Tip-tap. Tip-tap.
Heavy rain fell from the sky while thunder rumbled through the dark clouds, quickly turning the barren road into a field of shallow puddles.
However, not a single drop touched Xiao Feng, Koharu, Kisara, Rem, or Ram.
The rainwater curved around them as though it had encountered an invisible barrier. Their clothes remained completely dry, and even the ground beneath their feet was untouched by the rain.
Kisara noticed the strange phenomenon and her pupils contracted slightly.
She looked toward Xiao Feng, who was walking calmly at the front with Koharu in his arms.
His long, jet-black hair flowed gently behind him despite the violent wind, while his pristine white clothes remained spotless.
Rem and Ram followed a step behind him.
The twin maids walked with perfect composure, neither showing any surprise at the supernatural scene around them. To them, anything their master accomplished was natural.
Kisara, however, couldn't remain so calm.
The sky had been clear only moments ago. Yet after Xiao Feng became angry, clouds gathered, thunder echoed, and heavy rain suddenly descended.
It was as though the heavens themselves were responding to his emotions.
"Is he truly human...?" Kisara murmured.
Before she could think any further, the five of them arrived before the main entrance of the IISO Tokyo Branch.
The armed guards stationed at the gate had already noticed them.
At first, they assumed the approaching group had become lost. But after seeing the rainwater part around them, uneasy expressions appeared on their faces.
One was a boy dressed in pristine white robes trimmed with faint golden patterns.
His long jet-black hair flowed behind him in the violent wind, while his calm expression and spotless appearance made him seem completely untouched by the storm.
In his arms rested a little girl wearing an elegant white princess dress decorated with delicate lace and ribbons.
A small tiara sat above her shoulder-length purple hair, while white stockings and polished shoes completed her doll-like appearance.
Third a young woman with long black hair, dressed in a black school-style uniform over a white shirt and dark red ribbon.
A sheathed sword rested at her waist, and one hand remained close to its hilt as she watched the guards cautiously.
The final two were identical maids dressed in matching black-and-white uniforms. One had short blue hair and a gentle expression, while the other had pink hair and a calmer gaze.
Both followed with perfect composure, showing no fear despite the armed guards and unnatural storm around them..
No matter how they looked at it, the group was far too strange.
What was even stranger was that the rain avoided them as if they had supernatural power.
One of the guards tightened his grip on his rifle and stepped forward.
"Stop! This is restricted private property. State your identities and purpose!"
Xiao Feng continued walking without slowing down turning it a deaf ear.
He had already spread his soul perception throughout the entire compound. Behind the reinforced walls, he could sense numerous small and frightened lolis.
Some were gathered inside cramped rooms others were confined individually beneath the ground.
The fear and despair radiating from them caused the coldness in his eyes to deepen.
Seeing they didn't stop, the guards immediately raised their rifles, "Stop moving!"
"I'm not in the mood for your nonsense." Xiao Feng's calm voice passed through the heavy rain.
"Spiritual Confinement."
An invisible wave of soul power swept across the entrance, instantly freezing the guards.
Their fingers remained on their triggers, but their bodies could no longer move. Even their voices were sealed within their throats.
Panic filled their eyes.
Spiritual Confinement was an ancient alchemist technique that uses Supporter power to suppress the soul and imprison it within the body.
Those affected retained their awareness, but their bodies became as useless as wooden puppets.
Looking at the hair raising scene in Kisara stopped walking. Her eyes moved between the motionless guards and Xiao Feng's back and a chill spread throughout her body.
She had only guessed he caused the rain but now she was certain.
She now felt that she had gotten herself into serious trouble.
If she had known Xiao Feng possessed such terrifying abilities, she would never have accepted the job so casually.
Unfortunately, it was already too late for regrets.
Ram glanced at the frozen guards before turning toward Kisara.
"Ram believes Miss Kisara is frightened."
Rem tried to comfort Kisara, "Miss Kisara does not need to worry. Master will not harm those who do not stand against him."
Hearing her words, Kisara became even more uneasy.
Those who did not stand against him?
In other words, anyone who tried to stop him would be dealt with without mercy.
Kisara looked at the guards trapped within their own bodies. Their wide eyes were filled with terror, yet they couldn't even move their lips to beg for help.
"What exactly did you do to them?" She asked.
"Their souls have been temporarily sealed inside their bodies," Xiao Feng replied calmly.
"They remain conscious, but they cannot control their limbs."
Kisara's expression stiffened. She didn't know soul and all but she understood the basic concept. So she was horrified.
Xiao Feng paid no further attention to the guards and his gaze shifted toward the enormous metal gate blocking the entrance.
The gate had been reinforced with thick steel and designed to withstand both explosions and attacks from Gastrea.
Xiao Feng slowly raised one foot.
Kisara's eyes widened.
"Wait, are you planning to—"
Bang!
His foot struck the centre of the gate.
The heavy steel structure instantly caved inward.
Its hinges shattered, chunks of concrete exploded from the surrounding walls, and the entire gate flew through the air like a discarded piece of scrap metal.
It crossed several dozen metres before crashing into the empty ground inside the compound.
Boom!
The impact shook the earth.
Rainwater erupted from the surrounding puddles, while the thunder in the sky seemed to answer the deafening crash.
Kisara stood frozen in place and her hand unconsciously tightened around the hilt of her sword.
That gate could supposedly withstand the impact of a military vehicle. Yet Xiao Feng had destroyed it with a casual kick while still holding Koharu in one arm.
This was no longer within the realm of human strength.
Even an Initiator displaying the power of the Gastrea virus couldn't accomplish something so absurd.
Xiao Feng stepped through the ruined entrance.
"Kisara-san, keep up."
His voice pulled her from her daze.
"R-Right."
Kisara hurried after him.
Rem and Ram followed calmly. One on Koharu's right and the other on the left, protecting her in the middle.
Their eyes constantly swept across the compound, observing every window, rooftop, and hidden weapon emplacement.
Koharu looked at the twisted gate lying in the distance and her eyes were shining with stars, "Onii-chan is amazing..."
...