"Faster, go faster!"
"Meow~ Wait, I... I can't run anymore."
They didn't know how long they had been running. Fueled by adrenaline, the two sprinted tirelessly through the Hollow.
They had been twisting and turning blindly through the space, and they had no idea where they had ended up.
"That guy hasn't caught up. While we still have time, you..."
"ROAR~~"
As if to slap Geno in the face, the Dead End Butcher's roar followed immediately before he could finish his sentence. Clearly, it wasn't far behind.
"Damn it! With a body that huge, how does he move so fast?!"
Geno cursed inwardly. How was this Dead End Butcher so quick? Did it chug steroids or overdose on growth hormones? Was its development even normal?
However, complaints aside, Geno knew that as a Level 4 Ethereal, it was already in a league beyond a measly Level 3 Ethereal like himself.
It must be known that Level 4 Ethereals had another name: Lord-class Ethereals.
As the name implied, they possessed territorial awareness, or rather, they already possessed a certain degree of intelligence and no longer acted solely on instinct.
Even for the Defense Force, dealing with guys of this level usually involved suppression tactics rather than elimination.
Since that was the case...
Before Geno could finish thinking, Nekomata shook off Geno's hand first and then charged toward the Dead End Butcher.
"I'll go attract its attention. You take the chance to run!"
Leaving behind that sentence, Nekomata had already rushed out dozens of meters, leaving Geno dumbfounded.
"Hey!"
Seeing Nekomata charge forward, the Dead End Butcher displayed a very human-like look of disdain.
Just an inferior ingredient. No different from those pre-cooked meals found in the Hollow.
At the level of the Dead End Butcher, the gap between humans and Ethereals was no longer significant.
Only a special guy like Geno would be considered a true delicacy in its eyes.
Not planning to waste time, the Dead End Butcher casually swung the weapon in its hand and smashed it toward Nekomata.
Nekomata subconsciously dodged to the side, then prepared to pull out her short blades.
Wait! The knives are gone!
That was how human muscle memory worked. Sometimes, things one was accustomed to would affect everything that followed if even a slight change occurred.
It was this hesitation of a few tenths of a second that allowed the Dead End Butcher's next attack to arrive right before Nekomata's eyes.
Looking at the sharp blade edge about to slice her in two, Nekomata felt a trace of relief amidst her fear.
This is fine. Perhaps this way, I won't have to be conflicted anymore.
As long as she died, she wouldn't have to be tortured by these complicated emotions.
People often said cats were fickle and heartless, but what they didn't know was...
The more a cat cared about, the more painful it was.
Silently waiting for death, she suddenly felt a burst of warmth, followed immediately by a powerful force pushing her away.
With a loud boom, the Dead End Butcher's attack smashed into the ground, kicking up waves of muddy water.
Geno, meanwhile, had scooped up Nekomata and dove into a nearby subway station.
"Let go of me! Don't you understand?! If this goes on, we're both going to die!"
Nekomata twisted her body with all her might, trying to break free from Geno's embrace.
Human stamina had limits. Once their stamina ran out, there would be only one ending for the two of them: a dead end.
In that case, it was better to sacrifice one person to stall the Dead End Butcher so the other could live.
But for Geno, sacrifice had never been on his list of options.
Especially since Nekomata's move just now was nothing but throwing her life away.
"I haven't reached the point where I need a brat like you worrying about me. Just be a good girl and worry about yourself!"
Geno retorted cursing. In his eyes, Nekomata was just an underage little girl. What was the point of fantasizing about self-sacrifice all day? It was useless!
However, for Nekomata, Geno's words made her recall her past experiences with Old Man White and the Red Fang Gang.
"I haven't become so old that I need a brat like you worrying about me. Just worry about yourself."
In her memory, Old Man White adjusted his sunglasses and looked at her with a very disdainful expression, yet the concern contained in his words was not disguised in the slightest.
In Geno, Nekomata seemed to see the shadow of the Old Man White from back then.
So she gave up struggling and let Geno drag her along to escape.
Hmm? Why did this little girl suddenly become so obedient?
Although he didn't understand why, it was a good thing for Geno.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Outside the subway station, the Dead End Butcher, unable to squeeze in due to its size, kept pounding on the entrance, attempting to destroy the doorway to get inside.
Realizing that if this continued, they would be finished sooner or later, Geno made up his mind to act.
"I'm going to go file a complaint with that big guy outside."
"What, meow?"
Nekomata was dumbfounded. Just now I wanted to cover the retreat and you disagreed, but now you want to go up yourself?
"That guy is toying with us. Without a Carrot, we can't escape the Hollow, and this way we'll never shake that guy off."
Geno had already seen through the nature of this chase. So, even knowing he might not be able to beat that guy, he had to fight it out.
"Nekomata."
"What?"
With the great battle imminent, Geno suddenly turned to look at Nekomata. His heart wavered slightly at this moment, but now was not the time to hide things.
"Next, no matter what happens, don't be afraid, and don't be surprised. When everything is over, I will explain it all to you clearly, along with the matter of that pendant."
After Geno finished speaking, ignoring Nekomata's stunned expression, he turned and charged toward the Dead End Butcher.
As he ran, Geno's body began to change.
His stature began to rise, his arms became thick and muscular, and sharp claws and spikes pierced out from his body. Claws as sharp as knives flashed with a cold light, and his entire body was enveloped in armor formed from Ether crystals. He looked as terrifying and majestic as the Xenomorph warriors in movies.
Geno: Ethereal Mode: Full Power!
Betting his life on this, he absolutely could not lose the coming battle!
On the other side, having already left the Dead End Hollow, Belle and Nicole had arrived at the Vision Corporation press conference, exposing Vision Corporation's dangerous conduct.
"Vision Corporation has total disregard for human life! The residents in Canvas Alley haven't evacuated at all; they've been imprisoned by Vision Corporation's people, who plan to blow them up along with the demolition zone!"
Nicole led the various media outlets of New Eridu, aiming their cameras and microphones at Sarah and Perlman standing on the podium.
That shorty Perlman was sweating profusely right now. He was just a puppet pushed to the front; facing this kind of scene, he was already panicked beyond measure.
In contrast, Sarah's performance was much better.
This woman, draped in a red coat with glamorous makeup, looked exactly like the classic villainess image from a novel.
And her actions fit the definition of a 'bad person' even more perfectly.
"Oh, really? Then may I ask, do you have any evidence?"
Sarah knew the other party wouldn't come unprepared, and this move was merely to stall for time.
"Still trying to deny it? This is the authorization letter signed by the residents of Canvas Alley, giving me full authority to represent them in filing charges against Vision Corporation. My Bangboo has also recorded actual footage from inside Canvas Alley. You have no chance of winning."
Nicole raised Eous, signaling that she held ample evidence in her hands. Furthermore, she hadn't just notified the media; she had also notified Lycaon and New Eridu Public Security. The officers were already on their way.
What they needed to do now was stall for time!
——————
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New Story: Danmachi: But I am a God, time to make a family!
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