[Puchi, Puchi]
In the pitch-black shadows, two black-clad soldiers had their throats sliced open, their faces frozen in disbelief as they collapsed to the ground moments later.
However, when this shadow, swift as an arrow, approached Amatori Biba to within about ten meters, an even faster figure suddenly appeared beside it like a flash of lightning.
In an instant, the former seemed to sense the latter, and a sharp black light swept across as if it were a premonition.
[Bang!]
Yet, its speed was still a fraction too slow. With a dull thud, it was sent flying back at an even greater speed, crashing through the side wall of a distant building and disappearing from sight.
"Could it be her?"
Laskey, with his back to Amatori Biba, recalled the face he had just seen in astonishment.
It was that woman with golden hair and golden eyebrows, a mature beauty who bore a striking resemblance to Marta, though the latter leaned more towards the seductive side.
"Who are you?" A voice inquired from behind, prompting Laskey to turn his body and coldly face Amatori Biba.
"I am a special investigator dispatched by the World Government, and your temporary caretaker. Stay put and behave yourself!"
"World Government?"
Amatori Biba repeated the term with confusion. He had never heard of such an organization, and the name sounded quite domineering.
The entire world's government agency?
What about the Shogunate over at Diamond Citadel?
[Boom!!!]
"Ugh—"
At that moment, Horobi, who had been kicked back by Laskey, predictably sent debris from the building flying as she stood amidst the flames, roaring at Laskey.
At this point, her appearance had drastically changed. She was now covered in a layer of biometallic black armor, half of her pretty face obscured, and her arms transformed into massive black blades.
A bright blue light radiated from her chest, and her blue-black pupils were filled with madness and killing intent. She had completely transformed into a Kabane.
[Swoosh————]
In the next moment, she stomped down on the scorched earth with a resounding thud, her entire being morphing into a black shadow glimmering with blue light, charging forward with astonishing explosive speed.
"Tch~"
Laskey snorted coldly, thinking, "Finally, a decent opponent."
He moved his body slightly, feeling his bones crackle as his muscles tensed, his limbs and spine drawn tight like a bowstring.
In the next second, he shot forward like an arrow released from its bow, a blur of speed that was almost unbelievable. As the current captain of CP9, he had no reason to retreat!
[Duang!]
His hardened index finger, charged with power, suddenly struck against the descending black blade. The collision created an explosive shockwave, sending dust swirling around them.
"Ugh—"
Transformed into 'Nue', Horobi felt the resistance against her 'hand' and let out a furious roar at the close-range Laskey, launching a frenzied and chaotic assault.
However, Laskey's combat experience was far more extensive. With his rationality intact, he deftly maneuvered within a small space, evading her rapid and dense slashes, never allowing even a corner of his clothing to be touched.
[Bang!]
Casually dodging the black blade, Laskey's right fist swung out and struck Horobi's cheek with tremendous force, sending her spinning through the air at high speed.
Yet, such a heavy blow did not incapacitate 'Nue'. She quickly flipped in mid-air, landing and skidding along the ground to dissipate the force, ultimately stabilizing her stance, though the black armor covering half her face was now riddled with cracks.
"Oh?"
Laskey raised an eyebrow in surprise, lightly pushing his dark red sunglasses up the bridge of his nose, and sneered, "Impressive defense."
That punch had been infused with Armament Haki, and he had intended to knock her out and capture her.
"Since that's the case, let's throw a few more punches!"
He had already recognized the immense value Horobi possessed. If he could bring her back to the Stargate Base on Oshika Peninsula, the Biochemical Research Institute would surely be pleased.
With that thought, Laskey decided to end the fight quickly, but at that moment, his Observation Haki sensed Amatori Biba attempting to flee!
After all, Amatori Biba was no fool.
Laskey's earlier confrontation with Horobi had clearly exceeded his understanding, and the former had openly declared his intention to capture him, while the latter had lost her sanity, making it unrealistic to expect her to let him go.
If that was the case, why wait for an opportunity to escape amidst their battle?
"This bastard."
Laskey gritted his teeth in frustration, but Horobi was relentless, lunging at him like a flash of lightning, and this time, tendrils of bluish-purple energy were emanating from her.
[Swoosh!]
The massive black blade came crashing down, tearing through the air with a piercing roar.
"What?"
Laskey's expression changed drastically; this strike brought a sense of danger. He quickly stomped down on the ground.
[Boom!!!]
In the next moment, the dark curved blade swept over his head, and upon hitting the ground, it exploded like a cannonball, obliterating everything within a ten-meter radius.
"What the hell, her power..."
Just as he narrowly used Soru to create a distance of about twenty meters, Laskey looked back at the spot where he had just stood, now shrouded in thick smoke, his face displaying clear astonishment.
What Horobi had just cleaved was merely an afterimage of him.
"Ugh—"
But that wasn't the end. Although his vision was obscured by smoke, his Observation Haki allowed him to clearly sense Horobi's strange movements within.
She was crouched on all fours like a beast, lifting her head towards him with her mouth open, a powerful mental wave radiating around her.
Then, a ball of concentrated, extremely negative emotional energy began to coalesce at her mouth.
"What is that thing!"
As soon as this appeared in his mind, Laskey's expression changed dramatically, losing the calm demeanor he had maintained until now.
[Boom————]
Just as he attempted to use the same trick again and activated Soru to leave his position, Horobi had already unleashed the energy ball, and in an instant, a surging wave of air tore through the surrounding smoke, revealing the true form of the object.
It was a bluish-purple sphere that appeared to be entirely composed of energy, and as soon as it left its 'master's' mouth, it expanded dozens of times, transforming into a massive beam of light that engulfed Laskey's body.
But that wasn't the most terrifying part; it obliterated all the buildings in a straight line in front of Horobi, destroying, shattering, and penetrating the entire Iwahato Station.
Yet, it appeared quickly and dissipated just as fast. Once the energy was expended, a new pit about ten meters wide, half a meter deep, and with no visible end appeared in front of Horobi.
Not far away, Amatori Biba, who had not run far, turned around upon hearing the massive commotion and froze in place, his pupils trembling violently.
"This... this was done by Horobi?"
Having always believed that only the strong deserved to live and the weak should perish, he now felt an unprecedented sense of being the weak one himself.
"What a pity, the price of such power is the loss of self-awareness."
Shaking his head, Amatori Biba prepared to move again; he needed to return to Steel Fortress and head to Diamond Citadel, where his true target lay. However, just as he turned around, someone tapped him on the shoulder.
"You must be Amatori Biba, where are you headed?"