"MANTIS..."
Vill-V's gaze flickered, a trace of unease surfacing.
It wasn't that the term itself surprised her.
Rather, she hadn't expected to hear it at this time, in this place, from someone who wasn't even a minor gang leader—just an outer-ring lackey.
One had to know, even within MOTH, this was a top-secret research project among top secrets.
Even as the head of MOTH's Energy Department, Vill-V had never heard of this project being officially established.
Let alone the name of an ultra-rare branch within MANTIS—mental perception-type MANTIS.
Originally, if Vill-V's guess was correct, this should have been a project set up by Dr. Mobius.
Given that snake's personality, there was no way she would be so careless as to leak unfinished experimental content.
Unless Mobius had some scheme in mind—or there had been some kind of deal between MOTH and her.
That also meant the situation here was about to become far more complicated.
It seemed this was no longer a matter that could be resolved simply by following the clues.
To deal with the problems in this twilight city now, the best approach would be brute force—cut through the chaos with a single decisive strike.
With the strength of Mad Hatter here, even if all the gangs gathered together, they would still be like ants trying to shake a tree—utterly incapable of affecting the overall situation of this city.
The hidden power currently converging here from various factions was not something a few gangs could even touch.
According to Vill-V's estimation, given the current situation, the upper limit might very well give birth to something at the level of a pseudo-god.
Because judging from the mastermind's objective, it was entirely possible.
After all, the thing sought by National Boundary Guardian was called "God."
Perhaps the mastermind also had someone they wished to revive.
Under the current circumstances, escape was impossible.
Leaving aside the potential impact this disaster might have on human civilization...
Just Pardo's unknown whereabouts alone meant she had to be rescued.
"We must resolve everything here before the worst-case scenario appears.
If we want to defeat so many factions through brute force, we'd need at least a Herrscher-level existence.
But where are we supposed to find a Herrscher right now?"
...
Behind Madam Ma, two figures in motorcycle suits stepped forward, fists clenched.
Their leather jackets were covered in metal studs that gleamed viciously under the sunlight.
These two bikers were enforcers of the Ghostfire Syndicate in Barcelona, Madam Ma's subordinates. Through regular tributes, she had managed to secure a foothold within the syndicate.
Though they didn't station themselves in any fixed territory, they relied on high-speed motorcycles to respond at a moment's notice. That was why Madam Ma alone wasn't afraid of the numerous residents.
Madam Ma retreated behind the bikers.
If this had been an ordinary situation, she would have smugly mocked the three of them, saying, "Old ginger is still spicier. While you were putting on a show, I was already calling for backup. And you? Who are you waiting for? The Black and White Impermanence?"
But now, after witnessing Azure Empyrea's skills, even someone like Madam Ma—who knew nothing of martial arts—felt genuine pressure, not to mention that little girl who could use some kind of 'immortal technique.'
"In times like these, a pretty young girl who can still survive definitely has some skills."
"Hey, you two, be careful of the one in the qipao..."
"Stop nagging. Just get things ready and wait for us to collect after we're done."
The two men dismissed Madam Ma's warning entirely. Their relationship was closer to a hired arrangement than any superior-subordinate structure.
They were simply hired muscle.
The two bikers were tall, burly, and arrogant, completely looking down on the three seemingly frail individuals before them.
They had no idea what they were about to face, so they continued chatting casually.
"Looks like we've got business again today."
"Finish it quick, then back to drinking—"
A strong stench of alcohol wafted from them. Madam Ma couldn't help but pinch her nose and step back, afraid she might get drunk just standing near them.
Seeing that they wouldn't listen, she retreated to the side, planning to call for more reinforcements.
As the bikers advanced menacingly, Vill-V gently stroked the crystal ball.
The image within the crystal ball was projected before everyone—and instantly sobered the two thugs.
"Before we fight, shouldn't the fortune-teller draw a reading first?"
The two crystal balls rapidly played fragments of the past actions of the men in front of them.
The first man held a sharp blade. Before him knelt a family of three. He slowly drove the tip into the father's palm, drawing agonized screams. Then he calmly sliced open the father's clothes, carving bloody wounds one by one. The mother clutched her child and begged for mercy, but he only laughed and chopped through her leg bone. As she collapsed in unbearable pain, he stepped closer—grabbing the child and, in front of her—chopped off the child's limbs.
The other one was no better—the entire screen was practically censored.
"My, one carries three lives on his back, and the other is steeped in countless crimes. Truly unforgivable scum."
"Sigh, benefactors, I see darkness gathering between your brows. I fear today will bring bloodshed. Within three minutes, retribution will fall upon you. If you are willing to lay down your blades and repent..."
"Hah, little girl, the moment you and your friends crossed paths with the Ghostfire Syndicate, your fate was sealed!"
Seeing their past exposed, the two bikers were naturally enraged. They tightened their knuckle guards and swung their fists toward the crystal balls between them.
After being struck, the two crystal balls behaved like magnets—colliding midair before suddenly emitting a blinding flash like flashbangs.
The Ghostfire Syndicate thugs had been staring directly at them, so before they could react, their vision was completely blown out.
Damn it—those weren't crystal balls at all. They were flashbangs.
The next moment, the crystal balls slammed down onto their heads, smashing them open and drawing blood.
They were wearing motorcycle helmets—and those were shattered outright. These crystal balls might as well have been made of diamonds.
"1 + 1 = 11. Blood plus light equals bloodshed."
"See that? That's what real fortune-telling looks like!" Vill-V said smugly.
The bikers' helmets were broken, revealing faces slashed by crystal shards, twisted with rage.
They quickly scrambled to their feet, jumped onto their motorcycles, slammed the throttle, and howled as they charged toward Vill-V.
And then—there was no then.
They were just fodder. Even with motorcycles, still fodder.
Worse yet, their vision was still impaired from the flash. They couldn't even see the road clearly and drove straight into the wall.
Boom.
Two massive holes were blasted into the wall.
The two men were buried under the collapsed rubble, dead on the spot.
"Sigh, traffic safety rule ninety-one—don't drink and drive. Tsk tsk, how dangerous," Vill-V shook her head.
Their deaths didn't surprise Madam Ma, but she hadn't expected them to fail to even stall for a minute.
She had already been calling for backup.
At this moment, her phone displayed:
"'One arrow pierces the clouds, thousands gather upon the call!' Loading... Progress: 99.7%. Tap ad to accelerate summoning."