Town

"Where the hell are all the beasts?" said Kevin as he surveyed the surroundings. Yet, not even a soul could be seen in the area.

Kevin had already spent about ten minutes rushing through these woods on the wolf's back, and against all expectations, not a single beast attacked.

"If there are no beasts here...oh no," a sudden realization struck Kevin, causing his face to become even more somber.

Kevin subsequently grew alarmed about Sophia's safety. Even if Oda was protecting the students, Kevin didn't think the old man would be able to defend against the ordeal of hundreds of beasts by himself.

"Hulu, move faster," Kevin ordered as the latter increased his speed. Heavy rain fell on Kevin's back as the violent wind brewed from the front, creating a beautiful sonance that caused the atmosphere to turn calm.

However, it wasn't time to enjoy the moment, it was time to search for his beloved Sophia.

"Hulu, I know this isn't your full speed, come on"

Hulu, as if offended by Kevin's words, began to move at an even faster pace, not even bothering to dodge the bushes that occasionally blocked the way.

After a while, the previously soggy, wet branches and trees were replaced by a high wall of some unknown material. Kevin eyed the wall with grief, remembering how he had nearly been turned to dust by its defenses.

"Hulu, go left," Kevin ordered as he averted his gaze from the wall. Although he could try to force his way through the wall, it could also be filled with some strange defense that may cause the situation to get troublesome.

Kevin didn't want to risk his own life over a few measly chances, so he decided to follow the less dangerous tactic of moving alongside the wall until reaching the gate.

"Hulu, get your paws going, don't let me down" Kevin forced out a wry smile before shifting his gaze to the side. Hulu instantly fired up when he heard Kevin's command and began to run.

Due to the already long-lasting rain, the mud underneath was soaked with water, slowing down the servant's speed. However, Kevin didn't care about his servant's pace and simply continued to wrap a piece of clothing around his waist before putting his dark gear back on.

*Growl*

Hulu's slight growl forced Kevin's gaze to move on as he immediately noticed numerous pieces of cement occupying the path ahead of him.

Kevin looked towards the side where a deep hole in what he thought to be an "indestructible" wall obliged.

"Is this the job of those beasts? They sure are dangerous...to break through such a thick piece of cement that was indebted with mana," Kevin muttered, remembering again the scene of Valaar emerging from the darkness with his ten beasts behind him. A shiver ran through Kevin's body before he jumped from the, not in the slightest exhausted, Hulu.

"I wonder if that barrier still exists?" wondered Kevin as he picked up a small piece of wall from the ground and threw it into the hole. But unlike last time, the stone landed safely on the other side of the fence.

'Fabulous,' Kevin thought before jumping back on his servant and signaling him to go through.

Hulu did as he was ordered and sullenly walked through the hole. However, the sight that opened up on the other side made even the servant's expression turn ugly.

The entire city was burning in a hellish blaze, while buildings were being destroyed at a steady pace, whether the gaze would turn. Screams of pain and loud explosions overwhelmed the entire city as Kevin finally awoke from his stupor.

"The situation is worse than I thought, I need to move faster," Kevin thought before looking around more intensely, searching for any clues as to what part of Harishima he was in.

However, nothing stood out except for a slowly burning billboard with "Whitebrows" written on it in large letters, leading Kevin to believe that he was somewhere in the West part of the city.

It's a considerable distance from the school, so Hulu will have some work to do. Kevin also has to hide from the beasts that are spreading chaos in the city, or else the circumstances would turn dangerous.

"Hulu, you know what to do," Kevin replied before standing back up. His servant nodded as he slyly began to move towards the destroyed building. The marching pace wasn't even double what it was earlier in the forest, because Kevin didn't want a horde of beasts to suddenly appear out of nowhere.

"It's quite strange that I still haven't encountered any monsters...If thought through fully, the number of beasts which were hiding in the forest were probably numbered in the thousands," Kevin muttered as he looked around vigilantly once more while the servant moved forward.

"Hel--help me," a voice suddenly called out from under Kevin, who immediately looked down. A middle-aged woman with brown hair that scattered around the terrain and a face covered in crimson blood was struggling under a piece of cement.

Kevin eyed the woman closely before stopping on a strip of metal sticking out of her stomach.

"I'm sorry, but I won't be able to help you, even if I take you with me, the injury is too severe and even top-notch healers won't be able to save you before you die from blood loss," Kevin replied truthfully.

Even back in the army, when his friends were hoping to somehow be rescued from desperate situations, Kevin would simply tell them the truth without holding anything back.

Sometimes saying the truth is better than giving false hope.

"I see...." the woman smiled bitterly as she closed her eyes before nodding slightly.

'Such a strong woman,' Kevin thought before jumping off the servant's back. Without any sudden movements, he gently placed both of his hands around the woman's neck.

Kevin saw the unwillingness and fear spread across the lady's face, bringing back many unpleasant memories of his past to Kevin.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine"

Kevin stroked her soft hair and after noticing a slight calmness appear on her expression, he immediately craned her neck, trying to make her death as painless as possible.

"No matter how many times I do it, it's still repulsive," Kevin murmured before gently laying her head on the floor and closing her eyes.

"Now I have to move on"

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"Where the hell is he?" Sophia slapped both hands over her head in panic before looking around the apartment once again.

Fortunately, she hadn't encountered any monsters on her way to Kevin's apartment, but no matter where she looked, Kevin was nowhere to be seen.

"What am I supposed to do now?" Sophia sat down on the corner of the bed, retaining in her own world as she thought of any places Kevin might have gone to.

"Maybe he's at the market," a sudden idea made Sophia's eyes light up as she rose from her seat, "He has to be there."

That was Sophia's last hope, if she didn't find Kevin at the market then that would be very inconvenient. After all, Kevin has never actually gone anywhere despite school and his own residence.

Sophia promptly opened the door and stepped forward, but suddenly a strange feeling of uneasiness overwhelmed her body.

She instantly got into a fighting stance while vigilantly surveying the surroundings. However, not even the soul of anyone passing by could be noticed, only endless rain pelting down on the cement.

'Hmm....strange,' Sophia thought before stepping out of the apartment once again, but this time keeping her senses as sharp as possible.

Once more, the same sense of danger overcame her, but this time Sophia kept walking as she prepared herself to fend off the possible attacks.

And as predicted, a ball of light suddenly actualized itself right next to Sophia as she leaped astern immediately. However, the attack was faster than predicted and it hit her bondmen, sending her flying backward.

*Boom*

A loud bang echoed through the area, destroying the usual rhythm of rain hitting the ground. A pile of blood shot from Sophia's mouth as she placed her hand on the bondmen, where an abysmal dark mark was slowly spreading across her skin.

"Cough...cough" Sophia's expression turned pale as she muttered something, "Heal."

Instantly, the previously completely burnt piece of skin began to regain its natural color, while Sophia's expression also brightened. Anxiously, she looked forward to see the enemy who could create such a strong attack.

However, when she saw an unfamiliar monkey standing in front and picking its nose, confusion spread across her grimace.

'Did this monkey do that?'

That was the first question that ran through her mind as she straightened her back while proceeding to heal the injury on her waist.

'I need to retreat'

"Ki-kill humans," the monkey muttered in a sinister voice as its eyes glimmered red.