Ch 31: Shadow.

"Where else can you witness something like this?" Lucifer thought amusingly, while a wry smile danced on his lips. But just as the spectacle began to unfold before him, his smile started to wither, like a flower, which was deprived of sunlight.

But suddenly, a figure exploded from the scene, flying through the air and slamming against the hotel window before disappearing from view. No one knew whether the person sent flying was alive or dead.

"What in the hell?

Lucifer's gaze snapped back at the girl. One could tell that her transformation was even more violent than before. Her body began to twist grotesquely, reshaping into a monstrous form, which was both terrifying and amazing to see. She resembled something out of a nightmare—a hulking behemoth, an extra twisted reflection of humanity.

"Fuck, is she turning into Toad? Why is she becoming like Bollon?"

Deep down, Lucifer's instinct started to scream, saying that, it was more than a fit of rage. Well thought, he had never witnessed anything like this before, yet he could sense it—this was something far more sinister. The girl teetered on the precipice of… something. Something more perilous.

And then a wave of dread crashed over him, more smothering than before. It was as though even the air had thickened, turgid against his chest, a vice. And so the hairs on the back of his neck bristled, and his body tensed while his primal instincts surged forth to have him flee-flee from there.

"Get out, now," something in his head urged, hard, insistent, and unyielding. For once, he dared not argue.

"RUN, BITCH, IF YOU DON'T WANNA DIE!" Lucifer's voice boomed across the chaos. With his words, some ran, fear igniting their heels, while others stood their ground, fighting alongside her like misguided heroes.

Lucifer dashed out, and the chair clattered to the floor behind him. He surged through the crowd, each movement precise and urgent, every nerve in his body ablaze, a tightening sense of impending doom coiling around him like a magnet.

He had no idea what was about to unfold, but he knew this was catastrophic—very catastrophic.

He burst through the hotel's front door, noticing that some people were startled by his sudden movement while others appeared annoyed, but he cared little for their reactions.

With a resounding thud, he slammed against the cobblestone street with his foot.

Moreover, he dared not to glance back, believing that even a moment's of hesitation might slow his momentum. Instead, he sprinted away from the building, as fast as he could.

He was pouring every ounce of strength into his legs, propelling him forward.

Out of breath and in tatters, he fought against the better half of his burst of speed, each step taking him further from whatever abomination was brewing behind him.

"L-Little brother, what happened? Why are we running?"

The sudden tired voice jolted Lucifer from his focus. He turned his head, spotting the drunken figure who gave him a reminder and a few others were trailing behind him.

'Looks like not everyone is brain-dead,' he thought, but the urgency in his chest silenced any words.

BOOM!

Just as he rounded a corner, the earth shook—a deafening explosion that reverberated through the ground like a monstrous heartbeat. He skidded to a halt, eyes wide as he turned to witness the scene before his eyes.

The hotel erupted in a cataclysmic blaze of fire and debris and the shockwave slammed into him and the other nearby people.

'Gyat Dyamn,' he thought.

Though he was far from scared, his heart still racing as he watched the inferno consume the building he had occupied mere moments ago.

'I was right… something was definitely off… at least I was a little bit fast to react or I would have been dead meat'

He could feel his heart beating in his chest, adrenaline coursing through his veins like wildfire. That hotel, now reduced to an inferno, was little more than a piece of theatrics-a portent of something far, far worse.

"L-Little b-brother, how d-did y—"

"S-shh—"

The drunkard didn't get to finish what he was saying when, with the flick of a hand, Lucifer shut him up. The rest fell silent too, as if they knew that by the look of things, there wasn't much room for chatter.

He crouched down, while taking cover behind a stack of crates. His gaze then was fixed on the chaos unfolding before him. As for why had he silenced them? Because Ego was screaming at him, warning of an imminent threat.

[Enemy detected: Numerous Enemies, the highest rank in this group is peak level Earthbringer.]

'Fuck, peak level? Are they planning to turn this town upside down?'

Emerging from the shadows, figures clad in black began to move with a sinister grace, like wraiths slipping through the night. Their coordination was too good and too precise. One could tell that, these were trained assassins, like they were here to bring destruction.

The explosion was no accident, he suddenly realized. It was a signal, a call for those who lay in wait in the shadows.

'This is a full-strength attack,' he thought, and his mind raced. He knew little about this town, but one thing was obvious that, the town was about to be engulfed in a storm of violence and destruction. And for once, he wasn't the architect of this chaos.

He scanned through the darkened streets, while crouched low. His every sense was heightened with the focus.

***

The hidden faction that had orchestrated this ploy was making its move and their intentions were as clear as the flames licking the night sky—to unleash chaos and destruction, but the real reason was still unclear.

Lucifer also knew that, he had to stay sharp and ready for whatever that might come next. Moreover, he wasn't here to play the hero, but he wouldn't be caught in their web, either.

As screams of panic and terror echoed through the night, a cold smirk returned to Lucifer's lips, sharper than a blade. 'Looks like I'll need to find a new place to lay low. But first… let's see how this plays out.'

But fate had other plans.

"Kyaa… aren't they the hidden faction, the Shadow? They'll kill everything to achieve their goals!"

One of the terrified onlookers shouted, their voice slicing through the tension like a knife. The word that was coming through that man startled the shadows, and regret washed over Lucifer.

'Why in the fuck did I even save them in the first place?'

Before he could dwell on his mistake, the shadows surged toward him.

[Detected two Low-level Earthbringers charging toward the host.]

The people behind him reacted faster than he could, a few bolting like frightened rabbits.

'Fast as fuck.'

In moments of desperation, survival instincts took over. People's hearts were treacherous, hiding dark impulses even they couldn't comprehend. In the face of danger, self-preservation reigned supreme.

As Lucifer grappled with his next move, a hand shot out from behind him, pushing him forward, as if trying to shove him into the fray. In a split second, he reacted, grabbing the hand and swinging it toward the approaching shadows with all his might.

"Ughh!"

The man landed with a thud, and Lucifer wanted to see who the hell this was. But would the shadowy figures grant anyone a moment to think? No. They dashed forward like bullets, their eyes glinting with lethal intent as they pursued the fleeing crowd, cutting through them like vegetables.

Yet, in that chaos, Lucifer vanished from sight, startling the shadows.

"Where did that brat go?"

"Who knows? But he felt… familiar."

They exchanged idle chatter while chaos reigned, their focus split between the carnage and the elusive figure that had slipped through their grasp. The scene was devastating, a tapestry of horror woven with screams and shadows.