CRACK! BANG! SLASH!
Without a single moment's delay, Seijuro and Roxy surged forward, coordinating flawlessly to form a lethal pincer attack!
Roxy tore through the air, her Hellhound claws rending space itself, carving streaks of deep crimson killing intent that shattered the entire stone floor beneath them. Instantly, Seijuro followed up with razor-sharp compressed air slashes from his Katana, relentless and precise to the exact millimeter.
The combination of wild, bestial speed and pinnacle swordsmanship generated a continuous combo delivering devastating damage. Higa Kyousuke and Saionji Kyo—the two heavyweights of Kurohana Kai—were swept into the frantic assault, struggling frantically to dodge without finding a single opening to strike back!
Higa barely parried a slash that grazed his cheek, cold sweat rolling down his forehead as he roared in shock:
— "Too fast!"
— "Leaving me out isn't any fun!"
Shin's voice suddenly echoed directly overhead! Shin plunged down like a hunting falcon, unleashing an air-splitting axe kick aimed straight for Higa's head.
Kyo instantly raised his thick, solid arm to block, absorbing the strike for his comrade. Taking advantage of Shin being mid-air, Higa channeled his strength into a counter uppercut. But just as his fist was about to make contact, Shin smoothly closed the distance, utilizing master-class Aikido techniques to borrow the momentum and completely neutralize the kinetic force—twisting Higa's wrist back and driving a brutal, merciless punch right into his ribs!
Without letting up, Roxy flashed past like a specter, her claws shredding through the flesh of Higa's chest, sending fresh blood spattering into the air. Seeing his partner cornered, Kyo attempted to rush in for the rescue, but Seijuro's blade swept across his face, forcing him to leap backward to save his own neck.
Devastation! Overwhelming dominance!
Hundreds of Kurohana Kai thugs encircling the perimeter stood completely frozen in terror. Watching their headquarters getting plowed over, the stone floor pulverized into fine rubble, not a single one dared step closer. When monsters clash, bugs that rush in meet only death!
A thug swallowed hard, trembling violently:
— "Look... look at them! They're fighting on equal footing—no, they're actually overpowering Master Kyo and Master Higa!"
The thug beside him had all color drained from his face, whispering:
— "Terrifying... Should... should we rush in and help?"
A third thug immediately slapped him across the face, snarling under his breath:
— "Are you insane?! Don't interrupt Master Kyo's battle! If you barge in, he'll wring your neck before you even touch the enemy!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The battle across the massive courtyard had transformed into a literal wasteland. Reinforced brick walls collapsed repeatedly under the violent collisions of the five monsters.
Pushed into a corner, Kyo snapped, roaring maniacally as he slammed his full weight and fist straight into the stone ground!
CRASH!
The entire courtyard shuddered violently; the ground cracked open into massive fissures, blasting jagged debris everywhere to disrupt Seijuro's aggressive rhythm.
Seizing that split second, Higa—eyes bloodshot—stamped his foot hard onto the earth, bursting forth with maximum speed to close into Shin's point-blank range. Veins bulging on his neck, he roared, unleashing a punch packing the horrific payload of an artillery shell flying at supersonic speed!
SWOOSH!
The air-ripping strike arrived before Shin's face in the blink of an eye. In that hair-breadth moment, Shin tilted his head back by a hair's breadth! The punch grazed right over Shin's shoulder, the terrifying air pressure behind the fist penetrating straight through a series of concrete walls behind him, leaving a row of gaping, deep holes in its wake!
Without giving his opponent time to retract his arm, Shin counterattacked instantly! He spun around, whipping a heavy roundhouse kick directly into Higa's neck.
BANG!
Failing to raise his guard in time, Higa took the full force of the kick. His massive body flew like a cannonball, slamming violently into a distant brick wall, sending dust and debris billowing into the air.
While Higa was still dazed in the rubble, Roxy darted in like a streak of crimson light, her raised claws ready for the finishing blow! Higa raised both arms to defend, deep claw marks spurting blood profusely.
Yet, cornered at death's door, Higa's survival instincts erupted! Catching sight of Roxy's Hellhound tail whipping past, Higa lunged out and caught it in a vice grip!
— "Got you, bitch!"
Higa grit his teeth, unleashing a ferocious roar as he condensed all the dark, pitch-black Sophion energy in his body into his right fist! He drove a 100% full-power straight punch dead center into Roxy's abdomen!
BOOM!
A shockwave of dark energy exploded outward!
Roxy took the direct hit, her eyes rolling back. The horrific impact launched her like a wind-tearing arrow, shattering through four to five thick concrete walls behind her before burying her deep beneath a mountain of collapsed rubble!
Seeing Roxy dangerously blasted away, Shin's eyes instantly flushed blood-red. Rage erupted, causing the killing intent surrounding him to burst into a furious storm:
— "ROXY! YOU BASTARD!"
VANISH!
Shin vanished from his spot! His speed at this moment far exceeded what Higa's martial vision could track. Just as Higa raised his head to prepare for a counter, Shin was already right in front of him!
Ducking under Higa's hasty punch, Shin's eyes turned terrifyingly cold. Condensing and tightly compressing Sophion energy into his right fist, Shin unleashed a brutal, relentless barrage of direct strikes into Higa's chest and abdomen!
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
The penetrating blows, packed with compressed Sophion energy, directly ruptured the internal organs inside Higa's body! Higa groaned in excruciating agony, coughing up a fountain of fresh blood. He desperately tried to hurl a punch to halt Shin, but Shin's Aikido seamlessly caught his wrist again, snapping the joint backward before delivering another mountain-heavy barrage!
On the other side, Saionji Kyo saw Higa being beaten to a bloody pulp and panicked, attempting to rush over:
— "Higa!"
However, a dark silhouette instantly loomed right before him.
Seijuro narrowed his eyes, the Katana in his hand radiating frostbitten killing intent:
— "You forgot about me and think you can save your friend? Keep dreaming, dumbass!"
Kyo flinched:
— "What?!"
SLASH!
A master-level slash was unleashed by Seijuro like lightning! Kyo barely dodged using pure survival instinct, jerking his head to the side. The passing blade shaved off a large clump of his hair, sending it fluttering into the air!
Seijuro clicked his tongue in regret:
— "Aimed for the head, but you still managed to dodge?"
Kyo clutched his singed, uneven hair, horror and rage flashing in his eyes:
— "Dammit! Your slashes are insanely dangerous... I heard rumors of a swordsman as fast and strong as a demon... To think that person was you!"
Seijuro smirked, his eyes razor-sharp:
— "Surprised you recognized me. Since you've heard the rumors, why don't you try blocking this next one?"
Before Kyo could regain his composure or assume a defensive stance, Seijuro took a phantom step forward. The second slash came down!
This time, Kyo wasn't so lucky!
SLASH! BANG!
The Katana sliced cleanly through flesh and bone. Kyo's right arm was severed completely at the shoulder joint, flying through the air before dropping onto the stone floor with a wet thud!
— "AHHHH! MY ARM! YOU SON OF A BITCH!"
Kyo screamed in agonizing pain, his left hand desperately clutching his spurting shoulder stump as he fell to his knees.
At the same time, from the dust-filled rubble far in the distance, Roxy stumbled out. Though her clothes were tattered and blood trickled from the corner of her mouth from Higa's punch, her stubborn Hellhound physique gave her enough endurance to keep fighting.
However, right before Roxy and Seijuro's eyes, a bizarre and grotesque sight unfolded.
Grit-toothed and wild-eyed, Kyo reached down with his left hand and picked up his severed, blood-soaked right arm from the floor. He casually pressed the raw cut of his severed arm right back against the shoulder wound!
CRACK! SNAP! CRACK!
Muscle fibers, blood vessels, and broken bones from both sides of the wound began squirming and interlocking like grotesque tree roots. In just a few brief seconds, the completely severed arm reattached seamlessly, leaving not even a faint scar behind!
Kyo rotated his freshly reattached wrist, cracking his neck as a psychotic grin spread across his face:
— "Haaa... That actually felt pretty refreshing!"
Seijuro stared in astonishment at the scene, his brows furrowing tight:
— "Color me surprised..."
Roxy approached Seijuro's side, wiping the blood from her lip, her expression growing exceptionally grave:
— "This guy... his regeneration is faster than anything I could have imagined!"
BANG! BANG! BANG!
In the other corner of the courtyard, Shin was like an unleashed beast, continuously hammering brutal Sophion-infused punches into Higa Kyousuke's body. The surrounding space trembled with every strike; Higa's chest collapsed, his ribs fracturing with sickening crunches.
Yet, just as Shin was preparing a decisive strike aimed straight at his temple, Higa—cornered at death's door—grit his bloody teeth and reached out with both hands, using every ounce of his remaining strength to clamp onto Shin's fist.
Gasping for air mixed with fresh blood, Higa's bloodshot eyes bulged as he growled in Japanese:
— 「もう十分だ…！俺にこれだけの屈辱を味わわせたんだ、お返ししても文句はあるまい？」
(“That's enough...! You've made me suffer this much humiliation, you won't complain if I pay you back, right?”)
Shin raised an eyebrow slightly, a mysterious smirk touching his lips:
— "Huh?"
BOOM!
Before Shin could react, Higa detonated all the remaining Sophion energy in his body, driving a straight punch dead center into Shin's face! The strike carried the force of a long-range artillery shell, shattering Shin's stance.
Losing his balance, Shin's entire body was slammed violently into the marble floor by Higa's horrific blow!
CRASH!
A deafening explosion echoed across the estate. The ground beneath shattered completely, massive cracks spiraling outward for dozens of meters as if a multi-ton meteor had struck straight from the sky. Billowing dust and shattered rock erupted violently, swallowing Shin's body.
Higa rested his hands on his knees, exhaling a long, ragged breath, a cruel smirk spreading across his face as he spoke in Japanese:
— 「ハハッ！死んだ魚みたいに地べたに伏せてな！」
(“Haha! Now lie flat on the ground like a dead fish!”)
However, as the dust slowly cleared, a chilling sight met Higa's eyes, causing his pupils to contract as his breathing came to a dead stop.
In the crater of the wreckage, Shin slowly sat up. His face bore not a single scratch or sign of defeat—his gaze cold and indifferent, as if that earth-shattering punch had been nothing more than a speck of dust brushing past his cheek.
Shin dusted a few grains of grit off his shoulder, speaking in disappointment:
— "Is that all? You really ruined my mood. Hey Higa, you're even weaker than Orlov."
At the mention of that name, Higa flinched violently. He stumbled back several steps, his eyes filled with utter confusion and absolute terror, unable to believe what he was seeing and hearing. He stammered in Japanese:
— 「お前、一体何者だ…！？オルロフを知っているのか…まさか、奴を殺したのはお前なのか！？」
(“What the hell are you...?! You know Orlov? Don't tell me... the one who killed him was you?!”)
Shin stood up casually, his eyes flashing with blood-red killing intent:
— "Just realizing that now? Too late, son!"
VANISH!
Before Higa could utter another word, Shin vanished from the spot. The very next second, he materialized right beside Higa, driving a backhand fist packed with compressed Sophion energy straight into Higa's face!
BANG!
The massive kinetic energy blasted Higa's huge frame flying like an arrow. Higa tore through the air, crashing directly into Saionji Kyo, who was currently engaging Seijuro and Roxy!
CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!
Both Higa and Kyo slammed into each other, sweeping up shattered stone as they plowed through a succession of fortified rooms behind them, spraying blood everywhere.
Kyo clutched his newly reattached arm, pinned under Higa's blood-soaked body, roaring in fury:
— "You dumbass! What the hell are you doing?!"
Higa clutched his deformed, crushed face, trembling as he coughed up blood:
— "Guh... I... I don't think we can win this, Kyo!"
Kyo frowned, shoving Higa off:
— "What do you mean?!"
Higa stared tremblingly toward the ruined courtyard in the distance:
— "They... they weren't even fighting seriously from the start! They're playing with us! Their power... is way beyond our league!"
— "Done talking so I can finish you off?" Roxy's razor-cold voice suddenly echoed right above their heads.
Before the two Kurohana Kai leaders could react, Roxy unleashed her Hellhound claws, grabbed Higa by his legs, let out a roar, and hoisted his body high—slamming him repeatedly into the floor like a ragdoll!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Stone shattered in all directions; Higa vomited massive gobs of blood, his bones reduced to splintered mess. Kyo panicked, attempting to rush forward to assist his partner when—
SLASH! SLASH!
Two razor-sharp arcs of sword qi zipped past. One clean diagonal cut sheared off both of Kyo's lower legs, followed by a sweeping arc that severed his reattached left arm once again!
Kyo screamed in agony, attempting to crawl across the floor with his bloody, limbless torso:
— "AHHH... YOU BASTARDS..."
However, Shin had already stepped up. He swung his leg like kicking a soccer ball, sending Kyo flying. Roxy simultaneously hurled Higa's battered body right behind him. Both Kurohana Kai bosses crashed straight through gold-plated Shoji sliding wooden doors, landing upside down inside the mansion's grandest hall.
CLICK.
The atmosphere inside this hall was entirely different from the chaos outside. Every sound seemed to be swallowed by a suffocating, crushing pressure.
The room bore the hallmarks of peak traditional Yakuza architecture: the floor was laid with premium, hand-woven Tatami mats emanating the pleasant scent of dried grass; hanging on the walls were golden scroll paintings depicting dragons swirling in clouds, alongside ancient black-steel Samurai armor (Yoroi) stained with blood, radiating centuries of resentment. The scent of expensive incense blended with aged Sake hung lightly in the air.
At the central seat of honor (Kamiza) upon an elevated stone dais sat a man cross-legged, exuding the posture of an absolute ruler.
He wore an open black silk Haori draped casually over his shoulders, fully exposing a muscular chest as solid as cast bronze. Spanning his upper body was an intricate Irezumi tattoo depicting a ferocious White Tiger bearing its fangs amidst a storm.
Flanking him were two young Geishas dressed in luxurious Kimonos, kneeling in service. Both clung submissively to him, exposing their full, voluptuous curves under the half-open silk robes for his rough hands to grope, knead, and play with at will.
Seeing his top two lieutenants thrown inside beaten to a pulp and interrupting his leisure, the man slowly let go of the two women. Taking the hint, both females bowed submissively and flirtatiously covered their mouths, retreating to the corner of the room.
The man slowly raised his head, his deep voice carrying a massive pressure that froze the surrounding air:
— "I just got played by the Ryuzaki family. Those bastards... sitting at the top of the food chain just because of their noble name, growing arrogant. And that punk who just took over as head of the family... he's an eyesore."
He rested his arm on his knee, his narrow eyes flashing with the cruel glint of a nocturnal predator:
— "All I wanted was some quiet rest... Yet you bastards show up, a bunch of stray ants I haven't even finished sweeping away. You're really pissing me off!"
Higa and Kyo lay flattened on the blood-soaked Tatami floor, struggling to raise their heads toward him. The voices of the two men who were terrorizing everyone moments ago now trembled like leaves in fear:
— "B... Boss... g...ive us on...e more ch...ance..."
— "Guh... B...oss... th...ey're... t...oo st...rong..."
The man shook his head, letting out a icy sigh:
— "You useless fools... disappointed me."
VANISH!
No one saw how he moved! There was no sound of wind, no excess motion—he simply flicked his hand lightly through the air.
SLASH! POP!
Instantly, the heads of Higa Kyousuke and Saionji Kyo were severed clean off their necks on the spot! Fresh blood spouted from their stumps like fountains, staining the pristine white Tatami mats bright red.
He stood up. Reaching down with his large hands, he grabbed the hair of his two lieutenants' severed heads—whom he had personally executed—and hoisted them into the air.
From the corners of his eyes, tears involuntarily trickled down—a twisted, grotesque form of grief.
BANG! CRACK!
With every step he took toward the room's entrance, the wooden floor and Tatami mats beneath his feet shattered and burst open under the raging Sophion pressure surging from his body!
Seijuro narrowed his eyes, his grip tightening on his Katana's hilt until green veins bulged, warning in a low voice:
— "This guy is definitely the top boss here!"
Roxy stood beside him, swallowing hard as she stared at the two bloody heads in his hands:
— "He's... way too decisive and ruthless, isn't he?"
Shin stepped forward, shielding his two teammates. His eyes turned more serious than ever as he stared directly at the figure stepping out from the shadows:
— "The strongest warrior before us... is Shiraishi Kagetora (白石 景虎)!"
Shiraishi Kagetora raised the two severed heads of Higa and Kyo to eye level, his eyes overflowing with ultimate killing intent as he glared at Shin's trio. He let out a roar that shook the entire headquarters:
— "Rest in peace, you two... Let me avenge my beloved younger brothers!"
End of Chapter 44