Chapter 64
A bright-red flower blossomed in midair.
The slender flower, made of intensely red lines, failed to maintain its shape for even a few seconds, but that alone was enough to freeze everyone nearby.
Crackle.
The plasma heat energy settled along the single-edged blade constantly incinerated the dry air.
The hot air expelled behind the katana through its heat-dissipation system made the cat holding the weapon waver like a mirage.
Developed with the megacorp’s astonishing technology and produced in limited quantities, the Ignis series of thermal katanas─ revealed itself anew in this place.
“…Don’t hesitate. Attack!”
Owl’s command came out reflexively.
His flustered voice sounded as though he were trying to persuade himself.
“The same goes for us—we’re using the megacorp’s latest technology too! All tactical personnel─, remove the Nano Cell safety locks!”
““……””
Nano Cell.
A prototype megacorp implant capable of manipulating molecules smaller than 1 nm on a limited basis, turning designated materials into sharp blades or sturdy armor.
Although its power varied enormously depending on the user’s computational capacity, most tactical personnel could freely control their Nano Cell implants as they pleased after grueling training.
In response to Owl’s attack signal, the tactical personnel, whose gloves had been shaped into blades, charged rapidly toward the cat.
Since the cat was also wearing clothing made with Nano Cell technology, he knew just how frightening it could be.
But.
Whoosh!!
The explosive burst of heat warped the air for an instant.
All that remained was the acrid smell of burning.
The bodies of the tactical personnel who had charged at the cat, trusting in the Nano Cells’ defensive power, began coming apart one after another.
“…Ghk!”
“H-hot!!”
The cross-sections of their wounds, charred as black as coal, contained not a trace of red blood.
Nano Cell technology could easily deflect 5.56 mm rounds, but it could not withstand the sharpness of the thermal katana.
Pshhh….
When the cat flicked his wrist, a sound like something bursting came from the red-stained blade.
A one-hit kill that could not be defended against.
Owl had no idea how something that looked fit for use only by contract mercenaries affiliated with a megacorp had fallen into the traitor’s hands.
The cat recited in a low voice.
“The same latest technology…. I’d say that’s half right and half wrong.”
He confirmed firsthand that the prosthetic arm Walter had repaired performed rather well.
“If Nano Cell technology were truly that practical in the field, other megacorp mercenaries would be using it themselves instead of selling it at a high price to a trash organization like Hakuga-gumi.”
“…What the hell do you know to be spouting off like that?”
“To ignore such an obvious result even after seeing it with your own eyes….”
He shook his head from side to side.
“It’s enough to make one sigh.”
“…Damn it.”
They were supposed to capture him alive, but with the traitor resisting this fiercely, there was no helping it.
Owl shouted at the other members who were awkwardly standing around, watching the situation.
“…Those with firearms, open fire on him immediately!”
“Y-yes, sir!!”
They aimed the pistols and assault rifles they were carrying at the cat blocking the club entrance.
They understood well enough what was happening.
“…Fire!!”
“Kill him already!”
An overwhelming barrage of fire concentrated on the cat.
Rat-tat-tat─!!
But the cat did not bother throwing himself sideways to dodge the bullets.
He simply.
With his other hand, pulled the ‘muffler’ taut.
“How cowardly….”
“I don’t know what you mean by cowardly.”
The Nano Cell technology, incapable of stopping the thermal katana but easily able to deflect assault-rifle rounds, was finally demonstrating its true power.
The cat’s attacks landed with terrifying force, while Hakuga-gumi’s attacks failed to inflict any damage at all—a terribly troublesome situation had unfolded.
Though it had been torn considerably when he fought Abel Anderson at the church, it was still large enough to cover one person’s body.
The cat brushed the dust off his shoulder, looking completely unharmed.
“This is what people mean by using the right tool for the right job. I may have said what I did, but Nano Cells aren’t completely useless either.”
It was only one man.
And they were in this state because they could not overwhelm a single man.
Unless they had prepared armor-piercing rounds separately, that was—but unfortunately, not a single person here had such heavy ammunition.
The cat raised his katana once more.
“I won’t pursue those who flee. However, if you want to go down these stairs, you’ll have to step over my corpse.”
“…You filthy traitor.”
Owl gritted his teeth at that calm demeanor.
“Why the hell did you show up here!? And why block the way!? If you’re a traitor, then act like one and run away like a dog in the rain!”
“The reason I blocked the way?”
The cat did not know what ‘something’ was happening inside the club right now.
But that was what the organization’s boss─, Abel Anderson, had wanted.
He had said he would handle things alone.
In truth, it was to prevent the loss of experience points, but unaware of that truth, the cat could not help admiring Abel for bearing the danger alone.
“Who knows.”
But the cat saw no reason to explain the circumstances to Owl.
“A dog on a leash doesn’t need to know, does it?”
During that brief exchange.
The katana, having finished dissipating its heat, was dyed red once again.
“If you’re a dog, act like one.”
“…Kono sanshita ga (you fucking bastard)!!”
* * *
When I ducked my head, sharp claws grazed past my hair by a hair’s breadth.
Whoosh!!
The sound reached me a moment later.
I glanced at the captain of Hakuga-gumi─, Bansho Takemaru, who had now truly become a beast with a tail.
The claws’ range was slightly longer than their actual length.
The difference in reach had already been significant, but magic had widened it even further.
Blue energy lingering in the air.
Though I had newly invested in several different traits, this attack was still powerful enough to cleave my limbs clean off if it hit me head-on.
I could not simply relax just because I had dodged one attack, either.
“Grrr─!!”
Bansho Takemaru, whose appearance had transformed like Black Kellogg, continued attacking without resting for even a moment.
When ‘Black’ or ‘Dark’ is added to a name, the person becomes several times stronger.
He looked more like a cat than a tiger, but his ferocity was absolutely nothing to scoff at.
“…Tch!”
I clicked my tongue and plunged inside the path of the whirling claws.
“Just stay down already!!”
Abdomen, solar plexus, throat, chin─.
I threw my punches in that order.
Thump, thump, thump!!
A brief noise like a drum being struck rang out.
But Bansho Takemaru’s skin, now belonging to a beast that walked on two legs, had become hard enough that even bullets could not properly penetrate it.
But perhaps I was not the only one who had grown accustomed to my opponent’s movements as the battle dragged on.
As if he had expected to be hit from the start, he stared at the ceiling and struck at me purely by instinct without even lowering his crooked jaw.
“Damn.”
I barely blocked it with my elbow.
But I could not prevent my body from bouncing along the long corridor like a skipping stone.
Bang!!
Creaking joints.
My entire body was already damp with flowing blood.
Honestly, having your skin torn open by nothing more than the wind pressure from a swipe of claws was cheating.
Of course, Bansho Takemaru was not completely unharmed either.
“Ptui.”
He stroked his numb jaw and spat out a fragment of broken tooth onto the floor.
The beast’s eyes, difficult to read emotionally, contracted into even narrower vertical slits.
“You’ve become much stronger than when I saw you then. How could you have… in this short a time?”
“The guy playing Animal Tekken by himself sure talks a lot.”
From sheer size to raw power.
I had already succeeded in landing attacks several times, but the accumulated damage was similar on both sides.
I should have grabbed another weapon from the box.
Regret always comes too late.
I slowly rose from the spot, checking whether any bones had broken.
When I stood up, a strange smile spread across the beast’s face.
“Heh, but that seems to be all you’ve got. By now, you must have realized it too. That it’s impossible for you to defeat me with that level of strength.”
He was right—the beast’s recovery was clearly stronger than mine.
My body was already in tatters.
“I’ll give you credit for still getting up unscathed and burning with fighting spirit….”
Fluid mixed with blood and saliva dripped from beneath his sharp teeth.
“If you give up now, I’ll eat you without causing any pain.”
He already looked certain of his victory.
I could only snort in disbelief.
“Ha, bullshit.”
My body staggered from dizziness, but I forced myself to maintain my balance and glared at him.
“Don’t you know that if I really put my mind to it, I can end this fight right now?”
“Oh-ho….”
“I’ve been taking it easy on you, and now you’re spouting all kinds of nonsense.”
This time, Bansho Takemaru burst into loud laughter instead.
“Yes, I’d like to see that! You say you could end it if you really wanted to—where does that confidence come from?”
There are several acts in this world more cruel than simply killing someone.
They are methods that can only be used after casting aside some of the pride, dignity, and conscience a human being ought to possess….
“You told me to do it.”
“Heh-heh…. That bluff is pathetic. You look like a dog with its tail tucked between its legs.”
He began walking slowly toward me.
Just as he wanted.
I used telekinesis.
‘The surveillance cameras won’t be working either.’
There was no need to worry about anyone else’s eyes.
From his perspective, ordering his subordinate to flip the breaker had turned out to be the worst possible choice.
At that moment.
Something in him spun dozens of times.
Without making a sound.
“…Phew.”
I sighed, trying to shake off my sense of guilt.
The fight was over now.
This time, I was the one who confirmed my victory.
But.
“…??”
“What’s wrong? Didn’t you say you were going to show me something?”
Bansho Takemaru’s steps did not stop.
Even though his nuts were definitely tied up.
Sensing something strange, I called out to him.
“……Hey.”
“It’s too late to beg for your life.”
“No, that’s not it….”
Instead, dozens more rotations.
Then several more rotations after that.
Yet the atmosphere surrounding him as he walked toward me was completely peaceful.
As if he could not feel any pain─.
Then I suddenly recalled something.
“Could it be that you can’t feel pain right now?”
Pain sensors.
I asked while recalling the sensor the ninja had mentioned right before being tortured.
This was absolutely not a level of pain that could be endured simply because adrenaline was being secreted.
“…Are you about to call me cowardly all of a sudden?”
“Uh….”
The beast’s face twisted into an aggrieved expression.
He did not seem to realize at all what was happening to his body.
“Um, well…. Should I call this fortunate for you, or unfortunate….”
Of course, strictly speaking, it was unfortunate.
The result was what it was.
When I awkwardly drew out the end of my sentence.
“What the hell are you trying to say?”
He answered as though he had no idea what I meant.
Then something snapped cleanly.
“Ah.”
Thinking telekinesis had not been working, I had unknowingly kept rotating it.
The thing that had spun to its limit fell through his pants and onto the floor.
Plop.
He had only blocked his sense of pain for a while, not his hearing, so.
Bansho Takemaru heard that sound in its entirety.
“……”
“……”
His head dropped downward.
Bansho Takemaru’s body remained frozen in that position.
A brief silence passed.
Bansho Takemaru’s head creaked as it moved like a broken machine.
That expression.
I wondered where I had seen it before, then remembered that my friend’s cat had worn a similar look after returning from being neutered.
“……You.”
His voice trembled terribly.
There was not much I could say to him.
“You could’ve just let yourself feel the pain─.”
“I’ll kill you!!!”
His anger reached its limit.
He was several times faster than before.
He seemed to have completely lost his reason and did not even appear to be thinking of using his claws.
He kicked off the ground on all fours and charged at me.
I reflexively swung my fist at Bansho Takemaru’s jaw.
Crunch.
But that was not a very good choice.
Sharp teeth bit into my fist.
As though he truly intended to swallow my entire arm, he worked his jaw back and forth, chewing methodically.
Before I knew it, my arm had been swallowed up to the forearm.
If I simply pulled my arm out like this, I might end up looking at an arm with nothing but dangling bones, just like the flesh had been torn from my fingers moments ago.
‘You little….’
Adrenaline burst forth from the pain.
So.
I shoved my arm deeper inside.
“…?!”
His vertically split pupils widened in surprise.
Most animals cannot properly chew food that is trying to enter their mouths.
They can only gag and retch instead.
When my arm reached about as far as the elbow, he began struggling desperately to spit me out.
I could not tell exactly what part I had caught with my fingertips, but the shredded nerves and muscles were still functioning perfectly well.
“You’re biting me…!”
I threw an opponent several times heavier than me backward.
A spray of blood scattered in every direction.
I did not know whether it was my blood or his.
Kwang!!
I yanked my arm free from the impact.
Then I grabbed Bansho Takemaru tightly around the neck from behind.
A bare-handed chokehold.
No matter how incapable he was of feeling pain, as long as he was a living creature, cutting off the blood flowing to his brain would make him stop like an electronic device without electricity.
“…Ghk!! Y-you piece of trash…!!”
The thick muscles of my arm, swollen from the effort, were torn this way and that by his claws.
But I never loosened the hold I had made rigid.
Thud!! Thud!!!
Bansho Takemaru twisted his entire body and slammed into the wall as though trying to throw me off.
But that only lasted for a moment.
Little by little, his struggling diminished.
By the time I could no longer feel anything in my arm at all.
Thud.
Bansho Takemaru’s body fell forward.
…….
But I did not release the rear naked choke until the very end.
Ten minutes, twenty minutes.
And finally.
When a satisfying sense of fullness spread through my body.
【The player’s level has increased!】
I was finally able to let him go.
“Phew….”
My exhaled breath was heavy.
But.
It proved that I was still alive.
I slumped down on top of his body, whose fur had all settled back down.
With trembling fingers, I entered the number on my terminal.
And shortly afterward.
[You finally contacted me. Is your business concluded?]
“…Yeah, I’m done here. Is everything all right on your end?”
[Everything is finished here as well.]
Many gossipmongers would never notice.
That the reason the head of a massive organization dividing one district of the city into three territories had died, and the tactical personnel responsible for its military force had been cut in half overnight, was.
“Ow, fuck. Every inch of me aches. Both my arms are completely mangled. It’s too unfair that I had to go through all this and won’t even get compensation for the damage. Is there anything I can take separately to cover the repair costs for our building?”
[Hahaha….]
…was simply because they had messed with a certain building.