lines of impenetrable shields to push the citizens back.
From loudspeakers, the order to disperse was announced.
"Dear citizens, you are requested to disperse. This demonstration is no longer authorized. Please disperse, or you will be arrested."
"And on what charges!? We just want the truth! Bring us Goto!"
A brave girl spoke for the crowd, stepping in front of the shields.
A very young [Black Corps] member stepped forward, breaking the formation.
"Return to your position, recruit!"
The young man didn't even bother responding to his superior. His arrogance was such that he didn't perceive the danger of the situation.
"Move the girl, or we will use force!"
"Go to hell!"
The girl spat saliva at the black corps member as a provocation.
When the glob of saliva hit his helmet, the figure on the roof realized that everything had gone wrong.
Overcoming the shock and surprise, the young agent confirmed his fears.
With a punch to her chest, he sent the girl flying backward.
She was just a normal human. Therefore, the force used easily caused internal fractures.
From there, chaos erupted.
"AAAAAHHHHHHHH!"
Someone else stepped forward, hitting the one responsible for a possible murder with a fireball to the face.
"Recruit!"
Some fled, while others stayed to face the two lines of Goto's subordinates.
The figure in the shadows could have descended long ago to put an end to everything before it began.
"(It was inevitable.)"
But that wasn't her task.
She was Goto's shadow, his best assassin and most loyal subordinate.
Many didn't even know she existed.
She had no civilian identity or [Black Corps] designation.
She was simply a weapon that carried out her master's orders.
Hajime's stepfather would probably have sent her to decapitate those responsible for the chaos she was observing: the young recruit, her commander, and the madman who had originally given the order to clear the area, and many others.
Yes, many heads would roll as soon as the news spread.
The shadow wasn't aware, but in the other districts, the situation wasn't much better.
"TRUTH! TRUTH! TRUTH! TRUTH!"
To the west, chaos was erupting in the streets.
The entire region was the worst, in every sense, of all [Fumetsu], so it took very little to give the citizens free rein.
As in this case.
"Muzan-sama! We need to take control of the situation! Goto-sama will not tolerate all this!"
The [Torturer] looked, with a grin frozen on his face, at the subordinate who was reporting the situation.
On another occasion, Hajime's stepfather would have made sure to give "specific suggestions" on how to control the district.
With his absence, there was no one capable of restraining Muzan's murderous madness and his desire to inflict pain on others.
"ahahahaha.....Send everyone into the streets then, I don't care. Or I'll join the fray myself!"
With a feline leap, the [mage] left his office, throwing himself into the streets. A group of homeless people were his first chosen victims.
Their screams lasted for at least an hour before the sadic madman began seeking another prey.
To the east, things were calmer.
Hikari, the extremist fanatic who worshiped a sun-based religion, was keeping the situation firmly under control.
By disconnecting the Internet, he had blocked the flow of information about what was happening in the other districts.
Even the highways were blocked.
[Black and White Corps] constantly patrolled the most at-risk areas.
The entire district was one step away from martial law.
People, of course, complained about this blatant abuse of power.
But words didn't move Hikari in the slightest, who dealt with an iron fist with anyone who threatened to oppose authority.
Obviously, the [Black Corps] didn't do all this out of duty or loyalty to Goto—no, their reasons were far more twisted.
"Hikari-sama, the sacrifices are ready."
"How many?"
"Eight women and three infants, as you requested."
"Good. Make sure no one disturbs the ritual. You have my permission to apply martial law if other protesters take to the streets."
"As you wish, sir."
The blonde [mage] left command to his second in command while descending into the depths of his main base to perform other rituals based on his religion.
Soon, many screams of pain would come from a hidden room, meters away from the surface.
In the south, the situation wasn't as critical as in the previous two districts.
Kugutsu was keeping the situation under control, doing an exemplary job, worthy of her role.
The protesters were free to move around.
With agents hidden among the crowd, the [mage] received continuous live updates on the most violent groups, allowing her to anticipate potential outbreaks of violence.
Of course, this professionalism was all a façade, the woman's smile, while watching the situation on multiple monitors, was a clear sign of how amusing she found the shift in the status quo.
"(Ohohohoho, I made the right choice switching teams before the end. I didn't expect things to escalate this quickly.)"
In the last district, the situation was still peaceful.
Goto's influence wasn't as strong in the north.
Even so, there was a tense atmosphere on the streets, given the recent news circulating on social media from the other hot zones of the island.
Among them all, Shogun felt the most burdened by the situation.
"(Time is running out... I need to make a choice.)" (Shogun)