Volume Three: The Academy's Full-Scale Rampage - Black Wings' Executioner (2)

The assassination of Vatican, a member of the General Council, has raised everyone's alarm bells.

The immediate priority is to ensure the situation does not worsen, so a large number of elites have been deployed to the remaining seven members of the General Council to provide round-the-clock, all-round protection.

Of course, Yekaterina was most likely to become the next target, was accompanied by her two strongest men.

The privileges enjoyed by members of the General Council, such as Wu Cangsheng, the captain of the Enforcement Team who serves as a close bodyguard in the open, and Urahara Sakura Dance, the strongest Scavengers who hides in the shadows, are something that even members of the General Council rarely get to experience.

To be honest, Xiao Wu had no liking for these people in power; in fact, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she loathed them. The reason she accepted this commission was not only because of her duty as Scavengers and her overly kind-hearted nature that made her unable to ignore others, but also because the people above her promised that as long as everything went smoothly, they would turn a blind eye to the World's Little Corner during the Club Hunt.

"Well..."

Standing in the shadow of the water tower on the rooftop, Xiao Wu sighed softly.

"... Therefore, in this increasingly competitive society, we should understand the importance of unity even more. Club Hunt is a microcosm of this dog-eat-dog world..."

Below, in the fountain square, Yekaterina spoke with great passion and vivid expression, a stark contrast to her usual tense demeanor as an old woman. Thousands of people in the square were captivated by her eloquent speech, including students, teachers, and all sorts of odd jobs. After all, it was a speech by a member of the General Council, and its appeal was extraordinary.

However, Xiao Wu found this utterly boring. She yawned and looked down. The Enforcement Team, led by Wu Cangsheng, surrounded her tightly. Not even a fly could get in, let alone an assassin, unless it was a teleportation-type ability user.

"Honestly, if you're really afraid of dying, then find a hole to hide in! Saying things like 'daily activities will continue as usual, we can't let those filthy crows throw us into disarray' is just asking for trouble, you old hag!"

Xiao Wu muttered softly, but despite her displeasure, she still had to handle things properly. Although she wasn't particularly interested, her eyes, scanning the crowd below, were exceptionally sharp. Even from the rooftop, hundreds of meters high, she could clearly see every move the people below made.

"... Um?"

A familiar face was spotted below.

They cleverly blended into the crowd, concealing themselves with hats and coats, their disguises were very effective, but even so, Xiao Wu still recognized them by their movements and walking posture.

"Are these two slacking off...?"

Xiao Wu frowned, then suddenly remembered that she hadn't even bought groceries lately because she had been so stressed.

"Uh... could they be out shopping?"

Haoyue and I carried large bags and small packages, mostly groceries and a small portion of daily necessities, struggling through the crowd.

Xiao Wu was away on an important mission, and with the cook absent, food became a problem. They tried to make something to appease the hungry little girls, but discovered there were no vegetables left.

So Xiao stayed home to watch the house while I went shopping. Haoyue said, "Finally, we can go on a date and spend some time together as a couple~", and clung to me as we went to the supermarket.

But now...

"So that's why there are so many people..."

"Well, it was Xiao Ye who wanted to take a shortcut."

"Why would so many people come to listen to an ugly old woman babbling on and on?"

"Who knows? It's probably just blind worship of those in high positions. People always think that if they listen to successful people, they can become successful too, but the opposite is true. So these fools find excuses like 'Even if I can't be as good as them, listening to them won't hurt' to comfort themselves. It's absolutely laughable."

"Ultimately, it's just a boring, fixed mindset. Everyone is instilled with the idea from childhood that 'to succeed, you have to be like the great people in books and on TV,' chasing fame and fortune without thinking about what it would really mean even if you achieved so-called 'success.' Besides, the standard of success is different for everyone. Most people haven't even figured out 'what they really want' before they start striving, and the result is—finally able to wear a famous and expensive dress and eat lobster with caviar at the Burj Al Arab, only to find that it's not even as good as the jianbing guozi they bought from the street vendors outside school when they were kids."

"Haha~ Although I don't know what 'Bo Ci' or 'Jianbing Guozi' are, I understand what you mean. It seems I really have the most in common with Xiao Ye! Hug!"

"Hey, don't seal it too tightly, the bag's going to fall off!"

Just then--

"...?"

"--!"

I suddenly felt a chill run down my spine, and Haoyue's expression froze for a moment.

"Hey, Xiao Ye..."

"Ah, I can feel it."

I put down what I was holding and looked around warily.

Just now, a sharp killing intent swept across the area; though brief, it was extremely ferocious.

However, the people around them are completely unaware of it; unless their perception or intuition has reached a certain level, they simply cannot realize it.

In the center of the fountain square, on the high platform surrounded by Enforcement Team in front of the fountain, Yekaterina's voice was still strong and clear, not at all like that of a sixty-year-old. Wu Cangsheng stood beside her, hands behind his back, his domineering aura restrained, completely focused on preventing any accidents from happening.

No, to be precise, he has entered a state of combat readiness.

He had naturally sensed the sudden murderous aura, as had the other members of the Enforcement Team. He slightly opened his hands behind his back and pressed them down, signifying, "Don't act rashly."

As expected, Black Crow's target this time was Yekaterina, which was fine, as it put Wu Cangsheng at ease. He liked to clash head-on with powerful opponents and hated it when he was in the open while the enemy was in the shadows. If he could settle things with Black Crow on the first day, that would be ideal.

This was Wu Cangsheng's territory, and the plaza had already been secretly fortified with multiple layers of defense. Detective ability users surrounded the plaza, their detection fields already activated—this was the first layer of defense. Mental and spatial ability users had been planted among the crowd to prevent attacks such as mind control or spatial teleportation—this was the second layer of defense. The elite members of the Enforcement Team surrounded the high platform; each one was a top-tier expert—this was the third layer of defense. Finally, there was himself, right next to Yekaterina, and—though he was unwilling to admit it—the Scavengers waiting in the shadows. He refused to believe that Black Crow could find an opportunity.

So, you dead crows, from where will you attack?

Time ticked by, second by second.

The attack still hadn't begun, and Wu Cangsheng frowned.

Did those guys give up after facing difficulties, or are they still waiting for an opportunity?

The sky gradually darkened.

It wasn't because it was dark, but because the clouds were obscuring the sun.

The sunlight was blocked, so the temperature dropped.

The slight coolness brought a sense of comfort, yet also a strange unease.

"--They're here! Get down!!!"

Wu Cangsheng suddenly leaped up and, with astonishing speed, pinned Yekaterina beneath him. At the same time, a large white solid appeared in mid-air, precisely where her head had been half a second ago!

"Team A, protect the lady! The rest of you, engage!!!"

""""Yes!!!""""

The Enforcement Team immediately split into two groups. One group rushed into the chaotic crowd to search for the murderer, while the other group surrounded Yekaterina. After confirming her safety, Wu Cangsheng picked up the large white solid and examined it carefully.

White, icy, dry, slowly emitting white smoke, this is...!!!

Wu Cangsheng's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately roared—

"Everyone move faster! Do not stand still!"

--Click!

Upon hearing Wu Cangsheng's roar, most of the Enforcement Team immediately sped up, while a small number who reacted slowly were completely enveloped by the white substance that suddenly appeared in the air.

"Controlling carbon dioxide to sublimate into dry ice for attack -- that's a blind spot!"

Wu Cangsheng glared angrily at the void. Carbon dioxide was everywhere, and it was impossible to guard against it!

"No... dry ice itself isn't a hard substance and isn't suitable for attack. In other words, the other party wanted to condense the carbon dioxide in her respiratory tract, causing her to suffocate or die..."

Thinking of this, Wu Cangsheng shouted, "Moro, activate the fire barrier to protect the lady!"

"Yes, sir!"

A red-haired boy immediately spat out a fire serpent, which surrounded Yekaterina and emitted an astonishingly high temperature.

"Waaah..."

Yekaterina let out a soft, uncomfortable groan. Although Moro was doing his best to control the temperature and oxygen consumption, the old man inside the fire barrier was still finding it difficult to endure.

"Please bear with it, ma'am! It'll be over soon..."

Yekaterina waved her hand, indicating that it was nothing to worry about.

Seeing that the fire barrier had been set up, Wu Cangsheng felt a little relieved. Dry ice is known for its fast sublimation speed, so as long as there is high temperature, there is nothing to be afraid of.

"In that case, all we need to do is find that rat..."

Hiss hiss hiss...

The flames did indeed accelerate the sublimation of the dry ice. The large chunk of dry ice that had previously failed in his sneak attack and was now still in Wu Cangsheng's hand rapidly vaporized, emitting puffs of white smoke.

The smoke slightly obscured the view.

"I'm sorry, although we have no grudge against each other..."

That was a young girl's voice.

By the time Wu Cangsheng realized he had fallen into a trap, it was too late.

A wisp of light blue suddenly appeared in the white smoke; it was a tiny clump of mist, easily missed if one wasn't paying close attention.

The moment Wu Cangsheng noticed it, the mist swiftly entered Yekaterina's mouth and nose.

"Waaaaah... waaaaahh..."

Yekaterina's eyes suddenly rolled back, and she frantically scratched her throat, uttering incoherent cries. Something had invaded her trachea, wreaking havoc inside her! The double blow of churning internal organs and oxygen deprivation caused her consciousness to blur, and just as her mind was sinking into complete darkness—

Whoosh----

Suddenly, the sound of water rang out, followed by a large gush of icy water being poured into her mouth and nose. As soon as the water entered, it was forced into her trachea, circulated rapidly, and then immediately flowed out. At this moment, the light blue mist that had previously invaded her body had all been 'squeezed out'!

"I see, the head of the Enforcement Team is indeed quite capable..."

A girl's voice rang out softly. The blue mist that had been expelled from Yekaterina's body landed on the high platform and gradually condensed into a human shape. It could be vaguely seen that it was a beautiful girl with long light blue hair.

"So you've finally shown your true colors, you little mouse of the Black Crow! Why do you think I put the podium next to the fountain?"

The fountain in the center of the square suddenly swelled up, and a figure completely covered in water rose from it—a person with the ability to control water!

"They even had a backup plan, hiding a water-manipulation ability user in the fountain to launch a surprise attack at a crucial moment. Impressive!"

"Stop being so glib. Your superpower is atomization, right? That's really rare. Savage attacks like slashing with knives and axes shouldn't work on you, but... what if you soak it in water, roast it with fire, or dissolve it with acid?"

"Please, please don't. I'm just a fragile young girl."

"Weak? Don't be ridiculous—take her down!"

The team members immediately swarmed forward, however--

"I'm sorry, Lady Black Crystal, I failed..."

The girl— Golden Tobacco —murmured softly.

"So, I'll leave the rest to you."