What happened? Why? I knelt at the doorway, staring at the carnage inside. The thick stench of blood flooded my senses, and under the harsh spotlight, the horror was something no one could bear.
It all happened in an instant.
Outside, a torrential rain poured down. Amid the sound of rain, there were faint sobs—many members of the Ghost Burial Squad began to cry.
"I knew something would go wrong. Why? Why?" With a bang, I slammed my fist onto the ground.
"Ethan, pull yourself together." I looked up blankly at Rachel Lan.
"Everyone, get a hold of yourselves and get ready to work."
Detective Stone walked over, smoking a cigarette. He looked at the thirty-something survivors, his face grim. Calmly, he moved through the crowd, patting their shoulders one by one.
"Eight more dead today?"
Detective Stone stood next to Hugh Thompson and spoke in a low voice.
"Yeah, eight more are gone."
"I'll leave comforting the families to you, Hugh."
Hugh Thompson nodded, his gaze never leaving the gruesome scene under the harsh lights.
Then he stepped inside, and everyone watched him in surprise.
Suddenly, waves of black Deathbane Aura shot out from the unseen edges of the light.
"Careful!" I shouted, scrambling to my feet.
What shocked everyone was that the black Deathbane Aura didn't hit Hugh Thompson. Instead, it missed him and struck at something behind him—a round, egg-like object that shattered instantly under the harsh light.
Just as we all stared in astonishment, Hugh Thompson stopped, tossing out the broken object in his hand. With a sizzling sound, sharp strands of Deathbane Aura twisted and stabbed at the orb.
"Is that a Spirit Lure Orb?"
Detective Stone asked in confusion.
Then, Hugh Thompson quickly threw out several more Spirit Lure Orbs. The Deathbane Aura naturally targeted them, and he dashed out swiftly.
"What exactly is going on, Hugh?"
Everyone gathered around. Hugh Thompson smiled, adjusted his glasses, and pointed to his head.
"Our spells may be weak, and some vengeful ghosts could easily kill us. But we're human—we have brains. Did everyone forget? Ever since we developed the Spirit Lure Orb, the Ghost Burial Squad's death rate has dropped by ten percent, from sixty to fifty."
"What exactly is going on?"
"I was just thinking: Deathbane Aura is a fusion of yin and earth energy. This rain probably isn't a coincidence. Ironmask must have a way to make it fall. All our previous efforts were focused on sealing the earth's energy, but when it rains, earth gives birth to metal, metal gives birth to water—so all our work was likely for nothing."