Rat-a-tat-tat...!
Accompanied by the dense sound of gunfire, the festive atmosphere of Yorknew City was mercilessly shattered.
It resembled a movie set as a figure could be glimpsed darting past, pursued at high speed by a convoy of black cars.
From the windows of the numerous black vehicles, men in black suits leaned out, brandishing submachine guns and rifles, recklessly spraying the road ahead with a hail of bullets.
Pedestrians on the sidewalks screamed in terror, scattering in panic.
Innocent drivers on the road swerved violently. The air filled with the sounds of gunfire mixed with the screeching of tires.
The deadly barrage missed the swiftly moving figure ahead but struck many innocent vehicles and pedestrians instead.
Cars further down the road, hearing the commotion, swerved away as if avoiding a plague.
However, whether traveling against the flow of traffic or with it, turning left or right, menacing black cars seemed to be everywhere.
At this moment, every underworld figure in Yorknew City had mobilized to chase down the fleeing enemies.
The organizers of the Underground Auction had promised a substantial reward, enticing even previously uninvolved gangs to join the hunt.
Most weren't in it solely for the money, but for the chance to gain merit.
Catching the eye of the Ten Dons meant a smooth path to promotion.
Nostrade Family, as one of the gangs, naturally responded to the call, ordering Melody and the others to pursue the enemies.
The Troupe members scattered to break through the encirclement. Although the pursuers behind couldn't keep up, new groups of mafia members kept appearing ahead.
Those who stood in their way died.
Under the assault of the Troupe members, those blocking the path soon lay dead amidst exploding vehicles within moments.
Despite their numbers and firepower, the mafia's cars and guns couldn't slow down the Troupe members, let alone stop them.
After running a certain distance, the Troupe members directly charged onto the opposite lane, driving against traffic.
Although the road was wide, the oncoming traffic was substantial. Yet, relying on their superior agility, they navigated through the vehicles with ease.
Their chosen route was cold-blooded and reckless, intended to use the traffic to block their pursuers.
When ordinary drivers see people running towards them on the road, their first instinct is to brake hard or swerve violently.
Around 9 p.m., either choice led to a series of traffic accidents across various sections of the road.
If that were all, it might not have been too severe. But they were being chased by numerous mafia members, who, known for their arrogance, drove their cars into the traffic and fired their guns without restraint.
Countless pedestrians abandoned their cars and fled for their lives, or curled up under their seats. Many were killed on the spot, blood splattering everywhere.
The chaos caused thick black smoke to rise from multiple locations in Yorknew City.
The Troupe's methods gave the main pursuing mafia force a headache. It wasn't concern for innocent bystanders, but the fact that the crashed and stalled vehicles blocked their path.
Consequently, the large mafia force that had started the chase from the Cemetery Building was largely hampered by the traffic jam. They could only relay messages, instructing mafia members elsewhere to intercept the enemies further ahead.
However, the interception attempts proved ineffective until the Ten Dons' Shadow Beasts made their appearance, finally managing to halt the Troupe members.
The Shadow Beasts were the Ten Dons' proudest unit, consisting of ten members, the strongest individuals carefully selected from mafia members worldwide.
Their method of stopping the Troupe members was simple and effective: they lifted cars from the roadside and hurled them at the fleeing Phantom Troupe members.
Gold Cup Road A.
Feitan came to an abrupt halt in the middle of the road.
The road ahead was blocked by numerous cars, askew and tangled, many of them collided together.
Several exploded and burning vehicles were among them, emitting thick black smoke.
Screams echoed all around as people scrambled out of their cars, fleeing towards the sidewalks on both sides of the road.
Feitan kept his hands in his pockets, his cold eyes fixed on the figure emerging from behind the thick smoke… a man with sharp teeth and slightly pointed ears.
This man was the Shadow Beast known as Rabid Dog, his sharp teeth capable of biting through steel plates.
"Oh?"
Seeing the newcomer, Feitan narrowed his eyes into slits, raising his right hand as sinister Aura materialized around it.
He didn't know Rabid Dog of the Shadow Beasts, but the Aura emanating from the man was enough to make him take things slightly seriously.
Gold Cup Road B.
Akatake, who had been running, suddenly stopped and raised his hands, catching a car hurled directly at his face.
He withstood the impact head-on without taking a single step back.
A panicked couple inside the car screamed incessantly.
"Annoying."
Akatake said coldly, then casually tossed the car aside.
The car flew over ten meters to the other side of the road, tumbled several times upon landing, and then exploded.
A broad-nosed, overweight man walked out from between the parked cars, his hands in his pockets, his face expressionless as he stared at Akatake.
This was the Shadow Beast Leech, who cultivated numerous leech larvae within his body.
Gold Cup Road C.
Shizuku was also blocked by a car thrown in her path. With an explosion, thick smoke and flames erupted.
Blocking her way was a short, bald, eyebrowless man wearing outdated sportswear.
This was the Shadow Beast Porcupine, who could freely manipulate his body hair, making it multiply, lengthen, harden, and become fluffy.
Gold Cup Road D.
Cipher stood on top of a truck, surrounded by over a dozen exploded and burning cars.
He coldly scanned his surroundings, sensing a faint, elusive presence nearby, appearing and disappearing erratically.
'In the sewers?'
He suddenly looked down, his eyes narrowing as he leaped off the truck.
The moment he left, the truck's underside seemed to suffer a heavy blow, bending into an [n] shape before exploding.
From within the flames and black smoke, a man wearing only underwear, with smooth skin and an elongated, pointed head, emerged unscathed.
"Tch, so ugly. Can't even muster the mood to destroy it," Cipher spat on the ground, looking at the newcomer.
The one intercepting him was the Shadow Beast Worm, specializing in close combat and adept at burrowing.
Gold Cup Road E.
The person who chose this route was Franklin. Despite his large build, he was agile, navigating through traffic effortlessly. When he couldn't avoid a vehicle, a sweep of his arm was enough to send it flying.
His companions on the other four routes had been intercepted by the Shadow Beasts, but he hadn't, so he quickly left Feitan and the others behind.
After putting two streets between himself and the others, a palpable Aura of fury suddenly emanated from ahead, forcing him to stop.
As an Emitter, his priority at the start of a fight was to create distance.
Less than a hundred meters apart, Franklin's own Aura flared as he calmly observed the black-eyed, blonde man blocking his path. His gaze shifted slightly to the chain rings on the man's right hand.
'A Manipulator...'
Gold Cup Road F.
Shalnark had initially hijacked a car to drive. Perhaps out of boredom, or maybe for efficiency's sake, he suddenly stopped the car.
He randomly selected a pedestrian, inserted his [Black Voice] antenna into them, and then used his phone to control the person into driving.
After this maneuver, his speed navigating through the oncoming traffic actually increased.
However, he failed to notice a person watching him from a distant skyscraper.