Somewhere in the central district.
Kiba and Agatha were looking at a fountain in front of their eyes. The main attraction of the fountain was the mermaid sculpture in between.
Not only Kiba and Agatha but there around hundreds of people in the vicinity of the fountain. It was a popular tourist attraction, especially among youth.
There were rumors that one can get their wish fulfilled by praying to the mermaid. Of course, there was no truth in them, but this didn’t stop people from praying.
The mermaid sculpture was attractive and life-like with many believing it was made on a real mermaid from Atlantis.
As one look at the mermaid, one feels attracted to it as if she was offering something no one ever could. The mermaid offered serenity with a touch of seduction, and not even the strong hearted could resist it.
"You’re going to make a wish?" Kiba asked.
"Yeap," Agatha took out two silver coins from her purse, "And you should as well."
"I guess it doesn’t hurt to try," Kiba took a coin from her.
Simultaneously they closed their eyes and threw the coins in the fountain.
"What wish did you made?" Kiba enquired.
"You don’t tell your wish to others," Agatha stated the unspoken rule.
"Oh," Kiba smiled in response.
"What wish did you made?" Agatha asked as they moved away from the fountain.
"Didn’t you just said not to share wish?" Kiba placed his hand on her shoulder as they walked.
"You don’t believe in it so it is fine," Agatha reasoned with a faint smile on her lips.
"Is that so?" Kiba glanced at her, "I wished for the commencement of Miss Delta Beauty pageant as soon as possible."
Agatha was struck on the spot not daring to believe the words he has said.
He has wished for such a thing?!
"I’m going to one of the judges for the pageant," Kiba explained with his eyes twinkling like stars, "It is a heavy burden and I wished to get rid of it soon."
"Some heavy burden it is," Agatha shook off her head with a smile, "Then again it is not surprising for you to wish for such a thing."
"Hey! Don’t judge me!" Kiba said in a stern voice.
"I’m not," Agatha laughed.
She was sure why he was looking forward to the pageant. She could also imagine how he would ’judge’ models.
They both moved toward one of the food stalls in the vicinity. Most of the stalls were filled with people happily chattering and eating.
"What would you like to have?" An old man asked.
"Soup for me and milkshake for the lady," Kiba gave the old man his card for payment.
"Your order would be served in a minute!" The old man walked to prepare the order.
"Kiba?" A familiar voice came from behind.
Surprised, Kiba turned around and saw Emily along with a group of ten. Based on what he knew, everyone from the group was either an investigator or a part of the backup force.
Most of the male members in the group were looking at him with eyes full of fury. It was like he has stolen something from them.
"Wonderful meeting you here," Kiba said.
He ignored the others in the group, especially the males for he understood why they were furious on him.
"Same," Emily’s eyes moved on Agatha and then her belly.
"Emily this is Agatha," Kiba introduced with a smile, "A very reputable investigator."
"Nice to meet you," Agatha moved forward to shake her hand.
"Ah yes," Emily felt awkward. She has heard rumors about Agatha’s pregnancy and so to meet her like this, she felt embarrassed.
"Isn’t there a party hosted by the mayor?" Kiba asked as Emily and others ordered on the food stall.
"There is," Emily nodded her head, "But not everyone likes parties, and besides, this place is popular so we wished to check it out as a group."
Many of the group were new in the city so they took it as a collective decision to arrive here a few days ago on their holiday.
"I see," Kiba said as he took a bowl of soup and a glass of milkshake from the stall counter.
"Agatha, here is the milkshake," Kiba moved his hand towards her but then he stopped in between.
He hurriedly turned his head around while the soup bowl in his other hand fell on the floor.
"What happened?" Agatha asked.
"Are you all right?" Emily, who was standing near him, noticed his expression turning serious.
Kiba remained silent as his eyes struck on a middle-aged woman and a young kid some distance away.
The two were silently standing in the middle of a crowd with a painful expression. Their faces were filled with dark blue runic patterns while their bodies were inflating at a very quick pace.
Blood was trickling down from their orifices but they didn’t utter any word. Their eyes were filled with such a strong determination that it surprised Kiba.
Emily and others moved their eyes to meet Kiba’s line of sight, and every one of them felt a deep sense of dread.
"The nanites from the other world...damn!" Emily’s expression twisted with dread.
Before the others from the group could add anything; the woman and the kid’s bodies erupted into blinding blue light.
BOOM!
A deafening sound reverberated in the region as the walloping force of explosion expanded. The ground quaked and the mermaid statute shattered before the terrifying explosion swept through it.
The tourists and the stall owners didn’t even get time to react as the blue mushroom cloud engulfed them.
"AHHH!"
Their cries were short under the horrifying might of the explosion.
Just moments ago, the hearts of tourists were filled with joy and love as they prayed for a wish to the mermaid.
The stall owners were thanking the customers for their patronage as they sold their signature dishes.
The mood was light and melodious but now...
Not even in their worst nightmares, they expected a visit to the famous fountain would result in something like this.
The only thing they felt before their deaths was a pain they never thought was possible. The sufferings were no less than those from a nuclear blast for the explosion targetted the very gene of its victims before exploding them.
No matter how strong one was, there was no time to react or defend against such a powerful blast.
Emily has formed an electric barrier around her but her entire face was drenched with cold sweat for she felt no hope of surviving this.
Some from her group has surrounded themselves with a force field while others enhanced their bodies with transformation.
Yet, each of them knew their fate for they weren’t ignorant of the nature of the explosive.
Kiba felt the waves of explosion catching up to him and Agatha. He quickly placed a hand on Agatha, and the next moment, their bodies were surrounded by rays of white light.
"Kiba," Emily’s heart turned empty seeing the two teleporting away.
She wanted to ask for help but then she thought, the short fling would hardly make her any important for a womanizer like him.
Just as the explosion ripped apart her electric barrier, she felt a tuck on her hand from behind. The next moment, she saw the space twisting around her with multiple colors.
CRASH~!
Emily crashed on a sofa.
"Huh?" She was in a state of disbelief knowing she has escaped from her fated death.
She turned around and checked the surrounding to conclude she was in the living room of an apartment.
"I’m alive but others," Emily clenched her fist tightly at the unfairness of the world.
Many from the group were her friends and acquaintances with whom she has spent a lot of time. They were there for her when she was at low in her career by offering help and wisdom.
"Just a moment and everything was taken from me," Emily’s eyes were filled with tears.
...
Kiba and Agatha were standing some distance away.
Agatha’s face was pale as she sat down on a couch. Her mind played the memories of the people she saw engulfed by the explosion.
Their helpless expression and their heart-wrenching screams filled her heart with sorrow. She didn’t know them but the memories made her feel depressed.
"A moment of joy so quickly transformed into a nightmare," She shivered at the realization of how death could arrive at a moment when one least expect it
"Are you all right?" Kiba offered her a glass of water.
"Y-yes," Agatha answered, "That was so close."
"Yeah," Kiba nodded his head.
He has felt a terrifying force from the middle-aged woman and her kid when he sensed their existence before, and he was sure, the explosive inside them was something extraordinary.
"We’re fine so let’s not think any longer," Kiba placed his hand on her shoulder.
"Yeah," Agatha bit her lips, "But so many innocents were killed with no fault of theirs."
"...." Kiba didn’t reply.
He believed the revolutionaries were responsible for the explosion since he has heard about similar incidents in other cities.
He pretty much knew the revolutionaries were in war with the top echelons of the world government for resources and power.
No matter the era, in every war it has always been the innocents who suffer the most. The creators of the war were safe in their ivory towers while the soldiers and the masses pay the price of blood.
"Have some rest," Kiba suggested with a sigh.
"...I will," Agatha nodded.
Just then Emily walked towards them. They noticed her red eyes but didn’t say anything since no words of consolation could lower her pain.
"Thank you for saving me," Emily expressed her gratitude.
"It’s fine----"
BEEP~ BEEP~
The speakers in the room started releasing loud beep noise.
Kiba stopped his words in the middle as he felt a strong vibration from his cell phone.
[[CODE RED]]
Claudia’s voice came out from the speakers in the room and his cell phone.
"Don’t tell me," Kiba’s expression turned unsightly.
[[SHE IS UNDER ATTACK]]
"Damn," Kiba gritted his teeth as a column of white light surrounded him.
"What’s the code red and who is ’she’?" Emily asked after he teleported away.
"I don’t know," Agatha answered as she recalled his expression from a moment ago, "But whoever is she...she should be very important to him."