(3RD POV)

Senji trudged through the streets of Lungmen, having no particular thing to do due to him running out of forging materials, AGAIN. He should really start making weapons at lesser rate, having a smithy with no materials is annoying to resupply.

Well, it's his fault anyway.

He had already contacted Emperor for new batch of supplies for both him, the kids and the smithy so he was on the way back to the hermitage. Though he did had the leisure of exploring the city for once, it was better than the Ursus Empire but still, Infected still get sent to the slums.

Sadly, that's the case for all the Infected around the world.

When an Infected is born through excessive contact with Originium, the virus known as Oripathy spreads through the person's bloodstream and innards until overuse of Arts or more contact will eventually turn the poor soul into a large Originium crystal itself.

Thus the discrimination for Infected is born, through the Ursus Empire's deceitful lies and propaganda. To make it even worse, the Infected in the said nation were branded as monsters and hunted down like prey to a hunter, some would even cheer for it.

Scums, the lot of them. None of them deserved to live.

Sure, call him a hypocrite when he saved some of them but one of his many skills is to... determine one's past and history thus he only specifically rescued those who are indifferent towards the Infected. However, what happen to them or what they do next is none of his concerns.

Back to Lungmen, the city isn't so bad from an outsider's point of view but it was already said that the nation had a network of underground gangs and mobs along with the criminal underworld. Most of them operated under the orders of a higher authority, in other words, a crime lord.

How does Senji know all this? 

Well, he dealt with them a bunch of times. Or more like, they tried to deal with him several times? However, since Senji's still here and healthy means he managed to... "silence" the nuisances that had the gall to try and attack him.

Most were soon quelled and due to Emperor's insistent nagging, he was given an outfit that soon matched the look of a certain type of mob gang called "Yakuza". Much to his annoyance but at least he would be infamously known as the guy who singlehandedly whooped every single underworld crime gangs' asses.

Return to the topic on hand, Senji's busy exploring the city just for fun but for some reason or by dumb luck, he managed to the slums of Lungmen. It wasn't until he was surrounded by a bunch of hoodlums who thought of him as an easy prey for picking before he realized it.

"Oh, gimme a break..." Senji muttered, irritated.

"Well, look who we got here, someone who doesn't belong-" One of them started but the blacksmith cut him off immediately.

"Yeah, yeah, you wanna rob me? Bad idea so walk away before I leave you all with some broken bones." Senji stated.

"Tch! You think you're being smart brat! We're not scared of you!" Another hoodlum added.

"Oh, no you aren't... but soon you will." Senji said before a katana materialized in his hand.

Senji soon left the area while leaving the passersby wondering why there was a pile of men groaning in the alleyway, some seems to be injured while others looked traumatized. Suffice to say, if the same men appeared again, Senji won't be their target ever again.

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In another part of the slums of Lungmen, several Infected children were grouped together while being led by a young Ursus girl with white hair and platinum eyes. By the looks of the situation, most of the younger children were frightened by the nearby rioters specifically targeting them.

"Hurry! Go and hide..! I... I need to go." The young Ursus said to the children who ran off, heeding the girl's instructions.

"Make sure you keep those charms safe. My mother taught me how to make them... when you hold it, it will keep you safe." She added.

"Okay, big sister Misha, we'll take good care of it!" One of the children said.

"Good, good. Now go hide! Don't make a sound!" Misha ordered.

"Okay!" The children chorused together before leaving while Misha left in another direction, just as the rioters entered the area.

"Where'd they go?! After them! Those Infected can't have run too far!" One ordered before unfortunately spotting a lingering child.

"Ah!" The child cried out as the Rioter grabbed him.

"Tell me! Where did she run off to!?" The man demanded.

"Help! Someone help me!!" The child pleaded through the slums and thankfully, the plea was answered.

"Oi, the hell are you doing to that kid?" Senji asked, standing behind the rioter despite the area being empty before.

"Who the hell are you?! What's a brat like you doing here?!" The rioter demanded.

"The only 'brat' I see is the one in front of me." Senji scoffed as the thug took the provocation.

"You wanna die, you little shit?!" The rioter snarled, letting the child go and taking out his metal bat.

"That's my line." The blacksmith before a katana materialized in his hand.

"Too slow, too weak." He stated, parrying the rioter's bat before decapitating him. As the body fell to the floor, Senji turned to the child.

"Kid." 

"Y-yes, s-sir?" The kid stuttered, frightened.

"Share this with your friends." Senji said, giving him a stack of LMD, the child quickly thanked him and ran off for a better hiding place.

"Now, who the hell were these trashes looking for?" The blacksmith questioned, glancing at the corpse.

"...Trace On." Senji muttered, closing his eyes for a few seconds before reopening them and turning in a specific direction.

"Looking for a young Ursus girl called Misha, white haired, height of at least 145cm..." He said before walking off.

"Should I be meddling in other people's business? No. Do I want to meddle in other people's business? Since I'm bored, why not?" Senji added.

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Inside a room of an abandoned warehouse in the deeper districts of the slums, Misha hid behind a large empty crate with an expression of worry and relief. Worry for the children she left and relief from evading the rioters.

"...Why..." She sighed, eyes beginning to water.

"Unless you're concerned about the kids, they're safe." A voice from nowhere reassured her.

"Who..? Who and where are you?" Misha questioned, looking around for the source of the voice but seeing nothing.

"Who I am is not as important as your wellbeing. You are Misha, right?" The voice continued.

"Y-yes." The young Ursus stammered.

"Good, then I have one advice to give you; trust the people who calls themselves Rhodes Island." The voice stated before falling silent.

"Rhodes... Island..?" Misha muttered before hearing a sound from within the warehouse, instantly placing her guard up.

"Who's there?" She questioned before Amiya entered accompanied by two Blacksteel Operators; Liskarm and Franka.

"Are you Misha?" Amiya asked gently.

"...Who are you?" The said Ursus replied, still wary.

"I'm sorry if we scared you, Misha. These are my colleagues; Franka and Liskarm." Amiya introduced.

"Hey there." Franka waved.

"Good day." Liskarm nodded.

"We're from Rhodes Island pharmaceuticals, an organization made to serve the Infected. We were hoping to be able to help you, that's why we'd like a talk with you." Amiya explained.

"Trust the people who calls themselves Rhodes Island..." The earlier voice's line repeated in Misha's head.

"What are you talking about..?" Misha questioned.

"This isn't the best place for a full explanation, as of right now, our top priority is to keep you safe. For the time being, we'll protect you." Amiya stated as Misha looked conflicted.

"Can... can I trust you?" She asked cautiously as Amiya lifted up the sleeve of her jacket, exposing her arm which was covered in black veins.

"Your hand... you're also an Infected?" Misha said.

"That's correct, I'm just like you." Amiya affirmed.

"If that's the case... do you know why people are after me? What reason so you have... to do all this for me?" The young Ursus questioned.

"Currently, we don't know why the Infected are targeting you, but the L.G.D told us that you're a high-priority target." Amiya answered.

"So it's our job to keep you out of harm's way..." She added.

"I..." Misha began but was unable to say anything.

"Please trust us for now, I assure you the L.G.D won't bring harm to you." Amiya insisted.

"...Fine, let's go. I don't really have a choice, do I? Misha replied.

"Don't say that, you made the right choice. If there is a problem, Rhodes Island will make sure you get out safely." Amiya said with certainty.

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