Darkness Descends

The crowd ran at top speed. With someone tall leading the way, the paralyzing fear of impending death finally began to dissipate, and the initial chaos gradually gave way to order.

Some people even began sweeping their flashlights back and forth across the sky, while the bolder ones opened their phone apps to livestream: "Watermelon Master is fighting the Blood-Spraying Monster again!"

The streamer shouted passionately into the mic, "God-damned light thieves! I only dared to come out because our streetlights had all been replaced with high-intensity lamps. Who would have thought a bunch of scumbags would team up to steal them in broad daylight? They plunged the whole street into darkness and got several passersby killed! Thank goodness Watermelon Master arrived in time to fight the Blood-Spraying Monster. Kill it! Kill the monster! Avenge our fallen compatriots!"

[Holy crap? I thought it was just clickbait, is it really Watermelon Master?]

[Waaah, I knew Watermelon Master was the kindest person in the world.]

[Go, Watermelon Hero!]

[...]

Those who had been running heard this cry and were instantly ignited with passion. "Kill the monster! Avenge our fallen compatriots—"

"The monster is afraid of light! Everyone, aim your lights at the sky! Quick! Focus your beams on the mid-air, right around Watermelon Master!"

"Kill the monster! Drive the monster off Blue Star!"

At these words, the chaotic, sweeping beams of flashlights unified, all pointing toward the sky. Even the residents in the high-rises on both sides pulled back their curtains, pulling out high-intensity flashlights to sweep the air.

"Hurry! Shine it until that monster dies!"

The high-rises on both sides of the street were at least a dozen stories tall, with residents living on every floor above the fifth. The combined power of hundreds of high-intensity flashlights was astonishing.

In an