Kyle stood alone on the rooftop, which had already been ravaged by several intense battles. Within his field of vision, Sabertooth's robust figure was somewhat disheveled as he distanced himself and disappeared around the corner of the street.
He didn't have the intention to continue the pursuit. This level of strength being enough to deter Sabertooth was the best outcome—
Both in terms of physique and strength, Sabertooth far surpassed Logan. However, as a result, his speed was slightly clumsy, and his combat skills were far less diverse and solid compared to Logan's. Therefore, the restraining effect of the Vibranium Bracer against him became even more apparent.
But that was all there was to it. The Carbonadium Sword was still stuck in Logan, who had been taken away by the Blue Eagle. Without the certainty and means to kill Sabertooth, Kyle had no desire to continue the fight.
After all, the most important thing now was to obtain the Healing Factor Card from Logan to prevent any unexpected setbacks.
With that in mind, Kyle didn't linger in place any longer. His dark figure flickered slightly, and he quickly left the rooftop, swiftly heading toward the location where the Blue Eagle was.
Three miles outside the small urban area, within the birch forest of the outskirts.
"Arrrrgh!"
A sound resembling a human scream but also resembling the roar of a beast echoed through the forest, startling countless birds that had yet to be disturbed by the fumes of war.
Beneath the giant eagle-like creature circling low in the forest, Logan continuously writhed on the ground, groaning in pain. The grass he rolled over was stained crimson with blood. A single-handed sword, bloodied and sticky, was lodged in the trunk of a tree, evidently, he had just forcibly pulled it out.
However, the wound caused by the Carbonadium Sword still suppressed his Healing Factor, preventing the fatal injury in his chest from healing in time.
If it were an ordinary human, they would have died countless times before the sword was even pulled out of their chest.
Only Logan, relying on his indomitable willpower, barely managed to hold on despite losing excessive amounts of blood.
"Shuā, shuā, shuā…"
A black figure swiftly dashed through the forest, stepping on the fallen leaves, and came to a stop in this area. The Blue Eagle, circling low in the sky, saw the arrival and let out a joyful cry. It was as if its mission was complete and it fluttered its injured wings and flew back into the sunlit blue sky.
"You've arrived… Where is that man?" Logan exerted his strength to lift his head as he glared intensely at the cold-hearted young man who had arrived before him. Clutching his chest, he struggled to climb up from the grassy ground, his robust body drenched in sweat and blood, which created a truly pitiful sight.
"I forced him to retreat," Kyle calmly replied as he coldly gazed at the heavily injured Logan.
Between the two of them, there could be said to be no grievances or animosity. To some extent, they were even comrades in the Allied forces.
However, Logan possessed an important card that Kyle desired to obtain. It is the natural law of survival of the fittest, it was as simple as that.
Kyle was never a kind-hearted person. Driven by his unwavering desire to become stronger, even if given another chance, he would still engage in a life-and-death battle against the formidable Logan for the sake of the Healing Factor Ability Card.
Although he had principles, limits, and emotions, they were all confined to those on his side, and they didn't include anyone in an opposing position.
Within the birch forest.
Kyle glanced around, taking a few steps forward and pulling the Carbonadium Sword from the bloodstained tree trunk. He held it firmly in his hand as he approached Logan.
"Are you planning to kill me here?" Logan's voice was weak and bitter as he spoke. He leaned against a nearby birch tree, his eyes filled with unwillingness.
He was unwilling to die like this! He refused to die before killing Sabertooth!
"I never said I wanted to kill you. But now that it has come to this point, it's too late for negotiations. Even if I don't want to kill you, I can't let you go," Kyle calmly stated the facts.
Even if he managed to extract the Healing Ability Card from Logan's body, given the current almost hostile relationship between them, he couldn't just let Logan walk away freely.
"In that case, there's nothing more to say." Logan weakly smiled and lowered his head slightly. Suddenly, three sharp claws abruptly extended from his empty right hand, and just as Kyle thought he was going to continue resisting, the tips of those claws pressed against his own heart.
Kyle narrowed his eyes and calmly asked, "What are you planning to do?"
"I want… to renegotiate!" Logan gritted his teeth, staring intently at Kyle in front of him. He took a deep breath and said, "There must be something you want from me, and this thing should also have conditions that keep me alive— otherwise, you wouldn't have let that eagle creature save me on the rooftop earlier, instead of letting that man kill me."
Indeed, the command he issued to the Blue Eagle on the rooftop had exposed this message directly.
"I don't think using suicide as leverage can serve as a bargaining chip," Kyle replied calmly, although deep down he couldn't help but sigh. At that moment, he really had no other choice.
Ability Cards can only be extracted from living individuals, while Item Cards are used to acquire items by killing their owners.
"This is the only bargaining chip I have. We won't know if it works until we try," Logan said laboriously. The tips of his right claw moved forward, piercing through his own flesh.
His Healing Factor was still suppressed due to the influence of the Carbonadium Sword, which meant that the wounds inflicted by the claws showed no signs of self-healing.
Kyle fell silent for a moment and said in a deep voice, "Wait, let's first hear what you want to negotiate."
"It seems I made the right bet," Logan slightly relaxed and said coldly, "That man from earlier, Sabertooth, he must die!"
"That's not a problem. I will kill him," Kyle nodded in agreement. Sabertooth was currently an officer in the German military. When the Allied forces invaded Germany, it was inevitable that they would have to deal with him.
For now, he agreed to appease Logan.
Just as Kyle was thinking this, Logan shook his head and said, "No. He must be killed by my own hands. You can only assist me."
"That's impossible," Kyle categorically refused. This was going too far.
"As long as this condition is met, I'll do whatever you ask in the future. Whether it's human experimentation or being a weapon of killing, I will comply without hesitation!" Logan said firmly. The claws slowly penetrated deeper into his body, almost touching his heart, as if expressing his resolute attitude.
The choice in the negotiation was once again in Kyle's hands.
'After using his own life as a bargaining chip, he was now offering loyalty as well.' Kyle fell into silence once again. This time, he carefully weighed the negotiation terms proposed by Logan in his mind.
The other party was currently a lone wolf driven to the brink of desperation. If Kyle could bring him under his control and firmly keep him in check, the force he would have in the future would possess high-end combat capabilities to hold its ground.
The only concern was the possibility of future betrayal.
Kyle spoke directly, asking, "If I agree to your negotiation proposal, how will you demonstrate your loyalty?"
"I swear in the name of my father and my mother, that as long as you help me kill my enemies with my own hands, I will not hesitate to carry out whatever you ask of me in the future," Logan said earnestly, looking at Kyle with anticipation.
"Very well. I accept. Remember what you said today," Kyle shrugged his shoulders and made his decision. "I will assist you in killing Sabertooth!"
No matter how Kyle considered it, Sabertooth had to die one way or another.
(End of chapter)
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