In a corner of a deserted shop in the suburbs of Naples.
Kira Yoshikage knelt on one knee, coughing violently, no longer feigning but truly in pain, and began to retch.
What he vomited was no longer blood, but a viscous, black, oily substance shimmering with ominous phosphorescence, emitting a strange smell of metal mixed with decay. His body convulsed uncontrollably, and Killer Queen also roared and pounded all around.
It completely destroyed the shop, which was already in a mess with shattered walls.
"Ugh... Ah ah ah..."
He let out a suppressed growl, veins bulging on his forehead, and the blood vessels under his skin seemed to turn into wriggling black earthworms.
The clothes on his back suddenly ripped!
Pfft!
Another pair of pale, deformed arms, covered with fine black patterns, suddenly burst out from beneath his shoulder blades!
They grew on his back, and at the same time, a face-like pattern gradually formed on his back, that face bearing a bizarre smile.
These newly formed arms were unusually long and thin, with fingers as sharp as claws, and joints twisted in an inhuman way, unconsciously scratching the air, producing a grating sound.
But this was not the end. A horrifying creaking sound came from his spine, which unnaturally protruded and deformed section by section, as if something was struggling to break free.
His vision began to flicker, the scene before his eyes sometimes clear, sometimes overlaid with countless distorted, malicious geometric illusions, and blasphemous whispers, not from outside but from his own cells, echoed in his ears.
The complex energy absorbed and transformed from "Bites the Dust Rhapsody" was too terrifying; in a sense, it was completely destroying all matter in a certain area, turning it into pure energy, and then transmitting that pure energy back into the main body.
And how terrifying is pure energy?
The Little Boy (atomic bomb) was merely less than 1 kilogram of matter converted into pure energy, and it dealt a severe blow to Hiroshima.
But the amount Kira Yoshikage could convert was unlimited... Although most of that energy would be lost, even if he could only retain 1%.
That power would be unimaginable; the energy obtained from these few transformations was enough for him to directly blow up the entire Italy.
This terrifying power was not something a human body could bear. Under the nourishment of this abundant energy, Kira Yoshikage's body began to evolve; although he didn't want to, evolution was inevitable.
Killer Queen's shell temporarily maintained his form, but its core was also constantly changing, and arrow-shaped patterns appeared on his body.
"...The price?" Kira Yoshikage looked at his newly grown hands, a cold understanding flashing in his eyes, yet without fear, only a calm that bordered on madness.
"Fortunately, I have Bites the Dust Rhapsody."
Kira Yoshikage's expression was very calm. These new limbs were strong, but their side effects were also great. When they accumulated in large numbers, they would definitely take his life. At that time, Bites the Dust Rhapsody would naturally activate.
As the cause of his death, these new limbs would naturally be removed. These abilities actually matched perfectly.
"But it seems I need to go see Mrs. Shinobu first. It should have been an hour since I finished the battle, right?"
Kira Yoshikage murmured to himself.
At the same time, Killer Queen behind him struck his head with full force, and Bites the Dust Rhapsody immediately activated.
An indescribable light was produced, and under the power of Killer Queen, time flowed backward once again... "How about it? Do you still think this is a small problem?"
"I apologize, esteemed General. Your request is reasonable. I now, on behalf of the Italian government, request assistance from the United States.
I hope the US military can help us deal with this terrorist."
"Good, in that case, let's discuss the remuneration for our US military helping you eliminate the terrorist. How much money do you plan to offer as economic aid?"
When the Chief of Staff communicated with the US General again, everything had changed. This time, he went from refusing US military intervention to requesting the US military to intervene as soon as possible.
He was completely disheveled, like a startled quail, while the US General opposite him became arrogant.
The Chief of Staff was seething with anger but dared not show it, because the final decision had been made: no matter how much it cost, this matter had to be completed.
"Yes, General, you are right."
Looking at the streets of Naples, now ravaged like ruins, Diavolo ultimately chose to let the US military handle this dangerous enemy through the government.
It was no longer worth it to continue sending his carefully trained subordinates to their deaths; it was useless. Going himself was too dangerous.
Overall, inviting the US military was the most cost-effective solution.
The US military was about to arrive.
However, the necessary procedures could not be skipped. Without completing the relevant diplomatic work, the US military would not act immediately... Naples, inside a hidden and high-end jewelry workshop.
Kira Yoshikage stood in front of the workbench, his face terrifyingly pale, with occasional flashes of inhuman geometric light in the depths of his eyes.
Intense, distorted pain repeatedly assailed his nerves like a tide, but he, relying on his strong willpower and obsession with "peace," forcefully suppressed it, imprisoning the terrifying energy within his body.
In his hand, he held a freshly polished gemstone brooch. The gemstone was an extremely rare pale pink star sapphire.
This beautiful gem was meticulously cut into a perfect geometric shape and set in a platinum base, which was carved with extremely delicate and intricate hand textures, as if an invisible pair of hands gently cradled the gem.
He had rushed to complete this at great cost; it was originally a custom order for someone else, but after his discussion, it now belonged to him, consuming the efforts of several master jewelers.
"Perfect..."
Kira Yoshikage looked at the brooch, his eyes revealing an almost pathological satisfaction and a fleeting tranquility. It met all his stringent requirements for "beauty," and more importantly, it would perfectly match Mrs. Shinobu's new dress.
After reversing time, his first priority was to find a suitable gift, and clearly, this was very suitable.
He could feel the energy raging within him. He could at most postpone it for a few more hours, after which the energy would inevitably erupt, causing him physical distortion, but a few hours was enough.
Carrying the carefully packaged gift box, Kira Yoshikage returned to their temporary high-end hotel suite.
"Darling, you're back!"
Mrs. Shinobu greeted him with surprise, her face filled with worry, "It seems very chaotic outside. I heard many explosions. Are you alright?"
She didn't know what exactly had happened, but in the afternoon, many soldiers seemed to have come to the hotel, seemingly looking for someone, and inexplicably, those people disappeared after entering the building.
And for some reason, many explosions occurred in the building, scaring Mrs. Shinobu so much that she almost wanted to run. If it weren't for the possibility of greater danger outside, she would never have stayed in the hotel.
"How about we end our trip and return to Japan? Although there have been some terrorist attacks recently, it's fine as long as we don't go back to Morioh for now."
"It's nothing, just some minor disturbances."
Kira Yoshikage offered a smile as gentle as possible and handed over the gift box, "We'll talk about going back to Japan later. First, look at this, a gift for you. See if you like it."
Looking at the exquisite gift box and Kira Yoshikage's affectionate gaze, a sense of romance naturally arose.
Mrs. Shinobu excitedly opened the box, and upon seeing the beautiful brooch, she couldn't help but exclaim.
"Oh my! It's so beautiful! Kosaku!"
She immediately pinned it to her chest, twirling in front of the mirror, her face radiant with happiness. Paired with her new dress, she was simply glowing with beauty.
Looking at her smile, the distorted turmoil in Kira Yoshikage's heart seemed to truly calm for a moment, and he showed a genuine smile from within.
He stepped forward, gently embracing her from behind, resting his chin on her hair, sniffing. The two embraced tightly.
At this moment, it was as if he was no longer the hidden devil; he was truly just an ordinary office worker pursuing a peaceful life.
'But unfortunately, there's nothing that can be done. Passione was defeated by me once, and they will come again eventually. It probably won't be long before they arrive.
I just don't know if I can spend a few more peaceful hours, walking this last stretch.'