As dawn broke, the residence where the woman who stole Nine’s money was being harbored. The watcher on duty eagerly awaited the morning patrol.
*Shwing!*
“Gah? Ah…”
One of the watchers fell victim to an arrow.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Be careful!”
The responsible watchers and lock-picking specialists, armed with bows and arrows, provided rear support and secured the escape route.
Before the external watchers could notice, Nine and his crew kicked in the back door and invaded.
“What was that noise!?”
*Pash! Shwing!*
“Gah.”
“Enemy!”
“It’s an enemy attack!”
“We won’t let anyone disturb the Boss.”
Inside the residence.
The sound of the door being kicked in alerted the morning guards, who rushed out of their waiting room to investigate. Simultaneously, an alarm signaling an enemy attack echoed from outside.
“Enemy attack!”
“Ah, yes, it is.”
Close combat ensued. The hallway was too narrow for four people to stand side-by-side. Two men clashed swords, their blades meeting in a flurry.
“Y-You’re strong.”
“Thanks for noticing.”
“Which organization do you belong to!?”
“Who knows.”
Those in the rear couldn’t offer support. Nine’s two subordinates also couldn’t provide direct assistance but employed a different tactic.
“Boss.”
“We’re ready.”
“Good.”
“Understood.”
Nine and the information officer exchanged a nod. At the signal from the two behind them, they retreated in unison.
“Huh? Are they… running away??? Huh? Huh? Ugh?”
They burned cloth infused with “Immaturity.” Those who recognized the faint smoke in the hallway realized too late. Their bodies wouldn’t move, their voices grew hoarse. Even if reinforcements arrived, they would succumb to the poison. The raiders, covering their noses and mouths with cloth, systematically subdued each room. The hallway remained poisoned.
“What, guh?”
“Hey? What’s happenin-?”
The residence’s forces were neutralized one by one as they emerged into the hallway. They seemed to realize it was poison, but it was too late. Before they could strategize, Nine’s group wielded their deadly blades.
“Eek! You… you are…”
“Good morning, young lady.”
“Yo, how’ve you been?”
“Eek, I’m sorry! I was ordered to do it! Please spare my life! I don’t have the stolen money! I gave it all to the organization!”
The woman apologized, begged for her life, and blamed the organization. Hearing this, Nine and his crew approached her with wide smiles and pressed the cloth infused with “Immaturity” against her mouth.
“Stop– Glglgl…”
The woman’s body went numb. She continued to beg for her life from Nine and his subordinates.
The nearby residents did not inform the soldiers of the residence’s assault. Knowing it was the hideout of a particular organization, they huddled in their sturdy, well-guarded homes with their families and trusted companions. The assault on the residence went unnoticed by soldiers and the majority of residents alike.
Several days later, on the Great Street, the waterlogged corpse of the woman who stole from Nine and his crew was displayed, impaled. The First Discoverer initially mistook it for shop advertisement.
“Ugh!? How horrible.”
The woman was wearing wet clothes. A foul odor emanated from them. It was a scent she recognized. The semen of a man had soaked into her clothes.
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
Hushed whispers.
“Move aside! Shoo, onlookers! This… it smells… horrible.”
The soldiers quickly removed the impaled woman from the stone pavement and dismantled the cross. At the guardhouse, they proceeded with the identity verification.
“Cause of death: drowning?”
“Yes, but not in water, sir. In semen.”
It was a truly horrific serial murder case. The deterioration of domestic security had led to such incidents. It was lamentable. And how powerless they felt, the soldiers tasked with tracking down the perpetrator of such crimes. Amidst their despair, news of the gradual annihilation of underworld organizations in the slums arrived daily, attributed to some unknown entity, perhaps a gang war.
“Huh?”
“Are you serious?”
They couldn’t believe their ears. Was the information true? Was this a dream? They checked with each other to confirm reality. Amidst the good news, a dire report arrived: the northern allied country had invaded.
“What the hell!?”
The allied country betrayed them. The information was from several days prior. The extent of the invasion was unknown.
“Reinforcements…”
“Wait!”
The city was in a state of emergency with serial murders and the systematic destruction of underworld organizations. If the combat power protecting the city dwindled, an even greater crisis might arise.
“Guh. B-But…”
“For now, trust those in the north.”
They would leave matters in the north to those residing there. They had to protect this city.
This was the retaliatory action instigated by Nine and his group. Since they didn’t know which organization had hired the woman who stole the money, they launched surprise attacks on organizations whose locations they discovered. “Immaturity” proved highly effective. Although they encountered some difficulty after the third organization began implementing countermeasures against poison, they relentlessly and thoroughly crushed them. Their wallets were full, and they succeeded in luring out other organizations through their lavish spending. As a result, they were more feared by the underworld organizations than the soldiers.
*Peep peep peep!!*
“Another underworld organization annihilated…”
Who could be behind this? Despite continuously dismantling the nests of villains, the rumors offered no concrete details about the perpetrators. If it were merely a matter of justice, the culprits would have come forward and become the subject of gossip.
“Do you think they’re vigilantes?”
“Vigilante or not, it’s a pain in our necks.”
“Totally. We have to investigate the confiscated items from the underworld organizations, and we’re pulling all-nighters every day.”
“Sigh…”
They wished someone else would take over. They desperately hoped for the perpetrators to be identified soon. Though they knew such wishes were unlikely to be fulfilled, the soldiers found themselves thinking this way amidst their grueling workload. What a predicament they were in.
