The Rainmaker and the Rogue Thugs

Rain was on its way, as dark clouds began to gather in the sky.

Liu Yu rubbed her hands together, her gaze drawn skyward to the spherical orb that endlessly rotated, suspended in the air.

Its metallic surface, reminiscent of a black hole, seemed to absorb every last ray of the fading evening sunlight.

That was one of the weather-controlling weapons used by the Regulatory Bureau, designed for large-scale rainfall—the [Rainmaker].

[All citizens are advised to find shelter from the rain immediately. This unit will commence a three-hour rainfall operation in this area in 10 minutes. All citizens are advised to find shelter from the rain immediately.]

A cold, grating electronic voice emanated from the machine’s speakers, reiterating the rain advisory as it hovered mid-air.

“Ugh, ugh, ugh, that voice is truly awful. If you can’t speak properly, I suggest you crawl back into the womb and be reborn.”

It was unclear whether Liu Yu was mocking the electronic voice of the broadcast or the deliberately lowered, raspy voice of the leading thug, or perhaps both; her sarcastic tone clearly provoked the man.

Amidst the jeers and shoves of his companions, he advanced with a darkened expression, his iron rod incessantly clanking against the ground.

This display, coupled with the unruly thugs cavorting around them, was enough to instill fear in any ordinary person.

Unfortunately, neither the man nor the woman present could be counted among the timid.

Facing the thugs’ intimidation, Liu Yu glared back without hesitation; even with her sunglasses and mask, the raspy-voiced man could still perceive her dismissive attitude.

Incensed, he drew a hand across his throat in a chilling gesture.

This action likewise infuriated the grey-haired girl, who brandished her fists, eager to lunge at the man.

However, Villy’s firm grip on her right hand held her back, leaving her to stand there, glaring daggers, attempting to slay him with her gaze alone.

“Clang, clang, clang.”

The rhythmic clanking of the iron rod grew closer, and the man’s tall, lean figure finally stood before them.

Upon closer inspection, Liu Yu realized he wasn’t as villainous as he seemed; his face was strikingly young, adorned with earrings, gold chains, and tattoos, while his gaudy, colorful clothing was riddled with several holes.

He perfectly embodied Liu Yu’s stereotype of such individuals.

“……My apologies for keeping you two waiting.”

The raspy-voiced man openly admired them, unable to conceal his astonishment.

From his many years of appraising beauty, he judged these two young women to be undeniably stunning.

Though young, the black-haired girl exuded a reassuring maturity, her serene countenance making her appear like a fairy descended to the mortal realm.

Her only apparent flaw, perhaps, was her rather modest chest.

The grey-haired girl, by contrast, presented a different allure.

Though her face was partially obscured, his careful observation revealed her looks to be at least above average.

What truly captivated his gaze, however, was her ample bosom, which made him yearn to reach out and touch it.

‘Are they sisters or best friends?’

The anger ignited by the earlier provocation vanished instantly.

Eager to make a good impression, he plastered on what he believed was a dignified smile, then awkwardly bowed to the two women.

“What a beautiful day and a delightful sight! I wonder if you two lovely ladies are in need of companions? I’m a local ‘big shot’ here, and I can take you anywhere you wish to go for fun.”

His words failed to capture the attention of the two beauties, instead eliciting jeers from the other thugs.

They had anticipated a bloody spectacle, not this tiresome display of fawning.

“Could you move aside? We’re in a hurry to get home before the rain starts,” Villy stated calmly.

“A good dog doesn’t block the path; now hurry up and scram!”

Liu Yu, hiding behind Villy, echoed the sentiment.

The man’s disgusting, lecherous gaze made her tremble, causing her to instinctively tighten her grip on Villy’s hand.

Veins bulged on the raspy-voiced man’s forehead.

Every time the grey-haired girl spoke, she ignited a furious rage within him, making him wonder why such a person was even blessed with a mouth.

Just as he was about to assert his authority, he reached out to grab Liu Yu, muttering, “It seems your sister here has a rather foul mouth; I’ll help you teach her a lesson.”

“Click.”

“Woah.”

Amidst Liu Yu’s gasp, the cold barrel of a gun pressed against his temple.

“You-you-you… what are you doing? I merely saw some dust on your sister’s clothes and wanted to brush it off, just brush it off.”

The raspy-voiced man’s body stiffened, and he babbled incoherently, the chilling sensation on his temple forcing a fawning smile onto his face.

Though many people in this era could disregard firearms, he was clearly not among them.

To avoid being shot dead by the ‘big sister’ beside him, he raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.

“Where did you get that thing? Let me touch it.”

Liu Yu stared curiously at the pistol in Villy’s hand.

As a law-abiding citizen, she had never touched such an exotic item.

The fact that Villy carried one suggested a rather dark and mysterious identity…

Her mind raced, conjuring images of assassins, spies, or perhaps a young lady from a prominent family living in anonymity after a failed rivalry.

Liu Yu’s gaze sharpened.

“So dark… are you secretly from the DC Universe?”

“Stop messing around.”

Pressing down on Liu Yu, who was trying to get closer to touch the pistol, Villy said helplessly, “This was given to me by Senior Yao Jing for self-defense; it’s perfectly legal and compliant.”

“Oh~”

Liu Yu drew out the sound, her face betraying her disbelief.

“Um… could you let me go first? I promise I won’t bother you two again.”

The raspy-voiced man timidly spoke, reminding the two women, who seemed to be playfully bickering, about the hostage in their hands.

He had never dreamed that a simple street flirtation could escalate into a life-threatening situation.

‘The prettier the woman, the more dangerous she is,’ he thought. ‘That old adage truly holds true.’

“Weren’t you quite capable earlier? Daring to glare at your grandpa, and now you’re cowering? What a pathetic minnow, a true bottom feeder!”

Giving the man a forceful kick, the grey-haired girl stood with her hands on her hips, taunting him.

Her sneering expression was precisely that of a vicious servant abusing their master’s authority.

“Yes, yes, yes, you’re absolutely right. I’m a minnow, I’m a good-for-nothing.

Please, in your great generosity, let me go this one time.

I promise that from now on, whenever I see you two, I’ll scram as far away as possible.”

His submissive demeanor, however, seemed to disarm them.

Liu Yu leaned onto Villy’s shoulder, whispering into her ear, “How about we just let him go this once?”

“You don’t actually think I was going to kill him, do you?”

Villy returned the pistol to her spatial box and playfully pinched the grey-haired girl’s cheek.

This impudent girl, whose own reckless mouth had caused all the trouble, always expected others to clean up her mess.

“Well then, we’ll take our leave, Mr. Unknown Thug.

I hope you keep your word, or there won’t be a next time.”

As she spoke, she pulled back her sleeve, revealing a pale blue wristband that flashed briefly in his vision.

“Y-y-yes… alright…”

The raspy-voiced man stammered his agreement repeatedly.

He certainly wouldn’t dare obstruct this ‘big sister’ now; merely her legal firearm was enough to make her untouchable, let alone the deliberately revealed [Armament]…

‘Is she a Hunter or a Hunter-in-training?’

Still, none of that concerned him now.

To escape unscathed and in one piece was already a blessing.

Watching the two women depart, he turned and walked towards the crowd.

‘……Why are my ‘brothers’ so quiet, though?’ he wondered.

‘Normally, they’d be raising a ruckus over something like this.’

A sense of unease crept into his heart, and he called out their names.

“Zhou Ke’er.”

“Xiao Ji.”

“Yi Ma.”

There was no response, no greeting.

His former companions stood in neat rows, like bronze statues, their unwavering gazes making them seem less like thugs and more like a disciplined army.

A dreadful premonition surfaced in his mind, and he hastily retreated.

But…….

A beautiful female voice drifted to him.

He heard singing within it.

“Dance in my hands, my puppets.”

‘Is someone playing music outside?’

He recalled it being a very popular song recently.

His steps faltered, not of his own volition.

Rather…….

“I-I can’t move……”

The soft, enchanting female voice seeped into his ears.

It permeated his mind.

It pierced his heart.

It extended to his limbs.

“H-h-hoh……”

‘What in the world is happening?’

He screamed inwardly.

Like a puppet suspended by strings, he could only move at another’s command.

“Live for me, die for me, dance for me.”

The song continued, the gentle female voice like a siren luring him to perdition, assaulting his ears, his mind, his heart, drawing him into an irresistible trance, compelling him to offer everything to this unknown woman.

‘No…… don’t…… this…… can’t……’

By now, even the most foolish would understand that some supernatural power, fueled by this song, was influencing everyone present.

He, too, was destined to become one of its victims, a puppet stripped of his own will…

‘Damn it, I hope I catch whichever idiot is blasting this song!’