"Bang————!"
A thunderous explosion resounded through the air as the heavy blows of the Fused Colony landed on its own heart, causing its chest to rupture as if blasted open.
A large number of Kabane, which formed the chest muscles of the Fused Colony, couldn't even let out a scream or a cry of pain. This time, they were mercilessly crushed, one after another, like splashing water and scattered by the violent impact.
"————AaahAaahAaahAaahAaahAaahAaahAaahAaahAaahAah————"
The Fused Colony, now deprived of a significant portion of its avatar body, emitted a resounding roar that pierced the sky. Surprisingly, within that roar, there was a hint of pain.
Fang Li, who had leaped into the air, clearly witnessed this scene. He let his body descend with gravity while overlooking the exploded chest of the Fused Colony.
In the next second, Fang Li finally found his target.
"Clang…"
A radiant blue light emanated from the heart of the Fused Colony, casting an ethereal glow on the surroundings. Amatori Biba, mostly submerged by the Kabane, appeared like he was sinking in mud.
Iron stakes extended around his body, interconnecting the Kabane. His head hung downward, and a gloomy gaze replaced the vigor that once resided within him.
Indeed, the black serum could artificially create the Fused Colony. However, the person injected with the serum, the Kabaneri, would eventually lose their own heart completely and transform into Kabane, becoming monstrous entities.
At this moment, Amatori Biba had likely lost all sense of reason. Otherwise, the Fused Colony would never foolishly expose its core by attacking itself.
But for Fang Li, this was an opportunity. It was the only chance he had.
Without hesitation, Fang Li underwent a remarkable transformation. He propelled himself off the air, descending like a missile from the sky, creating a sharp breaking sound as he shot directly towards the Fused Colony below.
The monster, diminished in size due to the loss of its body, bellowed toward the sky. With its remaining arm, it reached out slowly toward Fang Li, who descended from mid-air.
"Don't get in the way!" Fang Li's ice-blue Mystic Eyes gleamed, and he raised his katana, blocking the colossal hand descending from below. His entire being transformed into a projectile, hurtling downward with tremendous force.
From a distance, it resembled a meteor plummeting from the sky, hurtling towards the approaching half-broken giant.
And then, they collided.
"Pū————!"
A sound akin to air escaping hissed through the air. The meteor descending from the sky penetrated the giant hand, cleaving it apart along its path, splitting it in half.
At that moment, Fang Li pushed his strength to its utmost limit, surpassing even his own expectations. With the power of his Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, he relentlessly severed the Kabane that composed the Fused Colony's arm, engaging in a frenzied battle as he forcefully tore through the colossal limb.
"————AaahAaahAaahAaahAaahAaahAaahAaahAaahAaahAah————"
The Fused Colony let out another agonized howl, its roar echoing through the air. Whether it truly felt the pain of the Kabane that formed its body or if it was merely a facade, Fang Li couldn't discern.
Having successfully severed the arm of the Fused Colony, Fang Li descended and swiftly entered its exploded chest.
"AaahAaah————!"
Inside the chest cavity, the Kabane roared at Fang Li, but they were bound by the iron stakes and unable to move an inch. Fang Li had a clear path ahead as he propelled himself forcefully toward Amatori Biba, the core of the Fused Colony.
His ice-blue Mystic Eyes remained fixed on Amatori Biba's radiant heart. The crack-like Death Line flickered in Fang Li's gaze, revealing the vulnerability of his target.
"It ends here!"
With a powerful surge of momentum, Fang Li raised his katana high, poised to deliver a decisive strike directly at Amatori Biba's heart.
However, in that critical moment, a pitch-black long sword suddenly shot up from the ranks of Kabane beside Fang Li.
"Clang————!" The clash of blades reverberated through the air.
With a crisp sound, Fang Li's raised katana was swiftly deflected by the pitch-black long sword.
Startled, Fang Li swiftly turned his head, his gaze fixated on the unexpected figure among the group of Kabane.
It was none other than Amatori Biba himself.
"You…?!" Fang Li's pupils contracted in astonishment.
What was happening?
Wasn't Amatori Biba supposed to be transformed into the core of the Fused Colony?
Wait…
The core…
At that moment, a crucial piece of information surged into Fang Li's mind. He remembered a vital detail from the original work: only females could serve as the core of the Fused Colony.
If a male were to be injected with the black serum, they would succumb to a rampage and ultimately perish.
Could it be…
"You've figured it out, Fang Li-Kun," Amatori Biba opened his eyes and spoke indifferently.
"It wasn't me who was injected with the black serum, but one of my subordinates disguised as me."
As his words faded, the Kabane that had taken on the role of the core surged forward, their bodies now bristling with numerous iron stakes that resembled menacing spikes.
"Pū-chī pū-chī pū-chī—!"
The sharp iron stakes thrust upward, piercing Fang Li's body one after another. They passed through his limbs, causing torrents of fresh blood to spill forth.
"Urgh—AaahAaah—!" Fang Li couldn't hold back a scream as unprecedented pain coursed through his body, assaulting every nerve.
His entire body was penetrated by sharp weapons, causing Fang Li to suffer the most severe injuries he had ever experienced, leaving only one arm spared.
"In the end, victory is mine, Fang Li-Kun," Amatori Biba calmly remarked, observing Fang Li's impaled form.
"You shall join this Fused Colony alongside me."
With those words, the iron stakes began to retract, pulling Fang Li in the direction of the core.
"Hehe…"
At this moment, Fang Li, with his head lowered, suddenly burst into laughter.
Amatori Biba frowned and asked, "What are you laughing at?"
Hearing this, Fang Li endured the intense pain from his whole body and chuckled, "I'm laughing at myself for reaching conclusions too quickly, and I'm also laughing at the haste of your conclusions."
"Too quick?" Amatori Biba looked at Fang Li, who was completely pierced by the iron stakes, shook his head, and said, "Your whole body has been pierced, your weapon is gone, what else can you do now?"
"But I still have one hand, don't I?" Fang Li slowly raised his head, met Amatori Biba's gaze, and uttered these words.
"As for a weapon, I still have it."
...