Chaos erupted at Experimental Base No. 2.
"Dandins is dead."
"Greed is dead."
"Orion will be in turmoil for a while."
"I've deleted all experimental and monitoring data from Base No. 2... My own records, along with those of many other operatives, are gone too."
"The Mafia Community will likely classify me as a missing person, presumed dead. They won't actively hunt for me."
"After all, only a handful of people have ever seen my face."
Kaizen walked down the desolate road, his thoughts as calm as his pace.
"This operation was close to flawless. Most of that is thanks to Altan. To be honest, the abilities of Killer Queen and Raiken are replaceable. But Altan's? Absolutely not."
Suddenly, the sound of rapid footsteps echoed behind him.
"Who's there?" Kaizen turned instinctively, catching sight of a figure.
It wasn't entirely human. While the silhouette resembled a person, its features bore distinct animalistic traits.
The aura radiating from the figure was erratic but strong—around the level of a C-rank.
Before Kaizen could act, the sharp rattle of gunfire shattered the stillness.
Thud!
The experimental subject was hit, staggering but refusing to fall.
Kaizen turned away. These escapees from Base No. 2 were victims of unspeakable experiments, and while his actions had given them a chance to flee, he didn't feel responsible for their survival.
Behind him, a dozen armed pursuers closed in, all wielding firearms and clad in combat gear.
The experimental subject gritted its teeth and faced them head-on.
Crack!
In an instant, several pursuers fell. But Kaizen didn't linger to see the outcome.
Gradually, the sounds of fighting faded into the distance as Kaizen continued forward.
Before long, he encountered a group of men in black suits and sunglasses—clearly operatives from the underworld.
"Hey, kid. Have you seen anything... unusual?"
Kaizen shook his head.
"No."
"No? What's a kid like you doing out here alone? Where are your guardians?"
One of the men stepped closer, reaching out as if to grab Kaizen.
Kaizen frowned.
A shadow moved behind him.
Raiken materialized silently, rushing forward with lethal precision.
Crack!
The man's throat was crushed before he could react.
The rest of the group froze, unable to see the assassin responsible for the sudden attack.
Their shock gave Raiken ample time to strike again.
Thud!
Crack!
One by one, the gangsters fell like dominoes, lifeless before they even hit the ground.
Kaizen didn't spare them a second glance as he walked away, leaving the bodies behind.
Eventually, he reached the outskirts of a quiet village. A small, weathered cabin came into view.
It was a Hunter's cabin, but it appeared abandoned.
Kaizen pushed open the door, surveying the interior before gathering wood from a nearby pile and starting a fire.
Sitting by the flames, he began roasting a hare he had caught earlier. As the aroma of cooked meat filled the air, the sound of footsteps approached.
Kaizen's sharp eyes flicked to the doorway as a figure stepped inside.
It was a young man—one Kaizen recognized from a distance during his time at the Shadow Beast Manor.
The man was a member of the Shadow Beasts, known by the codename "Fury."
Kaizen didn't know his real name, only that Fury had once been part of the Seven Deadly Sins before joining the Shadow Beasts to fill a vacancy. His strength was said to be among the best in the group.
The man sat across from Kaizen, his piercing gaze appraising him.
"Where are you from?"
Kaizen remained silent, his expression unreadable.
"Does it matter?" he finally asked, his tone calm despite the hostility he could feel radiating from Fury.
Fury's lips curled into a grin.
"No, it doesn't. Because no matter where you're from or why you're here, if you show up in this place at this time, I'm taking you down."
Fury's aura flared, his skin reddening as his body visibly swelled with power.
In an instant, he lunged at Kaizen, the sound barrier breaking with his speed.
But Kaizen didn't move.
Clap!
The sound of hands clapping reverberated as Fury's attack missed its mark.
Where Kaizen had been standing, Raiken now stood, wielding an ordinary wooden stick.
Fury sneered at the weapon, dismissing it as insignificant.
But the moment the stick made contact, Fury's expression changed drastically.
A silent explosion of force rippled through the air.
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