176. The World Wings: Fire Moth
The rain suddenly intensified without warning, quickly becoming a continuous downpour.
"Uh, oh no, it's really raining."
The man in the black suit rubbed his temples in annoyance, his tone tinged with helplessness and concern. He turned to his wife, who was clearly pregnant, beside him.
"Angelica, didn't I tell you, I can handle these errands myself."
Angelica tilted her head slightly, looking at him with a hint of innocence and capriciousness.
"I couldn't help it, I suddenly really wanted to eat. Besides, I've been cooped up at home for days, I just wanted to get some fresh air, what's wrong with it?"
The man immediately deflated like a punctured balloon, his momentum instantly vanishing, his gaze drifting towards the pattering rain.
"I didn't say anything was wrong… I was just worried you might catch a cold."
Angelica sighed softly, "Roland, even though I look like this now," she gently stroked her belly, "don't forget, I'm a special kind of finisher. Even if I rush out now…"
"Angelica! Don't actually rush out!" Roland's voice rose an octave in fright, quickly interrupting her dangerous thought.
Seeing her husband's alarmed expression, Angelica couldn't help but chuckle.
"Alright, alright, just kidding. It's your fault for always treating me like a fragile porcelain doll."
"One thing, one thing," Roland muttered.
The two could only stand side by side under the narrow eaves of a small shop, watching the gray sky and the constantly falling rain.
"Tsk, this awful weather… it was fine just a moment ago," Roland complained, looking at the sky.
"Isn't that what The City is like? Unexpected things always happen before tomorrow. Rain is nothing compared to that," Angelica said, smiling and patting his arm gently, offering comfort.
"It'll be alright soon."
"That's true…"
Roland looked away, deciding to change the subject. A smile returned to his face, and he looked at his wife with a hint of expectation.
"But, just hang in there a little longer. As long as our application is approved, we can move into the nest. I've kept my promise to you firmly in mind."
"Yes, yes, Roland is amazing! Roland is wonderful!" Angelica immediately clapped her hands in unison, praising him in an exaggerated tone.
It was clearly an obvious performance, yet Roland seemed to have received the highest reward, his smile radiating satisfaction.
Angelica smiled, gazing into his bright eyes, her heart softening. Actually, whether or not they could move into the nest wasn't that important to her. As long as she could be with this person, it didn't matter where they were.
Besides… deep down, she still harbored reservations about whether the application would be approved. But she would never voice those reservations and spoil his mood.
"It's alright, I'll find a way to comfort him properly later."
Thinking this, Angelica's smile deepened. She took a step forward, naturally wrapping her arms around Roland's strong arms, gently resting her head on his broad shoulders.
"W-what are you doing? Why are you suddenly so close…" Roland's body visibly stiffened; even though they were husband and wife, he still felt somewhat awkward with this intimate physical contact.
"Hehe, nothing," Angelica's voice held a mischievous laugh as she nuzzled his shoulder.
The rain shut out the noise, and under the small eaves, the two figures nestled together cast warm silhouettes in the damp air. Time seemed to slow down at that moment.
However, this brief tranquility was abruptly shattered!
*Whoosh!*
A figure, drenched in icy rain, shot out from the depths of the alleyway before them like an arrow! The menacing tattoos covering his entire body, clearly visible even in the dim rain, were the typical mark of a middle finger gang member! The person didn't even glance at the couple seeking shelter, but simply ran forward, faster and faster, disappearing in the blink of an eye behind the gray curtain of rain.
Roland and Angelica exchanged a glance, both seeing the gravity in each other's eyes.
"A five-fingered middle finger… judging by the complexity of that tattoo, he's probably not low-ranking." Angelica frowned slightly.
"Yeah, there's been a rumor lately that the middle finger has stirred up a huge hornet's nest." Roland lowered his voice, sharing the hearsay he'd heard.
"We've gotten ourselves into a huge mess… The World Wings?" That was the only behemoth Angelica could think of. After all, Five Fingers was already a dominant force among the gang in The City.
Roland shook his head, his expression grave.
"I don't know the specifics. I only know that a few days ago, the Middle Finger lunatics started frantically searching for someone in every district. Probably someone messed with their people, the same old story. But what's strange is," he paused, his voice lowering, "that in just a few days, the entire Middle Finger… suffered heavy losses, not just a single stronghold, but the entire organization!"
"…It feels like a terrible storm is brewing." Angelica's voice was as soft as a sigh.
"I think we need to get out of here quickly." Roland decisively took off his fairly thick coat.
"That guy just now seemed off! If we run into the people chasing the Middle Finger…" He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was crystal clear. He planned to drape the coat over Angelica's head, preparing to rush home in the rain.
Tap…tap…tap…
The rhythmic sound of footsteps, unhurried and measured, came from the depths of the rain, interrupting Roland's movements.
The couple simultaneously turned their gaze to the other end of the rain curtain.
Through the hazy rain, two figures, umbrellas in hand, strolled leisurely towards them, their relaxed demeanor strangely unsettling.
"Hey, hey, hey…could we really be this unlucky?" Roland's Adam's apple bobbed, his body instinctively and imperceptibly shielding Angelica completely behind him.
Don't notice us, please don't notice us…
Roland prayed frantically in his heart.
However, the script of The City never follows the rules.
The one in front of them stopped before the eaves where they were sheltering from the rain. A calm gaze pierced through the rain and landed on them.
The air froze. Apart from the rushing rain against the ground, the world seemed to have been muted. The tense atmosphere was like a taut bowstring, ready to snap at any moment.
Just as Roland was about to prepare for the worst, the figure who had stopped moved—he walked towards them.
"Damn it!" Roland cursed inwardly, his muscles tensing.
However, the expected attack did not occur.
A hand was extended in front of them, holding a brand-new, unopened umbrella.
The umbrella was slightly raised, revealing a young face. Beneath the white hair, a pair of gentle eyes held a smile. He waved the umbrella in his hand:
"Take it. This rain doesn't look like it'll stop anytime soon. It's not good for a pregnant woman to catch a cold. Go home early."
Roland silently stared at this smiling stranger. Years of experience navigating The City had taught him that the more polite and harmless a person appeared, the more unfathomable and dangerous they often were.
"…But I can't refuse now."
Roland gritted his teeth. If the other person was truly the one who could break a middle finger in a few days, refusing such kindness would have unimaginable consequences.
His hand was only halfway outstretched when another, even more slender hand preemptively and steadily took the umbrella.
"Thank you for your kindness," Angelica said with a polite smile and a calm voice.
"Angelica!" Roland's voice was urgent and tinged with reproach.
Angelica gave him a reassuring look.
Seeing this, the white-haired youth's smile deepened slightly, looking somewhat helpless:
"It makes me seem like some kind of bad guy… Fine, let's go." He turned decisively, joining another silent figure, and stepped back into the rain.
He took a few steps, then stopped as if suddenly remembering something, turning back to the couple under the eaves with a bright smile:
"By the way, congratulations in advance. It's a very cute little boy."
His figure completely disappeared into the depths of the rain.
"...Really...he's just gone like that?"
Roland blinked, then suddenly realized what he'd done, looking anxiously at his wife:
"Angelica! That umbrella! Give it to me! What if..."
Angelica sighed helplessly, obediently handing him the umbrella.
Roland held the ordinary umbrella as if facing a formidable enemy.
Theoretically, in a situation like this, simply throwing the umbrella away would be the best option.
But city dwellers are all a bunch of lunatics, and those polite guys are the most lunatic of all.
No matter how gentle the man had acted, Roland still thought he was a lunatic, even an extremely lunatic kind of person.
So Roland was afraid; if he threw away the umbrella, he feared he might trigger some taboo among these lunatics.
[For example, I kindly help you, and you throw away my umbrella! I'll kill your whole family! Things like that kind of bullshit.]
[Or maybe you accept the umbrella but don't use it, and the other person says, "Why didn't you use the umbrella I gave you? Are you looking down on me? I'll kill your whole family!"]
Just as he made up his mind, gritting his teeth, and was about to press the button to open the umbrella and test it for poison himself—
Click.
A slender finger gently pressed the button, and the umbrella opened instantly in front of him with a whoosh!
"Whoa!" Roland was so startled he almost threw the umbrella away, his heart pounding. A few seconds passed…nothing happened.
He stiffly turned his head to look at his wife beside him, whose face was innocent, even with a slightly mischievous smile.
"...Angelica! What are you doing!" Roland said, still shaken.
"You're too tense, Roland." Angelica laughed, taking the open umbrella. Raindrops pattered crisply against its surface.
"Eliminating the Middle Finger faction is indeed terrifying, but don't forget," she pointed to herself, "I'm a special-grade cleanup person."
Then she pointed to Roland, "And you, a Tier 1 cleanup person."
"So, many times, there's really no need to overcomplicate things."
She took his arm and moved the umbrella over his head.
"Let's go, the umbrella's fine. Did we… run into a strangely kind person?"
"…Next time, it's better to be cautious about things like this," Roland muttered, his tense nerves finally relaxing a little, but his eyes still held a wary glint.
"Okay, okay, I know." Angelica smiled and agreed, changing the subject.
"By the way, that gentleman said it was a little boy? Should we prepare some small clothes in advance?"
"It's still early, your belly isn't even that big yet." Roland chuckled.
"That's called being prepared!" Angelica insisted.
The rain pattered down as the two shared an umbrella, huddled together, and walked into the equally damp alleyway, heading towards what they called home.
Meanwhile, at the other end of The City, the blood-soaked Middle Finger stronghold.
When the heavily tattooed man, soaked to the bone and frantically rushing back to the camp, he wasn't greeted by a familiar family, but by a scene of hell.
The overwhelming stench of blood assaulted his nostrils. Thick, crimson liquid and fragments of torn tissue were splattered everywhere—on the ground and walls. His former siblings, now like dolls torn apart by a violent force, lay scattered in grotesque, unspeakably dead.
And the source of all this stood silently in the center of that slaughterhouse, as if he had merely done something insignificant.
"It's you!!!" The man screamed, his eyes fixed on the seemingly frail figure. All the clues pointed to her—the source who, in just a few days, had been reaping the lives of their organization's members like a ghost!
The girl—Houraiji Kyuushou—scanned the man's furious face, then glanced at his empty back, her brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.
"Where are your so-called younger brothers and sisters?" Her voice pierced the rain, clear and distinct.
"Call them out all at once. To save time, I need to deal with the garbage in other areas."
Her casual words pierced the man's ears! This person had slaughtered his limbs and dared to so brazenly declare before him that she would also exterminate his remaining brothers and sisters!
Unforgivable! Deserving of death!
"I will unleash upon you—the cruelest punishment!!!" The man's muscles bulged—
However, Kyuushou merely raised her right hand casually.
Crack—Boom!
A sickeningly loud sound of bones cracking and tendons snapping rang out! The man didn't even have time to scream before his strong body was twisted into a bloody, spiraled mess! Like his brutally murdered "brothers and sisters," he was utterly powerless to resist.
Scalding blood mingled with rainwater, flowing and spreading wantonly across the ground.
Kyuushou stared expressionlessly at the sticky red liquid beneath her feet.
She wasn't bloodthirsty, and she loathed the smell of blood. But at this moment, in her eyes, this crimson stain was nothing more than the deserved retribution of the most sinful person.
"Let your filthy blood forever soak this land," she said calmly.
"Wait, many more will go down to join you..."
She paused, then uttered her final judgment, each word clear and distinct:
"I pray that you—"
"Will be eternally condemned to the deepest hell."
As the last syllable faded, Kyuushou slowly turned around.
What came into view was Xiling's face, clearly suppressing a laugh, his shoulders slightly trembling, and Placidusax standing beside him, expressionless.
Kyuushou's previously heavy and somber mood dissipated considerably upon seeing Xiling's expression. She cleared her throat somewhat awkwardly, "Ahem... just now, the atmosphere was right, I just spoke from the heart."
"When haven't you always spoken from the heart?" Xiling bluntly exposed her, unable to suppress his smile.
"This time is different!" Kyuushou puffed out her cheeks slightly, trying to emphasize.
"Yeah, yeah." Xiling waved his hand, and seeing Kyuushou about to stomp her foot in frustration, he turned around with a grin, "Alright, that's enough. I'll take you to eat a special meal today."
"Uh... I feel a little nauseous, I probably can't eat." Kyuushou said this, but her feet had already followed, reaching Xiling's side.
Xiling opened a large umbrella, sheltering her inside. Raindrops pattered rhythmically on the umbrella.
"Almost done," Xiling said, gazing at the gray, misty rain.
"Mm," Kyuushou nodded.
"Once this place is completely cleared, is the next target already decided?" Xiling asked casually.
"The thumb," Kyuushou uttered, her tone resolute. It was another of the five fingers, another "focal point" that had to be eradicated.
Her declaration to change the world was not empty talk. Her first step was to uproot and crush these malignant tumors lurking in the shadows of The City! Then, she would replace the abyss they left behind, becoming a nightmare that shrouded the entire back alley, more terrifying to the wicked than the five fingers of the past.
Anyone who dared to touch the rules she had set would pay a heavy price.
Of course, violence alone could not eradicate The City's ills.
Fortunately, she was not fighting alone.
Kyuushou: "What about Tarnished?"
Xiling: "The application is already in progress. It won't be long before we become The World Wings."
"Tsk tsk tsk," Xiling's face showed exaggerated envy at the opportune moment.
"So young, and you're going to be the big boss of a listed company! Your future is limitless! Unlike me, just an ordinary, struggling worker."
Kyuushou rolled her eyes at him, annoyed.
An ordinary worker? An ordinary worker capable of turning The City upside down at any moment?
Xiling smiled and reached out to ruffle Kyuushou's hair.
"Alright, I know you probably won't be able to eat meat tonight. I heard a new shop opened nearby, their scallion pancakes are amazing, let's go."
"You're treating?" Kyuushou raised an eyebrow.
"Of course..." Xiling drawled, "...but you're paying."
"Sister Placidusax! Look at him!" Kyuushou immediately turned to the silent Dragonlord to complain.
Placidusax didn't respond.
"What are you looking at?" Xiling shook her head smugly.
"Of course, your sister Placidusax is on my side!"
In the rain, the playful boys and girls, along with the Dragonlord, gradually blurred into the mist.
[World Wings. Company A]
The Tarnished waited patiently in the lobby.
Finally, a heavy door slid open silently, and an employee in Company A's standard uniform emerged, holding a document.
"After final review, the Singularity technology is named—Magic Scroll. The application has been approved."
"From this moment on," the employee handed the document to the Tarnished, "Houraiji Kyuushou will be officially registered as the founder of 'Fire Moth.'"
After paying a huge sum of money...
The Tarnished walked out of Company A.
Looking at the successfully applied-for patent, the Tarnished smiled.
"Looks like technology and magic aren't so different after all."