"Eliminate anomalies? You're not planning to go on another killing spree, are you?"
Katahara Sayaka's expression darkened. "My father just got your wanted notice revoked."
Kanoh Agito frowned as well.
Despite his frequent bouts of exaggerated expressions that made him look like a villain, Kanoh was fundamentally a man with sound values. He despised most of all those who abused power to bully the weak or indulged in violence for its own sake.
After waking up yesterday and learning that Kurosaki Rei had once been a death-row inmate who had killed many people, Kanoh had been genuinely surprised. Judging by his martial instincts, Kurosaki Rei didn't seem like a deranged serial killer.
Anyone who had crossed hands with him would know—Kurosaki Rei was a true martial artist, a man with conviction. He didn't fit the mold of someone who slaughtered innocents.
Yet now, it seemed Kurosaki Rei was heading out to kill again.
"This is hard to explain," Kurosaki Rei said after a moment's thought. "Do you know about the organization called Worm?"
He could only half-make things up. After all, in this world he still needed the investigative power of Chairman Katahara and the Wu Clan. He had to give them a reasonable justification for his hunt.
And strictly speaking, he wasn't lying outright. Kiryu Setsuna did have ties to Worm—however indirect. In the later story, after awakening, Kiryu would become part of the so-called "anti-Worm" force, but right now, he was little more than a puppet being manipulated by the White Tiger.
Kurosaki Rei didn't particularly like Kiryu, but he wouldn't kill someone just because he disliked them.
However, this matter was tied directly to his mission.
There was no retreat.
The Origin Seed was something he had to obtain.
Even if the one standing in his way was Shen Wulong himself, Kurosaki Rei would still kill him.
"Worm!?"
Sayaka exclaimed in shock, while Kanoh's expression grew grave.
As a child, Kanoh had been abducted by the White Tiger and subjected to the Gu ritual. Worm had played a supporting role behind the scenes. His life had nearly been destroyed—of course he harbored deep hatred toward Worm and the White Tiger.
"I suspect Worm is about to make a major move," Kurosaki Rei said solemnly.
"They've likely infiltrated the fighters entering the Kengan matches."
"Don't ask me why I hunt Worm. I have my reasons."
With that, he turned and walked out of the dojo, leaving only his back behind.
Kurosaki Rei knew his acting skills—and his improvisational lying—weren't exactly top-tier.
The rest, he decided, he'd just leave for the two of them to overthink on their own.
Kanoh watched Kurosaki Rei's retreating figure.
"So… he's killing Worm," he murmured. "Then could it be that the snakehead group he wiped out before… were also Worm?"
Sayaka froze.
She hadn't considered that possibility before. But she trusted her judgment of people—Kurosaki Rei didn't strike her as a "pleasure killer," someone who murdered for fun.
So did his past crimes have deeper reasons?
Thinking it through carefully, someone of Kurosaki Rei's caliber should never have been caught by the police in the first place.
According to the records, when the police arrived, Kurosaki Rei had surrendered peacefully. There had been no violent confrontation at all.
Seen in that light, perhaps Kurosaki Rei really hadn't slaughtered innocents indiscriminately.
But then—what about the president of Tennoji Communications?
Had President Takada already been corrupted by Worm?
Had Worm infiltrated the upper echelons of the Kengan Association!?
Sayaka's gaze hardened.
She realized she needed to speak with her father—immediately.
The summer night breeze swept through the restless city, ruffling a man's hair and bringing with it a hint of coolness.
Under the neon-lit Tokyo skyline, Kurosaki Rei stood atop a building and yawned.
He had no idea that his offhand remarks were already sending shockwaves through the Kengan Association. At the moment, however, he had a more pressing task.
In a narrow alley below, an explorer with the ID "Kurei" was fleeing for his life.
He was a Level 6 explorer with decent physical stats, but tonight he had encountered a monster.
He didn't want to run into such a deserted place—but he'd been ambushed on the main street and forced into the alley.
"Damn it… I just got my fighter qualification! How can I die here—killed by a freak like you!?"
Cornered at a dead end, Kurei panted heavily, desperation blazing in his eyes.
He knew he'd run into the one who'd been hunting explorers lately. Escape seemed impossible—but even if he died, he refused to make it easy.
With his right hand, he pulled out a shield.
With his left, hidden behind it, he gripped a special high-explosive grenade purchased from the Space.
"Ōhma… was it you who killed Ōhma?"
Kiryu Setsuna stepped out from the shadows, arms hanging limply, tears streaming down his face, his expression twisted beyond reason.
Then his swaying body suddenly accelerated.
Despite his madness, the footwork of the Kitsune Shadow Style was flawless. Empowered by Blink, he closed the distance in an instant.
Boom—
Before Kurei's horrified eyes, his shield twisted under spiraling force, then shattered into countless fragments.
The next moment, Kiryu's high kick landed.
In that brief moment of shock, the grenade slipped from Kurei's hand and flew into the air—he hadn't even managed to pull the pin.
Bang—
Another Rakshasa's Palm struck.
Kurei staggered back, grievously wounded. The brief physical contact triggered a system prompt, and his face contorted in shock.
Spitting blood, he stared at Kiryu and muttered,
"So it's you… it's you… hahahaha…"
He burst into manic laughter.
This reaction confused Kiryu. He halted his attack, tilting his head as he observed the man.
"Fuck this…" Kurei cursed hoarsely.
"How is anyone supposed to clear a mission like this!?"
The Kengan world was infamous as one of the harshest first-tier mission worlds. The problem was that its actual difficulty didn't match the Space's rating at all.
The Space labeled it a Level 7 world based primarily on attributes—but the fighters here possessed combat proficiencies far beyond what first-tier explorers could handle.
Simply put, even a Level 10 explorer might not be able to clear a Level 7 Kengan world.
Facing someone like Shen Wulong—whose techniques defied reason—would mean being utterly crushed.
And the man before him—"Beautiful Beast" Kiryu Setsuna—was already a top-tier genius fighter. Now that he'd gained the Origin Seed and his attributes had skyrocketed, who among them could possibly snatch the Seed from him?
A group of sub–Level 7 explorers, trying to steal the Origin Seed from a lunatic with Master-tier combat proficiency and matching attributes?
That wasn't a mission.
That was a joke.
"Mission?"
Kiryu tilted his head. "Was your mission… to kill Ōhma-kun?"
His killing intent surged.
Kurei's face was full of bitterness. He knew he couldn't defeat Kiryu Setsuna.
His own combat proficiency was a mediocre Level 10—two entire tiers below Kiryu's. Even if his overall attributes were five points higher, his best hope would've been to escape.
Once technique reached a certain level, it truly could overcome brute force. The ratio of "effective damage" they could deal in battle was completely different.
Kurei could barely land a hit on Kiryu, who was already predicting his every move—while Kiryu could use extreme precision to fatally injure someone with higher raw stats.
In despair, Kurei suddenly remembered something.
News of an explorer hunter had spread across the public channel over the past few days. That very afternoon, an ID named "Prison Demon" had posted:
If you're attacked, send me your coordinates. I'll come—paid help only.
Kurei had sent his coordinates the moment Kiryu appeared.
He just didn't know whether that person would come.
And even if they did—was there really an explorer capable of defeating a monster like Kiryu Setsuna?
As Kiryu continued to advance step by step, Kurei clenched his teeth and shouted with everything he had:
"Boss! Are you there!? I'll pay—just save me!"
The cry rose from the alley toward the heavens, like a prayer offered to the gods.
And then—
The night owl descended from on high.
A black trench coat billowed like outspread wings.
A dark blade gleamed in his hand, like the scythe of death itself.
Under the moonlight, the man's formless aura forced Kiryu Setsuna to instinctively step back half a pace.
Kurosaki Rei's lips curled slightly as he glanced sideways at Kurei.
"So—"
he asked calmly,
"how much is your life worth?"
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