A Hunter in Terra, and a Bad Woman

"Even if we're all Infected, if we fail the mission, they'll still deal with us as traitors..."

"If we go back now, we're definitely walking into our deaths!"

"The only way is to keep attacking!"

As he spoke, he stood up again.

But the companions beside him looked deeply uneasy.

"But..."

"But what?"

"But shouldn't Sora be back at that concert by now? The security there is much tighter than it is here. Infected like us probably can't even get inside, right?"

One of the men spoke to his leader, his words carrying a trace of hesitation.

"With our abilities, there's no way we can blend in there, let alone stir up a disturbance..."

"Besides, that idol Sora has actually been pretty good to us Infected... Do we really need to target her like this? If it really comes down to it, why don't we ask the higher-ups to change the target?"

At that, everyone fell silent.

Clearly, even within the same team, not everyone was an extremist.

They had thoughts of their own, but... the environment they lived in did not permit them to have such thoughts.

After a long silence, the man sighed helplessly.

"Going back is impossible... Rather than thinking about whether we can change targets, we should be thinking about what we're going to do now. Do you think Lungmen can withstand the Reunion Movement?"

"I don't know... but we probably can't withstand the Reunion Movement." Another man silently shook his head. "We're Infected. Even if we suddenly died one day, no one would care... If they fail their mission and take it out on us, we won't have any ability to resist at all..."

With that, the group sank into an indescribable silence once more.

Clearly, only one path remained for them now.

"Boss... do you think we can survive?"

A younger-looking man watched him anxiously.

The man knew that he had to encourage his teammates now.

"Don't worry... We definitely can!"

As they spoke, they encouraged one another.

Before long, everyone gradually emerged from the cold shadow Maria had cast over them.

But...

"Tap... tap..."

Crisp leather boots struck the ground, producing clear footsteps.

A woman in black emerged from the darkness, one hand pressing down the brim of her hat.

Her snow-white hair swayed gently in the air, framing her delicate features...

"Perhaps I came at a bad time?"

Maria spoke softly. There was no guilt in her voice, only calm mockery.

She had heard their conversation just now as well.

But clearly, Maria did not agree with their way of thinking.

"Because you want to survive, you hurt other people?"

"Because you don't dare strike back at that so-called Reunion Movement, you claim you were forced into it while attacking ordinary people?"

"I thought this was a choice you had made with resolve. I thought you were warriors... Yet you are merely a group of cowards, whitewashing what you have done in an attempt to find peace of mind."

"Your words and your thinking are laughable to me."

As Maria spoke, she silently watched everyone before her.

"I have no patience to say much to a group of cowards. Now, I have some questions for you. Just answer them honestly."

As she spoke, she took another step forward.

A blood-red mist slowly spread as Maria advanced step by step, applying pressure.

These cowardly Infected clearly fell into a fear they could scarcely suppress. Every expression twisted as Maria drew closer.

But their leader roared angrily at that moment.

"She's alone... She has no help! We can do this!"

As he spoke, he was the first to make his move.

He turned around, snatched up a wooden club from the ground, and glared furiously at the woman before him.

The surrounding companions also seemed to be jolted awake by that roar. They drew their weapons one after another, united against a common enemy.

But Maria merely sighed.

"Is that all?"

"..."

"A pack of beasts... I should never have had any hopes."

Maria spoke flatly as she continued walking forward without haste...

The gap between the two sides was absolute.

Whether in ability, combat experience, or mentality.

Maria utterly crushed them in every respect.

Fighting these people, Maria did not even need to get serious.

In the blink of an eye, the Infected who had been so imposing moments ago were knocked to the ground by Maria.

Several had lost consciousness, while several others had deliberately been spared and left awake by Maria.

They stared wide-eyed at the woman before them in terror. Their lips trembled, but they could not utter a single word for a long time.

Just as Maria grabbed one man by the collar and lifted him into the air.

A familiar voice suddenly rang out.

"Stop!"

"Put him down now, and raise your hands where I can see them! Don't move!"

The familiar voice rang out. Maria turned around and saw a blue figure she recognized.

Her slender body stood out beneath her casual clothes. The strap inexplicably fastened beneath her chest seemed more like it existed solely to accentuate her exquisite figure. Though her stern face was obscured by a mask and glasses, Maria still detected a trace of familiarity.

After taking a closer look at the strange protrusions on her hood, Maria seemed to come to a realization and suddenly smiled.

"My dear Detective Girl? What are you doing here?"

"Uh..."

Hearing that voice, Ch'en froze as well.

It had to be said that in all of Lungmen, Maria's manner of speaking was simply far too distinctive.

Especially the title Detective Girl. So far, she was the only one who addressed Ch'en that way.

Though Ch'en had refuted it on the spot back then, the other woman seemed not to have listened at all and continued doing as she pleased.

But thanks to that manner of speaking, Ch'en recognized exactly who stood before her.

"Maria?"

After realizing the person before her was an acquaintance, Ch'en hesitated for a moment before slowly lowering her guard. However, her hand did not leave the hilt of the sword at her waist.

"Why are you here?"

"Don't answer a question with another question, Detective Girl. That isn't polite." Maria silently shook her head, but still put the man down.

It was not because she was willing to listen to Ch'en. She simply felt their conversation might take some time. Keeping him suspended was no trouble for her, but the man might suffocate to death.

The man dying was a minor matter. Not being able to get information out of him was the real problem!

"I'm investigating these people... What about you?"

"...Someone reported that a group of Infected were causing trouble on Lungmen Commercial Street, and their other companions fled this way... So I came to pursue them."

After Maria explained why she was here, Ch'en hesitated for a while before honestly explaining her own reason.

She had originally gone out to see her old partner Hoshiguma... After all, it was thanks to Hoshiguma protecting her during the previous attack that she had come to no harm.

But when she heard that a case had occurred on the way, her sense of professional responsibility forced her to postpone seeing her companion and turn to deal with this matter instead.

And because she received news that the criminals had fled this way, she hurried over in an attempt to arrest them.

But she had not expected someone to beat her to it.

"So... was it you who saved those civilians and was suspected of being Infected?"

Ch'en looked at Maria and asked another question.

It was not that she meant to sound so stern... Although Maria's actions had violated some rules, even based solely on her simple sense of justice, Ch'en did not think Maria had done anything wrong. Logically, her tone should not have been so stiff.

But the truth was that Maria was simply too flamboyant... Not only in her conduct, but also in the fact that she had never considered concealing her terrifying destructive power.

Even in a simple standoff, Ch'en could constantly feel the crushing pressure radiating from the woman before her.

So even after confirming that Maria had just done a good deed, she still did not dare take her hand away from her weapon.

"Saved people... and suspected of being Infected? Is that how they described me? It seems not everyone has lost the most basic sense of good and evil."

After hearing what Ch'en said the passersby thought of her, Maria chuckled softly.

She had just thought the people of this world were mad beyond saving, but it seemed there were still some normal people among them... That lifted her disappointed mood a little.

But...

"Even being suspected of being Infected makes them this wary? It seems I still underestimated this world's situation."

Maria suddenly fell into thought.

Meanwhile, after carefully examining these people, Ch'en silently furrowed her brow.

"Ursus people... Infected... Are they all people who recently arrived in Lungmen?"

"For something like this to happen..."

"It seems the situation is much worse than I thought."

Ch'en's expression was grave, while Maria beside her grew curious.

"Have you run into trouble, Detective Girl?"

"...I told you, don't call me that ridiculous name. My surname is Ch'en. You can call me Miss Ch'en or Officer Ch'en if you want, but don't use your strange way of addressing me!"

"Of course I know. You introduced yourself to me last time, but I prefer Detective Girl. Don't you like it?"

As if deliberately trying to anger her, Maria spoke casually.

Ignoring whether Ch'en's flushed face came from anger or embarrassment, she turned and grabbed another man by the collar.

"So... what exactly is your objective?"

Maria's attitude toward enemies was far less relaxed.

Her icy expression and towering height of nearly six feet created a natural sense of oppression. Merely approaching made the bear-headed man before her look ghastly.

But just as he was about to crack under the pressure and say something, a blood-red ring suddenly appeared around his neck!

"Urgh!"

As the ring appeared, the bear-headed man's expression twisted. His eyes instantly filled with bloodshot veins, and his entire body began to convulse.

Ch'en's expression turned grim at the sight.

"It's Originium Arts!"

She turned to look at the few people who were still conscious.