On the street.
Several youths on bicycles surrounded the coupe.
The leader had short hair and wore a brown short-sleeved shirt, his eyes full of arrogance.
He rested one foot on the hood, stomping it twice:
"Bro, this car is sick. How about you let us borrow it for a few days?"
Sephirot pushed the door open and slowly stepped out, looking at the young men with cold eyes and a faint smile:
"Come and try."
Hearing this, the short-haired youth gave his companions a smug look, convinced that Sephirot was a spineless coward putting up a front.
He pushed his bicycle aside and swaggered toward the driver's seat.
As he passed Sephirot, he deliberately jerked his chin upward, casting a provocative glance.
Sephirot made no move to stop him; he even nodded, signaling for him to get in.
The youth's face filled with disdain. How could a coward like this be driving a car like this?
Just as he braced one hand on the car door, preparing to leap into the driver's seat...
Sephirot grabbed the back of his head and slammed it violently against the top of the car window frame.
Bang!
The short-haired youth's forehead split open instantly, blood streaming down the bridge of his nose.
"FUCK!"
He cursed loudly while clutching his head, his other hand quickly pulling a switchblade from his pocket and stabbing viciously at Sephirot.
With an expressionless face, Sephirot reached out both hands, caught the wrist, and snapped it with a powerful twist.
Crack.
The sound of breaking bone rang out, and the switchblade fell from the youth's hand.
Sephirot caught the knife mid-air with his other hand and, in one fluid motion, drove it straight into the youth's thigh.
"AHHH!!!"
The short-haired youth let out a pathetic scream, his remaining hand frozen in the air.
For a moment, he didn't know whether to cover his bleeding head or pull the knife out of his leg.
His entire body trembled as he roared impotently at his companions: "Dammit! Are you just going to stand there?!"
Seeing this, the remaining young men looked at each other, pulled out folding knives, and swarmed forward.
Sephirot didn't even move from his spot; he simply raised his hand and delivered several swift, sharp slaps.
The punks charging at him were sent flying like kites with broken strings, crashing to the ground and wailing as they clutched their faces.
The only one who hadn't joined the fray...a slightly chubby girl...saw the situation take a turn for the worse. Terrified, she yanked her handlebars around and pedaled away as fast as she could.
Slumped on the ground, the short-haired youth watched her retreating back and spat: "Bitch!"
Sephirot looked down at him and wiped his blood-stained fingers on the boy's clothes: "Get lost."
The youth nodded frantically, scrambling and crawling away as he dragged his injured leg from the scene.
Once the hoodlums had fled, Rose and Christopher, who had been watching from a distance, ready to jump in and help, hurried forward.
"Mr. Sephirot! I can't believe we've run into you here!"
Rose pulled her husband forward to introduce him. "This is my husband, Christopher."
"Thank you, Mr.... Sephirot. Our entire family has no idea how we could ever repay you."
Christopher followed suit with a stream of thanks, though it felt a bit strange to address a young man who looked much younger than himself as "Mr."
Sephirot was somewhat surprised; he hadn't expected to encounter them in the middle of nowhere like this.
It was a small world.
He gave a slight nod of acknowledgment.
Rose looked down at the daughter by her side and asked gently, "Sharon, do you remember this uncle here?"
At the word "uncle," Sephirot's eye twitched.
He leaned down and reached out to ruffle Sharon's blonde hair, asking, "What brings you all here?"
Rose smiled and explained their intent. "After everything we've been through, we wanted to take Sharon on a trip to help her relax."
"We just happened to be passing through this town to rest for a couple of days."
Sephirot nodded. "Then I hope you have a good time."
"However, as a former client, I suggest you try your best to stay in crowded areas. Don't go exploring any deep forests or secluded places."
"If anything happens, you can call me."
Hearing this, Rose's expression immediately became solemn.
After witnessing the horrors of Silent Hill, she had a blind faith in Sephirot's warnings.
It didn't matter if it was just a suggestion; even if Sephirot told her to turn around and go home right this second, she would have done so without hesitation.
Seeing how serious she looked, Sephirot didn't say anything more.
This was as much as he could do, given that psychopathic killers were as common as cattle on this land.
If they were truly targeted by some relentless monster one day, or got caught up in some supernatural event, it wouldn't matter where they hid.
After filling up the sports car's tank, Sephirot followed suit and checked into the same motel where Rose's family was staying.
Just as he lay down, there was a knock at his door.
Rose stood outside, having specifically changed into a formal dress with her makeup meticulously done.
"Mr. Sephirot, we left so hurriedly last time that I never found the chance to thank you properly. I'd like to invite you to dinner tonight as a small token of our appreciation."
Sephirot had nothing urgent on his hands, so he agreed. Why turn down a free meal?
That evening.
Inside a family restaurant in town, the four of them sat around a table, chatting as they ate.
Rose enthusiastically shared their upcoming travel route: "After we leave here, we plan to head north to check out Camp Crystal Lake. I heard the water quality and the natural scenery there are perfect for camping."
"What do you think, Mr. Sephirot?"
Sephirot was cutting into a pizza when he heard the name "Crystal Lake." Immediately, the image of a figure wearing a mask and brandishing a machete appeared in his mind.
"Don't you do any research before you go? A lot of people have gone missing there recently."
Rose froze for a moment, then hurriedly flipped through her travel brochure and pointed to another location. "How about Texas, then? There's a highway there with beautiful scenery."
Sephirot shook his head. "I wouldn't recommend it."
Rose asked about several more locations in quick succession, all of which Sephirot rejected.
In Sephirot's view, Rose must have been cursed by some sort of malevolent force; the places she picked were each more obscure and dangerous than the last. He truly wondered where she had sourced her data on "beautiful scenery."
Seeing the travel plans she had spent so much effort customizing shot down one by one, Rose felt a wave of frustration.
She closed her brochure and asked, "Then do you have any recommendations on where we should go?"
Sephirot set down his knife and fork, saying flatly, "I suggest you buy a plane ticket and head to the ancient East. It's safer there."
Rose nodded as if she understood, though it was unclear if she actually took it to heart.
Just then, a sudden argument from the neighboring table caught their attention.
A set of parents was bickering with their child over some trivial matter.
At first, Rose watched the scene with a faint smile, treating it as nothing more than typical family squabbling.
She and her husband often had moments like that as well.
However, a second later, the mother suddenly snapped, violently slapping the child. "You useless waste! All you ever do is cause me trouble!"
The smile froze on Rose's face, and she awkwardly looked away.
To break the tension, she turned back to Sephirot. "Where does Mr. Sephirot plan to go next?"
"Los Santos."
Sephirot swallowed his food and replied curtly.
After finishing their meal, the group returned to the motel together.
As they passed the parking lot, everyone came to a sudden halt.
All four tires on Sephirot's red convertible had been slashed.
Worse, the windshield was cracked from an impact, and the car, inside and out, had been doused in foul-smelling excrement.
Even if the car were cleaned and repaired, it would likely carry a lingering, nauseating stench forever.
(Translated by yourtl.app)
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TL NOTES - CROSSOVER GUIDE
Some references in this chapter come from source universes that may be unfamiliar to some readers. The notes below are here to help readers unfamiliar with these universes follow along more easily.
SOURCE UNIVERSES
Friday the 13th - A horror franchise centered on Camp Crystal Lake, where a masked killer named Jason Voorhees hunts down campers and counselors. The camp has a long history of drownings, murders, and disappearances, making it one of the most notorious fictional horror locations. In this story, Rose mentions planning to visit Camp Crystal Lake for camping, unaware of its deadly reputation. Sephirot recognizes the reference and warns her against going there.