After liquefying his hands, Parish carefully observed the movements of all the members of the Arbitration Bureau around him. There were eleven of them, each with a long-barreled gun, forming a circular perimeter around Parish and his three companions in the center. The group said nothing, immediately locking their weapons on Parish.
"How did they figure out I'm a wizard?" Parish thought to himself, deeply analyzing the situation. "Unless the Arbitration Bureau in Brighton City has a water mage like me, the only possible explanation is that there's a traitor within our organization, passing on information fast."
George raised his hands, watching Arthur, who seemed confused, unsure of what to do. He quietly muttered, thinking him foolish, and then nudged Arthur from behind with his shoulder.
"Raise your hands quickly. If we look like hostages, maybe they'll treat us differently. These people are not like the Enforcement Squad—they take orders directly from the North District of Brighton City."
So, this is what the Arbitration Bureau looks like, Arthur thought. Their weapons are more advanced than the Enforcement Squad's, and the atmosphere is completely different. While the Enforcement Squad, led by Dodge, seemed like righteous enforcers, these eleven men felt more like cruel executioners.
Parish intentionally moved away from Arthur, George, and Hobik, shifting the battle line to the other side of the narrow alley while asking:
"Are you Arbitration Bureau agents? Which team do you belong to? The Eagle Team or the Bear Team?"
Brighton City's Arbitration Bureau, like the Enforcement Squad, is divided into several units. Unlike the Enforcement Squad, which uses numbers and regions, the Arbitration Bureau names its teams after animals. The Eagle Team and Bear Team are the most famous and elite, known for their high success rates in resolving cases. The other two teams are the Dog Team and the Sheep Team, the latter mostly consisting of clerks.
A team member in front of Parish, wearing a half-mask, answered. He was the leader of this operation, Rastel: "I'm Rastel, Deputy Captain of the Bear Team, and I've been ordered to capture and detain the water mage Parish Aylanton."
"Bear Team's ten elite members, plus the deputy captain. Looks like I'm famous," Parish smiled softly, but the liquid dripping from his hands revealed his inner anger. "They even know my name and my elemental affinity. This is like Hobik's style, but he would never pass this info to the authorities... And the Bear Team... this is worse than dealing with those damned Black Robes."
Arthur and his companions were on the outskirts of the encirclement, with a member of the Bureau's team on their right, his gun not aimed at them. George quickly communicated to that member that they were hostages, but received no response, except for the man moving slightly aside, giving the three of them an opportunity to escape the encirclement. Hobik, still hesitating, was suddenly startled as Rastel blew a loud whistle, signaling the rest of the team. The eleven members pulled the triggers of their long-barreled guns simultaneously, and Parish's body was hit with a barrage of bullets.
The long-barreled guns had a flare-like muzzle, and their bullets scattered widely. At this close range, it was certain that an ordinary person would be reduced to a sieve.
Hobik dove into the nearby bushes where Arthur and George had taken cover, the thunderous sound of the gunfire ringing in his ears, leaving his head spinning. He turned to see the encirclement had expanded significantly, and in the center, Parish, who had been hit in the chest by several bullets, fell to the ground, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
"What do we do now?" Arthur anxiously whispered, shaking George's shoulder and Hobik's head. "The wizard is about to die!"
Hobik, still recovering from the shock, rolled his eyes and scoffed. "It might hurt a lot, but if a wizard were that easy to kill, they would have been wiped out ages ago. Watch carefully."
Arthur looked again, and saw that although Parish had been hit multiple times, there was no significant blood loss except for the blood on his lips.
Parish slowly stood up, wiped the blood from his lips with his liquefied left hand, and his previously calm expression turned into a menacing grin as he scanned the Bureau agents one by one. His gaze finally fixed on Rastel, and with a sinister laugh, he asked:
"This doesn't seem like an attempt to capture me, Deputy Captain. Are you planning to kill me?"
"You have no right to question me." Rastel whistled again, and the Bureau agents, who had previously stepped back, immediately closed in again. They raised their guns, pulled their triggers, and with several gunshots, Parish dissolved into a puddle of water, disappearing from their sight.
"Watch your back, and stay alert," Rastel ordered coldly. The Bear Team was highly trained, and under his command, none of the eleven were flustered. They quickly paired up back-to-back, staying alert to their surroundings.
Strange words filled the air, and a cool breeze blew toward the eleven agents. Parish's voice came through the mist in the air, "Don't underestimate a water mage in the Moon Water stage."
Hidden within the mist, Parish quickly reformed in front of Rastel, and his liquefied arm passed through Rastel's face. With a swift motion, Parish pulled on the ground, and a massive water ball trapped both Rastel and his back-to-back partner. Four of Rastel's teammates reacted in under five seconds. As soon as the two were trapped in the water ball, two shots rang out, shattering the sphere and freeing them. Another two bullets hit Parish, who was trying to retreat into the mist, sending four agents staggering back.
Despite the immense recoil from the weapons, they remained silent, continuing to work in pairs as they searched for Parish.
A muffled grunt escaped Parish as several iron bullets hit him. Even in his liquid state, the impact was painful. Over the years, various races had developed methods to deal with mages, and for humans, it was these mechanically crafted long-barreled guns.
Parish had not used his full power. He didn't want to kill these Bureau agents; he needed information. He had only intended to trap the leader, but the elite team's strength was far beyond his expectations. The water ball hadn't held Rastel for more than five seconds.
"I need to escape," Parish decided. "This environment isn't suitable for a prolonged battle."
The previously clear night sky began to drizzle, but only within the narrow alley of about twenty meters.
"Watch out for the raindrops. If the wizard appears on anyone else, shoot immediately," Rastel ordered without emotion.
Arthur reached out his hand to catch the raindrops. They felt no different from natural rain, except for the restricted area. Was this the wizard's power to communicate with nature?
With a whistling sound, one of the Bureau's elite agents suddenly fell to the ground as if hit by something. The rest quickly raised their guns, but the rain had started to affect them. Another agent's uniform began to twist, suffocating him before he collapsed. Another was hit by a raindrop and fell...
Behind Arthur and his companions, the rain began to form into a human shape. Parish changed direction, smiling as he pushed Arthur and George aside. "Alright, you two gentlemen, it's time for you to go back to bed. Hobik, you'd better be honest about who you've spoken to, or I'll hit you with water bullets."
Before Arthur could respond, he turned to look back and saw that Parish and Hobik had vanished, leaving only the slowly stopping rain and the Bureau agents in the alley.
"Well, we should get back now. The Bureau is going to ask us too many questions."
"Do you think, George, that we'll ever get that strong?"
"I don't know, but at least I don't want to come out of the water like that. Let's hurry back; if you don't dry your clothes, I'm sure you'll have a tough time explaining it to Mrs. Lily tomorrow."