I launch myself toward the escapees with such force that a large crack forms on the castle's parapet. As I close in on them, I flip midair, turning upside down, and point my index finger at one of them.
"Go to hell."
The moment I say that, several slash attacks strike the one I targeted, killing him instantly. This is one of the skills I learned while training with Mine. I figured out that this gauntlet's power is the ability to unleash slash attacks. The closer the target, the deadlier it becomes. At close range, attacks from this Shingu can dissect enemies. Even more deadly if I actually touch the target with the gauntlet.
"FUCK!!! LET'S SPLIT!!!"
The remaining three shout in panic and immediately scatter in different directions, moving with the kind of speed that only intense adrenaline can produce—the desperate boost one gets when standing at death's door.
"DICE!"
SHIM! SHIM! SHIM! SHIM!
Several slash attacks burst out as I push the Shingu to its uppermost limits. Within seconds, I feel a large amount of energy being drained from my body by the gauntlet while the red crystal embedded in it begins glowing brightly.
All of this happens within seconds, and the next moment the bodies of the escapees suddenly freeze—
SWOOOOSH!!!
Blood and chunks of flesh explode everywhere, painting the sky red as their bodies burst apart like confetti and rain back down onto the ground. Some of it even splashes onto me as I quickly try to walk away from the chaos.
"Damn, I didn't expect them to turn into confetti. I only wanted to dice them up. I guess I underestimated this Shingu," I mutter, watching as the gauntlet slowly transforms back into a ring.
I notice the small red spots where the gauntlet had pricked my skin. The more I try to use its power, the more blood and energy it drains from me. That's a valuable lesson learned today. I guess great power never comes for free in this world, there are always conditions tied to it.
Just like my Teigu. The more I use it, the more my body changes and those strange tattoos appear across my skin. That's one of the reasons I stopped using it for trivial things. My teeth are now practically jagged and inhuman. Strangely enough, people don't seem to notice it.
Only one person knows about it.
I miss her. I promise I'll return to you someday—Neru.
Suddenly, I bump into Akame, almost making her stumble. She barely regains her balance even as I instinctively try to catch her.
"Hmph. Where have you been?" she asks, sounding like she's about to scold me.
"Took care of the rats that were trying to escape," I reply, pointing behind me.
When Akame's eyes land on the gruesome mess, she immediately starts vomiting… which is understandable. This wasn't your usual decapitated body or severed head, this was on an entirely different level of gore.
Leaving the vomiting Akame behind, I head toward the warehouse where I hear some strange noises coming from inside. As I get closer, I see Lubbock tying up a girl with his strings. The girl was one of the intruders, and this idiot apparently chased only after her.
I quietly hide behind the doorway and watch what he's about to do. Maybe things will play out differently this time.
"Sigh, what a waste. You've got a beautiful face, big tits, and a nice ass—practically everything I want in a woman. It's a shame you're doing this kind of job," Lubbock says, tightening his strings around the girl. The strands coil especially tight around her chest, almost like he's squeezing it. If I didn't know better, I'd think this was some kind of BDSM play.
"Please spare me! I promise I won't tell anyone! I'll even give you my body!" the girl cries.
Lubbock bites his lip, clearly hesitating.
"I won't make a mistake that makes me lose a friend again… sorry~"
With a dark expression, Lubbock tightens his strings around her neck and strangles her to death. After that, he simply turns around and begins walking away.
Sigh… just when I thought—
I stop my thoughts when I see Lubbock suddenly walk back toward the girl's corpse.
"Hehehe… since you're still fresh and warm, I guess a quick nut wouldn't be so bad," Lubbock mutters with a twisted grin as he begins taking off his pants.
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