Chapter 28: Violence

In Brooklyn, New York, on Eighth Avenue, 27-year-old Samuel Phillips flashed a smile as he skillfully tidied up and locked the door of his pharmacy. Usually open 24/7, the pharmacy was now closing at eleven each night since Samuel's assistant had quit, and he hadn't found a replacement yet.

"Tired today, my love?"

25-year-old Jill L Miners was his girlfriend. The high school sweethearts' relationship was still going strong, and everyone around them felt it was only a matter of time before they tied the knot.

"Not really, business was slow today."

Jill, a key employee at a finance company, usually didn't have to work late. But to keep her boyfriend company, she chose to work evenings and made a detour to pick up Samuel after work. Their home was just a few streets away.

"Actually, you don't have to come here every day to pick me up," Samuel gently held his girlfriend's arm and kissed the corner of her mouth, a hint of concern in his voice. "You should head home earlier next time. This neighborhood isn't very safe at night."

"It's okay, I had some work to finish, and I have you to keep me company," Jill sweetly replied, leaning her head against his shoulder. A typical blonde beauty with a stunning figure, her professional attire only added to her allure, making it clear why Samuel was so protective.

Chatting and laughing, the couple turned into a narrow alley. They hadn't gone far when two masked figures emerged from the shadows.

"Hand over everything valuable you've got, and make it quick!" One of the masked men threatened with a dagger drawn from behind.

"Oh my God!" Jill clutched Samuel's hand in panic, retreating slightly, shocked by the sudden confrontation.

Samuel gently pulled her behind him, frowning, "Look, I don't want trouble, but it's best if you guys just back off!"

"Haha! What did he say? That's the funniest thing I've heard. Looks like this guy doesn't understand the situation."

The dagger-wielding man sneered and exchanged a look with his accomplice, then glanced at Jill, obviously noting her striking appearance under the dim light. "Well, well, looks like there's a beauty here, trying to play the hero? Guys, looks like we're in for a treat tonight!"

Two more masked men appeared from the street where Jill and Samuel had entered, effectively trapping them.

"Now, clear off while you still can," Samuel's face turned ominously cold, seemingly unbothered by the thugs.

"Kid, looks like you're the one who won't be leaving in one piece!" The thug with the dagger, infuriated by Samuel's lack of fear, lunged at him with a viciousness born of desperation.

Unexpectedly, Samuel, shielding Jill behind him, dodged the dagger with astonishing agility.

"You little motherfucker! Not bad, huh? Getting cocky now?" The thug was boiling with rage, swearing to teach Samuel a lesson. He lunged again, more fiercely, aiming for vital spots, uncaring if he killed his target.

What followed left the other thugs stunned.

Dodge left! Dodge right! Block!

Samuel, even burdened with protecting someone, dodged each attack with incredible reflexes. With a swift chop, he disarmed the thug, then landed a solid punch to the gut. The thug doubled over in pain, gasping for air, clearly winded by the blow.

The brief skirmish unfolded in the blink of an eye, but the outcome was unexpected. The other thugs, initially amused, now exchanged wary glances.

"You son of a bitch! Think you're tough?" One thug furiously drew something from his pocket, revealing a gun. "Let's see how tough you are now!"

The alley was dimly lit, but that didn't bother Samuel, who immediately recognized the gun: a .45 caliber Colt M-1911, a compact and widely used semi-automatic pistol in the US, notorious as a household weapon for murder. This was beyond what he had expected, and his face darkened, "Take what we have and let's call it even, okay?"

Jill, initially relieved by Samuel's defense, trembled in fear at the sight of the gun.

According to the latest statistics released by the FBI in June, there were 14.9 million criminal incidents, including murder, rape, robbery, and theft, in the US in 2015. Murders and rapes had increased by 0.8% and 4.0% from the previous year, respectively. The Surgeon General had recently admitted that the US had the highest murder rate in the world, with over 60% involving shootings.

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Perhaps this was why Americans felt such a lack of security, necessitating guns in every household for protection.

These thoughts led Jill L Miners to regret her decision to meet Samuel after work. If she hadn't, they might not have been there at that moment, possibly avoiding these thugs altogether. She should have listened to Sammy.

Chapter 29: Blade’s Edge

"Now you're scared? You can live, but only if your girl stays. As for you, kneel and beg for mercy, then get lost!"

The thug with the gun couldn't stand Samuel's demeanor. There was no fear, no terror on his face, just... impatience? Damn it! Why wasn't he acting like a typical robbery victim, scared and pleading for mercy?

"Please... just take our money... let us go..." Jill stammered, her voice filled with fear as she clutched Samuel's hand tightly, terrified of what the thugs might do on a whim.

"Don't worry, my dear, we won't hurt you, as long as you make us happy..." The thug with the gun smirked, feeling a twisted sense of satisfaction at the expected reaction. But then he turned to Samuel, voice turning harsh. "You there, get on your knees, now!"

"It seems there's no room for negotiation," Samuel sighed softly, his expression softening as he placed one hand behind Jill's neck. "You rest for a bit, my dear."

"What?"

His voice was gentle, almost a whisper. Jill, unable to comprehend what was said, felt her world go dark as she lost consciousness.

After knocking Jill out, Samuel carefully propped her against the wall, then turned with a dark look to the thug on the ground, stepping on his head, "Ignorant scum, if you don't know how to seize a chance to live, then now you can die."

"Damn it! What are you doing? Let him go, I'm going to shoot!" The gunman, sensing something amiss, barked orders while checking on his companion. "Jason! Jason! Are you alright?"

But the thug, motionless on the ground, didn't respond. Realizing something was off, the gunman gritted his teeth and prepared to pull the trigger. Suddenly, a cool breeze seemed to pass by, and his world began to spin, his body losing control, consciousness fading.

In a daze, he thought he saw a headless figure standing before him, wearing familiar clothes... That was his last thought before everything went black.

"YOU SON OF BITCH! What the hell is going on..."

The other thugs hadn't seen Samuel's swift move. All they saw was their companion's body, split in two by some sharp weapon, fall to the ground, followed by the head rolling away.

"Thump!"

Something hit the ground and rolled a few times. The remaining thugs, shakily pointing their guns, took a few steps forward. When they saw what lay before them, they were frozen with horror.

A severed head lay on the ground, eyes wide open in confusion, the last expression of the thug's life. The headless body finally collapsed, blood gushing from the gaping wound, forming a pool that quickly soaked the entire body.

This bizarre scene sent chills down the spines of the remaining thugs, who stood there, guns in hand, speechless. But then they saw Samuel, who had been obscured by the bodies.

The strange man turned slowly, his eyes now a deep black, devoid of any white. His face was covered in fine, intricate scales, and instead of arms, there were four long, blade-like appendages extending over a meter in length.

These blade-like limbs were about four fingers thick at the base but tapered off towards the tip, becoming razor-thin and sharp. The material was dark and indiscernible, nearly invisible in the faint light.

Facing this creature, hardly resembling a human, the thugs swallowed hard, their legs trembling as they instinctively aimed their guns, "What... what are you... don't come closer... or we'll shoot..."

"Foolish humans, forcing me to reveal my true form, die!" Samuel's dark blades waved gently, and he vanished from their sight. In the dim alley, a short gunshot echoed before silence returned.

Drip... drip... drip...

Samuel, now in his true form, frowned at his slightly torn sleeve. Thankfully it was summer, and he was wearing short sleeves; the damage was not noticeable. But the last thug had fired a shot, causing quite a stir. It was best to leave quickly.

He carefully stepped around the pool of blood to where Jill lay unconscious against the wall. With tender affection, he lifted her, taking one last look around to ensure nothing was left behind before quickly departing the scene.

Behind him lay scattered limbs and torsos, and a still-flowing blood pool.

The alley was eerily quiet, but Samuel and the thugs hadn't noticed that atop a nearby building, several figures had been watching the entire event unfold.

"Why didn't we intervene just now? Although this guy doesn't seem like a small fry, he hasn't been reborn long, shouldn't be too tough to handle," one of the figures spoke.

"This kin is peculiar, haven't you noticed? Those humans posed no threat to him, yet he hesitated, only revealing his true form when cornered, and even then, he knocked out that woman first, seemingly afraid of her discovering his true identity," the central figure, who pulled down his mask to reveal a ruggedly handsome face—Ray Stein—spoke with disbelief and confusion, watching the direction Samuel had left in.

"Maybe he's not ready to reveal his identity, wants to keep blending in with human society," another figure suggested.

"No, Ray's right. His attitude towards that human female was definitely odd. That cautious, overly careful demeanor was unlike any other; he seemed unwilling to harm her, as if... in human terms, treating someone he loves," the smallest figure, who had been observing closely, spoke. But even as he spoke, he seemed puzzled.

"You're serious? That's clearly not human, why would it care about a so-called human lover? Demons don't feel love," the first figure, skeptical of his companion's words, found it hard to understand.

"That's why I say this one is peculiar. The Lord might find him interesting; let's keep watching. Kitz, can you track him?" Ray Stein, full of curiosity, recalled Bruce's instructions and turned to the small figure.

The latter nodded, pointing in a direction, then leapt effortlessly across a ten-meter gap to land softly on the opposite rooftop, making virtually no sound.

This feat, beyond human limits, went unseen as the other figures swiftly followed, disappearing into New York's night.