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As everyone learned just how terrifying Chaos Gate truly was, Elisa could not help but ask the obvious question. "So why haven’t they taken over the country if they’re so powerful?"

"Well, duh, that’s because of us!" Erika declared proudly. "The Families and the Gods formed an alliance despite our differences, and we have been defending Japan from them ever since."

"Even when the Werewolf Family and the Vampire Family arrived from Europe, they integrated into our country," Matsuo added. "Though they originally started as criminals themselves, they have slowly changed their ways."

"My daddy is a Yakuza, but a good one, I swear!" Erika said with a playful sneer. "He controls all of Shibuya and Akihabara. Those are the areas he roams the most. He keeps lesser criminal organizations in check and sometimes integrates them into his own business."

"Didn’t Matsuo say they stopped being criminals?" Elisa asked, raising an eyebrow. "Wait, so that’s why you’re rich! Your dad’s a mob boss... But that’s blood money..."

"Business is business," Erika shrugged. "Not like we’re failing to keep Japan safe, right?"

"The lesser of two evils and all that," Harumi said. "My family eliminated the bloodthirsty ones, though. My mother manages her own beauty companies, and we own many blood banks, so we no longer need to attack people for fresh blood."

"I guess vampires are a much more honorable and noble race than werewolves," Anna nodded.

"Yeah," Elisa agreed.

"Hah?! We’re plenty honorable! Hey, don’t badmouth my family!" Erika growled angrily.

"Calm down, Erika. They’re just joking, right?" Matsuo said. "The werewolves are indeed something like the lesser of two evils, but they do not commit truly heinous acts such as scamming, murdering, or kidnapping. They just manage... some shady things."

"Do they sell drugs?" Elisa asked.

"No, but... actually, I shouldn’t talk about that," Erika coughed, whistling innocently as if she had said nothing.

Elisa, Monica, Anna, and Elena narrowed their eyes at her, making Erika visibly more nervous.

"They’re good people, I swear. Don’t judge them," Matsuo insisted. "Erika was raised well, and despite her manners, she is a fighter for justice, right? You protect people."

"I do. That’s what I do, yep," Erika nodded nervously, clearly hiding something. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

However, as she had said, sometimes a lesser evil was necessary to keep a greater one at bay. Without the Werewolf Clan, an even larger power vacuum would form, one that Chaos Gate would quickly fill, strengthening their control over Japan.

"So what exactly do they do besides owning stuff?" Elisa asked. "And what about Chaos Gate? What do they dedicate their time to?"

"They usually target Corrupted Domains and refine them, stealing them from us," Matsuo explained. "Corrupted Domains can be dangerous, but they also provide valuable resources. If the core is properly refined, it can be extracted into a Domain Stone. We then bring it to our Clan’s Realm, merge it, and expand the territory. This creates zones where monsters appear naturally, allowing the clan to hunt them for resources. Of course, it is not only monsters. Special magical herbs, spiritual ores, and many other rare materials grow only in such places. Chaos Gate constantly tries to claim monopoly over these areas. We are in a constant struggle for resources, and that is what has kept us in this stalemate for over three decades."

"I see..." Elena nodded, learning far more about Japan and its hidden dangers. She was finally beginning to understand the true threats lurking within modern Japanese society. "And... Lord Chaos? Who is this man?"

"Lord Chaos? Ah..." Matsuo muttered. His friends exchanged uneasy glances in silence. "Well, he is the source of most of the darkness shrouding Japan..."

"His origins are unknown. Who he truly is remains unknown as well," Frank said. "We have been fighting against him and his organization for years, since our first year of high school, and even now we barely know anything about him."

"All we know is that he is an incredibly dangerous being. You cannot really call him a person," Harumi added. "We have only met him in person once, and we barely survived to tell the tale. Many people died in that fight, and many more sacrificed themselves to save our lives."

"...!" Elena and her friends fell silent. Hearing such a gruesome memory from their new friends made them quickly grasp the deadly stakes in this country. "I-I’m so sorry. I didn’t know..."

"It’s fine," Harumi said with a faint smile. "It has been half a decade since then. Life goes on. We have been doing our best to grow stronger and stay together while facing this ever-changing world."

"In the middle of all that, the First Contact happened... and well, here we are," Matsuo added with a small smile.

"Lord Chaos..." Frank muttered. While his friends seemed optimistic and ready to move forward, Frank still carried a deep grudge. "He is god-like in power, comparable to Amaterasu according to most. But I say he is even stronger. He is a monster through and through. The reason the other clans, the gods, and everyone else have not simply ganged up on him is because they fear him. In the end, we must keep growing and do the best we can... so that one day we can finally defeat him."

"Ah..." Elena noticed just how resentful Frank was toward Lord Chaos.

"You could say he is Japan’s own Demon King," Erika said. "Compared to Chaos Gate, these invaders coming from the Gates aren’t that menacing, to be honest~"

"And he also has a bunch of really strong subordinates," Harumi sighed. "So it is never just him you fight, but an entire organization capable of rivaling all the clans. And that is not even counting his daughter, a monster in her own right."

"Kireina, right?" Elena asked. "I did hear her name before."

"Yeah..." Matsuo said. "We have some really bad history with her."

"What happened?" Elisa wondered.

"We used to be friends, before we ever learned who she truly was," Matsuo replied.

"We went to high school together," Frank added, looking annoyed. "But maybe that is a story for another time..."

"Yeah, it is complicated..." Harumi nodded. "And—"

"Gee, you sure talk a lot, don’t you?"

"You’re so damn annoying."

"Damn humans, won’t let us sleep in peace!"

"Why don’t you admire our beauty in silence and stop your yapping?!"

"Ugh, it makes me mad how stupid humans are!"

Suddenly the entire group stopped walking as dozens of voices echoed from every direction around them. Harumi’s eyes sharpened, and Elena noticed it too.

The paintings were talking. Their eyes and mouths moved as they glared with pure hatred. Even the most peaceful portraits had changed, their figures now twisted with fury.

"What the hell?! Are the paintings talking?!" Erika exclaimed.

"W-Wait, I guess that giant dinosaur wasn’t going to be the only surprise today..." Matsuo said.

"Uh, I think they’re... coming out of the portraits," Harumi warned.

"Wait, what?!" Frank gasped as the paintings began to come to life.

"SHUT UP!"

"SHUT UP, SHUT UP!"

"YOU TALK TOO LOUDLY!"

"WE WILL TEAR YOU TO SHREDS!"

The neurotic paintings burst from their canvases, carrying the frames on their backs as arms and legs stretched outward. Paintings of ancient people were the most common, but even serene landscapes twisted into dark, monstrous forests, jagged mountains, and ominous night skies, surging forward like vengeful elemental spirits, demons, or specters.

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