After returning to headquarters, everyone learned that Lubbock had faced two of the Four Rakshasa Demons and managed to kill them, in addition to Akame facing one of them as well as a member of the Jaegers.
From Zhang Yong's perspective, the situation was normal. However, after the discovery that Night Raid was present in the city, security was intensified to 24-hour surveillance.
On the other hand, due to the killing of many Revolutionary Army spies, they could not move freely, and thus the mission was postponed for two weeks.
This time, Tatsumi went out for reconnaissance while Zhang Yong insisted on having Mine accompany him, even after she initially refused. Meanwhile, Zhang Yong remained in the hideout to "rest."
Zhang Yong grabbed his diary and wrote: 'Today, Seryu will be eliminated. Fortunately, I wrote some things here. Let's see... Seryu will be a good addition to my collection. Her sense of justice is twisted, but she cannot disobey my orders. However, she has good abilities as written here. She will die by blowing herself up. Good, it can be used as a cover. Once it's decided, I will make her an addition to my collection.' Zhang Yong closed the diary and quickly vanished through the window.
Zhang Yong used his wings and Wind Path to quickly cover the distance toward the abandoned temple site.
Upon arrival, he saw Mine confronting Seryu outside the temple. Zhang Yong decided not to intervene directly, instead waiting for the right moment.
Zhang Yong watched the battle from afar. Mine was doing well—if anything, better than she should. Seryu indeed looked tired, while Mine was in peak condition.
'I suppose this is what I get for making her stronger,' Zhang Yong sighed.
Light Path - Sacred Bow
Zhang Yong grasped the bow made of light and quietly drew the string, aiming at Mine. But his hand began to tremble.
'Forget it. Don't get attached to characters destined to die.' Zhang Yong steeled his mind and released swift arrows that pierced Mine's shoulder and leg from a distance.
Mine suddenly fell to her knee, blood streaming from her wounds. She looked around in bewilderment, trying to understand the source of the attack.
Seryu also stopped, her brows furrowed in confusion. But the situation seemed in her favor, so she commanded Koro and charged directly at Mine.
Seryu surged toward the injured Mine, her giant drill spinning rapidly, tearing through the air. "Justice will be served! This is your end, Night Raid!" she shouted loudly.
"Screw you!" Mine raised Pumpkin, firing powerfully at the two. This time, the beam was so sharp that it cut Seryu and Koro's bodies in half.
Blood splattered in the air, and Seryu's severed body fell to the ground. But suddenly, she smiled a distorted smile as her severed body began to tremble.
"Justice... will not die... with me!" she whispered in a warped voice, then bit down hard.
Click!
Suddenly, a mechanical voice emerged from Seryu's head: "Judgment of Ten Kings, Final Number, Fifth Furnace of Hell. Fifteen seconds remaining until detonation. Time is ticking... tick tock."
Mine, trying to rise with her wounded body, stared in shock at Seryu. "A suicide bomb?!"
She forced her body up and began running away despite her injuries.
"Hahaha... Koro..." Seryu looked distantly toward what remained of her dog, which was crawling toward her. Its core was already destroyed.
"I see... you won't regenerate... I couldn't... eliminate all evil... Captain Esdeath... I don't want... to die in a place like this..." Seryu looked sadly at the sky, tears streaming down her face.
But suddenly, a dark shadow swooped down from the sky. Zhang Yong landed in front of Seryu, his right hand covered in Death Qi.
He dug his fingers into Seryu's forehead, and the Death Qi spread through her body like poison in water. Immediately, her skin began to wither, and her eyes lost their luster. The moment her body fell lifelessly to the ground, Zhang Yong quickly absorbed her soul.
[Successfully absorbed the soul of 'Seryu'. Number of souls absorbed (4/14)].
Then Zhang Yong vanished from the spot. At the same time, Tatsumi appeared.
He ran toward her like lightning, lifting her in his arms before dashing away.
Zhang Yong watched the explosion, which resembled fireworks, and smiled calmly. "Good, it's done... I suppose... we should end the dual training sessions after today."
Zhang yong said with a firm decision , after all , at this point in the story , mine should be already fallen in love with Tatsumi, so it won't be appropriate to keep training secretly together
A cloud of dust and fire rose, turning the temple area into a blazing crater. Tatsumi carried Mine away from danger.
"That's enough for today," Zhang Yong whispered, then spread his purple wings and left the place quickly.
...
Hours later, at the Night Raid hideout.
Mine lay on a bed, her wounds covered in bandages. Tatsumi sat beside her, his face full of concern. "How are you?"
"I'll be fine..." she whispered weakly. Then she paused, her eyes suddenly lighting up. "Seryu wasn't the one who wounded me. That attack that hit me... it seemed like someone else was there."
In the corner of the room, Zhang Yong stood leaning against the wall, his eyes closed. Mine's deduction was expected.
"So there might be a third party. But if they wanted to kill you, they would have aimed for your head or heart."
Mine nodded slowly, but her gaze remained suspicious. "Maybe, but I feel like something strange is happening."
Tatsumi frowned, rubbing his chin. "If someone else is interfering, that means there's another person in the city. It can't be one of the Four Rakshasa Demons—you already took out the last one. But who could it be?"
Zhang Yong slowly opened his eyes, his gaze cold as ice. "Perhaps an Imperial soldier who wanted to support the Jaegers, though that's a random and unlikely possibility."
"Either way, the important thing now is for you to recover," Tatsumi said as he stood up, then struck his fist into his palm. "I've got it! Why doesn't Zhang Yong cook something delicious for you?"
Mine raised an eyebrow, her gaze full of suspicion. "Are you serious right now?"
Tatsumi smiled innocently. "Why not? I saw how he cooked last time, and it was delicious!"
Zhang Yong, who was trying to maintain his seriousness, looked at Tatsumi as if he were an idiot. "What? There's Susanoo to take care of the cooking."
Tatsumi wrapped his arm around Zhang Yong's neck and pulled him. "Come on, come on. I mean, your cooking is delicious, but just this once because she's injured."
Zhang Yong sighed as he was dragged away, but the corner of his mouth rose slightly in mockery. "Fine, just this once."
In the kitchen, Zhang Yong began preparing food with astonishing skill. His hands moved quickly and precisely as he chopped vegetables and flipped meat in the pan. A delicious aroma filled the room, and even Mine, lying in the adjacent room, felt her mouth water.
"See? I told you!" Tatsumi said, rubbing his hands eagerly.
Mine rolled her eyes, but she couldn't deny her curiosity. Minutes later, Zhang Yong entered carrying a plate of hot soup and fresh bread. He placed them beside her bed. Her injuries weren't severe—something that would heal after a day or two of rest.
Mine took a cautious bite, then her eyes suddenly widened. "This... is delicious!"
Tatsumi laughed. "Didn't I tell you? Even your wounds will heal faster with this!"
Zhang Yong turned toward the kitchen, placed a strawberry parfait by the bed, and whispered in Mine's ear, "Tatsumi told me to bring this for you." After throwing out these words, Zhang Yong turned and left the room.
Those simple words sent a shiver through Mine's body, making her mind work like an engine about to stall.
She looked at the parfait beside her bed, then at the closed door behind him, her eyes carrying a mysterious look.
"Tatsumi told him... really?" she whispered to herself, lifting a spoonful of parfait to her mouth.
The sweet taste flowed over her tongue, but something in her chest felt bitter.
Zhang Yong left the hideout and leaned against the wall, his eyes closed as he breathed deeply. "Don't get attached... don't get attached..." he repeated in his mind like a mantra. But even he couldn't deny that those simple moments, spent with these comrades, made his heart beat strangely.
He might have to kill them with his own hands. And although they would theoretically be alive as his souls, the question was whether they would forgive him for killing them?
He raised his hand to his chest, where he felt an unfamiliar weight. "When did things become so complicated?" he wondered silently.
He took a deep breath, then opened his blue eyes, which shimmered with determination. "Everything for the safe ending."
A few days from now, the time had come to execute the mission.
Kill the spy, Bolic
The original plan was to infiltrate and attack through a hole in the ground toward the cathedral. But since this plan was predictable, it was decided to split the attack into two groups:
A defense team and an attack team.
The defense team consisted of Zhang Yong, Tatsumi, Leone, Najenda, and Susanoo.
After distracting them with the defense team, the attack team would appear on the flying manta to storm the cathedral.
...
On the day of the attack.
The defense team filed through the underground tunnel toward the cathedral, and the guard patrols were eliminated using Incurcio's abilities.
After clearing the path, they climbed the wall to head to the courtyard in the middle of the cathedral without being noticed.
Upon arrival, the orders were clear: cause a huge chaos and lure Esdeath outside!
After entering the courtyard, the place was full of soldiers, but Night Raid had already begun fighting.
The battle continued in the courtyard; soldiers fell one after another before Night Raid's attacks. Zhang Yong moved like a shadow, his sword gleaming with golden light with each strike, his body moving at blinding speed through enemy lines.
But as time passed, all the soldiers were finished off, yet Esdeath did not appear at all.
"There's no trace of Esdeath even after making all this ruckus," Najenda said as she walked to the front.
"Is it possible she's not in this place?" Susanoo suggested.
Leone immediately shook her head. "No, the aura of killing still emanates from inside. She's eager to hunt us."
Tatsumi, standing beside Susanoo, turned to her. "What do we do then?"
The time for the second team's attack was already approaching, and Esdeath still hadn't come out, so only one option remained.
"Change of plans," Najenda said confidently. "We'll storm the cathedral ourselves."
"Understood!" everyone said in unison and charged toward the cathedral.
But Zhang Yong suddenly stopped and clutched his chest in pain. The blue marks appeared on his skin again, and he suppressed them immediately. 'Not now... not yet.'
After storming the cathedral, they found themselves in a majestic hall with high ceilings adorned with stained glass. The air was heavy with the scent of old wood.
Right before them, Esdeath appeared with confident steps. "Long time no see, Najenda."
Najenda's gaze narrowed sharply upon hearing her words. "Esdeath..."
"You know, Najenda..." Esdeath whispered as she drew her thin sword. "I've always wanted to see you. Let's talk about the past... in the torture chamber."
"No, I don't want to talk to you," Najenda said with a forced expression.
"Oh, that's cold from an old colleague. But I won't let this expression last long either. Korume, stay focused on protecting Bolic" Esdeath said with a cold smile, her eyes never leaving them.
She raised her hand gently, and with a simple motion, hundreds of ice blades formed above their heads, hanging in the air.
Najenda shouted, "Scatter!"
Everyone darted in different directions as the ice blades rained down from above.
Zhang Yong dodged the attack with a backflip, while Susanoo blocked the blades with his mace. Leone used her Teigu to evade, but one of the blades grazed her arm, causing slight bleeding.
Najenda didn't move from her spot. Instead, she grabbed her mechanical arm and launched her fist directly at Esdeath's head.
But Esdeath merely smiled, raised her hand, and formed an ice wall that easily deflected the fist.
Esdeath laughed mockingly. "Is this all your skill, Najenda? I'm disappointed."
Zhang Yong, watching the situation, felt the blue marks spreading across his body again. 'No time for weakness now!'
He quickly waved, and a wave of black energy shot from his sword toward Esdeath. But instead of stopping, she suddenly turned and smiled. "Arthur was right about you."
She pulled a strange card from her pocket and threw it toward Zhang Yong. The card immediately ignited with blue flames.
Suddenly, he felt something explode in his chest. The pain was unbearable. The blue marks spread rapidly, turning into black lines. He fell to his knees, clutching his chest.
"It will be fun, watching you fight and kill your comrades," Esdeath smiled sadistically.
Susanoo charged at Esdeath quickly, but she immediately formed an ice wall that deflected the strike, then pierced through with her sword and stabbed through Susanoo's chest.
Since Susanoo was a biological Teigu, the blow didn't affect him. But Esdeath created a foothold mid-air, stepped onto it, approached Susanoo, and trapped his body in a frozen mass.
While Zhang Yong struggled to control the black marks spreading through his body, his body began to turn black.
Najenda, noticing his condition, shouted, "Zhang Yong!" But her voice sounded distant, as if coming from the end of a long tunnel.
Esdeath laughed and raised her hand. A giant ice pillar formed toward Zhang Yong and shot toward him like lightning.
But before it could hit him, Tatsumi suddenly appeared out of nowhere thanks to Incurcio and pushed Zhang Yong away, taking the blow instead. The ice pillar shattered against Incurcio's armor, but the force pushed them both into the wall.
Then Leone suddenly appeared behind Esdeath and attacked her with her claws. But as soon as she struck, Esdeath's body shattered into icy pieces. Esdeath reappeared in front of her and, with a quick motion, severed all four of her limbs.
"A weak bunch. Did you really plan to fight me like this, Najenda?"
Suddenly, a laugh emerged—a sinister, terrifying laugh from their direction. Zhang Yong grabbed his face forcefully. Half of his face had turned into a mad, laughing visage while the other half still tried to cling to reality.
"Hehehe... you... Esdeath!!!" Zhang Yong shouted in a deep, savage voice.
Esdeath stared with sadistic eagerness. "Finally! That bastard Arthur didn't lie to me!" She raised her sword slowly. "Let's see who is stronger!"
Najenda looked at Tatsumi and commanded firmly, "Incurcio! Get away from him!"
Nevertheless, Tatsumi stood and stared at Zhang Yong as he lifted his body from the ground
"Hehehe, Esdeath! Hahaha!" Zhang Yong rose completely from the ground and looked at her.
A black aura rose, sending every piece of debris—including Tatsumi's body itself—flying far away.
Tatsumi's body flew and hit his head against the wall so hard that the wall shattered, and he lost consciousness.
A wide smile spread across his face. "You!" Then he turned his gaze to where Korume and Bols were.
Space Path - Earth Fold
In an instant, he appeared beside Korume without warning and with a single kick sent her flying across the room and outside.
His hand reached out and grabbed Bols by the neck. His eyes sparkled with madness, and a distorted smile erased all his human features.
Esdeath waved her sword and sent ice spears directly toward Zhang Yong.
But Zhang Yong was faster. Bols screamed as Zhang Yong's black fingers dug into his neck: "General Esdeath! Save me—"
Crack!
Bols's head exploded in Zhang Yong's hands like ripe fruit, brain and blood splattering across the sacred cathedral floor.
A giant ice pillar shot from the cathedral ceiling toward Zhang Yong, but he suddenly vanished using Earth Fold, reappearing directly behind Esdeath.
Esdeath's danger senses rose, and she turned with incredible speed, stabbing him with a long ice horn that completely pierced his abdomen!
"Fool!" she whispered sadistically as black blood flowed from his wounds. "Even if your body is invincible, the human body—"
"AAAAAGH!" Zhang Yong roared loudly.
He was still holding Bols's body. Quickly, he grabbed the spinal cord of his body and pulled out Bols's spine, then exploded the corpse. Using Blood Control, he turned the blood into a blood sword. In his other hand, he used Bone Control to turn the spine into a second sword.
Death Qi coiled around both swords, and Zhang Yong shattered the ice piece that had stabbed him.
Esdeath stepped back for the first time since the battle began, her eyes widening with surprise mixed with excitement. "Haha! Finally, someone worthy of being my opponent!"
Nevertheless, Zhang Yong paid her no attention. His body swayed slightly before he threw both swords into the air and unleashed a plume of flame while the two swords stood in the middle of the fire.
Then Zhang Yong thrust his hand into the hole in his abdomen, ripped out his kidney, and threw it into the fire with the two swords. Then he created claws from Death Qi, cut off a piece of flesh from his forearm, and threw it into the fire.
"What is he doing?!" Leone could only stare in shock.
To the inhabitants of this world, this might seem illogical and strange.
But to cultivators , they could recognize it in an instant. He was refining something! And it was something from the demonic path!
Esdeath sensed the danger. A giant ice horn shot from her palm, attempting to pierce Zhang Yong.
But Zhang Yong made a few hand signs and quickly erected a defensive array around himself.
The defensive array Zhang Yong had erected shattered under the strikes of the giant ice horn, but it was enough for him to perform his move.
Time Path - Third Hour
This technique accelerated the refinement time of tools and treasures, but it wasn't always useful. If the success rate was high, the acceleration would proceed smoothly. But if the success rate was 70% or less, it would backfire on the user. This technique wasn't meant for someone making something for the first time.
But this wasn't the first time Zhang Yong had refined such a weapon—at least not for his past lives.
In one of the paths, he had created a similar weapon, so he was confident in his ability to make it.
From the midst of the fire, a new weapon rose—a white bone sword, writhing like a living creature, made from Bols's blood and bones and Zhang Yong's own flesh. A mid-mysterious grade weapon.
"That's enough," Esdeath said in a low tone, cutting him off, her voice exuding authority.
She charged toward Zhang Yong, appearing before the sword as it began to form, trying to shatter it before it was complete.
But a wave of grim pressure exploded from the refinement center, pushing her back several steps.
Zhang Yong grasped the sword, and white bones extended from the hilt, digging into his grip. Then he charged toward Esdeath in an unnatural manner.
His sword clashed with Esdeath's sword, and a wave of energy exploded around them, tearing up the marble floor beneath their feet.
Soon, the two began to dance within the hall at high speed.
"Haha... finally!" Esdeath shouted, her golden eyes blazing with excitement. "Let's see who is truly stronger!"
Zhang Yong did not reply. Instead, he suddenly vanished from his spot, reappearing behind her with his white bone sword dripping black blood.
He struck quickly, but Esdeath turned at the last moment, her sword colliding violently with his weapon.
CRACK!
A shockwave exploded from the impact, causing Esdeath to retreat two steps, but she laughed. "Excellent! Excellent!"
Zhang Yong did not stop. He charged again, his sword cutting through the air with a sound like screaming ghosts
Each strike carried enough force to shatter bones, but Esdeath evaded or parried with skill, her ice forming quickly but also shattering just as quickly with each movement.
Esdeath unleashed a torrent of sharp, knife-like ice shards toward him.
Zhang Yong vanished again, and the shards pierced deep into the wall behind him. Before she could determine the direction of his attack, he appeared above her, his legs tensed behind him as he brought his sword down toward her head.
A giant ice horn shot from the ground, attempting to pierce him from below. Zhang Yong dodged with a sideways twist, but the horn grazed his left arm, tearing flesh and exposing bone.
Black blood sprayed like a fountain, but he didn't seem bothered. Instead, he laughed—a mad laugh—while his wounded hand healed at an unnatural speed.
He charged again, and this time, his strikes were faster, more brutal. Esdeath began to retreat, her ice cracking under the supernatural force of his blows.
Esdeath leaped back a great distance. If this battle continued much longer, the result would be catastrophic. She raised her hand and intoned, "Let everything before me freeze... Mahapadma."
In an instant, time froze in place, and Zhang Yong's form remained suspended in the air.
Esdeath charged forward with force and carved into his body with unrelenting stabs, riddling his body with holes like a sponge.