Chapter 123: Guess Who's Back
Playmore was no longer recognizable.
The prosperous city that had once stood as a symbol of luxury and power had been reduced to a sprawling battlefield consumed by fire, smoke, and endless destruction. Entire districts burned beneath columns of black smoke that stretched high into the cracked heavens, while shattered skyscrapers leaned precariously over streets littered with rubble and abandoned vehicles. The deafening chorus of collapsing buildings, desperate screams, and relentless explosions merged into one continuous roar that echoed throughout the city.
Nyx's summoned creatures prowled through the ruined streets like predators released into an open hunting ground, tearing apart everything unfortunate enough to cross their paths. Enhanced Freakers rampaged uncontrollably through residential blocks, devouring civilians, soldiers, and even one another whenever bloodlust overwhelmed reason. Royal Guards clashed against the Stars in savage battles that erupted across rooftops, highways, and broken intersections, each encounter unleashing waves of Savage energy powerful enough to level entire blocks.
The sky itself looked wounded.
Massive fractures of blue, crimson, and emerald energy spread across the clouds like cracks running through glass, the atmosphere trembling beneath the overwhelming amount of Savage power being unleashed from every corner of Playmore. Thunder rolled constantly overhead, not from nature, but from the countless techniques colliding below.
And charging through the center of that endless catastrophe was Champagne.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The instant his foot struck the ground, the entire street behind him exploded into fragments of concrete and steel.
He accelerated even further.
Greenish-blue flames of dragonic energy erupted from his body, wrapping around him like the scales of a living beast. Every stride became heavier than the last, his overwhelming momentum transforming into raw destructive force as roads buckled beneath his feet and nearby buildings cracked simply from the pressure of his passing.
The faster he ran...the larger the dragon surrounding him became.
Its enormous spectral body coiled around Champagne like a guardian spirit awakened from ancient legend, roaring silently as waves of blue heat distorted the air around him. Broken windows burst outward in every direction while abandoned vehicles were hurled aside as though struck by an invisible hurricane.
His target never changed.
The Boss.
Yet strangely...the Boss wasn't watching him anymore. Instead, his gaze drifted far beyond the battlefield, toward the massive outer gates surrounding Playmore. His calm expression sharpened ever so slightly as violent flashes of lightning illuminated the distant horizon, each burst brighter than the last.
For a brief moment...the entire battlefield seemed to hesitate. Then Brandon's voice suddenly exploded through every communication channel connected to the operation.
"HE'S HERE!"
The announcement echoed across countless earpieces.
The Outsiders froze. Commanders stopped issuing orders. Even fighters locked in life-or-death battles instinctively looked toward the city gates.
Brandon's voice returned, louder than before, carrying an excitement no one had heard from him in days.
"Daito Greyhell..."
A brief pause followed.
"...and Monday Valhalla..."
Another pause.
"...have arrived in Playmore."
Silence...not fearful silence, but relieved silence. A kind of relief so profound that even the chaos surrounding them seemed to lose its weight for just a second.
Wei-Wan slowly lowered his blade, releasing a long breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. Aerin's exhausted shoulders finally relaxed as a small smile crept onto her face.
Far above the city, inside the aircraft protecting the briefcase, Nyx closed her eyes and quietly exhaled.
"He made it..."
Even the Stars, despite their unwavering confidence, found themselves instinctively glancing toward the city's entrance.
The Outsiders leader...had finally returned. At the ruined border gate, bolts of violent lightning gradually faded into the smoky air.
The blinding radiance dispersed. And standing quietly within the settling dust...was Daito Greyhell.
He looked different, not merely stronger.
Different.
His presence alone had changed. The suffocating pressure that surrounded him no longer felt wild or unstable like before. It had become refined, disciplined, almost regal, carrying the quiet confidence of someone who had already decided how this battle would end.
His appearance reflected that transformation.
His hair, once left untamed, had been slicked neatly backward, revealing sharper features and colder eyes that seemed capable of cutting through anyone foolish enough to meet his gaze. Small silver earrings caught the light from the burning city, flashing faintly with every movement.
Long black bandages wrapped tightly around his arms and torso beneath a fitted black vest that accentuated his lean, battle-hardened frame. Draped over it rested a dark blue-purple denim jacket adorned with elegant gold trim that shimmered beneath the flames surrounding Playmore.
Black jeans completed the outfit.
Three belts crossed around his waist in layered fashion, adding both style and practicality to the unmistakable image of a warrior who had evolved beyond merely surviving.
He no longer resembled a wandering fighter searching for purpose. He looked like a man destined to rule whatever battlefield he chose to stand upon.
Beside him stood Monday Valhalla.
His expression remained as unreadable as ever.
Violent arcs of lightning crawled continuously across his body, illuminating the ground beneath his feet with every crackling surge of electricity. His overwhelming aura matched Daito's in intensity, yet the two felt fundamentally different.
Daito radiated calm certainty. Monday radiated uncontrollable destruction. Even Brandon, after witnessing countless monsters throughout his career, couldn't hide his surprise.
"...Monday's... with you?"
Daito continued walking without slowing down.
"No."
Monday smirked faintly beside him.
"I'm simply interested in seeing how this ends."
Brandon wasted no time.
As the three advanced deeper into the burning city, he rapidly explained everything that had happened during Daito's absence, the Boss and his impossible schemes, the King's movements, Silver Moon's involvement, Stimuleigh's arrival, Nyx's desperate defense of the briefcase, the outbreak consuming Playmore, and the overwhelming battles taking place throughout every district.
Daito listened quietly.
He never interrupted.
His eyes simply scanned the battlefield ahead, absorbing every detail while mentally reconstructing the war unfolding before him.
By the time Brandon finished speaking.....they had already entered the heart of the city and the welcoming party was waiting.
* * *
The moment Daito, Monday, and Brandon stepped into the ruined streets of central Playmore, the city answered their arrival with violence.
It began with a faint whistle cutting through the smoke.
Then another, and finally another.
From every rooftop overlooking the boulevard, dark figures suddenly appeared, their silhouettes illuminated by the inferno consuming the surrounding buildings. Members of the Stars launched themselves from the shattered rooftops like birds of prey, weapons already descending toward Daito's head before their boots had even left the concrete.
At the very same instant, alleyways on both sides of the street erupted with movement.
"GRAAAAAAAAH!!"
Dozens of upgraded Freakers burst from the darkness, their twisted bodies swollen with Savage mutations as saliva dripped from jagged teeth. They sprinted forward on all fours, tearing chunks from the pavement beneath their claws as they charged.
Behind them came the Royal Guards.
Unlike the mindless Freakers, they moved with military precision.
Their formations spread flawlessly across the street, cutting off every possible avenue of escape while heavy weapons locked onto Daito from multiple angles. Blades, rifles, Savage-infused spears, and explosive launchers were all raised simultaneously.
A perfect kill zone.
One mistake.....and even an elite fighter would be overwhelmed.
Brandon instinctively slowed.
"...They're trying to surround us."
Monday merely glanced sideways before returning his attention to the battlefield ahead.
Daito....never even reduced his pace. His footsteps remained steady. Calm, measured almost casual.
The attackers smiled they believed they had caught him.
FWOOSH!
One of the Stars swung first, his blade descending toward Daito's neck with enough force to split steel.
SHIIIIING!
Another aimed directly for his spine.
Three Freakers lunged toward his chest while Royal Guards unleashed a barrage of Savage-enhanced projectiles from every direction.
For an ordinary person...there wasn't a single path to survival.
Fwoo...
Daito quietly reached for the hilt of his sword.
Clutch....
His fingers wrapped around it.
The sound that followed was almost too quiet to hear.
SHIIIIING...
A single silver flash painted itself across the battlefield.
Nobody actually saw him swing, the movement was too clean, too impossibly fast.
For one heartbeat....nothing happened.
The attackers continued forward in motion
Then—
SHLK!
A thin crimson line appeared across the chest of the first Star as his eyes widened.
Before he could react..
SHLK! SHLK! SHLK! SHLK! SHLK! SHLK! SHLK!
Seven more cuts appeared across his body, his expression froze completely.
PSSSHHH!
The Star separated into eight perfectly even pieces.
At exactly the same moment...every Freaker, Royal Guard, and every star surrounding Daito suffered the exact same fate.
Eight flawless slices.
Bodies remained standing for the briefest instant before collapsing apart in delayed motion.
PSSSHHH!!
SPLAT!!
CLANG!
Blood erupted into the air like scarlet rain. Limbs struck the pavement. Weapons clattered uselessly across the broken streets.
The coordinated ambush had ended.... before anyone had fully realized Daito had drawn his sword.
Silence blanketed the battlefield even Brandon found himself staring.
"...What..."
Monday glanced toward the mountains of dismembered corpses before looking back at Daito.
"...Efficient."
Without changing expression, Daito slid his sword halfway back into its sheath.
CLICK.
"... Thanks for the warm welcome."
No one answered, there was no one left alive to answer. The trio continued walking as though nothing had happened.
After several moments, Daito finally stopped.
His gaze shifted toward Monday.
"Go."
Monday raised an eyebrow.
"Protect Nyx."
Daito's voice remained calm, but there was no room for negotiation.
"The briefcase stays with her."
Monday studied him for a second.
"And you?"
Daito slowly turned his eyes toward the burning skyline where waves of Savage energy continued erupting across Playmore.
His voice became colder.
"I'll find the King."
A brief pause.
"...And the Boss."
His fingers tightened around the hilt of his sword.
"Execute them."
He began walking again.
"...Then leave before the NBA arrives."
Monday smiled faintly.
"...Sounds entertaining."
Without another word, lightning exploded around his body.
KRAKOOOOOOM!!
A pillar of blue-white electricity shot into the sky before streaking toward Nyx's position, leaving only crackling sparks dancing through the smoke where he had stood moments earlier.
Brandon watched him disappear.
"...He really listens to you."
Daito didn't answer, his attention had already shifted elsewhere.
* * *
Far across the battlefield...
Fwooosh.....
Standing amidst the burning ruins, the Boss quietly observed everything from a distance.
Even from hundreds of meters away, his sharp eyes had followed every movement Daito made since arriving.
His relaxed smile remained but something new now rested behind it.
Interest.
He slowly turned toward one of the nearby Stars.
"...That's really him?"
The Star nodded carefully.
"...Yes, Boss."
"...That's Daito Greyhell."
The Boss smiled just a little wider.
"So..."
"...the rumors weren't exaggerated."
He turned away. His attention returned to the one person still charging relentlessly toward him.
Champagne.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!
Every step shattered another section of road.
The enormous dragon aura surrounding him had grown even larger than before, roaring silently as greenish-blue flames spiralled around his body. The sheer pressure alone flattened abandoned vehicles and shattered every remaining window in the surrounding district.
He was only seconds away.
GWAAAARRR!!
The dragon's jaws opened ready to consume everything.
Then the Boss spoke.
One word and one name.
"...Leader."
Champagne froze.
His enormous dragon claw stopped less than an inch from the Boss's face.
The sudden halt released an overwhelming shockwave.
FWOOOOOOOM!!
Every nearby window exploded outward.
TWISHH!!
CRAAACK!!
Concrete walls cracked apart.
One unfortunate Star standing beside the Boss was obliterated instantly, his body torn apart by the violent pressure wave before he even understood what had happened.
Silence returned.
Champagne remained perfectly still as his pupils twitched.
Step...
Step...
Step....
The Boss calmly stepped forward until they stood face to face. He looked at the colossal dragon surrounding Champagne with quiet admiration.
"...What's the name of this ultimate technique?"
Champagne answered immediately his voice carried no emotion.
"...Mystic Dragon Destroyer."
The Boss nodded slowly.
"And how many times..."
"...can you use it in a single day?"
Champagne stared blankly ahead.
"...Three."
The Boss gently placed one hand upon Champagne's shoulder.
For a moment....his smile returned.
"Good."
Then it vanished as his eyes became cold enough to freeze the battlefield itself.
His next words were absolute.
"Go."
A pause.
"...Use all three."
"...On Daito Greyhell."
For the briefest fraction of a second....the dragon surrounding Champagne faltered.
Its roar weakened.
WHOOOSSSHH!!
The greenish-blue flames flickered violently.
Deep within his vacant eyes, something struggled desperately to surface.
A memory, a friendship, even a promise, but it lasted only an instant.
The light disappeared.
His eyes became completely empty once again.
FWOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
Champagne vanished.
RWAAAARGH!
The dragon roared.
And somewhere... Buried beneath layers of absolute control... The real Champagne screamed in silence.
To be continued...