The reporters below were momentarily stunned, their surprise evident. A heavy silence filled the air. Utsumi, overcome with despair, felt an urge to end his life. However, Battle Rabbit intervened, declaring firmly, "I won't let you die!" With that, he whisked Utsumi away.
The scene shifted. Utsumi, now calmer, muttered to himself, "Where did I go wrong? I just wanted an ordinary life, to find joy in small, everyday things. Don't end up like me, Kiryu Battle Rabbit!"
Battle Rabbit, taken aback, asked, "You know who I am?" After all, he was still in his knight form. Yet Utsumi recognized him. Warning him earnestly, Utsumi said, "It's not too late to turn back."
At that very moment, a gunshot rang out. Utsumi fell into the turbulent river below. The shooter was none other than Himuro Gentoku. Battle Rabbit stood frozen in shock, unable to comprehend that Gentoku had killed Utsumi. He assumed Gentoku's motive was to silence him.
Meanwhile, viewers across the three realms watched the scene unfold, their reactions pouring in:
"Haha, this Himuro Gentoku is truly ruthless!" "Exactly, it's obvious he planned to pin everything on Utsumi." "Now he's even resorting to killing him. What a heartless man!"
On-screen, Gentoku addressed a press conference, his expression grave. "It's deeply regrettable that government personnel acted so treacherously, endangering citizens. But rest assured, the organization responsible for these monstrous creations has been completely dismantled. I, Himuro Gentoku, promise to protect Toudou!"
The audience's disgust grew. They saw through Gentoku's façade. "He created the organization himself! Now he's abandoning his pawn to protect his own position. Shameless!"
The narrative shifted again. Sayu reported, "Although significant evidence was recovered from Faust's base, there's no direct link to the Toudou government or even Nanba Heavy Industries. All the blame has been pinned solely on Utsumi."
Zhantu's expression darkened. "So there's no concrete proof."
Viewers discussed among themselves:
"As expected, Utsumi's been scapegoated." "Yeah, Gentoku's pulled stunts like this before. It's despicable."
On-screen, Wanzhang asked, "What's our next move?"
"I'll transform into a Creative Rider and expose Xue Qian's true identity," he declared confidently.
Battle Rabbit smirked. "You're no Creative Rider."
Wanzhang's face fell. "What? You still don't recognize me?"
Battle Rabbit teased, "Your name is Crozier!"
Hearing this, Wanzhang's mood shifted. "Crozier? Sounds good!" Turning to Misora, he asked, "What do you think?"
Misora, startled, replied, "Don't scare me like that!"
Even the audience found humor in the name.
At this moment, Nabeshima called Battle Rabbit. "Long time no see. Thanks for your help before. I've regained my memory. The one who ordered me to frame Wanzhang as a murderer was..."
Zhantu's face changed. "No way!"
After ending the call, Zhantu informed the group, "The mastermind was Xue Qian!"
Wanzhang was stunned. "It wasn't just Katsuragi's coincidence?"
Misora, puzzled, added, "The victim being the mastermind? That's bizarre."
Zhantu resolved, "We'll have to confront him directly."
Elsewhere, Huande confronted Xue Qian. Calmly, Xue Qian remarked, "It's rare for you to come to me. What's on your mind?"
Huande demanded, "Where is Pandora's Box?"
Xue Qian chuckled. "Straight to the point. Very well. Pledge your loyalty to me, and I'll reveal its location."
Viewers couldn't help but laugh at the irony.
"Didn't Huande use similar words on Xue Qian before? Now the tables have turned!" "Huande must be seething inside!"
True to expectations, Huande refused. "I should've cut ties with you earlier!" Their heated exchange escalated into a battle, but Xue Qian emerged victorious. Huande, now back in human form, found himself at Xue Qian's mercy.
Pointing his smoke sword at Huande, Xue Qian said, "What a pity. But for the sake of our shared past creating Faust, I'll tell you something. Nanba Heavy Industries' new partner is me."
Huande's eyes widened in disbelief. "What did you say?"
Xue Qian elaborated, "After they cut ties with you, they chose me. It's only logical."
The extraordinary chat group buzzed with conversation:
Fu Nina: "I didn't see that coming. Xue Qian, Nanba's new partner?"
Qiana: "It's shocking, but it makes sense."
Fu Xuan: "Xue Qian must offer unique advantages. Otherwise, Nanba wouldn't have chosen him."
On-screen, Xue Qian continued, "As for Pandora's Box, you should've guessed its location by now. If the government's special forces get involved, Nanba could manipulate Beidu or Xidu into war. If I were them, I'd use unaffiliated individuals."
With those words, Xue Qian departed, leaving Huande deep in thought. His cryptic remarks seemed to hint at a larger strategy.
The scene transitioned once more. Huande approached Zhantu. "I'm sorry for calling you so abruptly."
"It's fine. What's the matter?" Zhantu asked.
Huande explained, "Pandora's Box was stolen by Faust and hidden in a Nanba Heavy Industries storage facility. But without concrete evidence, we can't act. I need your wisdom."