Raindrops the size of beans poured down from the sky, turning the view outside the car window into a hazy blur. Muria peered through the gray-tinted glass at the surrounding traffic, feeling a strange sense of foreboding, as if something significant was about to happen—a premonition as clear as intuition.
His instincts were proven correct. A violent explosion sounded from up ahead, and even inside the car, he could feel the vibration through the ground. After the initial blast, there was a brief silence on the bridge, followed by screams, shouts, and more explosions and crashing sounds.
The explosion had frightened many drivers, triggering a chain reaction of accidents. As a result, the convoy Muria was traveling in had to come to a halt.
"Young Master, please stay here and don't move, alright?" the driver—a suited bodyguard—turned back to look at Muria, who appeared calm and unruffled.
"Understood." Muria nodded, his demeanor composed, projecting a maturity far beyond his years. In his world, standing out wasn't something to worry about; his family name provided the best cover. In a powerful family, mediocrity was the greatest flaw. It was normal to excel beyond his peers.
Seeing Muria's collected reaction, the bodyguard looked at him with a hint of admiration. His own daughter was the same age, yet if she were in this situation, she'd probably be crying by now.
With Muria's permission, the bodyguard removed a briefcase-sized metal block from under his seat. Holding it, he stepped out of the car and headed toward the source of the explosion.
As he moved, the metal briefcase in his hand began to break apart, transforming into a series of finely crafted metal components that started to climb up his arm. Within just five or six seconds, the briefcase had completely disassembled, and he was now encased in a lightweight black suit of armor.
"A Leopard Mark V portable Star Armor—designed for security and reconnaissance." Muria watched his bodyguard's transformation without the slightest hint of surprise.
After the bodyguard suited up, eight other men in suits emerged from the two cars flanking Muria's. Each of them carried a similar briefcase, and within seconds, they too had equipped their Star Armor.
Four of the armored guards surrounded Muria's car for protection, while the remaining four followed the lead bodyguard toward the site of the explosion.
Muria watched calmly, reaching up to touch a pendant hanging from his neck—a crystal glowing with a faint purple hue. This was a gift the Douglas family had sent him two years ago after he had demonstrated perfect control over 1,000 training objects with his Star Control talent. It was one of the standard benefits for a Douglas family formal member.
"Hopefully, things won't escalate to the point where I need to act. I'm just a kid," Muria sighed, clutching the pendant.
Suddenly, growling noises and explosions echoed from up ahead, followed by the roar of some unknown creature.
Boom!
A dark figure arced through the air before crashing onto the car next to Muria's, shattering its windshield and crumpling the seats inside. Thankfully, the owner of the car had quickly abandoned it after hearing the initial blast, so no one was harmed.
Seeing this, Muria lowered the window and looked over at the car. The dark figure embedded in the wreck was one of the Star Armor bodyguards who had gone to investigate. The guard was struggling to move, but a sharp, white bone spur had pierced his abdomen, seemingly snapping his spine.
"Two of you, go assist them," Muria ordered, frowning. The guard was in no condition to continue, let alone stand.
"But, Young Master, our duty is to protect you!" One of the nearby guards hesitated, clearly uncomfortable with Muria's command.
"If they're all taken out, what use are you four? Go support them!" Muria barked, irritation creeping into his voice. These guards didn't seem to grasp the situation.
Reluctantly, two of the guards exchanged glances, then moved to assist. However, as time passed, the sounds of the battle grew louder, creeping closer to Muria's location.
Realizing the situation was escalating, the remaining two guards exchanged a look. One of them climbed into the driver's seat of Muria's car, while the other took the wheel of the rear vehicle. The driver of the rear car began ramming into surrounding vehicles, trying to clear an escape path.
Bang! Bang!
The rear guard's relentless maneuvering soon opened up enough space to flee, and the two cars, with Muria in the lead, started driving off the bridge.
Their mission was to ensure Muria's safety, not to eliminate the monsters attacking the humans. But the creatures appearing in the city today weren't here to target just any humans.
Boom!
No sooner had the rear car, which had been clearing the path, moved forward than a massive, fiery sphere struck it, enveloping it in flames. The inferno melted the car's steel frame, instantly incinerating the bodyguard within.
The horrific sight forced the remaining guard to slam on the brakes, stopping Muria's car just short of the flaming pit.
"I heard there was a young master from the Douglas family attending school here. I came to confirm the rumor. Would the child in the car care to step out and answer me?"
A raspy voice drifted down as a creature wreathed in flames descended from the sky. The rain evaporated into steam before it could even touch it.
"Y-Young Master!" The guard in the car trembled at the sight of the fiery creature, glancing nervously at Muria, who was preparing to step out.
"Don't worry. He's here for me. If you get a chance, run." Muria smiled calmly, understanding that this opponent was far beyond the guard's capability.
Muria exited the car, looking up at the demon-like creature hovering above. It had a humanoid form, with twisted horns jutting downward from its head, a muscular body covered in glowing runes, and a thick, flicking tail.
"Kid, answer my question. Are you a young master of the Douglas family?"
"I am a formal member of the Douglas family," Muria replied, unflinching.
"A formal member? So that means your Star Control compatibility exceeds 60%?" The fiery creature's eyes sparkled. "Lucky me! Just killing you should rile the Douglas family quite a bit!"
With a twisted grin, the creature raised its hand, conjuring a blazing sphere in its palm. The intense heat radiating from it dispelled the chill of the rain.
"You're about to die, kid. Aren't you at least a little scared? Don't feel like crying?"
"This is human territory." Muria's eyes glinted, his hand falling away from his pendant as he gave a slight smile.
"Oh?"
"Flame Demon, you court death!" A voice boomed across the city. As it echoed, eight white and red energy beams streaked across the sky, striking the fiery creature and sending it spinning in midair, trailing burning blood.
Buzz!
A blue-violet streak cut through the sky at supersonic speed, parting the rain in its wake and closing in on the creature. A massive sword materialized, wielded by powerful hands, and slashed down, leaving a blue-violet arc in the air.
The creature dodged quickly, but the blade managed to sever a chitinous armor plate on its shoulder.
As it tried to regain its balance, three floating cannons locked onto its face, their barrels flaring with energy as they fired, hitting it head-on.
Muria watched the battle above, recognizing his rescuer as a Star Armor Knight, though her equipment was far superior to that of his earlier guards.
Her armor was massive and thick, with the lightest areas at least four inches deep, putting her height nearly on par with the creature. Yet, despite its bulk, the armor was sleek and agile, designed for both protection and movement.
But the armor was merely a shield; her true power lay in the twenty-one floating cannons orbiting her, each one capable of engaging enemies at different ranges.
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