The elite special forces hidden in the dark saw what was happening and all turned their eyes toward their squad leader. The response they received, however, was to simply observe and wait.
They fell silent and quietly hid in places an ordinary person would overlook, silently watching the situation unfold. Perhaps this was a good opportunity to probe their true capabilities, they thought.
As the number of black-clad men in front of the door grew, and her so-called bodyguards still failed to appear, Chu Lian immediately understood what was going on. Without turning around, she spoke softly in Chinese: "Our 'bodyguards' think it's not yet time for them to show up. They probably want to see how we handle things—and ideally, for the person they're looking for to appear. Let's not make a move yet. We'll see how this develops first."
Upon hearing this, Chu Chu grumbled, "See? I knew these people couldn't be trusted. The situation's clearly against us now, and they still don't show up. Do they really think we can handle this many people without using powers beyond human limits?"
Li Xiu'er, standing nearby, nodded in agreement. "Chu Lian, why don't we call them out ourselves? This isn't the time to hold back."
Chu Lian shook her head. "No. If we ask for their help now, it'll be hard to get rid of them later. Once we've requested their aid, they'll have every right to follow us around in the name of protection. Not just here in Neon—probably even in America or Europe. Do you want that kind of journey?"
"I don't, but…" Li Xiu'er shook her head frantically. Before she could finish, Chu Chu interrupted, "No one wants that. So either we wait until the situation gets bad enough for them to step in on their own, or we deal with it ourselves. But since we can't use superpowers, the only ones here who could take on a hundred people are Big Sis and the white-haired flat-chest. And they're both injured—we can't let them fight."
"Lian, should I make a move?" Though Chu Lian had hidden her true strength earlier, that secret was probably blown the moment she sent that man flying with a single kick. Even so, Inori had continued concealing her abilities. They might have suspected something, but until she revealed her true power, she wouldn't draw much attention.
After all, the girl's origins were far too mysterious—as if she had appeared out of thin air. Even after four days of investigation, they hadn't found a single clue about her. They couldn't determine what her abilities were.
Of course, there were those who speculated she came from the Otherside. But when they examined the Chu family genealogy—traced back two thousand years to cultivators of unparalleled renown—they fell silent.
Any other clan in Huaxia might betray its homeland, but this one never would. For generations, their deeds had been the foundation that kept Huaxia from decline.
In truth, if not for the immense importance of that new type of equipment—where technology and supernatural power fused—they would never have turned their eyes toward these girls. If that person were to find out, their good days would be over.
The squad tasked with protecting Chu Lian caught the brief, icy glance she cast their way and instantly realized they had deeply offended her. But for the sake of the mission, he endured. If they could secure that technology and uncover its secrets, then even if he died, it would be worth it.
Still, he knew that the situation had reached the point where action was necessary. After a moment of hesitation, he picked up his phone and dialed an invisible number.
The first call—hung up after one second. The second—after two seconds. The third—after three seconds. After repeating this three times, the line finally connected to a mysterious number. Without asking who was on the other end, he immediately said, "Report: the target has encountered the following situation…"
After summarizing the events, he continued, "The targets appear unwilling to take action. The situation is urgent. Shall we intervene?"
The person on the other end didn't answer the question. Instead, they replied in a calm, detached tone: "Oh? So you've already made your move against them? Heh… interesting. You dared to keep this from me, and even made my daughter your target of suspicion. It seems you've been far too comfortable lately."
The words he heard made him break into a cold sweat. "Chief Chu, everything that happened was of our own accord. Please don't blame anyone else."
"I don't punish without reason. Either way, none of you will escape…" The man's indifferent tone was like that of a reaper, sending a chill straight into his soul. "You won't need to interfere in their affairs. Just do your job as shadows. They can handle themselves. Of course, if something truly unexpected happens—you know what to do."
"Yes, understood…" He now understood a great many things—about this mission, about his own future, about the fate of those in the country who had made the wrong decisions, and about what choices he needed to make next.
Meanwhile, the team assigned to protect Cai Ya simultaneously received a message: "Target priority has been elevated to SSS-level. No harm must come to any protected individual. Mission success criteria downgraded to D. Their safety is now the sole priority."
They exchanged glances. In that moment, they knew—they had failed.
In just over a minute, more than a hundred black-clad men had surrounded the entrance of Miss Sakurako's Café.
Soon, a luxury Toyota Century car approached and stopped beside the injured man.
A middle-aged man in a kimono stepped out, knelt beside him, asked a few brief questions, then waved for his men to take the young master away.
As soon as he exited the vehicle, the seats inside shifted and rearranged themselves into a stretcher, revealing a team of doctors and nurses. They carefully lifted the injured man, placed him on the improvised bed, and drove off in the direction of his family estate.
Once the car disappeared from sight, the middle-aged man turned around. His eyes, filled with malice, locked onto Chu Lian as he growled, "So you're the little brat who injured my son? Don't think that just because you're in Kujou family territory I can't touch you. Today, no one can save you."
Chu Lian frowned. "He tried to harass me. I was only defending myself." She didn't want to say he had tried to kiss her by force—but it was true that he had started it. She had only defended herself. What wrong had she done?
"My son harassing you should be your honor! But you dared to seriously injure him—that's your crime." The man glared at her for a moment, then suddenly changed his tone. "Still, since my boy seems to like you so much, it'd be a waste to kill you here."
His gaze traveled slowly from Chu Lian's face down to her boots, then back up again. A wave of disgust crawled down her spine before he continued, "As long as you agree to become my son's wife from now on, this incident will be settled. If not, don't blame me for being ruthless. Not only you—but Miss Sakurako's café—will also be finished."
Hearing those words, Kujou Sakurako's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Are you threatening me, Renzan Momoki? Don't think that just because this area falls under your syndicate's control, you can do whatever you please."
"Haha, how could I ever threaten you, Miss Sakurako? I'm simply asking you not to get involved for the sake of a girl you've just met," Renzan Momoki said, his voice dripping with false politeness. Then his face twisted into a snarl. "But if you dare protect that little girl, don't blame me for turning against you."
Sakurako's eyes widened in anger, ready to reply—but before she could, Chu Lian, who had remained silent ever since Renzan's earlier ultimatum, finally lifted her head. Her eyes had turned a deep, glowing violet.
"So you're relying on numbers?" she said, her tone calm yet cutting. With an elegant step forward in her maid uniform, she walked to the space between the black-clad men and the café. After a small, graceful bow, she straightened and swept her gaze from right to left.
While everyone else was still confused as to why she had stepped out, she spoke—and her words stunned them all.
"I really want to see… just what you hundred men can do against me."
Immediately, several people rushed out from behind her, trying to dissuade her.
"Chu Lian, don't do anything rash! I know how powerful cultivators like you are, but I also heard—you're forbidden from showing your powers in front of ordinary people, right? Besides, you're still injured. How could you possibly defeat them?" Cai Ya's voice was filled with urgency. At this moment, she had completely set aside her usual restraint and pride. Chu Lian's safety was all that mattered.
"Don't worry. Even without using spiritual power—or any strength beyond human limits—I can still defeat them." Chu Lian shook her head, her tone calm yet filled with confidence and disdain.
"You… you're not Chu Lian, are you?" After a moment of hesitation, Cai Ya spoke again, her tone firm this time.
"Smart girl. That's right—I am the second personality formed from her darkest memories and most negative emotions. You may call me Dark Chu Lian." Dark Chu Lian gave a faint smile—partly in approval, but mostly to make something clear.
"If it's you… then it's possible," Cai Ya murmured. She had never met Dark Chu Lian and didn't know her full strength, but she wasn't foolish. Since Dark Chu Lian was the embodiment of darkness and negativity, her destructive power had to far exceed Chu Lian's. She wasn't someone who acted recklessly either. Perhaps her worry had been unnecessary.
She grabbed Kujou Sakurako and Li Xiu'er, who both looked puzzled, and said with a shake of her head, "Don't worry about her. If even she can't handle this, then those hidden protectors won't be able to either."
"Haha, that's right. If I can't deal with this, then those little rats in hiding definitely can't either. Go back. Today, I'll show the world what it means to fight one against a hundred."
Dark Chu Lian let out a light laugh. Her confidence radiated through every word she spoke.
Ignoring the few who had backed away, she stepped forward again—until she stood just three meters from the hundred black-clad men. Then, she silently reached into her maid skirt, pulled out a pair of white silk gloves, and slipped them onto her hands. Lifting her skirt slightly, she spoke loudly in Japanese:
"Let me be the one… to drive you all back!"
A deathly silence fell over the scene…