8 p.m., southern Huaguo, G City. Shadow Division hideout.
Ten stood on the balcony, eyes on a sky dark as spilled ink.
“It’s done.” Seven’s voice slipped in from behind, soft as mist.
“Mm. It’s for her good.” Ten didn’t turn, his tone flat as stone. On the sofa, Eight lay fainted like a cut string; Nine etched a mark on her skin like a crimson seal.
“They’re here...” Ten watched the street, words dropping like frost.
An engine roared like a hunting beast; a red McLaren slashed in and stopped in the yard.
“Wohoo—racing’s a rush. Submarines are coffins.” The driver climbed out, thin, about 175, short hair dyed gold, glaring like brass. From the passenger side, another thin youth stepped out, plain as blank paper—white shirt, black shorts, ordinary sneakers, face empty as a mask.
“Aren’t you too flashy?” Seven’s anger flickered like flame.
“Relax. Huaguo cops can’t catch us. We ditched them in a blink.” Three waved, casual as tossing a pebble.
“One, you alarmed the police?”
“Yes. Three cruisers. Three’s earth spikes punched their tires, and they lagged behind.” One’s voice was level as a plumb line.
“...”
“Did you bring it?” Ten stepped forward, words clipped like steel.
“Mm.” One nodded and drew out a gray cloth, handing it over like a folded fog. Ten unfolded it—a red sigil, six-pointed like a star burned in wax. He glanced once, then folded it and walked inside.
“Here. How long?” Ten passed the cloth to Nine, voice steady as a metronome.
“Fifty minutes.”
“Good.”
“One, monitor nearby Anomalous Energy. Report any anomaly at once.” Ten sat, calm as a pond at night.
“Understood.” In One’s palm, a black orb gathered like condensed dusk; he slapped it to the floor, and thin black threads spiderwebbed across the ground, spreading like roots.
“...” Seven watched One’s Anomaly Power, brows knotting like hooked thorns. Codename ranks matched strength, yet One—the weakest—held Anomalous Energy thick as ink. Support-type Abnormal or not, his aura felt like a buried blade.
Thirty minutes passed like dripping water. Ten’s plan moved smooth as gears; Seven and Three cleaned the villa, packing what mattered, ready to abandon the shell.
But tonight wouldn’t stay peaceful—moon thin as paper, trouble riding the wind.
“Hm?” One, eyes closed, snapped them open like knives.
“Someone’s approaching.” His words were cool as shade.
“Who?” Ten opened his eyes, quiet as a drawn bow.
“Limb-enhancement Anomaly Power—Petrification. Assessing as Five.” One’s reading traced the field like ripples.
“Five?” Ten sat upright, back straight as a stake.
“The target’s running here, uneven pace—injured. Footprint depth mismatched—he’s carrying extra weight.”
“...”
“Any other Anomalous Energy?”
“None yet.”
“...”
“Five’s back!?” Seven’s voice rose, joy bright as sparks.
“Seven, go meet him.” Ten turned, words crisp as frost.
“Got it.” She ran out, feet quick as rain. Not far, a staggering silhouette wavered like a torn flag.
Petrified, Five’s body was burly as rock, yet slashed with wounds. The deepest cut ran from left shoulder to chest—stone held it tight, but blood kept flowing like a red stream.
On his shoulder, a girl hung limp, clothes whipped to shreds; welts coiled over her like thorned vines—brutality stamped in flesh.
“Four! Five!” Seven shouted, rushing to take the unconscious Four.
“How did you get back!?”
“Cough... don’t ask. Hide. They’re still chasing us.” Five’s breath scraped like sand.
“Hm?”
“Fine! Back first!” Seven clutched Four and sprinted to the villa, urgency sharp as wind.
“Three! Help!” She barked at Three, who lounged with legs crossed like a lazy cat. He only watched, calm as still water.
“Why the cold shoulder? Can’t you see they’re hurt?” Her anger flared, bright as a torch.
“Wait.” Ten’s voice cut in, cold as iron. He rose and faced Five, who collapsed to the floor like a felled tree.
“Captain...” Five panted, hand pressed to his wound, face pale as ash.
“How did you come back?” Ten’s question was a winter blade.
“That day we took the target to the submarine. A trap was laid like a net; we got caught. This time—cough—they let us go on purpose. They dropped us on a highway north of the city, gave us a car—cough—they want to use us as bait, to draw you out.”
“Oh? So they’re here too?” Ten’s interest pricked like a thorn.
“They should be nearby, but not on us yet. They implanted a tracker in me. After we split, I dug it out and tossed it—cough...” He clutched his chest, the wound a red mouth.
Silence pressed down like a low ceiling. Ten stared at Five, gaze hard as nails.
“Five, let me stop the bleeding.” Seven lifted gauze, hands gentle as water.
“I’m fine...” Five forced a smile, thin as paper.
“Who did you meet?” Ten asked, heart iced over like a pond.
“A white-haired girl. Her methods were cruel as winter. Four was tortured by her, then blacked out.”
“...”
“We should retreat now, or they’ll find this place soon.” Five pushed, panic fluttering like sparrows.
“...”
“How can you be sure she didn’t plant a tracker on Four?” Ten’s eyes slid to Four, checking her voided like night.
“No. Four stayed in my sight. We were locked together. If they’d touched her, I’d have known.” His insistence stood like a pillar.
“I see...” Ten’s voice fell like dust.
“One.” His call rang like a bell.
“They have no foreign objects.” One replied, calm as a shadow.
“Good. Rest. Nine, mark both of them too. We’ll teleport later.” Ten turned away, movement clean as a blade.
“...” The room breathed like a sleeping beast.
“One, keep a close watch.”
“Yes.” One’s reply was brief as a drop.
Seven helped Five to the sofa, touch light as a breeze.
“Here, sit.”
“What’s wrong with Eight?” Five eyed Eight, sprawled like driftwood.
“It’s fine. Don’t worry for now...” Seven shook her head, helpless as a sigh.
“...” Five’s brows pinched like clamps as he stared at Eight.
Five minutes later—
“High-intensity Anomalous Energy just appeared nearby,” One said, voice straight as a line. “It’s not headed here. It’s wandering with no trail.”
“They’re searching for us. Ten, let’s withdraw now.” Five pressed, urgency cracking like ice.
“If we withdraw now, Eight’s teleportation array must be rebuilt.” Nine’s voice was emotionless as a machine.
“Delay beats discovery.” Five snapped, anger hot as iron.
“...” Nine fell silent, quiet as ash.
“Don’t panic. One, begin.” Ten’s composure was a still pond.
“Understood.” Smoke rolled off One like ink clouds.
“Dimensional barrier.” His words dropped like a charm. A dark-violet field blossomed around the villa like a night chrysalis.
“What is this...” Seven stared, eyes wide as moon pools. One grew more unreadable, like fog.
“One’s field warps space. From outside, they can’t see us.” Ten’s tone was smooth as silk. “When Eight’s sent back, we withdraw.”
“Good...” Relief warmed Seven like sunlight.
Time ticked by like rain. In the room, a special teleportation array slowly revealed itself, lines glimmering like frost-etched runes. Eight lay at its center, still as a sleeping fawn.
On the sofa, a thread of hidden anxiety flickered across Five’s face like shadow over a lamp.
“Mm...” Four stirred, breath shaky as wind. Her eyes opened, slow as dawn.
“Where... is this...” Her voice wavered like thin glass.
“Four, you’re awake. How do you feel...” Seven leaned in, worry soft as cotton.
“My body... hurts...” Four fought to sit, her gaze brushing Five’s in midair like moths touching.
“It’s okay. Bear it. We’ll evacuate soon.” His words were steady as stone.
“Mm...” She nodded, weak as a reed.
“The array is complete. Begin teleportation...” Nine spoke, and purple smoke curled around Eight like wisteria. Power surged in the center, bright as a storm.
“No! Wait!” Four cried, urgency slicing like a blade. She triggered her Anomaly Power, dashed into the array, and shoved Eight out.
“What are you doing!!” Ten’s roar cracked like thunder.
“They set a barrier around us. The array will kill Eight.” Four’s warning was sharp as steel.
“How do you know?”
“It’s their backhand. I overheard it by chance.” Her tone trembled like leaves.
“No. My array routes through the Underworld. Earth’s barrier can’t stop it.” Nine’s voice rose, calm as stone.
“But—”
“Enough!” Ten chopped her words like an axe. He strode toward her, steps heavy as drums.
“Four, you betrayed me, didn’t you...” His voice was cold as winter rain.
“What are you saying!?” Shock flared from Four like sparks.
“Heh.” Ten’s laugh was thin as a knife.
“I... don’t need traitors.” His verdict fell like a blood-red seal.
A slim unmanned Mech ghosted up behind Four, its blade lifting like a crescent. It chopped down in a silver arc—but a hulking shape moved.
Boom!
Petrified, Five slammed the Mech aside like a boulder hitting steel.
“What’s your deal?” Ten’s eyes were pits, dark as well water.
“That’s my question. Why attack Four?” Five planted himself like a tree.
“Why? Don’t you understand? Two traitors—did you really think I’d believe you escaped? If you had that skill, you wouldn’t have been caught.” His words marched like cold soldiers.
“So that’s it... You never trusted us...” Five’s voice dropped like dusk.
“Heh.” Ten gave a noncommittal smile, thin as smoke.
“Then we’ll leave...” Five lifted Four, slow as raising a wounded bird.
“Leave? Where to?” Ten’s voice returned, smooth as a blade.
“What do you mean?” Frost bit Five’s face like glass.
“Traitors should be dealt with by our own hand.” Ten’s final line fell like a seal of blood.
...
No. 7, kill them. Do it, and I'll have Hongcheng give you a serum that boosts your Anomaly Power.
No. 10 spoke to No. 7 at his back.
What?!
He hadn't expected that order; it hit like a slap.
No. 7! No. 10's wrong. He's not who he was. Don't let him sway you.
No. 4 shouted, her voice like a snapped bowstring.
I...
Doubt knotted No. 7's chest; then No. 10's voice drifted over like cold smoke.
What, you'll betray me too? Then I don't mind getting my hands dirty and wiping out all three of you.
Or you can give those two traitors a clean end. That way you can say you did right by them.
...
No. 7...
No. 4 watched him, worry pooling like rainwater in her eyes. She and No. 7 had been on good terms, like bamboo growing side by side.
Shut up! Traitor! Why... why do we have to do this?!
Rage flared first, like fire catching dry grass; No. 7 screamed and charged No. 4 and No. 5. Four clones of him rippled into being, shadows circling like wolves.
Shhk—
Wounded, they had no time to react. Five daggers slid in from different angles, piercing No. 4 and No. 5. Both bodies toppled like felled reeds.
No. 7... he... something's wrong...
No. 4 spent her last breath on the words, then shut her eyes, unwilling yet unbowed.
I...
No. 7 lowered his head and stared at his trembling hands, as if they were winter leaves.
Not bad. Well done, No. 7.
No. 10's voice rolled out again, cold as sleet.
Shut up! I don't want to hear your voice.
No. 7 shouted, his sound rough as gravel.
Easy now. I don't need to shut up. You won't be hearing me much longer anyway.
What are you—
Shhk—
No. 7's pupils blew wide like black moons. He lowered his head. A hand jutted through his chest—a demon's claw clutching some slick organ. Blood sheeted down like red rain.
What a shame.
A voice breathed by his ear; it was No. 3, the one who hadn't moved.
You... you...
Truth is, aside from No. 8, none of you are worth much. I planned to spare you if you stayed out of the way. But sadly, your heart picked up things it shouldn't have.
No. 10 shook his head like a disappointed teacher.
...
Schlk—
No. 3 yanked his bloody hand free; No. 7 spilled into a widening pool.
Grab No. 8. We leave.
No. 10 glanced at the three bodies, his gaze flat as ice.
But as he turned, the three corpses blurred like heat haze, then vanished.
Illusion—Puppet.
A cold voice rose from the room's corner, like a blade drawn in shadow—
