Kuro devoured fast. In the blink of an eye, the two guards were reduced to nothing but skeletons.
"There it is again… that burning sensation… my strength just increased again!"
Lance could clearly feel the power growing within him—confirming once more that when Kuro devoured corpses, he benefited as well.
"Delicious… all eaten… Master… all gone…"
After finishing the two, Kuro looked at Lance and tilted its head. If it had a tail, it'd surely be wagging it like an affectionate dog begging for praise.
"Come on, I'll take you to have another big meal."
Lance led Kuro through the prison corridors.
This prison was built in an older Western style—long winding hallways with cells everywhere, but strangely, there were barely any guards in sight.
On either side, prisoners inside the cells noticed Lance and rushed to the bars like dying men spotting an oasis in the desert.
"I saw you earlier! You were taken by Diamante to be executed… how the hell are you still alive?!"
"You're a prisoner too, right? Help us out! Set us free and we'll serve you!"
"Hey hey! Stop right there, bastard! Let me out! If you dare defy me, I'll kill your whole damn family when I get out!"
The prisoners varied—some begged, some hoped, and some made savage threats.
At first, Lance had no intention of responding. But the second he heard "kill your whole family," his expression changed.
He stopped walking and calmly approached the man who'd said it.
"That was you just now, wasn't it?"
Lance spoke coldly.
"Afraid now, huh? Let me tell you, I've got a bounty of seven million Berries. I've slaughtered more pirates than you've seen in your life. You better let me out, or I'll make you regret it!"
The man continued shouting arrogantly.
"What about the others? Are they all your friends?"
Lance turned to look at the others.
The rest of the prisoners misunderstood his question as hesitation and thought intimidation might work. One by one, they stepped forward with dark glares and began shouting threats of their own.
"Kuro, your next treat has arrived. Kill all of them. Leave not a single one alive."
Lance took a step back, lit a cigarette, and said this coldly.
"What the hell are you talking about? Who're you even talking to?"
"Hurry up and let us out already!"
The prisoners shouted in confusion, still unaware.
"Yes… Master…"
Kuro stepped up to the bars, placing its massive clawed hands on two of the iron rods—and then pulled.
Screeeeech—
The metal groaned and bent outward, torn by sheer brute force!
The prisoners jumped in shock—how had the bars bent on their own?
But they didn't overthink it. All they saw was a huge gap now wide enough to escape through.
Excited, they rushed forward.
The slaughter that followed lasted less than a minute.
Over ten prisoners lay dead in the cell, each one in a more horrific state than the last. It was a scene straight out of hell.
Lance's face went pale, his stomach churning. But he had vomited so much already that there was nothing left, and his nerves were gradually becoming numb to the carnage.
"Hmph. Fools like them deserved to die."
Taking a long drag of his cigarette, Lance forced the lingering fear from his chest.
"What the hell… what did that kid do to them?!"
"I saw a head—on the floor! A severed head!"
"Someone tell me… what the hell is killing them?!"
The other prisoners in nearby cells were so terrified they nearly collapsed. Fear spread like wildfire.
"Who's making that noise?!"
"Daring to cause such a commotion? Do you have a death wish?!"
At that moment, prison guards fired warning shots. Footsteps echoed as they rushed toward the disturbance.
"Kuro, stop snacking. First, deal with the ones trying to interrupt your meal."
Lance raised the rifle and aimed toward the approaching corner.
"Kill them… Master says… kill them… no eating now… kill first…"
Kuro's mouth slowly closed. Without another word, it slipped out of the cell and charged toward the guards.
As it rounded the corner, five prison guards with rifles were rushing in. None of them saw Kuro. Their faces were filled with irritation, ready to vent their anger on the troublemaking inmates.
"Kill… must kill them…"
Kuro stomped the ground and leapt forward, stabbing its scythe-like claws into the bellies of two guards, pinning them to the floor.
"What the hell?!"
"What's going on?!"
The others turned around and were horrified to see their comrades writhing on the ground, blood spraying everywhere as wound after brutal wound appeared on their bodies.
"What the…?!"
The guards stared in terror.
There was nothing in front of them—but their comrades were being torn apart by something unseen.
The intense emotional spike triggered their ability to perceive the IBM.
Suddenly, Kuro turned its head.
"Master says… kill you all… no survivors…"
Before they could react, Kuro leapt again, its claws swinging out like death's scythe, ripping them all apart.
(End of Chapter)
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