"We, the peoples of the Void Assembly, will achieve immortality today," a man declared with fervor. He stood on a vast stone floor in a dimly lit room, clad in dark robes.
The others, dressed in similar robes, raised their hands in unison, their faces alight with strange excitement.
The man on the stage produced a golden cup, ancient and etched with peculiar patterns. "Within this vessel lies the formula for immortality. We shall all partake and ascend to the divine!"
The crowd gazed in awe at the golden cup, each holding an identical one. Inside swirled a red liquid with an odd, unfamiliar scent.
"Now, we shall drink together!" The man slowly brought the cup toward his lips. The others mirrored his action, poised to drink.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gunfire erupted in the hall. Bullets rained from all directions, targeting the Void Assembly. Some fell dead, but most activated their abilities and launched a counterattack.
"Members of the Void Assembly, by his command, we will bring you down. You do not deserve immortality. You deserve death!" a commanding voice boomed, amplified through a speaker.
---
The hall was housed within an old, abandoned aircraft hangar. Outside stood two figures: a man and a woman. Both wore long dark trench coats over black suits, accented with red ties and flat caps.
The man was the one speaking through the speaker. The woman beside him lit a cigarette and took a drag. "They replicated the Everlife Goblet," she said, referring to the ancient golden cup. "Their copying ability is quite useful."
A man emerged from the hangar, dressed in the same attire as the two. He had a long face and dark hair, and he approached them with a calm demeanor. "Ms. Anastasia, we have defeated them all and secured the Everlife Goblet. What are your orders?"
The blonde-haired woman took another drag of her cigarette and replied, "Kill them. We have no use for them."
The man nodded and returned to the hangar. Inside, he saw his team had bound the surviving Void Assembly members. His men wore the same dark coats and caps as he did.
He drew his revolver and approached the leader of the Void Assembly. Pointing the weapon at the leader's head, he said, "Ms. Anastasia has ordered your death. Die and become an eternal spirit, as you wished for immortality, did you not?"
The leader, bloodied from a bullet wound in his arm, looked up in agony. "Who do you people work for? This Anastasia?" he managed to stammer.
"She is our captain, but we do not serve Ms. Anastasia," the long-faced man replied, his revolver still aimed at the leader's head.
"Then who?" the leader asked.
Granting what he considered the leader's final wish, the man answered, "We serve a god."
"A god?" the leader replied, his voice trembling with fear.
Bang!
A bullet tore through the leader's head. "Yes, the God of Trickery, Ace," the long-faced man said coldly.
---
Years earlier, when it all began.
In 1935, Leningard, Russia.
"Mama! It's too hard to breathe here! Please help me!" a young girl cried from beneath a pile of rubble. Flames roared around her, casting an ominous glow.
Outside the rubble stood a woman dressed in traditional attire, wearing a sarafan. Her face was etched with worry for the girl trapped beneath.
"Do not be afraid, Sofiya! Your mama will save you!" the woman called out. She tied her long golden-brown hair with a torn piece of cloth and began frantically clearing the debris to reach her daughter.
---
Inside the Russian Internal Affairs Regiment Headquarters, chaos reigned. Reports flooded in about a clash between organizations in Leningrad, threatening to reduce the city to ruins.
Officer Stepan stood waiting for his captain, adjusting his revolver and grappling hook. His light brown hair fell neatly beneath his green ushanka hat, matching his green robes, which bore the emblem of a double-headed eagle on the chest. His brown eyes scanned the room restlessly.
"Are you ready, Stepan?" a female voice called from behind. He turned to see his captain standing there, dressed in the same green robes adorned with the double-headed eagle, distinguished only by the stars on her uniform.
"Madam Anastasia, you know what's happening in Leningrad. Why are you so late?" he asked, his tone laced with annoyance.
She pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and took a drag. "It's not as if we could stop those supernatural-powered bastards from causing chaos. No need to be annoyed."
She casually brushed her blonde hair away from her face, revealing smooth skin. She was a strikingly beautiful woman.
"That doesn't change the fact that we are the saviors of the people," Stepan said, looking away. "Those damn fake rumors almost made me believe she's truly a mad patriot," he muttered under his breath.
Madam Anastasia overheard but didn't respond. She tossed the remains of her cigarette into a dustbin and reached for another from her packet. Instead, she discarded the entire packet into the bin as well.
She drew her grappling hook and revolver, glanced at Stepan, and said, "Let's go. The others will join us after we arrive."
Stepan nodded and stepped out of the headquarters building. He launched his grappling hook onto a nearby structure, and together they swung into the air, soaring toward their destination.
---
In Leningrad.
The mother had cleared most of the rubble, finally revealing her unconscious daughter. "Sofiya, hold on for Mama. It won't be long now. I'll free you," she said, hurling another large chunk of the building's wall aside. With a final effort, she pulled the little girl free.
Sofiya's brown hair was matted with dust and small bits of stone. She coughed weakly and slowly opened her eyes. "M-Mama? Mama!" The girl lunged forward, wrapping her arms tightly around the woman.
Sofiya wore simple clothing, typical of an average girl of that era.
Bang! Bang!
The woman and her daughter flinched at the sound of gunfire. They looked up to see a chaotic battle unfolding in midair. People swung through the sky with grappling hooks, clutching revolvers.
Some wore dark robes emblazoned with a headless snake symbol, while others donned brown robes bearing the grotesque head of a monstrous creature.
"Sofiya, we need to escape before they spot us," the woman whispered urgently, gripping her daughter's hand. She began to run, pulling Sofiya along.
In the air, a man in brown robes noticed the woman and child fleeing. "Survivors!" he shouted, narrowly dodging a bullet.
"Handle these Decapitus Ones!" he yelled to his comrades before launching his grappling hook toward a building far ahead of the woman and her daughter. Several of the Decapitus Ones in dark robes tried to pursue, but the brown-robed fighters blocked them, firing relentlessly.
The woman saw the man approaching and scooped Sofiya into her arms, running as fast as she could.
"You're not going anywhere!" the man shouted, raising his revolver.
Bang!
"Nadya!" a man shouted, sprinting toward the woman and young girl as the bullet hurtled toward them. He threw himself in front of them, shielding their bodies.
The bullet struck the man's body, and he groaned in agony. The woman's eyes widened as she looked at him. "Dear! What are you doing here? You said you were leaving the region for work."
"I heard about the chaos and came back as fast as I could," the tall man replied, clutching his abdomen where the bullet had hit. He removed his brown ushanka hat and gently placed it on his daughter's head. "It must be cold."
"Papa, are you okay?" little Sofiya asked her father, her voice trembling. She gently touched his black hair. "Everything will be alright."
He smiles and replied, "Your father is too strong, Sofiya. Don't worry."
"Acting tough in front of your kid will not take you anywhere," the man in brown robes said, his face twisted with a sadistic expression.
The tall man glared at the man in brown robes with anger. You fucking transmigrators, making chaos everywhere.
"Are you angry? Just chill, man, and die peacefully." He pointed his revolver at the tall man's head.
The woman held the tall man's sleeve. "Lev, what is going to happen to us?" she asked in a low, fearful voice.
The man in the brown robe studied Lev's unusual attire: a black pinstripe suit adorned with yellow accents, a tailcoat lined in yellow, a white-and-black cape with metallic shoulder armor, silver-buckled straps, a blue tie, and a black top hat crowned with a yellow band.
With a hint of amusement, he asked, "What are you? Some kind of joker? No matter, it's not my concern." He closed the distance between them, pressing the barrel of his revolver against Lev's forehead.
Lev's mind raced. Do I have to fight? After all these years living peacefully with my family? I was transmigrated here too, but I didn't follow their path. I built a family and lived quietly, earning a living as a sorcerer hunting evil spirits and monsters.
As the brown-robed man's finger tightened on the trigger, Lev reacted swiftly, seizing the gun and delivering a sharp headbutt.
Bang!
Lev fired a shot into the man's leg.
Lev gripped Nadya's and Sofiya's hands tightly and broke into a run. I won't let you people kill my family, he vowed, pushing himself to run as fast as he could. But could he save them?
Bang! Bang! Bang!
What? No, how is this possible?