Boro scrambled to keep up with Kaito, panting heavily, occasionally letting out a pathetic cry for help that shad him to his core. He didn't understand why this killer was forcing him to do this, but the silver revolver pressed against his back left him no choice.
Kaito led Boro all the way to the entrance of the mountain path before finally stopping.
By now, the town below was a sea of flas.
The power of those Reincarnators had exceeded his expectations; their fighting style was incredibly destructive. To his disappointnt, however, he hadn't received credit for the deaths of Toguro Hachidan and the others. The progress on his [Genocider] milestone hadn't updated.
Clearly, the poison he had provided wasn't the official cause of death. They had likely all been killed by the mbers of Squad #64323.
Tsk.
Kaito's eyes narrowed in annoyance. Honestly, after seeing the special effects that milestones could grant, he was quite keen on completing the [Genocider] achievent. Comparatively, it was the easiest one to get; all he had to do was kill people. If he were a little more deranged, he could probably just take a gun into town and start shooting. He'd likely complete it that way.
But doing so would undoubtedly make him a target for the world's plot characters, and could even attract the attention of powerful martial artists. Besides, the ti limit on his own trial was too short to afford such a massive detour.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The ground shook continuously. Buildings in the town began to collapse on a massive scale. The intensity and destructive power at the heart of the battle had far surpassed the scope of any normal conflict.
[Notice: Plot Character rcenary Tao is under attack.]
[Notice: Plot Character rcenary Tao is under attack.]
…
Kaito saw the notifications and raised a pair of binoculars to his eyes. While he couldn't track Tao's movents at all, he knew from the repeated warnings that Tao was definitely taking so damage. But from the looks of the battlefield, Tao still seed to have the upper hand.
Could it be that Squad #64323 can't actually kill him?
No.
Kaito imdiately dismissed the thought. This derivative world was generated specifically for his trial. If the mission could be completed by him doing nothing at all, then the world's existence would be aningless.
Therefore… the Reincarnators must have a trump card.
Kaito began scanning the area with his binoculars, his right hand already gripping sothing in his pocket. He was still holding out hope for the optional objective: [Eliminate at least one mber of Squad #64323]. He needed rcenary Tao to weaken or, ideally, kill one of them for him to have a chance.
Suddenly, Kaito's eyes locked onto a highly unnatural spot within the flas.
It was behind a wooden house on the south side of town, an area that had originally been concealed by trees. But as the battle raged, the trees had been incinerated and the house had collapsed. Amidst the scorched earth, a particular spot, seemingly covered by an invisible shield, now stood out.
Soone's there!
Kaito imdiately realized a hidden Reincarnator was positioned there.
So far, he had only seen two mbers of the squad: a giant of a man who now had blue and white butterfly wings, giving him terrifying mobility as he sohow managed to tank Tao's attacks head-on; and another red-haired monster, also with fleshy wings and covered in scales, whose every attack unleashed devastating flas.
That ant the hidden Reincarnator was either an assassin with a one-hit-kill ability or a support unit.
After a mont's thought, Kaito slung the double-barreled shotgun from his back and took aim at the distorted location. He knew full well that with his current abilities, he probably couldn't even scratch the two Reincarnators on the main battlefield.
Boro was still trying to figure out what was happening when, suddenly…
BOOM!
A deafening gunshot exploded next to his ear.
He turned to see Kaito already sprinting up the mountain path, winking at him.
"I'd suggest you run too, Mr. Boro! I can't guarantee what kind of danger will be heading this way in a minute."
Boro instinctively scrambled after Kaito up the mountain, still having no idea why this handso killer insisted on dragging him along.
Kaito ran swiftly. This unique terrain had been key to him picking off the other candidates, and now it was key to him observing the Reincarnators and buying ti.
"Mr. Boro, did Toguro Hachidan ever contact the Red Ribbon Army? What was the result?"
Boro shook his head. He was just one of Hachidan's lackeys. Hachidan would never have told him about sothing so secretive.
Kaito sighed. "What a sha. If the Red Ribbon Army and the other ambitious powers don't show up, I'm afraid you'll have to rely on luck to survive today, Mr. Boro."
A wave of absolute panic washed over Boro.
[You have attacked a Reincarnator. Based on the difference in Spirit, you have obtained partial information.]
[Your attack dealt no damage.]
Kaito read the notification and understood. The gap between him and the hidden Reincarnator wasn't just in attack and defense; their Spirit attributes were also worlds apart. He couldn't even retrieve the most basic information. The only thing he could confirm was that there was, indeed, a Reincarnator hiding there.
BZZZZ!
Suddenly, a strange sound, like the buzzing of a cicada, filled the air. Kaito looked back and saw the mountain mist instantly vanish as a figure shot towards him through the air. The figure kicked off the air itself, changing direction in mid-flight, and raised an incredibly wide, black cruciform sword.
Kaito's heart lurched. He instantly spun around and leaped off the side of the cliff. He hadn't climbed very high yet; the area below was covered in trees. The fall would hurt far less than an attack from this obviously hostile Reincarnator.
As he fell, Kaito pulled the [Omni-Capsule Controller - Car] from his pocket and, without hesitation, slamd the red button on top.
Moon Fiend had been hiding high in the air. He was a master of [Moon Step], making him almost impossible for ordinary Reincarnators to track. He had been waiting for the right mont to assassinate rcenary Tao.
He never expected that the nun, whom Fla Fiend had left in the rear, would be hit by a stray shot that struck her protective barrier.
[Your Team's Contract Familiar, "The Nun," is under attack. Based on the difference in Spirit, you have obtained the following information:]
[ID# Ex051 has attacked The Nun. The damage was blocked by a barrier spell.]
An Ex-prefix ID!
Moon Fiend instantly changed his plans. He dropped from the sky and, upon locating his new target, imdiately gave chase.
In the Infinite Space, ID numbers were a vital piece of information. Ordinary Reincarnators had serial numbers starting with a two-letter prefix from AA to ZZ, followed by an eight-digit number that roughly indicated when they had entered the space. Of course, this wasn't absolute. When a Reincarnator died, their number was recycled for the next newcor. As such, a normal ID held no special aning.
But at so point, an urban legend began to circulate through the space: that there were Reincarnators with special ID numbers. These individuals were, without exception, special existences chosen by the space, each possessing a unique and powerful ability.
Moon Fiend had never expected the legend to be true, that he would actually see a special-ID Reincarnator with his own eyes.
This guy is more valuable than the main quest!
As Kaito fell, a massive, erald-green slash of sword energy sliced down from above.
SLICE!
The narrow, wet mountain path was cleaved in two as if it were made of tofu.
Boro, now on the other side of the perfectly clean cut, could only stare, his face drained of all color.
Moon Fiend glanced at him for a second before leaping straight off the cliff after Kaito.
The mont Kaito saw the sword light, he knew he couldn't possibly fight back. He slamd the button.
Back on the fiery battlefield, Fla Fiend was covered in blood. There was a gaping hole in his abdon, the result of losing a beam struggle with Tao. He and Mountain Fiend were growing more terrified with every passing second. This rcenary Tao was far stronger than any enemy they had faced before.
Tao had a bloody wound on his shoulder and his robe was slightly singed. Although his ki was sowhat depleted, he still held the clear advantage.
Suddenly, Tao froze. His stomach began to bloat at an unnatural rate.
POP!
His midsection exploded in a shower of flesh and blood.
[Plot Character rcenary Tao has died. Main Quest Failed.]
Fla Fiend and Mountain Fiend stood frozen in the ruins, unable to process what had just happened.
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