Lyon POV:

Two days later.

I stood in front of the open boundary: two towering walls separating District 4 from District 2. My cloak fluttered in the morning wind as my gaze swept over everyone present. Months and months’ worth of training had hardened their tenacity, moulded their resolve and gave birth to conviction—the belief that we will win.

Some of them needed a little push, while most knew where they stood already. Their eyes locked onto me, burning with the desire for victory as the sun pierced through the horizon.

I turned around, facing the direction of District 1. The beams of light cut through the sky, raining down on us as the symbols on my cloak glowed slightly. It was time.

“Let’s move.”

“Yes, Leader!!”

We departed for the rendezvous point in District 2, meeting up with Skorr and his line of reinforcements that also ranked in the hundreds along the way.

“Not bad, kid. Not bad at all.”

He looked at me approvingly while I also noticed a significant change in him. My lips curved upwards as we dashed along the remaining rooftops before dropping to the ground.

The rendezvous point was a large open space far enough from the boundary to District 1 that they wouldn’t be able to see us.

“We’ll be waiting here on standby. Once Distortion has been active for 5 minutes, we’ll move in to back you up. The only issue I have is the Resistance.”

I glanced at Skorr as he tapped his folded arms. The Resistance wouldn’t be able to get involved for multiple reasons. We had no way to communicate with them, and if they ran into Distortion blindly, Brunaulf would automatically assume they were enemies.

“Leader, it may be better to remove Distortion once we’ve cleaned up as many of the obstacles as possible in our way. The Resistance will then be able to participate in the battle, taking care of the remnants.”

Sindel bowed his head after giving his opinion on the issue at hand.

“Hmm, that works. Besides, they’ll probably be too scared to join in anyway. For all they know, it could be some new scheme the Ruler has devised.”

“Good point. We'll go with that then.”

I walked on ahead while the Watchers and Vices from the two Districts mingled amongst each other. Brunaulf and Gia stood on a pile of debris from the knocked-down buildings, removed to create this strategic space as they went over the plan once more.

“Understood, Leader.”

I informed him of the change before shifting my gaze toward Isabelle. She hurried away from Charge as he chased after her with a desperate expression. It was a strange scene to behold.

“I’m being serious! All you need to do is hold my hand!!”

“I don’t know you, and I don’t want to hold your hand either. Please leave me alone.”

“Gah...!”

I mused to myself slightly as Charge dropped to his knees in despair. Isabelle flicked her hair and walked off. It seemed like he really wasn’t good at talking with women.

“Isabelle, what’s wrong?”

I called out to her as she abruptly turned around.

“L-Leader! Well... Apparently, he has an ability that can charge others. In doing so, Gia would be able to double the time everyone can stay hidden for once I amplify her ability.”

I glanced at Charge, who was crying out at the rising sun while a sigh escaped my lips.

“Any conditions or restrictions?”

Her face flushed briefly before her expression darkened. Her eyebrows dropped down to the top of her eyes as I saw visible disgust form from her pulled-in lips.

“Apparently, we have to hold hands and be... Quite intimate. Leader, he’s a pervert. Who makes an ability with that kind of condition?!”

Isabelle’s fists shook while she glared at Charge, who stared at the sky helplessly.

“What about guys then?”

The veins on the side of her head popped slightly.

“He said men understand each other through their fists.”

She raised her two small fists and bumped them together menacingly while I held in a laugh. Isabelle was quite sensitive when it came to touching other people, most likely because of her ability and the trauma she suffered in District 3, so I understood why she felt uncomfortable with it.

“The decision is yours. If you’re not comfortable with it, then don’t do it. The original plan was based on a 30 second window, so don’t worry about it.”

“...Mm. I don’t want to let you down, Leader.”

She shifted her gaze to the ground for a few moments before walking back to Charge whose eyes lit up like the rising sun. The real question was how intimate was ‘quite intimate’?

I flickered forward, standing in front of Isabelle. There was no need for her to go out of her comfort zone here.

“We’ll stick with the original plan. Isabelle, wait with Lissandra and the others. Brunaulf and Gia will be moving out soon.”

She opened her mouth to say something but eventually bowed her slightly red face and headed back towards the others. I looked down at Charge, who had a visibly annoyed expression on his face.

“You need to work on your approach more.”

“...True.”

He let out a long sigh while he evaluated himself deeply. I left him be and stood on the ledge of the nearest rooftop. The boundary to District 1 was far in the distance and had been left open, which was the norm between Districts most of the time.

Brunaulf looked up at me, and I nodded my head. He turned around and departed with Gia. Now it was a waiting game.

“Nervous?”

I glanced to my right and saw Lissandra sitting on the ledge with her cheek resting in her palm. Her purple bang swayed slightly in front of her forehead while she gazed into my eyes.

“Not at all.”

I sat down as the corners of Lissandra's mouth rose. The sun had broken through most of the horizon, signalling the start of the operation.

***

Brunaulf POV:

“Chameleon: Cloak.”

Gia activated her ability the moment we left the rendezvous point. We crossed the border in no time, and I envisioned the detailed map Isabelle had drawn.

The first destination was the Pit, followed by the two closest relay points. We moved quietly along the rooftops while Gia scanned the surrounding area for any inconsistencies with the information we had gathered.

‘...’

I landed silently on a ledge that overlooked a large sunken area of District 1. Large crater-like rings were present in various locations, and the sounds of people fighting filled the air. I gazed down at a woman, who was standing on top of a wooden podium erected high above the pits below.

‘The District Leader.’

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

My gaze swept over the civilians being forced to fight. Some tried to escape by climbing out of the pits, but the District Leader would raise her hand, causing pillars of earth to shoot forward. She mercilessly killed them, crushing their bodies into lumps of bloody flesh.

The remaining civilians froze. Some screamed out in despair while others vomited the little that they had inside of their frail bodies. A few among them succumbed to the powers above and fought wildly.

They viciously attacked anybody in their way, digging their teeth deep into the necks of others. They ripped the flesh off their opponents, spitting out chunks of meat as they threw themselves into a deeper state of chaos.

Blood filled the air, magnified by agonizing screams of pain. Mothers cried out for their children, husbands cried out for their wives, while children watched people die like flies around them as the massacre amongst themselves continued.

‘...’

I glanced at Gia, whose fists shook with rage. Her fighting spirit burned while her heterochromatic eyes flashed. I could understand her anger. This was different to what Lissandra described.

This was hell.

“Well done, my beautiful children.”

The District Leader jumped down into the pit. The screams had faded into thin air, and all that remained were five scarred individuals. Their bodies shook as they realized just what they had done to their loved ones, to their friends.

The District Leader embraced each of them while whispering sweet words of comfort. Their facial expressions gradually changed, and they began to look at her as some sort of saviour as they bowed their heads.

“This is sick.”

Gia raised her fist when I stretched out my hand to stop her. I rested my other hand against the left side of my mask while surveying the situation at hand.

“Madness.”

It responded to my call, shooting out of my back high up into the sky. It spread out, covering the sunken area in a tight web of strands from above.

Gia slowly lowered her fist, and we moved on. We took care of the next three relay points swiftly. Each relay point had a number of Watchers in an open space like an alley, rooftop, street or outside shops. It made it easier for them to see each other, but it also made it easier for us to deal with them.

However, we also witnessed the effectiveness of their network first-hand. Multiple people were always moving at the same time as information quickly travelled to different points across the pentagram.

We took care of the rest of the relay points on the outside before finally reaching the Range. I observed the tight cluster of buildings that spread into a large ‘U’ shape, marking off the outskirts of the inner section of District 1.

“Madness.”

Strands of madness blanketed the area. Whether they trained outside or inside, it didn’t matter to me. The tendrils shot forward, slipping through the gaps in the walls, windows and any other openings they could find.

“...Your ability has a mind of its own?”

Gia narrowed her eyes while examining the intricate movements the tendrils made.

“Yes and no.”

Her lips curved upwards as she seemed to understand the meaning behind my words. The Range had been taken care of so we moved on to the next relay points.

The number of Watchers around each point increased exponentially compared to the outer side of District 1, and while Isabelle’s map was incredibly accurate, the distance between each location was a little further than expected.

‘...’

I gazed down at the main base of the Organization. It took up two wide streets alone, and members constantly flowed in and out. Gia fanned her fingers while closing her eyes briefly.

“Thousands, and that’s just in this area alone.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

She smirked at my response as the madness shot forward. We watched a network of strands form over the area before turning our attention to the next locations.

“10 minutes has passed. Let's speed this up.”

I nodded my head, and our bodies flickered out of view. We took care of the highest point on the pentagram before going back on ourselves to reach the lowest point.

“Madness: Proliferate.”

I closed my eyes as I felt the madness spread out at a rapid pace. It followed the path I had adjusted, quickly reaching the next relay points along the pentagram as well as the area where the Royal and Shadow Guards were based.

“You couldn’t have done that from the beginning?”

“We needed to confirm how accurate Margaret’s information was.”

Gia smirked while turning around.

“We’re done here.”

I placed my hand on the left side of the Kitsune mask and followed after Gia, moving with my eyes closed.

Proliferate used up a fair amount of Madness, so it was necessary that I didn’t overdo it. Once the pentagram and other areas were completely covered, I cancelled the technique, stopping the proliferation from continuing.

It was time for the next step of the plan.

***

Lyon POV:

I jumped down from the building once I saw the Kitsune mask appear from thin air on the ground; Brunaulf and Gia had returned. It had taken them around 15 minutes, which meant they stopped several times along the way and most likely had to make minor adjustments to the route they took.

“The distance between each location is noticeably longer than we previously thought.”

Brunaulf picked up the kitsune mask as it hovered in the air where his face was.

“Any other issues?”

“None. I'll stay behind to deal with the District Leader, and catch up with you later, Leader.”

I gazed at the mask for a little while. Judging by the tone of his voice, he had seen something that he really didn’t like. I nodded my head before shifting my sight to the hundreds of Watchers and Vices who were ready in position.

They had already been briefed on the fact that Gia's ability wouldn’t conceal sound. As a result, I paired those who weren’t adept at moving stealthily with those who had the wind Ki Nature.

“15 seconds. Everyone will have 15 seconds to get as close as possible to their designated location before Distortion activates. Even though you won’t be affected by Distortion, the disorientated enemies can and will retaliate so be on guard.”

I looked at their faces while they nodded their heads in unison.

“Stick together as a group. Retreat if you’re overwhelmed, and remember that there are several Senior Vices watching over each area ensuring your safety.”

I turned back around as Isabelle stepped forward. Her yellow hair highlights glowed while her eyes flashed a bright shade of yellow.

“Isabelle.”

She moved towards Gia's voice and placed her hand against her back as they had done many times before.

“Let’s move!”

“Yes, District Leader!!”

Gia's Ki spread over all of us, and then...

We vanished.

***

5 seconds.

Len, Marina and Jasmine followed behind me closely as we bolted across the rooftops. Lissandra took her own route, while Gia needed to stay behind since she would Overheat.

Brunaulf had already reached the Pit and stood over the rooftop as the Watchers and Vices nimbly got into their respective positions.

10 seconds.

Ven and Gunnar reached the Range, followed by the remaining Watchers and Vices. It was impossible for everyone to move that fast normally, so we relied on manipulating the wind, creating a streamlined pocket, which, in turn, drastically increased everyone’s speed.

Sindel, Orga, Triste and Cirris barely made it to the location of the Organization in time with the help of Brunaulf's ability. He wrapped the madness around their legs, greatly enhancing their physical capabilities.

15 seconds.

I arrived at the location of the Royal Guards as planned. Jasmine and Marina were half a beat behind me while Len had kept up with my suppressed speed, which wasn’t surprising for a former assassin.

Distortion activated immediately, and a blanket of darkness swallowed the area whole, right at the same time Len dropped down on the wide-open street.

“Nightwalker.”

She crouched down, pulling out a knife from her pocket as her presence vanished—I could see her, but it felt like she wasn’t actually there.

She spun the knife around her fingers, catching it as a glint of light bounced into the darkness and then...

She was gone.

The blade flashed, leaving a trail of light that mixed in with the dark red colour illuminating from the strands of madness. Her movement speed was at least two times faster than it was a few seconds ago.

This version of Distortion used the red light to emit a stronger sense of disorientation, meaning it didn’t aid the enemy with their vision; it made it worse. It couldn’t be compared to what Brunaulf used against Storm.

Marina dropped down instantly and mimicked her sister's movements. Flames erupted out all around her as she dashed forward, leaving her own fiery-red trail that lagged a step behind Len. Len paralyzed them while Marina inflicted enormous damage using her Elemental Ki.

“Not bad, right? I taught her pretty well.”

Jasmine smirked while popping a lollipop into her mouth. I smiled and continued to observe the two trails of light flicker around the battlefield. She bent down quickly and kissed my cheek.

“Let’s go, Partner.”

Jasmine crunched down on the lollipop, and we shot forward into the darkness. For us, it was like having a very light black filter over our eyes, but for them, it’d be the complete opposite.

“Nightwalker: Assassinate.”

Len made her way back toward us as glints of light flashed repeatedly on the blade of her dagger. It was the sign that Assassinate was active.

When Len hit a target with Assassinate, it placed a Mark on them. In addition to the initial Mark from Nightwalker’s activation, which was placed on all targets within Len’s field of vision, it meant most Guards had already accumulated 2 Marks. Three marks and Len would be able to incapacitate the target for a certain duration of time.

Jasmine fanned her fingers as Len and Marina skidded to a halt in front of us right when a tornado descended down from the sky with us at its epicenter.

“Gale Storm.”

Powerful blades of wind shot out of the tornado, slicing through everything in its path as we advanced forward. Their synergy was remarkable; all of these actions being completed within the span of a few seconds.

The three of them had managed to take care of most of the Guards in the 20s and high 10s during that brief exchange.

30 seconds.

Cloak wore off, revealing our presence and a second later, a blade of light shot through Jasmine's tornado, tearing it in half.

“...A hero appears with his harem. His training arc complete; his confidence is beyond imagination—he knows he will win.

But this hero is mistaken; his self-belief casting an illusion on his reality. The genre of his story may be an adventure, but all that awaits him is tragedy.”

I furrowed my eyebrows at the sound of that person’s voice.

“Why are you here? Didn’t I warn you of what you would lose?”

Len and Marina both looked at me while I stepped forward.

“This technique is different from before. I suppose you managed to save him then? Show me that you can stop the tragedy that is about to befall you.”

I remained calm under his taunts. I was no longer the same person as before, both physically and mentally.

“Arc Drive: Storm.”

A flash of light penetrated the darkness as Storm shot towards me with multi-coloured eyes. I sidestepped his attack while he kicked off the ground, entering the next phase of Storm.

He flashed forward, trying to attack me from every angle as I effortlessly weaved through his strikes. He built up a storm of light that allowed the other Royal Guards to temporarily regain their senses.

I shifted my gaze to the sky as Storm crashed down, exploding the light all around us.

“...!!!”

I held his fist in my hand while the earth beneath my feet shattered. A burst of wind rippled out around us from the force of his clearly improved technique.

“You...”

His body flinched, unable to finish his sentence as I glared at him.

“Get out of my way.”

I twisted his arm and launched him back into the darkness that had quickly swallowed up the surrounding light. He crashed through several buildings as a pained moan escaped his mouth.

“Nightwalker: Abyss.”

Len’s eyes left streaks of darkness from them as Marina and Jasmine stepped forward.

“Heh. Let’s do this~”