In Belobog's administrative hall, Bronya and Gepard stared at their mother in disbelief.
"Mother, you sent the Silvermane Guards to arrest the Express crew? Why would you give such an order?" Bronya demanded, completely bewildered.
They had been on perfectly amicable terms just yesterday. How could a single night change everything? And why had she bypassed both of them to give the order directly?
"You don't understand, my daughter," Cocolia said, her face grim. "Those people are a threat to Belobog's safety. I cannot allow them to move freely within our walls. They are far too dangerous."
Her answer satisfied no one. Both Bronya and Gepard found it deeply unsettling. Cocolia was claiming that Mo Wang and his friends were here to overthrow Belobog, but neither of them had gotten that impression.
On the contrary, the idea that a group of people who argued about dumpster diving could be a threat to the city was so absurd, they couldn't even fathom it.
The thought of Mo Wang, the dedicated trash enthusiast, leading a rebellion was almost enough to make Bronya laugh.
"Supreme Guardian Cocolia," Gepard began cautiously, "I am not questioning your judgment, but I fear the Silvermane Guards alone are not strong enough to capture them. In fact, sending them now is a tremendous risk. I implore you, recall the order."
He didn't say it outright, but his meaning was clear: it wasn't a matter of right or wrong; it was a matter of being hopelessly outmatched.
Even if they were here to destroy Belobog, sending a handful of guards was a suicidal move. Gepard's heart still pounded when he remembered Mo Wang's power—the power to incinerate an entire snowfield in an instant. If he did that in the middle of the city, there wouldn't be a Belobog left to overthrow.
"That's impossible, I..."
Before Cocolia could finish, a battered Silvermane Guard stumbled into the hall.
"Supreme Guardian! Commander Bronya! Captain Gepard! It's terrible! A disaster!"
"Calm down. What happened?" Gepard asked, his expression darkening. He recognized the man as one of the guards sent after Mo Wang. Seeing his injuries, Gepard's heart sank.
"Outside... outside!" the guard stammered, pointing at the window.
The three of them rushed to the window and gasped. The sky over Belobog had been swallowed by a suffocating darkness. The oppressive atmosphere felt like the herald of a demon king's arrival. And in the distance, they could just make out Mo Wang's silhouette.
...
"Quick! All units, advance! Stop that madman! Don't let him get any closer!"
In the city square, a large contingent of Silvermane Guards faced off against the demon-king-like Mo Wang. They held their weapons at the ready, but their hands were slick with sweat, their fear palpable.
Behind Mo Wang lay a field of their fallen comrades—each one with a butt swollen to the size of three padded quilts, tears streaming down their faces.
"Mwahahahaha!" Mo Wang's laughter echoed through the square, a perfect villainous cackle. "You think a pathetic little group like you can stop me? Don't underestimate me!"
A hundred Oath of Judah materialized around him, golden chains surging toward the guards like a tidal wave.
"Yamero!"
The guards tried to fend off the chains, but their efforts were futile. The chains moved with a life of their own, weaving around their weapons and binding their bodies.
"What is this stuff?!" one guard screamed. The more he struggled, the tighter the chains became.
"Ah! Don't touch me there!" another yelled, his face turning beet red. The chains had hoisted them into the air in a humiliating "tortoise shell" bondage position and were now rhythmically spanking their rears with a crisp smack, smack, smack.
"Ow! This is so humiliating!"
The square was filled with the sound of wailing guards and slapping chains.
"Hahahaha! See?! This is my power! This is the price you pay for messing with me!" Mo Wang gloated, looking every bit the villain.
A crowd of onlookers had gathered, drawn by the strange phenomenon in the sky, only to be treated to this bizarre spectacle.
"My goodness! Are those the Silvermane Guards? Why are they tied up like that?" an old woman gasped, peeking through her fingers.
"Hahaha! Look! Their butts are as big as balloons!" a little boy laughed, pointing.
"Mommy, are those grown-ups playing a game?" a little girl asked innocently.
"This... this is the most absurd day in the history of Belobog!" an old scholar declared, his hands trembling.
The guards were beyond humiliated. They, the elite protectors of the city, were being publicly spanked by a hobo with magic chains.
"Please... let us down!" one of them sobbed. "I'll be good! I swear!"
"My butt... my dignity...!" another wailed, his will to live fading.
Mo Wang, meanwhile, stood by, conducting the chains with a twig he'd picked up off the ground. "A little harder on the left! Yes, just like that! The rhythm's off on the right, try again!"
The golden chains then spread out, ensnaring not just the guards, but the civilians as well. The entire city descended into a cacophony of panicked screams and wails.
From the window of the administrative hall, Cocolia, Bronya, and Gepard watched, utterly dumbfounded.
"What... what is happening?!" Bronya whispered, her hand over her mouth. Was this Mo Wang's true power? To subdue an entire city by himself?
Cocolia's face was ashen, her fists clenched. "Gepard, take your men and stop him! Now!"
Gepard nodded grimly. He led a squad of elite guards out of the hall and into the chaos.
"Stop!" he roared, confronting Mo Wang.
Mo Wang turned, a playful smirk on his face. "Oh? More lambs to the slaughter? You Silvermane Guards are certainly persistent."
"Mo Wang," Gepard said, trying to keep his voice steady, "I don't know why you're doing this, but you are endangering the city! I order you to stop!"
"Order me?" Mo Wang laughed. "With what army? You can't even stop my chains!"
He flicked his wrist, and a wave of golden chains surged toward Gepard. The captain reacted instantly, creating a massive wall of ice to block the attack.
"Hoh? Not bad. You're worthy of your title, Captain," Mo Wang said, unsurprised. After all, Gepard was known as the Iron Wall of Belobog. If not for the changing meta of the game, which favored characters other than shielders, he'd be a top-tier pick.
"But what can one man do against me? Let me show you the true power of Elation!"
An even more terrifying power began to emanate from Mo Wang, a heat so intense that Gepard felt like he was being burned alive. His hands, slick with sweat, gripped his weapon tighter.
Can I really win? he wondered, for the first time feeling truly powerless.
No! I have to fight!
For the butts and the dignity of all of Belobog, he had no choice but to stand his ground!
This was truly Belobog's darkest day. Both literally and in every other sense of the word.