Similarly, Jason could hear the approaching footsteps heading toward this direction.
He looked to one side of the road.
Thick bushes grew there, providing natural cover.
Under Jason’s watchful gaze, two uniformed men emerged.
It was a very familiar uniform.
Ryosuke and Urashima wore it almost daily.
It looked somewhat like a suit, but the details were noticeably different.
One of them held a firearm.
The other held a black box.
The sudden breakdown of the car earlier... it must have been caused by this box.
Or perhaps a fusion of both?
Jason silently pondered.
"Sir, the area ahead has been designated a prohibited zone."
"Please turn back immediately."
The armed member of ’Zero Division’ said, flashing his badge as he spoke.
Jason frowned slightly.
The armed ’Zero Division’ member emphasized his tone, subtly raising the gun barrel.
The other member holding the black box also drew his sidearm.
Jason replied, turning to leave without hesitation.
As soon as Jason turned around, the two ’Zero Division’ members exchanged bizarre smiles.
Suddenly, their necks thickened and lengthened, their heads rapidly swelling.
In a split-second, they transformed into two serpents as thick as footballs.
When they opened their mouths, rows of sharp fangs gleamed menacingly.
With a gust of foul wind, they lunged at Jason.
Meanwhile, their bodies collapsed like boneless heaps onto the ground.
"Another foolish prey who fell for it!"
The two demonic creatures screeched noisily, closing in to mere steps from Jason.
Another gust of malevolent wind surged forth.
It wasn’t the usual sound of something slicing through the air, but a deep, hollow sound of collapsing air drawing inward.
Jason opened his mouth.
A massive mouth—far beyond the realm of human imagination.
Sharp teeth glinted under the moonlight, dazzling like the edges of blades.
The two lunging demonic creatures froze in shock.
Wasn’t it a bit too exaggerated?
With panic swirling in their minds, the two creatures shouted loudly, but to no avail.
Suspended mid-air, they had no leverage, and could only helplessly crash into Jason’s mouth.
Like a crushing blow from a higher dimension, the moment the creatures entered Jason’s mouth, their consciousness instantly faded, their souls were obliterated, and their bodies were seamlessly devoured.
Jason let out a breath.
Yet his brows remained furrowed.
He had forgotten to sterilize himself.
"As expected, despite suppressing it with great effort, I was still influenced by the lure of tastier prey."
"My self-control needs further tempering."
Jason reflected inwardly and tapped on the car window.
The car window rolled down slightly, revealing a crack. Confirming that it was indeed Jason, Hui Lijing stepped out of the vehicle.
"Jason, what happened?"
Hui Lijing glanced at the distant piles that resembled discarded human skin, her brow furrowing.
"Some demons tried to stir up trouble."
Jason replied, walking toward the bushes.
Hui Lijing and Hu Qiandai followed closely behind.
The next moment, three corpses appeared before the two women.
Hu Qiandai couldn’t help but let out a startled cry.
Even with memories of her previous life, experiencing it firsthand still made her uneasy.
Hui Lijing coped much better.
Having been hardened by battlefield experiences, the female detective quickly examined the bodies and arrived at a conclusion.
"Two of them were members of ’Zero Division,’ while the other seemed to be someone like us—traveling to the Hanakaiin Court estate. Unfortunately, they were ambushed and killed by those demons impersonating ’Zero Division’ members."
Hui Lijing stood up with a solemn expression.
They hadn’t even reached the Hanakaiin estate’s territory, and bloodshed had already ensued.
What would it be like when they arrived there...
Hui Lijing turned toward Jason.
And Jason simply asked in return—
"Is this the only route to the Hanakaiin estate?"
"Are there alternative paths?"
As his words echoed, the sound of someone swallowing nervously pierced the silence.