Enko's vision blurring as he tried to stay focused. Avee's words echoed in his head—he right. Dragging the injured along was suicide; leaving them behind was the only logical choice. But even with that realization, his heart clenched. Logic and emotion wrestled within him, as they often do in the direst of situations.
He knelt on one knee, pressing a hand to his bleeding abdomen, while the monstrous Fish-Men loomed closer. There was no retreat, no way out—just the inevitable end. He knew that either he would fight until his last breath or surrender to a swift, merciless death.
Unless...
A miracle. Was that too much to ask for? In a night as dark as this one, perhaps.
Just then, amidst the oppressive silence, a calm, almost casual voice broke through the chaos.
"Strange... Why is it so dark here, huh?"
Enko's head snapped in the direction of the voice, his instincts heightened despite his injuries. A girl stepped out from the WC, she looked out of place, almost as if she had wandered into the wrong scene.
Enko's mind raced, trying to piece together the situation. Who was this girl? Why was she here in the midst of such chaos, seemingly unaware of the danger around her? He didn't have time to dwell on it. He retreated to Avee's side, his breath ragged, the pain in his abdomen worsening with every passing second.
The Fish-Men, who had been relentlessly pursuing them moments before, suddenly hesitated. They froze in place, their grotesque bodies twitching, eyes fixed on the girl. It was as if something about her presence commanded them to stop, to wait.
Avee exchanged a quick glance with Enko, both of them confused by the unexpected turn of events. The girl, still oblivious, continued to mumble to herself, complaining about Chino.
Enko watched in stunned silence as the Fish-Men, previously relentless in their pursuit, began to retreat in an eerie, synchronized manner.
"What's going on?" Enko murmured to himself, his voice barely audible over the low, trying to make sense of this sudden change. The Fish-Men had been a relentless force, and now they were seemingly paralyzed by the presence of this girl.
Avee, still by Enko's side, squinted into the darkness. "Is this some kind of trick?" he wondered. "Why would they suddenly back off like this?"
Enko's gaze followed the movements of the Fish-Men as they dragged away the bodies of their fallen comrades. Their retreat was methodical, almost as if they were obeying some unseen command.
"Who is that girl?" Enko muttered, his eyes fixed on the mysterious figure.
"No matter who she is, this might be our chance to break free from the encirclement!" Avee said, his voice laced with hope.
The three of them quickly caught up with the girl, their movements swift and determined. To their surprise, no Fish-Men attempted to hinder their progress.
The girl moved steadily down the stairs, and Enko's group followed closely behind her, clinging to the hope that she might be their salvation.
Despite their relief, they kept a cautious distance from her. The Fish-Men's obvious fear of the girl raised questions. If she was truly human, why would these monsters react with such dread? The uncertainty of her nature made them wary, but for now, she was their best chance to escape.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
...
On the top floor of Nanyan Hotel, Queen Bee was growing increasingly agitated as she observed the chaos unfolding below. The conflicting reports from her worker bees left her puzzled.
"What are those damned creatures doing? It's almost over—why are they letting them escape? Is it because of that girl?" she fumed.
Fuming, Queen Bee grabbed her transmitter and contacted Raven.
"Hey, Raven, what's 002 up to?" she demanded.
Raven's voice crackled through the speaker, dripping with nonchalance. "Who knows~ Maybe he's just caught up with an old flame, hehe~"
"Old flame?" Queen Bee's frustration bubbled to the surface. Her forehead twitched with irritation. "Fine, if that's how you want to play it, then so be it. All worker bees, launch the attack! Eliminate everything outside, except for the Fish-Men!"
Just then, Raven's voice returned, tinged with amusement. "Old lady, you're starting to show some wrinkles in your vitality~"
"Old... old lady?" Queen Bee's rage flared, her face reddening. Her grip on the transmitter tightened, but she took a deep breath to regain her composure.
"You insolent little— Ahem
'Old lady' is a bit outdated in my circles. Nowadays, it's more like 'experienced elegant lady.'
But since you're so concerned, why not come over here? I've got a secret you might want to hear."
"What secret?"
"For example, I, happen to hold a one-way ticket to avian hell. How about that?"
...
Raven sat comfortably in the surveillance room, her eyes flicking between the multiple screens displaying the chaos unfolding in the hotel. Every move, every decision being made, was being analyzed. Through this incident, she had managed to observe and understand Enko's abilities in great detail.
"Impressive," she mused to herself. Enko's physical abilities mirrored those of the Fish-Men, but his reaction speed was even greater. Add a dash of martial arts knowledge, and he was more than capable of handling a single Fish-Man on his own. But there were 200 of them.
Despite the overwhelming numbers, Raven wasn't surprised when Chino ordered the Fish-Men to retreat. Others might find the move perplexing, but she understood it perfectly.
Raven shrugged, her tone casual, as if discussing something mundane. "I told him, didn't I? It would've been smarter to transform her into a Deep One right from the start. Once she's a Deep One, she'd be under complete control. She'd agree to anything—he knows that better than anyone."
She chuckled softly, almost pityingly. "Poor 002, always raising flags when he shouldn't."
As she spoke, the hotel's darkness was pierced by the sudden appearance of countless women, all dressed in identical uniforms. They moved with purpose, wielding short swords, and their targets were clear: the girl, Enko, and the remaining policemen.
Raven sighed as she watched them swarm in. "Calling out all the worker bees, huh? The old lady's really gone reckless this time."
...
Sensing the approaching group of women, Chino raised a finger behind him. In response, the eyes of the Fish-Men glinted, and they immediately turned to charge forward.
The chaotic clash between the Fish-Men and the Queen Bee's Worker Bees erupted, the noise of the battle echoing through the hotel. Both sides were fierce, but there was an unspoken restraint in Chino's approach.
The Worker Bees, all young women under Queen Bee's control, were not Chino's true enemies. He had no desire to inflict serious harm on them. Instead, he directed his Fish-Men to fight defensively, focusing on incapacitating the women without causing lasting damage.
As punches and kicks flew, the Fish-Men knocked several Worker Bees unconscious, some were stopped in their tracks, immobilized but unharmed. Despite the chaos, Chino remained composed, ensuring his orders were carried out as intended.
The battle raged on, but Chino's strategy was clear—protect his army, neutralize the threat, but avoid unnecessary bloodshed.
Raven now stood amidst the chaotic battle, no longer content to merely watch from the surveillance room. She surveyed the scene, her sharp eyes catching every detail as Fish-Men and Worker Bees clashed around her.
With a resigned sigh, she muttered, "Sigh... I already knew how this would play out. The future always feels so predictable~"
Her voice carried a teasing tone, but there was an edge of frustration as she observed the disarray. Despite the pandemonium, her mind was still focused on the bigger picture.
"Hey!" she called out, her voice cutting through the noise. "If you all keep this up, those guys are going to slip away!"