Just as the Red Fang Gang members were fleeing by car into Lumina Square, Zhong Yan and the others happened to be stepping out of the Waterfall Soup Noodle Shop.
On the wide pedestrian walkway, Belle and Zhong Yan were exchanging contact info on their phones, while Wise looked on helplessly at his sister's satisfied expression. None of the three noticed the impending danger.
"Looking forward to working together more in the future!" Belle, thrilled to have Zhong Yan's contact, skipped a few steps ahead, turning back to face them.
At that moment, the nearby pedestrian traffic light turned green. Without thinking much, they prepared to cross to the other side of the street.
However, the moment Belle stepped onto the crosswalk, a speeding car suddenly came barreling straight at her.
Its speed was easily over 100 mph—far too fast to react in the middle of such a bustling street.
By the time Belle noticed it, the car was less than three meters away. Her mind went blank, unable to process what to do.
Just as tragedy seemed inevitable, the air around her suddenly fell silent. Time itself visibly slowed.
Zhong Yan's pupils had shifted—now the deep crimson of a three-tomoe Sharingan.
Thanks to the Sharingan, everything around him slowed to a crawl, while he retained full speed. Seizing the moment, he lunged forward and grabbed the frozen-in-shock Belle.
As time resumed its normal pace, Belle found herself cradled in a warm embrace—one arm behind her neck, the other under her knees. Looking up, she locked eyes with Zhong Yan.
Realizing he had saved her; Belle's heart skipped a beat. Her breath and heartbeat both raced from the shock.
Fortunately, Zhong Yan had deactivated the Sharingan the moment he rescued Belle, avoiding any chance of revealing his identity as a Uchiha.
"Ah!"
A scream in the distance broke their moment. Zhong Yan gently set Belle down and turned toward the source.
There, the reckless car had already run-down multiple pedestrians crossing the street. The innocent victims were thrown across the pavement, rolling several times before coming to a bloody halt.
Their mangled states caused nearby onlookers—especially the women—to cover their mouths and shriek in horror.
"It's... it's the Red Fang Gang!" someone in the crowd recognized the uniform of those inside the car and shouted loudly.
Hearing that the culprits were Red Fang members, Zhong Yan's expression sharpened immediately. With a powerful push from his legs, he dashed forward in a blur.
More pedestrians were struck one after another, unaware of the danger. Seeing the carnage, Zhong Yan's gaze turned cold.
He wasn't driven by some bleeding heart—he simply couldn't tolerate such a scene, not after receiving a proper education.
When his emotions hit a breaking point, he acted. Opening his palm, a surge of electricity crackled to life.
A sharp screech tore through the air, filled with righteous fury.
"Chidori Stream!"
Slamming his hand onto the ground, the electric current surged forward like a white serpent, streaking toward the oncoming car.
In seconds, it reached beneath the vehicle, and an explosive burst of energy erupted.
The resulting shockwave sent the car flying, tumbling uncontrollably down the street until it finally crashed into a shopping mall entrance.
The mall doors shattered under the impact, and the car, now totaled, spewed out smoke from its wrecked body.
The commotion drew the attention of bystanders, but before a crowd could form, the wail of sirens signaled the arrival of dozens of law enforcement vehicles.
From the wreck, a wounded Red Fang Gang member crawled out. Realizing the consequences of capture, he attempted to flee.
But lifting his head, he found himself surrounded—armed security personnel and guards from the New Eridu Public Security had encircled the area, weapons drawn.
"Drop your weapons! Stop resisting!" Zhu Yuan, leading the team, shouted furiously.
She had seen the entire bloody trail the criminals had left behind. Her hatred for the man who'd caused so many deaths was palpable—she wanted nothing more than to execute him on the spot.
But she knew Peacekeeping regulations didn't allow it—unless he raised a weapon at her first.
At that moment, Qing Yi stepped forward, raised her baton, and knocked the Red Fang Gang member unconscious with a swift strike—clean and efficient.
"I suspected he still had fight left in him," she explained, "so I neutralized the threat. Should be fine, right?"
No one objected—on the contrary, nearby onlookers applauded her decisiveness.
The officers moved in, pulling the unconscious gang members from the wreckage and laying them flat on the pavement.
Of the three pulled out, only one was still barely alive. The other two were grievously injured, their life slipping away before anyone could intervene.
Zhu Yuan's attention, however, turned toward the civilians struck earlier. All bore severe injuries, and some... had already stopped breathing.
Lumina Square was in chaos. Every ambulance in range had been dispatched, and the nearest hospitals were already on emergency response.
Seeing it all made Zhu Yuan's heart ache. If she had been just a bit more careful in the operation, maybe those four wouldn't have escaped. Maybe those innocent lives wouldn't be lost.
It was unbearable to imagine how many families would be shattered by this disaster—one born from her own oversight.
And the cruelest irony? Out of humanitarian duty and the pursuit of more intel on the Red Fang Gang... they still had to try saving the lives of the very monsters who caused all this.
It was nothing short of absurd.