The Contested Manuscript

"Please explain the specific situation first, and then I will consider it."

Luther didn't immediately grant Ciel's request, instead wanting to extract more information from him. How did these two seemingly unrelated terms—gangsters and extraordinary individuals—intersect?

"It all started recently..."

Ciel began to explain.

It turns out that there is a gang in Backlund called the "Zimang Party," which is mostly composed of people from the highlands of the Southern Continent. They are brave and ruthless and don't get along with other gangs. Even the Lyman Gang, to which Ciel belongs, often clashes with the Zimang Party over territorial disputes and infighting among gang members.

However, in recent days, the Zimang Party has become quite docile. Those highlanders have suddenly fallen silent and no longer fight with other parties.

This is the chaotic East Borough. When you show any signs of compromise or concession, some people will start to push their luck. Several gangs adjacent to the Zimang Party began to seize their territory and drive out their members. Although the Zimang Party, their leader, the most capable fighter, Meursault, never showed up.

Their leader has disappeared!

It's important to know that Meursault was an extremely skilled fighter, his combat prowess far surpassing that of ordinary people. It was because of him that other gangs were suppressed by the Zimang Party. Now that Meursault is gone, everyone is taking advantage of the situation and encroaching on the Zimang Party's territory.

The Lyman Gang was one of them. Initially, although the Zimang Party also resisted, they were surrounded and attacked by all the gangs, so they did not put much pressure on the Lyman Gang.

"... But later, we accidentally snatched a package from them, and these people from the plateau suddenly went crazy."

"It was like we stepped on their balls," Ciel said, still shaken. "They completely ignored the other gangs and abandoned their territory. They chased after us like madmen, demanding that we return our stuff."

"What does that have to do with this?"

Luther waved the poem in his hand.

It sounded like just a regular gang fight, not enough to attract extraordinary individuals, unless there was something wrong with the package they stole. "Because those guys were too obsessed with that package, our boss was convinced it contained something valuable and refused to return it to those highlanders, which led to the fight," Ciel recalled. "And as the fight went on, a few people with strange abilities appeared..."

What started as a mere gang fight escalated into a massive melee after the arrival of the Extraordinary Ones. These Extraordinary Ones seemed to belong to two opposing camps, battling each other. One side Concealment and used unpredictable methods, while the other wore metal masks and exuded an unassailable authority.

That poem was thrown at one of the gang members by a guy with Clown paint on his face during a break in his fight with the masked man.

The Zimang Party chased after the Lyman Gang fought back while fleeing with their loot. The Extraordinary Beings on both sides were also fighting, neither side wanting the other to take the loot. In the chaos, many members of the Lyman Gang were injured, and Ciel led the wounded to Luther for treatment.

In other words, the gang has acquired something dangerous, and two extraordinary forces are vying for it?

Luther summarized the other person's words and nodded thoughtfully.

No wonder there were chaotic noises coming from the southern streets all night; it turns out something like this happened.

"So, what exactly was in that package?"

He asked directly.

"This..."

Ciel hesitated.

"How can I decide whether or not to help you if you don't explain yourself clearly?"

Luther Zedao.

"It's a stack of manuscripts, covered in drawings and notes, a complete mess, we can't understand a thing," Ciel said. "I really don't know why they care so much about this kind of thing."

The manuscript isn't Beyonder Item.

Luther thought to himself.

While participating in this chaotic battle would be dangerous, the sheer number of Extraordinary Beings and the overall disarray might offer him considerable advantages. After all, he was already Sequence 5 Extraordinary Being, albeit a semi-mad Sequence 5, but still capable of protecting himself in the chaos.

Thinking of this, he looked up at Ciel, who seemed a little nervous.

How do you want me to help you?

"I hope you can protect our safety until we get rid of that item."

Hearing that Luther intended to accept, Ciel breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you so much. I'll go report to our boss right away..."

"Knock knock knock!"

Another rapid knocking interrupted him from what he was about to say.

Everyone in the living room looked towards the porch.

The bedroom door opened, and Luther saw his younger sister come out as well.

"Mr. Ciel!"

An anxious voice came from the other side of the door, "We've brought people over!"

"It's Jack and his guys!"

The gang members shouted; they appeared to be other members of the Lyman Gang.

Luther looked at Ciel and saw him walking quickly towards the porch. He then turned back to explain, "This is one of our men too. When we split up, we gave them your address."

In other words, the other injured gang members were behind the door.

Luther remained silent, watching as Ciel opened the door and led several gang members, each with varying degrees of injury, into the house. These men looked quite disheveled; the one most seriously injured was even unconscious, his chest Flesh.

"Quickly, Mr. Anderson, please treat him as well."

Ciel lifted the unconscious man onto the table and then spoke to Luther.

Luther walked up to the injured person.

His face was deathly pale, and his wounds were extremely deep, though they had stopped bleeding. He was currently keeping his eyes tightly closed, and appeared to be unconscious.

Something's off about this guy.

Luther thought to himself.

He could hear the wounded man's heart beating steadily and powerfully, a sound completely unlike that of an injured person. Even stronger evidence was that his Shepherd's Characteristic were kicking in, reminding him that there was a "Lamb" before him to Grazing.

Is it possible that an extraordinary individual has infiltrated the gang to conduct a covert investigation?

I'll satisfy you.

Luther slowly extended his hand.

Under the watchful eyes of a group of gang members, the doctor, who had just treated several seriously injured patients, suddenly used his hand as a knife.

It viciously pierced the heart of the unconscious victim.

"Puff!"

Without the tangible sensation of flesh being pierced, the figure in front of me rapidly flattened, shrank, and finally became a shattered paper doll.

"Mr. Anderson! This, this is..."

Everyone was startled, as the situation changed so rapidly that they couldn't react in time.

"Boom!"

The flames from the gas lamps in the Apartment suddenly intensified, and with the sound of shattering glass, a figure Blink from the fire. He was still wearing gangster clothes, but the features on his face were rapidly shifting, eventually transforming into a completely different face.

It's you!

Ciel cried out in alarm; he immediately recognized the man as one of the extraordinary individuals who had been chasing them!