Without hesitating for even a second, the moment the signal was given, Shin unleashed the full power of his muscles. He shot straight toward the main stage like a meteor, aiming directly at Lu Xie!
Shin's sudden appearance made Lu Xie's face pale in panic as he scrambled back several steps.
BOOM!
A violent, echoing explosion resounded through the luxurious atmosphere of the banquet. The surging air pressure ripped through the wind, shaking the entire stage.
— "Ugh... what?!" Shin knit his brows, suddenly coming to a halt in midair.
As the dust cleared, the tall figure of Qin Wuhuang was revealed. He had raised a single hand to effortlessly block Shin's powerful kick without shifting a single step. Guests across both the first and second floors widened their eyes in shock at this sudden turn of events.
Qin Wuhuang looked at Shin, curling his lips slightly:
— "I thought you looked familiar. Who would've thought you're actually Yanagisawa Shin?"
However, while Wuhuang was still focused on Shin, in a split millisecond, another dark shadow surged forward like a cannonball, aiming straight for his chest!
Sensing an immense threat, Wuhuang was forced to abandon Shin, hastily raising both arms to block Kento's thunderous punch!
BOOM! BOOM!
The terrifying force of the strike shattered the surrounding air, completely breaking Wuhuang's defensive stance and blasting him straight through the thick black velvet curtain behind the stage!
Kento landed firmly, clenching his fist that still emitted a light trail of smoke, brushing aside the bangs covering his forehead:
— "And I've heard your name around... Finally got the chance to test your strength!"
Only now did Lu Xie regain his senses from the shock. His face flushed bright red with rage as he pointed a finger and screamed:
— "WHO THE HELL ARE YOU GUYS TO DARE—?!"
Before he could finish his sentence, Shin's firm hand reached out, grabbing Lu Xie's entire face!
THUD!
With brutal throwing force, his face was slammed hard against the sturdy wooden floor. Lu Xie landed headfirst into a handstand position, his legs flailing briefly in midair before collapsing unconscious on the spot.
Meanwhile, in a logistics detention section inside, the reinforced steel door was smashed wide open. Roxy and the Mikami siblings had successfully breached the area. They stepped in to rescue all the living beings and alien species detained awaiting auction.
Roxy looked at the terrified eyes inside, speaking in a firm voice:
— "I'm here to save everyone!"
Back in the main hall of the auction banquet, a figure surged out from the rubble behind the velvet curtain at terrifying speed, delivering a direct punch straight at Kento's face!
Kento reacted lightning-fast, immediately crossing his arms to block. However, the explosive force of the attack was so immense that his feet skidded across the floor for dozens of meters.
Shin was about to leap forward to counterattack and support his teammate when suddenly, a blinding flash of light appeared right before his eyes! The beam of light energy condensed into a tall, imposing figure.
BAM!
A fierce roundhouse kick blasted directly into his side before Shin could even react, sending him flying dozens of meters and crashing into a brick wall corner!
As the dust settled, the identity of the newcomer was revealed—Officer Arthur. He dusted off his shoulders, sneering in contempt:
— "Haha, what annoying flies!”
In the 1st-floor VIP seating area:
Ryuzaki Renji burst into delighted laughter:
— "Haha, what's this? That's the first time I've seen anyone dare grab Lu Xie's face and slam it into the ground!"
Vincenzo Russo curled his lips thoughtfully:
— "How interesting!"
Renji took a drag from his cigar and turned to instruct his henchman in Japanese:
— "面白い奴だな、あいつ。" (That guy seems pretty interesting.)
— "だが、ここもじきに混乱する。撤退するぞ。" (But things are about to get chaotic here soon. We're falling back.)
The henchman bowed respectfully in response:
— "はい、坊ちゃん！" (Yes, Young Master!)
Up on the 2nd floor:
Freya Sterling stood leaning against the railing, smiling:
— "Quite a surprise, isn't it?"
Yoon Chae-won placed a hand over her mouth, her eyes fixed affectionately down at Shin:
— "That boy... how should I put it?"
Freya let out an exasperated sigh, shaking her head:
— "Sigh... you really are something else... Anyway, let's get out of here! An Officer has intervened, this place isn't safe anymore, let's go!"
Chae-won pouted in regret:
— "Okay... but what a shame! I didn't even get a chance to talk to him again before having to leave!"
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Back in the chaotic main hall below, high-society guests began screaming in panic as combat fully erupted.
Shin pushed aside the rubble, stepping out while dusting off his clothes, his eyes sharp as he glared at Arthur:
— "So, looks like you're an Officer?"
Arthur cracked his knuckles loudly, a cruel smirk appearing on his lips:
— "My hands have been itching for a fight!"
Suddenly, an elegant voice interrupted the tense atmosphere:
Damon spoke up:
— "Leaving me out would be a massive oversight!"
Standing beside Damon was Akai Kiriko. But before either side could make a move, a blurred shadow surged upward! Ling Mo, agile as a ghost, successfully closed the distance to Damon in the blink of an eye, launching a lethal strike. Damon leaned slightly to dodge in surprise:
— "What's this? Another guest?"
Instantly, Kwon Tae-Joon and Seijuro joined the fray. Seijuro swiftly drew a sharp sword hidden inside the food cart, delivering a clean, powerful slash aimed directly at Kiriko. Kiriko parried quickly with her weapon, taking advantage of the clashing blades to whisper softly:
— "Sorry, I have to put on an act!"
Seijuro's expression remained unchanged as he replied quietly:
— "It's fine, I understand!"
Arthur saw the chaos around him and flew into a rage:
— "A bunch of pestilent flies!"
Without further delay, Arthur leapt high into the air, hovering midair above the main hall. He spread both hands open, instantly unleashing two blinding surges of light.
Shin below raised a hand to shield his eyes as his inner energy warned him that the light beam was extremely dangerous:
— "Kento, dodge fast!”
Arthur accumulated light energy and rained down countless beams of light like a meteor shower. Upon impact with any object, the beams exploded with terrifying power!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Earth-shattering explosions sent the guests fleeing in wild chaos, triggering a brutal stampede as everyone scrambled to escape the battlefield.
Qin Wuhuang—who was standing by observing the fight—suddenly heard a strange noise behind him. Xie Xingchen had somehow snuck up behind Stolas and was desperately trying to unbind his chains. However, as Xingchen touched the strange runes engraved on the chains, they glowed intensely like script from holy scripture.
While Xingchen was completely absorbed in his task, Wuhuang abruptly charged forward with sharp eyes, throwing a forceful hand-swipe wind blade!
Fortunately, Xingchen reacted lightning-fast. He immediately executed his skill VOID DISPOSAL PORTAL, tearing open a spatial rift right beneath his feet to drop to a different location, completely dodging Wuhuang's strike.
Even more remarkably, a small spatial rift had also appeared beneath Stolas's feet. Xingchen had leveraged the exact moment the rift collapsed to generate spatial shearing force, snapping the heavy iron links! Although Stolas wasn't fully freed, most of the durable chains were destroyed.
Qin Wuhuang raised an eyebrow in surprise:
— "Even capable of creating spatial rifts... You're certainly no ordinary opponent!"
Xingchen replied, eyeing his adversary with caution:
— "Facing the strongest in the Order of the Four Extremes, how could I afford to be careless!"
Wuhuang smiled faintly:
— "But aren't you focusing a bit too much on what's in front of you?"
Xingchen gasped in shock! Unbeknownst to him, Wuhuang was already standing directly behind his back, driving a straight punch toward his face before he could raise a defense!
SWOOSH!
Yet Wuhuang suddenly tilted his head to dodge another thousand-pound punch hurtling in from his flank!
Kento stood firmly, stepping closer to Wuhuang to shield Xingchen:
— "You should be targeting me instead of Xingchen!"
Wuhuang pulled back his fist, calmly staring at his opponent:
— "You must be White Demon Kento, right?"
Kento smirked:
— "We almost crossed paths back at the underground arena!"
In a wall corner where Stolas stood, Shin sprinted over:
— "You must've been locked up for a long time, huh? Let me help you get out of here!"
Stolas raised quiet eyes toward Shin, asking in an indifferent tone:
— "Why... do you want to save me?"
Gasping for breath, Shin exerted all his muscle power to snap the chain:
— "What a weird thing to ask! Does saving someone really need a reason?!"
He tried with all his strength to pry the chains open, but they were harder than any material he had ever encountered. Shin turned his head toward Seijuro, shouting loudly:
— "Seijuro, need assistance!"
Without a moment's hesitation, Seijuro pivoted and unleashed a wind-shearing slash straight toward the two. The blade strike was extraordinarily precise, leaving not a single scratch on Shin or Stolas while cleanly shattering the remaining links!
However, right after swinging his sword, an invisible crushing force suddenly seized Seijuro by the neck, hurling him violently into a nearby stone wall!
BOOM!
The brutal impact blasted a gaping hole right through the wall.
At the same time, a flickering beam of light manifested right beside Shin. Shin's reflexes kicked in instantly as he shoved Stolas away. In exchange, he took a ruthless kick straight to the stomach! Shin was thrown back, skidding across the floor.
Shin wiped a smear of blood from the corner of his mouth, clutching his abdomen with glaring eyes:
— "What the hell are you?!"
Arthur stood enveloped in light, his voice chillingly cold:
— "I'll make sure you die before you even realize what hit you!"
Shin gritted his teeth in response:
— "You think I'll just let you do that?!"
Without faltering, Shin exploded with maximum speed! A distinct afterimage remained where he had stood, deceiving Arthur's vision. Yet as Shin threw a full-power punch, Arthur instantly vanished right before his eyes!
SWOOSH!
Arthur materialized directly behind Shin, landing another brutal kick straight into his flank, sending Shin crashing deep into the rubble!
Arthur stood high above in arrogance, his voice dripping with condescension:
— "In this Central District, no one can keep up with my speed!"
However, in the very next second, he was forced to urgently lean aside to dodge a sudden wind-cleaving slash surging out from the piles of broken stone!
Seijuro stepped slowly out from the dust cloud, gripping his gleaming sword tightly, his eyes cold as ice:
— "Then is your speed... faster than the speed of my sword swing?"
However, before Arthur and Seijuro could clash, a dark figure suddenly plummeted down like a meteor from high above the hall ceiling!
BOOM! CRASH!
Debris and dust exploded everywhere as floor tiles shattered into countless fragments. Out from the grey smoke, Damon slowly walked out, gasping for air in annoyance:
— "Ugh... Those two coordinate way too well!"
Arthur turned around to find Ling Mo and Kwon Tae-Joon standing behind in alert combat stances. He glared sharply at them both.
The battlefield layout was now completely divided into high-tension matchups: Qin Wuhuang against Kento; Arthur facing Seijuro and Shin; Damon clashing with Ling Mo and Tae-Joon.
Yet amid that suffocating atmosphere, there remained one person comfortably leaning against the 2nd-floor balcony, sipping fruit juice while observing the entire fight from the start.
Shen Hansen lowered his glass, his nonchalant voice echoing down below:
— "I came here for a party as invited, not to watch such sloppy brawling, you know?"
All the fighters below simultaneously paused for a heartbeat, looking up toward the 2nd-floor balcony.
Shen Hansen curled his lips into a meaningful smile, raising his glass in a toast:
— "Don't look at me like that... Carry on fighting!"
BANG!
Right at that moment, Shin suddenly erupted with power, leaping out from the rubble following Arthur's kick. He turned his head back and yelled at the top of his lungs:
— "XINGCHEN! GET STOLAS OUT OF HERE NOW!"
Receiving Shin's order, Xie Xingchen moved instantly. He opened a spatial rift to close in on Stolas's location. But just as Xingchen prepared to open another teleportation portal to retreat, Qin Wuhuang noticed! He darted over at terrifying speed, aiming straight for Xingchen:
— "Where are you looking?!"
BOOM!
Kento charged in, stopping Wuhuang's thrust with a brutal elbow block.
Qin Wuhuang instantly pivoted, shifting his entire offensive toward Kento. The two immediately engaged in a pinnacle exchange of martial arts prowess!
On one side was Kento, wielding a brutal and pragmatic fusion of Kyokushin Karate, Muay Thai, and Boxing, going head-to-head against Qin Wuhuang's elusive, ever-changing Tai Chi and Wing Chun! Knee blocks, straight punches, palm strikes, and lethal spinning counters occurred at dizzying speeds, creating echoing BAM! BAM! shockwaves that rattled the hall.
In another corner, Shin and Seijuro coordinated seamlessly. Shin threw power-packed explosive punches combined with Seijuro's clean, wind-slicing sword slashes. Yet Arthur, utilizing his light energy abilities, effortlessly evaded all of their attacks without showing the slightest strain.
Shin fought while glancing back impatiently:
— "Xingchen! Why haven't you left yet?!"
However, the scene before his eyes left Shin utterly stunned.
Damon had somehow flanked behind and used his specially mutated hand to lock down Xingchen, suppressing his entire nervous system so he couldn't move or activate his abilities by even a millimeter!
Ling Mo and Tae-Joon's expressions instantly darkened, about to rush in to save Xingchen when—
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A female figure was blasted straight through multiple thick brick walls, leaving a chain of giant holes leading all the way into the main hall!
The person struggling to stand up from the debris was Roxy! She wiped a streak of fresh blood from the corner of her lips, her eyes glaring furiously. Roxy had stayed behind alone to stall for time so the Mikami siblings could evacuate all the enslaved species safely.
Roxy panted, gritting her teeth:
— "This broad... is no joke at all!"
From the breach in the shattered wall, Siren Sinclair strolled out leisurely, a sinister smirk resting on her lips:
— "I knew there would be cockroaches slipping into the logistics area!"
Right now, Akai Kiriko stood rooted to the spot in the middle of the main hall. She was trapped in an extreme dilemma.
If she attacked the Zero Horizon squad, they would surely be pushed into a corner and killed. But if she attacked the Order of the Four Extremes or the Central District Officer, the spy identity she had painstakingly built for so long would be completely blown!
Beads of cold sweat rolled down Kiriko's forehead, her mind screaming in agonizing turmoil:
(What should I do?! What on earth am I supposed to do?! What do I do right now?! Please think of something... think fast... damn it, think of a way out, Kiriko!)
Amid Kiriko's suffocating inner panic, a deep, brutal voice echoed from deep within her consciousness:
— "Haha! Out of options? Come on, use my power! I'll slaughter every single bastard in front of you so you won't have to stress your little head anymore!" Akeomi sneered maniacally inside her mind.
Kiriko gritted her teeth tightly, screaming back in her mind:
— (Shut up, Akeomi! I don't need you!)
Akeomi burst into mocking laughter:
— "Soon... soon you'll be down on your knees begging to borrow my strength!"
Returning to the tense reality.
Arthur casually toyed with Shin and Seijuro's speed. In the rear, Damon held Xingchen in a tight grip with a triumphant grin.
Yet, the restrained Xie Xingchen suddenly curled his lips into a faint smirk!
— AUTOMATIC SINGULARITY!
Without needing to move his hands or body, Xingchen directly activated his ability straight from the spatial core inside his body!
A microscopic mini black hole instantly erupted right at the contact point between Damon's hand and Xingchen's back! Terrifying gravitational force ripped through the air without warning, forcing Damon to release his grip in panic and leap backward to avoid being swallowed by the black hole!
Freed from restraint, Xingchen immediately somersaulted, landing beside his teammates.
However, the situation had now turned extraordinarily dire.
The entire Zero Horizon squad—including Shin, Kento, Xingchen, Seijuro, Ling Mo, Tae-Joon, Roxy, alongside the prisoner Stolas—was completely cornered at the center of the main hall.
Encircling them on the outside were four of the most powerful elite figures: Damon, Officer Arthur, Siren Sinclair, and Qin Wuhuang!
Arthur folded his arms, shooting a glance at Kiriko standing frozen not far away. He barked impatiently:
— "You bitch, Kiriko! What the hell are you standing around for?! Get over here and help me wipe out these flies right now!"
The gaze of the entire hall—both friend and foe—converged simultaneously upon Akai Kiriko. She stood there, her whole body trembling violently in extreme panic as the moment of life-or-death choice had finally arrived…
(To be continued)