Zhao's rage was fully unleashed as he landed a punch on the man's face. Blood immediately dripped from his nose, and the man winced in pain.
The three remaining men at the bus stop were startled when their friend collapsed onto the asphalt with a bleeding face. One of them quickly rushed to help the red-haired man up, while the other two pulled blunt weapons from inside their jackets—a metal pipe and a rusty chain.
"Are you demons, or just a number of weak thugs trying to act tough?" Zhao shouted, his voice echoing through the silent city buildings.
Across the street, Yamile stood with Biacca, feeling her anger surge. But she knew this wasn't the time to strike recklessly. She glanced at Biacca, who was now clutching her sleeve tightly. The girl's face was pale, but her eyes were fixed on a man standing behind the three thugs.
That man wasn't doing anything—just sitting on the bench at the bus stop with his head bowed. But his body was trembling, as if suppressing a scream.
"Him…," Biacca whispered. "He's my friend. They tortured him too and forced him to take drugs."
Yamile looked more closely. The man's gaze was vacant, as if someone had stripped his soul from his body. She noticed an old scar on his cheek—a long scratch, now turning dark from infection.
Meanwhile, Zhao had to fight three men at once. Even though his body still ached from the previous battle, the adrenaline coursing through him made him agile. He deflected a swing of the metal pipe, then countered with a swift kick to one of their stomachs.
The other two tried to flank him, but suddenly, water from the roadside gutter surged upward, slamming into one of their faces with force. The man screamed and fell, as if punched by solid water.
Zhao quickly turned—and saw Yamile, standing firm with her arm extended. The water from the gutter now swirled around her, awaiting her next command.
"Don't think I'm just here to watch!" Yamile shouted.
Biacca remained behind, but now her eyes were filled with admiration. She was truly in awe—Yamile was both beautiful and powerful!
The remaining two thugs began to panic. They never anticipated that these three strangers would turn into their ultimate nightmare. One attempted to flee, but Zhao intercepted him and struck him in the jaw, rendering him unconscious. The man collapsed, unconscious.
The only one still standing was the red-haired man. Blood spurted from his nose, yet his gaze remained fixed on Yamile. "You… you're not human…"
Yamile walked slowly toward him, a golden trident now appearing in her right hand, its glow reflecting off the windows of nearby buildings.
"I don't need to be human to destroy you," Yamile said flatly.
The man stepped back, then turned and ran. He left his comrades behind, now sprawled on the ground, and disappeared down a narrow alley at the edge of the city.
Zhao approached the tortured man at the bus stop. He gently helped him to his feet. "Are you okay?"
The man weakly nodded. "Thank you… I thought… I wouldn't survive."
Biacca slowly walked over. When the man saw her, his eyes widened. "Biacca…? You're alive?"
She nodded slightly. "I'm back. They saved me," Biacca said, pointing at Yamile and Zhao.
Zhao allowed the other thugs to flee—except for one, a short-haired man with a split-sun-ring. His suspicions grew stronger. These men were likely underlings of the Kalanak group.
To get more detailed information, Yamile and Zhao agreed to take the thug, along with Biacca and her friend, to a safe place. They walked together into a warehouse located in an alley between tall buildings.
"Finally, I can rest!" Yamile groaned, flopping onto a soft couch.
Zhao was still busy with the captive. He tied both hands and feet and gagged his mouth with cloth so he wouldn't scream when he woke up.
Biacca and her friend just sat quietly, still shaken by what had just happened.
Seeing this, Yamile and Zhao grew even more curious. They approached the two teens to ask everything about those thugs.
"Why were you bullied like that?. Zhao asked Biacca's friend, a bespectacled young man who hadn't said much. It turned out he was from the same orphanage as Biacca.
The man, named Marten, could only lower his head, his eyes weary and gaze empty. Biacca noticed and placed a hand on his shoulder, urging him to respond.
"Oh—uh, what is it?" Marten snapped out of his daze.
"Why were you bullied like that. Who were those men?" Zhao asked.
"They're demons!" Marten said, voice trembling.
"They forced me to take drugs until I got addicted. They kept demanding I buy more, even though I had no money. I had to borrow, but the interest was so high I couldn't repay it. Now they're terrorizing me to pay the debt," Marten continued.
"Who gave you the loan? It couldn't have been those thugs—they don't have that kind of money," Zhao asked again.
"I don't know!" Marten replied.
Yamile, who had been listening intently, furrowed her brow. "That means you've been dragged into a vicious cycle."
Biacca and Marten looked at her immediately. They understood exactly what she meant. There was no real solution—death seemed like the only way out.
"No wonder there are so many teenage suicides lately," Yamile said angrily.
There was no more useful information from Biacca and Marten. Everything pointed to the leader of the Split Sun group. The thugs were just henchmen sent to search for suicidal individuals.
But that information wasn't enough. Zhao still wanted more clues. So he contacted the orphanage where Biacca and Marten lived and asked them to pick up the two teens.
A middle-aged woman eventually arrived. Zhao detailed all the events that transpired, including Biacca's suicide attempt, Marten's beating by thugs, and his drug addiction. The woman was shocked but promised to take excellent care of Marten and Biacca.
Once all that was settled, Zhao was ready to act. He would interrogate the thug they captured to uncover the crimes of the Split Sun group.
They dumped a bucket of water onto the man's face. He immediately woke up, gasping for air.
"Good evening. Sleep well?" Zhao said with an intimidating smile.
The man glared at Zhao, clearly furious.
"I'll be gentle if you answer my questions," Zhao said.
"Who's the leader of this group?" he asked again, showing the ring he had taken from the man's finger.
"If you don't answer…" Zhao began. But before he could finish, Yamile entered, seething with fury.
"If you don't answer, I'll cut off your fingers," she snapped, holding her trident. Niroki now controlled her body, as evidenced by her green-tinted left eye.
Hello, you can support me on patreon.com/Ikazaaa, as well as reading many chapters before it's released to the public!