"M-Mr. Kitazaki… it's like this."
Takuma quickly caved, immediately blurting out everything that had happened recently.
"A powerful guy like that, and the Delta Driver? Sounds very interesting," Kitazaki's face instantly lit up with the naive smile of someone who'd discovered a new land.
"Yes… that's right, but Mr. Murakami has warned us not to provoke that guy anymore. The most urgent task is to retrieve the belt first," Takuma quickly added.
"It doesn't matter to me, as long as it's fun," Kitazaki said, remaining completely self-absorbed. "I just hope that guy is as strong as you make him out to be."
As he spoke, Kitazaki walked to the side, picked up a few darts, and tried to throw them at the target on the wall. However, the darts turned into ashes halfway through their flight, which clearly annoyed him.
Takuma, witnessing this, felt his heart pound with lingering fear. This guy was a genuine freak; how could someone like him even exist in the world? He couldn't help but wonder: if this freak clashed with that Raven monster, who would come out on top?
The outcome Takuma would most like to see was a mutual destruction.
"Takuma, what are you thinking about?"
Kitazaki, who was still trying to throw the darts, suddenly spun around and tossed a dart right at Takuma. Luckily, before the dart could get close, the force of Kitazaki's power turned it into sand. But it was enough to give Takuma a terrible fright!
"You... you maniac!" Takuma cried out in angry desperation. He didn't want to be in the same room with Kitazaki for another second and bolted out the door.
"Hahaha… that's so much fun." Kitazaki laughed like a child. Teasing Takuma seemed to be his greatest source of pleasure.
On the other side, Saeko Kageyama's operation was progressing smoothly.
Over the past few days, she had personally delivered final ultimatums to the Orphnochs on the Smart Brain blacklist—those who refused to attack humans. She gifted each of them a bottle of premium champagne. Once they finished the fine wine, it was time for their execution.
Since she handled it herself, in just a few days, this operation had purged over half of the blacklisted Orphnochs across Tokyo.
Naturally, she also set her sights on Yuji Kiba and the owner of the pizza shop where he currently worked.
"No, I still can't do it…" The pizza shop owner was called outside to talk. Facing Saeko's aggressive pressure, he looked deeply distressed.
"Then, you must know the consequences of disobedience, right?" Saeko said, her eyes chilling.
She quickly revealed her true form, lifting the pizza shop owner with one hand.
"L-let me go… I truly can't do this…" the owner said with difficulty.
At that moment, Yuji Kiba, who had just returned from a delivery, noticed the owner wasn't in the shop. Concerned, he went out to look for him.
He ended up finding the owner being attacked by an Orphnoch in a small grove. He immediately transformed into the Horse Orphnoch and charged forward.
Bang!
The tackle sent Saeko sprawling to the side.
"Boss, run now!" Kiba quickly pinned down the Lobster Orphnoch (Saeko's form) and yelled at the owner nearby.
"Yuji Kiba, I was planning to deal with you later, but since you've delivered yourself to me, don't blame me." Saeko immediately exerted her strength, easily tossed Kiba aside, and began relentlessly attacking him.
Yuji Kiba had grown significantly stronger after recovering from his last attack, but he could only struggle to hold his ground, still unable to fight back. After all, Saeko's strength was second only to Kitazaki's among the Lucky Clover.
In just a few strikes, she struck Kiba down, forcing him back into his human form and leaving him badly injured.
"It's time to execute you now."
Saeko slowly advanced, her killing intent undisguised.
Just then, Takumi Inui and Keitaro Kikuchi, who were making routine laundry deliveries nearby, unintentionally witnessed the scene from their car.
"Takumi! It's an Orphnoch!" Keitaro immediately slammed on the brakes and yelled at Takumi.
Without a word, Takumi unbuckled his seatbelt, grabbed the Faiz Driver from the back seat, and rushed out. Upon closer inspection, he realized the person being attacked was Kiba, whom he had briefly met before. He quickly transformed into Faiz and charged forward to fight Saeko Kageyama.
"Faiz? Did that idiot Takuma fail again?" Saeko didn't yet know that Takuma had failed miserably and that the belt had been retrieved. But she couldn't worry about that now. Since it was here, she'd simply seize it again.
Behind them, Keitaro rushed forward, helped the unconscious Yuji Kiba off the ground, and carried him back to the car. However, he couldn't help but feel a little confused. Why was this person attacked by an Orphnoch but didn't turn to sand?
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