Fallen Neon

Dongjin Paste City

Inside the brightly lit Japanese-style castle, an atmosphere of extravagance and decadence permeates the shadows.

The nobles, dressed in magnificent kimonos, had long since shed their usual hypocritical masks. They embraced the geisha's waists, their fingers brazenly probing inside her garments, their eyes gleaming with greedy lust.

The dignitaries sat around on the tatami mats, their wine cups overturned, spilling sake onto the expensive silk, but no one paid any attention—their attention was entirely focused on the girls forced to kneel, their laughter laced with vulgar teasing.

The geishas forced smiles, yet trembled beneath their sleeves. The scent of their cosmetics mingled with sweat and the smell of alcohol, and their exquisite makeup could not conceal the fear in their eyes.

But what's most chilling is the bizarre tattoos that appear on the exposed skin of these powerful figures—their necks, wrists, and even chests: twisted hourglasses and one-eyed vortexes, glowing with a sickly, eerie green light in the dim light, as if they were alive, pulsating with their desires.

"Cheers to the supreme Dream Lord!" a cabinet minister shouted drunkenly, his kimono already disheveled, revealing his tattooed chest.

"Cheers!" Everyone cheered, the clinking of glasses mingling with a woman's startled cry.

Inside the extravagant banquet hall, fear and desire intertwine to create a twisted revelry.

The geishas and servants, who had been wantonly manipulated by the powerful, gradually had their trembling pupils filled with an eerie green light. Their fear seemed to be swallowed by some invisible force; their expressions shifted from pain to confusion, and finally, they succumbed completely.

"Ah... Ahahaha..." A geisha's right arm was brutally torn off, blood splattering onto the ornate screen. But instead of screaming, she tilted her head back and let out a pleasurable groan, a sickly blush appearing on her face. At the severed limb, eerie green patterns, like wriggling maggots, rapidly spread throughout her body.

"More... just a little more..." she giggled, wrapping her remaining left arm around the abuser's neck and offering her red lips.

Not far away, a young servant was pinned down on the tatami mat, a sharp metal rod mercilessly piercing his body. Blood soaked through his plain white kimono, yet he threw his head back and laughed wildly, as if he felt no pain.

"That was exhilarating! So exhilarating!" he roared, his pupils completely filled with green light, his mouth stretched to his ears, "Again! Kill me! Let me be embraced by the supreme god!"

Throughout the hall, the screams of agony were gradually replaced by unrestrained pleasure. The abused people began to actively cater to their abusers, even vying to offer their bodies.

The eerie green tattoos spread wildly across everyone's bodies, writhing like living things.

In the center of the hall, a cabinet minister raised his glass and announced with wild laughter:

"Behold! This is... the blessing of our Lord!"

The courtyard of Paste City was filled with a heavy stench of blood.

The bodies of dozens of guards were piled up into a small mountain, and blood flowed down the steps. Logan sat on top of the pile of corpses, his eyes beneath the mask gleaming coldly, and the cigar between his fingers flickering in the darkness.

"What trick did you pull?" he exhaled a smoke ring, his voice hoarse. "These guards can't see us at all."

Chen Tian walked over slowly, raised his head slightly, and said with a smile, "Permanent hypnosis, manipulating their five senses..."

He raised his hand and lightly touched the air, causing ripples to spread out like water. "This is— Kyouka Suigetsu."

Logan scoffed, leaping down from the pile of corpses, his boot crushing a broken piece of a katana. "Fancy."

Chen Tian remained noncommittal, his gaze shifting to the brightly lit Japanese-style palace.

He strode toward the hall, where Bayonetta appeared on the palace steps, her high heels clicking crisply on the floor.

Her red lips pouted slightly, and she listlessly twirled a strand of her short hair between her fingers, her tone tinged with dissatisfaction. "I thought there would be a grand ball~ but it's all just a bunch of boring bugs..."

She glanced at the quiet scene in the hall, pursed her lips, and said, "Not even a decent resistance."

Chen Tian chuckled softly, but did not answer. He simply raised his hand and gently pressed the Demon Earring under his earlobe.

"What's the situation?" he asked briefly.

"The Rat King isn't here," Erik's voice came through the communicator.

"Alright, let's deal with this first." Chen Tian hung up the call and opened the palace door.

The scene inside was completely different from the terrifying, twisted hell described earlier. The high-ranking officials, geishas, and male servants inside were all kneeling on the ground, their faces blank.

Bayonetta gave a sweet, coquettish hum, "My lady, look at all these people, they're like wooden puppets. Where's the ball you were talking about?"

Chen Tian patted her head. "It's okay, the ball is coming soon."

With that, he connected with Erik's communicator. "It's up to you. Kill them all, it's fine, even if..." Chen Tian chuckled mischievously. "Tear them all apart too."

Erik hovered in mid-air, a cold smile playing on his lips beneath his metal helmet. He slowly raised his hands, his fingertips trembling slightly.

"Aren't you afraid of attracting the wrath of the Neon Government?" he asked sarcastically.

Chen Tian waved his hand without turning his head, his black trench coat fluttering in the wind. "Don't worry, everyone in this city has been hypnotized. When they wake up, they'll only find this place in ruins."

Bayonetta, linking her arm with Chen Tian's, said, "How boring~ There weren't even any fireworks~"

Upon hearing this, a glint of crimson flashed in Erik's eyes. "As you wish."

Before the words had even finished --

"Boom!!!"

The entire palace suddenly trembled violently, and countless steel bars shot in from all directions! They twisted and intertwined like living things, their sharp metal tips mercilessly piercing through walls, floors, and even human bodies...

"Ahhh--"

More metal burst forth from the ground, fell from the ceiling, and exploded from within the walls! They intertwined wildly, enveloping, compressing, and deforming the entire palace...

Bayonetta leaned on Chen Tian's shoulder, watching the scene with great interest. "Ah~ finally something interesting to watch~"

Amidst the mournful clang of metal, the luxurious Japanese palace was forcibly compressed into a massive iron sphere a hundred meters in diameter, with bloodstains and rags still visible on the steel reinforcement.

Erik slowly landed on top of the iron ball, his metal boots making a dull thud as they struck the surface. "It's over."

"No, not yet." Chen Tian looked towards the former 'Sky Keep' ruins. "That's where the main stage is."

Tenshu Platform Ruins

In the dimly lit underground space, the damp air was filled with an eerie scent that mingled with decay and sandalwood.

The Neon Rat Emperor —this gaunt, skeletal old man—knelt before a distorted totem. The totem was made of countless human skeletons, its surface covered with eerie green fluorescent patterns, and inlaid in the center was an hourglass. On top of the hourglass was a swirling eyeball, the pupil of which seemed to contain countless dreams shattering and reforming.

"Great Lord of Dreams..." The Rat King pressed his forehead to the ground, "Please grant your servant the power to manipulate dreams... May the neon lights prosper forever... May your will... encompass this world..."

Behind him, twelve members of the royal bloodline, dressed in white hunting robes, also knelt. Their skin was covered with patterns of the same origin as the totem, their eyes rolled back, and green phlegm constantly oozing from the corners of their mouths, yet they continued to mechanically repeat the prayer.

Sudden--

"Boom--!!!"

The entire underground Sanctum trembled violently!

The Rat King suddenly looked up, its cloudy pupils contracting sharply—

He saw the tens of meters thick rock above him being completely ripped up by some terrifying force! Moonlight poured down, illuminating his deathly pale face. And at the gaping hole in the torn sky, four figures were looking down at him from above.

"This is impossible..." The Rat King's withered lips trembled. "Who... who are you people?"

None of the four understood what the Rat King was saying. Chen Tian, having studied anime, knew a little bit about it, but he didn't want to answer the guy.

"It seems the Nightmare gave you a little gift, making you immune to the Kyouka Suigetsu's effect." Chen Tian stood on the suspended steel bars, his eyes narrowed slightly beneath his mask.

Bayonetta, wearing high heels, stood on another steel bar. "Oh my, so the main course was hidden here!"

Logan hates nothing but nonsense.

"Damn it! You guys are so long-winded!" he cursed, his eyes flashing crimson beneath his mask, before leaping directly from the sky!

"Boom--!!"

The ground exploded, sending debris flying. Logan's claws shot out, and without even pausing, he instantly tore the bodies of twelve royal members apart!

"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"

Blood and flesh flew everywhere, severed limbs and remains scattered all over the ground. Logan's movements were so fast they were almost invisible; with his final step, he reached the Rat King, his claws piercing straight through his chest!

"Uh..." The Rat King's eyes widened, black blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, "You... you simply don't understand..."

Logan sneered, and his claws twisted sharply—

"Snap!"

The Rat King's body was torn in two! Its internal organs and bone fragments scattered and splattered onto the twisted totem.

Bayonetta stood on high ground, pursing her lips. "It can't be that simple, can it?"

The words had barely left his mouth--

"Buzz..."

The green light on the totem suddenly surged! The eerie green patterns writhed like living things, rapidly coiling around all the corpses. The pieces of flesh that Logan had torn apart began to twitch and reassemble eerily...

The ground shook violently!

"Boom--!!!"

The entire underground Sanctum began to collapse. Amidst the flying debris and dust, the pieces of flesh corrupted by the green light frantically reassembled, eventually coalescing into a twisted, writhing mountain of flesh! Countless human faces emerged on the surface of the mountain—the Rat King's, the royal family members', and even the guards who had been Carnage earlier...

They opened their mouths at the same time, emitting inhuman shrieks:

"Nightmare... forever..."

Logan took two steps back, his claws held horizontally in front of him, and his eyes beneath the mask finally turned serious. "Damn it, what the hell is this thing?"

Chen Tian slowly landed beside Logan, his black trench coat billowing even without wind. "This... is the main course..."

Bayonetta chuckled softly, Shira- like magical flame igniting at her fingertips. "Now that's more interesting~"

The mountain of flesh suddenly expanded, and countless tentacle-like fleshy vines burst from the ground, frantically attacking the four of them!

Logan's claws left afterimages in the air, each swing accompanied by the sound of flesh and vines snapping.

"Damn it! How come I can't cut down all these damn things?!" he cursed, his claws slashing out in a cross motion, instantly shredding the three attacking tentacles into minced meat.

However, at those broken wounds, the eerie green mucus wriggled wildly, and new flesh regenerated at a visible speed, even thicker than before.

"Damn it! Here we go again!" Logan dodged a sweeping vine with a backflip, sparks flying from the ground as his boots scraped against the pavement. "You brat! You're still watching the show?!"

Chen Tian stood atop a partially collapsed stone pillar, one hand in his pocket, the other toying with the Demon Earring on his earlobe, a smirk playing on his lips. "Want to test the power of the Cloth?"

"Ha!" Logan's fangs bared menacingly beneath his mask. "It should have been used long ago!"

Logan suddenly ripped his leather jacket to shreds.

"Snap--!!"

The pieces of the Gold Cloth appeared on his body, golden armor covering his arms, chest, and legs, the Capricorn ram's horn helmet was revealed in a ferocious manner, and the cape behind him fluttered. Ancient runes flowed on the surface of the Cloth, each pattern containing the sword intent of the Shura Inheritance.

Logan's claws were covered by the golden light of the Cloth, gradually transforming into two sharp golden blades of light—the projection of the Holy Sword Excalibur!

"Laugh--!!"

With the next swing of the sword, a piercing shriek that seemed to tear through space echoed through the air! The golden sword light pierced through the flesh vines as easily as cutting tofu. The severed tendrils did not regenerate but were directly 'annihilated' by the laws of the Holy Sword, along with the eerie green slime, all vanishing into nothingness!

"Awesome!" Logan laughed wildly, swinging his light blade. The golden light of his Cloth shone brightly in the darkness. "This thing is awesome to use!"

He held back no longer; his claws transformed into a golden storm, causing the flesh and vines to crumble wherever they passed.

"Come on, you bastards!" Logan charged forward, crashing into the main body of the mountain of flesh, his Holy Sword tearing at the distorted faces with frenzied rage. "Cry louder! I love to hear it!"

Bayonetta's dance is forever accompanied by music—a requiem from hell.

As the twelve-centimeter high heels shattered the first attacking tentacle, the air within a hundred-meter radius suddenly froze. The breath she exhaled condensed into ice crystals under the moonlight, each crystal reflecting the trajectory of impending death.

"Bang!"

The first gunshot shattered the silence. The purple flame at the muzzle of the Rose Gun was not a flame—it was a dimensional rift compressed to its limit. The tentacles that were hit were not pierced, but rather 'erased' at the molecular level, the eerie green slime decomposing into basic particles in the Void.

As the three tentacles attacked from behind, she didn't even turn around. Her left hand, holding a pistol, gracefully slashed behind her head—"Bang! Bang! Bang!" Three crisp sounds rang out as the bullets collided and ricocheted behind her, pinning the attacker to mid-air. Her right hand, holding the barrel of a gun behind her head, blasted three wailing faces in the distance into a bloody mist with a "Bang!"

"How boring~" she sighed, suddenly bending over, the wisps of ribbon at her elbows blooming like flowers of death. This movement wasn't for dodging—twelve floating demonic blades poured out from the Void, instantly shredding all organic matter within a ten-meter radius into mincemeat. A tentacle that had managed to escape was about to wriggle when it was shredded into dust by a serrated blade wheel that suddenly popped out from the heel of her high heel.

As the mountain of flesh roared in fury, Bayonetta finally showed her first genuine smile of the night. She removed her diamond earring and tossed it lightly—

"Witch Time - The Show Begins"

In an instant, the entire world was shrouded in a viscous, dark purple. Only she maintained her normal speed, the gun barrel pressed against the nearest distorted face. "Do you know how ugly you all are..."

The trigger is pulled, "... it'll ruin my new look~"

The bullets accelerated infinitely within the Witch Time, piercing through every face in their path before exploding at the core of the Mountain of Flesh. This was no ordinary explosion—it was space itself that was torn apart, and dark dimensional rifts spread like a spiderweb, banishing any flesh and blood they touched directly into the Void.

As the six thickest tentacles attacked simultaneously, Bayonetta suddenly leaped up, crossing her legs into a cross shape. Her witch's hair transformed into giant pythons that coiled around the tentacles, suspending her upside down under the moonlight. In this position, she held four guns in each hand and foot, their muzzles simultaneously bursting with purple flames.

"A Requiem for Me"

The bullets collided and fused within the Mountain of Flesh, ultimately summoning a dimensional collapse with a diameter of thirty meters from within. When the space healed again, one-third of the Mountain of Flesh had vanished forever into the Void.

As her high heels landed again, she licked her red lips, and her Witch's Eye glowed with a bewitching purple light. "Next... want to try being torn apart by Cerberus?"

The roar of the Mountain of Flesh gradually turned into a powerless whimper under the interplay of the Golden Holy Sword and the Witch's Gunfire.

Logan's claws—no, now two dazzling Holy Sword —crossed and slashed out one last time, the golden sword light piercing through the core of the Mountain of Flesh like divine punishment.

The distorted faces screamed and melted in the light of the Holy Sword, the eerie green slime evaporated, turning into a foul-smelling mist that rose up.

Bayonetta's magic bullet followed closely behind, Shira dimensional rift tore countless gaps in the mangled remains of the mountain of flesh, swallowing up the last struggling tentacles into the Void.

"Boom--!!"

With a final, deafening explosion, the mountain of flesh completely disintegrated.

The mountain of rotting flesh collapsed like mud, and the splattered blood stained the entire underground Sanctum dark red.

Those once writhing human faces are now nothing but charred remains.

Logan gasped for breath, the brilliance of his Gold Cloth gradually dimming. He staggered a couple of steps before collapsing onto his backside in a pool of blood, the splattered blood staining the hem of his Cloth.

"Damn it..." He ripped off the Nuo mask, revealing a sweat-drenched, pale face, but a wild grin spread across his lips. "That was... fucking satisfying..."

The projection of the Holy Sword slowly dissipated, transforming back into his sharp claws. But at this moment, Logan didn't even have the strength to lift his hands; the muscles in his arms were slightly spasming from overuse.

Although the Capricorn Cloth provides strong protection, each swing of the Holy Sword drains his physical and mental strength.

Bayonetta landed lightly beside him, her high heels deftly avoiding the bloodstains. She teased, "Oh dear~ Is our little wolfhound exhausted?"

"Get out..." Logan didn't even have the strength to glare at her.

Chen Tian walked over slowly, his black trench coat spotless. He crouched down and gently tapped Logan's Cloth helmet with his fingertips. "How many times has the Holy Sword been used?"

"... Five times." Logan grunted. "You bastard... you never said this thing was so tiring..."

"Read the instructions carefully, Big Bad Wolf." Chen Tian reached into the air and pulled out a Cloak, covering Logan with it.

"Captain America and Natasha both have this Cloth, so be careful not to give it away."

Logan scoffed, dismissing Chen Tian's blatant attempt to cover up his true intentions.

Chen Tian straightened up, clapped his hands, and said, "Alright, now the Big Bad Wolf can leave. Leave the rest to us."

Logan was taken aback, then pointed to a patch of mud in the distance. "Give you what? That patch of mud? Are you going to eat it?"

Chen Tian chuckled and patted him on the shoulder, then strolled casually toward the muddy puddle.

As Chen Tian approached, the rotten mud suddenly trembled violently.

"This is impossible!" Logan's eyes widened. "It's not dead yet?!"

Chen Tian chuckled softly, "Nightmare can devour human fear, projecting their deepest nightmares." He stretched out his hand, clenched his fist, and the air shattered like a mirror as he did so. "If it's not cut off at its root, it will keep regenerating."

Before the words had even finished --

"Boom!!"

The entire Dongjin suddenly trembled violently! Countless eerie green light marks appeared on the ground as the Nightmare Totem secretly buried throughout the city by the Neon Government awakened simultaneously. Tens of thousands of eerie green light streams converged from all directions, flowing into the muddy swamp like rivers flowing into the sea.

"Just as I thought." Chen Tian sneered, his eyes beneath the Nuo mask flashing with a cold light. "The Neon Government is truly despicable, actually sacrificing the dreams of ordinary people to Nightmare."

The mud began to expand wildly, and the flesh twisted and reformed at a speed far exceeding that before. In an instant, a gigantic mountain of flesh, comparable to Mount Fuji, rose from the ground! Countless distorted human faces appeared on its surface—old people, children, soldiers... The fear of all those the Devourer materialized at this moment, and overlapping screams echoed through the sky:

"Nightmare... is... eternal..."

The shadow of the mountain of flesh loomed over half of Dongjin, and the eerie green light continued to converge. Skyscrapers collapsed like building blocks beneath its feet, and the entire city was being assimilated into a nightmare.

Bayonetta, clattering in her high heels, leaped to Chen Tian's side. "Wow~ this is quite a scene~ should we evacuate the civilians?"

"Evacuate?" Chen Tian slowly raised his hand. "We are now the Adjudicator, not the Arbitrators."

"Therefore, our journey is destined to be accompanied by countless deaths, especially in Japan."

"And this is exactly the moment I've been waiting for."