In the darkness of Nanyan Hotel, the game had begun.

The lights inside had all gone out, and the eerie silence was broken by the wet, heavy footsteps of several hundred Fish-Men emerging from the shadows. They blocked the stairs, filling the halls, and continued to pour in from all directions, surrounding the two squads of police officers.

One squad had eight people, the other nine. Chino's eyes locked onto the smaller squad. He knew that dealing with them first would be the most strategic move. The larger team, with Enko among them, would come later—a final dessert to savor.

The sound of clacking and rattling echoed through the dark corridors, growing louder and more frantic. Panic set in as the police realized they were being cornered. They had no choice but to retreat to the third floor, where they could at least lean against the walls to avoid being overwhelmed by the relentless onslaught.

The tension in the air thickened as the two squads of police officers realized they were surrounded by Fish-Men on all sides. Panic laced their voices as they communicated over the radio.

"Call Captain!"

"We've encountered Fish-Men here, repeat, Fish-Men!"

"What? You too?"

"Yes, we've got a hundred of them!"

Both squads were under attack simultaneously. The situation was dire.

"Damn..." one officer asserted under his breath as the squadron raised their guns, aiming in all directions.

Chino, staying strategically at the back of the Fish-Man group, observed the scene. The Fish-Men hesitated, their human instincts kicked in—fear of the guns were palpable. Even as Fish-Men, they knew that bullets could still kill them.

Seeing the hesitation, Chino's eyes narrowed in frustration. "Up, together!" he commanded.

As his words echoed through the corridor, the Fish-Men's eyes turned red, driven by an unholy frenzy. They lunged forward, their hesitation replaced by blind aggression.

"Shoot!" the police officers shouted as gunfire erupted.

Bang! Bang!

A Fish-Man's head exploded as a bullet found its mark, and it crumpled to the ground. But before the officers could catch their breath, another Fish-Man took its place, surging forward through the hail of bullets.

The defense line was breached. One of the Fish-Men, moving with terrifying speed, closing the distance like a rabid dog. It lunged at one of the officers with a sickening squelch.

"Poof!"

"Ahhh!!"

"Lee!!"

"Fuck!"

The police officers were in a frenzy, desperately unloading their bullets into the advancing horde of Fish-Men, but the sheer number of enemies overwhelmed them. The distance closed rapidly, and once the Fish-Men were in close quarters, the battle turned into a massacre.

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Poof!

A sharp claw pierced through a policeman's abdomen. His eyes widened in shock, but with a final act of defiance, he shoved the barrel of his gun into the Fish-Man's mouth.

"You mixed-race bitch!" he spat out as he pulled the trigger.

Bang!

The gunshot echoed, and blood sprayed out, but the brief victory was short-lived. With no time to reload, the remaining officers fell one by one, their defenses shattered.

"Ah!"

"Call captain, captain, team 2 is already—" The last desperate plea was cut short with a sickening as another officer was taken down.

In a matter of moments, the entire eight-man squad lay lifeless on the ground. The only survivor, a middle-aged man, lay on the brink of death, barely clinging to life.

From behind the swarm of Fish-Men, Chino emerged, calm and collected. He approached the dying officer, grabbing his head with an almost casual ease. Lifting him effortlessly, Chino's gaze remained cold as he carried the man to the side.

"Enko," Chino muttered under his breath, "your biggest mistake was not finishing me."

...

On the other side, the nine-person squad pressed forward relentlessly. The Fish-Men hesitated at the sight of their pistols, retreating slightly. Chino observed this, clenched his neck, and took a deep breath before letting out a haunting scream that echoed like a whale's call.

"Oh ah~!"

The sound reverberated through the air, and as it reached the Fish-Men's ears, their eyes turned blood-red. Just like before, their fear of pistols and bullets evaporated, replaced by a frenzy. They rushed forward with twisted bodies, limbs scraping the ground, some even scaling the walls with unnatural agility.

In no time, they breached the police defense, closing in on the squad.

But Chino knew it wasn't enough.

Standing behind the chaos, he waved his hand, signaling the Fish-Men around him to join the fray. With strange, guttural screams, they surged forward, effortlessly knocking down several officers in their path.

"Fang!!" One officer screamed, pulling the trigger repeatedly, only to realize he had run out of bullets.

At that critical moment, Enko spotted a pistol lying on the ground. He swiftly picked it up, and Chino, sensing danger, frowned. There was a palpable killing intent.

Enko aimed the pistol at Chino without hesitation and pulled the trigger.

Bang!

The gunshot rang out, and the bullet hurtled towards Chino. In a split second, Chino used the human body as a shield, blocking the bullet.

Discovered? Chino thought to himself. Unfortunately for Enko, it was too late.

A twisted smile crept across Chino's face as he discarded the lifeless body he had used as a shield, his eyes locked on Enko.

After seeing the bearded officer's body fall lifelessly to the ground, the psychological defense of the remaining officers shattered completely. In the blink of an eye, the nine-person squad was reduced to just three.

Enko, fueled by rage, roared as he punched a group of Fish-Men with such force that he created a large hole in the wall. "You guys go first!" he shouted.

Without hesitation, Avee grabbed the injured policeman and bolted, rushing towards the bathroom on the third floor. However, it was a dead end with no windows, a last resort with nowhere to escape.

Some of the Fish-Men attempted to pursue them, but Chino quickly intervened. "No, let them go," he commanded. "Let's deal with Enko first."

Chino's reasoning was simple and methodical. If Enko still had comrades to protect, he wouldn't feel trapped. Even a beast will fight when cornered; a human, with hope, would do the same.

But if Enko believed he was truly alone, desperation might take hold. Chino needed to ensure that Enko remained preoccupied, creating enough opportunity to finish him off.

Leaving two problems for Enko to deal with would divide his focus, making him vulnerable. Once Enko was neutralized, the two remaining officers wouldn't pose any real threat.

Avee, however, noticed that the Fish-Men weren't chasing after them. His gut told him something was wrong. He knew what was coming. "Enko, don't worry about us—go quickly!" he yelled, realizing the peril they were all in.

Enko's face twisted with frustration as he gritted his teeth. "No, I...!"

"Enko, listen to me!" Avee's voice was urgent and firm. "They're trying to use us to drag you down! I'm begging you—just this once—get the information out! The higher-ups need to know that monsters have infiltrated human society!"

Chino was poised to act, his resolve hardening. But then, something gave him pause. He felt it—that presence, inside this building.