Excruciating pain, like a cold tide, crashed against Yuutenji Nyamu's consciousness.
The tearing pain in her cat ears was still sharp, and even though the beast-like features had faded, the phantom pain lingered.
Nyamu could feel that her originally abundant vitality had been largely depleted; the deactivation of her beast form not only took away the agility and keenness of a beast but also her powerful vitality and self-healing ability.
The surrounding raptors let out greedy screeches, their talons scraping the ground, preparing to feast on the readily available banquet.
"Is this the end…?"
The thought of despair had just risen when it was burned to ashes by a more surging rage.
"What a joke! Anon-chan is still waiting for me, and I haven't settled the score with that scoundrel second brother. My tomorrow—Yuutenji Nyamu's tomorrow—will not end in this damn place!"
The girl's blood-stained eyes snapped open, locking onto Fudou Hayabusa. Several azure data streams wrapped around her arms and thighs, giving her the strength to continue fighting.
Excruciating pain followed her like a shadow, but Yuutenji Nyamu's eyes only held Fudou Hayabusa. She dragged her exhausted body, staggering but determinedly stepping forward.
Just as this step landed, the airflow above her head suddenly changed.
An eagle with an astonishing wingspan, like a silent grim reaper, swooped down rapidly from the shadows behind, its sharp iron talons aimed directly at the back of her neck.
A cold premonition flashed in Fudou Hayabusa's eyes.
However, Nyamu's head suddenly tilted at an incredible angle, and the sharp talons grazed her hair.
Immediately after, under Fudou Hayabusa's suddenly constricted pupils, the severely injured girl abruptly threw her head back!
"Crack!"
A crisp sound! She actually bit the eagle's throat precisely and fiercely with her teeth!
"How is that possible?!"
The blood-stained girl, with the huge raptor in her mouth, her cold gaze piercing through her disheveled hair, stared directly at the orange-haired young man watching this scene.
Her jawbone exerted force, and the windpipe snapped instantly!
Hot eagle blood splattered, and the massive body convulsed as she flung it to the ground, where it dissipated into a broken skeleton within moments.
The coldness on Fudou Hayabusa's face was completely replaced by astonishment; the ferocity displayed by this "fragile" human far surpassed any beast.
He had anticipated her death throes but had never expected that in the desperate situation of her beast form being deactivated and returning to her most vulnerable human state, this girl could erupt with such fierce will.
What was in her eyes was not bestiality but something more powerful, more brilliant.
The surrounding raptors, taken aback by this sudden scene, momentarily halted their pouncing momentum, emitting uneasy growls.
"…"
Fudou Hayabusa was silent for a moment. He could feel that the remaining Stand energy in his body had been consumed more than expected during the intense battle, and maintaining the "friendification" of creatures and suppressing his own injuries was already a stretch.
This girl's tenacity exceeded expectations; continuing to consume energy, even if he could tear her apart, would inevitably affect his more important subsequent plans.
He slowly raised his hand, signaling the surrounding beast pack to calm down. The raptors retracted their attacking postures but still surrounded her menacingly, forming an impenetrable cage.
"Although I don't know why you harbor such great hostility towards me, I still hope you can listen to my thoughts."
The girl stared at him intently, saying nothing, but made no further moves.
"Do you remember those American 'friends' who brought you here?"
Fudou Hayabusa's voice remained calm, yet with a hint of disdain.
"Before they became 'friends,' their little group—they were all complete scumbags. A typical cancer thoroughly corrupted by power and violence."
He spoke as if stating an indisputable fact, his tone unwavering:
"That bald eagle captain, he was once a hell for new recruits. Systematic bullying in the name of 'training' was commonplace, broken ribs, psychological torture… all to satisfy his twisted desire for dominance."
"Before they were dispatched to this abandoned airfield, they often used the convenience of the garrison to collude with local gangs, extensively reselling military supplies—fuel, prohibited drugs, even weapons. The enormous illicit gains were then divided among them according to 'rank,' with the lowest-ranking soldiers getting the least but bearing the greatest risks."
"Most outrageous of all, just a year ago, they gang-raped a bar waitress near the base, and afterwards used military jurisdiction to escape local legal sanctions, fleeing here to lie low… The victim ultimately chose suicide due to the humiliation."
"And within their ranks, those who knew either silently took a share or were threatened into silence. Suspicion, oppression, corruption, violence without limits… This was their normal state as 'humans'."
Fudou Hayabusa's gaze returned to Nyamu, his eyes seeming to pierce through her, seeing a broader societal landscape:
"Humans, such contradictory beings. Wisdom brought civilization, but it also bred suspicion, endless strife, layers upon layers of deception and oppression… The so-called 'stable life' is often merely a fragile balance built upon the suffering of others."
"Class, wealth, status… these invisible barriers tear human hearts apart, making understanding a luxury, and harm cycles endlessly."
His gaze turned to the girl, with a certainty that was almost pitying:
"And I found a possibility—'friendification'."
"This is not simple beastification but guiding life back to a purer, more harmonious state. Removing those complex societal shackles, awakening the most essential desire for coexistence and understanding."
"In the world of 'friendification,' barriers will be broken. Lions and antelopes can peacefully coexist by the same watering hole, and birds and beasts can live under the same starry sky without disturbing each other."
"Understanding no longer relies on fragile, fallible language but stems from a shared life frequency. Conflicts will subside because instinct will guide us towards coexistence, not a life-and-death confrontation."
He paused, as if imagining that beautiful scene:
"A paradise without fierce conflicts, without endless hatred—Japari Park."
"There, all life can be equal friends, sharing nature's bounty and peaceful happiness. This is the sustainable harmony that life should inherently possess."
Fudou Hayabusa gazed at Nyamu, his tone sincere and with a hint of expectation:
"Your will is so tenacious, the 'shine' in your soul so unique. Why cling to that human form filled with cycles of pain?"
"Join us, your strength, your indomitable spirit, will be an indispensable cornerstone in building this new paradise."
"Heh… heheheh…" Nyamu spat out the remaining eagle blood from her mouth, letting out a sarcastic laugh.
"Shut up… you lunatic full of your own delusions!"
"A paradise? Built on forcibly turning innocent people into monsters, built on destroying their original lives and dreams?"
"Is this 'happiness'? Is this 'understanding'? This is just your wishful thinking to satisfy your twisted delusions!"
She took a step forward, her already exhausted body swaying precariously, yet her aura surged upward:
"Do you know what Ikebukuro has become now? Do you know how many people have died because of it?!"
"I've experienced it firsthand, I've rushed out of there myself, so I understand very well that the happiness you speak of is completely delusional!"
"I don't have any of the 'shine' you talk about either, I just…"
Yuutenji Nyamu's mind flashed through everything she had experienced and seen along the way, and her resolve solidified even further.
"I just want everything to return to its original state, to welcome the tomorrow that should have come!"
"Heh, it seems I'm still not very good at persuading people…" Fudou Hayabusa gave a bitter smile, then suddenly waved his hand.
"Roar—!!"
"Screech—!!"
The beast pack surrounding Nyamu seemed to have been injected with a furious potion, their eyes instantly turning crimson.
They no longer hesitated, like a broken dam, simultaneously launching a deadly pounce from all directions towards the tiny figure in the center!
Claws, fangs, and bony wings tore through the air, and the bloody wind of death instantly engulfed Nyamu.
At the same time, an orange glow emanated from Fudou Hayabusa, the energy he originally used to drive the Nightingale's complete biological transformation.
But this energy was not used on himself; instead, it rapidly spread out, frantically enhancing the wildness and ferocity of all the surrounding beasts.
Their bodies seemed to swell even more, and their attack speed and strength suddenly increased by a level!
Facing the beast tide that was so close, enough to tear her to shreds, Nyamu's eyes showed no fear.
She didn't even look at the ferocious faces pouncing at her; her burning eyes remained fixed on the man behind the beast pack who was controlling everything—Fudou Hayabusa!
She brandished the long-handled modified knife, stained with her own and her enemies' blood, like raising a blood-soaked battle standard, launching her final, unwavering charge towards Fudou Hayabusa's direction.
There was only one goal—to plunge the blade into that man's heart before death arrived!
The breath of death had already touched her skin, and the raptors' talons were almost tearing her back!
Just at this critical moment—
"Whoosh—boom!!!"
Circles of intensely hot, dazzling orange-red fire rings erupted suddenly and without warning, centered around Nyamu.
The violent flames, like a fire dragon, roared and swept in all directions. The terrifying high temperature instantly twisted the air, and the scorching heatwave formed an insurmountable barrier!
"Awooo—!"
"Hiss—!"
The beasts' primal, instinctive fear of fire was instantly ignited; the first few raptors to pounce bore the brunt, their feathers instantly charred and curled, emitting tragic wails, and their offensive stalled.
The other beasts were also forced back repeatedly by this sudden blast of flames, and the encirclement was violently torn open by a blazing gap.
"What?!" Fudou Hayabusa's face drastically changed, looking in disbelief at the girl's figure still charging amidst the flames.
"Did you see that, you bastard!" Nyamu roared, protected by the flames. Her voice pierced through the roar of the fire, carrying a sense of rebirth from the ashes and fierce determination.
"Precisely because you removed the beastification from me—allowing me to become human again—I could use this move!"
This was something she had ordered her Stand, Freely Tomorrow, to do when she climbed onto the plane's back.
Since her Stand could transform into a data stream and infiltrate Teiai Delivery's "Little Hornet," it could also infiltrate this huge Nightingale fighter jet.
Although the process was relatively slow, and she paid an astronomical "delusion tax" for it, ultimately—it succeeded!
Now Freely Tomorrow had transformed into an invisible data stream, infiltrating the fighter jet's fuel supply system.
"Roar!!!"
An exceptionally large brown bear, specially strengthened by Fudou Hayabusa, seemed to have overcome its fear of fire, ignoring the scorching fire ring, and roared as it pounced at Nyamu again.
Its huge bear paw, with the force to shatter rocks, came crashing down. It was one of the few individuals in the beast pack that hadn't been completely repelled by the flames!
"So annoying! Get lost!" Nyamu didn't even turn her head, her blood-stained right hand suddenly swung in the direction of the brown bear!
"Buzz—!"
Dozens of light bands made of azure data streams instantly shot out from the girl.
They seemed to be non-physical, yet like living spirit snakes, they rapidly intertwined and coiled in the air, instantly weaving a huge and tough data net between Nyamu and the brown bear!
"Bang!" The brown bear's furious pounce slammed hard into the data net; the net surface severely dented and deformed, emitting an unbearable hum, yet it held tough without breaking.
The immense impact made Nyamu grunt, blood once again trickling from the corner of her mouth, but her charging pace didn't stop in the slightest!
Immediately after, a strange scene occurred.
From that azure data net, a large amount of viscous, pungent, dark liquid began to seep out. This liquid rapidly flowed and dripped along the net lines, not only staining the brown bear but also spilling onto the ground!
"Roar?" The brown bear seemed to smell danger, and its movements showed a hint of hesitation.
"Ignite!"
Whoosh—!
The liquid clinging to the data net instantly ignited. Eerie blue flames, like hellfire, spread wildly along the data stream, instantly transforming the entire net, along with the brown bear caught within it, into a huge, fiercely burning fireball. The air was immediately filled with the pungent smell of burning jet fuel!
It was aviation fuel. Freely Tomorrow was continuously transmitting high-energy aviation fuel from the Nightingale's fuel tank via data streams.
Fire and smoke—these were the beasts' greatest nemesis!
The brown bear let out an extremely tragic wail in the blue flames ignited by the aviation fuel, struggling frantically, but only making the flames burn more fiercely. It quickly became a huge ball of fire rolling on the ground.
"Now!"
The fire ring around Nyamu had not yet completely extinguished. She, like a goddess of vengeance rushing out of a hellish sea of fire, swept with flames, and with unstoppable momentum, launched her final, deadly pounce towards Fudou Hayabusa, who was momentarily stunned by shock!
The long-handled modified knife reflected a cold, chilling light in the flames, carrying all the girl's anger, indomitable spirit, and longing for "tomorrow," tearing through the air, piercing directly towards Fudou Hayabusa's heart!
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