Chapter 115: The Strongest of the Moscow Military Department
Having roughly guessed Otonashi Chiya's true intentions, the high-ranking officials whose names hadn't been called breathed another sigh of relief. They knew that as long as they remained sufficiently compliant, they should be able to survive... hopefully.
Meanwhile, the Moscow military Devil Hunters, who had originally been concentrated on patrols near the base, were in an absolute uproar upon learning that the headquarters had been attacked. They rushed toward the base in a state of extreme anxiety.
They had no idea when the intruders had bypassed the defensive lines they had formed. If responsibilities were to be assigned after this, every single one of them would be in serious trouble!
By the time the Devil Hunters arrived, Otonashi Chiya had already entered the building and begun his slaughter. Seeing Reze with her devil head and Shingetsu in her military uniform standing before the building, they immediately identified them as the intruders—especially the one who looked like a devil.
Oddly enough, the devil-headed figure was also wearing a military uniform. They didn't recognize Reze, as the existence of "Hybrids" was a secret known only to a select few, but they recognized Shingetsu instantly.
As the strongest combatant of the Leningrad department, "The Tsar" was quite famous even within the Moscow department. What they couldn't understand was why she was leading an invasion of the military base.
"You must be the intruders!"
"Is the famous 'Tsar' attempting to defect?"
"Attack together! Take them down quickly; we cannot let this situation escalate further!"
The Moscow Devil Hunters wanted to resolve this conflict as fast as possible, having heard that a third intruder had already breached the building. Little did they know that their worst fears had already come true; Otonashi Chiya was currently playing his "Death List" game.
"A friendly reminder: we are only here for revenge. We don't enjoy slaughtering the innocent. But if you insist on seeking death, then we can only say 'sorry.'"
Before the battle began, Reze made it a point to emphasize this. Like Chiya, she didn't enjoy killing for the sake of it. However, if someone stood in her way, she wouldn't hesitate to act.
Of course, since the battle hadn't even started, how could the Moscow Devil Hunters listen to the words of a devil? They had no idea this "devil" was actually a Hybrid whose strength utterly crushed their own.
"How arrogant! Everyone, charge!"
They began unleashing their respective devil powers, lunging at Reze and Shingetsu. Reze sighed softly, her movements incredibly agile as she effortlessly dodged the various devil abilities flying her way. In the blink of an eye, she dashed into the crowd, her right hand outstretched with her palm facing the hunters.
BOOM—!
A massive explosion erupted, its power terrifying. Every Devil Hunter within a ten-meter radius in front of her was blasted back; they were either missing limbs or left unrecognizable. However, no one was dead yet—at most, they were gasping for breath and unable to move.
She was holding back, merely stripping them of their ability to fight. Chiya had given her specific instructions, and she was being obedient; besides, she truly didn't want to kill indiscriminately anymore.
Shingetsu, on the other hand, chose a direct frontal assault. Ordinary devil powers couldn't even scratch her Absolute Defense. Since her bones, muscles, and internal organs were all reinforced by this defense, even internal-damage-type devil powers had to be exceptionally strong to have any effect on her. Like Reze, she waded into the crowd with ease.
These Devil Hunters had all heard rumors that "The Tsar's" martial arts were absurdly powerful. None of them dared to engage Shingetsu in close-quarters combat, choosing instead to keep their distance and spam their devil powers.
However, even if they didn't want to get close, Shingetsu forced the issue. Before they could blink, she would be right in their faces. Anyone she reached was cut down by her "hand-blade" and left heavily injured—though, true to the plan, she spared their lives.
In just a few breaths, the Moscow Devil Hunters suffered heavy losses; at least thirty or forty men were severely wounded and incapacitated. Although the strength displayed by Reze and Shingetsu bordered on despair-inducing, these hunters were not cowards. They had sworn to protect the military building with their lives—that was their mission!
In truth, if Reze and Shingetsu hadn't been intentionally holding back, their resolve might not have remained so firm.
"Enough!"
A thick, powerful voice suddenly boomed through the air.
A tall, burly middle-aged man with a face full of stubble charged at Shingetsu. His fists were the size of iron pots, and a full-force punch actually forced Shingetsu back a step. The man's devil power seemed related to monstrous strength. While he didn't injure Shingetsu, being able to push her back at all was a testament to his power.
Shingetsu reacted reflexively with a hand-blade counter, slicing a gruesome wound across the man's arm. However, this had no negative effect on him; instead, his next punch grew even more vicious, and the veins across his body became more pronounced than before.
This time, Shingetsu chose to dodge rather than tank the hit.
Taking advantage of the gap, the man immediately spoke to the other hunters. "All of you, fall back! I will handle these two intruders myself."
"Captain Victor is here!"
"Captain Victor's martial arts are no lower than 'The Tsar's.' There's hope!"
"But that monster with the devil head over there seems even harder to deal with. We should try to help the Captain where we can."
With Captain Victor's appearance, the morale of the other Devil Hunters surged. He was the leader of the 1st Special Operations Unit and the strongest individual in the Moscow department.
Victor knew more than the average soldier. He understood perfectly that anyone other than himself facing "The Tsar" and that devil-like woman was simply committing suicide. Truthfully, he wasn't very confident either—the pressure radiating from that "War Machine" (Reze) was immense.
In the eyes of the other hunters, Victor was easily a match for Leningrad's "Tsar." But they also felt that a one-vs-two fight would be difficult, so they still intended to move in and assist.
Reze walked over, seemingly in no rush to strike. "The strongest in Moscow? Then you should understand what facing us means. It's not too late to take your men and run."
Victor shook his head. "I'd rather die than be a deserter."
"..."
Reze didn't waste any more breath. She glanced at Shingetsu. "Leave him to me. I'll finish this quickly."
She wasn't suited for tag-team fighting with Shingetsu because her explosions had such a wide radius; being too close risked friendly fire. Shingetsu nodded slightly; she also knew of Victor. His devil power was troublesome: first, he had monstrous strength, and second, he grew stronger as the fight progressed. The more severe his injuries, the more power he could unleash—right up until the moment of death.
While Shingetsu was confident she could kill Victor, she estimated she would take significant damage in the process. She didn't let her ego get in the way; she might dislike Reze, but she absolutely respected her strength.
However, just as Reze and Victor were about to engage in a bloody clash, a mysterious man wearing a red tiger-patterned mask suddenly materialized out of thin air.