Just how powerful were three elite Special Assault Squads from the Ghostfire Syndicate?
Without the slightest exaggeration, as long as they had sufficient weapons and ammunition, they could handle the Honkai Beasts of the Seven-Day Tide that came once every seven days.
Their weapons were not as advanced as those of MOTH's soldiers, but nearly every one of them had either undergone cybernetic augmentation or awakened an ability. In terms of combat strength, they were already comparable to MOTH's regular forces.
In any country, they would be an elite force that could not be underestimated.
Although their members appeared to get along rather harmoniously, their internal relationships were actually extraordinarily brutal.
Their leaders had literally fought their way to the top by hacking apart their own teammates in full-on brawls!
Those cybernetic biker gangsters had not volunteered to install their mechanical limbs from the beginning. Their captains had first chopped off parts of their bodies, then attached the prosthetics afterward!
In Vill-V's words, they were a bunch of overfed idiots who refused to fight the Honkai and instead poured all their destructive energy into their own people.
The captain with the pompadour bared his fangs. "This little brat has some skill."
The captain holding a katana said with his eyes closed, "Stone Man was inferior in skill. His death was fitting."
The captain with a bandage across the bridge of his nose raised his fist. "Well? Should we all attack together, or settle it with rock-paper-scissors?"
Facing these three men, Hua was undoubtedly under immense pressure.
The deeper one's understanding of martial arts, the more keenly one could sense the threat posed by these three.
And at that moment...
At that exact moment, a large, powerful hand suddenly pressed down on the pompadour captain's shoulder, forcing him to bend at the waist with a sharp crack of splintering bone.
Tenmon Soji laughed heartily. "Hahaha! This girl has guts. She didn't run away. Instead, she stepped forward to protect that unconscious fellow behind her. How could you gang up on her? In this city, people who abandon their friends for glory are everywhere, and treacherous scoundrels can be found on every street. But someone willing to risk her life without any profit involved is rare."
Laughing, he crooked a finger at the girl. "Come. One-on-one. I don't like hitting women, but you still owe us for taking down Stone Man..."
As he spoke, Tenmon Soji suddenly tore his clothes apart, revealing muscles as exquisitely sculpted as those of an ancient Greek statue.
"The Asura Demon Dragon shall collect that debt!"
Seeing that their commander had become serious, his underlings erupted in cheers.
"The asura on Commander Tenmon's back has bared its fangs! Those are his demonic back muscles, proof of his invincibility!"
"He grew up on Yamaguchi Street, the most chaotic district in the Far East. When it comes to single combat, he has never lost!"
"Every powerful man has two sides. Asura Demon Dragon was Commander Tenmon's title in the underground fighting arena. By announcing that name again, he is showing respect for his opponent and praising her courage. At the same time, it expresses his determination to kill her."
"Tenmon Soji is a gentle angel. Asura Demon Dragon is a vicious demon."
"Even if his opponent is a beautiful woman, Asura Demon Dragon will beat her until her teeth scatter across the ground, then pull out her bones one by one... Aah!"
The underling who had been speaking found his mouth clamped shut by Tenmon Soji's hand.
Then Tenmon Soji squeezed hard, crushing his face apart.
"Bones? Let's take a look at yours."
After transforming into Asura Demon Dragon, Tenmon Soji's entire demeanor seemed to change into that of another person.
His crimson eyes gleamed with cold light, his face twisted savagely, and the nearly tangible malice surrounding him transformed into black flames that enveloped his body.
Expressionlessly, he pulled the spine out of the underling who had spoken, glanced at it, then tossed it into his mouth and began chewing.
Crunch, crunch...
Everyone present was so terrified that they seemed nailed to the spot. The fear churning in their chests turned into an icy chill that spread through every limb and bone.
Every single person present was stunned by his cruelty.
For a moment, even those still fighting came to a halt.
They lowered the weapons in their hands and began trembling uncontrollably.
How could such a powerful and evil creature exist in this world?
"Come on, foolish woman! You killed my sworn brother, so you'll have to answer for it! Come!"
Asura Demon Dragon swallowed the fragments in his mouth, raised both arms, and swung his fists, tracing a totem through the air. Before everyone's eyes, a hideous demonic dragon seemed to appear, gazing down upon them and proclaiming that another being ruled from the very top of the food chain. Before that colossal dragon, humanity appeared so small and insignificant.
"Roar!"
The demonic dragon unleashed its fury.
Fast. Far too fast.
So fast that time itself seemed to stop.
The dragon's black flames had already appeared in front of Hua.
Hua tried to dodge, only to discover that her limbs had gone rigid.
She could neither evade nor block it!
Hua knew that she had no way to withstand this attack. She could not even summon the courage to raise her guard.
His martial skill surpassed even her father's...
No, it was likely more than mere martial skill. He had already reached the pinnacle of form and intent.
His techniques could even influence another person's mind. She could not move because the malice within her heart had been stirred by his attack. This could no longer be described as a mere martial technique.
This was the apex of martial force, the ultimate limit of martial arts.
Did such a legendary realm truly exist in reality?
And this feeling...
"Vill-V?"
A vortex of azure flames was about to engulf Hua in an instant.
Fortunately, at the critical moment, a gigantic magical hand slapped the flaming dragon apart at the waist. A girl holding down her top hat descended from the sky.
"Ta-da! Ladies and gentlemen, the stage for tonight's magic show is ready... By the way, Hua, how did you know I was here?"
Hua still had not lowered the defensive stance she had assumed against the flaming dragon.
Hearing Vill-V's sudden voice caused malice to surge within her again, and she nearly punched Vill-V.
Fortunately, Hua came to her senses at the last moment and restrained her fist.
Hua was an exceptionally simple and honest person, so she possessed very little malice. Even when new malicious thoughts arose, she could quickly dispel them.
Hua was genuinely honest to a fault.
Even so, she was not feeling well.
Taking a deep breath, Hua realized that her hands and feet were still trembling.
She was shaken by lingering fear.
At that moment, warmth spread around Hua's neck as Vill-V wrapped a cozy scarf around it.
Hiding her face behind the scarf and breathing in Vill-V's scent, Hua finally felt safe again.
The Vill-V before her was not an illusion created by her enemy's supreme martial force.
After all, when people were on the verge of death, they often recalled someone or something important to them.
"No, Vill-V, I wasn't talking about you. It's just... That man named Tenmon Soji gives me the same kind of feeling as you."
"That must be your imagination."
Vill-V pointed toward Asura Demon Dragon, whose mouth had split into a grin at the sight of his new prey. "I don't make such an ugly face."
"No, I wasn't referring to his appearance..."
Vill-V was still comforting the frightened Hua, but Asura Demon Dragon did not care what they were doing. He charged straight toward them.
This attack was even more violent, leaving them nowhere to evade!
What caught the blow was one soap bubble after another.
The soap bubbles overlapped like the layered petals of a lotus, finally forming three interlocking barriers.
The surging force had nowhere to exert itself inside the soap bubbles. All of its power was distributed outward as the bubbles swayed.
"I'm going to tear you apart!"
Asura Demon Dragon had completely lost Tenmon Soji's former composure and hearty bearing.
Endless malice poured freely from his flaming aura, nearly taking physical form.
The onlookers nearby were also affected by that malice and began slaughtering one another like savage beasts.
Conductor: Pure Evil, this guy is even more evil than you, isn't he?
Pure Evil: Huh? Say that again! I'm way cuter than him! Let me out so I can bite him to death!
Conductor: Don't be impatient, Pure Evil. We have a plan.
Pure Evil: Evil, evil, evil! I'm the King of Evil! I'm going to smash him apart right now!
Conductor: Magician, move faster. He's about to break free.
"Then let's do this. For our next performance, we'll make every member of the audience disappear."
Magician, who was controlling the body, settled the unconscious Su in a safe place and instructed Hua to take good care of him. Then she raised her hand.
Smoke surged in from every direction, swallowing Magician and Hua until only their graceful silhouettes remained.
"Disappear into the Forest of Mist!"
...
Behind the curtain of mist, two graceful silhouettes swayed—
"Wait, Vill-V! I'll take off my own clothes this time!"