Indeed, the Split Sun group terrorized the eastern city for a while before it returned to peace. But now, such terror has returned—this time more horrifying than before.
Sora has now taken control of the northern coastal area of the eastern city. The residents there live in fear due to the ongoing terror, including the burning of schools, places of worship, and fishermen's boats. Sora will surely kill anyone who dares to resist.
Sora's cruelty doesn't end there—he also aims to expand his territory. Every day, his subordinates continue their reign of terror. If left unchecked, this horror will eventually reach the city center.
Sora is also constantly recruiting new followers. Sora forces adult men in good physical condition to submit and become his subordinates. Sora tortures those who resist until they submit to his will.
News of Sora's atrocities quickly spread throughout the entire eastern city. Fear blanketed the faces of the people. They could only pray that the city center wouldn't become the next target.
But such hopes were soon dashed. Sora's troops began infiltrating night markets, monitoring citizen activities, and spreading threatening messages through dark flyers: "Submit or Die."
Individuals possessing demonic powers perpetrated this terror. Their abilities had awakened, enabling them to transform into terrifying beings.
Kalanak and Poccog were the demons spreading this terror. They attacked at night—Kalanak flying around in all white, with long hair, a frightening face, and fangs protruding from his mouth. His eyes glowed red, making him even more terrifying.
Then there was Poccog, who transformed into a mummy-like figure—his head, stomach, and legs bound by ropes. His eyes also glowed red, with fangs jutting from his mouth. Absolutely horrifying!
These two demons slowly turned the eastern city into a ghost town. At night, life ceased to exist—only the wind howled, carrying whispers of suffering.
Sora was pleased with his subordinates' performance. "I like your work—keep spreading terror so everyone lives in fear," he said to the Kalanak and Poccog squads.
"Make them suffer so much that they beg for death," he added, laughing loudly.
"And one more thing—kidnap all children under the age of five. Bring them all to me!" he shouted.
Indeed, Sora had a strong affection for young children, especially those under five. He played with them instead of harming them.
Sora now had eight small children at his base. Sora took good care of them, frequently playing with them and sharing meals, akin to a mother with her children.
Just like today—after instructing his subordinates about their terror missions, Sora immediately went to play with the children. This time, he invited them to play hide-and-seek at the beach.
Sora took on the role of seeker, closed his eyes, and began counting.
"I'll count to ten," he said. The children quickly ran to hide.
"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten."
The eight kids scattered in all directions, hiding behind boats, trees, and bushes.
Sora slowly opened his eyes. A wide smile spread across his face—he couldn't wait to find them. He began walking carefully, his eyes scanning left and right, observing every corner of the beach.
"Whoever I find first gets the first hug!" he shouted cheerfully.
Suddenly, the sound of a small giggle came from behind an overturned boat. Sora moved closer. "Hmm… I think I heard a naughty little voice here." He leaped beside the boat and quickly caught a curly-haired little girl.
"Gotcha!" Sora shouted as he lifted the girl and hugged her tightly. The child giggled with delight, making Sora even happier and more enthusiastic.
He continued his search, with the curly-haired girl now tagging along. "Where are your friends hiding?" he shouted playfully, trying to coax the remaining children to give away their hiding spots.
After walking for a while, Sora grew suspicious of a particular tree—a large coconut tree that seemed perfect for hiding. He approached it and, sure enough, found a small child hiding behind it.
Without a word, Sora snatched the child. "Gotcha!" he yelled.
The boy groaned. "Why was I found so fast?"
Sora kept searching for the remaining children. He scoured the beach patiently, capturing them one by one. Eventually, Sora found seven of the children, leaving only one missing.
Sora continued searching, accompanied by the children he'd already found. They even shouted loudly, calling for the missing child.
"Chloe!"
"Chloe!"
"Chloe!"
Their cries echoed across the beach, but sadly, the girl named Chloe remained missing. Every hiding spot had been checked—yet Chloe was nowhere to be found, as if she had vanished into thin air.
This made Sora panic. He ordered his subordinates to search for Chloe while he escorted the other children back to the base to rest.
Sora resumed his search by walking along the shore, hoping that Chloe would emerge from her hiding place out of boredom.
Not long after, one of his followers returned. "Report—Chloe ran away. She fled into the forest east of the beach."
"Catch her and bring her here!" Sora commanded.
After a short wait, his men returned. From afar, Chloe could be seen being carried so she wouldn't escape again—the beautiful young girl had been struggling fiercely.
But when she saw Sora, Chloe suddenly went silent. She looked terrified.
Now standing before him, Sora welcomed Chloe with a wide smile and a warm tone. "Why did you run away? The agreement was to hide, not to flee."
"I'm sorry… I miss my parents. I want to go home," Chloe said softly, unable to meet Sora's eyes as he sat before her.
"This is your home now. I am your parent. So please don't run away again," Sora said gently.
"But I'm scared here… There are ghosts. Last night I saw a mummy hopping around," Chloe whispered.
"There are no ghosts here—we're all good to Chloe. Please don't run away again, or I'll be sad," Sora replied softly, then hugged her tightly, like a worried mother.
Sora then ordered his subordinates to take Chloe back to the base. But once she was out of sight, his expression turned furious. He was livid!
He quickly summoned all his subordinates to gather on the beach. They arrived swiftly—some flying, some sprinting, and others leaping.
"Hey, you stupid demons! Don't show your forms here. If my children see you and get scared, I'll kill you," he roared.
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