Dozens of viscous tentacles extended from Riot's body, twisting and transforming in the air into knives, spears, swords, halberds, axes, whips... like a mobile arsenal of cold weapons, emitting an aura of pure destruction.
Serum silently clenched its massive fists, the pearl-white substance flowing at high speed over its body, radiating a cold, suffocating anger.
"You don't know you were wrong," the voices of the two Victors came coldly from within the monsters, "you just know you're about to die."
Just then, the piercing sound of Banshees approached from afar. Several police cars screeched to a halt nearby. The doors opened, and several officers, led by Detective Donovan Galpin, rushed out.
When Donovan saw the scene before him, his vision went dark, and his blood pressure spiked instantly—
Two massive monsters that only appeared in nightmares, a dismantled truck, and three kneeling, pleading figures: the mayor's son and his cronies... He had just received a frantic call from the mayor, saying his son Lucas had stolen a decommissioned water tanker with Marcus and Tom, shouting about going to Nevermore Academy to "show those freaks what's what."
He had hoped the police could intercept them in time. Now it seemed they hadn't just arrived; they had kicked a hornet's nest—no, a Godzilla's nest!
"Victor... Victor?" Donovan suppressed the urge to draw his gun and tentatively shouted toward the monsters.
Following his words, the terrifyingly massive symbiote matter rapidly contracted and disappeared like a receding tide, revealing the figures of Azem Gray and Azem White once more.
They stood at the entrance of the ballroom hall, which was a mess stained with red paint, their expressions icy.
Donovan's vision went dark again—
It really was him, but why the hell were there two of them?!
He bit the bullet and stepped forward.
"Victors...? We're here to take them away. They stole a vehicle; this is a criminal case and should be handled by the police."
Donovan pointed at the three guys on the ground who were about to piss themselves.
"detective," the two Victors spoke in sync, their voices full of cold mockery, "you've arrived 'just in time' as always."
"You can certainly take them away," they continued in sync, "that is reasonable, legal, and compliant."
"But before that," their gaze swept over the three shivering figures on the ground, their tone resolute, "they must first accept their 'punishment'."
"No! That's impossible!" Donovan countered subconsciously. "You don't have the right..."
"No," the Victors interrupted him, their lips curling into a cold arc, "it's not 'I'. It's 'us'."
As if at a silent command.
Behind them, from within the damaged doors of the ballroom hall, a crowd of people emerged silently.
Led by Principal Larissa Weems, her white gown had already turned a jarring red.
Behind her were dozens of students from Nevermore Academy.
Every one of them was more or less stained with viscous red paint, their expensive formal wear ruined.
But more heart-stopping than that was the look in their eyes right now—
Cold, angry, and filled with absolute hostility after their territory had been violated.
Low, threatening whimpers came from the throats of the Werewolf students as their fingers began to twist and transform into claws, their eyes glowing with an eerie green light in the darkness.
Several Banshee students removed the necklaces that suppressed their abilities, opening their mouths as silent sound waves began to distort the air.
The Gorgon students placed their hands on the brims of their hats, the gaze beneath appearing capable of freezing souls.
The Da Vinci Students expressionlessly manipulated the surrounding rubble and metal fragments, making them hover and circle around them with a dangerous hum.
"If you do not accept our proposal—"
Victor's voice was calm and steady, yet it carried the weight of a thousand pounds.
"Then, when the three of them walk out of the police station one day in the future, some... 'accidents' might occur."
"For instance, being torn apart by some lost 'beast'." (The werewolves bared their fangs)
"Or, being led by a mysterious 'hypnosis' to accidentally fall from a great height." (The Banshees' lips moved silently)
"Perhaps, accidentally seeing something they shouldn't and being permanently 'petrified'." (The Gorgons' hat brims lifted slightly)
"Even, being accurately struck by a 'brick' falling from the sky..." (The rubble around the Da Vinci Students began to spin faster)
Donovan's face became extremely unsightly.
"Are you... threatening the police? Larissa, are you just going to watch? This was just a prank."
"No, Detective Donovan."
Principal Larissa tilted her chin up slightly, her voice turning cold.
"Victor is merely stating a series of... highly probable 'events' based on the current situation."
"Furthermore, this was not a prank; this was an open provocation and a declaration of war against Nevermore."
Donovan looked at the undisguised cold fury in the eyes of these "outcasts," then at the three worthless fools on the ground, the veins on his forehead bulging.
He gnashed his teeth, knowing full well he wouldn't be able to take them away easily today.
The power of Nevermore far exceeded what a normal small-town police station could handle.
"You must guarantee their safety."
He squeezed these words out through his teeth.
"Of course, detective~"
Victor spoke, his smile bright but devoid of warmth.
"I guarantee that they won't be... missing even a single hair."
He placed special emphasis on the word "missing."
Then, he turned to the silent army of students behind him, his voice rising.
"Everyone! Serum has incredible healing abilities! So, remember the rule—"
"Don't kill them! But beat them to within an inch of their lives!"
The students silently closed in, like a tide swallowing three pitiful rocks.
The cries for mercy were instantly drowned out.
Victor considerately stepped forward and barely pulled shut the doors that Riot had damaged, blocking the view from the outside.
From inside the doors, muffled thuds and suppressed screams could be heard faintly.
Donovan's face was livid as he turned abruptly.
"Sir... are we... are we not going to force our way in?"
A rookie officer, still new to the job and possessing a bit of hot-bloodedness, asked nervously, his hand on his holster.
Donovan turned and gave him a sharp knock on the head.
"Force our way in?! Rookie! Do you want to die in the line of duty and have the Chief hold a memorial service for you tomorrow, making your mother cry while holding a medal?! Put your gun away! Retreat immediately!"
The police cars drove away from the grounds of Nevermore Academy in a state of disarray amidst the dead silence.
The sounds coming from behind that door made a layer of cold sweat break out on the back of every officer.
------------------------
I've posted 70+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right nobut who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/TripleCrown
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"