Levi kicked their table over to its side and ducked behind it with Noah in his bosom.

The eruption coming from only two tables behind theirs reached their position within a moment.

Trey’s shield had not finished forming before it was brutally shattered with a resounding crack, knocking him off his feet to the ground.

Abruptly, all noises were drowned out by cracking of the concrete, the sizzling of water, and the hissing of steam. And then, a moment later, a hair-raising shriek of agony came from the center of the eruption, which was immediately followed by many others. Some high-pitched screeches of horror and panic, others more guttural sounds of inhumane suffering.

The previously quiet restaurant devolved into madness. People closer to the center of the eruption rolled on the ground writhing and screeching like beasts, while people that were far enough fled the restaurant in terror. The clamor of their footsteps could even be felt through the vibration of the ground as if a stampede.

Even the workers of the restaurant mixed within the crowd, tripping over each other to leave first. Only the restaurant manager was attempting to call the emergency number on his communicator while he fled, but his trembling fingers kept pressing the wrong buttons.

Trey, whose mental power was suffering from recoil due to his shield breaking, attempted to get up to hide behind the table, but the ground spun underneath him. With his mental power in chaos, he kept tumbling back onto the ground left and right as if drunk. In any other situation, the sight would have been downright comical, but in the current one, every one of his clumsy tumbles made Noah’s heart leap in his throat with worry.

Levi grit his teeth in indignant frustration as he used his power to push Trey behind their table. Internally, he was feeling rather miserable. Who else had to save the life of his own love rival?! To even do something so disadvantageous to himself… Ah, what he would do just to keep his darling safe and happy…

○|￣|_

Yet this pig whose entire purpose of existence was to keep his baby safe, couldn’t even do that!!

‎(ﾉಥ益ಥ)ﾉ ┻━┻

“Blackie, what’s happening?!” Hiding behind a table, smothered in Levi’s chest, Noah couldn’t see the situation at all. The glimpses he’d managed to steal provided him with no useful information; the steam and smoke spreading through the air made it difficult to distinguish anything.

“It’s a Fluxer! The middle-aged white-collar worker that was sitting behind you is actually an S-rank Fluxer! He was fine one moment, and the next he suddenly went berserk!” Blackie, for once in his life, helpfully explained. “Poor guy. When his power went out of control, the first thing he vaporized was the water he was drinking. The steam scalded his lips and oral cavity and that really made him lose his shit, so the next thing – boom, he vaporized pretty much everything in his vicinity.”

Noah flinched, “Well, let’s look at the bright side… at least he didn’t vaporize himself.”

Blackie snorted, “…he can’t vaporize himself any more than you can soothe yourself.”

“Oh. Well… at least he didn’t vaporize the water he’d already drunk?”

“Yeah, good thing that one finely steamed stomach wasn’t on the menu…”

“…Blackie …I realize that black humor fits in well with your name… and personality… but there is such a thing as being too black!” QAQ

(≖_≖) “Is that a veiled insult where you tell me that I shouldn’t be myself, Black?”

“…you are overthinking it.”

“Riiiiight. Anyway, you guys were lucky, Trey’s shield did break but it managed to stop the majority of shit that came your way, otherwise, you’d be rolling on the ground with some of your limbs burned or downright vaporized like them” –Blackie mentally motioned towards the direction on the other side of the Fluxer.

Noah closed his eyes and deeply felt all the mental powers around him that were in great chaos.

On his left side, there was Trey who was suffering from a backlash and needed to be soothed ASAP, otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to form a shield to protect them.

On his right side, there was the great chaotic mess of a Fluxer, vaporizing the insides of the restaurant.

And then there were many people rolling on the floor, screeching in agony with some of them going into shock while others had already lost consciousness.

Which one should he soothe first??

As if reading his mind, Levi answered his unspoken question, “Soothe Trey.”

Instinctively sensing the dark thoughts going through Levi’s head, Noah urgently grabbed his upper arm, “He is a victim too! If possible, don’t cause him serious harm! I can handle it; I just need time!”

Levi momentarily stiffened. Did his kitten think he was the kind of person that would kill people at will?

…alright …so he had indeed intended to use a heavy hand. But this was legitimate self-defense! And most importantly, how could he not use a heavy hand when his kitten’s life was at risk!?

Levi’s hands unconsciously clenched into fists. He wanted to protect his baby with all and any means… but he didn’t wish his darling to fear or loathe him!

Levi’s lips pressed tightly together until they turned white. He identified the direction where there were no people and then mobilized his power to swat the Fluxer there.

The man flew like a kite with its string cut, hitting the floor hard. He attempted to crawl up, but Levi’s power pressed him back into the ground. The man screeched like a wild beast and instinctively retaliated by vaporizing everything around himself.

Everything he touched turned either into a glistening liquid that pooled in the crevices of the floor like car paint or turned into multicolored vapor looking as magical as cinematic special effects.

The way solid matter changed into fluid and smoke carried with it a sort of morbid beauty. Fascinating, yet too horrifying to be considered art.

Noah forced himself to tear his gaze away and focus all of his attention to quickly soothing Trey back into shape.

Yet, abruptly, his keen Soother senses, caught someone with perfectly orderly mental power, rushing into the restaurant instead out of it.

It was another high ranked Soother!

‘Oh, no!’ A shudder went through Noah’s body, and as if to confirm his sneaking suspicion, the newcomer set his sights on the rampaging Fluxer and activated reverse soothing.

No!! If he knocked the Fluxer out, his mind would collapse and everyone on the scene would be goners!

Levi’s arms suddenly tightened around Noah, his instinct screaming like never before. Noah’s pupil’s dilated, and in a split-second decision, he dished out his own mental attack towards the approaching Soother.

The man’s eyes widened and then rolled to the back of his head as he slumped to the ground.

Noah immediately returned to soothing Trey, not even bothering to wipe off the cold sweat dripping down his forehead.

Trey felt as if a refreshing stream of cool water was entering his parched head, clearing away all the pain and confusion. His dazed eyes snapped to clarity.

“Doughnut shield! Cage and protect the Fluxer!” Before Noah could even finish voicing the command, Trey had already jumped back to his feet and formed a doughnut shield around the Fluxer, cutting off Levi’s hold on the man.

A piercing stab bit into Levi’s heart. Why a double-sided shield? Did his baby think that he was such a maniac that the Fluxer needed to be protected from HIM? Did his darling not trust him at all?

Could it be that his baby… feared his power?

His precious treasure, as if to confirm his fears, wiggled out of his arms as if to distance himself from Levi.

Levi stood there dazed, with his arms still in a hugging position, feeling as if the world was collapsing around him.