Free Web NovelThe roar still echoed in my ears; it wasn't just the aftershock of an explosion, but the frequency of the flapping wings of some enormous creature.
Everyone instinctively looked up.
The sky darkened.
That wasn't a dark cloud, but a swarm of insects.
The dense swarm of black beetles, like a giant shroud, pressed down from the western horizon, completely swallowing up the already dim light of day.
At the forefront of this suffocating black tide, a giant crimson beetle, its size comparable to a heavy truck, is transforming into a burning meteor in its most ferocious form, crashing for the second time into the crumbling breach in the western city wall amidst a teeth-grinding buzzing sound.
"What...is that?"
Someone pointed tremblingly to the sky.
There was no response.
Only impact.
"Thump—!!!"
This sound was heavier than any of the previous ones.
The crimson beetle slammed into the crack in the energy barrier. Immediately afterward, its carapace exploded like flower petals, revealing the high-energy fluid churning inside.
Without the slightest hesitation, it detonated itself.
The blinding red light instantly engulfed our vision.
The high alloy wall that stood on the outskirts of Tokyo, symbolizing absolute blockade and order, finally let out a mournful cry of unbearable strain under this suicidal destructive impact.
The sound of steel bars snapping was like the cracking of a musical string, and huge blocks of concrete peeled off like raindrops.
Under the gaze of countless terrified, stunned, and desperate eyes, the wall collapsed with a deafening roar.
Smoke billowed, like a dragon bursting from hell, instantly engulfing several nearby blocks.
The once impregnable cage was forcibly torn open, creating a gaping hole hundreds of meters wide.
The wind from outside the city, carrying the smells of gunpowder and freedom, rushed in violently.
It covered the entire Reed Plain area.
Whether it was the administrators wielding sticks or the civilians kneeling on the ground, everyone seemed to have been put on pause, their minds blank.
Just then.
Sizzle—Sizzle— frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
The piercing sound of electricity suddenly rang out in every corner of the city without warning.
The loudspeakers on the roadside, the rooftops, and even the loudspeakers on patrol cars all emitted a deep, calm, yet undeniably powerful male voice.
"Hello, hello..."
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am a concerned citizen, and I have some good news to tell you."
"The west city wall has collapsed."
The sound echoed above the ruins, clearly penetrating everyone's ears.
"The Kujo family will sacrifice the entire city tonight to resurrect their god."
“Your lives are worth less than weeds in their eyes, merely fuel on the altar.”
"Staying here means certain death."
The broadcast paused for a second, then the volume suddenly rose, carrying a provocative and stimulating tone.
Do you want to live?
"Then run!"
"Run west! Run towards that gap!"
"No one is a victim! No one is a pig or sheep to be slaughtered!"
"This time, for yourselves, for your children, live on with all your might!"
"Charge out!"
This roar was like a spark falling onto a parched grassland.
Yumi's limping father suddenly opened his cloudy eyes wide.
He looked at the huge opening and the light shining through it.
That was a way out he never dared to dream of.
"run......"
He forced out a broken syllable from his throat, then roared with all his might:
"Take Yumi...and run!!!"
This roar seemed to break some kind of curse.
The entire Ashihara district was bombed.
Run!
"The city wall has collapsed! It really has collapsed!"
"We have a chance to get out!"
Countless closed doors were smashed open, and countless figures rushed out from the dark corners.
At that moment, fear transformed into the most primal instinct for survival.
The crowd surged forward like a torrent, rushing madly into the street and towards the gap belching black smoke.
"Baka! Stop right there!"
A manager wearing a red armband waved his electric baton and struck an old man who was leading the charge on the head.
Blood splattered.
"Anyone who dares to run will suffer the consequences!"
He roared, his face contorted with rage, "Go back! All of you, get back! No one is allowed to leave without orders from above..."
"Pfft!"
His voice abruptly stopped.
A jet-black dagger pierced his neck precisely from the back and through his throat.
The manager's eyes widened, he clutched his neck with both hands, made a "hoho" sound, and collapsed softly to the ground.
Behind him, a man in a black uniform with a cold expression appeared out of nowhere.
The man pulled out a dagger and casually wiped the blood off the manager's clothes.
"No one is allowed to block the way."
The man said coldly, then his figure flashed and disappeared into the crowd.
The same scene played out on every necessary route leading to the western city wall.
Those managers who usually acted arrogantly and domineeringly were horrified to find that a group of agile and ruthless men in black had suddenly emerged from the crowd.
"Who are you people?! Are you rebels?!"
A manager, accompanied by a dozen or so thugs, attempted to block an intersection.
Three men in black emerged from the shadows.
No nonsense.
A flash of light appeared.
More than a dozen thugs who usually bullied the weak and feared the strong were all turned into corpses on the ground before they could even scream.
"The road is open."
The leader of the men in black waved to the still-shaken crowd behind him.
"Run! Don't look back!"
...
An underground bunker somewhere in Tokyo.
This place has been converted into a temporary operations command center.
Dozens of sophisticated communication devices are operating at high speed, with red and green indicator lights flashing wildly.
Tang Qi stood in front of the huge electronic map, holding the broadcast microphone he had just put down.
His white shirt was soaked through, the collar open, and his eyes, which usually held a gentle smile, were now bloodshot but frighteningly bright.
"Number One, report the situation."
Tang Qi picked up the communicator and spoke very quickly.
"Number one in position. Obstacles cleared from the main road in the west district, management team wiped out. Crowd is crossing."
A steady voice came through the communicator.
"Number Two, what's going on over there? Why are there still red dots?"
Tang Qi stared at a flashing area on the map, his brows furrowed.
"Reporting, team leader! We've encountered a patrol of the 'Red Demon Clan,' and they're tough nuts to crack."
Number Two's voice was accompanied by heavy breathing and the sound of clashing swords.
"They have heavy weapons, and we are holding out."
Tang Qi's eyes narrowed, and his voice instantly turned cold.
"I don't care if he's a red demon or a black demon."
"Number Two, listen to me carefully."
"No matter the cost, you must stay there!"
"That's an escape route for over 30,000 civilians! Even if only one person is left, you must guard that route!"
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the communicator.
Then came a roar laced with laughter.
"Understood! Don't worry, team leader. As long as there's one survivor in team two, they won't be able to get past us!"
"Brothers! Let's fight these bastards to the death! For Great Xia!"
