Around this time the First Order was looking for an S-Rank criminal who went by the name of Carnage.

Carnage was a ruthless killer who killed simply for the sake of it. Eyewitnesses who have seen him in action reported that his energy is a dark red color, similar to that of dried blood.

It was noticed that Carnage only killed in groups of no more than eight. The exact reason for this at this time was unknown, but it was thought to have been because he might've wanted to avoid too much suspicion.

Under normal circumstances, Asnoth would have been sent out to track down Carnage, but he was already away in the Jade Islands on another mission.

Airson, Nigel, and Niwea were instead sent out in his place to find and capture the killer, dead or alive.

Back in Arbok City, the royal capital, random civilians were losing control of themselves and began attacking one another. They were acting like zombies, only they were perfectly alive and healthy. 

Katie, Reesus, and Miraka were investigating this crisis and had their minds set on stopping it.

Ahsan, the top ranked Knight in the Omega Squadron, also joined in on this investigation throughout Arbok City. He directed the others to round up all affected citizens into a confined area and evacuate the unaffected people. That way no extra people could become affected from direct contact.

Reesus used his smoke abilities to quickly get to all of the affected citizens. He rounded up roughly a hundred and fifty people in total.

Katie used her power to trap all the controlled people inside an ice dome they couldn't break out of.

Reesus dusted his hands. "That's everyone."

Katie nodded.

Suddenly, a scream came from a few meters north.

A seemingly completely random person had become infected with this mysterious disease.

Ahsan crossed his arms. "Don't tell me there's another one... how can there be another if all the diseased people are right here...? The infection rate is random? So it's some sort of bug that a few of us are immune to then?"

Reesus' face brightened. "What if it isn't a disease?"

Ahsan looked. "What do you mean by that?"

Reesus pointed to the area where the last person went crazy. "What if it wasn't a bug, but a person infecting the people with some sort of ability?"

Ahsan started thinking. "That would make sense. If a person had an ability that could infect people, or rather, control minds, it would work."

Katie was alarmed. "Controlling minds? Wouldn't that mean we're at risk too?"

"I doubt it. Mind control should only be able to work by pouring one's energy into another. Average civilians don't have the capacity to resist a power like that."

Reesus smirked confidently. "So you're saying that all we need to do is find the bad guy. Easy enough."

Reesus dispersed his body into a large smoke cloud and spread around the area where the last person fell under control. It didn't take long for him to find the suspect.

It was in a back alley, a man was standing with his back to the wall. He wore a black suit and a white mask that had large, pitch black eyeholes, and a comically wide-toothed grin.

Reesus began pulling his smoke back in.

"Over there!" Katie pointed.

Ahsan and Miraka followed the smoke trail.

Katie stayed back to watch over the affected civilians.

The masked man noticed the smoke getting thicker and thicker around him. He realized the trap too late. With a strong gust of wind, Reesus knocked the man into the wall.

Ahsan and Miraka arrived shortly after.

"So you're the one causing all this trouble?" Ahsan questioned.

"So what if I am?" 

Ahsan grabbed a hold of his neck and thrust him further into the wall. The man let out a pained grunt. "Undo it. Now."

"Sure my friend. But before that, I have conditions."

Ahsan was extremely pissed off at this point. "You think you're in a position to make demands?"

"I do actually." the man said. His masked grin seemed to grow wider. "I'm the only one who can undo the mind control. If you kill me, or fail to meet my demands, they will all die shortly."

Ahsan grit his teeth. He balled up his fist, preparing to deliver a dangerous blow, but hesitated.

"We have to save everyone!" Miraka pleaded.

Reesus chimed in, "We can at least hear him out first."

Ahsan released the man from his grasp.

He fell to the ground, catching his breath. "Better. Now, for the conditions to release the civilians." The man stood up and held up three fingers. "First, you all must let me go. My mind control lasts for one hour until the victim dies. If anyone arrests or attacks me within that time frame after I free them, I can put them right back under the control within that hour. Second, I expect that the First Order has already sent out some Knights to hunt down Carnage."

Ahsan, Miraka, and Reesus couldn't believe what they were hearing.

The masked man continued. "Don't worry. I want them to find him. His next attack will be at the base of Mount Vulcan at a nearby town, though I can't tell you the exact location. Send your Knights after him immediately. Third, I want this entire story to go public, don't leave out a single detail, including our conversation right now."

Ahsan grew angry once more, grabbing the man's collar. "Are you crazy?! You masked freak!! Not only do you want us to let you go, but you want us to purposefully put our comrades in danger?!!"

The man spoke again, dusting off his shoulder. "Address me as Mastermind. Masked freak doesn't work for me."

Fire lit Ahsan's fists.

Mastermind kept going. "Time's ticking... what will you do?"

Ahsan hesitated, then let his fire go out. Letting Mastermind go, he closed his eyes and sighed. "Miraka, Reesus, you two go to the media sources and report to them of today's events. I'll do the rest."

Reesus seemed to be taken aback. "You sure about this?"

"If it means saving the lives of those people, then yes. As a Knight of the First Order, that's our number one priority. To protect the people." Ahsan looked directly at Mastermind with steely eyes of conviction. "And you. Leave my sight before I rethink my morals."

Mastermind hopped onto the roof above the alleyway. "Don't be so brash."

Ahsan yelled after Mastermind. "And if you think my pupils will lose to a mere S-Rank like Carnage you're wrong!!"

Mastermind looked back over his shoulder as he ran away on the rooftops. "I never said that they would lose now did I?" He turned his head back and left.

Ahsan was irritated immensely. "What does he mean by that? No, I can't dwell on him, he's out of his mind." 

Back at HQ, Ahsan was in the Omega's mission control center. Here the Omegas could check up on the other Knights' missions. It was transmitted through a small earpiece in the Knights' ears. He can pick and choose who and who not to transmit information to.

"Hey! Airson! Can you hear me?"

Airson tapped his earpiece. "Yeah, loud and clear."

"Alright, look, a lot has happened today, but we ran into a man supposedly connected to Carnage."

"Connected? What do you mean?"

"I mean he knows Carnage's approximate location. His next hit is supposed to be at a town somewhere near the base of Mount Vulcan. Your squad's mission is to go there, and apprehend the criminal."

"Got it. We'll head there straight away."

End of transmission.

Ahsan purposefully left out the fact that Mastermind set all this up so that they would have to meet Carnage regardless. It was likely a trap. But for the sake of the civilians, Ahsan had to make this choice. He just hoped that he made the right one.