Lockdown!

"The weather really is nice today, meow." Perched atop little Kanna's head, Purr looked up every now and then at the rare patch of blue sky before glancing around at the bustling morning market. "Woof!" Kevin barked in agreement, his leash firmly clutched in little Kanna's hand. A white-haired little girl, a cat on her head, and a dog in tow—walking down the street, this trio turned a remarkable number of heads. Yorktown was a modern metropolis, dazzling on the surface, but sin still lurked in every shadowy corner. Gangs ran rampant underground, so a little girl roaming the streets alone was hardly safe. Except with this particular combination, even if they crossed paths with underworld thugs, those thugs would quickly learn what true terror looked like! Not only could they ignore secular threats, but they could also completely dismiss most dangers from the church circles. Just moments ago, they had even dropped by the black market to pick up some ritual materials. Such was... the confidence of keeping a dragon at home! "Eat that! I want to eat that, meow." Purr directed Kanna toward another stall. After eating exquisite cuisine for so long, street-side delicacies were a welcome treat. With every purchase, little Kanna had to pull out her wallet, dig out a riel note, and then wait for her change. Finding the whole process terribly tedious, she was sorely tempted to slap the entire wallet full of cash across the vendor's face. Yet she couldn't, because the cat on her head had told her before they left that this was all to let her experience the life of an ordinary person—a form of training. Fine, training. Little Kanna knew that training was always painful. Besides, she felt that slapping money into someone's face was an insult to their dignity. Purr would take the first bite. If it tasted good, she would take another, and then, to save room in her belly, she would pass the rest to Kanna. Kanna would frown, eat a few mouthfuls, and whatever remained went straight to Kevin. It seemed that when shopping with females, the males always ended up shouldering the heaviest burden. By the time they reached the end of the snack street, Kevin's belly was swollen taut, bulging outward. Kanna, who had never cared for human food, had been forced to take "medicine" so frequently of late that human fare suddenly tasted remarkably delicious. She even paid close attention to what Karen ate at home and had the maid, Xili, make the same for her. In the past, a batch of wontons from Xili was enough to last the young master half a month, but now she practically had to wrap fresh ones every single day. Little Kanna was an absolute wonton slayer. For a time, Xili had worried the child would burst her stomach from overeating, but seeing her digest it all without issue put her mind at ease. Even if she was just a hatchling, the true mass of a dragon's body was far beyond ordinary comprehension. "Let's go rest. There's a bench over there, meow." Obeying Purr's directions, little Kanna sat down on the bench with a newly purchased ice cream cone in hand. She held it up, letting Purr lick it once, and then took a lick herself. Kevin flopped onto his side on the ground, exposing his swollen belly, silently praying for his digestive tract to work faster. "So, this is a human city. Quite different from what you saw in the Church of the Burrow, isn't it?" Purr asked. Little Kanna shook her head. She had just seen affluent people riding in luxury cars, as well as gaunt, sallow-faced beggars sitting in alley entrances. She replied, "There's no difference." "Well now, you've already ascended to a higher perspective. Let's take things slow." "Oh." Kanna nodded and took another lick of her ice cream. "Oh? Isn't that Big Butt, meow?" Purr spotted Xili carrying a basket of groceries, and Xili noticed them on the bench as well. "Miss Purr, why are you all out here!" Xili wheeled her bicycle over, looking anxious. As the maid of the Karen household, Xili was well aware of the family's extraordinary nature. She had witnessed more than enough bizarre occurrences to grasp how unusual they were, yet her internal worldview still operated by its own rules—namely, that cats, dogs, and little girls all needed protection. "Just out for a stroll, meow." Purr eyed Xili's basket. "Buying so much food—is Karen hosting guests again?" "No, it's because Mr. Mavaglio's household won't have domestic help for another two days, so I have to cook for them until then." "Still, is it necessary to buy this much? Are they throwing a banquet?" "I cooked quite a few dishes last night... but when I went to clean up the kitchen this morning, there wasn't a single scrap left." "Oh, a pair of gluttons." Neither Gaspol nor Mavaglio was a Wien native, so they had no special fondness for bean paste. Furthermore, Xili's culinary and pastry skills were inherited from Karen and Purr respectively, making every meal an absolute delight for them. What Xili didn't know was that after tasting her cooking, the lofty Godson no longer held any reservations about moving into his fiancée's institutional dormitory building. After all, Karen lived there too. While asking Karen to cook was difficult since he was always busy, Mavaglio could easily freeload off Karen's maid. "Miss Purr, are you heading back? Let me take you home first. I worry it's unsafe for you to wander around outside for too long." "Big Butt, I think you're the one who needs to watch out for your safety." "What could happen to me?" "In this world, not every man is like Karen, looking without touching." "Shall I give you a ride home?" Xili continued to urge with a gentle smile, long accustomed to Miss Purr's teasing. "No need. We can get back on our own. I still have several shops I haven't sampled yet." Hearing that, Kevin rolled his eyes where he lay on the pavement. If he ate any more, his belly would burst. Yet that cat insisted on preaching Karen's doctrine about never wasting food. Right then, a marching procession appeared ahead. The crowd consisted of both purple-haired people and Marklaians, all dressed neatly and tidily; even those not wearing suits had cleaned their clothes immaculately. They held up placards, chanted slogans, and wore bright, sunny smiles, presenting a stark contrast to the demonstrations Yorktown citizens were accustomed to seeing. "Ah, Mr. Luther's nationwide tour has begun," Xili said. She was a purple-haired woman herself. Lying on the ground, Kevin tilted his head toward the scene, brow furrowing slightly. As a dog fond of reading newspapers, he was no stranger to Mr. Luther, who frequently appeared in the *Order Weekly*. Purr reminded her, "Did your family join in?" "My brother was originally a supporter of Mr. Luther, but I followed Young Master Karen's advice and made him focus on his studies. He should be at home right now, with Mother and Father keeping an eye on him." In truth, the reason Xili's brother had become so obedient was that Karen had dispatched Alfred to save their entire family during the previous conflict. Now that the whole household relied on Karen for their livelihood, he naturally dared not act rashly out of hot-blooded impulse. Of course, Karen had no interest in deliberately extinguishing a young man's passion just to turn him into a self-serving cynic, but Karen's stance was clear: *You can carry on, and your family can too, but don't count on me sending people to save you next time.* A new stage was being assembled, and Mr. Luther had already stepped onto it. The microphone was set up as he prepared to deliver his first speech of the day. In the afternoon, he would travel to Sangpu City, aiming to deliver his second speech in its city center by dusk. This nationwide civil rights movement for Wien's purple-haired population officially commenced today. Kevin seemed to sense something. He suddenly scrambled to his feet and barked sharply at Purr: "Woof, woof, woof!" "What is it, dumb dog?" Purr asked. Kevin wasn't "speaking"; it was an inexplicable agitation driving him to bark frantically. Yet even he could not pinpoint the source of this unease, a circumstance exceedingly rare for him. Seeing this, Purr pressed no further. Turning to little Kanna, she said, "Come on, let's head home, meow." *** "Telling us to head back?" Karen stared at the black crow in his hand. Messengers of this kind carried different priority levels, and the one he had just received belonged to the highest alert level within the regional Whip of Order, signifying a matter of utmost gravity. "I have one here too." Sitting across from Karen, Neo caught a black crow that had sought him out. "Ordering us to return immediately." "Is it like last time, requiring us to maintain complete radio silence while they conduct their experiment?" Karen asked. "Doesn't look like it. If it were a blackout, they would have stated it directly in the message. This looks more like ordering us back to take charge of an operation. Sus has vacated his post, and Gaspol hasn't officially assumed office yet. In theory, the highest legal authority within the regional Whip of Order right now is you, Karen." "Then let's head back." "Yeah, let's go." Karen and Neo rose to their feet. They had just finished breakfast in this café, and their window-side table offered a clear view of the hotel entrance where Mr. Luther was staying. As they walked out to their car, they happened to catch sight of Mr. Luther exiting the hotel, surrounded by gathering supporters preparing for his final morning speech in Yorktown. It seemed they would no longer be able to monitor the situation. Neo remarked, "A black powder shotgun is going to claim his life when the time comes. The guy I trailed has already made up his mind. What an idiot." "Yeah." Although agents of the Wien government had orchestrated the assassination, it was abundantly clear that once the deed was done, the assassin would not be permitted to survive; they would ensure he died swiftly. "So, what's your plan? Are we really not going to intervene?" Neo asked. "You've been itching for me to do something, haven't you?" "Of course! Did you forget how we were hunted down by those suits of armor controlled by the Church of Principles? We're both much stronger now than we were back then. Shouldn't we settle the score and vent a little?" "Aren't you being childish?" "Those suits of armor are worth quite a few coupons. Grind off the markings, and we can fence them on the black market. I'll personally handle the logistics to ensure safe disposal." "A bit more mature now, I see." "Hahaha! But seriously, are you really not going to do anything? Didn't you say that what they're doing severely violates Order's doctrines?" Excluding the paradox surrounding the God of Order, the doctrines of the Church of Order advocated for a godless world—only without divine intervention could humanity chart its own course of progress. Yet now, they were attempting to manufacture a god. Karen sighed and replied, "I'm worried that acting rashly will cause things to spiral out of control." If that high-level independent division dared conduct such an experiment in Wien, they had certainly implemented comprehensive countermeasures against interference—much like the animated suits of armor that had pursued him and Neo before. Now, however, their status was different, and they possessed far more unique means. If they were truly bent on disrupting the experiment, their chances of success were quite high. Karen turned the steering wheel, taking the car around a corner. "I'm afraid our interference might trigger a catastrophe." At that, Neo fell silent. When he found things entertaining, he would gladly play along; if it were somewhere else, a disaster might even be thrilling. Except he was a Wien native... Just imagine the terrifying devastation Rielsa had wrought after bursting out from the Samsara Gate. If divine power were to leak, it would be an absolute cataclysm for Yorktown—no, for the entire island. Anything involving gods was inherently unpredictable. "Damn it all," Neo cursed under his breath, popping open another bottle of "Extra" brand red wine. Before long, the car pulled into the headquarters compound. Alfred came forward to meet them at the parking lot, reporting, "Young Master, the head of the supervising department from the Dinge Region requests an immediate audience with you. An emergency directive of higher authority has been issued." "Understood." Karen headed inside and made his way straight to the communications chamber. When the communication array flared to life, a senior priest materialized within. After verifying Karen's identity, he read aloud the directive from the Whip of Order's upper echelon. Upon hearing the order, Karen felt a profound shock. Once the transmission ended, Karen walked out into the corridor, where Neo was leaning against the wall, smoking a cigarette. "What's the word?" Karen turned to Alfred. "Issue the order: mobilize every Whip of Order squad and security detachment currently available. Split them into two groups—one under Section Chief Neo, and one led by me personally." With that, Karen handed Neo a sheet of coordinates. "Surveillance and containment mission. These are your assigned coordinates." Neo glanced over the sheet in disbelief. "So many? How much manpower is that going to tie up? What about your side?" "I only have one, but it's the most critical." "What do you mean? Wait, why do these coordinates look like..." "The Regional Administrative Office should be moving as well. Move fast, and establish the containment perimeter as quickly as possible." *** The Whip of Order headquarters swung into high gear, and urgent deployment orders were dispatched to every squad across the region. The directive was absolute: drop all ongoing assignments and proceed immediately to the designated coordinates. It had to be said that even though the regional chief post remained vacant, none of the subordinates dared slack off in the face of this order. Everyone knew who held the true reins of power right now, and they were all too familiar with the young department head's ruthless track record. Defy his orders, and you could expect to be dismantled completely! Karen and Neo parted ways. Neo still had to allocate his forces, while Karen had no such need. Once his twenty Whip of Order squads were assembled, they set off by vehicle at once. Leaving Yorktown, the convoy sped northward toward an adjacent coastal town. Rather than entering the settlement, they veered toward the seaside on its outskirts. There stood a massive red boulder, at the base of which a dozen or so people looking like tourists were having a picnic. As the Whip of Order operatives closed in, the "picnickers" leaped to their feet, drew their weapons, and assumed defensive postures. "I am Karen, Head of the Law Enforcement Department of this region's Whip of Order. I order you to lay down your arms, or I will immediately order an assault." Seeing the force assembled before them, the picnic squad lowered their weapons and stepped aside. Karen stepped forward to inspect the boulder. A boundary array was concealed within. Activating it, he opened a passage, revealing a pitch-black barrier before them. "Move in!" Karen took the lead, with the others filing in right behind him. Beyond the barrier lay a downward slope overlooking what resembled a vast basin. At the center of the basin yawned an enormous cavern leading deep underground. Around the perimeter of the opening, numerous unfamiliar squads clad in Order robes were maintaining a tight defensive cordon. Karen's men immediately locked into a tense standoff with them. A scar-faced man stepped forward from the opposing ranks. "Which department are you from? Do you have any idea where you are?!" Karen strode forward and asked, "Can you tell me where this is?" "Uh... classified. No." With a wave of Karen's hand, his men fanned out, moving to encircle the cavern opening—and, by extension, the priests guarding it. However, because both sides were roughly equal in number, the encirclement looked somewhat absurd. Moreover, the aura radiating from the opposing operatives felt as though they had just come off a real battlefield. Karen's men were merely local squads operating in urban districts; if a brawl truly broke out, barring the intervention of their top combatants, his side would likely be outmatched. "What is the meaning of this?!" The scar-faced man shouted, though out of respect for the matching clerical robes they both wore, he refrained from giving an order to attack. Soon, however, a dull rumble echoed across the basin as another barrier opened on an opposing slope. Garrison knights charged forth, and falcon knights took to the skies. Evidently, these were Karen's reinforcements, and their arrival instantly established overwhelming superiority over the area. The Order priests defending the cavern opening were forced to pull back, consolidating their defense strictly around the mouth of the pit. Karen spotted his maternal grandfather, Delon, dressed in bishop's robes, appearing behind the garrison force with a retinue of formation masters. The moment they arrived, they began erecting a sealing array without a second's delay. Moments later, Bourne's figure materialized beside Karen. Even after becoming the Head Bishop, he still retained his habit of making enigmatic, unpredictable entrances. Bourne cursed, "Damn it, waiting until now to give me the order!" "Indeed," Karen agreed with a nod. "They were afraid of interfering with the experiment's progress, but now that they're terrified of something going wrong, they're using us like draft animals." Bishop Bourne was seething with resentment. In the final moments of the experiment, the high echelon of the church had issued an order to the Yorktown Region, demanding that they lock down every single experiment site. All to guard against any potential accident... that might trigger a catastrophe. On the other end, as he directed his men to seal off the remaining locations, Neo couldn't help but curse inwardly: *Fuck! You bastards really pulled it off—using the guy who wanted to stir up trouble to keep the whole thing from going south!*