"Can."
"...Real?"
Nessley froze for a moment, then her eyes lit up.
"Then I'll leave it to you."
She tossed the device toward Kaizen.
Kaizen didn't move.
Instead, Uchiha Sasuke stepped forward and caught the Nen tool. After confirming it was safe, he handed it over to Kaizen.
It was shaped like a pendant—similar to the defensive-type Nen tool Dominica had once gifted Kaizen back in the Kingdom of Fiora.
"I'll take on this request," Kaizen said, his tone steady, "but not until I finish Tucker's job first."
"But rest assured. Since I've accepted it... I'll see it through. That's my way."
Nessley nodded solemnly.
"I believe you."
Everything Kaizen had shown so far made it clear—he was a man of principle. Far more than she ever thought herself to be.
...
On the computer screen, Tucker was still in combat. The two masked intruders were in terrible shape—battered, bloodied, barely standing.
Their bodies were torn apart by wounds. Blood clung to their skin. They struggled just to stay on their feet.
Tucker looked at them coldly.
"You murdered nobles to serve your own ideals, and dragged innocent people into your mess. You talk like revolutionaries, but all I see are butchers."
"You don't have families? Friends?"
"You really think this country can be saved by killing at random?"
"You call this justice?"
"You're nothing but animals. No—less than that."
"I'll be your judge now."
"For everyone you killed, I'll deliver justice!"
Tucker stepped forward, one heavy footstep at a time.
The two intruders exchanged a glance, the shadow of regret in their eyes.
"I can't believe it went down like this..."
"All this... and we couldn't even take out one Karoo."
"This country... it's just too far gone."
"Nessley's probably dead already."
"We were fools to think we could change anything at this level of strength."
"But maybe... maybe the Revolutionary Army will see what happened to us and understand."
"Gather real power. Strike back from the shadows. Take down these corrupt nobles and officials..."
"That's the only path forward now. That's the only value left in us."
One of the intruders turned his bloodied gaze to Tucker.
"But even if we die here... we'll make sure you don't get to keep that smug look."
"Calling yourself righteous while licking the boots of the Republic? What a joke."
"You've got no right to talk down to us."
"You're disgusting."
"Absolutely revolting!"
The armored intruder screamed and poured every last drop of aura into one final attack. His armor vanished as his aura surged into his arm, turning it into a deadly spear-like weapon.
"You damn lapdog of the Republic—die!"
He launched himself forward with everything he had left.
Tucker narrowed his eyes.
"Big words from someone so small."
"You think you're rebels? Heroes? You're just killers with a cause."
"I know this country's rotting. I'm trying to fix it from within. I'm risking my life for that."
"And you? You just want blood."
"You're not revolutionaries—you're cowards making excuses."
Tucker surged forward, kicking off the ground with explosive speed.
Their auras clashed violently.
BOOM!
The shockwave ripped through the ruins, shaking the ground. Shards of stone and concrete flew like shrapnel.
Karoo flinched, diving for cover—but even that wasn't enough. He was too weak, too slow.
A chunk of debris sliced across his face.
Pfft!
Blood splashed from the cut. He snarled in pain, his expression twisting with rage.
Boom!
The armored intruder flew back, crashing hard into the rubble.
Tucker readied another blow to finish him off—
"Wait, Tuck!"
Karoo stepped forward, blade in hand.
"Let me do it."
"They were after me. They killed my guards."
"I'll deal with this bastard myself!"
Tucker hesitated, then gave a short nod.
Karoo marched toward the wounded invader, his expression dark.
The intruder couldn't move. His chest was caved in. He spat up blood.
Nessley's heart clenched.
"Damn it!"
The other intruder tried to intervene—
But Tucker appeared in a blur and blocked him.
Pfft!
Karoo reached the armored intruder, lips curled in hatred.
"You thought you could assassinate me?"
"Do you even know who I am?"
"Was this just to build your little reputation?"
"Let me show you real pain."
"This... is just the beginning."
Karoo drove his blade into the man—not in a vital spot, but somewhere small, cruel, excruciating.
The intruder howled.
Karoo's face lit up in sadistic delight.
"Yes... yes! That's it!"
"So exciting!"
He was completely lost in it.
BOOM!
Elsewhere, Tucker smashed the second intruder into the ruins.
He stepped forward, ready to end it—
...
Crack!
A stone slab shifted nearby. A hidden entrance opened, and a figure crawled out.
A naked woman, covered in scars—wounds from countless tortures.
Then another followed.
And another. Two. Three...
One of them still had light in their eyes. The rest—dead-eyed, hollow, like puppets marching in line.
A man holding a whip stood among them.
"Karoo-sama, what happened outside?"
"Luckily, most of your slaves are still alive..."
"Especially your favorites."
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