The three Night Raiders stood atop a steep plateau as they gazed down at the sprawling Pleasure District, which was a few kilometres away in the distance.
From their vantage point, the expansive district stretched for a thousand kilometers, seemingly peaceful in the faint light of dawn, yet the palpable tension in the air revealed a different truth.
Bulat, while standing at the edge, shielded his eyes with one hand as he scanned the horizon, his brow furrowed in thought, and after a moment, he turned toward Mine.
"Mine, get a closer look." His voice was steady but filled with urgency.
Mine nodded, her expression serious. Without a word, she knelt down and pulled out Pumpkin strapped behind her back.
She then shifted to a prone position, lying flat on the ground to stabilise herself for what was coming next.
Tatsumi, standing beside Bulat, watched in confusion. "Can she really see that far from here-?" But his question trailed off as he watched in awe.
Before his very eyes, the middle sized rifle that Mine held began to transform into a massive sniper rifle, complete with a long barrel and a high-tech scope, its design imposing.
HUMMM!!
The sleek metallic beast hummed with power and was ready to tear apart any obstacles coming in its way.
Mine brought the scope to her eye and adjusted it with dexterous precision.
She scanned the distant Pleasure District, the sniper rifle's scope revealing every detail hidden from the naked eye.
She saw that the Pleasure District was surrounded by a massive force close to 6,000 heavily armed Imperial soldiers, their armour reflecting the dull light of the district's lamps.
The soldiers stood in formation at every entrance, forming an impenetrable blockade. Their numbers were overwhelming, a stark contrast to the quiet desperation of the district behind them.
But what disturbed her the most was the sight of cages lined along the streets, filled with captured women, most of them dressed as geishas.
They were bound and shoved into the cages like animals.
The women looked terrified, their eyes filled with tears and fear. Most of them seemed to have been trying to escape but were caught by the Imperial forces, while the bodies of dead men littered the streets.
The sight churned her stomach, but she controlled her emotions.
She adjusted the scope once more, her gaze locking onto the fifty grotesque beasts near the district's main entrance.
Each of the monstrosities stood several metres tall, with nine glowing eyes that stared vacantly into the distance. Slimy tentacles protruded from their massive, pulsating bodies, twitching slightly with each subtle movement.
But what unsettled her even more was their complete stillness. Despite their horrific appearance, they didn't move, standing as if in a trance.
Then soon her eyes found the reason.
A masked man, completely dressed in black who stood fearlessly near the beasts. His forehead bulged grotesquely, veins pulsating unnaturally beneath his skin, as if his head might burst at any moment.
The man raised a hand slowly, making a vague motion toward the bodies scattered on the cold ground.
At his silent command, the fifty monsters sprang to life. They growled, their slimy tentacles extended as they began to devour the dead bodies strewn across the district.
Mine's heart skipped a beat as she watched the creatures consume the corpses, their massive forms growing larger and more grotesque with each victim they consumed.
The women trapped in cages screamed in terror, their cries piercing the air as they witnessed the nightmare unfold.
Even some of the Imperial soldiers, hardened by war, gagged and recoiled in disgust at the spectacle before them.
But the black-dressed man who was overseeing the macabre feast was perfectly calm. His icy eyes were unfeeling, completely detached from the carnage unfolding before him.
He didn't even flinch as the monsters fed on humans, simply waving his hand as if controlling puppets.
"Damn it…" Mine whispered, her voice barely audible, trembling with frustration and disgust.
She did a last run and adjusted the focus on her scope, trying to see if there were any weaknesses in the army's formation.
After a tense moment of silence, she spoke up to her companions, her voice low with barely controlled fury, "I can see approximately six thousand heavily armed imperial soldiers forming a blockade around the entire district," she reported.
She forced herself to keep speaking. "They've captured most of the women and slaughtered all the men, even the children. No exceptions." Her knuckles whitened as she gripped her rifle tighter, barely keeping the urge to pull the trigger.
"There's a masked man," she spat, "with a grotesque bulging forehead, controlling these monstrous creatures. He is making those creatures feed on dead corpses."
Her voice broke with frustration, her finger itching near the trigger. "The creatures are growing in size at an alarming rate as they feed on corpses. If this keeps up, it will become a colossal mess."
Tatsumi stood frozen, his fists clenched so tightly his nails bit into his palms. "They're feeding dead people?" he whispered hoarsely, his face drained of colour, disbelief and horror mixing with his growing anger.
His chest tightened with the weight of Mine's words, the full gravity of the massacre sinking in.
He didn't even need to ask why the soldiers had left women. He knew that for those bastards, the women are simply a commodity which can fetch huge prices.
Bulat, standing silently until now, grimaced as his eyes darkened. "It's worse than we imagined," he growled. "They've turned the entire district into a feeding ground."
Tatsumi's breath came in shallow, his eyes darkened with fury. Without a word, he unsheathed his sword, its metallic ring cutting through the tense air.
"I will kill these despicable scums," he said furiously.
Bulat's hand shot out, gripping Tatsumi's arm firmly. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked, his voice calm.
Tatsumi didn't even look back. "To cut down those disgusting scums who still call themselves humans," he snarled, his grip tightening on his sword hilt, eyes burning with intent.
But before he could take another step, Bulat's fist collided with his gut, knocking the wind out of him.
"Gahh,"
Tatsumi staggered, the pain briefly overriding his rage as he gasped for breath. He looked up at Bulat, his face filled with shock and confusion. But the older warrior's eyes were hard and unyielding, no trace of sympathy in his expression.
"Remember what I've taught you in the forest," Bulat said sternly, his voice like steel. "Don't let rage cloud your judgement and don't forget what we're here for."
He pointed towards Mine, his gaze sharp. "Look at her. She's controlling herself, even though she could end some of those pests with a single shot. Her best friend might be in there, struggling for her life, but she's waiting. She knows we need to act smart, not reckless."
Tatsumi, still clutching his stomach from Bulat's sudden blow, glanced over at Mine, who was lying on the ground, her rifle still trained in the district. Despite the anger radiating from her, she held herself back.
Bulat's words slowly began to sink in. He looked back at his mentor, anger still burning in his chest, but understanding that acting rashly could doom them all.
"We'll kill those bastards," Bulat said, his voice softening, though his tone remained firm, "but not like this." His eyes met Tatsumi's. "I have a more efficient way to meet our goals."
Tatsumi, still doubled over from the pain, and emotional strain, clenched his teeth but nodded. His rage still simmered beneath the surface, but he fought to contain it, to channel it in a way that wouldn't jeopardise their mission.
Bulat's gaze softened for a moment as he saw the younger man trying to rein in his emotions. "Good. Keep your head clear. We'll get them, but we're going to make sure every step counts."
Author's Note: Sorry for the chapter delays, but my college placements are ongoing, and it's been compulsory to fill out forms for all sorts of reasons.
Honestly, the offers are so bad I wouldn't even consider them, but what can I do? So, I've been stuck filling out forms and going through interviews with these corporate companies who are coming to my collage all week.
Also, funnily enough, I passed some tests and interviews. Out of eight, four companies offered me positions because my presentation and communication skills are better than those of my peers, and I have a little knowledge of programming languages like SQL.
But I still turned them down because the locations were too far and in super crowded areas or the salary was too low, which I just couldn't deal with.
Hah, it's my last year of college, and while I could pursue further studies, I seriously lack the motivation. Plus, my parents have been nagging me non-stop after they came to know that I rejected offers from my bastard friends.
Sometimes I think that think I am creating problems for myself.
Well, only time will tell how things will play out.