"————!"
Fang Li, who had been patiently awaiting the perfect opportunity for a decisive strike, suddenly felt a chilling presence behind him.
The sensation was akin to a venomous snake slithering up his neck, causing every hair on his body to stand on end, their pores dilating in response.
Without a moment's hesitation, Fang Li abandoned his defensive stance and swiftly sidestepped.
"Bang————!"
In that split second, the sound of a gunshot pierced the air as an invisible bullet whizzed past, grazing Fang Li's cheek before disappearing into the distance.
It was then that Fang Li realized.
Standing by the doorway of the train compartment was a female Samurai clad in a sleek, ninja-like outfit, gripping a Steam Gun with precision aimed at him.
To his surprise, it was one of the Hunters' Samurai.
Fang Li's mind raced to make sense of the situation.
"This is their stronghold. They wouldn't engage in a duel with me."
Moreover, knowing Amatori Biba's vengeful nature, he wouldn't hesitate to employ such underhanded tactics in his relentless pursuit of revenge.
And the surprises didn't end there.
"Da da dadada da————!"
Accompanied by the rhythmic sound of marching footsteps, a group of Samurai wielding Steam Guns flooded into the train compartment in unison.
Among them stood Mumei, amidst the ranks of the armed Samurai.
"Ani-sama?" Mumei's face twisted in confusion upon witnessing Fang Li and Amatori Biba locked in their intense battle.
"You… all of you…"
Before she could finish her sentence, Amatori Biba issued a direct order.
"Fire!"
Those words sent a shiver down Mumei's spine, her voice trembling as she desperately pleaded, "W-Wait… wait!"
However, for the members of the Hunters, Amatori Biba's commands were absolute.
Thus, in response to Mumei's frantic cries, each Samurai raised their Steam Guns in unison, their barrels trained on Fang Li.
Under the watchful sights of numerous guns, there was hardly a blind spot in the entire front section of the train compartment.
Fang Li found himself trapped, with nowhere to run.
"No! This isn't an inescapable situation!"
In that critical moment, Fang Li planted his feet firmly, his figure moving with lightning-like speed. With a swift spin, he maneuvered himself behind Amatori Biba.
"What?!" Amatori Biba immediately saw through Fang Li's intentions.
Meanwhile, the Hunters' Samurai adjusted their aim, tracking Fang Li's movement towards Amatori Biba's exposed back, instinctively aligning their gun barrels.
Consequently, the pitch-black muzzles of their guns were inadvertently pointed directly at Amatori Biba.
Startled, the Samurai hastily withdrew their guns one by one.
However, Amatori Biba swiftly pivoted, his longsword resembling a crescent moon, silently materializing like moonlight itself, and decisively slashed out.
The sound of the wind being cleaved resounded through the air.
The razor-sharp gust carried a chill, and just like the trajectory of the longsword, it ruthlessly cleaved toward the executioner wielding the deadly weapon.
Yet, in the next moment, an astonishing turn of events unfolded before Amatori Biba's eyes.
In a split second, Fang Li, his terrifyingly calm Mystic Eyes wide open, charged straight toward Amatori Biba without flinching or evading.
The pitch-black longsword swung heavily and collided with Fang Li's body.
"Pū Chī————!"
The sound of flesh tearing accompanied the splatter of crimson blood as a gush of red erupted from Fang Li's front, his skin and flesh ripping apart.
The wound came dangerously close to splitting Fang Li in half, nearly reaching his bones. It caused a deluge of blood to spray out, staining the ground red and smearing Amatori Biba's face.
Unimaginable pain engulfed Fang Li's senses. The injury surpassed even the severity of his death when he was hit by a car. If it weren't for Fang Li's significantly enhanced Endurance, he would have been critically injured and died on the spot, cleaved in two.
"You…?!" Amatori Biba exclaimed as shock etched across his face.
At that moment, blood-soaked Fang Li swiftly slashed through the air with his dagger.
"Pū Chī————!"
Once again, the sound of flesh tearing reverberated.
Accompanied by the crimson spray of blood, an arm was sent flying into the air.
It belonged to Amatori Biba.
"Urgh, Aaah, Aaah——!" Amatori Biba groaned in agony while clutching his severed arm, his voice a guttural howl.
"Chief Head!"
The Hunters' Samurai cried out in a mix of astonishment and anger.
Only Mumei, her small hands covering her mouth, watched Fang Li and Amatori Biba, both grievously wounded and she couldn't help but retreat in disbelief.
Seizing the opportunity, Fang Li and Amatori Biba separated, putting some distance between them.
During this painful process, Fang Li endured the most excruciating agony he had ever experienced. He retrieved a trauma recovery potion from his leg bag, uncorked the bottle, and poured the remaining liquid over his body, gritting his teeth.
Faint trails of smoke emitted from Fang Li's wounds as they gradually began to heal.
Meanwhile, he forcefully swallowed a mouthful of blood that surged to his throat. His ice-blue Mystic Eyes remained fixed on Amatori Biba, who clutched his severed arm, as Fang Li's smile turned cold.
"Amatori Biba, I have marked you."
"Next time, I will unquestionably kill you."
Leaving these words behind, Fang Li, despite the torrent of blood streaming down his body, propelled his heavily injured form toward the side window.
"Pēng————!"
Amidst the shattering sound, the window shattered into countless shards, scattering on the ground.
As for Fang Li, he had already leaped out of the window, vanishing without a trace.
Witnessing this scene, Amatori Biba, his arm drenched in blood, found himself kneeling on one knee.
"Chief Head!" The Hunters' Samurai rushed forward in a commotion.
Amatori Biba didn't spare a glance for his subordinates, gritting his teeth as he spoke.
"Chase him! He didn't jump off the Hayajiro! He must still be around! We must find him!"
"Yes!" The Hunters' Samurai responded in unison, raising their Steam Guns and dashing out to pursue Fang Li.
Shortly after, the entire train compartment was left with only Amatori Biba, clutching his severed arm, and Mumei was lost in a daze.
Amatori Biba stared at his fallen arm on the ground, feeling the intense pain radiating from the severed limb. His handsome face was shrouded in gloom, and tremors of fear coursed through his heart.
Only Amatori Biba knew the true danger he had just faced. Fang Li's attack hadn't targeted his hand; it had aimed at his heart. If it weren't for Amatori Biba's instinctual sense of impending doom that drove him to dodge frantically at the last moment, it wouldn't have been just an arm lying on the ground, but his lifeless corpse.
Recalling that lethal strike and those piercing ice-blue eyes, Amatori Biba's body trembled.
"Am I… afraid?"
…