The moment the group tasked with surrounding and killing Kurosaki Rei stepped out of the passageway, they froze when they saw Lu Tian, who had just been instantly killed.
The man standing before Lu Tian's corpse, holding a black blade, wore a smile that looked straight out of hell itself. An intangible killing aura spread across the arena, mingling with the stench of blood in the air and making it hard to breathe.
"Idiot. Facing a powerhouse like Kurosaki Rei, and you act so rashly…"
Hiō Kagefusa stared at Lu Tian's body, his expression dark. He held a long spear in his hand and immediately activated Divine Demon, locking onto Kurosaki Rei—but he didn't rush to attack.
There had originally been four of them assigned to surround and kill Kurosaki Rei, all disciples of White Niko. The plan was to attack from four directions simultaneously and cut Kurosaki Rei down in an instant.
But Lu Tian had charged in before the others were even in position.
Even with only three people left, the advantage should still have been on their side…
—or at least, that was how it was supposed to be.
Hiō Kagefusa was certain he had been watching Kurosaki Rei from the shadows the entire time, yet he couldn't figure out when or how Kurosaki Rei had drawn that black blade.
If the three of them, armed, surrounded an unarmed Kurosaki Rei, Fei believed they could win. But now that Kurosaki Rei also had a weapon, the situation became far more uncertain.
What's more, Devil Lance, Kuroki Gensai, was still present. Even barehanded, Kuroki could easily hold off one of them.
Clang—!
The sound of metal colliding rang out. Hiō Kagefusa saw his junior brother Lancheng being forced back, and his brow furrowed deeply.
"You've profaned the duel between myself and Kurosaki Rei,"
Kuroki said coldly as he stared at Lancheng approaching from his side.
"You should already be prepared to pay the price."
He was unarmed—yet he looked like the one holding the upper hand.
"So… you're not attacking?"
Kurosaki Rei stepped forward with Prison Demon in hand, that unsettling smile on his face making Fei's skin crawl.
"Come. Let me see your spearwork."
In the next instant, as if his killing intent had been hooked and dragged forward, Hiō Kagefusa attacked—against his own will.
An overwhelming pressure crashed down on him, as if telling him that if he didn't strike now, he would never get another chance.
With Divine Demon activated—
A single point of cold light arrived first.
Then—
The spear surged forth like a dragon.
It was an attack of godlike speed, carrying the absolute power of Divine Demon and the very essence of his spear arts.
Under this extreme pressure, Fei felt an unprecedented clarity. Once the spear was thrust out, the tension vanished from his mind, replaced by a strange sense of ease.
His path forward had never been clearer.
A point.
He saw it.
For the first time since clashing with Kurosaki Rei, he saw an opening!
It'll work— I'm faster by one step!
My spear tip can reach his throat!
Within Divine Demon, time itself seemed to slow. In the cracks between moments, he could see everything clearly.
He saw his spear closing in on Kurosaki Rei's vital point.
He saw the smile vanish from Kurosaki Rei's face.
He saw Kurosaki Rei's expression turn cold and indifferent.
He saw—
Kurosaki Rei tilt his head, just slightly.
The spear brushed past Kurosaki Rei's neck, leaving behind a thin line of blood.
Hiō Kagefusa didn't even have time to react—
A tearing pain ripped from his waist up through his chest.
I was cut!?
When did he swing his blade!?
My spear missed!?
How did he dodge that!?
In Divine Demon state, his heart—already pushed beyond its limits—burst like an overinflated balloon pierced by a needle, blooming into a crimson flower.
Hiō Kagefusa's body collapsed backward, kicking up dust as it hit the ground. Blood poured from his mouth as his eyes locked onto Kurosaki Rei.
Using the last of his strength, he asked the question burning in his heart:
"…Am I… very weak?"
Kurosaki Rei didn't look down at him. He turned instead toward another Worm, a dragon-tattooed man whose body had stiffened mid-attack.
With his left hand, Kurosaki Rei touched his neck, feeling the tiny wound there.
"That was a beautiful thrust."
As he spoke, Prison Demon rotated in his right hand, the blade plunging into Hiō Kagefusa's skull—ending his suffering.
Kurosaki Rei raised his gaze to the trembling dragon-tattooed man.
"What? Won't you show me your blade technique?"
In the next instant, with a flash step, Kurosaki Rei vanished.
When he reappeared, he was already behind the man.
A head rolled across the ground.
Kurosaki Rei flicked the blood from his blade.
"Seems there was no need after all."
He turned, intending to take Lancheng's head as well—only to find that Kuroki had already driven his Devil Lance straight through Lancheng's heart.
Though Kuroki Gensai was a martial artist, he was also a killer by trade. This wasn't a sparring match, and once he struck with lethal intent, Lancheng had almost no chance to resist.
"Senior Kuroki,"
Kurosaki Rei said as he rushed out of the arena,
"our match will have to wait. Let's deal with the Worm first."
He knew Kuroki would understand. Kuroki's master had ties with Gaoh Mukaku, and he was well aware of what the Worm truly was.
Kurosaki Rei had no intention of clearing out fodder inside the arena.
For one thing, he'd noticed that Prison Demon was rather picky—killing these people, aside from Hiō Kagefusa, barely increased its growth. Only truly powerful opponents were worth it.
For another, he was worried about the Wu clan.
Wu Erioh hadn't listened to his warning and had already led his people out before the incident. If the invading forces included the leader of the Westward Wu, then battle had likely already broken out.
They shared a bond. Kurosaki Rei didn't want to see Old Man Erioh die once again at Edward Wu's hands.
He had to find them—fast.
From Lu Tian's appearance to the complete annihilation of all the Worm agents in the arena, less than a minute had passed.
The stands were in chaos. Gladiators struggled to maintain order, protecting the people who mattered most to them.
Karura forced her way through the crowd and leapt down into the arena, trying to rendezvous with Kurosaki Rei—but she was a step too late.
All she saw was Kurosaki Rei's back disappearing into the passageway.
"Kurosaki Rei—!"
He didn't turn around. He only shouted back:
"Stay inside the arena. Don't come out!"
Kurosaki Rei knew the Worm wasn't completely reckless.
There were leaders from multiple nations inside the venue. If they attacked the audience and caused mass casualties among such important figures, the Worm would instantly become a global public enemy and be wiped out by a joint international force.
From the placement of the bombs alone, it was clear—the Worm only wanted to create chaos, split the battlefield, and assassinate specific targets.
At this point, Hayami of Toyo Electric's plot was already exposed. The Worm hadn't attacked Kengan Island to help him become chairman—
They were here to destroy the Kengan Association itself.
In the original timeline, neither Hiō Kagefusa nor Lu Tian had appeared on the island. The invaders were mostly low-level Worm fodder, and Katahara Metsudo's guards, along with several top-tier gladiators, had quickly suppressed them. Hayami's rebellion had ended as a farce.
But this time—
The Worm had clearly launched a full-scale invasion.
Considering how Kurosaki Rei had already displayed his strength in the tournament, and how a violator had been stirring things from the shadows, if the Worm weren't idiots, then this time—
They had brought their peak combat power.
So—
White Niko. Edward Wu. Xia Yan.
How many of you have come?
Kurosaki Rei's grip tightened on Prison Demon, his eyes burning with anticipation.
My blade… is starving.
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